The sight of flame against the auburn evening glow was a welcome sight for Tristan, even his horse seemed relieved. "Have we found the king's court?"

"Unlikely, ser Robin said they left Riverrun many days ago, they must be further north by now." Tristan's hand drifted to his sword. The Riverlands was no longer the mess it had been when Robb was negotiating the peace at Yore, but to call it ordered would be a falsehood, even with the progress made. "Keep to your swords."

They wound up the road towards the flame. If the fire was friendly, it would be as good a place as any to stop for the night.

They approached the fires, there were three of them, and saw several tents erected around it, with what must have been a hundred horses or more staked near a small pool, slaking their thirst in the water. A man stood up, a bucket of water in one hand and his other drifting to his sword. "Who approaches?" He demanded. An iron halfhelm hung at his waist and his shirt was mail with a dusty surcoat.

"Prince Tristan of House Stark," he said reining up. "Who waits?"

"Hedge knights," Lord Mallister muttered. "As good as brigands in peacetime. Keep to your arms."

A banner was fluttering over the camp, a blue field, with a white bend and three red martlets.

The knight turned his head over his shoulder. "Al- my lord!"

"Forgetting my title again, ser Garrick?" Another man sauntered over in high spirits, though his plate was dented. His hair seemed recently cut, unlike Garrick or the other knights in mail and rough plate who followed on behind.

"A thousand apologies, my lord," his bow was so exaggerated his head almost touched his shins.

The lord laughed and lifted Garrick up. "No harm done my friend. And who is this?" Tristan repeated his title. "My prince, a pleasure to meet you."

"I would have your name, ser, if we are to converse."

"I have the honour of being lord Alyn, of House Grell, newly named lord of Castle Darry by the grace of your brother the king."

"What are you doing here, we are far from Darry?"

"I was only just named two days gone. I ride now to take my seat."

"Even though it means missing the wedding," Garrick said, he was leaning against a small ash tree.

It seemed most of the nobility of the riverlands would be at the wedding. At every holdfast there were no lords or wives or children to be found, only captains and those unfit to make the journey, everyone else was making for the Twins, where Robb was to be wed to his Frey bride. "Where did you depart the King's company?" He asked.

"Three days south of the Twins, but he is waiting for you and his sister," he scanned Tristan's column. "I will assume that she is in the carriage." Tristan said she was. "Well you may press on if you wish, my prince, but if you wish company this night, you are welcome to share our fire. Although I confess we may not have food or ale for everyone in so large a company. But we're roasting a doe and she's a surprisingly fat one."

This was as good a place as any, so Tristan agreed, better to set up in the dying light than the dark. The wagon was pulled up and the horses staked with those of Lord Alyn's company.

And it was quite a company. Dozens of hedge knights, all with battered plate and roughspun clothing, most had halfhelms and only Alyn himself and one other seemed to have a full set of plate. "How many are you?" Tristan asked as he sat beside the largest fire.

"King Robb told me to gather thirty knights to serve as Darry's garrison, I pride myself that I found fifty two knights, formerly of the hedge, now of mine own household."

Lord Bracken looked around. "There are more than fifty-two here."

"You are correct, my lord. It takes more than knights to form a household. My lady, come, greet our guests."

A woman stood from one of the other fires and came over. She was a willowy figure, all arms and legs with ruby red hair, by the few strands that fell out from under her silk veil. "My prince, princess," she bowed with a smile.

"Lady Melody of House Piper," Alyn stood and wrapped his arms protectively around her. "And my lady brings her own with her, a steward, a septon and a stonemason." he pointed out each in turn.

"A stonemason?" Sansa asked.

"Pate of the Stone," Lady Melody said, leaning back into her new husband's embrace. She pointed out Pate of the Stone and he looked made of stone himself. "My husband's knights will protect Castle Darry and restore order, but I wouldn't trust them with bricks and mortar."

"Except to tear it down!" One of the knights raised his ale and the others cheered.

Melody smiled. She seemed to find the behaviour charming. When Tristan learned that Alyn was a former hedge knight himself he reasoned that Melody like as not knew far more about running a household than he. The staff she had brought included two maids, four washerwomen, an old bard a family of cooks, a groundskeeper and a kennelmaster, with a litter of pups and their mother kept leashed up. Apart from the bard and the mother and father from the cooks' family, all were young and fresh, but seemingly eager for the task ahead of them.

"Repairing a castle is no cheap expense," Jonos said, wiping ale from his lips with the back of his hand. By this time lady Grell had retreated, offering Sansa and Jeyne a place by the ladies fire. Tristan told Sansa to keep Lady close.

