A/N: Hey guys, another new one!

As ever, thoughts would be much appreciated.

:)


Twelve


Theon


When the guards finally, reluctantly, let me into Jeyne's room for a moment I thought them empty. Then I saw her knelt in the window, her head snapping round to look at me, her eyes wide with panic as she scrambled up to her feet.

"Who are you?" she asked me, her voice shaking slightly.

"Theon," I told her, "Theon Greyjoy"

"Robb?" she questioned me, her eyes filling with tears.

"Nina is tending to him but he will be alright," I promised, meeting her eyes.

She fell to her knees then, sobs rising up in her as she brought her hands to her face to try and stifle them. I noted that her knuckles were bruised and bloody and I just knew that she had been pounding away at the door for the Gods knew how long. The pity I felt for her was overwhelming but I approached slowly, I was a stranger to her and I had no idea how best to comfort her.

"It's all my fault!" she choked out as I lay may hand uncertainly on her shoulder.

"That's not what I heard," I said soothingly.

"I should never have married him … this would never have happened!" she scolded herself.

"But you did, and it has happened, you can't change it now," I said gently.

"What if he hates me?" she whispered, lifting her head to meet my eyes.

"He doesn't hate you, all he wanted was to get back to you," I assured her.

"Take me to him," she said then, grabbing at my hand so I helped her to her feet again.

As I led her from the room I saw Lord Tully and some of his men dragging a woman from the rooms opposite who I assumed must be Lady Spicer. My assumption was confirmed as Jeyne pushed passed me, a fury in her eyes I did not expect to see in one so small. She flew at her mother, screaming all sorts of things that I could barely comprehend. In an instant I darted forward to help Lord Tully restrain her and she fought against us with a strength I could never have guessed she possessed.

"Where is it?!" she screamed at her mother.

"It's gone," her mother said, her voice cold and unapologetic.

"You liar!" Jeyne accused, struggling against us.

"It's at the bottom of the Trident – where your husband should be," she spat back.

I almost let Jeyne go then as she struggled all the more but Lord Tully ordered the men to move on and take Lady Spicer to the prison. When she was out of sight Jeyne stopped straining against us and we tentatively let her go, watching for any sign she would take off after her mother. I stepped ahead of her then and gestured for her to continue following me, hearing her soft footsteps behind me as I led her to where Robb was being treated.

As we walked a sick feeling crept into my stomach as I realised that Lady Spicer had been in the rooms opposite Jeyne, no doubt able to hear her frantically trying to get out. It was beyond my comprehension how a mother could do such a thing.


Karina


When Theon returned with Jeyne she shoved passed him at once and went straight to Robb's side, her hands cupping his sleeping face as she pressed gentle kisses to his forehead. I smiled slightly as I watched her, knowing it would be a few hours before he woke up, glad that when he did his beloved wife would be at his side.

"I'll leave you with him," I said softly.

"Thank you Nina … for everything," she said meaningfully as she pulled a chair up to sit at his side.

"It was my pleasure," I told her.

"How did you save him?" she asked then.

"You were right about your mother, she was writing to Tywin Lannister," I said.

"I knew she couldn't have planned it herself," Jeyne said, shaking her head.

"Theon rode after the army, he alerted the men at the Twins," I continued.

"Thank you," she said meaningfully, looking towards where he stood and he nodded in return.

"I'll leave you now," I smiled, squeezing her shoulder before making my way out of the room.

I knew Theon was following me, I wasn't sure what exactly he would want but I had a good idea and I knew I couldn't be stupid enough to give it to him again. My honour was gone and there was no way to get it back, but I would not degrade myself any further and let him take me as a lover. As much as I wanted him I had already broken my promise, I would not stamp up and down on the shattered pieces of it.

He followed me right to my room and closed the door behind us. Before I could say anything he had closed the gap and grabbed at me, pulling me into his arms and capturing my lips with his. All sense flew from me then as I kissed him back, letting my hands tangle in his hair, my senses utterly consumed by him and his toxic kiss. Somehow I managed to push him away and take a step back, my breathing ragged as he looked at me in confusion.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"This," I said, gesturing between us, "this is wrong"

"How can it be wrong?" he questioned.

"Theon I promised my father I would return with my honour, and now …" I tailed off.

"I don't regret what happened between us," he said stubbornly.

