When you return...

Caollaidhe walked along the paths of the garden. She just came back. Back from a journey that had last two years. Long two years. She smiled softly and stroke her stomach. Her husband had even left her alone for two years before he came back to pick her up and spent another two years with her, travelling around the countries. It was like he wanted to escape from Riverrun and his cousin. Caollaidhe chuckled. No, he wasn't like that.

Her fingertips touched softly a flower on her way and she started humming. It was a wonderful sunny day and there was no need to stay inside. If she could, she would've already greeted her cousin-in-law and his new wife. But they seemed to be busy, and she wasn't the person to interrupt important meetings. A little sigh slipped out of her mouth. Since the pregancy started, her mood changed often. Sometimes like the tides. One moment she was happy, the next second she sat somewhere and cried.

At a small bank, she sat down, enjoying the sun and smell of the flowers. Her eyes closed and she smiled gently.

Eric was briefly passing by Riverrun: he had been in King's Landing to collect some money for the watch and now was on his way back. Still, the journey was long and nobody would blame if he would take some rest: he had left the horse in the stables and helped himself in the kitchen to some decent meal and now, after a short nap, he was wondering in the garden, waiting for his horse to recover as well.
He was walking without any specific thoughts in his mind when he spotted the sight of a familiar figure: he grinned. He hadn't seen her in so long... he wondered when she had come back!
"Now that's a meeting I didn't even dare hoping to have!" he said after approaching her silently

Caollaidhe flinched, when a voice suddenly appeared behind her. She turned around to scold the person who frightened her for a moment, when she realised who it was. A soft smile curled up on her lips.

"We haven't seen each other for quite some time.", she answered warm and gently. "How have you been my dear?", she patted on the bank next to her. It felt good to finally see a known face again.

"Quite some time indeed! Two years, if not more! I think that after so long I deserve at least a hug!" he approached her, opening his arms, inviting her: she was always so formal, he was never able to be but he always liked her. She was just the right girl for his brother.

Caollaidhe stood up and walked towards Eric. She embraced him in a warm hug and closed her eyes, smiling. "I missed you.", she leaned back. "I missed all of you. Though it was exciting to be somewhere else too.", Caollaidhe lifted her hand and stroke through Eric's hair. "You're still quite charming. Did you even grew a bit more, or did I lost the sight for reality since we haven't seen each other for so long?", her eyes shimmered in joy.

"Are you going to stay longer at Riverrun, or shall I miss you again for some time?"

He hugged her back with bearish ways, smiling back to her. It was only during the hug that he realized something in her was different, but he didn't say anything on the spot: could it be? "I misses you too, dear sister" sure she wasn't really his sister, but a sister in law was the closest thing he had ever had to a sister "But I'm afraid we're going to miss each other again quite soon. The night's watch call..." and I'm late already, as usual he though, but didn't dare to say. "Now, I need to know. You didn't just got fat, now, did you?" he asked, teasing her a bit

"As I said, charming as ever.", she said dryly, but a smile curling up on her lips. " No, this fat woman will soon have something that will make you suffer, cause I will have you watch it during night time. I'm sure the Night watch will accept my pleading.", she teased him back.

Caollaidhe chuckled. "You'll have to play the big brother. The one who can make all the things that are forbidden, while I'm the bad mommy, cause I'm too severe.", she missed these talks full of nice and gentle teasing. As only child it felt good to have something like an older brother. Someone to rely on that wasn't her husband, though he would always come first.

"If you have to leave, come back as soon as you can.", she took his hand in hers.

A baby! He was right then!!! It took him some time to let the news sink, so when she took his hand he instead took her in his arms again "A child! Caollaidhe, a child?! I can't believe I had to pass by accident from Riverrun to learn the news!" it was a mild scold, but he was actually too happy to care "Trust me, if it was up to me I would never go back to the wall..." he tried to joke, but his words actually sounded pretty sour in his mouth

"Well, you are the first to know here, since everyone else seems to be to busy to welcome me and I just arrived.", she explained. His happiness made her smile. Caollaidhe returned the hug.

His last words made her frown. " What happened at the wall?", the sound of his voice made her worry.

He laughed: he had noticed himself how the young new couple seemed really busy! "I'm sure they'll welcome you soon enough, I have no idea what's keeping them but you know John, and his new wife seems nice enough. I didn't have much time to chat, but I did briefly pass at the wedding" sure, almost no one knew that, and he really wasn't supposed to be there for the wedding, but it wasn't such a bg deal...
At her question he turned up his nose "What, being the wall is not enough for you?" he actually had the feeling that something was going on up there, but it wasn't that the reason that made him want to stay away...

Caollaidhe nodded. "You're right I think.", she sat back down on the bench and looked around in the garden. "Why did you even join them, if it makes you feel uncomfortable? I would never....", she shook her head and stopped the sentence. "Nevermind.", Caollaidhe put up a soft smile.

"I was just lucky.", she gently stroke over her belly.

Eric rose an eyebrow in a perplex expression: did she really didn't know why he had to join? Did his brother keep that as a secret? He wasn't sure but he decided to keep quiet, if his brother didn' want her to know then he wouldn't tell: after all, it took already enough time to convince him to forgive him. That mess at his own wedding... well, if Coallaidhe didn't notice on her own, he understood why his brother didn't want to tell her.
"You've been indeed." He nodded at her last remark, not sure if he was reffering to the incoming baby or to the fact she had the chance to stay free... well, married, but still free enough

Caollaidhe sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, but now I feel sad and don't want you to leave...", a single tear dropped down her face. "Stupid pregnancy.", she wiped the tear away angrily. Her happiness about coming back had vanished. It wasn't his fault. Neither her husbands or the one of the pregnancy. She just wanted her family to be happy and safe.

