Chapter 68: Coming home
301 AC
Robb
It had been a long and arduous journey. He thought back on what they had recently had to endure to get here. From Pyke they had wanted to sail through the Saltspear up to Torrhen's Square and then continue on by horse. However, the weather had decided otherwise. Once they had reached the Saltspear, local vassals of the Dustins and Ryswells had told them that the river going up to Torrhen's Square had frozen over further north. The vassals of the Dustins had recommended they either go to Barrowton or continue on to Moat Cailin.
At last, they had reached Barrowton with great difficulty, as ice was already floating down river. Luckily for them, not enough had formed on this river to completely block off their travel. One hundred and fifteen miles his sailors had peddled upriver until they had reached the seat of House Dustin.
They had been welcomed like heroes by Lady Dustin and a grand feast had been held to their surprise. In the privacy of her solar, Lady Barbrey had explained that she had only done so because of how he had treated her family, especially her nephew Domeric and two younger brothers Rickard and Roose. He had given his condolences for the loss of said Rickard, who had died for him at the battle of Atranta. She had respectively accepted his remarks and had thanked him for sending his body north.
She had asked for extensive reports about all his campaigns in the South. She had listened for an hour without interrupting, after which he and Jon had asked her about Sansa. Their sister was still in close contact with Lady Barbrey and they had been elated to hear of the detailed accounts of her well-being.
After a weeklong rest in Barrow Hall, they had left on fresh horses and with fresh supplies. His army was much smaller now than before. After Pyke, the Riverlords had left to go to Seaguard with the Mallister fleet. The Reeds had left even earlier and had disappeared into their swamps. At Flint's Finger, the Flints had left them and parts of the Mormonts and Glovers had sailed on without them around the Sunset Sea. At Barrowton, he had said his goodbyes to Roose Ryswell and the Dustin, Ryswell and Tallhart contingents of his army.
Then his army seemed to diminish every day. At the Kingsroad, the Manderlys, Lockes, Woolfields and Flints of Widow's Watch had said their goodbyes. Last week, the Cerywn contingent had dispersed after reaching Castle Cerwyn. Lady Jonelle had been more than hospitable, as she was overjoyed at seeing her lordly brother return in good health. She had also been very happy to see her good-uncle Ser Rodrik Cassel and they had been seen talking for hours together.
They had continued on to Winterfell from there. He and Jon had wanted to race on 'till they got to their ancestral home, but they couldn't. Thousands of men were still following them on foot and the harsh snowy weather didn't allow them to march more than fifteen miles a day. They weren't the only ones waiting to be reunited with family and he couldn't ask his men to do something for him that he wasn't willing to do for them.
Now they could finally see it. The grey granite walls of Winterfell doomed over them in the distance. The roofs of the many towers and buildings were covered with snow, as were the farmlands around it. Even so, much of the road had been cleared and so they snaked across it towards the gatehouse. To their side lay Wintertown and it was bustling with energy. Many ran outside to look at the army and try to find loved ones or simply get a glimpse of him or his commanders.
He could see more people coming out of the town in minutes than he had ever seen in it. Wintertown was famed to be only fully settled in winter, but he could also see hundreds of extra houses and a new and much stronger palisade around it. Alys had not been idle. It seemed that she had quickly expanded the town in size and population to help the local people survive the winter. "Winter is coming", were his house's words. It was clear to all that even without him, Jon or father here that the Starks were prepared for it. He smiled at that and so did his brother.
He could see many guards looking at them from atop the walls and suddenly a small group of riders came out of the gate towards them. Many of the men were new, but he recognized the one leading him all the same. "Hallis Mollen, you are a sight for sore eyes!" He called out happily.
Winterfell's captain of the guard smiled at him and bowed as low as the position on his horse allowed him. "It's good to see you again, Your Grace. I am happy to report that your family is in good health. They are waiting for you in the courtyard. There is a little girl that is anxious to meet you."
Everything from then on went by in a blur. He barely registered riding through the gatehouse and passing the outer and then the inner walls. Everywhere people chanted for him, as they lined up all the way towards the courtyard. In the back of his mind something reminded him to wave and smile, but all he could think about was a little girl that would await him.
How would she look? For two years he had imagined how the girl looked. Alys had once sent him a drawing, but even that was over a year ago. Will she look like he had imagined? Or will she look totally different?
What would she be like? Would she be happy and boisterous like her Karstark uncles? Would she be wild and rowdy like Arya? Proper and ladylike like mother and Sansa? Sullen and brooding like Jon? Or would she be like her mother, like Alys? Or like him? Would she want to play rowdily across the yard with him, or show him her embroidery like a proper princess?
How would she react? Will she be happy to see him? Will she even know who he was? Will she see him as in intruder into her home? Will she be scared of Grey? What will she have been told about him? What does she know about the grandfather she was named after?
So many questions filled his head and he felt like he was going to explode. The closer they got, the more anxious he became. He felt light in the head and the world seemed to spin around him in circles, as the walls of Winterfell seemed to be closing in on him.
"Hey, Robb calm down!" Jon suddenly called out, as he harshly clapped a hand on his right shoulder. This brough him back to reality. He looked at his brother's face. "You are making Grey all skittish. He is worried about you."
He looked to his side to his loyal companion. The direwolf had tilted his head with worry and his eyes seemed to be demanding to know if he was alright. He exhaled and ruffled the hairs on Grey Wind's head. "I am alright boy. I am just scared to meet her that's all." Even while sitting a horse, the direwolf's head came up to his middle. He cuddled his head up against his left leg to calm him and tell him not to worry. "Thank you boy, I know you're always there for me. She will like you too. I am sure of it."
Grey Wind exhaled loudly through his nose, whilst opening his mouth playfully. His message was clear. "She better likes me. I have been hearing you mope about her for over two years now. In return I want a little pup to play with." He laughed loudly at the wolf's reaction and turned to his brother.
"Everything will be fine Robb. You have been a great older brother to all our siblings and have helped with Arya and Bran since we were small. Everything will go naturally, I promise you. You led armies into battle, defeated the greatest generals of our time and were victorious all across Westeros. That is something only a few select people have done in thousands of years of history. Raising children is something almost all men do sooner or later. You will be fine, I promise!" Jon laughed.
"Besides," he added, "you have to remember that that girl is half you and half Alys. How bad can she be?" This made him feel better and he thanked his brother. "Unless she is being raised by Rickon and Arya, then the next ten years of your life will be a nightmare." He loudly laughed and he grimaced in response.
