DYING EMBERS || ROBB STARK

S E V E N

"GreyWind, careful with Shaggy Dog!" Victoria bellowed at her pup who had now grown to about twice its size in the last week. The direwolf now measures near her hip and would have towered if it stood on its toes, compared to his brother the wolf was a beast. The two were playing, tossing around the dirt of the keep just as the brunette walked past.

The bigger wolf looked up, as if to acknowledge what his mother had just said with a firm head nod before stopping the roughhousing. Rickon looked up, the young boy's curly hair practically covering his eyes. "Vic! Where have you been!"

He ran over towards her, smiling fondly at her. His arms wrapped around her legs as she used her arms to hug him back. Rickon was so sweet, he'd always been such an adorable little boy. Rickon was gentle and so different to all his siblings, he was caring and kind. Vic smiled down at the boy, squatting down to pull his tresses of hair back from his face, "here and there, look what I got."

She pulled inside her winter coat to reveal the sweets she'd brought for him, his eyes widening and then grasping at the treats. "Vic!"

She smiled at the young boy who shoved a group of them into his mouth and then pulled her into a kiss on her cheek. Her laugh was contagious as she hugged him to her body, she wondered if this would be what it felt like to have a child of her own one day. The love she held for this tiny boy was unquestionable but she wondered what it would be like for a son of her own, or maybe a young daughter.

"Careful now," Elaine walked up beside her Lady, she'd previously dropped off her ladies fitted attire in her chambers before joining the Valiente girl in the keep. "Your teeth might rot if you eat too many."

"She's right," Vic nodded, tapping Rickon on the nose when he pouted. "Come now little wolf, where is your brother?"

"Robb's with mom and Bran, he seemed angry." Rickon responded casually, too concentrated on the sweets in his hands.

Victoria breathed evenly, rolling her eyes as she knew what he'd done. "Of course he is," she grumbled and then turned to Elaine who pressed her lips together in agreement. Robb was likely trying to convince his mother to leave Bran's room in the worst way. She knew her betrothed to be a bit of an angry man and it was likely happening now. Rickon looked up, curiosity in his eyes at her comment and when Victoria noticed she pressed her lips into a smile. "Go on now, enjoy them but don't have to many or you won't eat supper."

Rickon runs off, Shaggydog hot on his trail and Vic watches this with a smile until he turns around a corner and she can no longer keep him in her eyes. She turns to Lady Elaine after a moment, huffing heavily as she knew it was her duty to possibly halt whatever Robb was saying to his mother, "well come on, we can't let Robb yell at his mother all afternoon."

"Yes m'lady," Elaine nodded her head and the two walked side by side. Vic pulled the fur coat tighter around her body, her new one was somewhere in her chambers now but she refused to give up the one her father had let her borrow.