Chapter 18: Call the banners
298 AC
Robb
Osric, Torrhen and himself read the letter again and again. This couldn't be true. His father captured for treason? No way that was true.
Torrhen looked at him with a sad expression on his face. "I'm sorry Robb, but you know what you have to do."
He looked into his friend's eyes and nodded solemnly. His mother and Maester Luwin turned their heads towards them. "What do you mean Torrhen? What are you talking about?" his mother demanded to know, while Luwin shook his head meaningfully next to her. He clearly understood what they were talking about.
He looked at his mother, sighed and said "I have to call the banners, mother. We have to get father back." His mother looked and him in shock, followed by anger. "No way, Robb you are not sending men south! We wait until we hear from your father and then we look what we'll do."
Torrhen spoke up at that. "My lady, you can't be serious? If Robb doesn't call the banners now, no Northern lord will ever respect him. It doesn't matter if he becomes the Lord of Winterfell tomorrow or in forty years, no Lord will follow the craven Stark that didn't even raise troops to save his own father;"
At this, his mother looked taken aback, before becoming angry once more. "Torrhen Karstark! How dare you say such a thing? I should have you thrown out of Winterfell by evening for daring to say such things about your future lord."
"He's right, mother." He said calmly.
"What? What are you saying Robb?" she said bewildered.
"I know these men. Their sons are my friends. Not one of them will ever follow me if we let father rot in King's Landing. Nor would I want them to. Just like none would have followed father had he not raised his banners against the Targaryens when his sister was kidnapped, and his father and brother killed. This needs to be done and it needs to be done now." He answered her.
He turned towards Maester Luwin. "Maester prepare the messages, the ravens fly within the hour."
"Robb Stark, you will not call the banners without mine or your father's authority. You cannot call them in his name without my permission!" she shouted.
"That's okay, I won't." he stated matter-of-factly.
"What?" she asked in complete surprise.
"If you don't allow me to call the Northern banners in name of House Stark, I will ask for their help in my personal name. In the name of Robb Stark, heir to Winterfell as a plea to defend my father and the North's honor. Some lords will come, others will not but I will march south." He said to his mother. He knew he would never be able to do anything of meaning in the Riverlands without the full force of the North. However, that doesn't matter. All that mattered is that he would be able to convince her, so she allows him to raise the banners.
"You, you would go YOURSELF? Robb you are a boy, nothing more! Let war over to the men." His mother almost screamed.
"Of course, I will go. If I called for the banners and Torrhen and Osric were in Karhold, they would also go. It's my duty to do so. I'm the eldest male Stark here and the heir to Winterfell. I must march!" he said, not accepting anything less.
"Lord Robb, that wouldn't be prudent. It would be entirely possible to let lord Umber, Bolton or Karstark lead the forces, if they were to be raised at all." Maester Luwin said.
"No, Maester. You know the North. I must do this myself. Not even Lord Rickard would respect me if I didn't go myself and the man loves me like a son. Tell me I'm wrong."
The Maester looked him in the eye, sighed and remained silent.
"What is this? Of course, those men will respect you when you're older. You're boy now Robb! Do you really think men like the Greatjon will follow a boy?" his mother cried out.
"No, they won't follow a boy." He stated simply. "They will follow a Stark, though."
At this he saw Os and Torr nod to him. "Aye, we would. My father, brothers and I, we would. The Hornwoods, Manderlys, Cerwyns, Mormonts, … all would march, even men like the Greatjon. If the Stark calls, the North answers." His best friend said.
She looked at him in shock, after taking a hold of herself his mother replied. "He isn't the Stark." She said the words with a kind of sarcasm. "His father is, he is a boy."
"No, my lady. Lord Eddard is the head of House Stark and we all owe him our allegiance, but he is incapable of being the acting lord right now. Robb is the Stark in Winterfell now and it's his job to defend both Winterfell and the North's interests. Its biggest interest now is to free its liege lord and so we must. All of us." He replied.
At this, his mother paled. She looked around to Maester Luwin for help, but he looked resigned. "Luwin, you … you can't agree with this?"
"I am afraid, I do. I don't like it, but I have to. Lord Eddard has spent a lot of time these last few years restoring House Stark's status with its bannermen. Robb is in the center of those plans, with his betrothal and fostering to a strong Northern house like the Karstarks. More than that, also his friendship with the Umber, Norrey and Cerwyn heirs. His sister's fostering, Arya's friendships, everything led up to this. If Robb doesn't do this, House Stark will lose all of these gains and more." The Maester replied and he suddenly looked ten years older.
