Welcome to chapter 14 of this rollercoaster. This is somewhat a plot-heavy chapter. Hope you'll enjoy!
Robb had expected they'd be able to make it to the Twins in just over a week but the weather didn't agree. It was already raining heavily when they arrived at Wendish Town but it only got worse from that point onwards, and the downpour turned into a thunderstorm that slowed them down before stopping them completely. Some routes became impassable and the horses were too scared to continue.
Narcissa wondered if this was some subliminal message from the Gods, a warning or even simply a dissuasion. At some point, she even started wondering if they really should resume their travel when the thunderstorm ended before realizing how irrational she sounded. "I've been in Westeros for too long. I've started believing in their superstitions and Gods," Narcissa scoffed, raindrops landing in her mouth as she did. She made her way around the men who were setting up the camp after giving Carmel some sugar cubes she had taken from Riverrun.
"What are you doing?" Narcissa asked loudly, hoping to be heard over the storm. Robb's men were setting up the tents in the center of a large meadow.
"Working on setting up your shelter as quickly as possible, your Grace," the bald man said with difficulty through clenched teeth as he pulled on a cord to lift the canvas over the poles.
Narcissa stared at him for a full minute, blinking with surprise until she realized he was serious. "I am not sleeping here," she said curtly. "None of you should either. Look at the sky." She ordered, pointing her finger upwards as a lightning bolt ran through the sky.
The soldier fixed the rope on the peg before bothering to pay attention to what she had just told him. "My queen, I understand women might be afraid of thunderstorms but I assure you it's completely safe. The only thing truly dangerous in storms is finding shelter beneath a tree." He explained, a satisfied smile on his face as his tone bordered on complacency.
"Do you know why it's dangerous to find shelter beneath a tree during a thunderstorm?" Narcissa snapped, equally offended by his tone and his lack of knowledge. "You don't know, do you?" She taunted, bending down to untie the rope from the peg and undo all the work he had done.
"Your Grace!" He blurted out, forcefully grabbing the rope from her and muttering something under his breath. Narcissa sighed at his reaction, dropping the rope on the ground.
"It's dangerous to find shelter beneath a tree because a tree is most likely the tallest thing in your surroundings. Thunder usually strikes the tallest point," she explained as calmly as she could, though she knew that she sounded much like her preceptors. "Now look around you, soldier," she commanded and surprisingly, the man actually obeyed even though he looked confused. "This is a meadow and these tents are the tallest things in the area!" Narcissa blurted out before feeling a cold hand on her waist. She turned around ready to throw fit until she noticed it was Robb.
Begrudgingly, she let him pull her away from the man so they could talk somewhat more privately. "What are you doing, Narcissa?" Robb chuckled, fastening the cloak tighter around her shoulders. She was about as drenched as he was though he still had the steel armor to protect him.
"I was telling that man that he was acting stupid but he refused to listen to me," Narcissa complained, glaring at the bald soldier over Robb's shoulder. She couldn't help but roll her eyes when she noticed him fastening the bloody rope again. "We cannot set up camp here!" She yelled with exasperation.
Instead of going to the man and telling him to follow her orders, Robb pulled her closer to him and kissed her forehead with a grin. His mother had warned him pregnant women could become emotional and irrational without a warning, he had just never expected it would look this cute on Narcissa. "I see my baby is causing you temper tantrums already," he smiled, his hand rubbing her stomach over the cloak but she pushed him away.
"First, it's our baby, not yours," she retorted, digging her finger into his chest plate. "Second, I am not acting up, Robb," Narcissa said, grabbing his arm to make him turn around until he was facing the encampment. "You once told me I was probably the most educated woman in Westeros. Now I tell you this – if we set up camp here, in this meadow, someone will be struck by lightning before the night is over."
Robb frowned, moving his head to look at her only to notice she was dead serious. Nodding to himself, he walked to the middle of the encampment and every man turned his attention to him. Perks of being a king instead of a queen, Narcissa thought with bitter amusement, eyeing him attentively. "Pack up everything!" He ordered loudly, louder even than the thunder. "We are moving camp to a slightly more wooded area," he added, staring at her the entire time. As expected, the men didn't look pleased but complied nonetheless.
