"Did you have a good time hunting?" Ella asked as they laid beside each other, catching their breath from their earlier activities. "I didn't get to ask earlier. You practically jumped on me the moment you got back."
"It was torture." He told her. "Your father...gods, can that man be any more crude? I thought Theon was bad...but..."
"You don't need to tell me." Ella told him, rolling her eyes though he couldn't see. "Which whore was he talking about? Or has he already had all he could find in town?"
"Your father's spoken to you about his whores?"
"He is drunk almost all the time. Once he thought I was one." Ella let out an annoyed sound. "Yes. I will be just fine in the North. I keep seeing it more and more with every passing day."
"You seem to have more contempt for them every passing day as well." Robb said.
"Because slowly I see how it is not how all families are." Ella told him. "I guess I have your family to thank for that."
"You have had a real turn around these last few weeks, Ella." Robb said. "I'm rather surprised. I've heard rumors about you southern ladies."
"And what are these rumors?" Ella asked, rolling on her side and supporting her head with her hand as she looked at him. "I feel as if I should know. I would hate to disappoint you."
"I do not think you want to live up to those expectations." He told her, brushing her hair over her shoulder.
"Even more reason for you to tell me." Ella batted her eyelashes.
"Can't you just accept it when I say you are nothing like the stereotypical southern lady?" Robb asked, looking sincerely like he did not want to answer his wife.
She pouted. "Tell me."
He inhaled before sighing. "Fine." He paused.
Ella almost rolled her eyes. "You're not saying anything." She told him. "Come on. It can't be that bad."
"Well, you tell me." He pulled on her thigh, pulling her on him. "I was always told that you southerners were so docile. Quiet and sweet. Won't say anything unless asked a question. Perfect southern ladies." He ran his hands from her knees to her hips. "When men lie with them they just lay there."
She ground her hips against his in a slow circle. "Do I just lie there?"
His blue eyes closed and his grip tightened on her hips as he hardened against her. "Oh. Definitely not."
"Am I quiet and sweet?" She asked.
"I have never seen you be quiet...but you do have your sweet moments."
"Am I a perfect southern lady?" She took him in her hand, he grew harder under her touch.
"I don't think so." He whispered. "I think you're a perfect Northern lady."
"Hmm..." She slowly guided him into her. "I guess that's good...especially if I'm going to spend the rest of my life here."
"Gods, Ella." He pushed his hips up against hers, getting himself deeper inside her.
"Do you like that?" She asked. "Do you like it when I'm forward with you?"
"Yes," he hissed out the word.
She rolled her body, letting most of him out of her, before rolling her body back and surrounding him again. "Good."
XXX
"Goodbye, father." Ella said softly as her father dropped a kiss on her cheek.
"You be good now." He told her. "You're the lady of Winterfell. Make your family proud."
She nodded. "Of course, dear father."
Her mother was next, she adjusted Ella's hair. "Send a raven if anything changes. I can still take care of you when I am far away."
No matter what had happened between them, Ella did still love her. She pulled her mother in for an embrace. "Goodbye, Mama."
Cersei squeezed her daughter back tightly. "I love you, Ella. Never doubt that. I will miss you."
Joffery just laughed at her and told her to have her litter of wolf pups.
Tommen hugged her and told her he loved her, as did Myrcella. Both made her promise that they could come visit.
Jaime had already said goodbye to her earlier, since he was a part of the Kingsguard, he could not say anything as they left. Tyrion was the last one who told her goodbye.
"I'm going to see the wall." He told her. "Perhaps I will visit on my way back."
The corners of Ella's lips turned up slightly. "I would like that. As long as I am here, you will be welcome here, Uncle. I will make sure of it."
He smiled at his niece, and kissed her hand. "I will see you soon, then." He stepped away from her.
During this time, Robb was saying goodbye to his family as well. But his goodbyes were taking much longer. His family was much more loving. Much more caring. Promises were made for visits and meetings. Plans half planned.
Ella stepped back, and felt a hand on her back, stopping her from moving back farther.
"Uncomfortable, Ella?" Jon asked.
"So many people are leaving." Ella stated her hand covering his. "Promise me that you aren't leaving, Jon. I don't know what I'd do if my last friend left."
"I won't go anywhere." Jon told her.
"Good."
Arya walked up to Ella, and hugged her tightly around her waist. "Am I going to like it in the South?" She asked Ella.
Ella kneeled down to look Arya in the eye. "If you were in my family, you would hate it. With yours...I wouldn't know. You will have an adventure, Arya. Just try to make one happen. Try to see more than is just along the King's Road."
They hugged again.
