DYING EMBERS || ROBB STARK

T W E N T Y-E I G H T

"Lady Elaine, forgive me but I was not expecting company."

Lord Monterroso stared at the entrance to his tent, where the blonde haired women stood. Her hands were clasped in the front of her ever green dress, hair clasped back to show her hesitant face.

"Forgive me, my lord, but— I came to see if you needed assistance with anything. Lady Valiente is with Ser Trout, concocting last minute plans and letters for the Maester to send out." She began to ramble, her mind going clear of rational thoughts. Why was she here? Why when Lady Valiente had entrusted her plan to all of them her cerulean eyes had lifted to this very man. Attachment was deadly, she'd learned that all her life yet as she stared at him, knowing her place in this world and where she belonged, something yearned to go with him.

"I'll miss that," Lord Monterroso laughed lightly, folding away the little clothes he had and letters of his sons.

Elaine suddenly felt brave, a little annoyed at his joke and cleared her throat, "and what is that exactly?"

"That too," he remarked and when the sky blue of her eyes seemed to darken with her mood he clarified. "You have the ability to make even times like these comical. And you've got more courage then most of those northern men out there, Lady Elaine."

A deep rouge suddenly lifted to the apples of her cheeks, eyes diverting as she took in the emptying tent. "You call me a lady, as if I am one. You call me a man, as if I am one."

"You're as far from a man as I'll ever get to see. And as for the lady part—our reigning Lady will see to it that is changed, and if she doesn't do it, then I will ask it of her. You deserve it, Lady Elaine, in all my years traveling the world I have never met a women more fit for the beauty in this life then you."

There was something about the way he said those words, like it was a spark that finally enlightened her mind. She was out of the fog of worry and into the clear air of bliss. Her actions has yearned to see the Lord Commander one last time, to say goodbye in private. She'd told herself that this was nothing more then a simple gratitude but that was denial. His lips pulled into a smile at the end of his words and suddenly she was coming closer.

"You're more gentlemen then any noble lord I've ever met. You're more rebel then I'll ever know." She admitted wholeheartedly, sensing that it was now or never that she told him.

Dominic Monterroso had no clear way of speaking his feelings, it'd been years since a women like this had come into his life, and even long then he's admitted to feeling like such. His cool breath was one of pure courage, as he stepped closer to her, her golden strands of her were bright amongst the fire of his candles, and her alabaster skin was tempting and smooth. The urge to kiss her suddenly became worse then the one to finish packing, worse then his duties and yet he couldn't move. He stared at her, something in him said to speak before the moment was gone. She was beauty that was like red comets in the sky, like good fortune in thunderstorms. In her he saw the clear blue waters of the Summer Isles, the enchanting jade sea, the shadowlands of Assahi and everything more he yearned for.