"Oh come on, Your Grace." He mocked. "We have been looking forward to this moment for years. Don't spoil it by being a little shit now. You have defeated Tywin Lannister and Randyll Tarly in battle. You can handle a little girl."
"Tywin Lannister wasn't half so scary as a little girl raised by Arya and Rickon though." He half-heartedly laughed back. Jon simply winked at him, as they rounded the corner into the courtyard. There he could see his family lined up to see him. Their wolves all gathered in front of them.
On the sides stood Sansa and Arya, the latter with a huge smile on her face from the moment that she recognized them. Sansa had grown into a beautiful young lady, even surpassing their mother in looks. Arya had aged very positively too. She was starting to look a little bit like the drawings of aunt Lyanna, but that grin clearly hadn't changed a bit.
Next to Sansa stood their mother, with little Rickon in front of her. Little Rickon didn't seem so little anymore, as he had grown up to mother's chest. In the middle, stood Bran and Alys. His heir and queen. His younger brother was wearing a small ringlet of bronze inscribed with runes. He smiled at him and he smiled back.
Then he looked at his queen, at Alys. He anxiously smiled at her, as he dismounted from his horse. He suddenly felt like the anxious fifteen-year-old boy again. He felt like a boy desperately trying to get a kiss from her in the Godswood, instead of the king of millions of people that he had become. She smiled back at him, as she and Bran stepped forward. "Winterfell is yours, Your Grace." They bowed.
"Oh, bugger this!" He called out loudly to the surprise of the servants and guards assembled, but to the laud applause of his veteran commanders and friends. Especially the loud laughs from the Umbers and the Karstarks could be heard.
He strode over towards them and picked up Alys in an enormous hug. He twirled her around and sat her down with a kiss to the cheers of his friends. The only gasp he could hear was his mother's, as he saw her shock at his unregal antics. As he pulled back from the kiss, he whispered softly. "I missed you so much."
She smiled widely at him. "I missed you too Robb." She stepped back to greet her brothers and let Bran step forward. His brother smiled widely at him, but respectively held his distance. "Don't give me those Southron courtly manners Bran. I didn't fight a hundred battles to free the North for the Prince of Winterfell to behave like a Southern lordling in the heart of the North!" He grinned as he proclaimed loudly.
Bran ran forward and hugged him and he could see Summer and the other direwolves happily jumping up to mingle with Grey Wind and Ghost. "Come here Jon, Bran has missed you too!" His brother dismounted from his horse and they hugged too. "Robb's right you know, I did! I heard stories of you slaying and talking to dragons. I want to hear all about those!" Bran screamed enthusiastically.
A pained expression could be seen on Jon's face for a second, but as quickly as it came it was gone. "I will tell you all about dragons and more, Bran. Don't you worry." He smiled.
He let his brothers have fun and strode forward to the rest of his family. Arya ran out of line and tackled him in her own hug and Rickon soon escaped mother's clutches to run to him too. "Remember me little wolf?" He asked his youngest brother when he held back to his side. "Aye, a little. You and Jon went to get father. You promised me you'd come back. Shaggy remembers your direwolves too."
He knelled down to meet him eye to eye. "Aye, Jon and I tried to get father back. However bad men killed him. After that, Jon and I fought them all to make sure they would never kill anyone else ever again. Now we are back, just like we promised. Summer and Ghost are back too, so they can play with Shaggy just like we will play with you. Would you like that?"
The young Stark prince looked from him to Jon, who was still talking with Bran. "Aye, I'd like that." He smiled shyly. He ruffled his head, as he looked down at his not so little sister wrapped around him. "I missed you too, Arya. You can let go of me now."
"Only if you promise to never leave again!" She pouted. "I can't promise you that Arya, but I will promise you that I'll always come back. I will also promise you that it will be a very long time before I have to leave again."
"Hmmn, only if you have brought me gifts." She said, as her pout turned into a sly grin. "Loads of them." He winked back. "For all of you." He winked at little Rickon, who smiled back excitedly at the thought of receiving gifts.
"Children, please behave. What will your brother's bannermen think of these antics." His mother reprimanded his brother and sister, although her smile betrayed how she really felt at his return.
"My bannermen will be happy to see House Stark strong and united again in Winterfell, nothing else mother." He proclaimed loudly, which again was met with roars of his soldiers and vassals. As he turned to see what they were doing, he could see how Maege Mormont was greeting her own daughter Lyanna and how the other vassals looked up with smiles.
He walked over to his mother. "Good to see you again." He simply replied as she hugged him tightly, her decorum finally breaking down. "You look so much like your grandfather when I was young. It is almost impossible. You also have something of your father in your face. The beard suits you."
He absently went with his hand through his beard as he grinned at the compliment. When he finally pulled back, Sansa stood behind his mother. "Your Grace", she curtsied perfectly as she grinned widely. "Princess", he mockingly replied as he brought her hand to his lips. Arya and Rickon almost fell to the ground laughing, as he grabbed ladylike Sansa in a bear hug right after. "It's good to see you sister." He smiled at her after he put her down again. She immediately straightened her dress, but she looked happy with the gesture all the same.
He talked some more with Sansa, as Arya ran to Jon with Rickon on her heels. Then he was suddenly interrupted with a light touch on his shoulder. "Husband, there is another Stark that would like to meet you." Alys softly said, as she looked to a little girl standing next to her. She was holding her hand, but the girl was also lightly clinging to Alys' leg.
She looked up at him with beautiful blue-grey eyes. Those eyes pulled him in, and it felt like his whole world collapsed in front of him. Without thinking, he went to his knees in front
of the little girl and simply looked at her. After a while, she hesitatingly asked him. "A yu my fatha? U look like Uncie Ban but wit mo haij." She said as she pointed towards his beard.
Tears welled up in his eyes and he nodded. "Yes, little girl. I am your father. I am very happy to finally meet you. You are already as beautiful as your mother." He said and he looked upon the hair both Alys and their daughter shared, although their daughters looked a little reddish when the winter sun shone directly upon it. Her face was long in a cute short of way. She was already bigger than he had imagined, and she could talk. He had missed so much of her development already that it made him angry. "Hello fatha, am Edda." The little girl shyly replied. She looked like a crossing between Alys and Arya with a little bit of Sansa's fair features in her face.