"Besides that, father has been preparing me for it for months and years now. He has also been preparing the North for war. Sending archers to moat Cailin, telling the lords to be ready. I will show you all my letters, in all of them are lessons about strategy, warfare and diplomacy. He even asked Lord Rickard and Maester Luwin to pay special attention to it in my education. Father never wanted for me to go to war, but he knew it might be necessary someday and prepared me accordingly. Well that day has come early." He added in explanation.
At this his mother seemed to resign herself. "Do what you have to, I will sign them." She said sadly to the Maester and her voice sounded … hollow or distant.
"No, mother. I will sign them. I am the Stark in Winterfell and father's heir. it must come from me." He said.
She looked at him pleadingly for a few seconds, but he didn't respond. In response, she finally nodded before leaving the room.
"Maester, the ravens fly within the hour." He repeated.
Luwin nodded sadly and went to work. Torrhen came to him and put his arm on his shoulder. "You did well Robb, my father would be proud."
"I know Torr, I just hope my father would be too."
(Over a month later)
The Karstarks had finally arrived. That made sure all his troops that would go to Winterfell were here. Others would be joining them around the Kingsroad or Moat Cailin, but this was all for now.
He welcomed his foster-father at the gates and was surprised to see Alys riding behind him with her brothers.
"Lord Rickard it is good to see you!" he said honestly. He hoped the men could help him with some of the lords gathered inside.
"It's good to see you too Robb!" The man said as he jumped of his horse and gave him a hug.
Afterwards, Harry and Edd did the same. Now he was face to face with Alys. They smiled awkwardly at each other for a few seconds until Edd cried out "Oh for the God's sake! Give that a girl a hug already Redstark. She's been dying to get one this whole trip and let me remind you, the trip takes weeks!"
He sent daggers at Edd with his eyes, but when he turned back to Alys he saw her smile awkwardly and it was enchanting. As such, he gave her a hug at last. Talking together all of them they walked into the keep. He gave Torr and Os the duty to show their kinsmen to their rooms, while he had guards show their captains were to set up the tents for the army.
That left him and Lord Rickard alone. "Has there been any trouble with the lords?" the man asked.
"No, not really. They all tried to test me, as you warned for in your letter, but most of it was harmless. The only one that made a spectacle was the Greatjon. He demanded a change in the marching order and was pretty loud about it. However, a combination of Torr, Os, his son Smalljon and Grey Wind shut him up. At a moment it had seemed like he would pull out steel, but Smalljon slowed him down. When Grey Wind jumped on the table growling, followed by my siblings' wolves coming into the room from all sides, it made him sit down." He explained, thinking on how the giant man had been cowered by their wolves.
"Good," Lord Rickard smiled. "if you get the Greatjon to sit down and listen, the others will follow suit."
He was pleased with his mentor's words, but something was bothering him. He looked at the man for a few second before finally asking. "Why have you taken Alys with you?" The man looked him straight in the eyes. "Men die in war, Robb. I wanted you two to marry before we went south."
He was surprised at that, "Now? But I'm not even sixteen yet? I can't even legally do this without father, nor would I want too!" he responded as such.
"Your father agreed to this marriage Robb and if we don't win this war, he'll never be able to attend anything anymore. The only thing we would be doing is push up the date, he already agreed to Alys and the terms of the marriage contract have been set up between us too. Even the dowry has been set, I have it with me." His foster-father explained.
"The dowry?" he asked.
"Ten thousand golden dragons with me and the promise to invest the same amount in roads he is planning to build. However, that part I would leave until after the war, if you're alright with it. We also had a plan worked out to send Harry's firstborn son to Winterfell to foster with you when the time comes. I have my copy of the contract with me, but you'll probably find your fathers copy in his desk. If you don't believe me, ask your Maester. He was the one that wrote it all down." Rickard Karstark said.
He nodded, it didn't seem unlike his father and he knew the Karstarks weren't rich, so it seemed like a nice amount. The Karstarks strength was in their military and their renown in the North not coin, therefore the fostering was a great clause.
"I will have to talk about it with my mother. How would you see it practically? I wanted to depart Winterfell as soon as possible."
