Chapter 9 ~ Fire and Blood ~

I wrapped my cloak closer to my body and stepped out of my tent that was surrounded by Stark men, two of Roose Bolton’s guards stood at the flap, having been ordered by Bolton to watch me and make sure I don’t escape. 

 

“Lady Stark, we have orders to keep you in your tent” the man huffed with irritation when I glowered in his direction. 

 

“Try to stop me,” I growled as I shoved past him and towards the pen where Jaime was being kept, I had food and water for him because I knew they wouldn’t feed him well, I passed Stark men who nodded greetings towards me but didn’t try to stop me on my quest, my shadows followed closely enough to be irritating “go find someone else to bother before I slit both your throats and dump your corpses at your lords feet” I glared over my shoulder. 

 

“You will not, because it would be a great offence” mother voice carried as she came towards us, she looked more tired then I had ever seen her. 

 

“And I find great offence at the fact that I have these two following me around like bad smells” I replied before shaking my head and continuing towards Jaime, I wasn’t happy with him for attacking my father but I’d hate to see him staving. 

 

“Come to glare at me, lady Stark” Jaime lifted his sodden, dirty hair and met my eyes “well this is a surprise” he gave me a smile that lasted a moment before he glanced at my guards. 

 

“They’re not my choice,” I grumbled as I gestured for a Stark man to open the pen door, which he did with a reluctant grumble “Roose Bolton believes I’ll run” I said as I stepped into the disgustingly small pen and opened a small package of meat. 

 

“He doesn’t know you very well then” he opened his mouth when I held a small piece for him and chewed it while he studied the guards “you could’ve left when I was fighting” he said as I fed him another piece of meat. 

 

“Somebody has to be sure you’re not making anymore Northern men angry” I said with a smile that felt as false as the quiet that surrounded us “I’m going to write to Cersei, let her know I’m with you so she doesn’t worry when word gets to her that you’re captured” I glanced at mother who was watch us silently, clearly not happy with how cosy Jaime and I were looking. 

 

“We’re both captured, only you’re not in this cell” we both glanced around and I grinned at him cheekily. 

 

“I’m sure I could get thrown in one as well, as soon as I get my hands on Roose Bolton that is” I shook my head and fed him some more, “why do you think my father was labeled as a traitor?” I asked Jaime, my gut churning with uncertainty, I still didn’t want to believe that Robert was dead, Robb had mentioned that it was a hunting accident and he was attacked by a boar but it didn’t sit well. 

 

“I have no idea but I’m hoping your brother will let Cersei’s reply get to you,” he leant his head back against the wooden pole that he was shackled to and sighed tiredly “I shouldn’t have brought you with me to the Riverlands”

 

“Did you really expect me to stay at your fathers encampment like a good little wife?” I asked with a chuckle as I gave him some water “we both know that will never happen” he gulped the water down greedily and leant back again when he’d had enough. 

 

“If you were an obedient wife I wouldn’t love you as much as I do” he said quietly, my heart stuttered for a moment and I closed my eyes, he’d been saying it as often as possible, telling me he loved me, showing me, his way of trying to make up for what he’d done. 

 

“You’d get bored easily” I said making him chuckle, I kissed his lips gently and touched his cheek “I’ll make sure you’re fed better” I whispered. 

 

“If I weren’t shackled you’d be in my arms” he said with a wicked grin that made my breath catch in my throat. 

 

“If you weren’t shackled we wouldn’t be here” I replied before standing up and leaving his cell, I turned to the Stark man as soon as he was done locking the door “he gets fed when I get fed, do you understand?” I said, the guard looked to my mother but nodded anyway “thank you” I walked away from my husband. 

 

—————

 

My grief was all consuming, I barely registered the men around me as I made my way into the thicket that surrounded Robb’s encampment, I clutched my stomach as it twisted and rolled. 

 

My father, the man who held me tightly when I was scared, taught me how to fight, who picked me up when I fell and encouraged me in anything I wanted, was dead. My stomach rolled and I lost my breakfast on the roots of a berry bush, placing my hand over my mouth I tried to quieten my body wracking sobs so no one could hear me, I’d never hear him speak again, never see him smile or jest with him, Gods all the things I took for granted, all the things I imagined us doing was now moot. 

 

I stumbled from the bile that was once my breakfast and fell between the roots of a large oak tree, curling into a ball under my skirts and cloak I buried my face into my upraised knees, I felt someone sit down next to me “we’ll kill them all, Wolfling” mother whispered in my ear as she held me tightly “they’ll all pay for what they have done,” she cradled me closer to her body and rocked us both gently. 

 

—————

 

The day moved forward and night fall came with icy winds and rain, it was as if the world knew what had happened and was reacting, I had food tucked in a bag for Jaime at my writing desk next to Cersei’s reply to my letter a month before, she’d said that father would be shown mercy and that he’d have to swear fealty to Joffrey and take the black, whatever happened between her writing this letter and my fathers death was obviously not what she had planned, I could barely look at the Lannister sigil she’d used without betrayal burning in my chest. 

