Staring across the table at Lame Lothar Frey and Black Walder Rivers, Vitoria couldn't help but feel a little uneasy about being in the same room as the two men; there was something about the two of them that unsettled her. However, Vitoria as much as she carried the name Stark, she was both a Martell and a Tanten at heart. Her honor did not bind her, rather her love for family and her sense of duty did. Familial loyalty came first and playing nice with the Freys would be the best way to protect her family.
"Thank you for riding here so quickly, I know travel isn't easy in these times," Robb said, getting the meeting underway. He leant forward, knowing that this wasn't going to be easy and that the Freys would make some difficult requests.
"The roads are crawling with cut-throats and bandits, when the King in the North summons us we come," Lame Lothar said staring across the table at Robb, they were far from happy that their father had sent them to deal with this.
"Our father has instructed us to tell you that our alliance with the North can continue if his terms are met," Black Walder stated eyeing Vitoria, he wasn't impressed by what he saw and he still didn't understand why the King would wish to stay married to a woman like that. Any one of his female relations could have given him four sons in the time they'd been married. Instead, Robb was stuck with a woman who'd lost a babe before birthing a living child and whose two daughters were far healthier than her single son.
"Lord Frey requires a formal apology for your disregard of his wishes for you to marry one of his daughters," Black Walder continued firmly, he had not been surprised when his father had insisted upon such a thing. Vitoria furrowed her brow wondering what he was talking about, she guessed that it referred to the time that Robb had thought that she was dead.
"Of course," Robb replied gritting his teeth, they needed this alliance and if they wanted it to happen then they would have to agree to whatever terms the Freys offered to them. Robb wondered what Lord Walder expected him to do when his wife was very much alive, he loved Vitoria and he wasn't going to murder her to secure some alliance with the Freys.
"As repayment for this wrong… Lord Frey demands Harrenhall and all of its lands and incomes," Lame Lothar stated not showing much emotion, the lands would greatly benefit the Freys and would make them a force to be reckoned with. Edmure frowned at the idea, there was no way that they could allow such a thing; it would make them a problem to deal with in the future.
"I don't think that…" Edmure said with a shake of his head, there was no way that they could allow this and the Freys had more than enough land from the Twins; it wasn't their fault Walder Frey had so many children and grandchildren. Robb shot his uncle a look knowing that they needed the Freys help if they were going to move against the Lannisters and take away their home.
"We are fighting for the North… Harrenhall is not in the North, it is his once the war is over and we have no further need of it," Robb agreed looking back towards the two Freys, he was sure that they wouldn't miss the hold once the war was over and he would be back in Winterfell anyway. The two Freys seemed pleased with that and Robb hoped that they wouldn't be too many more wishes like that, he was only going to agree to so much to get back the Frey support that he had lost.
"He has also graciously agreed to honor his last agreement with you… two of his daughters will serve the Queen as a sign of good-will," Lame Lothar stated nearly spitting the word, he was sure that it would be a fine position for his sisters and he had already heard which two would be sent to serve. Fat Walda and Eva had been selected since they were around Vitoria's age and with Fat Walda to marry Lord Bolton it would be a fine position for her to hold during the war.
Robb frowned at how Lame Lothar said Queen, he had a feeling that it was still a sore spot that Vitoria was alive and that a Frey would not sit on the throne.
"There is one more thing…" Black Walder stated as the negotiations slowly started to come to an end, there was one thing that their father wanted above all else. It was something that Lord Walder had been trying to obtain for years now and finally he could have what he wanted; of course it would be nothing like having a Frey become Queen.
"We will do whatever we can to give Lord Frey what he needs," Robb insisted dreading to think what they wanted now. Vitoria shifted in her seat, she had held her tongue so far since she did not wish to offend their guests and she had a feeling that they would not welcome her input.
"Not what… whom," Lame Lothar stated turning to stare at Edmure, their father had been trying to marry into the Tully family for years but Hoster Tully had refused. Edmure stared at the two Freys and started to shake his head, there was no way that he would marry a Frey; none of the women were beautiful and all seemed to be rather plain or ugly.
"Our father requires Lord Edmure to wed one of his daughters," Lame Lothar mused knowing that it was a step up, their sister would be Lady of Riverrun and in a position to help the rest of them. Edmure looked far from pleased about the idea.
"Roslin," Black Walder continued.
Robb looked towards Edmure trying to gorge how his uncle was taking this news, he couldn't risk refusing when it would mean that the Freys would stand against them.
"How old is she?"
"Nineteen," Lame Lothar replied watching the three across from him, he was sure that this would work out and Robb was going to get what he wanted.
"We depart for the Twins in the morning, we need an answer before we leave and the wedding will take place in a fortnight here after or the alliance is permanently at an end," Lame Lothar stated knowing that they weren't going to wait around, they would leave with the agreement from Robb and in two weeks their sister would become Lady of Riverrun.
After they took their supper with the bannermen, Robb led Vitoria to their rooms hand in hand. He'd hardly let go of her all day, nor had he let the children out of his sight for longer than a few minutes. They were asleep for the night, and Robb immediately went to them, pressing a kiss to each their foreheads and murmuring soft words into their ears. Vitoria, meanwhile, started braiding her hair for the night.
"Where's Grey Wind?" She asked, as he started unlacing her dress. "I saw him in the forest on our way to dinner, but not since."
"Hunting," he replied as she slipped into her nightgown.
His eyes wandered down her body hungrily as she walked to their make-shift bed. She slipped under the furs as he took off his clothes, shedding his doublet and loosening the ties of his trousers, letting them hang loose on his hips. He slipped into bed beside Vitoria, and she beckoned him closer for a kiss.
And then Robb turned over, keeping his lips on hers and he leaned over her. Vitoria felt adrenaline shoot through her, hands coming up to wrap around Robb's shoulders. His lips moved away from hers, down her neck and over her collarbone. He kissed everywhere he could reach, between her breasts and down her stomach, kissed the marks on her hips and she'd tugged on his hair to pull him up just as he began to kiss the inside on her thighs.
"I love you," he said, repeated it when her legs fell open for him, when his tongue started lapping across her folds. He said too many times to count but she never repeated it to him, hands trailing over his skin.