The Queen of Flames (Sequel to 'The Demon of Winterfell') (On Hold)

Chapter Ten: Revelation

It was time to go beyond the Wall. Their small group stood before the gates, waiting for them to be raised. Emmelyne stood beside Sandor, clutching tightly onto his hand. He held hers as well, something that felt strange to him. She was so close to him that he could feel the heat radiating from her body. He was thankful for that, because the minute the gate opened, the group was hit with a burst of cold air. Even despite her natural heat, Emmelyne knew that it was terribly cold. She pressed herself to Sandor's side, and he looked down at her, smiling only to himself.

Snow blew outside, making everything a bright white. Emmelyne instinctively pulled her cloak tighter around her. What was she thinking? Why had she decide to do this?

Jon, who was at the head of the group, looked back at the others. Thoros took a drink from the skin in his hands. "May I have some of that?" she asked him, and he nodded, handing it over.

When she took a drink, she realized quickly that it was rum, not wine, like she was used to. Even still, she took another sip. "Thank you," she said, handing the skin back.

Jon stepped out into the open, and they all followed. The snow fell on Emmelyne, settling into her braided hair and eyelashes. Sandor couldn't help but think of how beautiful it made her look, but he forced the thought from his mind. This was not the time. There would be other times, but not now. He squeezed her hand reassuringly.

None of them knew exactly how much time had passed. They hadn't stopped walking. There was hardly any conversation, and the silence had given Emmelyne time to think. She thought about everything, but mostly about the child growing in her stomach. It was four months, now. She knew that she was starting to grow, but no one had really noticed. Loose dresses were a large factor in that. She was just pleased to be covered in layers of clothes; no one would notice.

"You all right?" Jon asked Gendry as they all walked.

Gendry let out a grunt in response. "Ever been north before?" Tormund asked.

"Never seen snow before," was the reply.

"Beautiful, eh?" Tormund continued. "I can breathe again. Down south, the air smells like pig shit."

"You've never been down south," Jon stated.

Emmelyne ignored their conversation, looking up at Sandor. "I thought you were dead for the longest time," she said. "I'd seen a vision. You were hurt, begging with Arya to kill you. How did you survive?"

Sandor shook his head slightly. "Septon found me, named Brother Ray. He made me better, made me join his congregation. One of the few good men I've ever met. He's dead now."

Emmelyne nodded slowly. "The good people do tend to die first."

"If that were true, you'd be long dead."

"What makes you think I'm a good person?"

He looked down at her. "You don't think you're good?"

"No, I don't."

"You are. You're kind. Caring, to an extent. Better than most people I've met."

She couldn't help but blush at that. "Thank you," she said with the start of a smile. "Sandor."

He decided that he liked making her smile. So, when he pulled her into his side and she continued smiling, he was pleased with the results. "How do you live up here?" Gendry was asking Tormund. "How do you keep your balls from freezing off?"

"You got to keep moving," Tormund said. "That's the secret. Walking's good, fighting's better, fucking's best."

"There's not a living woman within a hundred miles of here," Jon pointed out. "Besides Em. And you're not going near her."

"We have to make do with what we've got, then," Tormund shrugged.

Jon, knowing this was a joke, laughed, but Gendry's eyes went wide. Tormund chuckled, talking quietly to Jon. "This one is maybe not so smart."

They walked ahead, allowing Gendry to fall back into the bulk of the group. He looked back at Emmelyne and Sandor, and she smiled at him, waving slightly. Tormund and Jon continued speaking to each other from the head of the group.

Emmelyne continuously touched her stomach as they walked. She was anxious. She didn't know if she would tell anyone, or if she'd keep it a big secret. Of course, once she was further along, it would be harder to hide.

It had stopped snowing at some point during their walk. Gendry found himself in the center of the Brotherhood's party. Thoros looked at him. "You still mad at us, boy?"

"You sold me to a witch," Gendry replied stiffly.

"A priestess, like Emmelyne. I'll admit, it is a subtle distinction."

"We're fighting a great war," Beric shrugged. "Wars cost money."

"I wanted to be one of you," Gendry argued. "I wanted to join the Brotherhood, but you sold me off like a slave. Do you know what she did to me? She strapped me down on a bed, she stripped me naked..."

"Sounds all right so far," Sandor interrupted, and Emmelyne shoved him lightly.

Gendry continued. "And put leeches on me."

"Was she naked, too?" Sandor asked, and again, Emmelyne shoved him.

"She needed your blood," Thoros explained.

"Yes, thank you," Gendry snapped. "I know that."

"Could have been worse," Sandor shrugged.

Gendry stopped, and the others stopped with him. "She wanted to kill me! They would've killed me if it wasn't for Davos," he cried.

"But they didn't, did they? So, what you whinging about?" Sandor demanded.

Gendry shook his head. "I'm not whinging."

"Your lips are moving and you're complaining about something. That's whinging," Sandor stated, pointing at Beric. "This one's been killed six times. You don't hear him bitching about it."

He pointed at Emmelyne next, and his next words surprised her. "This one's pregnant and out here with all of us. She's not making any noise."

"Pregnant?" Gendry asked, his eyes widening.

But Sandor simply walked away, leading Emmelyne with him. "How did you know?" she asked him as they walked.

"Easy to figure out. You keep touching your stomach. You're quiet. And not to sound rude, but normally, you dress like a whore. Your clothes are loose right now."

Emmelyne let out a weak laugh. "Right," she said. "I was trying to keep it a secret."

"You weren't doing a very good job. Who's the father?"

She bit down on her lip. "A knight."

He scoffed at that. "A knight? Really? Northern?"

"From the Vale."

"Noble?"

"Yes."

He nodded slowly. "You want to marry this noble knight?"

Emmelyne hesitated before answering. "No."

The next question was one she was not expecting. "Would you ever marry me?"

She did not answer.