Author's Note: Sorry for the long wait everyone, I've had a bit of a tough time personally lately! I'm completely blown away by all your responses and I really wish I could write chapters that epic every time. Most of the reviews were positive, but for those of you that shared your concerns, please know that I've heard you and understand where you're coming from. I had to re-plan some of my outline but I think I've come up with a solution that you guys will hopefully like.
So yeah, leave a review and let me know what you think!
Chapter 25: Broken Trust
"I don't understand," Dacey said after several moments. "Rhaenys Targaryen is dead. She died along with her mother and brother."
Maliya bit back a sigh. After her announcement that she was planning to head to Astapor, she had evaded all the questions they shot at her until they were far enough away from the inn. The first village they passed was entirely burned to the ground, but they had a stroke of luck when they passed the second. It looked as if it had been attacked before. Several of the houses were abandoned but the remaining villagers that lived there were hardened and armed with knives and cheap swords. Dacey still had the pouch of money on her and went by herself to purchase a dress for Maliya. It was ragged and a bit too big, but she was just grateful to not have to walk around naked any longer.
They chose to set up camp near the village. They cleaned up as best they could in a nearby stream and helped each other bandage their wounds, which proved quite difficult due to the fact that Maliya's dragon would hiss angrily any time Dacey or Daemon would approach her. Her throat felt raw and painful, but the worst of her injuries was the long cut on her back. It probably needed to be stitched but none of them had the proper tools so they did the best they could and Maliya tried to ignore the pain.
It was only when they settled down for the night that Maliya told them everything, hence the looks of incredulity and disbelief that she was currently receiving. "Died," Maliya mused, picking up a piece of raw chicken that Dacey had purchased at the village. "Such a vague, tame word. I prefer to say they were murdered." She looked down at the white dragon lying in her lap and held the piece of meat in front of it, trying to get it to eat. "The Mountain smashed my infant brother's head against the wall, raped my mother and then murdered them both. Amory Lorch savagely cut the Dornish girl that was somehow left in my place half a hundred times. Whoever that girl was, it wasn't Rhaenys Targaryen."
"And you want to cross Essos and visit an aunt you've never met before, who may or may not have three dragons?" Dacey continued, her eyebrow raised doubtfully.
"Yes," Maliya answered with a distracted frown. The dragon seemed entirely uninterested in the meat in her hand and it was beginning to worry her. Dragons ate meat, didn't they? It hadn't eaten anything since it hatched, it must be hungry. So why wasn't it eating?
"Are you alright with this?" Dacey asked, turning to Daemon in agitation.
He hadn't said a word the entire time she had been talking, just looked at her with this thoughtful expression on his face as he continued cooking the rest of the chicken that Dacey had purchased. He took his time answering, his eyes on Mailya and the dragon all the while. "Yes, I believe I am." He shrugged. "Nothing has changed, really. Even if Maliya weren't my Queen, I swore to Prince Oberyn that I would protect her with my life. Sure, she hid who she really was, but the way I see it anyone with the name Targaryen was being hunted. It makes sense that the Prince's of Dorne would want to hide that to keep her safe."
Maliya paused in her attempts to get the dragon to eat and looked up, meeting Daemon's gaze. A rush of gratitude washed over her at his words and sent him a small smile, which he returned.
"That's not what I'm having trouble accepting," Dacey argued, shifting slightly as she began to get worked up. "Your Grace, you've just faked your own death. Have you thought of the ramifications? Have you thought about what this will do to the King?"
Maliya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Do you think that I am doing this for my own sake?" She asked in a hard voice. The dragon picked its head up at the hint of anger coming through, but Maliya didn't notice. "The Lannisters must have somehow figured out who I really am. They are the ones behind the assassination attempts, only I was the target of those attacks, not Robb. I'm leaving to save his life. If the Lannisters believe that I died in that fire, then he will no longer have to worry about someone attacking him whilst he slept or poisoning his food or wine. The North does not need me, Dacey. It needs him."
Now a spark of anger entered Dacey's eyes. "No offense, Your Grace, but that is a load of shit." Maliya's eyes widened at her harsh words, taken aback. "You and Robb are married, you are the Queen in the North. You are just as important to us as he is. Through you, we have the alliance with Dorne, who have supplied us with men and whatever supplies they can give. What would your death do to that alliance? What would your death do to the King?"
The dragon let out a small cry as Maliya shook her head in frustration and she quickly ran a hand down his head to calm it. "What would have you have me do, Dacey? If I don't go to Essos, how long would it be before I am found? The Lannisters have spies all throughout Westeros. Or would you have me survive that fire at the inn, return to Robb with a small, defenseless, untrained dragon so I could put his life in even more danger?"
"Of course not," Dacey scoffed, waving her hand. "Do not be ridiculous. It is just – " She hesitated, as if just now realizing who she was speaking with. "May I speak freely, Your Grace?"
Maliya let out an exasperated laugh. "I doubt that anything I say will stop you, Dacey Mormont."
"How long do you plan to stay in Essos?" Dacey pressed, leaning forward with her elbows on her knees.
Maliya felt taken aback once again by her intensity and the grave expression reflected off what she could see from the small fire that they had lit. "I don't know – "
"When they discover the inn, Robb and the rest of the North are going to mourn you. They will cry and they will grieve, but Robb is a King and since you are dead, he will have to remarry." Maliya sucked in a sharp breath as the thought, one of her hands clenching into a fist so tight that her fingernails pierced her skin. The thought of another woman marrying Robb, kissing him, bearing his children was repulsive to her. Every part of her being rejected the very idea of it – the pain in her heart, the burning in her throat, the roiling in her stomach and the anger pulsing through her veins.
"What do you suggest I do?" Maliya asked in a low, strained voice.
"Talk to the King and to your uncle," she said urgently. "Let them see you and know that you are alive. Tell them what happened and tell them of this plan of yours and then if you still wish to leave Westeros, then you leave."
Maliya stared into the flames. The thought of seing Robb again filled her with a sense of both longing and fear. She knew that if she did see him, she would have to tell him everything and he was already so furious with her. They hadn't been apart long enough for his anger to have abated. Even if he did not want to see her, she was going to have to make him listen to her. And then, once he hears the truth, he might not ever forgive her for her secrets. The dragon in her lap lifted its head once more, looking towards the fire as the smell of Daemon's chicken filled their small camp.
