Chapter Four

She was sewing Jaime's tunics in the drawing room when the news arrived. Her father Walder Frey was very ill and Elyse knew she had to make the long trip up to the Twins and see him. For all his faults, Walder Frey was still her father. Elyse sighed as she got into the carriage. Six armed guards will be escorting her. Jaime held her hand and helped her up. Elyse smiled at him.

"I won't be gone that long." She told him when she sat down on the carriage seat.

"And I shall miss you every moment you're not with me..." Jaime said with a wink and Elyse only rolled her eyes at his attempts of being romantic.

"Here..." Jaime said and Elyse was surprised when he showed her the palm of his hand and there was a velvet cloth. Jaime uncovered it and Elyse saw a golden brooch of the Lannister lion's head. It had rubies as eyes.

Jaime took the brooch and pinned it on her crimson dress near her breast. "Let your family know who you are now."

"I'll always be a Frey to them." Elyse sighed. Jaime shook his head.

"No you're a Lannister now." He told her. "You're my wife and you'll be the Lady of Casterly Rock. I want everyone to know that and give you the respect you deserve."

"How lucky am I..." Elyse gave a dramatic sigh and Jaime laughed. He then leaned forward and kissed her lips. He then reluctantly pulled away and closed the carriage door. He gave a soft knock and gestured for the riders to leave.

"Go!" Jaime commanded. "The faster you leave, the sooner my wife will return."

Elyse looked out the window and watched as Jaime stood there and waved at her. She waved back. She knew she would miss him. Strange how attached to her husband she had become. She wondered if the affection she felt was love. No...It couldn't be. Elyse thought to herself and shook her head. What would Frey girl do with love? She would be better equipped if she had a good head on her shoulders and a strong will.

Stark camp.

Robb was in his tent when a few of his men came in with good news it seems. The war had been long and for a while, he almost wanted to give up, especially when his wife died. But Robb knew he had a responsibility. He was the King in the North and he had to protect his people.

"My Lord. The boys have captured a carriage with a Lannister seal heading towards The Twins."

"A carriage?" Robb asked his men.

"Yes My Lord. It has Lannister goldbars and there is a woman inside."

"A woman?" Robb asked, his eyes narrowed. "She isn't harmed is she or touched? You know I won't have it!"

"No My Lord..." the man shook his head. "She's Jaime Lannister's wife. A precious prisoner we have with us."

Robb was surprised to hear that. He didn't even know that Jaime Lannister had married. It had been six months since his beloved Talisa had died. Their daughter Arabella was now in his mother's care in Winterfell. After Theon Greyjoy had sacked the place. Robb and some of his men headed back. They managed to reunite with Bran and Rickon and fortified Winterfell with help from the noble Houses in the North.

"I want to see her." He said and the men nodded.

"Where is she?" Robb asked.

"She's in the tent beside yours. The guards with her are in the pen. Two were killed."

Robb marched out and headed to the tent that was heavily guarded. He walked in and there was a woman standing there. It was quite dark and Robb walked closer. The candlelight shone on her face and he finally saw her. She was beautiful, exquisitely beautiful that he was stunned for a while seeing her. She had long dark hair that was a single braid. Her oval face had a flawless porcelain complexion and she had deep blue eyes. She had finely sculptured features, her lips full and pouting. It had been a while since he had seen someone that beautiful. Robb couldn't help the sudden tightness in his breeches. It had been a while since he had a woman too. The last who was his late wife.

"Lady Lannister..." He called her.

"Lord Stark," She said and gave a polite curtsey. Robb saw the way her dress mould to her full breasts and it made him almost sighed.

"My apologies if my men treated you roughly Lady Lannister."

"It's alright Lord Stark," She said and gave a smile. Robb couldn't help but smiled back.

"You were heading to the Twins my Lady?" Robb asked her.

"Yes. I'm visiting my father actually. He has taken ill."

"Your father?" Robb asked her.

"My father, Lord Walder Frey."

