The Wolf and the Rose / Sequel to The Queen in the North

Twelve

El

It was mid afternoon when the entire crowd had gathered in the meadow to observe the melee. The sky was now clouded over somewhat obstructing the still high sun form the sky. The cloud coverage was but patchy and pieces of sunlight were peeping out from behind the blanket of white.

Elonar stark waited in her assigned tent along with Axel, Dacey Mormont, Ser Robertt glover and Mylis Manderly. She and Axel sat aside from everyone else and Axel listened in silence while Elonar explained what had just happened with Garlan and all about what had happened in Kingslanding.

But it was evident that Axel was still angered about earlier. With good reason, El had to remind herself. He had after all just found out of his fathers death and potential murder from Dacey when telling El the tale of his brothers treason. He sat with his eyes fixed on El but his mind was elsewhere, his blue eyes had that vagueness about them that they got when his mind wandered.

El just watched him for a quick moment before he noticed she was finished talking. In that moment she noticed everything beautiful about him, his hair pushed back that way parted slightly to the side, the stubble growing down his cheeks and throat, his hand resting on the table. Long fingers, with prominent veins on the backs of his slightly freckled hands. She blinked and was flashed back only momentarily to the dream she'd had the night before, those same hands on her body. As she flicked her eyes open hurriedly praying that he couldn't read what she was thinking in that brief moment.

Guilt surged through her and her eyes met Axel's, could he be reading her right now? The way he was looking at her with that hint of a smirk across his lips almost scared her. She couldn't be thinking of him like this, not anymore. Frankly it was immature and utterly futile.

"What are you thinking?" He said directly.

"Im only wondering why you didn't answer my question.." She said raising her eyebrows.

"Which was my lady?"

"What do I do?" El smiled.

"About?" Axel smiled in returned.

"Did you not hear a word I said to you, Lord Umber?" She said slouching back into her chair.

Axel sniggered, "I am no Lord while my brother lives."

"I am the warden of the north, and I'll be decided who is the Lord of the Last Hearth. Luckily for you somehow I still tolerate you even after all the trouble you've put me through." Elonar said trying to hide her smile. "My initial question was this, what am I to do? Do we go to Kingslanding with Garlan to rescue Margaery and Loras, or do we  go home to fix the mess your brother started?"

"We do both. We have less than 300 men here in Highgarden but you have loyalty to the Tyrell's and we have loyalty to you my lady." Axel said frankly.

Dacey Mormont and Robertt Glover had by this point sat themselves just down the table from Axel and El, "forgive me for interjecting my lady-" Robertt began.

"Of course, do continue.." El sighed. It's not as if this was a private conversation that you weren't party to.. Once again el was in a terrible position, she needed the support of the northerns so that they'd stay loyal to her. And she needed them to stay loyal to now especially since she had to keep her vows to Garlan and to house Tyrell to fight by their sides. But her men had sworn the same to her.. She could tell exactly what young Robertt glover was going to say, that this wasn't their war and there were bigger problems in the north that more urgently need her attention rather than petty games played by those in the south. But unfortunately for El she needed the support from the Tyrell's as much as they needed her men now, and because of this she had to be involved in their conflicts.