It ended up taking them more time but with the desire to get away from the rain, everyone worked faster and a little over one hour later, everyone had found safe shelter. Narcissa changed into some dry clothes as soon as she entered her tent and was already putting on different shoes when Robb finally joined her. If she had been drenched, she didn't even know what he was at this point. Rain was rolling off his hair down to his face.
Silently, she made her way over to him and helped him take off the steel. "He should have followed your orders, you are his Queen," Robb complained, shaking off his wet clothes. "If this happens again, you need to tell me." He urged her when she brought him some fresh clothes.
"And then you tell them off, and they'll still be obeying your orders to listen to me and not obeying me directly," she pointed out, almost getting lost in his naked sight until she remembered with a shiver that they were having a serious conversation.
In Florence, the bank clerks obeyed her orders unquestioningly but that was because she had proven her skills and abilities to them. For all these soldiers knew, Narcissa could very well just be another dimwitted lady who was throwing a tantrum. "Respect and obedience is earned with time and actions, not titles. You have proven yourself to them, that's why they follow you. I haven't yet." She said, trying to ignore the fact that although she was now a queen, she had wielded more power back in Essos. She had been second in command at the bank after all.
Robb didn't seem to agree with her but remained quiet when she approached him with a towel in her hands, gesturing for him to bend down so she could tumble dry his hair for she was too small to do it otherwise. "Why are you grinning?" She asked suspiciously, rubbing the towel over his curls when his hands found her waist and pulled her close enough for him to kiss her lips. A startled sound escaped her when she recognized the urgency in him as one hand slid lower to cup her butt. She couldn't blame him though, they hadn't been intimate since leaving Riverrun six days ago. "Now?" Narcissa simpered, when she felt herself being lead to the bed as Robb groaned in assertion against her mouth.
"Are we interrupting something?" Catelyn asked carefully, stepping inside the largest tent with Edmure.
Instantly, Narcissa pulled away from Robb as if she had been burnt. He, however, looked a lot more unfazed, keeping a hand on her waist which she failed to swat away. "Of course not!" She lied, inviting them in but it seemed both brother and sister knew what had been going on if the way they smiled was anything to go by. "Supper should arrive shortly."
Just as expected, the servants came by only a few minutes later with food. Narcissa barely ate a thing, skipping right to the berries which had been meant for dessert. Sugar was the only thing helping her keep poised while listening to Edmure complain about his impending nuptials. Asking her about Roslin every five minutes even though she had told him a thousand times she wasn't sure she had even met the girl while at the Crossing. The longer she was in his presence, the gladder she was that she had been forced to marry Robb and not someone as dull and self-centered like Edmure.
The Blackfish arrived just as they had finished eating and Narcissa was endlessly grateful for his appearance because it finally got the new Lord of Riverrun to shut up for a moment. "I see you are smarter than that commander who made camp in a large field during a storm in the War of the Ninepenny Kings and lost half his men to lightening," he told Robb as a greeting before taking some bread from the table.
Robb gave her a quick smile before turning to the Blackfish but Narcissa quickly stopped him before he could give her any recognition. "Brain and muscle," she commented with a grin. "I really got lucky with him."
Narcissa managed to catch Brynden's stare over the table and the subtle shake of his head was enough to let her know there were still no news. It was to be expected, the weather slowed down everyone equally. Catelyn kept on ranting about how Walder wouldn't take the tardiness lightly but she was the only to think that way. While she didn't know him too well, Narcissa knew her grandfather well enough to know he would always find some reason to be offended, lack of punctuality was as good as any.
Everyone retired early that evening. If the sky cleared during the night, Robb wanted to start moving early. In the end, the storm only stopped around noon the following day which increased their delay even further. More days of riding ensued and Narcissa felt the air grow colder as the headed North. She didn't think it was that cold the first time she had arrived at the Twins, but Winter was coming.
