KINGDOM FALL
— 58. Rebirth

Grey Wind suddenly entered through the gates of Winterfell, slowly moving toward Annalys' corpse. He whined as he reached Annays, nudging at her arm with his snout. Usually, she'd pet him whenever he walked over to her, but there was nothing. Annalys was now nothing. Grey Wind continued to whine, laying down next to where Jaime held Annalys' lifeless body in his arms.

Just then, Robb entered, alongside many of his men. He became confused when he saw everyone in the courtyard, all of which were sullen and quiet. However, his eyes widened and filled with tears when he saw what laid ahead. Annalys, dead, lying limp in her father's arms.

"No, no," Robb frantically shook his head, on the verge of crying as he went to rush over to Annalys.

However, before he could, Thoros of Myr and Beric Dondarrion suddenly entered, looking determined about something. They pushed past Robb, not looking shocked when they saw Annalys' dead body, "It's exactly like you seen in the flames," Beric told Thoros quietly, but it was loud enough for Robb to hear.

"It seems we were led here for a reason." Thoros responded, exchanging a look with his firned.

They knew what must be doing. They needed to resurrect Annalys, just as the Lord of Light wanted them to.

Before anyone could react, Beric and Thoros rushed over to where Jaime held Annalys' body in his arms, still crying over her body. Just then, they pried Annalys from Jaime's grip, laying her flat down on the ground, "What are you--" Jaime asked, a horrified look on his face.

Just then, Thoros leaned over Annalys' body, beginning to chant the same words he always recited when he resurrected Beric, "Lord, cast your light upon this woman, your servant. Bring her back from death and darkness. Her flame has been extinguished, restore it. For the night is dark and full of terrors." He chanted, just before repeating it, "Lord, cast your light upon this woman, your servant. Bring her back from death and darkness. Her flame has been extinguished, restore it. For the night is dark and full of terrors."

Thoros slowly pulled away Annalys and both Jaime and Robb watched in confusion, not knowing what was on the verge of happening.

Robb kept his eyes fixed on Annalys' body, only to have his eyes widen when he saw Annalys' fingers move slightly. Just then, a large gasp for breath escaped Annalys' mouth as she abruptly sat up.

Each person in the courtyard was stunned speechless, especially Jaime and Robb. Not knowing what was going on, Annalys glanced around with wide eyes, panting for breath. She didn't understand what was going on. Why was she in the courtyard?

The last thing she could remember was standing in the weirwood forest, fighting the Night King. She had defeated him, but her wounds were far too life-threatening for her to tell the tale. She had dropped to her knees before falling face first into the snow, dying soon after.

"Your Grace," Beric suddenly called out, causing Annalys to turn to him with wide eyes after he snapped her out of her trance like state, "How are you feeling?"

Annalys still had trouble breathing, causing her to pant as she weakly rose to her feet. She attempted to run forward, only to stumble since she was still weak. Before she could collapse to the ground, however, Robb rushed forward and caught her in his arms. He was able to steady her before she could completely fall to the ground.

Annalys turned to Robb, finding herself staring intently into his eyes. She suddenly found herself feeling safe, but she didn't know why. She and Robb were still at war with each other, why was she comforted by the fact that he was there?

Noticing how Annalys looked uneasy about his hands on her, he quickly backed away and let go of her. Annalys looked down at her hands, feeling an odd sensation in what seemed to be her veins. It made her insides feel itchy and almost painful.

Slowly, Annalys turned in a circle, finding everyone's eyes on her. They looked completely shocked by the fact that Annalys came back from the dead. After all, there wasn't many people in the world who could say they had seen someone resurrected.

"She rose from the dead!" A man from Robb's army shouted.

"Queen Annalys rose from the dead!"

"She's a god!"

"Long live Queen Annalys!" The servant Annalys had met her during her first day back in Winterfell exclaimed, leading to many others doing the same as they began to kneel before Annalys.

Annalys frowned, not understanding why the people of the North were bowing down to her, especially when their king was standing right there.

