I'm sorry. No promises this time - I just hope you enjoy the chapter!

It was truly a big feast, the wildlings were roasting game over camp fires and there was mead more mead than a whole city would have been able to consume. Tormund was careful not to leave Avyn's side for a second. He wasn't quite sure what had made her burst out in tears like this, but he did know how overwhelming his world must be for her.

After they had finished eating, Tormund raised, extending his hand towards her so she would stand up as well. He lead her in the middle of the circle formed by tents and wildlings.

"I thank ye, my friends, for welcoming us like this. Me, and me woman, Lady Avyn of House Umber. Now, ye ken, she's a kneeler, but she is a strong lass. For the Free Folk, this marriage will be a chance to live in peace. We will build a village around her castle and live and side by side with the Southerners. Aye?"

"Aye!", some replied forcefully, some mumbled in only partial agreement while there was some murmuring of unhappy wildlings.

"May I say something?", Avyn asked Tormund quietly.

"Well, ye can try, lov- lass", he shrugged.

"Hello, everyone", she said louder and tried to smile "I thank you all for having me here. I know, all of this is confusing and just because it makes sense doesn't mean you have to love it. But I hope, ultimately, we will learn to get along. I for one am happy to get to know all of you and I am grateful for having Tormund in my life."

The camp was quiet but slowly she heard some murmurs of agreement while others scoffed at her words. Tormund grinned at her: "Well, lassie, I never knew."

"Sure you did", she sighed and smiled at his contend expression.

They sat down again while the drummers started to play a quick and heavy beat that seemed to go through every bone in Avyn's body. Soon the middle of the circle was filled with dancing wildlings. She leaned against Tormund, noticing how easy it was at this place to show affection. She had to admit, she loved feeling his strong, fur-clad chest behind her, she liked him holding her hand, how safe she felt with him. While he talked to his wildling friends in his curious glibberish, she thought of the last few days – how had it come to this? Of course, there was the fact that he was so sweet with Brynden and indeed, he had been gentle and nice and polite to her – thinking back, he had been like this from the beginning. The fault surely lay with her.

"Lady Avyn", a deep booming voice interrupted her stream of thoughts "would ye not like to dance?"

She looked up to see Yan's wild and scarred face, but before she could answer, Tormund said, laughing heartly: "Well, well, now ye want to steal my woman, Yan?"

"The lass is prettier than I had thought a kneeler girl to be, aye", the dark haired wildling shrugged.

"Aye, she is beautiful", Tormund beamed with pride.

"Now, lady", Yan said "Will ye dance with me?"

"Well, if Tormund allows?", Avyn looked at him, wondering if she could trust Yan.

"Aye", Tormund laughed "It'll be fine, lass. I won't let ye out of my sight for a moment, I promise."

And so she chased and twirled about the circle with Yan by her side, feeling, after she had overcome the first wave of discomfort, incredibly liberated. But something drew her back to her betrothed sooner than later. He now stood a few feet away from where she had left him, talking to Munda. She could not understand what father and daughter were conversing about – it might have been her – but she simply didn't care. She ignored everything and just took Tormund's hand to lead him between the tents into the shadow.

"What happened, lass? Are ye all right?", he asked just before she stopped.

She didn't answer, but instead got on the tip of her toes, put her arms around his shoulder and pulled him towards her, until her lips crashed against his. Slightly surprised, it took Tormund a moment to realise what she was doing, but then replied by lifting her up with ease, pulling her even closer to him, his hands on her round butt.

He still kept her up there when she finally pulled back.

"So… every night?", she asked him, panting.

"If ye act like this, I might never be able to stop bedding ye, lass."

"Love", she corrected him and kissed him again "Do you think we can just leave the feast and fulfil your promise?"

"I think we should just stay here", Avyn said, her hand stroking the orange curls on his chest beneath his shirt.

"Well, ye didn't even want to stay here over night, love", he said, stroking her hair back from her face.

"I didn't mean the camp, I meant here. This."

"With yer tits against my ribs and my hands on yer bare arse?", he grinned and she tried to grimace but giggled when one of his hands found its way between her thighs.

"Tormund", she gasped.

"Aye, love", he murmured, kissing her neck while he felt her legs spread.

"What are you doing? This is not how…"

"Do ye like it?", he said, while his hand massaged her.

"Yes", she whispered. She had started to breath more quickly. Why did he not just bed her, the way a man was supposed to?

"Then shut up, love", he grinned and kissed her on the mouth, pushing his fingers inside her, making her moan into the kiss.

"You do use that word a lot", Avyn panted.

"Well, ye are my love, aren't ye?", he shrugged pulling his fingers out and instead massaging her again, making her body ache for him to be inside her again. Slowly he seemed to regain his energy as Avyn felt something move close to her legs.

"Do you love me, then?", she wondered.

"Aye, lass. Ye are a sweet girl. There is a place in my heart for ye." Slowly, he sank his fingers back.

"That is some kind of love, aye?"

"I guess", Avyn said breathlessly, barely able to think.

"How about you?", he said and she could feel his hard member against her thigh while his fingers touched her in a way that had never crossed her mind and his lips brushed the most sensitive spot on her neck.

"Me… what?"

"Do ye love me, lass?"

"That's not… that's not easy, is it?", she said, leaning back, wanting to just give in to the pleasure.

"Yes, it is", he said "Come on, lassie, say ye don't love me. I won't believe ye." He grinned noticing how she could barely string the words together.

"Tormund, please just…", she reached for his hard cock so he would not tease her any longer but he was quicker and just took both her wrists in his hand, holding it over her head.

"Say ye don't love me", he repeated and kissed her. He had gone back to simply massaging her, knowing full well she wanted more.

"Please", she sighed "I…"

"Come on, love, it's just a few words."

"Please, just bed me", she finally managed to say.

"Not unless you say it", he grinned.

His member was so close, she could feel its hardness, ready for her.

"Tormund."

"Say it", he said, suddenly fingering her again.

"I can't", she finally cried out and then panted: "I can't say I don't love you."

"That's all I needed to know", he smiled, let go of her hands, kissed her and finally gave her what she had craved so much.

They rode back to Winterfell in silence the next morning. Avyn could not believe what he had made her say, but once admitted, she could not deny the truth of her words. Of course, she still wasn't sure how and even if she truly loved him. But she knew, that she could never say she didn't. Because there was some part – and that part grew by the minute – that enjoyed his company a lot more than anyone else's and that was glad, they would spend the rest of their lives together.

"So…", she broke the quiet just moments before they would reach the stronghold.

"Aye?", he said.

"Yesterday you said you'd change two things, remember?", she said.

"Aye", he agreed, waiting for her to continue.

"So… Every night?"

"Aye. Every night. As long as you'll have me, love