After long, I've returned. I don't know how to offer apologies, but my muse wasn't cooperating. It's as easy as saying I couldn't sit down and type this because no ideas were flowing. This is not to say that I didn't want to write or that your comments and notes didn't work (I felt the pressure at times, but nothing could be done for this). Hopefully those who still follow will like this chapter. Thank you! You're great for sticking around.
Chapter 49 : Longing for Things to Come
The smell wafting around the kitchen was a mix of smoke and sweetness. The noise of pots and water boiling was a dissonant music with purpose. Daenerys had rarely witnessed the work there but now she wished to make sure things were perfect for Robb's twenty-first nameday. His first as king and the first he had a right to celebrate after being in the battlefield for so long.
Over the time since their arrival, she had noticed a change in his demeanor. Unlike her, Robb didn't seem to enjoy himself in this new position of power. He spent great time practicing archery with Theon or telling stories of greatness to Iagan. He dreaded to sit in his new throne and listen to people's complaints – he didn't feel adequate to teach justice, even if he had been the fairest of the fighters.
Meanwhile, she reveled in the love of their subjects. Dany sat in her throne and felt like she belonged. She had finally found her place in the world. At the top, where she could see everything and everyone and play with the pieces.
"It's certainly a surprise to find you here, Your Grace." Dany looked around her and found the inquisitive eyes of Tyrion. Since his release, Robb had taken a fondness for him – she had blamed it on his strange feeling of inadequacy and also because like all Starks, Robb enjoyed stories and learned through them. Besides, Tyrion happened to have a sharp and quick mind, perhaps the only quality he had inherited from his father.
She smiled graciously. "I'm making sure Robb's nameday will be a success. He has a love for rich food."
"Northmen food," Tyrion replied with an amused smile on his lips. "Too rich and heavy for these places."
Dany's smile turned brighter. "I somehow doubt you dislike it."
"Oh, please, don't mind me. It's well seasoned and savory. Needless to say, I never quite fit these places either."
She nodded thoughtfully. She supposed none of them really fit in, but they belonged to King's Landing. "Are you looking for wine?"
In response Tyrion lifted a cup and showed her the scarlet red liquid, making her chuckle. "It's turning cold now and what better to keep me warm. Of course, that beside a lady – not very ladylike, since they are the only ones interested in such a… broken man like myself."
"Robb still feels it's too hot. I wonder if he prays to the Old Gods for snow. If that's so, he might succeed soon enough." She moved and gave instructions of what food she wanted to one of the cooks. "According to some people, you've been seen with Margaery lately. I gather you've become close?"
Bowing his head, and avoiding her gaze, Tyrion replied, "I offered nothing more than friendship. She's felt very lonely and, well, I understand how it's to be abandoned by your family. Even if I assumed hers was forced, unlike mine."
"War damages everything that touches. There are no unharmed winners."
-o-
Days before, a raven had arrived informing Sansa and Arya would visit them to celebrate Robb's nameday. His brothers and mother would stay in Winterfell, as it was rule for at least one Stark to always be guarding the North. There was still much to do, many soldiers to return home and a life to go back to. Ser Jorah was still master-at-arms and as such he vowed to protect the Starks. Dany also suspected her old friend harbored feelings for Robb's mother, who after all the time spent worried for her family, had finally found peace. And Catelyn was a beautiful woman, strong and loyal, a great mother.
"Are you content?" Dany asked Robb while they walked towards the courtyard, one hand on his forearm and the other resting on her prominent belly. It wouldn't be long for their child to arrive. Luckily a new life would bring more joy to the Red Keep.
Robb doubted his step before turning his blue gaze on her. "Content?" He sighed and his eyes softened. "I should be happy, yet I somehow miss the hardships of the battlefield. I became a man among the sound of steel against steel and the smell of blood and burnt flesh. Being a king makes me feel less than such. I'm aware I have everything to make me happy, but I feel trapped."
Dany stopped walking, and at that he stood before her, holding both of her hands in his. "Am I to blame for asking this to you? Did you ever wished to be king?" She smiled sadly at him. "I know you didn't, but I hope you had learned no other life than to command."
"I'm a soldier first, I'm afraid." Robb took her hands to his lips and kissed them. "For you, I'll pretend all you want." He stepped closer and in a whisper said, "I'll be king in name, but you'll be the ruler. I'm yours to command, my Queen."