"Of course you don't! It's not your future it's ruined!" I shot at him.

"Nina … I want to marry you!" he said and I stared at him.

I couldn't help it. I laughed. If I didn't laugh I would cry. He stared right back at me, a look of utter confusion on his face as I tried to get myself under control.

"Marry me?" I finally managed to repeat, "Have you lost your mind?"

"No Nina, I'm serious!" he implored me and I snorted.

"How can I marry a man like you?" I asked him.

"Nina …" he looked at me disbelievingly.

"How could I ever trust you?" I demanded of him.

His face fell then and I knew he had no answer for me, he knew as well as I did that I could never trust him to be faithful to me. I was sure he could try, but it would never last. What would happen when I had a child and was unable to lay with him? I alone could never satisfy his hunger and I would be a fool to try. I wouldn't let him break my heart, not like that.

"Nina please … I swear," he started.

"You can't," I whispered, "You can't help yourself Theon"

"Give me a chance!" he implored me.

"And be stuck with your whoring ways forever while I raise your children?!" I snapped.

"It wouldn't be like that!" he insisted.

"It would be exactly like that," I said, shaking my head.

"What can I do Nina?" he almost begged me.

"Go," I said, "leave me alone and forget that anything ever happened between us"

"I can't do that," he whispered, shaking his head.

"If you care about me at all you will leave me alone," I insisted.

For a second I thought he would come at me, refuse to take no for an answer. Part of me wanted him to. Then the moment was gone and I saw the look of defeat in his eyes as he turned away from me and let himself out of the room.

It wasn't until I was sure he had gone that I finally let myself cry.


Robb


The pain across my shoulders and upper back throbbed dully as I opened my eyes. It wasn't so bad I thought as I shifted in the bed, my hand knocking against someone else's as I did so. I snapped my head to the side then and saw Jeyne with her head lain down on the bed next to me, her eyes closed in a sleep I could tell by the circles under her eyes hadn't come for her in days. It was for her I had suffered all this for and as I watched her sleep I knew that she was worth every single second of my pain. I let my hand reach out to entwine my fingers in her hair and she stirred slightly, her eyes slowly opening, something like disbelief filling them as she looked at me.

"Robb?" she questioned, as though she wasn't sure I was real.

"I'm here," I said softly and a tear rolled down her cheek.

"I thought I'd lost you," she whispered, straightening up and inching closer to me.

"I swore to you I'd come back," I told her fiercely and she nodded, more tears escaping her.

I pulled her to me then, half dragging her on to the bed as she scrambled to my side, her head burying in the crook of my neck as her hand came to my chest, my own arms clamped securely around her, holding her tight to my side. I kissed the top of her head as I felt her tears on my bare shoulder, my eyes suddenly caught by the torn flesh of her knuckles and I moved one hand to take hers gently.

"What happened?" I asked her and she raised her head to look at me.

"They wouldn't let me out," she said simply and I stared at her.

"You did this to yourself?" I said disbelievingly, raising her hand to my lips to kiss it.

"I barely felt it," she told me as I kissed along each knuckle.

"Has Nina looked at it?" I questioned her.

"No," she said, shaking her head.

"We'll get her to look when she comes back to check on me," I insisted and she nodded.

I continued kissing along each knuckle until I reached her wedding finger and paused, pulling her hand slightly away from me to look at it, seeing her ring was missing. I snapped my head to her then and her eyes welled with tears again.

"She took it away from me," she whispered.

"Your mother?" I guessed, fury coursing through me. I knew it was only a ring, but it represented so much more than it appeared.

"I tried to fight her off," she said and I raised my hand to wipe her tears away.

"It's alright, we'll get it back," I assured her.

"She said it's at the bottom of the Trident," she said, her voice pained and I sighed heavily.

"Then I will have another made for you," I promised.

"Do you still want me Robb?" she asked my quietly.

"Of course I still want you!" I said fiercely, "I love you!"

"She was giving me moon tea," she confessed then and I felt my fist clench in the silk of her dress.

"How do you know?" I asked, fighting to keep my voice even.

"She let it slip when we were arguing … what if she's made it so I can never have children?" she cried.

"Come here," I said, pulling her back down into my arms.

