Hey! Long time no see!
Yeah, I know you're thinking "Finally, she posted the second chapter!". I know I told months ago I would post the second chapter around mid-June, but, like we say in french "j'ai eu les yeux plus gros que le ventre" ("my eyes were bigger than my stomach", which means my expectations were too high).
Just to sum up the reasons why it took me so long to write this chapter:
1) the ideas wouldn't stop coming, and I couldn't throw away any of them, so I decided to write them all;
2) English isn't my first language (yeah, I think you know now, it's French), so it's hard for me to write exactly what I mean (on the other hand, now, when I'm writing a text in french, I'm sometimes thinking in English XD);
3) I just started studying binatinal law at Uni, so I am drowning under the homework (just to give you an idea : an essay, a text to translate, up to five analysis of judgements made by the equivalent of the Suprem Court);
4) Since it wasn't enough, i'm always playing Volleyball, in the uni's team;
5) The building where I live only has common kitchen, so in the evening, I'm cooking there, and I don't leave the room before eleven pm XD.

6) Exams in december! Since I really don't want to start this year again from the beginning, I tried to finish the chapter asap, so I would stop feeling guitly...because some of you put some pressure on me to post the second chapter sooner... Well I can't say it's a bad thing, because it forced me to finish the chapter, which isn't an easy thing when you're a perfectionnist...
Basically, this chapter is at least twice longer than the first one. I hope you will like at least the half of it as much as you like the chapter I!
Oh, and because it's too long, and I didn't want to post two separate chapters, I posted one, but with two parts of ~20,000 words.
Last word: it's not beta-proofed, so if there's still some words in french or german, I apologize :D
Enjoy!

II ELFMAN

I A golden rose blending in the North

Insane. The woman was driving him insane. They were married only since two moons and he already felt mad. How was he supposed to resist and bear her until the end of his days (or her days. If he was a little lucky, she would die before him. After all, she was slightly older than him)?

Truth be told, she was a fair woman. A very fair woman. Maybe the most beautiful in all Westeros, but he won't shout that out loud, because it could attract the jealousy of the Targaryen princesses. Anyway, she's far too beautiful and far too high born (her father is the lord of one of the oldest and most powerful families of Westeros and her mother was, if he recalled well what he has been told, from an old and rich Lyseni noble family) for a low born noble like him.

When he thought about the way they had become husband and wife, he wanted to laugh. His father had saved Evergreen's and, before he died, he managed to get his son one of the most desired women in the seven Kingdoms, and maybe beyond. The only problem being that Elfman didn't see himself married at six and ten. At his age, young nobles used to make a tour in Essos, in the Free Cities. It wasn't that Elfman didn't like women, but, in Westeros, they were such fragile things, and he was such a tall and strong young man that he was always afraid to frighten one.

Oh, he wasn't bad-looking at all, but nobody could take their eyes off the big scar that marred the right side of his face, from under his eyes until his jaw, since more than two years now. A reminder he wasn't able to protect his sister. A reminder he didn't know how to take care of women. He had avoided them since, not wanting to cause them the same problems like with Lisanna, but this time, he hadn't been given a choice.

Fortunately, Elfman hadn't got to control himself with his wife. Damn, what kind of woman she was! She might be smaller than him, but that doesn't prevent her from swearing, yelling at him, being bossy, to drink like a man and to puke on him on their wedding night. Said like that, it was like he was living with another man, but Evergreen was also very feminine. She had the curves all the green boys dreamt of, and smiles and winks that made most men fall at her feet.

The woman is pissing him off, though. During the trip, she refused to spend a single night in the same bed as him. He had told himself he should indulge her, for she had never wanted of this wedding and she would be soon living in what seemed to be the arsehole of Westeros to her. However (aqnd he had to reckon that ability) she could lie like she breathed, feigning happiness and love before the others, so good that other people actually believed they were happy together. When they would pause because she wanted to piss, she would always take half an hour more than needed. As if she was reading during the process. Actually, maybe she did. She had books with her (the ones the green-haired Tyroshi sellsword, the Ashai'i with blue hair and the Dondarrion knight he almost defeated at Harrenhal and with whom she had relations of a special kind, different from the ones that was expected from a woman of her rank, offered), and, as they were moving North, she was reading them. Elfman didn't like books. He knew how to read, write and count, of course, but he had never been near as interested as Lisanna for those pages. He deemed his time could be used in a more productive way, like in learning how to fight (when Lisanna tried once to convince him to read a book, arguing it was interesting and useful, he had asked her if books had ever protected a place from destruction. Since she couldn't answer, he had resumed his training).

At least, when Evergreen was reading, she shut up and wasn't pissing him off. He had tried, once, as she was gone with Beth in the woods (for a piss), to see the subject of those books, so as to know what could captive her and stop her being a pest. He closed the book almost instantly. Firstly, it was written in a completely foreign language to Elfman (he knew, apart from the Common Tongue, a good bit of Old Tongue and some words in Skagosi), which he assumed to be high Valyrian. Given it was literally her mother tongue, it was no wonder she could read it (and understand it). His father had deemed unnecessary for his children to learn High Valyrian, for he thought it would never be useful for them. Moreover, it was written in tiny little scripts, as if a fly had dipped herself in ink and walked on the parchment pages. Finally, the book was huge, which definitely made Elfman give up.

Her handmaiden, a Southron too, but a bastard, was infinitely kinder than her lady. She was always smiling, never pissing him off or being insolent, and would always greet him when she saw him, whereas Evergreen would simply ignore him. He decided to ignore her too, for a while; but, since the woman hated to be ignored, she took the habitude of greeting him half-heartedly.

For her nameday, he asked the cook of the inn to make a good meal for her, the closest thing to the meal she had liked during their wedding, and got her an ermine coat (it as quite expensive in the South but, in the North, it was cheaper). A beautiful cloak that emphasized every inch of her figure. It made her look like the Ice Queen, or something like that. But in exchange, she had merely said a thank you. Nothing else (his dragons took a serious hit: his purse was now two-third empty).

His pride was wounded as they finally arrived to Last Hearth. Elfman knew that it was far from being as beautiful as Riverrun or Winterfell, but he liked this castle. Everything was simpler in it. There was just the amount of rooms needed, and no intrigue nor plot going on in it. It was surrounded by wildness and the forest. Elfman felt cut of the world there, and it did him some good after the wedding and the whole trip. Southrons spent their time acting and playing without never getting tired, but he, on the other hand, was quickly tired and sick of this game. He hoped that, after she spent some time there, she would become gentler, even if she wasn't living in the same luxe that she was used to.

"So, uh, this is my castle," he said, having moved towards her.

Her reaction was like a punch in the stomach.

"I have noticed, thank you. A gloomy castle for a gloomy lord."

"This is your castle too, now", he replied.

"I wish it wasn't. Guess I'll have to do with it."

However, she kept on walking towards the entry. In a few strides, he was at her level. Evergreen's eyes met his and he noticed that, even though she was smiling and acting positively surprised her eyes reflected anger, frustration and deep annoyance.

"Would you like me to show you around?"

The only answer he got was a shrug of her shoulders. Sighing inwardly, he began to show her the castle.

An hour and half later, he was showing her the last rooms of the superior floor. Elfman expected their visit to be quicker, but, in each piece, Evergreen had talked with the people who worked there (in the kitchen, she had said that the meal they were cooking was smelling and seeming delicious, and it had been enough for the kitchen maids to like her on the instant) and the talks were longer when she met Jet Snow, the intendant, and Yajima, the maester.

"So you can go in every room of the castle freely, as well as in the Godswood and the forest, if it's by day. Beware of not going too deep, else you will lose your way."

"I am not dumb to the point of losing myself in a forest", she snorted. "What's that door for?"

She was pointing a door, made like the other, but Elfman hadn't opened it. He sighed. It was Lisanna's room, unoccupied since two years. After she died, his father couldn't throw away her stuff and tidy her room, so he left the room like it was two years ago. The older man had locked the room, nonetheless, and kept the key hidden in his room, so Elfman had never seen what was left of his little sister's room. But now, even though he knew more or less where exactly the key was hidden, he had no interest in going there, for he was sure it would bring out too many bad memories.

"Ah. Doesn't matter. Just don't enter this room, understood? Never."

"But why…"

"None of your concern."

"Of course it's of my concern! You said this castle was mine, and I demand to know what's behind this door."

Elfman bit his tongue. The woman was slyer than what he was used to, and he promised himself to be careful about what he would say for she could use it against him later.

"Maybe one day, I'll tell you. But now, you're simply not ready to hear it." He raised a hand before she could say a word. "End of the discussion."

Evergreen huffed and pointed the next door.

"And this one? I can enter it, I hope?"

"Yes, of course you can. From on now, it will be our room."

She turned towards him, her golden eyes flaming.

"Hang on a second. Did you just say 'our room'?"

"Aye. What's the matter?"

"The matter is that I don't intend to sleep in the same room as you anymore."

"Where do you intend to sleep, then?"

"In another room, like other couple do."

"By other couple, you mean your mother and your father? They weren't given the choice, since they lived on two different continent", he snickered.

She pulled her dagger out of nowhere and pointed it at his neck.

"Never talk like that about my mother again", she hissed, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

"To get back about the rooms, most of the couples I know sleep in the same room. My parents used to sleep in the same room. Gray and Juvia sleep in the same room. No, we'll sleep in the same room, whether you want it or not."

"You say there isn't enough room for us to sleep in separate rooms; however, there is a room free, and you don't want me to sleep in it? Come on and stop saying nonsense to me", she said, approaching the dagger to his neck.

At this instant, he pulled out his own dagger and with a simple move of the wrist, Evergreen's dagger fell to the floor.

"I see that your Dondarrion friend taught you some tricks about daggers. Did you ever defeat him? No. So don't you hope to defeat me. You will do as I tell. Count yourself lucky to not be punished. Most husbands wouldn't have permitted such insolence from their wives."

He took her dagger and gave it to her.

"The evening meal will be ready in a few minutes. Try to not be late."

As he got away and went down the stairs, he heard her say "I hate you!", a cry of frustration and the sound of a dagger colliding the rock of the walls. She probably threw it in an access of rage.

Gray was right at some point. With her, he would never be bored. But, damn, would his head always hurt so much after he argued with her?

After the evening meal in the Great Hall, when he had to say a few words about the new lady of Last Hearth, he waited a good half hour outside his room. Evergreen was readying herself for the night (it was exactly like during the trip. In the inns, he had to wait outside their room. The first days, he just stood there, before the door, like an idiot; then, once he learnt a bit more about Evergreen's habitudes, he'd go for a walk or have an ale downstairs), but now, she was taking her sweet time. Eventually, Beth exited their chambers, muttering a "sorry" and quickly bowing before going to her own room.

Evergreen was already in the bed, laying on her stomach. Her long honey curls were hanging free around her shoulders, its tip touching the covers. She was looking at him in a seductive way, with a smirk and he felt himself blush from the tip of his hair until his toes. Moreover, her nightshift, which was slightly transparent, was showing her ample cleavage, her necklace shining between her breasts. Damn, how could the woman show so much of her cleavage, so often and without being ashamed or cold?

He shook his head, trying to get his ideas back in place. Elfman knew the woman; this was merely a trick to get what she wanted.

"It's pointless to try to make me change my mind," he told her before she even got the chance to open her mouth. Elfman made sure to look at her straight in the eyes, and not cast his eyes too down, because her exposed bosom wasn't putting him at ease. "We will sleep in the same room, and I won't sleep on the ground, over a blanket."

He saw in her eyes that she was a little taken aback and surprised that he knew her intentions, and even more surprised that he turned down her proposition. He smirked inwardly as he thought it was a hard blow for her ego; not being able to seduce a man when she was one of the most beautiful creatures of Westeros and Essos. However, she didn't give up and changed of strategy:

"Aww… I'm not even trying to change your mind. I just want us to have some fun together!"

"Stop lying, woman! I won't agree to whatever conditions you have in store!"

Her eyes were open wide, her brows slightly furrowed.

"But how…?"

"I'm gonna tell you how: even though I'm a man, during the past moons, I've begun to understand how your tricky brain worked. Truth be told, I was a little wary as I saw you were suddenly so cooperative, since you don't do things if there's nothing for you in return."

Her eyes shoot daggers at him. With a pout, she quickly got up and send to the floor the first object she found.

"And no matter how much of a tantrum you make, I will not change my decision", he added in a calm tone, slightly annoyed of her behavior. "Besides, if you break something, I won't pay for it. We can't afford that. Of course, you can always ask your beloved father to offer you one as a gift for your nameday or whatever, but we both know you don't have to speak to the men again."

"Fuck you", she spat, before lying on her side of the bed, her back to him.

Elfman was shocked. It wasn't like he wasn't accustomed to insults. Many times, men insulted him, mainly because they defeated him before a whole assembly, like during the tourney. But she was a woman, for the Gods'sake! She was supposed to have a decent language, not to speak like a...like a… like a Skagosi fish seller! But she has nor does things that are expected from a noble woman, a little voice in his head whispered, as he was discarding his shirt away.

He blew out the candles and slipped under the blanket.

"Good night to you too," he mumbled.

She didn't answer. Elfman knew for sure she was awake, since her breath was quick like the one of an angered person.

He stayed as far from her as he could, not feeling in the mood for another argument.

It didn't took him ten minutes to be too hot, and he threw the covers away. A hand clasped down on his wrist, long nails digging in his skin.

"What the heck are you doing?" asked Evergreen's angry voice.

"I'm putting the covers away because it's too warm there."

"Are you insane or what?"

"No, I don't wanna spend my night in a puddle of sweat, because it will be as unpleasant for me as for you. Take the blankets back if you want, but leave me alone."

"Don't even try to snuggle against me if you're too cold!"

Knowing it would anger her some more and cause her to ignore him, he told her in a haughty tone:

"Tell, why a man would snuggle against you in the first place?"

As he expected, Evergreen took the covers without a word.

He sighed in relief. At least, he would spend a good night.

The following day, he had called a council in his solar. There was the old maester Yajima, the castellan and intendant Jet Snow, his wife and himself. She had worn a brown dress with pieces of red-orange fabric, showing her shoulders and enhancing her long neck. She had her hair done in the Northern way, and wore amber pendants. Beth too was here, but she wasn't sitting at the table. She sat on a stool, a few feet away, sewing and being as quiet as a mouse.

"For now, the most important thing is to collect the taxes. We must take advantage of this period, for the smallfolk still have some money left. Besides, with the amount collected, we'll be able to better organize ourselves for winter," said Jet.

"What about the harvest?" Elfman asked.

"So far, they had been quite good. We could easily pass a three-year winter with normal rations, and a five-years with reduced rations. The only problem is the conservation of the flour. We do need an absolutely dry place, else the flour won't be edible. But there isn't much cereal left to harvest. All we can hope for is that the remaining fields will be able to give us at least six months of normal rations."

"When do you end the harvest?" Evergreen suddenly asked, taking part in the conversation.

"In a few weeks, my lady", answered Yajima.

"Because of the cold?"

The old man nodded.

"Have you ever heard of the black wheat?"

Elfman and Jet shook their head but Yajima had no reaction, having probably heard of it before.

"It's a kind of cereal that grows in Ibben. They make a very consistent bread with it. Since Ibben is even further North than Last Hearth, I thought we could maybe try to make them grow there."

"I have thought of that, my lady", said the maester. "The seeds could grow in there, but the problem is we don't have them. We can't afford them."

Evergreen remained silent for a moment, her eyes in the vague, her finger crossing her lips, the fingers of her other hand tapping on the wood table.

"I know the daughter of the archont of Tyrosh. She was an old friend of mine. It wouldn't be a problem to have those seeds, you know. The Ibbenese are quite desperate to sell it, but they can't grow in Essos, the weather is too hot and the earth is not good. Besides, nobody really wants to eat black cereals, so they can't sell it, but they keep on bringing it at port. All I have to do is to write a letter to Levy…"

"Levy?" repeated Jet, his brows furrowed.

"The archont's daughter", said Ever in a snapping tone.

She was probably the kind of lady who hated being cut while she spoke.

"But the problem is the same: we can't afford them. Unless we have something that could interest the Ibbenese, plus a small amount of something that may interest the Tyroshis, we can't make this exchange. Tell me, what are the resources there? The things we could sell?"

Elfman was glad maester Yajima answered.

"We have seals, wood, amber. We do have a kind of fish whose eggs are very much liked in Myr. Maybe we could find some coal."

"Amber…" repeated Evergreen, closing her eyes. "It'll do for the Tyroshis. For the seals, I think it may interest the Ibbenese, but it's impossible to keep them alive for so long and in warmer waters, is it?"

"You're right my lady."

"What kind of product can you make with seals?"

"They have a good leather, quite impermeable. I think the Skagosis use it to make some of their kayaks… It's like a very small bark. Their bones are resistant and big, their meat is edible, and their oil is very consistent. One can use it for cooking or to make the leather more impermeable and more supple. Besides, the seal's charcuterie is quite tasty."

"How much seal leather, oil and charcuterie can be produced?"

"Honestly, I don't know, my lady. We must go to the villages on the littoral to know, or maybe send a raven to Skagos."

"And we must know how much black wheat the Ibbenese are ready to sell to us, as soon as possible. We really need to write this letter. I'm taking care of it. Honestly, I'm quite confident about the result. Levy is a kind woman, and she owes me a little, since I improved trade between the Reach and Tyrosh, which enabled Tyrosh to become richer after the wars."

Evergreen took a quill, dipped it in the pot of ink, then began to write, quickly but well, still listening to their conversations and answering or suggesting arrangements from time to time, no matter it was about raising taxes, how should go the harvest, rations or the refection of an old mill that a strong storm destructed partially.

As they finished the meeting, she had finished the letter and, after borrowing Elfman's ring to seal the missive, she handed it to Yajima, who had sent it immediately to White Harbour, where Lord Manderly's maester would send it to Tyrosh. Somehow, during lunch, Evergreen seemed in a better mood than usual. Elfman didn't understand how could a simple letter to an old friend could make her feel better but, since she wasn't annoying him and fussing, he didn't mind. He could only hope that this mood would last for a few days, and that the answer, if there was one, would make his life with her more comfortable.

Days after their first meeting, as he was sitting calmly in his solar, looking over counts and not asking a thing from anyone, she stormed off in the room. He refrained himself from sighing or rolling his eyes, any reaction that could lead the young woman to complain about how her life was difficult and how she was a victim and unhappy there and so on.

"What owes me the pleasure of your visit?"

"I'm boring myself to death," said Evergreen in a theatrical tone, sitting on the edge of his desk.

"What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know. Throw a party maybe. Invite the others lords and ladies of the North, so I can meet them."

Elfman lifted up his head and looked at her straight in the eyes.

"Please, tell me you're not serious."

"I am."

"You're being irrational, then. First, we don't have enough money to throw a party."

"And the money you won at the tourney?"

"I already used it to buy warm fabrics for this winter and beasts, as well as some dried meat. Your ermine coat too was bought with this money. Besides, we don't have place there. You already complained about you not being able to sleep in the same room as me, so don't imagine the fuss the others lords and ladies would throw if we made them sleep outside."

"Some humility had never hurt anyone," retorted Evergreen, in an angry tone.

"That's why you act like the daughter of a rich man?"

Her eyes shot daggers at him, but he didn't care. He had seen worse looks.

"If you want that bad to party, then wait til the harvest is over, in three or four moons. There will be a feast with the peasants" Elfman said, before getting back to work, hoping the woman would soon exit the solar and leave him alone.

However, Evergreen was as stubborn as a mule and more determined than ever.

"It's too long! I can't wait until then! Why can't we invite a minstrel? It won't cost you much!"

"No. I can't stand neither their voices nor the content of their songs."

She huffed, but didn't give up.

"And mummers?"

"Nope. I don't want those people near my castle!"

"Acrobats?"

"Still no! Dammit, woman! You can ride in the forest! You can bathe in the nearby lake with your handmaiden! You can even go in the villages that are around! I think there's still an instrument or two in this castle if you wanted yourself to practice music! You have all the things you need for sewing and embroidery! You can even practice your archery skills if you want! Why are you asking more?"

When she heard the word "sewing", she made the same face as Lisanna as she tasted alcohol for the first time (they were hidden, of course. Father wouldn't have allowed them to drink some).

"I just need some company."

"As if this castle was inhabited," groaned Elfman, rolling his eyes.

"I just can't speak with those people."

"And what kind of people are you willing to talk to?"

He closed his eyes and answered before she could open her mouth:

"Oh, let me guess? The Dondarrion knight, the weirdo Asshai'i and the effeminate sellsword with long hair?"

"Their names are Luxus, Bixlow and Fried."

"Whatever. Maybe we could invite them?" he asked.

"For instance," she replied, with the most serious face he'd ever seen.

"No, we can't!"

"But why?" she whined. "It's not like they have no education! Moreover, they know the Common Tongue, and they can be helpful there, they won't mind sleeping in the barn and…"

"Spare your saliva. We can't invite them there!" cut Elfman.

Even though he would have preferred that those men stayed far from his wife, the education he had received and his morals prevented him from letting them sleep with the horses.

"And I say that we can!"

"And I say we can't!"

They were staring in each other's eyes, each one refusing to access to the other demand.

That was when someone knocked at the door.

"Enter!" ordered Evergreen in an icy tone, without breaking eye-contact.

"Am I interrupting something?" said the voice of the old maester.

They both turned their heads so they could face him.

"A letter came this morning, my lady. I presume it's some news of your Tyroshi friend."

Evergreen's eyes widened and a smile spread over her face. Yajima handed her the piece of parchment and she unrolled it. Elfman was surprised by the length of the letter. There were more than two tall sheets, dammit! It was by far the longest letter Last Hearth had received since he remembered, maybe even from the day it had been constructed.

As she read the letter, her eyes widened even more.

"Anything wrong?"

"No, I was just a little taken aback. Nothing important really. She just told me she had married a Myrenese."

"And? What's the matter?" asked Elfman.

"Excuse me, but everyone knows that Tyrosh and Myr can't stand each other", she retorted with a haughty tone.

She lifted her gaze to meet his eyes.

"Well, everybody, but you", she corrected, as she was making a face at him. "If you add this to the fact he's half-Dothraki and he's the captain of a sellsword company named "The Phantom Lords", especially renewed for its cruelty, I think you can only imagine how much of a controversial marriage this is."

She resumed her reading, and she smiled.

"She had already found us clients. She said that the Ibbenese were very surprised and happy to finally found someone to sell their cereals and to have seals in return. There not many of them in Ibben. The seals rather live near Lorath, but the Lorathi still follow some commands of the Blind Gods, so they participle very little in the trade between the cities. Therefore, they do not make objects of seals, except for themselves."

"Ah," said Elfman who, unlike Yajima who was nodding as a sign of comprehension, understood almost nothing of what his wife just said. Maybe she did it in purpose. He knew she liked to make him feel inferior to her.

Evergreen's eyes reached the end of the letter with a frown. Elfman could tell she wasn't pleased because her left eyebrow was twitching. She crumbled the letter in her hands.

"What's the matter?" he asked, fearing it was for their deal.

"Oh, it's nothing you should worry about, my lord. If you excuse me, I have some things to do. I promised Ava to see her."

Before he could say a thing, she left the room, the letter still in her hands. The two men were both surprised.

"Do you know why she reacted like that?" the lord of Last Hearth asked.

"I wish I could, my lord, but, alas, the letter was written in Tyroshi, which is a variant of High Valyrian. Therefore, there are many words I don't understand."

The silver-haired man didn't know why, but he had the feeling that the Tyroshi must have had written to her friend about him. Either she was congratulating her and wishing her happiness and many babies (which Elfman knew would drive Ever crazy as hells), or she was telling that she couldn't help her to escape the North and welcome her in exile. Both options made him smile and he went back to his work.

The past days, Elfman had been thinking almost only about their small reunion in the morning. This afternoon, he was now also thinking about the Tyroshi's letter. He was planning to collect what they'd need for the exchange when they'd be collecting the taxes. The sooner the better. Elfman already had a few locations in mind where they could easily find something that could please either the Tyroshis or the Ibbeneses. He had already told the maester about this, and the old man had nodded. Now, he was searching Evergreen, for her approbation.

Except that he couldn't find her. He had searched in every location possible

He met Jet in the hallway, mumbling to himself as he was looking over a piece of parchment.

« My lord, » he said, briefly looking at him.

« Jet,» Elfman answered. « Have you seen my lady wife, per chance ? »

« No, I don't think I have. Now you mention it, I don't remember seeing her after lunch. »

The Umber froze in place instantly. He closed briefly his eyes and opened them, after imagining for a split moment all the worst scenarios that could occur. Wherever she was and whatever she was doing, he needed to find her quickly, for the sun would be down in less than an hour. Not to mention that it was quickly becoming cold, and it would be more likely colder than anything she had ever known. Even Northerner could die from the coldness of the night when it wasn't winter strictly speaking, so she would never last an entire night out.

"Where is her handmaiden? What's her name? Beth, I think?"

"She must have gone with your lady wife, my lord. I haven't seen her."

Elfman ran a hand over his face, then through his hair, before he exhaled deeply, to quickly calm himself.

"Thank you, anyway," the giant said, and his intendant nodded and resumed his reading and his walk.

Elfman had no idea where beginning his research. Supposedly, she couldn't be that far from the castle. The only place she could be at was their room (if she was pouting once more) or the maester's tower, if they had something to arrange for the exchange. So he ran quickly to check if his wife was in one of those rooms. Unfortunately, he found no one with the maester (who assured him he hadn't seen Ever since the middle of the afternoon), no one in his chambers or in Beth's. And they weren't in the castle.

An hour later, as the sun was almost set, he stood near the door of his castle, trying to determine where the women could have gone. There was still the Godswood. He'd been told there was a Godswood in Highgarden, and maybe she wanted to see the differences. So he ran there, only to find that nobody was in here.

He walked to the hear tree and sank to his knees, now panicking. She's my wife! She's my wife and I couldn't even protect her! Even though our wedding had been nothing more than three moons of conflict and arguments, I beg you to protect her wherever she is and help her getting back to the castle safe.

Just when he finished his prayer, he raised his head and saw two figures going up in the Godswood. Elfman immediately recognized Evergreen and he let out a sigh in relief, chasing definitely the images of the two women followed by wild beasts or, even worse, wildings. Each was carrying a bouquet made of wild flowers, his wife even had a crown of starflowers on her head. Elfman slapped himself mentally. Of course. I knew she liked flowers. I should have known she would like to see the flowers we have in the region. Both the women were smiling and talking, but Ever's smile fell as soon as she spotted him, sitting under the heart tree.

"What the heck are you doing there?" she asked, her eyes shooting daggers at him.

Her question made him laugh mentally. It was his castle, his land, his Godswood, his Gods for the past seventeen years, and she was asking why he was there? As if it wasn't his right to wander exactly where he wanted to in his castle and its surroundings, as if she was the true lady of the place (well, she was indeed) and he was just one of his servants (which he wasn't). However, he didn't point that to Evergreen. He was too angry at her to do so and besides, it would lead them to another argument, and Elfman definitely didn't feel in the mood for an argument.