Alyn nodded. "Ah, but I am no longer a penniless hedge knight, my lord," he slapped two chests of coin. "My lady brought a dowry with her as well as a household, and his grace has been most generous with his Exchange Burden." Tristan hadn't heard of that so Alyn explained. As part of an exchange of burdens across the realms, seeds, animal feeds and excess crops were being sent north to help cultivate another harvest, after one had been lost due to the farmhands being called out to fight. In return silver was coming down from the north with masons and craftsmen to help rebuild the castles of the south that had been damaged in the war. "Castle Darry being south of the Trident is a boon as well." When asked why, he explained. "King Robb has made all the lands south of the Trident into the Rivermarch, answerable to Riverrun, with remitted taxes in order to fund fortifications, stables and garrisons. And his grace has authorised me to take the stone I need from Harrenhal to restore my new seat."

That had been well done of Robb. Tristan remembered Harrenhal, a dark and gloaming place, where he had found Arya hiding right under the nose of Tywin Lannister and enduring horrors which she rarely spoke of. The realm was well rid of that ruin. But he glanced at Lord Bracken. Stone Hedge was south of the river Trident and so would benefit from such an arrangement. Robb had sent Jonos south for his potential as a troublemaker, had he won the man over in the meantime. Although he feared for Raventree Hall. The Brackens and Blackwoods were rivals and now the Brackens would be marcher lords, and the Blackwoods would not.

"And you probably haven't seen yet, have you," Alyn said, opening one of the chests and tossing Tristan three coins.

Tristan examined them in the firelight. "These are different," he said. Each of them had an image of Robb on one side, crowned and bearded with his legend around the side. On the other side, the copper penny had a crown, the silver coin had a trout and the gold coin had a wolf. "Crowns, trouts and wolves," he said. A new coinage for a new age. Lords Mallister and Bracken started asking whether the values were the same and where they could get their own treasuries minted in the new style.

That was of no concern to Tristan so he went to check in on Sansa, who was talking animatedly with Jeyne and Melody. On his way back he noticed that Cley was missing from the circle of men. Lord Mallister pointed towards the pond and Tristan found his friend looking out over the water.

"You're still thinking of Daenerys," he said.

Cley looked over his shoulder. "How did you know?"

Because you've been like this since we left King's Landing. "I've pined over women before," Tristan said.

Cley scoffed. "But you got over it by fucking the next woman you saw."

"You could always try one of those washerwomen."

"They wouldn't be her."

"No one ever will, accept that and you'll find it easier."

"What if I don't want it to be easier?"

"Then I name you a fool. Only fools wish to be sad forever."

That made Cley smile. "Alright, I won't remain sad forever."

"Good man, if nothing else, the wedding should cheer you up."

"Two royal weddings so quickly, gods be good ours goes better than theirs."

The two of them laughed their way back to the fire.

When dawn broke they separated from the party of lord Alyn and continued the journey northwards, keeping to the road as the day broke crisp and clean, dewy grass glistening under the autumn sun. As they rode further north, they reached lands that had been less scarred by the war, villages welcomed them happily and inns were sturdy and staffed. It was outside the Forked Frogs in that the were met by Robb's outriders. Two of them guided Tristan's company while the third raced back to inform the king that they had been found.

The King's Court was waiting at the village of Sevenstreams, although the village itself was far too small to accommodate so many, and so among the streams that gave the village it's name, many a tent was pitched, their pennants flying the banners of the Trident. Furthest from the villages were the small tents of hedge knights and wandering warriors. Next came the tents of the nobles of the Riverlands, larger and clumped to accommodate families, their sworn swords and attendants. Cooks were stirring fires in rings of stones, a smith was hammering a dent out of a greathelm under the banner of House Mudd and a troubadour was following Lady Blackwood around, clearly looking for patronage, although she looked less than interested. Tristan reined up to ask after her and her family's health and the troubador gave up and looked for another patron. "My thanks my prince," she said.

"Anything for a lady in need, how fares Raventree?"

"Far better than the last time you were there. I do hope you'll come again soon, we can host you properly this time."

"It would be my pleasure."

"I promise you, it will be ours." Her eyes flicked to lord Bracken. "Your wife is waiting for you, my lord. She is set up on the other side of the King's tent."

"And she can wait until I've presented myself to the king." He spurred his horse onwards and Tristan bid lady Blackwood farewell and rode ahead to catch up with him.

Robb's pavilion was by far the largest and the closest to the village. Two wardens stood at the entrance and opened the flap at the sight of Tristan. Robbett Glover stuck his head out, nodded in greeting at Tristan then pulled it back in as Tristan and his party dismounted. Moments later the flap opened again and Robbett Glover emerged fully, his sword at his waist, followed by Catelyn, who beamed at Tristan and looked behind him to the wagon, Arya, Three Freys of the Crossing, Black Walder, Aenys and Lothar, hobbling on a cane. Then came Edmure and Brynden Tully and finally a fourth Frey, Olyvar. Robb's former squire cleared his throat and called out "the King!" in a powerful voice.

