Author's Note: Well here it is! Thank you all for the reviews, follows and favorites. I really like this chapter, let me know if you do too.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Game of Thrones, I own only Alara, and her mother. Lyrics and title from One Last time by Jaymes Young

"I'm waiting

for it to pass, my love

so please

Could I feel your skin on mine before I have to say goodbye?

Could I breathe,please, one last time

you in my lungs before I curl up

and die."

Chapter 10: One Last time.

Alara.

War was coming, and she knew it. Days had gone by and men from all over the north began to fill the halls of Winterfell. She found herself locked away with Bran and Rickon, keeping them company while Robb acted as the Lord of Winterfell. As the solider, the commander he would have to be. Rickon was frightened, Alara could see it in his eyes. He knew who the men were, bannermen, and he knew what that would no doubt mean for his family. One night as she placed him in bed, kissing his head gently, he confessed how he knew they would never come home.

"Robb will come back, and so will everyone else, I promise."

She knew better than to make promises she couldn't keep but she wanted her words to be true. With each day passing she found herself praying to the Seven. She had gotten all she had ever wanted, a family, but she wanted Robb Stark to be safe. She had to convince herself that he would, and even if she was home with her own family, she too wanted him to be safe.

After placing the child in bed, Alara went to her own chambers. Most of the bannermen had come to Winterfell, and they occupied the Great Hall for a meeting. She dared not go near such a place, she was not welcome among them. She knew Theon was among them, and she wondered if he felt at home with them. He was not a man of the north, he was not a man of Winterfell. How could someone held captive,albeit a well treated captive, be so willing to fight for his captors?

She did not make it to her own chambers, before she was drawn outside. She did not know what drew her outside, but she found herself standing under the stars, looking up at the moon. She wished she was with Gendry, he had written her only few times, and his words always felt hollow. She sent word of her family,and she had even written back to the Aunt who lived far South. They were her family, and yet her heart began to ache thinking of leaving the two boys alone in winterfell.

"I thought you'd long be asleep."

She turned to see Robb Stark leaving the Great Hall. He looked more like a Lord then she had ever seen him. She felt as if she should bow her head before him, but as the grin reached his lips she didn't.

"I had meant to be, but I was drawn out here."

"It's a beautiful night.."
She wondered if he had meant to say more but soon men were flowing from the Great Hall, singing drunken songs of glory. Alara excused herself form Robb, finding her way back to her chambers. She tried to avoid the gaze of the northern men, but they caught sight of her. She heard their whispers, heard their mumbled questions, but she did not speak to them. She held her head hig. One man called out a very improper name to her, and she did not acknowledge him but she could hear Robb's voice. She didn't know if he was defending her, but the thought of it made her lip curl into a smile.

In her chambers, Alara drew herself a bath. She sank into the warm water, her body enjoying the warmth. She knew before long she would find herself back among the sun, and the warmth. She would find herself back where she belonged. But the more she thought of leaving Winterfell, leaving Bran and Rickon, Alara felt sad. She wished she could take the boys with her, introduce them to Gendry and her family. She was sure they would love them. She knew Gendry would enjoy Bran's company, they were both men with wild dreams.

Alara lost herself in the warm water, sinking deeper into the iron tub. Her dark hair was floating in the water around her, and she slowly let her eyes close in the moment. Her mind went to the night, to the night she let Robb Stark take her. She had been so willing to give her maidenhood to Gendry, but it was different with Robb. It was an actual moment of wanting him, of wanting to feel him. She had never experienced such a moment, a connection with someone. Though she was beginning to wish she had felt nothing but cold emotions for the young Lord. If she had, there would be no pain in her chest when she imagined him in war.

She was stepping from her bath when the door to her chamber was opened and closed tightly. She turned to see a very red faced Robb Stark, his eyes looking anywhere but her. Alara felt a sudden rush to reach for her robe, she did not intend to be naked in front of him again. After a quick moment, Alara stood before the Lord of Winterfell in a grey robe.

"I am sorry, I should have knocked." His voice was quiet. "I just didn't have much time."

Alara felt the pain in her chest increase, and part of her knew. She didn't wish to accept it, but she knew. He was leaving. In the middle of the night, on a beautiful night, he and his men were leaving. She thought of begging him to stay, somehow convincing him that it would be worth it, but she wouldn't. Back in Kings landing she never imagined being in this position, and she wished to go back. With Gendry there was never a fear of war.

"You should wait till morning, the boys will want to see you off."

She watched him shift and lean against the wall, as if the world was too heavy on his shoulders. Alara almost wished to take the duty from him, to help him carry it.

"I just left Bran, and before him I said my farewell to Rickon." He ran his fingers through his hair. "Rickon is upset with me, Alara, he's much too angry for a child of his age."