"Robb. My Wolf," she muttered before he sealed her lips with a warm kiss. His hands cradled her face. She could smell him, feel his warmth. She was surprised of what he was offering. It wouldn't be seen with good eyes if she took his place as a ruler – Westeros wasn't kind to women, much less to those willful and strong. No one would deem proper for Robb to be her husband and not act as kings did.
"Mama!" Tiny steps echoed against the floor, and Dany smiled against Robb's lips. "Papa!" It was Robb the first one to let go, only so he could scoop up Iagan who came followed by Theon. The boy chortled when his father lifted him high so their blue eyes met.
It was difficult to accept this man, a man who was imposed to her and not chosen, could ever give her what she wanted. He offered her much more than expected or what any other man had ever meant.
When Arya arrived, she ran to Iagan and they embraced each other tightly. Dany suspected her son had a soft spot for his aunts, and Arya as the fun one, while Sansa is another mother figure that coddles him. What no one expected to see was Gendry, especially since he seemed worried for Sansa more than for Arya. It took little for Dany to notice the way they look at each other.
Gendry, despite his looks and built, was a gentle man. Sansa after her time spent a prisoner, enduring abuse, was understandably cautious around men, but clearly not so much regarding the Usurper's bastard son. It was surprising than Arya was fine with it, but perhaps she also saw how good they could've been for each other.
Arya squealed but frowned when Robb hugged her, lifting her off the ground. Meanwhile Dany greeted Sansa.
"Do you think we might meet your new child in our time here?"
Dany grinned, lovingly rubbing her stomach. "Only she can tell. Robb is convinced he'll be as stubborn as I am – not that he's any better."
"I'm not as hot-blooded," Robb intervened before pressing a tender kiss to his sister's cheek. "But I can't wait to have that baby in my arms either."
And then Dany knew Robb has spoken the truth. He had acted out of honor, out of loyalty to his father and family, but he never craved to sit on a throne or wear a crown – he had done everything because it was his duty. In her case, blood called her – she was born to be a queen. The Queen.
-o-
"Do you have something to tell me, sister?" Dany asked Sansa carefully as they walked around the Red Keep with arms linked together.
Sansa's gaze fell upon Daenerys. She seemed lost, but when Dany smiled mischievously and mentioned Gendry's name, her cheeks turned pink and she averted her eyes. It was clear she felt embarrassed, though it was hard to say why – there were many reasons, like Arya or her past experiences with love and men. Sansa was a survivor, but that didn't mean she had gotten used to being hurt.
"He's a bastard. And now I'm a princess. There's no way anything can come out of it." Sansa let go of Dany's arm. "Besides, I'm sure Arya would be quite mad at me. I do not wish to fight with her. Not again. I can't bear the thought of being away from my family one more time."
"Have you spoken with her?" Dany didn't want to tell her the affection between her and Gendry was obvious, but she did believed Arya was aware of the situation. "She might understand." After a soft sigh, Dany continued. "And there's something Gendry must know about his father. Something that could mean he can be at your level."
Daenerys knew Robb wanted to finally tell Gendry about his heritage, about the Usurper and his uncles. Shireen Baratheon was the only heir of the Stormlands, but she was too young and far from ready to take that place. Robb was sure that with training, Gendry could become a proper lord.
Before Sansa could reply, Dany felt a sharp kick of her baby on her side, and huffed.
"Are you alright?"
Smiling, the new Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, nodded. "Quite. But it seems this baby doesn't want to go unnoticed."
"Are you sure you'll be fine for the celebrations tonight?"
"Yes. We need it. Since the end of the war, we haven't found reasons to celebrate. What's better than the King's nameday?"
Sweets and tokens had been shared out among the children in King's Landing. Daenerys herself had gone with Robb following her. He had even acted heroically when saving a woman from being run over by the horses after the mass of people pushed her into the road. Robb might've not been Loras Tyrell, making young girls swoon, but he was the one who had saved them, the northman with a steel gaze and yet a warm smile. Dany sometimes wondered if he was loved and respected more than she ever could've been in her own, had she fought the war.
By the time evening came, a party took place. It was boisterous, but fun which provoked certain sadness in both Dany and Robb. He wished for Jon to be there and watch one more time Greatjon making those crude jokes while drunk and feeling like they were playing childish pranks when laughing at older men. For Dany it was about all those opportunities they had lost – she wondered how their wedding would've been if these men had been there.
"I assure you I wouldn't have been allowed out of the chambers or bed," Robb muttered in an amused tone. "It would've been interesting, but I don't regret how we came to be here." He drank some wine and then offered his hand to her. "Now, do you wish to dance? I promise to be gentle with you and our child."
