Hey there! First off, sorry for another delay. I have been working like a maniac, and I can't tell you how tired I am by the time I'm finally home. My bed has become my only friend.

I have been writing a little bit almost every day, trying to finish a damned chapter so you don't have to wait as long, and finally, it's here. I'll have two days off this week, and I will do my best to write as much as I can, in advance. The next one will be up in about a week or so, and we will be on the road, finally! It's going to be exciting, it's been a while since I wrote new characters (Well, new to this story, since they very much exist in the ASOIAF world). And in this chapter, you'll get a glimpse at Elena's past, without any flashbacks. And finally, I'll be paying attention to the giant, pink elephant in the room that I have been ignoring for a couple of chapters, that is Jaime Lannister.

Thank you for reading, commenting, following and everything, and I am very excited that I got positive feedback when I mentioned I'm working on another GOT story. My mind is overrun with ideas, so they may be even more than one new story in the works ;)

Anyways, enjoy, and keep reading! Love you all! Ana

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CATELYN

I could only shake my head with disapproval. I tried talking and they did not listen. I have known that Elena is headstrong for some time now, yet, her stubbornness still manages to surprise me.

She ignored everyone and she risked it all. Even though she was told to rest for some time more, she was walking around the camp. Gendry, who was following her and Robb, who was giving them worried looks did not try and stop her, but at least their disagreement with this was visible.

No matter what we say, that girl is unstoppable. And no matter what I say to them, they will never go against her wishes. All those boys care for her, each one in their own, different way, and that leaves her unaware of the fact that she has them wrapped around her fingers.

We are in the middle of a war, and we need her help. I do not know why I expected her to rest when there is so much that needed to be done.

She told me herself, she gave herself an ultimatum, a number of days she has for rest, and then, she's going. Well, both of us are going.

These days, we are not marching, but waiting, and Renly Baratheon and his army is not that far away from us. Those negotiations need to be done, and no one can do it better than Elena. She knows Renly, she knows who we're up against. I'm going with her simply because she cannot go by herself, but with another negotiator, and bringing Robb to Renly's war camp would be a fatal decision.

It was decided that we leave in two days' time, and that was decided today. Today was the first time she could walk and stand without much pain, or help from someone else. By the time we reach Renly's war camp, Elena will probably be more than healthy, but she is certainly not healed now.

"Is this truly a good idea?" I asked my son as we were walking behind her and Gendry, who were simply walking around camp, different speed at a time.

"Perhaps it is not. Are you volunteering to try and stop her, mother?" He asked, and I smiled at him. He knows that there is no use in trying to protect her. She'll either be in danger, or protect herself. Robb can only do so much, no matter how worried he is.

"I cannot stop her, but you might." I said. If there is one person she is going to listen to, that is Robb. And, perhaps, her brother Tyrion, but I have no doubt that he has already tried to change her mind.

"And I already know that would be a waste of time." He said." If she wants to go, she will go. Out of all of us, she is the most competent. And she wants to go. Besides, I'd rather have her occupied than sad." He said. I should have known better. Of course he has some sort of hidden agenda, the one that works for her well-being, without Elena even knowing it. Had she known, she would have avoided it.

"So you are willing to let her go?" I asked. That, on the other hand, was not like him. For as long as they had been married, they haven't spent one day apart. I was under the impression they liked it that way.

"Mother, please. She will return. You both will. And by the time you do, nothing will change." He said.

"Your father told me something similar once. I'll return. It'll all be the same. When he returned, I had you in my arms, and he had Jon." I told him. I did not wish to remind him of that once more. I was just trying to show him that even the most honorable ones have their moments of weakness. To this day, I do not know who that woman was. I prefer not to know. I can only hope that Robb will be a little more stubborn than his father, and that he will truly wait for Elena to return.

"I find it highly unlikely that Elena will fall for another man during your negotiations." He said.

