A/N: Well, RIP Croatia; that was a dumb game but France did very well. But the hype is over and now I'm back to writing regularly.
Jk - no worries; that was fair constructive criticism. I realize the past couple chapters have been very info-dump-y, but that should get better once the Lannisters arrive and there's some important character interaction. As for Robb, right now what is very much needed is political structuring + maneuvering a la Sansa, and his strengths are non-obvious. I realize his strengths have not really been shown so far, but I promise he has them: instinct, charisma, acting as a natural leader...just to name a few. It's just that they haven't really shown themselves yet.
ROBB VII:
Sansa was sitting in her armchair, sewing together indeterminable scraps of wool. She looked up when he entered but showed no surprise at seeing him.
"Are you ready to have a civil conversation today, or will you once again slam the door in my face?" she asked casually, as if she had been simply commenting on the weather that morning. She is still angry, Robb thought with a gulp. Best just get it over with now. He drew in a breath as she continued her stitching.
"I told Father I knew Jon's parentage, and he agreed to tell him," he announced, preparing himself for a shouting match. Yet although his sister faltered in her sewing, she showed no other signs of having heard him at all. That is, not until she raised her eyes at him and fixed him with an icy stare.
"That wasn't smart, Robb, I hope you understand why," she said quietly, though it did not cease Robb's discomfort. "Jon won't react well to this, and there's a chance others will discover it. Gods, even Robert Baratheon is still alive!"
"Sansa, I can't keep this a secret. He deserves to know," Robb implored. "I know lying may come naturally to you, but I am not like that," he added in annoyance, but he immediately regretted it as soon as he saw a flash of hurt - fleeting, but it was there - pass on her face.
"Lying comes naturally to me?" she replied softly, with a bitter laugh to disguise her pain. "You think I'm a natural liar, a Cersei Lannister? Robb, I learned to lie because I had to survive! There was no other way to avoid-" here she cut herself off, her face paling.
In truth, Robb had felt bad for letting that insensitive remark fly out of his mouth. Yet what troubled him more was his sister's reaction. There is something more she isn't telling me, he thought. Something awful. But why is she hiding it?
The two of them were a team. They were sent back, together, to protect their family and save the realm from the impending White Walkers. She was the political mastermind, or so the gods had said, but she was still his sister. She was still his family, and she had no reason to lie about her experiences - the two of them would make sure the same would not happen this time. He had the strangest feeling she was downplaying her fate. But why?
Is it for me?
"Sansa," he started quietly, deciding to be quite honest about his thoughts. "I know you're not telling me something, though I cannot fathom what that is," he continued, carefully but sincerely choosing his words. "I think you're trying to shield me from something, something that may hurt me in some way. Please, I want to know. It doesn't have to be right now, but please, promise to tell me someday."
There was a long silence that followed as Sansa took in the pleading words of her older brother, staring at a corner of the room away from Robb's gaze. To his satisfaction - though really, it could have been better - she nodded slowly, turning her eyes towards him once more.
"Not now, not all," she murmured. "Someday," she added, and Robb relaxed. Good enough for now.
Back to the other matter.
"You can start by telling me why you have such a low opinion of Jon," he said as gently as he could, "I thought you said you two were close?"
"I don't have a low opinion of him," she replied placidly, her brow furrowing slightly. "And yes, we were close. Far closer than I ever was with you or Arya or our younger brothers. But the revelation of his parentage was still an incredibly heavy blow even when he was older. He had an...interesting time with the dragon queen, knowing that." Her cheeks turned slightly pink at that last statement.
"You mean they were lovers?" Robb asked, more surprised than anything. The Jon he knew now had been seriously averse to laying with women unmarried, for fear of having another bastard. It seemed that the older Jon was considerably different from what he remembered.
"Yes, though it all was quite chaotic when his true identity was revealed," Sansa replied solemnly, though her cheeks were growing pinker still.
"But it's different now," he countered. "It wouldn't change anything, really," he replied. He would still be our brother, he thought, but did not say aloud. He still wasn't convinced of Sansa's brotherly affection for Jon.
"It would," she sighed, but her gaze was relenting. "Though I suppose it could have been far worse. He could have met the dragon queen first," she added, though her tone said otherwise.
"What is it with you and Jon, anyway?" Robb asked. "I thought you would have at least started treating him like a brother since you got back." He expected her to look a bit ashamed, to show guilt at distancing herself from Jon.
