Author's Note: I don't know if I truly like this chapter yet, and I may go back and change it. I don't know. I am iffy on it. I wanted to show how Ramsay is going to be a major factor in Anna's life from this point on.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Game of Thrones, I own only Anna.

Chapter 10: Slowly slipping.

Anna

"Anna! Anna! Where are you?" She could hear his voice echoing in her head but she could not see him. He was yelling for her, she was trying to call back to him but her voice caught in her throat. "I will find you Anna, I promise. I will find you."

Her head was pounding when her eyes finally opened, and her head was not the only part of her body to pain her. Anna quickly noticed her arms were held above her head, keeping the girl suspended in the air with her feet barely touching the ground. She hissed in pain as she tried to pull her arms free, the rope only serving to dig itself deeper into her skin.

"Seven bloody Hells." Her voice was cracked, and she suddenly was aware of how thirsty she was.

The longer she was there suspended in the air, she realized more of her situation. Anna looked down at her body, a shudder filing her, she was naked. Bruises covered her body, covered almost every inch of her pale white skin, but Anna had no memory of bruises. Her last memory was the sun, and the sight of the kennel. She pulled again on her arms, willing the rope to give way but it did not happen. Her frustration was rising with each tug on the rope.

Anna knew she could not call for help, she was no doubt in a dungeon somewhere and the only help she would find would be in the man who tortured her. Anna kept tugging, praying to the old Gods for the help needed. With one final tug Anna found herself kneeling on the cold ground.

Her whole body shook, the ground was cold and her naked form was not accustomed to the freezing stone. She pushed herself from the ground, her body sore and shaky. Anna looked around the barely lit room looking for anything but all she found was the candle that lit the small stone room up. Quietly she took the candle and attempted to open the door to her cage. To Anna's surprise it took only a twist of the handle to open the door, leading to a dark stone hallway.

Her feet padded lightly across the cold stone, her body shivering violently from the freezing temperatures. She cursed under her breath as she looked into the rooms, searching for any sign of someone among the cells. Anna found no one, but when she stumbled upon an open cell she could not help but wander inside. Once inside the blood in her body froze and she had to hold back a gasp. She had never seen such torture, such imprisonment.

The room contained a bed, a table with a single chair, which all would have been normal to Anna but it wasn't. In the middle of the stinking, cold, cell was a man placed upon a wooden x. She had never seen such a thing, and her heart almost broke for the shadowed man. The north never condoned such torture, they were honorable people. Not minding her naked form Anna placed the candle upon the table before making her way to the man.

"I am going to help you, just a moment." Her voice was a cracked whisper.

She did not remove the sack upon his head, Anna focused on freeing his hands. The cuffs the kept him there were tight, and Anna found herself cursing. The man made no move save for his shallow breathing. She kept trying, and when she spied a knife on the table she took it in hopes of freeing the man.

"Lady Anna?" She froze when the man's voice reached her ears.

Anna turned to face Ramsay Snow, her face contorted in anger and she held the small knife out against him. He was the reason she was down there, this was the Dreadfort. The bastard had let her go only to put her in chains, she would kill him.

"You did this. Why did you do this to me? You are loyal to your King, how could you?" Her voice was angry, and she found herself almost yelling.

The bastard did not speak instead he stripped himself of the cloak he wore around his shoulders, handing it to her without glancing at her naked form. Anna took it quickly, using the larger man's cloak to cover her bruised and naked body. She still did not rip her eyes from his, and she not move the knife from where she pointed it at him.

"How dare you, Bolton bastard?" As she yelled at him she watched his eyes flash.

"Lady Anna, I didn't do this." His voice held calm while his eyes held fire. "I thought you were missing, taken by the escaped Theon Greyjoy."

Theon was gone, and a sudden anger washed over her. The bastard who ruined her life was gone, and she was stuck in a cage. Beaten and Gods know what else. How was that fair?

"I saw your wolf after you left, I knew there was no way you would leave her behind." He took a small step toward her. "I have been searching for four days and nights. If I had known you were down here, I would have never let this happen to you."