She spent her time on horseback either trying to read one of books about the history of the Seven Kingdoms she had taken with her from Riverrun or when her head started to spin, chatting with Clive. That was the only condition Robb had imposed her if she wanted to come with him: Have a guard again. She hated the idea of being constantly watched, but with Clive it was different. They were friends and Robb trusted his loyalty enough to keep his wife safe when he couldn't be around. Plus, the position of Queensguard did come with a considerable pay and she was happy enough if it went to Clive and his family.
And then at last, they spotted the towers of the Crossing in the distance and it took them the rest of the afternoon to reach her mother's first home. Narcissa and Clive were among the first to be led inside the walls. He was still talking next to her but Narcissa wasn't paying attention anymore. Instead, her gaze was focused on a horse who was being brought to the barns by a stable-boy. It was a mare, entirely white except for a black spot on her right flank. "Are you still here, Lady Narcissa?" Clive asked next to her, his tone light-hearted despite a small hint of concern.
"Yes," Narcissa breathed out absentmindedly until she understood why she felt intrigued by the horse. "It's just that," she murmured before wetting her lips, "that's Queen Bee over there." She explained, tilting her chin at the animal so that Clive would follow her gaze. "We called her like that because of the shape of the black spot on her side. I just don't know what she's still doing here."
Piero, Gloria and Narcissa had travelled with six horses. Mainly in order not to tire them out, but also because they hadn't packed lightly (that was mostly Narcissa's fault). Why would Piero and Gloria have left Queen Bee behind, though?
"All horses look the same," Clive chuckled, jumping off his own stallion and waiting to help Narcissa off Carmel. Besides Robb, Clive was the only other person allowed to do it.
As soon as she was back on her feet, she bolted in the direction of the stables before Clive could stop her. The barns, they never smelled pleasantly but she was too preoccupied to notice the stench. Walking on wet hay, Narcissa made her way inside until she found the mare in her box, being brushed by the stable-boy she had just seen outside.
"What's her name?" She asked the young man as she approached the horse to pet its muzzle. It didn't pull back but that didn't mean anything. Animals had always liked her.
"She doesn't have a name," he replied as he continued grooming the horse, barely paying her any attention.
"Then how long have you had her for?" Narcissa inquired with impatience. If Walder Frey had stolen her horse, he better have a damn good reason.
"I don't know," the young man replied curtly once again and Narcissa took notice of his accent for the first time. He didn't have the usual Riverlands accent, more like a southern tilt. "I've only been working here for two days."
She continued glaring at the brown-haired man but he didn't say anything else and she wasn't about to torture him in her grandfather's home just to make sure he wasn't lying. Seething, she turned around only to notice Clive had been standing behind her the entire time without her even sensing his presence. They walked out of the stables together and Narcissa spotted the Blackfish entering the keep. Without a thought, she pulled up her skirts and ran up to him.
"Have you received any news?" Narcissa whispered, remaining purposefully vague knowing that castle walls very often had ears.
"Not yet," Brynden replied with a frown that matched hers. She had no idea of travel times but she was quite sure they should have had heard something by now.
Narcissa grabbed his arm, pulling him down to her so she could ask for more details but he quickly shook his head, mouthing "not now" as they made their way inside the great hall. It was too crowded for Narcissa's taste and she couldn't see anything since everyone was taller than her. She could vaguely hear Walder Frey say something but she was still too far back to make out the words.
Squeezing in between the people who hadn't yet recognized her, a servant offered bread and salt which she hesitantly accepted. Salt tasted good, so did bread but the combination of it was peculiar. "Have you come here to bring her back?" Walder taunted in his crackly voice. "I do not take returns, I warned you she was a handful, your Grace."
Finally, Narcissa saw Robb's back and almost sighed with relief, the crowd already having made her anxious. She noticed as his fist tightened around the hilt of his sword until Catelyn slapped it away. "No, my lord. That's not what I came here for." He replied with his jaw clenched just as she finally appeared next to him. Immediately, he turned away from Walder to look at her with furrowed eyebrows, silently asking where she had been.