"What were you doing in the forest?"

"Looking for flowers," she answered with a haughty tone, showing the basket she held.

He didn't even let time to add something.

"Oh, so that's why you let the castle without telling anyone or writing an explanation, and not even caring to take an armed man with you?"

She rolled her eyes at him and humph-ed.

"Is this forest really dangerous? The closest thing to a danger I have seen is a dead baby boar!"

"You would understand the meaning of danger if its parent was running after you!"

"Ha! Just that? I have faced far worse, you know?"

Elfman almost said that even grown men died because of snow boars, however he knew it was pointless to say her such a thing. He just gave Ever one of his intimidating glare (which, of course, didn't work with her), and she returned it to him. Then her eyes narrowed and she spoke in a cold tone:

"You are implying that I went to see a lover, aren't you?"

That, he could hardly deny. It was indeed one of the situations he imagined, although it wasn't realistic. And it was surprisingly a situation that made him feel angry. Consequently, he didn't say a thing, not wanting to say something he could regret later. However, his silent was eloquent enough for Evergreen, who was still staring at him. Her eyes were flaming.

"As if, in a fortnight, I could have met someone worthy of me… Though I wish I had. At least, it would have spared me the deadly boredom that awaits each human being who spends some time with you."

His eyes widened. Was she talking of cheating him in front of him? And was she, once more, mocking him in front of other people? He gritted his teeth. No, that wouldn't do! She had crossed the line. If he didn't promised himself to be kind and patient with her and never do something that could harm or displease her, he would have already slapped her. In front of him, Beth seemed as shocked as he was, and she also seemed embarrassed for her lady. At least, one of the two was embarrassed.

"Oh, and you know what?" said Evergreen in her cold-haughty tone. "Tell Ava to put one plate on the table tonight. I won't have dinner tonight."

And, in long strides, she went up the hill, to the castle, leaving an angry Elfman and a mortified Beth. She bowed before him.

"I am so sorry, my lord. I don't know what had taken over her! I beg your forgiveness!"

He sighed. The poor girl looked so embarrassed and so guilty he couldn't not listen to her.

"I will. I guess I should have paid more attention to the words I said."

Somehow reassured, the girl nodded, a shy smile on her lips, then she ran after Evergreen.

She didn't come at dinner, unlike what he expected. Beth arrived with her eyes cast down: she probably tried to change his wife's mind, but she could be as stubborn as a mule when she wanted to, and, to not let the other inhabitants of the castle know what happened earlier, she pretended Evergreen was tired and she didn't feel well. Nobody spoke as they ate their meal.

Elfman then went up to their room. All the candles were blown, so it was pitch black, and he didn't dare to light them if she was sleeping. But is she really sleeping? He wondered. Always fearing she had escaped, he got closer to her side of the bed and he reached for her figure. His hand met the silk fabric of her nightgown, then the soft skin of her shoulder. Suddenly, a fan came out from nowhere and slapped his hand. Cursing through his teeth, Elfman yanked his hand away. Gods, the woman was sure strong and fast!

"Why are you touching me?" asked Evergreen with a snapping tone. "I thought I made myself very clear that I didn't want you to touch me, you big oaf! Next time you try something like that, I swear I'll use my dagger on you!"

"I was making sure you didn't escape."

"Do you think I am stupid enough to do that?" she snapped. "If I escape, I'll surely meet my death!"

At least she was realistic and somehow reasonable.

"I'd be grateful if you let me sleep, now."

With a sigh, Elfman went to his side of the bed and stripped himself.

"Good night", he mumbled.

She didn't answer, like he expected.

This night, he found some difficulties to sleep, partly because of the sounds Evergreen's empty stomach made (which he pretended to not hear, so as to not vex her).

The following morning, he woke with dawn. He got himself out of the bed, as delicately he could and begin to wear his travelling clothes. Today, they would try Evergreen's suggestion. There was a small village, in less than two days ride north, where, according to Yajima, they could find some amber. It was too soon, maybe, but he'd rather begin to collect what they needed for the exchange when the weather still allowed them to travel quickly. He didn't talk of it to Evergreen, because he wasn't prone to let her come and because she surely would have said it was too early to do such a thing.

Unfortunately, Elfman hadn't been as silent as he would have liked. He heard a soft sigh from the bed, turned around and saw her, facing him, her eyes half-opened, half-hidden behind her long, pale eyelashes, her body bathing in the pink-orange light. She was so beautiful at this moment Elfman hardly prevented himself to gape.

"Where are you going?" she asked in a still sleepy tone.

"You ask too much questions, you know?" he said as a reply.

All she answered was a yawn and she stretched herself.

"I'm going for a few days with maester Yajima and two of men up in the North. We will collect some amber to do the exchange."

"When?"

"In less than an hour, if we do this quickly."

Her eyes shot right open.

"And you didn't even tell me?" she reproached him, propping herself on her elbows.

"Uh… It seemed like you didn't feel in the mood for a talk yesterday night."

"But this is a very important matter! You should have told me!"

She got out of the bed and began to search for her travelling dress and two similar dresses she put in a chest.

"What are you doing?"

"I am accompanying you of course," she said.

"Well, Ever…"

"Do not call me Ever!" replied a voice behind the folding screen, as he heard a sound of fabric.

"Thank you for your help, but I'm sure we'll manage it."

"I am not that sure. I know how Essosis react and what they want, you and maester Yajima don't."

"What will you do when we'll be collecting amber?"

"I'll blend in. I don't wanna be known like the cold-hearted southron Essosi bitch who doesn't give a fuck about her people."

Not minding her using foul words (which was very unwomanlylike and unladylike in his opinion), Elfman was really hesitating. He was forced to admit that she was right about the part she accompanied him to know better the Northerner, however, he didn't want to endure all her complaints and her haughtiness during the trip. But when Evergreen emerged with a dress half-done, he hadn't a choice anymore.

"Lace my dress, please."

"What?"

He was completely taken aback. How could she ask something like that from him?

"Do you think I'm your bloody handmaiden?"

"Nah, you've got too many muscles for that. But I don't want to wake Beth up just because of a dress. Besides, I don't think she wants to come with us. All you have to do is to pull those strings."

Nothing forced him to obey; nonetheless, he found himself behind Ever, taking an extremity of the golden thread in each hand. If someone opened the door at that very instant, he or she would have found the scene funny. Elfman was sure he looked like a boy playing with a doll made for girls. But it wasn't what stressed him the most. No. He had something delicate in his hands and he was afraid to break it. And Gods, if he tore apart (even though he didn't intend to) one of Evergreen's (very expensive) clothing, she would be very pissed off. He didn't know what she was able to when she was really pissed off. So he laced the dress very carefully.

"You can lace it tighter, you know?" she said, slightly amused. "It takes more than a dress to break me!"

He felt his cheeks burning as he did like she wanted. Luckily, when he finally finished, Evergreen was very satisfied of his work. She contortioned before the mirror, checking if it looked fine. Which did, to him. The dress clung to every curve and was emphasizing her slim waist.

"You need help with your hair, too?" he asked playfully.

But Evergreen hadn't the same sense of humor as him and believed her was offering his help genuinely.

"Why not? After all, a half-braid will do. If you can manage that, of course. If not, I can do it alone."

Elfman was once more facing a dilemma. If he didn't help her, she would forever remind him that he was an uncivilized brute. If he helped her, she would treat him forever like a slave. In both cases, she would eventually complaint, either because he didn't do it, so she was forced to do it alone, or because he hadn't done it well.

He got closer, just when she was about to speak, and reached for the brush she was holding. Elfman saw Evergreen's reflection in the mirror. She looked surprised, but she had the little smirk she did when she was challenging someone. He took the brush in his hand (Gods, it looked so tiny and so breakable). It was a really delicate comb, carved with tiny figures that looked like people fighting (probably a piece of Essosi history he didn't know). The material was unknown to him, but it looked like something expensive, like most of Evergreen's stuff.

"Are you going to stare at the comb for a long time or do I need to comb my hair myself?"

He sighed and ran the comb in her locks. It untangled easily (fortunately for him. She would have scolded him if he had pulled just a little too hard on her hair), and he could braid it quickly. Elfman noticed her hair smelled like flowers. It was as silky as he imagined.

When he finished, she took a smaller mirror and placed it behind her head looking at its reflection in the mirror, judging if her husband had done a great job.

"Where did you learn to braid hair?" she asked, putting down the smaller mirror.

Yes! He had succeeded! She wasn't as angry as he expected to be (unreasonably. He had done a good job, in his opinion, and was somehow pleased that he still knew how to braid hair years after Lisanna's death and his father's interdiction).

"I had a little sister. She was a year younger than me. We played a lot together and I used to braid her hair. She liked it. But when she refused to be braided by someone else, Father forbade me to continue. He said it wasn't very manly."

He bit his tongue after. Why did he tell her that? It reminded memories he did his best to forget and now, he was sure she was going to mock him about that after.

"Well, you could do a perfect handmaiden. Good technique, humble and not very clever. Too bad you're a man. And you have too many muscles."

Elfman didn't react to the insult and just said:

"We're leaving in half an hour. Get yourself ready until then. Go to the kitchen and grab something for breakfast."

"Don't you give me orders!" she snapped.

Is that so? What have you been doing since the day we were wed, huh? Thought bitterly Elfman.

"Whatever. Don't be late, else we leave without you!"

As surprising as it could seem, Evergreen managed to be in the yard in advance. And not alone. She was with Beth, who still looked sleepy, and the two were holding the small chest with her dresses. Elfman pitied the poor girl. It wasn't necessary that she came with them, but that wasn't Evergreen's advice, so the handmaiden had to wake at dawn. Since it was quite difficult for carriages to go to the village, everyone would ride, and surprisingly, Evergreen didn't complain. In fact, and even more surprising, she didn't complain at all during the whole trip.

They rode all day, just maester Yajima, two soldiers, Evergreen, Beth and him, all on horses. Evergreen was a remarkable rider. For once, she didn't complain all the way (when they stopped for a frugal mid-day lunch, she said nothing about just eating bread with ham and cheese), spending most of the time with Yajima, and the two were always talking about things he couldn't comprehend. She was also very beautiful, her long light honey hair floating behind her like a banner.

They all slept under a big tent. Elfman and the men installed it, while Evergreen and Beth were searching small wood in the nearby forest and the maester was seeing to the horses. Fortunately, his wife and her handmaiden came back a few minutes later, arms full of wood and with some scratches on their dresses. She hadn't escaped, like Elfman had thought. Even though it seemed utterly irrealistic and unreasonable, he knew she was able to do such a thing: after all, didn't she try to escape Riverrun the very morning of their wedding day?

After eating a roasted rabbit and taking off their shoes, they all laid beneath the furs. He was supposed to get as close as possible to Evergreen (they were married, for the Gods' sake!), but she didn't let him go closer than a feet to her, and went instead near Beth.

On the morrow, they left the camp, and, at the beginning of the afternoon, they arrived at the village. Soon, the children gathered around them, wide-eyed as they observed the new comers. But they were all gaping at Evergreen, who was smiling reassuringly at them. Despite that, as he was helping her to get down her horse, Elfman could tell she was feeling awkward.

"They're not used to see much women traveling over there", he whispered at her ear. "Most of time, it's men going to the Night's watch, and wildlings."

She nodded, opened her mouth to ask something but was cut by a boastful man.

"M'lord! What a surprise!" he roared with a wide smile, opening his arms as a sign of welcoming.

He then embraced him, before the shocked eyes of Evergreen. The man the turned around and looked at her attentively.

"Sam, this is my wife, lady Evergreen. My lady, it's the chief of this village."

"I'm Sam, m'lady! Pleased to meet you!" he said, before embracing her too.

Although she did her best to seem happy, the look on Evergreen's face almost made Elfman laugh; clearly she wasn't used to that custom. So close to the Wall, people didn't bow in front of lords and ladies. That was another thing she needed to learn. When Sam released her, she went back near Elfman, still kindly smiling. She let his husband explain the reason of their visit to the chief, who nodded his head vigorously at the end of the explanation.

"Aye, we have some amber ova' there. But we'll show you in a few days. Harvests need to be done, m'lord, while the sun is still bright in the sky. Wyl and his boys died a few month ago from the pox, and I don't mind some help."

"Agreed. We will help you," said Elfman, in spite of Evergreen's shocked expression.

He gestured to the two men he had taken with him to come near him. As Sam saw Yajima had come too, he asked him to watch over the goats and yaks. The old man accepted. The chief called for the men to come immediately to the fields with him, the lord and his men were allowed to join them moments later. As Elfman was taking off his mail, and his doublet, standing only in his shirt, his breeches and his boots, Evergreen asked him with a quirked eyebrow:

"Why are you stripping?"
"Well, they do need some help with the harvests."
"Uh..." she didn't sound too convinced.
"Listen, I am not forcing you to do something. If you wanna act like a perfect, vulnerable, useless porcelain vase, it's up to you. You'll be the one that will be considered as the 'cold-hearted Essosi-Southron bitch who doesn't give a fuck about her people'. Not me. Moreover, I remind you it's because of your idea we're there, so don't you annoy me with your complaints afterward."

With those words, he left her, and went to help the commoners. It wasn't something he wasn't used to. he had learnt when he was still a little boy that he couldn't face winter if he stayed alone, in his corner, so his father brought him numerous times in the nearby villages so he could help with the harvests, in summer, or chopping wood in autumn and winter, or helping them when they needed to build or rebuild houses, barriers against wild beasts or mills. Lisanna also used to help the women with the wool, carding it, threading it, sewing. She even helped the woman to make a blanket, shortly before the accident. But he didn't expect Evergreen to do half what his little sister did. They were too different, in many aspects. Everybody in the castle and in the North loved his younger sibling, but he had no idea what would his people think of his wife. He began to prepare the straw that would feed the big yaks for the winter.

They worked until the sun set, with a small pause with bread and some booze, but Elfman wasn't aware of the hours he spent on the fields. Now, his back was hurting him, as well as his knees. His fingers were tired of holding the scythe (though it wasn't heavier than his longsword). He put his shirt back on (that he had discarded earlier on, the afternoon) and put his doublet. Then he began to look for Evergreen.

Once more, the woman couldn't be found around. Elfman knew she wasn't stupid to try to run away so far North, in a place where she knew nobody. Maybe she had been looking for their Godswood, because she wanted to stay away from all those peasants.

"Damn! Where is she?" he cursed out loud.

"Maybe with the other women?" suggested Sam.

Without really believing it, he peeked in the house where the women were gathered, hoping she would have stayed with them. As he opened the door, he was quite surprised (and relieved. The cold, but also the wild beasts in the forest could be the end of her if she decided to escape) to see her, amongst the other women, carding the wool, her brows furrowed in concentration. She wasn't as talented or efficient with the brushes as the native were, but she tried her best and wasn't totally unproductive. It made him both proud and pleased that his wife was blending in. She was talking with the woman at her left who was also counselling her about her work. Beth was sewing something, a few steps away, helping a girl of her age.

"If it's not my lord husband," said Evergreen, as she looked up. "See? I'm able to not act like a perfect, vulnerable, useless porcelain vase."

"Huh...Dinner will be already in a moment," said a woman, arriving behind him. "M'lord." she quickly added when she recognized him.

All the women stood up, Evergreen and Beth included.

"The weather is clear. We will be eating outside tonight. Ranya, Jeyne, Marlin, the tables."
"No, leave that to me. Just show me where they are", inetrfered Elfman.
"Thank you, my lord!"
The girls lead him to the place they stored their tables. There weren't much of them, and they would probably be a little cramped tonight, but it didn't matter. However, the tables were quite heavy. Nothing that he couldn't manage on his own, but it was still too heavy for three women. They looked at him in awe when he put them near the bon fire, in which the children threw from time to time a log or a branch. Soon, he brought also the bench they would be sitting on.

Half an hour later, all the people, plus his soldiers, the maester, Beth, his wife and him were sitting and were enjoying a roasted oax, with bread.

"It's really delicious," noticed Evergreen with a smile.
She was sitting at his left, the chief of the village sitting at his right, and she was looking at the women who cooked the evening meal.

"Thank you, my lady."
"I like especially the bread."
"We've put nuts and acorns in it."
"I have never tasted something like that before!" she exclaimed, smiling widely.
"Look! A red fox's tail!" yelled a child, pointing towards the sky.

Elfman looked up and noticed that, indeed, there was an aurora, above their head. It was mainly red, with a big stripe of green under. Nothing unusual in this region, he had seen it since he was little, more or less regularly, nonetheless, he always enjoyed seeing one. Evergreen, on the other hand, seemed completely clueless. She watched the sky with wide eyes, her mouth slightly open. No doubt she had never seen such a thing south. It appeared to be the only thing that impressed her in a good way since she arrived in Last Hearth.

"What's that?" she finally whispered.
"It's the red fox's tail!" replied a child as if it was an evidence.

The mother glared at him disapprovingly, but, surprisingly, Ever didn't snap at the boy.

"If it's a red fox's tail, then why it's more pink than red? And why is there some green under?" she asked.
"It is said that it's a fox, who had protected, years ago, a small village against White Walkers, and since the population was safe, grateful and pious, the Old Gods accepted to make him run eternally in the sky, in prairies that are always green. Sometimes, he comes over there, and that's why we see him over our head" explained Elfman.

For once, she didn't cut him and simply nodded.

"Do you think the Ibbenese see such things?"

Elfman closed his eyes and tried to remember what the map of Essos and Westeros, offered by the Lord of White Port, that was hanged in his father solar. If he remembered it correctly, Ibben and Last Hearth were at the same level.

"I think they do, my lady," replied Yajima. "I have read some Ibbenese testimonies about colored things looking like curtains appearing in the sky, and their description match what one sees during an aurora. The difference is the explanation. They say it's the soul of dead newborn babies."
"I think I prefer the Northern explanation," she said with a small chuckle.
"I'd say it's rather a sign of fate," said an old woman. "The union of the red and the green represents the union of your two houses, when our lord and our lady visits us. It can only be a sign of the Old Gods, who are blessing your union."

He caught the quick glance of Evergreen meaning she didn't believe this version at all, but his wife quickly regain her composure and said with a smile:

"If you say so..."
"D'you want some booze to down the roast, m'lord?" suggested Sam, holding a flask.
"Aye, why not?" he grinned.
"You'll like that for sure," said the chief with a large smile, while he was pouring him a cup. "M'lady, on the other hand..."
"Oh, it'd be rude from me if I didn't have a glass of it," replied Evergreen, with a kind smile.

She didn't like to be treated like a fragile creature and certainly wanted to show them how good she could stand booze. Sam for his part was more than happy to pour her a cup and certainly looked forward to what would happen next.

"Are we supposed to drink it in a special way?" she asked them.

"Aye, you're supposed to drink in one time" explained another man.

Her eyes widened, but she kept smiling.

"If you say so…"

"Don't think about it too much and just swallow it" Elfman advised her.

She closed her eyes and drank it. As she finished, she put back her cup on the wooden table and she began fanning herself with her hand.

"It really has nothing to do with Dornish Red!" Evergreen said, her cheeks slightly reddened.

"That's a good sign! Someone who can drink this can only be a Northerner in his heart!" laughed Sam and soon, Ever was chuckling too. "D'ya wanna another glass?"

Before she could answer, he poured her another, and poured Elfman one, before giving the bottle to the other men, who served themselves as well, before passing it to the women. Evergreen was about to drink her glass when he put a hand atop of her and whispered in her ear:

"Wait. They want to toast. In our honor, most probably. Please, try not be as drunk as in our wedding."

"I am old enough to know my limits" she retorted.

Eventually, everyone, men and women were served, and they all stood up, each one holding his cup or his glass.

"Long live our lord and our lady!" said Sam, and soon, all people present repeated.

After that, they drank their glasses and cups, then Sam reserved everyone.

"Here, take this cover. The embroidery was made with weirwood needles and it has magical powers."

"Really?" asked Evergreen, curious. "What kind of powers?"

"It will bless your womb, so you can carry many strong children, and many strong sons, we hope."

Elfman prevented himself from laughing at Evergreen's face, who had the same expression that Lisanna had when she tasted for the first time lemons.

"Err… Thank you, we shall try it this night."

As Elfman was blushing furiously, the older woman whispered something in Evergreen's ear, then she winked at her and she exited the hut, seemingly happy leaving them alone. Angry, his wife threw the cover on the bed.

"I am not sleeping with this thing!" she growled through her teeth.

He sighed in relief. Fortunately, the woman hadn't been serious about that. She looked at him with suspicious eyes.

"Don't you think there is something between us, there has never been and there will never be, understood? I told to the old woman we'd make love just so she wouldn't bother one or either of us! And help me with my dress, would you?"

"Why can't you call for Beth?"

"Because I just told your people we'd be fucking tonight, so if I call Beth, they'll imagine we were doing it at three!"

The lord of Last Hearth felt his cheeks redden once more. Since he didn't have the choice, he sighed and went to help Evergreen with her dress, slowly unlacing her bodice. A few moments later, the fabric fell at their feet, and she was standing only in her gown. She shivered because of the cold, and Elfman averted his gaze as soon as he saw her nipples through the material.

The woman had slipped herself under the furs, and pushed the blanket as far from her feet as she could, with a disgusted expression. Elfman took her dress, folded it as good as he could, put it on the small table there was. Then he took off his doublet, his shirt and his boots. He could feel Evergreen's stare on his back, he could imagine her eyes traveling from his neck and his shoulder, down to his butt. He quickly folded his own clothes and went under the blankets.

"What do you think you're doing?" she protested, her hand desperately trying to push him away.

"Listen, Evergreen, it's a smaller bed than in Last Hearth, so we don't have a choice. If I get away some more, I'll fall from the bed."

"Like I would give a …"

He cut her before another unladylike word came out of her mouth.

"They will come tomorrow at dawn, so we can continue the harvest, and they will immediately see that something is wrong if I'm on the floor and you on the bed. Moreover, I think you're not that unsatisfied that I'm so close to you…"

"What in the seven hells are you saying?"

"You're still shivering and your feet are icy cold, although it's not that cold there."

The woman huffed, very pissed off.

"Aye, I'm cold. So what? In Riverrun, you were sweating so much you looked like you have been swimming in the Red Fork, and it wasn't that warm!"

Sighing, Elfman closed his eyes. He had forgotten that everything he told to her soon turned into an argument. He had also forgotten that his wife didn't give up easily, and she could retort him on almost every subject. Currently, Elfman was thinking he was being too kind with and too patient. If she was married to another lord, the latter would have punished her long her and, without any doubt, taken her maidenhead (that was, if she was still a virgin. She had made a tantrum the day following her wedding night because he had put her to bed when she was really shit-faced, but since she was able to fake and lie very well, he didn't know if he should believe what she said that morning).

He rubbed his temples, trying to calm his headache, then he turned around, with his back to her. Ignoring her was the best solution when he wanted some peace.

Alas, it didn't work this time. She grabbed his shoulder and began to shake it.

"Hey! Don't be rude! I was talking to you!"

"Scolding was a more appropriate word…" he mumbled, feeling suddenly very tired. "I've had a tiring day, and the following days will surely be more tiredful. Why can't you be a man and…"

"I am not a man!" she shouted. "Do you have shit in your eyes or what?"

The headache worsened and he ran a hand over his face. He turned around again, so they were facing each other. He looked straight in what he thought to be her eyes. They stayed silent for a moment.

"You're right. I was like ice under the sun during our wedding. You're right about anything and everything, and I'm always wrong. Happy?"

She huffed again, but at least, she added nothing new and let him sleep.

The next morning, Elfman woke shortly before dawn. He felt almost too hot, but he soon understood why.

Despite the fact she had argued with him the previous night, she had gotten closer to him and snuck an arm around his torso. Her head was resting on his pectoral, just above his heart. Her hair, who smelt like flowers and fire and forest altogether, was now tickling his nose.

Elfman's first reaction was to panic. What was a man supposed to do in the case? Should he wake up so he could help the peasants now, or should he stay a little longer in bed? In either, he was sure of one thing: she would once more throw a tantrum because he had gotten too close to her and he was a pervert and a raper taking advantage of their situation and so on.

Suddenly, he realized there was something wet next to her head, more precisely, next to her mouth.

She was drooling.

Oh, Elfman had known worse but this seemed to him the utter proof of unladylikeness. Why the woman was always doing gross things when they were supposed to make love, but eventually didn't? Was it the way the Gods had chosen, to unish him to not accomplish his duty?

He tried to push her away, but, strangely, the woman would keep on clinging to him. He didn't have the choice, he needed to get out of the bed, his mind focusing only on the bucket of cold water that was in their chambers. Elfman clenched his teeth and pushed her away more strongly. This time, she immediately woke up. Her eyes shot open and she sat upright, anger quickly appearing into her eyes.

"What were you doing?"

"Are you aware of what you've done?"

"Why are you blaming me? I did nothing…" she said, wiping her mouth with the back of the hand.

Her eyes widened at the realization.

"Oh, no, don't tell me I've drooled on you…"

"Aye, you did. You already puked on me, so I guess the next time, you'll pee on me or something like that!"

"I would never do such a thing! At least, I have some restraint!"

"Yeah, yeah… Now, I'm gonna clean up your mess once more…"

"That's right! Get out of the room and let me sleep some more."

"Sorry, my lady, but here the women wake at dawn. There are countless things to do here, and one can never rest."

As only answer, the woman put the pillow over her head and let out a groan that had he wouldn't have expected to hear from a lady. After cleaning himself and eating a small piece of bread, he went in the fields, where Sam and a few men were already there, waiting for everyone else to come. They began to work ten minutes later, when the sun just got up, and they stopped when it was shining bright just above their head. Some women came to bring them something to eat.

"Look at my new hairdo", chirped Evergreen merrily. "Allie (she gestured at the girl that was accompanying her) had done it to me. You like it?"

She turned around, so he could see the back of her head. He was indeed impressed by its complexity. The girl had pinned several strands in an intricate motive that looked like a maple's leaf, that was ended by a braid. Half of Evergreen's locks were running free on her shoulders.

"I really like it," he said with a smile, and the girl blushed, but she couldn't hide her growing smile.

"Thanks," she muttered.

"Here's your water, and your piece of bread, cheese and morsels of last night's roast."

Evergreen put down the basket and poured him a glass.

"There."

"Thank you."

He drank it in one sip, then asked for a second one. Reluctantly, Ever obliged.

"How much harvest have you already done?"

"A good part," Elfman admitted, after drinking his third glass. "We could be done tomorrow, if the Gods allow it."

"I hope you will," she sighed, handing him his lunch, wrapped in a small towel.

With no other words, the lady went a few steps away, where were sitting the two men who were accompanying them the beginning of their travel. She exchanged a few words with them, then gave them their bread while Allie was pouring them water.

Elfman quickly ate his lunch, drank some booze this time and, after going for a piss, he resumed his work.

Once more, he came back to the village only when sun set. He found Evergreen crouched near the well, with a bucket of water in her hands. She seemed utterly pissed off. Elfman intended to pass by as quickly and as discreetly as he could, but he raised her head and met his eyes with a look that meant "Come there at once if you don't want me to throw a tantrum". With a sigh, he got closer to her.