He separated the bird between the three of them and passed out the portions. Maliya watched the dragon's eyes follow the cooked meat as she took her share from Daemon. Frowning thoughtfully, she tore off some meat and held it out to the dragon, her lips lifting when it snaked its head forward and eagerly ate the piece of meat. Interesting, she thought. So dragons would rather eat cooked meat than raw meat.
Sighing, her appetite suddenly gone, she continued to feed the dragon her portion of the chicken. "You're right," she agreed quietly after a long moment. Across from her, Dacey's shoulders sagged with relief and a brief smile crossed her face. "I have not been the best wife to Robb and he deserves to know the truth." Maliya looked down once more, watching as the dragon considered another piece of chicken for a moment before lazily snapping it up and lowering its head in her lap contentedly. "He will find out eventually, now, and I would rather he hear it from me."
Daemon frowned at her in confusion. "Would you not rather have to hide who you are anymore?" He asked. "Would you not rather be Rhaenys Targaryen?"
Maliya rested a hand on the dragon's back, marveling at the warmth she felt from it as it slept. She looked up at Daemon, her eyes full of sorrow. "I don't know how to be her," she admitted softly. "I don't know who she is."
"What is it that you wanted me to see, Prince Oberyn?" Robb asked, urging his horse after the Prince's with a frown. "I have commanded the men to make camp as you requested."
"It's just up ahead, Your Grace," he answered over his shoulder. Robb's frown deepened at the odd tone in his voice and the unreadable expression lurking in his eyes. "We should dismount here." Robb did as he suggested, handing the reins over to one of his men and following Prince Oberyn around the bend.
The smell of burned wood and death reached his nose before the inn came into view. His eyes trailed over the broken, abandoned structure. It appeared to have once been two floors – the outer walls were still partially standing but the insides had caved in and collapsed. "What happened here?" Robb asked in a hushed voice.
"I am not sure," Prince Oberyn admitted. "We haven't examined the building yet." He put a hand on Robb's back and gestured off to the side. "That is not why I brought you here. When my scouts rode on ahead, they found this." Robb slowly approached where the Prince was pointing and crouched down. Three men were lying on the ground, their swords still in their holsters and their throats slashed from ear to ear. "Two of these men are my own," he continued in a low voice. "They were sent with the Queen to guard her on the way to Riverrun."
"Yes," Robb croaked, a terrible feeling of fear seizing his heart. "The other is one of mine."
"What is going on?" He heard his mother ask as she approached them from behind. "Why have we stopped?"
"These men," Prince Oberyn explained in a hesitant, shaky voice. "They were part of Maliya's guard."
He heard his mother's sharp intake of breath. "You don't think that – "
"No," Robb growled, abruptly standing, and turning to glare at both of them. "Maliya is not dead," he said desperately, trying to ignore the pit of dread now in his stomach. "We must search this place. If she is not here, then she is out there, somewhere, alive." He pointed a finger at both of them furiously. "She is not dead."
"Alright," his mother murmured soothingly, both hands held out in front of her. "Alright. Let's search the inn and see what we can find. Maybe we will be able to figure out what happened here."
Please, Robb thought frantically, praying to whichever god was listening. Please let her be alive. I don't know how much more death I can handle. I don't how I can live on without her.
His heart pounded rapidly in his chest as he headed towards the burned down building. Each step required an extraordinary amount of effort – his legs were leaden and heavy and he had to force himself to keep moving forward. Robb was never more terrified of anything in his life than he was in that moment. Fighting a war, diving headlong into battle, becoming a King, facing Tywin Lannister himself – he would rather do all of these things than face what he might find in this inn.
Somehow, the door was still standing, though everything else seemed to be broken. Closing his eyes for a moment, he took a deep breath, steeling himself before gritting his teeth and kicking the door down. It fell with a loud crash but Robb barely heard it; all he could hear was his own shallow breathing.
The setting sun shone a deceptively cheery golden glow on what was essentially a graveyard of bodies. His gaze took in his surroundings, slowly trailing over the burned and blackened skeletons that littered the floor. All evidence of who these people were had disappeared in the fire – there were no facial features or distinguishable clothing that would give any indication to their identity.
He stopped beside one of the skeletons and looked down. Could this be Maliya? Was this all that was left of the woman that I had grown to love over the past year? The woman that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with, to have children with and grow old with?
"By the Seven," he heard his mother mutter in horror as she and Prince Oberyn entered the inn behind him. "So many bodies… so much death." Pale and wide eyed, his mother worriedly glanced at the stoic Prince of Dorne to her lost looking son. "We should - we should split up and see what we can find."
Robb gave a jerky nod and headed off in the opposite direction. His eyes took in details that his brain had trouble processing – the dozens of swords lying on the floor amongst the bodies and the lingering smell of burnt flesh. He stepped gingerly across the floor, trying to avoid stepping on any bones and carefully moved some broken pieces of wood that appeared to have fallen from the second floor.
With every passing moment without any sign of Maliya's body, Robb could feel the hope bubbling inside him. She's not here, she's not dead, he reassured himself, repeating it over and over. She escaped or was taken but she's out there somewhere, alive.
"Robb," her mother suddenly choked out in a heavy voice.
No.
With that one word, with the sound of his name, all his hopes came crashing down around him, leaving him unable to breathe. He didn't want to see what she found. He wanted to run away, to leave, to do anything but face the reality of what was waiting for him.
And yet, despite his wishes, his body was turning of its own volition and heading in the direction of his mother. She was kneeling on the ground when he reached her, her head bent and her shoulders hunched. Tears were streaming down her face when she looked up at him, and he could see what she was holding in her hands.
It was Maliya's crown. Feeling strangely empty, Robb reached down to take it, staring down at it wordlessly. Prince Oberyn appeared over his mother's other shoulder, letting out a string of curses that shocked her so much, she flinched through her tears. The Prince swooped down and grabbed a sword that Robb belatedly recognized as Maliya's.
Prince Oberyn looked over at Robb, his normally intimidating eyes full of desperation and fear. "This only proves that she was here," he told them quickly, shaking his head. It was almost as if he were trying to convince both them and himself that his words were true. "We don't know if any of these bones are hers, she might have had to leave these things behind in order to get away."
A glint of silver caught Robb's eye and he crouched beside his mother, moving away pieces of debris and wood from the bones closest to them. "It's her," he whispered, gazing down at the silver sun resting in the middle of his palm. He unclasped the necklace from around the neck and straightened. "I gave this to her as an engagement present. She never took it off."
