Cassandra struggled to believe the parchment which she was reading. The letter had come on the cold afternoon as she and Theon stood in the tower together, looking down over Winterfell. He had his hand on the small of her back as she read her brother's scrawl, her eyes widening with each word that had been wrote.
"Men are marching North," Cassandra said. "They should be here by nightfall."
"Nightfall?" he checked with her.
"Yes," Cassandra whispered. "Theon, you need to go. You need to go back home."
"No," Theon said. "I wouldn't be able to make it out alive, Cassandra. If they are that close then there is no escape."
"There are hidden tunnels," Cassandra replied to him. "There are ways out."
"And where would I go? Robb wants to kill me...going home would mean returning as a failure..." Theon replied. Cassandra shook her head as she finished the letter, becoming startled at what she read. She re-read it to make sure her mind was not playing tricks on her.
"What is it?" Theon wondered.
"Robb...he...he has married..."
Theon looked at her with an arched brow.
"Who?" he asked her. "Has he married the Frey girl already?"
"No," Cassandra spoke. "He has married a girl who has been travelling with him. Talisa...apparently he had no other choice. He loves her."
Theon couldn't resist the snarl which escaped his lip at that moment in time. He shook his head, snatching the letter from Cassandra as she leaned on the windowsill. She peered out the gap in the wall which ravens flew in and out of. She shook her head, her hands holding over her chin as she felt rage rise in her.
"At least one Stark can marry for love then," Theon said, looking at the raven which had brought the letter. He made his way towards it before he it flew away from him and back into the outdoors.
"How could he?" Cassandra whispered. "How could he marry a girl who he is not betrothed to? Mother will be fuming. She will be furious."
"He's a selfish bastard," Theon snapped. Cassandra winced as she heard him speak. She watched him screw up the parchment before he threw it to the side. "How can he claim her for his own? She is a commoner...at least I have a name behind me. Yet he...your mother denied us...you married for duty. He has gone against his word."
"If I could get my hands on him then I would wring his neck," Cassandra drawled, turning to look back at Theon. "I had a duty to do. He knew how I felt about it...he knew I loved you...but as soon as he falls in love then everything changes. Everything turns to revolve around Robb."
"Your brother has been foolish," Theon spoke. "Lord Walder will not forget this. He is a man of his honour. He is an old man, but he is not forgetful."
"Then he won't forget what you have done," Cassandra said, "which means you should run. Theon, you know I speak sense."
"I have nowhere to go," Theon said. "You know that, Cass."
"No," Cassandra shook her head. "You will die, Theon. Please, think about it. I know what you have done. I know you have done things which shock me...which hurt me...but I still love you. I still want you to make it out of this alive."
"You are right," Theon said in a whisper, turning his head to look out the window. He moved his hand to blindly reach for hers. She followed his lead, her gloved fingers entwining into his as he watched the sun at its highest peak.
"I have come too far," he whispered. "I have killed innocent children. I have killed Ser Rodrik...I've stood by and watched men hurt those who waited on me. And I hurt you in the process. I did it all to keep you safe here. I did it all for you...never once did I understand how much I could hurt you..."
Cassandra watched him as he turned back to look at her, his gaze wide and full of intrigue. She did nothing for a few moments as he leaned in closer to her. He did nothing for a few moments as he moved his hand to cup her neck. She leaned in closer to him, a small look of hope on her face.
"I have come too far to become anyone else," he whispered gently. "I have come too far to be the Theon who you knew...who I knew..."
"You can change," Cassandra said to him. "You cannot take back what you have done, but you can repent for it. You can try to make it up to Robb. Run away now and write to him. You killed all the ravens here...but you can run and try to change things...please..."
"He will never listen to me," Theon said. "Have you seen what I have done to his home? Have you seen what I have done? He will never forgive me."
"He has done stupid things before," Cassandra said. "Look at what he has just done, Theon. He has just married some girl and gone back on his word...you know that he should not have done that. He will come to understand soon..."
"And if I run then I am branded a coward," Theon warned her. "I cannot do anymore."
"Robb's men will outnumber you," Cassandra warned him. "Never mind the Frey's men...they will kill you, Theon."
"No," Theon shook his head, a small smile on his face as he kissed her on the forehead. "I cannot run away from this. I do not have it in me."
"Please," Cassandra whispered. "Even if we cannot be together...I do not want for anything to happen to you...I do not want for this to be the end...Theon...please..."