"Ah!" Walder Frey exclaimed with a scoff as he took a look at his granddaughter. "I see you handled her well enough to get her with child!" Her grandfather laughed, quickly followed by her uncles and Narcissa rolled her eyes so far back, she worried they'd get stuck. Robb brought his hand to her shoulder then, bringing her closer to him. Somehow, he was more offended by her grandfather's words than she was, or maybe she was simply used to it. "I suppose congratulations are in order," Walder continued still in that derisive tone of his, "the Young Wolf and his bitch are getting a pup!"
Narcissa blinked a couple of times at his words with disbelief as Robb's grip tightened on her shoulder and he pulled her closer to him as she became almost entirely hidden in his cloak. She noticed her husband's stance as he got ready to leap forward against Walder, but she held him back by his cloak. Narcissa knew her grandfather didn't like her a lot, but to call her a bitch in front of an audience was an unexpected first. Still, Robb needed his men and she wouldn't let anything jeopardize their alliance. In the end, Catelyn was the only one who managed to remain poised enough to say anything. "Thank you, my lord. We are looking forward to welcoming this new addition to our family." She said but even her voice sounded strangled.
"Well, I have enough room in the hall for you lot," Walder announced, trying to get up from his chair without help from his wife who was barely of age. "We'll set up tents outside with food and ale for the rest of your men."
"Thank you, my lord," Robb replied, his tone openly irreverential and his voice dripping with sarcasm. Narcissa was forced to look at her feet so that no one would notice her smirk.
Finally, Walder managed to get up on his feet and clapped his hands once, dismissing everyone even though the King outranked him. Everyone started deserting the hall at once and a servant girl appeared out of nowhere to lead Narcissa and Robb to their chambers. The sun was already setting and the wedding would take place the next day. Unsurprisingly, they were assigned the same chambers as on their wedding night.
"Did he always talk to you like that?" Robb asked with irritation, taking off his cloak as soon as the servant had kindled a fire and left them alone.
"Walder?" She wondered and he nodded in response. "Only when I actually bothered listening to him which didn't happen often, I'll admit," Narcissa chuckled, plopping down on a chair to take off her riding boots. Her belly was starting to get in her way, but for now, she was still able to do it on her own.
"I shouldn't have allowed him to talk to you like that." Robb sighed, shaking his head before pouring them two cups of Walder's cheap wine. Even the smell was unpleasant but she was thirsty enough to drink it anyways.
"You need his help, for now," Narcissa reminded him, stressing the last two words before helping him take off his armor. "But when we're safely in Winterfell, I might inadvertently send someone to poison his drink." She said with a wink, though she wasn't quite she was joking.
Robb looked down at her with a grin. Narcissa had a sharp tongue but he doubted she could kill someone and he wasn't quite sure how that made him feel. He loved that innocence of hers, it made him forget all the horrors he had witnessed on the battlefield when he was with her. But if it ever came down do it, Gods forbid it did, but if her life was on the stake, he hoped she would be able to do it. And yet, the mere thought of it, of her being in danger, filled him with nausea.
He couldn't wait until the war and the danger were over, and he got to take her home and show her around the keep. He knew she would adapt to the cold weather quickly, he just hoped that the lack of sunlight wouldn't bother her like it had to his mother. In the past weeks, he had thought about it more often than not and he could picture the two of them standing next to each other on the decks watching their son practice archery just like his parents had done in the past. Narcissa would most likely want to bet with him about their son's aim, she was always one to gamble. But until that could happen, he first needed Walder's men.
"I'm going to meet with the council and Walder so we can start organizing the news recruits," he said before kissing her forehead, feeling conflicted about leaving her alone (except for Clive) but he wanted to get it over quickly so they could leave again the day after the wedding.
Narcissa nodded in response. "We will meet here later, then," she stated, heading to the door as Robb gave her a confused look. "Your uncle invited me for a drink," Narcissa added when he continued staring at her expectantly.