She didn't believe him, not wholly. But she could not deny the way his words sounded, so honest and so true. It had been sometime since a man had told her the honest truth of something, she had long thought it impossible. No one ever spoke the truth.

"Listen to me, Anna, I promise I would never let this happen." With that he took another step. "I'll find who of my men have done this, and I will bring them to you. We will make them pay for this, Anna, I swear it."

She saw the look in his eyes, and she wanted to distrust him, but the thought of getting her revenge felt sweet. She cursed herself, she was not that kind of woman. She was not a killer, not a murderer. She killed only when she had to, only when she must defend her loved ones. Except for those Iron born. She had murdered them, and their faces would haunt her for the rest of her days.

"Who is this man, Ramsay? This isn't right." She once more turned to the man upon the rack.

Her body shook, and she wished to help the man. No one deserved such a torture, it was no doubt painful to remain suspended in such a way.

"He's a nasty Iron born man, Anna." He was suddenly behind her, pressing against her back. "We caught him helping Theon flee, and upon our speaking, he admitted to helping the man kill your brothers. He spoke of killing everyone in Winterfell before they set the place ablaze."

Anna remembered the smoke, the smoke bellowing from her home. She did not doubt the Iron born had killed every man, woman and child, the thought of such made her blood rush through her body. How could a group of people be so heartless? Innocents had no place in being harmed, war was one thing but the smallfolk had no part in the Lords war.

"It does not matter what he had done, let him down." She kept her eyes on the shirtless, broken man. "He is a prisoner and should be treated with respect."

"I fear what will happen if I left him on his own, Anna. He could kill my men, kill me, and I fear to know what the sick man would do to you without our protection."

Anna flinched as Ramsay wrapped his arms around her waist, his words settling on her ears. She felt chills and she did not know if it was from his hands or from his words. She held no fear of the Iron born man. Ramsay moved from her, making his way to stand before the man held to the x. His hands ran across the man's body and she noticed he had taken the knife from her without noticing.

Anna stiffened and glanced back at the door, she could run. She didn't though, she stood facing the man and Ramsay.

"He is truly a sick man, Anna, no doubt a raper." She watched Ramsay run the knife along the man's chest. He drew no blood. "It's tempting isn't it? The thought of harming someone who ruined your life, ruined your family."

Anna knew his words were right, and she hated it. As she watched the knife slide across the man's bare chest,a chest she could remember seeing, she thought of cutting his skin. She thought of bringing the man to pain, but she made no move. Ramsay watched her, and she saw the smirk form on his lips.

"Come now, Anna, you can do it." His voice was almost sickening. "I won't tell."

She shook her head but her eyes were glued to the man, her mind was a cloudy mess but she could have sworn she had seen the man's chest before. For a moment she thought of Theon, and even with the similarities she knew it was not him. He had escaped, he had found himself free, and it angered her.

"Well if you do not wish to, then we can go." Ramsay walked past her to the door.

She made no move at first but after thinking of the innocent boys killed in place of her brothers, and all the innocent people the Iron born had killed. Anna stepped toward the man, sending a swift punch into the man's stomach. As he began to cough, and sputter, Anna stumbled back. She felt guilty the moment it happened, her heart breaking.

"I am sorry." She whispered as she turned back to Ramsay, the man holding a smile on his face.

As she left the room she could have sworn she heard the man whisper her name, and asking her why. She ignored it as her imagination. She was hesitant to follow Ramsay, truly unsure of his words. She did not know if he truly had no idea of her treatment, but she had to believe him or at least pretend to.

If he was playing a game with her, she would just have to play the game right back. It always takes two to play a better game.

"Tansy will draw you a bath, Lady Anna." He placed a kiss upon her cheek at the door of chambers. "I will come to you when I find word of who had you placed in there. They will pay Anna."

Anna found herself alone thinking of the man who she had hit, she would demand Ramsay set the man from the wooden rack. She could not allow that to continue, and she would seek the forgiveness of the Gods. She should have never let her anger win over, not again. Tansy came and drew her bath, but unlike Myranda she did not shoo the woman.

