"What?" he spat out as he sat forward only a few feet between us now. His face was full of shock, big, blue eyes shining as he looked up at me with a slightly open mouth.
"I'm with child Robb." I repeated dropping my hands down to my stomach and resting them against the firmness that showed that there was a babe inside. He eyes followed my movement and locked on my stomach.
Very slowly he raised a hand and pressed it in between my two. At the feel of the hard stomach his eyes bugged out a little more, but his open mouth turned into a smile. He brought up his other hand and placed it over my hand smiling more now as his eyes started to shine. He continued to stare at my stomach for a few seconds before looking up at me with a wide smile.
"We're having a babe, I'm going to be a father?" He asked sounding faninated with the news, complete opposite to how I thought he would react. He seemed joyus over the news like he actually wanted the babe.
"Do you want the babe Robb?" I asked him as he moved his hand covering my stomach over my other hand. He looked back down to my stomach for a few seconds before leaning forward and pressing his lips against the thin fabric of my slip. It was that sentimental action that made me realise that Robb did want to be a father even though whenever we talked about children he always said he wanted them after the war.
"Of course. Now that I know he's already here growing I wouldn't want to change that." I muttered looking up at me before resting his cheek against my stomach. His words effected me in someway and I couldn't help the sniffling that followed hte tears. It was the sweetest thing I had ever heared him say and they were deffinatly my favourite words next to 'I love you'.
"He could be a she." I whispered not being able to wipe away my tears as he was holding onto both my hands.
"Yes but all of the first born Stark's have been men, why should he be any different." he replied turning his face to his my stomach again.
"My father's first child was a daughter, she died a few weeks after birth." I stared down at him thinking about the sister I never knew. What would happen to us if our babe dies after being born, I had heared that Cersei Lannister lost her first son. "What if we lose him before we get to know him?" I asked quietly feeling my throat swell at the thought of losing the babe. Robb pulled away fully and looked up at me before tuggin my hand gently and settling me into his lap.
"We won't, he will grow into a fine young man. He will be king after I pass and he will find a bride as beautiful as his mother and she will birth him a son to be heir of the North and Winterfell." Robb stated running his hand up and down my back in a soothing way making my tears trail off into nothing. I sifted slightly in his lap so I could rest my head against his chest. The thumping of his heart was the soft music that I enjoyed listening before I slept.
"You will be a wonderful father." I muttered to him, my words muffled by the fabric of his shirt as I pressed my face closer to his chest. I felt him bring his arms around me as he brought me closer to his body, his warmth spreading over to heat me. Maybe I should have dressed before coming to find him.
"And you will be a wonderful mother." he replied leanind down and kissing my hair as he spoke. It may have been the warmth coming from his body or the beating of his heart that sent me off into a light sleep as he held me close to him "I have to get back to planning a battle formation." His voice was soft, too soft that it didn't really wake me enough for a proper response.
"Mmm." I moaned rubbing ym face into his chest and bringing my hands up, one resting on his heart and the other just below it.
GOTGOTGOTGOT
When I woke I was in my tent snuggled up in the furs with Greywind perched on the bed next to me. I rubbed at my eyes and pulled myself up, looking around the room. I spotted Catelyn sat in the chair by the fire stiching away at a square of cloth, Rickon by her feet playing with a wooden horse.
"Where's Robb?" I asked pulling the his cloak around me as I climbed out of the furs. He must have wrapped it around me when he brought me back from the main tent. As my question reached the ears of Rickon he jumped up from the floor and rushed over to me.
"Look Evie, mother's back she didn't forget us!" the little boy exclaimed wrapping his arms around my waist in a hug. I bent down and picked him up ignoring the look Catelyn sent my way. I was havign a baby, not dying it wasn't going to stop me from picking up my good-brother.
"Of she wouldn't Rickon, she loves you too much to ever forget you. I told you she would return and she did didn't she? Bran told you many times as well but you didn't believe him. All you needed was a little hope." I told him as he wrapped his arms around my neck to keep himself from falling.
"Father said he loved me too much as well but he never came back." Rickon muttered his eyes shining with unshed tears at the thought of his father. Catelyn went to say something probably anlone the lines of how Ned didn't want to leave Rickon or any of his children but he had no choice.
"Rickon your father did love you. It would be impossible not to love you, I love you and I have only known you for near three days." I stated looking down into his eyes hating the way the tears made them shine. I could see the emotions running through his mind as I looked down at him, only inches between my own face.
