Myrcella stared at the entrance of the caves, Robb had walked out and vanished into the forest nearly half an hour ago. The others were going about their business preparing for a sleepless night listening to Robb's screams before the howling would take over. This would be his eighth full moon, his eighth transformation. No one stayed up in the main cavern anymore, everyone save for Myrcella would trickle away to their sleeping pallets spread throughout the cave system after Robb set off into the night. During the last full moon Myrcella had tried to go to her own pallet in the small chamber she had claimed for herself. In less than ten minutes she was wandering through the caves, the only light coming from the candle she carried, finally, she once again stumbled into the cave with the paintings, they all tended to avoid that particular chamber it felt strange there, a sort of quiet yet sinister serenity that made the hairs on the back of one's neck stand on end. It felt like the strange glen where they had found Maggy the Frogg. Myrcella had just looked up at the painting of the dragons and the figure with the birds when a mysterious wind whistled through the cavern extinguishing her candle. Suddenly it was like the entire mountain was pushing down on her, suffocating her. Myrcella couldn't breathe. She dropped the candle and ran blindly through the caves. At one point someone, Toby or Jay, called out to her as she ran past. Myrcella didn't stop until she reached the entrance, just in time for a loud howl to pierce the night and cut through the panic that had gripped her. Myrcella stood there on the edge, the night breeze cooling her hot skin and soothing the residual panic, listening to the Wolf howl all night. She had stayed there till Robb limped back in the morning.
Now a moon turn later and Myrcella felt that restlessness that made her decide to seek out the cave paintings again. But this time she had no plan on venturing into the caves.
No one would notice if she slipped out, at least she hoped they wouldn't. Before she could talk herself out of it, Myrcella was out of the cave and into the forest. Robb went to a small meadow about a mile away from the base of the caves to transform. It was dangerous and stupid, and reckless, and foolish, and stupid. Had she already said stupid? Myrcella forced herself to ignore that stupid little voice in her head, continuing her journey into the unforgiving woods. Myrcella reached the edge of the clearing at last. Robb stood with his back facing her, completely naked. His clothes lay in a pile behind him. He was just standing there staring up at the clouds that currently covered the rising moon. Myrcella hid behind a tree, trying to figure out her next step. Should she announce herself or stay hidden, while debating Myrcella failed to notice the wind shift.
Robb stood naked in the clearing anxiously staring up at the rising moon. Any moment now it would start, the evening breeze danced across his skin causing him to shiver. Robb didn't feel the cold that much but before his transformations he felt raw, like an open wound. He tried to block out everything around him, the breeze, the sounds of the various creatures hidden in the underbrush, trying to focus only on his own breathing, in and out, in and out as he uselessly tried to calm his racing heart. He almost didn't notice the subtle scent in the air, lavender and rosemary, or the crack of a twig under a booted foot, almost. His hot blood turned to ice in his veins while somehow his heart began to beat even faster. It, the Wolf began to stir under his skin, ready to break through. He turned in the direction of her scent.
"Myrcella."
Myrcella stepped out of the shadows into the clearing. Robb's golden eyes flashed.
"Myrcella leave now." Myrcella shook her head.
"No. I'm not leaving you. I won't," She paused, "I can't. Every moon turn I listen to your screams, we can all hear them all the way back at the cave!"
"I could hurt you, kill you, or worse if, what that fucking witch said was true, turn you into this thing with me!" There was pure panic in those haunting golden eyes, the ones that had once been an equally haunting blue. Robb was terrified, the Wolf had gone still, it was about to happen. Robb fell to his knees. Once upon a time he had been the first-born son of a Lord Paramount, then a King himself. Back then he never begged, he had been an arrogant ruler who gave orders and expected them to be followed. Then he was betrayed, he lost his war, his kingdom, his family, friends, and allies. People died brutal deaths because of him. Now he was a man, barely a man, barely a human, begging this woman he cared about, one of the few people he had left, to run before he became the monster that hid under his skin. Because if that thing, that horrible wolf hurt her, killed her, he would not, could not live with his guilt. He already felt like he was drowning in it every day.
"Myrcella I am begging you, run. Please just run!"
"No." She whispered softly, yet to Robb it felt like she had screamed it at the top of her lungs. The wolf froze inside of him, then it surged forward and consumed him.
