A/N I'm tearing up. I can't believe this guys, I can't. It's done. Blood Must Have Blood is over. This was my first story ever, and I will never forget it. I will never forget Everra and how difficult she was to write but how I loved her all the same. Thank you to all of you who bothered to read this in the first place, to those who reviewed and favourited and followed. All of you pushed me to finish this story— something I never thought I would be able to do. There are two last things to say now; thank you, my readers, for everything and goodbye to this story, to Robb and Everra and Jon and Catelyn and Andromache. I hope you all enjoy this! I hope some of you follow me to my other Game of Thrones story but if not. . .
Until next time,
Fionakevin073
Burial
It's only on the way home does he realise that they are not actually going home. He has a promise to fulfil. But before he does that, there is one last thing he must do.
Jon is getting restless. Her people are getting restless. They need something to do with her ashes. Robb remembers the promise he once made her and he intends to fulfil it. Yet, he is reluctant too. Those ashes in that damned vase are the only thing he has left of her.
They reach RedRun in a month and her people are solemn and quiet. She was by no means a kind leader but she was a good one. They eye Jon suspiciously (he is now the leader of the Bloodlands) but accept him nonetheless.
Robb is both eager and reluctant to leave RedRun. He knows that this may be the last time he is ever there.
He goes to the lavender tree, holding her in his hands— what was left of her in that vase— and strokes it with his thumbs, almost as if it were her hair.
"I love you," he whispers into the lonely night.
A breeze sweeps through him and he know's its time.
He lifts the top of the vase and tips it over and then she leaves him just as quickly as she did the first time.
She's dead. Gone.
The pain he feels is unbearable.
Please, his heart whispers, come back to me.
Roslin
When he arrives at the Twins his heart his limp and numb in his chest. He has no desire to be there, no desire to have a wife but he nods his head at their antics and tries to look thankful.
The look on his mothers face tells him he is not succeeding.
He can't find it in him to care.
Walder Frey smirks at him and presents him with a daughter.
His bride to be.
His wife.
She is more beautiful then he thought she would be, with her wide doe like blue eyes and her long light brown hair. She is soft, shy, her cheeks flush a bright red when her eyes meet his and she looks down at the floor, trying not to meet his eyes.
The ache in his chest has never been more strong.
But he smiles at her softly, though he knows it is without warmth and fails to calm her nerves.
When they marry it is as if he is not in his body, as if he is watching from above as he wraps the cloak around her and listens to the cheers. When his lips press onto hers, he does not feel that fire, that passion he was so used to, her lips did not feel right against his. He closed his eyes tightly and even though he knew it was wrong he tried to picture a dead girls face in front of him instead.
When they pull away he can tell from the disappointed look in her eye that she knows.
Grief
Robb used to lay in bed till the late hours of the night and used to close his eyes and imagine that she was there. That he would open his eyes to see her green ones already open and looking at him. Not with warmth, not with coldness either, but something that told Robb that in her own way, she was happy. Happy to be there with him.
He used to long for her to be there so hard, used to pray to all the gods he knew of, pleading with them, hoping with everything in him that when he opened his eyes she would be there.
It took him many years to finally accept that she would never be there again.
His grief is not short, it is painful in all the ways imaginable, the numbness, the longing, the urge to both cry and scream every time he looked at anything that reminded him of her (it was even more unfortunate that practically everything did).
After so long of feeling as though he was drowning in his grief, as if everything surrounding him was choking him with it, with this eternal sadness, it finally began to become more bearable. The feeling of a thousand knives being thrust into his body replaced with a pounding ache in his heart. A sadness for a future he could never have.
Everra, his heart seemed to whisper, I miss you.
Ruling
He rules as though she is still by side and tries to remember everything she told him a ruler should be. A ruler should be loved- he shows mercy when he can and helps his people in whatever way he thinks best-, respected, -he won a war against four kings, though he earned their respect in the battlefield he knows the throne room is different- he listens to their council but affirms his power over them. A ruler should be feared -he kills those who try to kill him and grants mercy to those he can.