"You do?" he asked sounding hopeful at the thought of someone else loving him. Of course he would worry about people loving him only being a boy of six. I nodded my head and he rested his head against my shoulder as he leaned in to hug me. I was enjoying my hug form Rickon it wasn't something I was used to considerign I was one of the youngest Frey children; I never had anyone considerable younger to comfort.
"Why are you holding Rickon?" came Robb's voice from behind and I turned to see him step into the tent, Greywind following and moving straight for the fire while Robb stood and stared at me with a frown.
"I was giving him a cuddle." I replied frowning at him as he shook his head, placed the plate of food he had in his hands and walked over to us. Once he reached us he pulled Rickon away and set him down on the floor before leanign in to whisper in my ear.
"You shouldn't be lifting heavy things; that includes Rickon."
"I'm pregnant Robb not dying. I'm sure lifting Rickon won't hurt me." I whispered back pecking him quickly on the cheek then turning my attention onto Rickon. I sat on the egde of the bed and directed him to do the same. Once he was sat next to me I turned slightly so I could look down at him, taking his hands in mine. "Rickon, you have to understand that those who love us have to sometimes leave us."
"Father said he would come back but he lied." the little boy softly replied looking over at Robb for confirmation. From the corner of my eye I could see that Catelyn had settled her stiching work down and turned to face us. Robb had also moved to sit on the bed behind Rickon and started undoing his boots.
"He never meant to leave us forever Rickon." came a soft voice causing us all to turn to find Bran, on the back of Osha as he entered the tent. "Place me on the bed please Osha." The widling woman did as requested before dipping her head and leaving the tent silently.
"Bran is right Rickon. Your father never had the intention to leave you forever, but you have to understand that there are some mad, twisted people in this world and your father happened to be questioning the heritage of a rather powerful one." I looked at Robb, then to Bran before lookign down at the young, non-understanding boy before contiune. "You may have lost you father Rickon but he will always be with you, in here." I rested my hand on his heart and watched as he brought his own hand up and placed it over mine. "I met your father when he set out for the wall.
"He was with the King's army, and your sister's. They stopped at The Twins for a few days. My father held a large feast and your father attened, with the King on both nights. I never like the feasts held as was on my way back to my room when he bumped into me. Your father was the polietest man I've ever met, apologise for something he never intended to do." I looked at all three boys before turning to face Catelyn, who looked to be crying before looking at Robb a smile on my face. "It's funny to think that then neither of us knew I was to be his good-daughter. He treated me like I was but he was never to know that I would marry his son."
"He would have loved you Evie. He would have said you remind him of his sister, not through apperance but because you both share a kind heart." Catelyn said speaking before any of the boys. Her words drew the attention of all us and it was then I noticed she was crying. "You say such kind things about Ned, yet you never really knew him. It's that kind heart he would smile at, thinking of his sister and how she always saw good in people."
"I thought father always said Arya was like Lyanna." Robb muttered looking at his mother with confusion. Catelyn laughed quitely beofre shaking her head.
"She was when she was child, but then she grew into a woman and saw the good in everyone. She loved to please people with the smallest things and Ned blamed her kind heart for her death. If she was a bitter woman with no love she would still be alive, is what your father always said." she replied looking over at her three sons with a soft smile, one that wasn't true.
"I think it doesn't matter whether you have a kind heart or are loyal to the bone, you could even have a hunted passed but at the end of the day when the gods call on you, you have no choice but to go with them. You will see your father again Rickon, he'll be waiting for you when the gods call for you, like my mother will be waiting for me." I told the young boy giving him a soft smile, clutching his hand in mine giving it a soft squeeze.
"You lost your mother? How old were you?" Bran asked sounding curious at the thought. He was probably wondering if I knew how it felt to lose someone at a young age.
"I was eight when she passed. I didn't understand that hse was going to come back, thankfully I had a few older sisters that understood how I felt as they experienced the same thing as I. We had each other to comfort and it helped. You're lucky that you have your mother to help take away some the pain; my father couldn't have cared. He had too many children that he didn't care for nearly half of us." I muttered being honest with Bran, not wanting to lie to the boy. He was wise enough for his age and it would be cruel for me to lie to hiim when he asked an question.
"I'm sorry you lost your mother and had no one to be there for you." Bran mumbled giving me a soft smile and looking down as if he was ashamed for asking the question. I rested my free hand on my stomach and looked at Robb before looking down and then up at him again. He seemed to catch on to what I was saying and gave me a small smile.
