Author's note: I will admit this is one of my favorite stories of mine, I am slowly falling in love with Theon. Anyway, thank you all for the kind reviews, favorites and follows. I hope you enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Game of Thrones, or the books A song of Ice and Fire. I own Anna. Lyrics from "How it Ends" by Beth Crowley.

"There's a darkness

that plays behind your wicked smile

aching sadness

as you cradle me like I am a child

this is madness

We're descending into madness."

Chapter 5: Madness.

Anna

Her nightmares would not end, it was an endless loop of blood and death. She never knew who was being murdered, but she could hear the screams, hear the begging. She would catch glimpses of a woman she had never met. She was beautiful, with dark hair, tan skin and a hand upon her belly just before all Anna could see was blood. Her nightmares were endless. She would wake screaming each morning, the pain in her ribs blaring. The days after the murder of Rodrik Cassel had blurred together and Anna did not even know how long she had been locked inside her own chamber.

Her only company was a woman who brought her food every few hours, and emptied her chamber pot. Anna knew her as a young servant girl Theon had once made a pass at, and now she was her only company. She would ask the girl of her brothers, and all she would get were simple one word answers. They were safe and that was all that mattered to Anna, as long as they were safe.

One day she found herself writing a letter to her brother,Bran, hoping she could smuggle it to him through the young maid. But when Anna tried to give the letter to her, the woman denied her. She pushed the parchment back into her hands, and left Anna cursing in her chambers. She had tried to escape after that, tried to deliver the letter on her own. When she was able to get out of the room she was met with the end of three swords pointed straight at her throat. She could have taken them if it had been one, and her ribs did not scream in pain, but that was why he had posted three guards at her door.

Anna felt herself going mad in the chambers, silently slipping into madness. She wished for Grey Heart, the wolf would keep her company but she was locked away as well. Anna was a caged wolf who would only get madder with each passing hour. Someone would have to pay the price for the madness burning inside her soul.

"Anna."

She did not look up. She knew his voice, and she did not enjoy the kindness in his tone. She did not want to look at him because he was not who he used to be.

"Go away."

"Anna, I have given you enough time to calm down. We must speak now."

Calm down? I can't calm myself.

Anna felt the bed sink under his weight but even still she did not look to him. She did not want to look into his eyes, she not want to look upon his face. He too had slipped into madness, and together they would only slip further.

"Anna, look at me." His tone was still gentle. "You have to understand.."

"Understand? You want me to understand why you murdered a man who put the sword in your hand? You want me to understand how you betrayed the only family who loved you? Robb trusts you more than anyone right now, and you are betraying him. You want me to understand that?"

Anna let her fire out, she let her voice raise. She turned to him a fire brewing in her blue eyes. She was furious with him. He wanted her to understand, but she would never understand.

"I had a family, and your father took me from them."

"How many nights did you stay up with me telling me how your father gave you away? How many nights did I hold you over your insecurities? No one is here, don't you dare pretend."

She was not going to let him pretend to feel welcome in his damned family. He was always proud of being Ironborn it was part of his damned persona. In front of everyone he was the cocky Ironborn heir to Pyke but with her he was someone else. He was insecure, and he was unsure. He showed her that side of him.

"That Theon is gone now. I am the Prince of the Iron Islands, future King."

"You don't deserve to be a King, Theon. Months ago I would have said you could have been a King, but now I could never. A man without honor can not be King."

She watched him close his hands into tight fists, she knew he was getting angered. She did not care if her words were hurting him, he hurt her. She was vengeful, and unforgiving. She was a damned wolf who had lost enough.

"You will be my Queen, so bite your tongue."

"You act as if I have a choice. You threatened my brothers, you bastard. If I had my way I would never marry you."

Anna let out a hiss when she was laid flat upon her back, Theon straddling her waist. The pain in her ribs was still healing, she had no doubt they been bruised horribly when the man kicked her. Theon leaning over her did nothing for the searing pain.

