Theon knew full well what it was that he had to do. He knew what was required of him as soon as he sat down in his own room. He looked around at the dull, dark decor, trying to keep his spirits high. He had no choice but to go against Robb. He could not leave Cassandra to the wrath of Ironborn men. He would go North and pillage. He would take her and hide her away.
Robb would hate him. He would see him as a traitor. Theon knew that he had to send a raven straight away. He would write to Robb and tell him of the intentions of the Iron Islands. It was as he wrote the letter when Yara's words rang true in his ears. He only had one family.
He was Ironborn. His family held his allegiance. It was the way it had to be. Theon was no Stark. He had seen that. He had never been treated like a Stark before. He had never been one of them. It was the thing which had bugged Theon for a long time. All he wanted was to please them. All he wanted was to show them how he could be one of them.
But he couldn't be.
He was a Greyjoy.
...
Cassandra spent most of her days wandering around Winterfell, making sure she was occupied and away from Stevron. He often tried to make a good impression on her, showing her how he could look after Bran and Rickon. Cassandra had watched the boys look unimpressed with the ways of Stevron. She saw that he was trying. He was trying to worm his way closer to her via her brothers. She knew what he was doing.
"My Lady." Maester Luwin spoke as he found her stood on a platform, watching as Hodor carried Bran and Rickon held onto Osha's hand. The young wildling had become quite close to the boys as of recent.
"When did she become so friendly with my brothers?" Cassandra asked, her hands wrapped around the wooden railing as she watched them disappear into the Godswood.
Luwin took a sharp breath as he handed her the parchment. "She has been with the boys whilst you have tended to your duties. They only see you at night when you read to them...and you only read to them because you want to stay away from your lord husband."
Cassandra held her tongue as she took the parchment from him. "I love those boys, Maester Luwin. I would spend more time with them if I could. Anyway, what is this?"
"Your brother sent it," he told her. "He has sent Theon Greyjoy to the Iron Islands."
Cassandra's eyes widened at the news. "Why?"
"To secure ships." Luwin explained simply. "He tells me that Theon Greyjoy is in good health. He also says how he misses you...apparently Theon would write to you, he just doesn't know what to say to you. Robb also concludes with how he wishes you would write to him."
"I am sure he would like that," Cassandra whispered, folding the letter back up before glancing across to Luwin.
"My Lady, if I may be so bold," Luwin spoke, "perhaps it would be prudent for you to write back to your brother. He sounds as if he is apologetic for what has happened to you. He is your brother. He would not have done this unless it was necessary."
"A bridge?" Cassandra arched a brow at Luwin. "My brother also made sacrifices. I know that. I just do not know what to say to him. Every time I try to write something to him...I freeze...I cannot think of any words to put on the paper."
"All you have to do is tell him that you are well," Luwin encouraged her. "Tell him that you wish him luck in the war...that you long for him to avenge your father."
She briefly nodded, tucking her hair behind her ear as she took a moment to think. "I will. I cannot stay mad at Robb...he is my brother. I just miss him so much."
"I know, my Lady," Luwin said, his voice holding a soft tone to it. "He will be back soon. I do not doubt it."
"How do we know?" Cassandra whispered. "How do we know what will happen to him? Bran and Rickon continue to ask me and I tell them the same thing. I tell them that Robb will come home with mother. They will come back and everything will be as it once was."
"You tell them what you need to," Luwin said. "They are only children. You do what you think is best for them."
"I have hardly been with them," Cassandra complained.
"Your husband is more than capable of spending time looking through the accounts this afternoon, if you require time with the boys?" he asked her. She shook her head, her eyes looking upwards as she did so.
"No. The Starks run Winterfell. It is the way it always has been. My name may be Frey, but I am still a Stark." Cassandra spoke.
"That you are, Lady Stark," he said, choosing not to call her by her new name. Lady Frey. It still hurt Cassandra to know that she was no longer a Stark in her name. By blood she always would be.
She curtseyed gently in front of him. "Thank you, Maester Luwin...for everything..."
He bowed at the waist again, watching as she made her way back down to the floor. Her head was held high as she wandered into the Godswood, fully intent on spending some time which she had left with Bran and Rickon.
She found them by the water's edge, sat watching their reflections as Osha sat beside them.
