The medical tent did smell like death-worse than the surgery in her father's castle. Belle wanted to gag, but she stopped herself. She needed to do something while she was here; she would not do nothing, it wasn't in her nature.

"What do you need?" Belle asked a man who was bandaging a man's chest.

"Nothing, your grace." He said.

"I can help." Belle told him.

"We are fine, your grace. You needn't work here."

Belle frowned, tilting her head to the side before leaving him, going to the other men who were laying on cots. One man was sitting on the edge of one, holding his wrist. Belle walked up to him.

"What's wrong."

"Practicing with a friend, smashed me wrist." Said the man that looked to be around Belle's age with green eyes and sandy brown hair, a strong build. Definitely could be a warrior, but he could also just be a laborer as well.

"Let me see." Belle took his wrist lightly, watching as he flinched with the lightest touch. "It's broken, but not badly." Belle told him, pressing lightly. "We just need to keep it stable. Let me find something to brace it with. Stay here and stay still."

"Yes, milady."

Belle went in search of bandages, and with the other man there unwilling to help her, took initiative. She found them in a bag, and set the man's wrist before going on to the next patient. She only gave milk of the poppy to people who actually needed it. She cleaned and stitched wounds until everyone was taken care of, and after, she folded her arms and looked at her work. On her apron there was blood, but she was no worse for wear. The men who told her to leave before walked up to her.

"You know how to heal wounds?" He asked.

Belle nodded. "My maester taught me. If I am to be here I must have something to do." She looked at him. "Perhaps you should show me where everything is?"

He bowed his head. "Of course, your grace."

XXX

The next morning, Belle tied a strip of cloth around her head to keep her hair out of her face, though the rest of her hair was in a braid down her back. She was happy she had something to do. She had somewhere to go. Until there was a direwolf outside the tent.

Belle gasped, and dropped the supplies she was bringing to the medical tent. It was the first time she had been close to him, and the first time she had seen her husband's direwolf without him in her presence as well. This direwolf stood eye-to-eye with her, gazing at her like she was something interesting.

"Belle." Vince said, walking up to her. "Are you okay?"

Belle looked from the wolf to Vince with wide blue eyes, as if stating that she was obviously not okay.

"Here, I'll help you." He said, kneeling down to pick up her things. "He's not going to hurt you. If he starts following you around that means your dear husband has told him to."

"Well, that will frighten my patients, certainly." Belle said.

"And you." Vince said, standing with her things in one arm as he held the other out. "I will escort you where you are going, then."

"Medical tent." She told him. "I have found my place for now in this world."

"I'll be sure to come straight to you when I get hurt." Vince said. "You have your mother's talents."

"Talents? This was all taught to me by Maester Rayn." Belle told him. "I guess it's a good thing now. I have everything I need to be useful."

"Not that you'd have a choice but to be here." Vince said. "If your husband wanted you here, that is."

"He gave me a choice. I chose to come with him." Belle said. "It's better than staying at the Twins."

"I don't know. Some women have been in pretty bad marriages. They could tell you that is not true."

"Maybe." Belle said. "I'm lucky, then." She looked to Vince. "Tell me, how did your wife feel after she married you?"

"We knew each other for some time. I was like an elder brother." Vince said. "She would strike me if I was ever bad to her."

Belle smirked. "How many times have you been struck?"

"Never."

"That's good to hear." Belle said.

"I hope you will be able to stay the same." Vince said. "But since your husband has no problems with you having your own life, I doubt you have anything to worry about."

"I hope so, because I would not stop if he tried to get me to."

Vince shook his head, laughing. "You're stubborn, just like your mother."

"Tell me more about her." Belle said. "I never heard much growing up."

"She was kind, smart, and an amazing woman." He told Belle. "I think there is a lot of her in you. She was so stubborn. I thought for a while there she wasn't going to marry your father."

"I can't blame her for not wanting to marry him. I see how he treats his wives." Belle said. "I am happy that I did not marry someone like him."

"As am I." Vince said. "But if your husband does do anything, tell me, I'll take care of you."

"I think I could handle it, don't you?" Belle asked him as they reached the medical tent. "I'm stronger than I look."

Vince smiled at her. "You know, I believe you, but I always regret when I don't act myself."

Belle wondered if he meant with her mother, but she wasn't going to ask now. "I will see you later, Vince."

"And I will see you, my queen." He said, leaning down to kiss her hand.

"Don't you start." She told him. "You are not allowed to call me anything else but my name."

"Not even little golden Belle? Goldie locks? Bellie?"

Belle tried not to smile. "Not in front of people."

"We'll see Bellie." He winked at her, before leaving her at the medical tent.

XXX

Belle hummed happily as she brushed through her long hair that night sitting on the bed. She didn't really do much today besides check on wounds and play cards with some of the men. She liked being around people. It made her happy to have people to talk to.

Robb walked in, only witnessing a moment of her humming before she stopped. "You seem happy." He said. "Have a good day?"

"I did, my lord." Belle said as she looked up, smiling at him. "I hope you did as well."

"As well as one can with a war going on." He said as lightly as he could, pouring himself a goblet of wine. "How did you spend your day?"

"In the medical tent. We didn't have any new wounded, but tending to wounds, and playing cards with the soldiers was a good way to spend the day. It makes me feel like I'm actually helping here." Belle said. "Even if it was just playing cards with the soldiers."

"It's good you're finding a place here." He said. "It must make the days here easier."

She looked at her husband, smiling brightly. "Much. I always hated being useless." She went back to brushing her hair.

"Somehow I can't imagine you being so." Robb said as he began to undress, putting his sword on the floor besides their bed, on the side he slept; the closest to the opening of the tent. "Do you miss the Twins?"

