PART ONE-CHAPTER ELEVEN

"Just because her path is different and unique, doesn't mean she's lost."
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He was making his way to his father to talk to him, again, about everything he'd have to do. Because truth be told, he was nervous, very nervous. He knew that this day would come someday, but he didn't expect it to come so soon. He wished it didn't have to come so soon. But it wasn't as if he could do anything. Even the future Lord of Winterfell could not always get what he so desperately wanted- more time with his family.

They were desperately in need of mending, his family. After Bran's fall, his mother didn't want to come out of the chamber where his little brother laid, no matter what he tried. His father was very caught up with the royal visit, not that he wasn't, but his father was with them for responsibility. At this point, being with Rhea wasn't a duty to him, it was something he really wanted. Sansa was off in Neverland and he hadn't spent a lot of Arya lately. Rickon needed guidance and there was only so much he could do in that area. And Jon.. was taking the black.

Robb just wished he knew what was going on with him. He has a home here, and a beautiful girl that he loves more than anything, then why take the black? He knew Jon was never comfortable with his whole family, what with them looking at him indifferently, but he thought him being with Sara all these years changed his opinion in the matter. Even if it didn't he didn't think he wanted to leave so bad that he would leave her behind.

But all his thoughts came to an abrupt stop when he saw Sara Cassel sitting on the grass with the castle walls supporting her back, crying.

He walked toward her and held her as she cried, and when he held her she cried a little more. Alright, maybe a lot but Robb didn't mind being there for his friend. He watched as she cried a lot more, and whispered comforting things to her, and within a few minutes, she was ready to get back to her monotonous life, but Robb knew better.

"I know you're not going to be okay. It's okay to let it out." he said, as he walked along with her. He had never seen his childhood friend so dejected, ever. "I've already let out enough, Robb. I can't hold him back. If he sees me like this, he'll want to stay, and I don't want him to think of what could have been if he was able to write his own story years later. I don't want him to regret. This is what he wants, Robb. Who am I to deny him what he wants?"

Robb was beyond angry at his brother at this moment. She didn't think twice about herself, and Jon was making her miserable every second this split of theirs lasted. He had watched them fall for each other, and when they got together, he knew it was a long time coming. And no one in the world was happier for them than he was.

"And what about what you want?" He asked, unknowingly showing his annoyance of Jon's actions at her. She then turned to look at him. "My whole life, I didn't ask for anything. Nothing. Because I never wanted anything much, until him. It hurts, knowing that he doesn't want me back as much as I do, but I would never be able to live with the fact that I held him back from a future that he desperately wants." she said. "If this is what will make him happy, then it's what I want. So I'm getting what I want."

"You're not even going to talk to him?" he asked.

"He didn't want to tell me to my face that he wanted to go. So, no. Not if I can help it."

***

So that's what Sara was crying about two days ago. She knew that the girl was crying about something that day when she bumped into her in the tunnel, but then again, Rhea had problems confiding in people she knew her whole life. Why would a girl she just met trust her enough to tell her her problems? Especially when it was that deep?

She didn't mean to eavesdrop on the conversation that Robb was having with his friend, but she was leaving this evening and she just wanted to take a little walk away from everyone before she got back to the drama that was her life. And then she came upon them. Robb and Sara.

She didn't doubt Robb one bit, but when he was holding her for dear life, and she cried into his chest and Rhea couldn't help but feel a little bit jealous. But when she realised what the conversation was about, Rhea's heart went out to the poor girl.

Taking the black when he had a lover is a hard decision to make. But then again, she hasn't heard Jon's side of the story. So she had no right to be angry at him.

She then stepped out of the shadows and hugged the poor girl who was putting up a front of being unaffected, but Rhea knew about feeling disappointed in people. As a princess, she knew it all too well.

She knew it all too well.

She knew Sara was a little apprehensive at first, about having a complete stranger listen to her story, but then she slowly hugged her back. She suspected it had something to do with Robb's face from behind her that Sara was looking at, who said it was okay.