"Lady Frey," Osha spoke, quickly moving to stand to her feet.
Cassandra held a hand up to stop her. "Please, you need not move. I came here to make sure my brothers were well. It seems you have been looking after them recently."
"Yes, my Lady," Osha said, a suspicious glance being cast over to Bran. "It has been a pleasure. It is welcome work in comparison to sitting in a kitchen."
Cassandra smiled at her, seeing a different side to the wildling who had held her and Bran captive. She did not seem all too bad. She couldn't be if Rickon and Bran spent time with her.
"I should imagine so," Cassandra replied and knelt down on the ground beside Rickon.
"You will dirty your dress," Rickon informed his elder sister.
She shrugged nonchalantly. "I am sure my lord husband will not mind."
Bran looked at her for another moment, wondering what was happening between her and her lord husband. He knew that she refused to spend time with him when she didn't have to. But Bran also knew that she should be with child by now. He knew the way which marriages worked.
"He keeps spending time with us," Rickon complained to Cassandra as she wrapped an arm around his shoulders delicately.
"Do you not like it?" she asked him, her other hand rubbing a mark away from his cheek.
Rickon shrugged, a pout set firmly on his lips. "I don't know...he's scary...he has an odd face..."
Cassandra stifled a laugh at hearing that whilst Osha continued to watch her. The wildling woman had hardly seen anything of Lady Cassandra. She could see that she was unhappy though. Any young woman would be unhappy with a sixty year old for a husband, especially when they did not love him.
"I suppose you could say that he has an odd face," Cassandra agreed with her brother. "I think he is simply trying to be friendly towards you."
"We don't want him to be," Bran said, his voice quite harsh as his sister looked at him. Osha nudged him in the ribs slightly, trying to make him be quiet but failing miserably. "We don't need him...he makes you unhappy and took you away from Theon. We want nothing to do with him."
"That's enough, little lord," Osha warned Bran.
Cassandra shook her head at the wildling, moving on her knees to sit in front of Rickon. Her youngest brother rested his head on her shoulder as she held onto Bran's hand.
"You think I'm unhappy?" Cassandra checked with him.
"We know you are," Bran replied. "You never smile anymore."
"I..." Cassandra trailed off. She didn't want to tell them that she was indeed unhappy. "Nerves often get the better of me."
"You're lying," Bran said to her. "We know it."
"No," Cassandra said, telling a blatant lie there and then. "Do not concern yourselves with me. I shall be fine. You will see. Lord Frey treats me as well as any husband should treat their wife. You will come to see that in the future."
"Father never made mother look so sad," Bran responded. Cassandra knew there was no escaping the fact that her brother was intelligent. Bran always had been observant, taking in everything which he saw and processing it. Cassandra stroked his cheek after a moment as Rickon adjusted his head on her shoulder.
"Not all marriages start out happily," Cassandra replied. "Besides, things will get better when Robb comes home with mother. And Sansa and Arya."
"But you will go to the Twins," Bran said to her. "Is that what you want?"
"Honestly, Bran," Cassandra sighed as she pushed herself to stand up. She straightened out her dress before glancing onto the lake, looking at her reflection as she tried not to cry. "You need not concern yourself over me. I shall be fine. You shall see that. Now, stop worrying about me. I need to go and look over the finances...I should see you at dinner tonight."
"Do you have to go, Cass?" Rickon's small voice asked.
She glanced down to him with an apologetic look. "I'm afraid I do."
She ruffled their hair once more before nodding sternly at Osha.
"Look after them." She urged her.
Osha nodded in agreement before turning her attention back to Bran and Rickon. Cassandra walked away, wandering off as she closed her eyes and took a deep breath.
...
Theon could hardly sleep. He had spent his time lying in bed, watching the ceiling as he thought about what he was to do. His father had summoned him to his chambers the next day and Theon had only just made it there, his mind a blur of activity. He found Yara stood already, waiting for him to enter.
"You look terrible, baby brother," she informed him. "Has a certain someone been keeping you awake?"
Theon grunted nothing coherent back to her as he looked around the room. Everything was old and dim, nothing showing the wealth of the castle. Theon didn't know what he wanted in the future, but a return to Pyke seemed unlikely. His father could barely stand the sight of him, Theon knew that much.
