The Pack Survives

by LordStark5

When winter comes, and cold winds rise, the lone wolf dies, but the pack survives. The Starks find themselves scattered in the midst of the War of the Five Kings, but only through uneasy alliance with unnatural forces will they be able to ultimately change their fates and ensure that the pack will endure.

9. The Unworthy Ruler

The Unworthy Ruler

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

Lord Tywin,

Jeyne offered Robb her comforts, 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 infant girl, Joanna. 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. My family does complicate things. Rollam seems to idolize Stark, who has taken him on as a squire of sorts, and he took on Ser Raynald to be his royal standard bearer. They both look to Stark as brothers, and Jeyne's children have taken a great fondness for him, as has Jeyne herself. His death will most likely break their hearts, though we both know that it is for the best. Thankfully, Jeyne gets all of her husband's secrets, and she still has been good enough to confide them in me.

As of yet, 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. If I might offer you some counsel, my lord, I would advise a strike as soon as possible. Do it before he is ready.

Sybell 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. Occasionally Lancel and Kayanna were brought up by Tywin, but there seemed to be no acknowledgement of his children from him, even in the ones he felt certain were in response to letters that had been sent after his wedding.

Then it started to dawn on him. She kept it a secret from Lord Tywin.

Robb was not entirely sure whether or not Tywin would approve of the poisoning of his own great-grandson. And he suspected that Sybell Westerling thought the same way. That or perhaps she felt like it was too absurd to tell Lord Tywin in a letter like this. But then why would she try to poison Theo at all? She thought Eddard was already going to die from his wound, and Theo… what does she gain from poisoning him?

Instead, most of Tywin Lannister's letters to Lady Sybell discussed the terms of their agreement. Ser Raynald had already been married to Cerenna Lannister before the war even began, but Tywin had reminded Lady Sybell that he had only allowed the match under the condition that when the time came, the Westerlings would serve him in a matter like this. Beyond that, once Robb was dead, good matches were to be made for Jeyne and Eleyna, to highborn lords or heirs. Jeyne shall be married to a man of even higher station than her first husband, and Eleyna's husband shall be a great lord in his own right, one of the letters had said. Rollam would be taken on as a squire by Ser Kevan Lannister, Lord Tywin's younger brother, and one of Lady Sybell's brothers would be made a great lord too for all of this.

He wasn't exactly bothered by all of this. His previous good-mother had been Cersei Lannister of all people, his second one proving to be treacherous in her own way wasn't anything extraordinary to him. But it also didn't quite sit right with him.

Tywin Lannister plans to kill me soon. That was the part that didn't quite sit well with him.

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 eighteen, he had been left in charge of the North. At nineteen, 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. Now at twenty, the burdens of the crown weighed heavily upon him, and he couldn't fathom the possibility of his children dealing with them.

They need a chance to be young, for as long as I can give that to them. 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. Lord Tywin would be coming sooner or later.

Absurd as it was, he suspected his children might be safer at Casterly Rock than they were now. Myrcella had always spoken highly of her grandmother, Lady Joanna, and had named their daughter after her too. Maybe she would be able to take care of them. It was a stupid thought, giving his children over to Tywin Lannister's wife, and he knew there was zero chance his lords would accept such a notion.

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

Robb got up and walked over to the door. He had been studying the contents of Lady Sybell'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. When Robb had retired the night that her mother died, he had told her the news, which she had responded to by nearly running out of their bedroom. She had not returned to their chambers in the several days since, 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. "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 stomach. "She… she told me… I had to…" her voice faltered.

"She told you that to be a good wife, you needed to give me children?" he guessed. Not something unusual after all. And it was true that on the day they married, he had been heirless then, his line having been snuffed out in a single stroke by Theon Greyjoy it seemed. On that day when she'd promised to give him children aplenty, to make sure he'd never want for them again, he had gone along with it. But now that his children from Winterfell had turned up, things had changed.

"Mother said… f-for… for our family, Robb. I… needed to have a child for… them," she struggled to say. Her voice was still thick with grief. "I need to be… a good wife, give you… a-a son of… my own. My duty…" she started to cry after that.