When they pulled away, for some reason Rhea felt like she had made a friend for life.

And she knew that Sara felt it too. Sara smiled at her too. And it was the most genuine smile she'd received from a girl her own age in ages.

***

"It was nice what you did for Sara there, she can use a friend who is a girl her own age. Sansa and she aren't the closest." He said and watched as he waited for her to say something. "How long have you two been friends?" she asked and Robb felt the need to laugh when he kind of figured out where this was going to go.

"We've known each other forever, Jon, Sara, Theon and I. We grew up together, really. She's been an apprentice to Maester Luwin for as long as I can remember. Her father works with our family so.." "Of course, Jory Cassel's daughter, isn't she?" "Yes, that she is."

Robb decided that he was up for teasing her at the moment and asked, "You're jealous, aren't you?" with a teasing grin on his face, and if looks could kill, Robb would have died a thousand times over at that moment.

"I'm not jealous."

"Alright, Grumpy."

"Haha. That's very funny." she said, and when she glared at him, he laughed at her. For a few moments, they walked in silence, hand in hand. And then Robb finally said, "So you leave when eve falls." He asked, and she nodded her head and sighed. "Yes, I do."

"What were you doing there?" he asked, a little seriously this time, without any hidden implication.

"When I get back to King's Landing, they'll take their time planning this wedding. I'm just so used to the warm-hearted people of this place that, getting back to King's Landing just feels like getting back into the serpent hole. Like I won't make it. I learnt to keep myself contained all these years but now, I don't think I can. Even though it's only until I get back. But how long is that going to take? So, I just wanted to clear my head."

"Listen." he said, as he turned her toward him, and put both his hands on either side of her face. "We don't know how long it might take for you to come back, but Winterfell is your home now. Every time you feel like you're crushed, remember that you have to keep going so that you can come here, and live happier here than you have your whole life. Do you understand?" he asked, and she nodded and smiled, brought her hands to his lips and said, "I'm so happy I have you." and then she kissed him.

Then they pulled away, and she joined her mother later that evening, with Myrcella and Tommen in the carriage, on her way back to the capital city.

And little did he know how everything was going to change from then on.

***

She couldn't bring herself to get out of the bed or stop the bloody tears from falling. She was bold, she was strong, she can handle this. She wasn't crying over some idiot boy, was she? If he didn't hurt as much for leaving her, then why must she hurt that much?

But then again, when she tossed and turned knowing that her best friend from forever and her lover, has killed any chance of them being together, forever, she couldn't stop crying.

And that's when her little sister came in. "Beth? What is it?" Sara asked. Beth is a little six year old girl, who Sara loves with all her life. "You're crying." she said and hugged her elder sister as she cried more.

Her father came in then and asked Beth to give them some time alone, and Beth obeyed and went out.

"So you're just going to sit out and cry as I leave with that boy of yours?" Jory Cassel said as he sat on the edge of the bed, and his daughter put her head on his lap. "Yes." she said and sniffled. But then she jerked up as she wiped her eyes in haste. "How did you know?" she asked. Only Robb and Theon knew and only because they walked in on them once, but otherwise, no one did. But clearly, she was wrong.

"I'm your father, Sara. You'd do well to remember that, considering I'm leaving today with Lord Stark, and no one would be there to remind you." She laughed a little through her sobs and said, "I don't need reminding." she said.

"This might be your last chance, Sara, do you really not even want to give it a go?" he asked, and Sara said, "What's the point? He doesn't want to, then I won't either." she said and stood up.

She was done.

"I'm not going to cry over a stupid boy, father. Now, shouldn't we be going to the carriages? I'm coming with you so I can send you off." "Are you sure? Sara." he said and turned her towards him.

Of course, he doesn't believe her when she says she's sure.

But do I even believe myself?

"I am. Let's go, we don't want to be tardy, or we'll be offending the King." she said and smirked. "The Queen, you mean, the King couldn't care less about formality. Now Cersei Lannister on the other is a different story on the whole." he said and they both laughed a little.

