Chapter 12
Robb awakened to the sound of her light breathing, he gingerly moved a piece of hair from her face before wrapping his arms around her to pull her closer to his frame. He pressed his face to her hair inhaling the lavender oil she uses before snuggling his face deeper into the crook of her neck. They had fallen asleep on the fur rug on the floor at the end of her bed, their heads propped on Grey wind as they used him for a soft place to lay there heads. Between their ever growing and naturally warm dire wolf and the blazing fire burning at the end of their feet they had been warm and content falling into an easy exhausted slumber. He lifted his head from her neck gazing upon Mia's face as she slept. Watching as the flames from the fire bounced along her features, he sighed contently as he placed his head back down on his sleeping wolf.
He could not stop thinking about last night.
*Flashback*
Robb and Mia had excused themselves from the feast late into the evening using the excuse that they were taking their younger siblings to bed. Catelyn had been grateful for the help and though she knew that was not the only reason why they wanted to make their leave she said nothing as she watched as Robb lifted a sleeping Aiden in his arms, and Mia picked up a sleeping Rickon. Arya wrapped her arm around Brans waist and held his arm with her free hand keeping him from falling over from exhaustion. Catelyn smiled deciding to leave them be watching as the pack walked out of the hall. Robb's lips turned up into a small smile as he looked at Mia, their excuse was quite plausible as Rickon and Aiden had fallen asleep with their heads leaning on the table for support, while Bran was struggling to keep his eyes open as his head would dip forward just to shoot straight up again frantically looking around to see if anyone had seen him doze off. Arya was the only one who was still awake but they made her exit the feast with them anyway. She was ready and willing to put up a fight but Mia reminded her that they still had training in the morning, so with that Arya was more than willing to grab onto Bran and follow them out of the great hall.
After they had tucked them all into bed they made their way to the courtyard releasing Grey wind from his own personal hell – his kennel in the stables to accompany them back to Mia's chamber. They chose to let Grey wind walk in-between them so that they would not walk to close to each other. This would make it easier to fight the urge they had to walk hand in hand in case they were seen by any of their guests. They were watchful that no one was around as they both slipped into her chamber doors. Robb was the last one inside so he locked the door behind himself as Grey wind made himself comfortable on the ground at the foot of the bed. Once inside he wasted no time pulling Mia into his arms, an affection that she happily returned by wrapping his arms around his waist and resting her head on his chest. He bent his head down kissing her on the head allowing his lips to linger there as he spoke.
"I must say I fear I have been remiss in my duties as your betrothed, I cannot recall if I have told you how stunning you look tonight?" he could feel her smile spread against his chest as he leaned back ever so slightly leaving one hand on the small of her back as he bent his fingers to place them under her chin, tilting her head to look up at him.
"Easily the most beautiful woman in not only the North but in all of the 7 kingdoms."
"My wolf you may be a little biased." She giggled, as the light from the moon shined through the window and danced in her eyes. Robb shrugged in response his smile never leaving his face as he continued on.
"Should not every man feel that his wife is the most beautiful woman in the 7 kingdoms?"
Her eyes twinkled with mischief "They should, however I am not your wife yet" she teased as she stepped out of his embrace reaching up to first unwind her braid from around her head before making quick work of undoing her tresses, letting her hair cascade around her shoulders.
Robb's brow creased, realizing what she had said and how it had been the reason for that worrisome look, she motioned for him to come to her as she sat on the ground in front of the fire with her knees beneath her, Robb obliged and sat on the left of her leaning his back up against Grey wind.
She looked at him intently for a moment, she was about to share things with him that she had never shared with anyone, not even her brother. She sighed heavily wondering where she would begin. She closed her eyes and said a quick and silent prayer to the Gods that this conversation would not change anything between them. Sensing her hesitance Robb reached up and softly stroked her cheek. She exhaled slowly leaning into his hand before opening her eyes.
She tilted her head slightly as she offered a small nervous smile. "I promised I would explain everything to you later and well it seems that later is now, I saw you and your parents talking at the head table when I walked in did she tell you anything about our encounter with Elena?"
Robb nodded allowing his hand to drop as he sat up straighter on the floor. "She told us about her crude remark about a brothel and that she didn't want to leave you alone with her. She doesn't trust her, she said she never has. When you walked in she was in the middle of saying some not so lady like things about her." He admitted slowly, "I don't think I have ever heard my mother utter as many insults the way she did today towards your stepmother."
