Her Name Isn't Snow

Chapter 13

Everything seemed to slow down, the world was coming to a stop when I needed it to go faster. Marian, Winter and I seemed to crawl through the halls of the castle, peaking around every corner and making sure we seemed natural to any who saw us. But we prayed it would be no one. The Red Keep was mainly empty, everyone had already left for Baelor's statue, where Ned would be sentenced this afternoon. The only sounds that could be heard were the patterings of Winter's feet. 

Everything felt strange, as the world seemed to slow I could feel my mind starting to slip, to thoughts of Robb, Winterfell, and Jon. Oh, Jon, my love, I pray you are well and happy. 

"My lady!" Marian whisper shouted at me, quickly pulling me into the side hallway, towards the catacombs. 

"Sorry Marian, I'm just a bit distracted today, and please call me Rhaella," I tell her with a small smile, readjusting my white fur hood. 

"Alright...Rhaella, well we're almost there, but who knows who may be lurking down here, just try to keep quiet" Marian whispers to me awkwardly. I nod despite the darkness surrounding us as we continue down the hall. I try to keep my breathing even as we travel down the narrow hallway. I fall in step behind Marian who holds a torch in her hand while Winter walks behind me. 

We take a detour to the old chamber with the dragon skulls where two piles of clothes are waiting. 

"Hurry, we don't have much time," Marian said handing me a pile of riding clothes. I nodded and quickly changed into some riding pants, they were tight around my baby bump, but not unbearable. Once I was changed I pulled my satchel back on and my hood, holding my sword in my hand under my cloak. 

"Ready?" Marian asks. I turn to look at her and see her hair pulled down in a dark brown braid with brown leather riding clothes, along with a loose black cloak and riding boots. She seemed a bit younger but still in her twenties, an adult where I was a child. 

"Yeah, ready" I mumbled back as Winter walked closer to my side. I followed her as she grabbed another torch and we began walking out of the chamber and continued down the narrow hallway. It felt like we walked for miles before we made it out, right by the stables. Two horses were already saddled and waiting. A brown one and a white one. 

We quickly saddled the horses and made our way out of the Red Keep, over the bridge and towards Flea Bottom, where one of the main gates are. The streets we took were empty. We did our best to stay as far away from Baelor's statue as possible. Before we knew it we were on the king's road, heading North. It was difficult riding, with Winter running and trotting alongside us and the sickness I felt. I knew we couldn't stop, not until we put a couple leagues between us and the castle. But all I felt was sickness and pain. It was sunset when we finally stopped and made camp off of the King's road. 

Marian helped me off my horse and told me to rest while she started the fire. Selfishly I accepted. I leaned up against a tree while Winter laid down to my left. I closed my eyes and instantly succumbed to sleep.

I was back at the inn near the river. The inn where Nymeria disappeared and Lady was killed. A ghostly looking Ned stared at me with that cold look that only Starks could make. 

"You promised me Rhaella, you promised me you'd leave" he scolded. 

"I can't! Things have changed, I need to see them" I tried to reason. 

"You're breaking your word" he continued. 

"I will go there...someday but not now, can't you understand that?" I pleaded. He only looked at me with disappointment.