A deafening crack came from Robb's back and he doubled over screaming as his spine broke itself and began to realign. It sounded bad from the cave, but gods this was so much worse. Myrcella rushed forward, as Robb's bones began to break and shift under his skin. He curled into himself the muscles in his back shifting and shaking. She froze in horror as his nails sharpened into claws, digging into his flesh like he was trying to tear himself apart. Clumps of grey fur started growing all over. He screamed again, his back arching grotesquely as his jaw dislocated itself and his canines elongated further, and the rest of his teeth sharpened, his face growing longer. She heard shouts from behind her. Greatjon and Dacey soon broke into the clearing. Both slid to a stop, looking terrified as their king transformed. Then the screams stopped, and howls and growls took its place. Robb was gone and where he once lay was a wolf, bigger than anything she had seen. It growled, and staggered to its' feet, golden eyes glaring at the trio, showing no recognition towards any of them. Then Robb, because it was still Robb, she had seen Robb turn into this beast, charged her at supernatural speeds. Myrcella fell back and shut her eyes waiting for the end to come. But it never did, she cracked one eye open. The wolf that was Robb was mere inches from her face. He moved closer and sniffed at her, something akin to recognition flashed in his eyes, then Robb bared his teeth, turned and ran off into the woods. Myrcella exhaled slowly, staring in the direction Robb had disappeared to. She was alive. She was alive and in one piece.
"What the fuck were you thinking?" Dacey was suddenly kneeling next to her then roughly pulling Myrcella to her feet.
"I have no idea…" Myrcella stated calmly shrugging free of Dacey's grasp. Turning she knelt down and grabbed Robb's discarded clothing and began to separate and fold the various articles. Someone poked her back, Myrcella turned to find Greatjon gesturing wildly, apparently he had left his writing tablet in the cave in his rush to get to Myrcella. He was most likely asking if she had a death wish or something. She was pretty sure he called her an idiot.
"I just couldn't stand him suffering alone anymore. I care about Robb greatly. I- Myrcella cut herself off before she could reveal anything more. She rolled her shoulders back, sat, and crossed her legs as primly as she could. "He recognized me. The Wolf recognized me. They are one and the same. I won't let him suffer alone." Myrcella stalwartly refused to meet either Dacey or the Greatjon's gaze. "I am going to wait here for Robb to come back." She said primly. "Either join me or go back to the caves." Dacey threw up her hands
"You're bloody insane." Then she turned and stalked back into the woods. Greatjon however, patted Myrcella's head in a strangely grandfatherly fashion and ambled after the Lady of Bear Island. Myrcella exhaled slowly and clutched Robb's clothes to her chest. Burying her nose in his shirt she inhaled slowly. They smelled like him, Pine and leather. Myrcella closed her eyes and just sat there, in the clearing waiting for the sun to rise and for Robb to return to her.
Hours passed as Myrcella held her vigil, waiting for Robb to return. She may have dozed off at one point only to jolt awake at the sound of distant howls. Was that Robb, or were there regular wolves in these woods too? Finally, the night began to fade. She couldn't see the horizon from where she sat in the clearing, her legs were stiff from sitting all night and sleep tugged at her conscious. A noise from the forest had her looking away from the lightening sky just in time to see Robb step out of the tree line. He was covered in dirt and blood and seven knows what else; his hair was a matted mess and he looked more exhausted than she felt. When his tired eyes saw her sitting in the clearing, he visibly stiffened.
"Morning." Myrcella mumbled. She looked down at her lap and held out the clothes Robb had left last night that she had neatly folded and clutched to her all night. Robb hesitated for a moment, then walked forward and took the clothes. Myrcella kept her eyes focused on her lap, trying to give Robb just a hint of privacy. She listened as the fabric rustled as he pulled on the pants and tunic. Once dressed he sat down next to her. Myrcella watched out of the corner of her eyes as he buried his face in his hands. Maybe he was too exhausted to yell at her. They sat quietly for a bit before Robb finally looked over at her. Anger flashing in his eyes.
"Why in the seven hells did you come out here last night?" Myrcella suddenly remembered that day she was presented to him at Riverrun, the cold anger at her treatment by her captors, his harsh punishment. Now it felt like that cold fury was directed at her. Suddenly, tears prickled at her eyes. She tried to blink them away.