"She must be special," Yara continued to taunt him. "To keep the self important Theon Greyjoy awake at night."
"You know nothing about me," Theon hissed at his sister.
"Do I not?" she wondered aloud. "I think I know more about you than you give me credit for."
Theon glowered at her, refusing to back down as they heard footsteps entered the room.
"It is time. The plans have been made." Balon Greyjoy called out. "And it is time you heard them."
"Father," Yara greeted him.
"Father," Theon repeated a little later, watching as his father pushed past him to the table which held the map.
Theon stood next to the table besides Yara, watching the man who had given him away with intrigue.
"The wolf pup has gone South. The entirety of the Northern army at his back." Balon said. "He is spending all his time in the Westerlands. The North is ripe for the taking."
"We shall take every stronghold?" Yara checked with her father.
"Yes," he agreed. "Ironborns take what is theirs. Winterfell may defy us for a year, but I doubt that shall be an issue. The Stark bitch is holed up in there with her Frey husband. She'll hardly last to see the incoming Winter."
Theon winced as his father continued to speak, telling them what would be theirs in the future. Theon wanted to snap at his father, to urge him to let him go to Winterfell. But Balon was no fool. He knew his son had ulterior motives.
"Yara, my daughter," Balon said. "You will take thirty long ships to attack Deepwood Motte."
"What is my role in all of this?" Theon enquired, unable to hold his tongue for any longer.
Yara watched him for a second, a look of amusement on her face as she did so. Balon turned his attention to his son, looking for any sign of the man he thought he might be. Theon was no man. He was still a young boy, looking for attention at any given turn.
"You'll take a ship to raid the fishing villages on the coast," Balon replied to his son.
"A ship? She gets thirty and I get one?" Theon checked.
"The Sea Bitch," Yara said, looking to the map with a smug smirk. "We thought she'd be perfect for you."
"I'm to fight fishermen?" Theon checked.
"Be careful of their nets." Yara taunted him further.
"Father," Theon spoke, moving around the table, trying to appeal to his father's better nature. "I have fought with Robb Stark. I know his men. They won't give up the North so easily."
"They won't even know we're there," Yara spoke. "You do not care about us taking the North. You care about your little agreement with Robb Stark, don't you?"
Theon faltered for a moment as his sister glared at him, her eyes narrowed and dark.
"You protect those who killed your own family," Balon spoke lowly. "The North shall be ours and there shall be nothing that you or Robb Stark can do about it."
"I am not protecting anyone," Theon denied. "Why risk going against them when we can ally with them? If we pledge our allegiance then we are safe."
"You mean your precious Stark whore is safe?" Balon asked from his son.
Theon said noting for a second, stepping back as Balon stood tall, his posture intimidating. Theon shook his head with haste, a large gulp moving down his throat as he thought about what his father had said.
"You would have me leave the North to keep that little bitch safe," Balon declared. "You would have me bow down to your other family. Do you forget our words? Your time with the wolves has made you weak."
Theon and his father continued to stare at each other, anger bubbling over in both of them.
"You act as if I volunteered to go," Theon declared, unable to take anymore of his father's words. "You gave me away, if you remember."
Balon stepped back, unable to look at his son anymore.
"The day you bent the knee to Robert Baratheon. After he crushed you. Did he take what was yours then?" Theon wondered, leaning closer to his father. Balon felt himself lose his temper, his hand instantly moving out to strike his son. Theon tumbled back, hitting the table behind him as he held onto his cheek.
The motion only spurred him on to yell further at his father.
"You sent me away!" Theon roared, standing tall once more. "Your boy! Your last boy! You sent me away, and now you curse me because I come home!"
Theon watched his father's back with resentment, wondering if he would say anything more to him. Wondering if he would accept him for who he was. But he didn't. Balon stormed from the room, leaving Theon to stare after him as he went.
"You'd have our father bow down to your other family," Yara spoke up, moving to stand opposite Theon.
"I have no other family." Theon growled lowly.
"Don't you?" Yara wondered, moving away from her brother. "Make your choice and make it quickly. Our ships sail with or without you."
Theon remained alone in the hall, wondering about what he should do. He was a Greyjoy. He knew that family should come first. Cassandra had always told him that. She had always warned him of the importance of family. If he went North then he had not been permitted to go to Winterfell.
