School was cancelled today due to the storm we are having. Although I thought that fortunate, the storm is a bit too strong it's kind of scary. But I found a way to distract myself. I wrote. Here's Robb's POV. Honestly, I'm more in love with him than Jon Snow in the series. But he's dead, so... that was disappointing. :)
I hope you enjoy the 3rd chapter. It's longer than the first two. It was supposed to be longer, I just edited out things that may not be important. I'm also careful that I might make too many loopholes for future chapters.
Anyway, this note is now too long. Enjoy!
Robb
Robb woke up late the next morning. He drank more wine than his father allowed his children during feasts. But the headache he usually gets after drinking was considerably tolerable than he expected.
The warm water he washed his face with felt soothing.
He walked to his window and gazed at the view below. The folks of Winterfell were already up and about, all diligently at work.
One day, someday, you will lead this house, Robb. You are my heir. And I expect you to uphold the honor passed from my generation to yours.
Lord Stark had vowed him guardianship to Winterfell as soon as he learned to carry a sword and shoot an arrow.
When he was younger, these promises would overjoy him, made him ecstatic even. He thought he wasn't growing up fast enough out of sheer anticipation on the vivid future that lies ahead of him.
He imagined his childhood tormenters calling him Lord Robb Stark. And he felt elated just imagining it.
But then when Lord Stark was recently gone for five months, one of the longest time that his father was out of Winterfell, and his seventeenth nameday came and passed, he sensed the responsibility that the title held and so were the expectations from his family.
He was the one who was conferred by the folks when there were misunderstanding among its people.
He organized volunteers for guarding the kingdom when livestock started missing.
He chose young intellects who aspired to be the future Maester and sent them to the South and supported their education.
Maester Luwin was particularly appreciative of this. He said age was an important thing that even the Maester himself had overlooked. He foresaw a peaceful retirement for the old man. And the Maester never looked at him the same since.
A knock on his door pulled him out of imagining.
"Come in. It's open." Robb said.
"Your mother requested for you at breakfast, my lord." Jon called out without opening the door.
"Good Gods, Jon. Come inside!" Jon did as he was bid. "And please stop addressing me too formally." Robb requested, annoyed at the stiff decorum.
"Lady Stark was to pass by me when she ordered me to call you. She was still within the halls." Jon explained after closing the chamber door behind him.
"Oh, I see." He understood. Jon was scolded too many times by his mother for the petty mistakes of titles.
"If you don't need anything from me, I'll see you at the dining." Jon was about to turn to the door when Robb called him. Jon turned his back around to face Robb.
"About yesterday..." Robb noticed how Jon's body gone rigid. "I apologize for Mother's behavior. She should not have starved and exhausted you from chores-"
"Your mother is the lady of the Stark house, Robb. She can run the household however she deems fit." Jon said against his jaw gritting.
"But I can not stand how she treats you, Jon. Not even if she's my mother!"
Robb's concern went more obvious than his words. And he also felt how much Jon needed his brother, how much he misses his friend.
"Lady Stark has been very kind to let me live in Winterfell, let alone let me live in her castle. She fed, clothed and educated me. All that I should feel towards her is gratitude."
"This is madness, Jon." He said, infuriated.
Jon looked at him in his eyes as he spoke.
"I know my place, Robb. It's a lesson I should have learned a long time ago, and you should recognize that, too. The same way I have recognized yours."
Robb knows he has been putting Jon into trouble by not permitting Jon abide Lady Stark's stern orders, to distance the bastard from the true born children.
"My place for you is be your brother. Whatever they lead you on, in my heart that's what you should be to me. And that would remain as long as I live."
"My Lord-"
"Jon!" Robb unintentionally raised his voice.
Lord Robb could no longer think of ways to convince his half brother to look up to his own self as a brother to the heir, a son of a lord, instead of a future-less bastard.
After a short awkward silence, Jon finally cleared his throat to speak.
"I will tell your mother you'll be at the table in five minutes. Kindly do not make me a liar to her, I beg for no conflict today."
"Very well, then. You may leave my chamber this instant, bastard."
He turned his back on Jon before his brother quietly walked out of his room and closed the door behind him.
The word tasted more sour than he thought it would in his mouth. The last time he called his brother that, was when they were children and did not know what it really meant.
Jon knew how a bastard was defined before he did. And the moment he learned its meaning, he stopped saying the word even if it did not refer to his brother.
Robb went down to the dining hall with no haste.
The Starks were already seated around the huge wooden table. He seated on his chair situated to Ned's right, facing his mother. Beside him was Bran, Rickon, Theon and lastly Jon. The boys did not exactly care as to where they were supposed to sit down. But it matters that should Jon eat with them in the dining hall, he will be seated as far away as he can from Lady Stark.
