Late at night, Winterfell, master bedroom.
The heavy oak door closed behind him, isolating the hustle and bustle and alcohol that remained in the depths of the castle.
Duke Ed was so tired that his bones were about to fall apart.
To entertain Robert and his large entourage, Ed spent no less energy than directing a battle.
He dragged his steps to the edge of the bed.
The room was warm to the point of stickiness, a gift from the hot springs deep underground in Winterfell, where water vapor condensed into fine water droplets on the stone walls and tapestries.
The embers in the fireplace emitted a dark red light, casting swaying shadows on the walls.
Ed took off his heavy coat and leather armor stained with the atmosphere of the banquet, leaving only a close-fitting linen shirt.
He lifted the heavy fur quilt and got inside, immediately enveloped in a familiar fragrance and warm body.
Caitlyn silently wrapped around her, snuggling tightly into his broad chest.
The burning heat of the skin-to-skin blind date dispelled the last chill of him and ignited another deep desire for exhaustion.
After a long time, the passion receded like a tide.
Ed lay on his back, his chest slightly undulating, and the beads of sweat oozing from the corners of his forehead shimmered in the dim light.
Caitlin's body recovered quickly under the treatment of Bachelor Lewin, which was also due to Caitlin's good physical fitness.
In addition, she is still young, only in her early thirties.
If it weren't for someone secretly poisoning her, Caitlyn would never have had a miscarriage.
Caitlin lay on top of him, her cheek pressed against his sweaty chest, feeling the strong heartbeat gradually calm down.
Her slender fingers circle his tight abs, breathing with an afterward sluggishness.
Her voice was soft: "Ned, please tell me that you will accept the king's request and go south to King's Landing to be the king's hand, won't you?" "
She raised her head, and her blue eyes, which had been dim with grief, now shone brightly under the warm halo.
Ed's gaze wanders.
His Adam's apple rolled and his voice was low, "No, Caitlin, I'll turn him down, stay in the Northland, stay in Winterfell, with you and the children - that's what I'm supposed to do." ""
The blush on Caitlin's face instantly faded a little and was replaced by shocking commentary.
She propped herself up, her long, supple auburn hair cascading down like a waterfall, her ends brushing across Ed's cheeks, bringing a hint of itching.
"I thought you would agree..."
Her tone was filled with confusion and a hint of anxiety.
"You led his troops to fight, went south to conquer the Shijie Islands, and wasted more than half a year on the other side of the narrow sea, why did the king personally entrust you with the important task of prime minister at this time, and you retreated?"
As she spoke, she deftly turned over and straddled Ed's iron-solid abs, her body exposed to the warm, humid air, her curves outlining a thrilling beauty in the dark.
Her hands cupped Ed's angular face, her fingertips warm to the touch, forcing him to look at her.
Ever since Ed informed her of her decision to send Jon to the Great Wall of Despair during the King's Parade, Caitlyn seems to have unloaded her weight and radiated, and now all that remains in her eyes is the eagerness of the future and the relief of the "illegitimate child" who is about to leave.
Her legs were clamped slightly, her eyes burning, and she reached into the depths of Ed's gray-blue eyes: "Ned, you can't, and you shouldn't refuse the king's gracious invitation." This is both an honor and a responsibility. "
A bitter smile appeared on the corner of Ed's mouth, full of exhaustion and guilt.
"I just want to be by your side and fulfill the responsibilities of a husband, Caitlin, I don't want to, and I can't owe you anymore."
The child who was not born was a pain that Ed could never make up.
Caitlyn's gaze wandered over his face, a trace of deep sadness flashed across his eyes, but was immediately dispelled by her resolute shaking of his head.
"You don't need to blame yourself, it's not your fault. Never. "
Her fingertips stroked his furrowed brows: "As a vassal, it is your duty to respond to the call of the feudal lord, not to mention that your feudal lord is the king of the seven kingdoms and your brother." "
She paused, with a hint of joy on her face, and her voice became brisk: "And, Ned, did you see Sansa at the dinner party?" The queen favored her, and... If what the king said to you wasn't drunken, our Sansa, she is likely to become the queen of the Seven Kingdoms in the future, and your precious daughter will be happy to fly when she hears the news. "
Ed smiled at the corners of his mouth in cooperation, but his heart was cold.
