Dear readers,

I'm very sorry it took me so long to get the new chapter ready.

I'm having my finals at college this month so there isn't much time to write.

However, I have some good news! I'm finally working together with a beta reader HimmelreichLYNX who'll help me to improve my writing. I worked over all the chapters and re-uploaded them

Hope you enjoy the new chapter!

Much love,

xxx

07 The Trial

Almost a week had passed since Clara had seen Ramsay. With the last guard doing a rather poor job, it had been impossible for Clara to go back again. It made her furious that her father placed so little trust in her. She'd agreed to the trial and she'd agreed to play her part in it.

What more could he possibly want?

The day of the trial felt odd from the moment she got up. Over and over again she told herself that everything would turn out fine, yet, it felt like her heart would jump out of her chest any moment. If there was ever a day in her life she wasn't allowed to screw up, it was today. Her hand tightened around her flower necklace.

"My Lady... we have to go." Analina interrupted her thoughts.

Her poor, miserable handmaiden - still refusing to wear anything other than black. Clara had never been a supporter of the traditions surrounding funerals. The dead weren't bothered by the living, nor should the living be bothered by the dead. Unlike the Greyjoys, she believed that what was dead would stay dead. So what did all the decorum matter? Well, it didn't. Not to her at least. Yes, Otilia had been met with a terrible fate, but wearing black wouldn't bring her back. Otilia was slowly vanishing into oblivion like they all would eventually.

"I'm coming," Clara responded, and followed her handmaiden into the halls shortly after.

The halls were already filled with people. House Bolton and every resident of her family's court. She knew all their faces, and was disgusted by their spitefulness towards the event. Many of them were just waiting to see Ramsay hang. Just you wait. Clara thought. All of this will be flying right back in your faces sooner or later.

With careful steps she climbed the steps to where the jury was seated. Her father, Roose Bolton, Maester Bestlin were already seated, one free seat remained - hers. She bowed her head shortly before sitting down. Her father glanced at her desperately - begging her to do as she was told. Roose Bolton on the other side pierced her with calculating and threatening eyes.

"Shall we proceed?" Maester Beltin asked impatiently - gaze scanning the jury members. All of them nodded in unison. Each and every one of them stained for different reasons.

"Bring him in," Jygle commanded.

The guard's reaction was immediate, and they shuffled out the doors to bring in the prisoner. Shortly after, the doors opened and the guards returned with Ramsay - walking in the middle of the procession of guards, and in chains. He didn't seemed bothered much by all of it. In fact, he seemed to be enjoying it because he was sure he would get out. He knew he would win.

Jygle rose from his chair and stepped forward. "We've gathered here today to determine the fate of Ramsay Snow." He started.

Ramsay cleared his throat to interrupt, but her father didn't pay him any attention and moved on with his speech.

"Who has been-" Again, Ramsay cleared his throat. This time Jygle stopped.

"Do you need a glass of water, Lord Snow?" He asked. Ramsays eyes twinkled.

"Bolton, My Lord. The name is Bolton," Ramsay reminded Jygle. "No matter the situation, shouldn't you pay respect to a House so much grander than yours, Lord..." Ramsay paused for a moment. "What was your house's name again?"

Suppressing a giggle, Clara covered her mouth with her hand - knowing that the situation wasn't amusing at all. Yet she thought it was rather funny. She could see her father's hands clenching into fists at his sides. To her surprise he seemed incensed. His eyes wandered to Roose Bolton as if to ask whether Ramsay's words were true. Roose nodded. Again, Clara felt happy for her friend to have finally been accepted by his father. So long he had fought for it. She just didn't know the price Roose's acceptance had cost.

"Well... Lord Ramsay Bolton is it then," Jygle continued displeased. Naming him a true lord instead of a bastard gave Ramsay too much power for his liking. "He's accused of the murder of Otilia Alevi, handmaiden to my daughter Clara of the House without a name. We will hear Analina Craon as the first witness."

Shyly Analina stepped out of the crowd. The girl seemed scared, as if just getting one step too close to Ramsay could kill her. Ramsay just looked at her curiously.

"Please tell us what you saw and when you saw Otilia for the last time," Jygle requested.

"I saw Otilia the night before she disappeared. We shared dinner as we always do when Lady Clara isn't in need of our company. She... she started to feel sick very early in the evening," Analina started – her voice was trembling and tears moistened her eyes. She had to swallow hard before going on."The next day she didn't show up. I met with Lady Clara in the morning for breakfast and we met.. Lord- Lord Ramsay Bolton outside, saddling his horse. He was about to go on a hunt on his own." Analina didn't have more to say.

