Davina stayed completely still and stared out through her chamber window, choosing to say nothing as her sister fashioned her hair. She could see the Stark camp down below, their banners thrust into the soil, blowing harshly from the wind. She could not help but wonder what her new husband would be like. Davina could only hope that he was kind, handsome, loving; All things her father had never been towards his wives. She'd seen first-hand how much he thought of his wives, and he'd had many. She could recall a time when she was very young, and had overheard him drunkenly bragging to his guards about how women were nothing more than toys for a man to play with. Once they broke, he'd throw them away and buy a new one. Not once had she seen the normal workings of a marriage and how it should be, she'd always assumed that a woman and man respected each other equally. She'd been very young and naïve then. And now that she was being forced to wed, she knew in her mind that her husband would not be a great man; Her Gods were not that kind.
"You're going to look beautiful." One of her older sisters, Madeline, told her sweetly.
"I hope so, I would not like to disappoint him." Davina said back, looking down at her shaking hands.
"You could never be a disappointment, and that Lord is a fool if he thinks of you in such a way." Madeline scolded. Davina winced and let out a small hiss as her sister tugged sharply at her hair.
"He does not want a Frey wife." She muttered, lifting a small hand mirror towards her face.
"It does not matter what he wants, Davina. He is getting a Frey wife no matter what, and he should think himself lucky to have a woman as lovely as you." Despite her sisters words of comfort, Davina could not find peace. She was too scared. Scared of her new husband and imagining what he was like, scared of leaving the Twins, and most of all, scared of the dreaded bedding she knew she would be forced to endure.
During her years at the Twins, Davina had witnessed many bedding ceremonies, mostly her fathers. It would take place towards the end of the feast, or whenever the husband would announce it, and things would become a little more rambunctious. The men of the room would grab the woman and carry her towards the chambers she and her husband would share, tearing away everything but her smallclothes. Meanwhile, the women would do much the same to the men, though she was sure more clothing would be removed. Then the bedding would commence. Her family took great efforts in making sure a man and woman had consummated a marriage, even going as far as to have a servant or handmaiden sit in the chambers and watch the couple. And when morning came, the bloody sheets of a woman having lost her purity would be shown to the Lord of the house as a clear symbol that the marriage had been consummated. It was a horrid tradition, and one Davina would not look forward to facing.
"You're all done, sister." Madeline announced cheerfully.
Davina stood from her stool and picked up her hand mirror once more. Despite her nerve-wracking feeling and churning stomach, she could not help but admire her sisters work. Madeline had left her hair alone for the most part, letting it fall to Davina's hips in soft curls. However, she'd taken two large pieces from the front and tied them towards the back in an intricate knot of some kind. It meant that while her hair was loose and free, it would not get in her way much.
The dress she wore was new, at least that's what she'd assumed. It was gold in colour and a soft fabric, for which she was grateful. It came off her shoulders and trailed down towards her forearms, where the gold sleeves disappeared and let out white silk. It was not too long, only travelling down and hovering an inch or two off the ground. And in the middle, wrapped around her waist, was a belt-like piece of cloth, a lighter shade of gold than that of her dress. Davina could not help but feel rather happy, having not had the opportunity to wear such nice clothing before. Usually, she wore only raggedy dressed, much like the rest of her siblings, though she wore it mainly so that she could play outside with her sisters. A thought that now saddened her greatly, since she knew she would never have the chance to do it again.
A loud pounding came through the door and both sisters looked. "Davina!" It was her brother.
"It is time." Madeline sighed wistfully.
"I-I can't do this." Davina muttered, suddenly coming to the realisation that it was time for her wedding. So far she'd attempted to push back the thought, hoping to remain happy for a little while. But now she had no choice but to face it.
"Listen to me!" Madeline demanded, grabbing her by the shoulders. Davina was startled by her sisters tone, but listened none the less. "You have been given the chance to get away from here, Davina. Do you realise how lucky you are? Most of us would kill to get away from the Twins, and here you are having it handed to you. Things such as this do not come easily for us Frey girls, sister, and you will do well to remember that. You may be married but a husband cannot take away your soul or your mind, they are yours. Go, see the world, and remember to send a raven ever once in a while."
Davina nodded and held back a sob. "I will miss you, sister."
"And I you."
They quickly embraced and Davina held on tight. She wished so badly to stay at the Twins, to let one of her other sisters marry the Lord, but she couldn't. Her father had chosen her to marry the Stark man and she would not let him down, because no matter how cruel or judgemental or unreasonable he was, he was still her father. Blood of her blood.