"Sh," Theon whispered as he moved closer to her, slowly wrapping his arms around her waist. She moved her arms around his neck, holding tightly to the wisps of hair at the bottom of his neck. She sobbed against him, begging for him to leave Winterfell.
"Just go, Theon. Go and stop being stubborn. Stubbornness will not get you anywhere."
"I cannot," Theon replied. "I know now that this is it for us, Cassandra. Robb would never let me be with you. If I ran then he would hunt me until he found you. Never mind your husband. If he found you then he would kill me...he would kill me and take you. I am not risking your life, Cass. I am dead regardless of what I do. I would rather die fighting than being hunted."
Cassandra stomped her foot on the floor in frustration. He took another glance down at her. He couldn't believe what had happened. He should have known that he would be outnumbered as soon as his sister left. He could never hold Winterfell against Robb Stark. He could never do anything against Robb Stark.
"I would rather see you run away and live in hope, instead of knowing you have died," Cassandra promised him. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand. Theon took her cheeks into his fingers, bending down to look at her as a small smile graced his features.
He wiped a tear from her pale skin. "Go back to Robb. Go back and tell him what I have done. Tell him that I thought...I thought I was keeping you safe...I chose wrong. I know that now."
"You know it when it is too late," Cassandra whispered back. "You know it when you are surrounded and refuse to leave here."
Cassandra sighed loudly, her hands resting on top of his as she shook her head.
"No," she mumbled. "Don't be an idiot. Don't...please go...please leave here...there are ways...you could take the black?"
"And let Jon Snow kill me in the middle of the night?" Theon asked her. "He thinks I have killed his brothers. He would kill me, Cass. You know that."
"No," Cassandra shook her head. "Not if you tell him the truth. Jon would understand."
"He doesn't like me. I would have no time to explain the truth. He wouldn't believe me anyway."
She kept her mouth closed as she wrapped her arms around Theon's waist and nestled her head into his chest, her cheek resting just over his heart. Theon wrapped his own arms around her, holding her tight by him as she inhaled sharply.
"How can you forgive me so easily for what I have done?" Theon asked her, his voice soft as his grip around her increased. "How can you forget what I have done?"
"I can't," Cassandra admitted, nothing more than a grunt. "I cannot forgive you for anything that you have done, Theon. But, I can understand why you did it. I can understand...but...it still doesn't make any of this right. It gives an explanation, but not an acquittal."
"I just want you to be safe, Cass."
"I want the same for you. You are just too stubborn to accept your fate."
"Can you blame me?" Cassandra muttered. "There is a way to escape this."
"I won't run away like a coward."
"So you will die like a fool." Cassandra clarified for him. "That makes much more sense."
"Don't make me feel worse than I do," Theon urged her. "I know what will happen tomorrow. I know that I will not make it out alive. I have to try, Cass. I have to do this."
"There is no persuading you otherwise," Cassandra said, stepping back as she tried not to cry. She flapped her arms by her side, the sound echoing around the room. Theon watched her, his gaze firm and set in what he believed. He did not believe anything other than fighting would be the correct thing to do. He had his path set. He had to follow it.
"I don't want to spend the night arguing with you, Cassandra," Theon urged her, trying to calm her down. "I would rather spend my time...well...doing anything but argue with you."
Cassandra sighed, folding her arms across her waist as she looked away and back out the window. Darkness was slowly shrouding Winterfell in its path. Soon it would be pitch black, and then the morning would come again. The morning when Theon would be taken from Cassandra. There was nothing that she could do to stop that now.
"Fine," she agreed; reluctance apparent in her tone. "What do you want to do?"
"I know what I want to do," Theon said, his voice low so that she could not hear. Unfortunately for Theon she heard loud and clear.
"I can't," Cassandra whispered to him. "Don't even suggest anything like that when I'm so angry with you."
"It could be my last night-"
"-And whose fault is that?" Cassandra arched a brow. "Anyway...I'm too sore, Theon. I don't want...can you not be content with just resting by my side?"
"I could be content with that for eternity," Theon assured her, slightly disappointed. He hid it well, offering her his arm and forcing himself to smile at her. She knew it was fake. She was aware of that. She just didn't want to believe it.
...
Theon awoke early the next morning, the sound of the blowing horn the thing which had kept him awake all night. Cassandra had seemed determined not to fall to sleep; choosing to keep her eyes peeled open so that she could spend her time with Theon. He had told her that sleep was necessary. She had disobeyed him until her body gave in, her eyes closing and her breaths becoming lighter than normal.
