Hey everyone! This is my second Game of Thrones story. I have decided to write another one after my first was a success. Hopefully this one will be just as good, or even better than it!
Before any of you read any further, I would like to start by apologizing for the horrible editing jobs. I do try my best to fix up my work and make it perfect, but often enough my eyes eventually just pass right over the mistakes.
This story will take place before the war of the Five Kings. And I hope none of you mind that I changed the ages of most of the characters as well.
Anyway, enjoy! And don't shy away from leaving a review and letting me know what you think. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or a Song of Ice and Fire.
Prologue - Obliteration
Never in his life had Robb Stark run faster than in that exact moment. The cold wind was wiping against his face and making it feel numb, but his body was coursing with so much adrenaline that he barely even noticed. At that point, his legs were moving instinctively and they pumped on their own. His heart slammed against his chest and he was sure if it beat any harder it would carve it's way out of his chest.
A large smile was on his face, regardless. He felt like it would not leave his face all day. Or at least it wouldn't leave until his lady mother caught him and had his lord father discipline him for his actions. But a laugh emitted from his throat as he thought of what he done and the reaction he had heard come from his mother's chambers. It was meant to be a practical joke, but it took a turn for worst very quickly when he had realized the magnitude of what he had done. But still, he found it hilarious.
"Jon, I think we lost her—," Robb turned around to look at his half brother, but to his surprise no one was standing there. Besides the kennel master, Farlen, he was alone in the courtyard of Winterfell, "Jon?" He slowed to a jog, even though it was hard to do so. His legs felt shaky but at the same time he wanted to keep running.
Robb looked all over for Jon, but he could not find his black-haired, bastard brother anywhere. Jon had been with him when he executed the prank, but in no way did he partake in it. He knew what punishment would befall him if he did, but still it didn't hurt to listen to what happened...
"Jon?" Robb asked again to no one in particular. He turned around in a full circle, trying to find him. His breathing was ragged, and because of the coolness in the air, it followed up into small whisps.
"Robb Stark! When I get ahold of you, you are going to regret it!" His mother's shrieking could be heard from inside the keep.
Robb huffed and rolled his eyes, taking off in a run again and realizing he had no time to try and find Jon. He raced into the barn, not even stopping for Harlen, who was walking by with a horse. He called after Robb and told him to not run near the horses, and that he should know better. But Robb kept running anyway, knowing his mother would pull his ear off if she got ahold of him.
While Robb was planing to make an exit out the back, his eye caught on someone who was brushing a horse in the stalls. He stopped dead in his tracks, and the person looked right at him and blinked at him with wide eyes.
"Robb?" The little girl burst out. "What in Seven Hells are you doing? Why are you in such a hurry?"
Robb heard his mother's yells in the courtyard and he thought quickly. "Estella, can I hide in here?" He asked her.
She frowned "Well, of course you—...," She trailed off when she realized he had already jumped over the stall door and hid behind it before she gave him an answer, "can..." She added, just for good measure. Though it was futile now that he was already there.
She noticed the young boy's flushed cheeks and his heavy panting, as well as the sweat trickling down the side of his face. "Who on earth are you hiding from?" She asked, peered down at his disheveled state. His auburn hair was an utter mess, and his pupils were slightly dilated.
"Shhh!" He shushed her, "Keep your voice down! I don't want my mother to find me."
He looked up at the pretty girl who was brushing the horse, and leaned his head against the wall of the stall door as he sat in some stale hay. Estella was two name-days younger than him. She was ten name-days old, but she seemed so much older. It could have possibly been because she was slightly taller than him. But it also could have been because she was always acting so sensibly.
Robb had been half in love with Estella Cassel since they had been very young. She was one of his best friends, given that she was typically one of the only children at Winterfell. There wasn't a lot of children to play with, only Theon, who was now fifteen, and didn't partake in childish games, and then there was Jon who was Robb's age.
