I awoke the next morning just before sunrise. Robb was still asleep. I was happy one of us could rest still.

I wrapped a shirt around my body as I stood up, walking towards the map sitting in our tent. We had small blocks indicating where Edmure Tully would be, the various Lannister camps, and most importantly, our next move. In the midst of everything, we were preparing to move again, preparing to face another part of the Lannister army, and yet, my attention was elsewhere.

I tried to study every water way and channel on the map, tracing my finger along the blue lines. If Brienne and Jaime were to escape, that would be the quickest way, which meant that would be the path my brother would take.

"What are you doing?" Robb's thick voice cut through my thoughts.

His curly hair was disheveled and his eyes were just barely open as he stared at me.

"Just imagining where Will is," I answered simply.

"He can take care of himself, you know."

I nodded, "Yes, I know, but…he also needs to take care of your sister."

I didn't add that I still wanted him to take care of me as well. I knew Robb would take offense even though I did not mean that he was incapable of doing so. In fact, I felt quite confident in his abilities as well as my own, but it did not mean that I wanted my elder brother gone.

"Robb, if he comes back with J—the Kingslayer, I want you to promise me something."

"What is that?"

I sat on the side of the bed, taking his hand in mind. "That you will let him go back to Sansa just for a short time, so he can meet his child."

Robb watched me for a long moment. His blue eyes were soft as he answered, "You know he is needed here."

"I am well aware of that, but you should not let him know as it will go right to his already exceedingly large head."

Robb grinned softly. He rubbed my palm for a moment, thinking to himself, before he returned my gaze, "I suppose I can make that deal. If Willem brings back the Kingslayer, he can return home, but he can only stay there a fortnight."

"He will. I know he will come back," I promised.

Robb raised an eyebrow, "How can you be so sure? If our places were switched and I was the one going home to you and our child, I would never leave."

A sad smile touched the corner of lips as I remembered Will's words. It is easier for my family if I die. No, Will would take one look at his child and his wife, bask in the time they would have together, and come back to us to do just that – win with Robb, or die trying. There would be no other option.

"You and my brother are very different people," I said simply, starting to stand up and walk away from him.

Robb's eyebrows furrowed as he reached out to grab my hand. "You think he does not love Sansa enough to want to stay."

"No, I know he loves her very much, but he will return. Just as I think you would," I replied, standing in front of him with my arms wrapped around his neck.

Robb shook his head, avoiding my gaze. He stared at the table behind me, silently asking himself what he would really do were their places switched.

"I think you would. After all, what would your father say about honor?"

"My father would have said that duty comes first," he said sadly. "Unfortunately, sometimes, I feel I better understood duty when I was a child than now as a man grown."

"I think you are doing an excellent job figuring it out," I replied.

"Am I? I have Theon hiding on the outskirts of camp, which obviously cannot last. My mother is being held by guards while I continue to not know what is the honorable thing to do with her. And we have another battle just ahead of us, but I wish I could stop time here for a week while I try to sort through all of this."

"I wish I had an answer for you."

"Me too," Robb teased with a half smile, pulling me into his lap.

"Perhaps you simply prepare for the battle and leave your other doubts for the next day."

"Battles are much straight-forward."

"They seem to be for you."

"Can we last another three days without anyone finding about Theon?"

I shrugged, "Honestly, I do not know, but with the exception of the men who found him, the only men who saw him came with Will. I know them. They will hold their tongues so long as you give them good reason."

"I will speak with them again and remind tell them that I will call a council meeting after the next battle, but for now, we must concentrate on that."

I nodded, "Then, let us concentrate."

"Carth," I spoke up, finding one of Will's oldest friends among Theon's guard. "I wish to speak with him."

"I saw your brother's reaction to him. I do not think this a good idea."

"Is my brother the leader here, or is it my husband and me?" I returned.

Carth smirked. He had been a dear friend of Will's since birth. "I do not question who leads this army, but I do question how quickly I will die if I let anything happen to you."

"Theon will not hurt me."

"He better not, not if he knows what is good for him."

He let me pass with little more than a leery stare towards his prisoner. Theon was lying on the ground. His chest rose and fell slowly in sleep. He looked so peaceful. I wondered when the last time was that he felt safe enough to truly allow himself to rest.

I did not wake him, but sat nearby, thinking back to when he left us. He looked so intently at me as he promised to come back to us. Well, those were not quite the words he used.

Theon groaned as he turned. His eyes opened for a moment. He looked right at me and closed them again, shaking his head for a moment. Suddenly, his eyes shot open again.

"Ana," he laughed, relieved, "I thought you were a dream."

I returned his laugh although mine was tinged with sarcasm, "Yes, it is quite a dream out here."

"This is better than any moment I've had since leaving," he returned sincerely.

"Are you hungry?" I asked, turning towards the bread that was sitting nearby him. He was far more gaunt than when he left, his eyes had sunken further into his skull and his skin was sallow.

