Sorry it has taken so long to update you guys. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed the last chapter: Jofrench22(you will have to wait and see, but I do have a plan for Jamie) Romantic Journalist(Theon is going to cave to his father) Beeria(I know what happens to Robb in the third book, I have cruel friends. I am taking some creative liberties) blondie134(so glad that you enjoyed the story and so sorry that it took so long to update) DamonSalvatorelover(so glad you are enjoying the story) Miss Peppy Red Head(we are going to start leaving the show behind real soon) C.S. Tolkien(Third season not the fourth) Anonymous(I have! Glad you are enjoying the story) smilin steph(It's cool, I'm an excitable person as well! Glad you are enjoying the story) brandibuckeye(Hopefully I will be back for good now! And I agree go gingers) twiggy31(confrontation is in the next chapter!)

Chapter 36

It didn't take long for everyone to settle into Riverrun, arrangements were already being made for Robb's coronation and Catelyn was secretly planning his wedding to Freya. Despite the cold welcome Freya had initially received at Winterfell, Robb's bannermen seemed to have warmed to her. The addressed her politely and attempted to make conversation with her when they encountered her in the hallways.

Freya spent most of her time in her room though. The quickly healing scars on her back left her insecure, she knew no one could see them, but everyone knew they were there. She felt the weight of the stares with every step she took as she moved about the castle. Worry gnawed at her constantly, making her unable to eat or get more than a few hours of sleep. She could feel that something terrible was about to happen, but she didn't know when or what exactly it was.

When she did sleep, it was plagued with nightmares that she rarely remembered. On their third night in Riverrun, Freya woke herself up screaming frantically. Her eyes flew open to find Snow White standing on her chest howling. Freya immediately reached out and shifted the pup off her chest and sat up. She threw the blankets on the bed back and moved toward the door. Her feet tangled in her sheets and she toppled to the floor landing with a soft thud.

Freya let out a frustrated shout, Snow joined her on the floor and began tugging at the sheets trying to free her from them. They made quick work of it and Freya stumbled to the door. She threw it open and rushed across the hall, slamming the door to Robb's chambers open. She shut the door behind her and glanced around frantically. Robb was nowhere to be seen. Freya roamed through the rooms, the bedroom, small parlor, an office, and a bathroom, Snow White trailing behind her the whole time. He wasn't there.

Freya heard the door to the chamber open and she rushed back to the main room. Robb had just moved into the room when she launched herself into his arms. Robb stumbled back in surprise, but managed to remain upright.

"What's the matter," Robb asked as Freya suddenly pulled back from him and began examining him. Her hands tugged up his shirt and she looked at his chest, pushing him so she could look at his back as well. "Freya, what are you doing?"

Freya let his shirt fall back into place, noticing for the first time that they were not alone. Lady Stark and another man stood behind Robb giving her curious looks.

"Oh," Freya said as she stepped back from Robb wrapping her arms around herself, suddenly aware of her state of undress. Her nightgown didn't leave much to the imagination as it was one of her southern ones. "I'm sorry, I had a... I'll go back to my room. I apologize for the intrusion."

Freya started to step around Robb but he gently took hold of her wrist and stopped her. "Another one," he whispered. Freya simply nodded, avoiding the gaze of Lady Stark and the other man. "Who was it?"

"You," Freya whispered back her gaze never leaving the floor at her feet.

"Will you excuse us please," Robb asked his mother and the other man. "Oh, you should be introduced though. Freya this is my uncle Lord Edmure. Uncle this is Freya Leo of the House Stark, my fiance."

"Fiance? I thought you were to marry a Frey," Edmure said in surprise.

"That engagement is not valid as I was already engaged to Freya, I was misinformed about her death, but as she is very much alive, we are still engaged," Robb explained.

"We are waiting on word from Lord Frey on his decision on the matter," Freya added politely. "It is a pleasure to meet you sir, I wish it were under better circumstances, but you held the Riverlands valiantly. Robb is lucky to have you as part of his council and as one of his loyal bannermen."

Lord Edmure raised an eyebrow clearly impressed by the young people. "You two will make a fine King and Queen, both wise beyond your years and gifted with words. I wish you every happiness, Riverrun is yours my King and yours as well my Lady, if you need anything at all, do not hesitate to ask."

"You are most kind my Lord," Freya said with a genuine smile.

"And you are incredibly beautiful, a crown will suit you, we'll have something drawn up for you to approve."

