wildlingsbloodā:
WHITE HOT , Ā BLARING IN THE SKY , Ā the sun rained golden rivers over everything and painted the world Ā yellow Ā . Ā there might have been something magnificent about it , Ā but vic had seen the morning light hit the fresh snow , Ā sending Ā diamonds Ā sparking into a dangerous dance . Ā there was something about diamonds that made gold seem so dull .Ā it seemed strange that the sun was still shining on a day such as this ,Ā where aĀ Ā gloomĀ Ā hung over the city like a thick fog .Ā the queen was dead ,Ā and while vic had never held any love for her ,Ā this was the last thing he expected ,Ā the last thing heĀ Ā wanted .Ā it was supposed to be a quick trip south ,Ā then back up the kingsroad to a castle in the snow where nothingĀ Ā everĀ Ā had to change .Ā but nowĀ ?Ā Ā everythingĀ Ā was about to change .
the sun ,Ā it seemed ,Ā wouldĀ Ā alwaysĀ Ā shine in the south where there were no snowstorms to block it out and no long nights where one could forget itās face .Ā the sun did not care that it wasĀ Ā rainingĀ Ā within the walls of the red keep ,Ā tears carving rivulets into the ancient stone .Ā vic did not shed any tears ,Ā he said the proper words and hung his head when he fancied ,Ā but he did not cry .Ā he did not know the queen ,Ā did not care for her ,Ā and besides death meant something different in the north .Ā he didĀ Ā worry ,Ā though ,Ā not because he suspectedĀ Ā foulĀ play .Ā he held it as a possibility ,Ā strange that death would come when so many new faces surrounded her ,Ā but deathĀ Ā wasĀ Ā strange .Ā
he would take this all in stride ,Ā one step at a time ,Ā and the first step was always finding rowena ,Ā beingĀ Ā certainĀ Ā she was safe .Ā he was not with her always , Ā though he might haveĀ Ā likedĀ Ā to be , Ā for only then could he Ā always Ā be certain . Ā even away from her , Ā his mind always strayed to her and here , Ā behind the strong walls and the safe swords of the city watch that could hardly be purely on the concern of herĀ Ā safety . Ā upon finding her room empty ,Ā he set out across the vast castle gardens to find her .Ā a shadow raced between the manicured foliage , Ā wide eyes peeking out behind the green . Ā ā crow , ā Ā he greeted , Ā immediately searching behind the dog for her owner , Ā who it did not seem was following . Ā ā whereās rowena ? ā
and like that , Ā she was off , Ā to find her person , Ā his person , and he followed closely behind . Ā and as always , Ā she led him Ā right Ā where he wanted to go . Ā he waited for her to notice him , Ā she always did somehow , Ā though he said nothing , Ā made no sound , Ā but she turned to look at him . Ā the old gods were not here , Ā vic felt no sense of Ā holiness Ā and the look in Ā rowenaās eyes told him she agreed . Ā ā a poor imitation , ā Ā he admits , Ā face contorting in distaste for only a moment , Ā until he thinks better of it and meets her gaze with a smile . Ā āĀ but we wonāt be here much longer ,Ā i promise .Ā i wonāt let them keep us any longer than necessary .Ā ā Ā he is worried about her ,Ā of course he is worried about her .Ā but ,Ā for her to come here , Ā well it could only mean one thing .Ā Ā āĀ Ā are you alrightĀ ? ā
ššš šššššššššš šš š šššš šššš ššššššš šššš šš ššš ššššššš šššššššš ššš šššššĀ & Ā ššššššššš Ā ;Ā rowena allows herself a moment to breathe slowlyĀ ,Ā deep as her father had once shown her when sheād been but a sick childĀ ,Ā fearfulĀ &Ā feverish in her bedĀ .Ā she sags in the dirt at his feet like a doll forgottenĀ ,Ā letting the plucked flower fall from her grasp and drift in the humid breeze that continues to rustle the flora encircling themĀ .Ā in this sole momentĀ ,Ā she can simply be rowenaĀ Ā āĀ nothing moreĀ ,Ā nothing lessĀ .Ā she does not have to be a noble ladyĀ ,Ā stiffĀ &Ā proper and full of all the right wordsĀ .Ā Ā āĀ i am afraidĀ .Ā ā
the words are but a breath of a whisper as rowena's eyes closeĀ ,Ā as though hiding herself from the realities of the world around herĀ ;Ā as if this is but a silly nightmare that she might yet wake fromĀ .Ā victarion hasĀ neverĀ broken a promise to herĀ ,Ā not in all the years she has known himĀ ,Ā though she cannot help but worry that this time may be differentĀ ,Ā against their choosing .Ā no longer is he simply promising to take her out riding at night so that they might look upon the stars unbiddenĀ āĀ the queen is deadĀ ,Ā nowĀ ,Ā and home seems farther away than ever beforeĀ .Ā thereās much more difficulty to face here than simply trying to persuade her father to let her goĀ .
and with her fear admittedĀ ,Ā made real in the space between themĀ ,Ā her lashes flutterĀ &Ā she finds herself standing before himĀ .Ā she wants to flee with himĀ .Ā she wants to take his hand and never let goĀ .Ā Ā āĀ and though i am afraidĀ ,Ā there is much to be doneĀ .Ā we need to prepare to leave as soon as is appropriateĀ .Ā āĀ there is an edge to her voiceĀ ,Ā like her fatherāsĀ ,Ā or her eldest brotherāsĀ .Ā she is not quite the lord of winterfellĀ ,Ā not by milesĀ ,Ā but she could certainly try her hand at braveryĀ .Ā Ā āĀ it canāt be coincidentalĀ ,Ā vicĀ Ā āĀ can itĀ ?Ā āĀ worrying her lower lip with her teethĀ ,Ā she takes his handĀ ,Ā watching as she threads their fingers togetherĀ .Ā it is simply her natureĀ ,Ā at this pointĀ ;Ā her gaze quickly shoots back up to take in the sharp line of his cheekboneĀ ,Ā the way his own eyes train on herĀ .Ā Ā āĀ the whispers have already startedĀ ,Ā though of course they haveĀ . . .Ā stillĀ ,Ā i am waryĀ .Ā it is not safe hereĀ ,Ā even less so than it was upon our arrivalĀ .Ā ā
it is the truthĀ ,Ā but she still trembles somewhatĀ ,Ā all of the terrible possibilities flooding her imagination at onceĀ .Ā Ā āĀ doubtlessĀ ,Ā lords and ladies alike are already vying for the throneĀ .Ā iām sure the common folk are rallying for their chance at the crown as wellĀ āĀ it will be a fightĀ ,Ā without questionĀ .Ā a warĀ ,Ā potentiallyĀ .Ā āĀ the realm has known peace for far too longĀ ,Ā and people hungerĀ ,Ā as they always doĀ .Ā it turns her stomachĀ .Ā Ā āĀ but maybeĀ . . .Ā maybe the northĀ . .Ā āĀ rowena does not want the iron throneĀ ,Ā nor does she wish to see her brothers upon itĀ .Ā but if the north were to secedeĀ ,Ā as theyād tried to decades agoĀ . . .Ā wellĀ ,Ā it was certainly a thoughtĀ .