"Why are you spending so much time with the Blackfish as of late?" Robb now asked accusatorily, reaching the door before she did and blocked her path. "I was told you were seen whispering with him when you should have been in the great hall with me."
"I was talking to him because I enjoy his company." She replied curtly, trying to grab the door handle but Robb didn't budge which only aggravated her further. He still had that serious look on his face, his Tully blue eyes focused on her brown ones like he expected a real answer. "Jealousy isn't a good look on you." Narcissa concluded quickly, before removing his hand from the handle without a warning and exiting into the corridors where Clive was already waiting to take her to Brynden.
"You're absolutely sure it's your horse, then?" Brynden Tully asked unconvinced, leaning against the thin wood wall of the stables which barely supported his weight.
"Yes," Narcissa sighed, caressing the mare's muzzle. "She is the only horse I've met who refuses sugar cubes. And," she added, spinning on her feet to look at Brynden and Clive, "I would recognize her black spot anywhere."
Clive still looked dubious that she'd able to recognize a horse she hadn't seen in over a year but the Blackfish now seemed contemplative as he kept on staring at Narcissa and the white mare. "Would you recognize the other horses too?" Brynden asked with a frown.
"I'm not sure. I don't think so." Narcissa admitted, stepping out of the box to get a look at the horses. They all looked the same to her, especially in the dark, the only light coming from the torch Clive was holding. "Why? Should I?"
Brynden cleared his voice before speaking as if he was uncertain of what he was saying. "It's one thing if Walder kept one of the horses. It's an entirely different thing if he kept all of them." Narcissa felt her brows furrow at his allusion, rapidly having caught up to the hidden meaning of his words.
"What's the difference?" Clive asked with confusion then as his eyes wandered from the Blackfish to Narcissa. Brynden groaned with frustration, clearly not patient enough to explicit his words.
"If the other five horses are here too, it means Gloria and Piero never left." Narcissa explained quickly and noticed the Blackfish nod at her words. She turned to look at Queen Bee again, hoping that by some miracle the animal would be able to talk to her.
Walder promised her friends would be free to leave if she wed Robb Stark. She had talked to Piero at the wedding and met with Gloria the following day, but she never actually saw them ride off. "I need to get into his office." Narcissa announced a little too loudly, startling both men who were deep in their own thoughts. Every lord kept a trace, a bill of sale, of the horses he acquired, she just needed to find it. "We need to go now while he's still in council."
The Blackfish seemed to agree with her for he immediately started heading for the door, quickly followed by Narcissa herself. Clive didn't appear convinced by the idea but didn't really have a choice. His King had made him promise to be the Queen's shadow and though Robb was merciful, Clive wasn't sure he wouldn't react well if he lost her.
The hallways were entirely empty now. It was rather late and Narcissa had remarked on her previous short stay at the Twins that the Frey's weren't night owls. Besides, everyone of importance would be in council in the library.
"Clive, you will keep guard to make sure no one comes in," Narcissa ordered in a whisper as they walked through a narrow corridor. "The Blackfish and I will look through his office and see if we can find anything compromising."
Narcissa knew where Walder's office was, that was where she had first talked to him. The only issue was that it was close to her grandfather's private chambers and she didn't know how much longer council would last.
Unsurprisingly, the door was locked but it wasn't truly a problem. She knew how to pick locks, it was how she had gotten into her father's own office in the first place to steal the sword. Clive handed her a small dagger and within seconds, the door was open.
It seemed like the room hadn't properly been aired in weeks and there was a stench that didn't quite agree with her full stomach, but she suppressed it as best as she could. Now wasn't the best time to be hit with nausea. Brynden had lit a candle without her noticing and was already going to the drawers on the desk.
Narcissa headed for a pile of parchment stacked on a small table and proceeded to skim through them. Most of them were bills for Roslin and Edmure's wedding, many of them unpaid. There was food, wine, cake but what caught her attention the most was the ridiculous high price Walder was paying for the musicians. Cosimo was very well off, nothing comparable to Walder, and even he wouldn't pay that much for music. No wonder the Crossing was almost in ruins, her grandfather had no idea how to run a household.