Thoros walked over to Annalys, noticing the puzzled look on her face, "They've never seen someone resurrected before. They believe you're a gift from the Gods. The Old and the New. The person who will save Westeros from its destined destruction at the hands of Stannis Baratheon."

Annalys turned to Thoros, a puzzled look on her face at the mention of herself coming back to life, "Resurrection?" She questioned him in confusion.

"You were poisoned," Beric informed Annalys as he joined into their conversation, "Don't you remember?"

Annalys remained silent for a moment. She closed her eyes, finally beginning to remember what had happened, "The moon tea," She informed the group quietly, watching as Jaime and Robb joined them as well, "Ramsay had it poisoned."

"Moon tea?" Jaime suddenly asked, a deeply concerned look on his face, "Isn't that for— " He began to question, only to notice the look on Annalys' face that told him to shut up.

Jaime sighed in defeat, immediately stopping what he was saying. Robb, who noticed what Jaime had done, glanced between the duo, a puzzled look on his face.

"I poisoned Ramsay and his men. They're in the Great Hall." Annalys informed the group, her voice shaky as she spoke to them.

Beric looked down at Annalys' hands, noticing the way they shook as if she were both cold and terrified, "Let's get you inside. We must talk about what has happened." Beric insisted, wasting no time walking back into the castle with Annalys and Thoros.

Jaime and Robb watched helplessly, knowing there was no use in trying to stop them. Once she was out of sight, Robb turned to look at Jaime, noticing how the elder man quickly wiped his remaining tears.

Once Jaime noticed Robb staring at him, he immediately began to glare, "She's my firstborn and she died in my arms. Do you expect me not to cry?" He snapped at Robb coldly, just before walking off.

___

   Once making their way inside, Annalys sat in Winterfell's library, Beric and Thoros standing in front of her. "When you died, what did you see?" Beric questioned Annalys, who tensed up.

She refused to tell them she saw herself in the future, happily married to Robb with five children.

She also refused to tell him she saw herself fighting the Night King. They'd think she was a madwoman for thinking that the White Walkers were still alive. However, she could easily tell them about what else she saw.

"I felt like I was dreaming. I saw fire. Dragons. I saw myself riding one, a green one," Annalys admitted without hesitation, causing Beric to frown, "I saw myself sitting on the Iron Throne. A Stark and Lannister banner combined, hanging from the walls of the Red Keep," She paused, glancing between both men, "Like the one Robert had for him and my mother, but with a direwolf instead of a stag."

"You had visions, then?" Thoros questioned, but he and Beric still confused about everything.

"That was no vision," Annalys admitted, shaking her head at the question, "It was real."

"The Lord of Light doesn't just resurrect anyone, Queen Annalys," Beric pointed out to Annalys, who visibly began to tense up at the question, "We were sent here for a reason."

"Please don't tell me I'm the Azor Ahai. I've heard it enough already this past year," Annalys complained, causing the duo's eyes to widen in shock.

"Who told you that?" Beric questioned Annalys in disbelief.

"A red priestess. Melisandre of Asshai," Annalys informed them in calm tone, "She showed me visions. She says I'll be the one to kill the Night King. That I'll bring about the end of darkness. She says I'll make kings rise and fall."

Thoros and Beric remained silent, sharing an uneasy look with each other.

___

Nightfall soon came around and Annalys still felt out of place after being raised from the dead. She felt different, like something was missing. She had no clue what it was. She knew one thing, however. She needed to speak with Robb.

She felt the need to, for some reason. It was as though she couldn't sleep until she did so. She also knew she needed to end the war between them once and for all. The only way for that to happen was to let Robb see his children.

Annalys walked up to the room Robb found himself staying in for the night, seeing as though his old room was filled with Ramsay's old belongings. Annalys took a deep breath, just before she knocked on the door to Robb's room.

She waited a few moments, but still, there was no answer. She found herself sighing in defeat, quickly turning to leave.

