was quiet,

cious after Lyra had left her there on the snowy plain

ned as she realized the reason why she could hard

up, teeth chattering. Her body shivered as she all

there was no excuse she could give that would stop her stepmother

tried to stand up. A flash of pain passed

nder her breath, "You need

od." Ronan hissed, his icy tone cutting straight through Aria's heart,

dragged close to her brother. He s

nt. She knew how this wo

r, he dragged her through the snow and back towards

the servant's door and tossed Aria in. "Make yoursel

ged herself towards the dining hall. With her head down, sh

presence." She stretched out her hand and raised Aria's chin up, "Every sin

ced herself not to cry. She had cried enough for a lifetime. She had decided tha

uised body. She nodded when she saw that Aria was not injure

your little stunt did no

ent?" Aria

, "Or did you think we were going to stop the cer

blow to the chest. "Please,

e a Stillblood. You do not matter. The only reason you are

er and smiled down at her, "Your wom

a sigh. She had accepted

sent off, her stepmother had always refused

e lips of her stepmother, "The

through her. "What?" She stuttered

eard of the Crippled

bush, mutilated, disgraced and crippled. A man so mighty that he had once been the

ppled wolf with a shattered l

ter as she saw the disbelief on Aria's face, "The Crippled and

ach turned i

ding her. This was not a mating alliance, this was instead just two p

sly low, "And this time, try not to pull any other stunt

r stepmother walked out of the dining ha

leftovers when you are done crying. We don't want our litt

their eyes shining in mischief as

on the ground, long af

own blood. She was cattle to th

her life, Aria did no

et the

aybe Lyra

e really