A/N: It feels like an age but I am back online!

Here's the latest chapter.

Thank you all so much for being patient with me, enjoy it and let me know what you think!

:)

Recovery

Elissa's stitches itched incessantly, it had woken her in the small hours and she had wriggled and wriggled in bed but it was no use. She knew she couldn't scratch them, the Maester was pleased with how she was healing and had told her that they could soon be removed and she refused to do anything to put back her recovery. Being stuck in bed was driving her mad, and even worse she was stuck in it alone. Robb was sleeping in other rooms, neither of them had wanted it but his hands wandered in his sleep and he was worried about hurting her accidently.

He would be with her almost all day, he only ever left if there was something important to attend to; she missed him at night though. She missed the familiar presence of his warm body next to hers, the feeling of his strong arms wrapped tightly around her. Dawn was breaking as she shifted uncomfortably in bed again, she had to do something different today, if she didn't she would go utterly mad and tear the stitches out herself.

It wasn't long after dawn when there was a soft knock on her door, she called for her visitor to come in and the Blackfish popped his head around the door with a smile. "I wasn't sure you'd be awake," he commented and she managed a smile for him.

"Is it your turn to entertain me today?" she asked him as he entered the room.

"Something like that," he chuckled, "how are you?"

"Bored," she said simply, "itchy," she added and he smiled at her.

"Stitches are a bitch my Queen, if you pardon my language," he said.

"I cannot disagree," she smiled widely.

"Is there anything you need?" he asked after a moment and she pondered his question for a time.

"Can you help me up?" she finally said.

"Up where?" he questioned, the last thing he needed was to have her hurt, Robb would kill him.

"Just to the window … please Brynden," she implored him and he sighed.

"Can't say no to my Queen now can I?" he huffed and she grinned as he came to help her up.

She moved slowly, it was strange being upright, having her feet back on the floor. Her steps were rather shaky and she clung to the Blackfish as he supported her slowly towards the window where she could sit down. "Any pain?" the Blackfish asked once he had lowered her into the chair.

"No," she promised truthfully, "could you hand me my robe?" she asked him and he moved to where she had pointed and obliged her at once. He helped her to her feet again and aided her as she pulled it about her, tying it loosely around her waist so she didn't aggravate her wound. When she was settled again he sat down opposite her, scanning her face for any hint of discomfort but he could see none. He was satisfied with that but no doubt Robb would be furious with him for allowing her to get out of bed, he couldn't have refused her though, the poor girl had been confined to one space for far too long.

Sure enough, a dark look crossed Robb's features when he entered the room a while later to find his wife no longer in bed. She must have seen it too because she spoke up before the Blackfish had even found words to explain. "I'm fine," she said firmly, "please don't make a fuss Robb, I am just so bored and Brynden only helped me because I made him"

"Are you in any pain?" Robb demanded, coming towards her.

"No," she shook her head, "I promise you I'm fine"

"Good," he said, kneeling at her side and pecking her lips gently.

"I will take my leave now," the Blackfish smiled and Elissa beamed back at him.

"Thank you for coming to see me," she said meaningfully.

"You're welcome," he told her, placing a hand on her shoulder lightly before leaving her and Robb alone.

Once he was gone Robb took the chair he had left and gazed intently at his wife for a few moments, searching for any sign of discomfort but her face remained smooth and relaxed. "I wasn't lying," she said in an amused tone, well aware of him watching her.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly and she smiled at him.

"How many times have I promised you?" she questioned, "you know I'm not going to do anything to risk not getting better … I want to be back to normal again more than anything"

"I know," he nodded, taking one of her hands, "I am sorry"

"Don't apologise," she said soothingly, "I know you're just worried, but I'm getting stronger everyday"

"I know you are," he smiled and she squeezed his hand affectionately.

It was another few days before the Maester was fully happy and told her that he would remove the stitches in her stomach. She held her breath as he worked, trying to avoid Robb's gaze as he stood in the window with his arms crossed, looking over at her in concern. It was an uncomfortable feeling but compared to the feel of the blade, or the feeling of Torrhen coming from her body it was nothing. "All done my Queen," the Maester finally said and she looked down and saw the raw pink of the healing scar. It was an ugly thing and she pulled her nightdress back down over it before Robb could see. "Thank you," she said to the Maester and he smiled at her.

"If it irritates you there is ointment here," he told her, placing a jar on her bedside table.

"Will she be alright?" Robb asked concernedly then.

"The Queen will be able to return to normal now," the Maester assured him and Elissa could have screamed in happiness.

The Maester took his leave then and Elissa turned her beaming face to Robb, carefully pulling herself up so she was knelt on the bed and outstretching her arms to him. He let himself be pulled into her embrace, breathing her in as he let his head rest against her shoulder, her lips kissing across the top of his head. "I love you," he murmured after a time.