"I am not a queen yet, it would be best to wait until we know what the Freys will do. I would hate to cause an issue between Robb and his bannermen, especially one in such a crucial holding as Lord Frey," Freya said quickly. She meant it, but there was more to that truth, the idea of being a queen and actually having to wear the crown terrified her. What if she wasn't good at it?

"Another good point, we will leave you two," Lady Stark said quickly. "Make sure Freya returns to her room, when you two are done talking."

"Yes mother," Robb muttered. Once the door to his chambers were shut Robb turned back to Freya and tugged her into his arms. "Tell me what happened."

"You were at a ceremony of some sort, suddenly you and your men were being attacked, they killed you, it was terrible, I felt so helpless, I couldn't do anything to stop it," Freya explained.

"Who killed me," Robb asked. He wasn't sure what to make of Freya's nightmares, after she had dreamed about what Jamie was going to do to her and the battle that followed, he'd begun to put a bit more stock in them. He wasn't sure if she could actually see the future, and he certainly wasn't going to mention it to her unless she brought it up, but perhaps there was something to this that could help him.

"There were two towers on their banner," Freya said softly. She knew who it was, she didn't have to hear it from Robb. "The Freys."

"I think you are just worried about what they will say about us," Robb replied.

Freya pulled out of his arms and moved about his bedroom. "You aren't worried?"

"I am, but I think you are too worried, you're making yourself crazy over this. You aren't eating, you can barely sleep, this isn't good for you," Robb said as he moved after her. He wrapped an arm around her waist but she immediately pulled away from him.

"Don't," she said with a shake of her head.

"What is it," Robb asked. He patience was beginning to wear thin, she wouldn't talk to him anymore. They hadn't had a real conversation since she told him about what happened with Jamie. Before all of this happened she told him everything, but now it was a fight to get the simplest answer from her when they were alone. "I need you to talk to me Freya."

"And say what Robb," Freya cried.

"What is bothering you? Is it just this Frey situation or is there something you aren't telling me?"

"No," Freya said frantically. She sat down on Robb's bed and buried her face in her hands. She swallowed hard to keep the tears down. Robb sat on the bed next to her, he gently wrapped an arm around her pulling her into him. Freya shifted so she could put her head on his lap and drew her knees into her chest. Robb's fingers brushed through her hair as he waited for her to say something.

"I thought telling you would make things easier, but I keep waiting for you to change your mind. I feel like you don't understand what has happened and as soon as you do, you'll leave me," Freya whispered. Tears slid down her face and she drew in a shaky breath. "I'm a bastard Robb, I've always been a bastard, it never mattered to you, but neither of us ever imagined that you would become King of the North. A King needs a Queen, and a bastard is no sort of Queen, especially a bastard who was raped by her half-brother."

"I know what happened to you," Robb replied, "but I also know what the Lannisters have done to my family. You are half Lannister, but you have choosen to stand by me, by my family, don't you think that means something to the people? All that matters is whether you love me."

Freya rolled onto her side and stared up at him. "You know that I do."

"Then there is nothing else for us to discuss," Robb said. He started to say something else but there was a knock at his door. Freya sat up and wiped her face as Robb moved to the door to see who it was.

"A raven your grace, from the twins," the servant said. Robb took the letter, nodding to dismiss the servant. He closed the door back and moved to the bed as he unrolled the letter. His eyes scanned the page before he looked up to meet Freya's gaze. "He wants to meet you, if I'm not going to marry a Frey then he wants to meet the girl that I am choosing over all of them."

"I'll leave in the morning," Freya said as she rose from the bed.

"No, something is wrong with this, I can feel it."

"What other choice do we have," Freya asked. "Do you want to be released from this contract?"

"Of course, but i'm not sending you to the Freys, they could kill you," Robb exclaimed.

"That's a risk we have to take."

"I thought I lost you once, I won't lose you again," Robb said firmly.

"Then you marry a Frey or you become an oathbreaker," Freya snapped. "I've been trained to fight, send some of your men with me, I'll be fine. They wouldn't dare hurt the future Queen of the North."

Robb gave her a dark look and shook his head. "I can't believe I'm agreeing to this," he muttered. Freya moved to him and pressed her lips to his. Robb wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him. "Stay with me tonight?"

