When Ella awoke, she knew she didn't want to wake up. She didn't want to do anything besides stay in bed and sleep. She and Robb had laid together several times the night before. Ella knew that her mother would know that she didn't say no to the northerner in her bed. She knew what her mother would say. She knew how her mother would act.

Ella was also so comfortable where she was with the warm body behind her, an arm draped around her waist and his slow, even breath on the back of her neck. She didn't have to wake up yet, she could lay there with her hair tangled, and with a sheet and blankets covering her. She would have been cold if not for the warm body next to her.

She knew he was waking up when he pulled her closer, she could feel him hard again against her ass. He kissed her shoulder lightly.

"Good morning." He whispered.

"Shh," she hushed him, squeezing his hand. "We're not waking up. We're staying here for a while longer."

"Do you like being in bed with me?" He asked her, purposefully pulling her tight against him.

"Hm," She sighed, squirming around so she could turn to face him. She had a slight ache between her thighs, but she ignored it. "Yeah, I think so."

He kissed her softly. "Then maybe we should sleep together every night."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Huh?"

"You know, when a husband and wife actually like each other, they can sleep in the same bed." He told her, brushing hair away from her face. "My parents do."

Ella frowned. "My parents only see each other for public events."

"Let us not be like them then."

"He will always disappoint you." Cersei's words echoed in her ears.

Ella shook her head, trying to get her mother's voice away from her. "Yes, I have to agree with that."

"So, what do you think of sharing a room?"

She kissed him lightly. "I think it will be a new experience."

"Is that a yes, then?"

Ella couldn't see why not. Perhaps if her parents had done this they could have had a better marriage; the gods knew they couldn't hate each other any more than they already did.

"It is a yes." She agreed.

"Good." He kissed her, rolling her onto her back. "And perhaps there is a more fun activity than sleeping we could do."

She pushed her hips against his. "Yes, I think we could do that."

XXX

Neither Robb or Ella knew what time it was when a maid knocked on the door, telling them that they were summoned to luncheon with their families, and delivering fresh clothes for them to wear. Ella smiled and thanked the maid, telling her to tell their families that they will be down in a moment.

"Why did you promise that?" Robb whined. "I'm not done with you yet."

Ella laughed, rolling on top of him, and straddling his hips. She looked towards the window. "It is about noon. I think you can wait a few hours." She teased. "Also, I am rather hungry."

"Have I worn you out?" He asked, lifting his hips to meet hers.

"At least for the next hour." She winked before getting off her husband. "Now get dressed. My father will make inappropriate comments. My mother will kill you with her eyes, and I even bet my uncles will try to make us uncomfortable." She rolled her eyes before she walked towards her clothes. Ella was happy that she had a simple wrap-around dress with a high neckline to cover the bruises on her shoulders and chest.

"Then why are you in such a hurry?" He asked.

"Have you not heard my words?" She asked. "Ours in the fury. My father does not like to be kept waiting."

"Aren't your words 'winter is coming?'" He asked her as he watched her dress.

"I may have married you, but I still have my own identity." She told him.

"Are you saying that you'll never be a Stark?" Robb asked.

"No." Ella told him. "I may one day. I may say your words. I promise that I will raise our children as a Stark, but I would like this to be my choice."

He nodded slowly. "So you want children?" He asked.

"I love children." Ella told him, looking down to tie one of the ties on this inside of her dress. "That is not to say that I would rather not have one right this moment, but I wouldn't be upset." She looked up at him. "Would you be upset?"

"No." He told her. "No, I would be ashamed of myself if I was."

She threw the pants the maid had brought in for him at him. "Get yourself dressed. The heir to Winterfell best be on his best behavior in front of the king."

"I'm sure your father will find me the perfect match for his daughter. It is not like he has a choice anymore."

Ella looked at her husband, and tried to hide her smile.

I could have been matched with someone much worse.

XXX

The newlywed couple climbed down the stairs, their arms linked-though no one was sure if he was on her arm, or she on his. Either way, it did not matter to the king.

"It is about time you gave my daughter a break." The king cried. Ella knew he was drunk by his loud, obnoxious laugh.

"Or perhaps I gave him a break." Ella found herself saying. "Men are not always the only ones to enjoy their wedding nights." She raised her eyebrows in a challenge, though her father soon looked uncomfortable, joining everyone else who was at the table besides the ones who were ten and under; they were only confused.

"Either way, you must be hungry." Robert stated. "Eat."

The young couple did as they were bid. Ella, who was refusing to look at her mother, could feel Cersei's stares burn through her. Her mother was unhappy, but she was usually unhappy. Ella should not have read anything into it, but she did. Oh, she did. She could hear her mother from where she sat. A lecture. A rant. Either way, Ella would hear at least one of them.

