Hey. Here is another update for Love the Way You Lie. I hope everyone is enjoying it thus far. In this chapter we will encounter the rarest thing ever. A Tully/Bolton dinner. So without further ado ladies and gentlemen Dinner From Hell.
Adora had no idea what she was to expect when she made her way down to the dinning hall. For all she knew Roose Bolton was going to put a knife through her chest like he did with her cousin Robb. But then again who would marry the beast descending the stairs with her if Roose did that.
"Are they coming Reek?" she heard Roose's cold voice break the silence of the room beyond the door they were standing in front of.
"Master Ramsay and Lady Adora are on their way," Reek was saying. Adora could see the poor creature cowering away from Roose afraid that the father was like the son. "I told Lady Adora's lady in waiting Myranda to tell them..."
"I told you to get them yourself you miserable coward..."
Adora opened the door before Roose could go on with his tirade against Reek. "Don't berate the poor fellow," she said. "We're here. Exactly as you told him." She sent a kind smile over to Reek.
"Why do you always coddle him Dora?" said Ramsay as though he were talking to her about a naughty child who should be punished. "If he didn't do as he's told he should be punished for it."
"But as you can see we are here. Your father told him to bring us here. And thus here we are. Why should he be punished for nothing."
"Hello," said Lady Walda feeling the need to draw attention to herself.
"Lady Walda," Adora greeted the woman gently. It wasn't her fault her husband and stepson were murdering monsters. "How do you fare today?"
"I am well," said the other woman. "How are you?"
"I am well as well."
She turned to the other people in the room. She hadn't noticed them until she had turned to talk to the Lady Walda. But once she did she was shocked at who they were.
"Edmure," she exclaimed as she rushed towards her brother and his wife. "What are you doing here? I thought they would have taken care of you like they did with Cat and Robb."
"Adora," said Edmure gathering her into his arms and holding her tightly. He let her go looking her up and down to see if she was harmed. He then turned towards his wife. "This is my wife Rosalyn. Rosalyn this is my little sister Adora."
"It's nice to meet you, Rosalyn," she said shaking the other woman's hand.
"I've heard so much about you, Lady Adora," said Rosalyn.
"Shall we adjourn to the dinner table?" asked Roose pointing in the direction of a table laden with all Adora's favorite foods.
Ramsay gently took her arm and lead her over to the table. He sat down and looked over at Reek. "Reek," he called, "are you going to make, Lady Adora, stand the whole meal. Pull out her chair for her. Like a gentleman would."
Adora could hear Reek shuffling over to her. She looked over the man who was once Theon Greyjoy. She had hated this man until now. Now she just couldn't find it in her heart to hate the poor thing. She studied his pain etched face as the man slowly pulled out the chair for her.
"Milady," said Reek.
"Now push it in for her Reek," was Ramsay reply.
She knew that would be a difficult task for the man. She tried to make it simpler by not sitting fully in the chair but the task was still not easy on him and he ended up falling into her lap.
"Reek," hissed Roose, "is that anyway to treat a young lady. And of such a noble house as House Tully."
Ramsay pulled Reek off of her lap and looked like wanted to do the poor thing bodily harm. Adora cleared her throat to draw Ramsay's attention away from Reek and his blunder.
"It was only an accident," she said with a smile. "Reek didn't mean to do it on purpose. Did you Reek?"
"No milady," Reek stammered looking down at the floor. "Milord Reek only meant to help milady push her chair in. That was all."
"I will deal with this later Reek." He pushed Reek back to the side and sat back down beside Adora.
"Are you alright Adora?" Roose asked. "You find better help than him Ramsay."
"I am perfectly fine Lord Bolton," Adora told Roose. "And I prefer Reek's company to any number of the servants I have in company already."
"Do you now?" asked Ramsay. "Shall I tell you what..."
"Can we eat without mentions of how you amuse yourself Ramsay?" Roose's voice cut through the room like a butter through knife.
