Author's Note: I promise you, I have not forgotten about this story! Apologies for the delay, but the next chapter is finally here. Special thanks to darkwolf76 for betaing! As always, thank you all so much for your reviews, favorites, follows but most importantly your support and understanding! Hope you all enjoy the chapter!

Chapter 34: Together Again

His hands moved slowly, reverently up her body. Eyes closed and mouth parted, Rhaenys tipped her head back as his hands moved up her thighs, tracing over her stomach and breasts. He settled over her, nudging her legs apart. She caught a glimpse of his icy blue eyes before he swiftly slid into her. His lips captured hers, swallowing her cry. She whimpered as his hips began to move in earnest, pushing her higher and higher until -

A loud noise came from outside her cabin, startling Rhaenys and causing her to gasp, her eyes flying open. She looked around wildly, taking in the cabin of the ship. She heard a loud voice curse outside of the door before the footsteps receded.

Rhaenys collapsed back against the pillow, clenching her teeth together as she pressed two fists against her eyes, swallowing her scream of frustration. Robb still came to visit her dreams, but they had changed completely and honestly, she didn't prefer this one any more than the others. They drove her insane in a different way, bringing her so, so close and then always leaving her wanting more.

She shifted again, trying to find a more comfortable position, but it was no use. The past few weeks she had tried distracting herself, talking to the crew and following Daemon's modified training program, hoping that the physical exertion would help. But she knew she wouldn't be able to make it through another day like this.

Glancing at the door once more, Rhaenys carefully reached below the blankets and pulled up her night gown. Her eyes fluttered shut again as her fingers pressed once, twice, three times and then she was silently breaking apart.

Rhaenys lay there, eyes still closed as she quietly tried to catch her breath and calm her racing heart. As the pleasure began to fade, an overwhelming sadness settled over her, causing a tear to slip down her cheek. Gods, she missed her husband. The closer the ship brought her to Robb, the more her longing and anxiety grew.

Her heart ached nearly to the point of pain and her chest was so heavy it often felt like she couldn't breathe. He consumed her every thought. The day she arrived in Winterfell and saw him for the first time, their picnic in the glass gardens, their first kiss in the snow, the hours spent under the furs. Robb's smile, the sound of his laughter, his blue eyes looking down at her tenderly, the expression on his face in the throes of passion- she couldn't seem to think of anything else.

Rhaenys winced as her little wolf aimed a well placed kick to her side. Her hand automatically soothed the spot, wishing for the days when movement felt like a soft little flutter. Knowing that sleep was useless now, Rhaenys rolled onto her side, using her arms to push herself up and out of bed. In addition to feeling like those elephants that her Uncle Oberyn used to tell her about, she now felt fatigued by midday. Since there wasn't much to do on the ship, she often retreated to her cabin for a nap.

Rolling onto her side, Rhaenys swung her legs over the side, using her arms to push herself up and out of bed. She ran her fingers through her hair and smoothed the wrinkles in her dress before exiting the cabin. She climbed the steps to the top deck and stood there for a moment, looking up into the night sky. The moon seemed impossibly full and bright, casting its dull glow along the deck and its inhabitants.

Rhaenys paused for a moment, taking in the scene in front of her. The deck, as always was a flurry of activity, though admittedly less so now that the sun had set. Captain Sirylea kept her crew hard at work, day and night in order to make it back to Westeros as fast as possible. Aegon kept reassuring her that they were making good time and traveling as fast as they could, but Rhaenys still felt like they were practically crawling.

She didn't consider herself a religious person, but as of late she found herself praying daily - for Robb's safety, for their marriage, that their child would be healthy and that he or she would wait until Rhaenys was with their father before coming into this world. Her stomach grew larger and while she marveled at the fact that she was growing a life inside her, she could feel it starting to take a toll on her body.

"Good evening, little queen." Rhaenys looked to her left and saw one of the crew members leaning against the side of the ship.

Rhaenys looked over at the large man and made her way to him. "Hello, Draq." She gave him a genuine smile, craning her neck her neck up in order to look at him. Even after being on this ship for so long, she was still surprised by how tall he was. His skin was dark as night and he had more muscles than she had ever seen on a man yet as she got to know him she realized he was nothing but a gentle giant.

"You feelin' alright?" He peered down at her in concern.

"I have these insanely vivid dreams so I haven't been sleeping much and I'm always hungry, but I would take this over my last experience on a ship. I spent most of the journey either hanging over the side of the ship or with my head in a bucket." She shuddered, grimacing. "It was miserable."

"The company is better this time around too, I'm sure," Draq chuckled, raising his eyebrows.

Rhaenys couldn't help but smile up at him. "You know, I was a little wary of getting on a ship with pirates since our last encounter with them, but I must admit you're not all bad."

Draq's grin faded. "Red and his men… they were the worst of the worst. They did unspeakable things and I shudder to think what Aegon had to do in order to keep Red happy. We were all furious when Red called him back to his ship. We wanted to fight, to do something to keep him with us, but Aegon forbade it. When we heard Red was dead and some of his followers were looking for Aegon, we knew we couldn't stop until we found him and knew that he was safe."

"As his sister, I appreciate that." She hesitated, looking away and catching sight of her brother, who was talking to Ty. "If he - if he decides not to stay in Westeros, continue to keep him safe, alright? I've seen how he interacts with you all and I've never seen him so… so comfortable. So carefree. He's laughing Draq." She whispered, looking up at him with wide eyes. "A real, genuine laugh. In the entire time that I've known him, I don't think I've ever seen him laugh."