Robb did not say anything as she let out the quiet sobs. But he understood how it hurt Jeyne so much. Her mother must have repeated to her over and over again how critical it was to give him a son that would secure her family's place within his court. She must have been told over and over again how much danger her siblings and children were in, how precarious their place was.

"She… she betrayed you…" Jeyne said, after a little bit, "I-I… have to…"

Now you feel that you need to give me a child more than ever, to prove you're more loyal than your mother, Robb thought to himself. "You don't," he said only a little louder than a whisper. He set a finger under her chin, still holding Joanna in just one hand. "Jeyne… just look at me."

Slowly, she lifted her face. Her big brown eyes were red from crying.

"When we were at Ashemark, we received a letter. I bet you got it here too, though your maester, your uncle or your mother probably had it burned and nobody heard about it. Maybe you've heard some of the details spread among my men, but…" his voice trailed off as he decided that was enough prelude. "King Stannis didn't just declare himself the Rightful King in his letter, Jeyne. He declared that all of Queen Cersei's children were illegitimate. Not the trueborn offspring of King Robert, but bastards born of incest, fathered by Ser Jaime Lannister. The Kingslayer."

Jeyne gasped. "A… a lie, surely?"

Robb shook his head. When I close my eyes, I can still see the greatest proof of it as clearly as if she were there in front of me. "I… wanted it to be false, wanted to just dismiss it that way," he agreed, "but I… could see the truth." He'd spoken of Myrcella so seldomly that it almost hurt to be talking of her now. "Jeyne… whatever perceived slights you feel that your family has done me, has done my family… it pales in comparison to what Myrcella's has done. Your mother was only acting upon the orders of Myrcella's own grandfather." He stopped for just a second again, trying to rethink the point he was attempting to make. "You should know that it doesn't matter to me what they think about you, Jeyne. I don't care about what your father has done, or your first husband, or your mother…"

The words hung in the air for a minute or two. Until Jeyne finally spoke again. "Yes but…" she started to say, but her voice faltered.

"Jeyne… if I'm telling the truth, I don't know that people would be less mistrustful of you once you're with child. Your mother's crime, as far as they know, was trying to poison Theo…"

She looked at him mystified. "How…?"

"Your mother thinks- or thought, that Eddard was going to die from his injury. She tried to kill Theo with poison. Unless they read her letters, I suspect the common assumption will be that she simply tried to clear the path of succession for a son that we have together," he explained to her. "Melantha and Joanna wouldn't be a problem, because they're girls, and with Eddard and Theo gone…"

Jeyne put her hands to her mouth, horrified by the thought. "No…"

Robb brushed one of Jeyne's chestnut brown locks. "It's alright. I already have two sons and two daughters," he reminded her, "you have a son and a daughter of your own. They're already a good deal of trouble on their own, don't you think?" Just that morning he'd woken up with Melantha and Kayanna having snuck into his bed, and he'd gotten a bruise on his ankle from a particularly hard thwack by Theo during their 'sword fighting lessons' which mostly consisted of the boys learning how to hit Robb with sticks.

"Yes…" she agreed, cracking a slight grin, before returning to her sad expression.

The truth was that he almost felt relieved to know Jeyne wasn't with child yet, though he didn't say it outloud. Instead, he said, "War is a dangerous place for children, Jeyne. Taking care of the ones we have will be a challenge on its own, without you expecting another child. If we have to march, and you're great with child… it won't be easy. The war is already dangerous enough."

When he looked at Joanna, he felt a pinch of guilt. Most of his worry when it came to marching had been focused on Eddard's health and recovery after his injury, but it was just as much a problem for Joanna, who from reviewing the letters he had received from Winterfell, was only about four months old now.

Jeyne sniffed. "I want a little prince of my own," she admitted. "A little baby brother for your children and mine. Or… a little princess. Not even for duty, maybe, just…"

Perhaps a little brother or sister to unify your children with mine, Robb thought to himself. "We can have children of our own," he promised, "a year from now… two, maybe. When the war is done. I won't love you any less for that." He looked at her carefully. He stared into her soft doe-shaped eyes, which were a very pretty brown. Not beautiful like Myrcella, but pretty. "My children just need time," he told her. "Melantha won't say it, but she looks up to you. She's always wanting to wear earrings now, since she thinks they make her look pretty. Theo… I think he's missing his mother, but he'll come around, and Eddard trusts you already. I think they're scared right now with so many strangers and unfamiliar faces. New rooms, new toys… Tell them they're getting a new brother or sister, and I don't know if they would take it well."

