"What a sweet lady. Sing lady, sing! Of course, she wakes the dragon.
Love always wakes the dragon and suddenly
flames everywhere." –Richard Siken

Chapter 5

"Tell me something." Robb's low-voiced request was slightly amplified throughout the tiny room. The lovers were currently lounging in front of the large fireplace in Robb's room. They were completely sated after a round of love-making and were now enjoying each other's company while wearing nothing but the blankets they had ripped off his bed.

Mal rolled over to address her husband. "Whatever shall I tell you?"

Robb smiled softly before kissing her on her forehead. "Anything… everything, tell me about Dorne." Mal laughed at her husband's boyish curiosity before she sat up causing the blanket to pool around her hips leaving her torso exposed. The couple had been married for almost two months and could barely keep their hands off of each other. Every night the pair would end up in either Robb or Mal's room, keeping each other up in breathless delight.

Mal stared into the fire trying to gather her thoughts. "Dorne is…hard to explain." She trailed off quietly. Robb looked up her and rubbed her caramel-colored arm. "Well then what about Sunspear?"

She shook her head. "No, that won't do either. Why don't I tell you about the Water Gardens?" Robb nodded his head energetically before sitting up and kissing her shoulder.

Mal stared deeper in the flames as long forgotten memories started to flow over her. "It's not actually a garden, per say. It's a palace by the sea filled with fountains and pools for children to play in. It's unbearably hot in Dorne, more so than I doubt a Northern scourge like you could ever imagine." That bit of disrespect earned Mal a playful bite to her shoulder. "So to cool down we would spend hours jumping from one pool to another. We'd make sandcastles and fight to defend them from the incoming tide. We'd work together to reach the blood oranges hanging from nearby trees and when we became tired, we'd lie on the cool pink marble and let the sun lure us to sleep."

Robb kissed her shoulder before moving up her neck. "Did all of your siblings join?" Mal giggled as he bit her earlobe. "Calm yourself, wolf. I thought you wanted a story?" Robb put his arms around her and pulled her into his lap. "I do, I do. Don't stop."

"Fine then, but behave. To answer your question: yes, all of my siblings did join, but not at the same time. My sister and I played in the pools with all the noble children, a few of my bastard cousins and even some children of the soldiers and maids-"

"You weren't separated? The princesses of Dorne played with the common children?" Robb interrupted utterly confused. The only playmates he had ever known have been nobly born - with the exception of his half-brother.

Mal could've laughed at look on Robb's face but decided to kiss him instead. "Yes, you silly pup, we all played together. On top of that girls and boys would play in the same pool… naked."

Mal felt Robb's arms tighten around her and she fought the urge to laugh at the dark look on his face. "You'd play in pool naked with other boys and your father did nothing to stop it?" He asked with his brows furrowing.

Mal kissed his brow before answering with a shrug of her shoulders. "It's tradition, we were children. There was no thought of seduction or anything wrong about it. Most of the people in the pools around the time I played in them were my family."

Robb seemed to relax at that and went back to alternating kissing her shoulders and neck. "Why did you leave?"

She sadly smiled. "Everyone leaves, usually it happens when girls begin to flower and boys start to turn into men. The only one in my family who still plays in the pools from time to time is little Trystane."

Robb stopped his ministrations to look at his wife. "You miss them" he stated matter-of-factly.

Mal avoided his eyes before shrugging again. "It is natural, is it not? I'm sure your mother missed Riverrun when she came here. It'll pass."

Robb shook his head. "I've been so stupid. Here I am asking you about your home and not once realizing how painful it must be for to talk about it Forgive me, Mal."

Mal looked at her husband before placing her forehead on his. "There's nothing to forgive, Robb. To be perfectly honest with you talking about home does help my homesickness."

"I just want to make you feel comfortable here." Robb sighed which caused Mal to smirk and place her hand on his lap and gave his hardening member a small squeeze. "In that case, I know something that'll make me feel very comfortable."

Robb returned her smirk with his own grin before pouncing on his wife.

Despite spending their nights playing between the sheets with one another Robb and Mal barely acknowledged each other during the day. They would go down to eat breakfast with the rest of the Stark children and that would be the last time they would see each other until the night. Mal would spend her time tending after the younger Starks and helping her good mother run the household while Robb would spend his time training with Theon and Jon under the watchful eye of Ser Rodrik Cassel. While none of the Northerners found anything odd with the arrangement, Mal's uncle Oberyn had plenty to say.