Mia laughed lightly, "Given that Aunt Cat is quite possibly one of the most proper of any of the Ladies I have ever known I would have loved to be present for that conversation."
Robb returned her smile before letting out a laugh of his own "I must say it was quite interesting to hear, if the situation hadn't of been so worrisome, I may have even laughed at the vulgar things my mother was saying."
Mia's smile faded as she nodded slowly knowing the longer she prolonged this conversation the more difficult it would become.
"Well after I convinced Aunt Cat to go inside, Elena immediately blamed me for embarrassing her for refusing to choose Joffrey. She then launched into her usual tirade of names before she grabbed my arm, and tried to slap me."
Robb sat silent as a statue, he felt the anger rising in his blood at hearing how she was treated in their home, but he did not speak fearing that his reaction would make Mia wish she had never confided in him.
"I caught her hand and told her that she would never put her hands on me again." Robb nodded slowly, as Mia paused, thinking carefully how he would word his next question.
"You said again. What do you mean? What did she do to you in Mountain Ridge?"
Mia turned her body and looked into the fire. She was not sure if she would be able to finish recounting her childhood if she looked at him directly. Robb fought the urge to move closer to her allowing her space so that she could tell him at her own pace.
"At first it started with verbal insults, she would call me stupid, or tell me that I looked just like my mother, but the way she said it wasn't meant as a compliment, it was always said with such annoyance, such malice. She used to pinch me on my arms so hard it would leave bruises. Eventually she escalated to locking me away in a room; she would say it was a room more suitable for someone like me." She paused as she let out a small laugh devoid of any humor.
"The room had no windows; there was no light, only a bed, and a chamber pot. I would only know what time of day it was based on the food that was brought to me, that is if I was brought anything to eat at all. There were times where I wouldn't eat the entire time I was locked in the room." She stopped taking a moment to slide all of her hair over her left shoulder. She lowered her head slightly letting her hair fall to completely cover her face from his line of vision. He saw her raise her hand from her lap to her face discreetly wiping her eyes as she tried to hide her tears from him. He leaned forward tucking her hair behind her ear, gently wiping the stray tear that ran down her cheek before returning his hand to his lap, "You do not have to hide your tears from me Mia; you never have to hide anything from me."
"By the Gods Robb I really don't know why I am sniveling, I haven't even gotten to the worst of it." she said as she reached up quickly wiping her tears away. He had a way of making her feel completely at ease. Though now that she thought about it when he wasn't teasing her when they were children she always felt comfortable around him, she turned to look at him now trying to see if she could gage what he was thinking. As if on que
"What do you want to ask me?" he said quietly never dropping her gaze.
"You first, I can tell in your eyes that you are fighting with yourself about asking me something, ask me I don't want any secrets between us."
Robb paused for a moment as he tried to find the right words for what he wanted to say "Where was your father, why didn't he stop this? The man I knew would never let anyone harm his children least of all his daughter, you were his pride and joy, dare I even say his favorite, though if you tell your brother I said that I will deny it as he likes to think that he was your father's favorite."
Mia rolled her wet rimmed eyes.
"Of course he thinks he is father's favorite, he fancies himself as everyone's favorite" she chuckled, before answering "Father didn't know, when it first started she would say things when he wasn't around, and because he traveled a lot and would frequently take Alex with him she had ample opportunity." She closed her eyes and raised her head up to the ceiling "I remember 1 time when he came to say goodbye to me in my chambers I cried hysterically...he asked me so many questions trying to figure out the source of my misery, it puzzled him to no end, as I would swear everything was alright but I would beg him to stay home."
Mia's voice caught so she paused as she tried to regain her composure. "I begged him not to leave me alone." She said as she tried to talk past the lump in her throat.
"Why didn't you tell him, you had to of known he would have put a stop to it."
She dropped her head to look at the floor as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap. "Yes he would have, but he seemed content with his marriage," she shrugged "Not to mention they had Aiden not long after they were married so I thought they were happy. Before she married my father I had been told about how heartbroken he was after the loss of my mother and stillborn brother. When Elena arrived I thought she was what he needed, I didn't want my father to be alone, I wanted him to be happy and I didn't want to be the cause for him losing any of that."
Robb nodded accepting the answer "What about your brother? Did he know what was happening to you?"
"I kept it from everyone, Father, Alex, my grandparents, your father, your mother" she said turning her head to look him in the eye. "Everyone, I didn't want to risk them getting hurt. Uncle Ned and Aunt Cat wrote to me separately after father died, each time they asked me if we were being treated properly, I don't think they really trusted her alone with us...but I couldn't tell anyone the truth no matter how many times I was asked I could never tell." she said as she fiercely shook her head, and wrapped her arms around her body.
