The Bastard of the North

The Morning After

The cold Northern air rushed in through the window, nipping at Ky to wake her up. Her eyes opened groggily as she stretched and yawned. She looked to her right to see her new husband was gone. With that, she got up, got dressed and reached for the handle of the door. When she attempted to push it open, it wouldn't budge. Kyrin stood in front of the door, cocking her head to one side slightly.

"So that's how he repays me for a good time?" Baratheon said to herself. She grabbed her dagger which she'd hid under the pillow in case she'd need to use it God forbid. The girl lifted her skirt and placed the dagger in the side of her boot and walked to the window. She grabbed her bow and arrows that lay just under the window as well, strapping the arrows to her back and wearing the bow like a sash. Kyrin sighed heavily. The fall was too far down. Sure she'd fall into the snow, but she didn't want to attract unwanted attention.

The door behind her started to open and she turned around to see Theon with a platter of food. This was her chance. The broken man tried to walk out and close the door behind him as soon as he put the tray down on a table in the room.

"Wait." She said to him quieter than she expected.

He stopped abruptly at her words, his eyes glued to the ground as he shook.

"I want out of this room, Theon." Kyrin demanded.

"Not Theon."

"You are Lord Theon of Houe Gr--."

"I'm Reek! My name is Reek, it's always been Reek!" He began to panic, almost closing the door, but Kyrin got there in time to stop him. They paused, letting the tense atmosphere slowly drift away.

"Just let me out." She broke the silence. Her voice was soft this time, hoping to calm him down rather than cause him to raise his voice again and get someone's attention.

"It's for your own good. It's to keep you safe." Theon stuttered. Kyrin furrowed her eyebrows.

"You locked the door?" Ky questioned, Theon nodded. The brunette sighed. "Keep me safe from what?"

Theon fidgeted before letting go of the door and looking up to Kyrin's blue eyes. However he said nothing, letting his head hang low once more.

"I'm a good fighter, you know. I can take care of myself." Ky gently touched his shoulder reassuringly. He flinched, but tried to keep his shaking under control. Theon moved out of the way hesitantly. Instantly Ky walked past him and down the long hallways.

When she got outside, it was just as gloomy as the dark corridors in the buildings. Kyrin heard a familiar voice call her name. The Baratheon turned to see her new husband smiling at her. She put on a smile and walked over to him.

"What took you so long? I was beginning to get worried." Ramsay asked sweetly. Kyrin was still weary about him.

"Just a little trouble with the door, my dear husband. It should be fixed now." Kyrin smiled. Ramsay's eyes trailed to her bow.

"Do you want to go on a hunt with me?" He asked after a moment of silence.

Kyrin smiled even wider. This smile was more genuine than all the smiles she'd given to everyone at Winterfell. A hunt was just what she needed, and she could show how good of a shot she is. If she could intimidate him somehow, she might just be able to comfortably live there in the North.

"Nothing would make me happier." She said, not entirely putting on the act there. "I must change out of this dress, though. It would be exceedingly difficult to run in a dress."

"Of course." Ramsay nodded, holding out his hand for her to hold. At first she hesitated, almost unsure of what to do as if love and intimacy was foreign to her. Kyrin slowly took his hand, making him tighten his grip only slightly. They began walking towards their bed chambers when Ramsay called out to Myranda who'd been glaring at the two the entire time. He yelled for her to get the hounds ready which made Kyrin's stomach churn. She kept a straight face as we walked, occasionally giving a smile to some of the woman who had to help build Winterfell back up like it had been before. She never smiled at the men, even when they'd smile at her. Their smiles were suggestive and didn't make Ky feel too great.

When the Bastard and the Baratheon got to the bottom of a staircase which lead to the building their bed chambers were located, they stopped.

"When you're done, meet Myranda and I at the gates." He grinned wickedly. Kyrin only smirked.

"I'll be quick." Kyrin kissed him lightly on the cheek for effect and walked up the stairs. The kiss she'd planted on his cheek burned against the icy wind. Ramsay had stood there in shock, watching her leave. When she was out of sight, he snapped out of his trance and walked to the gates to join Myranda and the hounds.

Ky did as she said she would and quickly got dressed into loose brown pants, a matching long sleeved shirt and some black boots that fit tighter than she had remembered. Robert had given them to her before he went on the hunt that resulted in his death. She suddenly got a bad feeling about the hunt she was about to go on with Ramsay. Certainly she would be fine, however history does like to repeat itself at the worst of times.

Her hands snatched the bow and arrows that she'd taken off to get dressed and hurried to the main gates. As she approached her destination, Baratheon put her arrows once more strapped against her chest and tightly gripped her bow. Kyrin could see Ramsay whispering something to Myranda, then Myranda cutting her eyes to the brunette and glaring. Theon was also there, staring at his mutilated feet. He looked even more bruised up and dirty than he did yesterday. Kyrin wondered if Ramsay was up earlier than her so he could torment him without his wife finding out. Obviously he needed to do a better job at concealing his "secret".

"Ah, there you are. Shall we?" Ramsay grinned, holding out a hand to her. This grin wasn't the grin she'd seen before, thankfully. It look pretty genuine, or at least an attempt to look genuine.

Kyrin smiled back and took his hand, this time she didn't hesitate. She still had to act like the perfect wife, but even Kyrin knew the truth would be told eventually and surprisingly she didn't have a plan for that. She had been so preoccupied that she hadn't thought of an escape plan if necessary. Had it been her arrogance that made her believe she could keep the act up for as long as they both lived?

Ramsay led her through the open gates, Myranda following behind with a glare that burned in the back of Ky's head. The hounds snarled and bit at the air as they struggled against the ropes two squires tried to keep a good grip on. The Bolton held up a hand and gestured to the squires to release the hounds. They let go and fell to the ground as the dogs ran into the forest, looking for anything to kill. Kyrin tightened her grip on her bow and smiled to herself. It was time to prove her worth.