"You're Walder Frey's daughter?" Robb was shocked when she said that.

"Yes. Lord Stark." She said and gave a nod. "My name is Elyse Frey uh... Lannister."

"Oh..." Robb uttered dumbfounded as he stared at her face.

It was her. She was the Frey girl he was supposed to marry. The beautiful goddess in front of him, was supposed to be his wife, and the Lady of Winterfell. Robb then knew if he had met her before Talisa, he would probably marry her straight away being so taken by her beauty or he would have at least considered the proposal seriously. Robb stared at her seeing the crimson red velvet dress she wore and the lion's head brooch pinned on her dress that was close to her breast. Instead she was now his enemy. She was Jaime Lannister's wife.

"Will you be releasing me Lord Stark?" She asked him. Robb shook his head.

"No Lady Lannister. My humblest apologies..." He said. "I think that you are too precious a prisoner for me to set free."

"But my father is very sick Lord Stark," Elyse told him in a pleading tone. "Please...I know you have no regard for him. Lord Walder Frey is not a likeable person. But he is my father and he is the only one I've got."

"I am so sorry Lady Lannister." Robb said and looked at her.

"Consider it as a debt returned my Lord." She spoke. "I did send the raven and warned you..."

"It was you?" Robb stared at her, surprised by the revelation. She gave a sigh and nodded. "Yes."

"But why?" Robb asked her. His eyes never left hers.

"I didn't think you should die just because you didn't want to marry me." She said and heaved. "My father felt slighted. But he didn't know that I didn't want to marry you too...or he did but he didn't care anyway."

"And why my Lady would you not want to marry me?" Robb asked and smiled, amused by her words.

"Because I've heard that you're ugly my Lord." She said indignantly. "And that you're ferocious and a barbarian."

"So do you find me ugly now?" Robb asked her as he moved closer to her. He could smell her perfume and being so close to her was intoxicating.

She looked away. "I think my husband is much more handsome Lord Stark."

"Of course he is Lady Lannister..." Robb said and grinned. "Your stay here will be comfortable. You have my word."

Elyse groaned as she sat down on the cot after he left the tent. She wasn't sure she liked it. She wondered if they would send the news to Jaime that she had been taken prisoner by Robb Stark. She started to think of the man. He didn't look hideous or ferocious at all. In fact he was very handsome and very young with his head of auburn curls and bright blue eyes. He had a moustache and some stubble on his cheeks and chin. He was not a grown man like her husband. Robb Stark looked very youthful and green, wet behind the ears. Elyse knew she had to find a way and escape she just didn't know how.

When he heard that his prisoner escaped, Robb immediately rode on his stallion. There was no way he was going to lose the largest bargaining chip he had in his hand. Elyse Frey Lannister could change the course of the war, he was sure of it. He rode fast and from the hill he could see her riding, her hooded cloak blown by the wind and Robb urged his stallion to gallop faster. The hood came off and Robb stared almost awed seeing her hair that fell like a waterfall behind her. She turned and looked at him and rode faster but her mare was no match for Robb's black stallion. He was the fastest of all the horses.

Robb managed to ride beside her and Elyse cried. He moved and reigned in her horse. Robb then took over and pulled the girl to him dragging her from her horse to his. She was kicking and screaming and soon both of them were thrown off the stallion.

"Get off of me!" Elyse screamed as she struggled underneath him

"Lady Lannister calm down..." He told her. His eyes staring into hers. Blue meeting blue. Elyse then banged his forehead with hers and rolled away from him as fast as she could but Robb caught her and pulled her in his arms from behind. She struggled again. He held her tighter against him.

"Don't fight me My Lady. I will not hurt you..." Robb whispered to her and she stopped, lying limp in his arms and Robb held her close.

Robb didn't know why but he just breathed in deeply and held her. She relaxed and Robb pulled her closer. He could smell that sweet perfume of hers and she felt so soft and warm to him. He felt this peace he hadn't felt in a long while ever since Talisa died. Strange he was seeking solace in the arms of his enemy's wife. Robb leaned and sniffed into her hair. He didn't think he could let her go.

