Dragon of the North ~Game of Thrones~

Chapter four

Almost a month had passed since the King's party had left for King's landing. The absents of not only Jon, but Sansa, Arya, Eddard and Stark soldiers that had accompanied them, seemed to cause the castle to grow cold. Adelaie spent most of her time with little Rickon attached to her leg. He hardly knew what had been going on. He didn't understand what had happened to Bran, nor why his father and sisters and brother had left. The only time the young boy seemed at peace was in his sleep.

Robb had attempted to help Adelaie, as had Theon, but Rickon wouldn't leave her side, he wouldn't let her leave his sight for more than five minutes. Bags grew under her eyes, something that seldom happened.

A yawn escaped her lips as she placed a book back on the dusty shelves of the library. She seemed to be up later and later each night. Rickon had fallen asleep no more than ten minutes ago. The book she read to him that night was a bore apparently, as he'd fallen asleep a few pages in.

Stories were the only thing that seemed to calm him down. Each night, Adelaie would come to the library, and choose out a different book. Some were about legends, others were about history. Rickon didn't seemed to mind much about what she read to him, some he didn't even remember her reading so she would read it multiple times to him.

Her hand brushed along the spines of multiple books until they landed on a large, dusty book. When she pulled it out, it was heavier than she expected, but it didn't matter. The history of The House of Morley. She was surprised she hadn't seen the book earlier while looking. She pulled it out, and turned, deciding she had spent enough time in the library.

Adelaie was currently in the last isle of books, which meant she would have to walk down to her right and turn left. After passing a few isles, she could smell smoke. The smell was accompanied by a low crackling and a glow, not too far ahead.

Adelaie frowned, and gripped onto the book tightly. She reached the entrance to the library, but she couldn't see the door. The once, barely lit entrance was now an illuminating death trap of flame and smoke and the common area of the library was now its playground. In a flash, the flames licked across wooden beams, engulfed shelves stacked with booked and devoured wooden tables. Adelaie began to back away as the flames playfully licked at her feet, unfortunately, she didn't notice the table behind her, and when she knocked into it. In a fright, she jumped forward, and dropped the book,

"No!" she yelled, moving to grab it, only the flames had beaten her to it. The book was gone, burnt to a crisp before she even had a chance to open the front page. Adelaie coughed, the smoke in the building began to enter her lungs, and affect her. She placed a hand over her mouth, trying to stop as much smoke as possible from being inhaled.

She began to panic.

The reality of being burnt alive was singed into her mind as she stepped further and further from the flames that danced ever so close to her. Over the crackling of the fire, she could hear the bells ringing as well as people yelling. Distinctly, Ser Rodrik's voice bellowed through the air. Adelaie stood closer to the flames, attempting to see if she could see the entrance, but she couldn't.

"Is there anyone in there?" She heard Robb yell to his men. Robb was there. That alone helped calm her racing heart.

"We don't know, my Lord. Arthur was the last in there from our knowledge, but that was hours ago." Someone, a soldier, replied. They didn't know she was in there. She needed them to know. Adelaie would not die this way.

Adelaie turned her head to see if there was another window- or exit- but the only holes she could see in the building were too high for her to reach and too small for her to fit through, which meant her only escape was up in flames.