He likes to think she would be proud.
Andromache
They say that the black panther that was always by Everra's side curled into a ball under the lavender tree and lay there until she died. She did not wake, did not eat, did not drink or even seek shelter.
The great cat simply sat herself under the tree, where her mistress had sat so long ago, curled into herself, and closed her eyes for the rest of time. One day she was there, and the next she wasn't.
Roslin (continued)
Their relationship is weak and fragile, it consists of the weakest of smiles and moments in the night which Robb wishes he could forget.
He visits her chambers however, he knows he needs an heir but every time he is with her he tries his very best not to call out another name. He did it once and he will never forget the look on this young girls face- his wife's face. Though he may not love her he does not want her to be unhappy.
He won't drag her down with him.
The confrontation that finally erupts between them is loud and full of screaming and crying on her part. When she had finally begun to sob, her shoulders shaking, Robb had taken her into his arms and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. 'I love you' she was muttering into his chest. Isn't that enough?
Robb did not answer.
Birth
When he finds out that she is with child he is. . . shocked. He feels a nervousness inside him which he has not felt it many years. There is relief as well. Him and Roslin had been married for over a year with no child.
She looks up at him nervous but glowing with happiness and Robb can't find it in him to feel otherwise. So he hugs her gently and hears her whisper 'I love you'.
He still does not respond.
The months leading to her birth are stressful and worrying and when the time finally comes he feels so terrified that he can't think of anything else.
It's in that moment that he realises that he does not want Roslin to die.
That he cares for her.
So while he hears her screams and her cries he runs to the Godswood and prays with all his might that both she and the child may live. When his mother finally comes to retrieve him the sun has risen and his cheeks are red from the cold.
He has never felt more nervous or hesitant in his life.
When he walks into the room he is relived at the sight of Roslin laying back, her cheeks read and her face glistening with sweat. She was glowing with happiness as it occurred to Robb that she was holding a baby in her arms.
Their baby.
He walks towards them hesitantly and she smiles up at him, her eyes full of love and whispers as he bends down next to them, "A boy," she whispers "a beautiful baby boy."
Robb looks at her and feels something tugging at his heart, he does not know what, nor does he want to find out but something propels him forward and he presses his lips to hers.
Unlike all the others, he feels something, a gentle tug in his heart, the feeling of a nice warmness filling his chest. It is not as strong or as powerful as what he had with Everra, but it is something.
Something that makes him think that he may fall in love with her one day.
"Thank you," he whispers.
Jon
He visits Jon as often as he can. Jon has turned into a wise leader of the Bloodlands (Everra had taught him well too).
They grieved together for a while, Jon for his sister and Robb for his. . . . her.
Jon had looked at Roslin warily when he first met her, a judgemental look in his eye as he looked her up and down but then he had shaken his head and smiled politely at her, kissing her hand.
He never said anything bad about her to Robb.
He marries eventually, to Margaerey Tyrell. Robb was surprised when it occurred but was shocked at how happy they looked together, how content and peaceful.
Robb was jealous of how Jon managed to move on with his life.
But he was happy for them. After all, Jon was his brother.
Sansa
When Robb first saw Sansa after they had taken Kings Landing she had looked at him, her blue eyes widening slightly and then looked away. There were bruises on her wrists and around her eye and his chest tightened painfully at the sight of her. Gone was the Sansa he once knew.
It was awhile before she turned to look at him again and it was as if she realised that it was really him and she hugged him tightly, sobbing into his chest.
When the people who have hurt her are dead Sansa looks at him determinedly, surprising both him and his mother; she wanted to go with Tyrion to Casterly Rock. More importantly, she wanted to continue on being his wife.
The relationship between the two of them always puzzled Robb but he nodded his consent, knowing that it would make his sister happy.
After everything she had been through, she deserved it.
Arya
Arya had jumped on him the moment he had arrived at Winterfell, both giggling and sobbing into his shoulder. If there was one thing that had not changed much over the war, it was her. She was still uncontrollable, still rebellious, still her.
