So I just found out that I can update stories with my phone, which is an amazing discovery for me. I no longer have to lug my laptop around town with me to steal wifi, which I think is just the greatest thing in the world. That means I'll be able to update stories a hell of a lot faster!
I apologize for taking so long to update, but now that I know I can use my phone to do it, there shouldn't be much time between new chapters. So here goes another one. Hope everyone enjoys it! And don't forget to drop a review letting me know what you think!
Thanks for the patience everyone, and I hope you enjoy this chapter!
"I don't know how comfortable I feel going to the feast tonight." Jon admitted in a hushed voice. He kept his back turned to his brother, almost ashamed to look him in the eye.
Robb glanced over his shoulders and shot him a confused look. "Why?"
Jon shrugged and fumbled clumsily with the belt wrapped around his waist. "I don't think Lady Stark wants me there."
Robb walked over to his brother and grabbed him by the shoulders, turning Jon around so he could face him. Robb saw the sadness and defeat on his brother's solemn features. You'd think that after seventeen years of seeing your brother look that way you'd get used to it. Unfortunately, Robb never did.
A part of him, a big part of him, always hated his mother for the way she treated Jon. Even when they were small children, Robb could still remember Cat ignoring Jon as he cried for her, for the comfort that only a mother could provide her child. And no matter how many times Robb tried to convince his mother to treat Jon better it had never seemed to work.
Robb flashed his brother a smile of reassurance, shaking him gently. "It's my name day celebration. I decide who I want at the feast, and I want my brother there."
Jon couldn't help but smile. "Thank you."
Gwynne smoothed out the wrinkles in the fabric of her long dress, a loose strand of her dark hair falling over her eyes. She blew it away from her face and stood up straight, finally satisfied with her appearance.
Sansa was nice enough to make a dress for Gwynne for Robb's name day, and Gwynne had to admit, it was absolutely gorgeous. That girl had an extraordinary gift, that much was plain to see.
It was a beautiful light pink colour that hung off her shoulders. The sleeves were short, something Gwynne had always preferred in a dress. The fact that Sansa had remembered that made her smile. Perhaps it was because of how many times Gwynne had complained about the fabric of extravagantly long sleeves getting in her way.
Gwynne heard footsteps approaching her bedroom door and decided it was probably a good time to head downstairs to the feast. As she pulled her door open she saw Robb standing there, his hand in a fist in the air, about to knock.
"My Lady." Robb said with a smirk.
Gwynne bowed her head. "My Lord. Happy name day. Why aren't you at the feast yet?"
"It's improper for a young lady to enter a feast by herself. I thought you could give me the pleasure of escorting you." Robb held his arm out to her, that gorgeous smile never once leaving his lips.
Gwynne laughed lightly and wrapped her arm around his. "I would be honoured, my Lord."
The feast was as extravagant as one would imagine. When one of the Stark children had a name day, Ned and Cat made sure to arrange a celebration that no one in the kingdom would forget.
There was an endless array of food being passed around, the luxurious smell of fresh fruits and well cooked meat filling the air of the dinning hall. By the third course, Gwynne couldn't possibly eat anymore and had to politely wave away platters of food as they were offered to her.
Gwynne was seated at a table with all the Stark children which had always been her favourite part of feasts. It was there that she had always felt as though she had been born a Stark. Listening to Arya and Sansa fight with each other, having to watch Robb as he separated the two sisters before they strangled each other, it all made her feel as though they truly were her siblings. They may not be of the same blood, but as far as Gwynne was concerned, they were her siblings.
Gwynne took another sip of wine from her cup, listening to Bran as he announced to the table the crazy adventures only an innocent child could be blessed to have. She smiled as she listened to him talk about climbing the castle walls, something that Lady Stark would not have been pleased about if she had overheard.
"I don't think I've ever been that high before! I almost made it to the top of the castle today!" Bran said excitedly, practically jumping up and down in his seat.
Sansa rolled her eyes, "mother will kill you if she finds out. I don't know why you have to do that in the first place. It's so…improper."