At those words everyone, lord, knight and servant dropped to one knee. Tristan and his party followed suit as Robb emerged from the tent. His fur cloak was held with a golden chain and his crown rested in his auburn curls like it was made to be there.

"My brother, my lords! You return from the nest of snakes, and it gladdens my heart to see you. Rise, rise!" Robb embraced Tristan fiercely as their wolves nuzzled at their feet. "No trouble on the road I hope brother." Robb whispered.

Tristan replied "none" and they parted. Robb greeted each of those who had come south with Tristan in turn. He honoured Lord Bracken for his wife's hospitality at Stone Hedge while he was away and jested with Lord Karstark that he had softened in the south. He reunited Galbart with Robbett Glover and Ryman Frey with his kin at the twins. Robb asked the two sons of House Manderly to pass Robb's thanks to their father for the carriage when they returned home, and promised a private word with Lord Mallister when the chance next arose.

Then came the moment. The carriage was wheeled up to sit alongside the pavilion and Tristan opened the door. Sansa emerged in a gown of silver and green. The fabric was heavy so the half-empty sleeve didn't flap about in the breeze. She wore a crown of lilies in her hair and a smile on her face so dazzling it outshone Robb's crown. She bowed before Robb and he kissed her on the cheek. "The noble maiden of Winterfell has returned to us, all hail my sister, the princess Sansa!"

"Princess Sansa!" The crowd replied. Tristan saw no fewer than three bards making notes or miming strumming their lutes and was sure he'd hear many a song of Sansa at the wedding.

Robb sent the crowd back to their pavilions and bid them get one last night of rest before they resumed their progress tomorrow. "We have asked more of Lord Walder's patience than we deserve, but now it is time I wed my bride!" He declared publicly.

Inside Robb's pavilion, all decorum ended. It seemed to Tristan that Sansa's embrace with their mother was the longest, with kisses and tears exchanged, while her embrace with Robb was the fiercest. He picker her up, spun her around and made her squeal with happiness as he set her down. But then Arya came in and outdid them both. She and Sansa were in tears as they hugged, each praising the other's beauty and refusing to accept the compliment in return. "I'm so sorry for everything I ever said," Sansa said, stroking Arya's hair.

"No, I'm sorry," Arya replied.

"Come girls, let's go back to our tent, we have much to discuss," Catelyn said.

"Wait mother, there's someone else!" Sansa hurried to the tent entrance and returned moments later dragging a scared Jeyne Poole in.

"Jeyne?" Robb said, stepping up to her and looking her up and down. "Tristan said he'd found you… we thought you were dead…"

"Until he found me, I wished I was," Jeyne whispered, and her lip began to quiver.

"You are safe now, Jeyne. Never again will you come to harm while you are in my care, this is my oath to you."

Jeyne nodded and Catelyn embraced her as well. Catelyn had never done that before and Jeyne's arms were stiff as she raised them to hug Catelyn back. They whispered words that Tristan could not hear, and did not try to. He had informed Robb in a private letter where he had found Jeyne and what she had been willing to tell him of her ordeal, and it seemed he had told their mother. When they pulled apart, Jeyne turned to Arya and at last broke. "I'm so sorry, lady Arya… I… I was only ever cruel to you… I called you names… I teased you… I…" Arya hugged Jeyne and there were no more words until they parted.

"A lot happened… before." Arya said, bruising Jeyne's tears away. "I hold no grudge. We are all of Winterfell." Sansa placed her arm ono Jeyne's shoulder. "All of us."

Jeyne looked at the Starks around her, and nodded.

After Catelyn had taken them away, Robb turned to Tristan, now serious. "Tell me everything."

It took a long time for Robb had many questions. The light outside the tent had gone from the grey of afternoon to the orange of nightime torches when Robb asked his last question. "And you saw no gathering of swords, no whisper that they planned to restart the war?"

"I can say nothing of the plans of Tommen's council, but they are not ready to fight a war with us and will not be for many a year." And Robb relaxed.

"Thank you, Tristan, for all your service. My crown would have fallen without you."

Tristan fumbled with his claw. "That's not true."

"Do not doubt yourself. You rode north to retake Winterfell and revealed that Bran and Rickon yet lived. Thanks to those actions, we were able to drive the ironmen from the north while keeping my host in the south to war against the Lannisters. When I was bedridden you took the reins of power-"

"And nearly lost it all in the Reach."

"Your campaign in the Reach was ill thought out, but is still what gave me the chance to defeat House Tyrell's armies and capture their lord. That was the opening that allowed me to force the negotiations on the best possible terms, and while I was negotiating you were stitching the torn Riverlands back together, meaning that my royal progress has been about building our new kingdom, rather than staunching bleeding wounds across the realm. Without you, I would not be here, I do not doubt it, and I will not fail to reward it."

