Robb
Fear is for the winter, boy, Old Nan had told Robb once. And he had believed her. But that was before Jeyne Poole fell in love with him and began to follow him around Winterfell. Now he was sure that Jeyne scared him more than the prospect of winter.
There has been many girls who had proclaimed their love for Robb, but none had been as adamant as Jeyne.
She was certainly pretty enough, with lovely brown eyes and long brown hair. But you can't love someone who scares you, can you?
Theon, his father's ward wanted him to bed her, just like he once bed the stonemason's daughter. Robb did not like to be reminded of that night, he had made a terrible mistake. Myra had assured him that she had taken moon tea, but it still shamed him.
Jeyne was different, a little girl who's head was filled with stories about knights and damsels. She was also his sister Sansa's closest companion. But the girl had taken to Robb like a pup takes to his master. She even brought him flowers. Many would take this as a compliment, but all Robb saw in her was his sister, which was bad enough when you think about it.
I am a man grown, I will someday rule all of Winterfell and be the Warden of the North. I should not be scared of some girl, Robb thought. And now I have a direwolf, maybe he will scare her away. Grey Wind, Robb had named his direwolf, not a very spectacular name for an animal that many had believed a myth, but it would have to do, for the direwolf would not respond to any other name. A beautiful creature, and deadly, if half the tales were to be believed. His coat was a smoky grey and his eyes were yellow, it was lean but would one day be a large as a small horse.
The deserter had unsettled Robb the most. He had seen many beheadings, but this man had looked half out of his mind. He kept muttering about some little girl he had met, with eyes as blue as frost. Old Nan had told them many such stories, the Others, they were called, and they could raise the dead. 'When the Long Night comes, they will rise, and fight men, for our blood is warm and our flesh tastes like honey to them.' Two of the deserter's companions were dead, one of them a lordilng from the Vale. These were the honourable men of the Watch, who slew their brothers and forfeited their vows, and yet Jon wanted to join them.
Lady Catelyn went on and on about the King's family, and how they must behave in front of them. It was his mother's dream to marry Robb to Princess Myrcella. And Sansa to Crown Prince Joffrey, but he could see that his Lord father disagreed with the match. 'I don't want a Cersei in Winterfell.'
Theon did not stop teasing Robb about it since then. 'They say the Queen is the most beautiful woman in Westeros, her daughter must be a pretty sight to look at.' There was rarely any wisdom in Theon's words, and he was could bed anyone with a woman's privy parts, but Robb had nodded nevertheless. Theon used to believe, when they were younger, that Lady Catelyn would marry him to Sansa and make him part of the Stark family. But those were just childish dreams, and the iron born would never let their heir marry someone who was not from the sea.
'Don't wait till the wedding, bed her the first chance you get,' Theon would say.
'Shut up, Greyjoy,' Robb would reply, tired of the day old jest. But he did feel quite strange, being betrothed to marry someone he had never met.
I am a man grown, I will one day rule all of Winterfell and be the Warden of the North. I should not be scared for some betrothal, especially one with a beautiful princess.
That night, as Robb passed his bedchambers, he heard his parents say his name, and so stood behind the door to listen.
'This is high treason, Ned, I am telling you. Robert hates them, spawn he called the babe's body back in King's Landing. And who knows what the girl is like. She could be tainted, like her grand sire.'
Who was this girl? And what taint were they talking about. And why would his father commit treason, Lord Eddard Stark was known to be an honest and honourable man.
'She is our best chance, The Spider told me that Robert has squandered away all the wealth of the Royal treasury, in favour of tourneys and feasts.
In the west Lord Tywin is becoming more powerful by the day. You cannot expect me to sit by and watch the realm in ruins.'
'Do you even see the danger this puts us in?' His mother whispered, and Robb had to strain his ears to listen. 'The King is coming to Winterfell, and if he finds out, there will be bloodshed.'
'Cat, I have not yet done anything drastic. If the Spider is wrong, we shall the send the girl away and pretend it never happened. He says that she does not even have the look.'
'What of Robb? Will you sacrifice your son's happiness just to fulfill your plan? What if he comes to dislikes the her? And you are no kin to the girl, why should she do as you bid her to?'
Robb could not have been more confused, his father wanted him to marry some girl, that much was clear. But the rest was muddled.
'Robb is a good lad, he'll do his duty as he must. If it comes to all that you say, I am telling you Cat, I would never force the two.'
'But what if...' Lady Catelyn started again but this time his father cut in, in a voice that seemed to say that he was done discussing the matter.
'It is done. The seed is sown, the girl is coming, whether we like it or not. Goodnight, my sweet wife.'
That night, as Robb pondered over everything he had heard, one thing was for certain- The years to come would not be as peaceful as one might hope.