"Does your husband not please you, niece?" He bluntly questioned as he oversaw his Dornish servants load the wagons for the return trip back to Dorne.

Mal bristled at his tone. "He pleases me just fine, uncle" she stanchly told him.

With a quirk of his eyebrows, Oberyn turned to his niece. "Well then tell me why I never see the two of you together? He's off training in the ring right now."

Mal scoffed before shrugging her shoulders. "He's very shy… in public. It's still a bit of a shock for him – having a wife. He just needs time to adjust."

It was Oberyn's turn to scoff at his niece's words. "And while he's 'adjusting' he's treating you like his personal whore."

As quick as lightening Mal turned to her uncle and sneered at him. "Have a care of what you say, my prince. When you have arrived safely back in Dorne then you can say whatever you want about me and my marriage. You can even have a great laugh with Arianne and Nym over it but until then hold your tongue."

Taken a back Oberyn smiled softly at his niece and put up his hands in an apologetic gesture. "Peace, sweetling. I was merely teasing. I daresay the Stark's infamous zero sense of humor has rubbed off on you. This is our last meeting for who knows how long. Do not let my jokes sour it for the both of us."

Mal's angry at her uncle switched to sadness in an instant. Her eyes filled up with tears as she berated herself for almost ruining their goodbye. "Oh uncle." She tearfully said as she threw her arms around his shoulders. Oberyn patted her back and kissed her hair. "Come now, no tears or I'll tell Arianne how absolutely miserable you look right now." His teasing was awarded with a swift pinch from Mal.

She pulled away and wiped her tears. "You will say no such thing." Oberyn nodded along before mounting his horse. "Fear not, I shall tell Arianne, your father, and all your cousins that the North suits you well. I've never seen you look more beautiful. Smile love, enjoy your puppy and remember to name your first-born after me." He cheekily finished as he called out for the Dornish caravan to start its Journey.

Mal raised her hand in farewell as she watched her uncle and travel companions make the slow winding journey back to Dorne. She watched them until they were nothing but a dot on the horizon. Lost in her thoughts she didn't feel the body that came up behind her and jumped when they put their arms around her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," came Robb's sheepish apology. "I saw you standing here as I was walking back from the training yard. I take it your uncle has left."

"Yes, I'm sorry you didn't get a chance to say goodbye." Smiling to Robb she put her hand to his cheek where his beard was starting to grow back causing the bristles of hair to lightly scratch her hand.

"That's alright; I don't think he liked me very much to tell the truth."

"He liked you just fine. You worry too much Stark; you'll go grey before your 20th name day." She teased him as she tousled his hair, an act Robb did not enjoy but he dealt with it for her.

Robb looked around before giving her a kiss on the cheek. "I have to attend to something with my father, but afterwards I would like to take you somewhere."

"A surprise? Robb, you don't have to." Mal cooed.

He shook his head. "I want to, just allow me to spoil you once in a while, princess."

Mal gave him a kiss and he eagerly returned it. "Only 'once in a while'?"

Robb chuckled before kissing her once again. "See you soon." Mal gave him a soft smile as he walked away.

Not wanting to return to her duties, Mal rambled around the courtyard while waiting for Robb's return.

"They sent me North to marry the supposed 'wolf pup' and here I am waiting like some eager puppy… fool."

Mal turned her head as soon as she heard someone approaching her.

"Shouldn't you be inside, I hear Dornishwomen don't do well in the cold, but I'm sure your hot cunt keeps you warm." Theon Greyjoy arrogantly commented as he looked over Mal.

Mal squared her shoulders before addressing the Iron Islander. "Funny, I've heard that Ironborn don't do well in civilization," Mal put her hands out in a presenting manner. "But, see, here you are thriving. I shall have to send a letter home; my family will never believe me."

Theon's smirk quickly fell off his face and a scowl took its place. "Careful what you say woman, wouldn't want Robb to hear about his little whore being rude to his best friend."

Incensed Mal stepped up to Theon. "I am his wife not his whore. And I will not take orders from a boy who tries to act bigger than he really is. I am a Princess of Dorne, and you are nothing but a hostage," she gave him an evil sneer. "… guppy."

