She must be dreaming.

Tis all a dream.

Tis not happening.

She is still in Aemond's arms, nothing is happening.

Harrenhal was not being seized.

Alyarra sobbed quietly as Sabitha Frey and her garrison escorted her to the Harrenhal Great Hall. She was holding her baby tightly to her chest, afraid that at any moment someone would try to take him from her. Cregan. Her brother was here, she was being taken to him yet all Alyarra felt was dread. She was scared, she just wanted Aemond. Why did he leave her in Harrenhal? Why wasn't he there to protect her?

When the doors to the Great Hall opened, Alyarra felt the air going out of her lungs as she was met face to face with her brother for the first time in a year. Cregan's lips turned upward in a wide grin as he rushed to Alyarra, engulfing her and Baelon in a bone crushing hug. Though she did not react, she was in shock— seeing her brother felt like a fever dream. Was he really there? Of was this just a hallucination?

Cregan's tough front shattered as he held his sister in his arms, tears freely spilling from his eyes as he hugged her tightly. He thought this day would never come, he thought he would never see Alyarra again— but alas there she was. Alive and well, his sister was alive— she was back in his arms where he could protect her.

She was in shock, her eyes wide as Cregan held her. Alyarra could feel him sobbing into her shoulder but she had no idea what to do, her mind could only drift back to Aemond— back to her husband and father of her children. Where was he? Would he come back for them? Would he rescue her?

Cregan pulled away after a long time holding her and inspected his sister, frowning at her lack of response in their reunion— and that was when he really saw her. His sister did not seem like herself, she was but the ghost of the lively girl Cregan once knew. "Sister..." He whispered, his eyes inspecting her face as she looked up at him with teary eyes.

He had expected her to hug him, to cheer— for he had come to rescue her from her fate. She remained unmoving for a second, and then she pushed him away with all of her might— catching him completely and utterly off guard. "W-What?" He questioned, brows furrowed together as he looked back at his sister.

"W-Who do you think you are?" Alyarra asked him, turning away from Cregan to shield Baelon's crying face from him. "Y-You abandoned me... and now you h-hug me? Who g-gives you the r-right?" She asked, her voice shaky.

"Abandoned you?! What in the world do you mean?! I have been trying to save you for moons! I have been fighting for you!" Cregan shot back in a defensive manner, he could hardly understand what Alyarra meant. He had fought for her, for her safe return.

"For me?! You have been fighting for me?! You abandoned me! And then you tried to sell me off to Jacaerys Velaryon! You do not care for me, you only care for yourself and your son! Your legacy." It was all coming to a head at once, all of her emotions of sadness and anger were mixing together— bitterness was all she felt for her brother.

"What?! I only tried to do what was best for you! For our legacy! For our House! Tis what father would have wanted, for us to keep his oath!" Cregan was now shouting at her, anger pouring out of him as he stared at his sister in utter disbelief.

"Father would have wanted you leave me unguarded, abandoned?! You were my brother, and you sided against me! Did you know how bad it was for me!? They killed Catherryn and it's all your fault." Her words were aiming to hurt, even if she did not mean them. She was just so angry, so upset at his abandonment.

The mention of Cregan's former lover made him lose every ounce of control he had. "Everybody out, NOW." His voice was a loud angry roar which made all of his guards leave the Great Hall at once. Alyarra did not care how angry he was, she was just as mad as him— perhaps even more.

When alone Cregan finally said, "Do you know all of the efforts I have made to get you back? All the peace offerings I have tried to level with Aegon and your cunt husband? Everything I have tried to do to get my family back?" his words were slow and precise.

"Sure... and all of them were just so you could sell me off to someone else! You do not care about me or Baelon. All that you care for is yourself... you're selfish..." Alyarra trailed, her voice cracking as she stared at him. In the depths of her heart she wanted to run into his arms, to squeeze him tight and never let him go.

"Everything I have fucking done was for you, Alyarra! Every single thing! To get you back, to avenge Catherryn... what don't you understand?!" He asked frantically, he was almost tempted to grab her shoulders and shake her into understanding.

"Really? Siding with my husband's enemies was for me?! You should have known better! You should have supported me! You should not have put me in danger as you did!" She cried back.

"We had an oath, Alyarra. I had to keep it! Twas our family's honor on the line!" She scoffed at his words, they were like a dagger to her heart.

"What about my life?! It was on the line too... Catherryn's life! You put us in danger, you got her killed with your decision! This is war, Cregan! And you did not protect me..." She was now avidly crying, and her words hit him deeply.

"But I am here now! I will protect you... I will bring you back to our home where you and my nephew belong. We will put this all behind us, everything will go back to how it was..." Cregan told her, his eyes shining with optimism.

