Song: Wicked Game by Stone Sour
Fianna
When they finally broke their kiss what felt like many moons later, they rested their foreheads against each other's - as they had many times before. A wide grin present on each other's lips. They knew that what they had just done would have consequences, but that was a conversation for later. They didn't care about that now.
The rush that flowed through their bodies succeeded over any sensation a battle victory could give them.
"I take it you missed me then?" Robb asked teasingly, his breath hitting her lips, to which Fianna giggled at.
"More like you missed me, you couldn't keep your hands off of me the second you saw me," she retorted back, raising an eyebrow at him. He lifted his hands up and cupped her dirtied cheeks, tucking her hair behind her ears with his stained fingers.
He wished he had the chance to wash up before he was touching her.
"You kissed me," he pointed out, bumping his nose against hers.
"No, you kissed me." Fianna replied stubbornly, almost like a child.
"No- Fianna, I mean... that just happened," he said, bringing the mood down entirely as they two were snapped back to reality.
"And?" She prodded, leaning her head back to look at him properly.
"And I intend to do that again," he smirked, closing the distance in between them and kissing her forehead, then the tip of her nose, then her lips again in a short peck. When he pulled back, his gaze trailed over her face again, his thumb gently rubbing the mark on her cheek. "Are you okay?"
"I'm more than okay," she assured him, wrapping her arms around his waist and resting her cheek against his chest. "I knocked the fuck out of that Greyjoy girl and now I've gone and snogged you. It's been a pretty successful week."
Robb rolled his eyes at her words, holding her back in return tightly, his cheek against the top of her head. They stayed there for a moment in their embrace, before it was interrupted by the haughty voice of Roose Bolton.
"Your grace," he cut in, causing Fianna and Robb to jump apart from each other instantly as though they had been shocked.
"One moment, Lord Bolton," Robb said stiffly after clearing his throat, his tone much more serious that it had been mere seconds before.
Lord Bolton appeared unimpressed at the two, but moved away respectfully anyway, leaving the two alone again. Well, as alone as they could be in the middle of a battlefield in the aftermath of a battle.
"That man gives me the creeps, he's got a face you'd like to hit," Fianna shivered as she spoke, eyeing the tall Lord as he walked away.
"I believe you said the same for me once or twice," Fianna rolled her eyes at Robb's words and shoved his shoulder lightly, to which he reacted dramatically, reaching to grab his shoulder. "It's treason to strike your King!"
"So you've told me!" She laughed in return, shoving him again.
"Let's hope you don't go running into Roose Bolton's arms any time soon," he teased her as he started to back away, walking backwards so he could talk with her.
"Give him a crown and I just might!" She winked at him to which he scoffed and turned back around, running off to deal with Roose.
Fianna turned away as Robb walked off, a sudden feeling of dread filling her. Inside of their little bubble, she was happy. Ecstatic, really. But now she was out of it and she realised there would be massive implications of what just happened.
If Lady Catelyn found out, she'd skin Fianna alive, frankly. Not that she knew what the kiss had even meant, or if Robb had intended to go forth with his betrothal or not.
As she walked back to her horse, deep in thought, she was broken out of her spell by the ringing sounds of loud barks.
Fianna turned swiftly to see Chroi bounding towards her, blood matted in parts of his fur which ruffled in the wind as he ran towards her.
"Chroi!" She called out happily, giggling when the dog had jumped up on her, easily placing his paws on her armour-cladded chest due to his tall height. He tried to lick frantically at her face, but Fianna reclined her head back to stop him - knowing damn well that there was most likely the flesh of fallen Lannisters in between his teeth.
She settled instead for rubbing the top of his head and his ears, a wide grin on her face.
After a few minutes, she straightened and began to turn back to her horse, clicking her tongue for Chroi to follow her back to the Stark camp.
The victory celebrations were loud and glorious throughout the day. At the feast later that day, the men sang songs and would randomly go into shouts of "THE KING IN THE NORTH" without warning.
Robb wasn't there, Fianna noted sadly, as she sat next to Ser Mick. Her mind was plagued all day with the thought of their kiss that morning - which brought both good and bad feelings.
On the one hand, the sensations that accompanied seeing him again live and well and to kiss him in a way she never thought she would have the chance to, felt absolutely amazing.
But they didn't come without their doubts. Her honour would be called into question, if Robb hadn't intended to call off his betrothal and wed Fianna she would certainly be labelled a whore and any chance of her ever marrying another would be shattered.
These doubts were fuelled by the fact everyone around the camp had heard of what happened, many looked at her in disgust. She heard the name "whore" muttered once or twice as she walked past, mainly from the Frey soldiers, but a swift glare from Fianna had silenced the perpetrators quickly.