I didn't know what else to say to her so I settled for holding her. I couldn't believe what Lady Spicer had done, I knew she hated me but that she could do this to her own daughter was unthinkable. What if Jeyne couldn't have children?


Theon


It didn't take me long to find the brothel. If Karina didn't want me then there were plenty of women who did. I couldn't be bothered to charm a serving girl, I didn't feel like charming everyone. I just wanted to fuck a girl and get Karina Morton out of my head. Out of my heart. Damn her. How could she do this to me? I had tried to do the right thing, the honourable thing and she had turned me away. She had laughed. Damn her. How could she not see it? I didn't want to marry her because it was the right thing, it was because I wanted her and only her. Damn her. If she didn't want me then I could have someone else. It didn't matter.

I asked for a blonde girl, preferably with small breasts and dark eyes. I didn't want to be reminded of the girl who had just taken my heart and squeezed it so tightly that I thought it would burst. When the girl came up I set my eyes on her and she slowly removed her dress. She had a beautiful figure I could not deny it but I felt no stirring between my legs. She came forward then and ran her hands up my thighs firmly but still I felt nothing. What had Karina done to me? Wasn't it bad enough I couldn't have her without her making it impossible for me to fuck another?

"Get dressed," I said to the girl.

"Am I not pleasing to my Lord? Would you like me to fetch you another?" she asked.

"No," I shook my head, "it's not you"

"Can I get you anything else my Lord?" she questioned as she pulled on her dress again.

"No," I whispered, shaking my head as tears began to come.

"My Lord?" she said uncertainly.

"I love her," I confessed, choking out a sob, hating myself for breaking down in front of a whore.

To her credit she said nothing, she merely came to kneel between my legs again and pull me into her warm embrace. Was this what love had reduced me to? Crying in the arms of a whore that I could not find it in me to fuck. Damn Karina. Damn her.


Jeyne


Karina didn't even seem to be in the same room as us as she looked over my grazed knuckles. She barely said a word, only to tell me that they would heal just fine and that she would leave some ointment for me in my rooms. I thanked her warmly but her lips barely quirked up into a smile before she took her leave. I stared at the door she had just left for a few moments, chewing on my bottom lip as I wondered what could be wrong with her.

"Come here," Robb's lust filled voice growled out then, interrupting my thoughts.

"You're injured," I said, turning to face him, knowing exactly what he wanted from me.

"That didn't stop you last time," he said, his eyes dark with want.

"It wasn't so bad last time," I argued but his expression didn't change.

"I want you Jeyne," he said and the tone of voice he used had desire soaking me in an instant.

I knew it probably wasn't a good idea but I approached him anyway, crawling onto the bed and swinging a leg over his so I was sat astride his lap. He groaned his appreciation at where I was and as I shifted my body closer to his I could feel him hard beneath me and it sent shivers down my spine as always. His hands pulled up the hem of my dress then so he could bunch it up around me, his hands finding the bare skin of my hips and pulling me closer as I drew back the sheet that was covering his modesty.

"This is a bad idea," I whispered as I shifted so I could tease at his hardness.

"Be gentle with me," he said huskily as he leant his head forward to capture my lips.

I slid myself down on to his length then, both of us inhaling sharply before continuing on with our kiss as I began to rock ever so slowly against him, my hands gripping his upper arms rather than his shoulders so I wouldn't aggravate any of his wounds. The pleasure I felt at having him like this again was indescribable as I continued my motions. I had been so certain that I would never see him again and yet here we were, as one, joined completely with one another again.

His hands pulled me even closer as I rocked into him again, the length of him filling me completely and making a cry of pleasure leave me, his lips trailing from mine and along my jawline and down to my neck as I moaned out again. I resisted the urge to pick up my pace, using all my self-control to do so, not wanting to hurt him. I could never hurt him. He growled against my neck as I slowly moved so he almost left my body before slowly taking him all the way back in again. It sent waves of pleasure through my own body and so I let myself do it again, his fingers tightening around my hips as I did so. I was close now and he seemed to know it, muttering something incoherent about not being able to hold on. I urged him to hold on as I rocked against him again, promising him that we could fall together. He let one hand dart between my legs then, his fingers teasing in the most delicious way, bringing me to my end in and instant, feeling him finish inside me not seconds later.