"I have found something." Brynden said out the blue, startling her in the process. He was holding up two pieces of parchment, letters without doubt.
"Whom are they from?" Narcissa inquired, immediately discarding the bills to join the Blackfish by the desk.
"They're yours." He replied seemingly confused as he handed her the letters.
She immediately recognized her own handwriting. Both were addressed to her father. In one of them, she told Cosimo how disappointed she was with Walder. The second one was when Walder had arranged her marriage and she wrote to her father to let him know her trip would last a little longer than expected. She remembered how she had tried reassuring him without telling him what was going on. "These are old," Narcissa sighed, falling back on a chair. It felt like an entirely different person had written these and so much had changed since then. "I wrote these before I even got married."
"Seems like Walder didn't want your father to know of your whereabouts." The Blackfish concluded gravely, ripping the parchment from her hand to get another look at the letters. "Are they in good terms? Your father and your grandfather, I mean." He asked, and somehow Narcissa got the feeling Brynden always led on more than what he actually said in his few words.
"Not really." She replied, looking around the room without focusing on anything in particular. "Walder never forgave my father for having taken my mother with him because she was the most beautiful of his daughters and he had intended to marry her off to some lord in Westeros." Narcissa replied absentmindedly and the Blackfish merely grunted in response. She had never paid that story much attention except from the swordfight part. When she had been told of it, she had never set a foot in Westeros and everything seemed so very foreign and far away to her like some tale her mother read to her before bed. And then, all of a sudden, it clicked.
"Walder lost one of his daughters to Cosimo," she whispered with a frown, suddenly gripping the armrests much tighter until her knuckles turned white. "And everyone knows Walder is a prickly man, ready to take offense."
"Your letters never left the Twins and if that mare of yours is still here, so are the other horses most likely," Brynden drawled looking at Narcissa with a smirk even though he was implying something somber. If Walder wanted revenge, he couldn't risk word getting out, that meant Piero and Gloria were without doubt still held up in the Twins.
"A daughter for a daughter." She concluded with a scoff, now with a matching smirk. Walder wanted vengeance all along: If he couldn't get Amara back, then Cosimo wouldn't get his daughter back either. "And when Robb chose me, Walder tried convincing him to pick someone else but Robb still married me, and Walder had no other choice but to let me go."
"And now, you're back here for the wedding." The Blackfish stated, standing up from his chair to go open the door and drag a startled Clive inside by his collar. "And he has until the morning after to kill you." From her peripheric vision, she noticed Clive's eyes open wide at the mention of the word 'kill', only this time the Blackfish bothered explaining what was going on in hushed voices to her guard.
"We need to tell the King about this." Clive blurted out loudly and Brynden smacked the back of his head before warning him to be more quiet.
"No, we are not telling Robb." Brynden objected firmly and Narcissa found herself nodding at him despite Clive's protesting glare.
"If we tell Robb, he'll confront Walder and blow up this alliance. We need his men." Narcissa sighed, eyeing the Blackfish who shook his head almost imperceptibly. Still no news from the mercenaries then. "Besides, even if we are right – something we aren't sure of yet -", she said calmly, giving both men a pointed stare, "Walder would never have me killed in front of a witness." As long as she remained with either one of them, or with Robb, she was safe.
"We need to go to the cells are see if your friends are still there to confirm it." Clive finally spoke and both Narcissa and the Blackfish found themselves in agreement. There was no way she'd recognize the horses, so going to the dungeons unseen was the only way to prove their theory and free Gloria and Piero, if they were right.
"We'll go before the wedding tomorrow." Narcissa decided before grabbing the armrests again to get up. "The council will be over soon and we need to get the hell out of here before it is."
Narcissa got to their chambers just minutes before Robb did. She heard him talk with Clive outside, before dismissing the soldier for the night.
Narcissa used those precious minutes to discard her gown and jump into bed with a book to make it look like she had been back ages ago. Robb appeared tired, she immediately noticed the dark circles beneath his eyes. Council meetings were never captivating, and with the Freys present, she was truly happy not to be in her husband's shoes.