Jeyne silently took Joanna, lifting her out of the carrier on his chest and taking the girl in her arms, putting their two heads together. "I can be a mother to them," she said, whispering. "If that's what my queenly duty demands."

"No," Robb whispered back. "I wouldn't demand something like that from you," he said. "You didn't know they were alive when we married. I won't demand it of you- ever. I'm just asking, Jeyne; asking you to help me with them. I know that even that is a steep ask though."

"You're kind to my Lancel and Kay," she reminded him. "You said you'd let me keep them, that I could raise them in your court…"

"That's different," he argued. "I knew them when we married… I knew that marrying you meant bringing them into my life. It wasn't the same."

She kept looking at Joanna. "But I married you… I knew you loved them, knew that you held them dear." She then looked up at them. "I knew that if you could, you would have wished for them back. Only… that wish was granted somehow."

A wish granted… Robb felt even sadder to think of it that way.

When they had gotten word from Winterfell that Theon had betrayed him and taken the castle, he had been grief stricken then. He prayed that Ser Rodrik would be able to retake Winterfell quickly, or that his family would manage some kind of escape- make it to Barrowton or White Harbor or somewhere else. Perhaps they would even get a letter from Theon telling him that he had sent his family to Pyke, and demanding a ransom be paid, which would result in his family being delivered to him at the Crag. It might have been a wish for him then, as he prayed for their lives.

But after they'd gotten word of their demise… he'd just been miserable that he hadn't been there to rescue them, and so deeply sorrowed by the prospect of them being gone. The wish of wanting them back had not even crossed his mind, as he'd become so deeply numb to all of it.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. He got up to go 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. Though he was not alone though, as Theo was clinging onto the old man's leg. In his hand, the Blackfish held a letter in his hand.

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, even though Joanna was only crying. "She just-"

"She's hungry," Robb guessed. Either that or she's soiled herself. He knew the feeling of being so utterly lost at what was wrong with a child even though it was obvious all too well. He went over and picked Joanna up from Jeyne again and took the babe to Amella, the girl's wet nurse, who it thankfully did not take long for him to find, and left Theo there too, since his caretaker, Arissa, was there.

When he returned, Jeyne was still there in Lady Sybell'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 want to try at least," she whispered as she began to undo the laces on his shirt.

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 couple of minutes, 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. Perhaps it was the fact that she just wanted to stay where she was, or see her mother's treachery for herself. Or perhaps it was because she didn't feel ready to face her own children just now, and wanted to avoid them. Whatever the case, Robb withheld judgements.

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. After the new maesters had arrived from Oldtown, Robb had considered switching the maester in charge of Eddard's care, but ultimately had chosen to keep Maester Aron. So far, things seemed to be going well.

It seemed Theo must have gone back to his room that he shared with Eddard, 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 flesh breath,' had been what Maester Aron had said, though it was hardly a pleasant sight.

"Are you feeling any better today?" he asked his older son.

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. Luckily, it was the type of scar that might serve him well as a king- a symbol to the bannermen that he had not gone his life without pain or challenges.

The three of them wandered the castle for most of the hour they still had. He had ordered the children to be confined to only a single ward of the castle 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 had their caretakers, the toys that Jeyne's younger siblings had scrounged up for them, and in light of Lady Sybell's attempt to kill Theo, personal guardians. Dacey Mormont was Melantha's protector, Rogar Wull was Eddard's, Ser Ramon Manderly was Theo's, and Lyra Mormont was Joanna's.

Robb took the two boys around the castle, through the smithy, past the sept and through the yard, among many other places that he himself had barely stopped to look at. The boys seemed eager to explore all of it though. All eyes were on them as they passed, but none bothered them. Robb had already been worried about how little he exposed the boys to his bannermen before he had to stop letting his children eat in the Great Hall. With so much seclusion, letting them be seen every once in a while was crucial. And at the same time, Robb did enjoy getting to spend time with them too.

