To everyone who has commented, liked, followed etc.: THANK YOU! IT MEANS A LOT and I LOVE YOU!

Here is chapter 12! Sorry for keeping you waiting so long but exams are fast approaching (like next week) and I have a little less time to write. I will however do my best to update regularly, at least once weakly.

Also, some parts of this seemed rushed and I apologize for that, but although they are important I just didn't feel they were interesting enough to write about them at great lengths.

There is A LOT of Robb/Narcissa in this chapter and also many mistakes because I'm so tired, my eyes start tearing up as soon as I try proofreading.

Robb had already left when she woke up the next day and she was thankful for that for it meant that he didn't notice her sickness. He was most likely helping his men pack up camp since they were now only a few days' ride away from Harrenhal and the men were eager to reach the fortress and plan an attack. Even when she was out of the loop, she hadn't failed to notice the waning morale of the soldiers after a lack of decisive victories in months.

Much to her dismay, riding for hours on end wasn't a particularly captivating exercise and her mind was left to torment her without relief. There was nothing to distract her either – looking ahead, she only saw men holding banners as they rode their horses, looking back, it was the same except there were no banners. Nothing to distract her, that is until Catelyn rode up to her and asked if they intended to speak to each other soon, or remain silent until death do them part. Narcissa chuckled drily, Catelyn didn't know they had spent the night together.

Most likely she hadn't meant to upset her either but nonetheless, her words still resonated in Narcissa's ears. It wasn't as much as what her mother-by-law had said, nor the allusions in between the words. Talisa eyed Robb with preying eyes, at this point everyone in camp had noticed it, even Narcissa but she trusted Robb enough to remain faithful to her. Maybe she was stupid for trusting him so blindly, but she felt certain that he'd never risk dishonoring her by producing a bastard. Not if he respected and she was quite sure he did.

No, what had bothered her was that even Catelyn who was still held as a prisoner, had noticed the awkwardness between her and Robb. It was as if they had been brought back to the early days of their marriage: The days were spent riding with very few words exchanged. She knew why Robb was avoiding her, the reason was obvious enough – the fear that if they talked too long, the same argument would arise again and they'd fall apart. Narcissa in turn was avoiding him because she was still coming to terms with what she had discovered.

Her mother had always told her that she felt happiest each time she had been with child, loving the babe as soon as she had found out about it. Narcissa didn't. The news had made her feel conflicted and constricted, and she had bitten through all her nails already. She had been so convinced with the moon tea's effectiveness that she had never even entertained this possibility. At least not for many years.

The truth was she didn't even know if she liked children or not. She had just celebrated her second nameday when her youngest brother was born and had never otherwise spent time with children. Becoming a mother had never been a dream or an expectation, and yet now it was too late and she feared that she would fail at this role as well.

Those were thoughts that crossed her mind incessantly during the day, riding her horse with nothing to distract her. And then she'd lie awake still and silent in bed at night, hoping Robb wouldn't notice her internal conflict. Though as the fourth day turned into the fourth evening, Narcissa was determined to just get it over with in the hopes of finally having a good night's sleep. An heir was what he had wanted all along, so he would be happy, wouldn't he?

"Pull yourself together already, Narcissa," she whispered to herself before hurriedly walking through the very temporary encampment to find Robb. She turned around the corner to find Lord Karstark exiting the council tent and took a deep breath before striding confidently inside the tent. Just like a band-aid, she decided, pull it off in one swift motion.

"Robb, I'm –" Narcissa announced loudly, stepping inside the shelter only to realize Robb wasn't alone. Instead, she found him in what seemed to be a lighthearted conversation with Lord Bolton and Lord Umber, who all immediately turned to look at her, surprised by her abrupt entrance.

"You are…?" Robb asked with a cocked eyebrow, barely able to disguise his amusement at her antics, especially when he saw her blush, something that rarely happened if ever.

Narcissa felt the men's stares on her as she looked around the room with panic. For some reason, she had thought he'd be alone but she should have known better. "I'm thirsty," she said much lower, walking over to the table and pouring herself a drink from the pitcher. They were all still looking at her as she brought the cup to her lips only to gag when she found out it was ale, even though she usually enjoyed the taste.

