Long May She Reign [Robb Stark]

ii

It didn't take that long for Robb to lead me back to his tent. Well, it wasn't his personal tent, but it seemed to be his army's headquarters. A large table was in the middle, with a map of Westeros. And there were pieces on it that were shaped like the sigil of noble houses. I smiled down at the little figure Martell's sigil- a red sun pierced by a yellow spear- and picked it up, looking at it fondly for a second, before placing it down.

Robb and Catelyn had went to the other end of the table, and were watching me. I glanced at my guards behind me, "Can you two please wait outside? I think I'm safe in here with the Young Wolf and his mother."

The guards nodded, and I smiled gratefully. They left, and the three of us were in silence for a moment.

"My King, don't you think that the lords of the north should be here? If we are negotiating-" Lady Catelyn started.

"I wouldn't call it a negotiation," I interrupted her, smiling. She seemed shocked that I would speak while she was speaking, "House Martell has made you an offer you cannot refuse. You'd be a fool to do so."

"And what is that offer?" Robb asked, an undertone of agression in his voice. My face didn't change, and I gestured to the letter that was still in his hand. He took a seat at the head of the table, and his mother stood behind him, a hand on his shoulder.

"I didn't know whether it was true or not," I glanced in between them.

"Whether what was true?" Robb asked, unrolling the letter. His and Catelyn's eyes searched my face.

"That the Young Wolf still did suckle at his mother's tit- Young Wolf indeed, it seems," I said, an amused smirk on my face. Catelyn took her hand off of his shoulder.

"You would dare speak to your king that way?" Catelyn asked, the anger obvious in her voice.

Robb looked mad, and like he wanted to say something, but I spoke before he could, "I just wanted to see if what they say about the Northerner's temper was true. I said it with no ill will."

Neither of them looked convinced, so I continued, "Yet one of your vassal houses can insult me upon my arrival? I'm just speaking based off the example that was given. Then again, being a bastard is no insult. I'm quite proud of it actually- not that either of you would understand what it's like."

My eyes lingered on Catelyn, and her face was flushed with anger. I'd heard stories of how badly bastards were treated anywhere but Dorne, and I knew that Ned Stark had a bastard son that lived in Winterfell with him. I could already tell that Catelyn did not make that boy's life easy.

"Let's just get to your negotiations," Robb spoke before I could continue. I think that he was trying to prove that Northerners didn't have a temper problem. But there was fire in his eyes. It was fun to bait them, I will admit. His eyes scanned over the letter, and I waited patiently, looking down at the map.

"A marriage alliance?" He spoke in disbelief, "Dorne wants us to get married?"

"Yes," I said easily.

"He is already promised to another," Catelyn interrupted.

I smiled and nodded, unbothered. That seemed to unnerve her, and I looked back down at the map.

"Yes, I've heard. To one of Walder Frey's daughters, correct?" I grabbed one of the House Frey figures- two connected stone grey towers, "Walder Frey isn't even a liege lord. And yet you'd want your King to marry one of his daughters? It's a joke."

I was only speaking honestly, and I know that a part of both of them agreed to me.

"He controls the Twins. It's the only way to pass... And he's given us 4,000 soldiers," Robb said, biting his lip and standing up. He looked at the map and pointed to the area he was speaking of.