"I see humans but no humanity."
It was the sunlight that shone through the window that waked Elena from her sleep. Her eyes squinted as the bright light burned her eyes, softly groaning while moving to avoid the light.
When something moved under her, her eyes snapped open immediately, trying to find out where she was. She saw her own hand lying on someone's bare chest which was rising and falling slowly, she could hear his heartbeat.
She moved her body more, trying to confirm that it was Robb and not some man of The Watch. Luckily it was Robb's arm that was draped around her waist and his hand that was on her thigh.
Elena sighed deeply and laid her chin on his chest, looking at his face as he was sleeping. He did look adorable, his curls in a mess on his forehead, his mouth slightly opened. He did not look a king at all, he just looked like a normal boy.
"Good morning, your grace." Elena chuckled when his eyes fluttered open.
"Mmh." He groaned, moving his body slightly to get comfortable.
"Good morning, my lady." Robb smiled, his arm tightening around her waist whilst his hand was slowly drawing circles on her bare skin.
"You know, for a moment there I thought that we were back in Winterfell." Robb closed his eyes again.
"Why? Because I'm naked?" Elena chuckled while drawing circles on his chest.
"No, no of course not." Robb laughed, his chest shaking because of it. He sighed with a smile still on his lips as he opened his eyes again.
"We're going to have a hard time making you a queen."
"A queen?" Elena raised her eyebrows, looking up at Robb. "You know, I don't think it's a good idea to make me queen. I mean, I always say what's on my mind no matter how blunt."
"I know." Robb laughed. "That's the problem."
"Don't start thinking about making me a queen yet, I'm not going to a wedding in the next 10 years. There's a curse on them, trust me." Elena sat up slightly, her hair falling over one shoulder.
"So you'll make me wait 10 years?" Robb opened one eye, he was still not accustomed to the light in the room.
"No, you can marry a highborn lady of your choosing as long as it's not a Frey or Lannister." Elena sat up, untangling herself from Robb and covering herself with the sheets.
"Elena." Robb groaned. "Please do not start this again."
"I'm only trying to protect you!" Elena protested.
"And I'm not going to marry someone I do not love."
"Then you'll have a hard time reigning the North." Elena said and stood up from the bed. Her legs slightly trembled, making her hold onto everything close to her to keep on standing. Robb noticed her struggle, chuckling to himself.
"I won't let you make the same mistake again, Robb. You know what your marriage with Talisa brought. I won't be the cause of other people's deaths because I couldn't let you go." Elena ranted, searching the room for her clothes. Robb didn't answer, he only let out a deep sigh.
"Get out of bed, you have a lot left to discuss with Stannis." Elena said as she picked up her dress from the floor.
"I'm starting to think that you're pretending to be my mother." Robb chuckled when Elena threw his pants towards him.
"Well I'd be a terrible mother, especially after tonight." Elena said whilst braiding her hair, she had already put on her light blue dress, it was tight around her waist and upper body with long sleeves to keep her warm.
"Elena, something is going to happen tonight." Robb sighed while putting on his clothes.
"What?" Elena turned around to face him, braiding two strands of her hair to the back of her head.
"It's Mance. Stannis is going to burn him if he does not kneel." Robb looked down while sitting on the bed.
"Burn him?" Elena's eyes widened. Normally they'd just chop someone's head off, burning was way too cruel.
"Yeah." Robb sighed and looked up at Elena. "Look, I wasn't happy with it but Stannis and I already disagree on way too many things, I couldn't bring this up too."
"I know." Elena walked towards him, softly running her fingers through his auburn hair. "It's still horrible though. Mance only wanted to save his people."
"I know." Robb stated.
~
"I see the training is going well." Elena chuckled while walking towards Jon who was breathing heavily after his training.
"Not really." He sighed while putting the dummy sword back where it belonged. "Olly just keeps forgetting to keep his shield up no matter how many times I tell him to. Arya on the other hand is fighting like crazy."
