"How are you settling in?"

Rose looked up as her mother asked her a question and she stopped unpacking her trunk. She stood up and pushed her hands down her skirts as Celia wandered closer to her and took hold of her by the hand.

"It is as I remember."

"And is that a good thing?"

"A perfect thing," Rose whispered in a promise.

Celia squeezed her hand and she led her to sit down on the edge of the bed. Ramsay had left to speak with his men and Celia had struck then. She had watched him go before she entered the chamber and observed her daughter for a few moments. She was just as beautiful as Celia remembered. She always would be.

"Good," Celia said. "Now tell me the truth, Rose. Tell me what Ramsay Snow has done to you."

"Bolton," Rose corrected her mother. "Never call him Snow. He hates to be called Snow. He is a Bolton now and more powerful than I had ever thought he would be. He scares me, mother. I try not to let it show. I try to play him for a fool, but I'm scared."

"I know, sweetling," Celia promised her daughter, running a hand down her hair as she tried to soothe her child. "I can see that. I have heard the tales of Ramsay. Your father sent me a raven as often as possible and he confirmed my worst beliefs."

"He said that you were frail," Rose declared and Celia rolled her eyes. "He said that was why you didn't come with him."

"I've been frail for years," Celia admitted. "I've had too many miscarriages and my body isn't what it was, but I am strong enough to avenge your father and keep you safe. I may not have physical strength, my sweet, but I have other ways."

"I tried to save father," Rose whispered. "I did try to save him, mother. You have to believe me."

"Of course I believe you, love," Celia promised in a small voice as she ran her hands down Rose's cheeks. "I know that you tried. I would never assume otherwise. Your father was a brave man, but he was brash. He did tell me he was concerned about you...but not about what Ramsay was doing to you...about what you were feeling for Ramsay..."

Shaking her head, Rose looked away from her mother's gaze, unable to look her in the eye for much longer. It took her a few minutes to gather her thoughts.

"I thought that I could control him," Rose admitted. "I had managed to manipulate him to do what I wanted, but I couldn't...he killed father and I couldn't stop him...I can placate him...but he isn't someone I can tame. I can't stop him like I want to."

"And you shouldn't have to," Celia said forcefully. "It is not your duty to tame him. The bastard obviously cannot be tamed."

"But I am his wife now," Rose complained and Celia nodded.

"Yes, you are," Celia agreed. "But you need to use that to your advantage. I promise you that I will not let him take you from here."

"How?" Rose wondered. "It is too risky, mother."

"I have men who are loyal," she promised her daughter. "They shall help me when the time is right. I shall flee Westeros if it keeps you from him. We shall go together. We shall always be together from now on. I promise you."

Rose smiled sadly, remembering how her father had said the same thing. He had promised her safety, but Ramsay had taken that from her. But Rose was inclined to believe that her mother was smarter and more cunning. She certainly held that air about her.

"From what I have seen of Ramsay Snow he is just as cunning and cold as I can be," Celia admitted. "But women are cleverer than men, Rose. They know how to charm and how to get a man to do their bidding. Remember that when it comes to Ramsay Snow."

"How can I?" Rose dared to ask of her mother in a small voice. "Every night I share his bed makes me cringe. There had been a time when I had done that willingly and now I know what a fool I've been."

"You were blinded by him," Celia offered her daughter. "And now you see who he truly is."

"But my father had to die for me to see," Rose whispered. "He had been right...I had been falling for Ramsay again...I had been growing to care for him...and I was stupid to do so...I thought that he had not been born a monster. I thought that I could change him when I couldn't."

"Don't cry," her mother urged of her. "You need to be strong, Rose. Tears are a sign of weakness. They can be a sign of power too...but you should never let them be your weakness."

Nodding in agreement, Rose wiped her eyes with the back of her hand as Celia gave her a warm smile.

"We'll ruin him like he deserves," Celia promised her mother. "You have no need to fret about that."

...

Rose watched on as the Hall filled with people and they all laughed and drank. Rose managed to smile as some of her mother's guards pledged their dedication to her. They informed her how she looked like her mother and that her father had been a good man. They had looked at Ramsay with annoyance once they had finished speaking with Rose.

