Into The Wolfswood ~ A Game Of Thrones Story

Part 9 ~Asher

We had been at Winterfell for a week now, the castle still buzzing with excitement with the royal stay. Although they were due to leave, taking Lord Stark, Sansa and Arya with them to King's Landing in the coming days. We were also due to leave, although everyone was having fun, even Rodrick. Although Asher kept thinking about Jacob, and especially the second night of celebration for the King's arrival:

Last Night: Once again the great hall was booming with another night of celebrations of the royal family's arrival. And once again, I was drunk. It had been a long day and now I was about four ale's away from passing out. The mothers, the queen and the children had mostly retired to there bed chambers. Father, Eddard, Renly and Robert were laughing and spilling there beer on each other. Rodrick was standing on a table with Robb stamping there feet and singing "The Bear and the Maiden Fair".  Isabel was sitting at the table below them, clapping and giggling along. She looked relaxed, finally, for the first time since we arrived. I grinned at her and stumbled over to join her on the bench.  And then it became clear why she was so happy, Isabel was drunk, the bottles of wine in front of her were empty. Robb and Rodrick both reached down and grabbed Isabel arms, and she climbed up and joined them dancing. She was spinning around and kicking bottles and glasses over. I just beemed up at my twin clapping along to the music. She tripped and fell into Robb, who caught her and helped her find her balance again, they were lost in each others eyes.

"Isabell what in seven hells are you doing young lady?" Our father bellowed across the hall half laughing half concerned for his darling daughter. All the men were watching from the top table, Eddard smiling, Robert laughing and Renly just watching. Isabell was caught off guard and tripped off the table, falling right onto me. And for the second time in two days, I hit my head off the cold hard ground. At least I had broken Isabel's fall. Father had come over to help us backup.

"Ash, take your sister to her room and ask Jacob to sit outside tonight, incase she's injured herself." Dazed from the fall and my new headache, I felt uneasy and irritated and the thought of Isabel and Jacob. My dreams had thrown me off all day, I was unable to look at Jacob the same. He was like  brother I loved dearly. But I knew how he treated girls, not what I wanted for my sister. I didn't want him to mess with her head, and he had issues before, with a family friends daughter who he was involved with. So that night Asher sat outside Isabel's room, her faithful guardian, of what though? He wasn't not sure.

In the early hours of the morning Jacob woke Asher with a kick to his boots. "What are you doing? I'll take over you can go sleep in a real bed! Tashya the servant was asking about you earlier, maybe you could go wake her." he smiled at Asher, not sensing how uncomfortable Ash felt.

"I want to stay here tonight, for Isabel, she hasn't been herself recently and she hit her head pretty badly earlier." I replied and closed my eyes ready to doze off again. "What? I mean don't you trust me? You know I love her..." My eyes shot open and I jumped up at Jacob's response. There was red rage running through my veins, my firsts clench as I closed the gap between us. "You love her do you?"

"Calm down Ash, whats gotten into you? I was about to say I love her the same as you"

"You kissed her didn't you? In the stable? I thought it was a dream but you have both been strange ever since. How could you do that? She could marry Robb Stark, you could have just ruined her future. I don't want her treated like those other girls, or like Julie."

Julie... that name hit him had, the family friend he had been involved with... no in love with. So involve he was driven mad with desire, and became cruel and controlling. Asher knew bringing her up would hurt him. Once she left Ironwrath, he never again spoke of her again, or of the secrets they had together.

"Isabel is nothing like Julie, I didn't love her right away, but feeling developed and I think she feels the same." He said sounding more hopeful than actually sure.

"I don't allow it."

"Well, Asher, good thing I answer to your father and not you. And we both know what will happen if I tell him."

He turned and walked down the corridor, leaving Asher alone with his angry thought.