"My lady." I was greeted by the Master as I walked into my room with Astrid at my heels, having my eyed instantly go to the bed and see Gendry in the bed, already asleep but having little color in his face. I knew that he needed rest, that I need not to worry, but it was still hard for me to see him there: helpless and alone. He looked peaceful in his rest as I walked over to his side, seeing him head was turned and against the pillow and his face at peace. But I saw Koda on the other side of the bed, laying down and facing his master. I saw the sorrow in his face, his caramel eyes as he was watching Gendry. As I approached Gendry, Koda's eyes shifted to me and I heard him whine, as if he was feeling the same pain as his master was going through at that moment. Astrid trotted to her brother, nudged him with her nose to show him she was there.
"How is his wound?" I asked aloud, the Master walked over to my side as he pulled away the fur that was covering him. I saw Gendry shirtless, with a patch of white cloth over his rib and side and a few dots of blood staining the cloth.
"His wound will heal overtime, all we do now is let him rest and not move too much. It was a clean wound from what I saw, nothing to be completely concerned about. However, I do recommend that he stays away from battle for awhile at least." The Master replied, getting his things together and having me smile at my spot. I know how to make that part happen, it would simple enough. I gently grasped Gendry's hand, feeling the rough callused fingers against my soft ones and felt at peace.
"Thank you." I replied to the Master, seeing him smile and bow to me in return.
"Of course, Milday." He replied back to me, walking out of the room with his tools. I looked back at Gendry and I stayed silent for a moment or two, thinking of how this was good. He wasn't dead, nor was he going to be dead. All he needed was rest now, and all that worry was slowly slipping away from me and out of the window. I walked over to the other side of the bed, seeing Koda hop off the bed to let me get on my bed myself. I watched at Koda and Astrid curled up together on the floor next to the bed, comforting each other and keeping each other company as I laid next to Gendry, facing him and having me hear his breathing, coming in and out evenly. There was nothing else I could do, but be there next to him and watch him in case he would wake up. It pained me, knowing that he wasn't going to wake any time soon, but I only watched his chest rising and falling, seeing the peace in his face and how he was laying in the bed.
I took his hand gently in my own, having both of our hands together between us and having me feel a tear coming down my face. I was slowly melting away the stone hard look I was harboring all that he was gone. Because of who I was and what I had to do, I sentenced two people to die, I was helping start a war with the South, but I had no way of easing my pain and my worries. Gendry was there for that very reason, he always made me feel at peace in times of chaos. Now that he was back, I only wished for him to awaken and watch me with his blue orbs.
"I'm right here, Gendry." I said to him, having me think back to the time where we were on the road back to Winterfell, when he had a nightmare in the woods. And also another time when we were with the Brotherhood Without Banners, how he comforted me then by saying the same thing. We both were there for each other and we never wanted that to end. I had to be strong for him, right now in this moment, and I didn't need to be anything or anyone else, just his anchor.
"I won't leave you. I promise."
Sansa and Jon took over ruling Winterfell for me, since they knew I was not going to leave Gendry's side until he awoke from his rest. I stayed with him, day and night, and I helped change his cloths and wounds with the Master. After we killed the heads of the Frey and Bolton Houses, Jon and Sansa met with some of the Heads of the Houses that were in alliances with us, planing the next move and next attack against the South. Arya would come in, sit at the foot end of the bed crossing her legs, and tell me all that was happening with the news. They were going to slowly find other alliances within the East and Western Houses before we make the big move on the South. I was beyond glad Sansa and Jon were reliable to help with the planning, they knew my pain that I harbored with a wounded Gendry.
Two days afters he was brought into my chambers, Gendry finally awoke from his slumber. I was standing next to him by the bedside, folding his old shirt that he was wearing that the Master switched him out of when I saw his hand reach up to touch my own arm, having me freeze and look down at him. He was wide awake, looking up at me with a tired face, which was still having some color missing in his cheeks and under his eyes. I said nothing, but I saw his smile at me as I touched his hand that was on my hand, having me feel warmth all over my face and body as his blue eyes looked at me. It was as if we were meeting for the firs time all over again: back in Flea Bottom and whim defending me against the lowborn men who were going to harm me. I even lost my breath for a moment or two, only because he was alive and well again.
