Things were moving fast. Faster than Cregan or Ravenna would have liked, even faster than they wanted but with the succession of the Northern Throne hanging in the balance, there wasn't anything that they could do about it.
Cregan, Edric and the Northmen had travelled back to the North upon the news of King Eddard and Lord Rickon's death. To have the death of a King was bad enough, but to have the death of a King and the Lord of Winterfell.
The people of the North were on edge and rightfully so.
When the marriage feast came about, it felt like half the population of Westeros were travelling to the North. The Velaryons, The Targaryens, every other Morrigan, and Jericho even stepped foot out of Valere, which was impressive in itself.
Everyone who was anyone was making their way.
The wedding would be different, they'd get married in the way of both of their beliefs. They would both respect each other but their wedding would be unique, something different.
Ravenna was not a nervous person, but in that moment, pacing around her room she had never felt anything like it. She was about to get married and then crowned as the new Queen Consort of the North. Even when she flew Maegon for the first time was nothing compared to what she was feeling.
"If you don't stop pacing, you're going to burn a hole in the floor." Alastair told his daughter, but she didn't stop, "Ravenna..."
Alastair sighed as he stood up and grabbed her arms, stopping her from moving, "I can't do this. I can't...every Northern Lord is there, a good chunk of the Altaran Lords. Not to mention, Viserys, Rhaenyra, Corlys and everyone else. I can't...I'm not good enough to be the Queen Consort of the North. I'm the Lady of Altara. That I can do. I can be the Lady of Chaos, not this."
His face softened, "You're already enough. You are extraordinary. It doesn't matter how many people are in there, all that matters are you and Cregan."
The door then opened, letting Raziel, Lysander and Haelys walk into the room, "Everyone's inside." Ravenna's mother told them.
Raziel walked over to Ravenna and without a word he hugged her, "Just look at me. I'll be your judge of the mood." He muttered.
"Excuse me." Ravenna said as she walked out of the room, she didn't know where she was going. But she knew who she wanted to find.
And that person, she would always find even if she was in unfamiliar territory.
And she found that person, almost instantly. Mat Aybara sitting in the courtyard of Winterfell, "Tell me this is okay. Tell me I haven't made a mistake."
Mat just smiled at her as he stood up, "This is okay. It's okay. Everything is okay." He assured her as he walked towards her placing his hands on her shoulders, "You're already the Queen of chaos in Altara. You can be Queen in the North. This is no mistake, Rav."
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
The Great Hall of Winterfell was decorated to within an inch of its life. King Viserys, Rhaenyra, Cregan, Edric and the third Stark brother Bran were all sitting at the top table.
Ser Robb was standing at the door, waiting for his family to arrive, and when they did, he did what he always did.
He announced them,
"King Alastair of House Morrigan, second of his name, Ruler of Valere, the Valon and the Night. King of the Dark and his lady-wife, Queen Haelys of House Targaryen. Their son and heir, Prince Raziel Morrigan. Lord of Valere, Prince Lysander Morrigan, Lord of Illian and...and Princess Ravenna Morrigan, the future Queen Consort of the North, the Lady of Altara."
Everyone clapped as the Morrigan Household walked into the hall, behind them walked Jericho, Mat and every other member of their Household that had joined them in Winterfell.
When they passed Robb, he left his spot and walked down to the top table with them, as per the request of Ravenna. He was her family after all, but after all this was over, she would stay in Winterfell whilst all of her family travelled back to Valere.
Before the family even had a chance to get to the top table, Cregan stood up, walking around the table, stopping Ravenna from bowing to him by grabbing her arms, "You don't have to, not to me. Not to anyone anymore."
Ravenna smiled as the pair walked to the edge of the top table, hand in hand, "Is it bad that I missed you?" Cregan asked
"On the contrary. I quite missed you to." Ravenna admitted, and that was the truth, it had only been over a month since Cregan had travelled back to the North but she did have to admit that she missed him, missed him walking around the hallways, catching her eye when she didn't want him to.
She even missed Edric walking around. But she didn't have to miss them anymore.
Everyone took their seats at the table as Viserys stood up, "Be welcome as we join together in celebration. Tonight is only its beginning. We honour the Crown's ally, House Stark. With the Pack of Ice and Night is a new generation of peace for all of Westeros."
Ravenna looked across the table to Raziel who was sitting beside their mother. He simply nodded to her, telling her that everything was okay.
Standing up Cregan and Ravenna walked down to the middle of the hall as the music started to play, "I'm not much of a dancer...Altara is a bit different to Winterfell."