He moved himself from the bed and dressed once more. Cassandra had given in to Theon after he had persistently kissed her and urged her to let him take her one more time. She had agreed, finding that her pleasure outweighed the pain. Theon had held her to him tightly afterwards, making sure she was fine with what had just happened. She had collapsed on top of him as he drank in every feature of her.
He smirked at the memory, keeping himself quiet. If he had his way then he would climb back into bed. But he couldn't. That was not an option.
Theon finally finished placing his armour on his body. He poked the fire, keeping the flames burning for her. He finally looked back at Cassandra. She was sleeping soundly and he didn't have it in his heart to wake her.
He left her in the bed, bending down and pushing her hair from her face. He kissed her on the forehead, his lips pressed harshly against her pale skin. He glanced on as she kept silent; her eyes shut tightly before he stood again and turned on his heel. He left her room, closing the door silently before noting her wolf stood there.
Mericia looked up at Theon with wide black eyes, a small growl escaping her mouth as she did so.
"Look after her," Theon warned the wolf with a pointed finger. "I mean it."
The wolf growled again as Theon walked away with a roll of his eyes.
...
Cassandra stirred in her sleep as she felt something lingering on her forehead. She moved her fingertips to rest there, her eyes opening wide before she rolled on to her side. Her arm flayed out to feel nothing but the mattress there. She turned her head on the side and saw that the space was empty.
She sat up with haste as she heard a scratching noise at the door. She stood up and opened it, Mericia stood there, watching her with wide eyes. Cassandra changed into her grey dress, the fur on the inside warming her body as she grabbed her boots. She pulled them on her feet, hopping around as her wolf growled. She heard roars from outside her window before rushing to it and looking outside.
She pressed her nose against the glass, Theon coming into her line of vision. She saw him stood on top of a wooden plank, his fist pushing the air as he roared at the Ironborn men rallied around him.
"Idiot," Cassandra whispered before she looked at Mericia.
"Stay here where it is safe."
Her wolf ignored her, choosing to stay beside her as she made her way from her chamber. She rushed with haste, her feet hitting the ground quickly as she ran as fast as possible. She had one more chance to stop Theon from leaving the gates. She had one more chance of persuading him to run.
Cassandra moved as fast as possible, looking around her before she bumped into a tall figure. She gasped loudly as Dagmer caught her around the waist.
"Get off of me!" she snapped.
"I think not," he replied. "Those men out there want to kill us. We're giving them what they want."
"No!" Cassandra snapped. "Theon can't...he...he will be in danger!"
"It is the price which he must pay," Dagmer spoke without regret. He pulled her wrist into his grip and tightened it before pushing her against the wall. Cassandra winced as he pushed her further into the stone, her neck craning as she breathed heavily.
"No," Cassandra whispered as his free hand wrapped around her throat. She didn't know what was going to happen as she felt herself become weak under his hold.
"Don't worry. You'll be going home...unlike precious Prince Theon."
Cassandra didn't gain a chance to make him elaborate for she felt herself become unconscious.
...
Robb had no idea what could make his days even worse than normal. He had spent the past night in the walls of Riverrun, safely tucked away after his grandfather's funeral. He had been informed of the death of his brothers and had felt sickened by the news. He had heard nothing whatsoever of Cassandra.
Apparently she spent most of her time holed up inside her room. He had written to her with no reply.
"My King." A new voice entered the room.
Robb looked across to see his squire bow at the waist, his gaze wide as a smile graced his lips.
"What is it?" Robb wondered, tiredness taking hold of him as he longed to crawl into bed besides his wife. It felt odd to call her that. Never before did he think he would marry. And for love. That was the thing which made him smile more than anything. He would explain to Lord Walder why he did it.
"Your sister has been brought here by some of Lord Bolton's men. The Ironborn men handed her in."
"Where is she?" Robb wondered.
"In a guest chamber. Apparently she has been unconscious for most of the journey after she put up a struggle."
Robb shook his head as he moved to walk by his squire.
"How has she been unconscious?"
"A Maester gave her something for the journey," the squire replied.
Robb walked quickly before they came to the guest chambers.
He turned to his squire. "Go and fetch my mother."
"Yes, your grace."
Robb pushed the door open and looked on at the sight which greeted him. He took a moment to stand still and watch the unconscious form of his sister. He felt something well up inside of him at the sight of her pale, malnourished form. Robb took a seat on the side of the bed, pushing Cassandra's hair from her face as she stirred under his touch.
"Cass," Robb whispered as she peeled an eye open. "It's me...you're safe now...you're safe with me..."
"Theon," she grunted his name. "Where is he?"
