Chapter 10
Serafina smiled as she prepared the bed. She would have hummed if she could have been sure that no one would hear her. Not that she wanted to be too confident yet, but still, she couldn't help but feel quite pleased with herself. Handling Robb Stark had been much easier than she had dared to hope. After careful observation, she had quickly figured out who he wanted her to be. A submissive little "servant girl." Typical. What man ever fantasized about a smart and resourceful woman?
Apparently, most of them only wanted a woman who kept her mouth shut and obediently spread her legs for them whenever they felt like it. Was she disappointed? Yes. Surprised? No. Seeing her like this clearly pleased him, but if she wasn't mistaken, he was also somewhat ashamed of his naughty need to dominate her. That was an interesting and very useful conflict. She was quite sure she was safe from violation. And she was even surer that he would protect her from his men.
All she needed to give him in return was the impression that he was the one who had all the power. Poor helpless little her needed a big, strong man to protect her from all the other men. Well, technically that was true, but she certainly wasn't afraid of someone like Theon Greyjoy. The man hardly seemed smart, and she believed she could have manipulated him quite easily if she had needed to. Right now, it seemed that she wouldn't have to. She didn't believe for a moment that Robb Stark had any intention of "borrowing" her to anyone.
Deep down, Robb Stark was an honorable man. A man who didn't harm women. Yet she was pretty sure that he was very much attracted to her. Or more accurately, to the version of her she had carefully created for him. The helpless girl who was completely at his mercy. Who humbly served him and knelt before him. She doubted he would have wanted the real her. No one ever had. Not that it mattered. She had worn different masks her whole life.
His attraction to her was something she could use, but she needed to be very careful. Even an honorable man undoubtedly had his limits, and it would be very stupid to test them. A foot massage, a light touch, an innocent smile⦠She had estimated that those would be safe enough, but she had to admit that she was in foreign territory. Obviously, her father had never allowed her to spend time alone with men, and she hadn't really wanted to.
As amusing as it was, the man whose company she had enjoyed the most was Varys. They weren't friends, and obviously, she didn't trust him any more than he trusted her, but he was the only man besides her father who actually wanted to know what she thought. Of course, she chose the thoughts she shared with him carefully, and she was aware of why he talked to her in the first place, but she also sensed that he respected her a little bit. The only man who respected her because of her thoughts was a eunuch. That was so sad that it was funny.
She didn't think that she would ever marry an intelligent man who would appreciate her as his companion. Instead, she had hoped for a good-natured and perhaps a little simple lord whom she could subtly guide. To her, that would be the best-case scenario, but she knew better than to expect such luck. Right now, her only goal was to make it through this alive and hopefully untouched.
She had learned new things about men while sharing a bed with one. Despite his attraction, he hadn't touched her, but he moved a lot in his sleep, and it hadn't been difficult to see what he dreamt about. Well, according to Jaime, all men wanted only one thing. Serafina had been fourteen when Jaime had thought that it was his duty as her older brother to warn her about men. Her septa had had that conversation with her when she had been ten, but she had still appreciated Jaime's concern.
That was what she was to Jaime, a little sister who needed his protection. Not that she minded; she genuinely liked her brother. Maybe she couldn't understand some of the choices he had made, but still. Right now, she was the one helping him. Robb Stark had actually listened to her shy and humble plea and allowed Jaime to wash himself.
She had rewarded him with endless gratitude, kneeling at his feet like a good little servant. She hadn't felt humiliated by any of this; to her, it was a role she was forced to play at the moment. Yet she really needed to remember not to go too far. For a brief moment, she allowed herself to close her eyes and imagine that she was home. She would have given a lot to spend just one night in her own bed, in the privacy of her own chamber, with Naeva, her sand cat.
Serafina had had Naeva ever since she was a kitten. She had been a gift from one of her father's friends, and Serafina was very attached to her. Thankfully, she never took Naeva with her when she traveled; the cat stayed in Casterly Rock. She was probably the only real friend Serafina had ever had. No one knew how much she cared about that cat; she didn't want anyone to know. She couldn't have that kind of weakness; her father had taught her that. Quickly, she opened her eyes when she heard someone entering the tent.
"Hi there," she said when she saw Robb Stark's wolf. The large animal looked at her calmly. She wasn't afraid of him; he had never growled at her. "So, where is your master?"
There was no sign of him. Serafina smiled at the wolf and walked over to the table.
"Are you hungry, friend?"
The wolf tilted his head and looked at her curiously.
"Well, I have your master's supper here. I am sure he wouldn't mind giving you a taste."
The wolf wagged his tail and headed to the table. Carefully, Serafina picked up a piece of meat and gave it to the wolf, who gobbled it up immediately.
"Good boy," Serafina laughed and petted the wolf's head. "You surely are a handsome fellow. Grey Wind, was it? A handsome name for a handsome wolf."
She knelt and continued petting the wolf. He wagged his tail and licked her cheek.
"Good boy," she murmured. For a moment, she forgot where she was; she felt very calm. That ended quickly when she looked up and noticed Robb Stark staring at her.