He didn't know what to respond, but suddenly they were interrupted by Grey Wind, who walked over to his daughter. He slowly bowed down towards her. Just as he wanted to push him away so he wouldn't scare her, she loudly exclaimed. "WOLF!" She bolted away from Alys and lunged herself around Grey Wind's neck. "Momma, momma! Look! Big wolf! Even bigge than Nym an Summa!"
He looked perplexed at the spectacle, as did Grey Wind. The direwolf looked at him as if to say "I knew she would like me, but this is a little unexpected." Alys laughed at the sight of it all. "Yes, Edda. It is your father's wolf. His name is Grey Wind. He is the biggest and strongest of all the direwolves." She told her and he looked proudly upon her. Grey Wind seemed to like the comment as well, as he looked happily at Alys.
"Strongest? Ghost might have something to say about that." Jon joked as he and Arya closed down the distance towards them. He greeted Alys jovially and Eddara looked up from Grey, without letting him go. "U look like antie Aya and Edda but aso too much haij. U uncie Jon?" She asked, as she looked questioningly between Arya and Jon. Jon's mouth fell open and he seemed absolutely flabbergasted. Arya laughed very loudly and walked over to his daughter and ruffled her hair. "Good girl! You're right! That is your uncle Jon." She then looked over to their brother. "I told her a lot about you and about Ghost too. She loves all the stories."
Eddara raised her hands to Arya, as she wanted to be picked up. His sister did so without a second thought. "You told her about me?" Before Arya could reply, the little girl nodded in her arms. "Gost? U also wolf? Wite wolf?" Jon grinned like an idiot. Without even looking around he whistled lowly and moments later Ghost came walking over slowly. "Wite wolf! Momma, look! Wite wolf! Big wite wolf antie Aya told me is true! Big wite wolf too!"
Ghost looked at her with interest as he sniffed at the girl in Arya's hands. Eddara fearlessly stroked the direwolf's massive head and Ghost seemed to like it. Jealously Grey walked over and nudged himself back against her leg. "Haha look to big wolf!" She exclaimed, as she showed two fingers on her hand. Everybody laughed happily at the incredibly cute sight of it all.. "Yes Edda, you're right. Two big wolves and they both like you."
The girl tilted her head at the wolves and asked. "Like Edda?" In response both wolves simultaneously started licking her face and leg and his daughter started laughing hysterically. "Like Edda vejy much antie!" His heart melted at the sight.
"Robb, Jon want to see something fun?" Arya asked excitingly. He and his brothers looked at each other. No matter how long they left, they would never forget that look on her face. Something crazy was going to happen. "Yes?", they both answered unsurely. It didn't escape him that Arya threw a look towards Alys, who seemed to nod her agreement as she walked over to him.
Alys threw her hand around his back and rested her head on his shoulder. "Don't freak out now, Robb. It's safer than it looks. She never falls off." He alarmingly looked at her, while he heard his mother sigh from behind her.
Before he could say anything, Arya turned to Eddara in her arms. "Want to try a new horsy, Edda?" His daughter nodded way too enthusiastically and before he knew it her little legs were bangling in front of each side of Grey Wind's shoulders. She grabbed his neck fur and shouted. "Jun hosy, jun!" Grey wind did nothing and looked questioningly at him. He shrugged at the wolf and then nodded when his daughter started to become annoyed. "Jun! Edda say jun wolf!"
Slowly, Grey started to walk around the little girl on her back and she indeed seemed to sit very comfortably on his back. "Fasta wolf hosie! Fasta!" The direwolf threw him an amused look as he circled around. "Yes, you can speed up Grey." He called out.
The direwolf started to speed up more and more, as he noticed she was holding on well. He watched upon the spectacle with wonder, until he noticed Jon looking at him. His brother winked at him as he mimicked his eyes rolling back in his head. He grinned back to his brother and nodded. He grabbed Alys a little tighter and let his mind drift into that of his direwolf.
He was running across the courtyard, as he felt a small weight upon his shoulders. Small as the weight may be, it made a great amount of noise. The pup's laughter never stopped and the faster he went, the louder it got. He decided to have some fun with it.
He started zigzagging slowly and then faster. Not long after, he was running around the courtyard, as if trying to shrug off an enemy predator. The pup was rocked around to every side and back and kept laughing hysterically. Every time she slightly seemed to shift off, he simply pushed his shoulder up until she sat straight again.
After that he had a crazy idea. He ran towards the edge of the courtyard and turned towards his master, whilst quickly gaining speed. When he was some thirty-five feet away, he jumped into the air. He pushed off his shoulders and sent the screaming pup flying through the air. He turned around mid-jump and scooped up the little pup with his front legs. He turned back around and landed on his rear legs, before slowly sliding through the snow on his shoulder. He ended on his back with the dazed pup safely laying between his paw and his belly.
He looked up towards his master's pack and his white brother. All but his white brother looked upon him in shock and he laughed heavily, as he let his tongue run out of his maw.
He returned back to his body and found Alys stomping his shoulder. "What was that Robb? Why did Grey Wind do that? She could have fallen off and died! The other wolves never did anything like that!" He simply laughed. "Grey Wind is a veteran of dozens of battles. He can throw her thirty feet in the air and catch her effortlessly. She was safe the whole time." He assured his wife, who looked sceptic. Behind her his mother openly screamed at him, while his bannermen were having the time of their life at the performance of their king's daughter and his direwolf companion. They all knew what Grey Wind was capable off and off the bond the beast shared with their king. If he said she had been safe, they knew she had been. They just laughed at his family's reaction.
What ultimately broke the ice was Eddara crawling off from the direwolf onto the ground and getting to her feet. In one movement, she got up and dazedly ran towards Arya. "See tat antie? Edda fly! Edda fly high! Supa high!" Arya laughed loudly! "I saw it little one. You are a flying wolf!"
"Edda flyin wolf!" His daughter screamed. "Again! Again Edda flyin wolf!" He looked at Jon and smirked, while his brother theatrically rolled his eyes at him. Bran looked at him suspiciously and he simply grinned back. This didn't seem to placate his little brother, so he silently mouther "later" and this seemed to calm him. If he didn't know already, he would need to be told about his warging soon anyway. No use in hiding that something was up.