It was all going well, right until Robb noticed the Greatjon starting in the direction of the Seashell's Keep. Robb knew it was time for them to part then, as much as he didn't want to. "I have a council meeting I need to attend," he told them, but they weren't going to have any of it.

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

"Me too," said Theo.

"I'll be back soon," he tried to promise them. "I just need you to stay with Jeyne or play with Melantha or Lancel or whatever you want, and I'll be out before you've even known I was gone.

They both pouted instead. "I don't want to," Eddard said stubbornly.

He found himself silently cursing whatever god had the notion to give Robb back the children and not Myrcella. As glad as he would have been to spend more time with the boys, he had work that he had to do, and it was still proving to be difficult to find people the children enjoyed being around during those times. With Myrcella, she probably would have scooped the boys up under her arms and told them that they were going to play with Grey Wind and Melantha until he was done, whether they liked it or not. Instead he had to negotiate with the boys, and had nothing to negotiate with now. "Fine," he told them with a sigh. "I can let you sit in on the council meeting. But only if you behave." His bannermen might have been a little bit confused by his decision to include Eddard and Theo on the council, but the boys were princes and he was the king, so they would keep their objections to themselves. If they said anything, he could just say he was readying the boys to rule in their own right one day, and giving them a small taste of what his life was like. "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, briefly asking someone to go lead them out.

Robb took both their hands again, and walked the rest of the way to Lord Gawen's solar.

A small group was assembled around the room, waiting for him to turn up. A king is never late, we are simply early, he remembered Ser Wendel Manderly once saying to him when he had overslept a planned meeting for the morning.

"Your grace," Ser Brynden said, with a bowed head, a courtesy that Lord Galbart, Maester Tyren followed in.

Robb nodded back. "Let us begin," he said, opening the door, and walking in with Eddard and Theo.

"Boo!" a voice inside of the solar suddenly said, causing Robb to jump back a little bit, and scaring both of his sons.

Of course she's here. "Melantha…" he said, spotting her hiding under the desk, "how long have you been here?"

She didn't answer, as she peaked out, wearing her bronze and iron band still. "Did I scare you?"

Robb looked at the boys, who were both visibly scared. "You frightened your brothers more," he said. He spotted Grey Wind in the corner too, then turned back to his actual council.

"I will speak to Dacey about this," Lady Maege Mormont promised, since her daughter was Melentha's sworn protector.

He shook his head as he encouraged the rest of them to enter the room. "Melantha was with Grey Wind to keep her safe, and she's still in the designated ward," he told the Lady of Bear Isle. Then he went forward and grabbed Melantha out from under the table, a little more forcefully than he should have.

"Father…" she said.

Robb looked at the girl's deep blue eyes. There was a tinge of fear in them. "You're not in trouble," he told her. Then as he looked at her band, an idea came to mind. "But if you insist on being here, I have a new job for you."

"A job?" she said.

"Mhm. You're the cup-bearer for my council," he said, nodding. Then he remembered that she wasn't quite tall enough for such a role. "When someone holds the cup out, you'll fill it for them."

The others were starting to take their seats, while Eddard and Theo were still confused as to what to do now that Robb was dealing with Melantha. It seemed that some servants had prepared the room for the council though, as candles and a fire were already lit, the map was laid out on the table, and empty goblets and several flasks of wine were set out. But there were some vacant seats, so Robb had Eddard and Theo take the seats next to him, before giving instruction to Melantha on how to perform her new duty.

"The children are joining us today, your grace?" Galbart Glover asked.

"Yes," Robb said, as he was just finishing up his preparation. "The boys insisted on staying with me, so… here they are… and Melantha will be our new cupbearer."

As his eyes moved across the room, he did a silent inventory of those present. Lord Rickard Karstark was still making his return to the castle, so he was absent, and Ser Rolph Spicer must have been away as he was grieving his sister's death, just a couple of days prior. Apart from the children, the most recent addition to his council was Maester Tyren, one of the maesters who had arrived on the day of Lady Sybell's death. Tyren was the oldest of the three, and served as Robb's personal historian and councilor, while Maester Galladar had been assigned to tutoring for his children, and Maester Arwald served as a healer. Beyond that, his great-uncle, Ser Brynden Tully, the Greatjon, Lady Maege Mormont and Lord Galbart Glover were there, giving him a grand total of six actual contributors to his council, a pitiful amount in comparison to what it used to be.