He would pillage fishing villages.
Theon set about writing a letter to Robb, informing him what his father's plans were. He did nothing as he looked over his writing again. He couldn't go back to Robb. Going back to Robb wouldn't stop his father's men. The North would be lost, Theon knew that. Robb didn't have the power to stop them.
Going back to Robb would achieve nothing. He would have to go back to the Starks with his tail in between his legs, admitting his defeat. Admitting that he had failed in Pyke. Theon didn't want that anymore. He knew what he wanted to do.
He wanted to prove himself.
...
Another week passed and Cassandra had managed to avoid her husband for most of the time. He had been busy and tired, meaning that he too had no time for Cassandra. His growing concern over giving her an heir continued to rage on.
She woke early one morning, dressing in her pale pink dress with haste before she moved out from the walls of the castle. She often wandered through the grounds early in the morning as the air was cold and crisp. Most of the servants remained going about their everyday business, preparing breakfast for the family in the morning.
"My Lady!"
Cassandra turned around as she stopped making her way to the Godswood. She kept still as a man in armour moved towards her.
"Yes?" Cassandra wondered.
"You need to get inside. Winterfell is under attack. You need to go."
"What?" Cassandra wondered as he took hold of her arm, dragging her back into the castle walls. "Who is attacking? How long can we hold it?"
"We don't yet know, my Lady," he replied to her, his body shielding her own as arrows flew past them. Cassandra shrieked loudly, turning her head around to see who it could possibly be. Her screams became louder as the guard helping her escape dropped down to the floor, an arrow sticking out from his neck.
She stood where she was, her eyes widening as the men advanced on her.
"Lady Frey."
She froze as she stumbled backwards, doing her best to walk away from them. Some ran past her as others took to her side, grabbing her by the arm to restrain her.
"Who are you?" Cassandra snapped. "Do you have any idea who I am?"
"We have an idea," one with a gruff voice spoke as he moved from her arm and wrapped his hand into her hair. Cassandra shrieked in pain as he pushed her to the floor.
"Enough!"
Cassandra felt herself freeze as she lay on the ground, the man's boot holding her in place as she took deep breaths. The voice was completely recognisable. She would have known it anywhere. A small sob escaped her lips as she felt the weight of the boot being lifted from her and the man was thrown to the floor. Cassandra turned her head to the side to see him on the floor before she pushed herself up, her hands keeping her from the dirt.
"You do not touch her, do you understand?"
"So it is true," the gruff man spoke. "You are weak for the little bitch."
A grunt came from the man as a boot made contact with his stomach.
"I am your leader. You do not talk to me like that. Take him away."
Cassandra sat up, kneeling on the floor as a hand was offered down to her. She looked at it, the glove covered fingers urging her to come closer to him. Cassandra looked up, her eyes scanning over the armour covering his body until she finally saw his face. He looked back at her, his features lacking emotion as he watched her.
"Get up." He told her.
She placed her hand into his, her fingers curling around his as he hauled her to her feet. His other hand rested on her waist, steadying her as she continued to watch him. He saw the redness which rimmed around her eyes as her lips parted and short breaths came out of her lips.
"Theon," Cassandra whispered.
"My Lord," a new voice interrupted as Theon turned to look at the man calling him. "What would you have us do?"
"Get everyone outside," Theon declared. "I need some time with the Lady of Winterfell."
"As you wish," he bowed softly.
Theon took hold of Cassandra, his arm wrapping around her waist roughly as he dragged her into the castle. His men grabbed hold of anyone in sight, bringing them out of safety.
"What are you doing?" Cassandra snapped at him, trying to escape his hold. "What do you think you are doing, Theon! These are my people! You cannot attack Winterfell!"
"Can you be quiet for a minute?" Theon asked from her as he found his old bed chamber. He opened the door and pushed her inside, looking at her once more as she stood before him and he bolted the door. Her dress was covered in mud and her hair was tangled around her face.
Theon looked at her as she waited patiently for an answer. But she didn't get her answer. Theon stormed across the room, his hand cupping the back of her head as his lips crashed down onto hers. Cassandra forgot her anger with him for a moment, her own lips moving back on his as her hands moved into his wet hair. Theon pushed his free hand into the small of her back, pressing her against him tightly as he backed her against the wall. She moved her body against his and he groaned at the motion, stepping back from her after a second.
