Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun

Chapter Forty-Nine

Elia held her breath and kept her hands clasped tight in front of her as she watched Mors crawl on the rushes of the Nursery, she knew that she shouldn't be so anxious as it wasn't as if the boy was walking yet but she had tales of babes crawling out of windows or bashing their tiny skulls open on table legs when their mothers or their septas or their nursemaids hadn't been watching them.

She had moved the cribs and the dresser and the small table and the chest full of clothes to the side of the room so that if one of her babes did make their way towards one of them then she would have enough time to pick one of them up and move then away before they hurt themselves. Thankfully, Mors seemed to have contented himself with crawling in a circle for the moment.

His brother was less active, content with staying in his Father's arms Torrhen's eyes were sliding shut as he tried to keep himself awake so he could continue to watch his brother as he crawled around the rushes. His tiny body looked even smaller than normal in Ned's arms, her husband rubbing at his back to try and coax him to fall into the realm of dreams and it seemed as though their son was fighting a losing battle on that front.

Ned caught her staring and offered her a smile that she was quick to return, ever since their reconciliation they had found that they would often fall into these comfortable silences. They didn't need any words between them when they were alone together, which Elia would admit still wasn't as much as she would actually want due to their respective duties often taking up a great deal of their time.

Their duties were heavier than they would normally be due to Lord Rickard still as of yet had not return to Winterfell from whatever land and duty had so urgently demanded his attention elsewhere. Elia couldn't deny that she was worried for her goodfather, no word had reached them of his whereabouts or his well being. He should have been with a party of guards, they should have insisted on sending some with him but he had not waiting for anything.

As far as the rest of the North was concerned, Lord Rickard had still not recovered from the attack and was confined in White Harbor, not long ago there had been a rider from the port had arrived with a message from Lord Wyman saying that he was beginning to grow concerned, he was more than happy to keep up with the lie as it were but he had been receiving missives from various lords asking about Lord Rickard and his condition and if they could perhaps come and visit him, to offer their well wishes.

It was not as though Lord Wyman could deny any of them, lest he think that he had done something untoward to him. He had even sent a rider instead of a bird as it was less likely to be intercepted or lost. It was a hard place to be stuck with but none of them knew what they could say to him, they had all assumed that Lord Rickard would be back by now and they had to assume that he had thought that he would be back by now as well.

Wyman had not responded to any of the messages sent to him and had been hoping that the other lords had assume that the birds they had sent to White Harbour had been lost on the way to the city but sooner or later, the lords of the North would arrive in his city demanding to see Lord Rickard and he had little idea what to do if that day should come soon.

Since the letter had come Elia had been praying to the Seven every night for Lord Rickard to return, in lieu of anything that she might do practically to find him. She had written to Doran and two letters arrived from Dorne in response, Doran's had informed her that Lord Rickard had not been seen in Dorne but that he had sent in his men to the Shadow City and Planky Town to hear if there had been any word of new northmen in Dorne, as they were not at all a common sight.

Oberyn's letter had been a surprise, thought not an unwelcome one. He had no news of Lord Rickard either but he did give her news on her nieces, which while not particularly useful was more than welcome. Obara had made great progress with her spear and had chosen to pair it with a whip and a pair of daggers alongside a steel and copper shield, at least twice she had come close to beating him in a sparring match but he had decided not to tell her that as he wanted to give her something to work harder for.

Nymeria had also taken to using a whip alongside the dozen daggers that she had learned to hide on her person, when Elia had first heard about that specific talent of her niece she had been worried quite a bit as it seemed like quite an easy way to cut oneself but Oberyn had reassured her that he had taught Nymeria well and that an extra blade could always make the difference in a fight.

She had also taken to traveling on her own into the Shadow City, paying custom to various dressmakers and buying flatbreads, spicy and roaring hot from the ovens. Oberyn had wrote that on the night before he had started writing the letter, Nym had asked if she might go and ride along the greenblood and spend a few weeks with the Orphans and Oberyn apparently had half a mind to let her do so.

Tyene was becoming more active and her brother believed that the time was coming for him to start training her with a weapon, though he was not sure with what yet. Elia was glad of that as she the thought of tiny Tyene holding a weapon shot a cold arrow of dread into her heart. Tyene was a sweet girl, gentle and kind. Not like her sisters in that way. Elia just couldn't see her fighting a battle, or killing someone.

The rest of the letter had been about other events in Dorne, the heir to Godsgrace had recognised his bastard child, Lord Harmen Uller had taken a new paramour, Lord Fowler had celebrated the birth of his two children, twin girls and thus giving him an heir and a spare all at once. Dorne continued on and apparently their brother worried and fretted over every tiny detail, whether it was under his control or not. Which certainly sounded a lot like Doran.

