Flayer

12.Ramsay

Lunch with Edda was wonderful. After a session of stress and overthinking about Stannis and his attack, lemon cakes and Dornish wine was the best thing that's ever happened to me.

Edda was not as silent as before, but still her timid self. I believe she was trying to find a way to love me, listening so intently to my stories that I actually felt she cared.

"And then-" I started to laugh, picking up a lemon cake and catching my breath to finish the sentence "She started to throw lemon cakes just like these at me! She'd say 'bastard! Bastard leave! Away with you Snow!'"

Edda's laugh was so pristine and pure, "All because you saw her naked in the river?"

"Multiple times," I confessed, "She used to be a fine woman, but..." I froze. She was the first person I flayed, and I didn't want to remind Edda who I really was... I was beginning to like her "Then I moved away and tried to become legitimized with the only methods I'm skilled at,"

"Which ones?" She asked, tilting her head adorably "Brains? Brawn?"

"Fear," I took a bite of my lemon cake "Men work better when they work for their lives and those of their families and friends"

Edda looked down at her lap, and then back at my face. "Ramsay..." She said with begging eyes.

I gave her a look. What was wrong with her? Did I hurt her? What did I do!

She suddenly smiled "You have lemon cake all over your face,"

I sighed with relief, wiping myself with the back of my hand as she giggled. "I thought I had said something wrong," I smirked at her, gulping some wine.

"No, no," she insisted, looking out the window, "I was just bored... Not of you, of course, but of the Great Keep. Sure it's my home but I miss being free and-" she stopped herself, giving me a slightly frightful look before resuming her lemon cakes.

"... You want to be free?" I raised my eyebrow at her, carefully inspecting her every move to know the true meaning of her words.

"Again, not of you," she sipped on her wine, her calm voice soothing me as her stormy grey eyes showed me the longings she spoke of "I want to be free of these walls. I know they are made of wood, or used to be before the Iron Born came, but they're not the same as feeling the real bark of a tree. I want to pick up the snow from the dirt and not a window, and see living game not ones cooked for dinner time! In no way do I mean anything rude by this, in fact I want to live in Winterfell forever... I just need freedom with the nature so that I can be Edda and not Lady Stark"

I stared at her, clenching my jaw because I knew she was telling the truth. She was wild, this one. Ambitious and curious, maybe even dangerous if she wanted to be. Of course I'd never let her go alone, but maybe...

I leaned in close to the table, taking her hand "Do you want to leave the Great Keep for the afternoon?"

Edda's expression lightened up "You mean it?"

"Just you and I!" my excitement grew with hers "I'll pull Blood out of his stable and get him ready to mount while you get yourself a cloak and let your damn hair loose! Don't get me wrong, it looks absolutely beautiful, but it must be uncomfortable for it to be so tight... Would you like to go with me?"

I'd never seen her smile wider, "I'm... Yes, of course my Lord I-I'd love to!"

I got up from the table, my heart warming up when she walked over to me and pulled me into a short but sweet embrace before taking off.

Once again, she did not turn back to look at me as she left, and once again it made me feel like grabbing her from behind and turning her head towards me so she would look at me while as I did things to her no other man would.

...

She was all I could think of as I strapped in Blood's saddle. The way she was present but her eyes seemed to be in the clouds. The way her heartbeat sounded as she fell asleep. The touch of her soft skin.

"Did you miss me last night?" Myranda suddenly appeared from a stable.

I gave her a look, "Why?"

She clenched her jaw "I was meant to come to your room, remember?"

"You were meant to come every night," I finished putting on the reigns and mounted my horse "But yet you don't"

She sighed "The little bitch kept us up because she wouldn't eat or drink, or speak..." I pretended not to be infuriated by the word she referred to Edda as "My, my, she's afraid of you."

I raised my eyebrow at her "... And you think I don't know that?"

Myranda smirked "Tonight?"

For the first time ever I hesitated as to whether or not I wanted to be with Myranda... And so I lied to her. "Depends on wether or not I have to stay in and help my father develop plans to attack Stannis"

"Very well, my lord," she murmured, slipping out of the stables. I didn't even watch her go, she was of no interest to me at all! Where was Edda?

I trotted out of the stables soon after, waiting in the snow outside of the Tower. I watched her window intently until I heard the doors open and out she went!

I watched her amorously as she met my eyes and walked towards me. Her stride was graceful and bold, her boots jet black just like her robe, held together by a silver Stark belt. Her red hair, I realized, was made up of fine waves that curled at the ends. With all the flowers out of it, I could truly appreciate the color of her hair.

"I thought you were waiting for me at the stables?" she asked as I stared down at her red-colored lips.

"I became impatient for you" I extended my hand for her, mounting her on my steed. "Shall we then?" I helped her put her arms around me and took off, galloping out of the open gates.