"What's the matter, now?" he asked her.

She raised an arm towards him. With a surprised look, he looked her hand, her wrist and her forearm but saw naught.

"Smell it, please" whispered Evergreen.

He crouched down too, and grabbed the hand.

"Hey! I told you to smell it, not to put your snot on it!"

"What am I supposed to smell?"

Elfman didn't understand at all what was going on, but then he remembered their conversation of the morning. It was probably something like blood, for Evergreen didn't seem pleased at all.

"Piss," Evergreen said with an ashen face. "We were dyeing the wool we had carded yesterday, so I spent my afternoon with my hands drenched in …"

She paused and shuddered.

"Ew! I don't even want to talk about it anymore."

"If I recall correctly, you were the one who said that 'some humility had never hurt anyone'."

Her eyes shot daggers to him.

"Well, next time, you'll be the one who's constantly groping a fabric dripping of human urine, and I'll help the men in the fields."

Elfman didn't answer, for this wasn't the best place to fight over something so futile.

"Your hand smells nothing though."

Evergreen's face suddenly glowed.

"It's true? You swear it?"

"As a true man, I swear it by the Old Gods and the New." He told her solemnly.

"And the other?"

He sniffed it. Nothing at all.

"Nothing."

"Thanks the Gods. Want to wash your hands? They're full of mud and dirt."

He nodded, before crouching down. Evergreen was holding the bucket, pouring water on his hands. Suddenly, she emptied the bucket's content on him.

"Dammit, woman!"

The Southron was laughing out loud, like this was the funniest thing she had ever seen, as she was getting away. Maybe it was. He got up and quickly reached for her arm, bringing her closer to him. She was still chuckling, and let out a small yelp of surprise once she was in his arms. She tried to seem angry, but she was still laughing, so it didn't seem very serious.

"Let me go," she whispered, once she had calmed herself, tears at the corner of her eyes.

"Not until you apologize."

"Apologize for what? I was only helping you to get all that mud out of yourself. Besides, you're getting my dress drenched…"

Someone cleared his throat, so they both turned away from each other.

"Y'know, I have nothin' against ya makin'out, but I'd like ya ta do it in your hut. There's children here," said Sam with a smile.

Elfman felt himself blushing and so did Evergreen although it was less visible than him.

Finally, they ended the harvest on the morrow, at midday, so, in the afternoon, Sam, three men of the village, four children, Yajima, Evergreen and himself went into the forest, until they arrived at the foot of a steep hill. They began climbing it, and suddenly, Sam showed them a breach in the rock, just wide enough to let a man go in it. The children lit a torch and rushed into the hole.

"After you, m'lord, m'lady."

Elfman cursed himself for being so tall at that moment. He had no choice but to walk bent in two. And sometimes his head would just. He almost wanted to be like Evergreen who didn't have to almost crawl to move on. Fortunately, his suffering didn't last long.

"Here you are. The finest Amber in the North," announced proudly Sam.

It was entirely dark in the cave, except for the torches. The flames reflected themselves in small buds (probably the amber) that shone almost like a thousand little fires. Elfman had to admit that he was impressed by what he saw. It almost seemed magic. Even Evergreen couldn't help but to gape in awe.

One of the men took the gems out of the rock and handed them to Yajima, who examined them attentively, before handing them over to Evergreen, nodding his head. She seemed impressed, but there was a smile on her lips.

"What do you think, lord husband?" she asked him, passing him the amber.

"I think it's a good retribution. If I were a rich merchant, I would like to have one of those with an insect imprisoned in them."

"I couldn't have said anything better."

Sam seemed truly relieved and happy that the amber pleased his lord and his lady. Soon, the men were tapping their pickaxes against the rock, so as to gather the gems. It didn't take them long to extract the quantity Evergreen deemed to be correct, and they got back to the village later. They arrived very late in the night and they were so tired that they barely ate before going to sleep. Even Evergreen dropped on the bed without bed and slept without throwing a tantrum or drooling on him.

They rode for almost a week, near the sea. This time, Evergreen was complaining, but a little more, mainly because of the lack of privacy and because she wanted to have a bath. Of course, she was washing herself on the morning and the afternoon, but Elfman supposed she could only wash her lower half, her head and neck, and her arms, since the water of the rivers they crossed was icy cold.

When they arrived, it seemed like they have stepped in a ghost village. Nobody was there, to gather around them. Immediately, Elfman feared the worse. They weren't that far from the Wall, after all; and it was known that some of the wildlings passed from the other side of the wall by taking a boat at the south of Hardhome and after sailing across the Bay of Seals. Maybe they had stricken again. If they were there, though, they wouldn't be numerous. The Night's Watch would have warned them, they would have warned Gray if a lot of wildlings had been moving and gathering on the other side of the Wall.

Elfman unsheathed his longsword silently, and the two men imitated him. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Evergreen tuck something from her boot, probably her dagger. Elfman doubted it would be efficient against wildlings but, for a woman, she was quite talented with it. Beth had gotten closer to her and Yajima was simply looking around.

"Nobody move, please. Make as little noise as you can." He whispered.

He expected Evergreen to shout back that they should either go backwards or move, or the wildlings could take the occasion to surround them, but the woman kept her mouth and simply look around. They stayed put for a few minutes and, since nothing had happened, Elfman it would be better to send a pathfinder, as much as the idea displeased him to be separated from one of his men.

As he was about to tell one of them to go to the village so as to see what was wrong, two children ran in their direction. Before he had the chance to say or do something, Evergreen was walking towards them. He didn't even notice when she dismounted her horse.

"Hello, could you tell me where I can meet your parents?" she asked with her kindest voice.

The children looked at her, at first in awe, then with wary eyes, but none of them spoke. Elfman even wondered if they knew Common Tongue and sincerely hoped his wife could tuck her dagger at any instant, for the two little boys could be wildlings and, thus, know how to kill someone.

If she was afraid, Evergreen didn't show it. At least, she was better with containing her emotions when she was panicked than when she was angry. Elfman readied himself to dismount his horse. This whole story didn't please him the slightest.

"You two, come back! How many did I told ya to not talk to strangers!" shouted a voice, belonging to a woman.

Elfman was half-reassured by that. At least, the children were understanding Common Tongue. The woman came into view, she took both hands of the boys and looked straight in Evergreen's eyes. As he expected, the mother rapidly averted her gaze, while his wife was standing there.

"Who are ya?"

"Shall I say it?" asked Evergreen, not turning around, but Elfman knew it was aimed at him, so he dismounted his horse and walked at her side.

As soon as the woman saw him, she seemed more panicked.

"Sorry, m'lord. I should've known who you were. We have nothing to eat for now. The men just came with seals, and we have to clean them, before eating anything. So, if you want to eat, you have to help us."

Elfman looked at Evergreen.

"Well, that doesn't leave us the choice," said Evergreen with a shrug of the shoulders.

They followed the woman, who led them to the beach. There were rocks on the ground instead of sand, and the sea water was greyish. Several seals' bodies could be seen, and, around them, five or six people with knives. Some children, especially girls, were always moving, throwing the content of some buckets near a rock, and some birds who looked like gulls were feasting on, the red flesh. The smell was quite heavy, even more important than the one of the seaweeds. The people merely glanced at them before getting back to work.

An old man rose though and went to them.

"I wish we could welcome you correctly but, as you see, we are too busy."

"Doesn't matter. Is there any way we can help?"

"I'm afraid not, unless you know how to cut up a seal. It requires experience and ability, you know. If you cut too deep and touch his liver, then the whole animal is wasted and good for the gulls. However, my lord, you might help by cutting their flesh."

Elfman agreed and joined them, as well as Yajima and the two men.

"And us, what will we do? Sewing rocks?" asked Evergreen.

"Do what you want," he replied, not having another answer.

He sat near the old man of the village and he began to cut the seal.

"What brings you there, m'lord?"

He looked up briefly from his work to look in the old man's eyes.

"I fear we won't have enough food supplies for this winter. Therefore, we decided to make an exchange with a folk of Essos, the Ibbenese. They have the same climate as us, so they're giving us black wheat, which resists to winter. In exchange, they want some seal skin, some dried meat and oil. I'm ready to stay there as long as necessary to help you."

"What your lady wife is doing in the rocks?"

Elfman turned around and saw his wife in the rocks with Beth, their dresses up to the knee. The handmaiden was holding a basket and Evergreen was picking things, sometimes using her dagger, and putting them into the basket.

"She grew up near the sea too. I think she's picking something that she knows."

"She should be careful, though. There are some urchins there. She could hurt herself. Nothing mortal, but I can assure you that a spine in the foot can quickly become a true pain in the ass!"

They both laughed, then got back to work. Every time he finished cutting a piece of meat, two boys came and took the morsel, bathed it in the sea's water, before hanging it on a beam. At the corner of his eyes, he spotted women who were cleaning the seals' bowels, so as to prepare sausages. The two men he had brought with were cutting the meat into very tiny bits, thanks to a kind of a saw.

Moments later, Evergreen and Beth came back, and the basket they were holding was full.

"I didn't know we could find so much oysters and urchins there", said Evergreen, gesturing to the basket.

"If I may, my lady, what will you do of it?" asked the old man.

"I'll eat them. In the place I come from, we pick them up and we eat them. May I help you?" she asked with a wide smile.

"Yes, come over there," yelled a woman, a few steps away.

If Elfman had talked to Ever with this tone, she would have given him a deadly glance, before telling him she wasn't his animal or his thing. Before going in the opposite direction she would have ended their conversation with a "Fuck off!" or something like that. Surprisingly, she only nodded and joined her, dragging Beth along. He kept looking at them to see what they would do, and smiled to himself as he saw that the two of them would put the meat in the bowels and tie their ends. Evergreen looked quickly disgusted, but she hid quite well.

They stopped when it was pitch black, finishing their works with candlelight. For their supper, they ate a fish soup, and Evergreen prepared what she called "oysters" and "urchins". Ordinarily, Elfman wouldn't have tasted crude sea fruits (even cooked he wouldn't have done it, since he had a bad experience with them years ago, as he was staying at Whiteport) but, since this was the first meal Evergreen had done since their wedding, and it was maybe the only meal she'd make, he tasted. Surprisingly, it wasn't as disgusting at it seemed. It was certainly a little gummy, but he enjoyed it. And so did the people who tasted it.

"Really, why you eat those things?" asked warily one man, who still hadn't eaten one, eyeing them (and Evergreen) suspiciously.

"You know, I've been told that they have a magic power," said Evergreen with a sly smile.

"Huh? And what kind of power?"

He seemed more suspicious than ever.

"Aye, in Lys, we told they have exciting virtues."

As the man heard the words, he slightly hesitated, before reaching for the lasts. Elfman heard two men whispering about how lucky he was and what a heated night he would spend with his wife.

They were supposed to sleep in a small hut that had been just cleared of dust. Once more, since Beth wasn't there, Elfman was helping her out of her dress.

"Is it true what you said about oysters?" he asked her, as she was running a hand through her hair freeing her locks.

"Maybe. I don't really know. But if it's one of your tactics to make me bed you, then you should give up! I swear it by the Old Gods and the New: if you try anything, I'll cut off your balls, understood?"

Elfman rolled his eyes. Really, the woman was having some weird ideas, sometimes! Not that thought of bedding her was repulsive but it wasn't exactly what he thought about right now.

Two weeks later, they had finished helping the fishermen to prepare enough seal's meat, to compensate for what would be sent to the Ibbenese. It had been an incessant work, the men bringing seals, and the women, the children, the master and Elfman himself, since he didn't know exactly how to hunt seals) were cutting the meat, preparing the charcuterie, the skins or the oil.

On the morning of their departure, he found Evergreen in the water, her skirts up to mid thighs, the water reaching her knees. Maybe she misses the sea. Lys is an Island, and, since it's warmer than here, I wouldn't be surprised if she had spent her childhood playing in the water. Silently he took off his boots, rolled off his breeches and tried to walk as silently as possible to her.

"We are leaving soon, I know", she told him, not even turning around to face him, still looking at the horizon.

He got closer and stood next to her, looking in the same direction.

"The water is greyer than in Lys. I remember we could see the little fishes in the water as we were bathing. We would often play to catch them, and I must admit I have never managed to catch one… I was however very talented for swimming. The sea is calmer there. In Lys, there would always be big waves. We had to be careful, whenever we were swimming. Sometimes, the sea was so violent that splashes of water would manage to get in the city, atop the murals."

"Splashes like this?" asked Elfman in a playful voice.

He splashed water on her, grinning widely, as she was shrieking. It reminded him when he was little with Lisanna, when they played in the river whenever the weather was good. One time, during winter, they even had the bad idea to make a sliding contest over the frozen river … which ended under the icy cold water and tucked in their bed with a high fever for almost a fortnight.

"Stop it! Stop it!", she yelled, trying to protect herself with her arms.

But he didn't stop, so she began splashing him too, as a revenge. A few moment later they were soaked from head to toes, sitting in the water.

"Let's do a swimming contest," Elfman suggested.

"I thought we would leave soon" answered Evergreen, quirking her eyebrow. "Besides, I didn't know that you knew how to swim."

"I do!" he protested.

"Aye, just don't count on me if you drown and need a living kiss. I won't be the one who'll do it."

"As if someone would do that to you, if you were to drown."

"Me, drown? Ha! I was the best swimmer, back in Lys!"

"Show me, then. Let's say that the best is the first one who arrives at the rock over there."

"Agreed. Prepare yourself to defeat."

He barely gave the signal, and she was already swimming. A few moment later, they both arrived at the rock, at the same time, breathless. They couldn't catch their breath though, since Maester Yajima, who was waiting on the shore, had just called them. Damn, he had to admit that even though she was less muscled than him she was as fast as him!

"You will catch a cold, my lady!" scolded her Beth, gently.

"No, I will not" replied stubbornly Evergreen, although she began to sniffle.

After the village bade them farewell, they began their journey back to Last Hearth.

The return was quite calm. Fortunately their little swimming hadn't resulted in one of them being sick (actually he rarely got sick). Of course they spent half the road sniffling and sneezing (especially Evergreen. To make sure she wouldn't get sick, he gave her his coat. Although she complained at first, she didn't give it back afterwards).

Since every day was a day less between Evergreen and her so-wanted bath, she didn't complain and was really eager to get back to the castle, so eager that she was always urging them to go faster and to rest less. Elfman noticed she looked happier than when she just came to Last Hearth. Maybe it was because she could finally get out of "that fucking gloomy castle", like she called it. Maybe it was because she saw different landscapes from what she used to see in Lys and Highgarden. Maybe it was the fact that she'd lived with his small people for a while, but he didn't count on that. He wasn't that idealistic. During their stays, it didn't seem like she was in conflict with the inhabitants of the village. Of course, she was complaining because of their habits and because she did disgusting things, but overall she didn't seem that unpleased. Truth be told Elfman didn't really know what to think about Evergreen's behavior. Had she liked her stays and their trip, or was she just making as if? However, he didn't ask her the question, for he was sure it would lead to another argument.

As they were near the castle, riding in the forest north of Last hearth, he was riding next to her. She was smirking, probably relishing in the perspective of a hot bath (which seemed now much more appealing than it did at the beginning of the trip. He had aches in every muscle, as a result of the ride).

"Happy to get home?"

"I would lie if I said the opposite. It wasn't a completely unpleasant trip, though. The landscapes are not that bad. I have never seen such in my life, neither in Essos nor in Westeros. I liked a lot the auroras, but also the meaning they give to it. People says you're almost wildlings, but actually, it seems that you also know legends and poetry."

Elfman suppressed a chuckle.

"Have you ever been to the Wall?" she asked, in genuine curiosity.

"Aye, I have. My father sent me there two times, so I would learn what the real life was like. It was when the Night's Watch needed some temporary help against the wildlings. My father sent some of his men, and I was supposed to learn to lead them, as well as to fight. The first man is killed was a wilding."

"Is it true that it's thousands feet tall?"

"I don't really know how tall it is exactly, but it with no doubt the higher human construction I've ever seen. I think it's tall enough to compete with the mountains, on the other side of the Wall. But the Wall is so high that when you're on top of it, you can see the landscape of either side for miles and miles. I saw it twice, when at dusk and at sunset. The night was breathtaking and undoubtedly the most beautiful landscape I have ever seen."

"Will you take me there one day?"

"I don't know if it's a good choice. There are only men there, and some wildings could always intrude…"

"Don't worry, I know better than get men that are supposed to guard us into my bed. Besides they're mainly criminals and rapists. I don't intend to leave with the wildings either!"

Suddenly a horse neighed, and Elfman turned around, only to see people wearing white-grayish coats running towards them, brandishing spears and shooting arrows. Shit, he thought, as he unsheathed his longsword and beheaded a wildling that was attacking him.

"Protect the women!" he shouted to his men, as he was slicing another wilding, taking his spear.

As Elfman was piercing the wildings, he wondered how they could have traveled to the other side of the Wall with him not being informed. Then he remembered he had been traveling, and so was the maester, so they couldn't read a possible warning of the night's watch. It was like the wildlings knew exactly when and where they wouldn't be in the castle. Elfman was so angry with the wildling and himself he had no hesitation to kill his opponent.

"My lord, they're retreating!" said one of the men. "Let's go back to the castle!"

"Go ahead, I'll make sure those bastards don't follow us!"

"But…"

"I said go ahead!"

This time, they heard his order and he was kind of relieved to hear the horses departing. Only a small bunch of wildlings was left, and seemingly represented no big threat for the castle but, as the lord of Last Hearth, Elfman wanted to make sure they wouldn't hurt his people –or worse, his wife. The wildlings were pleading for mercy, yet he didn't listened to them. He had learnt long ago, during his stay at Castleblack, that they deserved no mercy. They were foes of the Crown, foes of the Realm, foes of the Seven Kingdoms, after all. Moreover, it was his duty to make sure, after the Night's Watch, that the wildling wouldn't go more south, and potentially harm lord stark. That would be the greatest humiliation for him, because lord Stark was a friend and his lord, to which he had sworn fealty and protection.

To ensure they would stay definitely inoffensive, he climbed down his horse and beheaded the corpses.

"Heh… What you do is useless… We still have countless men in this forest…" said the last man still alive.

"And I imagine you won't tell me how many and where you sons of bitch hide?" asked Elfman with a smirk.

The wildling only smiled enigmatically.

"Too bad for you then."

Elfman took one of the spear and pierced the chest of the man, through his heart, so deep it dug in the ground underneath him. Blood splashed, staining more his clothes and his body, but he didn't care. At least, the fucker wouldn't die with a smirk, but with a horrified expression. That's what you get for not staying on your side of the wall.

As he climbed up his horse again, after making sure there was no other wildling coming, and ride back to Last hearth, his longsword in hand, ready to swing at any opponent, he wondered if what the dying man said was true. Were really some other wildlings alive in the forest? Just now, they had killed about forty of them. It happened that small groups from ten up to twenty managed to get through the Wall, but if there were still some wildlings in the forest that meant that they came at least with fifty people. If they intended to take the castle after killing the lord and his men, that meant they still needed to be in a number sufficient enough to compensate their losses and to easily take the castle for there was still other men there.

Finally, as he exited the forest and the castle was in sight, the horse ran as fast as lightning to the building. Elfman was relieved to see in the yard his companions, safe and sound (even though the soldiers were wounded, it was nothing too serious, and maester Yajima was already tending to them). Blood stained Beth's clothes and skin, but she didn't seem to have been hurt. She just looked a little frightened. One of the kitchen had given her a mug with warm wine and she was slowly sipping at it, with teary eyes, as the other woman was trying to soothe her.

"Thank the Gods, you're alive, my lord", said one of the soldier with a smile, before clenching his jaw as the maester was cleaning his wound.

"I am glad to see that you all are safe and sound", he answered with a smile.

"Where is lady Evergreen?" asked Beth, seemingly panicked.

Elfman froze at the instant, his smile instantly falling.

"What do you mean by "where" is she? Isn't she with you?"

"Err… I thought she would come back with you?"

He turned around and looked at the maester and the few men that had accompanied them. He looked at the rest of the yard, but no, Evergreen wasn't there. Fuck, he thought. Fuck, fuck fuck! Where had she gone? She had been with them until the wildlings attacked the small group. The fuckers had probably taken advantage of the confusion they caused to take her away. It was known, amongst the Northerners, that the wildlings chose as a wife a woman they stole to a mighty brother or father, which was a sign of courage and boldness. The mightier the man the woman lived with, the more consideration the wildling got. If something had happened to her, he could never forgive himself. He had sworn to protect her, for the Gods'sake! He could never stand the vision of her corpse, her skin as white as Lisanna's and her blood tainting most of it. The sole thought almost gave him shivers.

What if she was dead? He had seen her writing a lot in High Valyrian, and if it was letters she effectively sent to her family or her friend, it wouldn't take long for them to assume she was dead. Even though they could prove she'd been captured by wildlings and killed by them or she had died because of the cold, her family would probably start a war with the North because of that. They would say he killed her, he didn't care for her, she killed herself because he was too much of a monster to her, yet they would never believe their version of what happened. For he came from a lesser noble house. For he was almost a wildling to a lot of people in the Realms. For the only acceptable death for woman was to die in childbirth.

Elfman wanted no war between the North and the Reach. They had a few chances to win the conflict, however, they couldn't afford it before winter. There was still a lot of thigs that needed to be done before the snow's arrival, and they needed all the people that could work. Definitely, he had no choice but to go and save her, if she could still be saved.

"We must look for her now", he growled.

"If I may, my lord, I don't think it's a wise idea," answered the maester. "Sun is almost down by now, and we can't take the risk to return in the forest by night. There might be an ambush of the wildlings. They could outnumber us. I know there is a lot of stakes if we can't save her, but we'd better do it tomorrow, and lessen the casualties."

"Which casualties will you lessen? She may be dead now, for all we know, and if she's not, she will be dead by the time we find her. That is, if we ever find her."

"We will, my lord. Your lady is a strong woman. It will take more than that to take her down. For now, I suggest we rest ourselves, and we begin the search on the morrow, at dawn. Your men need rest, my lord, and so do the horses."

A part of Elfman was forced to recognize the old man was right. After pondering for a while, he said:

"Fine. We will begin the search tomorrow at dawn."

He dismounted his horse and let the squire take care of it.

"May we know where you're going?" asked the maester.

"Getting some rest, remember?" Elfman didn't mean to say those words so harshly, but it was the only way for him to be left alone. "I will tolerate no disturb!"

He went up the stairs quickly and, once he was in his room (no, he corrected, their room), he locked the door, to be sure that nobody would disturb them. Nobody could disturb him, he couldn't afford that. For the second time of his life, Elfman had lied. He wouldn't be sleeping, like the maester and the soldiers would be, but he would be searching Evergreen, despite what he'd just said. For that, he was about to do something forbidden amongst men on this side of the Wall, something the people were afraid of, something he had learnt with Lisanna. Something that only brought bad memories when he thought of it, something he wished he had never learnt, something he hadn't done since Lisanna was dead. There was a lump in his throat, and his stomach tightened, like all the times he thought about the day Lisanna died. One instant, he hesitated to use it, afraid of what he could do. Yet he had no other way to save Evergreen quickly.

Elfman went to the window and opened it wide, the evening's breeze entering his room. He took a deep breath and looked up in the sky. He eventually saw what he searched. An owl, resting on the edge of the roof, readying itself for the night's hunt. He stared at the bird until it turned around, his amber eyes meeting his dark blue stare. He closed his eyes and when he opened them, he was staring at the sunset before him, shades of what should be purple, pink, blue, orange.

He was at the edge of the roof, his men and the horses still in the yard. The wind riffled through his feathers. The owl's soul was trying to fight him and knock him out of his head, but it was pointless. Elfman had managed to control animals that were wider and whose soul wasn't easily tamed, so the owl gave up fast. He opened his wings, and then flew towards the dark forest. Elfman hadn't warged a lot into birds, since he didn't like flying, but Lisanna did. She always dreamt of flying, and she really liked the feeling, for she was feeling free. Now, he could understand her; although he found some difficulties to learn how to fly and avoid the trees' trunks properly, he admitted it was pleasant. He felt a thousand times lighter than when he was in his body and would have enjoyed the feeling of the wind ruffling his feathers, its whistle in his ears, or the feeling of the branches he hit a lot of more if he wasn't focused on Evergreen. Which wasn't as simple as he thought. Even though he had tamed the owl's soul effortlessly, he had to fight his instinct. The bird was hungry, and was subconsciously searching for mice and other small animals to fill his stomach.

After what seemed an hour of fly, he saw a corpse lying on the ground. Panicking, he flew down to check his identity and was quite relieved to found it wasn't Evergreen, only one of the wildlings that had attacked them earlier this day. There were other corpses, and Elfman assumed it was the place where the main fight took place. It was there he last saw Evergreen.

He noticed horse's footprints on the floor, going exactly at the opposite of the others. It was probably hers. He tried to follow them as best as he could, since he wasn't accustomed to this type of view. Eventually, he found the horse dead, across the road and cursed in his mind.

Then an idea popped up in Elfman's mind, an idea so brilliant but so simple he cursed himself for being so stupid. If the wildlings had taken her as a prisoner, they would probably stop at night, and make a fire. So he got higher in the dark sky, and made circles above the forest, but, eventually, he saw no smoke. Disgusted, he flew down, towards what he thought to be the place where her horse was dead, but it wasn't. Elfman kept on flying and, a few instants later, he almost sighed in relief.

Evergreen was sitting on a branch up in the tree, her knees up to her chest. She was still alive, but she was shivering (so much Elfman suspected her lips became blue) and there was blood on her and her dress, which was torn everywhere. Her hair was a tangled mess she would have never tolerated at the castle. She jumped in surprise when she was aware of the animal's presence, and almost fell of the tree. Afterwards she stared at him for a long time, then stared downwards. There were probably a few more wildlings out there, he assumed, and then he decided it was time for him to get out the bird. Once more, he closed his eyes.

When he opened them, he was back in his room. His body felt weird, for he had stayed in an uncomfortable position for a few hours. Not to mention Elfman suddenly felt clumsier and wider, and almost regretted the sensation of lightness that gave him the owl. A sensation he would never experience again, since he swore himself (again) to not warg later. He grabbed his longsword and a torch, unlocked the door, checked outside to be sure no one was outside, and went down as silently as he could. Per chance, no one was in the yard, nor in the stables. His horse wasn't sleeping, and neighed merrily when it saw his lord.

Elfman mounted his horse and then he rode out the castle, taking advantage of a moment when his men weren't watching, towards the forest. He rode as fast as he could, with his horse still being nervous of

A wildling popped out almost of nowhere, running towards him, and all that Elfman, who was already very angered and very in the mood for some bloodshed, needed to do was to unsheathe his sword, and there was a big splatter of blood as the man's head rolled down on the ground. Under other circumstances, Elfman would have had thought twice before killing a man, but now, a wildling he killed was a person less that could harm potentially Evergreen. Fortunately, she had been wise enough to not make a fire and hide herself until someone of the castle came for her.

