Author's Note: Thank you SO MUCH for everyone who reviewed, favorited and followed my story, you guys are seriously amazing! Here's the next chapter, hope you guys like it!

Special thanks to pawelp, sensfan90, ThatOneJin, and dhagans for being so helpful regarding the political/military aspect of this story, I will definitely put all your advice to good use!

This chapter is unbeta'd as of now, so please keep that in mind! Don't forget to leave a review and let me know what you think :)

Chapter 12: Grave News

Slowly rousing from the most restful night's sleep he's had in years, Robb lazily blinked himself awake, rolling onto his side and propping an elbow up to hold up his head. He looked down at his still sleeping wife, sprawled on her stomach, her face turned away from him and the furs bunched around her waist, exposing her bare back to him. For once, he woke unaccompanied by worries of his father and sisters stuck in the South, or his mother's actions regarding Tyrion Lannister. Instead he woke with the incredibly pleasant memories of the night before.

He felt an involuntary smile curve his lips as he remembered the intoxicating way that she had kissed him, the extraordinary feel of her wrapped around him, her nails digging into his chest, the expression of rapture on her face as she fell apart above him. It had been better than he had ever imagined – and he had imagined it many, many times – and it was an experience he wasn't like to forget for as long as he lived.

Unable to help himself, Robb stopped admiring his wife, leaning forward to press his lips to her bare shoulder. He felt her shiver, a content, sleepy sigh escaping her as he peppered kisses across her back. He brushed her hair back from her face as she turned to face him, blinking her eyes open and focusing on him. "Hi," she murmured, her voice still raspy from sleep.

"Morning beautiful," Robb greeted, returning her smile as her arms wound around his neck, pulling him closer for a kiss. She really was beautiful. Her features were delicate, making her look innocent almost, hiding both the strength in her limbs and her lethal fighting skills.

Her fingers played with the curls at the back of his neck. "I think I can definitely get used to waking up like this," she told him breathlessly as he kissed under her jaw. He felt his heart begin to beat faster as he shifted closer to her, running his hand along her side. She glanced down as he settled between her legs, her eyebrows raised. "And apparently, so can you," she grinned, her cheeks turning slightly pink.

"Can you blame me?" Robb murmured, nuzzling his wife's neck playfully, making her laugh and push his face away as his beard tickled her skin. "I mean, just look at you!" He pulled back to examine her appreciately, lifting the furs away from her body and making her roll her eyes and laugh again, the sound sending a rush of warmth through him. His hands trailed down her body again, using her thigh to hitch her leg around his waist. "Where are your daggers?" He asked curiously.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "I didn't think it was appropriate for what I… uh, what I was trying to do."

"You mean try and seduce me?" Robb teased.

Maliya's lips curled upwards. "No, I mean successfully seduce you," she corrected, eyes twinkling. "I had you eating out of the palm of my hand. I could have told you to do anything – "

"Alright," Robb interrupted loudly, squeezing her sides and making her yelp. "What do you think, wife?" He murmured, lowering his face until their lips almost connected, appreciating the way her breath hitched and her smile faded. "Shall I return the favor?"

Her gaze flickered to his lips. "Do your worst, husband," she breathed, just before he captured her lips with his in a searing kiss that made a shiver of want dance down his spine. There was no slow build up this time around. Any tentativeness between the two of them from the night before was gone and all that was left was the heat and the attraction that neither of them had realized existed. He eagerly matched the passion with which she kissed him, her lips moving sensually and fluidly and making him damn near forget his own name. When she sucked his bottom lip into her mouth, his hips involuntary thrust forward, rubbing against her and wrenching a deep groan from his chest. Robb swallowed her throaty gasp, breathing heavily as her hands tightened in his hair.

He kissed his way down her throat, enjoying her scent and the slightly salty taste of her skin. He lingered for a moment on her pulse rapidly fluttering in her throat, finding that her back arched when he did so, her breasts rubbing against his chest. Distracted, he shifted lower down her body, his hands coming up to cup them. He frowned, his thumb rubbing the heart shaped birthmark above her heart, something he hadn't noticed last night.

Still panting, Maliya looked down to see what was holding his attention. "It's just a birthmark," Maliya explained in response to his frown. "My mother said…. She said that it meant I was going to doubly love and be loved in return."

