Gifu

-ooo-

Seething, Gifu was absolutely seething when her sister ran from their chamber. With a snarl, she strode after her and stopped short at the ajar door and bit back a frustrated scream as she grabbed the wooden door and slammed it shut with as much force as she could and stormed away from it. She flopped down on the bed, her chest heaving and her hand pressed against her brow; what was she going to do? If Gara didn't pose as her and marry Thegane, their name and reputation was cast to the winds. Never to be won back. Gifu was at loath to admit; Gara was right about one thing and that was that no one liked a slut.

With a curse she leapt to her feet – too inflamed to sit still – and tried to exhale her panic, but to no avail. She had cried all she would for this situation, now she had to think. Gifu knew she had to plan, she had to find a way to bring Gara around; but that damned fool seeped so much for Robb Stark she'd never look at another man while she still felt for him. Gifu tapped her thumbnail off of her teeth as her thoughts turned, rapidly and without pause. Gara was a wilful fool, but Gifu knew Gara's weakness; loyalty. She had a loyalty to family and to friends that could only be summed up in one word: fierce.

Gifu nodded to herself then; Gara would do this for her. But she was uneasy; Gara was deeply in love at the moment, how could Gifu flank Gara's love for Robb? She did not know and cursed Robb Stark as she paced around the room like a caged lioness. Thegane wouldn't notice a switch Gifu was utterly sure; he was sharp, but not that sharp. He'd only spoken with Gifu a handful of times and most of the time Gifu only smiled and quipped – Gara could pull that off...She would have to pull it off. Gifu's breath hitched when there was a bang at the door. She shook herself and patted her hair before she answered the door; on the other side stood the next Lord of Winterfell. Robb Stark looked angry, but he inclined his head and without a word, Gifu arched one of her perfectly rounded eyebrows and with a sly smile; admitted him.

"My lord," Gifu greeted, sweeping a mock curtsy before slipping into the window embrasure. "To what do I owe the honour? Gara is not here – if that's who you're looking for." She added pointedly narrowing her eyes as Robb strode in and eyed her,

"I've just seen Gara there. She was upset."

"Oh?"

"What did you say to her?" Gifu's eyes widened, "Me?" She patted her chest as Robb nodded, "Yes, you. What did you say to her, Gifu? Tell me." She got up gracefully and turned to look out of the window and absently without meaning to; she rubbed her tightly laced stomacher.

"I said not a thing to Gara," She looked over at him, "Only the truth." Robb tilted his head, his jaw clenching,

"Which is?"

Gifu chuckled and waved it away. Robb came closer and Gifu purred, "I asked you once a few weeks ago what it was you intended to get on my sister, Robb. D'you remember?" Robb nodded and Gifu raised her eyebrows and shrugged, "You can't bed each other, you won't marry. You can't be together. I told her that and she...ran off."

"You told your sister that we couldn't bed together as man and wife and she ran away crying?" Robb said incredulously and Gifu nodded as she held out her hands as if it had very little to do with her. "I find that very difficult to believe, Gifu." Snapped Robb and Gifu swept past him and sat at the mirror, gazing fondly at her own countenance, she tilted her head and the day's grey light caught her cheek as she did. She could see in the mirror, Robb watching her and caught his eyes with hers and picked up the brush absently and combed it through her long ruby-red locks.

"That is what happened, my lord. Believe it or not, my sister is hot-blooded. She's always simpering, always seeping; it enrages me to no end. It seems to work on you however-"

"Gara does not work on me!"

"Oh, doesn't she?!" Demanded Gifu; turning in her seat, brush in hand. Her eyes were positively blazing as she challenged Robb with her energetic dark gaze. "The whole 'milk and honey, butter wouldn't melt' act doesn't work on you, Robb Stark?" Robb was watching her carefully as she explained,

"I know it does, because if you wanted something more...hot, you'd be attracted to me. After all, me and Gara do have the very same face, do we not? Go ahead, tell me my sister's simpers and blushes don't drive you half-mad with a passion to have her." Her beautiful face was shadowed and Robb backed away from her acute black stare, should he admit her exactness and she lifted her chin as a grin spread across her lips,

"Ah, you honourable Starks; not ones for lying are you?"

"You're poisoned, Gifu, y'know that?"

Gifu shrugged and cocked an eyebrow, "Perhaps. But do you know what I am not?" Robb's eyes never left her as she said with finality, "Stupid, Robb. I am not as fecund and naive as my sister. You should never have engaged her and made her love you. Now she places you over her Family!"