Gathering his memories from his little trip in the skin of an owl, he tried to find the tree where she was waiting. It wasn't near as easy as when he was an owl, and he almost lost himself several times, and the wildlings (who, like maester Yajima predicted, were numerous) tried desperately to kill him, before ending on the floor, with or without their head, arms or legs, in a puddle of blood.

Elfman knew he was arrived at the tree when he noticed a dozen wildlings gathered around a tree, shouting at her, mostly obscenities. Some were even trying to climb up the tree. He stopped his horse, grabbed the bow he had taken from one of the wildlings he had sent ad patres, and aimed at the men glued to the trunk. He wasn't an excellent archer, but he wasn't bad either; on three men, at a hundred feet, he managed to take down one, wound another at the shoulder and the arm, the last having two quarrels at the back of his knees, the three of men having fallen to the floor unable to hurt Evergreen anymore.

As a result, all of the wildlings looked at him. Not leaving them time for a riposte, he shot two more down, and wounded another one, before grabbing his sword and slicing the throat of an opponent wide open. He dodged in extremis a quarrel, only because he heard its noise.

Meanwhile, he noticed at the corner of his eye another group of men climbing. Having no more quarrels left, he cursed through gritted teeth, dismounted his horse and ran to Evergreen, slashing the men that crossed his path. Suddenly something fell on one of the climbers and he fell to the ground, not moving anymore.

"Hey, southron bitch, how many men have you already killed?"

"Far more than you, ugly ass!" she retorted, finding her usual snapping and haughty tone.

The remaining wildlings burst out in laugh, while the offended man told nothing and kept on climbing, determined to get some revenge for this humiliation. Elfman was really hesitating to warg into a wild beast, so as to annihilate them all, but he was too afraid of the consequences. So he took his longsword and ran into the group of men. Their spears made out of wood were no match against his longsword, and he took them down quite easily, since the wildlings hadn't planned an attack on him and were weaker than him (sometimes, all he had to do was to kick them and they fell backwards, making another of their compatriots fall with them). Eventually, all the men down the tree were dead, saved for the climber, who was dodging easily the things Evergreen threw on him and had gotten awfully close to her. Elfman gauged the height; there was no way he could catch the guy before he could do something to Evergreen. Consequently, he threw his longsword, with all his strength, on the man's silhouette. The iron pierced his bones and ribs with a loud crashing sound, then the wildling was hanging there, limp, lifeless.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"Looking for you. Everyone in the castle was worried about you."

"Ha! No one has seemed to worry about me when my horse was carried away!" she snorted.

"That behavior was totally unacceptable for us, and for me especially my lady, and I understand your anger. However, I hope you will accept my most sincere apologies."

The woman remained silent for a while, looking down at him. Then she said:

"Apologies accepted."

Elfman sighed inwardly.

"Do you think you can climb down?"

"I don't know. I broke several of the branches when I climbed up."

"Then jump."

"Are you insane?" she shrieked. "Do you know how many feet there is from here to the ground?"

"Err… around eighteen feet, I'd say. Sixteen from my longsword. Speaking of which, could you throw it to the ground, please?"

"If you think I'd risk my life for your bloody sword, then you're putting your finger in the eye deep to the shoulder blade!"

Don't be mad at her, he told himself. She just witnessed the murdering of several men, who had tried on top of that to get her and rape her. She's probably still under the shock.

"Understood. I'll get that sword by myself. But you really need to jump down, Ever…"

"How many times will I have to say that you have no right to call me Ever and that I won't jump down, no matter what!"

He took a deep breath, feeling the familiar headache he had every time Evergreen was doing as it pleased her.

"Listen, I am not climbing up that tree to get you. So, either you climb down, or you jump. I'll promise you that if you choose the second option, I'll catch you."

"Well, the two options you offer are particularly risky and could endanger my life."

"Staying up on your branch isn't safe either. If the cold hadn't got you by tomorrow evening, you'll die of thirst and inanition."

The Southron stayed silent, weighing the pros and cons of his proposition. Elfman was really hoping she would accept. He didn't intend to spend the whole night in the forest, because there could be other wildling lurking out and she could get a cold. He feared that she would piss him off even more when she would be sick.

"If I jump, you promise that you'll not let me crash down like a too mature fruit?"

"I promise."

"You swear?"

"I swear it on the Old Gods and the New that I'll catch you, lady Evergreen."

"Stop making fun of me!"

"Are you done fussing like a spoiled rotten little girl? Quite honestly, I'm getting annoyed of it, and I'd be very grateful if you just shut up and jumped."

She didn't retort, like he expected, but she didn't jump either, taking her time.

"I won't stay here for long," he warned. "You'd better decide quickly what you want to do, or how you want to end."

"I hate you!" she spat. "May your Gods curse you!"

Evergreen began mumbling a lot of words he didn't understand (probably curses in High Valyrian), before standing up on the branch. The released firefly went away, depriving them of light.

"You're sure you'll manage to catch me even if you see nothing?"

"Totally sure. Your shrieks will guide me."

She jumped then and, unlike he expected, she didn't shout. He managed to catch her. She was shivering and her skin was icy cold. Elfman put her down, undid his cloak and put it around her shoulders (he didn't hand it to her, because she would be fussing again, and he didn't feel like bearing her bad mood). She just mumbled a "Thanks", before wrapping up herself in it.

He took of his pocket two firestones and tried to light a branch. The sword was at approximately fifteen feet off the ground; which meant that he couldn't reach if he didn't climb (lifting Evergreen on his shoulders wasn't an option. She was pissed off enough, and she was way too small and weak to take off the sword).

"What are we waiting for?" she complained. "Why can't we go now?"

"I want my longsword back."

"It will still be there on the morning."

"I can't wait until the morning. For all I know, there might be still some wildlings out there. Besides, it's an ancestral sword, and I just can't leave it."

"Your so-called ancestral sword is ugly", she groaned.

"Well, not everybody can afford Valyrian steel. Now, if you want to get back at the castle quickly, give me an idea to get back my sword."

"You could climb."

"True. And when I arrive at the sword's level, what will I do? I need my two hands to retrieve the sword from the trunk, and I can't walk on air."

She paused an instant and said:

"Why don't you use a rope with a knot? You throw it on the sword's hilt, then you pull on it and you should get your bloody sword and we can return to the castle because I am hungry, tired and cold."

He thought for a moment. Her idea wasn't bad at all.

"Do you have a rope?" he asked.

"No. I assume you don't," she huffed. "And, before you ask, I will never cut down pieces of my dress to make a rope."

"How do you think the wildlings had come on this side of the wall?"

"They took a boat and sailed through the Seal's Bay until there."

"Or?"

"They had climbed up the wall. But that's ridiculous. If the wall is really as high as you pretend, then climbing it is impossible. Moreover, I heard the wind was particularly strong there. They would have fallen long ago before they reached the top of the Wall."

"Which is precisely why they'd do such a thing. Anyway, let's suppose they did. That meant they had taken with them…?"

"Rope."

Elfman knew she was quick and would understand fast what he wanted her to assume. A few seconds later, her eyes widened in comprehension.

"No. I will never touch to their bodies."

"As you wish. It will be longer if you don't help me."

Evergreen looked at him in her haughty way, cocking an eyebrow.

"Why should I help you? You left me behind. Besides, I never told you to throw your longsword on that man!"

"Only the Gods knew what would happened if I hadn't."

He knelt down, near a wildling's corpse, and he began to check his pockets and his bag. Not having found a thing, he searched a second one and so on.

"Looks like your wildlings weren't crazy enough to climb up the Wall," snickered Evergreen, when he was done checking the body of a sixth man.

Far from giving up, he looked at her, straight in her eyes and said:

"Even if they hadn't climbed up the wall, they have brought with them rope. Rope is always handy when you go in a forest."

"I suppose that's why you have brought none?" she answered, the fire of the torch dancing in her eyes, a smirk on her lips.

He chose to not listen to her, and triumphantly glanced at her when he brandished the object they had been looking for. Fortunately, it was long enough to reach the longsword, and it didn't take him long to get the weapon at his feet, the corpse of the wildling falling to the ground with a loud "thump".

"Now you've got your dear sword back, can we go back to the castle?" said Evergreen with the annoyed tone of an impatient child.

Elfman sighed, sheathed his sword, mounted the horse and helped his wife to sit. As they were departing, he made a silent prayer to the Gods, to find easily a way out of the forest (the return would be easier than when he came to her rescue, since the sun would be soon up) and to not find other wildlings. Despite their proximity, Evergreen was still shivering a few leagues later. In the dawn's light, he noticed her lips were still a little purple. Sighing to himself, he pulled an arm around her and began to stroke her arms. As he expected, she wasn't pleased at all with that.

"What do you think you're doing?" she hissed, looking straight at him.

"Preventing you from dying because of the cold. That would be really bad if you died just after we arrive in the castle after, according to what you said, you have faced much worse."

She was about to retort something, but then she just sneezed and made an adorable, ladylike little noise. Something like "Atchiiiiii!". Elfman chuckled to himself.

"Why are you laughing, now?"

"Oh, for nothing, really."

"I didn't know nothing was so funny. Anyway, give me your handkerchief."

"I don't have one. You were supposed to sew me one, remember? With my initials and my sigil and my words maybe."

"As if I would do such a thing!"

"Aye, it's true I have lost long ago the hope that you would finally act like a true lady and not like a spoiled rotten brat…"

"One more word and I'll get to the castle on my own", she growled, but the sniffing after was killing her threatening tone.

"Suit yourself, then," he said, gesturing to the ground.

But Evergreen did no move towards the grass and just boiled with rage.

"Do you know how much I hate you?"

"I think I have an idea, now. Look, we're almost there."

A few minutes later, they arrived indeed in the yard. The few men gathered there, saddling and preparing their horses looked at them with wide eyes. Beth, who was also standing near the door, cried in relief as she saw her lady was still alive.

"Lady Evergreen!"

"Beth, please run a hot bath for your lady. Then go to the kitchens and fetch two bowls of soup and two cups of hot wine", he ordered.

The girl was so happy she ran at once to do what she was told. Elfman dismounted his horse and then helped Evergreen to the ground. As he was helping her to the nearby bench, she growled through her teeth:

"Release me! I'm not a cripple!"

He did as it pleased her, and she sat on a bench, huffing. Her cheeks were slightly rosy with the cold, but her lips were still a little blue. Elfman sat near her, hesitating on whether or not he should friction her a little more. Finally, he reached for her back and began to stroke it. She didn't move away.

He cleared his throat, unsure of what to say.

"Are you alright?" was all he could manage.

She looked at him with a look that clearly meant "My teeth are chattering and you're asking me if I'm alright?". However she didn't tell him that, for there were many other people around, and for that he was grateful.

"Yes. Thank you by the way", she answered with a smile.

"Do you need something? A warm drink? Another blanket, maybe? I can send someone in the kitchens if you want something."

"Thank you for your concern, my lord, but I need none of that," she replied with a smile that meant that she was annoyed. "A bath and some food will be fine."

Elfman clenched his teeth. You're just a bloody idiot, a voice in his head said. You thought she would act differently and fall in love only because you saved her? Do you think you're living in a song? You'd rather face the truth: it will never work between you two. You are too different, each one prefers what the other despise. Your cultures are too different. You're like fire and ice.

Fortunately, Beth came quickly, with a big smile on her lips. She was holding a plate with a loaf of bread, two steaming cups (probably the warm wine), two steaming bowls, two spoons, and two boiled eggs and a morsel of cheese. She put it down, on the bench, between the couple.

"Your bath will be ready in half an hour, lady Evergreen!" she chirped joyfully.

"Thank you", answered Evergreen with a kind smile.

She took the bowl of soup and dipped a morsel of bread in it. Elfman for his part wasn't feeling very hungry, so he just took his cup of hot wine, and he sipped at it. Then he got up and leaved the two women together, as Evergreen was telling Beth her misadventures and probably insisting on the fact that he didn't help her since the very beginning.

"My lord?"

Elfman turned around and met maester's Yajima's gaze.

"Aye?"

"You should write to the Night's Watch about the wildlings, so they can increase their surveillance. It's unacceptable, to think a northern lady could have been raped or killed by them…"

"I'll do it later."

"I think you should do it now. There might be still some of them in the forest… If you want, I can write it."

Elfman followed him. The old man took out a piece of parchment and a quill and began to write. Not even ten minutes later, the lord was sealing the letter.

"I mean no offense, my lord, but you shouldn't have come to rescue her alone. It's a miracle you found her, and even more of a miracle you two came back safe and sound to the castle."

"It was my duty to save her" Elfman began.

"…yet I don't know many lords who would have ridden alone in a forest full of wildlings, by night to rescue their lady, even though it's their duty. I'd rather call that love."

After signing and sealing two others letters to the garrisons of Eastwatch-by-The-Sea and Shadow Tower, Elfman exited the maester's room and was making his way downstairs when he passed before their chambers, which remembered him he had something to pick there. The door was slightly open (which was unusual. It was closed most of times), so he decided to peek before entering.

Gods, fortunately, he had peeked before entering. Otherwise, his ears would probably never outlive the shout, for Evergreen was in the room, her back to him, already in the basin, which had been put near the fireplace so she wouldn't catch a cold, taking her bath.

She was combing her long hair, and suddenly the brush slipped from her hands falling on the ground. She sighed, annoyed, and tried to get the brush without getting out of the basin, with no success. She muttered a curse, and slowly stood up in the basin. Elfman felt his mouth become dry and his cheeks redden before the view he had.

Evergreen was standing, naked in the basin, the droplets of water running over her curvaceous body.

No matter how hard he tried, he just couldn't avert his gaze. His mind couldn't focus on anything but his naked wife. Gods, he knew she was a very beautiful woman, maybe one of the most beautiful in Westeros, but he had never had the occasion to have a close look at her body. Her skin was flawless, no blemish, no beauty mark, no freckles; the water made it glow, and the shadow that the fire cast emphasized every curve, especially her ass. Elfman couldn't help but staring at this part of her body.

Unfortunately (wait… why did he thought "unfortunately"?), when she picked the brush, her position didn't enable him to watch more of her body, and he repressed a groan of disapproval. Suddenly, as she stood up, she turned her face towards the door, as if she knew someone was staring, and Elfman barely had the time to hide himself before she could see him. A few seconds later, he heard the sound of splashing water, meaning she had gotten back in the water, and a sigh.

It was when Elfman realized it wasn't right to spy people naked, especially when it was women… Yeah, but on the other hand, she's your wife, replied a voice in his head. Besides, had she ever averted her gaze as you were stripping? No, she was staring too, so now, you're even… Elfman shook his head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. I definitely need some fresh air and a good night of sleep. Warging was for sure a very tiring experience, and it probably left him with a tiny bit of animal instinct.

Fighting the urge to see more of Evergreen's body, he quickly walked away the room and nearly bumped into Beth, who popped out almost of nowhere, holding in her arms a towel and a bowl with soap.

"Sorry, my lord! I should have paid more attention!"

"'Twas nothing… I'm the one who should have paid attention, especially when I lack of sleep," he said, sketching a smile, hoping she wouldn't ask him if he had been spying on Evergreen.

"Do you know if lady Evergreen is already in the bath?" asked Beth.

Shit, shit shit! She knows!

"No, I hadn't been in our room, I was just… I was with the maester and I just finished discussing some things with him… and now, I'm going to get some fresh air. Maybe some food as well."

He had always been a bad liar but, fortunately, the girl didn't notice his cheeks blushing.

"Oh. Anyway, I would like to thank you."

"For what?"

"For rescuing lady Evergreen. Nothing forced you to do it, but lady Evergreen told me how you saved her when she was stuck on top of that tree with wildlings eagerly trying to climb on it…I don't know if she had apologized yet, and if she has not, I don't know if she will, but I thank you in her stead."

After smiling to him, she entered the room and closed the door shut. Elfman let out a breath in relief and went outside, in the Godswood. Kneeling before the heart tree, he thanked the old Gods for allowing him to save Evergreen. Oh, Lisanna, if you knew… I'm so sorry to have warged again, but I had no other choice to save her. I won't do it again, I swear. Please forgive me. As an answer, the leaves began to ruffle softly, with the wind. His father used to say that it was the Gods' way to answer to the humans, so he sat there, closed his eyes and simply listened for the sounds, trying to get the woman out of his mind.

The warg thought that he had never looked so ridiculous before. He was standing awkwardly outside of their room, holding a single white, wild winter rose in a hand (he had come to check if she was fine, but, as he saw the flower, standing proudly above the other flowers in the edge of the Godswood, it reminded him so much of Evergreen that he decided to bring it to her), and shuffling from one feet to the other. He really hoped that nobody would be walking in those corridors. Not knowing how Evergreen's mood was, he knocked three times, and waited behind the door. Since she didn't answer, he knocked for a second time. Having still no answer, he hoped that she wouldn't be mad at him if he entered the room and just push the door open.

Elfman found Evergreen near the fire, in a chair, with her knees at the level of her chin. She wore her usual shift, one made of expensive fabric (one that was known as 'sapin' or something like that) under a robe of green velvet. Her long honey locks, still wet from the bath, were hanging free, like dark gold circling her face, dancing on her shoulders down to the small of her back. Her eyes were closed, her full, kissable lips (that became rosy again) half open, and her head was resting on a shoulder. She had been reading before falling asleep, her hand still holding a book. Elfman found her very beautiful in this position. She didn't seem as haughty as usual, but genuinely sweet, almost vulnerable. All her features were relaxed, as if they were tired of faking, as if the mask was finally over.

He walked as slowly as he could to her. Fortunately, she didn't wake up. He thought of carrying her to the bed, so she could be more comfortable when she would get up, and not be too sore and too moody after but he didn't want her to be mad at him and tell him he was a pervert because he had touched her without her consent as she was asleep.

"Evergreen? You asleep?" he whispered.

She didn't make the bare sign of a reaction. To be sure she was sleeping, Elfman put a hand on her shoulder. Still no reaction. He then took carefully the book out of her hand, making sure to not lose the page she was reading. He quickly eyed the words, curious to know what kind of book she could be reading, and he was a little sad to recognize High Valyrian. He never regretted more the fact that he didn't know the Essosi language. He regretted he didn't know half of her culture, half of her. Perhaps, if he did, they could have had a real conversation. But Elfman knew nothing about the eastern continent and the Free cities, except what he heard from the maester or the merchants, and she would surely scold him and think of him definitely as a peasant if he talked to her only on a basis of prejudices.

He put the flower where Evergreen had stopped her reading. Then he closed the book, and put it on the nightstand. The giant got back to her, passed an arm around her shoulders and one under her knees. He lifted her quite easily, since she was light. He noticed happily that she wasn't as cold as before and she had stopped shivering.

It wasn't the first time he had to carry her to the bed. Actually, on their wedding night, she was so shit-faced drunk (she had drunk far too much wine and ale for a lady, and maybe more than what a normal man could stand) she vomited on him and she blacked out. He had been at first surprised, then disgusted, and he caught her just before she fell in her own puke. He carried her to their bed, took out the pins of her hair before quickly braiding it, took off her jewels, as well as the dress, the shoes and the bodice. Then he cleaned up her mess and the stained clothes (it was a shame, such a beautiful and expensive gown that would be stained until the end of times). Afterwards, he sat on the chair, where he was sure he was out of danger if she woke up and puked again. He fell asleep there. Truth be told, Elfman was surprised that she woke up the following morning, with nothing more than a headache.

She whimpered and slightly stirred when he carried her.

"Shhh… Go back to sleep, it's nothing."

Evergreen had no further reaction. He put her on the bed as slowly and as carefully that he could, then pulled the blanket and the covers over her.

As he was about to leave, a hand loosely caught his fingers.

"No, stay…" Evergreen mumbled, half-asleep, her eyes still closed.

Elfman didn't know if this was directed to an interlocutor in her dreams, but, since she held his hand and wouldn't let him go, he sat on the edge of the bed. With his free hand, he began to draw circles over her shoulder blades, like he used to do with Lisanna when she couldn't fall asleep. The previous day and night had been full of events, and certainly tiredful, even to him. No wonder that the woman was tired, after all.

In her dreams, she whispered once more. It was almost inaudible, but Elfman recognized the word on the instant.

Luxus.

As in ser Luxus Dondarrion.

It was like someone had punched him on the stomach. Like the Dondarrion had done it himself. And this feeling was enough to make him angry, way angrier than he remembered to have ever been.

Why him? Did he just saved her from a bunch of wildlings? No, so why is he calling him? What has he done that I haven't? What does he have that I haven't? Elfman wondered, rage boiling in him. When it came to titles, Elfman was by law superior to Dondarrion, being a lord (even though he hadn't a big, fancy castle), whereas the blonde was only a ser. They were both strong physically, tanned and equally muscled and, curiously, they both had a scar that marred the right side of their face.

Then Elfman knew the difference between them. The blonde fucking knew how to speak to ladies. Since his childhood, the warg had been very shy, especially around woman, an attitude his father criticized and qualified of "unmanly". He had made some progress; now, he could speak to women without blushing, avoiding their gaze or stutter but clearly, that wasn't enough. Luxus, him, was perfectly at ease around women; he knew how to dance, how to talk to them, how to make them giggle and laugh. Moreover, he wasn't living in the arsehole of Westeros.

The Umber stood up, retrieving his hand. She didn't flinch. Angered, he exited the rooms, shutting the door behind him and then, he went to his solar and sat at his chair. After taking off everything that was on the table, he let his face drop on the wooden surface.

His eyes were stinging him, as if he would cry. He told himself it wasn't because of Evergreen, but because he was tired, after killing more than a dozen wildlings and warging again after two long years.

Elfman crossed his arms on the table and put his head on it. He tried very hard to fall asleep, but it felt like sleep was constantly rejecting him.

He couldn't get Evergreen out of his mind, no matter how hard he tried to. He was still seeing her in her transparent, silky nightgowns; sitting, before the small table in their rooms, taking off hairpin after hairpin and progressively freeing his hair, the long curls falling free one by one, a spectacle he could never get tired of. The first time they met, as she was climbing on Riverrun's walls (maybe trying to escape her fate, even though she seemed ), fifteen feet over the Red Fork, her skirts showing her beautiful legs until mid-thigh. The first time they met officially, with her hair pinned, her green-gold eyes emphasized with make-up, her creamy skin. And, he was very ashamed to admit it and even think of it, but he always seeing water drops running over the smooth skin of her lean body and her beautiful curves.

That raised a lot of questions, whose answer was not so easy. Why did he feel so proud as he fastened his cloak around her shoulders? Why did he get so jealous when he saw how close to Luxus and her Essosi companions she was? Why did he want so much to protect her, from all and everything? Why did he want so much to make her happy? Why did he like so much her exotic accent and singing voice? Why was he feeling down, as she had been whispering another man's name showing she didn't about him at all? Why did he feel the rush to save her, a rush that wasn't due to his duty as a husband? Why was he feeling so happy when he thought about what the Tully girl had said to him (that she saw in her cards they'd have many children together, and she couldn't be mistaken)?

There was only an answer possible. And, no matter how much he hated it, he knew it couldn't be otherwise.

Elfman Umber was in love with Evergreen Tyrell.

II The silver giant getting to know better the rose

"Shit," he said out loud, as soon as he came up with that realization.

He had fallen in her trap. None of them was supposed to fall in love with the other, no matter what the old women said, that arranged marriage would always bring love and joy to the spouses. If she was aware of that fact, she would use it to make his life a living hell but, curiously, Elfman didn't mind that much. Ugh, if I came to have these thoughts, it really means I need some sleep, he thought as he closed his eyes and tried to empty his mind of any thoughts.

Unfortunately, he couldn't stop thinking about Evergreen's body. He had seen naked women before, but none of them had made him feel like that. Truth be told, none of them had a body as beautiful as his wife. Sometimes, people said sculptors were blessed by the Gods, for their masterpieces looked so realist one couldn't help but touch them: it was exactly what he felt with Evergreen. He wanted so badly to touch her body, her skin. Not necessarily in a sexual way, not necessarily doing what the men in the North had suggested him during their trip: he would be fine if she just let him trail his fingertips over it if he just could worship her body like a goddess'. Which would never happen, because she would never let anyone but fucking Luxus Dondarrion do it.

His breeches had become incredibly tight, so tight he felt the urge to relief himself. He unlaced his breeches, then remembered he wasn't in his room, and he was in his solar –after what happened this night, nobody was supposed to get there, but one was never cautious enough, so he decided to go in the privy inclused in the solar.

As he touched his aching groin, he groan in pleasure and closed his eyes, an image immediately appearing in his mind, making his cock even harder, a "sight" he had never had before. Of course, he had had wet dreams, but the women were never determinate. Their faces were usually blurred, and they didn't speak. This was the first time he was thinking about a woman so precisely. Even though he had seen only the back of her body naked, it was like his mind was reconstituting her whole body naked, by mixing images of her naked back, arse and legs; glimpse of her bosom and her shoulders.

She was lying on her stomach, on the bed, in exactly the same pose as during her first night in the castle. She was naked, of course, and her position emphasized the curve of her arse and her bosom. Her golden locks were free, and she was looking at him through half-lidded eyes, with her smirk of self-satisfaction. He'd kiss her, and she'd answer it, before pulling him in a kiss more passionate than the one they exchanged during the wedding. He would flip her over so he would be lying on her back and she'd gasp in surprise, but it would be soon silenced by another kiss, as his hands would wander over her body.

Her skin would be like silk under his calloused hands and would feel wonderful under his touch, particularly on her bottom and her breasts. Elfman tried to imagine what it would be like to touch them –probably very enjoyable, since he was almost sure that her breasts would fit in his hands (he was less sure that her bottom would fit them but he was sure he'd feel most of it). If he would have felt audacious enough, he'd even try to kiss her here, or on her neck (the fact she wore dresses that always showed her slender neck, her beautiful shoulders and her cleavage probably played a role in it). She'd smell good, either like flowers and forest and fresh air, or one of the luxurious, intoxicating perfume she had brought from Highgarden. With her soft, delicate hands, she'd help him get rid of his shirt, maybe even of is breeches.

Then Elfman would enter her and he would make her feel so good her toes would curl and she'd wrap her long, slender legs around his waist, her cute feet (wasn't it weird to think a woman had cute feet?) digging in his ass cheeks. He would make her feel so good she'd whisper his name exactly like he had whispered Dondarrion's. She'd whisper with her slightly parted plump lips "Elfman" in a barely audible voice, with her adorable accent and insisting on the second syllable.

It was all that took him to come with a grunt, but strangely, it wasn't enough to make him feel better than before. He felt kind of empty instead. Elfman also felt guilty. He felt like he had just taken advantage of Evergreen like he'd just tainted her honor, even though he hadn't done nothing to that for real.

Feeling angry with himself, he quickly washed his hands, and went in the kitchen, grabbing a cup and a wineskin of strong Northern alcohol. If he was lucky enough, he'd get drunk enough to forget about the bath scene and fantasizing about Evergreen in general and maybe even get some sleep. Sitting back in his chair, he drank the first cup in one sip, before downing another. Soon, he passed out and fell asleep, his head on the desk.

