CHAPTER 27

A few days later, they were approaching Riverrun. They came up to the gate and announced themselves. They took their gear and bags up to their rooms and boarded the horses. They were taken to a sitting room.

Suddenly, the room door flung open and Robb and Catelyn, who was in tears, broke into the room in a panic. Catelyn wrapped herself around both girls. Jaqen just stood off to the side and watched. Talisa stood at the door watching Robb reunite with his sisters.

Robb hugged Sansa and then Celia. He said in Celia's ear, "I thought I would never get to see you again, Cel. I missed you so much. I didn't know the night before you left was the last I would see you for so long."

She said smiling, "I just can't leave everyone alone, you included, without everyone getting themselves in trouble." He laughed and hugged her close, picked her up and spun her around.

Robb grabbed her hand and took her to Talisa Stark. He said smiling happily, "Talisa, this is my twin sister Celia. Cel, this is my wife Talisa."

Celia smiled, curtseyed and said, "I'm pleased to meet you, your Grace."

Talisa subtly smiled and said, "Likewise, Lady Stark." Celia thought she seemed aloof.

Celia grabs Robb and Talisa by the hand, pulling them to Jaqen. She said looking at her mother, "Everyone come meet Jaqen. He has been helping me, Arya and Sansa this entire time so far. I couldn't have done everything I needed to do without his help." She smiled and took Jaqen's hand.

Celia said smiling, "This is my Lorathi best friend, Jaqen H'ghar. Jaqen, this is my brother Robb and his wife Talisa, the King and Queen of the North. Over here is my mother, Lady Catelyn Stark of Winterfell."

Jaqen smiled and bowed to them all and said, "Your graces, Lady Stark. A man is pleased to meet you." Catelyn looked down at their hands intertwined. Robb noticed also.

Robb said, "I am sure you all need a hot meal and a hot bath. You have all been traveling so long. We can talk in the morning after we break our fast together." They all agreed.

After Celia, Sansa and Jaqen left the room to go to their rooms to await a late dinner and relax, Catelyn said to Robb, "She seems close to the young man. A bit too close I sense."

Robb said, "Perhaps, my sister just saved all of our lives, mother. I'm sure once we get to Winterfell, she will fall in line. We can marry her properly to who we deem an asset to our family legacy. I'm sure many lord's will jump at the chance. She is very beautiful."

Catelyn said frowning, "Not without her maidenhead intact. Perhaps, we can have Celia marry Harald Karstark and mend the fence after the beheading of his father."

Robb said seriously, "That might help us. I will send the maester in to check both of my sisters out tomorrow morning and make sure they are intact." Catelyn nodded.

During the night, Jaqen had a night visitor. Celia slept with him all night and woke up early to bathe again in her room. She drank her moon tea that she made in the room, heating water in her fireplace. There came a knock on the door before she was ready to leave and get Jaqen to take him with her to break their fast.

She opened the door and it was Maester Vyman. Celia said, "Yes, maester can I help you?"

The maester said moving into the room, "I was sent by King Robb to check on you and give you a look over. I just came from Lady Sansa's room."

Celia said smiling, "I am fine, Maester Vyman. I have no health issues and I am perfectly healthy."

The maester said, "That may very well be true, but I must check for your maidenhead as well, my dear."

Celia, narrowing her eyes, asked, "Why?"

He said, "Lady Stark and King Robb ordered me to verify."

Celia said, "You will not be checking me. It's none of their business." Celia left the room and went straight to Jaqen's room. She was furious because now that she was back there with them not even a day passed, it seems her mother and brother thought of her as a commodity. They want to use her and her sister strategically to shore up their northern claim by trying to use her and Sansa as bargaining tools. Probably to pacify the Karstarks after them botching it up.

Jaqen asked curiously as he saw her come into the room and started pacing upset, "What has happened?"

Celia stopped, looked at Jaqen and said, "They sent the maester to my room under the pretense of checking my health, but it was to check my maidenhead to see who they can marry me off to to strengthen their hold after the damage they have done. I refused to submit to their plans. I belong only to you Jaqen, there is no other man who will ever touch me."

He wrapped his arms around her and said, "This man will not let go either. This man belongs only to a girl, Celia. A girl, Celia, belongs only to this man. A man truly only loves a beautiful girl." She sighed, holding him and resting her head on his shoulder. He rubbed her back, calming her down.

