Things were moving fast around us in Winterfell and in Thedra Ascent. But I knew that I gained another ally, and also another brother whom I have never met before: Jon. I saw my fathering him, our father in him. He was brave, having determination in his stance and loyalty in his blood. I felt safe with hi, going from place to place in the villages, seeing more and more hungry and scared faces of lost souls. I was in their shoes once, I knew that much for certain. And now I wanted to protect them, seeing the young orphan children and the hungry mothers whom had no husbands to protect them. I had a new duty now: as a highborn and as a woman with Stark Blood: Protection.

It made me think of Gendry, how he needed someone to protect him when he was young since he was a lowborn. Well, we both needed someone since we both were lowborns at one point. We both had come so far and from harsh dark places of the world, yet we have both come to the brightness of our future together: together in marriage. It was something that I was still thinking about from day to day, even dreaming about it at night. I was still imagining Gendry and I standing together, holding hands and booming husband and wife in front of my family, in front of all to see that we both needed each other and loved each other more than we did ourselves. Those were pleasant dreams, wonderful dreams that were poisoning my minds that I wished were real. I know they can be real, very real, since my orb family was trying to make that a reality. If we were to find Bran, the eldest highborn son of Winterfell that was still living, then he would legitimize Gendry and strip him from his Bastard Status. He was willing to do that, for me, for us.

More and more people were convinced to come and help the North, even some more from the East were hearing our calls for help at the new Northern fortresses. Both Thedra Ascent and Winterfell were growing stronger and stronger by the day. More soldiers were coming to our aid, and more ravens were being sent out to more villages and areas in Westeros. And there was even more talk about the South hearing of our plans to bring strength to the North. According to some of the ravens being sent to us, the South has been trying to contain some of the villages and towns, drawing in the crowds and making sure the would not retaliate. But the more the South tried to contain them, with small groups of soldiers and only a handful of weapons, the more the North fought back against them, showing them that the North will not move against them, that the North was no longer scared of them, and that we will endure.

At one moment, coming back from another session with the local villages and towns, we were greeted by Sansa and James by her side, holding some messages in her hand and having a grave look on her face as I dismounted from the horse, Jon next to me. Astrid trotted over to Ghost, whom stayed with Sansa as her guard since she had no direwolf as her own. Astrid stayed with me the whole time, always looking to me for commands and never letting me out of her sight. She was my new set of eyes and new set of feelings, knowing that something could go wrong before I even know myself. AS Jon and I walked over to Sansa, I heard the hammering of the anvil in the forge, having me think of Gendry and if he was working there.

"Any news, Sansa?" Jon asked her aloud as I looked back over at my sister, seeing her hand him the messages in her fragile hand. Jon read it with his dark eyes as I looked over at my sister, seeing her eyes going a bit dark and weary. Something happened, something grave that was filling her heart with fear and worry.

"The South are burning down villages to find us." Sansa said aloud as I saw Jon look up from the notes to her. This graved my heart, knowing that she was being haunted once more from the South and all that they did to her. I reached out and took her hand in mine as Jon looked over at her with his soft eyes, the same eyes that looked at me when we had our moment in Godswoods with the Old Gods.

"How many villages?" I asked him aloud in wonder.

"4, and they are going to continue. It must be the Queen Regiment." Jon replied as he read the paper some more, looking over at James, "We need to retaliate them."

"As your wish my Lord." James said with a short bow, then walking back to the soldiers standing away from us, having me be left with Sansa and Jon.

"We won't let them get away with this." I said to her in a reassuring tone, having me see her nod her head, "The Lannisters are not going to kill off our people."

"Not all of them: only Cersei." She said aloud in a bold tone, having me see the bitterness in her eyes and face as she spoke her name, "Tyrion is not for this kind of violence, and I don't think Jamie is either, not anymore." I thought about it for a moment or two, thinking back to the other Lannister siblings and how different they all were. Tyrion was kind to me, a different contrast with his sister whom I knew hated me now more than ever, and even Jamie showed less hatred in his blood than his twin sister. Sansa must of been right, since she knew the three of them well enough because she was married to Tyrion and she stayed with them for a while. I believed her then, then looking over at Jon and seeing her watch his sister.

"We will find a way to protect our people from the South." Jon said in almost a tone of demand, having me nod my head at him and then hear the anvil continue to pound behind me. I turned my head to the sound, then knowing that it must of been Gendry. I haven't seen him since I left with Jon to our last village some time before. I walked away from them both, hearing them talk some more as I crossed the courtyard. As I walked by people, they bowed to me and smiled, murmuring "Milday" as I passed them with a small smile on my face. This was still new for me to think about, having people call me Milday and having me okay with it. It was slowly growing on me, very slowly.

Walking to the forge, I saw Koda at the front of the door, sitting and staring at everyone who was passing by. He saw me with his warm eyes, his tongue out and lapping at my hand as I nuzzled my fingers into his fur. Moving past him and into the forge, I looked around and I heard the distant voices of the two people I knew would be together and talk about things meaningful in their lives: Arya and Gendry. I smiled, hearing them towards the back and I walked in, being careful not to touch anything in the forge that I knew Gendry wanted to leave in a certain place. This was this place, his element, and I was not going to let it change for one second. I then heard Gendry laugh for a second, having my heart flutter from hearing him have a joyful moment than a sorrowful one. I walked over to where they were, and I watched for a moment as I saw Arya and Gendry in the back room: Arya on a stood in her common dress and her medium length hair pulled back into a tiny braid and Gendry working on a chest piece. Nymeria was by her master, eating away at a bone and having her own moment.

