A/N: Sorry that this has taken so much time to get to. Lots of things going on and what not. I was actually trying to plot the next chapter of my Robb story, but I'm kind of stuck on that and when I opened the document to look at what I had for this one, it just started to flow. So yay! I know that there are a lot of questions about where I am going with this story, but the truth is, I only have certain things planned out and some of the stuff I am coming up with as I write. I hope that you will continue to enjoy what I am writing. :)
A/N2: I own nothing from the show or books. I just own my characters...
Chapter Ten
That was it, they were going to be leaving in a few days. The King had announced days before that the court wasn't going to linger. Her husband was right, as much as she hated it. She was going to leave the only place that she ever called home and travel south. Her father and her sisters would be traveling the same way, but they would be allowed to go home. But not her. She was a Stark married to a Lannister, but not just any Lannister, but the Kingslayer. Her younger brother Bran was supposed to be coming with her father and sisters, but he still had yet to wake from his fall. It would be hard to say good-bye to him while he continued to sleep. But at least he was alive.
Folding another dress, she placed it into the trunk before she heard the sound of knocking upon the door to her chambers. Not sure who it could be, Juliana made her way to the door and opened it. Robb. Her twin, her other half.
"Are you busy?" he asked as Grey Wind walked into the room without waiting for Robb.
"Just packing for the journey," Juliana said as she opened the door wider so that her brother could enter. "I thought about having that maid Jaime assigned to me do it, but I still do not trust her or any of them."
"You will have to trust someone," Robb said as he sat down at the table and watched her continue to fold her dresses. "You won't have many, but you will need to find someone that you can trust."
"I know," Juliana said with a sigh as she placed the light summer colored dresses into the trunk. "I don't know if I can ever think of King's Landing or Casterly Rock as my home."
"Home is where your heart is."
With a grin, she looked at her twin. "When did you get to be so smart?"
"From you," he told her. "It was something that you have told me a time or two."
With a small grin, Juliana moved over to the vanity where a few of her necklaces and bracelets were scattered about with some of the jewels that Jaime had given to her. Lannister jewels. Taking the black pouch, she placed them inside since she knew she wouldn't be wearing them anytime soon.
"Leaving here scares me," Juliana admitted as she continued her task. "It scares me that there are so many changes happening and so quickly. Bran is in a sick bed, I have married into the Lannister house, the girls are leaving with father to go to King's Landing, Jon is leaving for the wall and you…"
"And I will be here as Lord of Winterfell until father decides to return."
"You will be far away from me," she said feeling the tears sting her eyes. "So far that I don't know how I will like it. How can I like being so far away from you?"
Standing up, Robb walked the short distance so that he could take his sister's hands into his own. "You were the one that constantly reminded Jon, Theon, and myself that you would marry one day and leave Winterfell and we had no choice but to deal with it," Robb smiled as his twin let out a laugh, knowing she had said those things many times to the boys. "But that does not mean you will never come back. You will have the Kingslayer's children, but they will also be part of you. And I look forward to the day that I meet my nephews and nieces. And until that day I want you to have this."
Watching Robb's expression go from certainty to nervousness surprised his twin greatly. Holding the dark blue velvet pouch in his grip, she could honestly say that she had no idea what was in the bag. "I know that your husband and his family have jewels they have given to you, but you aren't a Lannister. At least not to us that are in Winterfell. I want you to have these in case you ever doubt who you are."
As her brother, placed the bag into her hand, she gave him a small smile before opening it up. Letting the items fall into her open palm, Juliana looked at the silver ring. It was simple, but she had no doubts that it was sturdy. Inside the silver of the ring was the shape of an arrow. Robb would never give her something like this, without having known the double meaning of the ring. An arrow was her weapon of choice and it was her twin that had been encouraging to her when she first started learning how to use a bow and arrow. The second meaning behind the ring was her direwolf, all of her siblings had one and it was a way that she could remember that she would always be a Stark of Winterfell. Looking into the familiar blue eyes, she smiled at him. "Thank you, Robb. I don't know what else I can say but that. I just love it so much."
"It should fit upon your thumb," he said with a smile. "But there is something else inside."
Sliding the ring onto her finger, she smiled at her brother before reaching her finger into the bag. Once she felt the cool metal against the pad of her finger, Juliana looked back up at Robb. Smiling and nodding his head, he urged her to take it out. Getting a grip upon whatever was inside, she brought it out. Robb took the bag from her so that she could see what it was that had also been inside the bag. A silver bracelet with blue and black stones. Juliana couldn't remember a time where she had been more speechless with a gift that Robb had given to her, than she was at that moment. "You should save this for-"
"It was to be a present on our next name day," Robb said cutting off what she was about to say. "But seeing as you won't be here to celebrate that…I wanted to make sure that you had it."
Wrapping her arms around her brother's neck, she buried her face into his neck and let the silent tears escape while she remembered what it felt like to be held by her twin. After all who knew when the next time that they would meet would be. "I wish you were coming with us."