For some time she listened to Sansa awe over the wedding the day before, and how she danced all night. She also listened to Arya complain about how she was forced to wear a dress all night. How the girls were so different made Ella laugh. Her and Myrcella were very different, but they still loved each other; their major difference was that Myrcella was kind and sweet. Something neither of their parents had. Ella was the passionate one. She was the one that when she did not like something, would stand up...but she also did that when she did like something. Myrcella would let things happen to her. Ella would either fight or lead the things that happened to her, not sit back and watch as they happened.

Though now, she did feel bad for fighting Robb at the beginning. Her hot head made them take three steps back before they ever could take a step forward.

XXX

Ella was soon alone with her mother. She knew it could happen no matter how hard she tried to stop it. She stood before her mother with a goblet of wine in her hand. She could at least be drinking while her mother was ranting. She may even make a game out of it.

"You didn't say no to him."

Ella took a drink.

"You let him use you as a common whore."

Ella took another drink.

"Are you drinking every time I speak, dearest daughter?" Cersei snapped.

"I don't know why you're making such a big deal out of it." Ella replied. "You made it seem terrible, but it was actually quite nice. He is not like your husband. Perhaps that is why father made the match; he knew better than to make a match with someone like him. Your father did not know that."

Ella should have seen the slap coming. Cersei always did as her father bid.

Cersei should have seen Ella's response. The moment that Ella turned back to her mother, the back of her hand connected with Cersei's cheek. They both had slightly red cheeks now.

"You may be the queen, but you may not strike me anymore." Ella sneered at her mother. "You are my mother, and the gods know I have tried not to love you. I am no longer to be reprimanded by you."

Ella must have struck her mother hard, for tears were in Cersei's eyes as she reached for her daughter. Ella stopped her mother from embracing her.

"Can't you see that I love you and that's why I do these things?" Cersei asked. "I only want to protect you."

"Perhaps I do not need protecting." Ella told her mother. "Save that for the young ones. For Myrcella and Tommen. I am a woman grown. I can make my mistakes and my choices. I don't need to be mothered."

"Two weeks ago you asked me for help." Cersei said. "And now you are fine in the position you fought against."

"I did not think a man could be as kind as Robb is." Ella replied. "I'm not saying that this is something out of a story, but it could have been much, much worse. I will be treated well here. I have a friend, I have a husband."

"You mean Ned Stark's bastard? You have a bastard for a friend."

"I do not find fault with the child. I find fault with the parents." She bit out the words. "Perhaps you should do the same with your husband's litter."

Cersei raised her hand slightly as to strike her daughter again, but she stopped herself. "When your husband brings a bastard home, you will understand what I say." Cersei told her daughter. "Do not come crying to me when the Stark boy forgets his honor."

"Then I believe my husband will get my fury, not the child."

"We will see about that. No man will keep their wedding vows, Ella." Cersei snapped.

Ella sighed. "You do not think I know that? I do not need to ignore it as you try, though. I will not stop him, but I can stop him from having me. You are right about one thing, mother; he will not take me by force. If I choose to never let him touch me, he won't."

"I don't know. I can see marks on your neck that prove you're not going to stop him any time soon." Cersei replied, pulling on the neckline of Ella's dress.

Ella pushed her mother's hand away. "Yes, there are. And I like every single one of them." Ella pitied her mother. Her husband didn't care for her, or even like her. But Ella would not let her mother talk down to her, no matter what her mother's position was. Cersei had no power over her, Robert had made sure of that.

"You will find out you are pregnant in a month or more." Cersei stated. "Are you still going to send a raven?"

"We will see."

XXX

"Where did that come from?" Robb asked Ella that night as rubbed arnica into the bruise her mother left on her face.

"My mother and I couldn't see the other's side." Ella responded. She was sitting at her vanity. "I give as good as I get."

"I thought you told me that she didn't hit you." Robb stated.

"And now I hit her back." Ella stated. "It is nothing that I cannot handle. I know my mother. She will not do anything that cannot be covered up." She raised the arnica oil that she was rubbing into her skin. "She had your maester bring this to me. It helps the bruise heal. I hope it will be gone soon. I do not enjoy to have purple upon my cheek, I doubt she does either." She put the bottle back down. "I want them to leave. The more I separate myself from her, the more I feel better."

"I thought you loved your mother."

"I do. But I cannot help that." Ella replied. "The gods know how I've tried." She stood and walked to her husband, who was laying in bed. "I do not want to think of her. She makes me angry."

"As you wish." He said. "What would you rather talk about?"