The letter had been ended with words of congratulations on the birth of the twins and an invitation to come back to Dorne so that her brothers could meet their nephews and she couldn't deny, it was a sweet thought. Sadly, however. She knew that it was a thought that would have to keep for a time, at the least. It hadn't been that long ago since she had come back to the North after being apart from Ned for so long, she couldn't ask him to leave the North again after the last time they went south it had ended so badly for them.

Perhaps in a few years, when their sons were older and would be able to remember it better then they would go down to Dorne, they could take ship from White Harbour and avoid the mainland all together, avoid King's Landing all together. Till the day, she would just hold the letter close to her heart and promised herself that she would go back to Dorne one day.

A whimper of distress pushed all her concerns and her worries to the back of her mind, at first she thought that it was Mors who was whimpering but he was still happily crawling along the rug without a care in the world. No, the whimper which broke her heart into tiny pieces was coming from his brother who Ned was bouncing slightly to try and soothe but it didn't seem to be doing a great deal of good.

Elia smiled slightly and picked Mors up, ignoring the whimper of protest, and carried him over to his crib. Once her son was settled she walked over to her husband and took Torrhen from his arms. The air held no foul smell and the back of a hand pressed to chubby cheeks detected no heat brewing under the skin so it did not seem like a fever was the issue and thus Elia was left with the only likely outcome.

She took her son with a smile and began to feed him, humming a song under her breath as she did so. A hand rested on her cheek, making her look up and her eyes meet with grey eyes, like as fine as mist. She smiled and leaned forward as Ned leaned down and their lips met in the middle, a warmth flooding through her and settling in her chest.

Once Torrhen had drunken his fill and had been settled in his crib besides his brother, they found themselves sitting on the large padded long bench, Elia half in Ned's lap as they watched the fire lazily burning in the heath. The nursery was one of the warmest rooms in the entire castle but the day had been a cold one and she didn't want either of the children to become sick and thus she had ordered one be built.

It was uncomfortable for Ned, her husband preferred it to be colder, she knew that and often she had offered him the chance to leave but he had made no acknowledgement of those chances and simply stayed with them for longer. But she was a princess of Dorne and the heat was welcome to her and indeed it was nothing compared to her a warm day in Dorne itself.

She was fairly certain that she had been about to fall asleep with her head on Ned's shoulder when there was a sudden, sharp tapping on the door. Elia moved away from Ned all through she did let out a small, frustrated moan as her husband stood up and walked over to the door, pulling it open. Elia was still drifiting and was closer to sleep than she was to being awake so she hadn't heard anything that had been said and she was brought back to the world of waking by Ned's hand on her shoulder, gently shaking her. "Elia, wake up. You need to come. It's my father."

The words nearly snapped her back into the waking world so quickly that for a moment Elia didn't recognise where she was or what she had been doing but the confusion had only lasted for a moment before what Ned had told her actually managed to sink in. She almost jumped up from where she had been seating as she stared at husband. "I'm sorry?"

"It's my father, he's here. He just turned up a few moments ago." Ned seemed as surprised as she felt, relived as she felt but still as surprised. Neither of them had expected Lord Rickard to appear today, they hadn't expected him to appear at all. A thousand and one questions buzzed inside her mind like a nest of rabid hornets and once she had sorted through them as best as she could, she found that she had another thousand to ask.

And yet she got the feeling that she wasn't going to get a thousand answers. She squared her shoulders and gave Ned what she hoped was a comforting smile as she reached down and took his hand. "Well then, we had best go and welcome home, mustn't we?"

Ned nodded and lead her over to the door, the Stark guardsman was waiting for them on the outside and he began to lead them through the corridors and out through the courtyard towards the great hall. As they made their way to the Great Hall Elia caught sight of Hodor leading a fine grey steed over to the stables and Elia knew that it was her goodfather's personal horse and that he had truly returned to them.

As they walked into the great hall the first thing that Elia caught sight of was Lord Rickard standing as tall as a king, his arms wrapped around Lyanna as though he hadn't seen her in a dozen years. It had felt longer than it had been, in her mind Elia knew that it could really only have been a single moon or so since he had actually left the North but it had felt far longer than that to the people of Winterfell.

Lyanna let go of her father and Elia saw that her eyes and her cheeks were wet with tears, Benjen came rushing in from the Lord's door with Brandon and Catelyn behind him, the youngest of the Starks threw his arms around his father's middle and held to him so tightly, as if terrified that if he let go then his father might disappear again. The sight broke her heart.

Brandon and Cat approached from the side just as Elia and Ned approached the dais from the front and ascended the steps to stand on the platform. As she got closer to her goodfather Elia noticed that he seemed quite tired, far more tired than he had been when he had left and she was sure that she noticed a few strands of silver running through his brown hair and extra lines on his face, wherever he had been and whatever he had done, it had aged him.