She was not ashamed. She had nothing to be ashamed for. Robb and her had not lay together, they didn't know the words and feelings shared between the two. She wasn't going to be held accountable for acting upon matters of the heart.
So Fianna held her head high, and met every stare head on with a stare of her own.
"My lady.." Ser Mick began as she sat next to him, Fianna sighed. She wasn't prepared to be given yet another lecture by her own man.
"Don't," Fianna shut him down, not leaving much room for argument. They feasted quietly together after that, the sounds of the raucous and bawdy Lords were loud enough to fill the awkward silence.
"Tell us how you knocked the Greyjoy bitch on her arse, Bua!" Lord Umber called out, which lifted Fianna's spirits slightly. At least not all of the Lords had grown to have an ill opinion of her.
"The story is far too gruesome for dinner talk, my lord!" Fianna called back, a smirk playing with her lips. They all groaned in response. "But rest easy, I don't think any man or woman will dare try invade a house of the North again."
They all cheered in response, Fianna's cheeks heating up considerably as they began to shout "BAELFORT" and "FIANNA". It suddenly became clear to her that some, albeit some, were more concerned with Fianna's victory over the Greyjoys than the fact she had been kissing their betrothed King.
Chroi had returned to her side finally, he sat on his haunches and began nudging her hand with his mouth. She drew her attention from the lord's down to her wolfhound and scrunched her eyebrows curiously when she noticed that he had a small scroll between his teeth.
Fianna held her hand out and Chroi dropped it into her palm. She responded by petting his head with her other hand and praised him accordingly. Chroi lay down on his stomach next to her seat as she opened the scroll, which was slightly damp from Chroi's saliva.
Come to my tent.
That was all it said. And that was all she needed. She stood up quickly and left her chair, her half eaten food and the Northerners behind.
Fianna made her way slowly through the camp towards Robb's tent, nerves ate at her which slowed her stance down greatly.
She smiled softly at how different the circumstances were behind her last few visits to his tent. From breaking off their companionship, to demanding to leave to head for Baelfort. Somehow this visit was the hardest.
Robb was either going to make or break her.
She drew back the curtains leading into his tent slowly, to find him as he usually was - hunched over a map of Westeros. His head snapped up immediately upon noticing her entrance.
"I got your scroll," she said quietly, her nerves showing, as she meekly held it up in the air for him to see.
"Good, I was scared Chroi would have ate it," he said in return, his tone equally as soft.
"I'm surprised he didn't," she muttered, barely audible.
"Fianna.." he began, his tone instantly cutting through Fianna. It implied that she wouldn't like what he was about to say.
"Don't. I must apologise, your grace. I overstepped my duties immensely and disrespected you-" her words were cut off as he instantly stepped over to her, cupping her cheeks and smiling softly to soothe her worries.
"Stop that, for the gods sake. You act as if I'm a boy who had no idea what he was doing," he said with an undertone of amusement.
"Technically... you are a boy with no idea what he's doing," Robb rolled his eyes and dropped his hands down to cup around her chin, forcing her to look up at him, where her eyes had been staring fixedly at her feet.
"I want this, do you?" He asked, putting all the cards on the table. Fianna's breathing hitched at his words.
"I.. it's not that simple, Robb!" She protested with a groan, rolling her head back.
"It can be, just say the words. Say that you want this," he murmured, slipping his hands into her soft hair and resting them on the sides of her head.
"It's not that simple, there's so much to know! I have my honour to protect, you're betrothed, your mother," Fianna gasped suddenly in horror, "by the gods, your mother!"
"My mother is just that, my mother. She doesn't control what I do or how I feel no matter how much she likes to think she does, Fianna," Robb protested, his calmness starting to annoy Fianna.
"And your betrothal? What of that?" She insisted.
"Fianna," he groaned this time, "I don't want to think of whatever dreaded Frey girl I am to be wed to."
"Well it's all I can think about it! Are you trying to take me for a whore?" Her tone getting heated all of a sudden.
"No! Of course not!" He protested, his tone also getting louder in volume.
"Then what is it? You offer me so much that I cannot accept because you are to be wed, Robb," he dropped his hands from her head and hair at her words, looking down to his feet ashamedly.
"I want you," she admitted in a gentle tone, cupping his cheek until he looked at her with his gorgeous Tully blue eyes. "But wanting isn't enough, for people like us.."
He didn't bother to answer her, instead leaning in and pressing his lips to hers again in a much gentler kiss than they had shared that morning.