Robb's eyes flickered up to examine her expression, his frown deepening as he caught her morose and solemn tone. "Maliya, are you alright?" He prodded gently, concerned.

She shook her head as if to clear it, plastering a reassuring smile on her face. "I'm fine," she whispered, her hands coming up to cup his cheeks, her thumbs brushing back and forth as she lifted her head to press her lips to his. Her hips began moving again and Robb's eyes fluttered shut, his hands clenching in the sheets as she moved her lips to kiss along his neck before moving up to his ear. "I thought you were supposed to be the one seducing me?" She questioned, laughter clear in her voice.

Feeling affronted, Robb's eyes glittered as he swallowed her shocked cry, snapping his hips forward, easily sliding inside her. He himself had to stifle a surprised grunt - his memories of what this felt like did absolutely no justice to the actual experience, and he had to pause for a moment to regain control of his body. Once he was sure he wasn't going to embarrass himself so quickly, Robb began to move again.

He watched her face through his own pleasure filled haze, noting the way her breath hitched and whimpered as his strokes grew longer and faster, the unrestrained sounds spilling from her throat nearly driving him insane. He hissed in pain, burying his face in her neck as her nails raked down her back, her walls beginning to flutter around him. The pain mingled with the pleasure drove his hips even faster.

"Robb," Maliya gasped as her legs wrapped around him, allowing him to reach deeper inside her and causing her back to arch.

"I know," he moaned, lifting his head, knowing that she was close. He wanted to see her come undone before he did. He could easily become addicted to seeing her like this – spread out underneath him, chest heaving, muscles quivering, mouth open and eyes wide and glazed over with shock and ecstasy. Clenching his teeth in an effort to hold back, he felt a trickle of sweat run down his neck. Remembering the spot that he had found last night, Robb snaked a hand down between their bodies, searching. He knew he had found it when Maliya gave a startled cry, her legs tightening around him, her hips snapping up as she tumbled over the edge.

With the feel of her tightening around him and the look of awe in her wide, unfocused eyes, Robb was helpless to stop the telltale tingle at the base of his spine. He froze deep inside her, a low, disbelieving groan wrenched from his throat as white spots danced in front of his eyes, and for a moment, everything made sense: how far their relationship had come up to this point and everything they had to look forward to in the future. Then the intensity faded to a mind numbing bliss and Robb swayed slightly, before collapsing on top of Maliya, breathing heavily with his eyes closed. "Happy name day, husband," he heard her whisper tiredly.

He didn't know how long he lay there for, completely unaware of his surroundings, but after sometime he lazily opened his eyes, realizing his head was resting on her chest and her fingers were running soothingly through his hair. "Am I crushing you?" He asked in a low concerned voice, shifting so he could move off her.

"No, I'm alright!" Maliya assured him quickly, stopping him from moving. "You're not crushing me. It makes me feel…. Safe somehow," she admitted, chuckling in embarrassment.

Robb lifted his head, gazing down at her fondly. "You are incredible, Lady Stark," he whispered, smiling. His heart beat faster as she returned the smile, her hands moving to cup his cheeks as she pressed her lips to his in a slow, unhurried kiss. Robb sighed in contentment as she pulled away, rolling off her and bringing her with him so her head rested on his chest, her legs tangled with his.

"I have a brilliant idea," Maliya told him, eyes twinkling as she turned slightly so that her arms were resting on his chest, her chin on her hands as she looked at him. "I propose that we spend all day in bed," she murmured in a slow voice, fingers tracing a pattern through his chest hair. "My sister and my cousins have told me everything they know about sex." He watched, barely breathing, as she pressed her lips to his skin before trailing soft kisses up his neck before breathing in his ear, "I want to try them all out…. With you."

He shuddered as she gently bit his earlobe, heart racing as her fingers danced down his body to find the evidence of just how aroused her words had made him. His eyes fluttered shut as her hand moved over him seductively. "I think…" Robb had to pause to bite back a moan. "I think that might be the best idea you have ever had," he breathed before turning his head to devour her once more, both of them caught up in the insatiable desire between them.