"Always," he answered. "I fancy myself a pretty good hunter, but it is hard to be successful when you are also trying not to be hunted."

"You do not look good," I stated with a sad laugh. It was hard to see him in this state. I could not imagine him trying to find us, avoiding his father's men, the Lannisters, everyone else fighting for a part of the kingdom, and those simply fighting to survive another day. That level of desperation could turn even the most respectable men into something to be feared. He had been traveling for weeks on his own, simply trying to find us.

Theon tossed a glance to the sky. For a moment, I saw that smirk I remembered him for surface on his face. "Sorry I could not arrive in better shape. Is this why you are keeping me here rather than at camp?"

"No, we simply can't have you there right now. We have a battle to prepare for tomorrow as we push on."

"You do not want my help?"

"Not yet. After tomorrow, we will speak with the Council."

Theon was silent, his eyes narrow. "They do not trust me."

"We just need to think of an argument that will persuade him."

"Is that what Robb is doing now?"

"Yes," I lied. It came naturally somehow because I couldn't bear to see him sadder or more frightened. He had been through enough for now.

"He should be preparing for the battle," Theon returned. "I can wait."

"I will let him know," I replied, standing up.

"Ana," Theon called after me.

"Yes?" I asked.

His grey eyes held mine for a moment. He said nothing more but just looked at me with a soft gaze.

"It does not matter," he returned simply, offering me a small smile. "I will see you tomorrow."

I nodded. "Sleep, Theon. It will help."

I beckoned for Carth to follow me as a few of my brother's men came to replace those currently on duty.

"You are to lead our house tomorrow," I explained as we rode back to camp. "Assuming of course that Will does not return in time."

"He will get the Kingslayer."

"I do not doubt my brother's ability, just his timeliness."

"I have one more loose end prior to tomorrow," Robb announced as we ate dinner together that evening.

"What is it?"

"What to do with you. We both know we can't fight together and I don't trust Carth as I trust Willem."

I was silent for a moment, feeling my eyes narrow. If Robb thought he could keep me out of this, he was sorely mistaken.

Robb chuckled upon seeing my reaction. "Naturally, I chose a wife who is as stubborn as I am. Can you not sit aside just this once?"

"No," I returned simply.

Robb avoided eye contact for a bit, still thinking through his options. "If Theon were back with us, truly back with us, I would put him with you and I wouldn't have worry. I know he took an arrow to the chest."

"Not to diminish what Theon did. It was very brave, but I can assure you Carth would do the same," I replied simply. "Otherwise, Will would murder him."

"He'd be dead before Will returned," Robb returned.

I shook my head, "No, because you are a true king. You would not have him die for failing to save my life in the middle of a battle. Now, Will is under no such standards."

"Carth it is then."

I knew I would live the next day. I had barely closed my eyes when I started to picture the Twins again. Robb and I were outside in the courtyard, standing in front of two locked cells.

"They asked for Grey Wind to be locked up," I cried, my voice in a high-pitch tone. I could hear the poor direwolf crying and scraping at the door to get out.

"He was growling at everyone," Robb pointed out simply.

"I don't care if he bites every person here. You know what I have seen."

"Yes," he whispered, pulling me closer to him. "Yes, I know. We escape through the tapestry. Grey Wind is with us. We all have weapons hidden on us now. We—"

He cut off as a commotion arose in the hall. It was Theon coming towards us, laughing boisterously with several of Bolton men.

"It is a bit rude to be so late to your uncle's wedding," he teased. Theon had certainly celebrated to the fullest. He was still able to walk but it was not entirely straight. I glared at him. He knew better than to behave so foolishly here.

"Calm down, Ana," he teased, pulling me into a hug. I noticed Robb was now the one glaring. "It is a wedding. This is hardly the time for worries."

I extricated myself from Theon's arms and took an iron bar lying by the cages without saying another word. Wedging it in between the walls, I kicked the bar down to lever the door open. Grey Wind came rushing out and running to Robb's side with an indignant look about him.

"Are you happy now?" Theon asked.

"Thrilled," I returned, pulling my cloak tighter on my shoulders.

We walked through the hallway back towards the room where the wedding feast had been set. We had barely stepped inside when Catelyn cried out, "Robb."

My eyes widened as we saw the knife twist closer into her throat. The men were at a standstill, trying to figure out what to do to prevent the King's mother from dying without making it happen quicker. There was only one group that still moved: the minstrals above. They had bows and arrows leveled at Robb, but when they loosed them, Theon was in front of my husband.

He turned towards Robb and I with a stunned expression; three had hit him. I could feel the bile rise in my throat as I stared at him in horror.

"Run."

My eyes shot open and I was in the dark in our tent. Grey Wind glanced over at me, sensing my fear. I tried to breath normally, slowly, to calm myself down. No matter what happened, what I changed, it seemed there was nothing I could do. Something awful would always happen to us at the Twins. And I was beginning to feel like it was hopeless for me to even try to stop it.