"Father." Ned spoke with a smile on his face, he stepped away from Elia and threw his arms around his father at the same time Brandon did, Benjen was hidden behind his brothers and Elia was fairly sure that he was being as crushed as his father was at the moment. Elia caught sight of Cat who was smiling at the reunion and went to stand by her, a smile on her own face as she did so. "I am glad you returned unharmed."

Lord Rickard returned the smile and patted his younger son on the shoulder. "And I am glad to be back in the North again, I trust that none of you spoke the truth of where I truly was?" He asked and then nodded satisfied when they all answered in the negative. "Good, now I am sure that you all have questions that you need to ask me and I understand that but I am tired and at the moment all I want is a bath, a roast bird and a feather bed. We can speak later in the evening. Lya, can you please send Maester Walys to come and attend me? There are things that must be discussed."

Lyanna nodded and with that, Lord Rickard left the hall through the Lord's door like he hadn't been there to start with. Lyanna glanced at her brothers and shrugged her shoulders before she went off to find the Maester, Benjen looked disappointed for a few moments before he began to walk towards the direction of the Yard. Soon it was only Brandon, Ned, Elia and Cat left in the hall.

"Well, it's good to know that's he still the same." Brandon muttered as he rubbed at the back of his neck, Ned frowned slightly which made his older brother let out a groan. "Oh Ned, loosen bloody up. How you can even have a shit sometimes? It was a joke, I'm as glad as you are that Father's fine but that doesn't mean that I don't get tired when he decides to not tell us anything."

Ned frowned and while Elia couldn't know what he was thinking she had something of an idea, she had to assume that it was close to what she was thinking herself. For as long as her goodfather had been away she knew there had been speculation as to what he had been doing among all those who knew the truth that he had no longer been in the North. Which had only included herself, Ned, Brandon, Cat, Lyanna, Benjen, Ashara and the Maester.

Brandon had thought that he had decided to abandon his place as the Lord of Winterfell and retire to a free city, to spend the rest of his life somewhere warm without telling them, Cat had not agreed with that, not thinking that Lord Rickard would be a man who would abadon his family. She had in fact suggested that he had gone to find a match in the south and had kept it a secret as so not to offend the Northern lords. Benjen had suggested that he might have gone over to Essos but to stay, instead he had gone to find hidden dragon eggs which only his father know where they were and was going to come back with dragons for all of them, Lyanna didn't much care where her father had gone and only wanted to make sure that he was actually coming back.

Ashara did know that he was no longer in the North but she hadn't been one for speculating the past few months, she had fallen into a grim mood and not even Lauryn seemed to be enough to bring a smile on to her face anymore which did little to make the child happy. Ashara had been drifting about the castle as though she were a ghost, her hands drifting over her stomach as she walked.

She knew what it meant, but she had hoped that Brandon wouldn't have done it now that he had been wed to Catelyn. That had clearly been a mistake on her part but Brandon didn't seem to be neglecting Cat's bed either, the brightness around the other woman as of late and the slight swelling of her belly was clearly evidence enough of that. Elia didn't understand how two men could be so very different from one another, she knew that Ned would never be like this. Had it been Jon Arryn alone who had made the Ned that she had always known, the honourable man that she had grown to love so very easily.

Still, she had not said anything to Ned about it yet. Men did not have an eye for such a thing and Ashara was still in very early days yet and she had taken to wearing thicker clothes as of late, it had grown colder as of late and many in Winterfell had taken to wearing warmer clothing as of late even in the warmest parts of the castle. She had even heard one of the maids who worked in the kitchens speaking of how there would be no chance of any harvest now until spring came.

Old Nan had said that she didn't think that the season was going to be much further away now, she had lived through half a hundred winters and in most of them before they ended there was always a sharp burst of cold before they winters snows gave way to the spring breeze. But Elia had a feeling that the sharp cold would continue to persist inside the walls of the castle even when the winds of spring warmed the land outside. Elia didn't know how long she would be able to keep it a secret, eventually Ashara's condition would be found out and then all seven hells would break loose inside the walls.

And she was terrified, terrified of what would happen to Ashara when others did find out, she already had one bastard but no one aside from herself and Ashara knew about the one growing in her belly. Cat would know soon enough and while she wouldn't be rude enough to say anything about it out loud, she would start to wonder who the father was and if the babe came out looking more like a Stark...

It was exhausting having to deal with all of this, when one problem was over it seemed as though another popped up to replace it. It made her tired, sometimes she considered just ignoring it and focusing on Ned and her sons and letting everything else sort itself out. But she knew that she couldn't do that, Ashara meant too much to her, Lauryn meant too much to her and the babe that was growing inside of her meant something as well.

