wildlingsblood:
WHITE HOT , BLARING IN THE SKY , the sun rained golden rivers over everything and painted the world yellow . there might have been something magnificent about it , but vic had seen the morning light hit the fresh snow , sending diamonds sparking into a dangerous dance . there was something about diamonds that made gold seem so dull . it seemed strange that the sun was still shining on a day such as this , where a gloom hung over the city like a thick fog . the queen was dead , and while vic had never held any love for her , this was the last thing he expected , the last thing he wanted . it was supposed to be a quick trip south , then back up the kingsroad to a castle in the snow where nothing ever had to change . but now ? everything was about to change .
the sun , it seemed , would always shine in the south where there were no snowstorms to block it out and no long nights where one could forget it’s face . the sun did not care that it was raining within the walls of the red keep , tears carving rivulets into the ancient stone . vic did not shed any tears , he said the proper words and hung his head when he fancied , but he did not cry . he did not know the queen , did not care for her , and besides death meant something different in the north . he did worry , though , not because he suspected foul play . he held it as a possibility , strange that death would come when so many new faces surrounded her , but death was strange .
he would take this all in stride , one step at a time , and the first step was always finding rowena , being certain she was safe . he was not with her always , though he might have liked to be , for only then could he always be certain . even away from her , his mind always strayed to her and here , behind the strong walls and the safe swords of the city watch that could hardly be purely on the concern of her safety . upon finding her room empty , he set out across the vast castle gardens to find her . a shadow raced between the manicured foliage , wide eyes peeking out behind the green . “ crow , ” he greeted , immediately searching behind the dog for her owner , who it did not seem was following . “ where’s rowena ? ”
and like that , she was off , to find her person , his person , and he followed closely behind . and as always , she led him right where he wanted to go . he waited for her to notice him , she always did somehow , though he said nothing , made no sound , but she turned to look at him . the old gods were not here , vic felt no sense of holiness and the look in rowena’s eyes told him she agreed . “ a poor imitation , ” he admits , face contorting in distaste for only a moment , until he thinks better of it and meets her gaze with a smile . “ but we won’t be here much longer , i promise . i won’t let them keep us any longer than necessary . ” he is worried about her , of course he is worried about her . but , for her to come here , well it could only mean one thing . “ are you alright ? ”
𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐈𝐒 𝐀 𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐒𝐎𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐖𝐒 & 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐑𝐒 ; rowena allows herself a moment to breathe slowly , deep as her father had once shown her when she’d been but a sick child , fearful & feverish in her bed . she sags in the dirt at his feet like a doll forgotten , letting the plucked flower fall from her grasp and drift in the humid breeze that continues to rustle the flora encircling them . in this sole moment , she can simply be rowena — nothing more , nothing less . she does not have to be a noble lady , stiff & proper and full of all the right words . “ i am afraid . ”
the words are but a breath of a whisper as rowena's eyes close , as though hiding herself from the realities of the world around her ; as if this is but a silly nightmare that she might yet wake from . victarion has never broken a promise to her , not in all the years she has known him , though she cannot help but worry that this time may be different , against their choosing . no longer is he simply promising to take her out riding at night so that they might look upon the stars unbidden — the queen is dead , now , and home seems farther away than ever before . there’s much more difficulty to face here than simply trying to persuade her father to let her go .
and with her fear admitted , made real in the space between them , her lashes flutter & she finds herself standing before him . she wants to flee with him . she wants to take his hand and never let go . “ and though i am afraid , there is much to be done . we need to prepare to leave as soon as is appropriate . ” there is an edge to her voice , like her father’s , or her eldest brother’s . she is not quite the lord of winterfell , not by miles , but she could certainly try her hand at bravery . “ it can’t be coincidental , vic — can it ? ” worrying her lower lip with her teeth , she takes his hand , watching as she threads their fingers together . it is simply her nature , at this point ; her gaze quickly shoots back up to take in the sharp line of his cheekbone , the way his own eyes train on her . “ the whispers have already started , though of course they have . . . still , i am wary . it is not safe here , even less so than it was upon our arrival . ”
it is the truth , but she still trembles somewhat , all of the terrible possibilities flooding her imagination at once . “ doubtless , lords and ladies alike are already vying for the throne . i’m sure the common folk are rallying for their chance at the crown as well — it will be a fight , without question . a war , potentially . ” the realm has known peace for far too long , and people hunger , as they always do . it turns her stomach . “ but maybe . . . maybe the north . . ” rowena does not want the iron throne , nor does she wish to see her brothers upon it . but if the north were to secede , as they’d tried to decades ago . . . well , it was certainly a thought .