Anna sank into the bath, the warm water soothing the soreness of her bones. She had no memory of the four days in the dark place, and she wished she had. She could only remember her brother's voice, his voice cutting through her mind and bringing her back into the world of the light.

"Have you ever loved someone, Lady Anna?" The young girl's voice was soft, and Anna nodded. "What was it like?"

Anna thought for a moment, and she only had a bitter taste in her mouth.

"You think for a moment you'd do anything for them. You'd lie for them, kill for them and die for them, you think they'd do the same. You think they love you just as much, but that's never true, Tansy." She had not meant to be so bitter. "You think he can love you just as much if not more than you love him, but he never can. They'll never be faithful, or honest. They will only lie, and rip your heart from your chest. Fairytale love doesn't exist, not here, not in our realm."

As she spoke all she could picture was the death of Ser Rodrik, the burning of her home. Theon Greyjoy had ripped her apart, and she still wanted to believe he loved her. He had said the words, but they meant nothing not to him. He had never loved her.

"So if you don't fight for love, like in the stories, what do you fight for Anna?" The girl was brushing her hair.

"I fight for my family Tansy, that's all I have ever fought for." Her mind lingered on her sisters. "I went to war to save my father, and we failed. Now I fight for my little sisters, so they can grow up and be happy. I fight for my dead brothers and my twin, my mother. I fight for them and I would die for them."

The talk ended there, and once her bath was over Anna shooed the young maid. She did not mind Tansy but she needed to be alone. Anna had to make a plan to leave, a plan where she would tell no one, she could not risk what happened last time. She would free the man in the dungeon, and she would go far from the Dreadfort. She was still unsure of Ramsay, but she could not trust him, not after everything she had been through.

She stayed in her chambers for hours alone thinking of her next move. She did not have a plan when Ramsay came to her, a large man at his side. Anna had never seen the man before, but the look in his eye was complete hate. He looked at her like she was scum, as if she had murdered his whole family. Anna knew she hadn't, but he sent chills down her spine.

"Lady Anna, this is the man who had you kept in such a place." The large man stood tall, as if proud of himself. "What would you like me to do as punishment?"

Anna regarded the larger man, his eyes flickered for a moment to his master and Anna knew he was not aware of Ramsay's intentions for him. For a moment she pitied him.

"Nothing, I would have you do nothing."

She could see the surprise evident on Ramsay's face, he no doubt thought she would seek vengeance. She was contemplating it, but she was still not a hundred percent sure the Bolton bastard was not to blame for her capture and torture. It seemed he was not beyond such things.

"He beat you, Anna, I can not let that go." His tone was icy.

"Ramsay, I don't need you to defend my honor." Her voice was light. "I have more than enough men who would do that for me. I do not seek vengeance on him, you can do what you see fit but I will have no part in it."

She watched him, and for a moment she believed he would walk away with the larger man in tow but he made no move to leave. He took a dagger from his hip and held it out to her. She watched him with curiosity, but he said nothing, he just held it out to her. Anna took it from his hands, testing the weight of the weapon in her grip. She could kill them both and flee, leave the Dreadfort and find her family.

"Anna, you are going to let this man get away with hurting you?" His voice was chilling. "He beat you for four days, denied you food and water, he left you naked in a dungeon."

She looked to the man in question, his body language shifted as Ramsay spoke. She did not doubt the beast of a man was guilty but she was not sure if he was alone in his actions.

"Yes." She continued to hold the dagger.

"He raped you Anna, he told me as such. Would you let a man who did such a thing to your sisters live?" Anna gripped the knife tight in her hands. "Why do you see yourself with so little worth? If you do not do something I will, I can not condone someone to live who would hurt you like that."

She watched the bigger man go to open his mouth but he said nothing. She did not know if what Ramsay said was true, but she wanted to believe his words. She didn't want to believe something so horrid had happened to her, but she could no deny the truth in his tone.

"Even if that is the truth, it is not my place to seek justice." If it had been Sansa, or Arya, she would have slaughtered the man. "Do what you will."