Sansa was eight, and Arya was five. Bran was just a toddler at two years old, and he didn't really understand anything yet.
Estella had been one of Robb's closest friends ever since he could remember. Her father was Sir Percy Cassel, Sir Jory's older brother. And her mother was one of his lady mother's handmaiden's.
Estella had tanned skin all the time, given her mother was from Essos. She had hazel eyes, that were neither brown nor green, as though they could never make up what shade they were. They changed depending on the seasons, and Robb supposed they just as indecisive as she was, forever changing and not having a true colour. She had slight freckles speckled across her nose and cheeks. She had dark berry coloured lips, and for some reason Robb always took a fascination with them. He wanted to know what they tasted like, and how they felt. When he had told Theon that, he had only laughed and slapped him across the back. The Iron Islamder told Robb that apparently wanting to know what a girl's lips tasted like and wanting to kiss them was normal.
Estella only looked down at him with her pretty eyes and asked quietly, "Why are you hiding?"
He caught his breath for a second and then motioned her over. She only sighed and put the brush on the ledge of the stall doors and then sat beside too was sitting in the stale hay, and she warily became aware of how close the horse's feet were to her and how easily could she get kicked in the face if the beast somehow became frightened.
"Why are you hiding from your mother?" She asked him again, this time softer and quieter than the previous times.
Robb chuckled, "I thought I would put a mouse in Arya's room. I didn't think much of it, knowing she would be shocked for a moment and then probably try to catch it. However, it wasn't Arya that walked in... Now, my mother is not scared of very many things. Yet, mice seem to just petrify her. She got up on a chair and started screaming for my father to come and kill it, but I guess Arya beat him to it. She crushed the mouse with her boot, and now my mother is furious for not only scaring her, but also because Arya killed something so brutally..."
Estella looked to the boy beside her in wonder and disgust, "Why would you ever even think to do such a thing?!" She demanded.
"Don't look at me like that! I thought it would be funny." He defended himself, but his face broke into a grin, "And it was hilarious! You should have heard the way my mother screamed!" His laughing wouldn't stop when he thought about it more. He could just imagine the look of terror in his mother's eyes as the mouse scampered over her feet.
"Robb Stark, you are an awful human for taking such pleasure in terrifying your mother." She couldn't help but emit a tiny giggle. She opened her mouth to say something more but someone had entered the barn and he had placed his hand over her mouth, in fear his mother would hear them. She remained still for a moment, barely breathing against Robb's hand until she rolled her eyes and pushed him away. "You idiot!" She hissed, "It's only Valyon Poole."
"Well sorry! I can't be too careful when my mother has a price on my head." He chuckled and moved closer to her. He was so close that he could feel the heat of her radiating off of her skin. He noticed their closeness and blushed, noticing the pink on her cheeks too.
Estella very quickly peeked above the stall door, and then looked over to Valyon talking to Halem. She noticed Jayne Poole was with them and her eyes grew wide at the sight her. Estella only gasped and sank back down, trying to stifle a laugh.
"What has you smiling like that?" Her smile was contagious, and it made Robb smile too whenever he saw her like that. Whenever she laughed or giggled it sent jolts through him that made his stomach tighten into knots and he kept wanting to see her happy, and hope he could hear her laugh again and again. Obviously it would be better if she laughed at something he had said, but either way Robb loved seeing her so joyful.
"Jeyne's hair!" She tried to suppress her shock. "What happened to it?" Jeyne Poole used to have lovely hair, but now it was cut short like a boys and it looked positively dreadful.
"Oh that?" Robb smirked, "That is curtesy of Arya. She thought it would be funny to cut off a section if Jenye's hair, and Septa Mordane had to cut the rest so it would be even."
Estella smirked; she had always been jealous of Jeyne and now she had no reason to be. Jenye was one name-day younger than her, but she was far more beautiful. Yet now she had absolutely nothing to be jealous over.
