Rose of the North (A Jamie Lannister Love Story)

Hope

Anna wasn't sure how long she had been riding.

Tiredness grew around her eyes but she could not sleep. She could not stop. After tensing all night whenever Jamie moved, and thinking about her father, about Robb fighting Jamie... It was too much.

How could so many people be so foolish? In the span of two weeks her whole world had become so caught up and spinning that Anna simply didn't know what to do anymore. So, when Jamie had left that morning, she had met his eyes and held his stare for a long time.

Neither of them had said anything when he had knelt before her and kissed her cheek gently before leaving without looking back.  It wasn't a goodbye, but there was something about the look in his eyes that had seemed... definite. As if Jamie knew that from the moment he left the tent, nothing would ever be the same again. As if he knew that Anna didn't love him. His final kiss had somehow comforted her and yet scared her....But the prospect of not knowing what would happen scared her more.

Jamie and Tywin had left hours with the army, going in two separate directions to fight Robb in different places. And so she was left alone, with only a few guards to keep her from running off. Not that they had stopped her. It hadn't taken her long to know the names of her guards, to make them open up. After all, who wouldn't feel sorry for a beautiful lady left all alone?

She had left the now deserted camp a while ago, leaving her guards drunk in the mud. After a few smiles, it hadn't taken much to persuade them to drink, they were already pissed off at being left behind and therefore they had jumped at the opportunity to have a good time. She knew they would suffer Tywin's wrath when he eventually found out about her escape but she wasn't sure that she really cared...

Anna urged her horse to go faster.

She had to get to Jamie... Or Robb. Whichever was still alive. She prayed to any God that was listening that it wouldn't rain. The tracks she was following in the mud were fading and Anna knew she was still far away. Too far away.

She couldn't stop them, that was certain. But she had to try to prevent the death of her family. She had to try, for her father's sake. Eddard would risk everything to protect his family, and so would Anna. Anything Robb did had consequences, and Anna knew the Lannisters would strike hardest at her father and her sisters. Jamie would listen to her, she could reason with him... she hoped.

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"We should go my lady."

"No!" Catelyn replied forcefully, not hiding the desperation in her voice as she stared out hopelessly across the open field before her. He had to come back... Robb had to come back. He was outnumbered but he was smarter than the Lannisters. Her boy would come back, she knew it... she had to believe it.

"My Lady..." Sir Roderick said almost sadly.

She knew he just wanted to protect her, but they had to wait. Just for a moment longer. Robb would come, he had to come. For if he didn't, everything would be lost. Catelyn jumped as horses burst through the trees at the far end of the open field. Her hands tightened around her reins, just in case she need to flee.

She squinted, her eyes desperately trying to pick up something that would tell her that it was Robb coming back to her.

The Stark banners rose higher in the air as they came riding from the forest. Catelyn felt her heart constrict. Tears filled her eyes as Robb came galloping back to her, looking every bit like his father. She tried to smile but found she couldn't quite manage it with tears falling from her eyes.