Golden Winter || Robb Stark [on hold]

Chapter XV

XV. Parting is such Sweet Sorrow

Reau lay awake in her bed, staring up at a small patch of torchlight as it passed into her tent. Her adrenaline was still rushing from the events of the day and it didn't help that she saw Robb today.

Seeing him was like scratching an old wound and opening it up again. She voiced out these thoughts to Titus but then again, he couldn't give proper advice on it.

"Just sleep on it. Everything will be fine come morrow." Titus had said as he bade her good night and as she prepared herself for bed.

With nothing else to do, she had gone to bed even though sleep was so far out of her reach. Reau kept seeing his blue eyes whenever she would close her eyes, like they were trying to tell her something but she ignored it as she had done during the day.

While thinking, there was a rustling sound of her tent flaps opening and a sudden glimpse of torchlight flooded into the tent.

Reau sat upright, quickly grabbing a dagger from her bedside table to defend herself.

"It's alright. Don't panic." A hand came down to stop her, a familiar cold and calloused hand. "It's me."

Reau breathed in sharply causing him to draw his hand back. He was standing there, still dressed in his armor like he was during the day, his raven hair messy and his blue eyes were darker.

"Robb, what are you doing here?" She asked, standing up to face him.

Only when she had said it did she realize that she called him by his name and was regretting it until she saw the look on his face.

On Robb's face was the look of confusion and despair, unlike the look he had that night that was as cold as a blizzard.

"Are you alright? Did anything happen, my lord?" She questioned, Robb flinching at her calling him that.

"Call me Robb. Please don't call me anything else." He begged, though his voice sounded as if he was in a dazed manner, as if he couldn't bear to hide himself in front of her.

"What are you doing here?" Reau ignored his question as she said that, after all, he had no right to ask her of that after everything.

"I-I couldn't sleep and I was walking around, not knowing where I was heading then I realized. I realized that I kept finding my way here, to your tent, to you." Robb whispered.

"Why?" Reau said, in disbelief. "Why now?"

"Do you know what you've done to me? I've been trapped in this rage, it had kept me going to free my father and my sister and to lead an army. But ever since I met you, I have felt so free, as if being with you just brings out all the goodness of the world. Reau Bolton, you are my light and I don't think I could ever live without you." He confessed, looking at her straight in the eyes.

Robb said it so sincerely but she couldn't just erase what he had said that night. "What about the Frey girl?"

"I don't want to marry her. My mother told me that she wished I had a choice but I knew in my heart that it had already chosen because I love you and if tonight truly is my last night then I would tell you the truth. That is the truth. I love you, I will love you till my life is over, whether that may be tomorrow or a hundred years from now." Robb said, nearing. His voice just over a mere whisper but she heard him. She always had.

"Robb, I-" Reau started, only for Robb to crush her lips with his own. She was shocked at first but met his lips with desperation and longing.

He pulled her in closer by her waist as she wrapped her arms around his neck, tangling her fingers in his raven curls.

These past few days, she had been wondering whether Robb had hated her or not and if he had always been a liar. Yet here he was, standing in front of her, laying his feelings bare even with the risk of getting hurt.

This was him. The real him and the real them. No pretenses, no lies, just the same feeling of gold meeting winter.

"I love you, Robb Stark. By the gods, I love you so." Reau whispered as they parted for one moment before he kissed her once more as if he was yearning for her lips like a drug.

Both of them were trapped in a flurry of emotions, happiness, sadness, desperation, fear for the next day, yearning and most of all, love.

Nothing could change how they felt at that moment, not even the thought of death could.

~~~

After their feelings had been shown through their lips meeting in a mist of emotions and both had stood there, vulnerable to the other, Robb had opted to leave.

"Stay. I just- if this might be our last night together, and I pray to the gods it isn't, but I want you to be here and I don't mean anything with that." Reau said, sitting on the bed, almost seeing Robb's cheeky grin.

Robb smiled, not the cheeky look she expected, just something sweet. His eyes now a brighter blue upon hearing her request for him to stay. "I agree. This might help us both sleep a little better but I will come back. Now that I have you to come back to."

She had met his smile with her own before laying back on her bed, pulling the blanket up to her waist. Robb took of his armor, placing it on the table with a loud clang, making Reau giggle.

He unlaced his boots and stepped out of them as he came towards the bed, and he stretched carefully beside Reau.

Laying on his back, he turned his head to look at her. With the little torchlight still flooding into her room, she could see the outline of his face and the brightness of his eyes.

"Good night, Reau." He said, hands flat on both side of him. He seemed so still as if he was still restless.

Reau found herself sliding her hand across the bed so that their fingers touched, so lightly that it was as if she was touching a feather.

Robb tensed beside her for a moment before relaxing and closing his eyes as he laced his fingers with hers. His mouth curled into a smile as they had both started to drift off to sleep.

"Good night, Robb." She whispered, just at the edge of rest.

There, both of them slept in the dark with their hands clasped as if it was a fairytale but in reality, it was so much better.

Sure, nothing much had changed around them. He was still betrothed to the Frey girl, she was still entrapped by her father and there was still a war going on but for Robb Stark and Reau Bolton, their love was enough and for that moment, it was enough.

But is it enough to win the war?