 

How could she have let this happen? she’d said Joffrey had agreed to let father go, I knew the boy was vicious but to go as far as he had was beyond my comprehension. Fed up with my thoughts and the betrayal that was causing my guts to churn over my friend and her would be King of a son, I shoved myself to my feet and strode out of my tent with Jaime’s food in hand, I ignored the guards that were still stationed at the opening of my tent. 

 

“Lady Stark,” one guard said quietly as Storm snapped her teeth at his legs to get him to move for our path. 

 

“Lannister” I growled and looked at him, my anger towards Joffrey needed to find a person to latch onto and this man was very close to being stabbed “or have you forgotten that I am a married woman, Ser” Storm snapped her fangs again, this time higher up causing him to jump back. 

 

“Lord Stark wishes to see you in his war tent” he said quickly, “he has asked that you come there immediately” he eyed Storm who hadn’t stopped growling. 

 

“Very well then” I muttered, irritated with not only the icy weather but also at the fact that I had been summoned to my brother like some common wench, if he wanted to see me so bloody badly he could’ve made his way to my tent very, very easily. 

 

Gesturing for Storm to stop her growling and to follow me, I trudge through the thick mud to the overflowing tent with high born men and Theon Greyjoy “sister” Robb greeted, standing up as soon as I entered he pulled me into a tight hug “that doesn’t make Renly king,” Robb said, obviously resuming his conversation with Jonos Bracken, he gestured for me to sit down at the empty spot next to his chair at the head of the long table “He's Robert's youngest brother, if Bran can't be Lord of Winterfell before me, Renly can't be king before Stannis”

“Do you mean to declare us for Stannis?” Bracken asked causing me to snort out a laugh, Stannis was a good leader yes but he would not make a good King, the man was so stoic about everything it was a wonder he even had a wife, or a child. 

“Renly is not right!” Galbart Glover interrupted, there was a murmur of agreement throughout the tent “if we put ourselves behind Stannis…” he didn’t get to finish his sentence because Greatjon interrupted him. 

“My Lords. My Lords! Here is what l say to these two kings” Greatjon spat on the ground “Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine from some flowery seat in the South? What do they know of the Wall or the Wolfswood?” There was a moment of agreement before he continued to speak “Even their gods are wrong! Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we bowed to and now the dragons are dead!” Men began to nod along and I clenched my nose between my thumb and forefinger “There sits the only Queen l mean to bend my knee to - the Queen in the North!” Greatjon went to lower himself onto one knee but I was up on my feet quickly. 

 

“Lord Umber,” I said causing him to pause, eyes were on me and I hated every moment of it “you forget my Lord that I am no longer a Stark of Winterfell, and I would also like to remind you of the small fact that I have no intention or inclination to be Queen, I will fight with the Northern Houses, yes, but I will not be your Queen” Greatjon looked taken aback but I shook my head “I was trained to fight, my Lord, not lead,” I looked to my brother and knew exactly who was meant to be in charge, he was raised to be Lord of Winterfell “my brother on the other hand….” There was a cheer in agreement.

 

“l'll have peace on those terms” Rickard Karstark said and most of the men mumbled in agreement “They can keep their Red Castle and their iron chair too,” he bowed at Robb with his sword in hand “The King in the North!” He started to shout, Robb’s wide eyes met mine and I grinned and winked at him before curtsying and leaving him to his war counsel.

 

I met mother at the opening of the tent and shrugged “Robb’s been declared King in the North” I said before leaving her to see Jaime, the shouting called other men to attention and I sighed as my guards once again fell into step behind me, without having to be told the guard in charge of keeping the prisoners lead me to the pen Jaime was being held in, he’d been moved far away from the rest of the Lannister prisoners so I had no trouble having a conversation with him without being interrupted, the guard opened the pen door silently “leave us” I ordered and the guards including the two following me like lost dogs did without argument. 

 

“Like mother like daughter” Jaime mumbled causing me to raise an eyebrow in question, I took in his mud caked skin and noticed that the side of his head was bleeding. 

 

“Why was she here?” I asked as I crouched down and touched his wound gently causing him to wince in pain. 

 

“She had some questions to ask” he met my eyes and sighed when I gave him some water “she believes I pushed your brother from that tower” he shook his head slightly “she didn’t like it when I told her where I really was”

 

“I’m sure you found some crude words to say” I said with a forced chuckle, he grinned but it quickly faded. 

 

“I told her I was busy with you, I’m sure you recall what we were doing” he winked and then became serious while I began to feed him hot broth “I’m sorry about your father” we met eyes and I blinked away my tears “he didn’t deserve to go like that, fool as he was” more tears welled up but this time I couldn’t keep them from falling “I’d hold you if I could” he said, I moved closer to him and buried my face into his neck, he moved his head slightly and kissed my temple. 

 

“I hate him” I mumbled into his dirty skin, I straddled his legs and moved as close to him as possible “I truly do” my body shook and Jaime held me, as best he could, in complete silence, letting my grief deep into his skin and clothes.