I think it's an improvement." he teased, knowing just how Estella felt about Jeyne, "Her long hair made her look much older than she really was anyway. I think fooling people into believing your older is cheating." Theon had always managed to convince the whores outside of Winterfell he was older than he was. Most of the time, the whores would offer service to anyone who had coin. Yet with younger lads they had simply refused. They only served those who were fifteen or older. However, Theon had been convincing them he was two name-days older than he really was ever since he was thirteen.
Estella only bit the inside of her cheek and twirled a golden piece of straw between her index finger and thumb, "Jeyne told me that you kissed her once." Estella tried to say it casually, but her efforts didn't seem to work.
He wrinkled his nose in distaste, "Don't be ridiculous!"
"You're calling her a liar?"
"Well, I kissed her hand out of politeness maybe." He rolled his eyes, not wanting Estella to get the wrong idea, "Never on the lips though."
"So you never kissed her? Not even once?" She raised a curious eyebrow. A twinge of jealousy hit her when she thought of Robb kissing another girl.
"Of course not! Why are you asking me this anyway?" He peaked though a crack in between the stall door and walls, making sure no one was there.
"Just curious." she shrugged and tried to not make a big deal of it. Truly, to her it was a big deal though, but she attempted to play it off like it wasn't.
"About who I've kissed?" Robb had a stupid smirk on his face and all Estella wanted to do was smack it off of him. Arrogant wolf, she thought bitterly.
"Is that wrong?" She raised an eyebrow, looking at his reaction to see if he would tease her.
"Do you think much about who my lips have touched? Perhaps you want a try?" He puckered his lips up and leaned in joking to try to kiss her.
"Ugh!" She shoved him away disgustedly so he fell back "Now you're acting like Theon."
He laughed "Though Theon is a bit of a prick sometimes he does know how to get girls."
"Prick? He's a complete ass!" She wrinkled her nose as she thought of the pompous Iron Islander. He had tried many times to charm her, even though she was five name-days younger than him.
"Only because you're pretty. He's not bad once you really try and get to know him."
"I don't like the way he's always looking at my breasts."
"What breasts?" Robb snickered, knowing fully well she didn't have any.
"Robb Stark!" Her mouth fell open in shock, completely scandalized. She shoved him hard again and he fell back on the stall's floor laughing up a storm.
"Seven hells! You're extra un-ladylike today." he laughed as her threatening glare bore into his skull.
She stuck her tongue out like a spoiled child and he stuck it back. But that was all that happened, and Estella looked down at her flat chest and sighed. She supposed he was right actually...
She looked at her boots as she clicked them together and they fell silent for on a few moments. "You never told me who you kissed..." She spoke up, not able to bare the awkwardness of neither of them talking.
"And you never told me who you kissed either. So that makes us even." He retaliated as they continued to sit in the floor of the musky stall. Estella's nostrils only took in the scent of horse, but she also was able to recognize the scent of sweat and firewood, which must have been Robb.
"Common' Robb! Why won't you tell me?" She whined, wanting desperately to find out.
He only got red in the face and looked down, as though he were embarrassed to tell her.
"It's because you haven't kissed anyone yet, have you?" she gasped with wide eyes and she couldn't help but smirk slightly.
He shrugged, "Just wasn't that high of importance to me."
Why? He was, although she'd never admit it out loud, very handsome! His auburn hair was curly and his voice was growing deeper each day. He was almost thirteen, a man grown in a couple years. She could see that he was beginning to gain more muscle. And by the gods, he was always stared at by the younger ladies.
"I just always thought..." she trailed off, not able to complete her train of thought. Estella only looked down at her hands, and was suddenly confused. She had assumed he had always kissed a girl by now. Estella didn't know why, but she found herself remarkably happy that he hadn't yet.
"What about you?" He asked her with his curious blue eyes. "Who have you kissed?"
"No one." She shrugged "I don't know how to."