He knows his wife too well.
She was so eager to encourage him to go south, and Sansa's engagement with Joffrey was probably the main motivation.
In the cold cellar, Robert did say this to him.
His little Joe and Sansa would tie the two of them together tightly, just like he and Lyanna did.
"But Sansa is only nine years old, she is still a little girl, innocent and ignorant."
Ed's voice was dry.
Caitlyn leaned down and held his face again with her hands, her warm breath intertwined, carrying her characteristic fragrance.
"Sansa will grow up, Ned, the marriage contract can be made first, do you know how many noble girls in all of Westeros are looking forward to it, dreaming of marrying the heir to the Iron Throne? If Sansa marries Joffrey, their children will rule vast territories from the Great Wall of Despair to the Mount of Dorne, and Stark's blood will flow through the future master of the Iron Throne. "
Like a kitten seeking warmth, she curled up again in Ed's arms, her upper body clinging to him, her smooth skin exuding the charm of a mature woman in the stuffy air.
In her early thirties, she was endowed with the plumpness and charm of a girlish youth, and her uneven white body was not only a gentle harbor for Ed, who was physically and mentally exhausted, but also an irresistible temptation and pressure.
Ed took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling.
He felt his wife's hot body temperature, as if he had also touched the fiery eagerness deep in her heart.
However, the image of the blonde prince at the dinner party stubbornly came to mind.
Joffrey Baratheon.
The child perfectly inherited his mother's arrogance, with a perpetual contempt for everything around him on the corner of his mouth, and his eyes were cold and cruel.
He is by no means the gentle and noble Prince Charming that Sansa imagined.
Ed's gaze fell into thought, and he struggled to organize the words of decline in his mind, trying to find a balance that would appease Caitlyn without going against his will.
But Caitlin didn't give him a chance. Her voice sounded again:
"For me, Ned, you have to go."
Ed's throat hardened, and all the prepared words were blocked there.
He saw the determination in Caitlin's eyes, a determination that a mother could give everything for her daughter.
She loved Sansa beyond words, how she longed to see her daughter wear the crown that symbolized supreme honor, and how she longed for her husband to take charge of the Seven Kingdoms.
He finally sighed long, heavily, his face full of exhausted submission.
"I—"
Caitlin's eyes instantly glowed with victory.
Her two slender but strong arms wrapped around Ed's neck, and her slender legs wrapped around him, bringing a soft touch that made the room breathe.
She whispered in his ear, her breath burning: "Promise me, Ned, let our Sansa - marry the future king..."
At this beautiful moment, the voice of the guard Desmond came from outside the room: "Master, I disturb your rest, Scholar Lu Wen is asking for an audience outside, saying that there is an urgent matter and must be reported to you immediately." "
Ed's brows instantly twisted into a pimple.
Physically and mentally exhausted, at this moment he just wanted to sink into the darkness of dreamlessness, and any disturbance was irritating.
Just as he was about to refuse, Desmond's voice sounded again: "Master, Bachelor, he ——- very insistent, saying that the matter is extremely urgent." "
An ominous premonition welled up in Ned's mind.
He reluctantly separated Caitlyn's soft body from himself and rolled over to get out of bed.
The cold stone ground instantly woke up his fatigue.
He quickly put on his shirt and trousers, put on a thick dressing gown and fastened his belt.
Bachelor Lu Wen was brought in, and his face full of ravines of time was full of rare anxiety at the moment, even a little pale.
In his hands was an inconspicuous wooden box and a letter with crumpled edges and frayed edges.
The bachelor's voice was urgent and low, with a deep apology: "Master, madam, I'm very sorry to disturb you at this time, but this matter is not trivial, someone sent two letters." One was quietly placed on my desk while I was napping in the study. "
He lifted the wooden box, which was plain and unpretentious.
"The other one was just delivered by the ravens."
He raised the crumpled letter.