"I do this because you are my brother. I do not do this for the Starks."

"I don't give a shit why you're doing this," Theon snarled back at his sister as they stood in the harbour that evening, looking on at the small boat which contained four men. They were ready to take Cassandra back to the main land, and back to her mother. She had protested about it for the past few days, longing for Theon to be able to go with her.

"You could be a bit more grateful," Yara snapped at her brother. "I'm helping you out."

"And we both know you have compassion for Cassandra," Theon replied to his sister. "You're a woman too. Not a sightly one, but you are one. You know what they say about our Uncle Euron. He would have Cassandra the moment we left port."

"Do you think I would let anyone close enough to me to rape me?" Yara wondered from her brother. "They'd have an arrow in their eye before they could even get close enough to me."

Theon smirked. "If they'd even want to get close enough to you."

"Theon." Cassandra finally broke her silence to hit him around the arm. He looked down to her with a shrug. "You don't need to be rude. Your sister has kindly agreed to do this."

"Your Stark girl is right," Yara said, taking her turn to smirk. "I've managed to dig to the bottom of my heart to do this. All in the name of true love."

"Shut up," Theon said with a roll of his eyes. "You're being sarcastic now."

"Me? Never," Yara replied; her hand on her chest as she allowed the side of her lip to curl upwards. "You have about five minutes before the men grow tired and leave without you. It shouldn't take you longer than five minutes, Theon, if Cassandra's moaning is anything to go by."

Theon felt his hands curl into fists whilst Cassandra stifled a laugh. She looked up to Theon as he glowered down at her, clearly not amused by the situation which they had found themselves in. Cassandra forced herself to stop smiling as Theon glared at his sister as she left.

"Clearly we're not that quiet, and the walls at Pyke aren't that thick." Cassandra said with a soft blush. Theon moved to her and wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her to him as he bent his knees to look her straight in the eye.

"Or maybe I'm just that good that you can't help but yell?" Theon suggested and she snorted.

"I don't think so," replied Cassandra. "Apparently I'm just insatiable."

"That's a fancy word for you," Theon replied to her.

"I'm a fancy person," Cassandra replied, moving a hand to run through Theon's dark hair. Her eyes widened as she closed her eyes and looked back at him. She took a moment to move her other hand to his cheek, running her fingertips along his rough skin.

"I'll come back to you," Theon promised her, knowing that she was worried about him being hurt. She supposed her worry came with good cause. Both of them knew that this would be the final war. They knew that the Targaryen girl was dangerous. Supporting her claim was the only hope they had. It was the only way they could be together in the end. Cassandra only hoped that everything worked out as it should.

"I know," Cassandra replied. It was the only thing that she could say back to him without wanting to come across as weak.

Theon dared to move both of his hands to rest on her cheeks, forcing her gaze to his. She looked back to him before he swiftly kissed her, their lips barely touching. He spoke again; "I promise you that I will come back. We will be together, Cass. We'll go back to Winterfell...back to that cold pile of stone where we met."

"I'd like that," Cassandra nodded at him before he kissed her again. "You, me, and the baby."

"Yes," nodded Theon. "That's it."

"What will your uncle do to you, Theon?" Cass wondered from him. "What will he do when he hears how I've gone?"

"He will not hear until it is too late," Theon spoke. "He is too busy in his feeble attempt to woo her onto his side. It is almost as if he thinks he will be King if Daenerys is victorious."

Cassandra couldn't help the snort which passed her lips at hearing that from Theon. Shaking her head back and forth, she pecked Theon on the cheek.

"I doubt she would favour your uncle," Cass declared. "I cannot see that happening any time soon. She is far too beautiful."

"Aye," Theon nodded. "Some said that when they found out about us. They believe me to be too fine for the vicious Stark of Winterfell."

"You arrogant fool," Cassandra said, unable to stop herself from laughing at his words.

Theon smirked before holding her tighter in his grip, finding himself unable to let her go back to the mainland. He didn't want to be separated from her again. He didn't know if he could handle it anymore. In the end he hoped it would all be worth it.

