The runaway bride | Cregan Stark

Chapter 18

Dealla sat on Cregan's lap and the young lord combed her wet hair while the princess told him everything that had happened in the forest. "And they brought you back to Winterfell?" Cregan asked in wonder as he combed out a knot with care. Dealla hummed as her hands played with the buttons of his shirt. "You're forgetting the bear they dragged with us instead of eating it themselves," Dealla reminded him and Cregan laughed lightly. "That's hard to forget. Especially after seeing it lying around in the yard myself."

"Did Aric see it too?" Dealla asked with a grin and Cregan put the brush aside and leaned against the head of the bed. "Why do I get the feeling my future wife wants to impress another man?" he asked with a smirk, letting his hands wander to her hips. "You're already impressed" Dealla murmured, leaning down to kiss him lightly. "Besides, he's a better archer than you" she whispered, trying to escape with a giggle, but Cregan's hands on her hips held her in place, preventing her hasty retreat.

"What did you just say?" asked Cregan with a light chuckle, flipping them both over. Dealla landed on her back and Cregan propped his hands over her. "That you are the most gifted swordsman of your generation" Dealla replied and kissed Cregan lightly before letting her head fall back on her pillow with a smile. She could imagine such a life with him. Spending their evenings giggling in bed together and only having eyes for each other. "I am," Cregan hummed contentedly, kissing her jaw before Dealla took his face in her hands and brought it away from hers. Not far, just a few inches.

"Shouldn't we spend the night before our wedding apart? What if we get in trouble?" the princess asked almost uncertainly and Cregan smiled slightly. "You are the princess of the realm and I am the lord of Winterfell; I don't think anyone here has any comand over us." Dealla giggled lightly and Cregan kissed her face. His hands gripped her waist and turned them both again. This time Dealla ended up on top of him and Cregan wrapped his arms around her.

"I wish my sister was here tomorrow" Dealla whispered and nuzzled her head against Cregan's chest. 'Do you want to send a raven to her?' Cregan asked uncertainly and Dealla thought for a moment. "No, it's too risky" she then whispered and Cregan gently rubbed her back while his other hand disappeared into her white hair. "Will everything be different tomorrow?" Dealla asked, lifting her head so she could see Cregan's face. His fingers continued to slide through her hair and massage her scalp. "The world will know that you are my wife and I am your husband. That will lead to change, but nothing will change between us," Cregan promised and Dealla nodded with a soft smile before laying her head back on his chest. She realized it was the first time they had ever laid together like this and smiled. Part of her couldn't wait for the next day.

*****

Dealla left the guests to Cregan. She was only too happy to do so. Let him explain to them all that they had been unknowingly invited to a wedding. Dealla couldn't even have bothered with all the explanations if she wanted to. Adric had pulled Cregan out of their room that morning when the first lords arrived. The maids came afterward and began preparing Dealla for the wedding. They helped her braid her white hair as her ancestors had done. She was a Targaryen princess and today was her wedding day. Every now and then Dealla looked out of the window and saw Cregan greeting another lord. Then a dragon's roar resounded over Winterfell. The maids started up in fright as screams rang out across the outer courtyard.

"Dragon!"

Dealla didn't need another word to storm out of the room. The maids screamed after her in panic. Dealla was wearing nothing more than a thin robe and wasn't even wearing any shoes. She assumed the worst, that Aemond or Aegon were here to drag her back to King's Landing, but it wasn't one of their dragons that landed on the walls of Winterfell and roared loudly again, but hers. "Don't shoot!" Dealla shouted in panic, running barefoot across the courtyard while holding her robe up with one hand. "Don't shoot!"