Alys ran over to Arya and picked their daughter out of her arms. "No Edda, no more flying for now." She said as she brought her over to him. "Edda wanna fly momma!" The little girl pouted. He stretched out his arms at the little girl. "I can make you fly if you want." The girl looked at him for a while, before nodding and almost jumping in his arms. It was the first time he held his daughter and the little princess looked at him sternly. 'Make fly!', she ordered.
He grinned and threw her two feet in the air over his head. He caught her and did it again and again and again, whilst her hysterical laugh filled the courtyard once more. After a while, he caught her and brought her back to her mother. He held her with his left arm while he pulled his right around Alys' shoulders and kissed her on the head. "Momma, fatha make Edda fly just like fatha wolf! Fatha and wolf fly people!" She screamed happily.
Alys looked at him with a meaningful look on his face, while he simple grinned a mischievous smile back. "Yes, they make you fly sweetheart. However, your father can also care for you and play with you on the ground. You'll see that the coming days."
His friends roared with laughter at him being set straight by his own wife in his own castle. He shot them a meaningful look and most, well everybody except the Karstark brothers, had the dignity to hide their laughter. Torrhen walked forward. "His Grace, Robb Stark, the Young Wolf, Lannister's bane, Dragon's doom, Roseplucker and Krakenfeeder, … admonished by my little sister. Oh, this is a good day!" He laughed loudly, as he smacked him on the shoulder. The result was another roar from all the people behind him and no look could silence them this time.
Alys had the dignity to look annoyed at her brother. "This little sister can shame you back to Karhold if she wishes it so. Don't test me Torr." She replied like the fierce queen she had seemingly become. Torrhen held his hands high in surrender as he walked back to the Umbers and Mormonts, whilst laughing.
"Let's go inside. Rooms have been prepared for all of you. There will be a feast in celebration later." Alys regally called out to all. His mother used the moment to come and talk to him. "Robb, I understand the Karstark boy is your friend and brother-in-law, but you can't have him talk to you like that. It's not proper. It's bad enough how you and Grey Wind behaved in public around Edda. Let alone that you were admonished by Alys for half the North, but this was too much. These men need to respect and even fear you when you have need of them. Even King Robert, who was way too familiar with everyone, would have said something."
He looked at his mother sadly. She had been away of everything for almost three years now. She hadn't seen him with those men yet. "Look, mother I understand your concern and I welcome it, but half of those men there have been with me through hell and back. I cried with them when I lost father, Edd and Lord Rickard. I feasted and got roaringly drunk with them when I heard of Eddara's birth. All of those men killed and bled for me. Sometimes because I ordered it, sometimes to protect me and sometimes because they knew what I wanted before I even said it. All of those lost family because I ordered them to go South with me. All lost friends there. All would do it again tomorrow if I asked it off them."
"I have built my kingdom not on the bodies of dead Lannisters, but on the relations with my vassals. I know they do things differently in the South, even in the Riverlands which I now rule too. I do not care. All those Southern lords and kings with their perfect manners and sophisticated words. Father was forced to adapt to that and father was killed. He was killed because he was betrayed by Littlefinger and no man talked better or more proper than he did. Southrons talk and behave well to your face and make plans to stab you in the back that very evening. I will choose a rowdy Northman that insults me to my face whilst protecting my back without asking every time. It is not a man's words that show his worth, it is his deeds. I would trust every man standing there with your life or mine after these past years. They will do the same with me and follow me to hell again, if I demand it so. That is more than enough."
"Yes, but the Riverlords they will not look kindly on this. Nor you riding next to bastard lying pretenders for that matter." She countered, as she scoffed.
"Depends on the Riverlord in question. The Blackwoods love it, so do the Mallisters. Lord Darry is my own squire. Your uncle and brother appreciate that they can talk openly and so do many others. I will not even dignify your remark on Jon with a response. What I will tell you is that the three of us will talk soon. I plan to make Jon one of my main advisors and give him lands and titles. Before that, I need you to listen to his story." He said, shifting to a harsher tone at the end.
"I will not listen to that bastard! He has nothing to say to me that would be dignified enough for my ears! How dares he to claim dragon descent? You even let him run around with Blackfyre. A grave mistake my son, the sooner we fix all this mess the better …" She continued.
"No", he simply said. He said it calmly, but harsher than he had ever spoken to his mother.
"Without Jon, I would be dead ten times over. Father would never have been avenged without him and I would have never been able to hold my daughter. If he accepts, I plan to make him my Hand of the King. If you dare to refuse to listen to his story it will be you that will have to leave, not Jon. If you are so stubborn and so set in your ways that you refuse to listen to a man, which all your children owe their lives and safety to, the n you are not worthy of being here. That man gave everything for me and more, he will receive the same from me. He is my brother in all, but blood, and I trust him above all others. If something had happened to me in the South, it would have been Jon that would have been made regent for Bran, not you, not Alys, nor anyone else. I implore you to listen to him, mother, but I will not force you. You can make your own choices and face the consequences, but I will not hear you slander him again."
His mother looked completely taken aback. "You … you would choose him over your own mother?"
"I would choose him over myself every day. Winterfell is Jon's home. It always has been, and it always will be. As long as I and my legacy live, that will be the case. I carved out a place for the whole pack, including Jon. He is family and he will stay here. It would do you good to remember that, mother." He responded, cold as ice.
She looked at him completely perplexed. "You … you talk like him when speaking about that boy." She whispered.
"Like who?" He asked.
"Like your father." She responded, barely audibly.
"That is because father knew of things that you do not. Things I have gotten to know too. It would be wise of you to listen to what father hid away from you, from us and from Jon all this time and why. After that, you can make up your own mind, but I will not hear that slander ever again anywhere in my kingdom." He said, brokering no argument.
"Now, your uncle is leading the rearguard and he will be here soon. He would very much like to see and talk to you."
"Very well." She responded, as she straightened her skirts. He hated to dismiss his mother so, but he would not allow Jon to go through that ever again. The pack needed to stay united and his mother needed to fall in line. The lone wolf dies and Jon had made sure that he had never been alone down in the South. He would make sure that Jon would never again be alone in the North.
The welcome feast went by in a blur. The whole time, Eddara never left his lap. He didn't care what anyone thought about it. He had missed two years of her life already. He would not miss another minute tonight.
Whilst his bannermen continued feasting, he retired early. Together with Alys he put his daughter to bed for the first time. She seemed to sleep with a wolf doll, which he found very endearing. To his surprise, Nymeria came along with them to put her to bed. After the Ironborn assault, his mother had decreed that all wolves must be free to walk the castle at all times of the day and night. A very good decision, which he would congratulate her on later.