"Smart. Well, not all of your bannermen are here yet anyway. I would propose you marry Alys under the weirwood at Moat Cailin. There, all the nobility of the North can be in attendance and it would strengthen their view on you to see you wed into one of their own." Lord Rickard answered, clearly having anticipated this question.
"Mother won't be happy. She would not be able to plan or be in attendance and there won't be a Sept." he mused.
"We are in a war, Robb. Who cares for feasts or for the South and their Seven. We are of the North! If you two love each other and you are willing to marry, all you need is a weirwood tree and witnesses. Let Wyman bring a few dozen crates of ale with his army to have a small celebration and let that be all. As such you wouldn't lose more than a day's march."
He nodded once more, "I will think about it."
"Good, now where is my room. I would like to change out of these damn riding clothes." Lord Rickard laughed.
He answered the laugh in kind and showed him to his room personally. "Tonight you, the Karstark kin and your most important captains will be welcomed at a small feast together with my family. We can talk more there."
His foster-father nodded and went inside without a word.
That night went great, but his mother looked weird at him when the Karstarks hinted at the subject of marriage. As such she came to him first thing in the morning.
"What was all that talk about marriage yesterday, Robb?" she demanded to know when she entered his room. He wasn't even fully dressed properly, but she didn't seem to care.
"Lord Rickard proposed for Alys and I to marry before I go south. That's why she's here. He even brought the dowry he and father agreed to with him." He explained.
His mother looked to him in shock. "Marry, but you're not yet of age?"
"I know, that's why he asked and didn't push for anything. I said I would think about it and that I would discuss it with you first." He responded.
That calmed his mother considerably and her features softened, clearly happy he wouldn't go behind her parental authority here. "So, what are your thoughts on it?" she finally asked.
"Well he proposed we marry in a few weeks under the weirwood at Moat Cailin with all the Northern lords in attendance. Strategically it would be a great move, all of the North's nobility would see us united just before we move south. I would also like to marry her. I love her, or at least I think I do. The only problem is I don't want to marry without you or father there. I want my family to be there." He said sadly.
"Oh, Robb come here." She said as she pulled him into a hug. She was the only one where he could show his insecurities with, for all others he needed to be strong. "You really are still a boy if you think I would let you marry without me." She laughed.
He pulled back and looked at her strangely. "What do you mean?"
"Well it pains me to say it, but Lord Rickard might be right. It would seriously strengthen your grip over the army and your father did the same thing with me before marching to the Battle of the Bells. Without that, you wouldn't be here." She laughed at him.
He smiled back at her, before asking "So, what do you think?"
"I think it is a good plan. Have Lord Manderly bring with them all the things necessary for the marriage, we can pay him with the dowry for it. I will make one really big adjustment in your plans though." She laughed.
"Which is?" he asked suspiciously.
"I will be there. Sansa, Rickon and I will go with the army to Moat Cailin and we can return to Winterfell after the wedding with Alys. Arya can stay here and be the Stark of Winterfell under guidance from Luwin, Jonelle and Ser Rodrik for a few weeks while we go back and forth." She said gleefully.
"Sansa just got back home, and you would have her leave again? Besides, would Arya really go for that?" he asked.
"Sansa will be more than happy to be with her family and get an older sister in Alys. If you know your sister, you know she will not want to miss a wedding." His mother answered and he nodded at that with a smile.
"As for Arya, she will have to. Rickon is too young and it wouldn't be smart for him to stay here without me and Bran isn't here. Besides, it will only be for a month or so. She would not need to that much work in the position, as the army will just have left and you have heard all the grievances of the noble Houses already now. Arya needs to know what it means to be a noble and I think this might do it for her. She will have Ser Rodrik, Jonelle and Luwin to advise her and her friends here to keep her company, all will be well." She said, putting his doubts to rest.
"So, you agree then? Really? Not even going to make a problem about me not marrying in a Sept?" he asked suspiciously, never having expected her to go along with it so quickly.
"Yes, I agree. For the Sept … I have long accepted that you wouldn't Robb. The Karstarks are a proud Northern House and they wouldn't look kindly on a Stark wanting to marry in the light of the Seven. Besides that, it isn't even your own faith. You follow your father's gods and I know that. The only reason for you to marry a Northern girl in a Sept would be for me and I love you for it, but it's not important enough to halt your marriage for it." She said as she smiled sadly.