Draq looked thoughtful. "Aegon is a good man. He puts on a good front, but he's had a rough time, especially because of Red. Sirylea and Ty grew up with Aegon so he's definitely more comfortable around them." He caught the concerned frown on Rhaenys' face. "Give him some more time, little queen. You two haven't known each other for that long."

A shadow passed over them in the moonlight, and Rhaenys looked up. Meraxes was soaring lazily above them, her wings catching and riding the wind. For a long while after leaving Mereen, Meraxes had been in a particularly foul mood. She would fly away from long periods of time, or refuse to fly close to the ship. Rhaenys thought Meraxes was mad at her for taking her away from Drogon and the others.

"Draq!" They both looked over to see a bunch of the crew-members waving him over and holding up a lute.

Draq sent her an apologetic, sheepish smile before heading over to them. They cheered as he approached, clapping him on the back and gathering around him. Draq was wonderful on the lute and he had a deep, beautiful voice. He usually played after most everyone's work on the ship was finished for the evening. It was a great way for everyone to let off some steam after a hard days work. Even now more of the crew were gathering around, some of them turning buckets over to use as drums.

She watched, a small smile on her face as she let the music and the singing wash over her. Captain Sirylea pulled a half-heartedly protesting Aegon over to dance. A blind man could see that there was obviously some history there, but she wasn't sure if it was pure physical attraction or something deeper.

"Are you not interested in dancing tonight, Your Grace?" Rhaenys looked over to see Dacey had approached her. She leaned against the railing of the ship, arms crossed. She was talking to Rhaenys, but her eyes gaze was on Daemon, who had just started dancing with one of the female pirates who had been flirting with him since he'd stepped on the ship.

Rhaenys snorted patting her stomach. "It's getting harder and harder to move, Dace. Believe me, you do not want to see this trying to dance."

Dacey tore her eyes away from Daemon and laughed lightly. "How much time do you think you have left before the wolf pup joins us?"

Rhaenys' heart gave a strange lurch at the thought. "Three moons at most?" She guessed, furrowing her eyebrows. "I'm not really sure, things in the beginning were a little confusing."

"You mean when we had to fight for our lives in an ambush, almost burned to death in a fire, had to flee Westeros and then got attacked by pirates?" Dacey asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Well, when you put it like that it's a miracle that we're alive, let alone that I'm still pregnant."

"The little wolf pup is strong." Dacey's grin was proud. "With a mother and father like the one he or she has, I'm not at all surprised that they have defied the odds."

Rhaenys smiled up at her friend gratefully. "I know you keep calling him or her a wolf pup - and I love my husband and the Starks… but I am a dragon." Meraxes, still flying above them, gave a loud screech in response. "I know that the Mad King has tarnished my family's name, but I am a Targaryen and I am tired of running from that fact."

"You're right," Dacey nodded, looking thoughtful. "From now on, the little prince or princess will be a dragonwolf."

There was a twinkle in Rhaenys' eyes as she reached for Dacey's hand. "I think our little dragonwolf is in agreement." She placed Dacey's and over a spot to the left of her stomach and giggled at the look on Dacey's face. Her eyes grew wide, her mouth dropping open as she felt the little kicks.

"You're a little miracle aren't you," Dacey murmured, a note of awe and wonder in her voice. "And so strong! We can't wait to meet you, but you need to stay in there a little while longer, alright? We'll reach Saltpans shortly and then it won't be too long before we find your papa."

Rhaenys really hoped that her baby wasn't able to feel the rush of worry and anxiety at the thought of finding Robb.

"Sorry to interrupt." They looked up to see Daemon, his hair windswept and a carefree smile on his face approaching the two of them. "But I'm stealing Dacey for a dance and I'm not taking no for an answer."

He winked at Rhaenys and grabbed Dacey's hand. Dacey, blushing fiercely, put up what Rhaenys considered a very weak fight before letting him lead her away. She watched them dance, but her mind drifted almost immediately, trying to formulate what she was going to say to Robb when they found him. They were getting closer and closer to Westeros and in turn, finding Robb and she needed to have the perfect speech prepared. If she didn't, she just might lose him forever.

Robb stood before Walder Frey, his crown heavy on his head and rainwater dripping from his hair into his eyes. The rains had plagued them since they left, battering his men's spirits, destroying bridges that they were meant to cross and overall delaying them by several weeks. They had not even reached the Twins before something went wrong.

Grey Wind, who had hardly left Robb's side since his wife was presumed dead, nearly attacked the Frey escorts that had come to greet them when they arrived. The Freys had been visibly rattled and upset and refused to let Grey Wind into the castle. Olyver, one of the few people that Robb trusted with him, had offered to stay behind with him and help him get settled in. Robb made a mental note to let Grey Wind out to hunt before the… wedding.

"The King in the North." Robb, surrounded by his mother, Uncle Edmure, the Greatjon, Lady Maege and several other of his most trusted men stood before Lord Walder Frey who looked frail and brittle. The last time they were near the Twins his mother had met with Lord Frey, but seeing him for the first time - Robb wasn't impressed. The hall was absolutely packed. Cousins, daughters, sons, children, grandchildren, it seemed every member of the Frey household was present. "I hope you'll forgive me if I do not kneel. My legs no longer work as they did, though that which hangs between 'em serves well enough, heh." He show Robb a toothless grin from where he was sitting on a cushion in a high seat. His eighth wife was standing beside him, her thin smile slightly fixed.