~...~...~...~...~
Catelyn Stark stood near the front of the Sept, waiting patiently for Walder Frey to arrive with his daughter, or as she would soon know the girl; Step-daughter. Many had come that night, though most of them were of the Frey family. On one side stood those that shared blood with the Frey girl, though most of them were women. And on her side, stood men that were loyal to Robb. She and Theon stood towards the front along with a few others, while Robb had asked many of his Bannerman to attend. Catelyn felt a sudden sadness, sadness that her husband was not here to see their firstborn son marry. It did not matter that the betrothal had been arranged, or that Robb did not know his fellow bride; It was a marriage none the less. She only prayed that her husband watched over them from the heavens, keeping them safe and calm through the hard times to come.
All of a sudden, the loud sound of footsteps began to echo through the room. Catelyn looked back, along with many of the others, and found Lord Frey walking up the aisle, his daughters arm wrapped around his own. Catelyn found herself disappointed slightly. She could not see the face of the girl that her son was about to marry, since the girl wore a long, golden veil that covered both her hair and face. And though it were slightly transparent, they would not stop moving for a moment to let anyone see through.
Catelyn took this moment to look at her son, and see if she could find any trace of emotion there. Thankfully, she could see curiosity brimming in his eyes. Much like the rest of them, he longed to see what this girl looked like, but as quickly as it appeared it was gone. Once again his face had been taken over by a stony expression, and Catelyn could only shake her head in disapproval. Would he ever let his guard down?
~...~...~...~...~
Davina walked down the aisle, clutching her fathers arm and thanking the Gods that she'd had to wear the veil. She could feel all eyes staring, boring into her, and all it did was increase her worries. She was glad for the veil, it proved as a form of screen between her and the people that wished to see her face. She wondered what would happen should she change her mind, turn and flee the room. No one would know who she was, and no one could call her pathetic if they did not know it was her. For a moment she considered it, only to quickly shake the thought from her mind a second later. She reminded herself that she had a duty towards her father and that she would not let him down. This was their chance to prove to everyone that the Frey's were not lazy, unattractive, and crude people. Some were honourable, beautiful, and so much more. If only the rest of the world could see it.
Her father stopped sooner than she'd liked and released her arm. He moved to stand in front of her and took the bottom of the veil in his hands, slowly lifting it up and over her head. She was reminded quickly of the discussion they'd shared only moments ago, and found herself apprehensive all over again. He'd told her to be careful, send a raven every fortnight, and try to put off having a babe until the fighting was done. The first two requests had been simple enough, but the last one had her mind reeling. Most Lords tried to impregnate their wives as quickly as possible, so why would her father ask her to put it on hold? Although, when she thought of the war that her soon-to-be husband was currently in, and how hard it would be to birth a child in those conditions, she realised how much sense her father made. So, she would stay true to her word, and would not let her husband put a child in her belly until the war was over. But even she knew it would be a hard task, considering the fact that men loved laying with a woman so much. She would have to find other means in which to prevent a child.
When her veil had finally been removed, Davina did not look away from her father. Even as he moved to stand beside her family at the left side of the hall, she stared back at him. She wasn't completely sure why, maybe she was looking for some reassurance. Either way, her father gave her a small nod, and with that she turned, finally gazing at the man that would be her husband, the one she would be with until the Gods took her or him from this world. And the man she saw before her was not the man she'd conjured up in her mind.
For a moment, she stared at him, drinking in everything with her eyes. His curly hair seemed brown at first, except when the light of the candles reached it, it had an orange, almost red glow. He was a great deal taller than her and much larger in build, something she assumed he'd earned through training with a sword or other weapon. He still wore his armour, she noted, though she was not surprised, he was, after all, in the middle of a war. Davina finally travelled back up towards his face, taking in the stubble and everything else until she reached his eyes. They were blue, almost grey, and she was stunned to find them staring back at her.
"I hope I do not disappoint, My Lord." She said, feeling overjoyed at the fact she had not stuttered from nervousness.
The Stark Lord said nothing and took a step forward, taking her right hand in his left. He lifted her hand and pressed a small kiss to her knuckles, his gaze completely focussed on her. "You are everything but, my Lady." He replied. Davina gave him a small, shy smile and let him pull her further towards the Septon.
