Winterfell was ruins. Isabelle had never seen anything look so morbid in her life. Robb had been granted leave from King's Landing with his sister and Isabelle. Daenerys had annulled his marriage, but she had told him that she would speak to Lord Frey personally. Lord Bolton had sent his congratulations and commiserations to Isabelle. She had written back and he had replied to inform her that he had no intention of taking revenge against her for anything she had done.
His bastard had died and there was nothing more to the matter now.
He was a cold man, but he was no fool. He knew she had the Queen's backing and he had no intention of going against a woman with three dragons.
"Come on, Lady Sansa," Isabelle said as Robb began to speak with the men who had not abandoned Winterfell.
They had feebly attempted to rebuild it, but they were getting nowhere fast. Sansa had looked downtrodden at the sight of her home. It was nothing like she remembered. Isabelle had patted Robb on the shoulder and then walked with Sansa through the ruins and towards the Godswood. Surely her husband had left that intact.
"Did your husband burn Winterfell down?" Sansa asked and Isabelle bit her cheek and nodded.
She settled down on the bench near the small pond and Sansa took a seat next to her. The red head kept silent for a few moments as Isabelle leant forwards and clasped her hands together. She bowed her head and closed her eyes, thinking about the expression of Robb's face once he had seen his castle. It was scarcely a castle anymore. The men had managed to rebuild parts of it, but it was a haphazard job.
"I should have stopped him," Isabelle shook her head. "I owed Robb that much."
"No," Sansa shook her head. "You know what your husband would have done to you...I heard you and Robb speaking one night...I did not mean to pry..."
"What did you hear?" Isabelle wondered.
Robb had spent many nights consoling Isabelle when she awoke from a bad dream. Her screams haunted him and he didn't know how he could console her sometimes. He would hold her to him, but he never could stop the nightmares; only time would do that, but he was willing to wait.
"I heard you screaming one night," Sansa spoke. "I stood outside the tent to make sure you were safe, but Robb was there with you. He...well...I heard about what he did when you miscarried your babe..."
"Ah," Isabelle muttered.
"But I never meant to be rude."
"It is fine, Lady Sansa," Isabelle promised her. "I am now more concerned for Robb. He has a lot of weight on his shoulders...weight which Ramsay has put there for him..."
"But Robb will cope," Sansa said with a determined nod. "And shouldn't we stop being so formal? You are going to marry Robb, aren't you?"
"One day," Isabelle replied. "It is hard to forget titles sometimes."
"But you are a lady too," Sansa responded. "Although I wouldn't mind not being called a lady. It doesn't bother me really. I'm just happy that Robb found me...and mother might still be alive somewhere with Bran and Rickon."
"I am sure they shall be," Isabelle promised and dared to rest her hand on Sansa's arm.
It was only then when the young girl dared to speak her mind. She suspected Isabelle wouldn't mind. The two of them had been pleasant and she had shown no hostility towards her. It was only by chance that Sansa knew the signs she had seen. She had been subtle, but she had noticed them. She was shocked that Robb had no idea.
"Can I ask you something?" Sansa wondered and Isabelle nodded. "When was the last time you had your moon's blood?"
Widening orbs greeted Sansa and Isabelle cocked her head to the side as the young girl looked to her lap and shrugged.
"I just noticed on the way here that you were eating a lot more with each passing day...and...well...your dress scarcely covers your chest..."
Looking down, Isabelle was shocked that she had not noticed her breasts were practically hanging out of her gown. She dropped a hand to her stomach, wondering what Sansa had been taught about pregnancy. She closed her eyes for a second and shook her head. She hadn't had her moon's blood in weeks. The last time had been when she was still with Ramsay.
"Oh Gods," Isabelle whispered as she tried to do the math. "It's not his...it couldn't be..."
"It isn't Robb's?" Sansa looked scandalised for a moment and Isabelle shook her head.
"It has to be Robb's," she replied. "It cannot be his...no...the last time we slept together was...Gods..."
"Do you not know the father?" Sansa wondered and Isabelle looked concerned.
She shook her head slowly and felt her feet give out underneath her once she tried to stand and pace. She collapsed back against the stone bench and her back hit the tree behind her. She pressed a hand to her mouth and knew that she should have done everything in her power to drink moon tea when she was still with Ramsay. It had been impossible, of course. He knew everything that she did and he controlled everything that she did too. She stifled a small sob and Sansa stood up, knowing that she had to find Robb.