Tristan cracked a smile. "Do you have a new and fancy title for me?"

"A new title, but not of my new courtly positions." Robb went over to a trunk and drew out a heavy document. The royal seal hung from the ties. He held it out to Tristan who fumbled it open with his working hand.

"Moat Cailin…" he breathed.

"Lord of Moat Cailin," Robb corrected him.

"My own castle and lordship." He had never imagined it, but a castle to call his own, like Dom, Daryn and Cley. They would be lords and equal in rank. "Is Moat Cailin finished?"

Robb shook his head. "Not yet. The ironborn rather disrupted the build, but soon."

"Was this why father ordered Moat Cailin rebuilt?"

"I cannot say what father's intentions were, but they are mine. But I do have one last command for you, until you take your new seat. I need you to stay here."

"Here?"

"In the south. I plan to leave a command of five hundred northern warriors to finish the task of restoring order in the south. You would be my captain in the south, as you were before, until Moat Cailin is finished, and then you are free to return."

He'd almost had enough of the south. He wanted to go north. He wanted to sleep in Winterfell and hunt in the wolfswood. He wanted to visit Jon on the Wall and ride to the castles of his friends. He wanted to sleep under the godswood of Hornwood, ride the hills of the Dreadfort and fish in the rivers of Cerwyn's lands. But if Robb needed him in the south, then he would remain.

"Cheer up brother. Lords should not be lonely, and while you're here in the south, you can go about finding yourself a bride. As the brother and heir of the king and a lord of a great castle, I doubt there will be a more desirable match in my kingdom."

"What about northern ladies, they may want me as well," many had in his younger days.

But Robb put a stop to such motions. "If this new kingdom is to thrive, the Riverlands and the North must be as one. Their stories must become ours and ours theirs. The northmen must feel it as deeply when raiders burn along the trident as the rivermen must when wildlings cross the wall. This begins by joining our families. As it stands, many heirs in the north and south are yet to wed, and I would see that they find their spouses in the other half of my kingdom."

Robb took the document back. "I will present this to you again after the wedding, I have a lot of rewards and titles to give out, and yours will be among them. I would command you to tell no one of this until then, but that would be as futile as trying to dam a river with a spear. So I will only say that you should make sure your friends don't spread the tale. In the meantime, you need to think of a new name."

"Name?"

Robb nodded. "You must remember the names Luwin taught us. Karstark, Greystark, Redstark, Youngstark. Whenever a new branch of House Stark is born, they take a new name. You must consider what yours is to be."

Tristan nodded. "Will you present them at the wedding?"

"After, but before the tourney."

"Tourney?"

"Yes, I mean to celebrate my wedding in style. That was what I was discussing with my soon to be goodbrothers when you arrived. Roslin is at the twins now with Perwyn, getting ready to be wed and helping to arrange everything. There will be jousts, melees, archery and more."

"I didn't know this was part of the wedding plan."

"It was mother's idea." Robb said. "She came up with it after Alyn's success in recruiting Hedge Knights." Robb made to explain, but Tristan said he'd met Alyn on the road. "There are many more hedge knights in the field than he was able to recruit, and so she suggested gathering them for a tourney rather than leaving them to turn brigand. And some will take service with lords and become their sworn swords."

"Not all hedge knights come to tourneys," although he had seen some in the camp, "and they aren't common amongst northmen either."

"Yet many have come, my goodbrothers of Frey tell me they have come down the neck and are waiting at the Twins. As for the hedge knights, well, I have made clear that I intend to recruit fifty men into my household knights and warriors from amongst the competitors. A worm that any hedge knight would want to bite, wouldn't you say brother? And you'll also need a retinue, remember, castles need swords in them. So you might want to watch closely."

There was another benefit as he saw it. "And there's nothing like some friendly competition to build friendships between distant houses."

Robb smiled a kingly smile. "Don't ever doubt yourself, my brother."

Outside the tent, Tristan walked slowly and aimlessly until a massive force slammed into him, an arm clamping around his shoulder. "Daryn," he grinned, looking up at the big, grinning face of his friend. "Your arm is recovered I see."

"Well enough to raise my axe… or a horn of ale," he pressed one into Tristan's hands. "Now come on we're drinking and you are late."

Daryn started to drag Tristan towards his tent. "Peace Daryn, you know I'll always drink with you."

"Yes, but Dom and I want to hear everything."

"You want to hear about Joffrey's death too?"

"Of course, but before that, there's something of far greater import that we must discuss."

Tristan raised an eyebrow. "Greater than the death of kings?"

"Far greater. Is it true that Cley finally got himself fucked?"