For a long moment he couldn't hear anything save for the ringing in his own ears. He stared down at what was left of his wife - he couldn't think, couldn't feel, couldn't breathe – and then pain blossomed across his jaw, his eyes flying open in surprise as he stumbled back into what remained of one of the walls. His head snapped to the side and he registered pain in his eye and he hunched over with a gasp as something connected with his stomach next.
His sluggish, broken mind finally connected the dots, first realizing that someone was punching him and then looking up and seeing Prince Oberyn standing before him, his face contorted by rage and grief. "This is your fault," he roared, rearing back and punching him again. "What kind of shit King are you? How are you supposed to protect your Kingdom when you couldn't even protect your own wife? You shouldn't have sent her away, not matter what she did!" Each blow hit him with incredible speed and force, but Robb did nothing to defend himself. Why should he, when every word the Prince said was true?
"Let go of him!" Robb dimly heard his mother yelling in fear, trying to pry Prince Oberyn's arms off him. "Prince Oberyn, stop this at once! He is your King, you cannot do this!" The Prince simply shook her off with an irritated growl and pressed his forearm against Robb's throat, cutting off his air supply.
"She was my niece," Prince Oberyn hissed through clenched teeth, his voice strained with emotion, his eyes swimming with tears. "She was my family. She was all I had left of – " His voice broke and he stopped, taking a shuddering breath. "And now she's – now she's – "
"I'm sorry," Robb gasped against the pressure on his throat, feeling lightheaded but ignoring the pain. He didn't know what else he could say to soothe the Prince's pain. "I'm sorry."
Prince Oberyn let out a choked noise, the anger slipping from his face and devastation creeping into his watery eyes. His breath rushed out of him, his eyes closing for a moment before he staggered back several steps. Robb's mother rushed forward at once, the tears still on her cheeks as she worriedly looked Robb over, her hands gently turning his head from one side to the next to see the damage. Robb pulled his head away, watching Prince Oberyn as the man took a deep breath, suddenly looking as if he aged several years.
"You took her away from me, Robb Stark, and I will never forgive you for that," Prince Oberyn declared, straightening his shoulders even as a tear slipped down his cheek. "Dorne will never forgive you," he declared, throwing him one last piercing look before stalking out of the burned down inn.
"Don't listen to him, Robb," his mother pleaded, clutching his arm. "This is not your fault! You couldn't have known that they would stop here, you couldn't have known that the inn would burn down, you couldn't have known that she would – "
"Don't," Robb spat, pulling away from her in disgust. "Don't try and pretend that this isn't my fault. Maliya wouldn't have even been here if I hadn't sent her ahead of us to Riverrun. She wouldn't have burned, she wouldn't have – she wouldn't have – " He stopped, chest heaving as he forced himself to say the words, all the while feeling as if he were going to vomit. "My wife is dead." His stomach revolted against the words and he choked out, "I need some air," before stumbling towards the exit.
He waved away the guards that moved toward him in confusion, plunging into the forest, stumbling against trees and tripping over roots until he fell to his knees, heaving and emptying the contents of his stomach. There wasn't much to begin with, he hadn't been able to eat anything after his fight with Maliya, but even still, he spent several long moments gagging so hard he thought he was going to pass out.
When it was over, he collapsed on his side, shivering slightly. He stared blankly ahead of him as the pain crashed over him in waves, consuming him so completely that he felt as if he were drowning in the agony. He welcomed it eagerly, embracing it with open arms because along with the pain came all the memories of his short time with Maliya. They were all he had left of her now, and at least that was something that he couldn't lose.
"Are you alright, Your Grace?" Dacey asked, watching her in concern from where she was sitting by the fire. Maliya was currently pacing back and forth, biting the nail of her thumb as she wore a path in the dirt. Her dragon was contendedly lying across her right shoulder, giving the occasional yawn now that it was full. Even the cuteness of that action couldn't distract her. Anxiety filled every inch of her body, overriding her aches and the burning in her back. She couldn't sit still; even her mind was jumping from one thought to the next.
"I am the furthest I've ever been from alright," Maliya admitted in a low voice. "My husband hates me and now I'm going to have to somehow explain to him that I've lied to him for our whole marriage, that I managed to hatch a dragon and that he has to pretend that I'm dead while I travel halfway around the world to see an aunt I've never met before!" She scoffed, rolling her eyes at herself. "Seven Hells, saying it out loud sounds completely…. mad," she finished, faltering over the word slightly with a frown as she thought of her grandfather.
"The King does not hate you," Dacey disagreed gently, shaking her head. "In fact, I've never seen a man look at a woman the way that he looks at you. As if you were exactly what he was looking for and everything he ever wanted."
Maliya's throat was burning and she had to turn her face away to hide the fact that she was blinking away tears. "He's a good man," Maliya whispered, feeling absolutely wretched. "And if I were a better person, I would say that maybe he would be better off marrying another woman." She looked back over at Dacey, her eyes glinting in the fire. "But I'm not. I can't lose Robb, Dacey. I just can't."
Dacey's gaze was sympathetic. "The plan is sound, Your Grace. We've moved closer to where the Northern army is camped and it is dark enough that Daemon believes that he will be able to sneak into Prince Oberyn's camp and meet with him alone. The Prince will think of a way to convince Robb to leave the camp without anyone noticing him and Daemon will bring them here. The rest will be up to you. If you don't want to lose your husband, you are going to have to convince him that what you're doing is right."
Robb stared sullenly into the empty cup of wine in his hand. He could feel the beginnings of a buzz trickling through his veins already and he knew that he shouldn't have another cup, but at the moment he wanted nothing more than to drown in the wine and forget this terrible pain in his chest. Even more than that though, he wanted to escape his own mind.
It kept replaying everything from the past day. Finding the burned down inn and realizing that Maliya had been caught in it and that it was completely his fault that she was dead. Oberyn's grief and his declaration that Dorne will never forget Robb's part in Maliya's death. His mother comforting him out in the woods and sitting with him until he composed himself. The looks of pity and sympathy he received from his men when he made it back to their temporary camp and the realization that word had already spread. The stoic expression on Lady Mormont's face, both pride and tears shining from her eyes as Robb told her what happened. And finally, Tyene Sand flying at him in a rage as she screamed at him, only to be caught around the waist by her father and collapsing to the ground, sobbing.
As much as he was ashamed to admit it, he still felt a lot of lingering anger. Maybe he had no right to anymore, but he was still mad at Maliya. Why had she been drinking that Moon Tea? Why didn't she want a child with him? And why hadn't she talked to him about it? There were so many things he still wanted to ask her, so many things he wanted to say to her. And now he would never get the chance.
