The runaway bride | Cregan Stark

Chapter 8

Dealla would have liked to claim that her head and stomach weren't about to kill her when she woke up the next morning, but that would have been a beautiful lie. And then there were the memories that made Dealla hide her face in her pillow. Cregan had seen her in nothing more than her chemise and that had been wet and not only that; Dealla had almost undressed in front of him. The only thing that made the situation a little better was that Cregan wasn't here. She was still in his coat, though, and she hated how cozy that coat was.

Growling, Dealla forced herself out of bed. It was light outside and Winterfell's courtyard was full of life. What time was it? And why hadn't anyone woken her up? On the other hand, Dealla really didn't have it in her to meet even one face. She laboriously changed and slipped into Cregan's clothes on top of her new chemise. He didn't seem to mind, otherwise he would have fitted her with other clothes by now and Dealla wouldn't admit it out loud, but his clothes were more comfortable than any dress he could have thrown at her.

The bandage around her hands had fallen off during the night and to be honest, Dealla didn't need it anymore. Her palms already looked much better and they didn't hurt anymore either, so she went about the tedious task of braiding her hair. She was still a Targaryen, even if she hadn't felt like one for the last year. In King's Landing, a few maids had usually braided her hair into a magnificent work of art, yet Dealla managed to do something decent herself.

The guards beside the door said nothing as she left the bedroom, but walked silently behind her at a distance. Dealla herself had no idea exactly what she was going to do. She wasn't hungry after yesterday's wine, but she couldn't sit around uselessly either. She had no intention of finding Cregan, she could certainly pass the time on her own. At least that's what the princess told herself as she entered the crowded courtyard of Winterfell. The first thing that caught her eye was a small unit of men fighting with swords. Guards and soldiers of Winterfell; among them were certainly a few knights.

She did not see Cregan among the fighting men, but she did see his two companions Ser Adric and Ser Jensen, who were engaged in a small duel. Both men moved in a for them familiar rhythm across the courtyard with an ease that made Dealla pause. Sweat covered the foreheads of both men, while their cheeks were slightly flushed from exertion or cold, and Jensen had a grin on his face as he fought his opponent. Dealla had watched her half-brothers or her nephews fight from time to time, but something about the fighting ways of the north seemed different to her.

Before she could sneak away unrecognized, Adric's gaze slid to her and he drew his fighting partner's attention to her with a nod in her direction. Jensen took the opportunity to trip Adric before looking in the princess's direction with a grin. "Do you want to join in, Princess Dealla?" he then called out to her, while Adric looked at him from the ground, glaring. Join in? Dealla had never held a sword in her life. "I'd rather not," Dealla replied as she crossed her arms in front of her chest. Jensen was already approaching her, his hair tousled and his eyes almost gleaming.

"A little training wouldn't hurt you," he replied with a charming smile as he stopped in front of her. His chest moved up and down in quick movements and Dealla could feel the warmth radiating from him. "I'd rather not," Dealla faltered as Jensen reached for one of her arms and, frowning, reached around and patted it lightly. "Not exactly the best shape, but we can work with it," he muttered to himself as Dealla looked at him, puzzled. "Forgive him, your highness. He's never learned proper manners around a princess" Adric said as he approached the two and snatched Jensen away from Dealla by his clothes.

"I was just analyzing her form" Jensen defended himself indignantly as Dealla brought her arm back to her chest. "Do not be reticent to rebuke him, Princess Dealla," Ser Adric then said to the princess before giving Jensen a long look and leaving the two of them alone. Dealla almost wished he wouldn't leave. Her gaze said the same as she glanced after Adric and when she looked back at Jensen, she met his grin. "We can start with wooden swords," he suggested, not realizing that Dealla wanted to do anything but pick up a sword.