A hand shaking his shoulder gently woke him up. He opened his eyes, blinked a few ties and found himself staring at his wife, who was smiling.

"Dinner is ready. I thought you would like to eat some. You scarcely ate when we came back from the forest."

"Thank you," he mumbled, before stretching himself, repressing a groan when he noticed how much his neck was hurting. "I'll be there in a moment."

"I'll wait for you, if you want. Thank you for the rose, by the way, it's beautiful, truly."

She exited the solar, and he followed her downstairs, the words "Thank you for the rose, it's beautiful, truly" always echoing in his head, so much that he wasn't really there during dinner.

As they went back to their room, he could now explain the strange sense of pride he felt, as he saw she put the flower in a vase, atop of her nightstand.

Since that day, Evergreen became quite an obsession for Elfman. He started dreaming about her every night. Sometimes, it would just be normal dreams, other times it was dreams about the future (one night he had dreamt about honey-haired and blue-eyed children playing in the snow). He also had a few weird dreams (like the one he dreamt he was a wizard and she, a witch wearing a green dress that barely covered her forms), but it was always embarrassing to have inappropriate dreams about his wife (when he dreamt they'd fuck in every position and every location he could think of), for he was afraid of doing something to her that would make him seem to be a pervert. It was also embarrassing when, at night, when he was still awake, Ever, who was already asleep would snuggle closer to him, throw an arm around his chest and bury her head in his shoulder, groaning incomprehensible words in High Valyrian, her hot breath on his skin and his proximity sending shivers down his spine (and down to his groin). Once more, he was afraid that she'd wake up and call him a pervert and rapist for thinking to bed her when she was asleep.

Sometimes, he would also make nightmares, the worst being the ones when she would die or be hurt. The sight of his wife bathing in a pool of blood always made him wake up, with sweat everywhere, his heart beating fast, and teary eyes, his breath caught in his throat until he saw Evergreen still at his sides. Most of times she was barely awake, and stared at him with sleepy and questioning eyes. In those case, Elfman smiled weakly to her and told her it was nothing and she could go back to sleep. Then he dared to breathe again and tried to get back to sleep. She also made nightmares and every time, Elfman woke her up. Her eyes were always shiny and her skin sweaty, and, even though she always accepted the glass of water or the tea Elfman brought to her, she would rarely hug him or talk about her nightmares. Actually, she only did it once, on a night when he hadn't woken up, and she did it by shaking his shoulder. Before he could ask what was going on, she had circled his torso with her arms and hug him. Ever told him a small voice she had dreamt Bixlow, Fried, Luxus and him were dead because of the wildlings, and no one was left to protect her. This reminded him of Lisanna, who crawled up in his bed every time she had a nightmare, and they had spent the remaining hour of the night talking. Truth be told, Elfman expected that Ever would need nobody to comfort her after a nightmare, given how proud she was; however, she hadn't cried. Yet, as he made a move towards the kitchen, she grabbed his arm and followed him, not wanting to stay alone in the room. After drinking an infusion, Evergreen said she wanted to go on a walk outside; and they spent the rest of the night in the nearing of the castle. She was wearing an old pair of boots that belonged to him before he suddenly grew up and one of his cloaks, since she didn't want to go upstairs to change her clothes. They walked in silence over the heathland, under a blue-green aurora, and got back in the castle a few hours later, their cheeks and the tip of their noses pink.

Strangely enough, that was the element that made Elfman more curious about his wife's life. Usually, he wasn't the kind to interfere into the private life of other people, quite the contrary. However, after spending a whole moon thinking about his love for the half-Essosi, he decided to investigate so as to see if she was feeling something for him or not, for he knew she was too proud to say it loud or even admit it to herself.

He began to follow her discreetly, and that's how he learned some small things about her. For instance, when the weather wasn't rainy, she went to the Godswood, but not for praying. At least, not the way he did. Evergreen would lie on the ground, amidst flowers and grass, not moving, seemingly enjoying as much as him to listen the noises of the Godswood. We have one thing in common, at least, he thought bitterly.

Evergreen didn't sew, didn't knit, nor did anything that involved a needle. Nonetheless, on top of reading, she could spend hours before a piece of parchment, mostly in the Godswood, to only write a dozen lines. She was most of time talking out loud, in a language he didn't understand (probably high Valyrian), often reading what she had already written. Sometimes, she would also say a sentence and count on her fingers, before writing anything. It took him a few days to figure out Evergreen was writing poetry. To him, poetry wasn't an activity worthy of a man, but he suddenly wanted to read her poems. He had tried once, when she left them on her nightstand, but he couldn't understand a thing, although he liked the sonorities of it. He liked how she would roll the words with her tongue, how she would make them seem to dance. Elfman understood a recurrent word "raqnon". Although he had absolutely no idea of what his word meant, he was sure it was the key to understand her poems and thus, know how she was feeling, but he couldn't ask. If he asked Evergreen, she would be mad at him for spying on her and trying to read her poems, and if he asked the maester, well he'd have suspicions and he could tell Evergreen about it.

During the times he followed her, he eventually concluded she wasn't having a lover. At least, not here. He had been shortly relieved, then another interrogation appeared. What if Evergreen preferred women to men? The question popped out in his mind a day, as he noticed his wife spent a lot of time with her handmaiden. Indeed, it wouldn't be weird at all if she spent a lot of time with her handmaiden, so nobody would suspect a relation. Elfman had faith in Beth, he trusted her, so when he looked for Ever and the people of the castle told him she was with the girl he wouldn't ask more and leave them alone. He found Beth alone one day, knitting something. Since he was sure that Evergreen wasn't around, he decided it was the best moment to ask the handmaiden about it, for she was a very bad liar. He took a deep breath and began the talk:

"Good morning, Beth..."

"Good morning, my lord!" she replied joyfully, a smile spreading across her face. "Is there anything you need?"

All I need Evergreen to be in love with me, his mind shouted, but he said none of that.

"There's something I wanted to know."

He almost changed his mind, but he thought he wouldn't have another occasion, so he gathered his courage and said, looking at her straight in her eyes:

"Is there something between you and Evergreen?"

The girl looked at him with a blank expression for a second, then her eyes widened at the realization. She dropped her needles and her wool on the floor.

"No! Never! I swear it on the Old Gods and the New!" she said, as her whole face became red.

Elfman's cheeks were red, too, but it was rather due to shame. Why did he even ask the question?

"And do you know if she prefers women to men?"

The poor handmaid looked even more embarrassed, and he felt guilty for embarrassing her. But he needed to know.

"I... I believe she prefers men. She can't stand women's company, only a few of them."

"I'm sorry for asking this, truly. Forget what I said. Make as if nothing ever happened. And, please, never tell lady Evergreen."

The very embarrassed look she gave him clearly meant none of this would reach the ears of his wife. As he was going away, his cheeks still red in shame, he was so ashamed of himself he wasn't happy the slightest to know his case wasn't that desperate.

Relieved by those news, Elfman also began picking up flowers for her, and he tried every time to bring her new ones. She would thank him, and she would look at them in awe and, when night came, Elfman was sure to find the flowers on the nightstand. Their room eventually began to smell like flowers, which wasn't unpleasant.

He also tried to improve things by talking to her, and complimenting her. He tried one morning, as she was checking into the accounts book in the solar.

"You, uh… You look very beautiful in this dress today…"

She raised her gaze from the manuscript, cocking an eyebrow. She wore a deep green dress, with silver embroidery.

"Not that you usually aren't beautiful, but… but…," he stuttered, as he felt his cheeks becoming as red as a Tully's hair. "You… er, I mean… your dress, it's… it's…It's just that… green suits you better!"

She was looking at him, slightly amused, the corners of her mouth turned upwards.

"Oh? Is that so?"

Elfman didn't know why her voice made him feel dizzy.

"Uh, yes… It brings out the colors of your eyes."

"Thanks. If that's your will, I shall wear green more often."

At that moment, he felt his cheeks becoming even redder, if that was possible. His heart was beating faster than usual, the sound echoing in his ears making Ever's voice barely audible. Evergreen tried to keep her composure and feign indifference by reading her book, but Elfman could clearly see the unmistakable smirk she had whenever she was proud of herself.

Elfman couldn't find Evergreen. He cursed through gritted teeth. Why the woman was always unfindable when he had to talk about serious things with her. He wanted to know why exactly t took so many time for the Ibbenese to give them the goddamn wheat. They had sent the goods from the villages to Whiteport, and lord Jellal Manderly had himself written to him to tell him moons ago, that the goods had been shipped. They had no news since, and Elfman wanted to know if the Tyroshi friend of her wife knew something on that matter. He would never forgive himself if the ship sank, or if, worse, the Tyroshi would make money on it, and not give them a single seed of black wheat in return. It would make him seem like a fool!

Fortunately, he spotted Beth, who might know where the woman was.

"Beth, have you seen your lady?" he asked her.

The girl was talking with one of the maids, and she looked up.

"No, my lord, I'm sorry. But I don't think she went outside. She can't stand mud on her clothes."

"The matter is urgent. It's about winter supplies."

Beth shook her head sadly.

"She's still on the castle, that's all I know."

"Thank you, anyway."

He left them, mumbling to himself. Where the hell had she gotten? He had checked the kitchens, the stores, the intendant's rooms and, since the maester was gone in a nearby village because there was an ill cow, she couldn't be in his tower (he always closed it when he was going, to be sure that no one would steal him). Maybe she's reading in our room, he thought, and he climbed up the stairs to get in the corridors where the rooms of the family were. When he got there, Elfman noticed an air's draft and immediately searched for its source. The door of their room was closed and, if Evergreen was there, she would have never left the window wide open. However, not all the doors were open. One was seemingly closed, but still slightly opened. It was the only room that had no more windows.

Elfman's blood froze in his veins.

It was Lisanna's room, and someone was inside. No, not someone, Evergreen was inside, even though he had no idea how she found the key. Despite of what he said to her and her warnings, she hadn't listened to a thing (as she always did) and had done as it pleased her. The woman seemed to be deeply attracted by all that was forbidden and all that could make him mad. Now, Elfman was feeling angry, because she didn't listen to him and because she had stolen the key of the room (that was hidden in his belongings. He couldn't dare to imagine the tantrum she would throw if he was searching through her gowns and dresses).

He stormed in the room, pushing the door open with so much strength that it bounced against the wall and slammed shut behind him. The noise startled Evergreen, who was sitting on the floor and reading some parchments. She immediately tilted her head up, looking around with wide eyes. As she saw his presence, she tried to hide the papers behind her, but it was too late.

"May I know, my lady, what are you doing in this room?" Elfman asked in a shaky voice, trying to keep his anger in check.

He expected her to be afraid or to deny everything but she answered with her usual confidence:

"Since this is also my castle, I deemed I had the right to see it whole. I hate secrets and if there is one in the castle, I think I should be informed. Besides, I would have never entered this room if your servants had directly told me it was your sister's room."

He remained silent, boiling with rage.

"I guess I shouldn't have done that," she reckoned. "I apologize…"

"Words are wind" retorted Elfman, through gritted teeth, so low it was barely audible to her.

"I beg your pardon?"

"One thing! I've only asked you one thing! I gave you the right to wander alone in the castle, anywhere you wanted; I gave you the right to go for ride whenever you wanted to, which isn't permitted to every lady in the North and in exchange, I've only asked one little thing! One fucking little thing, but no, it wasn't enough for you! My lady has grown up in palaces and castles like in songs, my lady always had a big room all for herself, my lady is a spoiled rotten little girl, who is as stubborn as a mule and who is constantly craving for more, wanting to have all Westerosi and Essosi inhabitants at her feet, so she only did as it pleased her!"

She stared at him straight in the eyes, with a look he couldn't describe, a look he had never seen on her face before. Elfman knew he had been too far. The woman looked ready to slap him. It wasn't like he didn't deserve it.

"Look, Ever…"

"I have already told you to not call me Ever!"

"I'm so sorry, Evergreen, I was…"

"Words are wind, like you just said, "she retorted coldly. "Remember? Speaking of which, I'd be grateful if you keep in mind that you know absolutely nothing of me, my lord. You have no idea of what I've been through, so don't you judge me!"

Elfman felt suddenly guilty, and even more ill at ease as he saw the hurt in her eyes. The lady kneeled, took all the parchments and put them back in the small wooden box, before putting back in place. Then she made a move to leave the room. He caught her by the wrist, and she turned around, anger flashing in her eyes.

"Evergreen, listen…"

"Don't. Touch. Me!" she hissed, giving him her most intimidating glare.

She snatched out her hand, and fled the room. A few seconds later, he heard her going down the stairs, trying to get as quickly as she could of his reach.

"Fuck," cursed Elfman. "Fuck, fuck, FUCK!"

What have I done? he asked himself. A little voice whispered in a haughty tone, very similar to Evergreen's "Well done, man. As if the woman didn't hate you enough before, you have given her another reason to be wary of you and to despise you. Is that how you intended to make her forget about her precious Dondarrion friend and make her fall in love with you?"

Elfman was so angry with himself he threw his punch on the dresser, his knuckles passing through the wood. He had dozens of little shards in his hand, his knuckles were bloody, yet he didn't feel any pain. He felt nothing. Just a mixture of anger, self-deception, melancholia and fear.

At this moment, he felt ready to tell her about Lisanna. He felt ready to tell her the truth about everything. But something was preventing him. If he told her about this, he would surely feel relieved, since she would be the first one to know about that in two years, but she would probably run away and consider him forever as a monster. She would also try to cancel the wedding by any way possible, and, if it wasn't possible legally, she was so proud Elfman knew she was able to kill herself. And he didn't want the death on another woman he loved on his conscience.

"What a beautiful mess this whole story is, isn't it, Lisanna?" he whispered to the painting of his sister, hanging on the wall.

His little sister didn't answer, her blue eyes and her kind smile simply watching over her brother.

The lord regained his composure, and left the room, taking the key with him. He went to Yajima's quarters because of his hand and fortunately, the old man didn't ask him how he had done this, exempting him from making up a far-fetched story.

This night, Elfman didn't sleep in their rooms. He barely slept at all, truth be told. He rode through the forest, not caring if there were still some wildlings out there. He just needed to be alone.

On the morning as he riding back in the castle, he was carrying a huge bouquet made of various different flowers and branches he picked. Elfman had decided to apologize, hoping Ever would forgive him. He knocked at the door of her room and Ever opened it slightly. A look of annoyance appeared on her face and she immediately tried to shut the door on him, but he blocked it with his foot, before entering the room and closing the door behind him. He really didn't want her to make a scene in the corridor.

Evergreen had her arms crossed in front of her, and didn't seem pleased at all. She also looked as if she hadn't got much sleep this night. Some strands of golden hair had managed to escape the braid, and there was bags under her eyes. However she stared at him with a glacial stare.

"I just wanted to apologize for my behavior last night. I may have overreacted."

She seemed surprised, as if she wasn't expecting this. She had been most likely bracing herself for an argument. Her mouth was slightly gaping in shock and Elfman decided it would be best if he gave her the bouquet right now.

"Don't think that those flowers…"

"…will make you forgive me? I don't expect to. I just brought them because I wanted to. If you don't want them, I'll give them to your handmaiden. The poor girl must feel even more uprooted than you, and her room must seem quite boring to her. Besides, she deserves it. I can hardly understand how she can keep up with your spoiled rotten behavior and all your whims, not to mention your tendency to only do as it pleases you! I sometimes wonder who is the eldest and the lady between you two!"

Elfman just intended to bluff, but he eventually started an argument. However, even though she was boiling with rage, she showed some restraint and took the flowers. Ever told him, her voice trembling with anger, her eyes firmly staring into his:

"Alright, I understand, I'll never put a foot in this room again. And I'm sorry for doing it. Happy?"

"I'd rather say that now we're even. I bid you a good day, my lady."

As he was slightly bowing before her, more in mockery than something else, she caught a glimpse of his bandage.

"What did you do to your hand? (he was about to answer something, as she cut him) Don't tell me you came across wildings as you were picking flowers so I could forgive you!"

"Do not worry, I'm just paying the consequences of my "brutal, stupid and uncivilized behavior", like you call it. It's nothing bad, it will heal in a few days."

It was just after those words Elfman realized how sarcastic he had been –Gods, the woman had really rubbed off on him, for he would never say something sarcastic, whereas most of his conversations with the young woman were dripping with sarcasm and irony! She was still cocking an eyebrow at him, showing him she didn't believe him, but at least she didn't seem angry anymore. Maybe it was because she showed some concern for him, which was another sign that showed she wasn't entirely indifferent to him. That could be explaining why he managed to quit the room without having the vase thrown at him. But it certainly explained why Elfman left the room with a smile on his lips, a smile he couldn't suppress.

Surprisingly, the next days, Evergreen wasn't that mad with him. She hadn't gotten closer to him, but at least, she had accepted his most sincere apologizes (maybe the huge bouquet he has made was an argument that calmed her), she was still talking to him (and, he didn't know why, but their conversations were becoming longer, and less and less revolving about lord-and-lady-roles' subjects), and she kept her mouth shut about the incident in Lisanna's room, which was almost all he hoped she would do. Elfman had been wondering, however, if she had written to her comrades. He still remembered Luxus' talk, and he wasn't feeling like fighting the knight over something so unimportant. After all, he hadn't really hurt her, had he?

During one rainy day, as he was talking with Jet, Evergreen did a surprising thing. She stormed off in his solar, a big grin splayed over her face, the grin she had when she was proud of herself. And she seemed very proud of herself.

"My lady. What owes me the pleasure of your visit?" he said, with a hint of irony in his voice.

She only came in his solar when she had to, and he hadn't called for her.

"I think I have some news that would please my lord", she simpered. "The Ibbenese black wheat is finally arrived there, and our amber and the seals skin are gone from White Port, towards Myr and the Ibbenese. Apparently, lord Manderly has put his own son in charge of it. Does the name Jellal ring any bell to you?"

Of course, it did. The man came a few times at Last Hearth, and Elfman had gone at White Port, in their magnificent palace where the marble walls were painted in shades of blue and green, showing fishes, dolphins, sharks, jellyfish, octopus, kraken, mermaids. If he remembered correctly, he was married to a certain Greyjoy, who was called Erza and, according to the rumor, had hair as red as the blood which stained her hands. She was known to be a fearful pirate, and now she was known for being merciless against the Lyseni pirates that threatened the Westerosi ships from time to time.

However, at this instant, he didn't care much about the blue-haired man. He was feeling suddenly really relieved. He had a weigh less on his shoulders. His people wouldn't starve much this winter, and this made him both happy and proud. Elfman stood up from his chair as she walked towards him. Fearing to intrude a private moment, Jet had gone when Ever was speaking, so they were both alone.

"It's really here? In the castle?"

"Of course."

She took his hand, which sent a jolt in his whole body and his hand and his cheeks felt suddenly very warm, and she lead him to the window. He looked through it and, down in the yard, he saw men taking off the bags in the cart. He stared for a moment, not believing his eyes and then looked back at her. If possible, she was smiling even more widely, and that was when he remarked she had something in her hand.

"I have some other news, my lord," she added.

Evergreen handed him a parchment. The seal was broken, but he still could see the trout pattern in the remaining wax. Why is lord Tully sending me a letter? He wants me to probably host a third born son from a noble family because he'll soon be at the wall. I just hope it has nothing to do with me or Evergreen. Elfman had a bad feeling about the letter's content but he opened reluctantly, only to be genuinely surprised:

"To Elfman Umber, lord of Last Hearth,

The carts carrying the cereals, nuts and oil from the Reach had stopped yesterday at our castle. The cargo is intact. Hopefully, this winter won't be as harsh as the last one, and, thanks to those supplies, which will arrive more likely in two moons, your people will make it. If the Gods want it, you may suffer no big human loss for the next winter years.

Please thank your wife for the Arbor gold. It will be greatly appreciated during the long, cold, dark winter nights.

Gildarts Tully, lord of Riverrun and lord Paramount of the Trident"

Elfman blinked and, since he didn't understand all of it, he read several times the letter. He just understood that his wife had done something for him, for the castle, for the people, without telling him about it.

"A good surprise, isn't it?" Evergreen said with a big smile.

He could only nod, still dumbstruck by the news. Eventually, he raised his head and met her eyes, which gleamed with pride and self-satisfaction, and a hint of mischief.

"Thank you."

His voice sounded a lot deeper than it usually was, probably because of the sudden emotion and sheer happiness he was feeling now. The same kind that suddenly made him bolder and lift his hands to Evergreen's face.

"What are you doing?" she said as, in the spur of the moment, he cupped her face.

He didn't answer, and simply stared right into her golden eyes. There was something shining in them, maybe some anger, maybe some expectation, he couldn't say. They didn't move for a moment. He wondered if he was doing the right thing, if he wouldn't regret later, if she would hit him or worse, strangle him in his sleep. Last Hearth's lord chased those thoughts off and gathered his boldness, taking a deep breath.

Then Elfman leaned in and kissed her forehead.

"Thank you," he simply repeated, with a slight smile on his lips. "You really are an amazing woman."

However, she didn't seem to have heard his compliment, since she immediately pushed him back. That was when he knew she didn't have her fan on her. Else, she would have slapped him with it.

"Have you lost your mind? Why do you think you have the right to touch me?" she shot back, her eyes shooting daggers at him. "It's not because of you I did that. I did it so I wouldn't starve this winter. Besides, it would leave me a bad taste in mouth if your people died partly because of me. Not to mention that I hate being indebted, and now we're even. It was just because of that, understood? Nothing more, so don't you imagine there is something between us or that I like you!"

She left the solar on those words, her chin high, and she slammed the door shut behind them. Elfman was still smirking. Firstly, because she was beginning to behave like a true Northerner lady and he knew that, despite what she just said, Evergreen cared a lot about their people. Secondly, because, like always, she had been very intelligent (and manipulative), and had made him a quite pleasant surprise. Thirdly, winter suddenly didn't seem to be a problem anymore (actually, it was, but his worries reduced since his wife had informed him of those news).

And, the most important to him, her cheeks had turned in a lovely shade of pink, very different of the red on her face when she was really angry. Mayhaps she wasn't totally indifferent to him, after all.

"What is that?" she asked, furrowing her brows, on the following morning.

She was down in the dining room for breakfast, and she was pointing at a plate and a small vial next to it.

"That? It's called pancakes. Ava made them with some of the black wheat's flour, to get accustomed to cook it. You should taste it with some maple syrup, it's absolutely delicious."

"Maple syrup?" she repeated, scrunching her nose.

"Oh, come on, don't make that face. Did I do the same at our wedding, with those waffels topped with water of orange's flowers? It's the same thing!"

Evergreen sat down, and took a pancake in her plate. Then she grabbed the vial, opened it, sniffed it (as if he would recommend her something which wasn't tasty) and she poured it delicately on her pancake. When she put back the bottle on the table, there was a drop running down the glass and, to prevent it from staining the oaken table, she caught the drop with her thumb, before licking it. Elfman couldn't stare away when she did so. Watching her tongue running over her finger was something, and he had to close his eyes and think of dead kittens to prevent himself from growing hard. Alas, she seemed oblivious to his reactions, which was for the best, until she let out a small moan as she took a bite from the pancake, crushing all the efforts that Elfman just made. Shit.

"That's delicious, you were right," she said, before eating the rest of it.

Oh Gods. There had to be an improvement. She just recognized that he was right, even though it was for a small matter.

Evergreen didn't take another pancake though, and went after that for a walk with Beth. Fortunately for Elfman, who didn't think he could handle her small moans, her very pleased expression or her tongue on her plump lips any longer.

Exactly two moons after lord Gildarts' letter came, the carts full of the cereals of the Reach and oil arrived at the castle. It was Hibiki Oakheart, a knight from Old Oak who was in charge of the expedition. A slender young man with light chestnut hair and hazel eyes that seemed to be exactly Evergreen's type of man, and this only managed to make him jealous. Especially when he climbed down his horse and bowed before her, before taking her hand in his and kissing it. How the heck did the guy managed to do that without getting slapped by Evergreen? Even he couldn't have gotten that close to her, except after she told him about the cereals, since she never let him to do so. But she was smiling when this damn knight was doing it. If he wasn't here just to give them supplies for winter, he would have chopped the man's head off, with his bare hands.

Fortunately, the second man, who had long black hair tied into a bun and strange marks under his eyes, didn't act like the knight, just bowing before his wife. Elfman knew from his looks that the man wasn't Westerosi. His clothes were made in a strange fabric and were cut differently. The curved sword he carried on his hips made him assume that the man was an Essosi sellsword. And his doubts were confirmed when the man said a few words in High Valyrian to Evergreen. She responded quickly (the only word he managed to understand was "Qohor"), and the man nodded. It was probably where he came from.

"My lord, my lady, allow me to present you Bacchus, whose help had been way precious during the trip. Without him, I doubt we would have made our way here safe, with so many supplies."

"Have you been attacked on the road?" asked Evergreen.

"Alas, my lady, more than once," said the knight, with an excessively saddened face.

Elfman didn't know what pissed him off the most about ser Hibiki. The fact that he came from the Reach, the fact that he was obviously better-looking than him or the way he always simpered and made manners and made drama. Frankly, the last one was unmanly like hell. The lord of Last Hearth said to himself that the light brown-haired man wouldn't last as long as Ever in the Northern forest.

"We'll help you discharge the carts, and then we'll go back on the road. Hopefully, we can make a good way before night falls."

"Are you leaving today?"

"Aye. I don't want to offend you, lord Umber, but after those three, tiring months, I only want to get back home."

"You should stay the night there. It will do you some good."

Elfman barely refrained himself from letting out a loud "What?". It was true, the castle was also hers now, but he didn't want this poor excuse of a knight sleeping under their roof. He had spent only five minutes with him, and he already had enough, so he didn't dare to imagine what he could do if he spent several hours in his company.

"That's very kind of you, lady Evergreen, but I don't wanna abuse neither of your hospitality, nor of your supplies for winter."

"It hasn't to be a feast tonight. I guess you'll be happy to eat a simple, warm meal, with a true roof above your heads," she said, giving a pointy look at Elfman that told him 'You'd better do as I say, else you'll regret it'. "We really want to express our gratitude towards you and for those supplies, don't we, my lord?"

His moral part was forced to recognize Evergreen was right, and if they did eat just what they usually did, it would do no real harm to their supply, wouldn't it? So he said half-heartedly:

"Aye. However, your men'd better not steal a thing from this castle; else I'll have to punish them."

"That goes without saying, my lord," nodded Hibiki, while Evergreen was giving him a disapproving look.

"Well. We shall supper after nightfall, then. Meanwhile, I'll help you discharge those carts."

Elfman did as he said, walking towards a cart, lifting the heavy polished wooden plank (that, he supposed, served to prevent the cereals from getting humid and rot) and carrying half a dozen of heavy bags in the back of the kitchen, under the earth, where they stocked their food supplies.

"Whoa," said Hibiki in awe, as he was walking behind him, lifting only two bags, smaller than his (really, the Southron men were so effeminate, fragile and were always simpering!). "You sure are strong, lord Umber. I wish I was as strong as you are."

