Maester Luwin was unhappy to see her come to him with an injury after her mother had explicitly told her not to anything worth getting an injury. He had asked how she had sprained her wrist like she did as it was already swollen when she had arrived. Torrhen lied and said she had fallen off her horse. She had stumbled through her lie which made the old maester suspicious, and he also couldn't ignore the obvious finger marks left on her skin but decided against saying anything. If the young girl had anything to say, she would have said it. He had helped her lady mother birth her into the world and watched as she grew, the old maester knew that Torrhen wouldn't lie blatantly to him without a reason. Maester Luwin decided to mention the bruises to the Lady Stark.

Instead, he dutifully wrapped the young girl's arm and told her to be more careful, and to stay off her horse for as long as possible. Torrhen nodded and quietly thanked the maester before scurrying off to her room. She knew that he was going to tell her mother and that her mother was going to come looking for her and ask questions. Dealing with that right now was not something Torrhen wanted to do. She just wanted to lie down on her bed and try not to think about what had occurred in the stables.

Unfortunately for her, the Gods seemed to have a different idea as on the way to her room she saw her twin brother in some sort of daze as he wandered toward the direction she was set in. Torrhen craved Robb's company since he had started avoiding her when she had accepted the marriage alliance between herself and Ser Jaime. He had ditched her and stuck close to that damned Greyjoy. The same one who had abused her in the stables. Although Torrhen wanted to see her brother, she was made that he had avoided her like he did. And after the incident in the stables, she didn't want to see him.

Robb, however, had a different idea. "Tori!" he called as she kept her fast pace toward her room. "Tori! Wait!"

"What do you want, Robb?" Torrhen snapped.

"Can't I speak with my sister?" Robb asked hotly.

"No. I'm betrothed to the Kingslayer."

There was a pause as Torrhen assumed Robb was shocked. "But you're still my sister," he said once he recovered.

"Oh, am I? I hadn't noticed, with you refusing to do so much as talk to me."

Robb put a hand on her shoulder and pulled her to a stop. "What do you think I'm trying to do now?"

"Prevent me from eating."

"Torrhen," Robb groaned. "Stop. I'm sorry, I shouldn't have ignored you like. I was just- just trying to wrap my head around you getting married. I know we joked about it all the time but now its actually happened. And to Jaime Lannister - which I still don't approve of."

"And you think I do?!" Torrhen exploded. "I didn't have much of a choice! Nor as much time to adjust to it but you don't see me ignoring you."

"I'm sorry-"

"I needed you, Robb, and you chose Theon," she spat his name in disgust.

Without waiting for a reply, she turned around and continued to storm in the direction of her bedroom. Torrhen's eyes began to sting with the warning of tears. Gods, it seemed like everything was frustrating. All she had wanted was Robb's company and when he finally offered it, she had pushed him away. She didn't know the exact reason for it, but she knew that Theon Greyjoy was a large part of it. He was her brothers closest friend, and he had deliberately hurt her. Torrhen realised she should've told Robb, but with her travelling to Kingslanding in a few days with her father and the king's court, her brother could use the companionship.

Flinging the door to her room open, she collapsed on her bed, and burrowed her face in the furs that covered her bed. Damn the King, and Jon Arryn, and Tywin Lannister, and Jaime Lannister too for this stupid engagement she was stuck in.

"Torrhen?" her mother's voice called out softly.

Torrhen resisted the urge to groan at the intrusion. All she wanted was to be left alone in her own misery. She wanted to lie in bed and forget that Theon was considering raping her, which led to the Kingslayer having to save her, and Robb's apology that Torrhen was slowly accepting despite her anger. She also wanted to forget how weak she was during her confrontation with that stupid kraken boy. How powerless she was in that situation. At any other time, she could easily have thrown them on their back, even without a weapon. But at the time, she was frozen with fear. Fear that she could have easily overcome. It shamed her.

"Sweetling, are you okay?" her mother asked. Torrhen felt the bed dip and assumed that her mother had taken a seat.

Sighing quietly, Torrhen sat up in her bed. "I'm fine, mother."

It was the most obvious lie Torrhen had ever told. And her lady mother knew it. "What's the matter?"

"I just- is it supposed to be like this? Being betrothed?"

Her mother gave a small laugh. "Like what?"

"So lonely. Robb never wants to spar with me anymore, or go horse riding, or even talk. I hate it, mother." Torrhen lay her head in her mother's lap for comfort.

Catelyn began to lightly stroke her daughters hair, as she did when Torrhen was a child. Torrhen was a woman now, and she shouldn't be acting this way but she needed to comfort. After being seemingly lonely for these few days, it was a welcome change.

"What about your sisters? You've been spending more time with them, and Sansa is betrothed as well, why didn't you talk to her about it."

"Sansa gets a prince, a foul little prince, but still a prince. And she has a child's view, thinking every knight and prince and king is like how they are described in the songs and the stories Old Nan tells. I have to marry an oathbreaker, a man that half the Seven Kingdoms hates."

Torrhen felt her mother flinch. If anyone were to hate the man she was supposed to marry it would be her mother, just as honourable as her lord father. Maybe it came with being a Stark, honour and righteousness. Fighting the good fight. Doing things the right way. Doing what is expected of you. Where did that get Torrhen? Betrothed to the most infamous oathbreaker in the entire Seven Kingdoms.

"You were raised differently than Sansa," Catelyn said gravely.

Lucky me, Torrhen thought cynically as she sat up. "What if I don't like the south?"

She knew how childish she sounded but Torrhen couldn't help but ask. She actually liked the cold weather of the north. It never bothered her as much as it did her siblings, in the north she felt like she belonged. Everything was natural, and beautiful. There were seldom moments when she looked around and didn't feel at home. Those moments however, she was previously occupied trying to save her own life.

Her mother smiled softly. "I didn't know if I would like the north, and now it is home to me as Riverrun once was. You're strong, Torrhen, you will be fine."

Another sigh escaped Torrhen. "If you say so, mother."

"You are also forbidden to go on that hunt with the king," Catelyn informed.

"What?! But I always get to go hunting with father!"

"Not this time, Torrhen."

"Why not? This would be the last time I'll ever get to go hunting with Robb! And father!"

"Then find another activity to do, but you are not going hunting and that is final."

With that, her lady mother stood up and swept out the door in a flurry of skirts. Torrhen flopped back onto her bed and groaned. Being betrothed wasn't as fun as she thought it would be, neither did having the king and his court here. She'll never be allowed to practice her archery or spar with swords ever again. No, it was time for Torrhen to become the lady her mother always intended her to be. How utterly boring.

A/N: sorry for the short sucky chapter. been stuck for a while. I will try and make the next chapter better. Reviews are welcome. :D