"I was talking about you." I said. It was not easy for me to say, and it was surely not easy for him to hear. But it needed to be said. I know that, I know that because of my own experience.

"Mother, what do you take me for?" Robb asked me, his tone strict. He is insulted, I can see.

"An honorable young man. The same I thought of your father." I told him. I never expected Ned to do what he did. I forgave him a long time ago, but I have never forgotten. I do not want to see the same thing happen to Elena as well.

"I would never do that to her. Or you, either. Or even Jon." He said. He loves his wife, and he loves his half-brother. Jon may be a bastard, but he is a part of this family. They all love him. Even I accepted him. A little too late, but I accepted him nonetheless.

"I am glad to hear that Robb. Just remind yourself of that while we are away." I said. I hope I am the only one considering that option. The last thing Elena needs to do now is doubt Robb's fidelity.

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ELENA

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I did not want to leave, of course I didn't. It has started to feel very much like when Robb leaves me to go to battle. Only, this time, I am the one who is leaving.

I may try and act strong, unbothered, but my act can only go so far. Robb is not doing any better either. I can see it in his eyes; I can tell by his actions, he does not want to let me go. The list of things we do even though we do not want to do them is getting longer and longer by the minute.

Catelyn, I and a number of guards are leaving in just a few hours. And just now, it hit me, this is the first time Robb and I will be apart for longer than one night.

It is definitely true; I have become one of those women who are ridiculously dependent on their husband. I used to laugh at that; now, I can understand that it is simply love. Nothing else can attach you to someone as strong as it attached me to Robb.

"We have talked about this for hours, and I know exactly what needs to be done. What I need to know now is what are you planning to do while we are away." I said. My part of the bargain is well known, in detail. What worries me is that I have no idea what Robb plans on doing while he waits for a result. Does he continue his march, or does he stand in place? We both have focused so much on this deal with Renly, that we completely underestimated other dangers. That might turn out to be a big mistake.

"I cannot tell now." He said. While I appreciated the honesty, I was hoping for a solid answer." I suppose I will know more when Theon returns." He said, and I frowned.

"Returns from where?" I asked. I only saw him this morning.

"I have decided to send him back to the Iron Islands." Robb said, and my eyes went wide." I have an offer for his father, and who better than Theon to hand it over to him." He told me.

"Please, tell me you are not serious." I whispered.

"I am." He said. This is not good, not at all. I know Theon. Not as good as Robb does, of course, but I would say I know him well enough. He is a man full of vanity, he is full of himself and power hungry. And I can suspect he is easily tempted. I wouldn't trust him with anything, anything at all.

"Robb, I must be honest with you. I do not think that is a good idea." I said. He deserves to know that I disagree. I have a right to tell him that I disagree. Usually, I would be certain that he would at least listen to what I have to say. That does not mean he would listen to me entirely and follow my guidance blindly, but at least he would take my opinion into consideration. When it comes to Theon, I cannot be certain. He is his best friend, his brother. Never before have I tried to come between the two of them; there was no need. But now that I am in that position, I am not sure which way the wind blows.

"You do not trust him, do you?" He asked me. Do I trust him? Yes, in a way I do. I trust him to fight with us, to protect Robb in battle, to be a loyal friend he was before. But do I trust him to go back home, and return, once again with his head bowed down? No, I do not.

"In this situation, I do not." I said.

"I do." He said. His tone did not suggest that he was trying to make this an argument. We simply disagreed. Only, it was his opinion that truly matters. And ultimately, it is his decision.

"If you believe that is a good idea, I will fully support you." I said. That goes without saying. It doesn't matter if it ends perfectly or horribly, it won't damage the faith I have in Robb, and my unconditional support." I just want to tell you something someone once told me. Do you know who Jon Arryn was?" I asked him.

"Of course. I have never met him, but he was my uncle." Robb said. Gods, I forgot that Lysa Arryn is his aunt. It is fascinating and slightly disturbing how the noble houses of Westeros are well connected.