"Roose Bolton arrived with his men a couple of hours ago." He informed her absentmindedly as she watched him add a few more logs to the fire.
It reminded her immensely of their wedding night and yet everything was so very different now. They had grown comfortable in each other's presence, more than many other married couples ever did for the war had obliged them to share their accommodation instead of sleeping in separate chambers like most noble couples did.
Robb always rekindled the fire before going to bed and it irked her beyond words. She usually woke up in the middle of the night at Riverrun to put down the flames and open the windows. Then she'd go back to bed only to wake up again a few hours later with Robb clinging to her for warmth.
"Why did Bolton bother coming here when we are riding back South again after the wedding?" She asked after a while when he lied down next to her.
"In his letter, he said something about marrying one of Walder's granddaughters," Robb groaned tiredly, rubbing his eyes before stretching out his arm on the mattress as a silent invitation which Narcissa readily accepted.
Walder Frey certainly was on a lucky streak: A Stark, a Tully and a Bolton. Narcissa would have been impressed if she hadn't felt sorry for whichever girl was to marry Roose Bolton.
"But isn't it odd he brought his men?" Narcissa insisted, resting her head on his chest. It would never cease to amaze her how despite his muscular stature, he still made the best pillow.
"He didn't bring all of them, most remained at Harrenhal. But he couldn't risk travelling on his own."
His words did make sense to her but she couldn't help wondering how many men they were talking about. Ten or a thousand?
But those thoughts were quickly overcome by her biggest concern, namely her own grandfather. She had known all along he didn't hold her in his heart but she was still his kin. And yet there was no reasonable explanation why he would have kept her from communicating with her father. Brynden had immediately assumed that he wanted to kill her for revenge and though the idea had first appeared farfetched to her, she couldn't come up with a plausible alternative.
"Can I tell you something?" She whispered after a while, not sure if Robb was already asleep until he hummed in response. "I know I don't say it often, but I do love you quite a lot." It still felt weird to her to say it out loud but somehow, it felt like the right moment to repeat it.
A second later, her back was on the mattress again and Robb was sitting next to her, his hands on her belly. "Listen carefully son because your mother only utters those words on very rare occasions," he whispered at her belly with a devilish grin on his face as he teasingly gazed into Narcissa's eyes.
Without missing a beat, she playfully hit his shoulder with her right foot, trying not to laugh at his antics. Robb mocked being offended for a second before a smile took over his face again. "No need to pay attention to the foot kicks though, they happen often enough." He murmured as seriously as he could until laughter escaped Narcissa's lips and contaminated him.
"But for the record, I love you too, Cissa."
-/-/-/-
Robb left her side early, needing to go check up on his men outside before the wedding. It made her wonder how much free time they'd have when the war was over, if they even made it out alive. It dawned on her that they had never known each other outside of the war. Were they both the same people when they weren't living in muddy war encampments? Would they still get on with each other when they spent all their days in a castle?
Her mind was a true whirlwind as she lowered herself into the warm water of the bath she had ordered. It was a sort of generalized anxiety that had her skin in goose bumps and a constricted feeling in her head. It went from concern about the food at the feast that evening, to the fear that she would indeed encounter Gloria and Piero in a cell only to worry that once back in his home in the North, Robb would forget all about her.
Narcissa left the water in shivers despite the fire still burning big in the fireplace. She decided to pack her things then, they were leaving again the following morning and she would welcome any and every distraction. There was a knock on her and a servant came in with a tray of food. She noticed Clive's stance change by the open door as the foreigner approached her to set up the table, and the soldier only relaxed again when the girl had scurried off the room.
"Come eat with me," Narcissa invited him in but it sounded more like an order for some reason.
Clive immediately noticed her shaking hands as she tried to cut her food and did it for her. She felt like a small child as she put vegetable after vegetable in her mouth, until realizing that Walder might as well just poison her and be done with it though she doubted even he would be cowardly enough to kill her that way. Narcissa spit out the food, suddenly feeling unwell. It wasn't the taste but the knot in her stomach.