"It's quite alright, my lord."

"I was sad to hear the news about your wife. The Martell girl." Robb clenched his teeth together in an effort to keep the emotion off his face. "What a terrible way to go. Such a shame too, I heard she was quite the exotic beauty. You know what they say about Dornish women." Lord Walder waggled his eyebrows suggestively.

His mother shifted beside him and he wondered if she could feel the fury swirling inside of him. His mother had warned him that Lord Frey had both a sharp tongue and a blunt manner. He thought of Winterfell, of the brothers he had lost and reminded himself that if he lost his temper now, he would never be able to reclaim his home. He steadied himself. "Queen Maliya was loved by all and will be sorely missed."

"Well, I'm happy to provide you with your next wife. Maybe she'll be able to do what the first wife couldn't and provide you with a son, heh." His beady eyes twinkled mischievously and Robb suspected that he knew exactly what he was saying to poke and prod a reaction out of him. "Ah, here she is! My pretty little blossom, Roslin Frey."

Olyvar's brother, Ser Benfrey led a young girl into the hall. Robb's blue eyes observed Roslin and saw that she was indeed, a very pretty girl. And even though Robb could tell that she was pretty, he found he couldn't help but compare her to what he longed for. Her skin was very pale, her hair long and reaching a thin waist. She stopped in front of him, looking up with big brown eyes and giving him a small smile, a blush staining her cheeks when she met his gaze. Everything about her screamed innocence.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Your Grace," Roslin said, curtsying smoothly. "I hope I am not a disappointment to you."

"Not at all, my lady," Robb reassured her automatically. "The pleasure is all mine."

"Wonderful!" Lord Frey bobbed his head, still grinning his toothy grin. ""You'll have plenty of time to get to know each other after the wedding." He gestured for Ser Benfrey to lead Roslin away. "Now, you're dripping water and mud all over my floor. You must be weary, let us show you to your quarters."

"My lord!" His mother said suddenly, stepping forward. "Some food would be most welcome, we have ridden many leagues in the rain."

Lord Frey's gaze pierced her. "Food, heh. A load of bread, a bite of cheese, mayhaps a sausage."

Robb caught onto what his mother was doing. "Some wine to wash it down," he added. "And salt."

"Yes, yes, of course," Lord Frey said, waving a hand impatiently. Servants immediately poured into the hall, carrying trays of bread, cheese and butter. "To my honored guests!" Lord Frey toasted, lifting his own cup as high as he could. "Be welcome beneath my roof and at my table. I am looking forward to joining the Stark and Frey families together."

"We thank you for your hospitality, my lord." Robb sipped from a cup of red wine and ate a slice of bread and butter, though it tasted of ashes in his mouth. "If it's all the same to you, I'd like to see my men across the river."

"Afraid they'll get lost?" Lord Frey sneered. "I can assure you, the river ain't going anywhere. But you can lead each man across by the hand if you like, it's naught to me."

A couple of hours later, Robb's men had safely crossed and were beginning to set up camp around the eastern castle. He mulled over the grave news that Roose Bolton had brought with him. While Bolton and his men were forced to cross the Trident in small boats due to the rains, the Mountain and his men attacked from the rear. Wylis Manderly was captured, some escaped, but many were killed or drowned in the tumultuous waters. In addition, Bolton received word from his bastard. There was no sign of Theon Greyjoy, but the ironmen burned Winterfell and the town and Cley Cerwyn and Leobald Tallhart were slain in addition to Ser Rodrik.

"Your Grace." Robb raised a hand to tell his guards to wait as he made his way over to Olyvar and Grey Wind. Grey Wind padded over to Robb, nudging his hand so Robb could rub his head. Robb could feel the pent up tension and anxiety in his wolf and frowned down at him. What was bothering him? Olyver searched Robb's face carefully as he approached. "Have you settled into your bedchamber alright? Have you been treated well? Is there anything else that you need?"

Robb could hear the note of anxiety in the younger man's voice and smiled to reassure him. "My bedchambers are more than enough and I assure you, I have everything I need. The men have crossed the river and are settling into camp now. I want to let Grey Wind out so he could hunt before the wedding. It might help calm him down some."

"That's a good idea, Your Grace. And after that…" He trailed off, looking slightly nervous. "I was hoping to introduce you to Roslin properly. If - maybe if you have a conversation with her, you'll see how good of a person she is and maybe it will make the wedding a little bit easier."

Nothing would ever make this easier. Robb forced a smile on his face. This was the decision that he had made and he had to stand by it. "I appreciate that Olyvar. Thank you."

Within the hour, Robb had sent Grey Wind to hunt and he was now waiting in the library while Olyvar went to fetch his sister. Unable to sit still, Robb found himself walking up and down the aisles of the modest library, his hands clasped behind his back.

Here he was, about to truly meet his future wife and he couldn't help but remember the first time he did this, almost three years ago. Yet again he was about to have a wedding that he didn't want. He had always wanted to marry for love, but as a future Lord of Winterfell and now a King of the North - he didn't seem to have that luxury. Everything he did was about duty, honor and his people. Eventually he grew to love his wife - would he be that lucky with Roslin?