I highly doubt that you really do, so cut down the bullshit, spare your saliva and lift more bags, was Elfman's answer in his head, but he never said it loud.

"Hn," he responded, opening the door with his shoulder.

They walked in the reserve, put down their bags and went up again. Elfman let Ava in charge of the soldiers, and the cook was giving the Reachmen a wary look as they came and went from her kitchen, making sure nobody was stealing something (Elfman was sure that, if someone did so, she would punish them herself with her big kitchen knife. The woman wasn't half-wilding for nothing, after all).

When he got to his chambers, several hours later, the first thing he did was to collapse on his bed, groaning. His head was aching, but it was different from when he had an argument with Evergreen. The knight had spent his whole time talking, so much that Elfman knew each small detail of his life, and his family's and his lands, even when he did ask nothing of it. However, Hibiki's talking only comforted his opinion of him: the knight was a really fragile thing that could be broken easier than his wife. His life seemed to be maple syrup compared to Elfman's.

"Hibiki is a real pain in the ass, sometimes, don't you think?" said his wife, sitting before the table, as Beth was doing her hair or the night.

His eyes went as wide as saucers. He didn't know that ever was already pissed about him, and that was another small victory in the battle for Ever's heart.

"Geez, does the man ever shut his mouth up?"

"I think he likes hearing the sound of his voice," laughed Evergreen. "Come on, we have only a few hours to bear him."

"You think he'll talk less if we make him drink?"

"If it's the same drink the people of the village had, aye, I think it will suffice. I doubt he can resist to alcohol as good as you and I can. He has never been raised near Dorne or in the North."

"I guess I'd better prepare myself for tonight, then", he sighed, taking off his clothes and slipping into the wash basin that was still there, even after Evergreen's bathed.

The water was tepid, almost cold, but that was fine, he didn't intended to stay long in the bath. He was so tired that he didn't mind being naked before her. It wasn't like he had something to be ashamed of. He splashed some water onto his face, which eased his headache and made him sigh in ease, then he heard a squeal. It was Beth's. Crap, he had forgotten she was there too.

"Don't worry, Beth. He won't ask you to rub a cloth on his back," chuckled Evergreen. "And before you ask, no, I won't do it to you."

"Didn't intended to even ask it to you," said Elfman, taking some soap and rubbing the cloth on his body.

He didn't know why but he had the neat impression that his wife was looking at him in the mirror, but he didn't look towards her. Elfman rinsed himself alone, before standing up and grabbing the towel. He quickly dried himself off and put the towel around his hips when he was picking up a clean shirt with a nice doublet and matching breeches. He quickly wore his clothes, to not embarrass Beth any longer, but the handmaiden left the room without a word as soon as she finished with Ever's hair.

Speaking of her, she had turned around and was looking at him, with her arms crossed.

"For once, you've managed to make yourself presentable. We should invite people more often."

He didn't know if she meant it as a compliment or an insult, but he simply muttered a "Thank you", before walking to the door. But she stopped him.

"Would it kill you to do something with your hair?"

Ah. That for sure wasn't a compliment. He slowly turned around meeting her gaze. She wasn't joking.

"I don't see what you're talking about. My hair had always been like that."

"And you don't want to comb it, for once?"

"Nope, why would I?"

"I don't know, maybe because you already did it?" she snapped at him.

"When?"

"During our wedding, do you remember?"

"You have a point."

Then he realized something.

"Wait a second, are you saying that I looked good?" he asked, with a sly expression.

She quirked an eyebrow at him and said in a cold tone:

"I have never said such a thing."

However, her cheeks were slightly pink and she was avoiding his gaze, like when she was lying.

"Since you asked so nicely, and since a man needs to be good-looking for his wife, I accept to not go at dinner like that."

"Thanks the Gods, some sense finally got in your head after all."

"But I have one condition."

Evergreen rolled her eyes.

"Which is?"

"You comb my hair."

"This gotta be a joke! Do you think I'm your squire or something like that?"

"Oh Gods, no. If you were my squire, I would have died on my horse the first day you came at my service."

She gave him the dangerous look.

"And why do you think I'd do something like that?" she asked, tilting her chin up.

"Because I did the same with you."

His wife huffed, looking suddenly like a spoiled-rotten girl, and he couldn't help but smile. Pissing her off was good, sometimes.

"Understood. Sit," she ordered as she stood up, pointing the chair.

"I'm your husband, Evergreen, not your bloody dog!"

"Listen, do you want to get your hair done or no?"

He almost answered "no", since it was her choice in the first place, but that wasn't the good answer. She would probably smack him with her fan, which was put on the table. So he said nothing and stayed put. Evergreen took her comb and passed it slowly in his hair. Surprisingly, she wasn't pulling at it, and was quite gentle with him. When it was untangled, she tried to arrange it with her hand, her soft hand, and he had to prevent a sigh each time her hand touched his scalp.

"Some women would kill to have hair like yours. A shame you don't care well of it," she told him, once she had finished.

The result was certainly better. He almost looked handsome, if it wasn't for the horrible scar.

"A man doesn't spend his whole time taking care of his hair. At least, not a true man. Than you, anyway," he said, standing up and walking to the door.

"You're welcome."

Elfman was about to go when he noticed she had sat back down on the chair.

"You're not coming?"

"Not yet. I need to choose my jewels. Don't worry, I won't let you alone bearing Hibiki. I'll be down in a few minutes."

He closed the door behind him and went down, to the dining room. Fortunately the Oakenheart wasn't there (he was more likely still preparing himself), and neither was the weird sellsword, but the Tyrell soldiers were present. There were as many as when they came, so Elfman supposed none of them dared to steal. Some of them were simply enjoying the fire in the chimney, other were sitting on the floor and playing cards. The servants came one by one, putting plates and cup, forks and knifes around the table. Elfman nodded at the soldiers when they looked at him, waiting for his approval to sit. A few people still missed, but they could wait.

Finally, Evergreen arrived, and all the soldiers were gaping. Because she was, as ever, stunning, even in a velvet dress that bore his colors (which, he hoped, would dissuade Hibiki to do anything with her). Speaking of the devil, he appeared later, smiling and greeting everybody, and Elfman caught a whiff of perfume (he knew for sure it wasn't a lady's. He didn't understand at all why a man needed some perfume). The sellsword was the last one to arrive. There was still a place around the table, but the servants already began to serve them soup.

"I apologize for being that late," he said in a thick Essosi accent.

"Doesn't really matter, Bacchus," said Hibiki, laughing. "Come and sit there."

"Ser, would you like some wine from the very North?" asked Elfman, and he caught Evergreen's amused stare.

"Um, yeah, why not."

With a grin, Elfman poured some in his cup. The knight managed surprisingly to down it all, but he looked a little shaken after that.

"Whoa… Whoa… You should definitely have some, Bacchus. It's so good, really."

The Qohori shrugged his shoulders and served himself. Hibiki served himself too, and he did so several times, so much that he eventually passed out. Evergreen asked two of the soldiers to lift him to his rooms, whereas Elfman was jubilating inwardly. Finally the fucker had shut his mouth up, which meant no head ache anymore. Frankly, this was the last time he accepted to host other people in his castle, even when they came from the other end of the continent.

After they ate pancakes with maple syrup, some soldiers went to bed, others stayed. Evergreen bent over him and said in his ear that she was going outside the room because she was way too hot, and that she would come back later, and left him in the room. Bacchus seemed quite drunk, and suddenly a Tyrell soldier shouted:

"Look! It's snowing outside!"

His announcement was met by awe. For Elfman, it was, like the aurora, a common yet beautiful spectacle, but he supposed most of those soldiers never saw snow in their entire life. He wondered if Evergreen had ever seen it. Since she was gone for quite long, he let the soldiers and the Qohori watch the snow and he decided to walk to her.

She was standing in the yard, amidst the snow, the snowflakes twirling around her, the wind tugging at her hair. Still holding her cup, she was looking up in awe, her cheeks a little rosy because of the cold and the wind. Elfman found her even more beautiful like that. It was like she truly belonged to this place, as if she was a goddess announcing the winter. If he was an artist and had to pick up someone to embody the Maiden of the Southrons, he'd choose with no hesitation Evergreen.

He walked as slowly as he could, towards her. But he wasn't as light as he would have liked to, and stepping on a dead branch and breaking it snapped Evergreen out of her reverie. She jumped a little then turned around, the angered look softening as she identified him.

"Why did you follow me?"

"I didn't follow you. I just wanted to breath some fresh air too. It's way too hot inside. Moreover, I wanted to thank my lady; thanks to her, we won't be starving this winter."

"My lord is in a joyful and grateful mood this evening," she said in a mocking tone, smirking. "May I know why?"

Maybe his mind was once more tricking him, he thought as her cheeks were blushing even more. Or maybe it wasn't. It was probably due to the cold air and the lack of decent light.

"I don't know. Your help just retrieves a lot of pressure from my shoulders. Of course, there is still the winter to come, but I'm less afraid of it. Thank you, Evergreen, really."

"You're welcome," she said, not looking at him but rather at the sky and the falling snow.

"Have you ever seen snow, before?" he asked.

She almost jumped, and turned around so she could face him, and answered:

"Of course! Being a "Southron" and an outlander doesn't mean I haven't seen snow before."

Elfman remembered then, almost painfully, that she seemed quite close to ser Dondarrion, who lived at Blackhaven, in the Dornish Marches. Of course she had seen snow; even though the mountains were located in the warmest part of Westeros, they were quite high, and he was told that some were so high the snow on top of them never melt.

"But I must confess this is the first time I see snow falling. It's the first time I can touch it."

"So?"

"It's burning cold. I never knew that."

She sounded almost like a child, full of wonder, dreamful. Elfman remembered that he had the same reaction when he went to Winterfell with his father, as he was five, and he was gaping at the grass and the variety of flowers, and it brought a smile to his lips.

"What? Why are you staring at me like that?" she asked in her usual haughty, snapping tone.

Why wouldn't I? I am your husband.

"Do I have something on my face?"

"Not at all. You look magnificent, as always."

Complimenting her was always the best way to calm her down.

"But I just thought this was the first time I saw you without your necklace. You know, the one with the ring…"

As soon as he said that, she brought quickly her hand to her neck searching for the jewel. Her eyes widened and she became pale when she didn't find it, and she looked really upset. If he didn't know her better, he could have sworn there were tears on the corners of her eyes.

"It's not possible, it can't have disappeared…"

It was a mere whisper, barely audible, but he could hear all the distress in her voice.

"Maybe you just left it on your table, amidst your other jewels", he offered, even though there was a part of him who told him he couldn't be any more wrong.

"I haven't left it on in my chambers! Like you said, I always wear it around my neck!" she retorted sharply, though her voice was slightly trembling.

"Well, I can help you find it. Do you remember when was the last time you were aware you wear it?"

"I had it when I left my chambers."

Elfman listed quickly the places where she could have been before going into the Great Hall. There was the corridors, the stairs, the intendant's quarters if she had to discuss of a particular point with him, the kitchen, to make sure everything was fine and the yard. The Godswood was just out of possibility. It was true that she liked to get there, but it was too far from the castle.

"You search the yard, I take care of the rest. I swear that if someone stole it from you, I'll cut his hand. Even if it's the Qohori or the precious knight."

Had she been in her normal state, she would have scolded him for giving her orders, but she was still too shocked to protest, so she merely nodded, and then each went in his own direction. He grabbed a torch and he began to look at the ground with attention. He walked in the stairs, but saw nothing (damn, how was he supposed to find her necklace? It was so thin it could be anywhere, and nowhere to be seen!). His greatest fear was to hear a small noise and to find he had stepped on the jewel and broken it.

After he arrived on top of the stairs, he looked in Jet's quarters, in vain. It was when he began to doubt that the necklace had been lost, and thought more and more of a stealing. He told himself if they didn't find the necklace this night, he would wake before dawn, so as to check all the Southron soldiers. Elfman walked in the corridors twice, his eyes cast on the "parquet" and he prayed the Gods that the necklace hadn't slipped between two wooden slats, for the necklace would never been found, unless if the slats were taken away (which Elfman would never accept. He wouldn't destroy his castle to find some necklace!).

Sighing, he stopped at a window. He only wanted to catch his breath before searching the kitchen, but he couldn't help but stare in the yard, as if it would give him an indication about where the jewel was. However, the scene that was happening before his widened eyes made him forget all about the small object.

Ever was kissing another man.

The woman that haunted his sleep and had stolen his heart, the women that never did something showing love to him, was kissing another man. He felt exactly like someone has just ripped out his heart out of his chest, while he was still living, and thrown it at his feet.

He should have known that she had a lover. Why else would she refuse herself to him? He should have seen it coming. She knew exactly how to trick people and how to lie shamelessly. When they were as lord and lady of Last Hearth, he was almost convinced by how good she was at faking love. The loss of her necklace was probably just a stratagem so she could get to see her lover.

Rage was slowly dripping in Elfman's mind and his blood. He clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. Whoever this fucker was, he would cut him to pieces and feed him to the crows.

Then she pulled him away and slapped him. Elfman was dumfounded and his eyes became as wide as saucers. Maybe he had judged her too quickly. Then Ever began to talk an incomprehensible language, seemingly very angered, since she was yelling at him, and Elfman understood the other man could only be the Qohori sellsword. He knew things wouldn't stop there and would probably get even more dangerous for his wife, so he quickly went down the stairs.

Elfman arrived in the yard just in time to see Ever slap the sellsword so hard his head turn away and he lost momentarily his balance, due to the surprise. She didn't stop there; she took out her fan, and hit him at the temple with all her strength and kicking him to the floor. Elfman was taken aback and looked at her admiratedly.

Alas, she couldn't win against a sellsword, and after the effect of the surprise faded, he pinned her to the ground, holding her arms on top of her head, a leg thrown over hers, so she couldn't kick him.

"Get. Off. Me. Now!" she hissed, and Elfman could picture her eyes shooting daggers at her opponent, who answered nonchalantly a thing in Valyrian or Qohori or whatever Essosi language he was speaking. He was running his hand under her dress, over her legs. Then he stopped and pulled Evergreen's dagger. The one she always kept on her, tied to her thigh. She couldn't use that either against him.

Bacchus examined the dagger with a whistle of admiration. He unsheathed it with a feral smile, and Elfman, who feared the worse, thought it was the right time to interfere.

"If you don't get off me at this very instant, my husband will cut you to pieces!" said Evergreen in the Common Tongue.

"Your husband won't. You two don't seem to get along well, and I'd wager he'd rather behead you for adultery when he'll find out. That is, if he ever manage to find out."

"Too bad, I already found out then," he growled, advancing towards them, his own dagger ready in hand.

"Elfman!" Ever said, sounding relieved.

"You heard my wife. Get off her now!"

"Oh, someone's angry," he said with a rictus. "Sorry, but I don't intend to."

Elfman saw the dagger slashing across her chest and he held his breath for a split second. Then he heard Ever shriek. Bacchus wasn't look at him anymore and seemed to focus on her chest.

"Wow, your wife really has a nice set of tits. I bet you never got to touch them, so I hope you won't wind if I…?"

Elfman didn't even let him time to finish. He had jumped on him and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him up with one hand, which wasn't a big deal since the man was more almost two feet smaller than him. At that moment, he felt so angry he could have had snapped the Qohori's neck easily.

"Don't hope to get away easily after what you did to my lady!"

"Why do you bother?" managed to ask the sellsword. "She doesn't even love you!"

He does have a point, said a voice inside his head, with the voice of someone who had bit a slice of green lime.

"Maybe, but I do love her. And, as a man, I can't let another one hurting her and forcing her to do things against her will."

"And how could you possibly known she was being forced?" inquired the sellsword, with a malicious smile.

"Because, if she refused to bed me, the lord of the arsehole of Westeros, she'll certainly refuse to bed a sellsword like yours, coming from the city with the less glorious fame!"

"Man, you forget she's half Lyseni, and you know how Lysenis girls are! Oh, it's true you don't, I'm terribly sorry. Have you forgotten she spent a few years near Dorne, with ser Dondarrion, hm?"

No, he hadn't forgotten. He hadn't forgotten the way Ever had whispered is name, how she looked so far away whenever she reminded of the blonde knight or her friends. He tightened his grip on the dagger and the man's throat so much his knuckles became white. Don't listen to him. Don't pay attention to him. He's not worth it. Just kill him and end this story.

"Evergreen is not that kind of woman!" he growled. "I have heard enough! Stop insulting her and apologize now, before I send you to your Gods!"

"Elfman, beware!" shouted Evergreen, but it was too late.

There was a swift sound, then blood was dripping to the ground. Elfman cursed through his teeth, nd released the Qohori. The fucker had slashed his sword arm, the one that was holding the dagger, and he could barely move it now! He glanced at the sellsword, who, even though he was struggling to catch his breath, was ginning at him. Wait 'til I wipe this fuckin' grin off your face, you son of a bitch!

"Ever, get back" he told her.

She merely nodded and backed off, her eyes still widened in shock.

Elfman hated the feeling of the blood dripping on his arm, but he hadn't time to put a piece of fabric over the wound. Not when the Qohori had unsheathed his sword (a slightly curved one) and was attacking him, when he only had a dagger to defend himself. Which seemed, he was sure, utterly ridiculous, I comparison of his height. He could barely keep the sword from touching him with the small weapon, which didn't enable him to perform any attack. Had he had his longsword, the fight would have been over in less than two moves. But here, he didn't have a choice: all he could do was to defend himself and hope that soon enough the sellsword would leave an opening. Alas, the man was well used to fight, and knew well how to seek out the weaknesses of his opponents, no matter their size.

Suddenly, the Qohori withdrew his weapon, and hit Elfman's jaw with his fist. Gods, the man as wtrong for someone who was smaller than him! His hit dazzled the lord, and he sellsword took advantage of it to throw another punch, in his stomach before hitting him with his foot, his sword still in hand. How could I forget he's a sellsword, and had no idea what a loyal fight meant? Thought Elfman as he spat the blood he had in his mouth. But it doesn't matter. If he wants to fight like that, then I'll gladly play by his rules.

Against all precepts (his lord father and his master of arms would surely have scolded him for that, if they were still of this world), he threw the dagger on the snow, far away from the sellsword, who was eyeing him warily. He wasn't stupid enough to throw himself at him. The Essosi was surely lighter and faster than him, but Elfman was probably one of the strongest men in all Westeros, and he expected his strength to outpass the fastness of his opponent.

But a few moments later, the smaller man attacked him once more, being even faster, if that was possible, using his sword and his feet. Although it was more difficult for Elfman to dodge his attacks, he managed to block one of the attacks and punch Bacchus in the face, sending him flying a few steps away. The man fell on the snow, yet he quickly stood up (Elfman was surprised he was so fast on his feet again, for he knew his punches usually made men become groggy, if their jaws weren't broken) and jumped at him, his sword ready to perform an attack.

Now! Thought the Umber, as he dodged the sword, lifting his injured hand. The blade passed in the space between Elfman's body and arm, and with a smile, Last Hearth's lord suddenly brought his arm to his sides, blocking Bacchus' arm. The derisive look on the sellsword's face quickly fell, since he couldn't remove his hand anymore.

Elfman grabbed his opponent's forearm, his valid made the smaller man turn around, and he kicked the man behind his calves, sending him to his knees in the snow, as he twisted the other man's arm, so abruptly he heard the sound of a bone or two cracking. He probably had broken one bone or two in the process. The sword fell on the ground, and Elfman kicked it out of Bacchus' reach. The man would die soon enough, but he would not have a sword in his hands. Elfman knew nothing of the Qohori customs, but he deeply hoped that the Qohori Gods would never allow him to access the heavens or whatever that was similar to it with no sword in his hands.

As Bacchus seemed to want to get up, Elfman put his knee on the middle of the back, forcing him back in the snow. He should have probably killed him now, using his own dagger or the sword (the Gods knew he would never touch the blade of such a man!), but right now, Elfman was feeling so angry someone had tried to hurt or rape his wife again he was determined to make the Essosi's pain last as much as possible.

The hand of the man under him tried to snake to his clothes to get another weapon. The Umber caught it and tightened his grip on it, until he heard the cracking sound and felt the bones crushing under his valid hand. Having a broken bone was one of the strongest pain, and he heard Bacchus screaming in agony and begging for mercy.

"Robbers and rapists don't need mercy, for they don't deserve it", said Elfman through gritted teeth, tuning the man around, and punching him in the face, while the Qohori was trying unsuccessfully to kicking him in the kidneys. It hurt, yet Elfman didn't move away and let him do so, his kicks becoming less and less strong.

Eventually, the man wasn't even trying to defend himself anymore, but he was still breathing. Elfman, who was already annoyed, decided it was the good time to kill him. He grabbed the sellsword by his hair and yanked his head back.

"Any last words, sellsword?"

Nothing came from his interlocutor, saved for a gurgle of blood, which was supposed to be curses on him and his house, and a cold glance. Evergreen suddenly appeared in the yard holding his longsword, but she froze in place as she saw him and let the sword fall to the ground, her eyes as wide as saucers. Truth be told, he hadn't noticed she had disappeared, and he didn't expect her to search his longsword, carry it back to him (which wasn't as easy as one could think. This sword was undoubtedly the heaviest ever made in Westeros; made especially for the house Umber, back in the times when it was the only house able to defeat the giants that lived on the other side of the Wall an attacked the Northern Realms).

He looked at her straight in the eyes, silently asking her if she wanted him to kill the man that would have raped her if Elfman hadn't interfered at the right time. She remained still for a moment, then nodded. Still looking in her eyes, with his injured hand, the lord kept the shoulders of the dying man still, while, with his other hand, he pulled the head to the side so quickly he heard the sound the neck's bones made as they snapped.

The lifeless body of the aggressor fell on the snow, and Elfman checked his pulse, to be sure the man was dead. Feeling no beat under his fingers, Elfman got up to his feet.

"Fucking son of a bitch of Qohori," he groaned through his teeth, hitting the man's head with his foot.

He walked towards Ever.

"You alright?" he asked and she nodded.

She was shivering (unless she was trembling, he couldn't quite say) and struggling to keep the remains of her dress together over her breasts. He took the ring and the necklace and he placed it around her neck. There was a little blood on it, and it stained her skin and her dress, but all she could do was to look at him, with a mixture of guilt, remorse and gratefulness.

"Here," he croaked. "Try to be more careful, next time."

She didn't say a thing. She just looked at him, her eyes wide until he turned away to get back at his chambers, his longsword in hand.

He collapsed on the bed, and stared at the ceiling, gritting his teeth in pain. He tried to look at his wound in the arm but he couldn't even look at it correctly. He couldn't move his arm anymore, now that his rage was gone, and he couldn't look at it properly. Fuck, the Qohori wasn't small fry! He knew for sure what he was doing.

The door opened on the maester, who was carrying his bag with all his remedies.

"May I?" he asked, pointing the nightstand, probably wanting to move it next to the wounded man.

Elfman nodded, and the maester move the table, before emptying the content of his bag on the wooden surface. A kitchen woman arrived, dropped there a bucket full of water and went back downstairs.

"I am sorry, my lord, but I can't examine your wound properly. You must take your shirt and doublet off."

His arm hurt him so much he couldn't move even the smallest of his fingers, yet he obeyed the maester, even though it took him ages to get rid of the clothes. The older man examined his injury, and Elfman prevented himself from jumping on the armchair as Yajima was slightly party the edges of the wound, so he could better evaluate the damage.

"He cut your muscle, but not deep enough so it's irreversible. I don't know however if you'll be able to use your arm like you did before. I just hope the blade wasn't poisoned."

"He unsheathed it just before my eyes."

"But it may still be poisoned. Although I have found no sign that a poison was used, I'd rather stay aware. Please tell me if you don't feel like your usual self. "

The Umber threw his head back and let out a grunt of protestation as he ran his valid hand over his face. This was definitely one for the shittiest day he'd ever had. The master began to clean his wound at first with water, the coldness soothing the pain, which was soon revived when the maester applied vinegar. Then he took some unguent and baste the wound with it, before bandaging his arm and fastening a scarf around his upper body, so as to block his arm.

"You have to keep your arm in this scarf, so it'll heal quicker and you'll inflict less damages to your muscles. We'll have to change the bandage several times a day during at least a sennight."

Elfman groaned.

There was a knock on the door.

"Who's there?" he asked.

The door opened on Evergreen. Her hair was loosely braided and she wore over her nightshift her green velvet robe. She looked … actually he couldn't find a word to describe how she looked, but he knew for sure it wasn't one of her usual faces. She wasn't smirking or frowning, but seemed instead embarrassed and … guilty?

"Sorry," she said in a small voice. "I'll come back later."

"No, stay" he told her, as her hand was on the knob of the door. She was definitely acting different than usual. Maybe she wanted to talk with him. "Could you please leave us for a moment, maester Yajima?"

The maester nodded, and left silently the room. After the door was shut, none said a word, and there was a bit of an uncomfortable silence floating in the room. Finally, Evergreen approached. She took the cloth the maester used to clean his wound on the arm and she dipped it in the bowl of water. Then, to his surprise, she gently cleaned the blood he had on the corner of his lips. She did the same with his nose. He sighed in ease when she put the wet cloth on her jaw, where Bacchus' fist had hit him, leaving a big bruise. Her gestures were gentle and kind, and it felt like she had done it countless times.

Then she put back the cloth on the table, and she reached for his injured arm, her fingers gently tracing it from shoulder to the elbow, not omitting the place that was bandaged. He saw the frown on the face. She raised her head and looked straight in his eyes. Her green-gold ones were shiny, like she was about to cry (although he knew that she would never cry, and that was something he appreciated in her, because he was helpless when other women cried).

"I am sorry," she said.

"Huh?"

He knew it wasn't the best reply when someone just apologized to you, but Ever had never genuinely apologized before. He'd assumed it was because she always had been a spoiled rotten girl, in Lys and in Highgarden.

"I am sorry for what happened with this horrible sellsword. I am sorry you were wounded due to my recklessness."

"You are not to blame for that."

She really looked guilty and on the verge of tears. He wondered if it was right to take her hand and stroke her knuckles. He reached timidly for her hand and surprisingly she didn't yank it back. As he stroked her knuckles he looked at her straight in the eyes and said: "However, I would like you to explain me what happened."

She nodded, before beginning her explanation:

"I prepared myself for the feast, and I exited my rooms. As I went to the Great Hall, after checking everything was fine in the kitchens, I was crowded by a man. It was this Bacchus, and he stole my necklace, and I was so angry after him for not even apologizing I didn't realize the necklace was missing. I went to the Great Hall, ate, and went for some fresh air. Then you found me, and told me about my necklace missing. When I was looking down on the floor of the corner of the yard, he was standing against a wall, watching me and grinning like a mad man. He asked me if I was looking for something, and I told him to mind his own business. He told me he'd be willing to give my necklace back if I gave him a 'compensation', and when I refused, he kissed me against my will. He would have probably raped me if you hadn't been there."

She sounded genuinely sincere, and he decided he wouldn't ask other questions about what happened.