Several hours and a well-deserved nap later, a knock came at their door. "Who is that?" Robb asked in annoyance, wearily shifting so he was sitting with his back against the headboard.

Maliya put a hand on his chest to stop him from getting out of bed, making sure the furs covered his lower half before sliding out of the bed herself and wrapping the robe around her body. "I took the liberty of sending a few men to retrieve your name day present while you were asleep," she told him over her shoulder as she crossed the room to open the door. "You can put it in front of the fireplace," she instructed, stepping back to let the two men inside.

Maliya thanked the men and closed the door behind them. Only then did Robb slip out of bed, uncaring of his nudity as he curiously approached what they had delivered. "What is it?" He asked, circling the tall object covered with a large sheet, his brow furrowed. Maliya had to forcibly make her mind concentrate on his question instead of admiring his body and his confidence.

"Your name day present," Maliya told him again, wringing her fingers together nervously as she watched him. "I – I didn't know what to get you, everything else I thought of seemed both stupid and insignificant. I've been thinking a lot about what's been happening down south, and though this may seem like the worst-case scenario, I wanted you to be prepared, just in case something goes wrong and we have to help your mother. I thought you deserved something befitting the Lord of Winterfell." Sending her an intrigued look, Robb grasped a corner of the sheet and pulled it off, revealing what was underneath. It was a full-length suit of body armor encasing a practicing dummy, complete with the direwolf symbol stamped on the chest. "I designed it myself," Maliya continued to babble as he inspected it closely from all sides. "It took me awhile to grasp the armor style of the north, but I hope that you're happy with the results. The steel encases the obvious parts, like the shoulders and elbows, but the rest is the boiled leather that you northmen wear. I had them add my own little design as well, some hidden chainmail in important places such as the chest and stomach. In Dorne, it is too hot to wear such heavy armor so we have to become creative in ways to protect ourselves."

"You designed this?" Robb asked in a quiet voice, still not looking up at her.

"Yes," Maliya replied, feeling as if she was going to go out of her mind with anxiety. Unable to take it any longer, she blurted, "Well? What do you think? Do you like it? Because if you don't, you don't have to wear it – "

"Seriously?" Robb sputtered, gaping at her, his eyes wide with disbelief. "Maliya, this is the greatest gift that anyone has ever given me." He shook his head. "This must have taken weeks to make, it must have been expensive – it's too much."

"It's not enough," Maliya countered, disagreeing. "I couldn't think of a gift that would appropriately relate how grateful I am – "

"For what?" Robb interrupted, mystified.

"For being patient with me when I was being an uncaring bitch. For wanting to take the time to get to know me and for wanting to make this marriage work. I could never have imagined being lucky enough to marry into this family. I could never have imagined you."

Robb's blue eyes softened, a smile on his lips as he approached her, pulling her closer to him. "That sounded almost poetic, Princess," he teased in a light voice. He bent his face closer to hers. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you're stuck with me for life."

Maliya gave a fake sigh, her arms looping around his neck. "You are such a romantic," she teased sarcastically before he closed the distance between them and kissed her. Maliya could have easily become lost in the way his lips moved against hers, but she could tell that he was distracted. Pulling away, she sighed for real this time. "You want to try the armor on, don't you?"

"Yes," Robb admitted with a sheepish grin, a boyish twinkle in his eye.

"Oh, alright, come on then. I'll help you." Maliya watched in amusement as Robb nearly tripped over himself in his haste to put his small clothes on. She helped him buckle and lace each of the different parts of his armor, feeling the weight of his gaze on her as she did so. When she was finished she stepped back, tilting her head to the side as she surveyed him.

"How do I look?" Robb asked, one hand resting on the belt where his sword would go.

Maliya felt a rush of warmth swoop through her lower belly at the sight of him, and she shifted as she felt a tingling down below. He looked incredibly handsome with his bright blue eyes, strong and powerful like the Lord of Winterfell should be. "I'm going to need you to take it off," she told him brusquely, crossing her arms.

"What?" Robb's expression was bewildered. "I don't understand – "

"Robb," Maliya interrupted in a voice thick with want, and she wondered if he could see the fire in her body reflected through her eyes. "Take. It. Off."