"You may cloak the bride and bring her under your protection." The septon said loudly, and Davina could almost hear the slight boredom in his voice. Though she had to quickly tell herself, he had done this many times with her father; Maybe one too many.
The Stark man, whose name she still did not know, removed the thick, black fur cloak from his own shoulders and moved behind her, placing it around her own. It was heavier than any cloak she'd ever worn herself and she struggled to not shift from the weight. She quickly glanced to where his men stood and found a woman, much older than she, looking back at her. Davina could only assume that this was his mother.
"Your hands." The septon requested.
While the Stark man held out his hand with no fear or hesitance, she could not say the same for herself. Davina slowly rested her shaking hand atop his own, hoping his calm demeanour would rub off on her. It didn't.
"In the sight of the Seven," The septon began, wrapping a thin piece of cloth around their hands, "I herby seal these two souls, binding them as one, for eternity. Now, look upon each other and say the words."
Davina turned to face him once again, and had to wonder how he'd remained so calm and collected during the entire thing. "Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger. I am his, and he is mine, from this day until the end of my days."
"Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger. I am hers, and she is mine, from this day until the end of my days."
They said the words together, their eyes locked on each others. Davina had found herself searching for some reassurance of some kind, something to let her know that she was safe, and that he would not harm her. But she could find nothing, not one trace of emotion had reached his eyes and she was not sure if it was a good thing.
"You may now kiss your wife."
It was a harmless request, one she knew she would have to face, but to her it was everything. This would seal her fate to him, forever bind them, and more than anything, it was her first kiss with a man. He leaned down slowly, almost hesitatingly, and she found herself slightly relieved. He wasn't rushing it, so clearly he felt as nervous as she did. At least that's what she hoped. His lips brushed hers so quickly that she could barely call it a kiss, but she did not say anything. Davina looked at the floor and attempted to reassure herself. The harder part was over, now all that was left was the bedding.
~...~...~...~...~
The feast was simple enough, nothing too extravagant, much the same as every other wedding her father had held. Except this time, it was not him getting married; It was her. Davina had not spoken more than two words to the husband that sat next to her, and it seemed he was not eager to start the conversation either. He seemed to be more occupied with seeing how much wine he could gulp down by the time it was all over, not that she could blame him of course. She found it hard to do anything, whether it be eating or drinking, she was much too nervous. Soon enough her father would announce that it is time for the bedding and she would be whisked away to her husbands chambers, with men tugging at her beautiful dress. She felt rather upset that it would be destroyed, but on another hand she could not care much. She would never wear it again anyway.
"How are you, My Lady?"
Davina turned and looked to see the Stark man's mother, staring down at her with a kind smile. "I am quite well, My Lady." She lied.
The woman did not leave, in fact she chose to occupy the seat to Davina's left. "What is your name, dear?"
"Davina, My Lady."
"My name is Catelyn Stark, I am Robb's mother."
Davina almost groaned in relief. So that was her husbands name? She had gone almost an hour without knowing his name, something she felt a little ashamed of and would never admit to anyone.
"I must say I am surprised," Catelyn continued, "I had only seen your sisters."
"The fault is mine, My Lady. I was supposed to attend the meeting but was otherwise..." Davina paused and searched for the right word. "Occupied."
"Understandable." They then feel into a somewhat awkward silence, and Davina was not sure if she should speak or not. But thankfully, her husbands mother seemed to have the same idea as she. "Are you nervous?"
"A little." Davina admitted, hoping the Lady Stark would not think her pathetic.
"Do not sound so apologetic, dear, your fears are normal. But I know that my son will treat you gently and with care, if he does not then I shall have to scold him."
Davina was slightly grateful for Lady Starks attempts at cheering her up, but she knew they would not do her any good. She was much too nervous about everything. She knew that once the bedding was over and done with, there would be nothing left for her to fear. All she had to do was gracefully and calmly pull herself through it and hope it would all go well.
"It's time for the bedding!"
The sudden shout from her father had many men on their feet and many, many of her sisters as well. Davina took the few moments she was given to soothe herself, repeatedly remind herself that it would soon be over. But as the men came towards her, some staggering drunkenly, she found her reassuring thoughts becoming quieter and quieter until she no longer heard them. It hit her all too quickly that this was happening, that she would soon be laying with her husband in a way a man and wife should, but she was a virgin and terrified at the thought of laying with any man, let alone one she'd barely spoke to.