He refilled his cup and took another long swig, his hand gripping it so tightly that his knuckles turned white. He didn't know how to deal with all these feelings of grief, loss, rage and devastation. He felt untethered from reality, lost, adrift almost.
How was he supposed to survive this when the love of his life was gone forever? How was he supposed to live when it felt like his heart had been torn out of his chest?
"Lady Talisa to see you, Your Grace," one of the guards announced.
"Send her in," Robb croaked, taking another drink.
Lady Talisa entered the tent, a bag of supplies in her hand and her eyes downcast. "Your Grace," she murmured shakily, giving him a small curtsy. "Your mother – Lady Stark – she came to us and said that you might need a healer." Her eyes flicked up to look at Robb, taking in the various cuts and bruises on his face, courtesy of Prince Oberyn.
Robb nodded once, giving his permission. She cautiously approached him, kneeling beside the chair where he was sitting and opening her bag. He closed his eyes as she gently turned his face towards her and began to clean it. Her hands were soft against his face, her touch gentle as she put some sort of cream in the cuts. With the buzz running through his body and his eyes closed, Robb could almost pretend that it was Maliya with him, taking care of him.
The longing in him was so strong that he didn't want to open his eyes and look at her, even when she spoke. "You are lucky, Your Grace, there is nothing that needs stitching. If you keep these wounds clean, they will close on their own and the bruises will fade." Robb didn't answer and Lady Talisa spoke again. "Is there anything else that requires my attention?"
"No," Robb muttered, choosing not to mention the bruises across his stomach.
"I'm sorry, Your Grace," Lady Talisa blurted suddenly, sounding as if she had been trying to hold her words back and lost. "I never meant to find the Moon Tea ingredients and I never intended to cause that fight between you and the Queen. I apologize for all the problems and pain that I caused – "
"The fault was not yours, Lady Talisa," Robb interrupted brusquely, not wanting to relive that fight any longer. "My wife should have told me that she was taking the Moon Tea instead of hiding it."
"All the same, I'm sorry," she murmured insistently, placing a hand on his arm and looking up at him with wide eyes. "I'm sorry about your wife. I can't even begin to imagine the pain that you must be feeling. If you need anything, I'm here for you."
Robb's eyes opened at her words and he slowly turned his head to look down at her face, which was flickering in the candle light. He wasn't sure if it was what she meant, but for just a moment he could picture losing himself in this woman who was so like Maliya. Perhaps with a bit more wine and his imagination, he could bring his wife to back to life, if only for a little while.
He must have unconsciously leaned toward her in his temptation, because her eyes flickered down to his lips. The action was small and seemingly innocent, but it filled Robb with a bitter taste of self-loating and revulsion. He abruptly pulled his arm away from Lady Talisa's grip and lurched to his feet, causing her to flinch.
"I just lost my wife," Robb said in a shaky voice, turning away from her to put his cup on the table. Had he really just been about to completely tarnish Maliya's memory with one extremely selfish act? What was wrong with him?
"I'm sorry," Lady Talisa gasped, a trembling hand raised to her lips as she stood. "You – you're just so easy to talk with and I've felt this connection – I'm so sorry, Your Grace, I forgot my place."
He felt his King in the North face slipping on as he turned to look at her, noting the horrified, stricken expression on her own face. "You're a lovely woman, Lady Talisa, but my heart belongs to my wife. I could never betray her like that, even if she is… gone," he told her, nearly choking on that last word. "I think from this point on, it would be best if there were some boundaries. You are a healer and I am King of the Northern army. Do you understand?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Lady Talisa whispered. Her gaze was trained on the ground, but Robb could still see the sheen of tears in her eyes. "I'm sorry," she repeated, curtesying quickly before practically fleeing the tent.
Robb let out an exhausted groan once she was gone, rubbing his hand over his face wearily without thinking and wincing in pain. How did everything get so fucked up within the span of a couple days?
A noise came from behind him and Robb whirled, his hand fumbling from his sword, cursing his muddled mind as he noticed a cloaked figure in black standing at the back of his tent. He had just managed to pull the sword free when the figure pushed his hood back. "Prince Oberyn," Robb greeted lowly, shifting his grip as his eyes tried to decipher the unreadable expression on the other man's face. "Are you here to kill me?"
Prince Oberyn didn't move for a long moment, merely stared at him with those incredibly intense eyes as Robb tried his best not to squirm uncomfortably. "After my declaration in front of your mother this morning, it would be unwise of me to kill you."
"Then what are you doing here?" Robb demanded, slamming his sword back in its sheath. Anger rose inside him, making his head and the cuts on his face throb in time with his heart. "If you're here to blame me further for what happened to Maliya, you can save it for another time. Nothing you say will be any worse than what I've already said to myself."
Prince Oberyn ignored him completely. "Tell your guards that you are going to sleep and that you aren't to be disturbed for the rest of the night. Wait ten minutes after I've gone, then sneak out the back of your tent, wearing your cloak so no one will recognize you. Meet me at the south of the camp as quickly as you can." Robb frowned and opened his mouth to speak but Oberyn cut him off. "Don't ask me why because I have no idea myself. All I know is that one of the men who I sent with Maliya, Ser Daemon, just snuck into camp to see me. He's alive, but he said he would explain everything away from the camp." Robb's heart gave a strange tumble in his chest at the news. "Ten minutes," he reminded Robb, before crouching at the back of Robb's tent, checking the coast was clear and slipping out into the darkness.
What in the Seven Hells… Robb stood there, staring at the spot where Prince Oberyn had just disappeared in complete confusion. Ser Daemon survived the fire at the inn? How was that possible? Why had he snuck into the camp in the middle of the night and why did they have to leave in order to hear what happened?
A small part of his mind was concerned that this was either some sort of trap of an elaborate plan by Prince Oberyn to kill him away from his guards. Unfortunately, however, Robb didn't have much choice. He was going to have to follow the instructions given to him if he wanted to find out what happened to Maliya in that inn.
After informing his guards that he was retiring for the night, he belted a small dagger around his waist in addition to his sword just in case. He extinguished all the candles, swung his cloak over his shoulders and pulled up the hood. He copied Prince Oberyn's actions, crouching at the back of the tent to make sure no one was coming before slipping out of it.
