A/N I want to start with my second apology (and we're only at chapter 5), I was finally finished with my examinations and had to get out of the country to reset my mind. Luckily I had the good fortune of getting a lot of inspiration out of the medieval village of "Fontaine de Vaucluse" where I love to spend my holidays. From now on, there will be a weekly update, I'll make sure of it. Also a lot of thanks to AuroreMartell, who has accepted the position of Beta, and will start helping me to improve my grammar from the next chapter on. May your swords never rust.

Leaving the chambers of lady Jenna came sooner than I had expected. Even in the most fortunate scenarios I had made up in my mind, only needing an hour to convince the lady was beyond expectations. The problem now was that I needed to fill my time until diner, where lady Jenna had promised to introduce me formally to lady Sylvia, my fiancée. Since I had no obligations, I decided to spend the afternoon with my men, who had taken it upon themselves to empty the richly stocked wine cellars of Tarbeck Hall. They were located in a mass hall, right above the cellars, that neighbored the guards quarters. No surprise that the off-duty guards had joined the binge, bringing along some of the castle wenches.

When I came in, it became apparent to me that they had been there for a while. In fact I would have sworn they had been there for longer than the hour we had been at the castle. Their party existed of over fifty people, and they had already cracked a fifth barrel of ale. Apparently good ale, because when I came in, the drunken toasts to my health started. I stood in the doorway for the better part of twenty minutes, politely drinking to every toast from a mug of ale they had pushed in my hands. As the subject of those toast began to change from polite health drinks to allusions of what I would do to my new fiancée, I quickly silenced them by giving my own speech, which I ended quite informally by saying, "And now sit back on your arses and give me some wine, I am thirsty and with all your muttering I can't get to getting a good stiff drink. I command you all to get drunk!"

Fewer commands are more popular with soldiers than the latter. After the most bellowing applause in the history of Westeros, I sat myself next to ser Toran, and started light conversation with the man, who clearly had been one of the lead drinkers of the men. After an hour, I said to him: "I don't think I have ever seen more men this drunk at two in the afternoon my dear ser Toran."

He replied me by emptying his jug, and proclaiming: "Is it two already? Here that lads? It's two in the afternoon, and we have only reached barrel seven, Torrhen, I believe you owe me some money!"

One of the older guardsmen of my escort, about forty years of age, who was clearly too drunk to stand on his own legs, looked up and cried out, "But ser Toran that's not fair, I was merely holding back because you could not keep up with my pace, that is why we have not yet reached our goal!" The entire mass hall blurted into laughing at his respons, and ser Toran took the jest like man, by raising his mug and challenging ser Toran to finish his before him.

After another two mugs, I decided to calm down the drinking, to be in a proper state when I met lady Sylvia. Luckily a servant came a moment later, claiming he was sent by the lady Jenna to escort me to a tailor, to be set in new cloth. "The lady wants you to meet your future wife in fine clothes, not in travelling gear." A subtle way to point out that my sewing was not all that appealing to the eye.

The tailor fashioned me a set of five new tunics, all black with a silver lion, and some fancy party clothes, embroided with multiple little silver lions. He also fashioned a long black cloak embroided with an enormous silver lion on the shoulder. Clothing fit for a great lord. Pleased as I was with his work, I ordered him to fashion a set of 25 black tunics from a cheaper cloth and embroid them with the silver lion as well. Combined with an equal number of cloaks, my guardsmen were properly outfitted with my colors. Also I asked him to make a large banner with my sigil, and I told him I would tell him my words by morning.

After placing my order and taking my measurements, I practiced with my sword in the courtyard, until it was time to freshen up and go to meet my future wife.

I was led into the dining room by a servant, and was seated at the far end of the table. The lady Jenna was seated at the other end, sided by what appeared to be her oldest son and my fiancée. As soon as I walked in, she greeted me, as if I were an old friend. "My dear Robert, I am glad to see you are well, that color suites you." She said, referring to the black party clothing I was wearing.

"Thank you my lady, your tailor is to be commended." I responded, eager to be introduced to my future wife, I still had to make smalltalk until she saw it fit to introduce us.

"Oh how rude of me, Robert, meet John Tarbeck, my son and heir to Tarbeck Hall."

"Pleased to make your acquaintance my lord." I shook hands with the man, about twenty years of age, and broad as a bull.

"Pleasure is all mine, little brother, for that is what you are to me now that you will be wedding my darling sister. Let's not stand on ceremony, and embrace me brother." John said, standing up and giving me a soldiershug by grabbing my right wrist with his right hand and embracing me with his left.

"I am honored to be part of your family John." I smiled, turning my attention to Sylvia.

"And this is my daughter Sylvia, and your soon to be wife." lady Jenna said, making a gesture with her arm to Sylvia.

I walked over to her seat, got on one knee and took her hand in mine for a gentle kiss. "My lady." I uttered, while looking at her. She was a beauty, long brown hair, and blue eyes, with a small nose. Our eyes locked into each other s she replied "My lord." with a soft smile. "I understand I am to be your wife. I look forward to that bond."

"As do I my lady, alas a small war will prevent us from joining houses for now. Let me give you this to remind you of me, even when I am away on the battlefield." I stripped myself of my ceremonial cloak and tied it around her. "You look beautiful my lady. I feel comforted by the knowledge that you wear my colors as I slay enemies wearing them as well."

"My lord, you do know how to charm a girl." She answered, and I was puzzled, because I couldn't tell if she was jesting or not. John managed to diminish my doubts by laughing like a madman and clapping my shoulder. "Really, he is quite the charmer, isn't he?"

The rest of the dinner continued in the same, pleasant atmosphere. After the copious meal, the terms of the engagement were discussed. I was also notified that ravens had been sent, and that by the next evening, about 4000 en would be levied. Not as much as the other hosts could levy, but they had more land and resources to pull from. Also a band of 500 men would be assigned to me as an early wedding gift. As lady Jenna put it: "We can't have no son-in-law of mine running around on the battlefield without a host to command, now can we."

All thing considered I left the table with a very positive feeling about the future. And two days later, early in the morning, before the sun came up, 4000 men left the lands of Tarbeck Hall, led by twenty-five men wearing black tunics. As they marched on towards Goldshire to cross to Oxcross, the Silver Lion blew proudy in the wind above their heads.

A/N So that's all fo tonight folks, pretty exiting right? What will happen next? Even I don't know yet! Just kidding, I do know actually, I already have my storyline for the next few chapters. Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to REVIEW!