Isabelle barely noticed her go, but she did notice Robb when he came to her. He knelt on the ground in front of her and saw her tears. Lifting his hands to her face, he cradled her cheeks in his palms and she pressed her fingers to his wrists, wrapping them around his skin.
"What is the matter? Sansa told me that you were upset?"
"Oh Gods," Isabelle muttered, knowing that she had no other option but to tell him the truth. "I don't know what to do, Robb. I don't want you to hate me...please...just don't hate me..."
"I could never hate you," Robb said, his voice stern and low as he moved to sit next to her then, still holding her face in his hands as he did so. She kept silent for a few moments as Robb waited for her to explain.
"I think I might be pregnant," she whispered in a small voice and a smile moved to Robb's face at the news.
But Isabelle continued to sob. He wondered why, but it didn't take a genius to know why. His smile soon disappeared as he pieced the picture, unable to stop himself from thinking of what he could have done to Isabelle. She was worried that the babe might be half her and half Ramsay.
Robb gulped and thought of that, looking away from her as she continued to sob. She noted how he turned his back on her and fear once again took hold of her. She clawed at his back, her hands gripping his shoulders as she tried to force him to look at her. He did so, sensing her urgency and his hands grabbed hers.
"Don't do that," she begged him, her cheeks red from crying and hurt. "Don't turn away from me...please...don't abandon me...I don't know, Robb...I don't know if you or the father or if Ramsay is...I shouldn't have been such a whore...I shouldn't have let you spill your seed inside of me...I should have had moon tea..."
"Isabelle," Robb said her name stiffly. "You are no whore."
"But I don't know whether the babe is yours...and if it is not...what if it is like him? Looks like him? I can't do it...the reminder..."
"Listen to me," Robb demanded her before she managed to hyperventilate again. "You once said to me that you were certain Ramsay was not born evil. You told me that you didn't think any babe could be born evil. You said that."
"I know." She mumbled.
"Then this babe shall be no different," Robb spoke, his voice harsh to try and make her see sense. "Whatever happens, this babe is half you...and it will have you as a mother...and you will be the best mother it could ever hope for. He will not corrupt you anymore, Isabelle...nor shall this babe..."
"And you?" Isabelle worried from him. "If the babe does not resemble you? Would you love it?"
Grounding his teeth together, Robb imagined a babe with Ramsay's menacing stare and evil grey eyes. He looked away from Isabelle and that was the only answer which she needed. Robb could not love a child which resembled Ramsay. She could not blame him, but she did not want for the child to be a bastard. She was utterly at a loss for words.
"You should go back to the castle," Isabelle said and she wiped her eyes with the back of her hands.
He could sense the haughty tone inside of her, but he did nothing to argue with her about it.
"Isabelle," he complained. "Asking me to love a babe which is not mine...a product of rape...a child from him..."
"Like your mother never loved Jon Snow?"
"Jon Snow's mother never forced herself onto my father, nor did she ever make his life a misery or flay people for sport," Robb quickly snapped back to her. "You shall keep the babe and only time shall tell who is the father of it...and if I am then I would be much more delighted than you could imagine...but if not...I shall try my best. I shall try for you, Isabelle."
What more could she want for him? She could ask nothing more but for him to try and to stay with her. She didn't want him to abandon her. After being alone for so long, she didn't think she could be alone ever again.
"Robb! Robb! It is mother! Bannermen are approaching!"
Sansa's voice echoed through the Godswood and Robb stood up whilst Isabelle remained seated, her mind still elsewhere and away from what Sansa had just shouted to them. She kept still as Sansa stood before them.
"You need to come. She shall be here soon. The Stark banner flies, Robb," Sansa's voice was giddy with glee as Robb nodded to her.
"I am coming," he said, relief flowing through his veins. He turned his head over his shoulder to look to Isabelle patiently. "Isabelle, are you coming?"
"No...you go...I will be there in a minute..."
She continued to wipe at her eyes and Robb watched her. Sansa scurried off again and Robb remained stood and staring at the woman he wanted to make his wife soon enough. He bent down to kiss the top of her head, doing his best to reassure her that he would not abandon her. She kept her gaze lowered as Robb turned and left her alone to pray to the Old Gods. She only hoped they would answer her prayers.
...
A/N: Thank you to CLTex, ZabuzasGirl, xxxRena and DarylDixon'sLover for reviewing