Maliya hovered at the end of the corridor, peeking around the corner to where Robb, Maester Luwin and Theon were entering Robb's office. They had just received news that Tywin Lannister was invading the Riverlands, the home of Lady Stark's family, in response to her capturing his son. Robb and the others were currently discussing what to do; Maliya supposed that she could have pressed the issue and insisted she sit in on the meeting, but she knew Robb would tell her everything later tonight.

Besides, Maliya had more important plans for today. She had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to make the Moon Tea with the ingredients that her uncle had left her. Unfortunately, even though he had left explicit instructions, Maesters were the one's who usually made the Moon tea and they were the ones with the tools needed to do so.

Over the past couple days she had been watching Maester Luwin closely, trying to find a moment when he was away from his study long enough for her to sneak in and make the Moon Tea. Figuring she had at least an hour or two while the men talked, Maliya shifted her cloak to make sure it was fully hiding the box of ingredients she had under her arm and then turned, heading up to the Maester's tower.

Maliya safely made it up the stairs without anyone noticing anything suspicious. She knocked on the door, waiting a moment to make sure there was no one inside before opening the door. She carefully closed it behind her, hurrying over to the table and setting the box down, making sure to meticulous read each line of instructions. Not wanting to create some terrible concoction that would make her sick, Maliya measured out the ingredients, double and triple checking it before adding it to the mixture.

She muttered to herself as she stirred, looking back at Uncle Oberyn's list, worrying less about getting caught and more about the tea as she reached the last line. Shrugging, not sure what the tea was actually supposed to look like, Maliya poured herself a cup before putting the rest in a larger vial and corking it, slipping it into the pocket of her cloak.

She blew on the Moon Tea, cooling it down a bit before taking a tentative sip. It didn't taste terrible actually, and she figured that was due to the mint and the drop of honey. She continued to drink the Moon Tea, mentally planning how often she should drink it. At the rate her and Robb were going, she was going to need to drink the tea every couple of days or at least once a week.

Her mind drifted, the corner of her mouth lifting as she thought back to their most recent sexual encounter. She was still slightly sore from the position they had found themselves in, and there were some half healed scrapes on her back that she found mildly annoying.

The door to the study suddenly flew open, making Maliya jump and nearly drop her now empty cup of tea. She looked up with wide, panicked eyes to see the wildling woman standing in the doorway, a broom in her hand and chains still around her ankles. Maliya hadn't seen or talked to the taller, fierce looking woman since Robb had captured, questioned and then freed her to work as a servant in the castle. "This isn't what it looks like," Maliya stated automatically, blabbing the first thing that came to mind.

The wildling woman's expression showed no flicker of surprise at seeing Maliya, even though she wasn't supposed to be there. Her eyes moved to the ingredients that were still laid out on the table. "Tansy, mint, wormwood, honey, pennyroyal… we use similar ingredients for one specific reason beyond the wall," she commented as if she were making an everyday observation. "It looks like you're making Moon Tea."

"Then… it's exactly what it looks like," Maliya answered awkwardly, hurriedly putting the ingredients away in the box. Feeling the woman's eyes on her and hating like she felt like she was being judged, Maliya continued. "Listen…" She paused, realizing that she didn't know the wildling's name.

"Osha," the wildling supplied in a slightly bored voice.

"Listen Osha," Maliya began again, stuffing the ingredients and directions in the box and snapping it shut before cleaning up her mess. "Not that it's any of your business, but I'm not in any way ready to become a mother. Gods, my own mother di – left us when I was young! Robb and I are just getting to know each other and when you add a child to the mix, it complicates things! Is it so wrong that I want more time alone with my husband? I personally don't think so, but everybody else probably would!" She could feel herself growing more and more agitated, knew that she was ranting to a total stranger and possible enemy, but she couldn't seem to stop the words from spilling out of her mouth. "I'm the wife, the Lady of Winterfell, it is my duty to spread my legs and carry my husband's future heirs. Eventually people will assume that I'm infertile, they will blame me for not giving my husband children – he may even be forced to dissolve the marriage and find someone else!"

Besides… I'm out here for revenge, not to start a family, she added in her head as an afterthought.