"It has become a ritual that one of the wolves puts her to bed at night. Most of the time it's Nymeria, but other times Lady, Summer or even Shaggy are present." Grey Wind had followed them too and the little girl hugged both wolves and her parents, before immediately falling asleep in the arms of her stuffed toy.
They continued to his own bedroom. To his surprise, Alys didn't bring him to his old rooms. She brought them to the master bedroom of the Lord of Winterfell. His father's old room … She saw the look upon his face and smiled sadly. "I know Robb, but our children will think of you in the same way as you did your father. It is the room of the master of Winterfell. Now, that is you." He nodded absently, as they walked in together.
"My mother's rooms?" He asked.
"I haven't had the courage to replace her rooms. I have been sleeping in a room close to the nursery. Besides your mother's are the warmest rooms in the castle, she needs them more than I do. I am from the North after all." She smiled mischievously.
That warmed his heart. She would always have those rooms, he vowed to himself. For all she had done for him, his father and his siblings. He walked over to his wife and picked her hands in his, answering her smile with his own. He closed down the distance and pulled her in for a kiss. She kissed him back fiercely, but before he could deepen the kiss even more she pulled away.
She turned around and skipped towards the other side of the bed. He slowly walked after her. "What do you want?" She coyly asked him. "I want another kiss", he responded. "and another one after that."
She once again evaded him playfully when he tried to grab her. "Haven't you had enough kisses from camp followers and maidens in the South these past two years?" She quipped in response. When he heard that, he stopped dead in his tracks.
He looked her in her grey-blue eyes. "Alys, I haven't kissed anyone all these years. The last person I kissed was you when you said goodbye to me in Moat Cailin nigh on three years ago." He whispered, barely loud enough for her to hear.
She dropped the whole act and looked him up and down. "You don't have to lie to me. I know my father and brothers have spent time with various women when on campaign. It is normal for a man to … satiate his desires when at war."
"You're right, they did, but there is one small difference. Neither of them had a wife with a young child waiting for them at home." He replied, as serious as he could be.
She opened her mouth and closed it again. "Are you serious? You are a king. Women would throw themselves at your feet." She whispered.
"Aye, I swear it on the Gods, may they strike me down if I call on them in vain." He answered. She looked at him in shock, so he just continued.
"It was close in some instances, yes. Many times, Jon or I found women waiting in my bed, eager to lay with me. Even a few noblewomen tried to do so, but I never responded to their advances. It was hard, but I love you. I know what it did to my mother after the Rebellion. She had carried me and cared for me and, when my father came back from the war, he brought a bastard with him. Well we know the truth now, but she never did. It was the only big rift in their relationship. I would never do that to you. Neither would I abandon any blood of mine, baseborn or not. It was a risk I wasn't willing to take."
She looked at him completely stunned. He slowly walked over her and pulled the stray strand of hair out of her eyes. He pulled it back behind her ear. "There were many lonely nights, Alys, but none of those were spent with anyone except the memories I have of you."
She looked up at that. For a while, neither said anything. Then she suddenly pulled her arms around his neck and kissed him like he had never been kissed before. The force was so great that he stumbled backwards with her in his arms. She jumped up and pulled her legs around his torso. Still he stumbled back, until his back hit the wall.
They kissed like the fate of the world depended on it, and maybe to them it did. He didn't know how long they spent in that bliss, but he knew it would never be enough. When she finally pulled back to take a breath, he grinned. "I am guessing you missed kissing me too?"
"Missed? I was going desperate. I swear I even considered making out with Hodor one or two times. That's how lonely I was without you." He laughed loudly at the joke and smiled at her.
"You don't ever leave me that long again. Do you hear me? I don't care who attacks who and where. I am not so naïve to think that you won't have to leave Winterfell from time to time, but either I accompany you or you promise to be back within a few moons at most. You can send Jon, the Umbers or my brothers to kill the Southrons for you. You have a wife to satisfy at home now. Don't you ever forget it again!"
"I won't." He grinned, as he carried her to the bed whilst kissing her. He dropped her on her back and they both began to take off their clothes. When he had removed his tunic, she suddenly stopped as she looked in shock at his bare torso.
"What happened?" She asked.
"This?" He responded as he pointed to his right arm and shoulder. She nodded. "Those are the eternal gifts I received from Daenerys Targaryen's own dragon, Drogon. It cut through steel, leather and cloth. It is only because of the swift actions of my friends that I have kept full mobility of my arm. The wounds you see are either the burns from the dragonfire or the cuts from their daggers where they needed to cut out the cloth."
She nodded and softly caressed his arm and then his shoulder. "Does it hurt?" He nodded no. She kissed his scars then from his shoulder down to his arm. "And this?" She asked when reaching for a scar across his upper thigh the size of his pinky finger.
"A Dornish spear." She continued on, caressing his body. She pointed to his left underarm. "This one?" He grimaced. "A Lannister axe, it nearly took my arm clean off. I got lucky it only grazed me." Again, she said nothing. She continued planting soft kisses all over his arm. Before she could ask, he said. "The arrow at the Crag." She nodded. Finally, she got back to his face. "This one?" She asked once more, whilst caressing a soft cut across his brow.
"Some knight from the Reach. He's dead now." She nodded at that and kissed the small scar. She then took his head in her two hands. "You are still handsome to me. I don't care about the scars. They make you look manly and dangerous. The only thing the war changed to your body is the amount of extra muscle you put on. Pretty impressive, if you ask me." She winked. "I love you Robb, I have for years and I will continue to do so for many years to come."
"I love you too. I have never loved another." He replied. "Good, keep it that way." She grinned and he nodded, overly dutiful. "Now, make love to me husband. I have missed your embrace for far too long." She didn't need to tell him that twice, as he pulled down her dress. He looked at her naked body and devoured every inch with his eyes. It was better than even his most-detailed memory. After he moved forward, he kissed every part of her. In the meantime, he silently wished that the sun would never arise and that this night would never end.
(Two days later)
Jon
He was standing next to Robb in his solar, father's old solar. They were waiting on Lady Catelyn together. Robb sat at Lord Eddard's old desk and he had taken one of the two smaller chairs in front of it. He had taken the one closest to the wall, that way Lady Catelyn could easily enter. It would also allow him to put as much physical distance between them as possible.
