I put on a brave face for what was to come next. There was a small crowd of men waiting outside the Citadel for Theon and me. He looked at me and I noticed he was concerned.
"Is everything alright, my love?" I asked him.
"Are you sure you're okay with this? I don't want to do anything you don't want to." I wanted to laugh at the irony.
"Thank you, but I'll be fine. You needn't worry about me." I laid a hand on his arm.
Suddenly I was lifted into the air by some of the men and I looked next to me to see they had lifted Theon into the air as well.
"All part of the tradition, Lehna!" He shouted. I mustered up a smile as we were carried off to our bedroom.
The door was kicked open and I was thrown onto the bed. "Hey!" Theon barked. "Be careful with her! She's your future Queen!" Theon was thrown as well. He managed to catch himself without crushing me. I was pinned under his muscular arms. The men whistled loudly.
"Why are there only men?" I whispered.
Theon leaned down to whisper in my ear, "Just forget about them. Focus on me." I heard angry footsteps and looked up to see my mother enter the room.
"Your Highness," all the men bowed. Theon rolled off me to bow as well.
"I believe that I requested a curtain to be hung to protect my daughter's decency. Where is it?" She demanded coldly. I'd very rarely seen her this livid.
"Yes, Your Majesty, I'll get it now." One of the men ducked out of the room.
My mother looked at me with sadness in her eyes. "Lord Greyjoy, may I speak to my daughter?"
"As you wish, Your Grace."
She beckoned for me to follow her. I rose from the bed and smoothed out my wedding gown.
"Yes, Mother?" I asked when we were in the hallway.
"Are you certain you want to go through with this?" I nodded. "You're so very brave." My mother wrapped me in an embrace.
The man soon arrived with the curtain. I bid my mother farewell and followed him back into the room. I couldn't look at their faces. I couldn't look at these people knowing they were about to witness me sleep with Theon.
Theon held me for a moment and I looked into his green eyes. They were beautiful, but they weren't Jojen's. I had to kiss him, I had to get the thought of Jojen out of my head.
Theon lifted me up and I wrapped my legs around his waist as he slipped past the curtain to fall backwards onto the bed. I gasped at the sudden contact. He smiled and rolled so that I was beneath him. "Talk to me, Lehna," he said softly. "I care very much for you and I don't want to hurt you or make you uncomfortable."
"I'm okay, Theon, truly. You're my husband." I touched his cheek gently.
"Yes, but not because you chose me. Your parents did." I detected disappointment in his voice.
"Tonight, Theon, I choose you." I lied. He kissed me and I tentatively started to remove his clothes. Then I thought I heard someone whisper, so I stopped.
"Is everything alright love?" Theon murmured.
I took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm just a little bit nervous, is all."
"Let me take your mind off of it," his breath was hot on my neck. I slipped my arms around him and allowed myself to get lost in my husband.