Osha lowered her eyes. "I meant no disrespect Lady…whoever. I have no interest in why you're secretly taking Moon Tea, nor do I care about your problems. What the lady does is none of my business. I don't go saying things that aren't my business, I'm just here to clean the floors."

Maliya hesitated, searching the older woman's face, before realizing that for some reason she trusted that she wouldn't tell anyone. Nodding, Maliya hid the box back under her cloak and made to leave the room. "Why are you here?" Maliya asked, pausing in the doorway. "And I don't mean to clean the floors," she added, seeing Osha lift the broom. "Why were you and the others coming south? I don't know much about the Wall and what's beyond it, but I do know it's not that often that we encounter the Free Folk. It seems oddly coincidental that we ran into two wildling groups trying to attack us. So why did you come on this side of the wall?"

"Where are you from?" Osha asked instead, tilting her head to the side. "I've never seen someone with skin like yours before."

"I'm from Dorne," Maliya told her. At the other woman's blank look, Maliya went on. "It's on the southern coast of Westeros, where the sun is always hot and you can play in the clear waters on the shores."

Osha's expression suggested that she thought Maliya had just spouted something mystical and non-existant. "Then you could hardly understand, lady. That it gets so cold you feel as if you could freeze to death just by walking outside. That when the the Long Night comes, when things that normally sleep in the day come out to hunt at night… the north is no place for men to be living." Maliya felt a confused frown cross her face – she didn't understand a word of what Osha had just said. She opened her mouth to question her further, but Osha was apparently finished with the conversation. "Apologies, lady, I really should be getting back to work."

"Of course," Maliya muttered, still frowning, hesitating awkwardly before hurrying out of the Maester's tower, leaving more confused than when she had entered. She felt better know that she had made the Moon Tea, however. She supposed she would find out if she had made the tea correctly in a fortnight or so if she received her moon's blood.

"Are you feeling cold?" Opening a lazy eye, Maliya turned her head to the side and looked over to where Robb was lying on his side, his elbow on the ground to hold his head up as he twirled one of her curls around his finger. They were currently lying on a blanket that Robb had brought, the earthy smell of the trees invading her nose, the canopy of the trees partially covering the sky above her.

"I have you to keep me warm," Maliya commented lightly, grabbing his hand and bringing it to rest on her stomach, lacing their fingers together over the fur cloak covering her naked body. "I feel like they're watching me," Maliya whispered in a low voice, looking up around them. "Judging us for what we just did."

"Let them. Coming to the godswood to pray was the only respite I've had in the past few days," Robb explained, his blue eyes capturing her own. "It was the only time to truly spend time with you – "

"That didn't stop you from waking me in the middle of the night two days past, or from taking me in an alcove between your meetings," Maliya teased, raising an eyebrow.

Robb smirked down at her, one of his auburn curls falling over his forehead. "If I recall correctly, it was you who woke me in the middle of the night, my insatiable princess."

Maliya grinned up at him. Truth be told, ever since that first night they had been stealing every opportunity they had to be together. Sex with Robb was…. Everything that her sister and cousins had told her it would be and yet more, somehow. There was the overwhelming pleasure, of course, the kind that exploded through her entire body, the kind that made her eyes roll back into her head and left her a mess of shaking limbs.

But more than that, was Robb's reaction to her. It gave her a heady, powerful feeling, filled her with a fire each and every time they were together. The desperate way he grasped at her, the hunger in his blue eyes, the passion in his voice when he called her name as he finished inside her. She could listen to the noises she wrenched from him all day long.

"I suppose it's a blessing that we work so well together in bed," Maliya murmured, reaching up with her other hand to push his stubborn curl away from his forehead only for it to fall back in it's place. Her hand trailed down to cup his cheek, her thumb brushing his bottom lip. "It would have been terribly awkward if we had been getting on so well only for it to fall apart in bed."

"I knew we would work well together," Robb proclaimed, rolling closer to her in order to draw her in for a kiss. "How could we not?" He asked softly, kissing her once more before shifting onto his back, lacing his fingers behind his head. There was a moment of content silence between them. "Have you ever wanted to rule?" He asked.

Maliya frowned up at the trees when she heard the question. "Where did that question come from?" She inquired, brows furrowed.