Fianna tilted her head into the kiss, her hands dropping to rest on his neck as his arms wrapped around her waist.
They broke apart for a second, breathing heavily against the others mouths, Robb brushing his lips over hers teasingly.
"On second thought, it's only kissing," Fianna rambled in a rush, attaching their lips again in a much more heated kiss. Robb started to gently push her forward until her back hit the table, causing the pawns to tip and fall over.
Robb trailed his mouth down from hers, leaving a path of kisses as he went down to her neck, burying his face into her shoulder and placing hot, open mouthed kisses on the skin of her neck.
Fianna's eyes fluttered in pleasure, her head tilting back to give him more access until suddenly she was hit with a good old dose of reality.
Her eyes snapped open, her hands flying up to push Robb away. He stumbled back a couple of feet in shock and looked to her worriedly, "what? What is it?"
"I'm stopping this now before it gets out of hand!" She said breathlessly, lifting her hand to brush her fingers over her slightly swollen and reddened lips.
"Tease," he joked with a wide smirk on his face, his cheeks flushed.
"Says the betrothed," she fired back with a smirk of her own, walking forward to leave the tent before she lost control completely.
He grabbed her hand as she passed him and tugged her back, spinning her around until she faced him again and leaned in to place one more kiss on her lips. Well, multiple kisses.
He finally let her go then, wide smiles evident on both of their faces.
"It's treason to abandon your king!" He called out to her as she finally departed his tent.
"Oh, hang me, your grace!" She fake sobbed, turning around and walking backwards so he could see the mock look of despair on her face.
As she turned the corner and left his sight, Robb let out another laugh, shaking his head softly. He was absolutely clueless about what he was going to do with Fianna Bua.
All he knew was that his betrothal wasn't even something he thought of any more.
Arya
"The Starks understand Winter better than we ever will."
Agreed. Arya thought to herself, making sure to not let any signs that she was listening to their conversation show. She stayed serving the food to the Lords, resisting the urge to spit in it all the while. And the urge to eat it of course. Her stomach rumbling quietly at the sight of the delicious food.
She hadn't realised how many luxuries she had taken advantage of being Eddard Stark's daughter until it was stripped from her.
She wasn't stupid. She had to keep face in front of Tywin to keep her head. And if all went well, perhaps she could even take everything she hears him tell his Lords back to Robb someday. Maybe.
"Our spies report growing discontent among the Northern Lords, they want to return home and gather their harvest before the crops turn," a man advised Tywin. Arya didn't know his name, nor did she care. Nothing he said phased her. She knew how deep the loyalty of the North extended - they would never even think to abandon Robb at this time.
"This is war, no ones content," Tywin disagreed in a bored tone, pausing for a moment to look around the faces of his Lords, "we've underestimated the Stark boy for too long. He has a good mind for warfare and his men worship him. As long as he keeps winning battles they'll keep believing he is King in the North."
Arya felt an overwhelming sense of pride fill her for her brother. She was never as close to Robb as she had been to Jon, ironic really given the were only half-siblings. But Robb was her blood. Robb was fighting for their family against those that killed their father.
Unlike Sansa, she thought to herself, bitterly. Arya forced the image of Sansa standing there on the podium, smiling with her stupid red hair tied in a Southern style, a pretty dress on her frame, out of her brain. Lest she get angry again.
"You've been waiting for him to fail," Tywin continued, "he's not going to fail, not without our help. So how do we stop him?"
"Our spies also reported he's rather fond of the Bua lady, my lord. Perhaps she could be a weapon for us to use."
"Ah yes, Fianna Bua," Tywin nodded. He heard all about the Northern lady. The seven kingdoms over had heard of her. "The girl who orchestrated the attack on Jaime and took back Baelfort commanding her own army. Small wonder as to why he's fond of her."
Arya heard the whispers about her too, and despite never having met her, Arya looked up to Fianna greatly. She was everything she wished she could be, a true warrior lady.
She longed to be Fianna. To be the Lady of Baelfort, just so that nobody could tell her what to do, to run and fight for the Starks, to be as skilled of a warrior and as masterful of a strategist as Arya heard she was.
"We could orchestrate an assassination?" Reginald suggested.
"The chance of even reaching her is slimmer than the chance of you returning home, should you keep suggesting stupidity to me," Tywin spoke, his patience wearing thin.
"Think about it, my lord. The Stark boy is just a boy, he'd go mad with rage should his beloved whore be killed. He'd attack us without much thought and without the girl's battle strategies, I'd wonder how he'd fare without her," Tywin only looked at him in response. He always had the rarest expression on his face, one that was perpetually smug, perpetually angry and perpetually condescending all at the same time.