"I never made her love me, Gifu...I...Thing's just happen." Gifu nodded and smiled, "Aye, springtime flings. Kisses in the darkness, little looks. It's a sweet thing, one's first love. But are you as naive as my sister, Robb?" He looked away and Gifu got to her feet and strolled over to him. She was close to him now, close enough so that her breath could ruffle the fur at his chest and shoulders softly as she whispered,

"I don't think you are. You're your father's firstborn – so to am I firstborn. We learn the way of nobility – nay, it's drummed into us. D'you mean to tell me that you haven't thought about the day you'd need to forsake my sister for your betrothed?" She watched as his breath shuddered and he averted his eyes more and tried to move back from her but she had him pinned like a rabbit in its hole, and she the fox,

"Or were you hoping that it'd just...fade?" She whispered in the quietness. Tilting her head, she touched his shoulder and looked down before flicking her engaging gaze back up at him and stipulating in a matter-of-fact voice, "I told my sister what you and I have been thinking. I told her that princes do not marry nobility. You and she were forsaken the moment your lips first touched."

"It was not your place-"

"Then who's was it, Robb?" Countered Gifu with frown puckering her brow; she glanced up and giggled her sultry laugh and shook her head, "No, maybe it was not my place, but you should know – and this may surprise you," Robb looked at her and frowned as she looked him dead in the eye and said, "I am fond of my sister – even with her shortcomings. In the years we've been together, I'm the only one who's ever been truthful with her, and you can stand there and say I'm poisoned." She tilted her chin and took a step back, eyeing him darkly,

"But my poison's not sugar-coated. You know you're leading her on. I know you're leading her on. Me telling her was a mercy. A cold and harsh mercy," She conceded with a nod before her eyes darted back to his face, "But a mercy nevertheless."

At that Robb gulped and completely looked away as Gifu moved back to the table and placed the brush down on it. There was silence and Gifu could hear Robb's breathing as he stood, motionless and dumb-struck by her words. Turning round, she watched him; she could practically see the realisation dawn on his face and she felt not happiness for it. She honestly did not. Just then, the chamber door creaked open and coming in was Gara, looking sullen and cold. Gifu's eyes darted to Robb as she entered and Robb looked at Gara; Gifu had to admire the longing in his eyes. Robb Stark definitely had a certain covet for her sister; and she wondered if he might yet fight for her.

She did not need to wonder for long; the moment her sister's dark honey eyes met with Robb's now-dulled blue ones, Robb inclined his head only a touch before he shouldered past her and left her alone. Gifu watched her sister's face fall as he left without a word to either or them and looked on while Gara's shoulders slumped and she went over to the bed. Gifu quickly closed the door and turned round to say something to Gara but stopped when she saw her sister was curled up on the bed weeping as though her heart was breaking, her bare feet poking out from under the hem of Gifu's beautiful crimson dress. With a sympthetic moan, Gifu went over to the bed too and lifted her dress to climb on. She lay across from her sister facing her and held her close while Gara shed tears into the warm furs and her sister's breast.

-ooo-

"You will sit next to him tonight."

"B-but, what should I say?"

Gifu shrugged as she fixed the hem of Gara's dress and looked up, "Nothing much, just smile and act pretty." Gara nodded, she looked nervous, "There all set. You can pass for me now." Stated Gifu with a smile and a flourish as she appraised her sister; Gifu had chosen a dress of deep and dark blue for Gara to wear at the feast tonight. It had sapphires and aquamarines sewn into the sleeves and stomacher. It contrasted beautifully with Gara's garnet hair that she had in ringlets around her face. Gifu was by contrast in a gown of soft cotton, it was a delicate shade of violet and she wore her hair half bound up and half loose. Her curls concealed in the half-bun.

"You look beautiful," Gifu conceded grudgingly as she eyed Gara's cotton dress disdainfully. "Why d'you have such awful taste, Gara?" She whined and Gara shrugged sadly.

"No, Gara."

"What?"

"You must smile, be merry. D'you ever see me look sad outside this chamber? Or back at home, do I ever cry outside our bedroom?"

"No."

"Then take note, and straighten your face." Gifu counselled and gently stroked Gara's cheek,

"To kith and kin?" She prompted quietly and Gara stared on blankly before taking her sister's hand and gently squeezing it,

"To kith and kin." Gara agreed with a weak and forced smile. Looking at her, Gifu exhaled nervously and sighed, "Good enough. Right, come on. Let's go and make our entrance, and remember," She kissed Gara's forehead warmly and held her face and whispered, "Smile."