Belle stopped brushing her hair mid stroke, before turning to look at her husband again, almost looking confused about the question. "The Twins?"

"Yes, you spent your entire life there, right?" He asked.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I liked it there." Belle replied. "I miss my sisters. Jane mostly. She was the one I was closest with." She looked down and up again. "Do you miss your home?"

"Yes." He answered. "It's my home."

That made Belle think a moment. "I wonder what it's like to have home be a place."

"It's not only a place. It is also the people there. I miss my brothers and my sisters. I miss my father."

"Are your brothers at Winterfell?" She asked.

"All but one." He said. "He is at castle black."

"Is that your bastard brother?" She asked as she began braiding her hair over her shoulder to sleep in.

"Yes." He said.

She nodded. "I don't mean any offense. Are your brothers kind?"

"Yes, they are." He said.

"Do you all get along? Not only your brothers, but your sisters as well." She asked.

"Yes, we do. We were all close before everything happened."

She finished tying off her braid. "What are your sisters like?"

"Well, Sansa is a lady through and through. Or she was when she left. I bet she has remained one if I know her at all." He told her. "Arya was more of a brother. She shot better than Bran, anyway. She wanted to be a knight. I think they would have liked you. Arya at the very least because you could fix her up when she gets hurt. I think Sansa would have liked you because when you want to be, you can be a perfect lady."

"Good thing you know better." Belle turned and walked towards him as she tied off her braid. "And what of your brother who is now a part of the Night's Watch? What is he like?"

"We were very close." He said. "We were the closest in age. We took care of our siblings together. But my mother never liked him because he wasn't hers, but my father's infidelity. He gave Arya a sword before he left for Castle Black."

"Is he like you?" She asked.

"How do you mean?" He asked.

"Kind." She said. "Would go to war to get his sisters back. Would marry someone to try to save his family. Would be kind to the girl he was forced to marry."

"Of course he would."

"Sounds like the kind of brother I always wanted." She sat on the cot next to him, sitting with her legs in a pretzel. "How did you take care of your siblings?"

"Well, I helped Bran learn to fight. Some nights I had to take the younger ones to bed. Like when we had the feast to welcome the King to Winterfell, my sisters were fighting, and Arya threw food at Sansa and so I had to take Arya to bed. Honestly, it was quite funny to everyone but Sansa."

Belle smiled. "I take it they did not get along so well?"

"No, but I believe they love each other. I hope to reunite us again."

"I would very much like that to help you in any way I can. A family such as yours should not be separated." She kissed his cheek.

"I hope that the family we make is the same." He told her. "That our children are not separated from each other as you and your siblings were. I want them close. Close as my siblings and I."

Belle smiled. "As do I." She nodded. "I will do everything in my power to make it so, I promise you that."

Robb had to believe her. The gentleness mixed with sadness in her voice.

"But, when this is all over. When we return to your home. I would like to send for my sister. I would like to keep her close to me."

"Which one?" He asked. "Jane?"

She smiled, a bit surprised he remembered her name. "Yes, Jane."

"Of course." He said. "Whatever you like."

"Thank you." She said.

"Well, you would have fought me if I said no, wouldn't you?" He asked, smiling at her.

"Yeah, but I would bring it up after we have lain together." She told him, smiling back, and rocking back, before leaning forward with her elbows on her knees. "I've heard a rumor that it is the best time for a wife to ask something of her husband."

"Well now that you have told me, I doubt it will work now."

"It will." She told him. "You will forget."

"Will I?" He asked. "I have a rather good memory."

"The North remembers." She said. "You won't remember this."

"Wh—" She cut him off with a kiss, grabbing him by his shoulders and pulling him to her. She liked her husband well enough. She was able to talk to him much more than her stepmother ever talked to her own father. She did not think lying with him was the chore she always was told it was. She actually liked it. She stripped him of his jerkin so she could feel his skin under her fingertips. She always felt better like that. Like when Jane would hold her when they slept in the same bed. Or when she was ill and her sister's cool fingers on her forehead. Or Maester Rayne when he would teach her to heal. A heavy hand on her shoulder told her she did well, that he was proud of her for whatever she did. If it was stitching a wound, or making a potion for someone to drink. Or if she did not do her best, then she would receive a hand holding hers lightly.

"You will do better next time." He told her. "You are still learning."

Touch was important to Belle. It made her feel closer to the people she loves. It made her feel a connection to the people in her life. Was it bad of her to try to get the same feeling from her husband? To hope that they could be as far from her family as possible, and close to his? She hoped his family would like her, and his mother would learn to like her. She hoped she could be one of them one day. For now, all she had was this touch. The warmth of his skin on hers. The steadiness of his touch. The kindness in the man she married.

She was lucky, she knew she was. She would thank the gods every day if they were able to survive this war. The Starks were good and noble. They wouldn't hurt her. Not like her own flesh and blood had.

A/N: Just got home from work, and as I watch the Tony's I am updating! I've worked every day this week, but I should have tomorrow off unless I get called in, so I think I'll try to stick to the schedule of updating on Sundays since I'm not stressed to get to bed so I get enough sleep before going back in.

Thank you to my reviewers, ZabuzasGirl, TwilightBrightStar, emmettismymonkeyman, harrypotterfangirl23, BecauseYourWorthIt, Lady-Finwe, and HPuni101.

A special thanks to Ptl4ever and darkwolf76 for feeling my pain with having nasty customers. Being a lifeguard is not quite as bad as retail, but damn do we get yelled at a lot.

Hope you enjoyed and please review!

Kat