Robb could not begin describe how thankful he was for that.
After a few years she had looked at Robb one day and said, "I'm going to explore the world like Lady Everra did."
Ignoring the pain and surprise in his heart Robb observed her for a few moments and said, "Ask mother first and then I'll tell you my answer."
She left within a month.
Children
Robb smiles as he hears the sound of his children laughing in the distance, an innocent sound that never failed to warm his heart.
Roslin is standing next to him, watching them as as well, something very similar to tears in her eyes.
Robb reached down hesitantly for her hand, his gloved fingers reaching hers. He smiles softly at her startled expression, her light brown eyes wide. Slowly, her fingers start to slide through his and even though she was not what Robb had wanted-no what he had needed- she had given him his children.
Nothing had ever been more important.
He knows she loves him in a way he could never love her. But in his own way, in a hesitant, thankful way, he loves her in return.
"Look at that," he whispers, "look at our children."
Their children. The eldest with his large brown curls and blue eyes. Ned. His eldest daughter, with her long auburn hair and playful blue eyes. The splitting image of her father, Elayna. His other son, Theo, with his straight brown hair and soft brown eyes, the split image of his mother. Then his last child, a daughter, trying to catch up to her siblings on her little toddler legs, an innocent giggle flying out of her lips, Talia.
Roslin doesn't answer, instead choosing to squeeze his fingers tighter.
Ned
His eldest child was much like Robb's own father, honourable, serious and protective. He loved so fiercely it sometimes scared Roslin. He was wise and intelligent but was proud occasionally and ignorant. He is his heir.
"What if I am a bad king?" he asked Robb one night.
Robb had looked at him for a moment, his blue eyes twinkling.
"Father?" the boy asked warily.
Robb had smiled at him and said, "I once thought as you do and someone told me something that has stayed with me all throughout my reign. Something which I will now pass on to you. A ruler must be loved, feared and respected. I see it in you now and I believe that one day you will manage to achieve all three."
His son nods at him thoughtfully, though Robb can tell that he did little to ease his fears.
"A true ruler does what needs to be done. They do what is needed of them, not what is wanted."
Ned looks up at him, a smile now on his lips as he hugs his father tightly.
Theo
His youngest son is like his mother in more ways than one. He is shy, kind, observant and stubborn. Most of the time, his face is stuck in a book or he is out riding on his horse. Robb feels more protective over him than he does with any of his other children. He loves them all equally and just as powerfully but he feels this strange urge to protect his youngest son the most.
Robb worries for when he leaves home and sets out into the world of Westeros. He knows he tries to raise his children realistically, only making promises when he knows he can keep them but he fears that his youngest son may break, may be turned and twisted into a shell of the boy he is now. It is a terrible thing for a father to think but nevertheless, it is the truth.
It's only one day during supper that Robb realises that he may have underestimated his son.
"If it came to sacrificing some innocents to win a war would you do it?" Elayna asked one day.
Robb and Roslin had looked at each other for a moment, startled.
Roslin is about to speak when Robb shoots her a look, asking her to be quiet. She nods hesitantly and watches.
"No," Ned declares, "If you want to be King you should defend your people however you can, if you sacrifice the people you swore to protect then you should not be on the throne."
Theo is looking down at his plate, listening closely, his eyebrows drawn into a frown.
Elayna considers her older brother for a moment before saying, "I think I may agree with you. . . I can't imagine a king doing that to his people, especially the innocents."
Robb is about to speak when Theo's voice declares, "I would."
His siblings stare at him in shock and to be frank, Robb is too. His children are indeed children, the eldest only being twelve and the youngest being two, though she is sleeping at the moment.
Theo's cheeks have begun to warm at the attention on him but he manages to say, "A King sometimes has to sacrifice a few to save the many. I'm only trying to be realistic."
Silence.
Robb learns to never underestimate his children ever again.
