Two chapter updates in one day - three, if you include The Music of Life - where do I find the time?! Well for once I had the house completely and utterly to mine self, so instead of doing anything I was supposed to, I decided to sit in, write, eat and play Skyrim all day. It's been a gooood day to say the least, ha. So, yeah - please review and tell me what ya' think. Constructive criticism, people! Even I know I use the same phrases and stuff too much!
Gara
-ooo-
To sweeten her sister's mood at the dinner table that night, Gara wore her butter yellow gown. It was a pretty dress, not bright and domineering and it flattered her milky skin. For a change she had her lovely red hair bound up in one of Gifu's golden ribbons. She also looped Gifu's golden girdles around her waist. Gifu beamed when she saw her sister and pulled her down to her stool eagerly, Gara felt a little silly being so overdressed, but her sister's apparently genuine outburst earlier had disturbed her into doing something kind for her.
Gifu was looking at her best as usual. Not one to skimp when it came to public meals, she was dressed in a gown of deep and rich purple, she glimmered like an amethyst in her gown. Her hair was loose to counteract Gara's, hung wild and trembling down her shoulders. The hall was buzzing tonight and the Bloodhelms had the honour of sitting with the Starks tonight at their table. Gara was seated next to her sister, caught between her and Theon Greyjoy. It was a dismal feeling; like being caught between a slippery rock and a bit of seaweed with no hope of the tide coming to wash her out to sea and freedom from their constant bandying and utterly tactless courting.
For a man who was 'born of the sea', Theon did not understand the tactic of 'giving some slack and then reeling them in.' Gifu danced rings around him masterfully all night and all Gara could do was keep her eyes forward and watch the dancing and try and bite down her innate and unyielding want to scream at the top of her lungs and shove Theon Greyjoy away from her. She kept her peace at any rate and sipped her cider with pursed lips and wished it was something stronger. She caught a glimpse of Jon only once, he was drinking from a horn and she hoped that his mood earlier wasn't driving him to drink excessively.
The bards struck a chord and Gara sighed and geared herself up to listen to more of Theon and Gifu's hardly charming compliments and pleasantries when blocking her view of the dancing stood little Rickon. Smiling at the blonde-haired boy; Gara felt her heart melt as he smiled a toothy grin and held out a hand for her. Placing one of her hands in his, she bowed her head as he said sweetly,
"Will you dance with me?"
To the delight of his parents he kissed her hand. Gara grinned and stood up and walked around the table – glad to be away from Theon and Gifu - to stand before the tiny boy, her salvation. Most of the hall was watching the interplay and Gara smiled down very warmly at Rickon and gave him a very deep curtsy. "I'd be honoured." With that, Rickon led her down to the circle of dancers. Gara saw from the corner of her eye, Gifu's eyes narrow and saw her give a sidelong glare to Theon. Gara had to stifle a laugh, the one night Gifu ever really helped her sister get ready and look presentable was the one night she got more attention than the older twin and Gifu was jealous. Of a little boy asking Gara to dance.
It was preposterous, so Gara ignored her and held Rickon's hands as he drew her into a light and fast little dance. He danced well, he made Gara look like a lumbering fool – which must have been some comfort to her sister, she thought. The music died and Gara smiled down on her partner and dropped into a curtsy as he bowed deeply – with all the grace a six-year-old could muster. He looked back to his parents and beamed brightly, which made her smile even more to see Catelyn smile down at him and her eyes glow with pride. Even the usually stoic Lord of Winterfell was beaming at his youngest boy. After Rickon's act of gentlemanliness, more of the men offered themselves for a dance to the ladies. Sansa was led out by a young man from her father's household. Arya was dancing with Bran and Gifu had managed to crochet her head enough and giggle loudly to get Theon's attention diverted enough from her bodice to get him to ask her to dance.
In the midst of the dancing bodies, Gara felt someone tug at her hand. Turning, she wholly expected it to be Robb, but it was Jon. Sliding his hand around her waist and cupping her other hand, they began to dance and Gara smiled at his boldness.
"Wine?" She giggled and Jon grinned nodded his head, "Aye, wine." He agreed and they danced under the arch, laughing all the while. "I wanted to apologise," Jon shouted over the merry music and Gara shook her head and batted his arm, "There is nothing to apologise for!" Jon shook his head,
"No, I shouldn't have insisted on you telling me what you and my father were talking about. It wasn't my place." Gara scoffed and he spun her under his hand and he pulled her back into the set. "Do you forgive me?" He pushed; his earnestness in the wake of the wine making Gara laugh. She nodded her head, and moved on to another partner letting go of his hand, he fell back with a lingering look,
"There's nothing to forgive, but aye!"
She called over her shoulder with a happy smile and heel toed onwards with a fresh partner. The dancing continued long into the night, Gara was flushed when she finally sat down and drank some of her cider. Feeling eyes on her, she turned round to find the culprit, their eyes locked as she knew they would. Robb was sitting in amongst the swordsmen with Grey Wind at his heels and a horn of wine in his hand. He was laughing, slapping his knee and cracking jokes along with the rest of them, but his eyes were almost magnetically attracted to Gara every few moments. Chugging the rest of his wine, he slapped Jory on the shoulder as he got up and made his way across the congested hall full of dancers and revellers. Gara watched his approach with a look of sheer desire on her face.