Leaning against the archway, it reminded me of when the three of us were in Harrenhal sometime ago, trying to survive together as friends. IT was same thing all over again, trying to survive in our home and having a moment together as friends and as a pack. Gendry was wearing a sleeves shirt to cover himself with his work pants and boots, hitting away at the chest piece as Arya was smiling and talking to him about something.

I then heard a bark, having me see Nymeria looking over at me and dropping the bone to the floor. Aray looked over as well, Gendry finishing his part on the chest piece as Arya hopped off her stool and ran over to me, hugging me with a big grin on her face.

"You're back!" She said in a grin as she hugged me, having me see Gendry stop and look over at me with a big grin on his face, and small flame of desire behind his eyes and made me wish we were alone. But I hugged my sister back, feeling her feel a bit bigger since I saw her last. She was growing up to be a nice young woman and I knew that she was going to be a ruler like her brothers, with the same gentleness and kindness of her sister.

"How was it? Did you get anymore people?" She asked me aloud, having me grin and nod my head at her.

"We did, and we got some news from the South." I said to her, seeing the smile fall from her face slightly as Gendry walked over, wiping his hands off with his apron.

"What kind of news?" he asked aloud in wonder as he joined with Arya in front of me.

"They're burning down villages and towns to find us." I said to him aloud, seeing him give a grave look to Arya and then back at me, having me feel more worry flood over me more than before.

"They won't get away with it, not while we have men, right?" Arya asked aloud in wonder and confusion.

"We don't know yet, but James and Jon are talking about it." I said to her in reply. seeing her nod her head and move her hair from her eyes, having me see the determination in the grey orbs she carried.

"I'll go talk to him and see what he wants to do." She explained to me, hugging me once more and then walking out of the back room, Nymeria right behind her. I realized it was just Gendry and I there in the room, having me sigh in defeat and walk over to him, feeling him envelope me in his arms and hold me close to him. I breathed him in, knowing that scent he had from moments we have had before together. That scent was intoxicating to me, it was familiar to me and it was good.

"This is too much." I said to him into his shirt, feeling him his rough fingers against my arms, he was trying to soothe me and take away all that I was fearing. But I knew that what I was doing was making people get hurt or killed, that was the last thing that I wanted.

"You're doing what is best." He reassured me, but I shook my head.

"People are dying because of me, Cersei only wants me and me alone." I murmured in his shirt, having me feel him run his fingers now in my hair, "Why is she doing this."

"I don't know." He replied in a shrug, but I looked up at me and I watched him look down on me and see right where I was. I hated crying to him, throwing my pain at him and showing him all that was plaguing my mind. But for some reason he didn't mind that at all, in fact he was taking it all in for himself.

"Do you remember when we were locking up in Dragonstone?" he asked me aloud, having me raise a eyebrow at him as to how he was talking about this than what was going on right now, "And how we both were not thinking we were going to survive the night? You were only glad that we were together, that we were going to be next to each other if we died. I think back at that moment from time to time, and how you kept having faith in me, in us." He then took both of my hands in his and rested his forehead against mine, having me close my eyes and feel his hands holding mine in almost a protective manner.

"I think at that moment when you still and faith in us, and it makes me want to do the same for you right now." He continued, having me open my eyes and look up at me, having me see him stare right back at me and show me how serious about what he was saying.

"You are not going to be taken by the Queen Regiment, not while I am here with you, not while I am in love with you and willing to die for you." He said to me , having me smiled widely at him from the sheer joy that I was feeling for him, "Your family is here with you, as am I."

"You are my family Gendry." I said to him, seeing him smile at me as I kept talking to him, "And I want to marry you."

"Are you sure about that?" he asked me aloud, having me see a small smile on his face as he walked away from me back to his table, having me smirk at him as he leaned against the table that he was at, "Your really want to marry me? I'm a stubborn bull as I recall."

"And a pain in the ass." I added, walking over to him and standing in front of him, having him be trapped between my body and the table, though I knew he would pick me up in one swipe and carry me as if I was nothing. He grinned down at me with a coy smile, having me see him frame my face gently in his hands.

"And you want that for a husband?" he asked me aloud, having me shrug my shoulders.

"Better a pain in the ass than a pansy." I replied back to him, hearing him laugh.

"Ah I see, but I don't think I myself am ready to marry a hardheaded, recklness and wild young woman who would rather roll around in the mud than be a proper lady." Gendry teased back at me as I rang some of my fingers in his hair and only shook my head.

"I was never a Lady." I replied back in a light tone, seeing him only shake his head with my fingers still within his black locks as he leaned down and ghosted his lips over my own.

"You are far better than a Lady to me." He murmured against my lips, having me smile and sneak in a careful kiss, having him then feel his hands on my hips and his fingers digging into my skin, almost as if he wanted to hold on to me for dear life like a anchor.

"If you wish me to, I can be proper." I said against his lips as he smirked at me, leaning back against the table and wrapping both of his arms around me and having me lean against his body, "I can learn how to sing and play a instrument, how to dance like a Lady, even how to talk like one if you wish. Or maybe you would like to see braids in my hair and the finest dress on me—" Gendry then swopped in and captured my lips against his once more, having me feel the intensity in his kiss and how I lost my track of teasing and thought. I even felt a groan escape my lips as he pulled away and looked down at me. The past time we kissed like this, I saw intensity and lust, but this time, this time it was different. This time, I saw something more behind this blue eyes: I saw a firm foundation of devotion and appraisal for me and who I was to him.

"I don't want you to be anything or anyone else, but you and you alone. That's the woman I fell in love with, and the woman I want to marry to keep as my own for the rest of my life." Gendry said in not a serious tone, but a genuine tone of both friendship and acceptance. That alone mace me beyond happy to have Gendry in my life, and it made me more concerned that I was going to loose him, which made me want to protect him even more because of what we have together.

I won't loose him. Not now.