"Are you alright, Lady Narcissa?" Clive inquired with worry in front of her, leaving his chair at once to fill her glass with water.
"How would I be?" She blurted out then, swatting his hand away and accidentally making the glass fall off the table in the process. Shards went flying everywhere, one piece of it landing on her barefoot as a skinny red line appeared on her skin. Blood. Hadn't she already seen enough blood for a lifetime? "Either my own grandfather wants me dead or I have become mad enough to suspect him of plotting my death. Frankly, I don't know which one is worse." Narcissa groaned, taking out of the glass piece with her bare hands as blood ran down her finger. There was nothing she had hated more than having blood on her hands, it was sticky and obscenely crimson.
Next to her, Clive was already sweeping the floor. It made her feel guilty, having her friend on his knees, cleaning away the mess she had made. "I'm sorry, Clive. I shouldn't have talked to you like that," she murmured, eyeing the floor to make sure she could get up safely. "The mare is Queen Bee, and I'm Queen Bitch, huh?" Narcissa joked as she stepped foot on the cold ground again.
She heard him chuckle at her words as she made her way over to her trunk. "I couldn't imagine a better queen for the North than you." He said quietly.
"Don't flatter me or I'll be tempted to keep you as my guard long after the war is over." She scoffed, picking out a blue dress from her trunk. She had never liked blue a lot, but Robb seemed to like that color on her and she had started wearing it more often since finding out.
"Wear this." Clive spoke seriously as he threw a package on the bed. Narcissa eyed him with curiosity before making her way to the bed to open it. It was a chain mail. The rings were very small, woven tightly around each other. "I took it from the armory for you."
Narcissa grabbed the mail and held it out in front of her. It was long, most certainly covering her upper tights. But most of all, it was heavy beyond words. "I'm not wearing this," she decided, throwing it back on the bed.
"Either you wear it or you're not going to the dungerons." He said authoritatively, his green eyes stoic.
She wanted to protest but knew it was futile. If she did, Clive might decide to tell Robb and then it would all be out of her hands. Sighing, she threw the blue dress back into the trunk and picked a burgundy one instead. It was larger and the neckline more modest, high enough to hide the mail beneath it. In any case, she would change before going to the wedding.
Silently, she hid behind the screen and got dressed just as Brynden entered the room without a warning. He looked furious, apparently he had found Edmure on horseback, trying to run away. Despite her anxiety, it was enough to make her laugh.
The three of them made their way to the dungeons. She knew where they were, and anyway, castles always kept their dungeons in the same place. The only real issue was to go by unseen and she had the Blackfish to thank for that for he had a keener sense of hearing than she did.
Narcissa was surprised at first not to find someone guarding the entrance to the dungeons, but that surprise quickly dissipated when she found the reason behind it. Each and every cell was empty. There was no one at all except for the three of them and she fell a wave of relief wash over her.
Brynden decided to step inside each cell to make sure as Clive stood next to her. After a few minutes, the Blackfish joined them again, shaking his head. "We were all just being paranoid," Narcissa laughed. "The horse was just that then, a horse," she concluded.
"What about the letters?" Clive insisted and from his expression, Narcissa noticed Brynden was asking himself the same question.
"Gloria must have forgotten to send them, she was a bit forgetful sometimes," she said lightly, dismissing their worries. However horrible Walder was, she was glad to find that he had never intended to harm her.
Narcissa was about to say that they should go back upstairs so that they could change when a single bell rang through the air. She looked up confused at the two men, until someone bothered explaining to her what was going. "The wedding ceremony is starting soon."
Did you like it? Please let me know!
As you can all imagine, the next chapter will focus on Edmure and Roslin's wedding. I have already finished writing chapter 15 (just need to proofread it) but I've not yet decided when to post it because if I have exams next week and otherwise there might be over a week between chapter 15 and 16…
Would you guys prefer to have chapter 15 quickly, or wait so that there isn't too much time between the posting of ch15 and ch16?