For a while all that was heard were scrapings of knife and fork upon plates and the sacred whimpering sounds that Reek was making.
Adora turned to Ramsay. "I may be so bold as to ask you something, Lord Bolton," she said finally breaking the silence.
"You may," replied Ramsay not looking up from his plate.
"May I take Reek into my service?"
Adora watched as Ramsay almost choked on his food in shock. He coughed and patted frantically at his chest eyes wide. Adora handed him his cup and watched as Ramsay drained it.
"You want to take Reek as one of your servants?" he asked shock dripping from his every word.
"Yes. May I?"
She watched him look over at Roose to find the answer. Following Ramsay's stare she saw Roose nod almost imperceptibly at her request.
"I suppose you may then," Ramsay told her. He snapped his fingers and Reek hobbled over to them. "Reek you are now in the service of the Lady Adora. Don't screw it up."
"Yes milord," was the reply.
When she turned back to the table she saw a number of shocked faces looking at her. But the only one that mattered was her brother's face. He didn't seem shocked at all. He knew that Adora wouldn't let Ramsay hurt someone she had sworn to help rescue.
"Can you pass the peas please?" she asked no one in particular.
Edmure started to laugh at that which brought laughter from everyone else. Adora didn't understand why her asking for peas was that funny but she went along with it.
After the plates from the main course had been taken away talk turned to war. Which also meant talk turned to what had happened to her aunt Catelyn and cousin Robb. Adora hadn't been there but was pretty sure that she didn't want to hear about from two people who were. She began to fidget restlessly in her seat.
"Is there a problem, my love?" asked Ramsay placing a hand on her own.
She looked at him. "No, my lord," she replied. "I just don't like talk of what happened to my aunt and cousin is all."
Roose smirked at her and then Edmure. "I guess we should get to the matter that has brought us all here tonight then," said the leech lord as he stood at the head of the table. "It brings me great honor to announce the marriage pact between Houses Tully and Bolton."
"There is no such pact," shouted Edmure.
"If you don't want any harm to befall dear Adora there will be Edmure Tully." Roose turned to Adora and Ramsay. "I'm sure your sister will be very happy to marry my son Ramsay. Won't you Adora?"
Adora's eyes went wide in shock and it was her turn to choke on her food. She felt Ramsay gently patting her on the back until she stopped coughing.
"See she's happily shocked," said Ramsay.
Adora looked over towards Edmure and saw the defeat in his eyes. She didn't like what that actually meant for her. Considering what had happened to Ramsay's last wife.
"If it is the only way to keep Adora safe then so be it," was Edmure's resigned reply.
"May I be excused," Adora said. Not waiting for a reply as she got up from the table and race out the door. She didn't know how long she had run. Or for that fact how long poor Reek had followed her trying to catch up.
She dropped to her knees before the weirwood tree in the godswood looking up into the unseeing eyes. Why were the seven so cruel to her family? Why was all this happening to her? She nearly jumped out of her skin when Reek gently place a hand on her shoulder.
"I'm sorry Reek," she said apologetically. She motioned him to sit down next to her. "Why is this happening to us Theon?"
"Not Theon," Reek said hurriedly to her. "Not Theon."
"Because your family pissed off my family," came Ramsay's voice from behind her. "Poor Reek maybe I will have to make Adora remember your name as well."
"No, milord," said Reek. "Milady will remember. I will make sure of it."
"Don't worry Reek you are not to be punished for the Lady Adora's slip. Just make sure that you do not slip into thinking you are Theon."
"I won't milord."
"Reek please escort Adora back to her rooms. Father is most displeased with her reaction to our good news at dinner."
"Right away milord." Reek helped Adora to stand up and lead her past.
Ramsay gently grabbed her arm. "You will make sure we don't have another scene like tonight again," he told her. "I don't warn twice."
Well there you have it. Another chapter. I hope everyone is enjoying this still. Please let me know what you think.