"Well, he was not family to me. But I grew up with him. He was Robert's hand ever since I could remember. He was the one who taught me how to sword fight properly, even though I never pursued it as much as I did archery. He was not my family, nor my blood, but I loved the man. He was one of those incredibly smart people that unintentionally make you take in every single word that comes out of their mouth, because those words can turn out to be pure words of wisdom. Once, he told me "Do not trust anyone too much. Even your shadow leaves you when you are in the dark." I said. To this day, I still remember those words, I still remind myself of what he said, knowing it will always be good advice." I believe he was right. If you truly trust Theon, by all means, send him off. But do not be too surprised if he does not return." I said.

"Elena, I need a fleet." He said." Renly has men, but he does not have ships." He said.

"And Greyjoys do?" I asked.

"Yes. More than Stannis does, that is certain." He said. I may understand his decision, but that does not mean I see it as a good idea. It is not a good idea, not at all." We are going to need ships if we want to take King's Landing." He said. Of course, I told him that myself. I know that city, every part of it, from the Red Keep to the Flee Bottom, every single dead end street, or secret passage I used to explore with Gendry when we were still kids. If we have ships, a fleet, we may take the city. And if we only have men and horses, we will be taking a big risk. I have been married to the man long enough to know that he would avoid that big of a risk if it is possible.

"I understand. But please, be careful." I said, knowing it was useless. Once Theon leaves, there is nothing Robb can do.

"You as well." He said, and I smiled as I took his hand in mine.

"Nothing will happen with me, Robb. Renly would never harm me in any way, and your Mother and I have more than enough guards to make a safe journey." I said. He made sure of that. We have close to one hundred men following us, including Ser Rodrick, one of our most trusted people.

"Elena, you know it's useless. I will worry no matter what." He said.

"It goes both ways, my love." I said. Gods, how I wished I wasn't in pain. While I am mostly healed, I knew making love to Robb would be a big risk none of us would be willing to take. Still, I wanted to be in his arms, probably more than ever before. It was not the uncertainty of my return, as I am positive I will soon be in his arms again. It was not for the sad, dramatic goodbye. I simply wanted to be closer to him, for no obvious reason other than the one that I love him.

"It is almost time, isn't it?" He asked, and I nodded. The sooner we leave the better. We have no time to waste, but I do not consider talking to my husband a waste of time." Have you said your goodbyes?"

"Aye, I have." I said. Those goodbyes were willed with hidden emotions. I did not shed a tear, even though my heart broke into million little pieces when Gendry told me that he will miss me. Tyrion, ever the joker, sent me off with a warning not to get too close to Renly. And Jon was unemotional, as always, but his hug was just a little bit stronger than it used to be.

"Have you talked to your brother?" Robb asked me.

"I said goodbye to Tyrion while it was still daylight. One cannot be certain what one will see when entering Tyrion's tent after nightfall." I said with a smile, and Robb started laughing.

"Sometimes it is better to be safe." He said, and I nodded." Only, I was talking about your other brother." He said. And there it was. The dagger in my heart I did not miss.

I did not forget about Jaime. I just chose to pretend like I have.

"Why say goodbye when I did not bother with a hello?" I asked. I presume my emotions were hidden well enough, even for Robb to see.

"Perhaps it will be better to stop avoiding it?" Robb suggested. Deep down, I know he is right.

"What do I say?" I asked. That is the biggest reason I did not visit Jaime for all this time. I simply do not know what to say to him. It would be ideal if I felt nothing more than hatred towards him, but as always, it was not that simple. I hate him, with all my heart, but occasionally, I turn into that lonely little girl whose big brother brought her a kitten, made her laugh and watched over her every step. When does memories come floating in, it is very difficult to focus solely on the hatred.

"Whatever you want. No one will hear other than you and him." Robb said. I wonder if he would find it that simple if he were in my place. It is easier to be the one giving advice, than to be the one taking it.