Arya mocked her older sister from across the table, rolling her eyes as Sansa had a moment ago. Sansa saw her from the corner of her eye and shot her a sharp look.
Gwynne had noticed the looks and teasing going on between the sisters and was going to remind them that there wasn't supposed to be fighting tonight. But she felt eyes on her and couldn't shake the feeling.
She looked towards the end of the table and felt her entire body freeze up. Jon's deep blue eyes were staring right at her, so fiercely she swore he could see into her soul. She smiled at him nervously; she had never seen him look at her like that before. She wondered briefly what he was thinking as she grabbed a hold of her cup and raised it towards him.
Jon chuckled under his breath and did the same, both of them taking a drink from their cups at the same time. He watched her in silence, the laughter and noise surrounding him slowly fading away.
Had she always been this breathtaking? Her dark hair hung over her bare shoulders, the natural waves flowing like an endless river over her pale skin. The dress Sansa had made for her only accentuated her beauty tonight. It hugged her body tightly, the curves of her figure out in the open for everyone in Winterfell to see. He wouldn't have wanted it any other way.
Jon had been starring at her trying to gather the courage to ask for a dance. His mind was screaming at him to put his cup of wine down, walk over to her, and take her to the floor. His heart was reminding him of how good her lips had felt against his a few days ago and how amazing it would be if he would be lucky enough to experience that once again. But for the life of him, his body wouldn't move from his spot.
The truth was, he was absolutely terrified of what Lady Stark would do if she saw him dancing with Gwynne. She would kill him, without a doubt, if he even laid a hand on her. Dancing with her in front of Cat would cause him nothing but grief.
He glanced up towards the table a few feet away from him and saw Cat staring right at him. He swallowed back the lump that had swelled in his throat and quickly looked away, taking another gulp of wine to try and calm his frantic body.
"My Lady, I was wondering if I could be so honoured as to have this next dance with you."
Gwynne looked up when she heard the steady voice over the commotion of the dinning hall. A grin grew on Sansa's face as she watched Gwynne take her older brother's hand, silently accepting the invitation to share a dance together.
Sansa, Arya and Jon all watched in silence as Robb led Gwynne to where other couples were dancing. Sansa sighed heavily, turning back to her brothers and sister.
"Isn't it just so romantic?" Sansa gushed, much to Jon's dismay. "I think they're just perfect for each other. I wonder if father will let Robb marry Gwynne even though she's not of noble blood."
"Why would they marry? That's stupid." Arya pointed out. She loved Gwynne more than anything, but she had always thought of the older woman as her sister, one that she could tolerate a lot more than the sister that was flesh and blood. Didn't Robb? Wouldn't it be weird to wed someone whom you thought of as your sister all your life?
"I just think it's the perfect story. They've grown up together, their friendship seems so strong. And they would have beautiful children, don't you think?" Sansa asked, speaking to no one in particular.
Jon felt his stomach turn at the thought, the grip on his cup tightening the more he listened to his half-sister speak. His body remained still, every muscle tense as Sansa's words swam over and over in his head. His eyes moved to where his brother and Gwynne were dancing and suddenly he felt as though he was about to throw up.
Arya watched him curiously from the other end of the table, following his eyes to where they were focused. She looked back to Jon and saw the sadness in his eyes. She blinked several times, piecing it all together. She might have been a young child, but she was no idiot.
"I can't believe no one has asked for a dance with you yet. I'm lucky to be the first." Robb held Gwynne close to him, his arm wrapped around her waist and resting against the small of her back. His other hand held hers tightly as he stared into her eyes.
Gwynne couldn't help the blush that spread across her cheeks. She forced herself to look away from him. Those blue eyes of his were always dangerous, especially this close. She knew he saw the blush on her cheeks when he laughed under his breath, and cursed all the candles in the room that made it all the more easier for him to see it.
"You flatter me with your kind words, Lord Stark."
"Oh, please, not this again, Gwynne."
Gwynne and Robb burst out in laughter together as they continued to dance. Once the laughter died down Gwynne found it very hard to concentrate on the simple swaying from side to side. She couldn't help but stare at the man in front of her, despite how she tried to stop herself.