"And I love you," she replied in an instant and he grinned, lifting his head so he could capture her lips. When he pulled away she smiled widely at him and ran a hand softly down his cheek, meeting his eyes as she thought of exactly what she wanted to say to him. "You heard the Maester," she said softly, "I can return to normal … I don't want you fussing over me, if I am in any pain I will tell you I promise, but I just want to move on from this," she finished.

"I will do whatever you want," he promised, his eyes not leaving hers.

"Then I want you and Torrhen back in here where you belong," she said and he kissed her again.

Returning to normal was not as easy as Elissa wanted it to be, she got along fine during the day and had no problems with any pain. It was at night, when Robb would climb into bed with her and wrap his arms around her, she would feel herself tense if his hand brushed her scar through the silk of her nightdress, he had not made a move to bed her yet but she knew he would not wait forever. The thought of him seeing her naked body made her want to cry, she had never felt this uncomfortable with her body, not even on their wedding night when she'd been terrified. She didn't want Robb to see the ugly scar, she had taken to dressing behind the screen so he would not catch a glimpse of it. He would make his move soon she knew that, she could see the glimmer of lust staring to shine in his eyes, burning brighter every day.

Elissa wasn't wrong, he insisted one night the next week that they retire to bed early, she didn't refuse, knowing what he wanted from the look in his eyes. He had gone longer than she had thought he would but when they entered their room she moved straight to the screen to change into her nightdress. Robb was in a state of undress when she came back and she averted her eyes, instead climbing into bed and pulling the covers up around her. He climbed in next to her, his heart pounding furiously as he rolled her gently onto her back, his lips kissing hers softly before trailing down her jawline and towards her neck. His hand found the hem of her nightdress and he pulled it up her thighs, letting his hands wander her bare skin, his action making her sigh softly despite herself. She still wanted him, but she was terrified he would be repulsed by the scar that marked her previously unblemished skin.

Robb took heart from her reaction, wandering his hand higher up on her thigh, the other going to pull away the ties of her nightdress. She froze when he made to pull it down her body and he noticed her sudden tension at once, lifting his head to meet her wide eyed gaze at once. "Please don't," she whispered, her hand coming to his, stopping him from baring her.

"What is it?" he asked her in concern, moving his hand instead to stroke down her cheek.

"I don't want you to see it … the scar," she said quietly, avoiding his eyes.

"Lissy …" he breathed, "you are beautiful"

"But it is ugly," she insisted, "please Robb, just take me as I am, I won't deny you"

"I won't force myself on you!" he exclaimed, aghast at her words.

"I know," she said quickly, "I didn't mean that! I just meant …" she tailed off as he took his hands from her, his eyes hurt and uncertain.

Tears stung her eyes as he moved his body away from her, a tear escaping her as he climbed out of bed and walked to the window. She sat up then and looked to him desperately, her hands shaking as she re-tied her nightdress. "Please come back to bed Robb," she whispered.

"And make you feel more uncomfortable?" he said lowly.

"Robb please … look at me," she implored him and he turned around.

"I don't want you to do anything you don't want, I don't want to bed you when you're so unwilling, I never want us to go back to that night," he told her, his eyes not leaving hers.

"I know," she said, dropping her gaze and wiping the few tears away.

"I want you to bed me willingly, not lay there and suffer me," he said and she heard the bitterness.

"I do bed you willingly!" she protested, "after the wedding night I never once thought of you as duty!"

"And now?" he asked, slowly walking back to her.

"And now I feel uncomfortable, it's not you Robb it's me … please, I do want you to share my bed, I do want us to be as we were but I can't let you see!" she explained desperately.

"Get up," he said gently and she stared at him for a moment before moving.

He watched her as she climbed out of bed, he had to make her see how much he still wanted her, he had to stop her making herself feel so ashamed. Her steps shook slightly as she walked towards him, her body trembling and it pulled his mind right back to their wedding night and he felt so ashamed of himself as he always did when he thought of it. He had hurt her that night, he had taken her when she was frightened and unsure and he would regret it forever. It shamed him to think of it, knowing that he should have done so much more, but she had been so scared he had thought it best to get it over with quickly. He knew that for that night she was duty to him as much as he had been duty for her and he never wanted it to be like that again.

Robb took her hand when she reached him. "Trust me," he implored her and she managed to nod and he pulled her hand to his lips and placed a firm kiss to the back of it. He guided her hand to his shoulder then, letting her fingers brush where the arrow had hit him at the Twins. "What do you think of it?" he asked her, running his hand lightly up and down her forearm as her fingers traced his scar lightly.