What he didn't expect was...blushing.
What?
"It's...difficult for me to treat him like a brother," she responded carefully. "Not while I still have all these memories so vividly stored in my head," she added, her blush deepening.
What?
No way. They wouldn't do that. They wouldn't…
"You didn't...lie together, did you?" he spluttered, almost not truly wanting to hear the response.
Her cheeks, if possible, turned even redder.
"Oh gods," he breathed. "Oh gods, why did I even...I don't want to imagine...he's our brother!" he finally spat out, more horrified than angry.
"We never had a sibling bond," Sansa countered, her blush starting to fade to an expression of annoyance. "Not like you or Arya did. And either way, we were cousins, and related further away than aunt and nephew!"
Robb grimaced, mind still reeling. Hearing about this was somehow more uncomfortable than learning about Jon's true identity, or perhaps even noting the incoming Lannisters.
"No more talking about this," he finally said, his sister nodding earnestly. She may feel even more queasy than I do.
"Let's change the subject," she agreed. "Are you ready to talk about the Lannisters this time?"
Robb sighed. He was calm enough now that he would be able to talk without yelling or slamming doors, but neither was he looking forward to this conversation.
But it needs to happen - for our family's sake.
"I suppose we must," he finally conceded. "I may allow that the Imp is not truly a monster or a threat to our family, but I cannot ignore the Kingslayer's transgressions."
"We won't ignore them," she responded. "We won't ignore them, but we won't criminalize him because he has not done anything. Without Cersei, he won't throw Bran off the tower. And we'll make sure that Mother doesn't take Tyrion this time, so that he won't fight and injure Father's men. Would you harm an innocent?" she asked, her voice rising somewhat. "It's not right to judge him for crimes he hasn't yet committed, Robb. It's not honorable."
She stressed that last word, gaze boring into Robb's eyes. Of course, we're Starks, he thought. Our father is the most honorable man in Westeros. And truth be told, she had a point, though he would hardly admit that out loud so soon. He could not in good conscience denounce the Kingslayer for transgressions that he had not made. But I can't just wait for something to happen...I have to prevent it.
"Father, Jon and I plan to keep a careful watch on him when he arrives," he told Sansa. Her eyebrows rose slightly, but otherwise she did not seem too surprised. "He may not have done anything yet, but I won't just sit back as he tries to harm our family."
"That's smart of you, as long as you all aren't too obvious about it. But I assure you, he won't," she replied confidently. "I know you can hardly believe me, but he won't. All I ask is that you remain polite around him when he's here," she pleaded. "I'll do the rest."
"The rest?" Robb questioned. His sister merely sent him an encouraging smile.
"Just a conversation," she reassured him cryptically. "Either way, like you, I do hope they leave soon. We have plans to set in motion."
"What kind of plans?" he asked. Suddenly he was growing more and more uneasy about Sansa's schemes.
"Well, you actually had thought of the first one," she replied, eyes twinkling. "Keep Domeric Bolton alive."
"You're right. Does this mean it's near time to call Alys Karstark and the Manderlys?" he asked. Though he had come to terms with the inevitability that was a marriage pact for political reasons, he was not exactly looking forward to it yet.
"Not exactly," she responded. "If we simply summon him after he is knighted, he could still make a detour to find his brother, and then where would we be. No, we will need to try a more direct approach," she mused. "But we also have another goal: delay the death of Jon Arryn."
"It was our aunt who poisoned him, no? Then if we just separate them, it should be sufficient," Robb responded. But he felt he could see where Sansa was going with this…
"For now, yes," she agreed. "Petyr Baelish will think up some other scheme to kill him and frame it on the Lannisters, but for now, getting Lysa away should be sufficient," she added. "And it just so happens that Sweetrobin's fifth nameday is just in a couple moons."
The important part was left unsaid.
We need to visit the Vale.
A/N: Well well well look what we have here! Seems like the Vale is where shit's going to go down soon! Next chapter: Sansa. And then a new Lannister POV...
EDIT: I forgot to clarify a couple things. Jonsa, while it happened in the past life, will NOT be happening this time around...see my comment a few chapters back on the no cousin incest! Also, Domeric is right now in the Vale, which is partially how Robb comes to that conclusion (Lysa is not, though).