"I can try." I said. Why not? Perhaps I will feel better afterwards. There is always the option that I will feel even worse, but I doubt it can get much worse than it already is.

"Then go." He urged me, but I did not move." I will still be here once you return." He said with a smile, almost as if he is urging me to go and eat, and not confront my brother, his prisoner.

"I might change my mind." I warned him. Gods, he is not the one troubled by this! I cannot explain why I have the need to justify myself. I will try, because I am always the one who tries. And if I cannot do it, than I cannot do it. It is as simple as that.

"It will not matter, not if you try." Robb said. It does not make any sense. If I walk over to Jaime's cage or wherever he is held, but not go in, it will be brilliant, because it is the thought that counts? I was too tired to call out Robb for speaking nonsense. Besides, we are running low on time.

"Fine." I said as I got up on my feet. It hurt me, but I did not show. If Robb just suspects that I am in pain, the journey will probably be postponed, again, and we cannot afford that.

"He is tied. If you want privacy, tell the guards to leave you. He cannot harm you in any way." He said. Oh, how lovely. I am safe from my own brother. He would never hurt me; at least I do not think that he would. When it comes to Jaime, I cannot guaranty anything anymore." Bring Grey Wind with you, if you'd like." He suggested. Grey Wind would protect me if any harm comes my way, but I am not sure he would wait for an immediate danger. I do not want him dismembering Jaime in front of me.

"I can manage fine on my own, thank you." I said, and I took a deep breath." I'll see you soon." I said, and I walked out of the tent.

What do I tell him? What does he tell me? Do we pretend like nothing happened before, like he is not the father of Cersei's children? Do we pretend like this is an accidental encounter, and not that he was defeated and captured by my husband?

I had no answers by the time I got close to the place where they kept him. I was right, it was a cage. If Cersei could see him now, her revenge would be gruesome. I cannot see him just yet; I can only see where he is held. And I can see two soldiers standing nearby, closer to me than they are to him.

They were surprised to see me, I could tell as much. But they are not going to question it, at least not openly. They might wonder, but they will not say a word. Ironically enough, I am here with my husband's blessing, and not secretly.

"Your Grace." One of them said, and they both bowed. That stupid title. Soon enough, Robb will have to wear a crown, and I as well. They are being made at the moment. Luckily, I will not have one on my head as I offer Renly an alliance. That would be a bad start, I am certain.

"Please, leave us. Once I am done with the prisoner, you may return to your positions." I told them.

"Your Grace, you may be in danger…" The other one started, but I shook my head.

"My husband, your King, assured me that I am in no danger whatsoever, that the prisoner is tied. And if it comes to that, I know very well how to defend myself. Leave." I said. I might have failed to mention that I have nothing to defend myself with, but it matters not. I always have my nails and my teeth, and if Jaime attacks me, which I doubt will happen, he will not be left in one piece. I may have been slightly rude towards them, but this time they listened to me, and they left.

If I try and prepare a speech, it will end horribly. So I might as well just walk in that cage and see if I have anything at all to tell him.

As soon as I started walking again, I realized I probably will not be able to walk in that cage at all; no one gave me any keys. Perhaps it is better that way. The guards said nothing, but I will not run after them. I will have to use what I have.

I could see him now. He was sitting down, tied up, his hands behind his back and his head bowed, looking down at the ground, perhaps even sleeping. While he did not look well the last time I have seen him, now he looked even worse. Robb informed me that he was giving him food and water, but not plenty of it. He treated him for what he was; a prisoner.

It was fascinating to see just how much someone can change, even just the physical appearance. He is a long way from the breathtakingly beautiful man in a golden armor.

I did not rejoice. No matter what, I never wished to see him like this. There was always a tiny bit of hope in me that it all will change. The moment I realized that it will not was when Jaime promised me my husband's head. Now, when I recall that, I cannot find it in me to feel sorry for him, not one bit.

