Game of Thrones: Frozen Fire

Ravens

Coddling. He was coddling her and it was the most bizarre experience of his life.

Had this happened between other Lords and Ladies when married despite not knowing each other? He had certainly never seen his father being overly sweet with his mother – though they did share a bond deeper than the one he had seen between the King and Queen during their brief visit to Winterfell. Until that day, Robb believed it was normal to have parents who cared about the other, who had as many children as the Old Gods would allow.

Glancing at Dany in front of the heart with her dragons, he realized that even if she had played the part of woman just like he was playing the part of man now that his father was away, there was a lot of child left in them.

During nights they permanently lived in between those worlds – sharing childhood games and stories but exploring their bodies like grown people did.

And he noticed she smiled more often, she laughed from the heart and she was slowly losing the reflex of flinching whenever he got close to her at night, at his sudden movements. She also enjoyed spending time with his brothers, giving a lot of it to Bran who was no longer the active boy he had been before the fall.

She told him stories about Dothraki people and their horses whenever he doubted he would be able to ride in that new chair for his horse.

"Will you let me ride your dragons if they ever get big enough?" had asked Bran and Dany was quiet for a second. Maybe she was scared herself to ride those winged beasts.

"Yes," she replied resolute. "If they let us ride them, you can."

Bran seemed content with that answer and, for the first time in a long time, he let himself curve his lips in a small smile.

Meanwhile, as the Lord of Winterfell, he had to pay attention to the everyday problems. Before he had only served as a witness to his father work, something he did to learn as the rightful heir of the Starks.

Robb was overseeing the stock of fodder, seeing as they would soon need to ration it when winter finally arrived.

Never before had occurred to him that his father had found himself in similar circumstances. Eddard Stark wasn't who was supposed to rule the North, at least not when he was so young. That was his uncle Brandon. But his father had done a good job, avenging the death of his siblings, as a Lord, as a father and in every role he had to take.

Robb was afraid he'd never be as good as him.

-o-

He had just received a raven with a message from his mother, telling him that she had taken Tyrion Lannister as prisoner and that she was taking him to the Eyrie, where his aunt Lysa ruled since her husband, Jon Arryn, had died.

Robb sighed, knowing what it meant for him and his brothers. His mother wouldn't return soon. Rickon would be in the same bad mood he'd been since most of their family had departed and Bran would be aloof for he couldn't be the adventurous boy he had been. In the meantime, he would have to deal with them and his duties as Lord and new husband, with dragons and direwolves.

He let his head fall onto his hands, elbows on the desk.

He wasn't tired but he felt useless.

"Tell Theon to stop bedding my maidens," Daenerys voice said, sounding annoyed and demanding, like a willful girl.

Robb arched an eyebrow at her and saw her with her arms folded over her chest. She looked like a blue winter rose in her new dress – beautiful.

He snorted a laugh. "I'm assuming he's not taking them by force."