He looked at her in another light now. He always knew his mother had difficulty with adapting to the North, even if she grow comfortable and at home in Winterfell. Now, he saw her put those difficulties to the side for him and for their house and he loved her even more for it. He came towards her and hugged her, and she gladly hugged him back.
"I'll be damned however, before Sansa or Bran marry without it also being in a Sept." she whispered defiantly in his ear. At this he laughed loudly and hugged her closer.
(Just over two weeks later)
They had arrived at Moat Cailin two days ago and had managed to settle the host. Since his march, troops from the Cerwyns, Tallharts, Rywells, Dustins, both Lords Flint and the Hornwoods had joined them, either on their march or they had been waiting on them at Moat Cailin. He had only needed to wait for the Lockes and Manderlys. The former had arrived yesterday and the latter's banners where sighed by his scouts two hours ago. In the meantime, his mother and sister had worked tirelessly on preparing the wedding, which would take place tonight at the weirwood.
His mother and Lord Rickard had wanted to hold the wedding yesterday evening, but he had refused. For one the Manderlys would be slighted, a thing he had no intend on doing. Much more important to him personally, was the fact that he wanted his brother there. Jon, as the squire of Ser Wendel, would join his force with the Manderlys. He had already decided he would make Jon one of his commanders, as he wanted his brother next to him. He didn't think Ser Wendel would refuse, but if he did thought luck. He needed his brother when they went to save their father together.
He walked over to the maps of the Riverlands and looked over them some more. After a while, he was disturbed by Hallis Mollen. "The Manderlys have arrived, My Lord. Your brother has been seen as he rode into camp with the Manderlys themselves at the head of the force." This made him smile, both for the idea of finally seeing Jon again and the fact that the Manderlys honored him so.
He picked up Ice from the corner of the room and buckled the scabbard on his back. 'I send you Ice, our family's ancestral sword. Due to my injury, I will not be able to wield it ever again so it is yours now, as it would have been after me anyway. Train with it as much as you can and use it well, it is no toy.' His father had written to him in a letter that had accompanied the sword with Sansa.
He had trained with it every day since he had gotten the sword, even on the march. He was really glad that it was so light, as otherwise he wouldn't have had the strength to use such a greatsword. He would use it well. I will do you proud with it father. He said in silent prayer before leaving the Gatehouse Tower with Hallis.
Only a few seconds later, a bunch of horsemen trotted over to his position in front of the tower. Next to it walked a big white direwolf. Suddenly the direwolf sped up and it clashed with Grey Wind, who came at a high speed from behind him. The beasts continued to roll across the dirt together, combined with the sounds of playful biting and nipping. The whole yard came to a halt, looking at the beasts when suddenly Lady and Shaggydog arrived out of the crowd and joined in with their brothers.
He looked upon the spectacle with a smile, before looking to his brother. He looked well. He was clad in armor with a white direwolf on it. Except for the color of the animal, it was very similar to his own. The silence was suddenly broken when the Greatjon, to his right, boomed "Bloody hell, there are even more of those animals and the white one is even bigger than the others. We can just send them towards the Lannisters and sit the war out ourselves."
At this the yard filled with a few snickers, as the look on the Greatjon's expression was one filled with awe. "Only two of them will join us on our march Greatjon, but it will be the largest two and we'll make them count." He answered his commander.
"Aye, we will." His brother answered with a smile, as he jumped of his horse and walked up to him.
They hugged each other fiercely, as they laughed together. "It's good to see you, Snow." He said. "It's good to see you too, Stark." His brother answered, as he clapped him on the back.
He then turned around, holding an arm over his brother's shoulder. "My lords, may I present you my brother Jon Snow."
Some cheers went up from around the courtyard. As his mother, who had arrived with Sansa and Rickon, looked sternly at him. Lord Rickard's face betrayed nothing.
After this he turned respectfully back to the Manderlys, who had been waiting patiently. "Ser Wylis and Ser Wendel, it is good to see you. I welcome you and your host to Moat Cailin."
Ser Wyllis shook his hand at that and laughed "We hear there is more than that you invite us too, My Lord. We have brought six dozen caskets of good Northern ale with us, as we heard there is to be a wedding tonight." At the mention of so much ale, the whole yard erupted in cheers. The loudest among them, of course, coming from the area where the Greatjon stood with his kin.