"What is it now?" He asked, not looking up, and he startled me a little bit, but I knew better than to show it. I walked closer to the cage, not looking away from him.

"Hello." I said. That was all I was prepared for. A simple hello.

While it was simple for me, it was not simple for him. He lifted his head at once, and his eyes widened when he saw that it was, in fact, me, on the other side of the cage. He looked even worse now that I can see his face. I suppose that is the downside of war, especially of being imprisoned.

"Elena." He said. There was nothing I could say to that. I could only just stare at him." Elena, are you alright?" he asked me. He tried to get up, but he could not move an inch. It was almost sad to watch him like that. And in all honesty, I felt bad. I felt bad when I saw that after all this time, after everything we both said and done, he still worried about me.

And that is exactly why I avoided this for so long. I knew, I knew that the second I looked at him, my emotions will start to confuse me. I am that little girl, all over again, and my brothers are the only ones I can rely on. My mind was spinning impossibly fast, reminding me of all the good things Jaime has done over the years, and at the same time, reminding me of all the horrible ones.

"Are you fed?" I asked. I could not ask him how is he, that would have been ridiculous, considering that I am one of the reasons he is imprisoned in the first place.

"You wouldn't believe, but that husband of yours has been incredibly kind." He said. I should have guessed that he was going to become cynical as soon as he's certain that I am alive and well.

"I am not sure which way you see it, but sparing your life? Keeping you alive and not have you executed? To me, that is incredibly kind." I told him. No matter how much it pains me to see him like this, I will not allow him to make me doubt the choices I made.

"He did not keep me alive out of the generosity of his heart, you can be sure of that." Jaime said.

"Of course he didn't. He did it so that we can use you. If there is one thing, one person, both Cersei and Tywin Lannister love, it is you. We are not playing games, Jaime. None of us are. This is serious. We know what we want and we will get it." I said. My intention was not to scare him, or anything like that. I just thought that he still might think that we are playing war. If he had taken us, and Robb's army, more serious than he did, he would not be captured.

"I see you have made your choice once again. You say we, not they." Jaime said.

"Of course I do. Jaime, time has passed. They are my family now, more than the Lannisters ever were. I have their name. I gave birth to a Stark. Does it truly come as a surprise to you that I am with them, and not with you?" I asked, and he did not respond." Go back, remind yourself of how father treated us, how he treated you and Cersei on the one hand, and how he treated Tyrion and me? Truly, tell me, does it surprise you that we have found love and acceptance elsewhere? That we have joined this cause in a heartbeat?" I asked.

"Tyrion betrayed us as well?" He asked." So it is true. Out of four, two children stabbed father in the back." He said. It is as if it was a surprise.

"Jaime, I just told you. The way he treated us, he deserved nothing else." I said.

"And your sister and I, we deserve this to?" He asked.

"Yes. After what you all did, yes." I said.

"Even the children?" he asked.

"No one will lay a hand on Tommen or Myrcella. If you knew me at all, you would never question it." I said. It has been decided, a long time ago, that those children did nothing wrong. And if we succeed in this, they will not be harmed. Robb promised me and I do not doubt him." As for Joffrey… that boy is a horrible, horrible person. Everything has changed, Jaime. Everything. Now, it is kill or be killed." I said.

"I cannot recognize you anymore." He whispered." You have become a different person, and still I will help you in any way possible. You are still my sister. We can both do the right thing." He said.

I expected a lot of things out of this conversation, and I was prepared for them. The one thing I did not expect at all was for him to suggest that I set him free and run off with him to join Father. He did suggest it, perhaps not using those exact words, but I understood the point.

"You cannot recognize me because you do not know me. I would never betray my husband, nor my family. I will do everything in my power, everything I can, to make them pay. Those who are responsible for pain and evil, will pay their price. Even if it costs me my life. Goodbye, Jaime." I said, and with those words, I turned around and walked away, not giving a second glass to the prisoner, long lost brother, I was leaving behind.