"I don't envy your journey," Robb told her as he held onto her. "But I promise I will see you again."
"Don't make a promise that you can't keep," Juliana said as she held her brother even tighter. "Because if you were to break that promise I think you might hurt my feelings."
"I don't think you have to worry about me breaking a promise to you," Robb said as he allowed her to step back from his embrace. Wiping the tears from her eyes, Robb placed his hands on the sides of her face and brought her head closer to that he could place a kiss upon it. "I love you and I will always love you. Never forget it. I will see you in the courtyard before you depart."
Nodding her head, she gave her brother a smile before he walked to the door. Shaking her head, she looked at him. "Robb. Thank you."
"Wife."
"Husband," Juliana said as she finished placing the last of her things that were to be taken to King's Landing with them. "I was hoping that I would be able to speak to you."
"Were you now?" he asked as he looked at her.
"I was hoping that you would be okay with me riding instead of sitting in the carriage."
Shaking his head, he looked at her. "You may ride with your sisters and the septa that is coming along with them. The journey is long and I do not need to worry if you fall behind or fall of your horse."
"I have never fallen off a horse before," Juliana told him, hoping that he would change his mind. "Please."
"You may ride in the carriage," he told her with a note of finality. "Is this thing finished being packed?"
Juliana wanted to argue with Jaime about riding in the carriage, but she had received the look that said it would be better if she were to drop it. And so she did. Nodding her head, she grabbed her cloak as she walked towards the door.
"I'll have one of the servants bring it down to the carriage."
Stopping in her tracks, she turned and looked at him. "Thank you. I am going to say good-bye to Bran and my mother."
"She won't be seeing your father and sisters off?" Jaime inquired.
"Her grief is still too close."
When Juliana looked at her husband and noticed that he wasn't going to say anything else, she left the room. Making her way through the halls that she had grown up in, made her a little sad. Leaving was hard, especially when those she was closest to were staying behind and going on his own journey. She prayed that Bran would wake up, but she knew that even if he did her brother would never be the same little boy he was before he had fallen from the tower. It was still hard for her to grasp. How was it that on that day Bran fell when he had been climbing for so long? It didn't matter the weather, he would climb and not once did he ever fall. Shaking her head of the thoughts that were gathering in her head, she made her way to where her brother was still sleeping in his sick bed.
Not bothering to knock on the door, she opened it and walked in. Juliana noticed the rise and fall of his chest which was something she was grateful for. Her mother didn't move from her spot next to Bran's bed. Moving silently, Juliana sat on the bed next to her younger brother. Moving her hand to his head, she tried to smile for him as she moved some of his hair out of his eyes. Shaking her head slighting when it went right back to where had been before, Juliana took his hand into hers.
"I have never been one for good-byes and you know this. Leaving Winterfell, leaving you and everyone is hard. I know that you will wake up because you are too stubborn not to. When you wake up you will have to tell me what happened. If I didn't have a husband I would continue to stay by your side so that I know what was happening with you. Lucky for me, Robb, Grey Wind and your direwolf will be here to look after you and mother. You need to wake soon, okay Brandon?"
Juliana paused, hoping for a moment to hear Bran tell her not to use his full name.
"I love you so much Bran," Juliana said as she leaned over him and placed a lingering kiss upon his forehead. "Just get well Bran, okay? And I promise we will see one another again."
Getting to her feet, she made her way over to her mother who stood when she saw that her eldest daughter was coming towards her. Placing her hands on her daughter's face, Lady Stark kissed the top of her daughter's head. "You have grown into a beautiful young woman and I am so proud of you."
"I'm going to miss you mother. So much."
Trying her hardest not to show the tears that were once again brimming in her eyes. Crying was not the image she wanted to leave with her mother.
"You are married now. Remember your lessons from Septa Mordane and you will be fine."
Nodding her head, Juliana didn't know what she could say. There were many things she wanted to talk to her mother about, but now that she wasn't just sitting there by Bran's side nothing was coming to her mind.
"This was not the house we would have chosen to marry you into, but it is what the king wanted. Remember that while you are in King's Landing that you will need to be careful of who you trust. Sansa and Arya will still need and I know you won't turn your back on your family. Help your father, we both know he will need it."
"I promise."
Nodding her head, Catelyn Stark placed another kiss upon her eldest daughter's head. She knew that Juliana had much to learn about being a wife, but there was no way that she could leave her son. Not now.
"I love you."
"I will always love you, Juliana. Never forget you will always be a Stark of Winterfell."
Kissing her mother's cheek, Juliana looked over at her brother one last time. Releasing the breath she hadn't realized that she had been holding in. She couldn't help but wonder if this would be the last time she would see her mother and brother. There was no way that she could predict what life as Jaime Lannister's wife would entail. If she was honest with herself about it, it scared her.