"Good morning, Mother, Father. I'm sorry if I kept you waiting."
"It's fine, Robb. Eat hurriedly. It's only three hours before midday. The servants won't have enough time to clean up the dishes we will need for lunch."
Everbody's attention suddenly went to the end part of the table. And everybody looked at Koreen. The girl looking embarrassed as she dropped her eating utensils.
Luna quickly gave her a new set.
Robb almost forgot about her. She looked differently from yesterday. She was clean and glowing that morning. He recognized the dress she was wearing from Sansa's wardrobe.
He did not notice how bright red her hair was from yesterday. It looked vastly different when clean.
"Is there any problem, Koreen?" Lady Stark asked.
"She doesn't know how to use the fork, mother." Arya seated beside Koreen exclaimed.
"Let me help you with that, dear..." Lady Stark was ready to get up from her chair when Koreen stopped her.
"It's fine, L'dy Stark. I've n'ver seen 'nd used this much steel in eatin' befo', I'm still clumsy w'them. But I learn fast. I'm sorry 'bout the noise. Don' mind me, please." Koreen said light-heartedly.
"Of course, Koreen. Feel free to help yourself with the food." Ned smiled.
Koreen smiled back to Ned.
"How do you like the kingdom, so far?" Robb asked Koreen.
"I like the warmth. I've n'ver been sorrounded by these m'ny stone bricks befo'. I love your fur covers. I made mi'self one befo'. But I had to leave it befo' i had the chance to finish it. The river rose in the mo'ning and ate the lot."
"Which river?" Arya asked
"I dun't know, Arya. They all looked the same to me."
"I'd like to see one. A river that flows. The closest one here has been frozen as long as I know."
"How about a camp outing tomorrow? We can go together and maybe celebrate Jon's nameday." Ned gladly suggested.
"Father?" Jon looked at Lord Stark's direction. Trying so hard not to catch Lady Starks stern glare.
"A camping trip, for your nameday, son. What say you?" he asked.
"I-i don't think it would be safe for the small children, Father." Jon answered.
"I didn't think so, too. Perhaps, it is best to leave Rickon with Lady Stark. But Bran can handle a bow now, right? I trust Ser Rodrick has been teaching him."
Bran's mouth was full of left over cake from last night, he nodded to let him know his answer.
"Oh, thank heavens! I need a moment of silence from the wailing and crying. It can be awful at times really, Father..." Arya whined.
"Jon has not said yes yet, Arya." Said Ned smiling at his youngest daughter. She got her mother's brutal honesty.
"Why are you thinking this so thoroughly, Jon? It's a camping trip. You can have a little fun, you know? It will be an adventure. And I dont think you have somewhere you need to go to for your nameday!" Arya said, slightly irritable.
Arya has been close with Jon Snow all her life. It was difficult to make her understand why Lady Catelyn's regulations of her brother were different from the other Stark children, including Theon, who Arya thought was despicable most of the time.
"Your father is presenting you a gift, Jon. It's impolite to not accept." Robb interrupted. Seriousness can be sensed in his tone.
He couldn't understand why Jon had to be stubborn about it. It was their father inviting them. Nobody says no to Lord Stark.
Jon paused for a while, breathed heavily before speaking.
"Certainly, a camp outing is a great gift for my nameday, my Lord. I'm sorry I had to be pursuaded." Jon apologized.
"Well, did you want anything in particular for your nameday?" Lord Stark asked.
"No, Father. I'm happy as it is. You being in Winterfell on my nameday is already a gift in itself. I look forward to go camping with you and my brothers and sisters."
Robb saw how Theon smirked at the remark. But when he caught Robb's sight, he immediately lowered his eyes and resumed eating his meal.
"Sister." Sansa corrected. "I'm not going."
"Why not?" asked Arya.
"Well, aside from the fact that I am very busy, unlike you, Arya, I do not own any trousers or breeches. And my dresses are all too refined to be strutted along the woods." She said straightforwardly.
"I don't own any breeches. I just get from Bran's wardrobe." She joked.
The Stark children's chattering filled the entire dining hall.
But Robb fell silent when he heard his mother's reserved protest against the trip.
"You just got back, Ned. Rickon barely remembers you." She said.
"It will only be a couple of days. Three at most. All my children deserves my affection, Catelyn. Trueborn or not."
Catelyn decided to surrender her argument when she caught Robb listening in their conversation.
"We will take good care of each other, Mother. There is no need for you to worry." Robb assured Lady Stark.