I made no move to shift away from him as I leant my head down gently against his shoulder, feeling his lay against mine, I loved the feeling of him inside me, of us being joined as one. He wrapped his arms tightly around my waist and let his lips trail soft kisses against my neck as I returned my breathing to normal, my own fingers twisting at the curls at the base of his neck.

"I love you," he told me fiercely.

"And I love you," I promised him, feeling his hold on me tighten even more.

"Never leave me Jeyne," he whispered almost fearfully.

"I promise," I said softly.


Coran


We were giving up, we had no choice, we'd searched for a week in a five mile radius of the Twins and there had been no sign of Raynald. I could only hope that he had escaped of his own accord and was making his way back to Riverrun. It was either that or he was dead and I was praying that wasn't the case. He was a good man. A good man his own mother had most likely sent to his death. I hoped what she had done would haunt her.

It wasn't all bad news, we had managed to round up some survivors and Olyvar had arrived on the second day, aghast at what had happened and insistent that he had no part in it. I believed him, he was loyal to Robb and a fierce friend, I had no doubt that he was telling the truth and I promised that I would vouch for him when he went before Robb to explain himself. I knew Robb would forgive him, not that there was really anything to forgive him for, and I assured Olyvar of it.

We were about to leave when Devin nudged my arm; "look there," he pointed to a rider.

"Who do you suppose that is?" I asked curiously, squinting into the sun.

"Coran!" a voice shouted from the horse then and I started.

"Arya?" I whispered, unable to believe my ears; "Arya?!" I shouted out then.

"Coran it's me, it's me!" she screamed and I saw her slide from the horse, her companion grumbling slightly as she flew towards me.

"By the Gods, what in the seven hells brings you here?!" I demanded as I caught her.

"We heard Robb was here … only someone in the inn back there said there'd been a massacre," she said, her voice worried now.

"Not quite," I grimaced, "Robb is alright though, he's back at Riverrun"

"Is that where you're going?" she asked me.

"Aye," I nodded, "and so are you I hope!"

"Of course I am!" she giggled.

A shout drew my attention then and I realised it was coming from the man that Arya had been riding with. I approached him at once as he looked down into the river Trident, dread filling me for some unknown reason. As I came closer to him I realised who he was, he had been at Winterfell when the Royal family had visited. Joffrey's dog. Sandor Clegane. The Hound.

Why in the name of the Gods had Arya been with him?

"What …?" I started, about to ask him that exact question but he cut me off.

"Man down there," he pointed, "one of yours?"

I looked down and my heart almost stopped, the man was wearing the colours of the Crag and he had arrows peppering his back as he lay face down in the water, his body caught between a rock and the riverbank as the water swirled around him. Raynald. I was willing to bet anything that it was him and I felt utterly numb. I had left him, left him to die, his body tossed into the Trident as though he were nothing. I felt sick with myself. The least I could do was retrieve his body, he deserved better than this watery grave.

"What are you doing?" the Hound asked me as I began to edge down the riverbank.

"I can't leave him there," I said.

"You want to join him you mad fuck?!" he questioned incredulously.

"Shut up! Call the men over to help me!" I snapped back.

"Boys! You've got a mad one here needs help!" I heard him call out.

"What in the name of the Gods are you doing?!" Devin appeared a moment later.

"It's Raynald," I said, taking a deep breath before dropping down onto the rock.

"Hang on, you'll never lift him yourself," he said, clambering down the bank to join me.

"Fucking idiots," I heard the Hound mutter.

Despite his grumbles and groans and frequent cursing the Hound actually made himself rather useful, I didn't think we would have been able to get Raynald up without his brute strength. Eventually we managed it, laying him out on the grass and pulling the arrows from his back before rolling him over. It was Raynald. Part of me was still hoping it wasn't but I was staring into his lifeless eyes now and there was no denying it was him. I knelt down and closed his eyes gently then, he looked more peaceful that way and I hoped he was with the Gods.

"Who is he?" the Hound asked as Arya made her way over.

"Queen's brother," I said shortly, thinking I should take Arya away from the sight of him.

"Who?" Arya questioned as she stared down at Raynald's body.

"Stark's Queen?" the Hound questioned, a grimace on his face.

"Aye," I nodded, "as if enough hadn't happened already."


A/N: Sorry! I did say things wouldn't be easy in this fic!

More tomorrow.

:)