Chapter 4 ~ A Man Without Honour ~

My dirty boots were on the war table, my fighting clothes were also soaked and covered in mud, when I had entered Robb’s war tent Karstark was not impressed when I poured a glass of wine and flopped down next to him, Ser Alton had been sent to the Red Keep to give Cersei our demands and he was returned relatively unscathed.

 

Robb eyed Alton as he told us about what had happened "And what did she say?" Robb said interrupting Alton's stuttering, the young Lannister was terrified with good reason.

 

"She... Uh... She admired your spirit, your Grace" Alton said causing me to snort, that was Cersei’s way of saying 'fuck you' which I used to find admirable but now I'm finding it irritating.

 

 “And what then?" Robb asked Alton who was shaking in fear, he was worried about what was going to happen to him after he told us what Cersei had done.

 

"She, uh.." he swallowed loudly and looked around at most of the Northern lords, a lot of them had their eyes on him while their hands rested on their swords.

 

"Ser Alton, if every man were held accountable for the actions of every distant relative, we'd all hang" I said making him relax slightly and the men chuckled in agreement. 

 

"She tore the paper in half, Your Grace" he shifted slightly.

 

"She did the same with Robert's last words that father had written down" I said to Robb who hummed in agreement "she's getting very good at that"

 

"You've acted with honour, I thank you for it" Robb said and Alton bowed slightly "make sure Ser Alton gets a hot supper, have the men build him a new pen, put him back in with the Kingslayer for now" Robb told Lord Karstark who nodded.

 

"Have your boy watch over them" I said quietly to Rickard who looked over his shoulder and shouted for Torrhen and Torrhen left with his new ward.

 

"That will be all" the men left with bows and mumbling to one another about Cersei’s actions, Roose lingered, looking like he wanted to say something but left when a woman entered wearing a blood-stained apron, she was cleaning her hands with a rag that looked to be in the same condition, I eyed her as I sipped my wine slowly, "you can leave Ris,” Robb said pulling my attention from the woman.

 

"Hmm..." I took another sip and looked between the two with a small smirk, this had to be lady Talisa who Robb was sweet on, "no, I'm quite comfortable and I have nothing else to do" I grinned when Robb glared at me.

 

“Ris," he pointed at the opening of the tent opening, I got up with a laugh and drained the rest of my wine.

 

“Fine, I’m going” I walked past him and kissed his cheek gently “don’t mess this up” I mumbled and dodged his arm as he went to smack me lightly, I laughed again and strolled past Talisa who was watching us with amusement “Lady Talisa, be sure to keep my brother in line” I said loud enough for Robb to hear me, something hit my back and I looked to the ground behind me and saw one of Robb’s gloves “now, now that’s no way for a king to act” I snatched his other glove as it flew towards me “I’m keeping this as evidence” I grinned at his sour face and curtsied to Talisa and dashed from the tent before Robb could throw something even heavier at me. 

 

—————

 

I threw my knife into the table, leaving nicks and chunks of wood littered as I removed it over and over, Jaime had killed Alton and Torrhen and escaped during the night, Karstark and his men were out for blood and some of them had already cornered me early in the morning, my lip and ribs still hurt from where I had met with their boots after they'd found me in the bath, I was lucky Bolton had seen them enter the bathing tent minutes before, who knew what those men would've done if Bolton hadn't gutted them.

 

Shouting continued outside mothers tent and Jack, one of Lord Umber’s men, rushed in but was stopped when Brienne had her sword at his throat, she had been on guard since she'd seen my state, “Lady Stark, Lady Lannister!"

 

"No farther" Brienne held Jack away from us, I hit the table once more while they squabbled.

 

"Forgive me, Lady Stark, Lady Lannister" Jack apologised, I looked up as I removed my knife from the table.

 

"What is it" mother asked the boy who was glaring at Brienne because she refused to let him get any closer, he looked from mother to me.

 

"They caught the Kingslayer, m'lady" he told me, before mother could even put her quill back down onto her parchment I was on my feet, dagger in hand and I was rushing out the tent.

 

"Kill the fucking Kingslayer!” someone shouted while other men were yelling for Jaime’s head to be brought to Lord Karstark’s feet as retribution for murdering Torrhen. 

 

I went to grab Jaime when Rickard Karstark came speeding up with his sword almost drawn, when he saw me he removed it completely from its sheath and pointed it directly at me “Get back! I want his head!” A few men grabbed me and pulled me back so I couldn’t jump in the way “Any man or woman who stands between a father and his vengeance asks for death” he seethed at me while the man holding Jaime’s chains hoisted him to his feet. 

I’d wrenched on of my arms away from a Karstark man when mother and Brienne along with Jack came into view “Lord Karstark,” mother said, she looked scared for a moment but hid it from the men around us “this man is our prisoner”

“This monster killed my son” Karstark replied, spitting out the word monster, he stepped closer to Jaime and my struggles became more desperate. 