"This necklace seemed very important to you. May I know why?" he asked.

Elfman thought it was a gift of one of her suitors, and he'd bet it was from ser Dondarrion, the Tyroshi sellsword or the weird guy with the blue hair, and it made him jealous. Why the hell did he get wounded only to give back to his wife a present of another man? Is it possible to be any dumber? He wondered.

He never expected the answer that was yet to come.

"It was my mother's. The only thing I have left of her, with my fan."

He narrowed his eyes, pondering if he should believe her or not. She saw the uncertain look he gave her, and she sighed. She clutched tightly the cloth, biting her lip. She seemed to take a difficult decision.

"I know," she began slowly, "that you have been told many things about who I am and where I come from. I don't know what they said to you, but I'll tell you my story. After, you'll be free to decide if I was lying or telling the truth; you'll be free to judge me. Do you agree?"

Elfman wanted to know her past, which could allow him to understand her better. She hadn't spoken of her past very often, or when it was, I was only to say she was better in Highgarden or Lys. This was an unexpected occasion to know better his wife, about who he didn't know so many things, even after a good year of marriage. But he knew that telling the past could be painful, and he didn't want her to resass things that were painful for her, so he replied:

"Only if you're willing to."

She half-smirked, and he noticed she looked way less confident of herself, all of a sudden. Nonetheless, she began her story:

"I was born in Lys, in one of the wealthiest families, of the blood of the Old Valyria. My ancestors came on the Islands as Valyrian colonners. My family made her fortune on slavery. Now, I am feeling ashamed because of that, but back then, I didn't mind. Seeing slaves around was a normal thing for me. In Lys, there is three slaves for a freeborn."

"Did your family owned slaves?"

He knew it was rude to interrupt people when they're talking, and he expect her to be angrier at him, but he needed to make sure he had heard her well. It was so shocking to him, and seemed so irreal.

"Yes. Altogether, we had a little less than hundred. Gardeners, cooks, washwomen, lifters, healer, wetnurse… You know, it's normal in Essos to possess slaves. Even Valyrian philosophers have justified slavery. But they aren't just slaves. Some are like family, reliable people, and you can trust them."

"Do rich families have a sigil?" he asked.

"Not exactly. But each powerful family had a special mark. You can find it in the right shoulderblades of the slaves. Ours is a flower with five petals. Thus, if one of our slaves shunned the house and someone came across him, that person could bring him back to us, though most Lyseni slaves never shun the family they must serve. They live quite well, they have a roof above their head, drink water and something edible to full their stomachs. It's not like this in the Slaver's bay. Their living conditions are so bad the slaves rioted several times, but it's pointless to riot when Astapor has an army of Unsullied."

She saw his puzzled expression and explained:

"They are slaves too, and they are emasculated. I was told the trainers first asked them to go the slaver's market and kill a baby in front of his mother's eyes. The Unsullied are fearless and have. Anyway, at the end of the riot, so many slaves were killed that they could put a crucified slave at each mile from Astapor to Meereen."

All Elfman could do was to marvel about how many things his wife knew. Did he even know Westeros' history as well as her?

"But we're getting off topic. Let's go back to my life. My father was a third son, so he never expected to rule on Highgarden a day. Like all the highborn men when they are sixteen, he made a tour of the Free Cities, and Lys was his final destination. He met munha there."

"Munha?" he repeated, unable to understand.

"Mother. It means Mother in Valyrian. According to her, it was on a sunny day, near a fountain in honor of the love goddess, and it was what made them fall in love at first sight. At first they were only lovers, and my father intended to spend only a fortnight in Lys. But the fortnight became months, and months became years. Eventually, they married and my mother was with child shortly after. However, he didn't stay long enough to see me."

"The Green War?"

"Yes, exactly. The Reach was attacked by both the Western Lands and the Stormlands, jealous of our fertile lands. In Lys, my father received a raven demanding him to get back to the Reach as soon as possible. My grandfather and his elder son had died, and, during war, they needed absolutely an heir to the second son, was the Lord of the Reach. He went there, and never came back. Munha always believed in him. She never married, always saying that he would get back to her. My family called her foolish, but she didn't care. She often brought me on top of the murals surrounding the city, and from where we had a beautiful sight on the stormy sea and the ships sailing it. She said it was because Father and her walked there a lot, but I assumed it was also because she secretly hoped to see him coming back. She taught me some Common Tongue, saying it was also my culture, also a part of me, but her family forbade her to, arguing that it was pointless I learn Common tongue, since my father would never come back and Valyrian was more useful anyway, so I only knew basic things, like greetings and polite expressions. Ah, and I knew how to count. I once asked her why she called me Evergreen. I never forgot her answer: 'You look too much like your father to have a Lyseni name.' And she named me after a color of my father's sigil."

"Did your mother's family like you? Didn't they think of you like a shame to the family?"

"Not at all. I was prettier than most Lyseni trueborn. It's true, that they have blonde hair, fair skin and blue eyes; and I felt quite like a stranger, with my green-gold eyes, my slightly darker skin. Most were jealous of my hair. It was darker than theirs, it's true, but they never managed to get the curls I had, even if they curled them and used some seawater. Moreover, I could comprehend things quickly, so they made me learn by heart High Valyrian literature, about Essosi religions, history and dialects and how to count and be a merchant. As I was my Lyseni grandfather's only grandchild, I was his only heir, and he made sure I could always understood business and politics. He even brought me to the Council when I was ten, shortly before the blue mare."

She closed her eyes and her expression faltered. It was probably related to an especially painful moment in her life. Probably the time she had to leave Lys.

"You don't know about the blue mare, do you?"

Elfman shook his head. He guessed it was an illness, but he had never heard of it until today.

"The people affected by this illness die in less than a fortnight. Their bodies become gradually blue, and the blood becomes blue too. The sick people coughs a lot, and they are burning, and they feel so much pain that, in the end, they kill themselves. Eventually, my family caught it, and, as they were all closed in their chambers, I had to live in a big house full of emptiness. There was no more conversation, only the weeps of agony, no more smells, except the smell of death and the broth they could barely eat. Each passing day, the slaves would evacuate an uncle, a cousin, a great aunt, all dead, on a stretcher, having ended their days with the Tears, for they couldn't bear the pain anymore."

He knew she was talking about the poison produced in Lys. She paused again, and took a deep breath. Her hand was shaking and after hesitating, he took it in his, his thumb gently stroking her knuckles.

"It's alright. You don't have to tell everything if you don't want to."

"Munha had caught the blue mare too. And before being closed up in her rooms, she told me to flee, to leave the city, to go to Highgarden, to find my father. So that's what I did. I spent nine days on the port, looking for someone who was going to the Arbor, or to the Reach, or even Dorne, and who could accept a young lass of ten. But I found none, for less ships went to Lys since the beginning of the illness. The highborn Westerosi I have found didn't intend to leave any soon, and most of the merchants had still several cities and ports to go to before getting back to Westeros, and I didn't want to take the risk of being sold into slavery or die in a shipwreck.

"The nineth day, I was getting back at the house, walking on the murals, as I saw a woman standing on top of the wall, dangerously close to the edge. I will never forget this moment. Her silvery blond hair and her white gown floated behind her graciously, and the sun was emphasizing the blue of her skin matching the blue of her eyes, making it shine. The woman looked like she was the sea goddess. Lyseni sailors says only a woman can cause the sea to be stormy from a moment to the others, and the sea goddess is told to be the sister of the love goddess. I have never seen something so beautiful and so sad. It was Munha.

"I knew the blue mare was contagious, but it was my mother, one of the only remaining members of my family. I couldn't just let her die. I was persuaded there was a way to save her. I would have taken her to the Red Priests. So I ran, crowding everyone, and I shouted so hard my throat ached. Munha noticed me, turned her head and looked at me. She smiled one last time and said 'Sorry. I am sure you'll find your kepa. When you will, tell him I'm sorry for not having been able to wait until his return.' Then she jumped, not making a single sound, except the one of something being crushed onto the pointy rocks down there. I went over to see if she was still alive. I was shouting and crying, and when I saw the bloody, limp corpse laying on the rock, I lost my mind. I was trying to climb on the wall. But someone pulled me back."

Tears were rolling down her cheeks and her voice had gone shaky. Before he could cay a thing, she raised her hand, silently asking him to let her compose herself before resuming her story.

"Fried saved my life. I owe him so much. Whereas nobody dared to touch me because I was the daughter of a sick woman, he yanked me back and kept me to the ground while I was struggling and kicking and swearing at him, trying to claw him. He took me in his arms and hugged me so tight I could barely move, and he held me until I stopped yelling and was only crying.

"When I was finally calm, he took my hand and dragged me to the inn he slept in. Fried was barely older than me, but he had been sold in Volantis to a Tyroshi sellsword company. His hair was bright green, since Tyroshi liked to dye their hair. Anyway, he told the story to one of the men, who was having a great time with a woman on his lap. They sent us right away to the Red Priests. The temple of R'hllor in Lys is one of the biggest in the world. There, they asked them to heal us, in exchange of money for their cause.

"The Priests brought us in a small closed piece, the two of us, naked. Then the smoke of the fire slowly entered the room by small holes pierces everywhere in the walls and the roofs. Soon, it was too hot, so much we began to smother. Outside, we could hear incantations, like magic, and it only became louder as it was less and less possible to breathe. You have no idea what it was like to be in this room, fighting the smoke who was slowly filling your lungs, your nose, your mouth, making your eyes cry and you whole body sweat. There were shadows on the wall also, shadows that looked like a monster, shadows that moved and mocked us. Then blackness filled our eyes.

"When I woke up, I was no longer in the room. I was alive, and tucked under white sheets. One instant, I thought this had been just a nightmare, that my family was still alive, that Munha hadn't ended her days. But I was in a stranger's room. I turned my head and saw a tall, slender boy with a creepy tattoo on his face. He had red hair and grinned widely, his green eyes sparkling with amusement. 'I am Bixlow' he told me in Asshai'i. 'How do you feel Evergreen?' I remember I was surprised as he said my name, almost terrified, but he just laughed at me and told me 'Maybe you already know that. You're the name on every boy's or young man's lips, or almost.' Then the sellsword came and checked on Fried. After that, he approached me and put something on my hand. This was this necklace. 'Fried told me to give it to you if you woke.' He must have found it on the ground, near the murals, and picked it when I was still crying.

"Fried woke moments later, just before the Red Priest entered. He said that only a few people survived this, and those people were blessed by the Red Gods, thus Fried and I had to stay and serve him. Clearly the sellsword wasn't happy; Fried was like a squire, and was quite talented with a sword, and he didn't want to lose him. But he said he didn't want to angry a god, so he would do it.

"Then Bixlow asked the Red priest if we couldn't go to Volantis, where the temple was widening, due to the increase of the followers and so they needed more priests. The Red Priest considered the situation and asked Bixlow to accompany us. We left two days later, with the sellsword company, for Volantis. This was the first time I left home and was on the ship, and I had fun. No one really disturbed me, because I was protected by the sellsword, who was in fact the captain.

"We soon discovered that Bixlow wasn't at the bottom of the red Priests's hierarchy. I guess you have noticed he had something dark tattooed on his tongue?"

Elfman nodded, remembering the strange pattern. At first, he had just thought that the man was crazy but now, he began to understand its meaning.

"Well, it was the symbol of the R'hllor worshippers. A burning heart. Only the most fervent R'hllor worshippers –and the closest ones from becoming fully a priest –are allowed to wear it. He told us he put there to hide the mark the blue mare had left on his tongue. He caught it too, as he was a child, by drinking contamined water; his parents left him at the Red Temple, promising him to R'hllor if the God healed him. So the red priests made him drink something, before lighting fire on his tongue. It left a mark, but he was able to hide thanks to the burning heart tattoo, but it was shaped exactly like Fried's, on his right hand, and mine, which is there."

Evergreen stopped, tossed her hair back and pulled off the hem of her nightgown, showing the superior half of her right breast. Indeed there was a blue-green mark, which was curiously shaped like a kind of bird. He didn't stare for long, quickly searching her eyes. She then readjusted her gown with a sigh and resumed her story.

"Then the captain announced Bixlow we wouldn't go to Volantis, and he could if he wanted start a temple of is own in Tyrosh, because it was where we were heading. Bixlow laughed out loud and said all he wanted was to get away from Priest Alqotho because he was done with religion and wanted to see more of the world rather than being stuck in a temple. Everyone thought he wasn't being serious, Fried and I included, but he was and did no move to harm us. They kept him because he had some knowledge on how to heal a person.

"As we arrived in Tyrosh, the first thing he did was to dye his hair into blue, and it earned him the trust and the sympathy of the whole company. I dyed mine too, but just the ends, in blue-green. We stayed there several months. A good year and a half, if I'm not mistaken. Fried and Bixlow went with the men fighting in an umpteenth war against Myr in the Disputed Lands, while I was spending my days at the palace of the archont. The company brought me there because the archont was searching for a companion for his daughter, Levy. She was an adorable girl, and we spent our days together, learning how to speak High Valyrian as well as the other languages, including Common Tongue. Her father had great expectations for her, you know? He wanted her to run over the port of Tyrosh and to keep the city's influence on Essos and on Westeros."

She paused and rubbed her eyes.

"Do you remember what I told you about Myr and Tyrosh?"

"Aye. They're always in war, and, if I'm not mistaken, each one uses sellswords."

"All right. Tyrosh is on an island, like Lys. Therefore, they don't have to be afraid of the Dothrakis, who are scared of sea. But we're, alas, facing another kind of enemies. Pirates are quite famous there. Most of time, they are sailors, who have a letter from Lys' Council or Tyrosh' archont, which allows them to steal whatever they want from a Myrish or a Volantene ship. Sometimes, pirates and sellswords pair up, especially when they want to attack Tyrosh. That was what happened eight years ago. Fried and Bixlow had gone with the company to fight for the city, Levy and I stayed there. One day, as we were walking on a beach, a small boat came. There were only two men in it. One of them was the man that became Levy's husband.

"I remember we were both shocked to see him. His face was clearly Dothraki, with just a hint of Myrish features. His eyes were red. He wasn't older than Bixlow, but he got rid within a blink of the eyes of the two slaves that were supposed to guard us. We were both so scared we didn't even dare to protest when he told us to get into the boat. They tied us, and we sailed until we arrived in their camp, the following day. We weren't bad treated, for they knew Levy was the archont's daughter and they assumed I was the daughter of a very influent Lyseni. I kept my mouth shut, trying to get as much information about the conflict as I could, even when Gajeel, who was paying us a visit every day to bring us our meal, was mocking us. But Levy eventually cracked up and began to ask him if he had a soul or at least some sense of morals. He dragged her out of our tent, I followed them. There was a tree outside, where they hanged the Tyroshi spies or the deserters. They also used it when they wanted to torture someone. They were a king of shackles in it, and he put them around Levy's wrists. I tried to run to help her, but a sellsword caught me. Gajeel told her: "Stop believing in fairies." And before she could add something else, he slapped her so hard, her head . There was blood pouring from her lips, and he raised his thumb; At first, I thought he would wipe the blood, but he just took his daggers, opened her dress in two, exposing her belly and, with her blood, he drew the sigil of the company on her skin. Levy was just sobbing.

"As he finished, Gajeel took a few steps back, like an artist when he wants to admire his masterpiece. Then he sliced up a hanged man's belly and added more blood on the sigil, so it could be visible from afar. 'Not so bad," he mumbled, as he really finished. 'I just regret we can't sent her father a picture of her.' Then a soldier replied 'What if we sent her body? That'd be fun to see his reaction!' But he did none of that. They knew Levy was a strategic person. They could play with her a little, maybe harm her, but that was all.

"I was angry against myself at this moment. I told myself I should have done something, tried to talk with them, to negotiate. I felt bad for Levy, because she stayed pinned against the tree until nightfall. Gajeel ordered me to free her, and that was what I did, since I wasn't given a choice. It wasn't easy, and she sobbed all the way back to the tent. She made me promise to not tell what happened there. And that was what I did."

"Wait. Sorry to interrupt but there is something I'm not sure to have understood. This Gajeel guy kinda crucified her to a tree and publicly humiliated her, and she married him?"

"You're right. She told me he had changed. She told me he hadn't had an easy childhood, seeing the members of his herds killing each other; he had been sold as a slave when he was seven by said herd, because his mother was a mere Myrish. He had been a whipping boy at first in Tyrosh…"

"What's a whipping boy?"

"When a highborn child misbehaves, his parents punish the whipping boy instead of the child."

Elfman felt his eyes widen.

"That's horrible!" he blurted out.

"Oh, come on, don't tell me you don't have some 'horrible' customs in Westeros! Anyway, one night, he had enough, so he killed the children and the parents when they were sleeping. A sellsword's company managed to get him before he was sentenced to death and, since it was this very company who protected the city, they couldn't say a word. He had no real choice but to be cruel. At least, it what Levy said. It's exactly her. She's a good person, you know. A really good person. Better than me. Cunning, smart, kind, able to forgive and to see the bets in every person, truly altruistic, never haughty. Too bad she couldn't come at our wedding.

"I decided I had enough of being a prisoner, so we escaped the camp by night. It wasn't very difficult you know. They only put two guards before our tent. I seduced them both, just enough so Levy could knock them out with a log. The second one was…hem… more reluctant to let us go, so I used what Bixlow and Fried taught me with the other guard's dagger. When we left him he was slowly bleeding out. He probably died the following morning.

She sighed.

"I guess that counts like the first person I have killed."

Elfman made a mental count. She was around eleven or twelve when she killed the man. He had killed his first man very early, too. At twelve, during his first expedition at the Wall, he had to kill wildlings, and shortly after, his father made him behead a deserter of the Night's Watch, because he had to get accustomed to it. It had been more difficult to him, because the man was Westerosi, like him, and belonged to the same culture, but, in the end, he followed his duty. Since, he had kilel other people it as true, but he hadn't taken their lives for another reason, until the tourney. Well, excepted three years ago, as he… Elfman closed his eyes and shrugged, trying to think of something else.

"We stole a ship. No, I was the one who stole it. Levy was mortified by it and her conscience was eating her. She was complaining instead of the boat's owner, but I eventually convinced her to get on it. It was tiring to paddle with no rest. Tyrosh was way further than we imagined, and we almost died on this small bark, of hunger and thirst. Finally, some Tyroshi fishermen found us and brought us back to the city.

"Eventually, the Captain knew who I was, and who my father was. He came to me one day and said: 'You father is the lord of Highgarden and Warden of the Reach. How much do you think he'll give me when I will bring him back his daughter?' I didn't know, but I wanted to see my father, to finally meet him. So I said 'Plenty'. And it satisfied him. The following day we were on a ship, heading for Oldtown and stopping at Greenstones and The Water Gardens, Bixlow and Fried were playing sword on the deck. We made it to Greenstone safely, and I learnt that they stopped there just for the sea turtles who had an immense value to the eyes of the Essosi. But when we left the island, there was a storm, bigger than any I witnessed from the murals in Lys or in the ship that brought me to Tyrosh. The ship wrecked, and most of the people drowned. We were lucky, Fried, Bixlow and I. We found ourselves on the following morning, lying on the wet sand, seawater still in our lungs. Immediately, Bixlow made a fire. On top of catching attention of other's people, it would have enabled us to prepare some food. They found crabs and somehow caught a fish and we ate it in silence."

She paused, now half-smiling, tears not rolling down her cheeks but still present in her eyes.

"I remember I thought this was the worst meal I've ever had, but I was so hungry I ate the burnt fish. I didn't know that it would be the only meal for the following days. We began to walk towards the west, because we naively thought we would come across Highgarden. We spent a week walking in the sand, then the following on top of the cliffs, with the howling, blasting wind tugging at the rags we wore. It was harder to find food. We just couldn't steal a thing, since our hair, having quite an unusual color there, would give us immediately out. However, there was some nights when Bixlow disappeared and came back with food, a small knife or a blanket. He never told us how he got it, but I assumed it was by magic, or using the skills taught by the Red Priests, because he was always weaker as he came back. Fried and I also tried to get food and other things on our own. That was when I began to do things that a lady wasn't supposed to do. I have lied, harmed, killed for food… Hells, I even did favors for food! That would drive Fried and Bixlow crazy, even tough… even though my maidenhead had never been compromised."

Elfman bit his lip. He remembered the words he said to his wife, a few moons ago. My lady has grown up in palaces and castles like in songs, my lady always had a big room all for herself, my lady is a spoiled rotten little girl, who is as stubborn as a mule and who is constantly craving for more, wanting to have all Westerosi and Essosi inhabitants at her feet, so she only did as it pleased her!. How wrong had he been! He now felt like the hugest idiot on Westeros, and he counted himself happy she had forgiven him so quickly.

"We were attacked, too. A thousand times. We didn't have much wealth on us, except Munha's necklace, but still, they thought they could easily steal our belongings, kill us or rape us. Yet, we defeated every single of them. That wasn't that difficult, they were never more than five when they attacked us, and, with the habitude, we had developed tactics

"Nonetheless, it was harder and harder to walk. I was the first one that gave up, for I wasn't as strong physically as the boys. I remember flashes of green, the smell of forests. I got sick quickly. I was so feverish I was having hallucinations. I took a mere dead branch on the ground for a giant snake and I would laugh hysterically when I stared at the sun. Eventually, Bixlow and Fried put a cloth on my eyes, to lessen my hallucinations. I don't know if it had worked, but all I remember is a spiral of colors and me laughing like a mad woman. It was Luxus who found us, a morning, under a tree, as he was hunting with his grandfather, Lord Dondarrion. Fried and Bixlow were also sick. They took us to their castle, Blackhaven and maester Polyussica healed and took care of us until we were better.

"We expected him to knock us out of the castle as soon as we were healthy again, but he allowed us to stay there. Luxus was interested by us, and we spend a lot of time together, although we had difficulties to understand each other. We spoke mostly high Valyrian, and he spoke mostly the Common Tongue, but we somehow managed to understand each other. We taught each other our languages, Bixlow and Fried showed him the Essosi swordart, and in exchange Luxus taught them his own sword art, along with archery. They often sparred in the yard, and sometimes, I was offered to join them. That's how I learnt to use a dagger.

"Eventually, Lord Makarov asked me about who I am, and where I came from. I knew the Stormlands and the Dornish Marches weren't exactly in good terms with the Reach, so I half-lied. I said I was the daughter of a noble Lyseni, but I have never known my father. We had rejoined a sellsword company, who wanted to sell its services to the Reach, but the ship sank. Now, I realize it was foolish to lie to them. All it took was a look at me to understand I was a Tyrell.

"We spent three years and half by the Dondarrions. We had gotten accustomed to the Westerosi culture and could speak Common Tongue fluently. Then there was a tourney at Nightsong, and Luxus and the boys wanted to participate so we went there. It was the first time I left Blackhaven's castle, and I was really overjoyed. I would see new landscapes, and new people. Don't get me wrong, I really liked being with the boys, but… I missed having a girl's talk like I did with Levy."

Evergreen stopped and smiled, with a faraway look I her eyes.

"Luxus won the joust, so he had to crown a queen of love a beauty. And he chose to crown me. I could hear the jealous gasps of all the other noble women and the looks of a lot of men. I was new to them, they didn't know me; back then, I belonged to none of the noble families. My status was just something like "Ward of the Dondarrions". Nobody knew who I was, saved for Luxus and lord Makarov, but they never said a word about it, even to the people in the castle, who eventually assumed I was Luxus bastard's sister.

"As I put the crown on top of my head, I heard a man gasping 'Daeliyah!' in the crowd. I immediately turned my head to see who it was. I knew it was my father, because Daeliyah was a typical Lyseni name. A man was walking towards us. Luxus eyed him suspiciously before bowing his head as a sign of respect. My father stopped before me and we looked at each other or a good minute. No one was talking. Except Bixlow, who whispered in High Valyrian: 'He's your father.'

" 'Sorry', my father eventually said. 'I mistook you for someone else.' He turned around and went away. I wanted to tell him I knew Daeliyah, but I was too afraid. There were so many people around me and I didn't want them to stick their noses in my business. Fried gave me a surprised look.

"When night came, I left Luxus and the boys celebrating their victory, and I went on my own, looking for the Tyrell's tent. He was sitting with his family, and they were eating, and I wanted to go back, but it was too late. He had seen me and told me I could come. Lady Jenny, his wife, was eyeing me suspiciously. She might have been thinking I was an ancient lover of Father who came to steal her place.

"He asked me what I wanted, I replied I knew Daeliyah. He seemed immediately concerned and genuinely curious, but his face ashen as I told him Munha was dead. I was surprised, I thought he would have known, if not for who I am, but for Munha's death. His bitch of a wife however was grinning, and I swore at that very moment to hate her. He then only asked me who I was, and as I said I was her daughter he grabbed my shoulders and asked for my age. I was six and ten back then, and it didn't take him long to understand I was his daughter. But Jenny didn't understand that and asked my name. I replied 'Evergreen, ward of lord Makarov Dondarrion', and she snickered 'No, I meant, which house do you belong to?' 'You wouldn't know it.' She seemed very sure of herself when she said to me 'Oh, you're a common girl, then.' 'Not at all, my house is far more older than yours. My ancestors came from the old Valyria and established in Lys; since my family has grown one of the most powerful I Lys and maybe in all Essos.' She was red with shame and she told my father to kick me out, because I was way too insolent. He refused 'I am the warden of the Reach, and I don't need you to tell me what to do! Besides, you'd better give her a better treatment, since she's going to live with us at Highgarden from now on!' Her eyes were as wide as saucers. 'Wait, aren't you saying that she's your bastard…' 'She's not my bastard. I shall legitimize her on the morrow.'

Ever half-smiled.

"And indeed, he had. He had talked with lord Makarov and they told me I had the right to choose, that I would still be a Tyrell no matter my decision. I decided to follow my father –after all, I have always wanted to meet him, and I lived in Highgarden since. My father wasn't against Bixlow and Fried's presence, at the beginning. He thought I needed some time for adaptation. He was more reluctant as time passed by, although most of the people were persuaded they were my swornshields. Truth be told, I think he was a little afraid of them.

"I began to help him in business the day he wanted to establish commercial relations with Tyrosh. He wanted more of their dyes, to make Oldtown's fuller corporation the most influent in Westeros, and their gems so our… so house Tyrell would be richer and thus, more powerful. He had brought us to Oldtown, so he could directly negotiate with the merchants. Turned out that those weren't honest at all, and they were very surprised when I talked back in Tyroshi. You know, in Tyrosh, being a merchant is like being a lord there; it gives you the same social rank. I told them –in Tyroshi, of course – that if they continued to swindle the Westerosi, I would personally write a letter to the archont, which I presented like an ally of house Tyrell. Per chance, Macao was still the archon and levy had been given the control of the port, so my threat was even more effective and we managed to get a good price. I wrote a letter to Levy, she answered me quickly, and then we began a partnership between the Reach and Tyrosh. At first, Father was a little wary and reluctant to let a woman council him when it came to business, but, since I had proven myself as efficient as the male councilors, he would often require my advice on economical questions, but also in political.

