Disclaimer: I own anything but the plot. All the characters and rights belong to George R.R. Martin.
Heeeyo! I'm back!
My exam went rather well, so as promised, here you have a new Robb chapter. Next one will be Jon's!
As always, thanks to those who read, followed and reviewed this story. Your support means so much for me!
jean d'arc: Tbh, I haven't decided yet how Tyrion will fare in the story, so everything is possible!
Robb IV
His heart was beating so hard that is almost went out through his mouth. When the soldier rushed inside the room, he feared that somehow the Lannisters were attacking them, or that someone got killed, but the last thing he thought was about someone returning his sister with her. She was supposed to be in the capitol, how did she got here?
"Robb, wait" called the Blackfish, who was running behind him "I'll come with you. If Arya is back, I'll send a raven to Riverrun to inform your mother, she will be thrilled with the news"
"Aye. Let's not waste any time uncle" and they both went out of the castle.
The turmoil in the Stark camp was palpable, the news spread like a fire in the woods. He could see a mob of soldiers, all with the Stark direwolf in the shield, encircling the tent protectively, and amongst them, Hallis Mollen, his most trusted men in Winterfell's household.
He approached him and tried to look as kingly as possible, hiding his trembling hands.
"Hallis"
"Your grace, please, come with me, she is inside the tent" vowed the middle-aged soldier
He nodded to the Blackfish, and they both entered the tent lead by Mollen. When they came in, they found Arya slept in bed, and a man with a huge scar covering half his face. He recognised him in the same moment he turned his head, meeting his eyes. To Hallis's surprise, both Robb and Brynden unsheathed his swords and pointed it towards him.
"What are you doing here, Clegane?" spat Robb
However, before Sandor could reply, Hallis stepped in his defence. "Your grace, he was who took your sister back."
Robb was beyond shocked. He looked back at the Hound, who just nodded at him, and lowered his sword, the Blackfish following his example.
"I have questions, and you will answer all of them when she wakes up. But for now, answer me this one. Why did you take her out of King's Landing?"
The Hound laughed, not a loud laugh, but more an ironic one. "If you think that your sister was inside King's Landing all these months, you're a bigger fool than the asshole who sits in the Iron Throne." He turned his eyes to Arya, who was sleeping like a baby, and did a small smile at her "You have quite the survivor here. In fact, I think that she has bigger balls than you and I" chuckled the Hound.
"I don't understand" told Robb sincerely. How could a small girl of less than ten escape King's Landing without help? It was ridiculous.
"You will Young Wolf. Oh, and congratulations, there are lots of cunts inside King's Landing that want your head."
"We'll talk again when my sister wakes up. For now, you have my hospitality inside the camp, along with my gratitude for bringing my sister back. For the moment, leave me alone with my sister, my uncle will take you to the keep where you will find bread and mead."
Sandor looked at him briefly, before nodding at him and standing up. He and the Blackfish left the tent, leaving Robb with Arya and Hallis, who was standing guard at the door.
He sat at his sister's left, holding her tiny hand. He stood there for minutes, thinking what could have happened to his sister since she left Winterfell with father months ago. Eventually, he talked to Hallis.
"Tell me the whole story Hallis. How can someone like the Hound bring Arya back being one of the most known faces in Westeros?"
"He and the little princess came disguised as peasants, with hoods covering their faces. I was near the entrance of the camp, where some Karstark soldiers were standing guard. I heard his voice and remembered him from the time that King Robert came to Winterfell, so I approached." He then looked at Arya and a smile came to his face "And then, your sister started shouting and running to both guards telling them that she will pass no matter the resistance. It was like being home again Your Grace. I stopped all of them and knelt in front of her, and there she was. I sent one of my own men to send the news to you before knowing the identity of the man who took her back. Should I knew that it was Clegane, I would have gone myself."
"You did well Hallis. For the Old Gods, my sister is back. I will stand at her side and I'm surrounded by my own men. Rest for some time, you deserve it."