"I remember a time when all we spoke about was getting married." He leaned down, his mouth close to her ear. "Don't you remember, love? We made all the plans, spoke of even having a secret ceremony."

Anna did not give him an answer because she did remember. It was not long ago that they lay in her tent speaking of a future together. He promised her one night if the plan with his father did not work he would come back and marry her in secret. They would marry and when the war was over they would tell everyone. They spoke of marrying in the Godswood at Winterfell, and Robb would give her away. Anna had dreams of marrying Theon, but those dreams had turned to nightmares.

"I know you still love me, Anna, I know you do."

Anna felt his lips kiss her neck below her ear before traveling lower. She growled deep in her throat and placed her hands upon his chest in an effort to shove him off of her. Her body did not have the momentum to shove him off of her, and in return he pinned her hands to the mattress.

"Why do you keep fighting me? I have missed you so much."

She knew he was being sincere, she could hear it in his tone. She saw the feelings in his eyes, which were usually his give away. She would sometimes catch him in lies only because his eyes would always betray to her his emotions.

"Because you killed the man I loved. Whoever you are, whoever this is, is not the man I love. Theon Greyjoy, my Theon Greyjoy, was a kind man who hid behind a facade of being cocky. He was rude, and classless but he was good and kind. He had honor. This monster that you are is not Theon Greyjoy, you are just another Ironborn prick."

"Enough." His voice was rough as he bared down on her.

Anna glared daggers at the man who hovered over her. She tried not to look into his eyes, because she would get lost in them. She laid there his hands pushing her wrists deep into the mattress, his body pushing against the bruises on her ribs.

"Anna." His voice was soft as he slowly leaned down and captured his lips in hers.

Anna had not kissed him since the day before he left for the Iron Islands. His lips were chapped, but they still felt at home pressed against her own. Never trust a Greyjoy. Her mother's words rang in her ears but it was already too late. Anna trusted Theon Greyjoy, more than she should. She did not kiss him back, but she did not fight him as his lips moved against her own. She enjoyed it, she enjoyed closing her eyes for a moment and imaging he was still the man she loved. She could imagine that he had never attacked her home, never killed a man or threatened the ones she loved. But even that happiness could not last for long.

"Go fuck yourself, Greyjoy." Anna pulled herself away from him and spat in his face.

She saw the look of rage upon his face before she felt the sting of the slap across her face. The force sent her head to the side and she tasted blood in her mouth. He was off of her and out of the room before she could say a single thing to him. Anna let the blood pool in her mouth before she spit it out onto the floor. The Theon she had once known would never hurt her, and yet he had countless time since he had taken Winterfell.

Anna had always known that love would be the death of her, she knew. When she began her decent into love with Theon Greyjoy she knew it would cost her everything, she just never imagined it would happen so soon. She knew from her namesake that love came at much too high a price. Her father would tell her that her Aunt Lyanna was kidnapped, and Anna may have believed that but not as she grew older. Her Aunt Lyanna did not love Robert Baratheon, her aunt loved another and she made her choice. She knew the price of her love, and she knew it would cost her everything. Anna knew her aunt did not mean to risk the lives of her entire family or the entirety of the Seven Kingdoms, but love was love. Her Aunt died for loving Rhaegar Targaryen, and Anna knew if she had not died at the Tower of Joy, she would have been killed anyway. Robert Baratheon would have learned that she had truly loved the Bard Prince and would have killed her on the spot.

Anna knew love would be her death as well, she knew it was her fate, but she did not plan to go down without a fight.

When her chamber door was opened again later that night Anna was ready to swing back at Theon but it was not him who crept into her chambers. Anna looked up to see Osha entering her chambers, dressed as if she was joining the brothel. Her hair was combed and washed, she was naked beneath her robe. Anna looked at the woman with suspicion.

"Joining the brothel now too, Osha?" Anna was still bitter over the woman offering her service to Theon.

"We do not have much time, Anna, so listen to me."

Anna stood up from her bed and stood before Osha, her body burning.

"What is the matter?"

"I am taking the boys tonight and I am leaving. I have a plan in place. We will come for you as well, as soon as I know it is safe."