Some, like Lord Roose Bolton, Lord Halys Hornwood, Robett Glover, Ser Wylis Manderly and Ser Helman Tallhart had been among those that Robb had tasked with commanding other forces. Theon Greyjoy had been sent to Pyke to serve as Robb's emissary, and proven to be treacherous, and his mother and Ser Wendel Manderly had been sent to treat with King Renly Baratheon in the Reach, and had yet to come back as far as he knew. Beyond that, Riverlords such as Lord Karyl Bance, Lord Tytos Blackwood, Lord Jonos Bracken, Ser Marq Piper, Lord Jason Mallister and his uncle, Ser Edmure Tully, had all remained in the Riverlands as Robb started his campaign in the west, so they could defend their own lands.

And then there were the Freys. Ser Stevron had been one of Robb's most valued voices on the council, even if he was too cautious, but had been one of the very few who died during the Battle of Oxcross. He had little fondness for Ser Ryman Frey, Stevron's oldest son, and the new heir to the Crossing after his father's death, or 'Black' Walder, who had been the reason that Robb had lost the Freys. But the rest were all valuable to him. Alesander, Steffon and Perwyn were good friends and companions, with Alesander also being a good singer to help lift the mood when things were bleak. Symond Frey had been able to make his way onto Robb's council as his treasurer, and Aegon Frey had proven to be a bit of a spymaster for Robb, and served as the second in command of Robb's outriders behind the Blackfish. He would have gladly had Symond, Olyvar and Aegon here, but unfortunately, they were among the Freys who were now going back to the Twins, with their thousand men too.

While Melantha went around pouring wine, Robb cleared his throat and began their council meeting, as he was standing over the table and moving some pieces on the board. It had been too long since Robb had held a formal meeting. Three days had passed since Lady Sybell's death already, and the gods knew they had needed to meet. "This morning, I searched Lady Sybell's quarters and chambers," he announced.

"Was there any signs of treachery, your grace?" Ser Brynden asked.

"Indeed. I found letters that Lady Sybell was exchanging with Lord Tywin. She was negotiating a deal with him," he started to say. "There were promises of greater lands, gold, and several marriages… including Jeyne's."

Lord Galbart was aghast. "She was plotting the marriage of your wife to a different man?"

"Not a specific man," he corrected. "Lord Tywin wanted Lady Sybell to get close to me, hold a seat on my councils… gain as much influence within my court as possible. He wanted them to bend the knee to me even before I became widowed, and based on her letter, it seems that she was putting Jeyne into a position to comfort me so that I would take her as my wife, and supplying Jeyne with a potion to ensure she would not get with child, so that I would not have an heir." He frowned. "Lord Tywin seems to have a plan for bringing about my demise imminently, though I cannot say for certain how he means to do this."

"And the family… what do they know?" Lady Maege wondered. "Were they involved in this plot?"

Robb scratched his chin. "We know of Ser Raynald's marriage to Lady Cerenna. But he has not given me reason to doubt his loyalty yet. One of Lady Sybell's brothers is to be raised to a lordship after the war is over, but the letters never named which, and both Jeyne and Eleyna were going to be supplied with hefty dowries and married to great lords," he explained. "I know in my heart that Jeyne had no part in her mother's treachery. She is scared of Grey Wind because of what happened when we took the castle. Rollam and Eleyna are children. I don't believe they were involved in this. Lord Gawen is at Riverrun, in my dungeons still, most likely."

Maester Tyren nodded. "What of the others? Do you think Lady Cerenna was plotting? She is a Lannister, after all. Or perhaps… his name escapes me just now, but her brother, was he plotting? His wife too. And Lady Jeyne's cousin and handmaiden, what about her? The others?"

"It might be that the brother who was going to be raised to a lordship isn't here," Ser Brynden pointed out. "Lady Sybell had three, Ser Rolph is the oldest and was the castellan here, but Ser Samwell and Ser Wesley are with Lord Tywin's host. And as to the rest… it is a possibility, but we will require proof. We cannot make assumptions."

