✓ | 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝑾𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝑻𝒐 𝑹𝒖𝒍𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒓𝒍𝒅 (R.STARK 2/3)

Chapter Thirty:: The End

Gawen's grip tightened, the faint squeak of his leather gloves as they contracted around Raina's own could be heard distantly over the crunch of leaves beneath boots below. It was a treacherously slow, daunting walk to the ceremony, in which the silence loomed over the group like a heavy rain cloud, tumbling thunder as a reminder of what waited ahead. Raina felt physically sick, ready to keel over at any moment with pure disgust of the man waiting for her at the alter. She wished she had run, even if it were only to see Robb's beautiful face one last time, she wished she'd gone when she'd had the chance. But by now it was too late. Sybelle Locke, Robett Glover, and Galbart Glover met the group in the courtyard of Winterfell, making it clear that any plans of escaping now were foiled and out of the question, that reminder was entirely nauseating - the thought that there was truly no getting away now. It all seemed like a rather dark fate, like a shadowed future compared to the vibrant one she'd had in mind for her and Robb, this was less what she wanted in life and more what had to be done. This was a compulsory marriage, not one she'd had any say in; not that it would've mattered had she been able to give her opinion, as when the Bolton's make up their minds on something, they follow through with it sooner or later. Raina was but a prize to be claimed in due course.

Her feet somehow continued to move steadily along the dirt track, her hands still intertwined with her cousins' for reassurance and tightening slowly with every step  taken in the ceremony's direction. It was a wonder that she could move at all given how numb and paralysed she felt inside - it was like she was suffocating within her own skin and there was nothing that could prevent it now. Clerk, Greyson and Vivillon were apparently to attend the ceremony today, which was reassuring slightly, that there'd be a few more familiar faces, but Raina still felt sick thinking about it. She didn't want this, any of it, and the idea of trying her luck with running now seemed more appealing the closer to realisation she got.

There were sounds of distant chatter leaking through the tress, and growing louder with every second spent walking, which only made the event coming into view more daunting than it had been a few minutes ago. Everything didn't feel real, it felt fake and untrue like a bad dream, but once Raina turned the final corner with her family, and could clearly see the alter and her husband-to-be waiting like an impatient King, ready to claim his well earned prize, things became awfully clear. She was going to marry that monster, willingly. She was going to marry the bastard son of the man who tried to kill her King. She was going to marry the beast that murdered a close friend and but a child. She was going to marry the man responsible for so much death and destruction in the North and for what? An alliance on a piece of paper. Like that would save House Glover when the Bolton's became power hungry, more so than already, and began ravaging the North for all that they wish for. And Raina will be beside the Bastard through it all, keeping her mouth closed and forever known as Raina Bolton, no matter how hard she'd try and get away from such a name, it'll be glued to her like a brand for the rest of her life. That made her feel well and truly ill; more so than already caused by this whole ordeal.

"Try not to think about it." Gawen whispered into her ear, his voice disturbingly calm compared to how Raina felt inside, and imagined how her voice would sound in that moment if she tried to speak. "It'll be fine, and over before you know it." Raina almost felt mad at his optimism, how annoying it was that someone so close to her was looking for the positives in such a horrific occasion. She wanted to scream that it wouldn't be fine, or over quickly, as this would be the rest of her life - and she'd sooner jump from the battlements before living a day beside such a man. She wanted to shout that trying not to think about it was easier said than done, and that for someone going through with this compared to someone by standing, it was indeed harder than it looked. "Don't worry." He said finally, before his hand slipped from her's and Gawen's shape disappeared toward the crowd of people huddling near the alter. She didn't have time to question where he was going, or what he'd meant by his words, but instead was left to watch aimlessly as one of the only people she had left, departed from her side in her hour of need. Erena smiled up at her from her other side, and failed to look phased by her brother's disappearance, only sympathetic as ever toward Raina, and slightly pale too. Raina felt bad not smiling back, but to her this wasn't a time for smiling, not that she could muster one, this was a time in which all she wished to do was curl up on the floor and cry - hoping she'd be over looked for the rest of her life and never forced to do such a thing as this again. But that wasn't the case. This was her fate and she had to live with it now, she just hoped Gawen had been right and that this would all be over soon.