It was a farce! What must the Boltons think of them now? Analina was their only witness and her story didn't connect any pieces of the puzzle at all.

"I'm don't see why we're talking to her when she clearly doesn't have anything to say." Roose voiced Claras thoughts. For the first time that day, she was thankful Roose was there.

"Nothing to say?" Jygle repeated. "Don't you think it's odd that she felt sick before going to bed?"

"Are you really considering poison?" Clara interrupted the conversation- amused. "Everyone knows poison is a woman's weapon. I highly doubt a House that is known for their strength like the Boltons would use such dirty tricks."

Her father had asked her to not act this way, but she couldn't hold back. Loyalties were more important than family, and her father's desperate attempt to blame Ramsay without any proof was ridiculous.

"I agree. I'd rather hear of Maester Bestlin now. Maybe he has something useful to say before we end this," Roose said - annoyed. Clara couldn't blame him. He came for an alliance and now his son was on trial.

Jygle sighed but nodded. "Maester Bestlin... please. Tell us about the marks on her body," Jygle demanded.

"Now this is getting interesting," Ramsay said-amused.

He glanced at Clara and grinned. She had to smile in return. For no reason whatsoever, she thought about how handsome and strong he looked in that very moment. He was a sick soul – without a doubt. But that was what seemed to connect them in a strange but equally beautiful way.

"I would especially like to hear about the arrow heads you found in her body," Clara questioned calmly – suddenly filled with an unprecedented serenity. They would be fine. They always had been fine.

"Yes, I would really like to take a look at them," Roose agreed.

As if on command, a squire stepped out of the crowd and handed Roose a small bag.

"These are the arrow heads we found stuck in her body alongside the bite marks. They have the sigil of House Bolton on them," Bestlin explained after he cleared his throat.

Roose took the arrow heads out and eyed them speculatively . Everyone watched him – eager to see his face paling when the Lord had to face up to this son's guilt. But the opposite happened. Lord Bolton grew angry.

"This ends here," Roose said coldly, and got up. The arrow heads fell to the floor. "Take the chains off. Now." He commanded.

Ramsay grinned in satisfaction. So did Clara.

"What are you doing? You're in no position to command my men!" Jygle shouted.

"Yes, I am!" Roose countered. "You're accusing my son of murder and using fake evidence to sentence him to death. Ramsay may have his eccentricities, but this is not how you treat someone of House Bolton. I would rather not have to prove it to you the hard way, Jygle."

The entire hall had grown silent. Now it was Jygle whose face was paling. He rushed to the arrow heads on the floor. He scanned them carefully. Over and over again, he turned them – searching desperately for the sigil that was nowhere to be found.

"I-It's not possible..." He stuttered. "They were there... the sigils were there! I swear it by the old Gods and the new! The sigils were on the arrow heads!" His voice was begging for mercy.

"Lord Bolton is right, father.. this has to end and it will," Clara declared sharply as she got up from her chair. Pleased with the trial's conclusion, she walked down the stairs and took the keys for the chains without saying a word. Smiling, she stepped towards Ramsay and unlocked the chains.

"You're a free man, My Lord." Clara was relieved it was over and had all worked out. Her plan worked. Reek had managed to exchange the arrow heads. Now her father was to blame, but it didn't matter to her. She couldn't feel anything but pure happiness.

Ramsay rubbed his wrists after the chains fell off. He wasn't used to being the one in chains. It was quite amusing for Clara to have seen him that way. In that moment she didn't care about anyone else in the room. She didn't care that people were looking at her. She cared even less about what her father was yelling at her in the background. They were all just echoes from afar.

The bastard Lord took her face between his hands – soft and not at all rough as they had been when they'd first met again.

"Very well done, Clara." He lauded with a dirty grin - the one she enjoyed so much. For the first time in a really long time she felt proud of herself. She did something right. She did a good thing – in her eyes. Saving her friend meant everything to her, and she hoped desperately that it mattered to him as well.

Clara laid her hands on his wrists – still smiling.

"We've always been a good team... you and I," Clara beamed.

"Yes...and that's how we will be again," Ramsay said, joyful about what was to come.

Clara leaned her head against his chest and closed her eyes as his hand stroked her hair.

Finally, they were reunited.

Thanks to my beta reader: HimmelreichLYNX