I do apologise for my long absence. I just started my last year at uni and i needed to get used to the whole idea of school again but i hope you will like this chapter.
Chapter 11: Declarations
Kings Landing
Cersei looked at her father with rage in his eyes. She was fuming her whole body shaking from anger.
"He is your son! Why will you not trade the girl for him?!"Cersei screamed at her father her arms flowing around her. Tywin Lannister looked at her unimpressed with her fit of range.
"Jamie will be fine. The girl is needed here at King Landing. The boy will die soon. Then we will need her to put a Lannister child in her and take over Winterfell." Tywin said.
"What do you mean that he will be dead soon?" Cersei asked trying to calm down.
"I have ordered Rose Bolton to kill Robb Stark at the his uncle's wedding. Soon the Starks should be dead and we will have one less enemy to fight with." Tywin said and Cersei scoffed.
"How do you presume to win the war. Our forced were nearly wiped at the Battle of Blackwater. We do not have enough strength." Cersei said sitting down at a char opposite her father.
"Let us not forget that Stannis has lost a nearly of of his men as well and men can be bough. Now we must think of who shall we give Sansa too. We mus put a Lannister child in her." Tywin said and Cersei shook her head at her father.
"We still need to take Jamie back father." Cersei said and Tywin looked at her.
"I will send a raven to Rose. He will bring Jamie to us unharmed how leave me i need to write to Casterly Rock. We need more men here." Tywin said there was a knock on the door and one of Tywin men came into the solar.
"My Lord there was a Raven for you from the Twins." He said ad Tywin smiled. Those were the news of Robb Stars death. He read the letter and slammed it on on the table.
"They knew it was a trap. Robb Stark is alive and Roose id dead. That boy has won yet again." Tywin growled and Cersei looked at him with a raided eyebrow.
"You still think that he is just a boy. We need to exchange Sansa for Jamie or he will kill him." Cersei said.
"He will do no such think. Remember that we still have his sister. Not to worry we will crush that boy soon enough. He is just a pup" Tywin said and Cersei looked at him and shook her head. Cersei stood and walked out of the solar slamming the door behind her. She leaned on the wall and closed her eyes and sobs raked her body.
"Please come back to me Jamie." She whispered.
The Twins
Robb was sleeping with his wife drooling on his chest when there was a knock on the door. He got up from the bed making sure not to wake Naida and walked over to the door and opened it.
"What is it." It was one of his men.
"Your Grace you brother is here. He awaits in the Great Hall." Robb's face lightened up at this news. He will have his brother. He closed her door and dressed quickly. She looked at Naida who was sleeping. He smiled kissed her forehead and left for the Hall.
There he stood Jon Snow all in Black. He turned around and Robb smiled.
"Jon my brother it is good to see you." Robb said and hugged his brother.
"It is good to see you to Robb or should i say your Grace." Jon said looking at him. Robb just rolled his eyes.
"You do not have to use formalities with me brother." Robb said clapping Jon on the back.
"Like you said when we will see each other again i am wearing all black and you are The King in the North." Jon said smiling.
"I was just trying to get father out. It did not work and now i am over my head with this war." Robb said and Jon looked at him with a sad look.
"You have taken on too much for your age." Jon sad and Robb looked at him.
"So have you. You are in the Nights Watch. I cannot imagine how hard it must have been." Robb said and Jon nodded.
"I am not going to lie to you Robb. It was harder than i have expected. I wanted to come back home many times but my honour did not let me." Jon said
"I know. You are far more like our father than any of us." Robb said
"Come on brother let us east and talk about some more." Robb said and maid brought food to the table. Jon looked at the food and nodded. He rode a day and night straight and he was starving.
"So what did you want me here Robb. It must be a grave matter if you called me here." Jon said as she drank some water.
"I need you Jon. I need you at my side. I cannot win this war. I need more people." Robb said and Jon looked at him with a frown on his face.
"The Nights Watch will not be a part of this war. You know that they do not take part in this." Jon said and Robb nodded.
"Yes i am aware of this but i was thinking about you. I need you Jon. I will make you a Stark and i will make you my heir." Robb said and Jon looked at him with wide eyes and opened mouth.
Jon ever since he was a babe wanted to be a Stark. He wanted to be his father son not bis bastard and now there is an opportunity to make this happen. A part of him wanted to ju,p to the opportunity right away but Jon still did not understand how would that help Robb win this war.
"Robb, this is all i have wanted ever since i can remember but i do not understand how will this help you win this war." Jon said leaning forward to look at Robb.