She couldn't get over the way his blue eyes always seemed to pierce right through him. The curls of his auburn hair looked crisp in the candle lit hall, moving ever so slightly as they swayed from side to side.
His hand moved against her back, edging closer to her hips as he slowly brought her closer against him. She could feel his broad chest beneath the fabric of his shirt and Gwynne found herself holding her breath. She felt her body heat up as his thumb gently circled a spot of her back.
She didn't understand this. Why was her body reacting the same way to Robb as it had with Jon only a few days ago? The way Robb was looking at her made her heart nearly leap up into her throat. Maybe it was all the wine she had throughout the night that was making her feel like this.
"Look how happy they are, Ned." Cat whispered to her Lord husband with a smile, pointing to where her son and Gwynne were sharing a dance together.
"Aye. They do seem to enjoy one another's company." Ned watched his son hold Gwynne close to him and couldn't help but smile proudly. "Have you been giving it some thought, Cat?"
She paused for a moment, watching her son carefully. He did seem happy. He always did when he was around the girl they had taken in as one of their own. Even though she wanted her eldest son to be married to someone of noble birth she couldn't help but see the positive of Robb and Gwynne being together.
She had pondered her husband's words for many years and it seemed that the more Gwynne matured into a woman, the more convinced Cat was that she would be a wonderful wife to Robb. She had grown into an extraordinary beauty, her dark eyes and dark hair made her look more like a Stark than anything else. Cat couldn't help but think of how perfectly Gwynne would fit into the Stark family if she were to marry Robb. She had already considered Gwynne to be one of her own children. The love she bore for the orphan girl was hard to ignore.
"I think they would be wonderful together. Think of all the beautiful children she would give him." Cat stared off into the distance wistfully, picturing Robb turning to face his mother with a newborn babe cradled in his strong arms.
She had been so caught up with her thoughts that she hadn't seen Jon get up from the table and make it way towards his brother and Gwynne. Cat watched in horror as Jon interrupted the couple and the bastard stepped in to dance with Gwynne.
"I suppose it's improper of me to keep such a beauty to myself all night. She's all yours, brother." Robb told Jon, patting him on the back as he backed off.
Gwynne felt the same flutter in her stomach when Jon pulled her close, his hand resting on the same spot of her back as his brother's was only a moment before. But there was something different when she danced with Jon. She wanted to stand on her toes and kiss him, right then and there. She didn't care who saw, she didn't care what people said behind her back, she just wanted to feel Jon's lips against hers once again.
"I don't think Robb's very happy that I interrupted your dance. I think he truly was hoping to you all to himself tonight." Jon teased, leaning forward and whispering into Gwynne's ear.
She shut her eyes for a brief moment and felt a shiver run down her spine from his warm breath. Since when did he have such an effect on her?
"Robb wanted no such thing. He was just being polite by asking me for a dance, Jon."
Jon chuckled against Gwynne's ear, his laughter sending tingles throughout her body. She felt them like a powerful tide spreading from her head to her toes. She leaned forward and rested her head against Jon's shoulder, a sigh of content slipping through her lips.
The more she thought of her relationship with the two brothers the more Gwynne found herself confused. She loved them as though they were her own blood. They were all raised together since they were old enough to walk. You would never see one without the other.
But as they got older, Gwynne found herself staring at the brothers longer than she normally would. She was head over heels for Robb when they were children, for reasons that seemed childish now that she looked back on it. But as he matured, as his arms began to grow and his chest began to swell with muscles, Gwynne found her attraction towards him become less innocent than they had been years ago.
It was around that same time that Gwynne had first noticed her feelings towards Jon had begun to change as well. He had grown into a true man. He carried his burden of being Ned Stark's bastard on his back. And though the weight sometimes threatened to swallow him whole, he had never let the shame overcome him. The hurtful words that were said of him and the hateful looks Lady Stark gave him had only made him a stronger man, even though sometimes Gwynne had to remind him of that. His dark curly hair, his light blue eyes, he looked more of a Stark than Ned's trueborn children.