"Olly's just a kid, Jon. He will learn soon enough." Elena smiled at him and turned to Olly. He was sitting on a barrel in the courtyard, watching the others train. Then she turned to Arya who just defeated a man from around his thirties.
"Arya has improved a lot since our last training." Elena chuckled when she saw her fight, Arya looked a lot like her father.
"When I was their age I killed a lion." Damon said and walked towards Elena. He turned towards her with a smile on his face. "Good morning little bird."
"Damon." She nodded at him while Jon sighed deeply and looked away.
"I'm going back there." Jon said, picked his wooden sword back up and walked towards Olly again.
"It's a miracle you're still standing after tonight." Damon smiled devilishly, looking down at Elena. He was a lot taller than her, Elena was quite small for her age.
"Can you stop with the mind reading please?" Elena sighed and closed her eyes. She felt her cheeks redden as she wrapped her arms around herself.
"It's for your own safety!" Damon exclaimed with a smile on his face. "Well, to be honest, not really. I just love to know everything so I can use it against you."
"Yeah, sure." Elena rolled her eyes while looking at Jon who was teaching the others how to fight.
"For example: that red woman over there." Damon nodded at Melisandre who was standing next to Stannis. "Don't trust her, don't like her at all. Keeps thinking about burning people or something about needing king's blood."
"She's a red priest." Elena frowned while looking at the woman. She did notice how Melisandre was looking at Jon like a hawk, following his every move. Kings blood...
"Damon?" Elena looked up at him. "What happened yesterday, when I showed you the doll?"
"It doesn't matter." The smile vanished from his face, his jaw clenching and his eyebrows furrowing.
"Damon, please. I know you're holding something back from me." Elena pleaded, laying her hand down on his arm.
"Drop it." Damon growled, his eyes turning back to dark instead of the usual blue.
Elena sighed deeply and nodded. Her curiosity only grew inside her but she didn't let it show.
"What are you doing?" Elena asked when Damon suddenly grasped her arm tightly. He nodded at a group of men across the courtyard who were looking at her like she was their prey.
"You won't like what they're thinking." Damon said with his jaw clenched, his eyes becoming darker every second. His grasp on her arm tightened till it hurt, making Elena squirm.
"I can handle myself, Damon. You're not my brother." Elena yanked her arm free from his grasp and hugged it against her chest.
"You have no idea who I am." Damon said and then walked away.
~
"I can't believe we're letting them do this." Steve clenched his teeth while standing around the pile of wood where soon Mance Rayder will burn if he does not kneel.
The night was dark, only a few stars shone on the full courtyard that was being lightened by a few torches. Everyone came to see what would happen, the men of the Watch, Northmen, Stannis's men and all the guardians except for Ella. Aidan didn't want his daughter to see something like this, Ella was already fragile enough.
"Just imagine he's a pig that they're baking for breakfast tomorrow." Louis said while staring at the pole in the middle of the pile of wood. He breathed in deeply, trying to calm his nerves. "Nice and juicy bacon. Think about the bacon."
"There he is." Elena stated when Mance was taken out of the prison, his hands still in chains. Robb stood right next to her, his hand brushing against hers while Stannis and Melisandre stood before them.
"Mance Rayder." Stannis said when Mance stood before him after walking towards the king, his chains ringing with every step he had taken. "You've been called the king-beyond-the-wall. Westeros only has one king..."
Stannis looked at Robb for a moment, clenched his jaw and then continued. "two kings."
"Bend the knee, I promise you mercy." Stannis continued and looked at Mance, expecting him to kneel. First Mance just stood there, looking around at everyone's faces, deciding what to do.
"Kneel and live." Stannis added when Mance didn't say anything.
"This was my home for many years." Mance stated. "I wish you good fortune in the wars to come."
"Goddammit." Louis cursed while clenching his fists. Stannis' men immediately chained Mance to the pole on the wooden pile. "I really, really do not like this."
"Robb, do something." Elena pleaded and looked at him desperately. He looked back, his eyes filled with sorrow.
"I'm sorry, Elena." He whispered, his hand enveloping hers. Robb was disappointed in himself, disappointed that he had no power whatsoever even though he was a king.