"Your Grace" vowed Hallis, leaving the tent.
Her head was aching so hard it was almost going to explode. She slowly opened her eyes and looked at the roof. The roof. How did she get inside a tent?
"Arya"
She could believe the voice she was hearing. She turned to her left and found Robb, his older brother, looking at her. His auburn curls were falling through his forehead, and a small beard covered his cheeks and chin.
"Robb!"
Without thinking more about it, she jumped from bed and hugged her brother tightly, tears falling from her eyes.
"Arya, I'm so glad you're here, out of that snake pit."
"I saw it Robb. I saw how they executed father and I thought I would never see you again, or mother, or Bran, or Rickon."
"Hush sister, you're back, that's all that matters now." He released her and looked at her eyes. "For now we go to the castle where you will take a bath and eat properly, then we will talk about all that has happened since we both left Winterfell, are you okay with that?"
Drying her tears, she nodded at him and they both went out of the tent, where all the soldiers cheered at them, with shouts of Stark, The Young Wolf and more surprisingly for her, the Wolf Princess.
After taking a bath and devouring two plates full of meat, fish and potatoes, she dressed herself. Obviously she wasn't going to wear a pretty dress, but presenting herself in front of all the northern lords with the same clothes that she wore through the entire Riverlands was something even she couldn't do, so she took some riding pants and a shirt with the Stark direwolf on it and left the room, where his brother was waiting her.
When he saw her, a smile came to his face.
"I suppose that some things don't change with the time little sister" chuckled Robb
"You know me better than that" laughed her back
She grabbed his brother hand and went to his brothers chambers, where they will talk privately before going to the great hall, where the wedding would take place. She sat in front of her brother and asked first.
"I know you want to know everything Robb, but can you talk first? I need to distract myself with other ones battles"
Robb was taken aback with that. Other ones battles? How many things had his sister witnessed? She talked like someone who had been through a battlefield, a place a girl should never know.
"Very well Arya, but you will tell me everything when I finish"
"I will"
So he started talking. He told her about the moment he called the banners, how Grey Wind gained him the support of the Greatjon, along with two of his fingers, their march south and the pact with the Old weasel. He narrated the battle of the Wispering Woods, where Daryn Hornwood and the Karstark brothers died defending him from the Kingslayer, who was now rotting in Riverrun's cells, how they liberated the Riverlands and plundered the Westerlands. The only thing he omitted, was the attempt of his mother to free the Kingslayer.
"So you have Jaime Lannister prisoner? I'm sure Cersei loves that" laughed her sister.
"I'm sure that she does. But that was all about me. So tell me Arya, how did you came here? Sandor Clegane told me that you were not in King's Landing for long and that you were quite the survivor."
She cursed Clegane inside her for telling anything to her brother, but she started talking.
"I was in the Red Keep practising when Syrio and Meryn Trant of the kingsguard tried to take me prisoner, but I escaped and Syrio died for me. I found all our household dead in the Tower of the Hand, even Septa Mordane, but Sansa was nowhere to be found, so I escaped, killing a stable boy with Needle when he tried to bring me to the Lannisters. I disguised myself for a poor boy of Flea Bottom, because I didn't know how to get out of the city. Some days after that, all the people was going to the Sept of Baelor, where father confessed his crimes and was murdered." She stopped there, tears coming to her eyes, and Robb hugged here tightly.
"We can continue this later Arya"
"No, it's fine, better to get rid of it"
She took air and dried her tears, willing to end the conversation as fast as possible.