Alara was angry, so she could only imagine how the young boy felt. Robb was being foolish, but she knew she could not say that again. He had gotten right offended when she told him he was being prideful. It's not a matter of pride. Is what he had told her, but she knew differently. War was all about pride.

"Can you blame him, Robb?" She went to lean against the wall next to him. "He feels abandoned, by everyone."

The man let out a heavy sigh, before he looked over at her. She let her purple eyes linger on his face, the pain etched in his features was not hard for her to see. He worried for the boys.

"He needs to understand, I have to do this."

"You're his family, damn it." Her voice was harsher than she wished it to be. "He's going to miss you, and be bitter because he doesn't know if he's going to wake up one day to hear you're dead."

Her body was shaking, and she knew she was projecting her fears on Rickon. She couldn't tell Robb that her words were her own nightmares. She didn't want to lose him, not now. Not when she was finally learning about herself, he had promised to help her with so much. He helped her with her sword work, but he had not taught her the ways of the world.

"I know he has fears, Alara, we all have them."

"He's a child, Robb, a child." Her voice was cracking, and her fist slammed into the wall behind her. "He won't understand why you have to go. All he sees is you leaving, and the possibility of you never coming back. He's losing everyone and.."

He was in front of her before she could finish her sentence, his hands resting on the wall beside her head. His blue eyes were locked on her purple orbs, the fire between them evident. He leaned forward pressing his body against hers.

"He won't lose me," his breath was warm against her face, "and neither will you."

The pain in her chest returned, and she cursed herself. She knew his words were not meant in the fashion she wished to hear them, he was being kind. She didn't want to have a feeling for him, she longed for the day where she resented the man who held a sword to her throat.

"You can not promise him that, we both know that."

His body was warm against her own, and she could hear her heart pounding in her ears as he leaned forward. She felt her breath catch in her throat as he pressed his lips against hers. It wasn't like the first time, it was light. Almost innocent. She didn't kiss him back at first, but as she felt him pull back, she wrapped her arms around him. She pressed her lips back against his, with a fire burning inside of her. Alara forgot for a moment that when the kiss ended, when his lips left hers, he would be gone. She may have never seen him again.

"Alara, I shouldn't.. I'm sorr-."

She cut him off by kissing him again, she was not done yet. He pressed her against the wall harder, and she could feel the growing tension in breeches as he pressed against her. She couldn't get enough of the taste of his lips, couldn't get enough of him. Alara opened her robe, leaving her body bare in front of him once again. He pulled his lips from hers, and looked down at her naked form.

"I am going to be late." She didn't know if he was talking to her, or to himself.

Alara closed her eyes for a moment before she began to undo his breeches, she knew it was wrong but she just wanted to feel him again. As his breeches fell to the ground, Alara had a thought come to her mind. She let a wicked smirk fall on her lips as she remembered things she had learned in the brothel. Without warning she slowly fell to her knees and she knew he instantly knew what she was thinking.

"Alara." His voice was a warning.

She didn't care, she knew he wasn't telling her not to. Alara took a moment, and licked her lips. She slowly took Robb's hard cock into her mouth. In honesty she had no idea what she was doing, but she had seen the women in the brothel do it a few times, she only could assume the men liked it. Just bob your head up and down, he'll take it from there. One of the whores' words hung in her mind. Alara moved her mouth further down on the shaft, careful not to gag herself. She tried to swirl her tongue around the cock, and as she did she felt his hands in her hair.

"Alright, Alara."

He looked down at her, and she got the hint to stop. His voice was strained as he spoke, and when Alara stood back up he surprised her. She was lifted off the ground and on instinct she wrapped her legs around Robb's waist. He held her up against the wall, his lips finding her neck in a rushed fashion. She almost let out a yelp when his teeth bit lightly against her neck, she was surprised by his actions. He walked them over to the bed where he sat down, the woman now straddling his lap.

"We shouldn't." His words conflicted his actions as he guided her onto his cock.

Alara let he head fall back in pleasure as she felt his cock enter her, a warmth filling her body. She made no move, and Robb's rough hands settled on her hips. For a moment they locked eyes, and she wondered what this had meant to him. She knew she could not linger on it, her feelings were childish folly. She was his bedwarmer, his whore, and when he was gone she would be forgotten. The newly claimed bastard is all he would remember.

Her thoughts began to fade away as his hands guided her hips to move. It was a slow pace, and it was almost agonizing to Alara but she made no move to speed him up. Before long her head was falling back, and her fingers were digging deep into his shoulders. His name was spilling from her lips in gasped moans. Alara felt her world fade away as his lips found her neck, and his hands pulled her against him. For a moment all she felt was pleasure, and wanton lust come over her.

