The next morning, I awoke with Robb's arms tightly around my waist, my head resting on his chest. I ran my fingers along his stomach; Robb stirred under my hand, a smile growing on his face.

"Good morning," he said softly.

I kissed him, "A very good morning for a wedding."

Robb groaned, which only made me giggle. I sat up on my elbow, looking at him.

"Oh, you don't want your little sister to marry my brother?"

He squished his face together, "It's disgusting."

Laughing hard, I smacked his arm. Robb caught my hand with a chuckle and pulled me into him.

"Do you think your brother was a perfect supporter when I was marrying you?"

"No, but you're better than Willem."

Robb laughed and kissed my forehead, "I knew there was a reason I liked you."

"I need to see Sansa and help her get ready."

"In an hour," he replied, flipping me onto my back and running his hand along my side, down to my leg. I raised my body closer to him in response as he pushed it up, leaving a trail of kisses down my inner thigh.

It was a bit more than an hour before I forced myself out of my room to help Sansa get ready. As I walked in, she stood in front of her dresses, her lips parted as she stared dumb-founded.

"Sansa?" I asked.

"I realized my clothes are all in King's Landing. It's funny. I knew that of course, but when you go home, you expect things to be just as they were…"

There was a sadness to her tone and when she turned to look at me, I could see a mix of excitement, fear, and disappointment rolled together. Of course, everything had changed, and being in Winterfell probably made it all the more obvious to her. She touched the few dresses that remained, which I knew were probably ones she did not like very much.

"The excellent thing about home is that you have an elder sister now, who has many clothes," I teased, trying to pull her away from her darker thoughts for a moment.

"I am glad for that," she returned, smiling at me.

We searched through all of my clothes; she tried on several outfits before choosing a perfect purple dress. Her blue eyes, auburn hair, and perfect skin all seemed to glow in the deep purple as I put her hair back into a cascading braid.

"Do you think Will will like it?" she asked softly.

I smiled, staring at her in the mirror. I put my arms on her shoulders, squeezing softly as I added, "I know he will. I can't remember the last time I've seen him smile this much."

That made Sansa blush as she bit her lip. "It all just happened so fast."

Sitting next to her, I asked softly, "Too fast?"

"No!" Sansa cried, laughing happily. "No. It…maybe I imagined a longer courtship, but I am happy. Of course, I've been afraid of what the royal family will say, how they would react, but the moment Will suggested we leave, all I wanted to do was go with him. I am not sure I would have been brave enough if I hadn't spoken with my father before I left. I thought he would be so disappointed, but he wasn't. He was happy for me, almost relieved."

"Perhaps he thought Willem was a better match for you than Joffrey," I bit back my desire to mention a rat would have been a better match for anyone, but instead maintained my pleasant smile.

Sansa chuckled, "Yes, definitely. He—" Sansa let a loud sigh escape. "Joffrey changed so much. I hope that doesn't happen normally…"

"Oh, Sansa, no. It shouldn't. I fell very hard, very fast for your brother, and I don't regret anything. We sometimes fight, of course, but the relationship should not change. Will's personality has always been fiery and impulsive, but in everything he does, he tries so hard to ensure consequences fall only on him. He loves you; he wouldn't have asked you to run away with him if he did not."

I felt myself beginning to tear up as I added, "He is the best elder brother I could ask for. So I know he will treat you wonderfully, and he will do everything he can to make sure you're happy and safe."

Sansa hugged me tightly. "I can't wait to marry him."

I squeezed her once more and then pulled back, "Well, shall I see where your husband-to-be is? You should not have to wait much longer."

Sansa nodded with a huge smile on her face. I walked towards Will's chamber and was surprised to find that he wasn't there. I stepped outside and went to my chamber, finding Robb was gone as well.

I quickly began searching through the various rooms, utterly confused about where they would have gone. Will wouldn't have run although he had joked with me on my wedding day about such a thing. As I hurried through the hallway, panic setting in, I ran into Theon.

"Gods, woman! Do you need to be running about?" He exclaimed as I nearly slammed into him.

"Have you seen Robb and Will?" I demanded.