Just then, the door to Robb's room opened, revealing Robb to be standing before her, wearing nothing but his pants. Annalys immediately realized he had been getting dressed when she knocked and that was why it took him so long to answer, not because he didn't want to speak with her.

"Annalys," Robb greeted Annalys, feeling relieved to see her standing before her, despite being expected to feel quite the opposite.

"May I come in?" Annalys asked Robb softly and the Stark man immediately nodded.

Robb opened the door wider, allowing Annalys to enter before he shut the door behind her. Once entering the room, Annalys glanced around, finding herself smiling when she realized it was the bedroom always occupied by the Lord of Winterfell. That was now Robb.

"This room fits you." Annalys quietly responded, a soft smile on her face, despite still feeling uneasy while in his presence.

"It doesn't." Robb confessed, causing Annalys to turn to him with a puzzled look, "It was my father's room."

"You're the Lord of Winterfell now. And the King in the North," Annalys pointed out to Robb in a calm tone, "It belongs to you now."

"Aye, but no queen to share to this room with." He quietly chuckled at the weird look on her face, "You must stop being so reckless, you know. You nearly died today."

Hearing Robb's words, Annalys' smile immediately fell. She knew he was right. For once, she knew she had to admit it, "I know," She found herself whispering softly, the two of them taking a seat near the window in the room.

It felt awkward to them, to be having such a normal conversation, especially after what happened between them just months before. Not to mention, the war.

"How is Lady Eleanor?" Annalys suddenly asked, causing Robb to tense uncomfortably, "I was surprised when I didn't hear news of your marriage."

Annalys turned to Robb, an amused smile on her face when she noticed how Robb refused to answer, "What, did she reject you and take the baby when she left?" She bluntly asked, clearly trying to piss Robb off.

Robb tried his hardest not to be angry with Annalys. She didn't know. If she did, she wouldn't be saying such a thing, "Eleanor died in childbirth." He informed Annalys, who felt herself immediately feeling guilty for ever saying such a thing.

Annalys' eyes immediately softened after hearing Robb's question. She found herself feeling guilty for saying such a thing. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't—" She began to apologize, but Robb quickly cut her off.

"It's alright," Robb quickly replied in assurance, trying his hardest not to look saddened, "You didn't know."

"What about the baby?" Annalys found herself asking since it was the only thing she could think about.

"Olyvar is being taken care of by the Mallisters at their castle," Robb informed Annalys as her eyes widened at the choice of name.

"Olyvar?" She asked quietly, a small amused smile on her face, "That's his name?"

"Yes, Olyvar," Robb responded, only to smile as he noticed the odd look on Annalys' face, "What, you don't like it?"

"You can tell by the name he's a child from the Riverlands," She remarked, chuckling lowly, "I would have thought you'd choose a northern name."

"I didn't choose the name," Robb confessed truthfully, "She did. Right before she died."

Annalys gave Robb a sympathetic look, watching as he looked down in shame.

It was clear to her that he never truly cared for Eleanor in a romantic way, but that didn't mean he didn't feel guilty that Eleanor died due to complications giving birth to his bastard child.

"Are you going to acknowledge him as your bastard?" Annalys suddenly asked, breaking the most of silence between them.

"Maybe, now that I have Winterfell again." Robb answered, shrugging his shoulders in response.

By the look on his face, Annalys knew Robb felt uncomfortable talking about the child with her, especially since Olyvar's conception was the reason they split and Annalys left him in the first place.

Annalys didn't care, though. Despite the child being the product of Robb's infidelity, Annalys refused to let him be neglected by his own father because of it.

She wasn't Catelyn. Nor would she ever be.

"You should," Annalys told Robb, who immediately gave her a weird look at the fact that Annalys was encouraging him to do such a thing, "It's the right thing to do, Robb. The child shouldn't be raised without his parents."

Robb nodded his head in agreement, only to have the room fall silent. "The war still isn't over, though, Robb. You and I are at war, even as we speak," She pointed out to Robb, clearly ruining their tender moment.