And it seemed...

It changed too much while she was gone.

As he spotted the tears in her eyes eyes, he immediately got close to her with a reassuring smile "No no no, no need to cry here, ok?" He took her head between his hands and made her look at him "I'll be back soon enough, I travel a lot so don't worry, you won't have the time to miss me. Beside, you'l be really busy in the close future, and I'm sure you want the baby to feel safe and happy..." he in general didn't like to see a woman cry, especially if it was his sister in law, but he had a feeling that his brother would have killed him if he had suspected he made her cry...

"I want my whole family to be safe and happy.", she gave him an excusing smile. This talk went a very unexpected way. " I'm sorry. I shouldn't talk like that.", Caollaidhe straightened her back. "What happened the last two years, while I was away?"

Eric smiled to her tenderly and hugged her once more "I's ok, little sister, and it will be fine, soon you'll just care about your baby" he sweetly teased her. "I... I wasn't around much, you know... but well, John has started taking over more and more as Lord, I bet that the uncle will pass the leadership to him soon enough... there's been the wedding with the young lady Tully... Adam didn't do much, but he managed to get in charge of the guards here, this is something at least... And I keep traveling around and then go back at the wall. I think you had a more interesting life, how was traveling around?"

"Why do you think you won't be as much important to me as the baby? It will indeed get lot of my attention, but that won't make you less important to me.", she scolded him gently. " And I'm pretty sure it happened more than these half important things.", she tilted her head and frowned slightly. "You were never a liar, nor did you hide something from me."

Caollaidhe smiled. "It was indeed interesting to travel, but nothing is sweeter than coming home. Though I have to say, that I would feel everywhere at home my husband would be.", her eyes shimmered with gentle love.

With a patient smile, still holding her in his arms, he rolled his eyes: she was too good, too sweet, that was her problem... she was lucky she had found someone like his brother... and not someone like himself. At her comment about not being a liar he felt a sting of sadness and shame: if only she knew... but there were things about himself that he couldn't say, things he couldn't accept himself... he smiled and shrugged: "Well, nothing that actually deserved much attention happened, that's it." her comment about coming home hit him a bit, but he tried to hide it. "Well, I'm glad my brother is so lucky to have such an adoring wife" he commented with a chuckle

Caollaidhe shortly enjoyed his hug a while longer, before she leaned back and looked at Eric. She didn't say anything for quite a while, then opened her lips and asked: "You wouldn't lie to me, right?", her voice had an undefineable undertone.

She might appear sweet, mostly horrible naive and tender, but she also was hot-blooded. No one messed with her. Not when it was about family. Her husband had learned it the hard way. Her father too. She pressed her lips to a small line. It was alright, that her husband didn't told her anything he did. She didn't need to know everything and there was still something that wasn't hers to know. But not about family. Not at all.

His behaviour, even if he seemed to try to keep her happy, it was this little uncomfortable feeling she had. Something wasn't right.

"I wouldn't dare!" he replied with an amused smile, raising his hands as surrendering to her: he felt horrible and miserable doing that, it pained him to lie to her like that, but what choice did he have? She couldn't understand, nobody could... Beside, it wasn't something that would affect her nor anyone but himself...

"I'm not really convinced.", her voice was warm and soft again, but her eyes showed slightly the sadness she felt. It was like he didn't trust her, like he made fun of her. It hurt.

Maybe it had been wrong to come back, but she knew the duties of her husband couldn't wait. It had to be about time coming back to Riverrun. She looked at Eric and thought silently. It could be because she was a woman. She had nothing to say to whatever happened anyway. But she liked to know. Cause how should she react properly when everyone was hiding important things from her.

"My father always told me it might be a fault to love a Tully.", she looked at Eric. " Your brother and you aren't so different."

"Trust me, little sister" he replied with a sad grin "me and my brother are really different. Sometimes I just wish I could be more like him..." he regret saying that out loud as soon as h finished the sentence, but it was too late to take i back. Beside, being the perfect son, the perfect husband, the perfect Tully... why wouldn't he want to be more like him? The point was... i was just not him. And after all, it was too late for him to try to be any of those...

Tycho made his way to the godswood. Almost having a hunch that he would find his wife there. She always liked the nature. And in this castle that was the only place where one could enjoy that.
"Caollaidhe?" He called out to her. Following the sound of chatter. Finding his brother and wife engaged into a conversation. Walking closer and wrapping his arm around his wife's waist. "I didn't know you were back brother." He said cheerfully looking his brother in the eyes.

Caollaidhe looked slightly surprised at her husband and then wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged him. "I didn't expected you to be back so soon... I already missed you.", she gave Tycho a warm smile and turned her head back to Eric.

"Whatever it makes you think that way, you don't know what your brother did to get me.", she chuckled. " Daddy is still mad about it.", she smirked at Tycho. Then she closed her eyes for a short while, just enjoying the warmth and smell of her husband. The travel had exhausted her more than she assumed. But never would she admit it.

Eric was a little startled by his brother's arrival, he was so focused on Cao that he didn't even hear him arriving. "Tycho! I could say the same about you!" he replied, trying to hide how he had just gotten him by surprise "But no, I'm no really back, just passing by." h tanked the gods his brother didn't hear what he had just said, he surely didn't want to hear how it was his own fault if he was how he was and how easy would be to behave better...
As Cao's remark on how he didn't know, he grinned toward his brother: oh, he knew. An he had absolutely approved his ways. "Well don't you know that everything is allowed in war and love?" he replied to her quoting and old motto