"We all must choose, man or woman, young or old, lord or peasant. Our choices are the same." Melisandre spoke loudly, looking at all the people that had gathered there that night. "We choose light or we choose darkness. We choose good or we choose evil. We choose the true god or the false."
"Free folk," Melisandre took a torch in her hand and walked towards the pile. She turned around again, looking at the Wildlings that stood there in chains. "There is only one true king and his name is Stannis. Here stands your king of lies."
"Robb, please!" Elena cried, pulling on his arm to make him do something. Robb only stood there with no emotion left on his face, looking at Melisandre with his jaw clenched.
"Robb..." She whispered, looking at the desperate face of Mance. She sighed deeply, walking towards the wooden pile. She couldn't just stand there and watch someone burn.
A hand grasped her arm and stopped her from going to Mance, pulling her back to where she first stood.
"Stay. Here." Damon growled while holding her arm in a tight grip. Melisandre heard Elena and turned towards her, a smile playing on her lips while holding the torch.
"Behold the fate of those who choose the darkness." Melisandre looked at Elena while she let the torch fall on the pile which soon caught fire. Elena knew what the priest meant, Melisandre didn't even have to say the words to let Elena know she and her people weren't safe.
Aidan sighed deeply, closing his eyes. He had seen many executions but never had he seen someone being burned. "This is not right." He murmured.
"It's just bacon." Louis stuttered, his eyes wide as he looked at Mance. The clothing he wore was already on fire, the heat licking his skin. Soft whimpers fell from Mance's lips while struggling against the chains that bound him to the pole.
Without a word Robb suddenly stormed away, his long cloak trailing behind him as he pulled Arya with him too. He disappeared into a building and slammed the door shut behind him and his sister.
Stannis did nothing, he didn't even acknowledge Robb storming away. He didn't even look slightly scared or shaken. It was true what the people said, Stannis was truly made of iron. Cold and unbreakable iron.
"We can't do anything or he will kill your little princess, understand?" Damon said whilst still holding Elena back from saving Mance.
"He was just trying to save his people." Elena whimpered, her knees trembling when Mance started yelling in pain.
"Nice juicy bacon." Louis whispered to himself. Steve laid his hand down on his friends shoulder, knowing he had bad memories when it came to fire.
"As was I but my brother still killed her." Damon growled with clenched teeth. Elena didn't hear him, she was still struggling to break free from his hold. "The world isn't fair. Now, stop it."
Elena struggled a few moments but then gave up, leaning against Damon's body for support. She didn't know Mance but she did respect him. He did what she always tried to; saving his people.
Now he was burning because his people called him a king.
For a moment Elena didn't see Mance there burning, she saw a little girl from around 8 with greyscale on her face, burning and calling something Elena couldn't understand. Just as fast as it came the vision disappeared.
An arrow flew across the courtyard and hit Mance, stopping his cries and his misery. Everyone gasped, the fire had gone up so high they couldn't see his body but everyone had heard the arrow hit Mance. Elena looked at the shooter, Jon, who then stormed away.
"Stupid boy." Steve sighed and closed his eyes.
"He should not have done that."
Author's note
Helloooo there my little guardians :).
How are you doing? If you're not well look at the picture of this chapter and you'll feel amazing immediatelly. That smile though. Just, damn, Richard, stop being so damn sexy and let me live my life normally please.
This chapter is dedicated to @Blue_Topaz_ because she put so much effort into trying to figure things out about Damon, like, OMG I never expected anyone to try so hard. You're amazing just to let you know and some points in your theory are correct. (I'm not going to say which ones.) You're so close to the truth so keep it up!
Also, Last chapter only got 7 votes, which is compared to all the other chapters, not much. So please pretty please just keep the voting up. I work very hard on this story even when I don't have time left. Which usually ends with me having no sleep because I'm writing the whole night. So please just click that vote button, it really helps me and keeps me motivated!
So thank you all for your support, see you next chapter!
(let's reach 10 k before next chapter is up, ok? We're already at 9.87 k)