They walked toward the crowd of people with Beth in tow, who stood next to a haggardly reckless Rickon and fought with him. "Sara, Rickon called me Frizzy again! I don't like it!" she said, and Rhea laughed a little. "Well, you definitely would have said something back, what did you say?" she asked, and Beth said, "I called him an idiot." "That's good. Boys shouldn't get away with everything." she said, and laughed a little.

"Hello Beth, do you mind if I stole your sister for a while? Run along!" Theon said, and Beth nodded and ran away, and Theon and Sara both looked at the crowd as they spoke. "Come to make fun of me, Theon? I'm not in the mood to deal with it right now." she said, snapping before he could say anything.

"Calm the hell down, Sara. I just came to say that I'm sorry your bastard is riding away from you. If you ever need to talk I'm here." he said, and Sara turned to him and said, "Thank you." But then again, Theon wouldn't be Theon if he didn't start with his stupid comments and said, "But if you want to do more than talking, I'm here for that too." and sniggered.

"Gods Theon, just do the whole realm a favour and just evaporate, will you?" she said, and he laughed and walked away. She laughed a little too, but then abruptly stopped.

She then saw him, looking at her, from afar. She walked toward him and asked him to come with her. "Just a minute please?" she pleaded when she saw his eyes flick toward his Uncle Benjen with hesitation. So he came.

They walked until people were out of sight.

"So, you were going to leave without saying goodbye?" she asked, with her tears threatening to fall. "I suppose so." he said, and he didn't even look at her. "Look at me, Jon. Look at me, and tell me you don't love me anymore." she said, and when he didn't, she said it again. And then he did.

"You're such an idiot, do you know that? I hate you." she said, and then she kissed him. And as she did, a single tear fell.

He then pulled away, and they walked back to the party, where she walked him to his horse in silence. When they reached, she stroked the horse's mane, gave her best to Benjen Stark and walked without looking back at him.

And once she had kissed her father on the cheek and bid him goodbye, she went back inside and she lost it.

She cried on for hours.

***

Of course, he knew that leaving would mean that he would have to forsake every happiness that he already had, but it wasn't as if he already had much, was it? Apart from Sara, he had nothing else there, except Robb and Theon at times too. And in the short time that they had talked, he saw no disgust in the Princess's eyes either.

Rhea had come walking toward him as he stroked his horse's mane, but he couldn't see the girl that he wanted to see.

Sara, you hate me so much that you didn't want to see me? But that's good too, I don't have to remember you that way.

"So, there's no changing your mind?" she asked, and Jon was surprised with the close proximity that they stood in, considering there is a huge crowd bustling around them and the rules that she'd have to follow. But then, Rhea didn't seem like a part of the rule-abiding nobility- she was more like Arya.

"I don't suppose there is." He said and smiled at her. "Said your goodbyes to Robb?" he added, and she shrugged. "It's not a goodbye for me, but it is for you." she said, and gave him a sombre look. "Thank you." he said.

"Why?" she asked, puzzled. "For not looking at me like I was useless scum." she let out a little laugh and said, "No one deserves to be treated like that, and from the looks of it, you definitely don't. I have a feeling we would be really good friends." she said.

He smiled and looked away to see Theon and Sara talking and her laughing at something he said. Rhea may have noticed it, she looked at him and said, "That's my cue to leave. but if you ask me, you should talk to her." and then she joined her family.

Sara then approached him, slowly and said, "Come with me." When he looked behind to Uncle Benjen, she asked again, and he knew he wouldn't be able to say no, not to those eyes that he had come to love.

And then when they kissed away in the empty grounds, away from the crowd, Jon wanted to let go of it all and stay back. If that was her intention, she was definitely good at it, but he couldn't let himself succumb to his desires, not when his other desire knocked him over.

After they walked back to the party and he watched as she tearfully kissed her father on the cheek, and bid goodbye to him. And then, he took off on his horse.

A single tear fell on his cheek.

***