Cregan simply smiled as he took her hand, the pair walking around each other, "Follow my lead, any missteps I'll simply cover it up. Or Edric will fall over and cause a scene."
Ravenna laughed as the dance continued, she wasn't well versed but Cregan was doing a fine job of leading her into the exact spot she needed to be in, letting her know with simple movements what she needed to do next.
As if people could sense that the young couple weren't enjoying having all eyes on them, other couples started to walk onto the floor. Bran Stark and his wife Catelyn Cerwyn. Bran was the youngest of the three brothers but had married seemingly quicker than the other two. Ravenna had heard plenty of rumours about why.
Rumours that Catelyn's son, Torrhen was not Brans. But it came to no surprise when Bran defended his wife and acknowledged Torrhen as his own.
Ravenna looked around and noticed that there were more Northern couples on the floor, the Altaran couples didn't know what they were doing and Ravenna understood that. It seemed that the North did things differently.
"May I cut in?"
Cregan nodded his head, "Of course you can, my Lord."
When Cregan moved out of the way, Alastair took his daughters hand as he moved in front of her, "You see? Nothing to worry about."
"Everything to be worried about." Ravenna corrected, "I am to be the Queen Consort in a matter of days."
Alastair nodded as he span his daughter around, "Yes, but now is not the time to think about that. Now is the time to enjoy yourself and have some fun. Your mother and I are proud of you, whatever you choose to do whilst you're in the North...if I didn't think that you were going to be safe and loved here, I would have this ended in a second."
Ravenna smiled, she was going to miss her parents that was for sure, she could get to Valere in a matter of seconds through a waygate, but she had never lived away from them before. Something she didn't know if she could do. Being away from Raziel would hurt her the most, in all of her life she had never not known where he was, never not been with him.
"Sorry to interrupt but I do believe I was promised a dance."
Alastair laughed at the sight of Robb, for once he didn't have his sword hanging from his side. He wasn't protecting the family, in that moment he was the family, "I do believe you were, Robb." The King of the Night kissed Ravenna on the head before walking over to his wife.
"I will admit it won't be the same without you in Valere. Altara might go under without you." Robb admitted as the pair started to dance.
Ravenna had thought about being away from her home for a long time, but there was only one thing she could think that would work, "Then stay. Stay with me...and Mat."
Robb smiled, "As much as I would love to stay by your side, Rav. I'm sworn to your father."
"You're sworn to me, you have been since I was born. My sworn shield, my friend. Stay sworn to me...no one else could stay."
Robb looked straight at Ravenna, "Me? Become a Northerner? Who'd have thought it?"
Ravenna smiled; she had kept two of her closest people with her.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
That night, Cregan and Ravenna were standing under the Weirwood tree in the Godswood. The pair had already shared their intimate moment before the wedding had even happened. It was unbecoming of a future King and Queen, but that night in the stables was all either of them needed.
Allowances would have to be made but Cregan didn't care, he was being respected all the same. He was nervous for the feast, but this was something different entirely.
"We stand here tonight in thanks and praise to join two souls as one. Hear now their vows." Ravenna and Cregan looked at each other, they both looked just as nervous as each other, but the nerves went down the second that they looked at each other.
"I am yours and you are mine. Whatever may come." Cregan started.
"I am yours and you are mine. Whatever may come." Ravenna repeated and she believed it. It didn't matter what had happened in the past, she knew Mat was okay with it.
He'd never be truly okay with it, but as long as he could try and protect his Queen from what he saw then he would be okay.
After the vows, the Priest spoke up again, "Here in the presence of the gods and men, I proclaim...Cregan of House Stark...Ravenna of House Morrigan to be man and wife. One flesh, one heart, one soul...now and forever."
The pair joined hands, knelt before the heart tree and bowed their heads.
Cregan Stark and Ravenna Morrigan were now married.
· · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · ·
Later that evening just as the sun was going up the pair were sitting along in the Godswood under the Weirwood tree. They had got married in the way of Cregan's belief but now it was the time for the Altaran way of things.
"I don't know what to do," Cregan admitted.
Ravenna smiled, "That's okay."
When Ravenna placed her hand on the grass the shadows moved, moving up. Cregan found it beautiful, the hue of Ravenna's eyes darkened every time she used her power and every time it amazed him.
She bent her finger letting the point on her ring be on show, he had noticed the ring before, with the black gem in the middle, but he didn't know what it was for.
Without even flinching Ravenna ran the spike across her palm slicing it open and the shadows turned a thicker black, "Blood calls blood. Blood feeds blood..."
She took her palm and he let her slice it as well, he grasped what he needed to do as he took her hand, "Blood is and shall ever be...blood."
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