• Chapter 38 •

                                    

                                          
"When you're older Rose, who do you want to be?" 
                          
"Who do I want to be?" 
                          
Little Margaery Tyrell was sat down on her sisters large bed. The sheets had always felt like the smoothest rose petals she could imagine and she not only adored the room, but her sister as well. 
                          
"Do you want to be the Queen someday? I want to be Queen! It would be wonderful, wouldn't it?" Margaery dreamed away while Rose brushed through her little sisters hair. 
                          
"I don't want to be Queen, little one. But I'm sure rule under Queen Margaery would be beautiful! Can you imagine the gowns and tiaras you would get to wear? So shiny and sparkly, surely perfect for you." Rose replied and the young girl beamed at her elder sister, halting the brush from smoothing our anymore hair. The little hand stopping her sisters and Margaery's eyes reflected a serious tone, though heartfelt. 
                          
"When I'm Queen, I want you there. We can share our clothes because I'll be older then and maybe we can find you a prince too! But don't come after my crown!" 
                          
"Rose?" 
                          
"Rose?" 
                          
"Rose?" 
                          
"What?" Rose was shaken out of her thoughts as she stared out of the window of a small keep Jaime and her had decided to stay in for the night. 
                          
The weather had gotten quite cold and Rose feared if she rode any longer that it would hurt the baby and Jaime agreed. Falling ill wasn't something she thought of while they travelled but with the seasons quickly changing, it was a strong possibility. Luckily they had been making decent time since splitting off from Brienne and Podrick, having taken an extra day to rest. 
                          
"We should think about leaving, it would be best if we make it to Winterfell tonight." Jaime told her and began shuffling around the small room they were staying in. 
                          
"What if we just stayed here?" Rose asked him and Jaime looked up incredulously at her. 
                          
"Do you really think Daenerys would forgive you for leaving her to fight her own battles? Let alone Cersei promised her that she would send armies north and that's already not happening." 
                          
"But she would never know and if the fight comes to Winterfell, who knows what will happen. I don't need to worry about losing you or this baby." 
                          
Jaime sighed and dropped a shirt on the bed and walked over to Rose who had still not moved from the window. He wrapped his arm around her waist and rest his chin against her shoulder while watching the early morning workers bail cold hay into carts, presumably going north. 
                          
"I promise I won't let anything happen. Not to you, not to this baby, and I will try not to get killed protecting the north." 
                          
"That doesn't make me feel any better." 
                          
"But I know we need to go. I wouldn't leave Tyrion there alone. He'll certainly drown from the pressures of the people of the north." Rose told him and he kissed the side of her head sweetly. 
                          
"Then off we go." 
                          
Jaime and Rose set off from the keep and headed to Winterfell. Their time alone was diminishing with every step and impending doom was an ever present feeling in Rose's gut. They must have been riding for hours before they started to see some civilization again. 
                          
"Are you scared to see Bran Stark again?" Rose questioned and Jaime glanced at her with an uneasy feeling bubbling inside him. 
                          
"I really don't know which is worse, Bran Stark or Daenerys. One will want to burn me alive, and the other, well, I'm sure if he could he would push me out of a tower." 
                          
"Daenerys will not lay a finger on you, I can promise you that." Rose told him sternly and he glanced at her and smirked. 
                          
"My Lady are you going to protect me? It appears that you might have a hard time trying to slay a dragon." His eyes looked down to her growing stomach and back at her face and they laughed. 
                          
"No - I am saying that if Daenerys wants me to stay on her council, she won't kill you. And I don't think the Starks would take to kindly to you being there, but they need the help, so as long as we win the fight we should be fine. If Tyrion can live in the north so can you." 
                          
"We will see about that." 
                          
"And what of you Rose? Anyone you would like to see again?" Jaime asked her after a lull in the conversation. 
                          
"Perhaps Sansa Stark. I know she and Margaery got along well. She was a very innocent girl put in unfortunate circumstances. I hear she is Lady if Winterfell now, so I'm sure she is doing well." 
                          
"Have you realized that Tyrion is still legally married to her?" Jaime mentioned and they both burst into laughter, it would probably be the last time they would ever feel this free. 
                          
"My god, that reunion must have been something, I wish we had been there." Rose laughed again and looked forward on her steed. 
                          
Winterfell loomed in the distance. 
                          
"We can still go back." Rose told Jaime and he looked at her sadly, she knew they had to go. 
                          
"We have to protect the north. We have to protect it for our family." 
                          
Rose and Jaime shared a sympathetic look for one another, they knew they must go and it silently devastated them. There were two outcomes of residing in Winterfell. One being a happy life and the other dying from the War and the latter seemed most plausible for all. 
                          
They continued on and caught up with a long train of people ushering in and out of the castle, carrying food, clothing, weapons, and anything soldiers would need to fight this battle. Jaime and Rose had put capes over their faces to avoid any attention from the people walking around and before they knew it, they were inside the castle and dismounting their horses. Jaime got off first and helped Rose off hers, making sure she felt alright. The two looked around at the bustling crowd, not a familiar face insight until Rose glanced at a man in a wheelchair, staring at the two of them. 
                          
"Jaime." Rose called and he turned in her direction, not looking at anyone other than the young man covered in furs with falling snow around him. 
                          
Bran was waiting for Jaime and Jaime's past was here to haunt him.