Stevron had watched his lady wife with wide eyes as she rode on the same horse as the Greyjoy boy. He kept his arms around her, whispering into her ear and making her smirk before he rested his hand on her stomach. Stevron wondered if the child really was his, or if it could be Theon Greyjoy's bastard inside of her. He did wonder why Theon would be so close to her if it was not his child which she was carrying. Surely he would not look at her stomach with such wonder.
It wasn't until the second day of riding when he gained the answer which he was seeking from Lady Catelyn. She had been riding at the back of the congregation with her youngest daughter, keeping her close to her side as she moved silently through the ranks of men.
"Lady Stark." Stevron had called out to her.
She lowered the hood to her cloak, her eyes turning to the side to look at the man who had called her name. She arched a brow, noting that Stevron was still chained so that he couldn't escape. Catelyn did not like him; that much was apparent. She did not like him for what he had done to Cassandra. He had kept her locked away in the Dreadfort and hidden from her. But she blamed herself for marrying Cassandra to him.
"What can I do for you, Ser Stevron?" she wondered politely, remembering her manners.
"Cassandra," he whispered her name, turning his gaze to the side to see her and Theon speaking with each other intently. "Do you intend to allow her to be with the Greyjoy boy?"
"I do not know what is intended yet," Catelyn spoke. "Your marriage could be annulled, I suppose. The High Septon may allow for that to happen."
"She is with my child," Stevron said. "That cannot happen."
Catelyn pursed her lips firmly together, keeping quiet. Her silence spoke in volumes to Stevron. He chuckled darkly, shaking his head back and forth as he did so.
"She does not think it is my child, does she?"
"She knows that it is not," Catelyn replied. "She is sure of it."
"How can she be sure?" Stevron wondered. "I've had your daughter, Lady Stark. I am sure Greyjoy took her when he took Winterfell. The Ironborn do take what is theirs, don't they? Or so I hear. No one really knows much about them since Balon Greyjoy was defeated years ago."
"Theon Greyjoy is a stupid boy," Catelyn said. She couldn't deny that fact. "He has never been the wisest of me, and I doubt he ever will be. But he cares for my daughter. He cares for Cassandra more than I thought possible. She is happy with him, and that is all that matters at this moment in time. My daughter has not smiled in a long time."
Stevron said nothing, knowing full well that he was the reason for Cassandra's lack of smiles. He should never have married her. He should have told his father that the girl held no interest to him. But this was Westeros. Marriages were formed because of politics. Stevron knew that more than most.
"How does she know it is Greyjoy's child?" he repeated the question. "There has to be a way for her to know. She cannot just know it, can she?"
"I don't know," Catelyn replied. "It is something to do with her moon's blood apparently."
Catelyn knew the truth. Her daughter had told her how she had taken moon tea to stop herself from becoming pregnant. Catelyn had scolded her for that, warning her not to be so stupid again. She had no idea about the implications of moon tea. She didn't know what could happen to her. Shaking her head, Catelyn had left her as soon as Theon had entered the tent.
"The child is a bastard. It will be a Snow," Stevron warned Catelyn.
"I do not see how that is your concern, Ser Stevron," Catelyn told the elderly man. "You are nothing to do with my daughter now. Your family saw to that."
"I never wanted my father to do any of that," Stevron promised Catelyn. "I warned him how it would be foolish to turn against you."
"Yet he did," Catelyn spoke. "And now he will suffer. My son shall see to that. Now, Ser, I shall be leaving for I tire of the conversation. My daughter needs tending to."
Catelyn left with haste, moving down the road towards Arya. She rode beside Robb, speaking to him of all of the adventures which she had been on. Robb found himself longing to listen to her, doing anything to take his mind off what had happened to his lady wife. Arya was the perfect distraction for that. Her tales were something which Robb longed to hear.
"Robb," Catelyn spoke, interrupting Arya abruptly. Her son turned to look at her, his face solemn as he did so. Catelyn worried that she would never see him smile again. She worried if he would ever be able to move on from Talisa.
"Yes?" Robb called back to her.
"Keep Theon away from Ser Stevron when you go into battle," she warned him. "I fear they will fight between each other instead of for you."
"Aye," Robb agreed limply, looking behind him to where Theon rode with Cassandra.
The heir to Pyke had been gaining strength with every passing moment. He was still weak, choosing to ride with Cassandra instead of by himself. The men had looked at Theon with wonder, clearly wanting his blood. Robb had explained that he had excused Theon from any crimes which he had committed for there were underlying causes behind them. The men had grunted their responses, having a good guess as to what the underlying reason was for Theon going against their King.
"When we reach Riverrun then I am sure we will be able to discuss battle tactics further," Robb informed his mother. "Lannister has lost the support of the Boltons and the Freys. The entirety of the North is behind our cause. It is only a matter of time before the South is lost."
"I wish I could share your confidence," Catelyn replied.
"I am confident because I do this for Talisa," Robb said softly. "She would not want me to give up, would she? She would tell me to continue. That is what I shall do."
Arya dropped back from the conversation, choosing to ride beside her sister and Theon instead of listen to Robb and her mother discuss battle tactics. If Arya had her way then she would fight beside Robb. She was capable, she knew that much.
"When do we reach Riverrun?" Arya asked her sister, doing her best to draw her attention from Theon. She still glared at him for what he had done. She did not like Theon. No one did, that much was obvious. Toleration for him was what they felt. It seemed that Cassandra was the only one who could enjoy his company.
"It shouldn't be longer than three more days, Arya," Cassandra replied. "Why are you not riding with mother?"
"She's talking to Robb," Arya complained to her. "They're talking about battle again. They think that I don't understand what they talk of. I know more than they think."
"I don't doubt it," Cassandra assured her sister. "You've always been a tearaway."