He made sure to keep his pace casual so as not to draw suspicion as he headed to the south of the camp. There were a few instances where he had to pause in the darkness of the tents, away from the light of the torches so a passing soldier wouldn't recognize him. His heart was pounding a frantic rhythm in his chest as adrenaline pumped through his body. For the moment, at least, he was thinking of something other than the crippling pain in his mind and heart.
Prince Oberyn was waiting for him at the very edge of camp. Robb wasn't sure how he managed to temporarily get rid of the guards, but he wasn't about to ask and find out. Prince Oberyn put his finger to his lips and snuck off further away from camp, quickly crossing the clearing and slipping into the forest to the south. Waiting for them just inside the tree line was a man that Robb vaguely recognized as Ser Daemon. From what Robb could see through the darkness, the man definitely looked as if he had been in a fight. His left eye was blackened and swollen shut, and he had a split lip and a bandage around his left wrist.
Both Robb and Prince Oberyn approached him quickly, questions in their eyes, but before they could say anything, Ser Daemon held up his good hand, stopping them. "I know you're both probably terribly confused, but I'm going to ask you to wait until we reach our destination. I promise that everything will be explained and all your questions will be answered, but not here. Alright?"
"You better deliver on that promise, Ser Daemon," Robb warned, his jaw clenching and unclenching. "I have little to no patience for anybody wasting my time today."
"I understand, Your Grace," Ser Daemon told him, his eyes sympathetic. "I can assure you that I am not wasting your time. This is something that you have to hear." Robb nodded once and Ser Daemon started off immediately. "We're not going too far, just about a mile up ahead," he assured them over his shoulder.
They walked through the darkness in silence. Robb's eyes were trained on Ser Daemon, a small frown playing around the edges of his lips as he tried to comprehend what seemed so "off" about the Dornish man. His expression was solemn, and the look in his eyes were serious, which told Robb that he understood the gravity of the situation. There was this strange energy surrounding him, however, one that confused Robb completely. It was almost a sense of excitement or anticipation – he certainly didn't look like a man who had just lost his Queen and friend. What in the seven hells was going on and where was Ser Daemon taking them?
Robb's teeth grinded together with every moment that passed by, his annoyance only growing when it seemed like they would never stop walking. It was nearly impossible to see anything in the darkness and he kept stumbling on roots and rocks on the ground. He was just about to demand Ser Daemon to stop and tell them where they were going, when he spotted a small fire in a clearing up ahead. His hand drifted to the pommel of his sword, wary of an impending trap as his pace automatically slowed.
Ser Daemon kept moving towards the fire unconcernedly, but Robb stopped at the edge of the tree line, his eyes taking in his surroundings. A tall figure was standing on one side of the fire closest to them and it turned when they approached. Robb blinked in shocked confusion as he recognized Dacey, looking slightly beat up, but definitely not like the burnt skeleton he had told her mother that she was. Mouth slightly parted, eyes wide, it slammed into him that if both Dacey and Daemon had surivived the fire then…
His head snapped around and there she was, half turned towards him, and then their eyes met. So many different emotions flooded through Robb, stealing his breath and making him feel light-headed. Relief that made him want to fall to his knees, a happiness that made his throat burn and his heart beat faster and but most of all, an overwhelming feeling of hope. Hope that swelled in his chest, a burning light that started to chase away the darkness that had consumed him ever since he thought Maliya was dead.
She was alive. She was beautiful. And the future that Robb thought was gone forever was suddenly possible once more.
He wanted to run to her, to gather her in his arms and never let her go. Yet he couldn't forget the fact that she had kept the Moon Tea from him, he couldn't forget the confusion and anger that was still lingering inside him. For the past several hours, he had believed that the woman he loved was dead. He had hoped, prayed and wished that she was alive and now that she was standing right in front of him, he had no idea what to say to her. He was determined, however, that from now on, there was going to be an open line of communication – no more secrets on either side.
And apparently, that was going to start right now, because when Maliya turned fully to face him, there was no mistaking the small white dragon sitting on her shoulder.
Maliya cautiously watched the different emotions play across Robb's battered and bruised face. In her whole life she couldn't remember ever feeling this much anxiety about everything. Her entire future was resting on this moment, on this explanation. She cannot fail – it wasn't an option.
She had been so engrossed in Robb's reaction that she nearly forgot anyone else was in the camp clearing until her uncle uttered her name in a strangled voice and started towards her with an expression of joy and relief. Maliya tore her eyes away from Robb and turned to smile at her uncle, who hesitated only slightly when the dragon hissed warningly at him before pulling her into a tight one armed, half hug over her unoccupied shoulder.
His arm pressed against the cut across her back and she involuntarily let out a hiss of pain. Her uncle released her immediately, pulling back to stare down at her in concern. "Are you alright?" He asked, his voice gruff with emotion. He squinted in what little light the small campfire offered, gently lifting her chin so he could peer at the hand shaped bruises already forming on her neck. "Who did this to you? What happened at that inn? And how did you get the egg to hatch?" He asked, glancing at the dragon with shining, incredulous eyes.
The dragon shook out its small wings in irritation and let out a sharp cry, causing Maliya to look over at it with narrowed eyes. "Hush now. Uncle Oberyn is family, we like him. Play nice." Its yellow eyes looked over at her before it settled down, folding its wings again but turning to watch Uncle Oberyn again.
"We'll give you all a few minutes to talk," Dacey told them uncomfortably, shooting Maliya an encouraging smile before placing a hand on Daemon's shoulder and steering him away from the campfire.
Maliya swallowed harshly, her eyes flickering to Robb, who hadn't moved, and back again. "Maybe you both should sit," she murmured, gesturing to the campfire. She sat on ground, trying to take comfort from the heat of the flames against her body as her uncle obligingly sat on her right side. Robb hesitated, his jaw working, before slowly coming over and perching on a fallen tree to her left. Taking a deep breath, she tried to ignore her heart as it picked up at his nearness. "We stopped by the inn on the way to Riverrun. It was deserted; there was only the innkeeper and her children and it seemed as if they hadn't had visitors in days. Everything was fine up until halfway through supper. Over a dozen men came into the inn, pretending to order food and drink. When the little boy went outside to help with their horses, they – " She broke off as guilt crashed over her once more. The death of that entire family was on her shoulders. "They killed him and the guards that we had stationed outside. They attacked our group with the intent to kill me and in the fight, the fire started. I was chased to the second floor with the daughter of the innkeeper and we became trapped up. The fire spread and consumed us – I thought I was going to die," she murmured, looking down at the dragon and it crawled down her arm to lie comfortably in her lap. Its golden eyes closed contentedly as she ran a finger down the scales on its neck. "I was holding the egg when the flames reached us. I could feel them them on my skin, but I felt no pain. The girl… she died."
