Chapter VIII

Robb Stark sat at the table with his family, swallowing down a delicious piece of salted bacon. His mother and father sat in the middle, talking aimlessly about Gods-knew what. Sansa sat opposite the two, her back straightened and head held high, the way every noble-born lady should. Meanwhile Arya, anything but a little lady, slouched over her table and stuffed her mouth full, only pausing to take a large gulp of water. And then at the furthest part of the table, sat Bran and Rickon. Bran currently moped about how he was no good with the bow, while Rickon listened intently, fiddling with a nut as he usually did. Jon did not join them that morning, he'd come in once for a slice of toast or two, but swiftly made his exit afterwards. Robb knew that his mother must have been staring at him with that gaze again, otherwise he'd have not left in such a hurry. It hurt him how much his mother hated Jon, but there was nothing he could do. He'd tried many times to convince her to ease up on his half-brother, but she'd immediately rejected his attempts at conversation and walked away. It seemed nothing would demolish her hatred for the bastard.

While his family went about their normal routine, Robb's thoughts were currently on nothing but the pig-farmers daughter. They were due to meet again that afternoon and he could scarcely wait. At first it had been guilt that drove him to seek out the girl, guilt that he'd hurt her when she'd done nothing wrong. But once they'd started speaking, she'd had him in a transfixed state. He vividly remembered his name-day celebration and how he'd been so taken with her then, though he knew the wine and ale had him acting the way he did. Now, however, everything was different. He was no longer in a drunken stupor completely captivated by the stranger in the doe mask, instead he enjoyed his time spent with Emily, a pig-farmers daughter. Her status did not matter to him, nor the punishment she'd been falsely accused of, she'd been the best conversationalist he'd met since Jon. Robb found that he could tell her things he did not wish to tell others and he knew that she felt the same, if the things she spoke to him of where anything to go by. They had an understanding of sorts, and he did not want it to end.

"More water, my Lord?"

"No than-" Robb stopped as he glanced up at the servant girl and had to look once more; It couldn't be.

"Something wrong, My Lord?" She asked feigning innocence. It was clear that she was rather amused with his reaction.

"No, everything is fine." He'd finally gotten over the slight shock of seeing Emily in the Castle, in fact he now felt rather intrigued by it. He'd ask her later why she now worked in the Castle, but right now he wanted to have some fun with her. "More water would be lovely, thank you."

Emily bent slightly and poured more water into his cup, and he leaned back slightly. He knew full well that whatever he did to her in this room, it would all be in good fun, and the best part was that she could not strike him without anyone else seeing. So, with this in mind, he touched the back of her leg. It was light but with enough pressure that he knew she'd feel it. Her legs were covered by the skirts of her dress, so it was not too offensive.

Robb found his amusement heightened when she jumped at the touch. Emily moved back to stand fully and looked down at him, her bottom lip tugged between her teeth. It was not obvious to others but he could see her annoyance, it shined in her eyes.

"Anything else, My Lord?" She seethed, quickly glancing at the rest of his family.

"No, I think that will be all." He grinned, looking up at her.

Emily nodded and quickly left the hall, while his eyes followed her. He knew that he could not be so obvious, of course, since his family had no idea where he'd been sneaking off to the passed few moons. Theon had asked and Robb had lied, telling his friend that he was down in the whore-house. With Theon being Theon, he did not question anything, only gave Robb a small grin and clapped him on the back like a proud father to his son. Jon had gotten something a little closer to the truth, he'd been told that Robb was visiting a girl, and thankfully Jon left it at that. But the rest of his family? They had absolutely no idea, and he wanted to keep it that way.

"I'll be in the training yard." Robb said aimlessly. He did not care if they heard him or not, because in that moment his focus was solely on Emily.

It did not take him long to find her. She was outside in the courtyard, speaking to Qetsiyah. The red-headed girl saw him before Emily did and smirked, muttering a few words before rushing into the Castle, and leaving Emily alone.

"I thought we were meeting up later." He chuckled, however his laughter disappeared when an aching pain ran through the side of his head. "That hurt."

"Well, that's what happens when you touch me without asking." She replied simply, though a small smile came to her face afterwards. "Hello Robb."

He smiled and said, "Hello to you too, Emily. May I ask why you're here at my home?"

"It was Qetsiyah's idea." She replied, her smile faltering slightly. "She thought it would be good for me to get out of the house, and apparently this seemed the better way to do that." She then added meekly, "You're not angry with me, are you?"

"Why would I be angry?" He asked, eyes narrowed in confusion.

Emily sighed. "We agreed to keep things secret between us, and away from our personal lives. My being here breaches the lines."

"If anything I am glad you're here, you can keep me sane." He reassured her and was glad when that lovely smile returned to her face.

"Make no mistake, My Lord, we are friends but I have a duty here." She playfully warned, a small glint in her eye.