"It's easy, I think." He said and then frowned, as though he was wonder if it really was as easy as he thought or if there was some trick to it.
"How would you know?" She scoffed and rolled her eyes in disbelief.
"I've seen it done, obviously!"
She looked at him and wanted to ask him something, but at the same time she didn't want to. Estella blushed deeply, and worry grew in her stomach of being rejected. She wanted so desperately to ask Robb something, but kept her mouth shut. She knew his answer, and she so knew he would never agree to go along with what she had to say.
However, she swallowed down her fear and decided to ask anyway. Boys had such short attention spans and memories that he would probably forgot what she even asked after a few minutes. "Would you ever... Do you—... Would you ever kiss me? Just to get it over with?" She spoke hesitantly and her face blushed the shade of a tomato.
He raised an eyebrow. "Do you want me to kiss you?"
"Well... I don't know. Do you want to kiss me?" Estella asked in return.
Yes, Robb wanted to answer. Very much so. He instead he kept his mouth shut. He didn't want Estella to know how much he's longed to have her lips pressed against his. He looked at her and he knew his heart was racing as fast as it could.
"Yes." he whispered softly.
Estella looked shocked at his answer. Her eyes widened, "How do we do it then? Just lean in?"
"I suppose so." he frowned and looked at her lips, "Close your eyes." He told her.
"Why?" she asked in wonder, frowning slightly at his odd request.
"Just do as I say." He hissed, slightly annoyed. Robb didn't know why she had to close her eyes, but he felt like that was the thing to do while people kissed.
She closed her beautiful hazel eyes and just stayed there, breathing heavily. Her heart was hammering in her chest, and so was Robb's. Robb stared at her for a second, and almost didn't lean in to do it. But he noticed how her freckles were scattered everywhere over her tan skin, and how they looked like they could have matched the constellations in the heavens.
"Are you going to do it?" She whispered after a moment.
"Shut up, I'm working on it." He was trying to gain the courage still. He tried to make himself do it, because after all, it was just kissing a girl. How hard could it be?
But the thing was that this girl was magnificent, and he had wanted to do this since as long as he could remember. But now he had the chance, he froze.
Finally, he peered down at her lips, and he saw them slightly parted with anticipation. Robb's stomach clenched and he finally closed his eyes and did it. As he leaned in, he was hesitant and he left his lips hovering over hers, trying not to back out of this. But fear seized his brain and he worried she wouldn't like it, or he might do it wrong.
However, despite his fears, Robb's lips touched hers softly and it was like a fire erupted in both of them, they both wanted more of something they didn't know they had until now.
They were not exactly sure what to do, they just did whatever felt right. They didn't know what to do with their hands, but both of them knew they needed to to something. Suddenly, his hands here behind her neck and hers on his shoulders, all while they're lips continued to mould together. Estella was surprised how natural it felt kissing Robb, and how incredible and wonderful it was and how it made her stomach bubble up and electricity to course through her bones. She had never felt something so wonderful and strange at the same time. The feeling of his lips pressed to hers was like nothing she had ever experienced. They were soft and warm, but at the same time they were firm against hers.
She broke away, forgetting she was supposed to breath and looked at him in a different way. It was like seeing the world in a different light, and a deep awakening had happened. Robb was... Well, he wasn't 'Robb' anymore. At least, not in a friends sense. She had loved kissing him, and it made a feeling grow in her chest that was warm and fuzzy, and she knew she would have to kiss him again. Once was not enough for her.
"That was—," She began to say something but he cut her off.
"I know," He blushed, and then nodded eagerly. He wanted nothing more than to kiss her again.
Estella was still shocked, and she tried to utter something else. "That was—,"
"Woah." Was all he could manage.
"Robb Stark, are you in here?!" Catelyn called and he scowled, annoyed clearly that his mother had interrupted more kissing that could potentially happen.
