Golden Winter || Robb Stark [on hold]

Chapter XVII

XVII. The Whispering Wood

After waiting for so long, the mood of the four had become quite bleary. Surely, the army was returning any time soon and with it, perhaps a victory?

Reau sighed internally, quite tired from sitting up straight for so long on horseback but her determined face remained as she waited to see Robb emerge from the treeline victorious.

"We should go, my ladies." Ser Rodrik spoke.

"No." Lady Catelyn persisted, wanting to wait longer.

Robb was her first born son and this was his first battle, who knows what could've happened. It had been just a short while since he was just learning how to hold a sword and now he was leading an army in a battle.

"My ladies," Ser Rodrik tried again.

"Just a little while longer. Surely, it wouldn't be long now." Reau said and she was right.

Robb emerged from the treeline, aboard his snow white steed and by the looks on the men's faces, as well as the familiar Stark sigils on the banners, they had won the battle against Jaime Lannister who Reau assumed was the man tied in ropes and covered in wounds.

Catelyn tried to control her emotions but found herself tearing up with joy at how her son had survived this ordeal.

Reau gasped in laughter, meeting Titus's eyes, smiling. She unknowingly placed her hand over the pendant that lay hidden under her dress, happy that Robb was alive and well.

Once they reached the treeline, Reau saw Robb eye his mother, seeing her relief before meeting her own eyes, gold gleaming brightly.

They all disembarked from their horses and Robb took to nodding at Ser Rodrik and Ser Titus.

Reau did not know what to do, wanting to greet him with an embrace and perhaps meet his lips with her own but both remembered where they were at that moment. Robb settled with nodding at her as well, conveying a hidden message to her to meet him later.

She smiled slightly before nodding her head in a subtle manner.

{~~~~~~}

"By the time they knew what was happening, it had already happened." Robb announced as Jaime Lannister, also known as the Kingslayer was shoved to the ground.

Jaime Lannister looked around, looking at the men who had seemed to have tricked him into an ambush that led to his defeat. He must admit, the boy in front of him was quite good.

He continued looking around until he saw a peculiar sight. A girl with golden locks, standing beside the Stark boy, looking so out of place among the sea of raven hair and northern features.

She was staring at him with a serious expression though he could see her calculating. He had spent enough time in King's Landing to determine when a person does that.

What was a girl like her doing here?

Suddenly he came back to himself and plastered a smirk into his features. "Lady Stark, I would offer you my sword but I seemed to have lost it."

"It is not your sword that I want. Give me my daughters back, give me my husband." Lady Catelyn demanded.

"I've lost them too, I'm afraid." Jaime quipped, instantly coming up with a retort.

He ignored the annoying yapping of the Greyjoy boy behind him as he stared at the girl with golden curls once more. Did he know her from somewhere? Probably not, yet how come she seemed so familiar.

"He's more use to us alive than dead." The Stark boy spoke once again, directing Jaime's attention to him once again.

Jaime saw him turn to the girl just for a heartbeat, making him smirk as he saw the familiar way he looked at her. It was the same way he looked at Cersei.

"Put him in irons."

Jaime was once again hoisted to his feet at Lady Stark's word, making him groan in pain and defeat. Although he still had one last, desperate resort.

"We could end this war right now, boy. Save thousands of lives. You fight for the Starks, I fight for the Lannisters. Swords, lances, teeth and nails. Choose your weapons and let's end this here and now." He offered, if was a long shot.

Robb Stark would have to be an arrogant fool to accept this challenge.

"If we would do it your way, Kingslayer, you'd win." Robb started. "We're not doing it your way."

Looks like he isn't an arrogant fool. Jaime thought.

He would be a hard man to defeat.

{~~~~~~}

Robb looked sullen despite his men's cheers as Jamie Lannister was taken away to be imprisoned.

"You look upset for someone who just won a battle. What's wrong?" Reau whispered to him, worried.

"I sent 2,000 men to their graves today." Robb answered, his voice heavy with defeat.

He really thought about each of his men individually, not like a collection of pawns.

"The bards will sing songs of their sacrifice." Theon said, not understanding what burden Robb felt.

"Aye, but the dead won't hear them."