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The guards marched me through the gates and I remained voluntarily silent, my face pulled into a grimace. As I glanced around, I hated it all, like it was a completely different place than what I remembered.

It was so dark and dreary, like all the light had been drained from it. Without the Starks, Winterfell wasn't really Winterfell.

People stared at me as I passed, confusion but also recognition in their features, they too remained silent. But I could've sworn I heard someone banging on a window, in the distance but when I tried to turn, a hand pushed my head back forwards.

"Don't lay a hand on her!" A voice boomed out and the men stepped back, leaving me exposed in the courtyard, nothing but a blanket covering my shaking shoulders.

I stared straight ahead at the plain man who stepped out, he was beardless with cropped short hair and wore classic Northern clothes which disgusted me.

One could only assume this was the usurper who called himself Warden of the North.

"Your grace" He bowed just a little, not enough to give me any sort of power over him. "It's been a long time since anyone has seen you"

"that is what I intended" I shot back with a fake smile, trying to be brave despite the uncontrollable shiver running through me.

He smirked, "You will return home soon, first you will regain your strength, as will my soldiers, then we say goodbye"

"Wonderful" I spoke through my chattering teeth, he sighed audibly and gestured for a young girl across the courtyard to approach.

"Take her to the room" He sneered and I let the girl take my arm softly, she seemed sweet but I couldn't even think about letting my guard down in here.

As she drew me closer, I realised she was significantly taller than me so she put a warm arm around my shoulders. But when we passed everyone, I caught a glimpse of auburn hair and whipped my head around violently but the girl just kept me moving.

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"Here" The girl, Nyla, had returned with a pile of clothes that she laid on the bed.

The room was small, different to the one I stayed in when I was here before, the bed took up most of the room besides the fire place at the foot of it where I sat cross legged. The flames danced around and I watched them intently, letting the heat flood through me.

"Would you like to change?" She asked kindly, approaching me with a thick cotton dress, "You must be terribly cold"

"I am" I murmured, even my hair was taking its time to dry, the snow and frost embedded in it was melting so it would get more wet before it dried, sadly.

She remained silent, her face falling a little, but she laid the dress back on the bed, besides the furs she had also brought. Then, she went to the door and sighed.

"I hope you sleep well, your grace" Nyla whispered, closing the door behind her. I didn't even flinch when the lock clicked, as if I could roam freely.

When she left, I dragged myself off the floor and to the clothes she left for me. I trailed my fingers across the furs, so very northern, this wasn't me and I couldn't believe I thought I could pretend it was.

Breathing in, I peeled off my nightdress, still stained and sticky with Hordans blood, tossing it in the corner. A shiver racked through my exposed body, so I quickly pulled on the thicker dress, breathing out.

The fur cloak moved to the floor, where I retrieved the nightgown and dropped it into the fireplace where I watched it burn with all I had left of the man who saved my life.

I braided my hair down my back, it had grown lots since I left home, it reminded me more and more of my mother. The next time I had a knife or a sword, it was all coming off and I wouldn't even miss, not when it hung around my face like rat tails.

When I climbed into the bed, I felt so tired but had no desire to sleep at all, the fear that anyone could come in and kill me or do anything in the night was so terrifying. Part of me wanted to spend the night finding a way to keep the door from opening even if someone unlocked it.

Before I could think of any ideas, the overarching need to sleep was more powerful and I fell into the deepest slumber imaginable.

I wish I could say my dreams were any better than reality but all I saw over and over again was Hordan's face as he died. The dark walls of Winterfell feeling both safe and forebodingly terrifying at the exact same time. Then there was the window and the auburn hair I saw, perhaps I was so delirious from the cold and sleep that I saw a memory instead of reality.

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No one came to wake me and I guess that was something to be grateful for, I sat up and squinted at the morning light. The fire had reduced but was still burning, someone had been here in the night, my fear was pretty much realised and I just through my hands down in frustration.

I slipped on my boots, pulling myself to my feet and heading directly for the door. My hands closed around the handle, expecting it to not move but it clicked open and I frowned in confusion.

The hallway was completely deserted so I took my liberty with a pinch of salt, anyone could come around the corner at any moment.

No one did for the first few moments, then I heard footsteps behind me and I froze in place, too afraid to turn around but the steps vanished quickly. Whoever it was, didn't care that I was out and about.

So I pressed on, I had no idea what I was looking for or where I was going but the Boltons took Winterfell from the Starks and I had been so withdrawn for almost two years that I had no clue as to how they did it.

A door on my left was slightly ajar so I pressed a hand to it but before I could hear or see anything of importance, a hand grabbed the back of my shirt.

I was spun round and shoved against the wall, another hand covering my mouth to stifle my scream.

The man didn't hurt me but I still stared at him with wide, frightened eyes, for a moment he just stood there with me.

Then his face came into focus and his big eyes and square jaw became increasingly familiar.

"Theon?" I hissed, looking over his dirty, bruised face and the way his entire body shook with fear.

He didn't say anything just gave me a frightened look.

"What happened to you?" I raised a hand to his face but he grabbed my hand and pushed it away, shaking his head.

I had never been his biggest fan but seeing him like this? No one deserved this, not even him.

"Was it Roose Bolton?" I questioned quietly, "Did he hurt you?"

He shook his head again, looking down sadly but before I could ask another question he was gone, storming down the hall as fast as he could and I glanced around in confusion. What could possibly have happened to such a confident, head strong boy that turned him into this.

My thoughts were interrupted by yet another set of footsteps and these were closer so I ran as fast as possible back to my room and closed the door firmly. I slid back into the warm sheets, defending myself against the cold of the morning.

Only Nyla slipped in with another bundle of clothes and set them on the bed calmly, her face was blank and not as kind and calming as the night before.

"Don't wander" She spat, "He won't like it"

I drew my brows together and looked up at her with wide eyes of confusion.

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