Chapter Thirteen

                                    

                                          
Jon looks like he wants to ask something else. But the king stands and shouts. "Time for the bedding ceremony!"
                          
My heart drops. 
                          
"Is that really necessary my king?" Asks Lord Stark. "It's an old and brutish tradition."
                          
To my dismay, Jory laughs. "It's a tradition! As long as no one harms my wife, I don't see anything wrong with it!"
                          
I glare at him. "Your wife doesn't get a say?" I whisper. 
                          
The king shakes his head. "The word of the king is the law! And I say let the bedding ceremony commence!"
                          
Lord Stark looks like he's going to protest again, but I put my hand on his shoulder. "It's alright Lord Stark." 
                          
If I didn't have a choice I might as well go with some dignity. I walk down towards a group of eager men, hooting and howling like a pack of wild dogs.
                          
Before I can blink Theon Greyjoy lifts me in his arms and takes off my cloak. 
                          
"I should have guessed." I hiss at him.
                          
He smirks. "You think I would miss this?" He says.
                          
Suddenly, I'm thrown into the group of men who push me to the exit and toward my bedroom, all the while tearing at my clothes.
                          
"This truly is a brutish tradition!" I yell, but no one seems to care. Thankfully, by the time we've reached my bedroom, they could only undress me to my underdress, so I have some dignity left before they can take that off I bolt into my room and close the door.
                          
I hear upset moans and rude comments from the men, but to my relief, they don't try to push they're way in.
                          
A moment later Jory bursts through the room, women's giggles following after him. He's laughing. 
                          
"Good job ladies! I think you got us lost on our way here on purpose!" He closes the door behind him. 
                          
Jory did not fair as well as me, and he is completely naked. I look away covering my eyes. 
                          
"If I didn't know better, I would say you enjoyed that," I grumble.
                          
I hear him walk towards me but I refuse to open my eyes. 
                          
"Are you angry with me? Did they hurt you?" He asks, he must only be inches away.
                          
I blush I didn't expect him to be so kind. "Its an awful tradition." I sigh. "I'm only a little angry with you, and no, they did not." I take my hands away from eyes but turn away. "They were handsy though!" I cross my arms. 
                          
I feel his arms wrap around my waist, his head resting on my shoulder. "I'm sorry."
                          
I sigh, and my body gives away how nervous I am as it shakes. "Good," I whisper.
                          
"Are you afraid?" He asks, not unkindly. "I won't hurt you."
                          
"It always hurts for a woman at first Jory." I feel a tear rub down my cheek but wipe it away quickly. I pull away from him but turn toward him. Tears run down whether I want them to or not, and he looks taken aback. 
                          
"Are you afraid of me?" He whispers. "I- you know I would never hurt you." He pauses. "I won't do anything you don't want me to, I promise."
                          
I let out a breath. "I know. But I'm still afraid."
                          
I take the chance to look at him. His body is toned from practicing and years of protecting the Stark family. His chest and arms covered in scars from his many battles. 
                          
He sighs. "Well, now I feel strange being naked." He chuckles, looking around for his trunk of clothes that were brought earlier. He finds it and rummages around for some pants. Pulling them on, he motions toward the table. "Have a drink with me. Please."
                          
I nod, and sit down at the table and pour two glasses of wine. 
                          
He sits down and takes a long sip of his wine. "I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable or unsafe."
                          
I shake my head. "It's not your fault. No matter what anyone said the king would have insisted on the bedding ceremony."
                          
"That's true..." he thinks. "So you don't want to sleep with your husband on your wedding night?"
                          
I blush. "It's not that I don't want to..." I struggle to come up with something to say, there's no way I can tell him about Daenerys Targaryen. "I just want to get to know you better is all." I take a drink of my wine, hoping it would give me courage. "Have you slept with many women Lord Cassel?"
                          
This time, it's his turn to blush. "I-I have slept with some, only whores though, my lady."
                          
I pause. "Only whores? So because you paid them it's different then?"
                          
He stutters. "I am-I am double your age Nyla. Before a battle, when your not sure if you will live or die, sometimes a man needs that comfort. You wouldn't know."
                          
I nod. "I suppose not."
                          
He stares at me for a moment. "You're angry with me for sleeping with whores?"
                          
I shake my head. "It is your gods given right as a man. It's expected of you." I drink again. "It is a little unfair, that a lady is expected to be a virgin until her wedding night, but a man can sleep with as many whores as he likes?"
                          
Jory shrugs and finishes his drink. "I don't know. It's just how the world works."
                          
I sigh again. "Tell me about your scars Lord Cassel."
                          
He tells me about his various scars and how he got them. Most were from battles during Roberts rebellion. After what seems like hours, a yawn escapes from my lips. 
                          
"Tired?" He smiles. 
                          
I nod. "I'm going to bed." I stretch and crawl underneath the furs. 
                          
Jory blows out the candles throughout the room and puts another log on the fire. He moves to join me but stops. "May I...?"
                          
I nod and pat the space beside me. He crawls under the furs as well. The heat from his body keeps me warmer than usual in this bed.
                          
"Thank you for understanding. Lord Cassel."
                          
He nods. "As long as you don't keep me celibate forever my lady. I might as well join the nights watch."
                          
I giggle. "All things come to those who wait. I only want to know my lord husband better."
                          
He smiles. "As long as I get to know my lady wife better too."
                          
"In that case, don't be afraid if I get up in the middle of the night. Or talk or moan in my sleep."
                          
"Why would you do that?"
                          
"I have terrible dreams, I have had them for as long as I can remember." I sigh. "Sometimes they are so bad I sit up screaming. Or I have to throw up in my chamber pot."
                          
He sighs and takes my hand. "I won't let anything hurt you, not even your dreams. Maybe with me here, they will stay away."
                          
I nod. "I hope so."
                          
If only that were true.