The Unworthy

Joanna always only seemed to fall asleep when Robb was holding her, and tonight was no different. His daughter was in a carrier against his chest, while he held her head with one hand, and held Lady Sybel's letters with the other, trying to contain his rage.

Lord Tywin,

Jeyne offered Robb her comforts, and her maidenhead, and he married her, just as you said she would. During the wedding, Jeyne promised the Young Wolf she would give him sons. I have been seeing to it that she will not, but it seems they are not the only ones that need be worried about. A day after the wedding, a man turned up outside the castle, with the Young Wolf's children. For three days I waited to write on it, in case this were some trick or dream, but it seems that it is truly them. Melantha, Eddard and Theo, with the newborn girl, Joanna, he named her. The older boy may soon die of a wound he had taken before, but the others seem healthy and to truly be his children we were told had died at Winterfell. The Stranger himself brought them back from the dead it seems. Stark has ordered the castle to secrecy of their return, to ensure word of them does not reach his foes, just as he has ordered word of his marriage to remain a secret.

All the same, I hope that when you have dealt with the rebel as you have assured me that you will, that you will honor our arrangement. For Jeyne's marriage and all the information you have wished for me to give you. Stark seems fond enough of Jeyne to tell her his secrets, and she has been good enough to tell them to me.

He will not march until his son has healed enough that he is well to travel, or there is a great host bearing down on him. Until then, he will remain here at the Crag.

Sybel Westerling,

Lady of the Crag

That had been the only letter she had not sent it seemed, as all the others were from Lord Tywin to her.

None of Lord Tywin's letters made any reference to his children either, which struck him as odd. She must have wanted to keep it a secret from even Lord Tywin, he realized suddenly. He did not know whether Tywin would have allowed the poisoning of his great-grandson, and his good-mother must have been unsure as well.

Instead, all the letters spoke of their agreement. When he was dead, with Jeyne childless and widowed, matches would be made for her and Elayna, to highborn lords or heirs. Ser Raynald would be wed to a Lannister girl as well, with one of her brothers being risen to a lordship as well. Not all the details had been set in stone, he guessed, but he knew what they were planning.

Lord Tywin was plotting to have him killed. Sometime soon even. And it scared him more than he would have thought. Robb was not afraid of dying. He hadn't been for a long time. It was for his children's sake that he was afraid.

At seventeen, he had been left in charge of the North. At eighteen, he had been put in command of a great host, attempting to win his father's freedom. When that failed, he had been made a king. The burdens of a crown were great, and he did not want to imagine his children having to deal with them. He wanted them to have the chance to be young.

Robb set the letter down, and looked at Joanna in his arms. She was peaceful and content. He wondered what she was dreaming of, if she was even dreaming at all. "I won't let anything happen to you," he whispered to her, before putting a kiss on her forehead.

Good, a strange voice whispered in his head.

"Who's there?" Robb called out, but nothing answered. I'm losing my wits, aren't I? The voice had sounded both familiar and unknown to him at once.

He leaned back in his chair. Outside, he could hear Melantha's breathless laughter, as well as Grey Wind's heavy steps trailing behind her. A war was no place for children, and it wouldn't be long before they would have to leave the comforts of the castle. More than anything, he wanted some place for them to be safe.

After some time, there was a knock on the door. "I-it's me, your grace" he heard Jeyne's voice say. "Can I come in?"

Robb got up and walked over to the door. He had been studying the contents of Lady Sybel's stores for a while, finding potion ingredients and letters and countless other hidden treasures. But after he had found the jade phallus, he had decided he'd searched enough.

When he opened it, he saw Jeyne was crying. "R-Robb…"

"It's alright," he said, putting his other arm around her, hugging her close. She nestled her head on his free shoulder, and he kissed her too.

He pushed the door closed, and walked her over to the couch. They had not spoken since the night before, when she had almost run out of the hall after they had learned of her mother's death. She had not returned to their chambers, instead going to her own chambers that she had slept in before they married.

"W-what did you…" Jeyne started, but her voice faltered.

Robb took the letters and tossed them into the fire. "It doesn't matter," he said, and then returned to sit down next to her.

"What w-was she… P-plotting…"

My death. He decided it was best to shield Jeyne from that. "Y-your mother was poisoning you." That much needed to be said. "The fertility potions she was giving you…"

"Poisoning me?"

"To ensure you don't get with child."

Jeyne's face was full of horror, and he watched as her hands slipped to her flat stomach. "I-I… I'll be a good wife… I… I'll give you children… Another brother for Ned and Theo… My duty…" She started to cry.