"Everyone's watching us." Jon blurted out.
Gwynne kept her head against his shoulder but opened her eyes to see for herself. She bit her bottom lip when she noticed that practically everyone had stopped what they were doing and was now watching them intently. Some people tried to hide their stares, glancing back and forth between the pair and another spot in the hall. Others made their staring a lot more obvious.
"Are you ashamed to be dancing with me, Jon?" She tried to sound offended but knew she was doing a terrible job at it.
"Never." I just wish I could kiss you. Jon didn't dare let the words leave his lips. If he kissed her in front of everyone all hell would break loose. Gwynne would be accused of sleeping with the bastard and would be dishonoured almost instantly. No man would want anything to do with her. And Jon's father would no doubt be furious over it all.
He swallowed the lump in his throat and decided to just enjoy their time together. He didn't know how much longer they would have.
"You let him just cut in like that? What's wrong, Robb, are you going soft on me?" Theon mocked, slapping his friend across his chest as he took a seat beside his father's ward.
Robb watched his brother continue to dance with Gwynne as he cross his arms over his broad chest. It was hard not to notice how close they were dancing. "It's harmless."
Theon scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Look at how he's holding her. He looks like he's never going to let her go. You're going to let your brother touch your girl like that?"
This time Robb turned his body to face his father's ward. "I trust my brother."
"Perhaps you shouldn't trust him so much, Robb. He is a bastard, after all. They have no honour, only shame."
She had come to him in the middle of the night. He saw the look deep in her dark eyes and recognized the lust immediately. No other woman had ever looked at him with such intensity in lurking in her eyes. He felt a shiver run through his body as she approached his bed, her hands reaching up to the straps in the front of her dress.
He watched her as she slowly unlaced them, as if to tease and entice him. Finally, after what seemed like ages, Gwynne had unlaced the final strap that had held the fabric together. She slid it down her shoulders, her breasts slowly exposing themselves to him as she stood at the foot of his bed. She wiggled out of the fabric of the dress, letting it pool around her feet.
She stepped out of it effortlessly, making her way onto the bed and crawling towards him at a pace that had him going crazy.
When she was finally hovering over him, Gwynne leaned down, her lips gently brushing against his, teasing him to within an inch of his sanity. Finally, he reached up and grabbed a steady hold of her waist, pulling her down so her body was pressed against his. He could feel the warmth and softness of her breast as they caressed his chest, his lips claiming hers as his own.
She moaned into his mouth, grinding her hips against his as her fingers tangled themselves in his hair. She twirled her fingertips around the curls of his soft strands, her tongue exploring his mouth as his did the same in return.
He knew she could feel his erection pressing against her core. He could feel the moisture that gathered there for him, as if begging him to enter her and claim her as his own. His fingertips dug into her flesh, causing her to cry out into his mouth. He swallowed her cry of pleasure, demanding more from her mouth.
Finally, she pulled away, resting her forehead against his. "I want to feel you inside of me." She whispered.
He hesitated, if only for a moment. He wanted this more than anything else in the world, but he had to know that she would be forever his if he gave her what she asked for. He wouldn't be able to live out the rest of his days if he knew that she would end up giving herself to another man.
"Only if you promise you'll be mine until the very end."
She nodded, smiling. "I promise, my Lord."
He grabbed a hold of himself and angled himself so he could finally enter her. He had dreamt about this for as long as he could remember. All he had ever wanted was to feel her wrapped tightly around him, to feel her warmth and wetness until it swallowed him whole.
He found her warm, inviting lips, the moisture between her legs coating him to make the new experience for her all the more bearable. He would never be able to live with himself if he had caused her any pain.
He readied himself, to feel the warmth of a woman wrapped around him for the first time. He took a deep breath in to steady himself, and pushed his hips forward.
Robb jumped up in his bed, covered in a thick sweat and panting for air. The back of his hand came to his forehead to wipe away the perspiration that had gathered there. He glanced around his bedchambers and realized that he was alone.
"Gods…what's wrong with me?"