Chapter VII

"I can't do this."

"Yes, you can."

"No. I really can't."

Things had, once again, returned to how they were. Emily could now wear a dress without her feeling as though someone were cutting her back, and Qetsiyah was finally back in her life. She'd almost forgotten just how much fun her friend was, and having her around made her happier. Emily had told her everything that had happened with their Lord, and Qetsiyah's response had been rather crude at the most. But like always it did not matter what her friend said, did, or had done. Emily would forgive her no matter what. And she was so glad that she'd accepted Qetsiyah's apology. The hardest part had been telling her father. He'd shouted, cursed, even gone as far as to strike the cottage wall. In the end, Emily found herself soothing his knuckles and repeatedly telling him that everything would be alright. Qetsiyah was no longer welcome into the cottage, but that did not stop Emily from visiting her at Winterfell Castle, along with Demetrii. It seemed that all at once, things had taken a turn for the better, and it wasn't only because of her friends.

Emily had long since decided that she no longer worried about her future with their Lord. One day he may be Lord of Winterfell, and married to some noble girl, but for now he was her friend, and she was determined to make the most of it. No one else knew of their friendship apart from Qetsiyah, who'd sworn not to tell her mother, father, or even Demetrii. The last thing Emily wanted or needed was for rumours to spread, it would ruin everything they'd slowly built. They'd come to an understanding of sorts, during the few weeks they'd spent getting to know each other better. She wouldn't ask about his life in the Castle, and in turn he would not question her about her own life. They left their problems and worries back at their respective homes, and enjoyed everything else. The only difference was, Emily didn't bring one of Robb's fears straight to him.

"I am not getting on that horse." Emily stated, crossing her arms defiantly.

"It's one ride, Emily. It won't kill you!" Robb laughed from atop the scary, albeit beautiful, horse.

"It might!"

Apparently there were some things her Lord would not let die. Only a few short weeks ago she'd told him that she'd never ridden a horse, and now here he was, waiting patiently for her to climb on behind him. But there had been another reason she'd never ridden one. A very small, intricate detail she'd left out.

"Emily." He called her name and she looked up at him. "Are you afraid of horses?" He said it as though the very idea were ridiculous, but for her it was a reality, and her silence told him everything. "Gods, you are."

"It's not an uncommon fear!" She defensively exclaimed. "They're powerful creatures, capable of killing or maiming a person. Is it so surprising that I'm a little weary around them?"

He laughed once again and it annoyed her greatly. "I assure you, Emily, he's the kindest animal you'll ever meet. Just try it once."

Emily looked at the horse, then Robb, then back to the horse. "I don't trust him."

"Do you trust me?" The question caught her off-guard and for a moment, she spluttered, until an answer finally made its way out.

"I-I think I do."

Robb looked up in thought and nodded to himself. "That's enough."

Before Emily could even begin to wonder what he was doing, he'd already hauled her up onto the saddle behind him. Thankfully, he did not nudge the horse to move, and instead waited for her to adjust. The shock began to wear off and Emily showed him just how annoyed she was at his actions.

"What was that for?" He exclaimed, chuckling slightly as he rubbed the back of his head.

"You know what that was for." Emily snapped, pointing a finger in his face.

"You know, attacking your Lord has a brutal punishment." Robb grinned.

Emily narrowed her eyes. "I think I'll take the risk."

The horse moved and Emily jumped. It hadn't even moved more than a step and she assumed it was adjusting itself, but it scared her none the less. She quickly latched on to the back of Robb's cloak and hid her face in the fur, her eyes clenched shut. Emily didn't care if he thought her pathetic, she was sure there were some things he himself feared and would shake at the very thought of facing. Horses just so happened to be hers.

"You're safe, Emily." Robb reassured her, though she kept her face buried in his cloak.

"He's unpredictable." Her words were slightly muffled, and she hoped he'd been able to hear her.

"Emily."

She slowly lifted her head to face him, resisting the urge to look down at the large horse she sat on.

"You're safe." It could have been the tone in his voice, or the way he looked at her, but she found no trace of hesitance in his words. All she could do was nod. "We won't run, not unless you're ready."

"N-no running?" She repeated, swallowing nervously.

"No running." He promised.

Emily gave him a small nod and he turned to face forward. She felt him nudge the horses sides and soon, they began in a slow walk. She was still apprehensive and clutched Robb's waist like a little girl, but she didn't feel as scared as before. Maybe it was because the Lord she rode with had her stomach in knots, but it did not matter, she needed something to take her mind off the beast.

"So, my Lord, what are you scared off?" She asked, fidgeting in the saddle; It was rather uncomfortable.

"Me?" He laughed and she smiled.

"Yes. You know my fear, it's only fair that I know yours."

Robb paused in thought for a moment and Emily waited patiently for his reply. She took this moment to finally look down at the beast she sat on, feeling rather empowered now that she'd more or less faced her fear. She was still scared, of course, but she had to admit the animal was beautiful. Emily had always secretly loved horses, but her fear of an unpredictable and independent creature always scared her away from them. So, while she was a little angry towards the Lord for dragging her up onto the horse without warning, she inwardly thanked him for it.

"I suppose, becoming Lord of Winterfell." Robb finally replied, lightly shrugging his shoulders.

"You're not afraid of becoming Lord." Emily remarked and he looked back at her, only to receive a quick smack and a 'keep your eyes on the path' from Emily.

"I'm not?" He challenged.

"No." She stated, resting her chin on his shoulder. "You're afraid of the pressures that come with it. Not that I blame you, it is a lot for one man."

"I suppose you're right." He muttered.

"What else are you afraid of?" Emily asked, hoping to steer them away from the subject she knew he hated most.

"Love."

