The Crossed Rose - GoT - R.S.

Epilogue: The River Wolf

Jeyne wasn't sure how she had managed to slip away from the Twins, but, soon enough, after running down long stairs from Dahlia's chambers, she found another door and pushed it open, avoiding all of the comotion still going on in the dining hall as she lost herself in the trees nearby. Jeyne also wasn't sure where she was meant to go. She couldn't home anymore - not after having betrayed her family. Winterfell wouldn't be safe now with the Boltons in control. Riverrun... Well, maybe she could go back to Riverrun, but only the gods knew what would be of the place now. At the moment, all she wanted, however, was to get as far away from the Twins as she possibly could, so she took Dahlia's advice and ran.

She probably would've ran a lot more if it hadn't been for the hand that reached out into the darkness and grabbed her by the arm, to pull her to a stop. Jeyne screamed, hoping that wouldn't be the end of her. Hoping that wouldn't be the end of little Ned. She was willing to try and put up a fight. For what, she wasn't sure, but she was willing. Thankfully, she didn't have to because the figure who had reached for her had pulled her back, placing a hand over her mouth while mindful of the babe in her arms.

"Shh... Shh, child, calm down now." A familiar voice whispered in her ear and Jeyne obeyed, unable to do much else against the strong grip on her. "I am not here to hurt you. Calm, now."

And that was when Jeyne recognized the voice. Her body went limp for a second, only her arms remaining strong for little Ned's sake and tears spilled from her eyes. In that moment, the man behind her knew she wouldn't fight anymore and let her go and Jeyne was quick to spin around in her heels to look at him, a mixture of shock and relief taking over her body.

"Blackfish." She whispered as the old man nodded at her. "I... I thought... I mean, you..."

"I left the damned place just before the that massacre begun." The Blackfish explained, his eyes scanned the beaten up girl in front of him before falling on the babe in her arms. "Is that..."

"Ned Stark." Jeyne nodded.

"And... And the King?" The Blackfish asked and just Jeyne's silence was more than answer enough for him. "The Queen... Is she dead too?"

"Y-Yes." Jeyne whimpered. "I mean, I... I think so. She... She gave me Ned so I could escape with him but I... I don't... I don't..."

"Do you have somewhere to go?" The Blackfish asked, sighing when Jeyne shook her head. "You come with me, then. I'm going back to Riverrun, to take it and man it before those damned Freys take it from me. I'll keep you safe. And the babe."

"This is Robb Stark's heir." Jeyne whispered, her eyes falling in the babe in her arms as she fought back tears. Gods, he looked so much like Robb already. "He is the Prince in the North. He will not be safe anywhere."

"For now, we say he's a bastard. My bastard son." The Blackfish said, his own expression softening for a moment as he looked at the babe. So young but already with so much to live up to. The Blackfish could see his wisps of red hair. The same hair King Robb used to have, but the same hair little Catelyn used to have. Oh, how he wished they could be here now. "We call him Eddard Rivers for now. And when the time is right, we reveal his true name to the world."

"Do you think it'll work, my Lord?" Jeyne asked, her voice sounding small and scared as the frightened young woman she was.

"It has to, my Lady." The Blackfish said. "Otherwise, we're as good dead as the boy's parents. Now, come along."

"Wait." Jeyne pleaded. "Are... Are we sure they're dead?"

"There's no way either of them survived this, lady Jeyne."

"But... But what if... Just... I just want..."

"We can wait." The Blackfish relented. They were hidden by the forest after all, and far enough that they still had an advantage if they needed to run. But from the clif they were in, they could see the bridge of the Twins. "They're throwing the bodies in the river. I've already seen Catelyn's. As soon as we see King Robb's and Queen Dahlia's, we leave, understood?"

Jeyne had nodded then. Rocking Ned in her arms, Jeyne kept her eyes on the bridge, watching as body after body was thrown down on the river bellow. People she didn't know, people she had talked to, people she had seen in passing... All Stark men. All loyal, good man, slaughtered fighting for a King they had chosen and a Queen they had loved. Eventually, however, Robb's body was lifted over the railing of the bridge and Jeyne had to hold back her tears then.

"Forgive me, your Grace." She found herself whispering. "I wish I could've done more."

Robb's body had barely hit the water when the image of Dahlia's body appeared in front of Jeyne's eyes. Jeyne sobbed, noticing the huge slit in her throat and the blood on her dress from the birth. Dahlia looked pale, cold, dead... Not at all like the vivid, kind girl she had gotten to meet over time. She looked dead and she was dead, hitting the water like nothing but a sack of stones.

The Blackfish allowed Jeyne a moment after watching with her as Dahlia's body was slowly taken away by the river flow but once she was out of sight, the old man spoke up.

"We should go." He said and Jeyne nodded wordlessly, following the Blackfish through the woods in what she knew would be a hard journey back to Riverrun.

But Jeyne wouldn't give up. She promised herself then that she would do whatever it took to protected young Ned Stark. She would never let him forget who he was: the Prince in the North and the Trident. She would tell him of his parents: Robb Stark, the Young Wolf, a menace at war, a young boy turned man too soon and too fast and Dahlia Stark, the Crossed Rose turned Gentle Wolf, the southern lady that grew to be the Queen that all of the North admired. Jeyne knew just then that she would give her life for his if needed be. Because Ned Stark needed to survive. He would grow and he would learn and, someday, maybe, he would take his rightful place in a throne in Winterfell. Someday, maybe, Ned Stark - called Ned Rivers for now -, the River Wolf, would be the King that his father never had the chance to be and the King his mother would have been proud of.

Jeyne would do everything she could to make sure that happened. If not for her and not for Ned, for Dahlia then. For the loving mother Jeyne knew she would be but that, just like every other aspect of her tragic life, she hadn't had the time to become.

A/N: So, we've reached the end of this story. I can't even believe it... What started as a little idea in the back of my head, turned into one of my favorite things to write and your feedback has been amazing! Thank you for all the reads, but, especially, thank you so so so much for anyone who voted or commented in this story. You are literally the reason why I do this! If you're willing, let me know what you thought of the story as a whole and if you've enjoyed it! I hope you did. Someday soon, I might revisit the GoT universe, but, for now, I hope this book has given you some enjoyable time! In any case, I hope to see you all soon. As always, stay safe!

Lots of love <3