It might have been time for Ashara to return to Dorne, she would miss her more than anything in the world but Ashara hadn't been happy in Winterfell for awhile, going back to Dorne might have been best for her now. Ashara loved Starfall more than anywhere else in the world and her family would take her back in within open arms, though any chance of her being married now was lost somewhat. Even in Dorne, a woman having two bastards of her own would dampen her chances of a decent marriage.

But sending her back there would keep her away from Brandon, Ashara wouldn't be tempted, Brandon wouldn't be able to break his vows with her friend and Catelyn would never need to know the truth. Doran could prove a wrinkle in those plans, he had been the one who commanded Ashara to come with her and serve as her lady but if Elia said that she didn't want Ashara serving her anymore than that would be the end of it.

Still, she would have to ask her friend exactly what she wanted to do, though a part of Elia, all though she would always miss her, wished that Ashara did agree to go back to Dorne, just to make everything that little bit more simpler. But in the end Elia would listen to what Ashara choose to do, her friend had never been someone to like it when decisions were made for her and that had been something that they always had in common.

Ned still frowned heavily as he crossed his arms over his chest, staring firmly at his older brother. "I grow tired of it as well, but I also grow tired of you making a joke out of every single thing that ever happens. You're going to be Lord of Winterfell and Lord Paramount of the North one day and more than likely the Warden of the North. You have to grow up at some point."

Brandon's eyes narrowed but he said nothing, he just pushed past his brother and stormed out of the hall. Catelyn's hands came down to hover over her stomach for a moment before she offered them an apologetic smile, the lady then made her excuses and followed after her husband leaving Ned and Elia alone for the time being. The hall suddenly seeming darker, colder.

But when Ned turned to smile at her, the cold did not seem as present as it had. "I think I shall go to the godswood, to give thanks to the gods for bringing Father back safely. Would you like me to escort you back to the nursery first?"

"I thought that I might accompany you to the godswood, I will not disturb your prayers of course." Ned didn't frown at her words, not exactly. But he did seem at loss for a moment before he found the words to speak.

"If that is what you wish to do my Lady, but it is quite cold this day."

"I have a thick fur, I shall be well. And in truth, I should like some peace and quiet in which to think and the few times I have been there I have found no place in Winterfell to be more peaceful." Or more disturbing, in it's way. There was always the sense that someone didn't want her there, but the Seven hadn't offer her any answers or any peace, perhaps the gods of the south could not reach them here. "Of course, if you would prefer some time alone my love then I understand."

"No, no of course not. If you wish to come with me then I would be glad of your company." Ned reached out to take her hand and Elia smiled as she felt the warmth under his skin enveloping her smaller hand. How had she ever thought that he was a cold man? How had that ever been a fear that she had? A man who filled her with nothing but warmth now.

They walked out through the courtyard and through the gate into the godswood and soon enough found themselves in front of the heart tree, Ned knelt in front of it and Elia took a set on a fallen tree trunk next to the steaming black pool. A cold wind blew through the godswood and caused her bones to shake and her teeth to chatter and for a moment she thought of taking her shoes of and dipping them into the steaming water but she decided against, Ned might not complain but she had the feeling that the Old Gods would not thank her for it.

They sat together in silence, Ned's head bowed in prayer for what seemed like an eternity and a second all at once, the sky had darkened to purple and large black clouds were looming overhead. As cold at the North in winter was in the daytime, it was nothing compared to when the sun went down. Elia stood from the trunk that had fallen and walked over to where her husband was kneeling and offered him her hand, Ned looked up at her for a moment before he took her hand and rose from the floor, brown snow clinging to his knees.

Once they had returned to the Nursery Elia dismissed the wetnurse and the maid and once she was certain that both of the babes were asleep she turned to face Ned. "I need to ask you something, do you promise me that you won't be upset with me for asking?" She waited for Ned to nod, ignoring the heavy frown the accompanied it.

"Your father, do you think he might have gone north to make an alliance with someone, not a marriage alliance but you told me that he hasn't forgotten what the King had done." The thought of a war had terrified her, it had been the threat of the King's rage and the defence that the other kingdoms would give him and his house that had convinced Lord Tywin to free her from Casterly Rock but it had only been that, a threat, one she meant to carry out but she had been freed, it was done, in the past. She had not nor would she ever forgive the King for what he had done, but she wanted it to be brought to an end. The North was far away from King's Landing and large besides, Ned had told her that Moat Cailin when garrisoned could hold back an army of twenty thousand with only a hundred men.

The King may have been mad but only a true and utter fool would ignore all of that, of course there had been no word from the capital demanding that she be returned back to her captivity at Casterly Rock or that news her "Betrothal" had reached the kings ears, perhaps the Spider hadn't found out, perhaps his little birds were not so far spread as he liked to pretend. Perhaps she was worried for nothing, it might not come to it.