Robb turned to Annalys, shooting her an annoyed look at the reminder, "Most of my men just bent the knee to you at the castle walls after seeing you come back from the dead, Annalys. I don't think it's possible for me to win a war against you now." Robb explained to Annalys, sounding slightly frustrated.

Annalys found herself smiling uneasily, knowing he was right. "Perhaps we should end the war, then." She suggested in a calm tone.

"How do you expect to do that?" Robb questioned, clearly not expecting her to be capable of such a thing after everything they had done.

"I'll let you see your children," Annalys suddenly suggested, causing Robb's eyes to widen in shock, "You can legitimize them in the North, which will make Lyanna and Eddard heirs to both Casterly Rock and the North. They'll legally be Starks and Lannisters. We can lie and say the annulment occurred after their births. The men will believe us, you know they will."

Robb found himself filled with joy at Annalys' proposition. However, deep down, a part of him felt as though she wanted something in return. Annalys was a Lannister through and through now, she said it herself, and he knew Lannisters never did anything for free. They always wanted something in return.

"What do you want in return?" Robb questioned Annalys in concern, "Surely, you're not doing this from the goodness of your heart."

Annalys felt a pang in her chest at Robb's words. It hurt her, in all honesty.

"I want peace," She suddenly confessed and Robb immediately regretted after saying such a thing to her, "I don't want to fight anymore, Robb. Not with you fighting on the opposing side. There's another war coming soon, Robb, and we need to stick together if we want to survive long enough to win it."

"I'm not talking about Stannis, either. I'm talking about Daenerys Targaryen. She's coming and we need to stick together if we want to survive," Annalys informed Robb, knowing there was no use in mentioning the war against the dead.

Robb would never believe her. No one would. People believed the White Walkers were dead, some even thought they weren't real at all, nothing could change that.

"When can I see the twins?" Robb found himself asking, a curious look on Annalys' face.

"You can leave with me in a fortnight. Jaime's already headed to Casterly Rock without me. You may come with me when I leave, but we must wait until the rest of your men return North. I refuse to leave here without knowing the North are in safe hands and protected from any man who dare try to harm the innocents here like Ramsay Snow did," Annalys explained to Robb, who seemed slightly taken aback by how determined she was to keep the North safe now, despite just fighting against them in war not even three months before.

Spending more than a fortnight with Ramsay in Winterfell had that effect on her.

"What about Euron Greyjoy?" Robb suddenly asked Annalys, causing her to give him a confused look.

"What about him?" Annalys responded, looking to be puzzled by his question.

"You're going to marry him, but why? Why are you marrying a Greyjoy?" Robb desperately asked Annalys and she immediately realized apart of him was jealous about it.

"Do you think I want to marry him, Robb?" Annalys complained to Robb, sounding frustrated, "I need his fleet of ships. It's the only reason I agreed."

Robb sighed in defeat, slowly nodding his head in agreement. He glanced around as it became quiet between them. Just then, his eyes locked on a purple mark on the crook of Annalys' neck. However, most of it was covered by the robe Annalys wore over her shift.

Robb cautiously lifted his hand, brushing his fingers over the bruise on Annalys' neck. Annalys didn't snap at Robb for touching her. Instead, she winced, trying her best not cry out at the pain she felt from his touch, "What is that?" He asked in concern, knowing it must have been severe if it hurt her that much when he barely even touched the bruise.

"Nothing," Annalys lied to Robb, shaking her head, "Forget about it."

Robb, of course, didn't take no for answer and pulled the back of her robe open slightly, noticing that there were even more bruises on her back, "Seven hells, Annalys!" He exclaimed, not even warning Annalys before he ripped open her robe to reveal large bruises all over each exposed part of her body.

"What happened?" Robb asked, a horrified look on his face at how bruised she was.

Hearing Robb's question, Annalys slowly turned to him, beginning to tear up instead of lashing out, "Ramsay Snow happened," She replied, her voice a mere whisper.

"What happened when you were here?" Robb quietly questioned Annalys, trying his hardest not to look saddened.