When he stopped before the table, he sat directly before her on a stool that was meant for a lady to sit on and filled her horn with some wine and smiled. Her eyes were locked to his face and his to hers as they sat. Passing her the horn, she drank the fruity wine and watched over the rim of the horn as Robb leaned on his elbows over the table and asked clandestine, a smile playing on his face,
"Enjoying the festivities?" Gara nodded before placing the horn back down and watching as Robb plucked it from the table and drank from it too. She giggled giddily and bowed her head,
"I am enjoying myself, my lord."
His eyes gleamed at her false formality. Gara had to look away from his intense gaze, but started when his hand was all that she could see. Looking up, Robb was standing now with his hand outstretched to her – a mischievous smile on his face. "Dance?" Was all he said with a wink and Gara laughed and accepted the hand offered and allowed herself to be led by him back into the set of dancers. Having his hand cover hers and his arm slinked around her waist almost made her dizzy.
The music inevitably drew them close and Gara had to bite back an exclamation of joy as they danced. When they were close enough to whisper, Robb said,
"Yellow? I never would have thought."
Gara threw back her head and laughed quite wantonly, the wine and cider making her rather bold. With a laugh and a glimmer in her eye, she looked down and then back up into his face, "It is not my colour, is it?" She asked with a curl of her nose. Robb's funny laugh made her giggle even harder especially when his shoulders jumped up and down.
"I wouldn't go that far. It's a nice dress, and you look lovely in it. It's just...frilly."
In mock anger, Gara threw him back a little as they danced. Robb lost his footing and Gara had to quickly grab his hand and pull him in closer so he would not fall. They laughed heartily in the middle of the dancing set, pressed up close, Gara whispered,
"My mother taught me that if you cannot find something nice to say – then don't say it. Next time I shant save you from falling." Robb laughed then, twirling her and snaking his arm back around her waist a bit more urgently than the dance required, "She clearly didn't teach it very well to Gifu." At that Gara's eyes flicked over to were Gifu was still dancing with Theon Greyjoy before she turned back to Robb and retorted,
"I said she taught me, not Gifu!" Robb's face was serious as they danced very close together now and he nodded with his mouth downturned, "Fair play." After a moment, Gara watched as Robb swept her into a spin and held,
"Here, frilly isn't entirely a bad thing." At that Gara smiled up at him and regretted when she heard the bards strike a final chord and their bodies had to dislodge from the dance. Without realising their hands were still clasped, they stood and eyed each other as the music faded and ebbed. Suddenly Gara felt as though everyone was watching them and she yanked back her hand as though Robb was made of fire and she saw a brief flash of sadness cross his face, but then he turned his eyes up towards the head table where his father and mother sat eyeing them both very carefully.
When he turned back around, his expression was stony and Gara felt guilty for pulling her hand away. His expression did not change as he bowed very formally and said in a mirthless drone that almost made Gara weep for fear of offending him,
"Good night, Mistress Bloodhelm."
She watched him sadly as he swept himself away and clicked his fingers at Grey Wind. The wolf got up quickly and followed his master. Gara was left alone in the middle of the hall and it was her sister, who came up beside her and wrapped her arm around her sister's waist and whispered in her ear,
"See, cows eyes and words don't last very long do they?"
-ooo-
Gara didn't hear whatever else her poisoned sister hissed as she stormed away from her and through the arched corridors and out of the hall. The cold stone reverberated as her steps rang out and she could hear the folds of her gown swishing from side to side as she walked at what could loosely be called a brisk pace. Her bodice was barely containing its contents with the harshness of her steps. Her face was flushed with anger; anger at Robb for leaving her there like that, anger at herself for pulling away so readily and angry at Gifu for just being Gifu.
When she reached the end of the corridor it was a dead end, whipping round she exclaimed with fright when she saw at the end of the corridor, Bran's still-to-be-named dire wolf pup. He was standing eyeing her with bright keen golden eyes and she knew her own were red and wet. Falling to her knees, she beckoned the animal over and it slowly pushed its head into her hand and nuzzled her while she wept into its soft fur. It whined at her distress and licked her face causing her to sniffle pathetically and smile.
There was the sound of footsteps approaching and the wolf turned with his hackles up as he stood before Gara and eyed the entryway – waiting for the approaching person. Gara's heart lost some of its heaviness when she saw Jon turn the corner and smile at her – his eyes were soft. She guessed that he'd seen the interplay between her and Robb because he sat down next to her without a word and ruffled Bran's wolf's ears and passed her a flagon of wine which she drank from gratefully and leaned her head on his shoulder. They leaned against the dead end wall for a while in silence while they drained the wine. It was Jon, who broke the silence,
"D'you love him?" He asked simply and another flood of silent tears fell from Gara's eyes as she nodded against his shoulder. Her chest only seemed to tighten from Jon's kindness as he put an arm around her shoulders and held her closely in an almost brotherly embrace and whispered into her hair,
"I think he loves you too...But he's too scared to proclaim it."
He said simply, squeezing her shoulder as she let out a little hiccup of emotion.