She Wolf • |Book 2|

• Chapter Three •

"Can I let you in on a little secret?"

Ramsay sat comfortably, across the long stretch of mahogany oak. In the hall where they dined, it had been empty except for his recent victim, Reek, and Rhaella.

"Certainly," came Rhaella's intrigued reply. She flashed Ramsay a sweet smile before pressing her goblet to her lips to drink.

"Those Stark boys, the little ones," he was grinning as if this secret was the best secret he'd ever tell, "They're alive."

"Impossible," she lowered the cup and stared up at him, bewildered. "They were burned and strung up like meat for all of Winterfell to lay eyes on."

"But they weren't," he looked so happy to be relaying this news to her. "Reek told me himself they were only farm boys he burned so no one would know."

"Theon said this?"

"His name is Reek now," Rasmay turned his head, "isn't that right Reek?"

"Y-yes, master," he replied from his position in the shadows.

Rhaella glanced over at him, her face unreadable as she stared at the Ironborn. "Bran and Rickon Stark are alive?" She questioned him.

"Lady Stark has asked you a question, Reek," Ramsay sat back in his chair and sipped from his own glass, "answer her."

"Y-yes, my lady." He briefly met her gaze before casting it downward as he trembled in his dark corner.

"Rickon and Bran are alive," she spoke more to herself, her finger coming up to meet her wine covered lips.

Ramsay watched her carefully, his lips curved in a smile that must have been permanent, Rhaella thought. He always wore it.

"You intent to find them?" Her eyebrows rose, of course he did. "What do you plan to do with them?"

He had started on his dinner, cutting up the meat into bite sized pieces and stuffing his mouth, "I haven't decided yet," he said while chewing. "What do you think I should do with them?"

She felt conflicted with her answer, part of her knew that Stark boys left alone would grow into men hungry for vengeance. Roose struggled as it was to keep his hold on the North. With Starks running wild, men would flock to them like they did her.

"They are valuable," she replied softly, her appetite no longer there. "I'm sorry, I'm not hungry, may I go?"

"Not hungry?" He looked at her plate, "you hardly touched anything on it. Was it not prepared right? Reek, take Lady Stark's plate back to the kitchen and tell them-"

"It's alright," she pushed back her chair and stood up, "I feel quite faint, I think I will just go rest a little in my chamber. Thank you, Ramsay, perhaps another time?"

He chewed his meat slowly, his eyes still on her plate. "Very well then," he replied, slowly looking up at her. "Reek, see to it that Lady Stark makes it to her chambers safely."

"There really is no need," she held out her hand to halt the approaching Greyjoy. Theon stopped, only to look over, nervously at Ramsay who appeared to show signs that he was agitated.

"I insist," his dark eyes met her's, his tone every bit of commanding as it had been with Theon.

Ramsay Bolton did not scare her. Petyr Baelish scared her. She looked Ramsay in the eyes, he had been drinking from his glass then. He lowered it slowly, that dangerous look she recalled from the first day they had met swam in his eyes again.

"Leave us, Reek," he suddenly said, breaking their intense stare down to place his empty cup onto the table.

Theon looked at Rhaella, terror visible in his eyes as he backed away out of the hall and shut the doors behind him. She turned her gaze back to Ramsay, who sat back in his chair, picking something out of his teeth.

"I like you, Lady Stark," he said to her, still picking the food out of his back tooth.

"Rhaella," she said, sitting back down into her chair since she found it pointless to stand.

Ramsay stopped his teeth cleaning to look at her, he appeared amused, "Rhaella," he said her name with a smile. "I heard that was the name of the mad king's wife. Aren't you of relation to her?"

"I am," she replied, "And to the mad king as well, but I was named after my mother."

"Yes, I've heard of her too. A wildling bitch that captured the hearts, it's no wonder you find men throwing themselves at your feet."

It was her turn to be amused, "It would be interesting to see men throwing themselves at my feet," she said, imaging men literally throwing themselves at her feet and professing their love for her.

"You know what I don't get?" He stabbed his fork into her meat and plopped it onto his plate.

"I'm sure that's a great number of things," she replied sarcastically. Ramsay peered up at her, the dangerous look reappearing. She raised her eyebrow at him and smiled.

Ramsay carefully set his knife and fork down, folded his hands on the table and looked at her, "Why do I have to wed that Stark bitch when you are a much better candidate."

"I agree, she isn't even a Stark anymore, she's a Lannister."

"So you agree?" Ramsay smiled, "We should wed and become Lord and Lady of Winterfell?"

"I do," she heard herself saying, yet not understanding exactly why these words were coming out of her mouth when her head screamed something else. "Sansa is a Lannister by law now, her husband is said to still be alive even if he is wanted for murder. It would be unlawful to marry another man's wife. But my husband is dead, and it has been an appropriate amount of time since his death."

Ramsay sat back in his chair, beaming at her. "It's settled then," he said to her, "we are to become man and wife."

"Within a fortnight," she replied, holding up her goblet still filled with wine.

"I shall have to share this most wonderful news with my father."

_____________________

You ever just write and have a certain plotline set up and then shit hits the fan?
That's been this entire story.

She was never suppose to marry Robb and have his child. She was never suppose to go to Winterfell until after Sansa and Ramsay married. But here we are.
I mean I am actually just as shocked as you are about this sudden marriage match.
But I also know Rhaella a little more than you all do, so it actually makes sense to me why she agrees to marry Ramsay.

•

Oh ello, I've been a bit busy with work and being sick. Then my dog ended up with an injury. So instead of writing on my first weekend off, I've been reminiscing and then remembered I had half this second book prewritten, so here's an update 🙈
Also when in and fixed Ramsey to Ramsay since the first time I wrote this I spelt it wrong.