"And the men sent to kill you?" Her uncle questioned, leaning forward with his eyes glinting. "Who were they?"
"We're not sure," Maliya admitted, shaking her head. "They had no identifying sigils or colors and they weren't exactly forthcoming with who hired them." She hesitated. "If I had to guess, however, I would say that they were Lannister men."
Her uncle was staring at both her and the dragon with a mixture of awe and understanding on his face, but Robb frowned and shook his head in frustration. "None of this makes sense," he argued, eyes narrowed. Maliya forced herself to pay attention to what he was saying rather than the sound of his slightly raspy voice washing over her. "Why would Tywin Lannister send men to kill you? Where did you even get a dragon egg? And how could you have survived a fire that literally burned a building to the ground?"
Maliya's mouth suddenly went dry and she unconsciously glanced over to Uncle Oberyn. He gave her the barest of nods and her heart broke out into a sprint. This was it. The moment she had been both looking forward to and dreading for so many moons now. "I'm going to see how Daemon's doing," her uncle announced, gracefully rising to his feet and disappearing into the darkness of the trees.
Robb's blue eyes followed her uncle until he was gone before turning back to her. She could feel his gaze on her and she reluctantly looked over at him, taking a deep breath to steel herself. "I'm not entirely sure how I survived the fire," she began, her mind automatically flashing back so that she was once more trapped in the leaping flames. "But I think… I think it's because Rhaegar Targaryen is my father." Maliya paused, her eyes flickering over Robb's face, but besides the look of shock and confusion in his expression, he didn't speak. "Rhaegar and Elia Martell were my parents and I was born as Rhaenys Targaryen. I was smuggled out of King's Landing when I was three and sent to my Uncle Doran and Uncle Oberyn. My father, mother and brother were all killed and my uncles thought it safest if the rest of Westeros thought I was dead as well. Doran accepted me into his family without question and I became Maliya Martell."
Robb's head tilted to the side slightly, and for a moment he looked like a boy of seven and ten instead of the King in the North. "Rhaenys Targaryen?" He questioned, the name sounding odd coming out of his mouth. "But she died, there was a body – "
Maliya shook her head. "It wasn't me. Whoever took me out of King's Landing must have found a a girl that looked like me and left her in my place."
Robb looked slightly revolted at the thought of it and Maliya couldn't blame him. "If you're really Rhaenys, then why didn't you just tell me?" He asked in a frustrated voice. "We've been married for over a year, Maliya, you've had so many opportunities! I can understand why you didn't tell me in the beginning, but you could have said something when we began to trust and love each other! Instead, you lied." He spat the word, the anger in his voice making Maliya flinch slightly. "You lied and you kept secrets from me."
"I know," Maliya whispered, the guilt making her stomach turn unpleasantly. "It's killed me to keep this from you, but you have to understand. From the time I was three, I was told that if I revealed who I really was, the Baratheons and the Lannisters would come after me and everyone that I loved. I've lived in fear for most of my life. Part of the reason why I wanted to learn how to fight was to protect myself and the other part was because I wanted the people responsible for the murder of my family to pay. I think, somehow, the Lannisters must have found out who I really was and that's why they sent men to kill me."
Realization dawned on him. "If you're really Rhaegar Targaryen's daughter, then you are the rightful heir to the Iron Throne." His eyes drifted down to the white dragon in her lap. "Although if I'm not hallucinating and you really do have a dragon, then I suppose that's all the proof people will need to believe that you're a Targaryen."
"You're not hallucinating," Maliya responded, also glancing down. "I found the egg in the crypts of Winterfell, behind a secret passage in Cregan Stark's tomb. I'm not really sure how I found it. I had some sort of dream or vision that led me there." Robb blinked at her words and opened his mouth as if to ask a question but decided against it, shaking his head. They both lapsed into silence, but it wasn't a comfortable one that Maliya was accustomed to. She shifted restlessly, her eyes jumping from Robb to the forest, to the dragon and back again. "I know you must hate me, but – "
"I don't hate you," Robb interrupted sharply. "I'm angry with you, Maliya. I've never been so angry and so – " He broke off and looked away, jaw working. It was a moment before he turned back to look at her. "I thought I knew who you were. I thought you were someone that I could trust and rely on, but it turns out that I don't know you at all. Honestly, Maliya, I don't know how we are going to get past this."
Maliya swallowed hard against the bile rising in her throat even as she was blinking back the tears in her eyes. She had mentally prepared for this outcome, but it still made her heart sink all the way down to her stomach. "I have been a terrible wife to you," she agreed, unable to hide the raw emotion in her voice. "And I don't blame you for being furious with me. I've lied and kept things from you, it's true, but never once did I fake my feelings for you." She gazed up at him imploringly, willing him to believe her. She wanted to move closer to him, but forced herself to stay where she was in case it made the situation worse. "When I used to imagine my future, all I saw was getting my revenge. It consumed me the same way that it consumes my uncle and my father. I never pictured marrying someone like you, and I certainly never imagined falling in love with you. You can believe me or not, Robb, but I love you, more than I would have thought possible."
"What about the Moon Tea?" He asked, his fist clenching and unclenching on his lap. The expression on his face was carefully guarded, which was completely opposite to the way that Maliya was opening her heart to him.
A tear streamed down her cheek at this moment and she wiped it away, never breaking their eye contact. "I started drinkng the Moon Tea because I didn't want kids," she told him. "They would have just gotten in the way of my plans. Then the more I fell in love with you, the more I saw how great a father you would be, everything changed. I stopped taking the Moon Tea, Robb, just over two moons ago."
Robb shook his head, bewildered. "Why didn't you say anything?"
She gave him a sad smile. "You didn't give me the chance. Besides, it doesn't change what I did or the fact that I kept it from you. I just… I'm sorry, Robb. For everything."
He nodded slowly, but she wasn't sure if that meant he accepted her apology. She watched the light of
the flames dance over his face as he stared into the fire for a long moment. "Where do we go from here?" He asked her without looking up. "How do we move past this when the trust is broken? How do we move past this when everytime I look at you, I'm reminded of all the things you've kept from me?"