He didn't hate Lady Catelyn. She had been a good mother to his siblings after all. He used to be scared of her, but that wasn't the case anymore either. He used to be scared that she'd sent him away, but with Robb in control of Winterfell he knew that would never happen.
Even so, he had come to realise that the abuse he had had to endure during his childhood was everything but acceptable. He was disgusted that a mother could threat a little boy like that. A boy that was the brother and best friend to her own son.
He would never tolerate it now. He was a man, a soldier and a general in his own right. Robb had promised him land, workers and materials to build his own keep. She would have to treat him like she would treat other lords or there would be consequences.
Besides, her resentment of him was based on a lie. One of the best kept lies in Westeros. A lie that had saved his life for years but had also made him feel alone and embarrassed about who he was. For weeks he had resented his uncle for what he had done, but in the end he had accepted that it was the best way he could have handled the situation. Doing or telling anything else would have endangered the, then small, Stark family. The only other option would have been to send him away with Daenerys and her brother, but would they have accepted him? Even if they had, would he have become as brainwashed as they had been about 'their birthright'.
No, Lord Eddard had done the right thing. Even if only through the female line, he had seen him as part of the pack. The lone wolf dies and the pack survives. He had survived and after all these years, he had finally been accepted as a full member of the pack. He would even be alone to start his own. The only obstacle to ending this painful affair was Lady Catelyn and that's why they were here.
They waited a while longer in silence, until a knock was heard on the door. "The Queen Mother is here, Your Grace." Hallis Mollen called out from behind the door. "Let her in, Hallis." His brother answered.
Lady Catelyn walked in with her head held high. She wore an immaculate, yet chaste, grey dress with white laces. No doubt a show of force to show that she was a Stark and that he was not. No matter, he had fought worse.
"Welcome mother, I thank you for coming." Robb said to her with a smile, as he gestured towards the empty seat opposite him." She nodded respectively at him and took her seat, completely ignoring his presence.
"Mother, we are here to show you something that has baffled both our minds when we saw it first. We will tell you what we know and show you all the evidence we have. After that you can ask any questions you have and make up your own mind. All I ask is that you hear us out without interrupting us first."
Lady Catelyn nodded in acceptance, albeit not entirely willingly.
"Jon, it is your story. I will let you tell it." His brother said respectfully.
He nodded and inhaled loudly, before looking the former Lady of Winterfell in her eyes. "I was raised with the same information you had been told about my existence, maybe even less than that. I knew nothing of my mother. All I knew was that Lord Eddard was my father, that I was a bastard and that he had brought me with him from the South. A thing that was easily believed, as I resembled him a lot."
He saw Lady Catelyn's anger flare up, as he mentioned his resemblance to Lord Stark, but he ignored it and continued. "I followed Robb south to help save Lord Eddard and protect House Stark. I fought in the Whispering Woods, under the walls of Riverrun and across other parts of the Riverlands and the Westerlands. I led Robb's army in battle when he was wounded at the Crag. I would have never betrayed him. Robb has always been Lord Eddard's eldest son and legitimate heir. I would have never even thought of taking anything from him. I know you think differently, but it is the truth." He said, as he looked her calmly in her blue Tully eyes.
"This all changed right before the battle of Atranta. Lord Reed arrived with some of his men after aiding in the recapture of Moat Cailin. He told Robb and I a lot of stories about your late husband and his siblings from during the Rebellion and his teenage years. Lord Eddard always counted him among his best friends, even if we never had the pleasure of meeting him. Now I know why. After all those stories, he took me aside and told me everything and my whole world changed that day. I had no idea."
"He told you what exactly?" She asked, clearly not believing his words.
"He told me my mother was Lyanna Stark. He told me my father was not the man I had adored and looked up to my whole life. My father was Rhaegar Targaryen. Heir to the Iron Throne and probably a raging madman like his crazy father. He told me how he had told Lord Stark how Lyanna had gone willingly with Rhaegar when he came back to the North from the Vale. How uncle Benjen had helped her evade uncle Brandon without knowing they would run off. Uncle Benjen never forgave himself for that, that is why he joined the Nightswatch." He sighed, thinking about all of the lives that had been wasted because of him and his parents.
"Lord Eddard couldn't stop Robert's Rebellion anymore after hearing that. Lord Rickard and uncle Brandon were dead. Aerys had called for his and Robert's head and Jon Arryn had already attacked Gulltown. Resentment for the Targaryens and their customs had been growing for decades. Lyonel Baratheon had already risen up in rebellion two generations before. He could not avoid the bloodshed any more than he could resurrect his father and brother. All he did was fight a war to save his sister and his house." He continued, as he stared at some point in the wall.
"In the end, he and six of his companions found her at the Tower of Joy in Dorne. They were held back by three knights of the Kingsguard, The Lord commander Gerold Hightower, Ser Oswell Whent and the Sword of the Morning Ser Arthur Dayne. After a bloody fight, in which Lord Reed saved Lord Eddard's life by mortally wounding Ser Arthur, only Lord Stark and Lord Reed remained. They went inside and found my mother, dying from an infection in the birthing bed. They also found me. She made Lord Eddard promise to protect me and he did. He buried his sister in the crypts and claimed me as his own bastard, jeopardizing his own marriage for the safety of his sister's son."
He then looked her straight in the eyes again. "He lied to you for fifteen years and none of it was fair, but in doing so he saved my life. Your resentment of me sold the lie to the whole of Westeros. I was to be the honorable Lord Eddard's Stark one mistake. It was not fair to you or me, but without it I would have been killed by Robert Baratheon, Tywin Lannister or even Oberyn Martell a long time ago. It seems that there was one thing Lord Eddard found more important than honor and that was the lives of the family members of his house and he counted me, as his sister's son, among those."
When he finally stopped talking, she looked at him in doubt. "Lord Reed told you all this?"
"Aye", he responded. "He confirmed it with me as well, after Jon told me his story. He has promised to come to Winterfell soon and has agreed to talk to you and the rest of House Stark if you wish it." Robb supported him. Lady Catelyn looked at her son in thought. "That would be appreciated. Even if all this is true, which I doubt, why style yourself a Targaryen? Why show off Blackfyre and wear that ridiculous ring. You would still be a bastard, albeit one of the former royal house."
