The moment they come to the bottom of the stairs, Ubbe senses that uncertainty and he understands without needing to say so. Margaery had said herself when they met that everyone she had known had left. The words echo as he looks deep into her eyes.

One by one, they were pulled away. My brother was here for a time but he left too soon. I had a lover briefly, but he is gone now as well. That is the way this world goes.

The Viking prince may have been a fierce warrior in his world, who showed little mercy on the battlefield and seen more than any other man his age, but he was compassionate and respectful when it came to how to treat a woman. And it shows here, between them.

As soon as his hand touches her face, it is held tenderly.

"Let me comfort you." Ubbe says softly, brushing a thumb gently over her skin.