"I have to go before she finds me!" He exclaimed and prepared to leave. Estella only nodded, still slightly unable to breathe from what had just happened. "Can we... Can we do this again some time?" he asked her almost hesitantly before he left, grabbing her hand in his own gently.
She only smiled and nodded, her eyes lighting up as she realized what he was asking.
"Alright." He smiled widely and placed a soft kiss on her lips and left her there absolutely dumbstruck.
Estella had stayed where she was in the floor of the stall, and giggled softly as she was still baffled at what happened. A smile was on her mouth, and she gently brought her fingers up to touch her lips and she couldn't imagine a time where she was ever as happy as she was in that moment.
Estella had turned fourteen name-days old that day. She remembered how she had woken up, a smile on her face as she bit her lip and stretched. It was early in the morning, but she didn't care. It was her name-day, and Robb said he had something special planned for her.
Nothing could bring her down that morning as she waited in the barn patiently for the stupid boy she had been in love with ever since she was ten.
Well, at least she thought she was in love with him. She had never been in love before, but she knew the way her parents looked at each other, and she knew how they acted. She liked to imagine that Robb looked at her the same way her father looked at her mother, but she couldn't be sure.
Estella only signed as she leaned against a post in the barn. It was still early and all she wanted to do was sleep, but she had been up earlier than expected just because she was excited to see Robb.
Ever since their first kiss, they had been sneaking off to do even more. But after a few years it had turned for being totally innocent to something else, and Estella knew it had been become more and more difficult for them to simply just walk away anymore. They had been wanting to go even further, but she knew that Robb was too honourable to take her maidenhead; even though she knew he wanted to.
It had gone from sweet kisses to heavy making out in only a few short years. When they had started out, really their hands would stay in the same place and never wander to far. All the kisses see short and chaste.
But now...
She would be accused as a loose harlot if someone ever discovered how Robb would throw her against a wall harshly and kiss her lips so much that they would begin to bruise. Their hands wandered, and she sometimes found his cupping her breasts or in the insides of her skirts. She had always slapped his hands away when he did that though, and told him to mind himself as she had a grin plastered on her face.
Yes, if anyone ever found out... It would be absolutely dreadful.
Robb had changed so much in the past few years. He had grown from a boy to a man, and a extremely attractive one too. His voice had changed to be husky and deeper, and he had begun growing stubble on his jawline. He had also begun to get more muscle from hours of sparring and training. And his face had shed all traces of baby fat and he had begun to have girls from all over gawk at him.
But he was her's, and she smiled widely as she though about that. Hers. He had told her multiple times, and her's alone.
Suddenly, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and she was pulled against a muscular chest. She giggled as she recognized the feel and knew who it was before she even turned around.
"Happy name-day," Robb said right before he placed a kiss on her cheek.
"Oh, you remembered!" She teased, even thought she knew he would since he wouldn't stop reminding her about or for the past week, "And here I thought you had forgotten." Estella giggled.
Robb smirked, "Luckily Jon reminded me, else wise I really would have." He was lying, Robb would have never forgotten her name day. He looked down at her smiling face and the way her beautiful eyes sparkled up at him. It made him go weak in the knees and all he wanted was to keep that happy expression on her face until the end of time "I have something for you."
She gasped and clasped her hands together in excitement. "A present?"
Robb nodded and reached into his pocket "I had Mikken make it. Close your eyes." He grabbed a hold of it and pulled it out, peering down at her to make sure her eyes were closed. He turned her around and moved her hair over her shoulder. He then put the necklace over her head, and placed it gently on her. "Open them." He said.
Estella smiled as she looked down and gasped, "Robb, it's beautiful!" The necklace had a long sliver chain, just so the pennant rested between her breasts. She looked at it with wonder filling her eyes, along with a couple tears welling up. The pennant was a Direwolf, and it had been made by attaching scraps of metal together to give it a jagged look. On it was an initial that Robb obviously placed, and it said 'R + E'. Estella wanted to cry as she peered down at it and she had never seen anything so beautiful, "I love it," She exclaimed happily.