She swung one of her legs over his, straddling him. "I would rather not talk at all." She kissed him.

His hands ran under her satin nightgown. "I like the way you think."

XXX

"Play something for us, Sansa." Ella smiled, gesturing to where a harp sat in the parlor. "I do adore music, but I'm afraid I am not the best musician, myself."

Sansa smiled. "I would love to." She stood from her chair and walked to the harp. Soft notes filled the air.

"Why can't we go hunting?" Arya asked. That was where the men had gone.

"Because they are men." Ella told her.

"Then why is Jon still here?" Arya asked. "Robb went.'

"Because Jon is a bastard, Arya." Sansa told her younger sister impatiently. "The king is much higher then being in the company of them."

"Sansa," Ella said softly before turning to Arya. "We live in an unfair world. Children are blamed for their parents mistakes. Your brother is being singled out for no fault of his own."

The door opened to Bran and Jon.

"Can you guys keep an eye on him? I caught him climbing again." Jon told them.

"Why don't you both join us?" Ella replied. "We could get a proper party started."

"How?" Arya asked.

Ella rose from her chair, walking to the door and pulling the boys even farther inside before kicking the door shut. "Arya come here." She told the younger girl, who sighed before standing.

She gave Jon a look to tell him to do what she does, and she held out her hand to Bran. "May I have this dance my Lord?"

"Yes, my lady." Though the young Stark blushed, he took the princess' hand.

Ella looked over her shoulder to look at Jon, who seemed to be fighting the urge to roll his eyes. She gave him a nod to do the same to Arya.

He had to give in, and the two couples danced in the room.

"See? We do not need to go hunting to have fun." Ella told them. "Perhaps we should nick some swords later and we can learn to fight as well."

"But that is not ladylike." Sansa stated.

"Who cares?" Ella asked. "It is always fun to learn something new. It broadens our horizons. It makes us a little less helpless than before. It makes us grow." She led Bran towards where Jon and Arya were dancing. "And switch." She let Bran go, and quickly grabbed Arya, kneeling down to pick up the girl by her thighs before picking her up and spinning her around. By the time she put the girl back down and began twirling her around, she looked to see Jon with Bran over his shoulder and swinging him around, as Bran let out a noise between a laugh and a yelp.

"Switch!" Bran cried. "Switch! Switch Switch! Switch! Swit-oh thank the gods." He said when Jon put him down.

Ella laughed. "In the South, dancing is almost a sport." She told them. "We all have to learn, and be good at it. I remember when the other ladies and I would practice..." She stepped towards Jon. "I would always end up leading them since none of them wanted to play the masculine part." She took his hand and put it on her shoulder and took his other hand in hers. "So Jon, be sure to take my lead." She winked at him as she put her hand on his waist, and pulled him forward as she stepped back. "One, two three." She punctuated each number with a step, taking them around the room. "One, two, three."

"I can't believe you're getting me to do this." Jon said, looking like he wanted to roll his eyes, but he didn't.

"I am very good at getting people to do things for me." Ella told him. "You have to understand that."

"Besides the fact that you didn't want to get married." Jon stated softly, too quiet for the younger ones to hear. "You tried to get out of that and you couldn't."

"Yes." Ella agreed. "But I cannot say that I am upset about it anymore."

"So I take it the marks that appear on your face are not from my brother?" Jon said this as if he already knew.

"You know your brother better than I." Ella replied. "Could he do such a thing?"

"I would believe not." Jon replied. "So who caused it?"

"Are you disgusted by violence against women?" Ella asked. "How honorable of you."

"You never answered me." He stated.

Her lips turned up in a smirk. "Her name starts with a C as in cunt." She said this very softly, Jon almost had to read her lips to understand her. No one else heard her.

"You say that about your mother?"

"You would too if she was yours." Ella replied.

"I don't know who my mother is. I would be happy if I knew who she was." Jon told her.

Ella frowned. "I'm sorry. I must sound ungrateful to you."

"You would if I didn't know your mother." Jon told her. "I'm just giving you a hard time."

She withdrew her hand from his waist and hit his chest. "Well if you are joking around with me we must be friends." She quickly spun him around, making him trip over his own feet, and fall down. "Oops! Sorry! Sorry!"

"Give a man a warning." He said.

"I said I was sorry." She said as she pulled him back to his feet. "You were the one who tripped over his own feet! Now dry doing that with a skirt tangling between your ankles and then you will know a woman's pain."

"I guess it is good that I am not a woman then." Jon replied.

"Your loss." Ella said, flicking her dark hair over her shoulder. "Now, why don't we go find some wooden swords and us girls can get acquainted with the skill?"