Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun

Chapter Nineteen.

Elia knew that she probably looked somewhat like a pig, shovelling food into her mouth in a manner that did not befit a princess or a lady and she knew if that if her mother could see her then she would probably stab her with a fork but at this exact moment in time she did not care, she had not eaten any decent real food in almost a month. And she had been great deal hungry lately, she picked up a large wedge of pork pie and devoured it in four whole bites.

Ned and Elia had set off from Winterfell almost a full moon ago and they had only just passed through the neck, at the moment they were staying in a large inn around a mile away from the border of the neck. The food was the best thing about it, pork pies as large as her head and full to bursting with fine pork, peas, carrots and onions. Honeyed chicken that made her mouth water to just look at it, venison stew with freshly baked bread and mulled wine to wash it all down.

The inn might not actually be in the north but the man who owned it was a burly northerner with a full beard and it was clear that in terms of food he had not forgotten where he had been raised and Elia was thankful for that, she might miss Dorne and it's food, spiced Lamb, honeyed dates, spicy dragon peppers that burned you're mouth and sweet milk with honey but it often left her hungry a few moments later aside from a few dishes.

One thing she had grown to love about the North was how the food filled her so, the northern food filled her perfectly and she had always left dinners with a full stomach and slept easily. Still, even now as she ate alone in the privacy of her room she couldn't help but feel a small deal anxious, she had been eating a great deal more and more lately and there was already a slight weight gain, her face becoming softer and her waist beginning to grow. She had to wonder if Ned was starting to find her repulsive.

She knew it was ridiculous to worry, Ned came to her bed every night and he did not seem unwilling to share her bed with her when there was only the one available and he still kissed her as passionately as ever, still loved her as fiercely as ever but it was hard not think it sometimes despite knowing how silly it truly was.

She wished that Ashara was here to reassure her but she had told her to remain in Winterfell, with Lord Rickard still recovering and Lyanna only just beginning to get the hang of managing a household, they would need all the help they could get and Ashara was needed there plus she did not want to put Laruyn through another hard journey like the one to get to Winterfell.

Still, despite knowing she had made the right choice she still missed her friend a great deal, she would dismiss all of her petty fears and reassure in that way that only Ashara could seem to. Elia sighed and put the large platter of pork pie on to the table that was at the side of the bed and laid down, resting her head on the pillow and closed her eyes, she had been going to bed earlier and earlier lately.

Elia didn't know if she had fallen asleep or not and if she had she didn't know how long she had been asleep before she heard the door open, she looked up and saw her husband walk in, an apologetic smile on his face. "I am sorry my love, I did not mean to wake you." He spoke gently as he slowly sat down on the side of the bed, one of his large hands reaching out to gently brush back a strand of inky black hair.

"It's alright, I was only just about to fall asleep." Elia said with a yawn which she quickly caught with her hand, Ned chucked and pressed a kiss to her head before he laid down next to her and pulled her to his chest, Elia sighed in content and relaxed against his firm chest, it was moments like this that reminded her that she had nothing at all to worry about.

The men who had ridden with them from Winterfell were down in the inn and going by the noise they were drinking and fighting and had girls in their laps who were acting so very interested in their stories, Ned could be down with them right now but he choose to be with her and it didn't surprise her, he was a decent man and even if he didn't love he would stay away from them to simply honour his vows.

The two of them stayed in the bed and their breathing began to even out, soon they were both completely asleep.

A few moments later however Elia shot up in bed and began to gag loudly, Ned's eyes snapped open and he looked at her in alarm before he shot out of the bed and grabbed the empty chamber pot at the foot of the bed and handed it to her. Elia was sick into the pot, gagging and spluttering inbetween the vomiting and Ned rubbed her back gently to try and sooth her, to help her through it. "It's alright Elia, just try and breath." He said quietly.

After a few more moments of retching Elia looked up, her face pale and long. "I think it's stopped." She said weakly and Ned nodded before he took the chamber pot from her and rested it at her feet for now, just in case they had to reach it quickly.