Robb took over after that. "I will conduct my own investigations into the rest of the family," he told them. He was well aware of the resentment that Lady Cerenna bore towards him, and he did not fault her for it. "In the meantime, I will not have word about the scope of this betrayal leaking to the men. Is that clear?"

"Aye," all of them said, led by the Greatjon.

He looked around the room. Melantha didn't seem to be listening to anything, happily going around the table and seeing if anyone needed their cups refilled, and Theo had already managed to fall asleep. It was just Eddard who was listening intently beside him. "The other thing is that I will not have word that my children are here leaking to the rest of the world. Lady Sybell didn't inform Lord Tywin that they were here from what I gathered. The men already know, of course, and most of the castle, so it will spread inevitably, but I will delay it for as long as I can- preferably once we have retaken Winterfell and I am able to safely transport them back to the castle."

Eddard seemed to take an interest in that. "Back to Winterfell?" he asked. "We're going home?"

"Eventually, yes," Robb said, ruffling the boy's hair, then returning back to the council. "No letters or riders are to be sent without expressed permission from either me or my uncle. And I want to keep talk about Lady Sybell's betrayal as minimal as possible too."

The others seemed to understand. Robb had seldom spoken of his personal life in meetings like this, but when people cast doubt on the loyalty of Myrcella, he had always been quick to rebuff them. He was not going to tolerate questions of Jeyne's loyalty either.

Maester Tyren spoke up after that. "I have a suggestion, your grace, not entirely related to this previous discussion."

"Go ahead," Robb said. He was fine with delaying the inevitable discussion that was going to take up the rest of the meeting.

"Well, my first suggestion is that we might do with a more formalized council, and titles," the maester said, with an intoning voice, "something similar to the Small Council of King's Landing."

Robb frowned. "You want me to keep my own Small Council?" he said, confused. "I'm not laying claim to the Iron Throne, and they were the only ones who kept those positions."

The maester nodded. "Indeed, you are correct, sire. That is why my advice would be to fashion new titles. Even if you are not staking a claim to the Iron Throne, you would be wise to keep a formal council to acknowledge that your kingdom is greater than the separate ones that held sway before King Aegon forged the Iron Throne and unified our continent." He coughed, then continued on. "For example, instead of the Hand of the King, you might fashion someone the title of Lord Chancellor."

"I would name Ser Brynden to that role," Robb said, without hesitation. "But why?"

"You rule over the largest of the kingdoms of Westeros, and the third largest together. These types of titles would serve to create a cultural differentiation between your realm and the realm held by the Iron Throne," Maester Tyren explained. "Lord Chancellor… you might appoint a Lord Spymaster, Lord Treasurer, Lord Justiciar… positions similar to those of the Small Council, yet still differentiated. Further, I might go as far as fashioning different titles for some of your lords and vassals."

"I can do that," Robb agreed, "but what do you mean, exactly?"

"I might start by raising the Glovers from Masters of Deepwood Motte to lords," the maester began to say. "From what I heard, your daughter was declared the Princess of Harrenhal several nights ago… you should make a formal decree of that. Establish that the Tullys still hold dominion over the Riverlands by appointing your grandfather, Lord Hoster as the Lord Protectorate of the Trident."

"I can begin drafting documents," he conceded, while looking around the table. "But how does this help me now?"

"Not all wars are won with the sword, your grace," Maester Tyren explained, "from what I understand, you received a sharp lesson of this earlier in your war when you had to make amends with House Frey in order to use the Crossing. Honors and titles are critical to that, in addition to helping you distinguish yourself from the Iron Throne. Rather than a warrior intent on avenging his father and seeking to separate his realm from the tyranny of the Iron Throne, you might appear as a reformer to lords and smallfolk alike."

"I do agree with this, your grace," Lady Maege said.

"As do I," the Blackfish agreed.

Robb didn't want to make this meeting go on forever. But he knew that what Maester Tyren was suggesting was good advice. He could imagine if he were at Winterfell, how Maester Luwin and Myrcella would be supporting the idea, and his mother too if she were here. "We will speak of this tomorrow, once I've had time to think through some of these proposals," he said. They couldn't march until Lord Rickard had returned anyway, so whatever plans they made would need time. Then he looked over at the Blackfish.