"Goodbye." She told her sister-in-law. "Be good."
"What's the fun in that?" Arya smiled as she backed away from the princess.
Sansa stepped towards her next. "Goodbye, Ella." She curtsied.
"You will have so much fun in the South, Sansa." Ella told her. "But be careful, okay? Not everyone is honest there like they seem to be here."
Ella could tell by how Sansa looked at her, that the young northerner did not believe her. It worried her.
XXX
Ella walked in to sup that night, but the moment she smelled the food she went the other way. It smelled terrible, and made her want to vomit, though she had a very strong stomach. She walked slowly back to her bedroom to lay down, hoping for the nausea to subside.
It wasn't long until Robb came in.
"Are you okay?" He asked her, touching her forehead.
"I just feel a little ill." She said softly. "Nothing to worry about."
"Should I send some food up?" He asked her.
"No." She said a little too sharply, before her voice became softer again. "No. No thank you. I think I will just retire early."
Robb left her after that, and her mind began working quickly. Her mother warned her of this since she first flowered. What to look for if she was pregnant. Cersei had a great aversion to certain foods when she was pregnant. Ella had hoped that she would not be the same way.
She had no real proof that she was pregnant...her moon blood was late, but it wouldn't be the first time. She knew, though. She knew a baby was inside her. Her child would be the lord of Winterfell. He may do amazing things, but she never would. She would just be the nameless mother. Someone brushed over in the history books. Nothing important. This was the beginning of the end for her.
Yet she could not hate the child inside her. If anything, she was scared of the child. She was scared that she would hurt her child in some way. That she would be like her mother and father.
She would not let her child be messed up. Not like her. Not like Joffery. She would see if her little siblings get as messed up as their elder ones with time. Ella would not let her child be like them. Her child would have the childhood she never had.
Ella was frightened, though, beyond frightened. How could she be a mother? The only mother figure she ever had was Cersei, and she was never the mothering type. Ella wanted to be the mother that the child would run to in a storm in the middle of the night. She wanted to be a mother who would kiss her child's scraped knee instead of being brought to the maester.
She wanted to be loving, but only the gods knew if she could be.
XXX
Ella didn't go to see Maester Luwin right away. She didn't want to think about it. She could be herself for a little longer. It was probably too early to tell anyway; she had barely been married a month, she at least had another month to keep it to herself. No one would even think that she was.
Ella tried to do her best at being the Lady of Winterfell. Overseeing that the King's visit had cost her husband's family. Overseeing everything being cleaned up, and the damage any of the royal family had caused. Jon helped her in any way he could. Running up and down stairs for her. Ella didn't feel like she was in good shape like she was before.
Ella was having trouble being around anything that was pork. That was what had caused her nausea the night before. She made sure that the cooks would not be making it any time soon. She did not enjoy vomiting, and would do everything in her power to stop it.
When she could, she would sit by Robb as he listened to the people's problems, and tried to fix them. This is how she knew that he was truly kind. He did try to help everyone, even those he knew that he could not. But she wasn't there to learn about her husband; she was there to learn about the North. Learning of this region of a country would not be through the highborn, but the lowborn. They were the majority, and they were the ones that the country needed to run on. Get to know the people and they will teach you how to lead effectively.
Perhaps her mother did teach her something.
XXX
"Come take a walk with me," Ella said when she found Jon hitting a post with a sword.
"But I am having so much fun." He replied sarcastically, turning towards her. "You've been acting pretty off this last week."
"Maybe I'm just getting used to not having my family around." Ella replied, holding out her arm for him to take. "Come. We haven't talked in forever."
Jon sighed before putting away his sword. "I'm sure Theon or Robb would have loved to walk with you."
"Robb is busy and Theon does not give me the best feelings." Ella replied. "He stares down the front of my dress often, and these necklines are not even very low."
"If you haven't noticed the whores sneaking out of here early in the morning, I am very disappointed in you."
"I am usually asleep early in the morning." Ella replied. "But I do notice them coming in at night. I would rather have him keep it out of the castle though. It would be best for the town to see that the only way a woman will lie with him is for money."
"You are cold, Ella" He stated, though she could see the hint of a smile in his eyes; she learned how to read him quickly.
"You like it." She replied as they started walking the path around the castle, towards the godswood. "At least I admit it when I'm a little cruel."
"There's at least that." Jon agreed. "I think the honesty of the North is rubbing off on you."
Ella smiled, looking down.
"You're smiling more too." He mentioned.
"Well, I guess I'm pretty happy right now." Ella stated. "Honestly, I didn't think I would be."
"Isn't life full of surprises?" He replied.