Arya knew that the plan wouldn't work. Fianna's tent had to have been guarded after the attack. She heard that an attacker had entered her tent to have his way with her, and in return Fianna chopped his limbs piece by piece and fed them to her famous wolfhound.
"Forgive me, my lord. It's the exhaustion talking. We've worked through the night, perhaps we would benefit from some sleep?"
"Yes, I think you would, Reginald," Tywin deadpanned, "and because you're my cousin I might even let you return with your head. Go, I'm sure your wife must miss you."
"My wife's in Lannisport.."
"Well, then you'd better start riding," Tywin spoke condescendingly, effectively shooing his kin from his tent.
Arya poured the Lord a glass of wine with steady hands, which he took greedily.
"Girl," he addressed her, Arya didn't think he ever asked her for her name, thankfully, "where are you from?"
"Maidenpool, my lord," Arya's fear forced her formality as she stood next to his chair at the head of the table, feeling tiny all of a sudden.
"And who are the Lords of Maidenpool? Remind me."
"House Mooton, my Lord."
"And what is their sigil?" Arya's heart almost stopped at his question, frantically racking her brain but not being able to formulate an answer. "A red salmon, I think a Maidenpool girl would remember that. You're a Northerner aren't you?"
As much as she absolutely hated him with every shred of her being, she had to admire just how truly intelligent Tywin Lannister was. First realising that she was a girl whereas the very men she slept next to hadn't, and now pinpointing where she was form.
"Good," he answered when she reluctantly nodded her head, "one more time, where are you from?"
"Barrowton, my lord. House Dustin. Two crossed longaxes beneath a black crown," she answered automatically, thanking the Gods for the wise teachings of her Septa and Maester Luwin - who she had abhorred at the time of the lesson.
"And what do they say of this Robb Stark and Fianna Bua in the North?"
"They call them the Young Wolf and the She Wolf," she answered automatically.
"And?" He pressed.
"They say Robb Stark rides into battle on the back of a giant direwolf, they say he can turn into a wolf himself if he wants. They say Fianna Bua is prophesied, that she's a resurrection of Aifric Bua. They say they can't be killed."
Aifric Bua was a name Arya had been very interested in learning since her youth. Aifric was a fierce warrior, and when Torrhen Stark bent the knee, she refused to on behalf of House Bua. Aifric stood against Aegon the Conqueror until he was forced to ride for Baelfort on the back of the Black Dread. Aegon stood on the walls of Baelfort and called upon Aifric to bend the knee. Aifric appeared and challenged him to a sword fight. Aegon, who was over confident from his conquest of Westeros, had agreed and Aifric had actually won - forcing Aegon down onto his knee with her sword.
Aegon was so smitten with her spirit and loyalty, they say he fell in love with Aifric. They say he asked for her hand in marriage but Aifric had refused, claiming she'd die in flames at her home before she'd submit herself to any man.
So, of course, Aegon burned Aifric on the grounds of Baelfort. Thus, Aifric's younger brother then became Lord of Baelfort, bending the knee to Aegon to spare Baelfort and his family.
Aifric was considered a traitor to the Targaryens, but to Arya, she was a martyr.
The sad thing about the story, was that it was also said her unwillingness to bend the knee was influenced by the recent death of her husband - who died at the hands of Aegon.
"And do you believe them?" Tywin asked, admiring her honesty.
"No, my lord," Arya answered before looking Tywin straight in the eye, "anyone can be killed."
Another chapter up! I hope you all enjoyed!
I wonder what Tywin's got planned? I absolutely love his character, he's so complex and interesting and Charles (the actor who plays him) is AMAZING.
Thanks to everyone who read, reviewed, favourited and followed!
Otakugirl1996 - I know right? FINALLY. Little Rickon was such a little sweetheart, as for him in this book you'll just have to see!
reaganrose1315 - happy? aha xx
lilnightmare17 - thank you! I hope you enjoyed this one! x
Ellie - I know right! Such a precious little bean. I couldn't just have Robb and Fianna have a boring old kiss by candlelight now could I? God I couldn't stand Talisa. Robb deserved a better love story, one worth actually dying for. Talisa was just... ugh. Aww that's such a compliment you think Fianna is better than her! Thank you so much! x
Jazybear - I hope you liked this chapter! x
Jessie - Shaggydog is just being his usual protective self and he didn't recognise Fianna! Thank you so much!
StarkTeller - I could play around with Talisa to throw a spanner in the works but the thought of even having to write her is revolting ahah, Roose has appeared now! I'm so glad you like it and I hope you like the future chapters! x