Disclaimer: I don't own ASOIAF and I make no profit writing it.
(AN): This is just a bit of a plug I guess. I've been reading a lot of Robbcella during my breaks lately, and DizzyDG made me a bit of a fan of the 'Robb and the Lannisters' dynamic we see in Butterfly Effect.
Robb I
The crash of the gangplank hitting the dock could barely be heard over the rushing waves of Blackwater Bay and the shouts of sailors swaggering about the harbor, but to Robb Stark that crash was as loud as the crack of thunder. Swallowing dryly, the Stark heir offered his father a wan-faced smile and stepped off The Purple Mermaid.
"Ned!" A tall, lithe man shouted as he stepped out of the crowd and raised a hand in greeting. He was clad in soft green silk with prancing golden stags embossed on the breast; his hair as dark as midnight and his eyes a bright sky blue. Given the man's youth and sigil, Robb guessed that their party was being greeted by the King's younger brother.
Father didn't turn to recognize the man until after he'd finished directing the unloading of their luggage, a long moment during which the newcomer only looked indulgent, but once he did a small smile adorned his solemn face. "Renly." He confirmed his son's guess, grey eyes scanning the dock before settling back on Renly. "It's been a long time."
"So it has." Renly agreed, stepping forward to clasp Father's forearm man to man. Then he shifted his attention to Robb, grinning jovially. "And I take it this is the lucky lad?"
The reference to his impending nuptials turned Robb's mood sour again, but he didn't let his discontent shift the polite smile from his face. "An honor, my lord." He extended his hand first, deferential but not simpering. He might be the heir to Winterfell, but Lord Renly was currently a Lord Paramount, and he ought to show some respect.
When Renly accepted his hand and shook, Robb distantly noted that the man's hand was soft and uncalloused. No doubt Renly had been trained to some degree with weapons, as all lords were; but a warrior he was not. Given King Robert's reputation and Renly's own height and breadth of shoulder, that realization came as a bit of a shock to the Stark heir.
A sharp puff of air ruffled the grey linen of Robb's as Grey Wind padded down the gangplank, the direwolf's waist-high bulk bumping into his master as he came to take a peek at the stranger standing so close to the Starks.
"Gods!" Renly breathed, taking half a step back as shock and fear flashed across his face. But just as quickly as it came, the horror was gone and replaced by a bark of laughter. "You grow them large in the North I see."
"So we do." Father agreed wryly, giving Grey Wind's shoulder a gentle shove. "Away with you." He ordered, clicking his tongue when the wolf only looked back at the Warden of the North with mournful amber eyes. "Go lay down."
Grey Wind gave a quick huff but obediently trotted over to mount guard over the rapidly growing pile of their unloaded luggage. The direwolf had only moved a few quick bounds away, but the distance was enough to ease the slight tension from Renly's frame.
Renly gave a slight shake of his head before addressing the Warden of the North again. "Robert wanted to come down and fetch you himself, but there were some matters of state he needed to address. You understand, of course."
"Of course." Father echoed, no looking the least bit offended. "And how is Jon?"
"Still as hearty as a horse."
As Renly descended into conversation with his Father, Robb found his attention wandering away. He knew he should be listening closely to his elders like a good dutiful son, but thoughts of the princess kept popping up in his mind to distract him.
Myrcella Baratheon. It was six moons after the raven from the King arranging the marriage and her name still tasted like poison in the back of his throat. It wasn't that Robb was afraid of pledging himself to a troll, since Cersei Lannister was supposed to be the most beautiful woman in the Seven Kingdoms and her daughter was her spitting image. Rather, he resented being caged into a marriage so suddenly.
Robb had grown up being told by his parents that while he would have to fulfill his duty, he would only do so with a woman he had met beforehand and found pleasing. Politics were important in a marriage, but so was compatibility, and he'd always wanted to have a marriage full of affection like his parents'. And that was when he deigned to think of marriage at all; since it had always seemed to be something to worry about a few more years down the road.
Yet here Robb was, fourteen namedays and betrothed to the daughter of the Demon of the Trident. Gods old and new have mercy.
"Come on lad, no time for dallying." The sudden address from Lord Renly was enough to snap Robb out of his daze. "His Grace might have been too busy to come down here himself but there's no doubt that he's eager to meet you."
Numbly, Robb felt his lips pull into a bland smile. "Of course, my apologies."
Whistling to Grey Wind, Robb settled a firm hand around the direwolf's leather collar and follower his father and Lord Renly through the crowd. The famous stink of Flea Bottom was getting to both man and beast, and the sooner they were ought of it the better.
"I'll ride in the second one with Grey Wind." Robb offered as soon as they reached a trio of elegantly sculpted carriages. He hadn't missed the way his hound unnerved the King's brother, and while hopefully the man would become accustomed to the wolf's presence in time, Robb wasn't going to push his luck. "It's best not to leave him alone in an unfamiliar place with unfamiliar people, don't you think?"
His father considered the pair with his heavy grey gaze, long face solemn and weathered. "Very well." He allowed after a moment. "But only if you promise to keep careful control over him. Otherwise I will have to ride with him. As I told you and your siblings before, your direwolves are not mere pets."
It was a fair warning, but it still chafed the heir to Winterfell. Hadn't Robb proven to his father by now that he could be trusted with something so simple? And besides, his father obviously wanted to ride with Lord Renly and hear more of the capital. But his father was still his father, so rather than voicing his irritation Robb only squared his shoulders and met his father's eyes. "I promise."
(AN): I had originally planned this to be longer, but then I decided to go with the ASOIAF POV tradition. So expect chapters of varying lengths but only one POV.
Jon Arryn – Baelish killed him and blamed the Lannisters because Jon was close to finding the truth so it was convenient for the chaos angle. But without that, Baelish won't kill him so early. At this point we enter butterfly effect. Jon suspected Cersei because of Stannis. Stannis suspected Cersei because of a chance event at a dinner. If Myrcella was born first, history can alter to the point where that dinner didn't happen, and Stannis didn't get suspicious so early. Hence, Jon Arryn is still alive and Cersei's infidelity is so far going unnoticed.