Elayna
His daughter is like his mother in both appearances and actions. She is fiercely protective of her family and is stubborn in her beliefs. She is kind and beautiful, intelligent even, both politically and rationally but her vice is her honour. She clings to it desperately and Robb worries for her because she reminds him of whom he was before the war. Before he realised that no one could be truly honourable in this world, that you had to make decisions that were harsh and sometimes cruel if you truly wanted to be a ruler.
She is strong though, so strong that Robb sometimes thinks that even though Roslin birthed her, she was more like Everra than either of them. But she was happier and more lively and she giggled and laughed and thought of the good in life.
Robb thinks that one day she will grow to be wiser and more cautious and realise that the world could be harsh and cruel. For now, however, he will let her grow on her own, let her experience the world and interpret it as she wishes.
He will love her regardless.
Everra
When Robb first meets Jon's daughter he is overtaken with emotions. Surprise, shock, love. . . anything imaginable.
He has not seen Jon for a few years now, though they have corresponded through letters. Robb takes no notice of either Jon or Margery and is instead enchanted by the little girl in front of him. With her long black hair and light blue eyes which in a certain light can be mistaken for green, he is certain that he is seeing a younger version of the woman he loved (loves).
He crouches down so he is at her level and asks her softly, "What is your name, little one?"
"Everra," she chirps happily, looking him in the eyes.
Robb can't speak because of the sudden lump in his throat.
Jon (Continued)
It is later on that night after he meets Jon's daughter that he tells him the whole truth. About Everra, and how she knew about everything, even their father dying and all the death that would come and the old woman and why Everra died. He expects Jon to be angry, and to be surprised, what he does not expect however, is how Jon actually reacts.
"Would it surprise if I said I always knew that Everra knew more than she let on?" Jon asked, his mouth quirking up into a smile. "I think I figured it out long ago but simply pushed it into the back of my mind and forgot about it." Robb stared at him, speechless.
"Are you angry with me?" Robb asked a little while later, "That she died, that you never got to know her as much as you would have liked?"
Jon smiled at him after a moment, though his eyes were wistful and sad as was his smile, "No," he said gently, "I'm not angry with you because it wasn't your fault." There was a moment before he continued, "I would have liked to have known her better, but. . . my family— our brother's and sisters are more that enough for me."
Talia
Even though Robb has been through this three times already, the terror that had sprung in his heart the first time still makes it reappearance. All he can think is do not let Roslin die. Do not leave my children motherless. Let my child live. His children are nervous too and excited.
Robb hears Roslin scream from her chambers and his heart twists in his chest painfully. When his mother comes to get him, his children are fast asleep in their beds and he walks into the room, his legs feeling like rock.
Roslin is red and sweaty though undeniably happy, looking down at the baby in her arms.
Robb feels relief sweep through him and he walks towards them quickly, his excitement growing.
"A girl," Roslin whispers.
She has eyes which are a dark shade of brown and there is a small patch of auburn hair on her head.
Robb's heart is tightening at the sight of her, and he feels this unconditional love bloom in his heart.
"Talia," he whispers, "Her name is Talia."
Roslin looks at him, slightly surprised, either she decided the names of their children, or they decided it together. She can tell however, that this is important to him. She may be their last child.
"Talia," she whispers.
Robb can almost feel her there with them, whispering in his ear, thank you.
Acceptance
When Robb finally accepts the fact that she is never coming back, he felt as though he would never be happy ever again.
He realises it one morning after waking in his bed, a few years later. Roslin is pregnant with their second child and it is all he worries about.
Yet, in the deep hours of the night, he allows himself to be selfish. He allows his never ending grief to consume him, he allows himself to wish, to hope that he will wake up and she will be there.
When he wakes the familiar disappointment is there when he realises that she is not. That only an empty place on his bed is where she should be.
Thats when he accepts that she is never going to be there ever again.
He still misses her however, with every part of his being. But the monster that was his grief has now shrunk into a throb in his heart in his most selfish moments, when he wishes that she would be there to advise him, to guide him.
I'm sorry, his heart whispers, but I can't spend the rest of my life loving a ghost.
Whispering Wood
The night before she died, Robb is still laying wide awake, looking down at her in his arms. Her raven hair is spread all over him, her silky strands smooth against his bare chest.