"I had a dream." he said aloud, his voice was raspy as I watched him with my own eyes. I smiled widely from the sheer randomness of his sentence, "I was in battle, Jon was next to me and I was wounded. I fell off my horse, and I felt my breathing leaving me…"
"You're safe, back in Winterfell." I reminded him, walking around the bed to lay down next to him once more, but his eyes never left mine as he continued.
"I thought I was going to die, that I would no longer be alive. But then I saw something…I saw you." I laid down next to him, facing him once more as I did plenty of times before as he looked at me with sincerity and kindness in his eyes, and overall love for me. He them smiled, the same smile only we would share together as he took one of my hands in his and looked at it carefully. I did as well, seeing how small my hand was compared to his large hand.
"You looked like a siren, an angel that came to save me. I never saw anything more beautiful that you in this dream, dressed in white and your hair in braids." He said, his voice was softer and more sensual as I listened to him, "And you knelt down next to me, placing your hands over my wound and smiled at me. I could of died happy then, just seeing your face one last time and feeling your skin against my own. If that was the last thing I saw before I died, then I would of let it be so. You told me one thing before I woke, 'Come back to me, my love. Don't leave me alone in this world, you promised.' " I blushed, thinking that he had the most pleasant derma though it sounded like he was about to die. I saved him, in his dream, I brought him back to reality and reminded him of his promise.
"You did promise me to never leave me alone in this world." I reminded him, seeing him smile and reach out carefully, squinted in pain before he could touch my cheek. I instantly pushed his hand down, having it go by his side.
"Don't push it, Gendry. You are supposed to be resting." I said to him now in a stern tone.
"I only wanted to make sure you were real, that I was no longer dreaming about you." He said to me in his lower tone, having me pause and then leaning over to kiss him gently, feeling his lips against mine and then sighing in content and happiness. I missed his kisses and his lips, my heart was now in fire that he was here again safe and sound. He kissed me back just softly and then smiled against my lips as I traced his stubble jaw with my fingers, feeling the bone under his skin and his whiskers.
"Is that enough proof?" I asked him aloud in amusement.
"Not enough." He growled against my lips as he kissed me once more, a bolder kiss. I kissed him back as he placed his better hand on my neck to hold me where I was and to have me feel his love against my lips as he kissed me. I pulled away from him with a serious look on my face as he looked at me as well, almost in a daze.
"I'm not pushing it with you, not when you need to get better." I said to him, seeing him groan as I giggled. Even though I wanted to kiss him into oblivion, he had to get better for our sakes, if he was going to help Winterfell and the North come back to sorts and to even marry me, "I will not have you fall sick or worse, not before we are meant to marry."
"You are going to be the death of me, Nora Stark." He said in frustration as I pushed his black hair from his eyes.
"Better me than anyone else. It's my job to protect you from death you know." I said to him in my lighter tone, but he raised his eyebrow at my statement.
"I thought that was my job." He said in a coy tone, having me shake my head.
"Leave that to me, since your wound needs rest and healing." I said back, pointing to him wound and having him look at well, the fur coming down to his hips and showing his bare chest and the cloth on his wound. He looked back at me, having him see the worry in my eyes as he rested his hand against my cheek, to bring me back to reality. All that I was in the wound was pain, no optimism in my thoughts. But looking back at Gendry, I saw that he was giving me a small smile.
"I'm not going anywhere." He reminded me, the same phrase we used on each other for what seemed like ages. I scooted closer to him within seconds, not touching his wound but wrapping my arms around him and feel him hug me close carefully. He kissed my hair and I closed my eyes, my ear against his chests and hearing his heartbeat.
"You better not." I murmured against his chest as we both fell into sleep, the first time with a smile on my face in what seemed like forever. We both were at peace again and were not worried about the cares of the world.
We had each other again.
"There has been talk, coming from the distant lands in Essos of the Targaryen House coming this way to claim the Iron Throne." One of the men from House Mormont saying aloud to me. I was sitting with the Head of the Alliance Houses at the Great Hall table, joined by the rest of the Stark Family minus Rickon, whom was occupied with Osha and the workers outside in the forge. He was pardoned from the meeting, since he had no real purpose on being there since he was so young, and he had no care for meetings. I was wearing my House colors, my hair was down but in eccentric braids and my bow and sheath against my seat as Jon was dressed in his black on my left and Sansa in her gown on my right. The Houses that were there were House Mormont, House Reed, House Glover, and House Cerwyn.
