The two women walked in the dark for the longest time. Maelona expected to be scolded for the friendship she had bestowed on Jamie. She knew how the world saw 'The King Slayer'. The legend, they believed all the stories. Jamie Lannister was larger than life but Jamie, just plain Jamie. He was just a man and if you could get him away from his sister, he could be a whole lot of fun. That's what the person of the North didn't understand.

"Mae, I know you think you know Jamie Lannister but things have changed. He cannot be your friend"

"Friendship doesn't end because you're on different sides"

"He will use you. He will use those ties against you. Against all of us?" Catelyn asked softly "You don't think if he was to escape, he wouldn't try to kill Robb. End this war. Be the hero"

"Cat"

"My girl, your loyalty is one of your best qualities. Our lives the way they are now. It's not about being loyal to everybody. Its where that loyalty is the strongest"

"He doesn't even want to be King, Cat. If he keeps making moves like this, they will send someone to assassinate him and it will not be Jamie. It will be a faceless man who lives and moves in the shadow and we will not see him coming"

"I know those men, Mae. I've been face to face with those men"

"I know you have"

"Jamie pushed Bran from a window. You cannot say you feel right with that"

"I don't"

"They killed Ned"

"I know that. You don't think I live with that everyday. Going back there and watch Goffery ponce around, feeling nothing for the things that he has done. Yes, I am angry but I don't want to lose anyone else I care for. Whether that be from a sword or starvation"

"That's another one of your best qualities. Your good heart"

"Well, I fear my good heart maybe the death of me"

"That's a fear we share"

Maelona turned and looked at the camp. The thousands of men and seemed not to have a care in the world. She envied them.

She felt Catelyn's hands of her arms before hearing her voice

"We're moving camp tomorrow. You need to get some sleep"

"Couldn't even if I wanted too"

"Well, we can't have you falling off another horse"

Maelona nodded her head and the two ladies walked back to their tents.

Robb and Maelona avoided each other the next day, lucky it was easy with the traveling to the next campsite. Robb and his queen where up the front of the pack and Maelona made sure she was towards the back. She travelled in silence. Every now and again a soldier would strike up a conversation with her and she was polite. She smiled and was kind. She couldn't think of a reason to be cruel. The world was cruel enough. They travelled til late afternoon than picked a spot and set up a new camp. It was clear that everybody had done this many times before. Everyone else knew where they needed to be and what they needed to be doing, everyone but Maelona.

When everything they could do that night was done and it was getting cold Maelona retired to her tent with some blankets and a hungry belly. She hadn't eaten in two days and Maelona was really feeling it. The soldiers were more important. She made her way out of the tent an hour after dinner was called and slowly made her way through the camp. For what it was, this was a happy place. She heard commotion up a head before someone calling out

"Nightswatch"

She smiled to herself and ran as fast as her feet could carry her. Praying that it was him. Hoping that it was him. Then, there he was in front of her. Maelona picked up the pace before calling out his name. Jon didn't miss a beat. He caught here in mid-air before she clung to him

"Bored with Kings Landing, already?" he asked playfully

"Not up to my standards of fun"

"I have no doubt"

All the soldiers and guards. All the men that had thought about her, appreciated her form, chatted her up. They saw her wrapped around a man that had taken the black and shook their head. The world was unfair. Jon didn't look like he was going to let her go anytime soon. That was the only thing that any of the men could understand. Jon reached over and held her hand after he placed her back on the ground.

"You're freezing"

"I'm fine"

"Your cape isn't thick enough for the north"

"So I keep getting told" she chuckled.

"Snow" a voice called out

"Stark"

"Always good timing. Know when there is free food"

"I can't refuse food meant for the King Of The North" Jon joked before spinning Mae around so she faced Rob, which she was uncomfortable with until Jon wrapped both his arms around the front of her shoulders and pulled her body close to his. She smiled and rested her chin on his arms, with a chuckle

"Make sure this one gets some food too. She hasn't eaten in two days. Feeding the prisoners has been more important to her"

Jon chuckled before looking over at her

"Never change, Mae. Never change"

She laughed before the left Robb alone and watching their every move. Every time Robb saw them, they seemed a little more closer, which wouldn't bother him so much if Maelona was pulling away from him.

They grabbed some food walked up a hill before sitting under a tree. He didn't know how to breach the subject without offending so he just jumped in and asked it

"Things seem a little frosty between you and my brother"

"Its not that bad"

"The Wall is warmer, Mae"

"They are the way that they are meant to be, Jon"

"Which means you're backing away. He's going to love that"

"It's not up to him. Robb give up any right to me when he got married. He's changed Jon. He's telling me what I can and can't do"

"What? Like a king?" She stopped and looked at him like he was ridiculous "Mae, he is your king. It's kind of a part of his job"

"Him forbidding me to see Jamie had nothing to do with his title"

"Jamie is known as the Kingsayler. That's not a comforting nickname"

"He is more than just a name be that Lannister or Kingsayler. All that this is about, is men and their swinging di" she stopped and looked over at Jon who looked amused before finishing her sentence with "Appendages"

"Appendages?"

"Appendages" she confirmed before laughing.

"You need to get away Mae"

"I'm at a camp in the middle of nowhere. How more away do you think I could get?"

"No I mean away from everybody. You and me tomorrow. We'll go for a ride. I'll take you away, for a little while at least"

"Yeah?"

"Why not?"

"You don't have any extremely important man-of-the-nights-watch business to take care of?"

"Not right now. I've got a little time"

"Okay"

Jon handed her his piece of bread and Mae smiled at him. Things were shifting between them, Mae and Jon could feel it but don't quite know why or where it was going to lead them. The only thing that they both knew was that things between them weren't the same as they once were.

Robb watched them both on the hill. He couldn't hear what was being said but they looked close. Too close for his liking. He continued to watch as Jon gave Mae his bread before she teared a piece from the inside and playfully threw it at Jon playfully. She smiled at him and Robb realised he hadn't seen her smile like that since her return.

"They look cosy" Talisa said walking up and sitting next to him "Have they always been like this? As children?"

"They barely spoke as children. We used to keep Jon on the outside growing up. Wrong, I know but that was the way we were. My father used to say that Maelona and I had our own little world with each other. I guess he was right"

"Maelona sounds like she was very close to your father"

"She was. She knows many of my father's secrets"

"Not as many as your mother though. That would be my guess. Husband and wife and all"

"Different secrets, perhaps" Robb told her. Ignoring the comment about the bonds of matrimony. It had been a calculated comment from his wife and Robb didn't give it much time or thought "My father wanted a better life for her. A life King Robert could give her and I think that was because Mae reminded him of his sister Lyanna. Same strength, he used to say"

"He didn't want them to have the same end"

"Yes. Neither do I. She had a troubled childhood. Things I would never tell you. Makes me wonder how she is still standing but I worry about her"

"She was raised as your sister. Of course you worry about her"

"Yes, she was" he lied "Come on, let's go to bed"

He stood up and took his wife's hand before leading her to their tent.

Hi My Loves,

So what are we thinking?

Do you think that Mae should be with Jon or Robb?

Love to hear what you guys think

As always thanks for reading

xxLayla