"Well, that wasn't a turn I was expecting to take," Alexander mumbled from beside me, just enough for the three of us to hear him. I inhaled, my hands balling into fists on their own as I watched Edward put his hand atop of the women and place it off his shoulder.

"Ye look somein' hit yea in da' face. Ye com' on in naw, get com'y we is almost inished making food. Always got enough 'of more."

Alexander laid a hand on my shoulder, giving me a little nudge, and finally, I broke my gaze from the two by the hut to turn my head to look at him. He gave me a soft smile, a hit of pitty I didn't know I had needed. I turned back to see Edward step forward, but was stopped by a burly man who looked to have a jug of wine in his hands "Celebrations! Yer friends came fre a visit! And ye thought no one of yer own would come fer yea weddin' and look, now ye got four extra chaps to drink wit before ye baby comes an makes ye a woman for a while."

"I'm sorry, what?" We walked into the village, the woodsy men were very friendly and set out stumps for us to sit along as the fire was being built in the middle of this small little town.

"It's not. I can explain Is-" I put a hand up as Edward came behind me.

"We will leave by nightfall tomorrow. The horses need rest and so do my men. Alexander, be sure our rooms have fires ready and waiting. Tsar and Ronald will need to dry their clothes after stepping through the puddles."

"Is-"

"The horses will need food and water. Ronald, you are in charge of that."

"Yes, sir."

"Please just let me speak," Edward begged.

"I am not interested in anything you need to say," I said, walking into a nearby hut where I was being led to by a young woman with brown hair. She opened the curtain that was covering the door and ushered us inside. Edward was following behind us but stopped when Alexander turned around, I couldn't see his face but whatever look that he was giving him, it made him turn away and leave.

"Perhaps I'm being too hard on him." I mused, sipping on ale. We had eaten and were invited back into the makeshift pub.

Which was really just a hut with ale, but it was warm with fire and more than enough room for ten men or more.

"Being too hard on him? The man left you with worry for nearly five months to have a family with wildlings. No offence to you lot." Ronald said, smiling nervously at the men sitting around us when their heads turn to us. "He couldn't even be bothered to send you a letter and tell you he was ok. He let you worry yourself sick. While he what? Got married and had a child?"

I looked at Tsar, and he looked back atm, shrugging as he took a sip from his mug. "I hate to agree with him. Edward is a good friend of mine. But, what else could possibly be the reason for him to be here. He never sent a raven home with word of his family or reasoning." He shook his head. "And not just for you. What about his father? Sister? Rather selfish."

I bit my lip, nodding along but there was still that pit in my chest. I stood from the group, ignoring the sound of my friend's voices, asking me where I was going. "Just, I need a minute."

I stood outside, the sky dark and full of stars. I leaned my head back on the pub, letting out a sigh.

"I had thought I would find you and you would be a mess, dead even. Instead, I find you married and starting a family." I mumbled, turning my head to look at Edward who had walked from the side of the pub that he was hiding on.

"I do not know what I can say to you to make it right."

"I can not help you with that." I shrugged, standing straight again as I faced my ex-lover.

"Can we... I know somewhere we can go, more... Private." Edward said as he looked around seeing a few of the men walk from the pub and into the street. I nodded my head and followed as he walked away, going down the little dirt road and into a hut that was dimly lit by a fire. This one had a door, and sheets over the windows. But it would hold our voices better than a hut with a sheeted door over a wooden one. "I need you to listen to me, and careful because I cannot repeat myself unless I am absurdly sure it's safe."

"Safe? Bloody hell are you talking about Eddie"

He chuckled, running a hand in his hair, his fingers shaking with nerves. "Rose. She's very sweet you would like her." He started, and I looked at him with a glare as he let out a light laugh again. "When we finished our round, on our way back we stopped in the clearing. Everyone was on their way out when I heard something snap behind us. I thought perhaps it was a rabbit. Good food to last us until we came back into the castle."

"She was in hiding. She was scared."

"If you're trying to make me pity her-"

"She was scared because they have very strict rules here. She was... she was hurt, about a month before I had met her. Beaten, raped. By a passer-by who fled before the morning light. She was starting to show, and she knew that if anyone had found out she was having a baby out of wedlock, she would be in for a death sentence.

"Nobody had noticed that I was no longer behind them. She was sobbing, shaking from cold. So I told her I would help her. Don't you understand? The child is not mine. We are not really married. We waited a few days before we had gone back here. Lied."

I swallowed, watching as his scruffy face wrinkled with worry as he stepped closer to me. "I sent letters, Many, many letters. I could not understand why I was not getting any in return. But it is clear to me now that you were not getting mine. And I apologize for scaring you, and for making you worry. But something good came from this."

"And what would that be?"

"You have more muscle on your arms then I have ever seen before, you've obviously been working out. When we go home we should spare, show me what you have got."

I laughed, wiping a stray tear from my eyes. "And when did you think you were coming home?"

"Once the baby is born, I will be called home for war, and then I will send a letter of my death for her. She — Rose, she knows about you. She knew I had no intention in staying. We do not share a room, just a home."

"My lord, she is sweet, funny, brave. But she is also weak, scared, and vulnerable. Please, please believe my words and what I tell you. Because I have never had eyes for anyone but you. And I do not wish to ruin that because of women and a child that does not belong to I."

I looked at him, looked into his eyes, clouded in the darkness of the room. I wanted to throw his words out the window. I wanted to stay angry at him, bitter. I spend months — months training myself to see him and throw myself in his arms hold him again. And here he was, in front of me. A man, that everyone thought had a wife and family. But I knew better. But I couldn't act on it. I couldn't show him how I felt, because just like in the castle. There were eyes. Everywhere.

"I believe you." I whispered in the darkness, "I just don't understand how we didn't get word. Alex, he'd been maning the mail. He would have told me."

"Would he have?" Edward Said, a scoft in his voice as he spoke. "I saw his eyes on you. Not the eyes of a loyal friend. More of a jealous lover. Is there mayhaps something you wish to tell me?" His arms were crossed over his chest now, and the flashbacks of the night Alex and I shared the kiss flashed into my mind.

"He— he wouldn't." I was trying to convince myself more than anything. "He was lost. He lost everything. Yes. I'm sure he does have a feeling or two for me. But they have been settled."

"They've been settled have they? And how did you settle those?"

I rolled my eyes, "I mourned you. I thought you dead. And Alexander kissed me. But I turned him away. Because you Edward, are the love of my life and even if you had been dead I wouldn't turn my back on that."

Edward looked at me for a moment, before a small smile broke on his face. "You're tragically dramatic. It is very humbling." And then he leaned in close, gently pressing his lips to mine.