"Are you alright?" Robb asked with concern, standing up and walking over to her before taking the cup from her hands and setting it down on the table. He had noticed her look somewhat distraught ever since she had found out about her mother's passing, but he had thought she'd be coping better after a few days.

"Can you take a walk with me?" Narcissa almost pleaded, eyeing the two men behind him. They seemed to be paying too much attention to their conversation. "We need to talk."

Robb felt the small hairs on his nape stand up at her words, anxiety rising in him, but he excused himself from his men nonetheless before leading her outside. The air was chilly, but as usual, she barely even seemed to notice. They walked side by side, Narcissa leading the way until he felt they were straying too far from the tents and pulled her closer to him until she was halfway wrapped in his own cloak.

"What did you want to talk about?" Robb asked warily, his breath forming a white cloud in front of his mouth. Winter was indeed coming.

Narcissa remained quiet for a moment, trying to come up with the proper way to put it into words. "The moon tea," she sighed and wetted her lips, "it didn't-" She had the whole sentence planned out in her mind, but he interrupted her before she could finish.

"You won't be drinking none of that poison anymore," Robb stated with authority, looking straight ahead, expecting her disapproving stare. He had had time to think long and hard about it, and his decision was final. He allowed Narcissa her independence, more than most husbands did, but she was his to protect and he wouldn't compromise on it. "I won't allow you to drive yourself ill. If the idea of having a babe repulses you so much, then I shall not lie with you again but I refuse to let you jeopardize your health."

Narcissa opened her mouth to say something but no sound came out. Out of all the things she had expected him to say, she hadn't seen those words coming. How she had deserved a husband this caring she didn't know, but one thing she now did know without a doubt, was that she loved him.

"Would you really do that for me?" She whispered so softly, he almost didn't hear her voice through the sound of their steps.

"Aye," Robb chuckled, pulling her even closer to his chest. "The idea doesn't appeal to me in the least, but your health is paramount." The truth was he couldn't even imagine not making love to her again, but if that was the price to pay to make sure she stopped coughing up blood, he didn't have much of a choice.

Though not his intention, his words had made Narcissa feel guilty for her previous selfishness. He was ready to put his wishes aside for her sake, and she had refused to do the same. "You really want to be a father, huh?" She asked softly, more to herself than to him. From Catelyn's stories, she knew Robb had always been an amazing older brother, readily looking after his younger siblings whenever necessary. Maybe his warm nature would be able to make up for her lack of motherly instinct.

"It's not just about an having an heir," Robb sighed, somewhat uneasy with the question as he didn't want getting anymore attached to a fantasy that seemed very unlikely now. "It's about having a son, a daughter that is as much yours as mine. The idea of teaching a little boy how to wield a sword or show a baby girl through the glass gardens of Winterfell warms my heart." He admitted earnestly. Those were images that had crossed his mind rather often since falling in love with Narcissa. "And if one day you change your mind, and I hope you do, I'll do my best to figure out how to be as good as father as Ned was to me."

The way he spoke about it made it all sound appealing. Whenever Narcissa had thought about her pregnancy in the past few days, it was in terms of painful childbirth, infantile diseases and all the ways it could go wrong, but she had to admit that looking at it through his eyes made it all look a lot less dire. "Well, you have around seven moons to figure out how to be a good father," she said as a faint blush crept upon her cheeks though he couldn't see from his position.

Robb gently hummed in agreement next to her, his pace unchanged. Narcissa found his lack of reaction peculiar but she decided that no reaction at all was still better than anger, even if she was almost disappointed by it. Wasn't this what he wanted?

"What now?" She heard him ask softly, the words barely audible and yet the disbelief was still discernable. Almost at once, Robb pulled her closer by her waist, making her look up at him. His blue eyes were shining differently as he cupped her face between his cold hands. "Are you," he breathed out, his voice cracking, "are you telling me that you are with child?"

"Yes, Robb, that's what I said about two minutes ago," Narcissa joked with a smile when she saw Robb's face become one of glee when he finally realized what she had meant. Suddenly, it was like the war had disappeared from his features, the hard edges vanished and replaced with a large smile that brightened up his whole face instead.