Was he even capable of loving another woman when his heart so obviously still belonged to someone else? Even after everything that she had done?

And how in the bloody hell was he supposed to marry someone else when the memory of her consumed his every thought? His mind seemed especially determined to torture him.

"Your Grace." Robb turned to see Olyvar and Roslin standing in the entrance of the library. Olyvar had a proud, happy smile on his face as he presented his sister and Robb couldn't help but feel a small twinge of resentment. "May I officially present, the Lady Roslin Frey."

"Your Grace," Roslin murmured. She dipped into a curtsey, peeking up at him with a small smile.

She straightened after a moment and once again, Robb couldn't deny that she was pretty. For a moment, it wasn't Roslin standing there, but an olive skinned Dornish beauty with black hair cascading down her back and a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

We are to be married, my lord. Please, call me Maliya. The use of royal titles sounds so impersonal, does it not?

Robb swallowed the lump in his throat and forced himself to focus, smiling automatically.

"I'll leave you two to talk," Olyvar said, still grinning. "I'll be waiting in the corridor if you should need anything."

Robb watched him leave before turning back to Roslin. They were both silent for a moment and Robb shifted awkwardly. "Shall we?" He asked, gesturing further into the library.

You sound awfully confident, Lord Stark. Are you positive you want to challenge me? I was trained by one of the most fearsome warriors in Westeros, you know.

They began to slowly walk up and down the aisles. "So are you - "

"Your Grace, I - " She began at the same time. "Oh, I'm sorry - "

"No, please, go ahead," he insisted.

"Well I - " she broke off, nervously playing with a strand of her hair. "I just wanted to start out by saying that I am so sorry about the passing of Queen Maliya." Bloody hell. How was he supposed to focus on marrying his new wife when everyone kept bringing her up? Didn't they know that every time they mentioned her, it made it that much harder to do what needed to be done? "I never met her, obviously, but I heard that she was a wonderful woman. And beautiful too."

"Thank you, Lady Roslin." He really hoped that she couldn't detect the stiff tone in his voice. "That is very kind of you."

"You must miss her terribly," she murmured, a sympathetic expression on her face and pity in her eyes.

Your family has somehow slipping into my heart… you have slipped into my heart. I trust you, Robb. I want this. I want… us.

"I do," Robb admitted, putting a pleasant expression on his face. "But I really would like to learn more about you, if that's alright."

"Oh," she blushed, peeking up at him from the corner of her eye. "What would you like to know?"

"What do you like to do to pass the time?" Robb asked, searching his mind and grasping the first thing he thought of. "I believe Olyvar told me that you like to sing, is that right?"

He felt a trickle of relief as she eagerly grasped the topic and his mind continued to wander. Why was he having such a hard time focusing?

I also wanted to thank you. For being the kind, honorable man that everyone has been trying to tell me you are.

Robb looked back at Roslin to see her looking up at him expectantly. Shit. "Sorry, what did you say?" He asked, furrowing his brow.

"I was just asking what about you, what do you like to do?" She asked with a polite smile.

Robb immediately regretted asking the question to begin with. When was the last time that he had free time to do what he liked? When was the last time that he was able to think about anything besides the responsibility that he felt towards his family and his people? He knew the answer. It was before his father had left Winterfell to go south. Thinking about that time before, thinking about his family intact, together and happy… it made his heart break.

Realization dawned in Roslin's eyes as he hesitated and her face grew horror-stricken. "Oh, Your Grace, I am so stupid, please forgive me - "

Robb waved her off. "No, it's alright. Obviously, the war has been taking up much of my time, but I really used to enjoy sparring with my half brother or spending time with my other siblings." His expression sobered, turning wistful. "It's funny isn't it?" He asked in a soft voice. "How much we take for granted when we're young."

Roslin murmured something in agreement and Robb understood something in that moment. Even though he and Roslin were around the same age, Robb's experience of fighting in this war has aged him in a way that she would never be able to comprehend. Another awkward silence fell over them and he desperately cast his mind around for another topic. Seven hells, was it always going to be this hard between them? "What was it like growing up with all of your siblings? I only have five and it felt like pure chaos at times."

A small, yet genuine smile crossed her lips. "Chaos is a good word for it," Roslin agreed, chuckling slightly. "There are certainly a lot of us, although we aren't usually all together like this. There's always drama of some kind, which can be quite entertaining at times."

"Are you close with all of them?"

"Definitely not," Roslin admitted, chuckling slightly. "I'm close with Olyver and Perwyn, obviously, and a couple of the other girls my age. It's nice to have so many siblings at times, though. There's always someone to sew with or play a game with. My favorite part though, is having the younger siblings around. I've always loved watching their little faces when I would read them stories before bed. I cannot possibly imagine living in a castle without the constant pitter patter of little feet or hearing their shouts down the corridor."

Robb glanced over at her, trying to determine if she had expertly slipped the fact that she wanted many children into the conversation, but her face was open and her voice honest as she spoke. He listened to her tell stories of the shenanigans her younger siblings had gotten into and somehow he just knew that Roslin would be a good mother. The thought of having a wife who actually wanted to have his children… it was somehow refreshing.