Theon chuckled at that. It only earned him another glare from Arya.
"I don't want to sit with you and mother to wait for them to come home," Arya complained. "Mother says that war is too dangerous for me."
"She is right," Theon agreed. "War is no place for a lady."
"I'm no lady," Arya complained, huffing before leaving the pair of them on their own. Cassandra couldn't help but smirk as she rested her head on Theon's shoulder, giggling to herself as she did so.
"She's a lot like you," Theon informed her. "More so than Sansa."
"Sansa is mother through and through," Cassandra agreed. "I don't remember being as reckless as Arya when I was younger."
"I suppose not," Theon agreed softly with her, his hand moving to her stomach once more. She looked down at it, smiling before turning to look back at him.
"You do know how odd it is that you keep holding my stomach every three minutes?" Cassandra wondered from him. "Nothing shall happen to the baby."
"I know," Theon said. "I still find it odd to think that a part of me is inside of you."
"That has to happen for a child to be conceived," Cassandra said, smirking mischievously at him. He laughed quietly at that, pressing his lips to her neck as he did so.
"I didn't realise you could be quite so filthy."
"I think your attitude has rubbed off on me," Cassandra complained to him limply. "Anyway, do you think it will be a boy or a girl?"
"It will be a bastard."
The two of them turned to look at where the voice had come from. They saw Stevron had managed to catch up with them. He was sat on top of his horse, his head held high as he looked at his wife and her new lover.
"Ignore him," Cassandra urged Theon.
"You know it to be true," Stevron replied. "It would be for the best if you told everyone that the child was mine. It would be heir to the Twins, Cassandra. It would not be frowned upon. It will not be a Snow. Tell me, what is the difference between the child in your womb and your father's bastard at the wall?"
"The child in my womb was conceived with the man who I love," Cassandra replied. "My father did not love Jon's mother. That is the difference."
"A bastard nonetheless," Stevron warned her. "You know that I speak sense. The Greyjoys are traitors. All of them have gone against the Starks."
"You know nothing of the Greyjoys," Theon replied to him. "I suggest you stay away from Cassandra. She did you the honour of sparing your life. You know that."
"Aye, she did," Stevron agreed. "And I am thankful. I just want her to know the implications of what will happen. Bastard children never survive long, especially when their father has gone to war."
"Enough!" Cassandra snapped at Stevron. "Stay away from us, Stevron. I am warning you."
"As you wish, my Lady," he spoke, bowing his head as Cassandra tugged at the reins to the horse, moving it further to the side and away from Stevron.
"I am heir to the Iron Islands," Theon growled lowly. "I am not some squire."
"I know," Cassandra spoke, biting down on her bottom lip as she took a few moments to think. "He was trying to anger us. Don't listen to him."
The more she thought about it, the more she couldn't help but think Stevron spoke some sense. She knew her child would be a bastard. But she failed to care. She would not take it from Theon. She couldn't do that to him. She refused to do that to him.
It was later in the night when camp was set up again. Robb had asked for Cassandra to dine with him and his mother. Arya had been there, sat silently as she sulked about something or nothing. Theon had not been invited to Robb's tent. He had smirked at that and shrugged nonchalantly, the smirk of confidence on his face again. He told her that he would have to earn trust again. He was aware of that.
"You grow with each passing day," Catelyn observed the bump forming in her daughter's stomach.
Robb pulled a chair out for his sister, allowing her to sit down before he poured her a jug of water.
"I feel heavier," Cassandra complained. "I do not know how far gone I am. Surely I should not be showing already."
"Each woman varies," Catelyn said. "I hardly showed when I was with you. Robb was a different story."
"I am sure we can save birthing tales for when I have left," Robb informed his mother. "It is not something which I would like to hear of."
Cassandra smirked, picking up a cube of cheese as Arya ate her bacon in silence.
"It matters not," Robb told his sister. "What matters is the status of the baby, Cassandra. You know as well as I that having a bastard shall tarnish your reputation."
"I refuse to lie and claim the child is Stevron's." She replied to her brother. "You can wipe that foolish notion from your mind, Robb Stark. My reputation means nothing to me."
"It should do," Catelyn scolded her eldest daughter. "Marriage is impossible now, Cassandra. You need the High Septon to annul your marriage to Ser Stevron. That may be possible if Robb wins the war."
"I will," Robb said confidently. "Only then will you be able to be with Theon. Even then I do not like it. No one really does. Not after what he did."
"You know why he did what he did," Cassandra interrupted.
"His family are pillaging the North," Robb reminded his sister. "It would not be wise to be affiliated with the Greyjoys."
"Theon is not his father," Cassandra said. "Can we please stop this? I do not know why you are worrying over something so trivial when you are going to war in a few days time."
"My King."
Robb looked to the opening of the tent, noticing a young squire who stood there. A letter was in his hand as Robb stood, pulling it from his fingers. Cassandra observed the sweating quire. His eyes were wide and his cheeks red. His face was one of worry.
"What is it, Robb?" Catelyn asked her son.
"The Lannisters are on the move," Robb simply spoke. "They are laying claim to Riverrun. They move faster than we do."
"What does that mean?" Cassandra wondered, not understanding the technicalities of war.
"It means that they are bringing the war to us sooner than we anticipated," Robb said, looking at his sister for a second. "I need to go. We move tonight. There is no other option. The Lannisters cannot take Riverrun."
"Go," Catelyn urged her son, unable to stand the thought of her home being taken from her. Her father would be disgusted if he could see it.
Cassandra looked to her mother, the worry evident in her face as she thought about what could happen to Theon. Catelyn nodded at her daughter, urging her to be brave , regardless of if she felt it or not.
...
A/N: Sorry for not updating in a while, but thanks to anyone still reading and do let me know what you think!