"He ain't nothing but too good to be real. Don't believe the way he's making you feel. He'll break your pretty heart in two. Momma told me 'bout boys like you. Too good to be true."- Too Good To Be True, Eden's Edge
IV. ROBB
Jon settled into the seat next to him. Lucia was sitting gracefully next to her twin and Theon settled on her other side. He could see Jaime Lannister studying them all from his seat and it was a fight not to turn and glare at the Kingslayer. "The Queen looks angry enough to swear," Jon suddenly spoke up in a low whisper, pulling a smile from Robb. Cersei Lannister did indeed look furious. Her glare was directed at Luce who, all three of her companions knew, could send Cersei flinching back with her true dark glare. "Watch out for that woman sister," Jon advised.
"Noted," Luce replied calmly, meeting Cersei's eyes until the Queen's glare darkened and she turned to speak to her eldest son sitting on her left. Then Luce turned to the food set before them.
"Are we riding tonight?" Theon asked suddenly as the level of chatter returned to normal.
"Please," Lucia and Jon said immediately.
"Definitely," Robb replied and the older boy nodded. They settled into companionable silence, satisfied that they would be able to speak in private during their evening ritual. The oldest Stark children and Theon Greyjoy had made a habit of leaving the meal early to ride towards the godswood for a chance to speak in private. As was their habit they ate in a leisurely fashion and then slipped out when Catelyn was distracted, blessed only with a wink from Ned Stark. They had yet to sneak out of a room without Robb's father noticing them yet Robb knew he never said anything about their escape to anyone.
Robb called Grey Wind to him, watching as Ghost and Shadow came slinking out of the darkness to the twins. They saddled the horses and rode out of Winterfell at a gallop. Land flew beneath their mounts' feet until they reigned in. "So you're marrying Jaime Lannister," Theon said, the first to break the silence.
"Unfortunately," Luce drawled, her eyes meeting Theon's levelly.
"There's nothing that can be done about it," Robb added and Theon sighed. Robb was just as surprised as his father's ward. All had suspected that if there was any possibility of Lucia marrying anyone it would be Theon. The announcement of her marriage to Ser Jaime Lannister, the infamous Kingslayer, had shocked Robb just as much as Theon.
"Still," Theon grumbled. "I don't trust Jaime Lannister any farther than I can throw him." Robb stayed silent but he couldn't help but agree with the older brother. Jaime Lannister had slain one king at seventeen; a king he was supposed to have been guarding. It would be little more than child's play for him to kill Lucia as well.
"Let's not talk about that," Lucia said briskly, dismounting and stroking Shadow's head. Her Direwolf was black as pitch but with the same red eyes as Ghost. The others followed her lead and walked ahead of the horses through the shadows of the woods. Suddenly all three Direwolves froze, ears pricked for noise.
"There's someone coming," Jon said softly.
"Probably someone unaware of our habits," Theon commented wryly and the company bit down laughter as they waited for their unexpected and, most likely, unwanted company to show themselves. Robb could feel his heart pounding with a mixture of fear and excitement as they saw torchlight. The group tensed and Robb knew for a bizarre moment that they were all thinking the same thing. The Others. It was hard not to breathe out a sigh of relief as Jaime and Tyrion Lannister rode into view with a couple Lannister guardsmen.