Ramsay let out a sigh of obvious frustration and took his sword from the sheath. His eyes did not leave hers as he ran the sword through the bigger man. As he fell the floor Anna felt a sick feeling of satisfaction come over her. She wanted to shake it but still a smile fell on her lips. No man had ever killed in her honor, though she knew many no doubt would. But not even Theon had told her that he would never allow someone to mistreat her and live.

"I am sorry that you could not give yourself the vengeance you deserved, Lady Anna." He took his bloody hand and placed it upon her face. "But I could not let him live, knowing he could touch you again. You are my King's sister after all, the Princess of the North."

He was gone before she could speak, the dead body dragged behind him. All the remained after he left was the pool of blood.

Anna prayed to the Gods for forgiveness, prayed they grant her more strength. She knew she was not to enjoy such things, bloodshed was saved for battle or defending her own kin. She was never to take her own justice in her hands. Theon Greyjoy, and the man who had kept her in the cell were not her lives to take. And as she prayed, Tansy came to her with word from the Bolton bastard. She would leave for Riverrun in two months time, her Uncle was to be married to a Frey and she too would be there.

Anna's head was a mess but she could not fathom why her Uncle was to marry the Frey, Robb had been promised. When she left, Robb was still promised to the Frey girl. She could only hope and pray that in her absence love had not cost her brother everything as well.

Theon

I hated them, I hated them for keeping me prisoner. I hated the Starks and I wanted to hurt them.

His words hung heavy in his heart, the lies he spilled from his mouth were poison. It was not the truth, but they didn't want the truth. Robb's men, his people, didn't want the truth from him they wanted what they could use against him. They didn't care for the glory of his house or his father, they cared only for his hatred for the Starks. He didn't hate the Starks, he could never hate them. Even as the men tortured him, he could not hate the man he once called brother, he could not hate the woman he had loved for years.

He waited in the darkness, slipping in and out of consciousness. The man said he would come for him, he would free him from the hell he was in. Yara had sent him, and soon Theon would be free. He could go back to his family, he could seek Robb's forgiveness and find Anna. He would make it right, no matter the price he would have to pay.

In the darkness, in a place between dreams and reality he heard the curses fly from her mouth. He could not see her but he knew her voice. I am going to help you, just a moment. Anna had come for him. He felt her try to free him, but soon a second voice joined hers, a voice he didn't know. He listened as they spoke, and he tried to open his mouth but his voice would not come forward. He tried to tell Anna it was him, tried to tell her that he had not run. He could catch only a few words of their talk, his mind slowly drifting back into nothingness.

His eyes shot open as a pain was felt in his chest, a fist had connected with his abdomen. He coughed, and sputtered. I am sorry. He once more heard her voice, and it was clear to him that she had been the one to hit him.

"Anna...why..?" His words were nothing more than a chocked whisper.

When he was once more left alone to the darkness Theon cursed under his breath. Why? Why did she hurt him? She had tried to free him, even when she knew not that he was Theon. He would escape for real, and he would leave her where she was. She was safe with her northern men, and it was clear that she had no care for what happened to him or his Iron born men.

Had he caused the madness that made her injure innocent bound men? He knew her stance on torture, they had many in depth discussions on the matter. His opinion varied greatly from her own, but he had seen her kill men outside of battle. He had caused her to become what she was, and he only hoped the damage could be undone. If he was going to get free and eventually seek her forgiveness, she would have to be clear of mind.

Theon felt himself slip into madness, the torture, the darkness, it was all too much for him. He deserved it, he knew that, but it did not ease his mind. He should have ran, he should of taken Anna from Winterfell and ran with her. But he knew she would have never left with him, and he knew that if they truly met again she would kill him.

She thinks you killed her brothers, in her eyes you are a murderer.

His own thoughts would be his ruin, but he knew they were true. In her eyes he had killed Bran and Rickon, the innocent boys who meant more to her than life. Theon knew she had loved him without condition once, but he knew that her family would always come first. He should have known better than to use her family as leverage with her, in the end it would have always been them over him.