"They're here? In Winterfell?" Gendry asked me aloud as he was sitting up in the bed, facing me as I was changing his bandage and telling him all that happened. It was still reeling in my own head as I was retelling him everything with the Lannister brothers and Brienne of Tarth. After meeting with the three of them and hearing them swear their loyalty to Winterfell, which was still like a dream to me, they were immediately helping us with the arrangements of the North Houses coming together, along with some of the Southern Islands that were not ready for war just yet. The rest of the people in both Thedra Ascent and WInterfell were skeptical about them being in our territory. It made me wonder how Brennon was going to take the news when I go to Thedra Ascent the next morning for inventory and help with new people coming in.
"Apparently they want to help us out." I said to me as I smoothed out the bandage on his rib. He was so close to being healed, staying in bed all the while as I was running Winterfell. Thankfully he was given company by the rest of the Stark children, even RIckon was getting to know him and telling him stories about Mother and Father and Robb. A part of me wanted to mourn since he was still talking about our family as if they were there with us, but another part of me was thankful that he was filled with hope about our family.
"I don't trust them." Gendry said to me as I looked back up at him, seeing him eye me from his spot on the bed. I sighed, sitting up as well as I placed his old bandages on my lap.
"Neither do I, not at the moment really. But Sansa trusts Tyrion, and I have never seen him do anything that harmed me, not once since I was in Kings Landing." I explained to him, seeing him watch me as I thought back long ago when I was there in the South, "Jamie, he's someone I have to keep an eye out for."
"What about Brienne?" Gendry questioned.
"She seems true enough to us. She made a vow to my mother to protect Sansa and Arya, and we renewed those views to me." It made me think back to when she said those same vows, right after Tyrion and Jamie made their vows to me and Winterfell. It didn't feel right that she had to do that to me, of all people. But I was the Heir of Winterfell then, and I had the right to tell them what to do in the fortress.
"How are you feeling about it?" Gendry asked me, now looking at me with worry in his eyes and his hands reaching out to grasp my own. I squeezed my hands in his, though my mind was too far off, thinking about the upcoming battle that would happen, Tyrion and Jamie Lannister pledging to help against their sister…
"Nora." Gendry said to me, his voice almost quavered as I looked over at him. Now he looked very concerned at me, since he saw me doze off in my own mind. But my mind was filled with questions, concerns and worries for my family and our survival.
"I don't think I can do this." I said to him aloud, finally breaking down in front of him and feel hot tears hit my face. Gendry immediately framed my face in his hands, having me feel his skin against my own. But everything was flooding me at once, having me wish that I was no in charge of Winterfell anymore, I wished was back as a dressmaker and I had no responsibilities or cares.
"Come back, Nora. Come back to me." I heard him whisper to me over and over, scooting closer to envelope me in his embrace. He rested his forehead against my own as I closed my eyes. All of the chaos, the villages burning down because of me, my mother and father dying because of me, my twin brother dead because of me…everyone…everything.
"Come back to me my love." Gendry whispered against my skin as I opened my eyes and saw him look at me. Worry was all over his face, and fear that I was going to be lost in my own mind. No, I would not go that route. That's what happened to Cersei, and that will not happen to me.
"You are not running this fortress alone, Nora." Gendry reminded me in his gentle, soothing tone, having me feel him stroke my cheek in a loving and calm pace, "You have Jon, your sisters and Rickon, and James and Thoros to help you. And you have me to help, and I will not leave you here alone. Don't leave me here, Nora. Don't leave me alone here." I grasped his wrists in my own hands, trying to sink away the negative thoughts and the fears and only listen to Gendry. HIs voice was soothing, the calm after the storm. Especially now since I was feeling a lot of pressure and fear boiling up under my skin and in my brain. But the more Gendry grazed my skin with his fingers, the more he spoke quietly and soothingly, I was coming back to reality and coming back to him.
He slowly kissed me, having me feel his lips and how they were so soothing, so gentle and so fair against my own, he was being so careful with me. I returned the kiss, having me grasp his neck as he pushed my braided hair to the side so he can place one of his hands on my neck and the other still on my cheek, his kisses were bolder and more intimate. I could tell that he was trying to show me, through his affection and how he was loving on me, that he was not willing to watch me loose my mind and go crazy. He was going to fight for me and I felt it, on how he held me close and how his kisses were bold and authentic.
He pulled away from me, having me look up at him and placed my hands on his hips for support as we were silent again, having me only hear my erratic breathing from my almost meltdown. He was my anchor, and I took in a deep breath and nodded my head, to show that what he did was in fact all that I needed in that moment.
"I won't end up like her, not while I have a family to protect." I said to him in a raspy tone, seeing him nod his head in agreement.