"I want you to promise me something Bran, you to Rickon." I started looking at the two boys and recieve nods in return. "I want you to promise me that if anything was ever to happen to both me and Robb that you would protect you nephew and give him the comfort I never recieved as a child." Robb was watching them keenly waiting for them to catch on. Rickon seemed confused and looked worried, whereas Bran looked calculating before his eyes settled on my hand.
"Your having a baby?" he asked his face blank so I wasn't able to tell if he was happy or upset. Rickon's eyes seemed to light up at the mention of baby.
"Yes we are, and the two of you are going to be his uncles." Robb replied looking at his younger brother, eyebrows furrowed. "Are you not happy Bran?"
"What? No, of course I'm happy, it just took me by suprise." Bran exclaimed giving Robb a smile beofre lookign over at Catelyn. "Does mother know?" he said this a little quiter as if he didn't want her to listen.
"Mother was the one that told us that Evie was pregnant." Robb remarked laughing at Bran's question. Little Rickon jumped up and started wondering around the tent as if he was looking for something.
"What are you doing Rickon?" Catelyn asked as she watched her youngest travel around the tent. Rickon looked at his mother frowning, a frown that reminded me of Robb.
"I'm lookign for the baby Mother. Evie said they were having a baby, but I can't find him." he replied going back to looking for the baby. Robb looked at me and I couldn't help the laugh theat left my lips. Of course Rickon wouldn't understand that the baby had to grow for nine months before they could come into the world. Catelyn also seemed to find the funny as she stood and brought Rickon over to the bed.
"The baby hasn't been born yet Rickon, he has to grow first. Pass me your hand." She told the boy takign his hand as he held it up and then placed it on my stomach. I still had a flat stomach but if you pressed down gently you could feel the firmness geowing as the baby grew. "Evie and Robb's baby is inside Evie. He has to stay inside Evie until he is big enough to join us here." Catelyn tried to explain to him.
Rickon's fingers pressed on my stomach and his face turned down as he felt the hardness. He looked up and me eyes wide before turning to Robb.
"She ate your baby Robb!" he exclaimed looking back at me horrified and scared befoore frowning and turnign to look at Robb and Robb's laugh boomed around the tent. Catelyn and Bran joined in on the laugh as Rickon stood looking confused and in near tears.
"I didn't eat my baby Rickon. He was already inside me and will stay there until he gets a bit bigger. You will met him when he's ready to come out. Just think of it as him sleeping for a long time." I told him placing my hand other his, rubbing my thumb over his in comfort. "You will be able to feel him move when he gets bigger."
"I will?" he asked peering down at my stomach with a intense frown as if he was trying to picture a baby inside.
"You will, but it will be a long time before you get to hold him." Ctaelyn stated removing his hand and taking it in her own. "It's getting late and dinner will be sevred shortly, we shall go prepare." Catelyn looked over a Bran and gave him a smile before looking at Robb. "I doubt we will see you at dinner tonight Robb?"
"We'll be eating here tonight, but we shall see you tomorrow. Did you want me to carry Bran to your tent?" Robb asked his mother standing ready to carry his brother if needed. Just as Catelyn was about to reply Hodor entered the room giving a smile as he bent to pick up Bran and waited for Catelyn.
"Hodor." he simple said waiting to be told where to go. Ctaelyn smiled at Robb and bent to kiss my head before pulling Rickon over to the exit.
"Could you take Bran to my tent Hodor?" Catelyn asked as she led them out of the tent Shaggydog and Summer following, not that I knew they were here. Once they had left I turned to Robb and gave him a wide smile.
"Bless Rickon's little heart. You shouldn't have laughed at him." I scolded still notign the smile on my face. Robb rolled his eyes as he gently pushed on my shoulders so I was lying down on the bed and him hovering over me.
"It was funny and he's too young to understand." he mumbeled kissing me gently before pulling back and giving my a toothful smile. "I heard you ate my baby Evie." he teased as he leant down and kissed my stomach as if he was kissing our baby.
"Your a big softy Robb Stark. You better not let any Lannister men see you like this." I teased back running my hands through his curls as he brought his lips up to mine again.
"Only you get to see me like this." he stated kissing me tenderly, snaking his hands up my thighs and under my slip. My heart started to beat faster at his actions and my breath caught when he sucked on my bottom lip. I pulled my head back slightly so I could look up at him.
"It better stay that way." I ordered taking in his dark almost black eyes and the hunger and love shining in them. His lips desended down teasing my own, lettign me know that he would be mine and mine alone.