Riverrun, 296 AC
Since Hoster's last visit, Aylis has felt an urge need to go back to Riverrun. She managed to convince Lysa and Catelyn to all gather there. Stannis has approved this, and has looked weirdly relived to see her gone for a while. Aylis has not understood, but the mood in King's Landing has been more awful than ever: Jon and Stannis has kept being together, sometimes Aylis has not seen her husband in days. And when he has been coming back, he has been cold and grim, and has refused to tell her about anything those two have been doing. One thing leading to another, this travel to Riverrun has been one of the best decisions she has ever taken. She is impatient to see Catelyn again, and she wonders if she has changed. Last time she has seen her, she was getting married to Stannis, eight years ago. Lysa is moody during the whole trip, and her child, Robert, is whining almost all the time. Aylis is almost laughing when she sees the looks her own children give to their cousin. Robert is very small and stunted, and the difference is striking with Aistan, as they have been born on the same day or so. The two cousins, growing up in King's Landing, have always been close to each other, though you could not find two more different children. Somehow, Aylis, looking at them, has the feeling of looking at Robert and Ned. Ned has never been weak, but their differences were stunning when it comes to mind. Exactly like Robert and Aistan. Sweetrobin loves dolls, is whiny, always sticking to his mother. Aistan has already started to learn how to fight, indeed as soon as he has known how to stand on his feet; he has grabbed a wooden sword. The King has always loved this in his nephew. Aylis knows this is because he is more a son to him than Joffrey and Tommen. And, surprising everyone around them, Aistan and Sweetrobin have known how to appreciate each others. When Aistan would go train, Robert would play dolls with Shireen, even though his mother does not like that he is so close from a greyscaled child. Mostly, the two boys would meet to talk and laugh, or to watch throughout the beautiful books of the library of the red Keep, or go to the Sept and talk with the Septon. Aistan seems interested in religion, which displeases his father, but, as you would see the two boys praying together, you would never guess they are the same age. Aistan is a full head taller than Robert, and his shoulders are broad, when Robert's ones are dangling. There is only one thing that truly shock Aistan when it comes to his friend: it is when he sees him breastfed by his mother. In Westeros, some ladies breastfeed, some ask for a wet nurse. But most of them stop breastfeeding after three years, when Robert suckles as much as an infant, while he is four now. There, Lysa is breastfeeding him in front of everyone and they all look away, embarrassed. The two sisters don't exchange most words: they have stopped being close, a while ago, and Aylis has stopped trying, after a moment, to get back to Lysa. She is relieved to see the Riverrun castle getting closer and closer with each of the horses' strides. She notices a man on the stairs, waiting for them, but is surprised to see it is not their father. It is Edmure. As they get out from the carriages, Aylis holding the twins in her arms, she rushes to him:
"Where is Father?!"
Hoster has seemed very happy to have them altogether and she is very surprised that he is not here to welcome them. Edmure hugs her tight:
"Sweet sister… Father is bedridden."
She gasps loudly and the twins start to cry. She rocks them gently and sees Edmure taking one of them in his arms. He lays a sweet look upon them, and Aylis should love this, but all she thinks about right now is her father.
"Where is Cat?" she asks a bit brutally.
"She is with him", he nods at her.
Aylis rushes inside, not even asking Lysa if she is willing to go with her. She reaches the bedroom of her father and gets in without even knocking: Cat is here, a book in her hands, reading to her father, and they turn to her with the same movement. She stares at Catelyn, her dear sister, whom she has not seen in eight years. She has not changed, but maternity gave her both a softer and wilder look in her eyes. Cat stands up, and goes hug her sister. Aylis closes her eyes when her smell overwhelms her nostrils: she smells like home, she thinks and tears come to her eyes. Their hug last long, and Catelyn is the one breaking it, turning to Hoster, who stares at them with a smile.
"My daughters", he whispers and they both sit by his side. "Have you taken the children with you, Aylis?" he asks again.
She takes his hand and squeezes it tightly:
"I have, father."
"And have you seen Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon?" he asks again.
She shakes her head:
"Not yet."
"Go see them, Aylis. Don't waste your time with me. I will see you later, go, go", he waves her out, sitting up the best he can in his bed, and Catelyn leads her outside after a smile to their father. Once she has closed the wooden door, Aylis asks her:
"Is he dying?"