"Harrenhal and Storm's End have fallen," Robb's great-uncle announced to them.

During his first war councils, news like this would have incited a heated argument that he had no control over. When they got news of the Kingslayer defeating Lord Vance and Lord Piper in the hills beneath the Golden Tooth, or Lord Tywin marching up the Kingsroad, a loud eruption of reactions would take over, and paralyzed the council for at least several minutes. Now, it was completely silent. A high lord needs to be able to rule his council as well as his subjects, he remembered his father had once told him. Perhaps there was a slight advantage to the smaller council size.

Galbart Glover was the first to speak up after the long pause. "You told us, sire, that Lord Tywin had plans to kill you soon."

The Blackfish interjected. "To kill seems unlikely to me. At least until Winterfell fell, and we got the report of the queen and the royal children being killed, I suspect Lord Tywin's goal was simply to beat us into submission, force us to bend the knee to King Joffrey." He glanced over at Eddard, then to Robb. "Widowing his granddaughter would have been far from ideal, particularly in light of Stannis Baratheon's letter."

So Lord Tywin only wants to kill me now that Myrcella and the children are dead, Robb thought to himself. Thinking of Eddard, Theo and Joanna as his potential salvation in the event of the war turning against them seemed absurd to him. It didn't matter. "If the reports are true, and Tywin left a smaller garrison behind at Harrenhal, that means he doesn't intend to return to it," he pointed out.

"Aye," the Greatjon said. "He's coming west now, isn't he?"

"Most likely," Robb agreed. "Lord Roose wrote that he means to send men to secure Darry and Maidenpool too. Lord Tywin won't have an easy retreat."

"If Ser Edmure musters his forces, perhaps he might be able to block Lord Tywin," Lord Galbart said, "or maybe Lord Bolton can make a push for King's Landing…"

"No," Robb said. "If Bolton keeps advancing… I would not begrudge him that, I suppose… but I do not know he has the strength to take King's Landing himself. And I don't trust that Ser Edmure would be able to deal a sufficient blow to Lord Tywin either. Besides that, their forces are too far apart to pin Tywin's men, if they even have the strength to do it."

"What will we do then, your grace?" Lady Maege wondered. "If Lord Tywin is advancing…"

"We'll face him here, in the west" Robb declared. As I originally had planned.

"At the Crag?" Lady Maege asked, while Melantha was pouring wine for Maester Tyren. "Is the castle strong enough…"

"No," Robb said. "We'll face him in the field."

Ser Brynden nodded. "Our men at Sarsfield intercepted a raven. There were multiple birds sent, and they only got one, so most likely the orders were still received, but it seems our enemies here are advancing. Ser Daven Lannister has been continuing to train the surviving levies from his father's host at Lannisport. He means to join with Ser Forley's men from the Golden Tooth in advancing against us, meeting at Tarbeck Hall. But I suspect they already have men that have secured the ruins."

Robb took over. "They'll want to march against us though, force some kind of action out of me before Lord Tywin gets here, or pin me in a corner before then. So we're going to stop that," he said. "We'll have a trap laid wherever they march to, and we'll beat them before Lord Tywin gets here, so he has no reinforcements." He knocked the pieces down that represented Ser Forley and Ser Daven's assembled men. "Roose Bolton estimates that Tywin still has about twenty thousand men under his command. They outnumber us greatly, but we still have the advantage," he said, looking at the map. "As long as Lord Roose and Ser Edmure cut off any supply line that the Lannisters have from the Riverlands, they won't have an abundance of food to work with now that we've picked the land clean. We hold the Crag, Sarsfield, Nunn's Deep and Ashemark, and might be able to take more before he arrives too, leaving proper garrisons behind. He can besiege them, dividing his forces up, or launch costly assaults that might not even work." Robb smiled a little. "And his men are mostly infantry, while ours are all mounted. We'll lead him on wild chases, and he'll either have to split his foot and his cavalry, or his infantry won't be able to keep up with us, and will be exhausted while we take a leisurely pace. We can whittle them down with smaller strikes, until eventually we'll face them on a field of our choosing, and end Lord Tywin's power, once and for all."

