The Fox and The Hounds

The Fox and The Encounter

 Quinn strode as though every step was dipped in silver, demanding eyes and ears as she made her way to the Lord's table in the great hall. Her father Elton sat at one head of table with her mother to his right and Fenrick to his left, on the other side of their mother was their youngest sister Elaine. Across from Elton at the other end of the table was Roose Bolton and to his left was the anxiously awaited Ramsay. Her maid had went to the kitchen, watching the scene eagerly expecting a clash of the two betrothed attitudes. Quinn's father gave her a stern look of warning. Quinn stood in front of the table in silence for a moment with an emotionless look, before mustering a fake curtsey and smile. Ramsay's ice blue eyes bore into her with an unmistakable hunger though his lips were tightly closed.

"I apologize for my tardiness, I really must adjust my sleep schedule." She said, her tone completely changed from before to a believable respectfulness. She noticed that the seat parallel to Ramsay and adjacent to Roose was intended for her, so she moved over and sat down quickly. For the first time she met Ramsay's gaze and held it with a contempt, blank stare despite her lingering smile. He grinned madly at this gesture only they had shared, she slightly wavered under his look of a wild man. No man had ever been pleased by her rudeness before and she wondered if she liked or hated the fact that he did.

"How kind of you to join us Quinn," Her father teased, she gave a borderline serious and playful glare back before he carried on. "Now we won't have to continue starving, maids!" He called, instantly servants were shuffling around and plating breakfast for everyone. Boiled eggs and porridge were delved out as Quinn glanced to her brother, he raised an eyebrow as he looked at her dress and then smiled. She smiled back before grabbing the cutlery to eat her meal. She felt Ramsay's eyes burning into her and smirked to herself. Maybe she's already won him over? Quinn reached out to grab an apple from a fruit bowl on the table when her hand hit his. She looked up and noticed his wicked grin was back as he possessively grabbed the apple. She recoiled her hand from his cold fingers and placed it in her lap, she used the other to spoon out porridge.

"You may have my Lord, since you are our guest." She said quietly in defeat, not willing to cause a scene at the moment although it was the last red apple. Elton and Alice glanced at each other, reasonably surprised at her docility, glad that she might actually go along with this arrangement. Ramsay studied her curiously, did he misjudge her feisty nature? He held onto the apple as he observed.

"Quinn my dear, you are how old now?" Roose spoke up out of nowhere. She turned her head to him in an instant, putting down her fork. Everyone else continued eating. She gave Ramsay a sideways glance, still a little peeved over the fruit especially since he wasn't even eating it.

"Seventeen my Lord." She replied, feeling awkward and targeted by his demeanor. But it was an arranged marriage after all, not much comfort in not having a choice. Ramsay smiled before deciding to test Quinn.

"And you Elaine?" Ramsay questioned on to her little sister, rolling the apple around the tabletop. Quinn lowered her brows in mild confusion and anger. She wondered why he was asking, she wasn't even a woman yet and even when she is she'll never match up to Quinn. It shouldn't even be a consideration, Quinn thought, she was undoubtedly the most beautiful women he's ever seen. Ramsay silently studied her hostile face, no, he didn't misjudge her at all. She was a pure blooded narcissist. Elaine looked to her father before answering.

"Uh thirteen m-my Lord." She peeped out, looking perplexed though she blushed when she turned to Ramsay seated beside her. Quinn's temper flared inside her as she sliced her egg into several pieces. Roose leered down at his son, knowing he had messed with Quinn on purpose. Ramsay was chuckling silently to himself as he watched the girl nearly turn her eggs into powder.

"How was the journey here from the Dreadfort my Lord? I hear there a group of muggers on the Kingsroad." Elton broke in, afraid his daughter would blow the alliance between the houses. Roose smiled and began conversation about the hunting they did on the ride here and how they're family fares on the other coast. Quinn did her usual and zoned out of the conversation unless she was mentioned. She had just finished her food when she heard a crisp crunch. She looked up to see Ramsay staring her dead in the eye as he sunk his teeth into the apple. The fruit's juices poured out around his lips as he removed the chunk of flesh, licking the wound of the apple before continuing to chew. Quinn swallowed hard, her skin felt on fire now after seeing his pink lips wrapped around the apple and his smooth tongue move over it's skin. Dear Gods did she want to be that apple. She cleared the daze from her mind in a second, what the Hell was wrong with her. He was supposed to lust after her, not the other way around.

"Maybe I be excused from the table?" She asked suddenly, awaiting approval from either of the Lords as she gave a sweet smile. Her father paused from speaking and gave a curt nod, she dipped her head to Roose before standing up and pushing her chair in. She quickly walked out of the hall and into the courtyard where she could see the shore of the bay. She breathed in deeply as the cool air kissed her skin, she walked towards the sand at a leisure pace. She was quite enjoying the quietness when she heard the footsteps of someone behind her, wheeling around defensively she saw Ramsay.

"Hello my Lady." He greeted in a sickly sweet voice, she frowned some and turned away. Her eyes were trained on the churning of the waves as he continued closing the space between them.

"Your Lady? And here I was thinking you fancied my sister." She said coldly while she brushed her hair off her shoulders and behind her. He chuckled at her snarkiness. As he neared, he hovered a hand over her wispy hairs, they looked like golden threads in the midday light despite the clouds.

"I was only solidifying my decision." He said softly as she turned to him. He was a lot closer than she expected and from this short distance she could see the small creases by his eyes and lips, the slight gruff that was left untended during their travel, and the palest blue eyes that she felt held so many secrets. Just as she studied him, he did of her. Taking in the barely visible freckles that dotted her nose and tops of her cheeks, her long eyelashes that fluttered when she blinked, and her pale bottom lip that she ever so slightly bit down on as they stood there. They neither drifted closer or further apart for a minute longer before she slowly walked away from him.

"Well I hope you chose right." She stated plainly as though she wasn't fazed by him, though her breath was now unsteady. He smiled to himself, she was such a strange combination of features that somehow worked. He only wondered if they too could work.