"You see Rhayna, one of my favorite ladies saw some bruising on my arms once as she was helping me change, she asked me what happened and I lied and told her it was nothing, that I got them while I was practicing the sword. She didn't believe me, I could tell from the way she looked at me she didn't believe a word I had said. A few days later I had a new lady, and when I asked where Rhayna had gone and why she was not attending me I was told that Rhayna asked questions that were none of her concern and because of that concern she now had pressing family matters to attend to. When I inquired about her family to a trusted pastry cook that worked in the kitchens he told me that all of her family except her baby brother had died in a fire a day after she inquired about my well-being, though her brother survived he had been badly burned and required someone tending to him at all time. At that moment I made a promise to myself to not get anyone else involved if I could avoid it. I never let anyone get close enough to me to see anything else ever again no matter what. I never wanted anyone to get hurt or to die trying to protect me. I was determined that I couldn't let Elena harm my family or anyone else I cared about so I stayed silent for fear of what she would do to them."
Robbs insides were turning into knots, and he wanted to hit something, but he remained silent as he stared at Mia who had grown eerily still next to him. He said nothing as she sighed and stood to her feet, he began to stand up with her but she held her hand up to stop him motioning for him to remain seated.
She looked at him for a long moment the pain in her eyes more than enough to break Robbs heart into a million pieces. He wanted to reach out to her and pull her into his arms but he restrained himself and opted to give her a small encouraging smile.
"Once my father died, Elena grew more vicious. She escalated, it was no longer just verbal or locking me in a dark room she began to physically beat me. She would leave bruises all over my body; she would hit me with her fists, or with whatever object she had within her reach. She would even go so far as to allow her favorite sworn knight to beat me."
Robb sucked in a sharp breath, and balled his hands into fists so tightly that his knuckles were slowly turning a ghostly white, his anger was rising and he was slowly losing control as Mia explained all of the horrible things that Elena had done to her.
"The bruises were always able to be covered by my gown, that was always the golden rule when I was struck, it could never be somewhere that could be seen and it was never, ever in the face." She said as she shook her head from side to side as she involuntarily ran her fingers up and down her neck.
"For a while the beatings were enough for her, but then she grew tired of hitting me with her fists and other objects, she wanted to inflict a more..." Mia paused searching for the right word "permanent type of pain." She began to undo the tie on the back of her gown.
Robb watched as she completely removing the Satin tie that was looped into her dress that kept the back closed. She slowly pulled one arm at a time out of the lace sleeves of her gown and clutched it with both of her hands holding it tightly to her bust. Her shoulders and her arms were exposed from the front, as she extended a tentative hand to Robb motioning for him to stand. She placed her free hand on his chest; pausing slightly to work up the courage to finish what she had started. He could feel her hand shaking, so he placed his own hand over hers squeezing it lightly. She looked up at him with a mix of hesitation and fear running through her eyes. She slowly turned around so that her back was facing him as she again made sure that her hair was swept over her shoulder revealing her exposed bare back as her gown hung wide open. As soon as she removed her hair she heard Robb release a low gasp, she shut her eyes and bit her lip as she forced herself to stand perfectly still; she felt his fingers touch the healed cuts on her back. The cuts that were once bloody and oozing had healed completely and now looked like a garden of welts. She remained painfully still as she felt him trace every scar on her back. His hand paused as his attention was momentarily drawn to her left arm where he saw the beginning of a bruise forming on her upper arm. He immediately made the connection that, that was from the altercation with Elena before the feast and his blood curdled with rage.
Mia silently cried not because the scars still caused her physically pain, but because part of her still could not shake the feeling of being unworthy and unclean, but through her tears she forced herself to explain how they came to be.
"She would chain me up by my arms and legs in the dungeons. She would beat me with the whip..." Mia sniffled unable to disguise the emotions that were bubbling to the surface. "When she grew tired, she would allow her sworn knight to use the whip as well." The lump in her throat grew larger and became lodged in place; she paused to collect her bearings.
"Once I had made her so angry that while I was chained up she ripped off all of my clothes...she made me stand there naked...they took turns whipping me, I had lashes on my back, my bo...bottom," she stammered, her voice barely audible "On my legs...and as if that wasn't enough degradation..." her voice cracked as she forced herself to try and continue "she allowed him to see me in a way that only my husband should see, she allowed him to..."