"When they executed father, Yoren, the wandering crow of the Night's Watch took me and tried to take me back to Winterfell. After two days in the roads, two Lannisters stopped us and demanded Yoren to give one of the prisoners back, but he refuses, so the night after that the Lannisters attacked and killed Yoren, making us prisoners." She stopped for a moment and put her hand in her pocket, playing with the coin inside it. I can't tell him about Jaqen. "Then we were captive at Harrenhall, who was still in hands of the Lannisters. One night I found that the guards were killed and escaped with Gendry and Hot Pie. We tried to get here, but the Brotherhood without banners found us. They were going to leave us in Riverrun for a ransom, so went with them for a while. Then they captured Sandor, and I remembered how he killed Mycah and lost my temper. Beric sentenced him to a trial by combat, but he won and got freed, but not after kidnapping me. But I suppose it's fine now. He took me back to you, not the Brotherhood, and he has not asked anything."
Robb looked at her eyes, wondering if he should throw Clegane to a dungeon or not.
"Arya, how do you feel about Clegane?"
"It's strange Robb. He isn't a knight, but I don't think he is bad. He left the Lannisters after the Blackwater, and Joffrey has put lots of gold in his head. He is good with the sword Robb, I've seen him"
"What do you mean that you have seen him?"
"He teaches me swordplay. And we got attacked by a small party of Lannisters on our way here. None of them lived to tell the tale."
For the look in his eyes, she could tell that he didn't expect that, so he took profit of it and continued.
"He hates his brother also, and it's probably one of the few who can take him on a duel. Maybe you could make him to stay with us if you promise him that he could fight his brother"
"Why would someone fight the Mountain willingly? And his own brother?"
"Gregor Clegane has always been a monster Robb, and he was his small brother. There were tales in King's Landing, tales where Gregor put Sandor's face in the brazier for playing with his toys. I understand him."
"I don't like him, but if he took you here, I suppose I can give him one opportunity." He took a sip of water, clearing his throat, and continued. "Very well. I'll talk to him tomorrow, but for now, our uncle is going to wed and we should be present."
Nodding at him, she stood up and took his brother's hand, going both of them to the Great Hall. When they entered, all the Lords stood up and looked at her.
"My Lords, may I present you my sister Princess Arya Stark of Winterfell!"
The hall erupted into cheers, causing her to blush.
The septon presided the ceremony in the Great Hall of the Twins. Edmure Tully had his eyes fixed at the entrance, where Roslin Frey, escorted by his brother Olyvar, was coming to him. She wore a beautiful light blue dress with grey details, and a white veil covering his face.
Olyvar took Roslin's veil out, and Edmure breath stopped. She was beautiful, definitively she didn't took any of the Frey traits. Olyvar gave Roslin's hand to Edmure, who took it graciously and smiled at her, and both of them turned towards the septon.
"Cloak your bride and take her under your protection" commanded the septon, and Edmure gladly did it. The septon looked to the guests and proceeded with the ceremony.
"My lords and ladies, we stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the union of man and wife."
"Look upon each other and say the words"
"Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger" told both of them at the unison
"She is mine, and I am hers from this day until the end of my days."
"He is mine, and I am his, from this day until the end of my days"
The septon tied a ribbon in a knot around their joined hands, symbolising the union.
"Let it be known that Roslin of House Frey and Edmure of House Tully are one heart, one flesh, one soul. Cursed be he who would seek to tear them asunder. In the sight of the Seven, I herebly seal these souls, binding them as one for eternity. You may kiss the bride"
"With this kiss, I pledge my love" and Edmure gave his wife a tender kiss in the lips, while the hall erupted into cheers.
For more than three hours, the guests ate, drake, danced, sang and japed in the wedding feast, the joy of the union filling the air.
Edmure was more than smitten with his wife, his eyes never leaving her. Eventually, a drunken Lord Mallister called for the bedding, and both groom and bride were carried out from the hall.
Robb sat with the remaining lords, when Olyvar came to him.
"Your Grace, a rider in the middle of the night. He says that he has two important letters for you."
"Take him inside the castle. I will see him at the morrow." He took his mug of ale and drank it entirely before turning at Olyvar, who seemed to wait his dismissal."Try to enjoy the feast Olyvar, we won't have more celebrations in a while."
So here we are!
All your reviews are appreciated!
See you soon