He looked at the dragon ring which he was nervously twisting around his finger. It was the only gift Rhaegar had ever given him and lately he had chosen to wear it openly. "I choose to do so because I am no bastard at all. My parents married before conceiving me. They married before a hearth tree on the God's Eye and were afterwards married by a Septon with two Kingsguard as witnesses. I have the marriage contract right here, as well as a letter from my mother to me. A letter she wrote, as she felt that death was knocking on her door. Concerning the ring, it is the only thing I ever received from my father. It was bundled together with the letter, the contract and this in a Targaryen flag they found in the Tower of Joy. Lord Eddard gave if it to Lord Reed to keep safe for him." He responded, as he pulled out the silver direwolf chain from under his tunic.
Lady Catelyn looked at it in shock. "That … that chain. Sansa and Arya have the same one. Ned commissioned it for them on their sixth birthdays."
"Aye, just like grandfather Rickard did for aunt Lyanna. Just as I will do for Eddara when she turns six." Robb answered. He handed her both the contract and the letter. She read over it multiple times, slowly and meticulously. She looked over him in shock and was silent for a long time. "This … this is really true isn't it?" She finally asked Robb and he nodded.
"Even so, no one will accept their marriage. Jon will remain a bastard. The Targaryens haven't taken more than one wife since Maegor the Cruel and the Faith will never accept it." She tried to rationalize.
"That might be true. However, the Faith is in shambles. The Sept of Baelor has been burned down. The Faith Militant, that also hadn't been seen since the days of Maegor's successor, has been destroyed. For the moment here is no communication between Oldtown and anything north of the Blackwater River. Besides that, you are missing an important point. Rhaegar and Lyanna married for the eyes of the Old Gods. Rhaegar and Elia never did. Whilst no one doubts the legitimacy of his former marriage, multiple of my bannermen have begrudgingly also accepted the legitimacy of this one." Robb replied in his regal voice.
"They would accept polygamy because they married for a weirwood? Who would accept such a thing?" Lady Catelyn exclaimed.
"I do," Robb countered. "as do the Karstarks, Mormonts, Umbers, Dustins, Ryswells, Reeds, Glovers, Cerwyns and Boltons. I expect the clans and the minor houses along the Sunset Coast to do the same. The Manderlys, Lockes, Woolfields, both braches of House Flint and the Hornwoods have voiced their concerns, yet they accept my judgement. The Tallharts and some minor houses have yet to be asked."
"You … you do? Knowing that your father and I only married before the Sept?" She asked shockingly.
"Aye, it doesn't invalidate any ceremony before the Seven. Yet, if two marriages are held, I will always accept the one before the Weirwood tree. If, like in aunt Lyanna's case, one is already married that makes this a very difficult situation of polygamy which I honestly don't know what to do with, but it stands. It doesn't matter anyway. Sadly, Elia and her children were murdered by Tywin Lannister. Without any living offspring, there are no difficult implications of the first marriage anymore."
Robb's mother looked at him in complete shock, before finally looking at him. "So, what do you want now Jon, or should I call you Jaehaerys? Do you want to rule us all?"
"Personally, I would prefer Jon. No, I swore an oath to your son. I intend to keep it until my dying breath. I will ensure my line will do the same. We forever swear our loyalty to House Stark. All I wanted I have already received from Robb."
"And that is?"
"Books, letters and ancient prophecies of House Targaryen. I also received some artefacts, like dragon skulls, armor and jewelry. I do not claim any land or titles. I just want to know my father's family and want to preserve some of their thoughts. I have written of any claims in an official document signed by both me and Robb and witnessed by most of the nobility of the North, Riverlands, Vale and Stormlands. Neither will I claim any of the major artefacts alluding to their kingship like crowns or parts of the Iron Throne. No one of my blood will ever claim any part of Westeros."
"Yet you claimed Blackfyre?" She accused him.
"No, he didn't." Robb answered for him. She looked at him in confusion. "Lord Flint claimed it in battle and gave it to me as a gift. I in turn passed it onto Jon for his rendered services. It will be the first heirloom of his new house. It already has a new name to limit references to the Targaryen heritage, whilst still allowing him and his descendants to swing their ancestral sword."
He agreed. "I called it Frost. It sounds old and Northern, like Ice. That is what I want my family to become. An old and respected house in the North with recognized ties to our overlords House Stark, nothing more."
She looked at him intensely. "You two keep talking about a possible house and family. What are you planning?"
"I plan to give Jon lands on the Sunset Coast. I will give the manpower and resources to build a keep there. It will serve to protect the coast from future Ironborn incursions and make sure that something like what Theon Greyjoy did can never be repeated. In time, I plan to expand trade on the side of the Sunset Coast. This new keep and another one I plan to build will be part of a trade route going from Lannisport to the Iron Isles and Seaguard to Flint's Finger, Barrowton, The Rills, and all the way to Bear Island and the Wall. He will be able to create his own noble house. A noble marriage will be arranged, and he will immediately insert himself into the peerage of the North. In time, his house will probably reach the same strength as the Lockes, Flints, Hornwoods or Cerwyns."
"Average in strength, while still very respected?" Lady Catelyn asked.
"Exactly. Jon asked me for lands, a keep and a family in the North. So, that's what I will give him." Robb responded.
"What about the Winterfell succession?" She asked him again.
"Well, I have accepted Jon as Lyanna's trueborn son. He is in the line of succesion. Yet, he comes after me, Bran and Rickon. He also comes after any sons Eddara, Sansa or Arya may have in the future or any sons or grandsons from me, Bran and Rickon in both the male and female lines."
"You have accepted this?" She asked him.
"I have sworn an oath on it, in the presence of, amongst many others, the Blackfish. Nor I, nor any of my descendants will ever lay claim to Winterfell." He replied truthfully.
She looked him in the eye, for the first time considering his words. She slowly nodded. "You have given me a lot to think on. I will take my leave. I need some time alone to consider that my husband has lied to me for fifteen years."
She walked towards the door and put her hand on the handle. Before opening it, she turned around slightly. "Jon?" She asked.
"Aye?" He responded surprised.
"If I had known you were his sister's son, I would have never tried to send you away." She said, before opening the door and walking out.
"Did she just try to apologize?" Robb asked him in shock.
"I … I think she did in some sort of way." He replied.
They talked over the conversation some more, before leaving the solar together. They walked across the courtyard amidst the winter snows until they reached the crypt. Once there, he stopped his brother. "There is something I have to do first. Wait here."