“And crippled mine,” mother said, ignored me when I shouted my protests “He will answer for his crimes, I promise you, but not here” I glanced at Jaime and I could see we had the same thought, he wasn’t going to make it to day break. 

“I will have his head. And if you try and stop me..” he took another step forward and I swung my leg backwards and hit a man in his balls before bringing my free hand, that he’d let go of so he could cradle himself gingerly, and smashed the other man in the nose with the heel of my hand, breaking his nose, causing him to drop to the floor as well like a sack of rocks. 

“You will strike me down?” Mother asked him with clear anger in her voice as I drew my sword and levelled Lord Karstark with a glare “Have you forgotten me, ser? I am the widow of your liege, Lord Eddard Stark. I am the mother of your king!” She gestured to me and glared harder at Rickard “your men beat my daughter for being married to the Kingslayer!” Karstark shifted on his feet slightly before he remembered himself and his anger. 

"And where is our king now?" Karstark growled as I kept my eyes on him and raised my sword a little higher. 

“You know very well” I said through gritted teeth, my eyes narrowed when he turned his head back towards me and Jaime. 

“He has gone to the Crag to accept the surrender,” Karstark snarled back at me and spoke louder “Aye, gone to the Crag, but not to negotiate. He brought that foreign bitch with him” my shoulders tensed at his words, I knew Robb had taken Talisa with him because he’d come to tell me before he left, he was excited to get to know her better and to have sometime alone with her. 

“How dare you!” Mother shouted, Brienne stepped forward at the same time as I did. 

“Threatening my lady is an act of treason” she said removing her her sword slightly. 

“Treason?” Karstark scoffed in disgust “How can it be treason to kill Lannisters?” He asked before looking at me “even this one is a Lannister”

“You’re a cunt Lord Karstark” I spat on the ground at his foot as mother tried again to calm down the situation. 

 

“I understand your grief, my lord, better than most, I understand it. But in the name of my son, the King in the North, stand down” she said and he growled again. 

“When your son returns, I will demand this murderer's head” he pointed at Jaime and I stepped in front of Jaime so Karstark couldn’t see him directly. 

“Wise men do not make demands of kings,” I told him as my sword hand started to shake with effort of holding it up. 

“Fathers who love their sons do. I will have his head, and yours too if you stand in the way” he  stormed away, followed by his men until the only ones left were Stark men. 

 

“Thank you for fighting on my behalf, Lady Stark” Jaime said as i sheathed my sword and breathed out a sigh of relief, “I would have come to your defence, but-“ I glanced over my shoulder at him and shook my head. 

“Take him to the stockades. Bind him with every chain you can find!” Mother ordered Jack and two Stark guards, they grabbed Jaime roughly as he spoke. 

“You've become a real she-wolf in your later years,” he said with a laugh when I groaned, he was really hellbent on making everyone his enemy here “There's not much fish left in you” 

“And gag him” I told Jack who laughed and nodded, when Jaime looked at me taken aback I shrugged, “for your own good husband, someone might remove your tongue to shut you up” I stood and watched as he was dragged away trusting Jack to make sure he wouldn’t end up skewered by a Karstark. 

 

“We need a plan” mother mumbled as she came to stand next to me, “he’ll be killed before Robb is back, I fear you are also in danger” she eyed the Karstark men around us who were back doing what they usually did when they weren’t fighting. 

 

“With the shit he’s spouting his moments are numbered” I replied as I watched where they’d gone, being here was no longer safe and I’d become slack with trying to get us back to the Capital since father was killed, I’d become so fixated on this war that getting us back to Kings Landing was a tiny spark in my mind but now that Jaime had made the Karstark’s his enemy and mine by proxy the thought had become a roaring inferno “we need to find a way to get out of here as safely and quietly as possible”

 

“Hush Wolfling” mother said touching my sore cheek, “not here” she made her way back to her tent with Brienne and I following quietly. 

 

—————

 

I secured the simple cloak around my neck and double-checked that I had my dagger and sword, I pulled my hood over my head and stooped down to Storms form that was laying on the bed, she grumbled deep in her chest at the displeasure of being left alone again “you’ll be fine with mother and Robb, Jaime and I need to be inconspicuous,” I rubbed the fur between her ears “having a giant wolf with us isn’t exactly hiding” I kissed her forehead and rubbed my nose where I’d just kissed “when I have Sansa and Arya I’ll come back for you and you’ll come to Kings Landing with Jaime and I” I moved back and shook my head “I’m negotiating with a Direwolf” I sighed and kissed her again before straightening and turning to mother. 

 

“I’ll be sure she’s taken care of Wolfling, until you return but we must get you and the Kingslayer out of here” drunken shouts came from around my tent and I fixed my hood before we stepped out and we joined by Brienne, we made our way to Jaime’s cell, no one looked at us, they were all too busy arguing about whether or not Jaime needed to die. 