"That is a shame, I was rather looking forward to having you all to myself." Robb knew he was testing the boundaries between them, but he could not help himself. Since their discussion the day before he had not been able to think of anyone else besides her. He knew how pathetic he sounded and he could only pray that she felt much the same.

Emily's eyebrows raised and she stared back at him. She didn't say anything at first and seemed to be having an internal conflict with herself. "I'm afraid that cannot happen, My Lord. I must go back now but we will speak soon." It sounded like a question so he nodded, and she took her leave a second after, heading the same way Qetsiyah had.

Robb narrowed his eyes and smiled slightly. Emily wasn't encouraging his behaviour, nor was she discouraging it. It seemed she was a little confused on what to do with herself. Either way, he liked her...a lot. It was not love, nor was it lust, well, maybe a little of lust. She was confusing, and he liked it.

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

Emily fastened the thin sheet on the furthest end of the mattress, then moving towards the other side and repeating the motion. She was, of course, completely dedicated to her new duties, but her mind continued to wander. She wasn't completely sure how to feel about Robb Stark, at least not anymore. When they'd been alone in the woods, it'd been nothing more than a friendly interaction, if she did not include the tense moment they'd shared the afternoon previous. But now that she was here, in his home, it seemed his tone had changed slightly. The way he looked at her, the way he spoke to her, it was more than friendly. Maybe he'd gotten the wrong impression the day before, maybe she'd given off the aura that she was interested in pursuing more with him, and the worrying thing was that she didn't know if she didn't want that. They'd only been speaking for a few months now, and it had all been comfortable and nothing more than friendship. But now, now things were different. Their almost-kiss seemed to have opened up a whole new span of territory, one she was both uncomfortable with yet excited her. Emily also knew, however, that nothing could happen with them. He was a Lord, she a pig-farmers daughter and now a servant at Winterfell Castle. His mother would never allow it.

The door to the bed chamber opened and Emily turned. A young girl, maybe ten name-days old or older, stood in the open doorway. For a moment they both stared at each other, waiting for the other to speak. When it was clear that Emily would not say anything, the girl rolled her eyes and decided to be the first.

"Who're you?" She asked rather rudely.

"I'm the new servant, who're you?" Emily asked in the same manner.

"Arya Stark."

Emily recoiled suddenly and her eyes widened. She'd more or less insulted the daughter of the very Lady that'd given her this job. She had a sudden urge to smack herself but she refrained, instead opting to curtsy quickly. "I'm very sorry, My Lady, please forgive me."

"What for? You didn't do anything wrong." The little Lady insisted, closing the door behind her.

"I suppose," Emily trailed, a little unsure of herself. "Shouldn't you be in an embroidery lesson?"

The little Lady grimaced. "Gods no. Well, yes, I should be, but I'm not."

Emily nodded and continued with the bed, though she spoke as well. "Your mother would not be happy."

"Are you going to tell her?"

"I might." She wouldn't really say anything, but the little Stark did not have to know that.

"And I might tell her that the new servant-girl is rude." Was Arya's quick reply.

Emily narrowed her eyes and said, "Touché." She turned once again, this time to fluff up the feathered pillows. "So, if embroidery is not something you enjoy, then what does make you happy?"

Arya sat down on the small stool that had been placed in the room, right in front of the table that held her mirror. "Archery." She replied.

"Archery?" Emily repeated. "Are you any good at it?"

"Very good." The little Lady said excitedly. "I could show you, if you want?"

"Maybe another day, as you can see I am rather occupied." Emily told her, gesturing towards the half-made bed.

"Can't you hurry up? It can't be that hard." Arya shrugged, her nose scrunched up.

Emily let her jaw drop with slight amusement and said, "Then by all means, my Lady, come and make the rest."

Not one to back down from a challenge apparently, the little Lady hopped down from her stool and came closer, taking the pillow from Emily's hands. Emily laughed in slight disbelief and moved away, leaning near the window.

"You've done this before," Emily noted, watching as Arya managed to perfectly manage her bedding. Since she was rather short, it took a lot of clambering up onto the bed to sort it out, but she did it none the less.

"Mother makes us clean our own rooms as a punishment, I do this a lot." The little Lady explained.

"Well, since you're doing so well, I should go and sort out the Lady Sansa's chambers." Emily declared, getting to her feet.

"You wont tell mother I'm in hiding, will you?" Arya asked, almost pleading.

"She won't hear it from me." Emily reassured and left the chamber.

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

Her first day was done, the hard part was over. Emily had to wonder how her mother and Qetsiyah did this so often, it was a rather draining task, but she supposed they were used to it by now. Maybe in time, she would also become accustomed to the duties, she had to. It was a good job to have, and the money they earned was rather good as well. Emily knew that with her having a job of her own, it would help back at the cottage, they would be able to afford more food and clothing for her family.