His heart thumps in his chest as he looks at her, her face looking peaceful. He loves her, more than he has ever loved anything in his life.
His mind begins to drift and his eyes close and he dreams.
He is in battle, the snow around them staining red by the blood of the fallen soldiers around him.
He hears some soldiers cry out as Greywind leaps on top of them. He pulls his sword out of the soldier in front of him and turns, his sword immediately clashing with another.
When that soldier fell he became aware of the shouts around him and he was suddenly surrounded by numerous of his soldiers, "Wha-"
"The Kingslayer!" One of them yelled.
Robb knew he would come for him. Why would he not? If he died, his men returned home. His father died.
His heart dropped.
It's a while before most of the soldiers are long dead and he is right in the sight of Jaime Lannister and he tightened his grip on his sword as the Kingslayer runs towards him, swinging his sword.
Robb can hear his heart beating furiously in his ears, as their swords clash together for the hundredth time. He is pushed backwards and he lands on the ground beneath him with a thump and he look for his sword blindly. He can't die, he won't die, father, mother, Sansa, Arya need him.
But he can't find his sword and ay the gods help him he looks upwards and then closes his eyes for a brief moment, preparing himself for his fate. When Jaime lifts his sword in the air and brings it crashing down there is a loud clash as it is suddenly blocked by another's sword.
Robb opens his eyes startled, and is bombarded by the sight of a woman in green clothing, with long flowing raven hair standing in front of him. Protecting him.
Robb's eyes open suddenly. Everra has begun to stir in his arms and she looks up at him, her green eyes slightly curious.
"What were you dreaming of?" She whispers softly.
Robb shakes his head and grabs onto one of her hands, kissing it softly. She understands his demons just as he understands hers.
She presses herself forward on his chest and presses her lips to his. The fire immediately consumes them both, the warmth spreading through every inch of their bodies, awakening them.
How could he ever need anything else? He thought and kissed her harder, flipping them so that he was on top.
By the way she kissed him back, he knew she was thinking the same.
Catelyn
When his mother dies it is a good twenty years since he married Roslin and though it is hard to say, Robb is surprised she lasted as long as she did.
His mother's driving force since his father died was to make sure her children were safe and happy, secure. Arya is travelling the world, Sansa is with child for the third time and happy too. Bran is where he wants to be and Rickon is off protecting the innocents of Westeros. Robb is. . . happy. He has his children and his wife and there has been peace for a good long while and while he may not feel perfectly content, he is getting there.
Then his mother got sick.
"I'm tired Robb," she whispers to him one day, "I miss your father."
She was in and out of sleep constantly, sometimes not knowing where she was. It broke his heart to see his strong, protective mother so lost.
Robb smiles at her softly and for the first time in years tears appear in his eyes, "I know mother, I miss him too."
She smiles at him, he can tell it takes all her strength to do so and with her last breath she utters, "Forgive me."
For what? Robb thinks, sadly.
For loving too much.
Epilogue
When Robb dies he has been King for a good forty years and all his family is by his side.
What finally got him was a bear. One moment Jon, him and his sons were laughing loudly and the next blood was running out of his stomach, pain erupting all over his body.
Once every few years all the remaining Starks would gather together and Robb feels almost lucky to have everyone he loves by his side. His brothers and sisters, his children, his nephews and nieces, his wife.
They shed tears over him and plead for him to fight and that damn it Robb, we need you. Your children need you.
Robb had simply smiled and said, "No you don't."
A tear slipped from his eye and swam down his cheek as he said, "It's been forty years, let me rest."
Right before he dies, he does it one last time. He closes his eyes and wishes that she was there with him again.
He dies moments later.
When Robb finally comes to his senses, the world is dark, his eyes are closed tightly and he can feel the bed dip beside him, another persons warmth radiating out to him.
His heart begins to beat faster in his chest and a warm smile spreads across his lips. He begins to open his eyes slowly and hopes that she will be there.
Emerald green eyes are the first thing he sees.