"I'm the eldest, so I've always been in line to take over as Lord of Winterfell. But your sister is older than you are, and I know that things work differently in Dorne, so she could take over after your father. With all that has been going on recently, it's something I've been thinking about. Did you ever want to rule?"

Maliya sighed, contemplating his question thoughtfully. "Truth be told, it's not something that I have given much thought to since both Arianne and Quentyn are older than I." Even as Rhaenys she would never have been more than a princess. "But… no, I don't think I would want to rule as anything more than the Lady of Winterfell. Growing up, I've seen the toll that the burdens of ruling have taken on my father. He thinks of his people and his kingdom first and himself second. It weighs him down until I fear that one day he will sink through the floor."

"My father had the option to sit the Iron Throne and become King, you know," Robb told her in a quiet voice. "He himself never told me the story, but I've heard the rumors from men visiting Winterfell. When my father's men took King's Landing, he found Jaime Lannister sitting on the throne and made him give it up. He could have taken it for himself, but he never wanted it. He always said that he went to war for justice, for the deaths of his father and brother."

"I have a feeling that your father is one of the few good men left in this world," Maliya mused, turning her head to the side so that she could glimpse Robb's face and see the small smile there.

"I would believe it," Robb answered. He sighed, rubbing a weary hand over his face. "I wish my father were here, though if that were the case I suppose none of this would be happening. My mother would be here as well, she would never have taken Tyrion Lannister to the Vale, and Tywin Lannister wouldn't be attacking my mother's people. I wish I could know what my father would do in response."

"Your father raised you to be Lord of Winterfell, Robb," Maliya tried to assure him. "He groomed you to analyze situations and make the same decisions that he would make. He trusts you to do the right thing."

"I know," Robb said, his eyes meeting hers. "Plus, it helps knowing I have you beside me to advise me in case I do something stupid." He paused. "Can I ask you something, Maliya?"

"Of course," she nodded, hiding a frown at his hesitant tone.

"Maester Luwin mentioned something to me the other day that's been bothering me ever since. I've been trying to come up with a reasonable explanation but have come up with nothing. He says that he saw you coming out of the crypts a few times recently. I rarely go down there myself – what have you been doing?"

Maliya swallowed the panic that was threatening to climb out of her throat, willing her suddenly pounding heart to slow down as she struggled to the smile on her face. I've been secretly going down there because of a strange pull and a letter from a mysterious person to try and hatch a dragon egg that I happened to find behind a secret passage near Cregan Stark's tomb. She desperately wanted to say the words, to tell him this secret that she had been hiding, but to do so she would undoubtedly have to reveal other, bigger secrets and she just wasn't sure what his reaction would be. It was too big of a risk and would endanger both her, Robb and his family and her self-appointed mission.

"Truthfully, I've always been fascinated with your Aunt Lyanna," she told him, mind racing as she watched his eyebrows raise in surprise and confusion. She didn't know what he had been expecting but it obviously wasn't this. "I've been visiting her crypt, trying to make sense of it all. How could one woman capture the hearts of two powerful men?" She asked rhetorically, some truth creeping into her words. "She was betrothed to Robert Baratheon, but captured the attention of Prince Rhaegar who was already married with two children. How could one woman be so beautiful that one man abandons his family to abuct her and the other dissolves all of Westeros into war to win her back? There's a large part of me that wishes I could have met such a woman."

"As do I," Robb agreed, seeming to except her lie. Guilt twisted her stomach sharply, and she had to repeat to herself over and over again that she was doing this to keep him safe. "Father never talks about her, but people around Winterfell say she was intelligent, willful and hot tempered. They frequently compare Arya to the way Lyanna was when she was younger."

"Yes, your sister could be very spirited, couldn't she?" Maliya grinned fondly.

Robb shook his head with another sigh, putting a smile on his face. "Let us think of happier things," he said lightly, slipping under the fur cloak and covering his body with hers. Maliya grinned up at him, her hands moving up and down his back. Her body grew warm at the promise in his eyes. "I mentioned something about worshipping when I came out here," he murmured, pressing a kiss just under her jaw before pressing another on her throat. "I think it's time I worship the work of art that is my wife's body."