After a few moments, Celia said, "I guess we will let them know if it comes up at breakfast that we are together. I am not going to comply with their demands. If they don't listen, we will leave together to go to Castle Black to see my brother Jon next."

She looked into his eyes and said, "I love only you. Forever." She caressed his face and kissed him. They left together and she was holding his arm as they went to the Great Hall to eat.

They both sat down together after she was greeted warmly by Brynden 'Blackfish' Tully, her grand-uncle. Then by her uncle Edmure Tully, who was the Lord of Riverrun. After they were all eating, Robb said, "I heard you sent the maester away, Celia."

Celia said seriously, "Are you sure this is an appropriate topic to discuss while eating at a table full of people, Robb?" Catelyn huffed.

Celia said, cocked her head looking at her mother, "What mother? Now that I am here not even a day, you want to know if Sansa and I are good enough bargaining tools to mend you and Robb's fences you tore apart from your foolish mistakes? I will not be a commodity in your games and refuse to marry anyone you point at." She glared at them both. "Just so you understand."

Catelyn put down her cutlery and said, "You will do your duty to your family young lady and there will be no argument from you! Do you hear me Celia?!"

Celia put her cutlery down and said through narrowed eyes at Robb, "You agree with her, Robb?"

Robb said looking at her uncomfortable, "Actually, I do. You should help the family with marrying to benefit the family line."

Celia said, "Fine, I will be leaving by dawn with Jaqen."

Robb's eyes got big and Catelyn shouted, "You will not young lady! You will do as you're told! You can not go running around the countryside with a man we don't even know unescorted properly."

Celia said laughing, "Do you think you can stop me? Really?" She stood up at the table and jammed her knife into the wood so fast with a loud bang making them all jump in surprise. They all looked at her shocked at the wild look in her eyes.

She glared at them all and roared growling, "Don't you think I have done and sacrificed enough for this family?!!! Do you?!! I killed every one of my father's devious plotting killers, every one of them painfully! Jaqen and I both got my two sisters out of that hell hole alive! I saved all of your necks from that gods be damned wedding massacre to kill all of you and your men! I got Tywin fucking Lannister to pull back his army and apologize. You both have the fucking nerve to say I have to marry anyone you fucking point to in order to fix your fuck ups and tell me it's my gods be damned duty?! Even my own fucking brother is being a hypocrite to even ask such a thing like that of me!" They all had their mouths hanging open.

Sansa said softly and stood up putting her napkin down, "Celia, I'm going with you if you go. I go where you go after everything I have been through. I am not being sold to the highest bidder either ever again."

Catelyn shouted, "Neither of you will be going anywhere!"

Celia shouted looking at her mother dead in the eyes, "You think that the whole fucking army here has the power to stop me?! The entire fucking Lannister and Crown army in King's Landing couldn't stop me! If you think for one gods be damned minute that your fucking in control here, your gonna learn a very valuable lesson soon when you watch me walk the fuck out of here! Either you listen to me and let me help guide you in the right direction or I will fucking leave you to your own ungrateful demise! I will let you find your own end once AGAIN, wherever it leads with the mistakes and mess you have created for yourselves so far! You started out fine Robb but ended up damn near being wiped out completely from errors in judgement and the mistakes of others. Are you willing to risk all of that or fucking shut up, get off your high horse and pay fucking attention to me?! I'm sick and tired of unwinding shit that was created when my father wouldn't listen to me and lost his fucking head for it as I held my baby sister in my arms no more than twenty five feet away!!! Don't you dare tell me what to do anymore or ever again! I am not going to put up with it!"

She was so very upset, enraged and disappointed it was palatable. Her eyes were dark and hard as she bored them into her mother and brother. Sansa ran around the table and into her arms burying her face in her neck wrapping her arms around her.

Catelyn said astonished, "I can't believe you would talk to me like that."

Celia said looking at her mother, "I can't believe you would dare to treat me like you just have. You need to wake up mother, because I have seen, heard and felt things to never be led anywhere by anybody anymore. I have killed so many evil craven people with my own hands to protect you, Robb and Sansa. You do not have authority over me anymore. I will live my life by doing it on my own terms from the moment I left Winterfell to the day I die."

Catelyn was livid and spat, "Perhaps, if you hadn't ran away and stayed by your father's side, he would still be alive!"

Celia shouted, "How dare you have the nerve to say that to me after I told him what was coming for us all! I left so I could come back to get them out of the Red Keep!"

Catelyn shouted, "He's dead! You could have stopped it!"

Celia said sneering, "No, I could not and you weren't fucking there! He sealed his fate at Winterfell telling what he knew, trusting and threatening the wrong people! I was not walking into the mouth of a hungry lion in a den of vipers like fool! I was no use to anyone unless I was on the outside to go in and get them to safety! How dare you pass judgement on me for our father's death! Look in the mirror mother, you let Jamie Lannister go causing your own son to cut the head off of the man with half his army! You hypocrite! Jamie could have been the exchange for your daughter or daughters but no you had to betray my brother doing things like a hard headed woman you are making a compounded mess! You have no leg to stand blaming me for my father's death when I have done everything to prevent it and avenge it! What have you done but make things harder on everyone?!" Catelyn was red in the face like a beet fuming.

Celia said, "Do you know what comes next?! That half of an army of Karstarks and Umbers are going to join up with Stannis soon! But I can see you don't need my help unless I or my sister give our maidenheads to one or both of those houses to try to get them back under your control! I know that's what is churning in your minds as I said it! Aren't you?! There are better ways to get cooperative bannermen. I know how and I'm the only person who can do it!"

The Blackfish said trying to calm the situation, "I think we need to step back a moment ladies. We haven't had enough time to talk and figure things out. Catelyn, don't you bring up another word about Ned or anyones maidenhead. Celia, do not go anywhere we need to talk. There needs to be time to talk and like Celia said it hasn't even been a day. I can't believe that both of you would send the maester so quickly on them both."

Catelyn said, "At least I know I have one pure daughter."

Robb shouted, "Mother! Shut it!"

Celia said looking down her nose at her mother, "I can't believe you have become such a fool worrying about stupid petty things like that when there are more important things of higher concern. How single minded and ridiculous you have become. I have no maidenhead anymore. There you go. Now are you satisfied and happy with my personal well being? I gave it to the man I love and the only man I will ever love until the day I die. So move on with your manipulations, get over it and yourself mother. Come on, call me a whore now to my face. Seal your fate with me. I fucking dare you. You will have the last block of stone on the ground of the tower that once was respect for you."

Sansa was still wrapped around Celia with her face buried in her neck and tightened her grasp. Before Catelyn could respond, Robb said, "If you say another word mother to Celia, I will have the guards confine you to your rooms… again. These topics are over." Catelyn got up and left the table angry, not saying a word to anybody.

They all left the table and went into the map room. Celia told them in detail what she did so far. She explained that she was gifted with magic and how she found the cave. She explained that she was going to deal with the Karstarks and Umbers to get them back in with the Starks banner. She said she was then going to Castle Black to observe Stannis. She led Robb to her room with the Blackfish and gave him their father's bastard sword 'Ice'. Rob looked it over with admiration and tears in his eyes.

He said tearfully, "I never thought I'd see it again. It's like a part of father and all of our ancestors are embedded in the valyrian steel."

He turned to Celia and said, "Thank you for rescuing it and saving it for me, Cel. I can never repay you for all that you have done and are going to do for me."

Celia pushed the hair out of his face cupping his jaw and said, "Just try to stay out of trouble while I'm out there busy trying to help everyone. Keep Sansa safe she does not need to be forced into anything. The things she had to endure were lessened by me but just the threats a beatinds alone had her completely on edge with those depraved people. I want this to work and stop Stannis. Your job is to get back to Winterfell and get it repaired and in shape for a battle. Stannis will be trying to get you to bend to his superiority. He also thinks he will be getting me like a prize to him taking the throne by believing that red witch he follows. I'll write to you once I deal with the Umbers and Karstarks even if it's from Castle Black. I love you, always Robb. Remember that if nothing else." He kissed her cheek and smiled.

The Blackfish asked her, "When will you leave?"

She said, sighing, "Jaqen and I will leave the day after tomorrow for Karhold. I'm leaving Shadow here with Grey Wind. We will need to restock supplies. It may take a month or more to get to the village there. I'll send you a raven whenever we arrive. I want you both to only know my plans. I'm not sure mother can be trusted anymore. I believe she will go behind our backs and try to sell Sansa and me to the Karstarks and Umbers. If she does it, that should show you her loyalty is to her own self and her rationalizing is putting everyone in jeopardy." Robb and her grand-uncle nodded.