Robb inhaled sharply, a small sense of annoyance entering his veins.
"I do not know."
And it was true. He had heard nothing of Theon Greyjoy and he didn't want to. As far as he was concerned he could rot in the Seven Hells. He didn't care for Theon.
"Robb," Cassandra whispered his name as she tried to sit up. She slowly moved as Robb wrapped his arm around her waist, helping her to sit. She leant against his side as she swung her legs off from the bed.
"We're in Riverrun," Robb explained. "Mother will be here in a moment. We came for Grandfather's funeral."
"How long has it been?"
"A few days," Robb told her. "You were brought back here by Lord Bolton's men. They surrounded Winterfell before Lord Frey's men could arrive there. Your husband is back in the Twins. Your wolf is also in the kennels. She would not leave your side."
"Mericia is loyal. As far as my husband is concerned, he can stay in the Twins for as long as I care," Cassandra grunted, a hand running along her temple. "What has happened to Theon? You have to find out, Robb."
Robb's face scrunched up as confusion took hold of him.
"Why?" he asked. "Do you know what he did, Cassandra? He killed Bran and Rickon."
"He did no such thing," Cassandra shook her head. "He killed two farm boys and paraded them as Bran and Rickon. He did it to show the people what would happen if they disobeyed him...he did it to gain respect..."
Robb's brow furrowed. "Why?"
"He came back for me," Cassandra said, a small tear rolling down her cheek as she did so. "He came back to keep me from Stevron."
Robb shook his head back and forth. He should have known that Theon would put her first. He always had done.
"His father refused to send ships to help you. He refused to aid your cause. He planned to attack the North whilst it was weak. Theon was supposed to go to fishing villages but he came back to Winterfell for me. He came back to find me, Robb."
"And Ser Rodrik? Did he do that for you?"
"He did it to gain respect," Cassandra whispered. "I begged him not to. He said it was the only way he could gain his men's trust and keep me safe."
Robb sighed loudly, his head shaking back and forth as he watched her cry softly.
"He betrayed me-"
"-He didn't mean to. He didn't intend to," Cassandra interrupted. "Please, Robb, you cannot kill him. You cannot let him die."
"I haven't," Robb said. "I only sent a few men with Lord Bolton's son. Ramsay Snow. I don't know what has happened to Theon."
"You have to," Cassandra urged him. "You have to find out."
"I have a war to win, Cassandra."
"And you had a vow to honour, but you didn't," Cassandra snapped at him.
Robb searched his sister's eyes for any hint of emotion. He only found one thing there. Betrayal.
"You have to. Theon is like a brother to you. He has done bad things, but he regrets them. He really does, Robb." Cassandra urged him, unable to speak of her brother's betrayal to Lord Walder.
"What of Bran and Rickon?"
"I sent them with Hodor and Osha to the Wall. The wildling cares for the boys deeply. She is not who we first thought she was. I thought that they would be safe with Jon. He would look after them."
"I shall have some of Lord Bolton's men go and retrieve them," Robb nodded in response. "The Wall is no place for the boys."
"We can agree on one thing," Cassandra snorted.
"Do you have any idea how worried I was, Cass? How worried we were?" Robb asked his sister. "I've spent the past few weeks worrying for all of you. I can hardly concentrate on what I am doing here."
"And what do you think it is like in Winterfell? How do you think I feel knowing that you and mother are here at war?"
"No," Robb admitted to her. "I do not know."
Cassandra searched her brother's eyes for another moment before she wrapped her arms around his thick form. Robb startled for a moment before holding her back to him, patting down her red hair as she began to cry in his arms. Robb's hands moved down her hair as he kissed the top of her head.
"I've missed you so much." She finally admitted it. "I resented you for so long...refusing to write to you...and when you told me that you had married I resented you more than I thought possible. I hated what you had done. You married me to a sixty year old and then you went and married someone for love. You have what I was denied."
Robb gulped loudly, the noise echoing through the room as he thought about what she had just said to him. He closed his eyes, a wince moving through him as she hit his chest.
"You owe me this much, Robb," Cassandra warned him. "You owe me...you need to spare Theon..."
"You cannot be with him, Cassandra," Robb warned her, "even if he was still alive. He would return home in disgrace. You are married. Your husband would more than likely kill you if he knew you had run away with Theon. The Frey's are powerful."
"Yet you defied them," Cassandra reminded him. "How did you persuade mother?"
"I didn't," he admitted to her. "Mother freed the Kingslayer. She sent him back to King's Landing in exchange for Arya and Sansa. He will not do it...she has been a fool...I have had to arrest her and keep her locked up."