"I need more men Jon and the Tyrells have them but they will not help us just like that. We need to make them kin. Bran is to young to marry and he is a cripple. My only solution is you Jon." Robb looked at Jon who sucked in air. He was very surprised. A marriage proposal for him. He was prepare to never know the meaning of being with a woman. To never father a child and now this was all in front of him. Jon wanted that. No he craved that. He wanted to feel like he is loved. Like he means something to someone. He want to love back but he is a man if the Nights Watch. He had make a vow. How can he break an oath that serious. He was not the kind of man to give up something. It is a very hard decision.
"Jon i know you need to think about it. I beg you to think about it. You have as much time as you need. I will give you a room. You need to rest." Robb said and Jon nodded. The door to the Hall opened and there stood Naida. She walked over to them with a smile on her face and a hand on her belly. Jon looked at her surprised.
"Jon this is my wife Naida. My love this is my brother Jon." Jon walked over to them and kissed Naida's hand.
"it a pleasure to meet you my Queen." Jon said and Naida laughed.
"It is Naida Jon and is is a very pleasure to meet you. I have heard a lot about you and it is finally nice to put a face to all the stories." Naida said and Jon looked at his brother with a frown.
"I hope the storied were not inappropriate my Queen." Jon said
"it is Naida and please I know who i married and the storied were very inappropriate." Robb looked down at the ground and smiled.
"What can i say Jon, she is not like the rest of the woman i know. Where other would blush and look down she as rolling on the bed laughing." Robb said and Jon smiled.
"Well that is good to hear. I did not even know you have wed brother and have a child on the way. Which is why i do not understand why you want to make me an heir." Jon said.
"Making you my heir would mean a greater chance for this marriage to take place. We all are on board." Robb said and Naida nodded.
"I am fine with that Jon. I want this war to end as much as anybody else." Naida said.
"How did your mother react to it? Jon asked Robb who let out air through his mouth.
She was not happy at first and put up a fight but in the end she understood that it was the right thing. Now it is your call Jon. I will not force you into it." Robb said and Jon looked at the floor.
"i do not know what to say to you Robb. You honour me greatly but i dedicated my life to Nights Watch. I need to think about Robb." Jon said and Robb nodded.
"Take as much as you need brother." Robb said and Arya ran to the room. She saw Jon and her face lit up like Naida never saw before. She ran to him and jumped into his arms. Jon hugged her close and laughed at the sight of his sister.
"Arya you have grown so much. You look like a woman." Jon said looking at Arya.
"I look like more like a boy." She said looking down at the floor
"You look beautiful sister, father would be so proud of you." Jon said an Arya looked at him with a teary smile.
"How about we get you to your chambers so that you can sleep and get some rest. I shall get some maid to prepare a bath for you Jon." Naida said and Jon looked at her with appreciation.
"Thank you Naida." he said and Jon fallowed a maid.
"I will go and practice with my sword now?" Arya asked and Naida laughed.
"Do you think of anything else." Naida said and Arya shook her head.
"I need to stay in practise, i cannot get lazy with it." Arya said and ran off to practise. Robb looked at his sister go and smiled. It felt sort of normal for Robb now. He was with his siblings. He just wished he was back at home playing in the courtyard with no worries. He wanted this war to be over.
"Robb are you well?" Naida asked going to Robb and loving the feeling of his warm embrace.
"Yes I am Naida it is just i long for the feeling when we were all at home teaching the children how to shoot arrows and use swords and i miss it. We are all so innocent with nothing to worry." Robb said kissing Naida's nose.
"My only hope is that soon we are able to provide that for our children. So that they can feel what you felt before. Where they can be happy." Naida said and Robb smiled.
"I cannot wait for that also. I want to meet out child and any children we will have in teh future." Robb said with a dreamy look in his eyes.
"Hold on there Robb, we still have this child to meet yet. Do you think your brother will help?" Naida asked and Robb shrugged his shoulders.
"At this point i am not sure my love. Jon is a very honourable man just like out father. He had dedicated his life to the Night Watch. It will be hard for him to chose, he dies not want to be an oath breaker." Robb said and Naida touched his cheek.
"Your brother will come through my love. Have faith. He has a good heart Robb but he is still a man. He wants what all men want. A woman that will love him." Naida said and Robb smiled.
"Well what can i say, there is no better knowledge than knowing you are loved." Robb said kissing Naida
Jon was sitting in his bath loving the feeling of how warm it was. At the Wall it was always so cold even inside the Castle. He was used to being so cold all the time and now he just wanted to stay in that bath forever warming his chilled bones.
Jon was conflicted. He had agreed to dedicate his life to the Nights Watch. He made a vow to become a man where he would never marry or father a child. He was fine with it really. After all he was a bastard with no future for him. He cannot have any titles or any lands. That was the law. The Nights Watch was the only solution for him as far as he knew it.