When the pleasure faded they both remained in their position, her straddling him and his cock still buried inside of her. His hands were roaming her sides, his fingers leaving feathery touches across the tan skin. She never wanted the moment to end, she wanted to get lost in it.

"Please know this was not my intention, Alara." His voice sounded like he was pleading. "I had never intended to do this, and after last time I.."

"Robb, I was just as much a part of this as you," she whispered, "it's alright."

She didn't wish him to feel guilty, it was just a fuck. I wish it wasn't. Alara felt the pain in her chest again, the aching pain of losing him. She hated it. Without a word she stood from him, her legs shaky under her. She closed her robe, and looked at him. Their eyes met and she once more wondered what she meant to him. He stood from the bed and slipped his breeches back on, she watched him fix his clothes.

"I suppose you should get to your men, I doubt they are very happy to be waiting."

Her words were far more forced then she wished them to be, and she could see from his face he caught her. She watched him from beside the bed as he stood by the door, his eyes lingering on her. She didn't know what to say, because she feared what she could say.

"I didn't want it to be like this because I don't want you to think I see you as a whore, Alara."

"It's-"

"It's not alright, Alara," his voice raised. "You're not a whore, and I could never see you as such."

He walked toward her, his confidence was no longer in his strut. She had always seen him walk with confidence, with self assurance, but as he came toward her he had none. He stood before her, his formal clothes dark and well fitting. She looked into his eyes, and let her eyes travel to his lips. She wanted to taste him again, to feel his lips against hers again.

"I.."

She didn't know what to say to him. She didn't even know what she was feeling, she had not been taught these emotions. She knew what love for her family was, love for Gendry, but she had never imagined what this love would feel like. She wondered if it was how her mother felt, the sicking feeling in her chest, when her father rode away. Did she know then that the father of her child would never come home? Alara could never imagine such a life.

"I will be back Alara," he sounded so certain, "in the meantime I need you to protect them. You are stronger than most, and I trust you to keep them safe. No matter what."

He took her hands in his, his eyes not leaving hers. She knew he wanted her to protect the boys, and she would do so. No one would harm them for as long as she remained in Winterfell.

"You know I shall."

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her forehead, and he allowed himself to linger for a moment.

"I promise you, we will see each other again." He pressed his forehead to hers. "I will see you again, even if I have to ride to Starfall, Lady Dayne."

"I will hold you to those words, Lord Stark, I swear it."

He pulled away from her, their eyes meeting for a moment longer before he pulled away from her. She was left standing there as he walked away, the pain only serving to increase. She didn't want this, if it was love, she didn't want it. As his hand fell upon the handle, Alara couldn't get herself.

"Stay." Her voice was a choked whisper.

"What did you say?" He turned to her, his eyes hopeful.

She held her breath for a moment, holding back the wave of words that wished to flood from her mouth.

"Nothing." She cast her eyes away. "Farewell, Robb Stark."

"Farewell, Alara Dayne."

As he opened the door she whispered the word stay once more, but this time he did not turn around. When the door shut behind him, Alara lost herself. She was crushed. She had thought the hardest thing she would ever have to face was leaving her mother, or leaving Gendry, but this was somehow harder. She would write to her mother, ask her if she had once felt the same pang in her chest. Love was more damaging than she had thought it to be, and she knew it would only serve to cause her more pain.

"You better come back, Robb Stark."

She laid in her bed, the emotions washing over her. She did not cry, but her vision blurred from the tears threatening her. She would not cry over him, a man she had barely known. How is it she could fall for him in such a short time, but she couldn't love Gendry? Gendry would have been the safe bet, the careful bet. She was lucky she was not a woman who gambled, or else she would have lost everything.

A moment of hope arose in her as the door to her chambers were opened. When she sat up her heart sank, it was not Robb Stark. Instead shuffling into her room was a young boy with red tinted eyes, the tears still falling from his cheeks.

"He's gone." His voice held no sadness, only anger.

"I know, little lord."

She heard his small feet patter across the floor, and soon the child was in her bed. She froze for a moment as he laid his head upon her chest. She had spent time with the children, but never so close. Rickon did not move, and he softly wept as he drifted to sleep against her. Alara ran a hand through his hair, softly hushing him. He needed his rest, but she could find none herself.

"Oh my world is losing light

I'm leaving this cold world of mine

no pleading, is gonna turn back time

Could I feel your skin on mine before I have to say goodbye?"

A/N: I wanted to write the goodbye as dramatic as I could, and I think I did well. It's hard for Alara to say the words she needs to, and she doesn't even know what's going on in his head. Love is insane.