"Listen to me just blathering on," Roslin chuckled sheepishly, blushing once more. "I know I've only just met you, but I find it very easy to talk to you. Too easy actually, I'm going to be late to my lessons. But before I go…" Eyes twinkling, she held up a finger before slipping between the shelves of the library. Robb watched after her, frowning slightly and wondering what she was up to. She was back within a couple of minutes, a stack of books in her hands. "Here," she said, placing them in his hands.

"What's this?" He asked, puzzled.

"I know you said you don't have much time to yourself these days, so I picked a few books for you to enjoy while you're here at the Twins. And don't worry, I didn't choose any cheesy, romantic love stories; these are full of humor, or adventure. I picked a few of Olyvar's favorites as well."

Robb looked down at the books and then back up at her, feeling strangely touched. "Thank you, Lady Roslin. I will make sure I find some time to read them."

Roslin looked pleased. "I've enjoyed talking with you very much, Your Grace. Perhaps… maybe we can do this again tomorrow morning before the wedding?"

I would rather risk my life here with you, by your side, than live a half life without you because I love you, you stupid wolf. Maybe love is a risk. But it's a risk that I am willing to take. I never thought I would, never thought I could love someone like this, but I fell in love with you. I fought it. It's the first battle I didn't mind losing.

Reluctantly, Robb pushed her voice out of his head and gave Roslin his first genuine smile since they had met. "I would like that very much."

Roslin's answering grin widened. "Until tomorrow then, Your Grace." She curtsied once more and left the library, looking back at him one more time before slipping out of sight.

Robb left more slowly, heading up to his chamber with a frown on his face and a heavy, heavy weight on his shoulders. It was somehow worse, meeting Roslin before the wedding. Now that he had met her, he could see that everything Olyvar had told him about his sister was true. She was a kind, sweet and beautiful girl who would probably make a good wife. She would manage his household, birth his children and raise them and never say a word against him.

But would she be able to help him rebuild Winterfell? Would she be able to assist him in any way and help him win this war? She might make a good wife… but would she make a good queen?

Rhaenys was home.

They had finally, finally made it back to Westeros.

Captain Sirylea had repeatedly told her that they had completed their journey faster than she had ever thought possible, but to Rhaenys it seemed to take ages. She winced, shifting uncomfortably in wagon as it bumped and bounced along the road. Dacey had spent too much of what little money they had left buying blankets for her to sit on so that she would be more comfortable.

The closer Rhaenys became to giving birth, the more Dacey hovered. She clucked over Rhaenys like a mother hen, making sure that she was well fed, well rested and safe. While it could be excessive at times, Rhaenys felt nothing but gratitude for her. Even when they had gotten into an argument over whether Rhaenys should be riding a horse like the others or traveling in a wagon. Rhaenys, who had only been thinking about getting to Robb as quickly as possible, insisted on a horse. It was ridiculous, of course. With her huge belly and swollen ankles, there was no way she could ride.

She pulled her hood further over her head, trying desperately to hide from the seemingly never-ending rain. The one benefit from this type of weather was that the clouds provided ample cover for Meraxes, whom Rhaenys had instructed to fly high and hidden for now. Rhaenys glanced behind them, where the Unsullied were relentlessly marching, never breaking rank and never complaining. One of the first things she wanted to do was change their uniforms. They were very conspicuous, did nothing to protect them from harm and would not prevent the cold once they headed north.

"You've been awfully quiet since heading towards the Twins." Daemon commented, a concerned look on his face as he pulled his horse closer to the wagon so she could hear him. "How are you feeling, Your Grace?"

A humorless smile crossed her face. "You mean how am I doing with the fact that my husband is due to be married to a Frey any day now and we might be traveling too slow to stop him because of me?"

Daemon looked at her for a long moment, his hair plastered to his forehead but his blue eyes not missing a single thing. She wondered if he could see the terror and the agony behind her gaze and she had to look away, a lump forming in her throat. She couldn't believe that they had traveled across the world and back, narrowly escaping death just to have Robb marry someone else just as they arrived back in Westeros. While part of her was furious that he would even consider marrying another women, she had to swallow the bitter betrayal. Reluctantly, she had to acknowledge that Robb's life wasn't his own - he had to do what was best for his people.

Nevertheless, it bloody hurt.

She found herself praying that they would make it to the Twins before the wedding. It became her daily mantra, one she repeated hourly. The rest of their group was also feeling the urgency of the situation. Dacey was impatient, pushing them as fast as she could without killing the horses or the Unsullied, though the latter would never complain. Daemon was uncharacteristically quiet and kept giving her concerned sidelong glances. Aegon did his best to keep her spirits up - she tried to humor him, but he was thankfully pretty distracted. Captain Sirylea, Ty and Draq had left The Burning Rose in the hands of trusted pirates and volunteered to accompany them to the Twins.

Daemon gave her a sympathetic look. "I can understand your frustration, but this isn't your fault. We're moving as fast as we can, but we need to be careful. You can't give birth to the prince or princess without a maester present in case something goes wrong, so just - just cross your legs or something until we reach the king."

Rhaenys let out a chuckle. "I've never given birth before but I'm pretty sure that's not how it works."

"I know," Daemon responded, the corner of his mouth lifting. "Made you laugh though didn't I?"

Rhaenys looked up at him, marveling at the fact that even with all the shit they've been through, he still managed to keep that twinkle in his eye. "How do you stay so positive all the time?" She blurted out, shaking her head. "We've been traveling for over a fortnight, we haven't been dry in days, we haven't slept or eaten much… and yet here you are, still smiling and still making me laugh - " She broke off, her face scrunched in pain.