When she had told him they needed to talk, he had expected anything. That perhaps she would tell him that she was in love with that friend of hers or that she wanted to go back to Florence, but even in his wildest dreams he hadn't allowed himself to hope for these news. He was going to be a father, going to have a child with the woman he loved. There were so many things he wanted to say then and yet only one word came out. "How?"

"I don't know," Narcissa chuckled, removing his hands from her face to kiss them before warming them up between hers. "It seems the young wolf's essence overpowered the moon tea." She laughed, feeling lighter now that a weight had been lifted off her shoulders.

"I love you, Narcissa," he murmured before leaning forward to kiss the top of her forehead. Gods, was she beautiful like this, and truly his now, carrying his child. "Tonight, tomorrow and every day for as long as I shall live."

Narcissa bit her lips at his words, maybe this was the moment to finally say it out loud, the moment to come clean about her feelings. "I love you too, Robb," she admitted, gently pushing him away from her so she could look him in the eyes when she said it. "I have loved you for a while now and until the sun rises in the West and sets in the East, until the seas go dry and the mountains blow in the wind like leaves, I shall never stop doing so."

He kissed her then, in the darkness, sweetly and gently as if she were made of dragon glass – too precious to risk breaking it. Narcissa tried to deepen the kiss but Robb didn't allow her to. Instead, he picked her up in his arms and started walking back to camp. When she asked what he was doing, he replied that now really wasn't a good time for her to catch a cold.

Once inside the shelter, Robb carefully sat her down on the bed before turning around to go close the flap properly and light some candles. Silently, Narcissa grabbed her nightgown from the trunk and started undressing when she noticed him staring at her, or more precisely, at her belly. "It's too early to be noticeable yet, Robb," she chuckled but the truth was, ever since she had known, she woke up every morning expecting there to be a bump only to exhale deeply when there wasn't one yet.

"I know. But I can't wait until it is," he said grinning, slowly approaching her before laying one of his hands flat on her belly. "We'll need to find you some new dresses soon, for when you'll be too big to fit inside yours." He teased. Narcissa wanted to live up to her reputation and show some repartee, but she was surprised to find herself at a loss for words and averted her gaze. It wasn't the gain of weight that scared her, but the realization that everything would change. "Are you unhappy?" Robb asked in a serious tone when he saw her expression.

At his words, she realized that she hadn't really asked herself that question since finding out and facing it felt oddly exposing. She took the time to think it over before replying. "I remember being dead set against marrying you and now I'm happiest as your wife. I expect it will be the same once the baby is here," Narcissa said reassuringly, afraid her reaction had spoiled his joy. "Besides, your words and your happiness have already made me warm up to it." Maybe once they were safely in Winterfell, she could stop worrying and let herself enjoy it.

They got ready for bed together and she helped him off his clothes. It's not that he required her help, but he enjoyed the feeling of her fingers against his skin too much to refuse. He had missed her touch too. Truth be told, he had avoided being alone with her again after the night she had found out about her mother's passing because he was afraid they'd start arguing again. Instead, he had now found out he was going to be a father and no other news could have made him happier.

Narcissa let herself be pulled into Robb's arms as soon as they lied down without protesting about feeling too hot. Her pregnancy might not have rejoiced her as much as him, but seeing him like this brought her happiness. He had lost so much already and if she could bring him some joy, then it was definitely worth it.

"Promise me one thing," Robb whispered, not truly waiting for her to reply. "If things go wrong and you become a widow," he continued, trying to put it gently but he still felt her flinch against him. "Promise me you'll jump into the first ship sailing to Essos and go back to Florence, to safety."

She had been right when they had first argued about it all those weeks ago. If he died, the Lannisters would target her and the child. He wouldn't put it past them to target a pregnant woman. A need for revenge and justice had driven him into this war, but Narcissa's safety trumped all that.

"You won't die." He heard her say firmly against his chest. "As your wife, I forbid you to die until you are at least a hundred years old, and even then, you'll have to ask for my permission first," she jested, but even her determination wasn't enough to complete erase the gloom that the mere thought of this possibility brought to her.

"Promise me." Robb insisted, caressing her hair and holding her tighter if that was even possible at this point. He would give up his life for her without a second thought, but he wasn't sure he could trust all his bannermen to do the same.