"You heard right Ser, and I thank you for bringing those with you. Now, unless you would like to wash yourself up first, I would like to invite you and your brother, the other lords and my own brother here, to our war council." He said respectfully, but loudly so all could hear.
"It would my honor, Lord Robb." Ser Wylis said, as his brother nodded in confirmation.
"Follow me then." He said and all the lords came forth from the crowds to join him upstairs. He had to motion to Jon, for him to join him. His brother had been swarmed by the hugs of both little Rickon and Sansa. "There will be time to see them later tonight, I promise." He said, as Jon nodded and followed him.
The whole ordeal had taken hours, but their plan was finally finished. The Manderlys had brought fifteen hundred men with them, including two hundred mounted men and twenty knights, bringing his army up to well over twenty thousand.
He looked around the room once more. Only the lords and commanders of the forces stood around the table with him, the heirs were filtered on the benches further back so they could hear the plan but could not disrupt the process to much. Lord Rickard told him it was an old system and that it had been like that since long before he was a young heir himself.
As such, the only men around the table that were of his age, were his brother and Domeric Bolton. The latter had been appointed by his aunt Lady Dustin as commander of her forces while she would stay in Barrowton. She was here for now, but she helped Sansa in preparing for the wedding and effectively led the command of the forces to Domeric.
Lady Dustin and her father Lord Rickard had both send very sizeable contingents of troops, a thing that had surprised his foster-father. He had apparently expected them to send as little as possible, due to the rift between them and House Stark. However, he had happily noted that his father seemed to have successfully fixed that .
Whatever the case, he was impressed by Domeric. He didn't seem anywhere as frightening or cold as his father, but his comments on strategy showed he possessed the same capable mind as Roose Bolton. He would keep an eye on the man, as he could prove very interesting.
"My lords, there is one more piece of intel that I need to give you. My father sent me a letter where he describes a confrontation he had with Petyr Baelish, the master of coin and some petty Vale lord or the other. The man had apparently slandered my mother and aunt, saying he bedded them. When my father confronted the man, he cowered and admitted to have never come near my mother. He did, however, admit to bedding my aunt Lysa Arryn. The man himself said it was only once before her marriage, but my father had his doubts about that." He stated, and all the man looked angry at the mention of someone slandering Lady Stark.
"Lord Baelish was brought to court by Jon Arryn, via his wife. Due to this and the descriptions that he has about Robert Arryn, Lysa's son and the now Lord of the Vale, he writes in his letter that he suspects my cousin to actually be Baelish's bastard. This would mean he would have no claim to the Vale and could have a big impact on the war. My father felt a big responsibility towards Jon Arryn to fix this, on the other side the boy is my cousin. How would you proceed with this?" the news hit like an onager shot amongst his men, most notably those that had fought with Jon Arryn and his father in the rebellion.
The lords started bickering among themselves until Lord Glover asked him "Are you sure about this, My Lord?" He looked at the man and said "No, I am not. I only know what my father wrote, and his evidence is circumstantial. However, I believe my father wouldn't sent it to me if he didn't believe it to be true."
This created more bickering amongst the lords, until the Greatjon boomed above everybody in the room "Ned Stark's word is enough for me! If he believes it to be true, so do I!" At this most of the room shouted their agreement.
"Thank you, lords. The question remains however, how do we proceed?" he asked.
"We can bring the boy down, together with the Lannisters." Ser Donnel Locke proudly proclaimed.
"That's foolish, Donnel! We can't fight two wars at once." Lord Halys Hornwood intermitted.
"Can't we just leave the Southerners to their plots, while we save Ned?" an Umber boomed from the back of the room.
"Do you know what your aunt and the Vale are planning to do, My Lord? We have heard nothing of the Vale's troop movements as of yet." Ser Wyllis Manderly asked him.
"No Ser, I do not. She refuses to respond to either mine or my mother's letters or her brother's from Riverrun." He admitted.
At this, more bickering started, until Roose Bolton asked in his typical calm voice. "Can we strongarm her into joining us in the war with this news?"
He looked at the lord calmly, internally all the stories about Boltons that he ever heard were alarming him to the man in front of him. He saw flashbacks to the young woman who had escaped his bastard's clutches a few years ago.
"I don't believe that would be a wise course of action, Lord Bolton. First of all, she will probably ignore the letter anyway. Second of all, she might align herself with the Lannisters in response to the threat." He responded.