And yet at the same time, it might. Men could be the greatest of fools when it came to such things, they claimed to fight for family and for honour and yet they left their family to bleed for it. At times, she simply could not understand them. And there would be blood, the realm would bleed if the North and Dorne rose up against the Targaryens, even families could find themselves fighting amongst one another, torn apart by oaths.

Ned seemed confused for a moment but only for a moment as his hand came up to brush over his face, he sunk down on to padded bench for a moment before he looked back up at her. "Perhaps, Benjen is unmarried. Perhaps he wants to wed him to a girl from the Vale, a Royce perhaps, or maybe a Waynwood. Jon Arryn loves me well but as for the rest of the Vale, it's the only Kingdom in this little pact of my Father's that hasn't gotten a marriage in their somewhere. It wouldn't surprise me."

Her husband then let out a small laugh when he saw the dumbfounded look on her face, though there was a hint of weariness to the laughter to be sure. "I am not so much a dunderhead when it comes to matters such as these as most would like to think, what else would my father be planning? Why would Rhaegar Targaryen give us that message if not for the support that my Father has?"

Elia wasn't ashamed to admit that had not occurred to her before now, it seemed so much like a different world now that she had almost forgotten that the bloody letter had existed in the first place. If she closed her eyes than she could almost see both of the letters burning as she feed them both to the flames, only herself knowing what was in them, and her husband and her brother once she had recounted their contents to them.

Now more than ever she wanted to know what Doran was doing, as much as she ever could understand Doran. Oberyn had once jested that the mazemakers of old must have had a hand in constructing their brother's mind and how he thought. Elia was not stupid and yet Doran had always been able to out think her, when he had visited them while he had been at Salt Shore as a squire he had always come with a new riddle for her to figure out and often it would take her weeks to puzzle it out.

She knew that Oberyn would fight a war willingly enough but would Doran call the banners to go to it? She honestly couldn't tell with him at times, if the rest of the people Lord Stark had reached out to also went to war against the king. Honour would bound him to rise with them, but oaths would command him to fight for the king.

"Rhaegar reached out to the Lannisters, perhaps he went to Casterly Rock? Lord Tywin and the king are not on the best of terms." If Elia was the Lord of Casterly Rock than she imagined that she would support the side with the larger numbers, thought admittedly her knowledge of military matters was not the most comprehensive but what she did know was that the Lannisters could mass multiple large hosts in numbers no other, except the Reach, could match. Considering the quality of the equipment that their gold could buy and the amount of gold they had, a winning side that had the Lannisters on their side would have victory almost assured.

And a losing side would at least have a fighting chance.

"Perhaps, but Lord Tywin has no other daughters other than Princess Cersei. And from what I have heard of him, I don't think he would consent to marrying one of his daughters to a third born son." Ned frowned slightly at his own words and Elia knew why, Benjen was a good little man but his position meant that he wasn't likely to have a bountiful match. "Who knows, who can truly know anything? Perhaps nothing will come off this, perhaps the King will stabilise. He may fall ill and Prince Rhaegar will take the crown."

"And the next summer may be the eternal one, and we need never worry about the chill of Winter again after this one." Elia chewed on her bottom lip for a moment before she shook her head. "And yet, I doubt it. The king's mind is falling him, and he eats little and less and yet he seems determined to cling on to his life for the nonce. Perhaps simply to spite us if nothing else."

"Perhaps." Ned said before he walked over to her and pulled her into his arms, gently rubbing at her back. Elia let out a heavy sigh and closed her eyes as she sunk into the embrace, letting everything be forgotten. War, the cold, death and suffering. For the moment it was all outside the walls and she would be content enough to leave it there. There were something's that simply could not be controlled, if war came then it would come. All she could hope for was that it would not.

Elia wasn't sure how long they stood there, embracing one another but another knock at the door broke them apart. Ned pulled away from her reluctantly and opened the door, a servant girl with mud brown hair and dress in a simple and roughspun brown dress was standing there. "Begging your pardons m'lord, m'lady. Lord Rickard would like to inform you that he intends to have dinner in his private room tonight and he would like you to attend him."

"Thank you Maisie, tell him that we will be there." The girl nodded and Ned shut the door before he turned to face her. "Well, we might get some answers at least."

"But do not hold your breath." Elia said dryly and Ned let out a small laugh, Elia turned to check on the children for a moment to make sure that they were both well before she turned back to her husband and walked over to him. "I think I will try and find Ashara, then I will be in our room to change."

"Very well my Lady, I intend to do some sparing in the yard. I shall see you tonight." Ned pressed a kiss to her cheek and left her side while Elia went to see if she could find her friend, alas it seemed that no matter where she looked she couldn't find her. Lauryn was in her room but with only a nursemaid for company and no sign of her lady mother, the older woman had gone so far as to tell her that Ashara hadn't been to see her in days.