"And none of us will ever let that happen to you. You are worth more than Queen Cersei, and you are far more precious to me than anything on this Earth. Don't you ever forget that." Gendry explained to me in his bold manner, wanting me to believe in him and to see what he was seeing. I then smiled, for the first time that night since I came to his room, I smiled and felt his fingers tracing my neck and down to my collarbone, having me now think of how we were in a compromising position, sitting so close to each other and breathing each other in. I knew we both had more than lust for each other, we had a deeper connection that was based on our friendship and our need to protect each other from the harshness of the real world of Westeros.
"How is that you can always bring me back from my troubling mind?" I asked him in a coy tone, seeing him smile as he watched his fingers tracing the top of my dress that was against my skin on the upper chest, going into dangerous territory. He knew what he was doing, and he knew that he was going to win this.
"You do the same for me, whenever I don't feel strong enough or good enough for you." He replied back to me, leaning in now as his other hand was resting dangerously on my thigh, holding me in a protective manner and making me loose my breath for a mere moment. I reached up and traced his lower lip with one of my fingers, feeling and hearing his own erratic breathing just looking at me.
"And yet, you think I should marry a Prince, someone who is proper and knows how to treat a woman." I whispered to him, seeing him watch me dangerously and his eyes becoming clouded with lust for the both of us together.
"I doubt you want to marry someone proper." Gendry said close to me, his lips almost touching my own, "Since you are from proper yourself, even in bed." I rose a eyebrow at him. Leave it to him to be coy with me and to change the subject to make me feel more allured to him.
"Yet you don't see yourself as a good enough man for me?" I asked him back, feeling his hand slowly going higher up my leg and resting near my hip, "I don't want a proper man for a husband, I want a man who is willing to fight for his woman, not to mention a fantastic lover." Gendry grinned from his spit as I kept talking, "A proper man wouldn't know how to love a woman, not to mention how to treat them as a equal as you do with me." Gendry then wrapped his arm around me, pulling me towards him within seconds so that I was sitting on his lap and both of his arms were around me, trapping me in his embrace and not giving me real room to move or get away from him. But who was I to want to get away, since I felt as though we both were wanting to have our own alone time together. I
t's been awhile since we were alone together, since his accident I tried to be careful. But now that was caution to the wind as I placed my fingers in his hair and my other hand on his bare chest. We were so close to just letting go with each other, as we have done time and time again, having me be so close to him just to fall into him and never leave.
"I've missed holding you this close." Gendry said against my lips as he kissed me softly, having me grab his hair without thinking and smile as we kissed, "It's been far too long since I've held you."
"It's your fault, being gallant in battle and getting yourself almost killed." I replied back to him as he rolled his eyes and I smirked from seeing it, "Don't think that I only want to marry you because you're a good kisser and fantastic in bed."
"Damn, I thought that was the only reason." Gendry joked with me as I laughed from my spot in his arms. He laughed in return, filling out room with the sound of the both of us laughing and being entrained with each other. It's been awhile since I laughed, and I knew Gendry did that. He saw I needed laughter once more in my life, since seriousness in my life was nothing that I enjoyed. But as our laughter died down, I only smiled and looked down at the man who was watching me with loving eyes. I wanted to freeze that moment, having me be in his arms with nothing to harm us or take us away from each other.
"I love you, Nora Stark." Gendry proclaimed to me, reaching up to move some of my bangs from my eyes, "Every part of you is beautiful to me: your smile and stubbornness, along with your beauty and your need to protect everyone around you. You are all I need in this world, along with your family." I grinned from ear to ear, nodding my head as I leaned down to give him a loving kiss.
"And I love you Gendry Waters. You are, without any doubt, the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life, because you have shown me what real love feels like." It was true, all that I said about him. The way we held each other together against the world, how we valued each other's friendship over anything else, beyond blood and rank, it made him even more special and more unique in my eyes. I couldn't picture myself with anyone else in my life, not one other person showed me the kind of love Gendry did, even before we knew we loved each other, it was still there in the way we spoke to each other and how we fought, bickered, and walked together.
Gendry kissed me once more, a lustful kiss that made me moan in appreciation as his hands found the top of my dress, pulling it down my arms to have me shirtless in front of him as we fell into each other on the bed once more, life before. Half of it was pent up aggression from being careful the past couple of moons, but the other was simple love between the two of us. It was all I needed as we fell back onto the bed, Gendry leaning his head back to kiss my neck and bare skin as I clung to him for dear life.
We were all we needed with each other.