Anna froze in her spot, a feeling of fear washing over her. She knew what Theon would do if the boys ran, if she ran. He needed her to win the North over to his side, he knew brute force would not hold an alliance of northerners. He needed to be linked to the Starks.

"Take the boys and their wolves. You run with my brothers and you never look back. Take them south find Robb and my mother. Do this for me."

"They won't go without you, I already tried to convince Bran."

"Give him this letter." Anna found the letter she had written for Bran. "Tell him I love him, but he needs to be brave now. He needs to find our brother and fight for our home. I am strong and he is too."

Anna went to the window looking out over her home. She knew the risk her brothers would face running, but they needed the chance.

"Anna, you have to come with us."

"No I don't. You are a fighter Osha, you will keep them safe I know it. I trust you."

Anna bit her cheek, letting blood fill her mouth. She wanted to go with them, she wanted to be the one to keep her brothers safe but she knew if she stayed it would be safer for them.

"Are you staying for their safety, or because of him?"

"You don't know what you speak on Osha, so hold your tongue. My job is to keep my brothers safe, I will give my life for them."

Anna was glaring daggers at the wildling. She would never stay for Theon, what ever love lingered was not enough to keep her. She wanted her brothers to have their best chance.

"What would coming to get you change? My spear will not be enough to help them."

"The more time you take to come get me, the more in danger my brothers become. I have three damned guards outside my door at all times, you don't have the time to deal with them. You can take my brothers and run. Their wolves will aide you in their protection."

She knew that she was more of a danger to her brothers if she went with them. She knew that Theon held some feelings for her, some love left inside him, and that meant he would not risk killing her. She knew that, because if not she would have been dead already.

"I will try my best to convince them, I will lie if I must." Osha approached Anna, taking her hands in hers. "Keep yourself safe, and take this."

Anna was handed a dagger, and the feel of the steel in her hand brought her satisfaction. She thought of sliding the blade across the neck of the Ironbron, and driving into the heart of the man she loved.

"Rickon won't understand, he will be scared. Tell him I love him, and that he will be with mama soon. Tell him I will find him as soon as everyone is safe."

"I will."

Anna stashed the dagger under mattress as Osha left her room with one more glance, the guards looking in the room as the door shut. She knew they had not heard them speaking, the heavy wood of the door and the stone walls made it so. She knew in the morning everything would change and she would prepare herself what was to come.

"Get up, you bitch." She was pulled from her nightmare by the sound of someone's voice.

When Anna opened her eyes she was greeted by a very angry Theon Greyjoy. She let a small smile play on her lips, and for a moment she thought of the dagger. She could kill him quickly, and no one would have been the wiser.

"Where are they? You ungrateful bitch, I keep you alive and this is how you repay me."

He was storming about her room, screaming. She knew what it was about and it meant the plan had worked. Her anger was still fresh from the day before, and her victory of her brothers escape made her brave.

"How could the great Prince Theon of house Greyjoy lose two little boys? And one a cripple."

She knew he did not find her humor enticing but she did so enjoy it.

"That bitch wildling took advantage of me, and helped them escape."

It clicked in Anna's head what the plan had been. It had begun to make sense on why Osha was dressed like a whore. She began to laugh, which did nothing for the man's temper.

"Get dressed, you are riding out with us to find the bitch and your brothers."

"No, you don't need to go looking for them. Why do you need them if you have me? Let them go."

Anna was out of bed and standing before him, her mind on the dagger. He did not need to chase her brothers.

"My men.."

"Fuck your men, fuck you. You don't need them, they are innocent children. I will give you everything you want, just let them go."

"Get dressed, unless you want me to find them without you."

Anna rode beside Maester Luwin, her dagger tucked hidden in her boot. She tried to bring Grey Heart but Theon threatened to butcher the animal. She wished she could butcher him instead. Riding through the wolfswood did nothing for her pain.

"Are you alright, Lady Anna?"

"I am as alright as I can be, Maester. My prayers are focused on my brothers at the moment."