Then Robb comes along and proposed to him that he would make him a Stark, something he always wanted. From the age he could remember he wanted to be a Stark and be like his father. Good, honourable and kind. Well since he was not a Stark he can become a man just like his father. Now he can be a Stark. Not only that he would become Robb's heir. That was more then he could ever wish for himself. Not only that Robb was proposing that he was to wed and become a husband. That would mean that he was to father children. It was something he never dared to dream off. How could he thing of doing that when he was a bastard. He did not want to condemn another child to that life. Yet now he will be a Stark he can do that, he can father a child. Jon closed his eyes and took a deep breath he needed to calm himself down because his mind he was becoming selfish. He wanted that all. He wanted it with all of his heart and it all all at his fingertips. He could almost feel it in his grasp.
Jon was at a crossroad, he could chose to stay with the Nights Watch and stay true to his vow and put a hand at his family losing the war. He could also stay with his family help his brother win the war and be wed. Jon really had no idea what to chose but the though of his family dying brought him more pain than anything else in the world. That was all Jon need to know. He would not leave his family to die. If he can do something to prevent that he will. Even if it costs him his life.
It was the next morning when Robb was sitting and eating his breakfast when Jon came into the Hall. He wore a smile on his face. He came to the table and greeted Robb Naida and Arya who were sitting. Arya looked up at him and her face lit up when she had seen him.
"Good morning Jon how are you feeling." Naida asked pleasantly as Jon sat down in the chair next to Arya.
"I am well thank you Naida. It is a nice change from the cold i felt at the war." Jon said and Naida smiled.
"I am glad that you could rest well." Naida said.
"Are you going back to the Wall Jon." Arya asked Jon with her get big eyes looking at him.
"I do not know yet Arya. I might have to." Jon said not wanting anyone else knowing what he had decided before Robb did. Arya looked at her food with a sad look
"Can you at least practise with me. I need you to see how much progress i have made with Needle." Arya said and Jon nodded.
"I would love to see you using your sword." Jon said and Arya smiled at Jon. They ate with a pleasant conversation. Jon looked at Robb and Naida and it was plain to see how much they loved each other. It was plain to see in their looks and in their way that they bickered. Jon liked the fact that Naida was not going to take crap from him. He smiled and only wished that his marriage will be as good as this one.
"Robb may we take a walk. I need to speak with you?" Jon asked and Robb nodded. He kissed Naida and they walked onto the bridge of the castle looking upon the river.
"I do not mean to push you brother for a decision but we need an answer soon. We need to know what is our next action." Robb said looking to the River which was calm today.
"I know Robb i have made my decision." Jon said and Robb looked at him with hopeful eyes.
"I will understand whatever decision you will make brother."Robb said and Jon looked at him with appreciation.
"I decided to agree to your proposition. I cannot let our family die and i will do whatever i need to do to help you keep them safe." Jon said and Robb broke his face into a smile.
"Thank you Jon you have no idea what this means to me." Robb said and Jon chuckled.
"Trust me Robb i know. All i ever wanted to be a Stark and now you give me the opportunity. How can i say no to that." Jon said and Robb hugged his brother.
"Thank you brother. Thank you so much." Robb said still hugging him.
"No need to thank me brother i will help as much as i can." Jon said and Robb looked at him.
"Put your sword before me and bend down Jon Snow." Jon bend down on one knee as Robb rose his sword and put it on Jon's shoulder.
"I Robb Stark First of his name King of the North and the Trident renounce your name as Jon snow and hereby proclaim you as a Stark of Winterfell my heir and Prince of the North. Rise up Prince Jon Stark." Robb said and Jon stood up feeling entirely like a completely different person.
"How do you feel?" Robb asked and Jon looked at him.
"Good. Thank you Robb." Jon said feeling like he finally belonged in this world.
"No it is i who should be thanking you." Robb said and they walked back to the castle. A new life was in front of Jon Stark and he was afraid.
Iron Islands
Yara was standing in front of her father who had her back turned toward her. Balon Greyjoy was watching the flames as they danced. He turned to look at his daughter.
"So the King in the North is the the Westerlands. He left his home poorly guarded. We will take it from him. I will take his home like his father took my sons." Balon Greyjoy said with malice in his voice.
"Winterfell is too much inland father we need to take something that is on the shore." Yara said and Balon looked at the map and smiled.
"Yara you will take thirty long ships and attack Deepwood Motte. Make them suffer and show the King in the North how it is too lose something that he loves." Balon said and Yara bowed to him.
"As you wish your Grace." She said and walked out of the room with a smile. She will show those Northerners how to pay the iron price.
Well as much as Robb wants there will always be someone who wants what he had or take revenge. How will he handle Greyjoy taking his North. Well find out.