"I- her voice got caught in her throat. "I was worried about you." She finally said softly. "I always worry about you when the full moon come." She felt a tear slowly role down her cheek. She prayed that Robb somehow wouldn't notice. She finally turned to face him and felt the full weight and intensity of his gaze. It softened slightly at the sight of tears running down her pale cheeks. "I just, I just couldn't bear the thought of you going through that alone. You shouldn't suffer our foolishness alone. Moon turn after moon turn." Robb looked away and ran a hand through his hair. Myrcella uncrossed her stiff, cold legs and pulled them to her chest resting her chin on her knees.
"What you did was incredibly stupid." Robb bit out, he turned back to her once again piercing her very soul with that golden stare. "I could have killed you Ella." That last part he said softly. Almost like he was afraid.
"But you didn't." She replied just as softly. "In fact, you recognized me." Robb shifted uncomfortably, he hated thinking about the Wolf and him being one and the same. The wolf was a monster, it was always there trying to invade his mind, waiting for that moment when it could take control, it was malignant, pure and simple and he could never accept it. Because if he did, if he admitted that the malignant Wolf within him was the same as he was then, he was a monster just like the wolf. He couldn't burden Myrcella with that.
"That's…" He trailed off.
"You think you're a monster, don't you?" She asked, finally saying what Robb had been struggling with since he had woken in the witch's hut all those moons ago. Robb swallowed and suddenly found himself looking anywhere but at Myrcella. How was this brilliant, and brave young woman able to put into words that which he was terrified to admit to himself. "You are not a monster. You are still in there. Last night you stopped yourself from hurting me. I looked into your eyes and I saw you, Robb Stark. Not some monster wolf-man or whatever it is you think you are."
"Myrcella." Robb choked out running a hand through his matted blood-stained hair. Tears welling in his golden eyes. Myrcella saw the conflict, the pain. So, she did the only thing she could think of. Ignoring the blood and gore that covered his mouth she gently, pressed her lips to his. Robb went rigid, she leaned back slightly taking a quick breath,
"I don't think you are a monster." She whispered. "None of us do. I will do whatever it takes to prove that to you Robb Stark." She whispered into his ear, heat pooling inside her and kissed him again. Ignoring the coppery taste, soon Robb relaxed and started kissing her back. Myrcella had only ever kissed one other man, a boy really. A page in the Red Keep shortly before her ill-fated trip to Dorne for a betrothal that would never come to pass, it had been an awkward and fumbled affair of bumped noses and teeth, she had simply wanted to know what a kiss was like. This was nothing like that awkward moment in an empty corridor, behind a musty tapestry. This was full of emotions, too many for Myrcella to name, of belonging, of something more than lust. It felt right, it felt good, no, it felt perfect. Myrcella fisted her hands in Robb's tunic as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap. His other hand buried itself in her hair, Myrcella released a breathy sigh as she sank into him. The world seemed to disappear around them, Robb finally pulled back and rested his forehead against Myrcella's. His breathing was ragged, Myrcella hadn't even realized that she had closed her eyes until she opened them, meeting Robb's intense golden gaze. Silent tears were running down his face leaving tracks in the grime that covered him. She felt her own tears running down as well. What a pair they made.
"Ella." Her name sounded like the sweetest song coming from his lips.
"Robb." She half sobbed; half whispered back. Closing her eyes once more, she sank into Robb's warm embrace, burying her face in his neck. Holding him as tightly as she could. Nothing else mattered right now. It was just Robb and her. Myrcella didn't know how long they sat intertwined together when Robb gently pushed Myrcella off his lap.
"We should get back to the others." He frowned, "I remember Dacey and the Greatjon, then everything got…" He trailed off; it was always so hard to describe his time turned. Myrcella groaned, and fell back into the grass.
"Dacey's going to bloody kill me." Robb couldn't help but chuckle sometimes it was hard to believe that this woman was once a princess of the Seven Kingdoms. Well she still technically was a princess, a missing princess, probably presumed dead. Myrcella pushed herself off the grass and stood up. Turning to walk back towards the caves, the morning sun shone down on the pair turning the Myrcella's hair into a golden halo, she turned and smiled at him with those gorgeous green-brown eyes. Robb couldn't help it, his hand shot out and grasped Myrcella's wrist turning her and pulling her back to him. He leaned down and kissed her again. Stepping back, he looked down at her, his Ella. He couldn't help but think. She smiled again and his heart filled with a warmth that he had thought was lost to him.
Life guys, just life. Is 2020 over yet? Stay healthy, if you're in California or Oregon stay safe, everyone wear your masks!