Only A Northern Song ~ Game of Thrones / Willas Tyrell ~

Chapter Sixty Eight: Bedrest

Bedrest was as dull as Eddmina remembered it to be, yet it was far more difficult to deal with when she knew so much was happening outside the four walls of her bedchamber.

Any visitors she had kept her informed. Sansa came each morning and each night and would tell her absolutely everything, as would her Uncle Brynden, who often called by in the afternoons. Robb and her mother were a little more vague whenever they called on her, not wanting to tell her too much to save her from worrying or trying to get involved, and Garlan outright refused to discuss anything relating to the war, and since he was the one who spent the most time with her, she felt like she was often left out of the loop. Even if he did play cards with her and try to teach her the code he and Willas wrote in, even if she was infinitely grateful for his company, she longed for something more.

It felt as though she was a prisoner, though when she mentioned that to Willas on the third day he told her that idea was ridiculous. That didn't stop the feeling, if anything it only made it worse. She had gone from being the Hand of the King, all-knowing and all-powerful where ruling and strategy was concerned in the northern camp and Riverrun, to a simple woman on bedrest. She knew it was for the best, and her body was certainly glad for the rest, but her mind was filled with spiralling thoughts and ideas for what their next strategy could be, and instead of having the ability and the resources to channel her energy into productive planning, her mind was instead left to stew it all over. The first few days were unbearable, and Willas returned from the stables with Uther on the fourth day to find she had written at least a dozen pages of ideas and reforms. He took away her quill and parchment after that, which only caused a minor disagreement. The next day he refused to leave her alone, just to ensure that she didn't attempt any sort of work.

By the end of the sixth day she had gotten used to it, and had almost managed to switch her brain off. While it was initially difficult to focus herself on something other than the war, she realised there were plenty of other things to occupy herself with, even if she was stuck in bed. She took up sewing properly again for the first time since the start of the war, and just in time too as Uther needed new clothes, and so did the new baby. While Uther had grown a sense of wild independence, whenever he wasn't chasing Honour around the room or out with Willas getting his energy out in the fresh air, she cuddled him up at her side and told him endless stories, either reading them directly from a book or telling him Old Nan's tales from memory. When Willas returned to their chamber on the seventh night and presented her with an old lute he had found in a store cupboard, things got easier again. She had left her own in Winterfell so hadn't played at all throughout the war, yet despite her skill being rusty he watched her with a grin and listened eagerly as she plucked at the out-of-tune strings.

"Are you going to play us Danny Flint?" Willas had teased lightly when she fiddled with the instrument, all while he had Uther pinned down on the bed as he tickled him. He was so distracted by their son's delighted shrieks of laughter that he did not notice Eddmina flinch. "Your favourite, and therefore by extension, my favourite."

That had been the song she was singing when the traitors attacked the cells, when she had watched two innocent Lannister children die. The memory was yet to not make her sick, especially when she considered she knew nothing of the punishment the boys' killers were faced with. Sansa had told her they were all still locked away in the cell that had once been Jaime's, while he had been locked away in one of the tower rooms and was constantly being montiored by a maester as his wound healed. Knowing that was not enough though, and Eddmina couldn't help but crave every single detail, even if she knew no one would give them to her while she was meant to be resting.

She sang Danny Flint for Willas anyway, because nothing could take her favourite song from her, and soon her days were filled with music in a way they hadn't been since Highgarden, since the early days of their marriage when Willas presented her with a lute as a late wedding present. She had almost forgotten what a huge part of their lives music had been. Looking back it felt like her whole relationship with Willas was defined by her ability to sing and play, as it was how their trust had formed, how she had entertained in the early days of their marriage. Perhaps her whole life had been characterised by music, since she had so often been asked to sing, not just by Willas but by everyone. Robb always liked the funny songs, and so did Jon, and the two of them had always laughed at the way she preferred the sad tragedies. Leonette, after a few wines, would always try and sing along, even if she didn't know the words, which would result in her and Garlan both dissolving into fits of laughter. Sansa had always begged for love songs, even though she knew the words far better than her elder sister. Her parents never seemed too bothered by her singing, especially not her mother who tried to hide how she would roll her eyes every time Eddmina could be heard tuning or playing her lute, yet the day Willas found her the lute in Riverrun and her mother walked in to see her teaching Uther about the noises each string made, Eddmina heard her try to muffle a small cry and hide the brimming tears.