"I don't know," she said honestly, "I have never thought of it"

"Does it repulse you?" he asked.

"No!" she exclaimed, taking a step closer, "not at all!"

"Do you truly think I could ever be repulsed by you?" he asked, his eyes boring into hers.

"I hate it," she confessed, her own hand fluttering along her stomach.

"Then let me love it for both of us," he insisted. She said nothing, merely keeping her eyes on his and concentrating on steadying her breathing. He was unsure what to make of her silence but after a time he moved his hand again to the ties of her nightdress, pausing when his fingers brushed them, trying to gauge her reaction.

Her heart sped up but she didn't know how to tell him to stop, she didn't know if she wanted to, what if he never wanted to touch her again once he saw it? "Just say the word and I will stop," he told her and she managed to nod her head, her eyes closing as she felt his hands unthread the ties, wandering up to her shoulders to slide her nightdress down her arms. She felt the cool air hit her as her breasts became exposed and she took a sharp breath, biting down on her lip gently as she fought the urge to scream. Robb let the material drop then and she stood bare in front of him, he couldn't help but stare, he had not seen her like this in so long. Her body had changed slightly since she'd had Torrhen, her breasts slightly fuller and her hips more curved. She was utterly, breathtakingly beautiful and if she let him he would run his hands over every inch of her and make love to her all night.

The scar on her stomach was a perfect line of pink, he knew it would fade to white eventually as the one on his shoulder had. It was not ugly as she had told him, nothing about her could ever be ugly. He looked at her then and saw she still had her eyes closed. In an instant he slid the rest of his clothing away from him before slowly reaching out to brush his thumb gently down her mark. She inhaled sharply then and managed to open her eyes, to her surprise finding him kneeling down before her. He looked up at her then and smiled; "beautiful," he breathed before placing a kiss to her stomach, "you are so very beautiful," he continued, kissing his way back up her body, letting his hands roam her bare skin, making desire melt her.

Robb trailed kisses along her neck and towards her ear and she let her own hands touch him then, running them over the familiar hard muscles of his chest and back. "Can I have you?" he breathed in her ear and her knees almost gave way.

"Yes," she almost moaned, the familiar ache between her thighs almost killing her. At her consent he steered her gently back towards the bed, watching her as she lowered herself down onto it, kneeling above her as she moved to the middle, her eyes not leaving his. He had never wanted her more than he did at that moment, as she gazed up at him, no trace of apprehension or vulnerability in her eyes anymore. "I love you," he told her, running his hands up her bare thighs and gently pulling them apart so he could nestle between them. "You are the most beautiful woman I have ever laid eyes on," he said meaningfully, letting his lips kiss across her breasts and up to her lips, his body twitching to be inside her.

Elissa ran her hands up and down his back lightly, causing him to arch towards her, making her gasp as his hardness teased at her, she wanted him inside her now; she needed it. She ground her hips slowly against him then and he groaned lowly against her mouth and she used the opportunity to dart her tongue into his mouth to deepen their kiss. He encouraged her legs to come up and around his waist then, shifting his body so he could push slowly into her. She let out a small whimper as he filled her completely and he pulled away from her lips so he could gaze into her eyes. "Are you alright?" he asked her breathlessly, worried he had gone too quickly.

"Yes," she gasped as she rolled her hips, a groan leaving his own lips at how perfect she felt.

Robb thrust slowly and she moaned softly, letting her hands tangle in his hair, tugging his curls softly as his own hands wandered everywhere, touching every inch of her bare skin he could find. He kept his movements slow, he made love to her as gently as he always had when she had been with child, not wanting to risk hurting her in any way. She rocked her hips in time with his and their perfect motion had them both climbing towards the highest heights, Robb wanting more than ever for them to fall together. When her breaths came as cries he knew she was ready and he steeled himself as he felt her start to come undone. She moaned out his name as she reached her peak and he let himself go, burying himself deep inside her and savouring the sound of her voice telling him over and over that she loved him as he reached his own end.

He pulled her against his chest after a while, cradling her gently and letting his lips trail across her hairline, she snuggled herself down into the crook of his neck and he smiled to himself as he felt her warm breath tickling him. It had been too long since their bodies had been entwined like this, their skin pressed together, warming one another as they slipped into sleep. Robb wanted more than anything for the night to last forever, to lay with her like this in such a state of bliss forever, his beautiful wife drifting off to sleep in his arms. He felt like the luckiest man in the world, he couldn't believe the hell was behind them, that he could finally allow himself to smile again. They would leave for Winterfell at the end of the week, he wanted to go home; he wanted to be safe.

A/N: Next chapter is our last one in Riverrun so you know what that means!

Anyone, hope you liked this one, drop me a review pretty please and give me your thoughts.

More tomorrow.

:)