Snow Like Ash ▸ Game of Thrones

Night and Day

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CHAPTER 04 :
DAY AND NIGHT

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Matthias

Everything was always uncomfortably cold and bitter in the morning. At this hour the dragons had yet to awaken so the large fires that warmed the stone castles remained unlit. But as Matthias stood, gazing out his window into the endless winter storm, he attributed the cold atmosphere to the absence of his queen. It had been five days since her departure and six since he had last laid eyes on the maiden. He knew it was best for him to remain at Castle Nightfire while Rowynn went south to the Wall, but that did not stop him from standing by the window every morning and night, watching for a sign of the Nyrs army's return. Matthias predicted that nothing would ever be the same between him and Rowynn, but he only wished to see her delicate smile or her deep violet eyes once again. He had yet to find another who could rouse the same emotions Rowynn did, and that caused him to fear for his future.

"Seven Hells," Jaymes huffed when he entered the room without knocking, "if this room was any colder, they would ask to use it as another dungeon."

"Five days and nothing, Jaymes," Matthias sighed as he clenched his hand into a fist against the windowpane. He did not bother looking at the man he thought of as a brother. "Maybe we should send riders to—"

"You are worse than the lords in court," Jaymes interjected. "Rowynn is flanked by thousands upon thousands of trained knights who could find Bellaronia in even the direst of storms. There is no reason to worry about my sister."

"She is the queen of a great kingdom. There will always be a reason to fear for her safety," Matthias replied without missing a beat.

"But not today," Jaymes assured him. "She estimated her stay at the Wall and it takes over a day and a half to make the ride home in fair weather. It is most likely the storm that has delayed her."

"She took the Stark princess with her," the blonde lord said quietly. He knew that Rowynn was going to try to use Arya to convince the Northern bastard to return with her, but he also knew that Jon Snow would have accepted her proposal even without the presence of his sister. The queen always had a talent with persuasion. Over the years Matthias had seen her change the rulings from even the sturdiest of lords; convincing a young bastard to marry her—a beautiful true born queen who was the blood of old Valyria—would be easy, Matthias sadly assumed.

"You were by her side in Meereen," Jaymes paused as he placed a hand on Matthias' shoulder, "you know she did not wish this upon herself."

"I do not blame her for doing her duty as queen. I have always known that she would marry someone like Rybek, someone with a claim to more than just a dying house. I only wish we had more time to adjust."

"I always feared this," Jaymes sighed. He continued when his family's ward looked over his shoulder at him. "Rowynn might not have been born to be a queen, but I believe everyone knew she was born to do great things. I knew since she was just a babe that her life would be filled with hardships, and because of that I prayed to the gods that my dear sister would find a love that could ease any pains she might endure. Whether she ever admits it or not, I know she found that love with you and I am truly sorry, my brother, but that is what I always feared; her loving someone she could never truly be with. Now, I am forced to pray that this Jon Snow can make her as happy as you had for so many years."

Matthias took a deep breath and chuckled as the breath seeped from his mouth. "I pray for that future every night."

Jaymes pursed his lips into a taught line as he shook his head lightly. "I have a feeling that Rybek will not be as hopeful."