A chill of worry wormed up at her spine at that but she did her best to not let it show, putting a warm smile on her face as she knelt down next to Lauryn to play with her for a time. Moving the wooden carving of a wolf to wrap it's maw around one of the many limbs of a great wooden kraken, painted in gold and black. She stayed with the girl until she fell asleep and once she had settled her she told the nursemaid to come and find her if Ashara came into the room at all.

She had a horrible feeling that she knew where Ashara was, though she prayed that she was wrong. With every step she took towards her destination, her stomach seemed to tighten more and more. She arrived outside Brandon's room just in time to see the door open and Ashara step out in the hallway, her lovely violet eyes widened when she saw Elia but then they fell shut. "I'm sorry."

"If you're going to apologise, I am the last person it should be too." Elia ran her fingers through her hair, trying to resist the urge to rip it out. She had always thought that Ashara would be smarter than this. Of course, only the people you loved the most could be the ones to disappoint you. "You could apologise to Catelyn, seeing as your sleeping with her husband. Or maybe you should apologise to Lauryn, seeing as you are basically ignoring her."

Ashara's jaw dropped open and she tried to speak but all that came out was a noise that sounded like a mix between a sob and a whine, her hand coming up to wipe her tears away. "I know, I know. I love him Elia, I really, truly do. But every time I am with him I feel so guilty, and when I try and spend time with Lauryn, I'm reminded how I made her. Guilt's a harsh companion."

Elia wanted to reach out and hold her, to tell her that everything would be alright but she steeled herself against that. Everything was not all right and nothing would be all right unless she was able to do something and soon. She let out a deep sigh before she spoke again, hardening herself for what she was about to do. "Listen to me, clearly you are...infatuated with Brandon. If you can't stay with him, then you can remove yourself. Go back to Starfall and take Lauryn with you."

Ashara stared at her for a moment, as if she didn't recognise her before what she said actually sunk in. Tears fell silently down her face for half a heartbeat before she bent her head. "Are you dismissing me from your service, my Lady?"

Elia bit her lip before she answered. "No, I am not. I am giving you a chance, a choice. If you want to go back to Starfall than you have that choice, I can't make it for you."

Ashara wiped her tears after a moment before she spoke. "I will consider it my Lady, is there anything else?"

Elia stared at Ashara, the closest she had ever had to an actual sister before she spoke again. "Go and see your daughter Lauryn, and I would consider it a favour to me if you stayed with her tonight." Ashara said nothing but simply nodded and walked past her, Elia reaching up to cover her own eyes once she had gone. After a few moments she took a deep breath and began to make her way to Ned's room.

Her husband's room was always one of the coldest in all of Winterfell and it seemed even Ned was feeling it as of late as a fire was blazing away in the heath, Elia sat in the chair that had been placed next to it and shut her eyes, trying to focus on calming herself. Everything seemed so hard as of late and she had to wonder if she had overstepped, if she had lost Ashara.

If that was true, then she had lost a part of herself.

She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, only the sound of the fire crackling in the heath as company, before the door opened and her husband's voice filled her ears. "Elia, it's time to go. Did you find Ashara?" He asked gently as Elia watched him knell next to her.

"Yes, she's with Lauryn." It wasn't a lie, she could say that much. She stood up from the chair and realised that she would have to change, she walked over to the trunk that she had moved into Ned's room a short while before they had left Winterfell for that first time. She opened the trunk and picked up a dress of black silk with orange sleeves and laid it down on the bed.

From behind her she heard Ned began to undress as she undressed herself, pulling on the new one and tried to reach behind to button up her dress but her fingers came just short enough to brush the strings at the back. "Ned, I don't want to disturb Ashara and I don't want to walk through the castle with my bare back on display. Would you mind tying it up?"

Her husband didn't make a reply but she soon felt his fingers at her back, brushing over her skin as he tied her dress into place. Elia's eyes slid shut and all her tears and fears faded away when she felt Ned's lips at her neck. "Do you really want us to be late for this? Considering it is your father's first dinner since he returned from the south after all."

"Could we not speak of my father for the moment my lady?" Ned whispered into her ear, his hot breath making her shiver as his arms came to wrap around her middle. "But alas, you're right. We shouldn't be late, but I do promise you my lady, it will be something worth waiting for." The heat in his words made her legs weak and she was certain that if it wasn't for his arms then she would fall to the ground.

Ned released his hold and offered her his arm and Elia took it as soon as it was offered, the walked through the long, cold grey corridors of Winterfell until they finally arrived in the Lord's private dining chamber, a guardsman standing at the door opened it for them and the long table beyond was covered with a long white table cloth, an ivory candlestick holder placed in the middle of it, four beeswax candles burning brightly in their holders.

Lord Rickard was sitting at the head of the table and in that moment Elia remembered that last time that she had seen him in this room, the same night that he had his heart attack. The thought of that happening again suddenly robbed her of her appetite, the master had said that he had been recovering but he had also not sanctioned him leaving Winterfell and he had only just returned, none of them truly knew what condition that he was in.

