Until We Meet Again❄ (Sandor Clegane) Game Of Thrones (Wattys2019 Nominated)

55- A Deal

A/N bit of a cheesy chapter and slightly odd but I think it perfectly sums up her relationship with a character in particular and what was going to happen moving forward.

Alianora had slipped back into her clothes, obviously telling Edd to divert his eyes as she did and so he respectfully did so. His heart was racing fast at the fact he was alone with her, but most men would have had the same feelings most likely.

She sat on the edge of the bed, pulling on Edd's arm to make him sit beside her. He does without hesitating, placing both of his hands on his thighs, bending over slightly to look to the wooden floor. "So... any reason you want me to stay?" He wondered as he thought back to how shook up she had looked when he first knocked on her door. Alia shifted, pulling her knees up to her chest and gave a light shrug, looking towards the bolted-up door. "I don't particularly trust the men here is all."

He nodded understandably, accepting that it must be hard for a woman to come inside a den of rapists, murderers, thieves and paedophiles. "You trust me then?" He chuckled, turning his head to look at Alia as she rested her cheek on her knees. She nodded, a smiling creeping onto her lips. "I do. Unless you don't think I should?"

"I would like to say I am trustworthy. I ain't like most men here."

"Oh really?" She teased, poking his side with her foot playfully. "Most men I have met are very moody and cynical... just like yourself."

Edd scoffed slightly, grabbing at her foot as she nudged him, pushing it away from him lightheartedly as he furrowed his brows at her. "How so?"

"I mean, they call you Dolorous Edd for a reason, don't they?"

"I suppose. I just don't see a very positive outlook on life really. Just the way it is."

She smiled sadly at the man, understanding where he was coming from. She too had often felt like how he did. She always thought 'what is the point?' because in reality, what is the actual point? She spent years serving and protecting the Starks and now most of them are dead and missing. She had searched for Sansa for what seemed like forever and had failed. She left Arya with a huge murderous psycho who for some reason managed to fall in love with only for him to betray her. She had watched Ned Stark be beheaded, witness Catelyn's body with her throat cut open before she was tossed carelessly into the river. Robb's body was attached to his Direwolfs head and she couldn't even bare to think what has happened to Bran and Rickon. First the Greyjoy's had taken over Winterfell and now the Bolton's. It was cruel. Everything had made her weaker and weaker. Usually when bad things happen people tend to come bounce back, ready for anything but she knew she was getting weaker day by day. She had enough.

Tears brimmed to the corners of her eyes as she zoned out into her own thoughts, thinking of everything. When she hadn't spoken up, Edd looked over his shoulder to glance at her to see the distant look in her face.

"Hey." He whispered, resting his hand on her forearm caringly. "You alright?"

She wasn't.

Her lip started to tremble, causing her to hide her face in her knees. She clenched her eyes shut, feeling the tears roll down her cheeks. She maintained the sobs that were burning at her throat, the lump getting tighter and tighter with every breath she took. To answer his question, she shook her head and was relieved to feel his arm snake around her waist, pulling her towards him.

Reaching out, she wrapped her arms around his slim torso and buried her face against his chest and that's when the sobs escaped.

Covering her mouth quickly, not wanting anyone but Edd to hear them she felt the soothing sensation of Edd running his fingers through her slightly damp her, not saying anything.