The lord nodded, seemingly agreeing with his assessment.
At last his foster-father spoke up. "Could we not keep this information to ourselves for now? Even if we manage to strongarm Lady Lysa, which I don't think will work, the Vale army would come too late to help Riverrun. We can wait with this news until we have freed the Tullys. Another option would be to contact the Vale's vassals directly. I remember Bronze Yohn and it seems his son is mentioned to have died protecting Ned. If Lady Lysa refuses to stir the Vale, maybe Bronze Yohn can do it in her place, with or without her." He finished his plea.
He looked at his mentor for a long while, before looking at the other lords. Lords Bolton, Hornwood and Flint seemed to be in agreement, joined by Ser's Wyllis Manderly and Rickard Ryswell.
At the same time, the Greatjon bellowed. "Who cares about those Southern flowers? We don't need them anyway."
Ignoring this outburst but taking it as indifference, he said to his lords. "Good, i'll take the option mentioned by Lord Karstark. Once we have aided Riverrun against Jaime Lannister, we will look at this once more and see if the Vale has stirred yet or not."
With all the lords in agreement, he finished the meeting.
He stood in front of the weirwood tree and looked around at all the lights his sister and mother had hung up. The place looked beautiful and the weirwood tree was flanked by two big Stark banners, who hung over the adjoining trees.
In front of him sat the gathered nobility of the North. Every house was in attendance, except for most of the mountain clans, who hadn't had been able to muster their forces in time for the march. Most houses had sent their lords or heirs with the army, if not both. If not, they had sent second sons, brothers, nephews or cousins all eagerly waiting to join his army with a force of of their own.
Along the march he had been able to talk with many a lord about the marriage and most of them reacted in the same way. They were all happy he was going to marry a Northern vassal's daughter. Multiple lords had commented on the fact that the Northern houses had missed out on opportunities for their daughters to become lady of Winterfell for a long time, after his father had married a Southern lady and his grandfather his Stark cousin.
All were happy, but annoyed he wasn't marrying their daughter or sister. Still, it was clear no one would ever object to the marriage, as the Karstark name carried enough weight for his future lady.
All of that had been expected, but it was good to confirm it either way. What had been unexpected, was how some lords came to ask him about Sansa or Arya and who they would marry. He had answered them all in the same stoic matter, saying that they may take this up with his father as they please, when they have liberated him from the Lannisters. That easily ended those conversations.
Looking around, he saw Smalljon smile at him, with his father, brother and uncles next to him. Ser Wyllis and Ser Wendel Manderly were sitting next to each other, nodding respectfully when they saw him looking. Like this, there were many, many, many others. Over a hundred nobles, big and small, had gathered in the small forest clearing.
On the front row, on the left side of the path sat his mother, Rickon and Sansa. Lady Ryswell, who had stayed for the wedding, sat behind Sansa. Jon sat next to Sansa, his mother had raged at him for wanting this, but he hadn't budged and he was glad for it. On the right side, sat the Karstarks. There was an empty chair next to the path, reserved for Lord Rickard for after he gave away Alys. Next to the seat were, in order, Harry, Edd and Torr and they were all smiling at him.
He smiled back, but before he could see their reactions, he saw something move from the corner of his eye. As one, the whole group turned towards the people arriving on the clearing and he saw Alys.
Alys was dressed in a white gown, lined with black wool. On the shoulders of her gown there were embroidered designs of wolves chasing suns as the sunbeams seemed to stream over her arms in intricate designs of black lace. Her maiden cloack, that hung over her shoulders, was black as the night, with a great white sun in the middle.
Next to her was Lord Rickard, in a fine black doublet with intricate sun designs all over. He held Alys closely and looked at him with a proud smile on his face.
"Who comes before the Old Gods." Jon asked as he stood up, he had asked him to do so as their father wasn't here and his mother didn't follow their Gods.
"Lady Alys, of House Karstark, a woman grown, trueborn and noble. She comes to beg the blessings of the Gods. Who comes to claim her?" Lord Rickard said proudly, puffing his chest out even more than he already had.
"Robb, of House Stark, trueborn son and heir to Lord Eddard Stark. Who gives her?" He heard himself say.
"I, Rickard, Lord of House Karstark. Her father." His mentor and soon to be father-in-law stated.