It seemed as though they were the last to arrive, Lyanna was sitting at her father's right, dressed in white with blue frills at the sleeves. A necklace of sapphires glinted at her pale neck from the light of the candles, Benjen was sitting across from her and dressed in a grey doublet with a silver wolf's head brooch over his breast.

Brandon was sitting in between his sister and his wife, holding her hand like he hadn't just been fucking Elia's best friend. Elia wanted to take one of the glasses on the table and smash it full in his face but she held herself back. Cat looked as beautiful as ever, her hair had been placed into a long braid with blue wildflowers woven through the braid and filling the air with sweetness.

Ned and Elia took their places, sitting next to Benjen. As soon as they had sat down serving men came forth and filled their glasses with a golden wine that could only have come from the Arbour, she knew that there were some Arbour Golds in the cellars of Winterfell but they were few and far compared to the hundreds and hundreds of barrels of ale. Of course, the return of Lord Rickard was a special enough occasion that she supposed it called for the wine.

As soon as their glasses were full, the first meal came out and was placed in front of them. A leak and cabbage and onion soup with two crusty black bread rolls to dip into it. Once the serving men left Lord Rickard reached out and picked up his glass and took a sip of his wine before he spoke. "Now, I imagine that you all have some questions for me, yes?."

"Oh, just a few." Brandon said mockingly before he rubbed his arm after Lyanna laid a heavy slap against his arm but he continued to speak. "Let's start with the most obvious one, where did you go? What took you so long to get back?"

"I went south."

"Oh south, well that just clears everything up." Brandon replied with a roll of his eyes before he spoke again. "You went south, it's not like every inch of land from the end of the Neck down all the way to the Broken Arm of Dorne could be considered the south? Father, do you think that I could trouble you to be the tiniest bit more specific?"

"You wanted an answer and I gave you one, if you are unsatisfied with it then I am sorry but that is the only answer that I am prepared to give for the moment. I am returned and all is well for the nonce, let us not worry about the past any more than is needed." Rickard tore one his bread rolls in half and dipped one of the halves in to the soup and popped it in to his mouth, chewing and swallowing before he spoke again. "I want to know what has been happening in the North since I've been gone."

"Not much." Brandon muttered as he stared sullenly down at his soup before Lyanna elbowed him again.

"What Brandon means is that nothing much has happened that's worthy of your attention Father, but Lord Wyman was growing concerned with how long you were away and he was worried that many lords were going to go to White Harbour demanding to see you." Lyanna spoke and Lord Rickard nodded for a moment before he took another sip of his wine.

"I am aware of that sweetling, the Maester was quite able informing me of all that has occurred." If that was true than Elia wasn't sure why he wanted to hear from their mouths what had been happening in his absence. "I've spent the day since I arrived back in Winterfell writing letters to all the houses of note, informing them my rest in White Harbour has returned a great deal of strength to me and I have returned to Winterfell to take up my duties as Lord once again."

"At any rate, as I have returned I think it time for us to speak on your future, all of your future's." Rickard turned to face Lyanna and stared her with his lordly mask completely replacing the one of her father. "Lyanna, as soon as the worst of Winter has passed us by, I will be sending you south to Storm's End and you will marry Robert Baratheon, he has waited long enough I think."

Lyanna looked like she was about to scream for a moment, to fight and cry and protest as the unfairness of it all but it only lasted for a moment and Lyanna swallowed painfully and stiffly nodded her head. "Yes Father, as you say."

"Remember the words of our House Lyanna, Winter is coming, it is always coming even when it's here. You are a Stark and you must do your duty." Lord Rickard waited for his daughter to nod again before he turned his attention on to Benjen. "Ben, you're not a little boy anymore and soon enough you will be a man grown. With that in mind, I've decided that as soon as the winds warm once again that you will be fostered."

The look on the boy's face was enough to make Elia reach across and pull him into a hug but she knew that she couldn't and she shouldn't, Benjen was well past the age to be fostered. "But Father, I-I understand."

Lord Stark's face softened for a moment and when he spoke, his tone was noticeably more gentle. "It won't be as bad as all that Ben, you'll make friends and you'll grow to like it. I mean to foster you in the North, I was thinking of sending you to White Harbour? How does that sound."

To his credit, Benjen smiled bravely though it was a shade tremulous. Rickard nodded and then his attention turned to Brandon and Catalyn. "I will start by saying that I am the Lord of Winterfell and that won't change until I am in the ground, but I am getting older and the heart attack has left it's scars. I am going to need to lean on you, the both of you, from time to time. Brandon, you are going to be the Lord of Winterfell one day, no matter what happens. I need to know that I can depend on you."