"I don't know," Maliya admitted helplessly. The nerves came back full force as she prepared to broach the subject about going overseas. "But I do know that I have to lay low for a while. Besides you, Uncle Oberyn, Daemon and Dacey, the North believes that I am dead. The news will travel back to the Lannisters and they will stop sending assassins after me. You almost got caught in the crossfire twice Robb, it's safer for you without me around."
A frown was on Robb's face again. "So we send you to Riverrun or North – "
Maliya was already shaking her head. "Theon burned Winterfell to the ground and the Lannisters have spies throughout Westeros. It would only be a matter of time before they learned that I was alive."
"So what do you suggest we do?" He growled in frustration.
Another deep breath. "I'm going across the Narrow Sea."
"Abosultely not – "
"Robb, please just listen," she insisted, raising her voice above his and he broke off, jaw working once more, angrily gesturing her on. "I'm not the last Targaryen alive. I have an Aunt Danaerys and my uncle says that she's in Astapor with three dragons of her own. I want to go find her. Not only would it allow me to leave Westeros, but I'm not just thinking for myself anymore." She glanced down at the slumbering dragon in her lap and marveled at the strong attachment she already felt to it. "It's too small and weak to defend itself and I do not know how to care for it. My aunt will. Can you imagine, Robb?" She looked up, eyes shining. "Imagine if I came back with a Targaryen ally and four well trained dragons. Perhaps we could make an alliance with her like the one we tried to make with Renly Baratheon. We would help her win the Iron Throne if she would give the North their independence."
"It sounds insane, Maliya," Robb admitted with a derisive snort, shaking his head. "You're going to travel halfway around the world to find an aunt you've never met, who may or may not be in Astapor and who may or may not have dragons. What if she's like the Mad King? What if she kills you and takes your dragon as her own?"
"What if finding her and becoming her ally is what wins us this war?" Maliya countered with a shrug. "I know it's a risk, but it's one that I'm willing to take – "
"Seven hells," Robb swore, startling her as he abruptly stood and stalked a short distance away from the fire before stopping and turning back around, gesturing angrily. "How is you leaving going to solve any of our problems?"
Maliya carefully put the sleeping dragon next to the fire and stood with a wince. She cautiously moved several steps closer to him, stopping when she saw the wariness in his eyes. "As much as I don't want to leave you, Robb, I think some time apart will be good for us," she told him gently. "Things were said on both sides and both of us came away hurt. When you parted the other day you said you needed some time to think and you now you just said you can't look at me without feeling that anger. Also," she looked away, feeling incredibly vulnerable. "I feel like I need to do this. Rhaenys is supposed to be dead, now everyone thinks Maliya is dead." She shook her head miserably. "I've been terrible to you, Robb. A terrible wife and a terrible friend. This whole time I've been trying to protect you and instead all I've done is hurt you. It's the last thing I ever wanted to do. I just… I don't know who I am anymore. I mean, I know I'm a wife, a sister, a niece and a daughter. But without those things…." She trailed off, shrugging helplessly before taking a breath and looking back up at him. "If you ask me to stay, I will. I have no right to leave without your blessing."
Troubled, Robb looked away from her, gazing into the fire once more. She waited anxiously for him to speak again, completely unsure of what he would say next. "Maybe you're right…maybe we do need some space," he mused softly, thinking out loud. "It feels like the easy way out in a way, doesn't it? Like we're both pushing our problems to the side so we don't have to deal with it?"
"Maybe," Maliya answered, feeling a strange mixture of relief and disappointment. "But I prefer to look at it as both of us taking the time to think. I need to come to terms with what I've done and you need to decide if you can forgive me. Only then will we be able to fix what was broken. If that's what you want to do," Maliya added softly, acknowledging that he may decide that he didn't want to repair their marriage. It killed her to think about, but after everything that she had done, he was within his right to do so. "Nobody besides you, my uncle, Dacey and Daemon can know that I'm alive," she reminded him. "You're going to have to act like I'm dead – bury the girls bones, mourn me, do whatever it takes to make Westeros think that I am dead."
"I can send more men with you – "
"Too risky," Maliya disagreed immediately. "It will look suspicious."
"Fine, then I'm at least sending Dacey with you." She nodded again, conceding his point and there was a long, slightly awkward moment of silence. Hesitating slightly, Robb slowly moved closer until he was in front of her. "Be careful out there, Maliya. Don't be gone too long."
"I'll come back as soon as I convince my aunt to join us," she promised, tilting her head back to look up at him. "You may not believe it or want to hear this right now, but I love you, Robb."
Her heart was pounding in her chest as she waited for him to respond. "I'm really glad that you're alive, Maliya," was all he said. She wanted to hear him say that he loved her too, but had to accept his response considering everything that she had just told him. He gently pulled her into a hug then and she wrapped her arms around his waist, closed her eyes and breathed in the scent of him.
"You both should probably be heading back before anyone realizes that you're gone," she said, pulling back slightly. "We've stayed here too long as it is." He nodded in agreement, but neither of them moved. Maliya's breath caught as Robb's eyes flickered down to her lips. It looked as if he were warring with himself for a moment before he gave in and lowered his head. The kiss was different than any of the ones that they shared in the past. It was a chaste kiss, lacking the passion that it usually shared. Both of them were cautious and unsure of their movements and she could practically taste the confusion of their feelings in it. The truth of the matter was, she didn't know if her and Robb would ever be able to repair their relationship. She wanted to say that things would go back to the way they were, but she was keeping secrets from him from the very beginning. She wanted to be a better wife, a better Queen, a better person. She wanted to be someone that Robb deserved.
They both heard sounds of people approaching and pulled away, awkwardness settling between them as they looked everywhere but at each other. Dacey, Daemon and her uncle came towards them, looking between them expectantly. "There's no shouting," Dacey said cautiously, raising her eyebrows. "Is everything alright?"
They both nodded and Uncle Oberyn came towards her, placing his hands on her shoulders affectionately. "Daemon told me what you are planning," he said softly, his gaze worried. "Are you sure about this?"
"I'm sure," Maliya responded, her voice firm. "I want to find my last living Targaryen relative and learn how to train and take care of my dragon but most of all I need to figure out who I really am."
He nodded thoughtfully. "Doran may have sent me away, but my adventures across the Narrow Sea helped make me the person that I am today. I know exactly who you are, but I support you in whatever you need. Be careful, sweet niece," he murmured, pulling her into a tight hug. "We will be here when you come back."
"You better," she answered, her voice muffled slightly in his cloak. She pulled back, looking between the two of the people she loved most in the world and fighting a sense of panic. "Take care of each other. I'll be back before you know it."