"It was quite cool, even though Jenny would treat me like shit, because I had more influence over the Reach than he ever did and because I was still a bastard to her. Eve would always stick with me and hear my stories about Essos. Leo and I weren't especially close, but he would often come to me, so I could give him some Valyrian poetry, which he used to woo ladies. Then there was this tourney, and you know the end of it."

She remained silent for a moment, sitting on the ground, her knees up to her chin, her eyes not looking in his direction. His eyes were staring at a stone in the wall without really seeing it. Evergreen's story was twirling in his mind, like a storm, her exotic accent still singing her tale. Suddenly, he felt everything became clearer. He now understood why she seemed so arrogant, so haughty, so futile, so reluctant and so ill-tempered.

Currently, for the first time in nearly a year of marriage, he had the feeling that he could actually understand Evergreen, and see past the walls she had built to protect herself.

Finally, she raised her eyes full of tears, meeting his gaze.

"Do you think I am a whore, Elfman?"

Her voice was small, and her tone was almost pleading him to answer 'no', so he didn't hesitate before saying:

"No, you're not. And I owe you an apology."

"For what?"

"For calling you a megalomaniac, stubborn, spoiled rotten little girl. You're none of that. Actually I think you are one of the greatest ladies of Westeros, smart, cunning, kind, resourceful, sociable and also… (he had to take a deep breath, so he wouldn't blush like a shy maiden)…incredibly beautiful."

This brought a real smile on Evergreen's lips, and she wiped her eyes with her sleeve.

"Idiot. I'm the one that should apologize. I made your life a living hell by acting selfishly and childishly. Thank you for putting up with all my whims."

Elfman didn't know what to answer, so he simply smiled.

A silence settled between them. Evergreen wasn't looking at him, suddenly interested in the pattern of the blanket. He thought that if he wanted to say the conclusion he had drawn earlier in the night, it was the right moment. He gathered all his courage and took a deep breath before opening his mouth. At the last moment, he almost changed his mind, but Evergreen was looking at him, waiting for what he had to say. And he couldn't make as if he didn't want to say a thing, because she could definitely sense those things. He had no choice.

"You know …" he began. His voice was way shakier than he expected, and he hated it, but he resumed "… I've been thinking about us for a while. And we can't continue like this. I am cancelling the wedding. It will be an easy thing. I haven't bed you, and any midwife could confirm it. Moreover, I think you had little choice in this wedding."

"Why are you cancelling the wedding?"

"I can't give you the life you want. You have grown amidst delicacy, warmth, bright colors, mundanity. You are made to wear satin and lace, not velvet and wool. I can't afford you none of that. All I can offer you is a small, cold castle and lands that are almost in wildling territory, and my love, but clearly you aren't happy. No matter how bright you seem, you're always wishing to be anywhere but here, in the asshole of Westeros. You remind me of a bird Lisanna and I brought home once. We caged him. He spent his days chirping merrily, and a day, we found him sprawled on the bottom of the cage, lifeless. That's what you are. A caged bird. And I don't wanna see a dead bird anymore. I am sending you back to Highgarden. The merchant leaves in two days. Or if you prefer, I can arrange a boat with Lord Manderly to Lys. Maybe you want to see your home, after all this time. It's better for you to go back where you belong."

"Thank you for your concern," she replied. "But I won't leave. I belong in the North, now. I am your wife, lady Evergreen of house Umber, have you forgotten?"

He blinked a few times, not wanting to believe his own ears, sparing himself of another illusion.

"No, I haven't. But I already told you, I hate making you do something you don't like."

"It's my choice to stay here."

"Why? I swear I won't hunt you after, nor I would seek revenge. I will never lay a hand on Fried, Bixlow or Luxus, unlike your father threatened to do. They're just like your brothers. You really are free to go."

"You ask why? Because I am tired of always running from a place to another. I am tired to always get separated from the people I liked. I like this place. I don't have to always pretend and put a false face. I feel quite free in there, like I was in Blackhaven. I don't have the feeling to be just your wife, but a whole person, different from the mere bright shell that pleases everyone. I am not judged for who I am or where I come from, but for what I do. As long as I am able to keep the castle running a good way. I feel useful. It's been a long time since I felt useful, and I quite missed it actually."

Ever had gone closer, and he stiffened, for he felt even more embarrassed, not knowing what to do, or what to say, his cheeks burning him. She cupped his face in her small, soft, delicate hands and brought her lips to his. It didn't last long, but long enough for Elfman to feel again the full, soft lips he dreamt of since his wedding.

He let out a grunt of protestation as she pulled back, her cheeks a little rosy, but her eyes shining. Hell, just a little kiss wouldn't suffice him this time, and he desperately wanted more. He reached for her cheek, and she leant in his touch, closing her eyes as his thumb was gently stroking her velvet-like skin. Eventually, she pressed a kiss in his palm. Elfman's hand went to her neck, seeing she still didn't pull back, and he awkwardly draw her closer again to kiss her.

At first it was a gentle one, since he just put his lips on hers, savoring their softness. Then, when she didn't pull back, he put a little more pressure in it.

Suddenly, she sat on his lap, careful to not squeeze his bad arm. Elfman felt his cheeks becoming as red a heart-tree leaf from such closeness. She was too close to him, which reminded him of their wedding night. All he could hope was that this night would not end like that.

"Sorry, I thought it would be more comfortable for us if I got on your lap. Am I hurting your arm?"

"No," he whispered.

"Good," she said, before pulling him in another kiss.

Her hands were tracing the muscles of his torso, and she spent more time over his abdominals, a smirk on her lips. Her touch sent shivers through his whole body and he was fighting against himself to not get hard.

"I love this part of your body," she whispered in his ear, her nails raking over his skin. "You remind of the antique male statues in Lys. Except that you're way better-looking than those statues."

"Are the female statues as beautiful as they are told to be?"

"Want me to show you?" she asked him in a playful tone, smirking.

He nodded, she got back (and he suddenly felt cold), before doing something Elfman didn't expect her to do. He thought she'd get one of her Lyseni books and show him some pictures or maybe do him some reading. Instead, she was staring firmly into his eyes, while pulling on the laces of her gown. The fabric slid over her shoulders, her breasts, her hips before pooling at her feet, on the floor. She stood there, her chin up, her shoulders squared, and she tossed back the braid that hung over her left breast. Elfman gulped down. His mouth was suddenly dry, his cheeks burned him and his breeches were suddenly too tight for him.

She was totally naked, saved for her necklace. It was way better than what he had seen when he had stripped her from her dress during their wedding night, or when he had seen her in the bath, or even what he dreamt of. In a word, it was better than everything he had imagined, and he almost blamed himself for being stupid enough to believe his fantasies were equal to the real Evergreen. There was absolutely no blemish over her skin, saved for the trace the blue mare left.

But what surprised him the most was her cunt. He had imagined her to have the same honey curls, he had fantasized about it, but he was proven how wrong he was. She had no hair down here. Evergreen followed his stare and grinned widely:

"You didn't expect that?"

He shook his head.

"Oh, you thought that I was a hairy kind. Well, I can't blame you. I followed the Lyseni custom, I hope you don't mind?"

She took his valid hand in her and drew it to her core. He quickly yanked it away, however, his fingers had ghosted her womanhood, just so he could feel how it was soft and warm.

"Don't tell me you have never lain with a woman before?" Ever asked, in a slightly mocking tone.

He didn't answer, and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Not even a whore?"

"No."

It's not that they fled him. Several times, they tried to coax him into the brothel, mostly for his money; however he never entered those places. He had always found it was too degrading for a woman to be selling her body. It also reminded him of Lisanna; there were girls that weren't older than her when she died, and his morals could only prevent him from seeing such women.

"And you never tried with a boy?" she asked him, quirking an eyebrow.

"By the Old Gods, no! Never!" he replied too abruptly, his cheeks reddening.

He was shocked she could be even asking this, since she seemed to know him better than he knew her. Then he remembered he had wondered the same thing about her.

"So you're a virgin?"

Elfman paused for a moment, then he nodded, even though it was more a declaration than a question.

"How can you be so little ashamed of your body in front of me when you're supposed to be a virgin?"

"In Lys, we are told to not be ashamed of our bodies, since they are the one the Gods give us. Besides, to be honest, I think there is nothing you should be ashamed of," she said in a seductive tone.

Elfman gasped as her hand palmed his cock through his breeches. She smiled to herself and licked her lips. Before he could say a word, she kissed him while her hands were unlacing his pants. He felt her smile against his lips as she finished, and he groaned in relief when she slid the fabric over his hips. Finally, he had gotten rid of this prison. Suddenly, her hand ghosted over his manhood and he drew a quick breath, his eyes flashing open.

He could feel Ever smiling against his skin as she kissed his cheeks (both of them. She even drew a line of kisses on his right one, marred by the scar), his mouth again (oh gods, he could never get enough of kissing those lips), his jaw, his neck (where she bit him gently, and he couldn't suppress the moan that escaped from his lips), his collarbone. At the same time, her hand stopped ghosting over his cock and closed around it instead. He gasped for air as she began to. Shit. Her hand felt better than his. It took her only a few moves to find out what he liked the most.

Not stopping her motion, Evergreen kissed the parts she had touched earlier; now she was drawing her lips across his pectoral. Too busy preventing his hips to buck in her hand, he couldn't help but make a long moan as she sucked on his nipple, drew her teeth on it, while he had goosebumps all over his body. He groaned too when her hot mouth left it and the cold air hit it, but this groan became another moan as she did the same with the other nipple, as she was teasing the previous one with her fingers. Oh Gods, this all was too already too much for him, and they weren't even at the part when their bodies were supposed to unite.

When her head was at the level of his groin, he fought both the carnal instinct and his imagination to cup her cheek and make her look at him in the eyes. Her shiny eyes were looking at him with passion, lust and...love?. There wasn't a trace of hate or disapprobation there.

"Ever, stop. A lady shouldn't be doing this."

"And what if the lady is totally willing to do so?"

"Ever, please, don't do it."

"You don't like it? You don't like what I'm doing?" she asked, pouting.

"No! it's not that! It feels like you're sending me to the Heavens, but...but... listen, just don't do it, okay?"

She looked at him straight in the eyes, searching for a trace of a lie.

"You're sure you don't want me to...?"

She couldn't finish her phrase, since he had forced her to her feet and kissed her soundly.

"Aye, I'm sure."

He wondered if it was wrong to touch her. His hand brushed gently along her side, slowly going up. When it was at her breasts' level, he paused. He didn't want things to end like that, so he stroke gently the underside of her breast. Evergreen was smiling down at him.

"You're so cute sometimes. There's nothing to be afraid of me, you know…"

Just when he was about to answer that he wasn't afraid, she took his hand in hers and pressed against her breast. Her nipple was already erect, and it hardened more under his palm. A soft moan (which was definitely the sound Elfman preferred, among the sounds she made) escaped her lips. Elfman felt his cock harden even more and his cheeks grew red in embarrassment. Did he have the right to touch more of this extraordinarily warm and soft flesh? When he was sure Ever wouldn't reject him he gently squeezed it, his lips kissing the side of her neck. As he sucked the place her neck and her shoulder met, she moaned louder, closing her eyes, her nails digging slightly in his shoulder.

Feeling bolder, he traced the pattern of the blue mark with his fingers, making her shiver. Fearing he had done something that hadn't pleased her, he looked up.

"Go on. Believe me, if you do something wrong, I'll make you know!"

His mouth resumed the kisses on her shoulder, going lower and lower, until it reached the mark. This time, he traced the pattern with his lips and planted a kiss over the blue skin, before he finally took her nipple in his mouth. Her breath hitched in her throat at first, then she drew a longer moan. Elfman knew he was definitely pleasuring her when Ever arched her back so she could give in to his ministrations and pulled his head closer to her chest.

She pushed him gently on the bed, and he fell on his back. Before he could make a move, she straddled his hips, grinning. He propped himself on his valid elbow and she kissed him, their upper bodies grinding against the other's. Elfman really regretted he had one of his hands immobilized, for he could have pressed Evergreen closer.

In this position, he could feel her sex ghosting over his, and he fought the urge to thrust into her. For what, he didn't really know, for a few moments later, without any warning, Evergreen impaled herself on him, and he couldn't help the groan that escaped his lips as his head hit back the pillow:

"Fuck…"

She was so soft, so warm, so wet and so tight. She was so many things at the same time, and felt incredibly wonderful. It woke in him a feeling that was until now unknown, a feeling he couldn't really describe or name.

He looked up and saw that Evergreen was biting her lip, her brows furrowed. She seemed a little tense.

"Ever? Are you alright? Are you hurt?"

"I'm fine."

"But you were…"

"No, I'm fine, really. I just… I just need some time."

Elfman put his valid hand on Evergreen's hip and he began to draw gentle circles on her soft, creamy skin, to ease her pain. She was slightly grinning, yet she still seemed to be in pain.

"You're such a sweet man," she said, half-giggling.

He smiled too, and after a few moments she began to move. At first, it was slow, and she was still , then she picked up a faster rhythm. Soon, the room was filled with her moans and his groans.

"Aaah… Elfmaaan" she moaned, and he couldn't help but smile.

This was to him the ultimate evidence that Evergreen loved only him, and no one else. Maybe she hadn't whispered his name like she had whispered Luxus' in his sleep, but she had never said the Dondarrion's name in this very way, and Elfman was feeling so proud and so happy to have finally earned a place in his beloved's heart he gave in totally in the moment.

A moment that seemed almost too perfect to be true.

He liked the feeling of her soft skin under his valid hand. He liked the feeling of her naked, round butt against his legs. He liked the feeling of her nails digging in his torso, leaving long, angry red traces. He liked the rosy color that colored her cheeks. He liked to see that under her lids, her eyes were shining. He liked the perfect "o" that made her swollen, red lips. He liked to see her breasts jiggling, and her chain moving between them. He liked all the little sounds she made. And, most of all, he liked the way she kept on repeating his name, like a prayer, like he was the most important thing in the world to her eyes. All that, and Evergreen wasn't even rejecting him or scolding him for calling her "Ever".

But he hadn't enough. He craved for more. They were having an intimate moment, but it felt like she was out of reach. He wasn't happy with that. He wanted her closer, even closer than she already was. He propped on his valid elbow, and Ever made an unhappy noise as his hand left her bottom. She was looking at him with a lustful look. Elfman barely resisted the urge to kiss her, for he knew he would never remember what he wanted to do once her lips would touch his.

"Please, Ever, take this scarf off!"

"Mmh?" she half-moaned, aware he had talked to her, but not understanding what he'd just said.

He tried his best to not succumb to that delicious voice.

"Take the buggering scarf off."

"But Elfman, you need to keep this otherwise your arm won't heal!"

"I don't care. It will heal if I took only for a moment and put it right after. Please Ever. I want to be closer to you. I want to be fully able to touch you. Please."

She rolled her eyes and she put her hand on the knot.

"Promise me you'll wear it back as soon as we'll be finished."

"I promise only if you promise you'll help me to."

She untied the knot and threw the piece of cloth on the nightstand. Finally, he was free! He pulled her against him, so close he felt the chainlet on his sternum. Elfman did it so quickly Ever gasped in surprised, but he silenced her with a kiss. She gasped onto his mouth as his hands cupped her bottom, which made him smile. He squeezed the firm globes of flesh (after spending months fantasizing about this part of her body, it just felt like he had the softest fabric under his fingers) and she moaned, letting go of his mouth.

He dug his heels on the mattress and began to thrust in her, causing Ever to jump a little in surprise, her eyes widening and a moan escaping her lips. But soon, the movements of her hips were matching his, and both were moaning, her head buried in the crook of his neck. She was muffling her moans by sucking or biting the place where his pulse beat, leaving marks Elfman was sure he wouldn't manage to hide on the morrow.

She raised her head and stared at him with eyes full of lust, her hair falling like a golden curtain around them. She kissed him fiercely and whispered against his lips:

"Don't stop…"

"Don't intend to," he managed to say, even though he knew he wouldn't able to hold himself any longer.

However, he was the first to come. Before he could even know it, there was a flash of white light before his eyes and he saw stars behind his eyelids. He was vaguely aware of growling her name and releasing his seed inside her, but she made no move to pull back.

Ever wasn't too far behind, he could feel her clenching around him. Eventually, she arched even more against him, threw her head back, and moaned his name one last time before collapsing on top of him, her tangled, honey hair sprawled on his chest. Her legs were shivering, although the room was very warm. They laid like that in silence for a moment, simply trying to catch their breath, and he was gently stroking her hair and her back. He felt at ease, feeling utterly happy, like he hadn't felt in months, and he thought that wasn't normal.

We shouldn't have done that, he thought.

"Why do you say we shouldn't have done that? Was that bad?" Ever inquired, her voice sounding too insecure.

Shit. Elfman bit his lip, cursing himself for speaking out loud his thoughts.

"No, it's not that at all. This was wonderful. Extraordinary. Magic. But now, you are stuck with me."

"And?"

"That means you can't wed or bed another man without me being dead."

"And why would I choose another man? Why would I go away? I already told you I was staying, Elfman! I thought this was what you wanted me to! Unless you don't want me to stay…"

"Don't say such bullshit! I want you to stay! I want to you to be forever at my side, and never leave me or go away."

"But?" she said, quirking an eyebrow.

Damn, this woman was too clever sometimes. He hated how she could read him like he was a book, whereas he was always wandering if she was honest or just making fun of him. He hated how she could deduce that he was lying, and he had no choice but to say the truth:

"I am a monster, Ever."

"No, you're not!"

She was staring right in his eyes, and there was some genuine concern in it.

"You're one of the best warriors on Westeros and I think you're even better than some Essosi sellsword's captains! You're also the best man I have ever met, for putting up with my fussing and my simpering and my spoiled rotten attitude without punishing me! You're kind, and you care a lot about your people and their well-being, I have witnessed it with my very eyes. So don't say you're a monster."

"Ever, did you know I have a younger sister?"

"Aye, I knew. Lady Lisanna, isn't it? They said she perished in mysterious conditions."

"I was the one who killed her."

"I beg your pardon?" she said, eyes wide. "You killed your sister? Stop saying nonsense! You would never do that!"

"But I did. Lisanna and I were wargs."

"Wargs?" repeated Ever, furrowing her brows.

He remembered she was still a Southron, on top of being half-Essosi, and she probably never heard about those. So he explained to her.

"A warg is someone who can put his spirit in an animal body."

He expected her to seem surprised or to retort something like "It's not even possible!" but she didn't say a thing and kept looking at him, waiting for him to resume his story.

"Lisanna was a year younger than me so we spent a lot of time playing together. Eventually, we discovered we had this ability, when we were ten or so. At first, we would warg into small creatures, such as rabbits or small owls, then we warg into bigger creatures like foxes and deers and wolves. We kept our trainings secret, for being a warg isn't a good thing in the North. And two years ago, I finally managed to warg into a bear. I didn't know what happened then. I always control over the creatures I warged into, even with the wolves. But the bear wouldn't let me control him. He got angry and then turned towards Lisanna. I tried to tell her to run, but I couldn't speak, nor she could understand my words. She was afraid, I could smell it, but she didn't run away. She stayed there. She was smiling. She said to me 'I know you're still here Elfman. Calm down and let's go home, together, okay?'. The bear growled and didn't move, for I ahd managed to tame him for an instant. If she had run at this moment, she'd still be alive."

It was more and more difficult to continue. There was a lump in his throat and he felt like he would cry at any moment.

"I take it she stayed instead of fleeing?"

He nodded and resumed his story:

"She reached for the bear's paw and hummed a lullaby Mother used to sing to us. The bear suddenly stop struggling, and I let my guard down. Before I could even know what was going on, Lisanna was on the floor, and there was blood around her – Gods, there was blood everywhere! I immediately got outside of the bear, just in time to shelter her from another blow. I took it instead, and that's what gotten me a big scar over my leg. I reached for my sword and I eventually killed the damned beast, but not before he landed another blow on me. It nearly cost me my right eye, " he said, sniffing, showing the scar that barred his cheek.

"Then I gathered her in my arms. It was too late, the bear had stricken her over her chest and her neck, and she had lost too much blood. I brought her back to the castle. I was ready to tell the people what really happened. I was ready to tell I have nearly killed my younger sister and only sibling. I was ready to die or to be sent at the Wall. I wanted to do anything to expiate what I've done. But Lisanna didn't agree. She said it wasn't my fault, or at least not entirely, that she too was responsible, and she should have told me to stop. She said we weren't guilty for misusing abilities when nobody wanted or could show us how to use them properly. She made me promise to not tell them I was the one who did that, and a bear did it instead, which was partially true. She died when I arrived in the yard, when Father and all the people of the castle were watching. She died with a smile, her last words being 'I forgive you.' She died in my arms, and two years after, it was my father who died in my arms. Funny thing, isn't it? My sister is the first person I've ever killed out of duty."

He couldn't stop his tears now, and he felt like a huge baby crying, yet she didn't mind and pulled him against her, so his head rested on her soft bosom. He sobbed silently, his tears wetting her skin. One of her hand was drawing circles on his back, the other was gently stroking his hair. As he listened to her heartbeat, he calmed down gradually, until he sniffed from time to time. He didn't let go of her, however. Elfman didn't want to let her go.

"I am afraid to hurt you," he confessed.

"You won't", she answered, in a smaller voice than usual (was she tired or was she crying because of his story?). "I trust you. If you are proven unworthy of my trust, I certainly won't be the one who will be hurt."

He half-smiled. He knew his wife was so proud it meant a lot more than she said.

"The two people I loved died in my arms. i don't want that to happen with you. I know this may seem stupid to you, but I don't think I'd be able to survive if I were to lose you too."

"First, it's not stupid. Secondly, I won't die in your arms… unless you're saying this because I'm older than you?"

"Sorry," he chuckled. "Didn't meant to remind you our small age gap."

She began to laugh softly –it wasn't a snickering, a real laugh, a rare laugh, a beautiful sound that echoed in her chest –and he couldn't help but laughing too, the tears in his eyes becoming tears of laugh.

As he looked up, he met Ever's golden eyes, which were shining with a sparkle of mischief. Now Elfman was sure it was a real laugh.

Still laughing, she tried to rise, but his strong arms prevented her to do so. He immediately stopped laughing, not wanting to let her go.

"Are you leaving?" he asked her in a whisper, still worried she'd flee because of what he told her about Lisanna, or because he had upset her with her age.

"I am not going anywhere," she told him, a smile on her lips, while her slender fingers were stroking his hair. "I just have to clean myself. I mean no offense, but it feels really weird."

"O-of course."

He let go of her and she rose from the bed, walking to the table where they had left the cloth and the small basin. His eyes followed her, and seeing the sway of her hips made him smile. Maybe I'm a lucky man, after all, he thought. Evergreen washed quickly the cloth, poured the dirty water in the pot chamber, before pouring fresh water in the basin. Then she rinsed the cloth and began to clean herself, before rinsing the cloth once more and walking towards the bed, the cloth still in her hand. She crawled on the bed and cleaned him, the cold water sending shivers through his body. He kissed her passionately, and she threw the cloth away, pressing closer to his chest.

She threw the cloth on the table, and got into the bed, snuggling closer to him. Her head was resting on his chest, listening to his heartbeat, her fingers tracing circles over his skin.

"I think I'll build a greenhouse here, in the castle," he eventually said.

"Why?"

Elfman almost groaned as her hand stopped drawing patterns on his chest.

"For you. A wedding gift. I hadn't the occasion to offer you a proper gift. I thought you would like to have around some of the flowers that used to surrender you. Like roses, for instance. Maybe you'd prefer something other than winter roses."

She raised her head and made a move to rise. Elfman was suddenly afraid that she'd go away, having realized that it was just a big mistake. But she simply bent over him and ran her fingers on her cheeks and kissed him. As she pulled back, she said smiling.

"That's very thoughtful of you, but, truth be told, I am tired of roses. I think I'd rather see the wintergreen starflower, bunchberries, coneflowers and asters."

It was his turn to kiss her. She hadn't said explicitly she loved him, she was so proud that Elfman didn't expect that from her before another year at the very least, but it was what this declaration meant. And it was all it took to make Elfman feel utterly happy, so much that he wondered if he actually deserved so much happiness.

When they parted, Evergreen buried her face in the crook of his neck, her hand resuming her motion on his chest. He had an arm around her, so he could draw her closer to him. He felt her lips smile against his skin, quickly kissing his pulse, to which he answered by kissing the top of her head.

They stayed like this for a moment, not moving, not saying a thing, the only movement being the rise and fall of their chests.

"Uh, don't take it as a slight or whatever. I don't mean to be rude or to question your honesty but why and how do you know…"

Elfman cut himself before he had time to finish his question. Idiot, why did you have to interrupt a perfect moment by saying such bullshit? He scolded himself. He expected to hear a reprimand from her (because they still hadn't argued and it was all too good to be true), especially when she raised her head, her hair slightly messy, her eyes shiny looking straight into his. Elfman swore that he never felt so dumb and afraid than at this moment.

"So many things about bedding, you mean?" she completed his question. "Have you even been paying attention to what I said? I spent my childhood in the city of Love, then spent a few months with a sellsword's company, I grew up with three men and you're asking me how I know so many things? Besides, I've received a few advices from the women in the village, coming from their own experiences. Looks like they want their lord to be satisfied and perfectly taken care of. Have the men said anything about me?"

Elfman blushed, as he remembered the multiple conversations the men had had with him and the lewd comments about his wife's body.

"Aye, they have. Most of the time, they all agreed to say you had a nice pair of tits and a nice ass, which is undoubtedly true", he told her, his hand softly squeezing the soft flesh.

He knew he was being too bold, and he prayed the Gods that she wouldn't snap his hand away with her fan. Fortunately, she didn't make a move and merely giggled.

"I am delighted to learn that. But I meant, did they give you some advice? I'm sure they have."

"Sam mostly did. He gave me a few… a few tips, but this night, there's a lot I did kinda err… instinctively."

"Your instinct is good, then," she purred in his ear.

Elfman felt himself blushing again, yet this time was because he was feeling suddenly very proud. It was one of the only praise Evergreen had said to him.

"I haven't followed all his instructions, though. There's still some things I haven't tried, but I might like."

"Like the lord's kiss for instance?"

He could only gape at her, but he prevented himself from asking that question. Of course she would know. Now, he was imagining what it would feel like to kiss her, what she would taste like, and if she would still make those loveable moans, and call his name as if he was the most important thing in the world…

"Listen, I don't want you to feel that you have to do something…"

"Do you think I'd ask you that question if I didn't want you to do it? I totally understand that you want to save some tricks for the cold, long winter nights, but don't worry I'm sure we will still have some to pass winter, and that we won't run out of ideas when spring will come. I have too some aces up my sleeve. Now, will you please your lady wife?"

Smiling to himself, Elfman was only too happy to oblige.

THE END!

Hope the fighting scènes weren't that impossible or unreadable. Sorry if the lemon was crappy, it's the second time I write a "real" lemon.

Basically, I wanted to post it before the New Year in my country. But formating the text with was longer than expected, so I'm posting it only now.

Happy New Year to all the readers and reviewers! :D