"It's alright." Robb took one of her hands and put it on Joanna. "I already have two sons and daughters." He did not need more children. Not now when he could only care for them in a war campaign. In truth, he almost felt relieved to know Jeyne wasn't with child yet.

Jeyne only shook her head. "M-my mother… I-I have to…"

"To make up for her betrayal?"

He had cut to the heart of it. Jeyne nodded and wiped away a tear. "I-I'm sorry about… About… About her…" Her voice faltered, and she started to cry again.

"I know," he said. Robb did not think those who doubted Jeyne's loyalty to him would be less suspicious of her once she had a child. If anything, he suspected they would be more suspicious of her after that, knowing Eddard and Theo would stand to inherit before any of their sons, and Melantha and Joanna before any daughters.

"I-I thought I was…" Her voice trailed off again.

"Oh…" Robb said, realizing what she meant. "Jeyne, I-" He didn't know what to say. They had been wed for nearly a moon's turn now, so he guessed it was possible she might have been with child were it not for her mother.

Jeyne silently took Joanna, lifting her out of the carrier and taking the girl in her arms, putting their two heads together. Jeyne had been trying her best to win the hearts of his children, though Melantha and Theo had both proven to be resistant to her. Only Eddard seemed to trust her. He supposed it wasn't their fault. They were surrounded by so many strangers and unfamiliar faces, and he did not blame them for wishing their mother was there. He wanted Myrcella to be with them too, but he knew no amount of wishing would make it so.

Another knock came on the door. Robb rose to see who it was.

When he opened the door, he expected that it was going to be his great-uncle, and that's who was there. Theo was clinging onto the old man's leg he saw, though with the letter in his hand, Robb doubted that was why his uncle was there. Ser Brynden looked in the room and glanced at Jeyne and Joanna inside. "Your grace, I hope I did not disturb you."

Robb shook his head after he had reached down to pick his younger son up. "What is it?"

"A letter from Lord Bolton," his uncle said. "He writes that he has taken Harrenhal from Lord Tywin."

"Harrenhal?"

"Aye."

Robb was not sure whether to be glad. If Harrenhal had fallen, that meant Lord Tywin had finally given up his foothold in the Riverlands. Only a few hundred men at most could have been left behind for Bolton to have taken it though, which meant that the Lannister force coming west would be almost all of Lord Tywin's strength.

"How many men did he lose?" Robb asked. It had not been long enough for the castle to fall by siege, which meant there must have been an assault on the castle.

"Of his own?" Ser Brynden said. "Few."

"How?"

"He says that one of Lord Tywin's sellsword companies, the Bloody Mummers, turned the castle over. What little of the garrison remained loyal was put to the sword, and the castle is yours now."

Robb bit his tongue, not sure what to say to that. He had never been under the impression war would be easy, but he hadn't imagined it would be like this. By rights, he ought to have Lord Roose or his Bloody Mummers punished for their treachery, but they had given him Harrenhal and he needed their men.

"This means Lord Tywin is coming here, yes?"

Ser Brynden nodded. "With all his strength."

"What of Uncle Edmure?"

"Lord Bolton says he sent a letter to Riverrun too, though we haven't had any letters from Edmure yet."

Robb nodded. He was counting on his uncle to be able to meet Lord Tywin on the battlefield. Perhaps not to beat Lord Tywin, but to at least weaken him and his forces and buy Robb some time. There had been word that Storm's End had fallen to Stannis as well, with Ser Cortnay Penrose having been slain. He hoped it would not be long before Stannis would march on King's Landing, which would give Lord Tywin even more problems."Gather the lords in my solar. I'll speak to them in an hour."

His great-uncle bowed his head. "As you command, your grace."

Robb turned back, still holding Theo and he could hear Joanna's cries.

"I don't know what's wrong," Jeyne said, sounding worried. "She just-"

"She's hungry," Robb guessed. Either that or she's soiled herself. He went over and picked Joanna up from Jeyne again and took the babe to her wet nurse, which thankfully did not take long for him to find, and left Theo there as well.

When he returned, Jeyne was still there in Lady Sybel's bedchamber, waiting for him. After he stepped in, she closed the door and bolted it. "You said that you would see your lords in an hour?"

Robb gave a nod.

She took his hand and walked him over to the bed in the corner of the room. "What are you…" He realized what she was doing. "You want to-"

Jeyne nodded, though he could still see there was a tear in her eye. "I-I'll give you a son," she whispered as she started to undo his laces. "He'll be just like his brothers."

Hesitantly, Robb began to help her remove his clothes. When they were done with his clothes, he started to remove hers, and in almost no time at all, they were both undressed. She got into the bed first, and Robb followed, crawling on top of her.