"Robb," Freya said weakly as his lips moved down her neck. Robb didn't wait for another word, he tugged at the ties on her nightgown dropping it to the floor. Freya's fingers tangled in his hair, knocking something loose. It clanged to the floor and Freya pulled away from him to see what had happened. She gasped at the sight of it.

On the floor lay Robb's crown, made of steel, it had the hard look of the north to it. Freya carefully reached for it, her hands stopping just before touching it. She swallowed hard, the full weight of their situation hitting her. Robb hadn't really been a king until just now, here in this room, with this crown she had just knocked from his head so carelessly. Everything suddenly became very real, he is a 19 year old King of the North.

Freya finally picked up the crown, feeling the weight of it in her hands. "Its heavy," she commented before passing it to Robb.

Robb simply shook his head and sat it on the small table next to his bed. "Much heavier than I thought it would be," he replied. A dark look crossed his face, but he seemed to push the emotions aside. He turned back to her and pulled Freya into his arms, kissing her hard. There was something strange about the kiss though, there was a fear there that Robb was trying to suppress.

"What is it," Freya asked as she pulled away from him. Robb shook his head and attempted to kiss her again ignoring her question. Freya moved away from him though, tugging a blanket off his bed and wrapping it around her body. "Something is bothering you, you can talk to me."

"Can I," Robb suddenly demanded. Freya could feel the look of shock settle on her face, but she tried to hide it. "No, I can't, not really. Since we brought you back things have changed, and I understand why they've changed, but you aren't the only one who has been hurt! My entire world has changed!"

Freya bit her lip to keep from speaking. Robb began to pace the room, wringing his hands as he went. "I never wanted to be a king, I never imagined that this would be my life, our life. I... when I thought about the future I saw Winterfell, I knew I would be Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. I knew that I would have to be the one to swing the sword in order to carry out the sentences that I passed. My father was going to... I was as prepared as I could be for that, but not for this. I don't know how to be a king."

"Robb," Freya said gently. She moved toward him, but Robb didn't seem to have heard her.

"I was supposed to get married in Winterfell, in the Godswood. I wanted to marry you there, I still want that, but we're here in Riverrun, gods only know when we will get to have that. We're too busy planning my coronation! Winterfell, that's what I wanted, that's what I know. We would all still be there, you, me, my father, maybe Jon as well. Bran should be able to walk! Instead, my little brother who wanted nothing more than to be a knight will never walk again. I left Rickon without saying goodbye! What about Arya? No one even knows where she is, she could be dead like father for all I know," Robb shouted. His voice echoed through the room. He ran his hands over his hands before his fingers clenched his hair.

Freya could see the tears in his eyes, the began to leak down his face as he stared at the wall opposite him.

"We're at war, I've put everyone I love in danger. You were almost killed, twice! We may never go home again," Robb said brokenly. He sat heavily on his bed, burying his face in his hands, sobbing openly. Freya rushed to the bed and wrapped her arms around him. Robb immediately drew her closer to him, letting her comfort him.

"We will go back to Winterfell, we will put what remains of your family back together, you and I will marry in the Godswood of Winterfell if that is truly what you want, and you will be the best King in Westeros, because this war is not your fault, it is the Lannisters doing. We will kill every single one of them for what they have done, I swear to you, that this war will not be for nothing. You are a good man Robb Stark, and you will be a great king, not only because you will have an amazing queen," Freya joked. Robb smiled slightly at her joke. "I've missed that look."

Robb turned slightly so that he was looking at her. He gently placed his hands on her cheeks, studying her for a long moment, memorizing her face. "You've always been there for me," Robb said softly.

"We made a promise when we were children," Freya reminded him. Robb nodded in acknowledgement. They had indeed made a promise.

Without warning Robb pulled her down onto the bed, holding her close to his chest. If she was truly leaving in the morning to go to the Freys this would be the last time he held her for several days. "I can't stay, your mother will know if I do," Freya murmured sleepily.

"I don't really care," Robb said with a shrug.

Freya laughed softly and sat up. "At least let me put my nightgown back on so I don't freeze."

Robb sat up as well and tugged his shirt off. He handed it to her, a smirk on his face. Freya rolled her eyes at him before pulling his shirt on. She shook her head, trying to straighten out her messy hair. Robb quickly removed his boots, and tugged the blankets down on his bed. Freya climbed beneath them and immediately snuggled into the bed a tired look on her face. Robb laid down so he was looking at her. He took one of her hands in his and watched her as she drifted toward sleep.

"Always," he whispered.

"Always."