Jon continued after this. "Lady Alys, do you take this man as your husband before the Gods?"
"I take this man." Alys said clearly.
After this, both walked forward and Lord Rickard gave him Alys' hand. He nodded to Lord Rickard before kneeling with Alys before the weirwood and he heard how (almost) all the nobles followed them.
He prayed for the rescue of his father and for a happy marriage, filled with children that would make his father and mother proud. He then stood up and removed Alys' maiden cloak and replaced it with a Stark one. His mother had given it to him and had told him that it was the same bride's cloak his father had placed around her shoulders.
When he had cloaked his bride, Grey Wind suddenly sat up right and howled loudly. Soon Shaggydog and Lady joined in, while Ghost silently walked over to Grey. There he stood, proudly but silently, next to his brother as to show his approval to the marriage.
As the wolves stopped howling, they started walking through the forest together, with Grey wind marching beside them. When they were at the edge of the camp, he pulled her in his arms and carried her towards the feasting area that had been reserved for the nobility as was tradition. Every guard they passed whistled and shouted "Stark", with a sense of dedication that was still foreign to him.
The feast went by like an only half remembered dream. The Greatjon drank many a lord under the table, while his family and remaining lords seemed to enjoy themselves. All he could do was look and talk with Alys, his wife.
After what seemed like minutes but must have been hours the Greatjon suddenly screamed. "A good wedding needs a bedding, my friends and I think young Lord Robb has waited long enough for his already." The scant was easily picked up by many lords and he nodded to his mother and lords and stood up together with Alys.
He gave his new wife over to the safe hands of her brothers and the Smalljon, while he accompanied his mother, sister, Lady Barbrey and Wynafryd Manderly towards his room. They were the only noble woman in attendance and so he didn't have it hard.
He soon reached his rooms in the Gatehouse Tower dressed in his undergarments and trousers. Only moments after Alys arrived, only wearing her undergarments but being shielded by Edd and Harry from further handlings his commanders would want to make.
He thanked Edd and Harry and soon the door closed behind them. They looked awkwardly at each other for a while, not knowing what to say.
He finally offered her some wine, which she gladly accepted. It was an arbor red, from a very nice vintage. One of the more lavish gifts Lord Manderly had given him for the wedding.
"Are you afraid?" he asked finally.
"A little," she replied honestly, as she shyly looked into his eyes.
He nodded, not knowing what to reply. "Have … Have you done it before?" she asked timidly.
"No," he admitted, as he awkwardly shuffled his left feet across the floor, "but I have heard a lot about it and should know what to do."
"That's … that's good." She replied with a shy smile on her face.
"Yes, I wouldn't want to hurt you or anything. So, I'll try to remember." He said, thinking it very strange that the filthy boasting the Karstark cousins made would ever be considered good.
"No!" she laughed. "It's good that it's your first time too. I, … I like it that way. I wanted you to be the one who I did it with and I am happy I am your first too." She said, as her pinks turned reddish, while she looked at her feet.
"Oh" he said, feeling the blush creep on his own face. For a while they awkwardly stared at their feet until he finally asked.
"Can, can I kiss you? Like we used to do in the Godswood?"
She looked up at that and smiled. "I would like that very much, Robb."
He walked forward very slowly, never looking away from her eyes. He then put his hand on the side of her head and slowly lowered his own lips towards hers. When they touched each other after all these months it felt like something exploded inside of him. Soon all his worries were gone, and hers as well it seemed, as she deepened the kiss.
They stumbled to the bed together, giggling and kissing. He was too entranced by her, to think about anything else except her red lips and his hands sliding over her back. He let his hands slide lower and pulled her up kissing her again, before slowly lowering her onto the bed.
He looked at her and she looked at him encouragingly and so he kissed her again as he moved his body on top of her. Like that, they kissed for what seemed to be hours, their hands exploring each other over their undergarments. After a while they took of their remaning clothes and kissed again.
Finally, he looked at her and asked. "Are you ready?"
"Yes", she smiled at him as she pulled him down at his neck for another kiss.
That is all for this chapter!
A lot happens in this chapter and the war will soon start. From here on out, it will occasionally happen that some chapters (partly) clash chronologically. As it is the same as in the original books, I assume that isn't a problem.