Maliya opened her mouth to speak but her breath caught as Robb's warm lips moved lower. Her eyes fluttered shut, shivering everytime he moved to a new patch of skin, the fire within her building as he leisurely took his time exploring and worshipping her body. Her hands tangled in his hair as he moved lower and lower, until he finally kissed her in a place that she hadn't known she wanted him to, and Maliya's back arched, holding onto some tendril of control as his talented mouth took her to places she had never been before.

Some time later, after another delicious session in one of her new favorite hot springs, Robb and Maliya had dried themselves as best they could, put on their clothes and were dashing back to the castle quickly, their wet hair dripping down their necks and making them shiver.

"Seven hells," Maliya cursed, lips chattering as they burst through the doors of the castle. Maliya snagged the blanket from Robb's arms, wrapping it around herself multiple times and bouncing on her toes in an attempt to warm herself up. "Now I'm cold." He grinned at her antics, rubbing her arms up and down to bring some circulation back into them. "I cannot wait until we travel to my home in Dorne, so you can see what it is like to swim in a pool of water and not freeze to death when you get out."

"Oh, there's no reason to be so dramatic, Maliya, it's not that bad," Robb chuckled, slipping his around around her shoulders as they headed through the castle up to their bedchambers.

"Not that bad?" She repeated, aghast. "Robb, I think my hair is frozen – "

They both stopped walking and talking abruptly as they turned a corner and nearly ran into Maester Luwin. "What is it?" Robb asked immediately, recognizing the grave look on the Maester's face. "What's happened?"

Maester Luwin held up a small roll of parchment, the seal of Ned Stark visible even though the letter had already been opened. "There's been news from King's Landing," he told them, his words sending a shiver of foreboding down her spine. "Theon is waiting for us in the Great Hall, and I've summoned for Bran as well. He's old enough to hear this news."

Both Robb and Maliya shared an anxious look as they followed Maester Luwin down the corridor and to the Great Hall. Her mind raced as she thought about what the news could be. It wasn't good news, that much was for certain. What could the bad news be? Had something happened to Lord Stark? Or to Sansa and Arya? Her expression darkened. If Robert fucking Baratheon or the fucking Lannisters had done anything to any of them, she was going to…. Do what? She was stuck in the North and they were hundreds of leagues away, untouchable.

Theon's expression was carefree and nonchalant if a bit curious, and Bran looked confused and slightly nervous. Grey Wind and Summer were lounging on the floor, their heads in their paws. The rest of the Great Hall was empty and it wasn't until Robb and Maliya had seated themselves that Maester Luwin handed the letter over to him.

Maliya and the others apprehensively watched Robb read the letter, her stomach twisting as his expression changed. She actually saw his skin pale before flushing red, his blue eyes sparking with fury. "This is Sansa's writing?" He questioned with his eyes narrowed, his hand unconsciously crunching the parchment.

"It is," Maester Luwin confirmed, nodding once. "I taught her the letters myself."

"What is it?" Theon asked, leaning forward. His expression looked eager, which Maliya thought was strange given the tension in the air. "What did she write?"

"She says Father conspired at treason with the King's brothers, and is currently being held captive" Robb told them, scanning the letter again, his voice practically shaking with fury. "King Robert is dead and Mother and I are summoned to the Red Keep to swear our fealty to Joffrey."

The was an odd ringing in her ears, those first few words replaying over and over in her head on repeat. Robert Baratheon was dead. The man who killed her father was gone. Her emotions were torn – part of her was feeling a righteous triumph that he had finally gotten what he deserved and the other half felt empty that she wasn't there to witness the event. A million questions flitted through her mind. How did he die? Did someone murder him as they murdered Jon Arryn? Was it painful? Did he see the end approaching and was he afraid of his judgement day?

She dimly heard Robb continuing on. "She says we must remain loyal to the crown," he told them in a sarcastic, bitter voice. "That when she marries Joffrey, she will plead with him to spare our Lord Father's life."

There was a big gap in the letter, a piece of information that Maliya was still waiting to hear. "And Arya?"

"Nothing!" Robb cried, angrily tossing the letter on the table. "Not one word. Damn her!" He exploded, his fist crashing down and making them all jump. "What is wrong with the girl?"