"She rules the kingdom of Meeren in Essos, but she harbors dragons in her command. Word is that she can control the dragons to her voice and hers alone, shadowing the sky and taking out cities as if they were straw houses." The Head of Glover House added in as he looked at me with both worry and wonder as I thought it in my own head. I never knew dragons did exist, and if they did, they must of not been around for centuries. This woman, could she be a threat to us all? From Sansa's lessons with me, Targaryen House was the last ruling House of Westeros until the Baratheons overtook the throne, and I was told that they were a mad house, the House of Dragons.
"Would we see her as a threat to us?" I asked aloud, having me see the Houses murmur to each other in hushed noises.
"If they wish to overtake the throne, I don't see how we would need to worry." House Reed spoke up in a shrug, "It is not for us to overtake the throne, only to reclaim the North in our favor."
"House Reed is right." Sansa said to me aloud, having me look over at her as she folded her delicate hands on the table, "At this point, House Stark does not want the Iron Throne."
"What of Baratheon?" The man from House Mormont asked aloud, "Where does Stannis Baratheon stand with us?" I thought back to when I was in Dragonstone, chained up with Gendry, and we both thought it would be our last moments there before we would die. I had not met Stannis Baratheon, but from what I recalled form what happened to Gendry, how he treated him and almost had him killed because he was Stannis's Uncle, then I had no peace with him.
"Let him fight for the throne, that is not our concern." I said aloud with my authoritative tone, having all of the eyes of the Houses on me as I placed my eyes on each of them, "If he believes he is the rightful heir to the throne, then I will not stand in his way of overtaking it."
"Will you be willing to align with him once he is king?" House Cerwyn asked aloud to me, "If he is going to be the King of Westeros and the Seven Kingdoms, then you will have to answer to him." I passed then, knowing that what he said was true. My father and to do the same with King Robert, even to become his Hand and travel to King's Landing for his duties. Would I have to do the same? not me, but Bran? Was that a willing sacrifice.
"We will show Stannis that we are not threat to him when it comes to him fighting for the throne." Jon answered for me, having me look over at him and see him look back at the Heads of the Houses, "We will show allegiance to him, in order to have a mutual agreement between him and the North." The Heads looked at each other and nodded in agreement, talking to each other and having me see Jon stare at me with approval in his eyes. I nodded my head, seeing him lower his head once, showing that he was still following me wherever I would lead this.
"We will still have to worry about the Targaryen girl and her dragons." House Mormont said aloud as we all looked to him, "If she is going to come here to Westeros, we must be prepared if she comes against us."
"Perhaps we can talk to her." Sansa said aloud to the group, her voice was more of a gentle wind in the mist of murmurs and lower tones of worries and fears, "We can convince her to help us in this times."
"Convince a mad girl with dragons?" He asked in skepticism in his tone.
"Better to convince than to show hostility towards her." Jon replied back to him in defense of Sansa. But before we could say anything else, Anguy and Throros came into the room and stood in front of me, out of breath and looking rather shocked as they stopped. All of the Heads of the Houses looked in confusion as I was mostly looking in concern. It was as if they saw a ghost in front of them, or something worse.
"What is it Thoros? What has happened?" I asked him, thinking someone got hurt in the fortress or that we were going to be attacked.
"Apologies Milday for interrupting your meeting, but there is something. We have visitors, from the South." He replied, having me hear murmurs once again with the Heads as Jon got up from his seat with his Sword on his hip, ready to use as he stared at the two men.
"Who are they?" he asked aloud, having me watch as both Anugy and Thoros look at each other in both worry and fear of what they were about to say. I stood as well, having me see Thoros eye me from his spot. The next thing that he said had me floored and loose my breath.
"Brienne of the House of Tarth, along with Lord Tyrion and Lord Jamie from House Lannister. They wish to speak to the heir of Winterfell. "
The South has come finally.