Her voice drifted off as her head hung forward her emotions fully taking over as her body shook with each sob. Robb could no longer stand it, he quickly walked around her so that they were facing each other and pulled her into his arms one arm wrapping around her waist touching her bare skin while the other hand wrapped around her shoulders again touching her bare skin holding her close to him as the sobs wracked her small frame. Grey wind walked over to where they were standing and nudged her legs with his head whimpering at hearing her in such distress. She continued to sob into Robb's chest, crying until she felt like she could cry no more. As the last remaining tears trickled down her cheeks her heart filled with dread as she slowly lifted her head, she still had more that she needed to tell him. She looked up into his eyes expecting to see pity, and regret but instead she saw the same softness he always had in his eyes when they were together. She cringed and slightly recoiled from his embrace knowing that would all probably change as soon as she told him what else happened.
"He never...had me" she explained slowly "He touched me, here" she said motioning to her breast as she looked away from him closing her eyes silently willing herself to finish
"And he touched..he touched me with his hands, between my legs, but it was as if Elena realized immediately what could happen, and the damage that could be done and she stopped him before... before he had me."
Mia exhaled and turned her head to face him looking up into his eyes, she had no idea what he was thinking so she asked the 1 question that hung over her head, the 1 question she dreaded hearing the answer to, with her voice barely above a whisper.
"What are you thinking Robb? I know this may considerably change things for you and I would understand if they did." She moved to completely extract herself from his embrace but Robbs arms kept her firmly in place.
"How in seven hells can you be standing in front of me wondering if the hell that you have gone through changes anything for me..." He drawled out
"It changes nothing other than increase the urge that I have to protect you and make you happy." He removed his hand that was draped over her shoulder and brought it up to caress her face. "Do not ever second guess what you mean to me." He took his hand and traced his finger along her hairline, "You are safe here, you are loved here, my parents and siblings dote on you, and to be honest sometimes I think Sansa and Arya love you more than they do me."
At this Mia gave him a small smile. He looked her in the eyes as he brought both of his hands to rest on either side of her face refusing to let her look away from his gaze. "That vile woman may have left battle scars on your body but she did not damage your mind or your heart, she could also never change the way I feel about you. Mia Lockhart, I loved you when we were children...I love you now... and I will love you until I take my last breath, you are the only woman that has or ever will hold my heart."
A smile appeared through the tears that were again running freely down her face and over his hands. She started to throw her arms around his neck but she felt the gown start to slip in her grip; her cheeks grew a deep shade of red as she quickly turned away from Robb and grabbed her night shift from the edge of her bed before disappearing behind her changing screen. She quickly wiggled out of her gown and pulled her nightshift on over her head as Robb took a seat on her fur rug. When she emerged from behind the changing screen she placed her gown gingerly on the bed before grabbing her robe from her chaise tying the belt tightly around her waist joining Robb on the floor. She curled into his body as he put his arm around her waist holding her securely to his side. They both leaned back onto Grey wolf who had once again curled up behind them as they rested their heads on the dire wolfs body. Mia felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off of her shoulders as she and Robb fell into a comfortable silence with Robb rubbing circles with his hand along the small of her back.
"Robb, tell me one more time." She whispered
"My love I will tell you every day for the rest of our lives that I love you and only you Mia." Her heart skipped a beat as she draped her arm over his chest and onto his shoulder snuggling further against his chest, both of them giving in to the overwhelming feeling of exhaustion that took over their bodies, finally succumbing to sleep with the roaring fire at their feet and Grey wind as their pillow entangled in each other's arms.
*End of Flashback*
He still could not wrap his mind around everything that Mia had told him. He had meant it when he said his feelings hadn't changed towards Mia in the least. He had no other desire than to spend the rest of his days growing old with her, having children with her and running Winterfell and the North with her by his side every step of the way. He could not control his body's involuntary reaction of tightening around her at the thought of how she had been treated prior to coming to Winterfell. He looked down and saw a small smile spread across her lips as he traced her facial features with his fingers ever so lightly before placing a soft kiss to her lips. He closed his own eyes in an attempt to enjoy the fleeting moments of the darkness that remained when he was stirred by the talking sleeping beauty in his arms. He listened intently to see if she would say anything else and when she did he realized she was speaking Valyrian much like she used to with Alex when they were children. Mia again grew silent as Robb watched her for a few more moments before he closed his eyes, securing his arms around her once more before quickly drifting off into his own slumber.