"Let me go please..." She said to him after a while. "My father's dying...I might not see him again."

"I can't..." Robb told her as he turned her around to face him. He stared at her face, seeing the tears in her blue eyes. Robb gently brushed her tears and held her face. Seeing her cry, he hated it. "I am so sorry My Lady..."

"What if I swear that I will come back? I have to see him Lord Stark just once and I will return back to you and be your prisoner. You can then bargain with my husband and his father..." She said softly.

"You would return to me?" He asked as he looked at her

"You have my word." Elyse told him. Robb didn't know why but he believed her. Just like he believed the warning she had sent him.

"Alright then..." Robb said and took his hand off her.

"I will let you visit your father Lady Lannister and then you will return here in two days or I will burn The Twins down myself." He said firmly. "You have my word."

"She's back my Lord..."

Robb heard his man and rushed out from his tent and there she was, dressed in a blue dress and holding the reigns of the mare. He hadn't seen her in two days and Robb was beginning to worry, wondering if it was folly to trust her words. She was a Frey and a Lannister all in one.

"Lady Lannister." He said with a smile.

"Lord Stark." Elyse greeted him.

"How is your father?" Robb asked her and she gave him a strange look.

"He's dead my Lord. He died in his sleep last night. I'm grateful that I got to see him one last time." Elyse told him. Robb only kept quiet and looked at her.

"I gave you my word didn't I? Here I am." Elyse said, hoping to break whatever awkward silence between them.

"You did my Lady," Robb said, still smiling at her.

"We Freys and Lannisters always keep our end of the bargain," She added snippily. "I'm not sure if it's the same for everyone else."

Robb kept quiet hearing that. He wondered if she was hinting at him, the fact that he didn't keep his end of the agreement to marry her. She was left in the tent. Her feet chained and Robb continued his discussion with his men on how they were going to fortify the borders of the North. When he finally went to see her, she was sitting down in her tent sewing something.

"What are you sewing?" Robb asked her. She seemed very engrossed with her work and he grew curious.

Elyse looked up and gave a small smile. "My husband's tunics,"

"He normally gets it sewn by the tailor at Casterly Rock but since I took it to task, Jaime wouldn't have it sewn by anyone else." She said as her face lit up.

Robb detected the affection in her voice when she spoke of her husband. He felt envious, he didn't know why. Was it because Jaime's wife was alive while his died? It didn't seem fair to Robb. He started to wonder if Elyse would sew his tunics too if they had been married. She probably would. She'd be a devoted wife. He was sure of it.

"You must be very close to him." Robb commented. He clenched his jaw for a while. The thought of her and Jaime Lannister as husband and wife. It irked him greatly. He hated it. He didn't even want to think of the both of them in bed.

"He is my husband Lord Stark," Elyse said bemused by his words. "He's the closest family I have."

"Then you are very lucky Lady Lannister," Robb said tersely and looked at her. "To still have your Beloved with you."

Elyse stopped embroidering the lion on Jaime's tunic and looked at him for a while. "I'm very sorry about your wife." She said softly.

Robb gave a nod. "You must have loved her very much." Elyse said and looked at him gently.

"I still do." He said. "I don't think I will ever marry again but Arabella needs a mother."

"That's a beautiful name," Elyse told him. "Your daughter must be very beautiful."

"She looks like her mother..." Robb said with a smile and Elyse smiled back. She looked even more beautiful smiling at him.

"I should go Lady Lannister. I bid you good night." Robb said. He knew he couldn't stay in the same tent with her much longer. It wouldn't be proper. People will talk, rumours will spread.

"Good night Lord Stark..." Elyse told him and he walked out of her tent while she continued with her sewing.

Robb stopped for a while and turned to look. She was still busy embroidering the Lannister lion on a tunic meant for Jaime even though it was already late. Robb went to bed trying his best to think of his wife but it was Elyse Lannister's face that he saw when he closed his eyes.