"I promise," she whispered back, looking into his eyes. "If the worst happened, I'd go back to Florence." I'd go back to Florence, long enough to give the Lannisters a false sense of security and then she'd cut off their heads and use their skulls as lanterns, she promised herself.

-/-/-/-

Much to her dismay, Robb now insisted he was the only one allowed the help her on and off her horse, because he couldn't trust any of his men to be careful enough. Narcissa wanted to point out the ridicule of it but kept herself from doing it. "Whatever floats his boat," she sighed, riding at the front of the cortège but still behind the Vanguard and close enough to Robb so that he could keep his eyes on her at all times. He had always been protective but this was beyond words.

Catelyn rode next to her, under the hateful stares of the soldiers and Narcissa felt pity for her. She still believed her mother-by-law had acted foolishly but her intentions were defendable. The brunette looked to her side at the red-head, hoping to strike a conversation and pass the time when she noticed the older woman sported a knowing smile.

"You know." Narcissa whispered with outrage, staring at her riding companion with parted lips.

"I do," Catelyn replied, addressing her a bright grin that pulled up her cheeks.

"He can't keep a secret," Narcissa wheezed, turning her head to give Robb a cold glare. He had known it for less than twelve hours and already he had told someone.

Catelyn chuckled next to her. "He was never good at keeping secrets, even as a boy."

And for the rest of the ride to Harrenhal, she didn't stop talking to the point where Narcissa might have preferred a boring silence. Narcissa tried to get her to keep her voice down as Catelyn told her about her pregnancies, the childbirths and very specific details she wouldn't ever be able to forget, even if she washed her mind with bleach. After the break, she asked Robb to ride further back, close to Clive just so she could avoid any more of those talks.

To say that Harrenhal was a disappointment would have been a crude understatement. She knew Robb and his men had been waiting for a fight but when they reached the fortress, they found it deserted but for the two hundred dead Northeners littered inside the castle grounds.

Jeremy Mallister, one of the Tully's bannermen was among them but Narcissa's eyes remained focused on the dead horses. Seeing that hurt her more than anything else. This was a men's war and yet horses were slaughtered all the same.

She tried to approach one of the dead animals, at least to close its eyes but the pungent smell of death filled her nostrils and nausea hit her harder than ever before. Robb had hoped she would be able to sleep inside the walls of Harrenhal, in a proper bedroom despite the ruinous state of the castle but even after all the corpses had been cleaned, Narcissa still couldn't bear the smell of death. It was everywhere, lingering in the air until you couldn't help but choking on it.

Even in their tent that evening, death managed to find its way in as Bolton stepped inside unannounced, interrupting their supper.

"Pardon me, your Grace, my Queen," Roose droned, successively giving Robb and Narcissa a curt nod before holding out two pieces of parchment.

Robb left the table with barely disguised annoyance before walking over to the tall man. "Let me guess which one is the good news."

Narcissa heard Bolton sigh, something which was very unusual for the gloomy man. "Word from Riverrun and Winterfell," he said gravelly.

The smile that hadn't quite left Robb's lips since he found out he was going to be father, faltered then for the first time. Hoster Tully, his grandfather, was dead but more importantly, Ramsay Snow had arrived in Winterfell too late and Theon had already left with his Ironborn men. The keep had been burned down and no one had found Bran nor Rickon.

Narcissa couldn't bear to look Catelyn in the eyes the following day as they rode to Riverrun, having left Lord Bolton and his men garrisoned at Harrenhal. She remained a silent listener as Catelyn cried and manufactured a wheel of prayer for her sons, in the hopes it would keep them from harm's way. Robb had tried giving his mother hope, saying that his brothers were most likely alive given that their bodies hadn't been found, but even as she prayed, she expected the worst and Narcissa couldn't blame her for that. Everyone expected the worst, they just mostly kept it to themselves and carried on because truly, there was no alternative.

As they started approaching Riverrun, Narcissa fell in love with the scenery. The river, the meadows and the most beautiful castle she had ever seen. If Winterfell was half as beautiful as Riverrun, then Narcissa was sure she'd be able to feel at home in the North.

"Why are you smiling?" Robb asked with a smile of his own, suddenly appearing next to her on horseback. At this point, he was willing to take any happiness he could get and watching her smile made him happier than he could have ever imagined.