Catelyn looks at her:
"He is old…"
She knows it is true, but she cannot help being deeply shocked. Unable to answer whatsoever, she follows Catelyn, until the Great Hall, where all the children are reunited, Robert holding his doll tightly against his chest. Robb is the first one to look at them, and he runs to his aunt, hugging her tightly:
"Aunt Aylis!" he greets her with a smile.
"Oh, by the Seven, is it you? Robb?" she gasps, astonished.
"This is me!" he laughs and Aylis stares at him. The same thick auburn hair, the same beautiful eyes but eight years have turned him from a sweet little boy to a man-to-be. He has celebrated his thirteenth name day on this year, and he is already a very handsome young lad. The young girls in Winterfell are probably all falling for him. He gives his aunt a charming smile, and turns to his siblings:
"Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon", he points at each of them. Aylis motions her own children to join her:
"And this is Shireen, Aistan, Doryos and Oswyn, the twins."
Shireen curtseys respectfully, but Bran grabs her hand and leads her out immediately, followed by Aistan.
"Where are you going?" Aylis shouts at them.
"PLAY!" they all yell back, and Catelyn chuckles, walking to the window to look at them. Aylis joins her:
"Is it not weird, to see them play just we used to, so long ago?" Catelyn softly says.
"We are not that old. Especially not me", Aylis retorts jokingly, and Catelyn laughs, before turning to Lysa, holding Robert close.
"You do not wish to go play with your cousins?" Catelyn asks the little boy, who shakes her head fast and holds onto Lysa's dress tight, before looking up at her. "Thirsty". Lysa sits down and bares her breast, and he hurriedly suckles it. Catelyn and Aylis exchange a look but, seeing Robert suckles, Rickon and the twins ask for it too, and soon they are, the three sisters, all feeding their children. For a moment, they look softly at each other, sharing this blissful feeling of being mothers. The softness does not last, though. Robb and Sansa leave on their own, Arya joins Bran, Aistan and Shireen. Aylis does not ask Catelyn why she has not taken Jon Snow with her: she knows this is because Jon is not her blood. Although, they start talking about Ned, and Winterfell. Catelyn looks happy with him, and she says how nice he is to her, how sweet and gentle, how a great father he is as well. As she talks about him, Aylis could think she is hearing her own voice, her own words when she describes Stannis. So, she listens, a huge smile locked on her lips, when Lysa remains silent, and leaves the room after a moment. Catelyn almost stands up to follow her, but Aylis stops her:
"What use to it? She is moody, leave her be."
Catelyn sighs:
"Why does she hate us so much?"
Aylis shrugs and smiles again:
"Your children are so beautiful, Cat. Sansa is going to be such a beauty when she is fully grownup", she says admirative. "Well, she looks like you, so nothing weird here…"
Catelyn blushes deep red and chuckles:
"Thank you. Shireen is very beautiful too, and Aistan looks as strong as an ox", she says with a smile, her finger stroking the twins' cheeks.
"He is", Aylis sighs. "You will see how much he eats at dinners…"
"Better that than a child starving himself", Catelyn whispers, and Aylis knows she is talking about Robert. "Is it true that Jon has wanted him to be fostered in Dragonstone by your husband?"
Aylis nods:
"It is, but Lysa refused. She said she did not want him to be far from her."
Catelyn shakes her head slowly and soon, the children come back, muddy and their cheeks red with the cold and their runs, but their eyes shining with happiness. Aylis asks a servant to give them all a bath and they then gather all in the Great hall to eat. Edmure has not taken his father's place as head of the table, and is sitting in his usual spot. This throws Aylis back years ago, when they were eating with their father. Except now, the shouts and the laughs of children are not theirs, but their own children's. Bran, Arya, Shireen and Aistan insist to share their room, and Aylis and Cat accept gladly. They are happy the cousins get along well together and they all wish each other goodnight, as if they were siblings. Robb and Sansa are not cold, on the contrary, but the age gap is wider, so they share their own room together. And, of course, Robert will not leave his mother's bed, as the twins won't with Aylis. When she gets in her old bedroom, her guts knot, and nostalgia overwhelms her. The wooden desk is where she has written her letters for Stannis. The window, where she has looked for a crow bringing news from him to her. The bed, where she has so often dreamt of him. She smiles silently and lies the twins down carefully. Asleep, they immediately cuddle each other and she strokes their black hair silently, observing them, hearing the soft sound of their breathing, like the softest stroke she has ever felt. She lies by them and stares at her little boys, knowing that, soon enough, they will look like Robb, tall and fierce and strong.