They were silent until he spent himself within her, when the only sound that could be heard was them breathing heavier than normal. From the tears on her face, he could tell she had been crying the whole time.

After a few moments, he got up and began to dress himself again. Jeyne might have wanted him to stay, and he knew they had taken no more than a few minutes, but it didn't feel right to him.

"Your grace… Robb… Where are you going?"

He stood, thinking only for a moment about his answer. "I have to check on Eddard," he said. Robb was not sure he had seen his son since breakfast, and it was past midday now.

Jeyne gave a nod to show she understood. "You'll be with him until the council meeting?"

"Yes," Robb said. There was little use in lying.

"I-I'm going to stay here," she told him.

Robb did not question his wife's choice. He wondered if she wanted to see evidence of her mother's treachery for herself. But it did not matter to him.

Eddard was still in his sickroom, laying on the bed. Under Maester Aron's care, it had taken his wound a long time to heal, but he was getting stronger.

It seemed Theo must have made his way to his brother's room too, as Robb found the two boys were laying in bed together. "Father?" Eddard called out. His voice sounded firm, which Robb took as a good sign. He wasn't wearing a bandage on his face now either. 'Letting the fresh breath,' had been what Maester Aron had said.

"Are you feeling any better today?"

Eddard nodded and started to get out from underneath his blankets. "I want to go," he said, as he moved to the edge of the bed, sitting up and then jumping down. Theo followed, though less gracefully, and Robb put himself in position to catch the boy of two.

"Come on then," Robb told his son, still holding Theo's hand. As the boy started to walk forward, he stumbled a little, and he guessed that a wave of nausea had just overcome him. He caught Eddard and took his hand to support him. "Are you alright?"

Eddard nodded and put on a brave smile. Robb had not seen him smile much since he had arrived at the Crag, but it was still as bright as ever. The wound was still red and the skin had not fully healed, but his infection had passed, and it was getting better each day. It would most certainly leave a scar on the boy's face though.

The three of them wandered the castle for most of the hour they still left. He had ordered the children remain confined to only a small part of the keep unless he was with them, and while Melantha seemed to have no trouble ignoring those orders, Eddard had been left to his sickbed and Theo wasn't old enough to truly explore on his own. They walked through the castle forge and armory, past the sept and through the yard among many other places that Robb himself had rarely stopped to look at, though the two lads wanted to explore all of it. All eyes were on them as they passed, though thankfully none tried to bother him.

As Robb noticed the Greatjon started to make in the direction of the keep though, he knew he needed to start that way too. It was only when he tried to part with them that they didn't listen to him.

"I have a council meeting I need to attend to," he was telling them, but the two lads wouldn't have it.

"I want to stay with you," Eddard said.

"Me too," said Theo.

"I'll be back soon," he tried to promise them.

They both pouted instead. "I want you, father," Eddard said stubbornly.

He found himself silently cursing whatever god had the notion to give Robb back the children and not Myrcella. "Fine," he said with a sigh. "I can let you sit on the council meeting," he told them. "But only if you behave." He was the king after all. His lords might not approve of two boys sitting in on their council, but they would keep their objections to themselves. He was readying the boys to rule in their own right one day. "Keep quiet and do not disturb anyone, and don't touch anything unless I let you. Can you do that?"

Eddard and Theo nodded in unison.

"Good." Robb knew both well enough to know they would behave as long as they were getting what they wanted. And they just wanted to be with him longer. He figured it wouldn't be very long before the two boys would get bored and he would let them out to run around the castle or something.

Robb took both their hands again, and walked the rest of the way to Lord Gawen's solar. The other lords were gathered outside, waiting for him, and it was only once he turned up that they started to go in. Galbart Glover, Maege Mormont, Brynden Tully, Jon Umber and Rickard Karstark were the only ones in attendance. Ser Rolph Spicer seemed to be staying away in the wake of his sister's death, and the Freys had left him, which had made his already slim council even smaller.

From the look's on all their faces, he could see that what he was going to tell them was not news to them, and he could already guess as to what they would all say. He wondered what use it was to call the council knowing that, but he decided there was some comfort in hearing them say it.

"Are the Princes joining us today?" Maege Mormont asked as Robb led the two boys in.

"Aye," Robb answered. He moved to his end of the table and had Eddard and Theo sit down on the bench next to where he would sit while he grabbed the map, rocks and wooden pieces. He unrolled the map across the table, with Lord Rickard and Lord Galbart helping him hold it down until the rocks were put on it to keep it down and from there, Robb set up various pieces across the map.

