Alaric leaned down and kissed her forehead. "I will get it for you, rose," he said quietly.
Roslin let out a long breath and nodded against his chest. The fear she had felt back at the Twins was fading. She felt safe and protected in his arms.
They lay in silence for a while, listening to the fire. Alaric rubbed his hand down her arm, then a teasing smirk grew on his face.
"You know," he whispered, his voice low and playful. "you weren't exactly quiet this morning."
Roslin froze. Her face turned bright red. "My Lord!" she squeaked, hiding her face against his neck.
"Who was it I heard moaning so loudly?" he teased. He tightened his grip on her waist and laughed softly. "These walls are thick, but I think the guards in the courtyard might have heard you."
"Please," she whispered into his shoulder. She was embarrassed, but she didn't pull away. She playfully swatted his chest. She wasn't afraid of him anymore; she actually liked the man who had taken her away from her father.
Alaric watched her blush. She looked more like a lady now and less like a girl on the run. He sat up, and the cold air hit his skin. Though Because of his buff, the chill didn't bother him at all.
"How about you stay here and rest while I go out?" Alaric said. "The castle is busy, and it's too cold for you to be out."
Roslin nodded, pulling herself from the warmth of the furs. Though her limbs felt heavy and a deep weariness clung to her bones, she stood to help him dress. Her hands lingered as she smoothed the grain of his leather vest, her gaze fixed steadily on his chest, avoiding his eyes.
Alaric tightened the buckle of his belt and checked the hang of his sword. It was only then that he noticed her standing on the unforgiving stone floor, her feet bare against the cold. He reached out, his hand ruffling her hair with a playful roughness that pulled a faint, flickering smile from her lips.
With a low whistle.
Livy and Rivy trotted into the room, still wearing the deceptive guise of ordinary hounds. heading straight for the hearth of the bed.
"They'll stay with you," Alaric promised.
Roslin nodded silently, watching as the two wolves leaped onto the foot of the bed and curled into tight circles. Though their bodies settled. Alaric stepped into the hallway, pulling the heavy oak door shut behind him.
"Bolt it from the inside," his voice called out, muffling as his footsteps began to recede.
...
Alaric leaned against a stone pillar in the glass gardens, his eyes closed. In his mind, a cold connection stretched hundreds of miles south to King's Landing. He reached out to the Blood Scout he had left behind, and the report flooded his mind—not in words, but in sharp, flickering images.
He saw King Robert pacing the Red Keep, restless and annoyed by the constant bickering between the Starks and Lannisters. The King was already planning his escape, a grand hunt in the Kingswood to find a boar. According to the scout, he would be leaving within the next few weeks.
The scout's vision shifted to the Lannister twins. Cersei and Jaime were watching the city gates, still waiting for news that Alaric had been killed on the road. They had no idea he was already in Winterfell.
Then, the image of Sansa Stark appeared. She was staying hidden in her rooms, using "exhaustion" as an excuse to stay away from Joffrey. The scout showed her sitting on a terrace with Margaery Tyrell. but Sansa looked guarded and careful. Nearby, hidden in the girl's own shadow, the wolf Nyx remained invisible.
Alaric let the connection fade.
...
Back in the guest room, the air was still. Roslin was already dressed, her hair neat and her bed made. She smoothed the blanket one last time, a habit she had learned back at the Twins.
A knock echoed against the wood.
Roslin froze. She looked at the door, then at the wolves. Livy and Rivy lifted their heads, their golden eyes tracking the sound, but they didn't growl.
The knock came again, firmer this time. Roslin swallowed hard and walked to the door. She opened it just an inch.
A man stood in the hallway. He was tall and lean, dressed in fine dark clothes with gold trim. He had a quick, easy smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. Those eyes were moving constantly, scanning the room behind her.
"Morning," he said. "I'm looking for Alaric Thorne."
Roslin gripped the edge of the door, her voice small. "He... he isn't here right now."
The man's smile widened, and he leaned slightly against the doorframe. "I see. And who might you be? I don't remember Alaric having such a pretty companion when he left for the south."