Game of Thrones: Frozen Fire

A Bear and A Kraken

The joy of finally having her son in her arms, of meeting him face to face, and see him happily wiggling his arms and legs was so overwhelming, Daenerys had difficulty with only averting her eyes from him. There were many fears in her heart after the loss of her first child, and even if Robb calmed her, she couldn't stop her mind from wondering about what would happen when he returned to the South.

"What are we going to do?" Robb asked as he went over the books Bran had kept up to date while he was away, fulfilling his role as lord. Still, Robb had to make sure to correct mistakes and provide advice now that he was the head of their house.

"About?" Dany asked as she smiled at Iagan when he pulled a face. Babes were the most fascinating creatures and they couldn't even speak, they just slept most of the day and cried when upset.

Sighing loudly enough to call her attention, Robb pressed his lips in a tight line. "You locked Theon in a cell and released the Kingslayer." He rubbed his chin, the sound of the coarse hairs of his beard against his hand bothering her. "There are many things we need to discuss."

"Bran is the Lord of Winterfell. He ordered for Theon to be put into that cell." Daenerys huffed, rocking the baby gently in her arms, beckoning sleep for him.

"Under your advice," he hissed but soon his expression softened. "I'm not accusing you of anything. You must have had your reasons for that."

"Ironborn don't spill the blood of ironborn," she muttered. "He wouldn't have been of help and… I feared he would turn against us." Her bright eyes met his for a while, and it felt as if they were having a wordless conversation. "As hard as he tries, he is not a Stark."

"Dany," Robb called, closing the book, moving closer and crouching before her.

"You are my family. And I love Rickon and Bran – I want to meet your sisters and say the same about them." She snorted a watery laugh as she blinked away her tears. "I wish your mother liked me better but I admire her and her strength. You're my only family."

He smiled. It was soft and it made him look younger; he was not the bloodthirsty warlord when he smiled at her like that. Cupping her face in one hand, he said, "I love you. But is this worth more for you than the Iron Throne? Is it worth a war? I just want my sisters back but… now it's not just about them. When I got into this, I was a boy and I didn't know what it meant. And now I'm winning battle after battle but I don't get any closer to my goal."

"Soon," Dany whispered. "Just wait and I know you'll win. Everything. You'll avenge your father's death and your sisters' abduction."

"And the throne?"

"You can do with it as you wish because you will be the most powerful man in the Seven Kingdoms. Legends will be told from fathers to sons, from mothers to daughters about the King in the North who conquered Westeros as if he had lived in the Age of Heroes. You will be a hero, and your son will look up to you and be proud, just like I am when I look at you."

Robb stared at his son in his wife's arms. The peaceful look in his small face was the one he wished to keep. He was the future for his house and that meant everything for the King in the North. He was just adding reasons to fight harder, to prove everyone he was stronger than they thought. He was not just a rebel; he was not the son of a traitor.

"Don't you want it for yourself?"

"I have more than a crown now," she replied firmly. "But when you get it, when you reach the Iron Throne, if you wish, we will rule together."

"So you do want to be queen," Robb smirked at her, playfully because he knew her and she enjoyed their talks as much as he did. She was glad to see proof that he still was the man with good humor and not just the King, the Wolf whose teeth and claws shone under the moontlight with fury.