She turned to him in that moment, and she saw he was intently watching her. She then stood up on her tippy toes and reached up to kiss him. His arms locked around her waist and her fingers seemed to tangle in his unruly, curly , auburn hair.
He licked her teeth and she opened her mouth, allowing his tongue to enter. Their tongues fought and wrestled for dominance as he continued to explore her soft mouth. Their teeth clashed slightly, but Estella didn't mind. She found it exhilarating whenever their teeth did that. It was as though they were trying to get closer, even though it wasn't physically possible.
His arms tightened around her and and he picked her up. She smiled as they continued kissing and he spun her around in circles. Estella could only separate from the kiss and giggle as he did that.
She pressed her lips up to his once more and she continued grinning up at him. "If I got that reaction out of you every time I gave you a gift, perhaps I would consider spoiling you more." Robb had a smirk on his face that made Estella want to roll her eyes.
"You know, you didn't have to get me anything. I would have been just as happy with you just holding me in your arms."
Robb's eyes glimmered in mischief, and he reached down to grab her necklace, "Well in that case, I'll be taking this back then."
"Oh no!" Estella laughed and grabbed it back from him, placing it safely between her breasts. "Too late now, this is mine."
Robb chuckled and rolled her eyes "Selfish." He stated before leaning down and once again capturing her lips in his own. Her hands gently cupped his face while his ran through her hair. Estella began to feel her insides melt and her heart beat start racing. Even after they had been doing this for four years, it still affected her the same.
"What was that for?" She whispered as he pulled away.
"I just want this to be your best name-day yet." He explained, his affection for her twinkling in his eyes.
She signed and grabbed his hands in her own, lacing her fingers though them and stepping so close to him that she could feel his warm breath on her cheek "It will be," She whispered.
Just as he was about to lean in again, someone stumbled into the barn, out of breath and obviously frantic, "Estella!" The person called, clearly in panic.
Estella's eyes flashed to Robb in worry, and she quickly moved so she could be seen from where her and Robb were standing. "Uncle Jory, what is it?" Fear was laced in her voice.
"It's your mother. S-somthing's wrong! I think it's her lungs again. Gods, there's so much blood! She just started coughing it up! Your father, Lady Cat, Lord Stark, and Maester Lewin are up with her now!"
Robb noticed the horror on Estella's face and he quickly placed his hand on the small of her back, afraid that she might collapse from how faint she suddenly looked. It became very clear to her then that this would not be her best name-day ever, and it could very likely turn into her worst.
She looked at Robb and her mouth fell open and then closed, as though she didn't know what to say. Tears gathered in her eyes and Robb quickly gripped her hand "Estella, we need to go. Everything will be alright." He promised her.
She shook her head, tears falling down her cheek, "No, it won't." She said quietly. "I-I know it won't."
Little did Estella know, that she would be correct. Things wouldn't be alright. Her mother would pass away that evening, and it would send Estella's world into obliteration. And with the painful memory of her mother's ghost haunting the halls of the keep, she would not bring herself to step foot in Winterfell for another six years...
So for those who have read my other story 'Ruined', I will not be updating as regularly with this story as I was with it. Nor will it be any where near the quality of it (though I will try my best!). I'm definitely not planning for it to be nearly as long as it either, 60+ chapters is way too much.
Oh, and this will be eventually rated 'M' for a reason. Mainly because there will be some triggers and I just think it's the considerate thing to do when a story has heavy content such as what this one will have. Some of the content will include: course language, attempted sexual assault, violence, sexual innuendos, and possibly even sexual content. Haha, hopefully none of that will scare any of you off.
But anyway, tell me what you thought of the prologue! I hope enough of you liked it and want me to continue on. :)
Thanks for reading,
-Amelia
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