"She lost her wolf," Bran protested weakly, his little face pale. "She's not thinking clearly."

Maliya's expression softened, forgetting again the unusually strong bond that the Stark children and their direwolves share. As if to prove her point, Summer was standing anxiously, making his way to Bran's side. Grey Wind, on the other hand, felt Robb's anger and fear and looked up at him, his lip lifted in a silent snarl. It wasn't until Robb passed an absent minded hand over the direwolves head that he calmed down.

The day that the guardsmen had brought Lady's bones had been a terribly sad day, especially for her brother wolves. Grey Wind, Summer and Shaggy Dog had howled for hours, their voices full of sadness and grief. They had buried Lady beneath the shadow of the First Keep, where there were headstones spotted with pale lichen. It was where the old Kings of Winter had laid their faithful servants.

Maliya picked up the letter, scanning through it. The wording sounded upbeat and pleasant despite the gravity of what she was talking about. "She keeps talking about how well she's being cared for by the Lannisters…" Maliya glanced at Maester Luwin with a raised eyebrow. "This letter wasn't Sansa's idea."

"No, I don't believe so either," Maester Luwin agreed.

"Joffrey put my father in chains and now he wants his ass kissed?" Robb's nostrils flared.

Maester Luwin gave him a pointed look. "This is a royal command, My Lord. If you should refuse to obey…"

Maliya felt her breath catch, feeling the enormity of this moment through every cell in her body as Robb's shoulders straightened. "I won't refuse. His Grade summons me to King's Landing, I'll go to King's Landing. But not alone. Call the banners, Maester Luwin," Robb declared, wiping his face of any emotion. Maliya's eyes widened at his words, and she was pretty sure that she saw Theon's lips twitch up into a smirk.

"All of them, My Lord?" Maester Luwin asked in a quiet voice.

"They have all sworn to defend my father," Robb answered. "The Lannisters have wrongfully imprisoned him. Now we will see what their words are worth."

Maester Luwin bowed his head before turning and walking off. There was a long moment of silence after he left, and it was actually Bran who broke the silence. "Robb…" he said in a small voice. "Your hand is shaking."

"So it is," Robb murmured, looking down at it before clenching it into a fist.

"Are you afraid?" Theon asked, his gaze piercing.

"I must be."

"Good," Theon answered immediately. "That means you aren't stupid."

Maliya put a hand on Robb's arm, trying to sympathize with what Robb must be going through at this moment, while trying to wrap her mind around the fact that their family and the rest of the North will be going to war against the Lannisters. "We're behind you, Robb," she reassured him, Theon nodding his support on Robb's other side. "We'll be here for whatever you need."

Author's Note: So there it is! A bit shorter than my usual chapters, but don't worry, the next couple are my usual length. Please leave a review to let me know what you thought about it.

I also have a question for you guys! How do you think Maliya's presence with change the course of the war? What would you guys like to see happen differently from what happened in the show or the books?

Next chapter: Robb prepares and leaves for war, Catelyn meets up with Robb and a special scene with Varys and Ned.

Michael - Thanks for the review, and I'm so glad you liked the chapter! Unfortunately, regarding that matter Maliya isn't thinking much about anyone but herself and that may end up having disastrous consequences!

Boramir - I'm not sure if Maliya realizes just how much Doran has influenced her style of thinking and approach to life yet, but you're definitely right! As for the direwolves during the ambush scene, I chose to focus more on the show's version of the attack, and there were no direwolves present there either. Thanks so much for always reviewing consistently!

Guest 1 - Thanks so much! Everybody's first time is a little different, but I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Samantha - I'm so glad you liked the chapter! I hope you enjoyed Robb's POV and as to that question - you just have to wait and see!

louise - Maliya and Theon's friendship has developed in a surprising way for me, but your description is dead on! Haha that story made me laugh! I'm glad you enjoyed the scene and I hope the lady behind you did as well :) What kind of political intrigue are you excited for?

Mirakiayah - Even if it's way to early or late to be reviewing, thanks for doing it anyway! I appreciate the compliments :)

Guest 2 - Thanks for your review, glad you liked it!

Marvelmyra - Thanks for all the advice! I will definitely remember it while writing the next few chapters!