It all flew by so quickly. One minute she was in the dining hall, refusing to eat any of the food and feeling sorry for herself. And then she was being carried down the darkened halls and towards her husbands bed chamber, all the while with men pawing at her dress until eventually, she wore nothing but a white shift underneath.
Once the loud slam of a door reached her ears, Davina opened her eyes. She stood in Robb Stark's bed chamber, thinking that her sisters must have decorated it in some way. The large, four poster bed had multiple goose feather pillows, while the blankets, she realised, had been made from wolf fur. It was much more comfortable and soothing than her own chambers, for which she was grateful. She noticed the flagon of wine along with two silver goblets on a table in the corner, while multiple candles lit up the otherwise darkened room. Davina did not know what to think of it all. Clearly her sisters had gone through a lot of trouble to make sure it would be a relaxing and comfortable setting, but Davina knew that once her husband arrived it would be anything but. She knew her fears and worries would return to her, like they had so many times that day, and send her mind into turmoil once again.
The door soon opened once again and Davina chose not to look back. Instead, she focussed her mind on something easier, something better. So she slowly walked towards the bed and ran her fingers through the furs, imagining how warm and cosy it would be to sleep underneath them.
"My Lady." His voice was so deep, and made her jump when she realised just how close he was to her.
"I must apologise, My Lord. I haven't...I don't know..." Davina repeatedly scolded herself in her mind. Her attempts at letting him know that she had absolutely no idea what she was doing was not going as well as she thought it would.
"You need not apologise, my Lady," He reassured her.
"Davina." She found herself muttering. "My name is Davina."
He took hold of her hand and slowly turned her to face him. "You have a beautiful name." He said softly, his other hand taking place on her hip.
"Have you done this before?" She asked, struggling to keep her eyes on his face. Davina could see from the corner of her eye that the women had stripped him down to almost nothing, and she resisted the urge to look.
"I have." He confirmed after a moment of hesitation, almost as though he were slightly ashamed of the fact. "Have you?"
"Of course not." She recoiled. What kind of woman did he think she was?
"I did not mean to offend you, Davina, I only meant-" He continued to speak but she failed to listen. Her eyes had wandered further south than she'd have liked, and now she could not look away. Her eyes wandered over his muscles and she almost ached to touch them, but immediately managed to refrain. Davina could still hear him talking but it seemed to slip in through one ear and straight out of the other. He was so much bigger than her, both in height and build, and while she knew she could have married a worse man than Robb Stark, she could only pray that he was not the type of man to abuse his wives. Because if that were the case, then she would be in very, very big trouble.
"Can I touch you?" She asked suddenly, her eyes finally returning to his face.
"Of course, whenever you are ready, my Lady." He told her, seeming confused but at the same time, curious.
Davina let out a breath and tentatively reached out her hand, soon feeling the warmth of his skin beneath her palm. Never had she touched a man before, at least not the way she now touched her husband, it was all very foreign to her. Her other hand soon joined and in time she was feeling all of him from the waist and upwards. His chest, shoulders, stomach, hips; Nothing went untouched. And Davina was glad that he'd allowed her time to do this, because it was also giving her time to prepare herself for what was to come.
She was not an idiot, she knew very well the pain of the first time. Davina had been wandering the Castle at only ten and three name-days old, when she'd overheard one of her sisters whispering excitedly. At first, she had not known what they were talking about, but in time she began to realise. Her sister had said that it would be best to start with a man shorter than the rest, that way it would not hurt as much. But even then it hurt and her sister had even gone as far to say that it burned, and ever since Davina had feared laying with a man. Even now, on her wedding night, she still feared it as much as she did when she'd first heard of the act. And she knew that it would be a painful experience, if her husband was as well gifted on his lower half as he was his upper body.
"Will you let me touch you, Davina?" Robb's question was understandable, of course. If she could touch him, then why could he not touch her? But he had done this before. She had not.
"You may."
Thankfully, her new husband did not rush into things. Instead, he took it much the same way she had. He did not remove her shift, not at first, and instead opted to feel her through the fabric. He smoothed his hands over her shoulders, down her arms and to her wrists, then moving up her sides and around to her lower back. When he touched her stomach, Davina swore that she felt something, something that she had not felt before that moment, however she quickly shook the thought away. It was her first time with a man, of course there were going to be things she had not felt before. Some good, some bad; All new.
"If you don't want to," He offered and for that she was grateful, but she knew she had no choice.
"With all due respect, my Lord, I would rather it be over and done with." Davina whispered, staring at one of the candles behind him.
