She offered a finger to Eddard, letting him suck on the tip in an effort to soothe him. He latched onto her, whimpering against her, but much quieter than before. "You are more than a stranger," she murmured to him. He was kind, even surrounded by horse dung and sharp smells. This wasn't the place for a king. "Eddard was fighting, even in my stomach." It had been painful carrying him, as he was always kicking her. He would likely carry that wolf blood, even into adulthood.

Her eyes were hesitant as he spoke, a glimmer of hope in her expression. It was a balm to her wounded heart, broken by the news of his marriage and knowing that he slipped away from her. The man she loved and had given herself to.

It was comforting, but also painful to hear. "It isn't that they sound empty." Her face was pained as she looked up at him. "I have no right to claim your heart now. Whatever I feel and however much I want you, I will only bring you trouble and dishonor." But she hated the thought of him with another woman. "I shouldn't have troubled you...I will ruin your reputation if anyone knows."

She couldn't allow that. He was king and needed his men's support. His good family especially.