She needed her brothers to get away, to escape. She feared what Theon's men would convince him to do. She knew he would not wish to hurt them, or at least she hoped part of him remained that did not wish to hurt them.

"Enjoying your first hunt Maester Luwin?"

The joking folly in his tone made Anna's skin crawl. She did not consider this to be a hunt.

"Seems much like riding to me."

"Except there is blood at the end of a hunt."

"Not this one, because if you hurt them I will kill you."

Anna had not wished to be with him searching for her brothers, she wanted nothing to do with it but she had to. She needed to ensure their safety.

"If we find your brothers soon I will not hurt them, well I will hurt them, but I won't kill them."

Anna wanted get off her horse, pull the dagger from her boot and stab him through the heart. The callous bastard. She glared at him as the hounds began to bark in the distance. They had once again picked up the scent of her brothers. She cursed Osha under her breath for being so careless, there were ways to cover ones scent. How did the woman not know such a simple thing?

"Why the long faces? It is just a game after all."

He was gone before Anna could retort. She looked to Maester Luwin with worry. She needed her brothers to be safe, and if they found them she would kill every Ironborn she could so they could run again. No one would touch her brothers.

"The only game is when I shove a sword through your heart, Greyjoy."

Anna knew the Maester heard her but she did not care, her anger was winning. She kicked her horse to go, and soon she caught up to the bastard Prince.

When they reached the farm house Anna felt a pit form in her stomach, she knew nothing good would come of this. She dismounted her horse and stood beside Maester Luwin. The Ironborn were swarming the house, the hounds no longer barking, and their were children screaming. Anna worried deeply, she did not like the way Theon held himself, something bad was to come.

"Find the scent again."

The hounds had lost her brothers, maybe Osha was not as idiotic as she seemed. Anna just hoped that her skills had not put the family of the farm in danger. She knew her brother Bran would not enter the farm, she knew he was aware of the risk it would place upon the family, he had been taught well.

"Theon, you lost them we can turn back. You don't need them, I have the most worth to you."

Anna tried to place a calming hand upon his shoulder but the man just jerked it off.

"My men are ready to consider me a fool, I will not stop until those boys are found. You must have known they were leaving, you should have went with them." She knew he was right, she should have left with her brothers. "When I find them, Anna, I promise you..."

"You promise me what? Are you going to kill them? You don't want to know the hell that you bring upon yourself if you do, Greyjoy."

Anna was inches from him but his eyes were not on her they were on whoever stood behind her. Theon did not say a word to her, he just turned away as someone was dragged in by his men. It was an old man, no doubt the owner of the farm. He was yet another face she should have remembered but it slipped through her fingers.

"Where are the Stark boys?"

"I do not know, my Lord."

Anna almost reached for the dagger when Theon punched the helpless man in the face. She would not allow him to continue his atrocious.

"Theon stop it. None this of this makes you strong, it makes you weak. You let your men control you, let..."

"My Lord, I think I found something."

Anna was cut off by the cruel Dagmer, who captured Theon's attention. She went to the old man, offering him help of the ground. She apologized for the pain he was in, and told him that it would soon pass. Her own pain had begun to pass as she stood in the farm, she did not doubt it was due to her rage boiling inside of her. Once she helped the man up she was greeted with Theon in her face.

"You and Maester Luwin are going back to Winterfell. My men will take you."

Anna eyed Theon with suspicion, she did not understand his sudden change. He had forced her to come with him, and now he was sending her back but the look in his eye answered some questions.

"Theon don't do this." Maester Luwin spoke as he was dragged away.

"Theon, if you have any love left me. If there is any small part of you that has ever cared for me don't do whatever it is you are planning. Your men don't care about you, they don't care if you're honorable but I do. I know you, don't do something you will regret."

Her voice was calm, but the fire in her eyes was true. She did not know what he was planning to do, but if he hurt her brothers she would end him. As the man dragged her away she locked eyes with him one more time.

"If you kill my brothers, Theon Greyjoy, there is no saving you."