"Your Grace," Dacey said, stepping forward and looking towards Robb, her arms clasped behind her back. "I would like to accompany the Queen on her journey, if that's alright with you. I promise to keep her safe, to protect her with my life if need be."
"I appreciate that, Dacey," Robb responded. He attempted a smile but it looked more like a grimace. His expression was blank again, his blue eyes closed off. "I'll feel infinitely better knowing that you are with her. This means that your mother will have to continue believing that you're dead, though, until you all return."
Guilt and regret flickered across Dacey's face, but just as quickly it was gone and her expression was set. "I understand, but it doesn't change my mind. Guarding the Queen is more important and she will understand that."
"I'll be going as well," Daemon announced, his arms crossed and a smirk on his face. "Obviously."
"Thank you," Maliya murmured, looking at them gratefully. "Both of you."
"We should return to camp," Uncle Oberyn said, glancing over at Robb who nodded once. "Goodbye, Maliya. Remember to always be on your guard. The rest of the world is very different than Westeros, so be careful who you trust."
She made a noise of agreement in her throat, her eyes closing as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Goodbye, Uncle," she whispered. "I know you can't tell Tyene that I'm alive, but please make sure she knows I love her."
"I will."
He pulled away and when her eyes opened again, Robb was stepping in front of her. Her eyes searched his face, trying to decipher the unreadable emotions lurking in his own blue eyes, but she couldn't help acknowledging the increased distance between them. For the first time in a long time, she couldn't guess what he was thinking or feeling and that scared her. "Goodbye, Maliya," he said softly, lowering his head to press a kiss to her cheek. She couldn't help thinking back to the last time they said goodbye. He knew everything now, but there was still this incredible sadness around her heart. "I hope you find what you're looking for."
"Goodbye, Robb." She blinked rapidly to clear away the tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. She had accomplished what she set out to do, she had convinced Robb to let her leave Westeros and she knew deep down inside her that this was what she was meant to do. But would this decision mean the end of her marriage?
She took a deep breath as Robb stepped back away from her, turning away from everyone and bending to pick up her still sleeping dragon, taking the time to clear the emotion from her face. "Have you thought about a name for your dragon?" Her uncle asked, all of them marveling at the small creature once more.
"I have, actually," Maliya answered, cradling it closer to her and smiling softly when it snuggled closer. "I see no discernible signs of its gender, but I've decided to call it Meraxes." She looked up to see varying degrees of blank stares. "I've named it after – "
"After the first Rhaenys Targaryen's dragon," her uncle finished, smiling in approval at her. "I like it. Keep them safe, you two," he ordered, looking between Daemon and Dacey. "And come home soon."
"We will," both Dacey and Daemon promised.
Maliya lifted her hand in farewell, doing her best to smile as she looked at her uncle and her husband one last time before they left to head back to camp. She felt a pang of fear run through her at the thought of leaving them, but she also felt excited and nervous about the journey ahead. She was going to find her family, she was going to learn how to care for her dragon and then she was going to win back her husband's trust.
Author's Note: So there it is! I really hope you all liked what I came up with. I agree that Maliya and Robb's relationship probably wouldn't have been able to be repaired if she just left Westeros without telling him. This is why I love when you guys review because it opens me up to new ideas that I hadn't thought of before.
So now Robb knows that Maliya is alive and while he's incredibly happy and relieved, it doesn't change the fact that Maliya has lied and hurt him. I wanted to show that even though they both still obviously love each other, it is going to take some time and effort on both their parts in order to fix what's been broken.
What do you guys think of Maliya's identity confusion? And what about the dragon's name? Hope you all liked my choice!
Next chapter: Maliya, Daemon and Dacey begin their journey to Astapor. If you guys have anything you want to see happen when Maliya meets up with Dany now's the time to get your suggestions in!
Guest 1 - I'm so glad that you liked the last chapter! Sorry for the slow update, but here's the newest one!
Guest 2 - Thanks for your review! That was a bit of a rollercoaster, wasn't it? I think both of them are technically right. Maliya is doing what she thinks is right to keep Robb safe but they probably are stronger together, just not when there's no trust between them. Maliya can't go meet Dany with a small guard because it will look suspicious, but Dacey and Daemon will both be going with her to keep her safe.
Guest 3 - Thanks for reviewing, I'm so glad you loved the chapter. I hope you like this one just as much!
Charlie - I'm so happy that I was able to put you through an emotional rollercoaster haha. My main goal for this story is to get you to feel what the characters are feeling. I definitely understand where you're coming from and you're one of the reviewers that made me rethink where I was taking the story. Robb is now clued into their plan and though he's still hurt, there's more of a chance for them to work out their issues when she gets back.
Guest 4 - Don't freak out! Actually do, lol, I put you guys through an emotional wringer. I hope you enjoyed Robb's reaction to her death and his reaction when he saw her alive again! Thanks for reviewing.
Guest 5 - Thanks for your review! I'm glad you thought this chapter was incredible. I hope you liked this chapter as well.
SillyHasil - She certainly is half Targaryen. In the show they make Dany completely fire-proof but Maliya definitely isn't like that. The best explanation that I can give you is that her dragon egg was going to hatch and it protected her from the flames. I'm sorry if that answer doesn't satisfy you, but well, it's a fictional world and story :)
Marvelmyra - I appreciate your thoughts and opinions on the story but you don't have to point out all the typos that I make. I don't have a beta and I'm sure there are many. I don't really find it all that disturbing that she dreamed of her father and Lyanna amongst her enemies. Her father abandoned her and her family and the pair of them caused all of Westeros to dissolve into war and chaos with thousands of people dying. Yes, no one quite knows Bolton involvement quite yet, but it will eventually come out.
Reader - Thanks for your review. Maliya and Robb were pretty hot and heavy during this chapter and so there is the definite possibility that she could be pregnant. I guess we will have to wait and see! So many people were complaining about Talisa so I added her into this chapter. Hope you liked it!
Guest 6 - In Talisa's defense, she didn't meant to tell Robb about the Moon Tea, it was just a wrong place and time situation. Hopefully you liked Robb's reaction to her in this chapter!
Ryan - Thanks for your review and your kind words! I wish I had more free time too, but unfortunately real life takes over and there's less time for writing. You were definitely right about Robb and Oberyn's reaction! Hope you liked this chapter.
Guest 7 - Glad you liked it, here's the new chapter!
Guest 8 - Here's the update, sorry it took so long!