"If you two are quite finished, my men are waiting to take the Stark girl back to her mother."

"Yes," Theon said once Yara had interrupted. He turned back to Cassandra. "Are you ready?"

"No," she truthfully spoke, "but it will not stop this from happening, will it?"

"I suppose not," Theon agreed, kissing her for one final time.

Yara resisted the urge to gag as she watched the pair of them. She walked down the steps to the small boat which sat by the wooden platform before looking up to see Theon walking Cassandra down the steps.

She observed her baby brother with a look of wonder. She didn't know how Theon had turned into the man he was now. How had he even been blessed with a woman who loved him, especially after all he had done? Yara didn't understand it.

"Be safe," she urged Theon once he had aided her into the wooden boat. Her hand held his with brute force.

"You too." Theon said, slowly peeling his fingers from hers. "I love you, Cass."

"Now I really do need to empty the contents of my stomach," Yara complained, watching for a moment as Theon turned back to glare at her.

Cassandra resisted the smirk threatening to play on her lips as she looked back to Theon. "I love you too."

...

Catelyn Stark sat on a bed in the inn. She had travelled for days from Winterfell with a small guard. The Lannister men who had been watching Winterfell had been disbanded once Robb made his allegiance known to the Targaryen girl. She had amassed an army, and the entirety of the North rebelled against the lions again.

And now Robb rode South to meet the new Queen on her voyage from Pyke. Catelyn didn't entirely trust the Greyjoys. She never had, and she mistrusted them even more when she heard that Euron Greyjoy was now the Lord over the Iron Islands.

She had been sent to the inn to wait for her daughter to come to her. She didn't know how long she had been there for. Time seemed to pass her by and nothing happened. Her guard were downstairs in the tavern, drinking and eating whilst she hid away.

It wasn't until night fell over Westeros when Catelyn heard a knock on the door. She moved with haste, opening the wood to reveal a sight she thought she may not see again.

"Cassandra," Catelyn sighed her daughter's name, wrapping her into her arms with haste. She held her daughter to her, breathing in the cold scent which lingered on her travelling cloak. Cassandra kept her arms around her mother as her guard disbanded, leaving the two women alone.

Catelyn ushered her daughter into the room after a few moments, locking the door behind her.

"Mother, how are you?" Cass asked from the woman who stood before her.

"I am as well as can be, my dear," Catelyn assured her. "How are you, Cass? How has it been on Pyke?"

"It has been eventful," Cassandra told her mother, allowing the woman to take her by the hand. The two of them sat on the side of the bed together, Catelyn never once allowing her arm to leave her daughter's waist.

"Has Theon been ill towards you?"

"No," Cassandra said. She knew that her mother didn't favour Theon. She never had and she never would, that much was apparent. "His uncle wasn't the most courteous of nobles. He seems to believe that I am a whore who can be used whenever he deems necessary."

Catelyn's eyes widened as she heard her daughter speak in such a manner. Shaking her head, she felt her mouth gape open.

"He did nothing, mother," Cassandra promised her. "As soon as Theon found out about he refused to leave me alone with him."

"I am glad to hear it. I would never have sent you to Pyke had I known that he was there. I know all of what he did to his brother's wife. My faith in Theon must have been vast to allow him to take you."

"Yes," Cassandra agreed, "and now he has gone off to war with Robb again. I long for it to end, mother...Robb...Theon...I wonder where Bran and Rickon are. I wonder where Arya and Sansa are."

"You think the same thoughts that I think all the time," Catelyn told her daughter, bowing her head. "After this war, we will go home. You are hanging low. The baby cannot be far away now."

"I only long for it to wait for Theon to come home," Cassandra scoffed.

"Children are not the most patient of creatures," Catelyn kindly smiled. "All we can do is wait; my love."

Cassandra nodded in agreement, not daring to think of what would happen if Daenerys Targaryen failed in her quest.

...

A/N: Thanks to everyone reading and to those who reviewed! Almost coming to the end of the story now, so please do let me know what you think in the meantime!