Flayer

19.Edda

As night fell Reek knocked on the door to my tower. I told Wylla, who started to scold him for coming so late to pick up our dinner, to go to her room. I needed to speak with him alone.

He stood there, shivering and unable to meet my gaze.

"...Theon," I mumbled as I helped him take a seat. He kept his eyes away from me so I lifted his head.

"I... I'm sorry" he stuttered, "I'm sorry for all I've done-"

I shook my head "I don't care, just listen to me"

He nodded.

"You need to help me, Theon. You have to! I cannot marry Roose Bolton, and we know he'll try to kill Ramsay. I need you to find out if one of the Bolton soldiers is going to be payed to end my betrothed on the battlefield"

"... I'll be punished-"

"Then you will tell them I sent you!" I insisted.

Theon grabbed my wrists tightly "He'll hurt you!"

I kissed his forehead to calm him "I will not let Ramsay harm me or you, Theon-"

"Reek..." He muttered though his fingers calmed their grip on my wrists "You cannot stop Ramsay from hurting you, Edda"

I took his face in my hands and held him up firmly, for I though Theon's broken pieces might slip through my fingers.

"I'm here to protect you as much as you are to protect me," I promised him, "You will be untouchable while I am around"

"I can't protect you from Lord Bolton-"

"As long as Ramsay is alive Roose will not lay a hand on me," I assured him, getting frustrated "Just please help me, Theon-"

"Reek!" He yelled, "My name is Reek-"

"SHUT UP!" I slapped him. After I realized what I had done, I felt terrible. He'd been tortured, shamed, stripped of his home and his humanity... And here I was inflicting more pain on him.

I pulled him into my arms, his tears pouring down his face. About a year ago I would've stabbed him with Robb's sword if he had let me, but now he was all I had.

"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry Th-" I started to cry as well, "I'm so sorry, Reek, I can't do this without you! I won't make it out alive. You're my only hope!"

He looked up at me as I cried. Something changed in his eyes. They livened.

"I will not let you down Lady Stark," he wiped his nose and stood up "I will not let you die"

With that he stumbled out of my tower. I sat down on my table, staring down at the fine wood as I tried to stop my tears of shame and sorrow.

...

After a while I picked up a knife from the uncleared dinner and started to carve a flower on the table when a second person knocked on my door.

"Come in," I dried my tears.

Ramsay came in with a stack of parchment paper. "I'm so sorry I haven't visited all day I was writing the invitations to our wedding, and I need you to help me make a special-"