"Your mother's guard seems to dislike me," Ramsay declared.

"You did kill her husband," Rose reminded her husband. "It will take time for them to warm up to you."

"I do not have time," Ramsay muttered as he noted Jeyne sat amongst the lords, smiling and joking with them. "But Arya seems to be making a good impression."

"Good," Rose managed to agree as she saw her mother walk around with a cup of wine in her hands.

She was smiling and laughing every now and then. She was certainly an interesting woman. Rose had watched her command respect, but she was able to keep a sense of pleasantry about her. The people looked to her with understanding and Rose wondered whether or not they did adore her like Lord Stark's people had adored him. She also wondered if she could have that if she eventually became Lady of Bardontown. The chances were slim with a husband like Ramsay on her arm.

"It was a clever idea to bring Arya here," Ramsay spoke before taking a swig of wine. "She will do a good job in placating the Northern lords."

But it was not Lady Arya who took the lord's favours. It was her mother. Jeyne had some men around her, but everyone merely looked at her as though she was a foreigner. And she was to some extent. She was not from Bardontown and she did not know it like Celia did. If Ramsay wanted allegiance then Lady Arya was not his ticket.

"She seems to be settling in well enough," Rose admitted with Ramsay. "Perhaps she may even dance later on in the evening."

"And shall you dance with me?" Ramsay asked his wife. "I have not danced with you in a long time."

"Perhaps," she remained coy with her husband.

Ramsay continued to study Rose intently, noting how she smiled when her mother spoke to her and she looked to her with adoration. Ramsay had once seen her look to him in that same way. She used to look at him as though he was the most important thing in the world. He picked his cup up and sipped his wine, peering over the rim of it as he noted Celia kiss her daughter's cheek.

Celia Bardon was going to be a problem.

And there was only one way Ramsay dealt with problems.

...

"How do you like Bardontown?" Rose asked Jeyne as they wandered along the cliff top the following day.

"It is lovely," Jeyne admitted to her. "I like it very much. I'm sorry that you couldn't grow up here...it seems a lovely place to have grown up at."

"Oh, I remember some things," Rose promised the girl. "I remember jumping off that rock down there and falling into the sea. It was freezing...even though the sun was shining for once in the North. Mother was furious, but father thought that it was hilarious."

Jeyne laughed along with Rose for a few minutes and they finally stopped at a wooden bench along the pathway. Rose sat down first and she looked to Jeyne with a serious expression.

"Do you want to marry?" Rose dared to ask her. "The Boltons are a dangerous family to trifle with, Jeyne."

"That is why I shall do my duty," Jeyne nodded to Rose quickly. "I shall do as I am told and ask no questions."

Rose pursed her lips and looked to the sky, wondering whether or not she could trust the girl next to her. She didn't see why she shouldn't be able to. Jeyne had been harmless at Winterfell too. She was too scared to say anything. But Rose dreaded what would happen if she left the girl to Ramsay and Roose. She worried that she might be hurt.

"My marriage has broken," Rose finally declared. "Ramsay is not the man I thought he was."

"But he looks devoted to you-"

"-Looks can be deceptive," Rose quickly said. "You should never forget that, Jeyne. There will come a day when I shall not be with Ramsay anymore. When that day comes, I need to know if you intend to come with me or not."

Jeyne's brows furrowed and her face paled as Rose spoke in a hushed tone.

"House Bolton is dangerous. I worry that they shall destroy you to keep power. If you come with me then I promise to keep you as safe as I can."

"Where would we go?"

"I do not know yet, but there shall be a plan soon enough. I need to know if you will come with us."

Jeyne gulped and said nothing for those few minutes as Rose studied her with interest. It took a while before she saw sense and nodded her agreement to go with her. Sighing, Rose rested a hand on Jeyne's hand and vowed to keep her safe. She didn't know why she felt so strongly for the girl, but she suspected someone had to keep her safe. And Rose was the only person in that position.

...

A/N: Thanks to everyone reading and do let me know what you think!