Theon was about to retort with something equally as cruel but the pair were interrupted by Robb's cheerful voice. "There you are! I was wondering where you went off to," he wrapped his arm around her waist and gave her a kiss on the head. "And I see you found company." He gave Theon a nod of his head

Mal slapped on a false smile before addressing her husband. "Yes, Theon has been gracious enough to keep me company while you've been away."

For all of Theon's vices and faults, he was still a nobleman's son and could play this courtly game as well as Mal. Plastering on a smile as fake as Mal's he grinned at his friend. "I didn't want your wife to wander off. I don't imagine you'd want to spend the rest of your day looking for her." With a nod of his head Theon bid farewell to both Mal and Robb.

Mal glared at Theon's back as he walked away before turning to look adoringly at Robb. "So where's my surprise?" She asked him eagerly.

"Patience, princess, I need you to close your eyes until I tell you to open them. Can you promise me that?"

Giving him her sweetest smile she answered him. "I swear it."

"Can I open them now?"

"No"

"How about now?"

"Nope"

"Robb!" Mal whined as he led her on an unknown path. His hands were on her hips gently pushing her forward. She was about to complain one more time when she felt the temperature around them rise rapidly.

"Robb?" she asked unsurely.

Robb grinned at his wife. "Now you can open them."

Mal's eyes were greeted by the sights of many different plants and radiant flowers but upon closer inspection Mal realized that some of the plants in the greenhouse were of Dornish origin. It was the most breathtaking sight Mal had seen in a long time. She was becoming so used to the harshness of the North that she had almost forgotten the beauty of flora and fauna. Her mind was invaded with memories of her and her cousins lying out on the bank of the river and hiding in the tall grass when her father's attendants would come looking for her. She thought of her Uncle and all his lessons when it came to flowers and their properties. Coming back to the present with a raised eyebrow Mal turned to her husband and gave him a quizzical look.

"I promised to show you the greenhouse, didn't I? Well, here it is. What do you think? It's much warmer than any other place in Winterfell. Mother has a lot of plants that she has brought with her from Riverrun growing here. I thought it would be a nice idea to send for some plants from Dorne, to help your transition?"

For the second time that day Mal felt her eyes start to water, unfortunately Robb took the tears the wrong way.

"Oh no, I've done it again. Mal, I didn't mean to make you cry, I just thought-" Robb was cut off when Mal jumped on him and gave him a passionate kiss while she wrapped her legs around him.

"Robb Stark, you sweet, sweet, bloody fool. Why the Gods blessed me with such a sweet, wonderful husband, I shall never know. I love you; I love you, I-"Mal cut off when she realized what she was saying. She immediately jumped off Robb and backed away from him.

"You've done it now, you dumb slut, to admit that you love him when you've only known him less than two months. He'll either think you're mad or that you truly are a fool."

Robb stared at her wide-eyed for a few moments before catching her up and kissing her fiercely. Mal, who was relieved that Robb didn't reject her, kissed him back with as much passion as he had given her. "I love you too." He said simply when the two of them reluctantly ended the kiss.

Mal's eyes started to water again. "Truly? You truly love me, Robb Stark? We've only known each other for less than two months. I understand if you think of me as a foolish, lovesick girl."

Robb laughed before kissing her tears away. "If you are a fool, then I am double the fool. For I have been half in love with you the moment I laid eyes on you. You are perfection to me. I feel like a little boy because I'm always tripping over words when I'm with you. I rack my brain at night trying to find the courage to talk to you the next day. I'm sorry if it seems that I've been avoiding you. I hope you accept this as my apology."

"You have nothing to apologize for. I realized that you must have been shy; it's a very big change to be married at such a young age," Mal sniffed before grabbing the lapel of Robb's coat and pulling him into her, almost immediately she felt Robb's body react to hers. "But if you truly feel apologetic. I suggest we return back to your room and I'm sure you'll find a way to make it up to me."

With a wide grin, Robb sweeped her off her feet and quickly made his way back to his room.

A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. My hard drive crashed last week which wasn't a lot of fun. Thankfully, I managed to snag an external hard drive and save my pics/documents/downloads etc. So it wasn't a total loss. Thanks again for reading, reviewing, and adding this story to your favorites. I'll try to put up another chapter this weekend.