"You alright?" Daemon asked, alarm written all over his face. "Is it the baby? Is it coming?"

"No, it's okay," Rhaenys reassured him quickly, her hand rubbing a spot up by her ribs. "I think our little dragonwolf is running out of room, I can feel him or her wriggling around in there. The kicks aren't as often but they are definitely getting stronger." She paused again, groaning and looking both exasperated and guilty. "Daemon…"

"Again?"

Rhaenys nodded, looking miserable. "I'm sorry, I know this just keeps delaying us even more, it must be the way the baby is positioned - "

"It's alright, Your Grace, I'm going to ride ahead and let Dacey know we need to stop."

Daemon pressed his heels into his horse, pushing him into a trot and moving to the front of their little line. Rhaenys shifted yet again, reaching behind her to massage her lower back in an attempt to relieve some of the pressure. She couldn't remember the last time that she felt comfortable. She felt absolutely huge, heavy and above all tired. Sleeping on the ground was terrible to begin with, but her little dragonwolf seemed to be most awake when she was trying to sleep.

Rhaenys looked up as Dacey approached, a solemn look on her face. "Your Grace - "

"I know, Dace, I'm sorry, I feel like we're stopping every hour. But you keep reminding me to drink all this water - which of course I'm grateful for - but - "

"Your Grace," Dacey said again, louder this time. Rhaenys caught the tone of her voice and closed her mouth so fast she heard her teeth snap together. "We're here."

Lifting his head, he sniffed, catching the scent of dinner even through the heavy downpour. A low growl sounded deep in his chest as he took off, following the scent. His paws were absolutely silent as he ran, easily leaping over roots and dodging trees.

He slowed down as he caught sight of the doe, deliberately stepping on a falling branch so it cracked. The doe's head shot up and it froze for a moment or two before fleeing. He gave it a moment or two head start before running after it. He could feel the hunger eating away at his insides but he could also feel the thrill of the chase.

There was no competition, of course, it was entirely too easy. He kept the doe running for a bit, enjoying the smell of fear coming off her until finally, he lunged, his teeth closing around the neck as he brought her crashing to the ground. He tore into his dinner, ignoring the blood dripping from his mouth.

He ate his fill, leaving the carcass for the other animals to enjoy and trotting off to drink from the nearby stream.

An unexpected scent drifted in his direction, making him lift his head.

Man.

He moved slower now, padding silently through the trees. The high winds must have carried the scent pretty far because he had to travel quite a bit before he found the men in a clearing. There were a lot of them, some hurrying around and setting up camp. He watched them, safely hidden in the darkness of the trees where they couldn't see him.

A group of them stood in the middle of the clearing, huddled together. Losing interest, he made to turn and leave when the winds shifted again, carrying a familiar, almost forgotten scent. A scent that he knew well even though it had faded a long time ago.

He moved closer, sniffing harder but his nose had never failed him. It was her.

He slowly emerged from the trees as a rumble of thunder sounded overhead. It wasn't until a flash of light lit the night sky that the first man noticed him.

Panicked shouts went up in a strange language almost immediately as they hurried to grab weapons. His lip curled at the sight of them and he growled out a low warning.

"Umbagon!" A voice shouted, a voice that he clearly recognized. "Wait!"

A smaller, hooded figure surged forward, pushing through the line of men and slapping away hands that tried to hold her back. The figure slowed when it caught sight of him, hesitating only slightly before pushing back the hood covering her face.

It was her. He would recognize that face anywhere.

She fell to her knees, eyes wide as she reached out with a trembling hand. "Grey Wind?"

Robb shot up with a gasp, chest heaving as he looked around the bedchambers with wild eyes. "Bloody hell," he panted, throwing the sheets off him and stumbling out of bed to the window. He flung the shutters open, hands braced against the stone as he looked out into the dark, stormy night.

His mind tried to piece together what he had seen in his dream - fuck, was it even a dream? The thrill of the hunt, the feeling of his teeth tearing into flesh and blood, the smell of the forest around him… it was too much of a coincidence.

But could it be real? Could he somehow be inside Grey's mind? And if he was…. His heart began to gallop in his chest.

Rhaenys. She was alive.

And in that moment it didn't matter if his dream was real or not. If there was even a chance that his wife was still alive then he was going to find out. Moving quickly, he slammed the shutters closed and hurriedly threw on some pants and his boots. After buckling his sword around his waist, he grabbed his cloak and left the bedchambers. He paused outside the doors, looking back at the two guards posted on either side. "You two. If you anyone comes asking for me, I'm sleeping and not to be disturbed under any circumstances, do you understand me?" He asked, swinging the cloak over his shoulders.

"Yes, Your Grace."

He took off down the corridor before the guard had even finished speaking, trying to restrain himself from breaking into a run. Skidding to a stop in front of Olyvar's door, he raised a fist and began pounding on it, not letting up until he opened it. "Your Grace?" Olyvar asked in confusion, his hair in complete disarray. He caught sight of the expression on Robb's face and straightened, looking alarmed. "What is it? What's wrong?"

"Get dressed and come with me," Robb ordered. Olyvar just stood there, staring at him with wide eyes. "Now, Olyvar!" He snapped impatiently. Olyvar jumped, startled, and quickly disappeared into his room.