"I'm sorry," Narcissa immediately said when she spotted him next to her. "I know I shouldn't be smiling but I can't help thinking that tonight we will be sleeping on a proper bed, in proper chambers and I've missed that kind of comfort."

"The only time you and I have shared a featherbed was on our wedding night." Robb remembered, and felt guilty as soon as he did. Narcissa would most likely be sleeping in her luxurious bedchambers back in Florence if it wasn't for him.

"It is not your fault, Robb," she said at once as if she was able to hear his thoughts. "My home is wherever you are. And if you are in a war encampment, then by the Gods, I shall elect it my home." Narcissa laughed until she remembered they were going to a funeral and tried to compose herself.

She had expected a grim welcome, given the circumstances, but Edmure wore a grin on his face when he saw his sister again for the first time in many years. To Narcissa's surprise, Robb, on the other, reserved a cold greeting for his uncle and she made a mental note to ask him about it later.

Given that Hoster Tully had already passed away a handful of days ago and that the day only offered them a couple more hours of daylight before the sun would set, everyone hurried to the river shore at once. Narcissa couldn't help but observe with curiosity as the body lay on a funeral boat, surrounded with hay. Westerosi customs were weird but she kept herself from judging.

She stood next to Robb as Edmure and Catelyn recited their eulogies. Narcissa didn't know the man and yet, she felt tears prickle at her eyes as she thought about her own mother. Catelyn hadn't been able to say goodbye either, but at least she was able to hold his hand one last time. Narcissa wasn't given the same chance. She wondered if Valentino had said a few words at her funeral, he was always her favorite.

Robb seemed to feel her change in mood for he pulled her against him, under his cloak and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. His armor was cold and hard against her body but she fell into place next to him just like two assembled puzzle pieces. She had him now.

By the time Edmure failed his second attempt at setting the funeral boat on fire with his arrow, Robb and Narcissa were both struggling to remain serious and keep themselves from laughing, knowing that Catelyn and pretty much everyone in attendance but for the Blackfish, would disapprove of it.

"I hope bows and arrows are not his weapon of choice," Robb whispered into her ear but not quietly enough it seemed because the glare Catelyn addressed them spoke volumes. "His aim is worse than yours when you try to kick me in the dark for supposedly snoring." And then, just to prove his point, he managed to easily dodge Narcissa's playful slap.

Discretely, she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, making him lean forward so she could speak into his ear. "A night will come when you think you are safe and happy, snoring loudly and contently in your sleep, and suddenly you'll feel my foot kicking your leg, and you'll know it's payback for laughing at my expense." Narcissa joked playfully.

The ceremony soon came to an end and Robb left her to go shout at Edmure for not following his orders. She asked him if he wanted her there, but he refused, saying that she deserved to take a nap in that featherbed she craved so much. Suddenly realizing how close she was to her heart's desires, she placed a quick kiss on Robb's cheek before following a handmaiden to their assigned chambers.

-/-/-/-

"Wow," Robb breathed out as he stepped inside their bedroom, barely registering the lavish furniture and decoration. Narcissa stood in front of the mirror, applying a rosé color to her lips. She was clad in a magnificent silver dress whose neckline left her shoulders bare and Robb couldn't take his eyes off her. How Walder Frey had managed to have a granddaughter like this, he didn't know but he felt very grateful all the same. "You look ethereal, Narcissa."

She caught herself blushing as she saw him approach her from behind through the reflection on the mirror. "You don't scrub up so bad yourself," she teased as he came to hug her, resting his chin on her shoulder. She wasn't lying – Robb had also found the time to take a proper bath and change into dressier, fancier clothes. He looked slimmer like this without the leather, the armor and the furs, like a lord.

"I saw the Maester today," Narcissa informed, staring at him through the reflection and noticing how Robb prompted her to continue. "He said that everything looks good and that the baby appears strong."

Robb chuckled against her neck, his beard softly scratching her skin as his hands slid down over to her now slightly protruding stomach. "Of course, he does. He's going to be strong like his father," he murmured, flattering himself before looking into the mirror and was almost guilt-ridden then. His father and grandfather were dead, his brothers were missing, most likely dead, his sisters were still miles away from safety, and yet he couldn't deny the joy that overtook him in this moment.