Brandon said nothing, but he didn't need to as Catalyn spoke for him a smile on her face. "You can rely on us goodfather, I promise you that."

Rickard nodded but his eyes were still locked on Brandon. "I am glad to here that indeed, the time comes for childhood and childish things to be put away. And Winter is also a time for leanness, greed has no place in the North in times such as these."

In that moment Elia knew that her goodfather knew, he had too. She glanced at Ned and by the frown on his face she knew that he knew that his father knew as well but it was the look on Brandon's face that made it clear to her that he knew as well, all the arrogance had drained away and all that was left was fear, perhaps for the first time that Elia had seen such a look on his face.

If Catelyn knew what Lord Rickard was speaking of then she did her best not to show it, all she did was rest her hand on her belly and tightened her hold on Brandon's hand, meeting Lord Rickard's gaze fiercely.

Lord Rickard quickly broke his gaze and glanced back down at his bowl of soup. "So until Winter ends, I would say stop getting used to meals such as these. Soon enough it will be meals of salt pork and boiled peas." He took another spoonful of soup into his mouth before he used the over half of his bread roll to soak up more of the soup, once he had eaten he turned his gaze on to Ned and Elia and she knew it was there turn.

"Ned, you're a man grown yourself, you have a wife and you have children. I trust you, because of that I have seen fit to have construction begun on a small tower house. It won't be a grand thing but it will be dry enough, you will have a few tracts of land near the Stony Shore and your sons and grandsons will one day build a great castle of their own from that one little tower."

"Your honour me Father." Ned answered for them both but Elia did not feel honoured, she had grown used to Winterfell. With the hot springs and the pipes she could barely feel Winter's chill most days and on days like this she could have a fire built and wear extra furs over her clothes to make herself warmer but a tower house wouldn't have any of that and the Stony Shore would no doubt be freezing, she could already feel it sleeping into her bones.

It was almost as if Lord Rickard had heard her thoughts when he next spoke. "I don't mean for either of you to leave Winterfell yet, most of the building will not even be constructed until we enter the spring. But House Stark needs to grow and to spread and the two of you both have a part to play in that, I trust you understand." With that there was no more talk.

The rest of the dinner speed by quickly, Elia could not remember the other courses they had if she cared enough to try. Her head was filled with too much to think properly. They had found themselves back in Ned's room soon enough and he was on top of her, in her and it was as sweet as it always was but she found that she didn't enjoy it as much as she had, the night's events had spoiled it somewhat.

Once Ned had spilled in her he laid on his side and kissed her neck, love and concern in those soft grey eyes of his. "My lady, what's wrong?" He asked gently, his hand coming out to smooth down her curls. Every touch gentle, kindness radiating out of every pore.

She wanted to tell him nothing was wrong but she had already lied to him once this day, she didn't want to do it again. The truth was, everything seemed to be going wrong at the moment and she did not know who to tell, what to say, what to do. Doran would know, Oberyn would know as well. And in that moment, Elia Martell knew what she needed.

"There was a raven from Dorne, my Brother. Oberyn." She pointed out once she saw the look on Ned's face. "It was a personal letter, speaking of my nieces and news from Dorne itself and how they had heard about the boys birth, offering us our congratulations and...an invitation, to take the boys to Dorne to go and see them, to introduce them to the twins."

She already knew that she was fighting an uphill battle when she saw Ned stand up from the bed, walking to stand in front of the window, his naked back to her. Firm muscles under his skin painted by the orange light of the fire. "The last time we went south, you were stolen away by a Mad King's foolishness." His voice sounded heavy, conflicted.

Elia sat up in bed and pulled the furs closer to her, even with the fire it was still too cold in here. "My brothers are not the King, you've met Oberyn and I know for a fact you'll like Doran. I wouldn't ask but, it might be the last chance that I have to see Dorne. I would like you to see Dorne, I would consider it a favour to me my love and not one I'd forget."

Ned turned back to face her and walked back to the bed, he laid down and caught her lips in a kiss. He pulled back but he still held her face in his hands. "I'd prefer to ask my Father first, if he gives consent. Then I imagine that we could take a ship from White Harbour."

Elia smiled brightly and kissed Ned again, she knew it wasn't a yes but she knew that Ned wasn't against it. As for her goodfather, well, she imagined that Lord Rickard would be able to find a way to make a visit to Dorne advantageous. He seemed to have quite a talent at that.

And when Elia rested against her husband's chest, her eyes sliding shut, she dreamed of golden sands and blue seas.

End of Chapter Forty-Nine.

Another chapter done, next we will be going back to King's Landing for a Rhaegar chapter and after that to Dorne for a long awaited Ned chapter. Seeing as the North has most recently and often been seen through Elia's eyes it only made sense for Dorne to be seen through Ned's.

With much love,

Doctorwhofan12345.