An overlooked fact is that Catelyn wanted to send Robb back to Winterfell when she met him and the army at Moat Cailin in canon, but by that point it was too late. So, Robb calling the banners while she is there is not that easy. The war could have easily ended there before it began. Take into account her that she is emotionally strained by the news of Ned's capture, which is why she gives up the fight.
Robb is also even more dutiful because of Lord Rickard's influence and believe (rightly so) that the North needs him to muster and march. As such he plays a lot of bluff poker, knowing what it would do with his mother. Rickard has learned him a trick or two in diplomacy and he uses them on the person he knows best in the world, his mother. Luwin's is more resigned to it than in canon, because he has worked so closely with Ned on these topics and knows it is the best way to act in respect to Ned's plans.
Robb's force is also around 1200 men bigger than in canon, as the Ryswells and Dustins have send sizeable contingents of men now. Some of the Ryswell sons (Barbrey's brothers) have joined the force, as well as Domeric Bolton.
Thank you all for the support once again!
Fannic
Reviews:
- Anja Quickert9: Thank you for the support!
- Kingmaneana: Edmure is just a prideful man in his twenties thinking war is just a game. He seems himself as some hero that will save House Tully and The Riverlands. Sansa is safe, Bran is safe but Jaime marches on his location quickly and we will come back to Ned in the future.
- Williams1996: You'll have to see to find out! ;-)
- Supremus85: Maybe, we'll see.
- Kuman: Thank you! Yeah Ned can't be everywhere at once, especially with his leg so he had to trust others and it failed. I think Ned realized he would never be able to escape quickly enough with his leg. He went all in and lost ... No one would be able to ride out, as the goldcloaks controlled all the gates and docks by the morning. Anyone he had sent would have been killed.
I don't think Edmure is that bad, but don't put him on the same level as Tywin now. Between the battle of Riverrun and the battle of the Fords Edmure probably learned a lot. He would have gotten advice or lessons, either just by listening to them or intentionally, from Ser Brynden and Robb. He would, most likely, also see war less as a game with him losing battles, face and being imprisoned. He also saw countless debts that his hubris caused him. As such Edmure at the Fords is not the same Edmure as at Riverrun. Here he has gotten some advice from Ser Brynden, but he still has the hubris and views it a little (less) as a game. Tywin has decades of experience, even with him not being gifted like Robb, he still outclasses Edmure. Think of it as two above average chess players, but one has studied dozens of chess books and has tried out a lot of those tactics in games, while the other has only read a few books and has never played a serious game before. It will never be fair, even if their natural skill is similar.
A chapter in the North with Robb, to your service. ;-)
Jon's paths will not stay the same as Robb's forever, however for now they will. Robb needs the emotional support of Jon and the idea that he and his brother are going to save his fother means a lot less pressure than just him doing it alone. Although I partly agree with your assessment, Jon can do somethings as you will see in the future. They could split, but not for now. There must be a good reason to do so.
Yes it still does! ;-)
- TheNiemand: She stayed with Sansa at all times, as such she went North on the boat with her. Here in this chapter you see her briefly playing with her brothers. This has a great impact on Sansa's personality, to be explored later.
- Mind Linger: Exactly, you're spot on! You'll have to read on to see if he lives.
- Force Smuggler: It will be! Some things will be very similar, others will be completely different. Carefully
- The Gandhara: This might be on of the best reviews I have received! You're absolutely spot on with your assessment! The moment Ned goes to King's Landing, his fate is sadly sealed here but he has managed to do a lot. Please keep leaving reviews if you can, I loved your comment! :-)
- Knight Vigilant Koren: Thank you so much! I have planned the outcome of the battle, but I'm still thinking about whether I will show it or just write a summarizing it in a letter or the report of a soldier or lord that was there. You'll have to see, there will most definitely be descriptive battles in the future either way.
- Guest: Ned is a great general and arguably won Robert the war. Robert was a much better fighter and more charismatic than Ned, but strategically Ned was amazing (together with Jon Arryn). Edmure has to fight Jaime's fore who has a direct, pretty small supply line to the Golden Tooth and so he can't be cut of like that. Tywin can be, once he marches further into the more open Riverlands and that is exactly what Ser Brynden will try to do to him. Edmure is also too much of a good guy and he loves the smallfolk too much to use scorched earth, if there is another way to win. In canon he spreads his whole army out just to protect the smallfolk villages, a fatal mistake he didn't make here due to Ser Brynden. Further than this however, his conscience will not allow him to go.