Passing through the stone hallways, she made her way outside. Seeing everything being put into wheel house of the royal family and the carriages that others would hold people and belongings.
"Lannister."
Holding in the groan, Juliana had hoped that she wouldn't have a run in with her brother's friend. Theon might have been Robb's friend and maybe Jon's, but he was never hers. She believed that he had become too comfortable in her home. The only reason she hadn't done something to him was because he was her father's ward and she believed that he wasn't worth the trouble that she would get into for doing something to him.
"Have you not been embarrassed enough Theon?" Juliana asked as she finally turned around and looked at him. "If not, I would be happy to scream and then those guards that my lord husband has following me would come running to me."
"I've been saying it all along and it doesn't make it any less true." Theon said taking a step towards her.
What he hadn't expected was that she would take two steps away from him. He was convinced that had to be her new husband's doing. "He's got you scared stiff doesn't he?"
"I don't fear my husband," Juliana said with a glare. "But maybe you should. After all you are just giving him another reason to hit you again."
Not giving Theon Greyjoy a chance to say anything else, Juliana quickly walked over to the stables. Seeing the horse that Jon was no longer there, but his saddle was, meant that he would have to come and get it if he truly wanted to join their Uncle Benjen as a member of the Night's Watch. It didn't take long before she saw Ghost, Jon's direwolf coming right at her.
Most people would find it frightening to have a direwolf coming straight at them, but not a Stark. The direwolf was the sigil of house Stark and they were proud of that. Kneeling down she started to pet Ghost. It was a small comfort to know that Ghost would be going with her brother to the Wall, although she would prefer if they wouldn't go at all. "You will protect him, won't you? Family means a lot and I know you understand me and I promise Jon will always love and protect you just like I would for Arrow."
"The wolves are family."
Looking up, she smiled as she took her half-brother's offered hand. "I am glad that I found you."
"I went to see Bran…"
Nodding her head in understanding, she squeezed Jon's hand. "I'm sorry for my mother."
"I told Robb-"
"That she was kind?" Juliana asked, looking at him with a knowing look. "We both know that she wasn't. At least not to you. She was kind to me, but I could see that she wasn't kind to you before I talked to her. You are a good man, Jon Snow. Better than some that think they are so good because of their house."
"Referring to Theon?"
"The only good thing about leaving is that he won't be around anymore."
"I have something for you," Jon told her as he handed her something wrapped in cloth. "It will make me feel better knowing you have this with you."
Glancing at her brother, she unfolded the cloth and looked at what was in her hand. It was beautiful. A jeweled dagger. Now she understood the extra hours he had been spending at the blacksmith's.
Looking back up into her brother's eyes, she held the dagger carefully before wrapping him into a hug. "This is the second time today someone has given me a gift that has made me speechless."
"So you like it then?" Jon questioned her.
"I do," Juliana said, not letting go of her brother. She knew that if she let go of him now then she might not be able to hold onto him again. That was something that she was terrified of. "I don't know how to repay you and Robb for these gifts."
Getting his sister to let him go, Jon looked into her eyes. "We don't want you to pay us back for anything we give you. We love you and the dagger is for peace of mind the jewelry is so that you remember that no matter what you are a Stark of Winterfell."
"So are you," Juliana told him. "Wait, you knew about the jewels?"
"You think Robb could have pulled it off so quickly without my help?"
Laughing, Juliana wrapped her arms around Jon's neck. "I wish you wouldn't go to the Wall. Would you come King's Landing? For me?"
"You know I can't do that," Jon told her. "Promise me something?"
"Anything."
"Write to me. I am going to miss you so much and maybe if you write to me it won't be as lonely."
"I can do that." Juliana said.
Staying in her brother's arms was how she was avoiding what was coming. She didn't want to leave, but she knew that if she didn't show her face soon then her husband or someone would come looking for her.
"I love you Jon Snow. No matter what anyone says you are my brother, the same as Robb and Bran and Rickon are. Remember that."
"Don't let King's Landing change you."
Letting go of her brother, she gave him a smile. "I would like to see them try."
"I love you to Lady Lannister," Jon said with a knowing smile. "You know to me, you will always be Lady Stark."
"Safe journey, brother."
Leaning down, she kissed Ghost's head one last time before looking at Jon again. Leaning close, she placed a kiss on his cheek.
Walking out of the stables, she ran into her father who was looking for her. The carriage was ready and they were waiting on her. When she inquired about Rickon, her father told her that he was hiding from everyone that was leaving. As they got to the carriage, Lord Stark offered his hand to help his daughter inside. Juliana smiled gratefully as she accepted his help before sitting next to Arya.
Peering out the window, she looked at the beauty of Winterfell. It was something that she would miss dearly. Wiping the tear away that fell from her eye, she felt a hand squeeze her own. Looking down, she saw it was her youngest sister's. "You can come back one day."
Feeling their carriage move, Juliana gave Arya a smile. "I hope you're right."
A/N: Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think!