Emily leaned back slightly, her brows drawn and eyes narrowed. "Love?" She asked, wondering if she'd heard him correctly.

"Aye."

"Alright, I'll listen to this." She fidgeted once more and returned to her original position. "What is it that scares you, my Lord?"

"The very idea of it!" He exclaimed. "My mother told me about it when I was young, and ever since it's terrified me."

Emily perked up, slightly interested. "What did she tell you?"

He shook his head and looked away as he thought. "She told me that one day you could be fine, and the next it hits you, faster than a flying arrow. You feel sick and dizzy yet at the same time happy and alive. You're supposed to give everything and anything to one person and hope that they do not throw it back in your face? It sounds terrible."

"I am sure it is not all bad." Emily said, thoroughly amused. "You have someone that you can share all your thoughts with, that will never judge you and always be by your side. When you're with them everything slows down and all you can see is that person, the one you want to spend the rest of your years with. It is not so bad to fall in love, my Lord."

The horse slowed to a stop and Robb turned in his saddle, while she leaned back slightly. "Have you ever loved someone, Emily?" He asked.

"I have not, my Lord." She whispered, averting her eyes.

"One day, would you like to?" Emily gave him a small nod of confirmation. "Why?" He asked. He seemed so confused and frustrated that Emily almost felt sorry for him.

"I-it's a dangerous thing, My Lord, I know that. Love is as much a risk as..." She paused and searched her mind for an explanation. "As me getting on this horse. I was scared, you told me to trust you, and I did. I suppose there is not much of a difference between the two. When you do find it my Lord, there is no sure way to know how it will turn out. You just need to jump and hope that, when the time comes, they'll be ready to catch you."

When she was done, he did not speak, he only stared. They fell into a somewhat tense silence and all she could hear were birds and the rustling leaves, moving against each other from the force of the cold Northern air. Emily did not know how she felt at that moment. She felt a little bit nervous, or maybe it was excited, maybe she was feeling all at once. She couldn't recall a time where she'd felt it, until she finally realised that she had. That night came rushing back to her so quickly and so clearly that she could hear the music again, along with the sounds of laughter from the drunken men and women that surrounded them.

Robb moved one hand from the reigns and cautiously placed it on the side of her neck. He seemed hesitant to touch her without her saying anything, but Emily couldn't even find one word to say to him. She should have said 'no' or 'this isn't proper', but she didn't. If she was being completely honest with herself, she wasn't sure what to do. Emily had always been so occupied with her family, Qetsiyah, Demetrii, and other things that she'd never had time to wonder if a man liked her or not. Qetsiyah was the one who revelled in male attention, not her, and whenever Qetsiyah tried to tell her about her experiences with men Emily always shut her down, not wanting to her any of it. But now she wished she had, because a man was actually showing her a little affection and she had absolutely no idea what to do next.

"I-I...I don't..." Emily could do nothing but stutter as the Lord moved his face a little closer towards hers. Clearly, he was still giving her the opportunity to reject him, but she didn't know whether to say no or let him continue.

Thankfully, she did not have to say anything. Robb's horse neighed and shuffled back an inch or two, breaking them out of whatever situation they'd formerly been in. Robb quickly turned and took hold of the reigns once again, while Emily silently thanked the Gods and let her rational thought take over.

"W-we should go back." She suggested, taking a deep breath.

"I suppose so." He sounded disappointed, but Emily could not be sure.

~...~...~...~...~

"You are an absolute idiot!"

"What are you talking about?!"

"You know what I'm talking about!"

The next morning, Emily sat outside her cottage with Qetsiyah, explaining everything that had happened the day before. She didn't mention their discussion, she never did, but she did tell Qetsiyah about the small 'moment' she'd had with their Lord. Qetsiyah's reply, however, had been less than helpful. At first she'd been rather excited, asking multiple questions with a whispering tone like a gossiping old milk-maid, but once Emily told her the rest she became annoyed. And now, now she was shouting at her that she was an idiot.

"What was I supposed to do?!" Emily exclaimed. "Kiss him?"

"Yes!" Qetsiyah shouted back in reply, as though it were blatantly obvious. "Are you telling me that you just sat there like a fool?"

"I-I..." Emily trailed off into silence and Qetsiyah let out a loud groan.

"Emily, I will give you one piece of advice," Qetsiyah began, walking forward and taking both of Emily's hands into her own, "when an attractive man attempts to kiss you, you kiss him back. Understand?"

Emily rolled her eyes and said, "I know what to do. He did not kiss me, his horse interrupted whatever was about to happen." She then added, "And I am grateful!"

"Gods. Why?!"

"He is our Lord, Qetsiyah. He is not mine to kiss and never will be. He is the first born son of Eddard Stark and his future does not involve a pig-farmers daughter. It is best we just stay away from each other." Emily explained.

"No, no." Her red-headed friend objected quickly. "If anything, you should spend more time together. And not here in the wolfswood."

"What are you saying, Qetsiyah?" She asked worriedly, her stomach twisting once Qetsiyah grinned. "Tell me!" She demanded.

"I may have done something nice for you." Qetsiyah told her.

"What have you done?" Emily asked as her palms began to sweat.

Qetsiyah smiled sweetly and clasped her hands behind her back. "As you may have heard, the King is coming to Winterfell, along with the Queen, their children and a lot of others."

"Of course I know, Robb told me yesterday."

"Well, as it turns out, more servants are needed at the Castle-"

"Qetsiyah, tell me you didn't," Emily begged, praying to the gods that her assumptions were wrong.

"I got you a job, in the Castle! Isn't it exciting?!"

Emily stared wide-eyed at Qetsiyah, only one thought screaming out in her mind; Gods help me.


Author's Note;

Hi readers! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, there was a little more Robb/Emily in this and I hope you liked it!

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