The sky had turned orange, almost red, and Emily knew it would be dark by the time she arrived home. She would be travelling alone, since Qetsiyah lived in the town and her mother worked late at the Castle, taking care of the nightly duties. It worried her slightly, having to travel home alone in the dark, but she had to remind herself; This was how it would be from now on. She would not leave the Castle and remain at home with her brothers, getting away from the cottage was a lovely breath of fresh air, and it reminded her that she could not stay cooped up in her cottage forever.

"Emily!"

She turned her head and found Robb approaching her. She quickly curtsied and bowed her head as he reached her, though this seemed to amuse him slightly.

"You're bowing to me now?" He chuckled and she rolled her eyes.

"I am in your Castle, it is normal for servants to bow to those they serve." She shrugged, resisting the urge to strike him...again.

"You're leaving?" It was more of a statement than a question, but she nodded anyway.

"My duties are done, I am free to go home now."

He nodded and looked down at her. "May I escort you?"

"I suppose so."

Robb nodded and turned, heading away from the gates entrance, and Emily had to narrow her eyes. What was he doing?

"The gates are this way!" She exclaimed, pointing behind her.

"But my horse is this way." Was his reply.

Emily shook her head and chased after him, following him into the stables. "I am not getting on that thing again." She said firmly.

Robb laughed and wandered through, searching for the pen that held his horse. "Really?"

"Really."

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

No more than a few moments later, Emily found herself in the very place she'd least wanted to be. They both strolled down the path atop Robb's horse, only this time, it was more uncomfortable. Robb had not bothered to saddle the horse, claiming that the stable-boy, Hodor, was not around, and that saddling took more time than it was worth. But every time the horse moved, Emily felt its back bones move underneath her rear, and she knew that once she climbed down she would be aching.

"You are infuriating." She told Robb, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

"So I'm told." He said back, gripping the horses hair in his hands.

Emily rolled her eyes and leaned forward, resting the side of her head against his back. With her eyes closed, everything she heard seemed more clear. She could hear the owls hooting, the rustling of the leaves, even the hooves of Robb's horse colliding with the rocky path. Combined with his warmth and how safe she felt with her Lord, it was something more than relaxing. Emily wasn't sure why she felt so at ease with him, maybe it was because of how much time they'd spent with each other over the passed few weeks. She trusted him. It worried her so much, how she could trust him as quickly and easily as she had. She would even admit that she liked him more than Demetrii, whom she hadn't seen in a short while.

"Are you cold, Emily?" He whispered.

"Your cloak is serving its purpose." She muttered back.

After he'd taken his horse from the stable, Robb had caught on to her shivering. She'd forgotten to bring her cloak that morning, and the long sleeves of her dress did not give her much warmth. So, he'd given her his fur cloak, which she'd objected to at first, but was now thanking the Gods she'd taken it. She was sure that if she had not, she'd have frozen to death. After all, the nights in the North were much colder than the days.

The horse slowed to a stop and Emily released him, leaning back so that he could climb down. Robb easily clambered down from the large beast, and turned, gripping Emily's hips and helping her down. However, instead of letting her down as he had before, he caught her before she could slide.

"And what, pray tell, are you doing?" She asked, her left eyebrow lifting.

"Holding you." He replied simply, as though the action were innocent enough. Emily knew it was anything but.

Whatever had brought out this side of him, she had no idea, but she wished it hadn't. Emily still was not sure how she felt about him yet, and until she did she did not want him getting any ideas. And even if she did want him that way, it wasn't as though they could act on it. He was a Lord and it would not bode well for her to start something with him, it would only hurt the both of them in the end. Though that wasn't the only thing that had her stomach churning. What was worse was that she rather enjoyed the affection he was now showing her, in fact she loved it. Never had she had a man show her so much attention before, none that she'd ever taken note of anyway. Emily knew that before she let anything happen with him, she had to speak to Qetsiyah first. Her friend knew more about men than she, and could shed some light on the subject. It was just a matter of holding Robb at bay until then.

"This is not proper, My Lord." She swallowed. His strength was rather admirable, since his arms remained around her midsection still.

"Does it bother you?" He asked, though she was sure he already knew the answer.

"Please, do not make me do this Robb." That seemed to be enough of an answer, since he immediately let her slide down.

"You do not feel the same?" He asked, seeming dejected and embarrassed.

Emily shook her head frantically and said, "I do not know, please don't make me think of it. In two days, you will know my answer."

Thankfully, Robb nodded and left it at that. He leaned forward and pressed a firm kiss against her cheek. "I shall see you tomorrow then."

"Goodnight, My Lord."

"And you."

Emily watched as he swiftly climbed back on top of the horse and rode down the path, soon disappearing into the wood. She sighed wistfully and shook her head, damning Qetsiyah for dragging her to the celebration. Why couldn't her life be simple?


Author's Note;

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

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