"MIlday." I looked over my shoulder at Tyrion who was walking over to me with a note in hand and a determined look on his face. That morning we were making more arrangements with other Houses and their allegiance as the South was going to come down here within no time to declare war. I was talking with Anguy and Arya with James on visiting another House towards the West. Gendry was back at work in the forge, helping Jon Snow with new armor and its fitting on the soldiers. Rickon was hanging out with Cousin Robin, whom was coming around with the fact that he was going to help us out in the North, and was becoming nicer and nicer to us. They were talking to James and Thoros, both of whom volunteered to train the two boys in combat and fighting. Rickon was a natural, it was Robin who was still too passive and too soft.
"Lord Tyrion?" I asked him aloud as he held up the note to be in eyesight.
"We have another unusual alliance. House Martell has decided to join in the Rally of the North." Tyrion explained to me aloud.
"House Martell, they're not from Westeros are they?" Arya asked him in wonder.
"They are, but they are far South and hardly have anything to do with WEsteros, and they have been to Kings Landing as of late. Their Lord, Oberyn Martell, was my champion in the fight for my life, though he died which lead to my escape. HIs nephew is now the ruling heir of Matrell, Tystane Martell, and he is also betrothed to my niece and Cersei's daughter, Myrcella." AS he was telling me this, I thought back to the moment when I made her a dress, and the sincere kindness and gentleness that she showed me in mere moments. That moment made me wonder if all Lannisters were evil like her mother, and Myrcella was the mere proof that not all Lannisters were evil. She started the rethinking of all that I knew, and I was glad I met her for a moment.
"How did we convince them?" I asked him aloud, seeing him smile from his spot in front of me.
"Thankfully I was still in contact with Oberyn's paramour, Ellaria Sand. She told Tystane all that happened with his Uncle and after I fled, News spread of Winterfell father South from King's Landing. Tystane sought the opportunity to seek revenge on Cersei." Tyrion explained to me aloud.
"And they are fine with you helping us? Do they not see you as a threat?" Arya asked aloud in a wondering tone.
"Ellaria never saw me as a threat, only my sister. She was willing to help and she is aiding Tystane in the planning of Martell House coming to our aid." Tyrion replied back to her, having me nod in approvement. I then walked with Tyrion through the fortress as Arya went off to find James and help him with other
"Tystane will rally some of the alliance Houses to Martell. Jamie is going to try and convince House Tyrell to join in our cause, since they have been allies with the Lannisters but have never really trusted Joffrey when he was reigning."
"So many Houses are wanting to have your sister be gone and off the throne." I said in a amused tone, having me hear Tyrion chuckle and have me look at him in shock. I never knew he would be one who would turn on his own sister. Perhapes it went more deeper than I imagined it would be.
"Cersei has always been known to be well liked amongst other Houses, her charm is quite memorable." Tyrion explained to me, having me watch him for a moment or two before I asked him what was haunting my mind.
"Why do you want to help us?" I asked him, seeing him stop walking and look away from me for a mere moment or two before he finally caught eye contact with me.
"It started with your mother, Lady Cateyln. She spared my life, and I admired her for it." He explained to me in a more sincere tone, "She was protect of both Sansa and Arya, along with your brother Robb. She knew what it means to fight for loved ones, and I wanted to do the same. And of course, because of your sister, Sansa. I never wanted to bring pain or harm to her, since she suffered enough in the South under the cruelty of my Nephew." I was silent, thinking of my mother and how she spared him, how she could of done that. She was a noble woman, filled with truth and tradition. Yet Tyrion admired her, looked up to her in a sense.
"I thank you for your truthfulness." I said back to in, seeing him smile and nod his head.
"Of course, Milday. And I do have another idea, to find your other brother Bran Stark." He said aloud, having me place my hands on my hips to watch him.
"What are you thinking?" I asked in curiosity.
"We send sworn swords to the North to the Wall, since that was the last place we were told that they were at." Tyrion explained to me as we walked some more, having me listen with interest.
"We should send Jon up there to find him, or at least James or Thoros…" I trailed off, retrying to think of a plan.
"If you pardon me, Milday, that is not a suitable solution. I have a man I can send to help you, along with my squire Pod and some of the Brotherhood Without Banners." Tyrion said to me. It sounded like a good idea to me. We needed to find him and fast, since he was the last Stark child to make all of us pretty powerful. Since we had no other choice but to sen Tyrion's men, along with some Brotherhood Without Banners, I nodded my head.
"We must move fast before my sister comes with her army." Tyrion explained to me with more of a rushed tone, "But she won't leave her son on the throne by himself."
"Where does that leave the battle?" I asked him in earnest. He paused, looking ahead and seeing the opening of the Northern wild beyond Winterfell.
"It means, we can expect King Tommen and all of the South will come to the North."