Robb closed his eyes pinching the bridge of his nose as a trickle of guilt rolled through him. He hadn't meant to snap, but the thought of her being so close - he squashed that line of thought immediately, refusing to get his hopes up. He knew that if she wasn't there, if it had been just a dream that it would crush him all over again.

"What's happening, Your Grace?" Olyvar asked breathlessly as he appeared in the doorway once more, hopping on one foot as he struggled to get his boot on. "Is everything alright? Are we being attacked?"

"No, nothing like that. C'mon," Robb murmured, leading the way down the corridor. He was relieved that it was the early morning hours and the castle was mostly deserted as he grabbed five trusted Stark men.

They grabbed their horses from the stables and headed toward the gate."Your Grace," the guard at the gate said, inclining his head slightly. Robb would have rather not have been noticed at all, but there was no way to sneak out passed all the guards that Frey had posted.

Thankfully that was all the guard said and once they were clear Robb was able to push his horse into a canter. He dimly heard the other men behind him, struggling to keep up, but other than that they were quiet.

He followed what he remembered from his dream about Grey Wind and hopped down from his horse when he reached the line of thick trees. He handed the reins of his horse to Olyvar, ignoring the concerned look on his squire's face and plunging forward.

Waves of anxiety rolled through him and his body felt strange and tingly. No matter how hard he tried to push off the bubble of hope, it was growing by the second. He wanted - no, he needed - Rhaenys to be in that clearing. The thought of seeing her with his own eyes, of holding her in his arms… its what he wanted everyday since she had left.

He lost track of how long they blindly trekked through the forest. "Your Grace," he heard Olyvar call from behind him.

"Not now, Olyvar," Robb responded distractedly, moving forward. Why haven't they reached the clearing yet? Were they traveling in the wrong direction?

"Your Grace - "

"We're almost there - "

"Your Grace, you need to tell us what is going on!" Olyvar insisted, frustration clear in his voice. "We've been trekking through the woods in the dark for a - " He broke off with a colorful curse as he tripped on a root. "Your Grace, stop!"

Patience snapping, Robb whirled around, grabbing Olyvar's shirt. "We can't stop!" He shouted, his voice sounding incredibly loud in the forest. Robb heard how he sounded and paused, taking a deep breath and forcing himself to let go of Olyvar's shirt, struggling to get control of his emotions. "She's here, my wife is here, we can't stop, we have to find her - "

Olyvar's face was pale, his eyes wide as he shook his head. "Your wife? I don't understand - "

"I saw her! Well, Grey Wind saw her and I know that doesn't make any sense but please, Olyvar you have to trust me. Just a little bit further," he pleaded, unable to hide the crack in his voice.

Olyvar nodded shakily, though the expression on his face clearly said he thought Robb had lost his mind.

Robb didn't care. He just clenched his jaw and turned, plunging forward again. He strained to see in the dark, trying to push down the panic. Eventually, he had to admit it to himself; he was lost.

He had blindly led Olyvar and the other men into the forest based on some ridiculous dream and a desperate hope. Now he was drenched and cold with no way out of this bloody forest. Just when he was about to turn around and admit defeat he saw Grey Wind.

Thank the gods, he thought, shoulders sagging in relief. "Grey Wind," he gasped, moving towards him eagerly. He put a hand on the wolf's neck, feeling a bit of calmness spread over him as it always did. "You found her, I know you found her. Where is she?" He could hear the men shifting and muttering behind him, but he ignored them, looking into his wolf's yellow eyes. "Where is she, Grey?"

Grey Wind nudged his hand with his huge head as if he was saying he understood before turning and padding off in a direction to their left. Turns out they weren't as far from the clearing as he thought. Another couple hundred feet or so and Robb could see the darkness lighten a bit as the trees began to thin out.

He couldn't help making the parallel to the last time he had been trekking through the forest in the middle of the night trying to find his wife. Although, the last time he thought she was dead and had no idea Oberyn had been leading him to her. This time she very well could be dead and he was just losing his mind.

Anticipation filled him as they drew nearer. The thought that she was right on the other side of this tree line made him want to sprint through it screaming her name. He forced himself to walk, his heart in his throat. His hands opened and closed, trying to hide the slight shaking.

He froze at the tree line, his eyes darting around, trying to take everything in at once. The first thing he saw was several soldiers stationed at posts around the camp. These soldiers were unlike any he had ever seen before, with spiked caps, round shields, a sword in their belt and a spear in their hand. Their faces were impassive, their bodies still despite the storm raging around them.

"Who are they?" Olyvar whispered, coming to stand by Robb's side.

Robb opened to his mouth to answer but lightning flashed over the clearing, giving away their position amongst the trees. One of the soldiers shouted in a language that Robb didn't understand and a man went running back to the tents. He shouted again and the men closed ranks, shields raised. They were still a distance away but the message was clear. Robb would have to fight them in order to pass them.

If that's what it took to find his wife he would fight them. He would fight every last one of them until he found her.

Hand on the hilt of his sword, Robb determinedly started forward, Grey Wind on one side, Olyvar on the other and his men at his back.

"We need to find Grey Wind," Rhaenys insisted impatiently, throwing her hand in the direction of the forest. "You should have let me follow him, he could have led us to Robb - "

"All due respect, Your Grace, I wasn't about to let you go wandering around the forest in the middle of the night with this storm, in your condition!" Dacey snapped, digging through one of her bags. "What if you slip on wet leaves or - or trip a root and land on your stomach? I would never be able to live with myself."