"I fucked him," Annalys bluntly responded, but tears remained welled in her eyes, "Many times. I did it in order to get what I wanted. And it worked, for a time. He enjoyed being rough, though. Very rough. I didn't like that, but I dealt with it." She paused, noticing the look on Robb's face.

She didn't tell him the whole truth. Robb could see that, but he didn't question her any further, noticing the way she was on the verge of breaking down.

"You have no right to judge me." She snapped at him, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.

"I'm not," Robb replied without hesitation, being absolutely truthful with her.

"I did it to take back the North. I did it to prove to you that I wasn't really your enemy," Annalys confessed, causing Robb's eyes to soften, "I did it so you'd give me my father back."

A sad look grew on Robb's face as Annalys forced herself to turn her head in order to avoid eye contact with him. She tried her hardest not to cry, despite wanting nothing than to do that.

Robb hated himself for it. Annalys practically gave herself to the enemy to get her father back because Robb was too stubborn to agree to her terms. It was his fault she was feeling the way she was.

Noticing how distraught Annalys looked, Robb wasted no time grabbing Annalys' hand, squeezing it in comfort. The feeling of Robb's touch caused Annalys to relax slightly. She turned her head slightly, realizing just how close they were. It was wrong, but since returning from the dead, Robb seemed to be the only thing that still felt somewhat right in her life.

Robb continued to give Annalys an assuring look as he stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. He slowly lifted his other hand, cautiously moving Annalys' hair out of her face. Annalys knew what was about to occur. She knew the right thing to do was to reject and refuse him, but she couldn't.

Despite everything, she wanted to kiss him again. She wanted to feel his lips against hers. She wanted to feel his body against hers once more. It was wrong, but she wanted to be with him in that way again. She loved him. And he loved her. More than anything.

They loved each other, despite everything around them trying to tear them apart.

Annalys' breath became shaky as she watched Robb slowly lean toward her. He placed one hand on the side of her face, just before their lips touched. Annalys moaned into the kiss, deepening the kiss, despite knowing it was wrong.

She continued to kiss him as Robb ran his hands down her body. Suddenly, feeling an itching sensation in her veins once more, Annalys opened her eyes while Robb was still kissing her. She looked down at her right arm, only to notice how her veins were slightly blackened, which was far from what it should have been.

A part of her thought it must have been a sign, that what she was doing was wrong. She began to think of what Maggy the Frog said as well. Not being able to take it any longer, despite how good it felt, Annalys quickly pulled away kissing Robb. Her eyes were wide while Robb stared at her both in confusion and concern.

"I'm sorry, Robb, but I can't," Annalys whispered to Robb softly, a saddened look on her face, "Not again. Not after everything. It's wrong. We're wrong for each other."

Annalys quickly stood up, giving Robb an apologetic look before walking out of his room. Once walking down the hallway a bit, Annalys rushed to her own chambers. Once getting there, she couldn't take the itchy sensation in her veins anymore.

Annalys walked over to the table, picking up her knife. Without thinking, she cut into her wrist, only to have her eyes widen in horror at the sight before her. Her blood was black. How could that be?

Annalys began to tear up, crying out as she cut the palm of her hand to see that black blood spilled from there as well. It wasn't normal. How could her blood be black?

Suddenly, Annalys froze, realizing what was going on. Each time Beric had been resurrected, the wound that killed him always stayed with him. Perhaps that was why her blood was black. She had been poisoned. She had died when the poison had gotten into her bloodstream and turned it black. Black blood had spilled from her eyes and nose when she died.

   Tears began to spill from Annalys' eyes at the thought. Her blood was now black. It'd always be black. She feared that she was cursed. What kind of person had black blood? Someone who wasn't even human.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

The first out of four wars is over!  Be ready, Annalys and Robb will be traveling through the Riverlands together to get to Casterly Rock.

LOTS OF STUFF WILL HAPPEN

BOTH GOOD AND BAD

I still can't believe you all thought Melisandre would be the one to resurrect her and it ended up being Thoros🤣