The Greatjon spoke up first. "I like this plan," he said.

In truth, Robb still felt nervous about it- but he wouldn't tell his lords that. Between men lost in battle, the men that had been used for garrisoning their new castle and the departure of the Freys, he only had four thousand men now, which meant they could have him by as much as five to one. Especially now that he also had Jeyne and the children who needed to be cared for. Just a couple of months ago, when he still had hope for the Ironborn attacking, Robb had felt much more certain about the idea. He could see similar looks on the faces of his other lords.

"What about Stannis?" Galbart Glover asked after a long pause. "Do we know what he is planning? Will he march on Highgarden now? Get the rest of his brother's army?"

Ser Brynden spoke in response. "King's Landing, most likely. He's had the ships for an assault since the start of the war, and now he has an army. With his family's ancestral seat secured, no doubt he'll aim for the capitol now."

Maester Tyren nodded, and appeared to be of a like mind. "From the Iron Throne, Stannis will have greater authority when he demands lords bend the knee to him. And while we deal with the Lannisters out west, he'll have finished them off in the east."

Robb gave a nod too, but also set a hand on Eddard's shoulder. "I would like to see someone other than Joffrey on the Iron Throne, but I'm not certain Stannis would be any better. We know Stannis is the rightful king-"

The maester suddenly interrupted. "You're certain that Stannis' letter is the truth, your grace?" Luckily he seemed to have understood that with the children there that it was necessary to soften their language. "You truly believe he is the rightful heir?"

Robb nodded. "I wanted to believe it was false. But… I have reason to believe that my father might have discovered the truth himself, which was why he was executed."

"Well," the maester said, a little shocked, "perhaps we might have a conversation about this later then, sire. But please continue."

"Stannis might be the rightful king," Robb continued, "but his claim comes at the expense of my children. He probably sees them as threats, just like Joffrey is." In his letter, Stannis had not only called Joffrey an abomination, but Myrcella, Rosamund and Tommen too, as well as any issue and offspring that they had. For as much as he tried to suppress the thought, it still gnawed at him every now and then. "I don't believe we'll be able to make an acceptable arrangement with him. We might share an enemy now… but I'm not counting on him ever being a friend."

Maester Tyren spoke in response. "If the reports we have heard in Oldtown are true, King's Landing will likely be an easy target for Stannis Baratheon," he said. "And if we hold Harrenhal now, that means there's no easy way for Tywin Lannister to relieve the capitol from an attack. He'll have to go through Harrenhal first, or likely deal with some kind of block by Roose Bolton's men."

"Unless he goes further south," Robb said. "Not as direct, yes, and it risks a confrontation with the Tyrells, but… there are other ways." 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. "Whoever holds the Iron Throne doesn't trouble me. We will worry about that later."

Just then, Theo began to slump over, and he caught the boy. Robb picked his son up and pulled him close, feeling a momentary panic. But he was breathing just fine.

Just sleeping. He's just sleeping.

"Might I ask what you will do for the children when Lord Tywin comes?" the Blackfish said.

"They'll be here," Robb said. "This is the most remote castle we hold, and possibly our strongest. And it has access to the sea, in case the need to flee arises."

Lord Galbart Glover frowned. "They cannot sail north, can they? Maybe to Seagard, but even that would risk passing by the Ironborn…"

A crazier thought crossed Robb's mind. Oldtown maybe. Have them go into exile, find that sellsword company that supposedly was formed because of bitter Northerners wanting to keep fighting after King Torrhen bent the knee without a fight. When he met Eddard's eyes, he could see a little bit of unrest in them. "I thank you all for your counsel," he said. "We'll discuss more tomorrow."

With him signaling that the meeting was at its end, one by one the council departed, most saying a few words to Robb and his children before going. Grey Wind was still laying by the fire, and Melantha took the seat of Maege Mormont just a moment after the Lady of Bear Island had vacated it.

"You two did well," he said, to the ones who were still awake once they were alone. Then he looked down at the still sleeping Theo and cracked a grin. "And you… you did excellent."

Author Notes:

Sorry for the miserable Robb/Jeyne (not even really) smut… Thanks for all the support too!