Dacey pulled out a dry cloak and helped Rhaenys out of her wet one, wringing the rain water from her hair.

Rhaenys looked up at the ceiling of the tent as Dacey threw the dry cloak over her. She tried desperately not to let the hopelessness overwhelm her. "He's so close, Dacey," Rhaenys lamented brokenly, unsure if she wanted to cry or scream. "He's right on the other side of this forest behind those walls - "

"Do you expect to just knock on the Frey's front door and ask to see the king, who is supposedly marrying one of his daughters?" Daemon snorted, shaking his head.

"Of course not," Rhaenys said, exasperated. "But all of our ideas of how to contact Robb are so half-assed and ridiculous and we just don't have the time to wait anymore - "

Rhaenys was cut off as one of the Unsullied soldiers burst into the tent, standing at attention. "My queen," he began in a thick accent. They waited while he hesitated, trying to find the right words in the Common Tongue. He gave up after a moment and spoke in Valyrian. "Ñuha dāria, vali māstan arlī lēda se zokla."

Rhaenys froze as the world suddenly tilted. She couldn't move, couldn't breathe, could only hear the rapid pounding of her heart.

"Your Grace?" Dacey asked, peering at her in concern. "What is it? What's wrong? What did he say?"

Daemon frowned thoughtfully. "Maro has been teaching me some Valyrian. I believe "vala" is man and "zokla" is wolf - " Dacey's green eyes widened, flicking to meet Rhaenys'. Daemon caught the look between the two of them and his mouth opened slightly. "Wait… you don't think - "

Rhaenys didn't wait for him to finish. She rushed out of the tent as fast her pregnant belly would allow, cursing herself for not being able to move faster. Rain and wind pounded into her as soon as she left the tent, drenching her once more in a matter of seconds but she felt nothing.

She found herself repeating please, please, please over and over again.

She could see the line of Unsullied soldiers a hundred or so yards away, the tree line behind them but she couldn't see the men with the wolf that the soldier had been talking about. "Iōragon ilagon! dīnagon hen hen ñuhoso!" She shouted, ordering them to stand down and stand aside.

Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. The soldiers stood at attention at the sound of her voice, moving as one and opening a space for her to go through and she skidded to a stop because, standing not 50 feet from her -

There he was. Grey Wind and two other men were also there, but she only had eyes for him.

Robb.

An involuntary gasp left her lips, unnoticeable over the thunder that rumbled overhead. Her eyes drank him in eagerly - his hair was longer than she'd ever seen it, his wet curls falling over his forehead and his beard was thicker than his usual stubble. He looked older than the last time that she had seen him, as if he had aged in the couple of months that she'd been gone, but he was still the handsome man that she knew and loved.

Her heart leaped in her chest and then broke into a sprint as his bright blue eyes met hers. They stared at each other for a long moment and she hesitated at the unreadable expression on his face. Then he took a small step forward, his hand outstretched towards her as the relief broke out over his face, his lips curving into a brilliant smile.

Robb.

Finally, after all these months she had found her way back to him. He was here, he was alive and she felt so completely overwhelmed with relief, gratitude and love that she couldn't hold back a sob. Tears streamed down her face, mingling with the rain and she almost couldn't believe that he was real.

He mouthed her name and they both sprang into motion at the same time, Rhaenys moving as fast as she could and Robb taking off at a full sprint. He stopped just short of her, his hands brushing her wet hair back, cupping her face as if to make sure that she was real. "You're here," he murmured in a shaky voice, the disbelief clear in his voice. "You came back to me."

"Of course I did," she murmured, hands gripping his wrists tightly. "I'm so sorry I left, Robb, you have no idea how much I've missed you - "

He cut her off by crashing his lips to hers and Rhaenys could have cried all over again. The kiss was desperate, full of longing, regret and happiness and it warmed her up in a way that she hadn't felt since she had left. Robb was her home. She had torn her heart in half when she had left, leaving part of it here with him and now that she was back, now that she was in his arms… she felt whole for the first time in months.

Robb made a noise in the back of his throat and a hand moved down her back, pulling her as close as possible. He froze as her stomach pressed against him and pulled back with a confused frown. Rhaenys' heart started to beat faster for a different reason this time, watching him anxiously as he stepped back, slowly pulling open her cloak. He tilted his head to the side, brows furrowing in bewilderment. "Are… are you pregnant?"

Author's Note: Hopefully the chapter was worth the wait! I am beyond excited for the next chapter or two... we finally made it to the Red Wedding! What do you want to happen? Who do you want to see live or die? All I know is that it's going to be intenseeeeee! Be sure to leave a review and let me know your thoughts! :)

Guest 1 - Thanks for the review! Yes, I definitely wanted to have at least some Unsullied soldiers with Rhaenys for her return home, her own little unit for her to command. As far as Robb and the baby, you'll have to keep reading to find out!

Guest 2 - I agree! She is still the Queen in the North, but she's slowly coming into her own as a Dragon Queen - and it will only get better as Meraxes grows bigger!

Winter1990 - Thank you! I think you'll get a little bit of both in the next coming chapters!

Guest 3 - I'm so glad you love the story! I hope you liked the reunion in this chapter. I was so excited to have Robb and Rhaenys back together!