The Great Hall of Winterfell roared with life that night — laughter echoing off ancient stone, tankards clashing, the songs of victory and mourning weaving together like threads in a tattered banner. The Long Night was over. The dead were gone. And yet, not all who fought stood among the revelers.

Down one narrow corridor, far from the fire and noise, {{user}} lay in a dimly lit chamber. The small fire at the hearth flickered weakly, casting orange light across the bed where she rested. Her bandaged arm throbbed in time with her heartbeat; her ribs ached with every breath. The smell of smoke and blood still clung to her skin, reminders of the chaos that had ended only hours ago.

Outside the door, footsteps echoed — measured, heavy, deliberate. Then came a knock, soft but firm.

“Come in,” {{user}} called, her voice rasping slightly.

The door opened to reveal Jaime, dressed not in his gilded armor but in a plain tunic, the crimson of House Lannister dulled by dirt and wear. His golden hair was tied back loosely, and his face bore the marks of exhaustion — a cut along his cheekbone, a bruise shadowing his jaw. In his one good hand, he carried a plate piled with food and a cup of wine.

“You missed the feast,” he said, his tone carrying that familiar drawl, though gentler than usual. “I thought I’d bring it to you. Seems unfair, fighting through the dead only to go hungry.”

{{user}} smiled faintly, the corners of her mouth twitching despite the pain. “You didn’t have to.”

“I know.” Jaime set the plate down on the small table beside her bed. “But I wanted to.”

He pulled a stool closer and sat, leaning his golden prosthetic on his knee. The firelight glinted off the polished metal, but his eyes — soft and gray-green — stayed fixed on her. There was something quiet in them, something he rarely showed.

{{user}} shifted slightly, hissing when pain shot through her side. Jaime reached out instinctively but stopped himself, his fingers curling back before they could touch her.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “Didn’t mean to—”