"The North? No. I am not going." She stated sternly, taking a step back from her brother— and the statement took him by surprise. "Do you not want to be safe? Is this not what you want? To be away from war?" He questioned her.

"I want to be with Aemond. He loves me, he takes care of me. He will never abandon me, us." She said, motioning to her son and her growing pregnant belly— a gesture that took Cregan by surprise. "You are with child again?" He asked slowly.

"I am." She said simply, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"You are coming with me. You are a Stark, these children are Starks. They belong in the North with me to protect them." Cregan told her, his voice now stern as he eyed his sister— he had made his mind up and he would take no contest.

"No! I am staying here until my husband comes back. I belong with him." Alyarra said with much conviction.

"Your husband is a traitor to the crown, your husband is a kinslayer. He will be murdered for his crimes against the Queen Rhaenyra. You will only be pardoned because of your status as my sister, you must come back with me." Cregan said.

"Not if he murders her first!" Alyarra said callously, without thinking of the consequences of her words. Cregan finally lost it, he stalked to his sister and grabbed her arm forcefully, glaring down at her angrily. "The war is as well as over, Alyarra. King's Kanding is ours, and soon the realm will follow." he spat.

Alyarra yanked her arm from his grasp and pushed him backwards. "Tis not over till Aemond says so." She said while patting Baelon's back to try and calm down his crying.

"Aemond?! Gods, why are you clinging on so tightly to him? He is a monster! He will die for his crimes!" Cregan said in a frantic manner, he could hardly believe this was a discussion they were truly having.

"He loves me! He never abandoned me! He never pawned me off for his benefit! He is everything you are not!" Alyarra said, her voice cracking once again. She knew her husband was a monster, but when she had nothing— he was there for her. When she was abandoned, he loved her. He was the only one who ever loved her, the only one who ever would.

"I am your brother, your Lord. You are coming no with me wether you like it or not." Cregan stated in a fierce manner. "No... I am staying here until Aemond comes for me!" She shrieked.

"If I have to drag you by the fucking hair back to the North, I will. I am not letting you stay with Aemond, he will die screaming in flames for his treason but my sister shall not, will not burn with him." Cregan spat angrily, stalking out of the Great Hall to order his garrison to prepare the carriages.

He had come for his sister, and he would leave Harrenhal with her.

-

Alyarra and Baelon were put inside the carriages by force the very same night she saw Cregan again. Cregan did not even allow Alyarra to change her clothing, he simply draped a fur coat over her body and forced her to get in. He did not even let her bring her lady in waiting, Lucy. He put her in the carriage and took her to the North, away from all war.

It took a fortnight for her to get back to Winterfell, it was the worst two weeks of her life. Constantly she dreamt of Aemond coming to get her and Baelon. She dreamt of him holding her, of him loving her. Even when all he brought her was pain, she still felt he was the only man who would ever care for her truly.

Winterfell was not the same place she used to know. She would dream of being back home, but now that she was— she did not feel at ease. This was not the place she used to know, because she was not the girl that she used to be. She was different, she used to be a wolf— now she did not know what she was if she wasn't with him.

Alyarra was sure that Aemond would come for her, but the days would pass and he would not appear. She swore he would storm Winterfell, but he never came. She awaited by the windows every day, praying to see Vhagar— to see her savior.

It was confusing. She used to pray to go back to Winterfell, to be back in her brother's loving arms but when she finally was— all she wanted was to go back to King's Landing. Nobody loved her like Aemond loved her, nobody cared for her like Aemond cared for her. She worried every second of every day, worried that he would think that she abandoned him— that he would think she betrayed him.

"Tis not over till I say it is." His words ran rampant in her mind. When would he come for her? Why couldn't he just fly in on his dragon and take them back? The days passed in Winterfell but they all looked the same, her brother plotted to march his army to the capital to help the Queen; and all Alyarra did was look out of the window.

She would never be herself without the security of Aemond's loving arms keeping her from harm.

Alyarra was feeding Baelon on the twenty-third day of the fifth moon. It was noon when Cregan came into her chambers with an stoic expression on his face. She did not care to acknowledge him as she coddled her baby boy, though she could feel his intense gaze on her. "Sister... may I speak with you?" He asked.

Alyarra did not respond to her brother, instead she continued feeding her son. Cregan cleared his throat and moved towards her, close enough so he could place a hand on her shoulder. "Tis about your husband." He whispered. Alyarra looked up at Cregan instantly, and her brother responded by grabbing Baelon from her arms and walking over to his play mat— setting him down gently on it.

The toddler was oblivious to everything as he grabbed his tiny wooden wolf and brought it to his mouth. Cregan took a deep breath as Alyarra looked up at him with confused eyes. "What is it? Has he come for us?" Alyarra asked.

Cregan shook his head. "Aemond is dead."