In one short sweep, he'd lifted her off the floor and into his arms, one arm underneath her knees while the other wrapped around her waist, keeping her upright. He started towards the bed, and that was when her fear took over; It was happening. In a few short moments, she'd feel the pain all newly-wed women experienced. Davina could only tell herself that every woman went through it, and that eventually it would get better. But in reality, she did not know if it got better, or if she'd ever enjoy it. She could only pray that he knew a lot more about it than she.
He laid her down and she quickly shuffled towards the head of the bed, leaning back to rest her head against the soft pillows. Davina closed her eyes and attempted to keep her breathing at a normal pace, knowing it would not do her good if she tensed up during the experience. She'd heard that the best thing for a woman to do is relax, so that when he did finally enter her, it would not hurt as much. Davina prayed to the Gods that they were right.
She felt the bed dip beneath her as he climbed on and she immediately opened her eyes once more. He hovered above her, completely naked this time, and she made sure to keep her eyes on his face. She was sure if she looked further south, she'd have panicked and left the room without a second thought.
"We have all night, Davina." He told her quietly. She wasn't sure if it was his way of giving her one last chance to object, and push back the inevitable, but she didn't want to push it back. She wanted it done.
"Please."
Thankfully, she did not have to clarify on what she wanted, he knew as soon as she said it. She watched as he lowered his hands to the bottom of her shift and slowly slid it upwards. Davina had to shuffle around a little for him to get it off completely, but when she did, she wanted nothing more than to clamber under the furs. It was rather cold and she felt uncomfortable being in such a state in front of a man she did not know. However, Davina did not cover herself, he was her husband now and he had every right to see her this way. She was not ashamed of her body, far from it actually, but she was naked in front of a stranger; And did not like it one bit.
He looked down at her body with a hungry gaze, and she could not find it within herself to feel offended. Robb leaned down then till their bodies touched and he was mostly lying on top of her, but his hands stopped him from letting all his weight down. Davina could feel it against her thigh, harder than she thought it would be. Clearly he was pleased with her, and that had her feeling some form of relief.
"Are you ready?" He muttered in her ear.
"Yes." Her words were so far from the truth she almost felt sick. She was not ready and she never would be, but she wouldn't tell him that.
Robb shifted one of his hands and it went lower, smoothing against her skin as it did so. Davina panicked for a moment, thinking he was about to touch her, but she was wrong. He'd gripped himself with his hand, guiding himself towards her entrance. She let her legs fall open a little wider and grasped his shoulders with her hands, tightening her grip slightly as she felt him nearing the area she wanted him away from.
"I'm sorry."
Before she could even mutter a reply, he'd swiftly slid into her, and she felt the burning pain she'd heard so much about. Davina hadn't thought it possible, but she'd felt something tear, and for a moment she considered throwing him off of her, but she couldn't. She held back the tears threatening to spill and gave him a quick, reassuring nod, letting him know that it was okay for him to continue. He did so, far quicker than she'd have liked. Davina could only guess that he was going as fast as he could to ensure that it did not take so long, and for that she was grateful.
Robb lowered himself fully and hid his face in her neck, his hands gripping her hips tightly as he repeatedly slammed into her. His breathing was laboured and she could hear it loud in her ear. The pain began to ease but not completely, leaving her in the most uncomfortable state she'd ever been in. All she could do was hold onto him and stare up at the ceiling, trying as hard as she could to block it all out and wait for it to be over.
Eventually, he finished inside her, and she let her body sag in relief. It had felt like hours, when in reality it could have been only minutes. He quickly pulled himself out and she let out a small groan, feeling the ache between her legs as he did so. She knew there would be blood in the morning, and that it would also be shown to her father as a sign that they'd consummated the marriage.
Once he'd moved, he took root at the furthest side of the bed, away from where she herself laid. It upset her, but it did not surprise her. She hadn't expected a loving, kind husband, she'd expected something much like this, a man who would only show interest in her when he wanted her. So while she was not surprised, she was rather sad. Davina had wished for him to prove her wrong, to let her know that he was not like her father or any other man she'd met, but now she felt foolish and disappointed, like a naïve little girl.
She quickly rolled over and stared at the flames of the dimming candle, letting sleep consume her.
Author's Note;
Hi guys! Thank you so much for the reviews so far, it means a lot. Also, I feel the need to throw out that I have NEVER written a smut scene once, so this is new territory for me and I hope its not too bad.
So, let me know what you guys think. Thanks!