"Are you alright?" He asked gently as he pressed another kiss to her temple.

"I believe so, I think I simply ate too much." Elia said as she rested her head on Ned's shoulder and shut her eyes, her stomach still felt more than a little uneasy but it was starting to settle down.

"I must admit I was more than a little surprised when you asked for a whole pork pie, where do you put it all?" He asked with a grin and it grew wider as he felt Elia gently hit his chest with her palm

"I was hungry, you can't blame it's been days since we had any real food." Elia pointed out.

"The food in the neck wasn't that bad." Ned said as he brushed his fingers through her hair.

"Oh yes, I adored the Snails, frogs, berries that might be poisonous and the tadpoles." As soon as Elia finished reciting the list she began to retch again and Ned snapped up the chamber pot, Elia took some deep breaths as nothing came up and she placed the chamber pot back on the floor. "I enjoyed staying at Greywater Watch and Lord Reed was a charming host but I would not like to dine with them again."

Ned had to admit that he saw her points, the Reeds were loyal bannermen, Lord Reed was a good man and the Neck was a fascinating place with plants that were as tall as him and taller in some cases but the food did leave a good deal to be desired and the fact that Greywater Watch floated did mean that it was hard to keep a hold on your stomach. "We will not stay with them on the way back, I promise."

"I would not wish to be rude, beside Howland would be disappointed if you left without saying hello." Elia said with a smile, the young son of Lord Reed and her husband had formed quite a close bond in the few days they had spent at his home.

"He shall be able to live with it, I will write to him. All that matters to me is that you are comfortable." Ned said as he held her close. "Are you feeling alright now?"

"I believe so, I still feel a little nauseous but I always do lately." As soon as she said that Elia looked up, her eyes widening. "Oh." She breathed.

"Oh, what?" Ned asked in confusion.

"I just realised, I haven't had my moon's blood. Not since we left Winterfell." Elia said, speaking slowly and she almost laughed as she saw Ned's eyes widen and for a moment she honestly thought that they were about to pop out of his sockets. "I know."

"You're...Are you certain?" Ned asked as he gently placed his hand over Elia's still flat stomach, if she was right then it wouldn't stay flat for long.

"Fairly certain, yes. I am almost completely certain in fact." Elia said as she rested her hand over Ned's. "It makes a great deal of sense now that I think about it, it explains a fair few things."

The two of them sat in silence for a moment, just the two of them in the darkness of the room. Their hands resting over her stomach for a long beat before Ned laughed, he cupped her face and kissed her deeply and when he pulled away he pressed a kiss to her stomach. "I never thought, that it was actually possible to be even half this happy."

Elia laughed as happy tears rolled down her face she pressed her lips to his again. "I am extremely happy, more than anyone has ever been I think."

"We shall have to head back to Winterfell in the morning, I will write a letter apologising and explaining to your brother, I am sure when he learns of your condition that he will be understanding." Ned said.

"What? No!" Elia said, she took in a deep breath and began to explain as she saw the look of confusion on his face. "I want to see Oberyn, you see your brothers and sister everyday but I can't. I know you understand how it feels because you spent years away from your siblings as the vale. I am well enough to travel, you know that I am. Please Ned, don't make us turn back."

Ned was silent for a moment before he sighed and nodded, he chucked as Elia threw her arms around his neck and pulled her close. "All right, but you must rest and do as little as possible, understood?"

"Understood." Elia said as she buried her head into Ned's neck.

The two laid back down on their bed and slowly began to drift back to sleep, Ned stroking Elia's stomach until he was too tired to continue.

End of Chapter Nineteen

Please follow, favourite and review. I know this was a short chapter guys but the next one should be a lot longer. Also I knew that Ned and the other Starks don't meet Howland Reed until the Tourney at Harrenhal but given that Ned was going south and obviously had to pass through the neck I decided to make their meeting earlier than in canon.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter.