The King of Winters

Chapter-95

Andrew

Outside the day was bright and cloudless. The sun had returned to the sky by the time Andrew made it down from his solar. To his back the castle of Riverrun was busy unfolding with the day. He had his sword at his back, sheathed in the scabbard of soft brown leather.

Asher stood near some of the horses in the yard, talking with Kill Bill Dustin. Lord William was with them as well, standing there with his son. At this time of the day the Company of Rose seemed to use the yard of Riverrun for their training. Ethan, the handsome young man from the Reach, huddled near the armoury, his back to the others as he examined the blades there. Owen and Barton were sparring with each other using live steel. Among the men at the company of Rose using tourney swords to sparring or training had been seen as a sign of fear. They didn't fear blood and was much more intent on bloodshed, like the pitfighters from the east. It had it's own benefits, Andrew knew. A man should know his blade as much as he did his own arms. In battle even a small thing like the familiar weight of a blade could the difference between life and death. But he wouldn't need a blade to defend him here. He had Frost for another purpose. Ghost was the only protection Andrew needed; the direwolf could sniff out foes, even those who hid their enmity behind smiles.

Ghost was gone, though. He had left the direwolf in his chambers when he had gone to meet with the smiths, but by the time he returned the white wolf had gone. He knew where he might have gone to. And he was quite sure about it.

He crossed the yard and passed by the armoury, searching for his wolf and his wife. He found them beneath the green canopy of leaves, surrounded by elms and redwoods with the weirwood which had seen him marry his wife watching over them.

Then Ghost emerged from between two trees when he heard him coming, with Argella beside him.

They look as though they belong together even as they couldn't look anymore different. Argella was clad all in black; black leather breeches tucked into high boots of soft black leather, an armour of boiled leather over her front, black tunic with golden fastenings. Clad all in black it made her look so pale, as pale as Ghost... but her eyes were blue, her long braid was the colour of the darkest night, her cheeks flushed red. At times Andrew Stark forgot to see her beauty. But it was hard to miss it now.

"Have you been trying to steal my wolf?" he asked her.

"Why not?" Argella answer, shrugging. "If every woman had a direwolf, men would be much sweeter. Even kings."

That made him smile a little. His queen, his lady wife, wild to the bone and willful as a hale. What had the men said of her in his bedding? "A nubile girl, not hard to look upon. Good hips, good breasts, well made for whelping children. Bend her over the table, your grace and give us a song to sing about."

She had punched the man's face for his words. Good hips, good breasts... All true enough, but Argella Baratheon was so much more. She had proved that by fighting alongside seasoned warriors of her father's army. He had heard the tales of her from the soldiers in the yard. She liked to tell that she was not be a Queen, but she would make a worthy wife for any Lord or King. But it was something that he found himself hard to wade across... Andrew himself found it hard to accept her as one. "Well, you are welcome to have him."

Argella patted the head of the direwolf that rose up past her hip. "See that boy. He won't mind. I suspect he is trying to hand you towards me. Then, keeping to those kingly duties will be much easier for him."

He could hear a hint of accusation in her ears. They were married for about a week now and his wife still stayed a maid. They stayed as husband and wife, but didn't even share a bed just to sleep. He had taken to sleep at the chair by the table while his wife kept the bed to herself. As Andrew scratched Ghost behind the ear, Argella took a tourney sword she had most likely stolen from the armoury of Riverrun. She still had her bow along her back, a long curved bow made of wood. As she turned the sword toward him, she asked, "I see that you come prepared for our training?"