He took a deep breath as she gasped for hers, her hands holding her hips as she rested her head against the stone wall.
"Dear Gods," Cassandra whispered. "Theon...you...you can't just come back here and do that! Not when you are taking Winterfell!"
"I didn't hear you complaining," Theon replied to her. "It doesn't matter. We have bigger things to worry about."
"Like why you have taken Winterfell?" Cassandra snapped at him. "Robb wrote to me. He said that you returned to Pyke to secure ships to attack King's Landing."
"My father had other ideas," Theon replied to her, his hands moving to his hips as he looked around his old room. "He has no intention to attack King's Landing. He is attacking the North. It will be under his control soon enough, Cassandra."
"Does Robb know?" she asked him.
Theon gave a curt nod in answer to her question. "He knows."
"Theon...I don't...why? Why are you here?"
"I am here because I came back for you," Theon replied. "I told you that I would. I could not go back to your brother. I could not go back to Robb with embarrassment. I need to prove something of myself to my father. I am a Greyjoy, Cassandra."
She watched him for a few moments, wondering what he was talking about. It finally fell into place as she shook her head back and forth.
"You betrayed Robb," she whispered.
"I did what I had to," Theon said. "I pledged myself to the Drowned God. I did it for you."
"How?" Cassandra whispered. "How is this for me, Theon?"
"Because it means that I was able to sail freely and come back here. All you have to do is yield Winterfell to me. That is all you have to do and I can keep you here with me and send the old Frey back to the hole he crawled out of."
Cassandra's mouth fell open in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was hearing from him. Was he truly so stupid?
"You fool," Cassandra snapped and Theon took his turn to look confused. "As soon as Robb hears of this then he will send men back to reclaim Winterfell. Frey will be with him. He will send his forces too."
"Let them attack," Theon said, stepping forwards to rest his hands on her shoulders. "They won't get into Winterfell. My men shall see to that."
"Why should I yield Winterfell?" Cassandra asked from him. "It is mine, Theon. It belongs to the Starks."
"You will yield because my men have your people in the courtyard waiting to kill them for your disobedience."
Cassandra shook his hands off from her as she stepped back, her head shaking back and forth.
"They are your men. They do your bidding. Surely you can call them off and tell them to leave Winterfell?"
"It is too late," Theon replied to her. "They won't listen to me. Ironborn take what is theirs, Cass. You know that. My father has ordered for the North to fall."
"And you agreed to go along with it," Cassandra said, her head shaking back and forth in disbelief. "You agreed to take the North."
"If I went back to Robb then I would not be here."
"But you would have kept your word to him," Cassandra said.
"I came here for you!" Theon snapped at her. "My word to Robb is surely redundant. If I was not here then those men would have raped you in the courtyard for all to see. You mean nothing to the Iron Islanders, Cassandra."
"So I can see," she said, her words deep as she glared at Theon and he felt stung. "I won't yield, Theon."
"You have to," he urged her. "To keep yourself safe. If you don't do this then my men will kill you...they don't need my permission...they will do it without asking me. What of Bran and Rickon? You need to keep them safe, don't you?"
She said nothing in response to that, knowing that Theon was talking sense for once. She turned her gaze to him, wondering what she should think about this entire situation. Theon moved his hand out to cup her cheek, holding it softly as she closed her eyes. She said nothing, not truly knowing what to say as Theon moved forwards, her head resting against his chest.
She tried to work out the entire situation which had come upon her. Theon had betrayed Robb. He had betrayed Robb for her. For his family. He claimed that he did this to keep her safe. But now he wanted her to yield.
"I couldn't convince my father to back Robb," Theon whispered as he ran his other hand down her red curls. "I came here for you, Cassandra...to prove myself worthy..."
"You would have been worthy to me if you went back to Robb."
"And you would have been dead if I went back to him," Theon responded, bending down to look her in the eye. "Yield, Cassandra. It is the only way."
Theon said nothing as he pressed his lips to her forehead and then held her close, wondering what more there was to come his way.
...
A/N: Please do review and thanks for reading!