WOLF QUEEN | RHAEGAR TARGARYEN

CHAPTER NINETY-NINE

One did not need to be a Maester to now that losing this much blood was fatal. She also suspected there was some internal damage which meant that there was no hope for him.

"Than-thank you, for taking me in," Theon said weakly and Alyssa could practically see the life escape from his eyes. It was heartbreaking. "For making me - a - apart of the family."

"You needn't thank me, Theon," Alyssa said, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. "You may not have my blood, but you are just as much Stark as you are Greyjoy. You are my son."

"I - I love you, mother," Theon weakly told her. The hand he had placed on Alyssa's wrist was starting to loosen.

"I love you too, son," she brought him into a hug and at first she felt him raise his arms slightly to weakly return the embrace. All she could do was listen as his breathes became more and more delicate until they simply stopped and Theon became completely limp in her arms.

Carefully she leaned him back against the tree. The pained expression that had been on Theon's face less than a minute ago was now replaced by one of peace.

A whine and something brushing up against her side made Alyssa jump out of her thoughts. Her stormy grey eyes clashed with a pair of big red ones, "Ghost," she sighed in relief of seeing the slightly battered direwolf.

But her relief quickly turned to worry when Ghost nudged her again like he wanted to tell her something. "Is it Jon?" Alyssa asked worriedly. "Show me," she told the wolf before standing up.

She casted one last glance of Theon. While she didn't wish to leave him there, Jon needed her more at the moment. She'd tell one of their men to fetch him later so he could have a proper burial.

"Your Grace!"

Alyssa turned to see a few northern guards, all looking about as exhausted as she felt. "Search for any survivors. And fetch me a horse," she ordered, not even waiting for a response before following her son's direwolf.

While running after Ghost, Alyssa was forced to jump over several corpses belonging to both friends and foes. Every time she noticed that a corpse didn't have her son's curly black hair she felt a sigh of relief.

But then, after the bodies became less and less, Ghost quickened his pace and ran over to a figure that was lying on the ground. Dread filled her when Alyssa noticed that this one had curly black hair and that Longclaw was lying beside the body.

Alyssa fell down to her knees beside him, rolling Jon over to his back. "Jon? Jon?" she brushed a piece of hair away from his face. He looked so peaceful and for once she absolutely hated it. "Please wake up," she begged, as she undid the first buttons on the collar of his tunic to search for a pulse.

For a moment she was ready to simply lay down and scream because she did not succeed in finding any evidence of life. Alyssa did not know if she could bear to lose him again. Not when the last time nearly had crushed her.

Then she felt something. It was so weak that Alyssa for a moment thought she had imagined it. But then she felt it again. And again.

He was still alive. There was still hope.

.•° ✿ °•.

304 AC, Castle Black

When Alyssa reached Castle Black with Jon's limp body hanging over the horse she had received from one of the guards, she quickly dismounted and seconds later Robb appeared beside her with Ashton and Bash in tow.

In any other situation, she would have jumped to embrace them. Now Alyssa was too preoccupied in getting Jon to a Maester. "Is he-" Robb asked, looking between his unconscious brother and his aunt's red eyes.