He ran off, while his brother looked at him in confusion. Not much later, he returned with two blue winter roses out of the Glass Gardens in his hands. His brother smiled sadly at him and together they descended. They stopped before the statues of their parents. They were set side by side. It was clear the stoneworker had known Lord Eddard well, as the sculpture of his face was excellently done. Below him lay a stone direwolf, as with all Starks before. However, this one seemed a lot more real than those of the latest centuries. He even looked suspiciously like Summer, who could have served as the inspiration.
In silence they stood there together, while they talked to their parents. Silently, he told Lord Eddard about everything that had happened and thanked him for his upbringing and keeping him safe all those years. He promised he would try to keep his children and their children safe in return, as he has been taught that that is what a good brother and uncle does for his kin.
Lastly, he spoke to his mother. He thanked her for his life and told her everything he thought important about his life. Robb waited patiently for him to finish, whilst Ghost and Grey Wind stoically stood guard a bit further back. "This one is for you, because I am told you loved them." He said aloud, as he put a winter rose on his mother's grave. "And this one is for you, as a thank you from her and me. I know she would have wanted you to have it. No man has ever done as much to honor an oath he made to his sister. We are forever grateful. It will never be forgotten." He finished, as he put the second flower on his uncle's grave.
Together with his brother, they looked upon the stone statues once more, before slowly making their way back to the surface in silence. The only sound that could be heard was that of direwolf paws skipping up the stairs. He wondered how long it had been since that sound had been last heard down here, but he had no doubt they were not the first ones to venture down here. Nor would they be the last.
This is all for this chapter!
A lot happens here, and it is way longer than I had originally planned.
Robb and Jon return home and reunite with their family. Robb gets to see Alys again and meets Eddara for the first time. Robb and Grey Wind have a lot of fun teasing Eddara and the Stark family and she loves the attention from the direwolves (I may have loved writing that part a little too much). At night, Robb and Alys talk about his scars and she realizes what it took for him to come back to her.
Robb and Jon have a talk with Lady Catelyn about Jon's parentage and she finally gives in to all the evidence. She is set at ease by Jon's oath to not claim Winterfell and the North and the fact Robb has placed him beside all her male descendants in the succession. (Winterfell has never had a lady or queen in her own right, nor will she ever get one. This is not the show which will impose 21th century morals on a medieval society. If the male line were to die out, the son of the eldest daughter (Eddara and after her Sansa then Arya) would normally rule and her husband would be regent if he were underage. Yet, Jon could try to (but never will) claim it over the female line sons see Stephen I of England)).
Robb and Jon greet their parents together. Finally reuniting with Lord Eddard, after leaving nearly three years ago to try and save him.
This was a very hard and emotional chapter to write, I hope you enjoy it. Your support and comments mean the world to me. Please keep them coming and thank you so much.
Fannic
Reviews:
- The Bluest of Winters: No problem!
- Finkarhu: You're welcome!
- George Cristian810: You're right of course. However, Arya and Jon still see each other as brother and sister so it would be weird even if technically possible due to the medieval mentality. It might also give Jon's children a serious claim on Winterfell, something that at least Catelyn would consider and protest. I agree with the other options, although for Northern trade on the western shore, the Mormonts, Ryswells and Flints of Flint's Finger would also be good choices. For pure powerplay marrying an Umber is always a good idea.
- Angeluszuko-z: He survived, and his heir Ser Harras survived too although he is half an arm short.
- Supremus85: Haha, Robett Glover would have never let you! Thank you! Robb didn't seem like the "Genocide a million people"-person, but he still needed a heavy revenge and a stable peace.
- Rebfan90: Thank you so much! We're not that close yet. We are reaching a new part of the story. Jon will become his own man. Robb will want to build up his kingdom. The rebuilding and integration of the Riverlands. The development of the Stark family, … still a fair few chapters to go. Yet, the time for giant battles and campaigns is mostly over.
- Force Smuggler: Indeed! Now Robb can finally go back to ruling.
- Foxy-Floof: Thank you! I think the Ironborn got the message this time.
- Thedarkwolf95: Interesting proposals, thank you!
- Cliff West: Thank you! Jon's new keep will be explained in later chapters. Trade will be important and I will go into detail there.
- Andy2800: Thank you so much! Everybody, including Jon, has had it with the Ironborn. You also have to remember that many of his advisors, Lady Maege Mormont, Greatjon and Ser Wylis Manderly were probably present when Ned and Robert took Pyke and the Iron Islands the first time. They told him he would be there again with their sons and grandson if they didn't make harsh decisions now. What did you think of the reunions?
- Bao-earthdragon: Thank you for the suggestions!
- Markus Thacker: Thank you for the suggestion!
- J.E.P. 1996: Thank you! Exactly! Robb was raised by – and married – a Karstark and has surrounded himself with Karstarks, Umbers, Mormons, a Bolton, a Clansman, … Robb adheres more to the First Men traditions and history than his father (Ned) or grandfather (Rickard) did. He will try (and be expected) to embody the Kings of Winter with some of his father's influences. He will be just and honorable in peacetime and he will care for his people as a herder would his flock. In wartime, he will be ruthless, cold and hard as ice. He will protect his pack, his home and his kingdom (in that order) against anyone and everything no matter what it takes, be it burning down entire cities or destroying noble houses.
- Wolflord456: Thank you! They won't have the ability to do anything substantial as long as Rodrik Harlaw lives. After that, we'll see.
- Phineasn: Thank you for all the ideas!
- Thmsmgnm: Thank you!
- Robert and 43: Thank you for the many comments. It pleases me to hear that even now new readers keep liking the story.
- Iacopo Passerini: No worries, I'm glad you comment again now. Thank you for the compliments. Robb has only depopulated Pyke and Saltcliffe, not the others. There are too many Ironborn to integrate them in the interior. We are speaking about hundreds of thousands of people. We're almost at the end of the wars, yet Robb still needs to rule. He also needs to deal with Ramsay, the Wildlings and the Karstark situation. Then you also have the Reach which is a great problem.
- J4C00B0: Thank you very much! It is not over yet. ;-)
- Poly19hum: Thank you! I will finish this story, no matter how long it takes.
- GrimmJow: It is just Frost now.
- Guest: Thank you for the suggestion. You'll have to wait a little longer to see who he marries. They first need to set the North in order.