"Do you think Will has run?"

"Theon!" I warned.

He gave an easy smirk before glancing towards the other hallway, "In Maester Luwin's study."

"Thanks," I returned half-heartedly and walked on.

I knew he was telling the truth when I saw Grey Wind sitting in the doorway. He stood as I approached, casting friendly eyes towards me, but bowing slightly as though in an apology. I watched him with a raised eyebrow until I heard the raised voices inside.

"Do you understand the consequences of taking her?" Robb's voice carried towards me as I reached the direwolf.

Will returned with equal fire, "Do you understand the consequences if I didn't?"

"This sounds like wonderful pre-wedding conversation," I spoke up.

The men turned to me. Maester Luwin met me with thankful eyes while Will gave me an easy smile; Robb meanwhile returned an uneasy one.

"We received a raven from King's Landing, saying that Willem and Sansa have run away together. If they come to Winterfell, we are to return Sansa to King's Landing as this is a disgrace and shows a complete disregard for honor and our commitments. Failure to do so would be seen as questioning our dedication to the crown," Robb explained.

"Keep in mind it does not say treason," Willem stated.

Robb stared at him disbelief, "Yes, it goes one single step short of treason."

"Semantics are important," Will added.

Robb stared him down as though debating whether to lunge at him and attempt to choke him again. Grey Wind even stood, moving further into the room.

"What if they were already married?" I asked.

Both men turned to look at me again, so I explained with a shrug, "What would we do? It's already happened. We would not return her in that case."

Will's smile was growing and even Robb appeared more at ease. It was the deceptive solution either would have thought of themselves if they had taken a moment to cool down, but not in the heat of the moment.

"Besides, they should soon receive our raven about the Lannisters setting fire to our lands. I'm sure King Robert would be in a more forgiving mood after that, and to explain this, we can easily say that what the gods have seen to fruition, we cannot put asunder" I added.

Robb smirked, "Or perhaps, I just send another raven that simply states now we are even."

Will clapped a hand on Robb's shoulder, "I have never been prouder of you."

"I will get Sansa. Ana, can you get Will to the godswood?" Robb asked.

I grinned at my big brother. "I'm sure I can."

"I will see you all in the godswood," the Maester added, turning away.

He had certainly taken a step back from giving advice. The maester had deferred to Robb more and more, only speaking up when he truly felt it necessary. Robb had grown a great deal in the past several months, but still, his emotion would sometimes outpace his tongue. Granted, this was coming from the girl who nearly went riding after her elder brother before he could reach King's Landing.

And now it was clear that would have been a very big mistake. Willem was grinning from ear to ear as we walked away, following a fair distance behind Maester Luwin.

"Think of how proud our mother will be. Sansa is everything she wanted in a daughter," I stated.

If it were possible, Will smiled even more at my comment. "She is…I doubt our mother was terribly disappointed with you, however."

Laughing, I replied with a thank you, but this was not the time to speak about me. Tonight would be about Willem and Sansa. Everything else – problem or happiness – would fall away.

"I can't wait to take her back to Plenair," Will added.

"She will love it. You both will be perfect leading our house," I replied earnestly.

I could see the excitement in Will's eyes as we waited in the godswood, and when we heard two pairs of footsteps behind us, I watched his reaction when he turned around. His smile turned to one of amazement, his eyes wide, and he seemed to hold his breath entirely as Sansa walked towards him, her eyes fixed happily on him.

As Maester Luwin began, I found myself forgetting Will and Sansa in spite of my commitment moments before to focus on them. Instead, Robb and I fixed our eyes on each other. He looked so handsome, standing in his best doublet and cloak, his auburn hair a handsome mess of curls. But beyond that, it was the stare in his eyes that held me transfixed.

For a moment, we were both remembering our wedding day, standing before one another in amazement, a man and woman grown who were still so innocent and fresh in the world. Much had happened between then and now, but there was one thing that remained the same: when I was in front of Robb, the world still fell away, and there we were, just a man and a woman in love.

And as we mouthed the words Willem and Sansa said aloud, it felt as though we were recommitted to a bond that we knew would never break in life or death.