Back To December// Cregan Stark / Hope Mikaelson

17. Honor

"Lord Strong." Daeron declared smugly as he moved to the fire. Jace snarled back at him.

"Jace. Spreading humors." Hope offered.

Jaces mother told him to be kind and respectful. Stay on task. Hope would push his buttons.

"Aunt Hope...  what joy it is to see you." Jace grit out.

"I bet." Hope agreed.

"I cant wait... to see you lose." Jace hissed. Hope hummed a response as she took a step closer. Cregan watched them curiously.

"Lose? Nephew I dont know what that word means." Hope remarked. Cregans tongue peaked out of hip lips as he looked to Hope. Still beautiful still fierce.

"The starks are men of honor. They wouldnt stoop so low." Jace declared and Daeron looked to Cregan. "You know that his father swore to my mother her grace."

"Rickard made a different vow previously... didnt he when he promised Hope to Cregan." Daeron remarked.

"I think it was after his vows-" Hope remarked. "How old do you think I am?" Hope questioned Daeron.

"Honor." Cregan chuckled. "Sara do you remember our old friends from the south?"

"Sara nice to see you again." Hope offered. Sara stared back at her.

"I would say its nice to see you but that would be a lie after you broke my brothers heart." sara sneered.

"Sara." Cregan scolded.

"What? Obviously we are siding with fathers decisions and sending down the force of winterfell to take back the crown from the Hightower invaders." Sara declared.

"Best we go then." Hope agreed stiffly but Jace smiled smugly.

"Get lost Hightower." Jace agreed.

"Sara you forget yourself sister. I am lord of winterfell. The decision lies with me." Cregan declared and Hope stared back at him.

"Cregan!" Sara countered. Sara was a Snow. She would forever be a Snow. Cregan was the eldest and only son of Rickard Stark.

"Sara this is my decision." Cregan remarked.

"Then decide." Sara sneered. Hopes eyes darted between them.

"I have yet to hear both of their pleas." Cregan corrected.

"What is there to hear? She is untrustworthy." Sara declared.

"She is." Jace agreed. "You should kick her out."

"I can see your buttons are too easily pushed." Hope teased smiling back at him.

"Hope honestly what are you doing here?" Jace demanded.

"Same as you. Asking for help for my family." Hope declared. Sara was shouting at Cregan. Jace shouting at Hope. Cregan growling that it wasnt Saras decision she needed to stop acting as though it was. Daeron was groaning that his feet were still cold.

"This is unproductive."  Hope remarked as she headed out of the great hall.

"Hope!" Cregan shouted chasing after her.

"Im sorry this was a mistake." Hope remarked desperately. "Daeron we are leaving. Fuck Prophecy we will figure something else out."

"Im fucking freezing Hope!" Daeron countered.

"Hope just give me a moment," cregan begged.

"What do you want me to say Cregan?" Hope countered as he blocked her path.

"I want you to tell me what happened. What happened back then Hope?" Cregan begged.

"You wouldnt believe me if I told you!" Hope countered.

"Try me." Cregan begged.

"Cant you just take sides with my sister. With the crown and we never have to-"

"Hope tell me," cregan begged. "Tell me how we went from falling in love to you running away."

"I killed someone in winterfell." Hope whispered.

"What?"

"He attacked me and I killed him," hope rasped not able to look at Cregan.

"What? Hope I don't understand....but I dont care about an unknown man. I care about you. If he attacked you I would have killed him myself. You didnt have to run. I would have believed you." Cregan remarked but Hope shook her head. He didn't understand.

"Im cursed Cregan." Hope corrected. "I didnt want to hurt you too."

"You did hurt me." Cregan countered. "You hurt me by leaving."

"Im sorry." Hope rasped. "I never meant to..."

Hope watched him walk off a sadness flooded her. She jumped when Daeron touched her arm.

"You okay Hope?"

"No. Im really not." Hope whimpered wiping at her eyes. "We should go. This is pointless."

"You could tell him." Daeron offered.

"I cant." Hope corrected.

"Hope-"

"I promised uncle Klaus I wouldnt." Hope reminded him. "This isnt about me. Its about getting the starks of winterfell to side with the crown. Thats it."

"He still loves you," Daeron corrected.

"You think I dont love him? He was my first love. I was going to marry him and then... and then... and-" she sobbed out. Daeron held to her as she shook in his arms. "Lets just go home. We can raven Alicent and tell her I failed."