When he had finally finished, he sat down next to his sons, and the others in his council did the same. "Harrenhal and Storm's End have fallen," he announced to them.

Robb still remembered his first war councils that he had held. When he had informed them of news like this, the Kingslayer having beaten Lord Vance and Lord Piper beneath the Golden Tooth, or that Lord Tywin was marching up the Kingsroad, or that he had driven Lady Sheila Whent out of Harrenhal, his words had always been met with a loud eruption of reactions and ideas. Now, it was completely silent. A lord needs to be able to rule his council as well as his subjects, he remembered his father had once told him.

"Do we know what Stannis means to do?" Galbart Glover asked after a long pause. "Will he march on Highgarden now?"

"King's Landing, most like," Ser Brynden answered. "He has had the ships for an assault since the start of the war, and now he has an army. Now his family's ancestral seat is his, no doubt he'll aim for the capital now."

They had only gotten word that Storm's End had fallen yesterday. Robb was not so sure that having Stannis on the Iron Throne would be any better than having Joffrey on the Iron Throne when he thought about the letter he had sent out, declaring all of Cersei's children and descendants to be abominations, including Eddard, Theo and Joanna. But if the Lannisters were beaten in the east, that would surely make it easier in the west.

"With Harrenhal, Lord Bolton will surely be able to trap the Lannisters," Glover said. "He won't be able to aid the capital without going through Harrenhal first."

Unless he goes further south. Robb did not know if the Lannisters and Tyrells could make an alliance, but if they did, there was no hope of trapping Lord Tywin in the Riverlands. He ought to have sent envoys to Lord Tyrell, but he did not have the men to spare. All he could hope for was his mother perhaps negotiating one on her own accord.

"King's Landing must surely fall soon," Rickard Karstark declared. "What little men remain in the city will not be enough to face Stannis Baratheon and his army."

"That is not what troubles me," Robb said, finally making himself heard again. "We will worry about the matter of who holds King's Landing later. It is Lord Tywin and his army that concern me." He paused and studied his lords. "Lord Tywin will be coming with his strength, far outnumbering our own. Perhaps Ser Edmure will be able to hold him for a time, and bleed him along the way, but he will not be able to hold him off for very long." Once more he paused, this time knowing he had not told any of them what his plan was. "I mean to face Lord Tywin here in the west."

The Greatjon seemed to approve of the plan, while the others remained silent. He could see some cautious approval in his great-uncle's face, as well as Rickard Karstark's, though Lady Maege Mormont and Galbart Glover did not seem fully convinced.

"Face Lord Tywin here?" Lady Maege asked. "The Crag?"

"No," Robb said. "We'll face him in the field," he said. He began moving the pieces on the board to show his plan. "Lord Tywin's host is mostly afoot, and will surely face several battles before they make it west, while we are all mounted. He'll have to chase us, tiring his men all the way, while we widdle his forces down with smaller strikes, until eventually we'll be able to face them on a field of our choosing and end House Lannister's power once and for all." He grabbed one of the pieces that was representing his host in the west as he finished, holding it almost as though it were a toy. His plan was dangerous, but he knew he would not beat Lord Tywin without at least a little risk.

The Greatjon was the first to speak in approval, though the others still seemed to have their doubts, and Robb did not blame them. For several hours they debated and discussed the plan. It was a calm meeting too, which was of a greater surprise to Robb. Normally meetings like this when Robb had announced a bold strategy like this were often met with loud arguments, but even Lord Umber kept his voice low.

But the greatest surprise to Robb was Eddard and Theo. He expected the boys to get bored and either fall asleep or ask to go somewhere else or even start bothering him, but every time Robb looked at them, they seemed to be watching the meeting with fascination. It was only near the end of the meeting when Theo whispered to Robb that he was hungry, but even then he still remained there.

With the meeting at an end, the other lords began to leave one by one, some saying a final word to Robb before they went, but all left until Robb and his sons were the only ones remaining in Lord Gawen's solar. "You did well," he told the boys as he picked them up.

They giggled as he lifted them and started carrying them out of the solar and to the kitchens where he could find them something to eat. Robb still found himself wondering where he could possibly keep the boys safe when Lord Tywin was in the west. For as much thought as he had put into it, he was still no closer to an answer than he had been before.

Yet Robb also knew they might just be his last hope if things went awry.

Author Notes:

Sorry for the miserable Robb/Jeyne (not even really) smut… I just was in need of something to pad my length and help break my gridlock (which it did). I promise that will be the last time I ever do that… Unless you guys really want more.

Thanks for all the comments and kudos and support guys.