Cassandra failed to believe what he had just told her.
"You have kept mother a prisoner?" she checked.
"It was the only way to keep her safe from the men who wanted her head," Robb told his sister. "She went against me. Besides, it matters not now that she is safe."
"You will find Theon, won't you?" Cassandra whispered. "Or I will head back North and find him myself."
"No, you won't," Robb said, his voice full of authority. It was something which she had never heard before from him. "You will stay here and remain safe. Your husband will be back for you soon enough."
"And you will let him take me?" Cassandra checked, doing her best to keep her voice steady.
"You are his wife."
"Reluctantly," Cassandra said. "Do you have any idea what it is like to be married to him? Do you know-"
"-My love!"
Cassandra couldn't listen to her brother anymore as her mother rushed in. Catelyn pulled Cassandra from Robb's arms as she held her daughter to her. A small smile was on Catelyn's face as she buried her head into her daughter's red hair.
"You do not know how long I have waited for this moment," Catelyn said. "To have you back...if only Bran and Rickon could be here."
"They are not dead," Robb grunted out.
Catelyn pulled back from Cassandra after a moment, looking at her son with a strange expression. She considered what he had said for a moment before Robb retold the story to his mother. He explained everything which Cassandra had said whilst his sister sat on the bed. Catelyn remained by her daughter, her arm around her shoulders as Cassandra rested her head on her mother's shoulder.
"You should write to Lord Bolton's son. Theon Greyjoy...well...Cass needs to know whether he is alive or not." Catelyn decided to say. "Go now, Robb. I need to speak with Cassandra."
Robb looked hesitant but he nodded. He closed the door on his way out, two guards still stationed there. Catelyn turned her upper half sideways to look at her daughter before wiping the tears from her cheek.
"I'm sorry," Catelyn finally spoke out. "I'm sorry for everything."
Cassandra felt her brow furrow as she looked at her mother. Catelyn felt tears of her own begin to build up before she finally stifled a sob.
"I should never have agreed to Lord Walder's terms. I should never have sold you off to his son...then maybe...maybe this would not have happened."
"Balon Greyjoy would have attacked the North with or without my marriage. I was lucky that Theon came back. If not then the Ironborn men would have done much worse to me," Cassandra said to her mother, her own tears finally rolling down her cheeks. "I...he regrets it, mother. He regrets everything."
Catelyn stroked her daughter's cheek softly before pulling her dressing gown tighter around her body. Cassandra said nothing as she leaned into her mother's touch.
"Why could you just not let me marry him?" Cassandra whispered. "I loved him...and then you sent Stevron...you sent him and he...he was not Theon...all I wanted was Theon."
Catelyn's eyes scrunched up as her cheeks glistened with wetness. She took a few moments to regain herself before sniffing.
"I didn't want it for you," Catelyn said. "I wanted someone good for you. Someone like your father...I wanted you to have what I had...but your brother needed to cross the bridge. He needed the Frey banners."
"You sold me for a bridge," Cassandra said simply. "You sold me to some man who does not love me."
"I know," Catelyn said to her. "I know what I did. I would never have done it...I should never have gone there and agreed...and now Robb has gone away and married some exotic girl. Lord Frey will be disgusted."
"Why did he do it?" Cassandra dared to ask. "Why did he go against his word, but allow me to suffer? He knew I loved Theon."
"I don't know," Catelyn admitted. "Your brother is foolish. He is young and inexperienced."
"He said that Stevron would come back for me," Cassandra whispered softly, her voice becoming scared once more. "I...will he?"
"I imagine so," Catelyn said. There was no use in lying.
She heard her daughter sob louder than before, the tears rolling freely down her red cheeks. She sniffed loudly as Catelyn moved to hold her once more. All that she wanted to do was keep her daughter safe from any harm.
"I don't want to...I don't want to live with him...I don't want his children...I can't...mother...please...don't make me go back..."
Catelyn allowed Cassandra to continue her incoherent sobs as she kept her close. Cassandra was still angry with her mother, but she allowed her to comfort her. She needed her mother at that moment in time, regardless how much she wanted to deny it.
Lady Stark felt her heart slowly break as she remained sat with her daughter until she cried herself to sleep. Cassandra laid back down on the bed as Catelyn rested beside her, wrapping her in her arms like she used to when she was a child. She noted the bruises on her daughter's uncovered skin, wondering where they had come from before she realised that she could not protect Cassandra anymore. She was no child. But Catelyn would make sure she did the best by her. She always would.