"It could very well be a girl," she pointed, throwing her head back just a little and exposing more of her neck in the process. Robb couldn't resist the temptation, his lips immediately at her soft skin.

"For generations, the oldest Stark child has been a boy. I won't allow you to come around and mess with tradition," he joked softly but Narcissa stomped on his foot all the same as a response. If anyone was capable of changing the way of the world, then he was sure that it was her but he was still convinced it would be a boy. "And if it's a girl, I hope she won't be as mean as her mother." Robb teased.

Narcissa had intended to swat his head away but before she could, Robb was nibbling on her earlobe, his hands slowly pulling up her skirts. She let herself melt into his touch, purring softly as he almost imperceptibly started leading her to the comfortable bed and she remembered the reason they were staying in Riverrun in the first place. "We need to stop or we'll be late to the feast," she protested faintly, weakly pulling him away from her.

"No one will even notice our absence," Robb groaned, pulling her flush against him so she could feel his arousal pressed against her lower back. She almost gave in then, conceding that the others might excuse some tardiness until he started pulling on the laces of her dress and she remembered how tedious and time-consuming it had been to tie it up in the first place.

"You're the King, everyone will notice your absence," she pointed out with a smirk, detaching herself from his hold so she could turn around and kiss him chastely. "We need to go downstairs and honor your grandfather." Narcissa said firmly, leaving a panting Robb on the bed as she walked back to the mirror to make sure her hair was still in place.

"We could simply honor him by naming our second son after him," Robb sighed, running his hands through his hair, clearly disappointed at his wife's willpower.

"No son of mine will be named Hoster!" Narcissa objected. "I might be mean, but not cruel enough to do that to a poor child," she said before walking up to him again and offering him her hand so they could head to the great hall together.

Robb was about to accept her hand when he remembered something. "I almost forgot," he said as his hand disappeared inside his pocket before emerging again with a necklace. Narcissa immediately noticed the metallic medallion in which the Stark sigil was carved. Silently, she offered him her neck so he could put it on. "I had this made for you. You've always had a wolf's temper, but I felt like everyone should know that you are a Stark, and most of all, mine." He murmured as the wolf medallion settled down just where her breasts began.

"Thank you," she whispered, twirling it between her fingers. "It's beautiful."

They made their way to the great hall together and Narcissa quickly noticed that the meal held after a funeral was much more joyous when the person of honor had died peacefully of old age. Of course, many eyes were still shining with unshed tears, Catelyn's most of all, but everyone told stories of how he had lived, not how he had died. The laughter was louder than the whimper, and Narcissa decided that this was how she wanted it to be when she died. No need of spoiling the living because of the dead.

Robb spent the evening as a quiet listener rather than as an active partaker in the conversations. He had only seen his grandfather once and that had been ages ago, when even Sansa was still too young to travel with them. He didn't remember much of Hoster, only that he spoke loudly and tousled his hair whenever Robb had been unlucky enough to stand too close.

By the time everyone had finished eating, Narcissa had fallen asleep against his chest after only two small cups of wine. She had promised she would only rest her eyes her eyes, but he had felt her go limp within the embrace of his arms almost an hour ago. They had ridden for days, stopping only a few short hours each night, it was no wonder she was exhausted. He too was feeling his eyelids grow heavy and promptly excused themselves. Catelyn looked up from her deep conversation with the Blackfish to address him a smile and Robb knew it was her way of thanking him for letting her attend the funeral.

He carried Narcissa in his arms back to their bedroom. She was sound asleep and even though he had entertained other ideas for their first night back in a proper bed, he wouldn't wake her up.

This was so cheesy I cringed through almost the entire chapter haha. Fluff is definitely something I'm not used to writing! This chapter was also partly a filler, but I needed them to reach Riverrun at some point.

I skipped over the part where Robb is scolding Edmure because Narcissa wasn't present and she's my pov of choice. Besides, we all know that Robb was furious at Edmure for having botched his strategy only to get back some mill.

Also, you might have noticed that the theme of death was quite present in the chapter. Gee, I wonder what it's foreshadowing haha (But don't worry, unlike George RR Martin, I am in love with Robb).

PS: Do not drink if you're pregnant. This is GoT, they knew about health about as much as I know about nuclear physics – nothing more than the basics.