Til Death Do Us Part...

Wedding day 3

Ilva didn't feel quite stable on her high heels. She was not used to them. Usually she wore flats of sneakers or simply anything that was way more comfortable than the shoes she was wearing right now. She slightly regretted that she had let her mother and Catelyn talk her into wearing them anyway. Her skirt was more than long enough to cover her feet. No one would even notice what shoes she was wearing and all the pain, that was already starting right now, would be for absolutely nothing.

"I can't believe you're getting married today." Her father whispered once more, slowing his steps now they were on top of the stairs leading to the hallway.

"I can't believe it either." Ilva let out a deep sigh, but she curled her lips up into a smile when her father pressed a soft kiss to her forehead before he squeezed her hand.

"Be happy, Ilva. Be as happy as you can be."

She closed her eyes for a short moment and then she reached for the railing. The palm of her hand was sweating and she was afraid she would slip, but she took a deep breath and after one last look over her shoulder to exchange a glance with her mother she started to walk down, step by step.

Jon was wearing a navy blue suit that made his dark hair glimmer in the early morning sun. He had a bouquet of white and blue flowers in his hand and his knuckles were pale white, drained of all color, because of his tight grip. He shifted his weight and eventually he looked up and his eyes met Ilva's.

She felt her smile brightening. Her heart was hammering in her chest, almost breaking her delicate ribs, but Jon nodded at her and she nodded back at him.

He looked handsome. More handsome than he had ever looked before. Maybe it was the gleam in his eyes. Maybe it was his radiant skin. Maybe it was because she had not run away, because she still wanted to marry him even after a night of sleeping alone in her old bed in her old house. "You're beautiful..." He whispered, his voice barely hearable but his lips spelling the words for him. "You're so so beautiful." He swallowed.

"You don't look bad yourself." Ilva answered. She made sure to not go too fast. It would be typically her to trip over her skirt and fall down the stairs. Even though she had never broken a bone in her body before, she could totally see it happening that her very first time actually breaking something apart from her heart would be today. "Actually..." Ilva let out a relieved sigh when her foot reached the ground floor safely. "You're quite handsome today." She wanted to lean on the tips of her toes to press a kiss on his bright red lips, but she felt a hand on her shoulder pulling her back before she could do so.

"I've read that kissing the groom, or the bride, on your wedding day before you're allowed to brings misfortune." Bran's lips formed a straight line and his eyes looked sincere and serious while he spoke. He was young, too young to speak of anything that seemed to peak his interest, but most of the time when Bran said something he was right. All those hours with his nose in a book seemed to pay off in some way.

"Thank you for reminding us of that." Ilva stepped back and she tucked a strand of her long blond hair behind her ear. Her cheeks were glowing and she hoped that the make up would cover the redness. "We'll wait." She let out a sigh and Jon pressed the bouquet of flowers in her already trembling hands.

A blue ribbon was tightly wrapped around them, holding the flowers together. Picking blue as the main color for today had sounded like a good idea all those years ago. It had sounded like a good idea when Ilva had joked that she had to surround herself with blue today to prevent herself from drowning in Robb's eyes.

But Robb wasn't here. And now those blue ribbons and blue flowers and blue everything was simply reminding her of him every second and every minute of today.

"I'm sure he's looking at you and he's probably slightly jealous that I will be the one you'll say yes too." Jon leaned towards her and he spoke softly, but when Ilva looked over his shoulder she saw how Catelyn had clearly heard every word he said.

Her bright red hair, the exactly same shade as the hair of her daughter, was braided beautifully, forming a crown around her head. During the last few years she had started to look much older than she actually was. Parents were not supposed to outlive their children and even though at least Ned had never had to deal with the pain of losing his son, Catelyn was now left with nothing but a broken family and the son that wasn't hers marrying the unofficial widow of her fallen sweetheart. But she was here. And even though she was on the brink of crying, she found a way to keep a smile on her face.

"I don't think he'll be jealous." Ilva shook her head. "I think he's proud of us and how we're doing without him." She blinked a few times to make sure no tear would roll down her cheek. "And please, don't make me cry already. My make up should be waterproof, but let's not test it. I don't know how waterproof it is."

Jon smiled at her and after Ilva smiled back he offered her his arm. "Are you ready, misses the Winter?" He turned his head towards her and Ilva nodded while he pulled her arm through his.

"I'm as ready as I can be." She meant it.

Despite the pain and despite the hole in her heart where Robb used to live, this was what she wanted and what she needed. She wanted to move on and make as many dreams as possible come true. And she wanted to do it with someone who knew that there was a part of her that would never stop hurting.