“I need to be alone with him,” mother said to the guards who looked at the three of us but didn’t move, Jaime glanced up from his slumped position and smiled when he saw my shadowed figure. 

“My lady, our orders-“ one of the guards spoke, he was a Bolton guard while the other was a Stark man, right now I didn’t trust anyone that wasn’t a Stark man and mother didn’t trust the Karstarks especially after Rickard’s threats earlier. 

“Your orders, which she just gave you, are to leave us alone with him” I said through gritted teeth, both men jumped into action and left without another word which made Jaime chuckle, he liked seeing that side of me, the Wolf side he called it. 

 

“Come to say goodbye, Lady Stark?” Jaime asked mother as I wrenched open the cage door and dabbed his blood soaked head “I believe it's my last night in this world, one last kiss Anaris?” He puckered his lips slightly and winced as the cut on his bottom lips split open, he glanced behind me as I pressed the cloth to his lip gently “Is that a woman?” He asked when he spotted Brienne. 

“Do you hear them out there?” Mother said ignoring him, mens shouts echoed around us as they continued to get drunker and fight “They want your head” I looked over my shoulder at her as Jaime replied. 

“Old Lord Karstark doesn't seem to like me” he said to us making me choke out a laugh, Karstark wasn’t a fan on mine either at this very moment, especially after I’d sent two of his men back to him with broken fingers. 

“You strangled his son with your chains” I told him quietly, “he was a friend you know”

“Oh. Oh. Was he the one on guard duty?” Jaime asked with a little smirk, he knew exactly who was on duty, maybe not that he was Karstarks son but that he was the one that was flirting with me “He was in my way” he tried to shrug but his chains stopped him short “Any knight would have done the same” 

“You are no knight” mother growled out “You have forsaken every vow you ever took” Jaime looked at me pointedly and I sighed. 

“So many vows. They make you swear and swear. Defend the king, obey the king, obey your father, protect the innocent, defend the weak” he then looked at mother and spoke up again “But what if your father despises the king? What if the king massacres the innocent? It's too much. No matter what you do, you're forsaking one vow or another, I also haven’t broken my vows to your daughter” i leaned my head against his shoulder and muttered about holding his tongue “Where did you find this beast?” He asked me but brother spoke up first 

“She is a truer knight than you will ever be, Kingslayer” mother said, Brienne didn’t move, she just watched like me, she was taking in the surroundings. 

“Kingslayer” Jaime grumbled as I stood and moved out of the cage, Jaime stank and it was overwhelming “What a king he was, Here's to Aerys Targaryen, the Second of His Name, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm, and to the sword I shoved in his back” 

“You are a man without honour,” mother spat and I tensed, she knew Jaime would never betray me, not in the way she kept implying and yet she still suggested that he would. 

“Do you know, I've never been with any woman but Cersei and when I married Anaris it’s only been her, if she and I had our way we wouldn’t be spending nights away from one another” I choked on my own spit and looked at my mother wide eyed when she looked between Jaime and I with a glare, “So in my own way, I have more honour than poor old dead Ned. What was the name of that bastard he fathered?” 

 

“Jaime” I warned as mother spoke to Brienne. 

“No, that wasn't it. Snow, a bastard from the North” he looked at mother with a cheeky smile and I was tempted to rush forward and shove the cloth I was holding tightly into his mouth to shut him up “Now, when When good old Ned came home with some whore's baby, did you pretend to love it? No. You're not very good at pretending. You're an honest woman, Ris told me she immediately loved him, but you hated that boy, didn't you?” Mother shifted her glare back to Jaime “How could you not hate him? The walking, talking reminder that the honourable Lord Eddard Stark fucked another woman, did you hate it more when you realised that Anaris loved him like a sibling?”

“Your sword” mother said to Brienne who silently handed it over to her and put her arm out when I went to go forward, mother stalked to Jaime and swung the steel onto the ropes that held him tightly “you will take my daughter to Kings Landing, you will bring me my daughters Sansa and Arya back, alive and unhurt and just maybe I will not have your marriage to Anaris annulled” she handed the sword back to Brienne who sheathed it and tied Jaime’s wrists together in front of him tightly. 

 

“Mother, I will bring them back to you but I will not annul my marriage” I said quietly as Brienne silently lead a shocked Jaime away from us “even after everything I can’t bring myself to hate him” 

 

She met my eyes and pulled me into a hug that almost broke my heart “I know Wolfling” she pulled away and cupped my cheek with her palm “I love you, remember that, you make me so proud of the woman you have become” I dragged her into my embrace. 

 

“I love you too mother, I’ll see you soon, I promise” I let her go and followed Jaime and Brienne, to keep our roose Brienne tied my wrists with some rope that was attached to Jaime’s bindings, we left my mother alone, ankle deep in mud surrounded by men that would happily have her head for what she’d just done but she’d survived worse.