"I should be asking you the same thing." Ella responded. "Did you ever believe that you would have a place here? Helping me run Winterfell?"
"I feel more welcome here, if that's what you're asking." Jon replied. "Who would have thought that a princess would ever be friends with a bastard."
Ella hit his arm lightly. "Don't talk about yourself like that. Everyone will look down on you enough for that, don't let them make you do it too."
"Your uncle told me to wear it like armor."
"Listen to him. He'd know." Ella told him. "There's many things you can say about Tyrion, but you cannot deny that he is very smart."
"You like him, don't you?"
"I love him. He's my favorite part of the family." Ella told him. "I wasn't the best a reading when I was little, he was the one patient enough to teach me. Now I love reading."
"You always like what you are told not to, don't you?" Jon asked.
"That's where I find the best people." Ella told him. "Look at you! My first real friend." She paused, frowning. "Is that sad?"
"Do they have friends in the South?" Jon asked. "Because from what you have told me, no one has any friends, only people to use, and be used by."
Ella shrugged. "Yeah, that sounds about right."
"Are you going to miss it? I'm afraid we don't have as many abusers of power up here as you do in the South."
"You'd be surprised." Ella replied. "There are abusers of power everywhere, the trouble is identifying them. At some point someone will come here and try to help Robb with his responsibilities. That is when I will start watching closely."
"You actually care for Robb, don't you?"
"He is truly kind. That is not something someone sees everyday." Ella stated. "I could have been paired with much worse." Something caught Ella's attention-a rustle in the leaves of the trees, or a sound of an animal scurrying away-and she whipped her head around, and then stumbled misstep.
"Whoa there." Jon said as he steadied her. "Are you all right?"
Ella felt a little lightheaded, black blotches clouding her vision in darkness. "I don't feel too well." She said weakly, turning pale.
"Let's get you to Maester Luwin." Jon said.
"No. No." Ella's brain went straight to the pregnancy that she may or may not have. She didn't know if the maester would know this early on. "No. I'm fine. I'm fine." She tried to take another step, but her leg couldn't hold up her weight, and Jon caught her again, and she didn't remember much after that.
She began hearing things, and feeling someone touching her. Her neck, her abdomen. She wanted to move, but her limbs felt so heavy. Her head hurt and she just wanted to sleep.
"Lady Ella." She recognized the maester's voice.
"I'm fine." She said. Or what she meant to say. Her words came out garbled.
"Lady Ella." The maester said softly. "Would you like some water?"
Ella slowly opened her eyes. "Yes." With a little of someone else's help, who she didn't even look up to see, she sat up and had a sip of water.
"How long has it been since your moon blood?" The maester asked.
Ella was already pale, but she somehow had less color than she did before the question was asked. "I'm not pregnant." She told him. "I'm not. I can't be."
"How long has it been?" The maester asked.
"Two months." Ella whispered. "But that doesn't mean anything. It can happen. I'm not pregnant."
"Have you had any headaches?" The maester asked. "Sensitive to odors? Any kinds of foods make you ill? Are your breasts tender?"
"All right. Perhaps I'm a little pregnant."
A/N: I have tried to resist writing an author's note at the end of these since I always run on about something I know you guys don't care about, but I can resist no longer! I must reply to my reviews, and I must say a little something about myself, so if you do not care about this, I suggest you stop reading now.
I want to thank all of my followers/favorite-ers, and I want to give special thanks to my reviewers. You are who I write for, and you let me know when you like/don't like something, which I am thankful for. You are all beautiful people even if I don't know you, and thank you for taking an interest in my story. This all is stress relief for me, and knowing that someone enjoys my stress relief makes me even happier when I get the notifications on my phone. Thank you. Thank you. THANK YOU!
Sparky She-Demon: Yes, she did. I like her friendship with Jon too, I knew from the moment I started writing this story that I would have to either make her hate or be sympathetic to bastards, and also from her mother's reactions, she learned that it never had anything to do with the child, but the parents of the child. Thank you for your review. It means so much to me!
LunaEvanna Longbottom: So does Ella when it comes down to it. She has major mommy issues, and I hope I'm getting that through this story. I love your username. Thanks for your review!
ZabuzasGirl: Here's your update! I have a lot of inspiration for this story, so I hope I keep getting chapters out like this! Thanks for the review!
HopelessRomantic44: Ella will be okay. She's very strong, which you haven't seen how strong she is yet…but you will...
metaladdict: Me too! It was really nice to write. Yes, she is clinging to the identity she knew before she went to the North, but she's also growing into herself and discovering a bit of herself that she hasn't had the chance to see before. Thank you for your review!
Please review!
Kat