In a corner of the main table Iagan sat on Arya's lap, licking his fingers after taking a piece of pie. His face was flushed and sticky with jam, but a joyous grin also adorned his plump face. Sansa and Arya couldn't help but to laugh as well while the proud parents grinned at them from the middle of the room as they danced.
Dany saw out of the corner of her eye when Gendry gathered the courage to ask Sansa to join the dance. She also noticed the way Arya coaxed her sister into accepting the invitation.
"Do you think Sansa could teach Gendry how to be a lord?" Dany asked Robb who looked at her with curiosity.
"She's probably one of the only people who could." Robb slowly twirled her, making Dany giggle like a young girl once she found her place at his side. "She's a perfect lady, and knows every rule of what should and shouldn't be done. But why do you ask?"
Instead of answering, Dany only motioned to the young couple not far from them.
"Oh." Robb's frown was deep, but he didn't manage to look quite upset about it. "It's perhaps time for me to tell him about his father. And he might wish to meet his cousin."
At the moment of Stannis' death, Shireen had been missing, but Davos Seaworth had kept her safe. It had been coincidence that one of Robb's bannermen had found them near White Harbor, and knowing how it felt to lose her parents, Dany asked Robb to keep the girl safe in Winterfell until calmer times. According to Sansa, the girl was gentle and shy, but had found a good friend in Bran.
"You should. But not now." Dany took his hands and prompted him to sway along the music.
-o-
The night had been long, and because of that Daenerys had asked Robb to leave the celebrations earlier that she would've liked. Her feet felt tired and her back ached. Her swollen belly was too big for her to feel comfortable in the same position for long. He agreed readily – after all, his sisters and Iagan had already left to rest. Meanwhile some people still enjoyed the party.
A stabbing pain in her lower back woke Dany up. She breathed in sharply. At first, she assumed it was just another of those hard nights but then pain struck again, and she knew. She would birth a willful child, one who would open her way into the world in the middle of the night, with a full moon illuminating the sky, and at the beginning of winter.
"Robb," Dany whimpered. "My Wolf," she called again. Her hand reached for him and soon he was sat next to her. His profile looked paler under the moonlight. "She's coming. Seems to me she wants to greet her father."
"I'll call for Maester Lyall."
The new Grand Maester chosen by the Conclave was a man with long, but thin hair, who missed his right eye – stories said he had been injured while fighting his brothers from house Durnwell in the Reach. Maester Lyall was than Pycelle had been, but more reserved than most maestres and as such never spoke without being asked for his advice – something Robb appreciated. The man was also fond of Iagan's curious nature.
"I am here, Your Grace," the Maester said as he entered the room, Irri and Doreah already preparing everything for the birth. "Looks like this child wanted to take us by surprise."
Dany smiled as she felt a bead of sweat rolling down her forehead. "She cannot wait to see the world. And I cannot wait to meet her, either."
Robb was kept out of the room by Jhiqui who carried boiled water and furs, but no one dared to kick Grey Wind out of the room. The massive direwolf stood by Dany's side as she received Maester Lyall's instructions. Only Irri was bold enough to sit next to her to hold her as Grey Wind looked at them.
"Push, Your Grace, now."
Dany did as told, but was soon ordered to stop. She saw how pale Doreah turned at the feet of the bed, but the Maester kept on telling her what to do, and she decided to trust him. But she could feel there was something wrong, it didn't feel like Iagan's had.
"The chord is around her neck," Maester Lyall finally confessed. "I cannot assure you she'll survive, but we need to try."
And so they did, but once the child was out, she looked blue and didn't cried.
"Khaleesi, I'm sorry," Jhiqui murmured as Maester Lyall placed the babe on a thick grey fur.
"No," Dany ordered. "She'll live." But at the time it was difficult to move and her body ached. She couldn't reach for her child, and only then noticed Grey Wind hovering above the baby, looking at her with interest and something akin to love. The direwolf licked at her as if her babe was a puppy that needed to be clean. When Doreah was about to spook him, Dany forbade it. "Let him. They are from the same blood."
Only a moment after they noticed a small movement and the color bathing the child. A sharp cry broke the night as the girl shouted and breathed for the first time, just as Grey Wind howled, soon accompanied by the dogs outside. Many animals followed, turning the melody of a calm night into cacophony.
"She's a wolf," Dany uttered sweetly when Irri placed the babe on her arms. The girl's hair was almost inexistent, but had a reddish hue. "Call for her father and tell him his daughter has arrived. She demands to meet the King."