DYING EMBERS || ROBB STARK

S I X T E E N

"That had to be the first time I ever saw your father nearly piss himself from fear, can't say I couldn't blame him though— the shrub really did look like cougar." Commander Monterroso joked with the daughter of said man.

Victoria belted outed a cackle, her head falling back and shaking her head profusely at his words. "I cannot believe my father kept that story from me."

"I would have if I was in his shoes, can you imagine going home to your child only to tell them that you are back early because you were scared. You would have likely dragged him back out there!" Monterroso joked back and the Dornish soldiers that had sat beside them all laughed as well.

Robb watched this, noticing how bright and supple Victoria's cheeks were getting the longer she sat with nearly every man that had come. They were out in the open air, sitting around a fire near the Valiente camp and most of the men were unpacking the food they had brought, cooking it under the raging fire and handing out plates to the starving soldiers, all alike. Most of the Stark bannermen eventually gave in and took a seat beside foreign men and it seemed like all was going well. Even Lord Umber was now sitting beside the charismatic Commander and belting out cackles as he told stories of older men. Robb had realized soon after that Victoria had always been an outsider and in this moment the roles had been reversed only she was much better at owning it. He stood off to the side, sitting on one of the logs alone with a cup of ale and his eyes never leaving his gorgeous women.

Someone sat beside him and his eyes finally broke away, finding his mothers blue eyes concentrated on him. "You should go sit with them, speak with them and ease their worries about Victoria becoming Wardeness in the north."

"She looks very happy, I don't want to disrupt that." Robb admitted, he was slightly wary to greet the southerners. It was clear they cherished their young Valiente Lady as much as the father which obviously meant he needed to live up to their standards and at the moment his head wasn't entirely in the place to impress.

"How would you know?" Lady Stark questioned, she teetered around the idea that had been plaguing her mind. She didn't blame Victoria for keeping the child from his father but still enough time had gone by and it was now time he knew what he was really fighting for. A wedding in Winterfell would have been beautiful but now it seemed that they would need to make it in the middle of a war which wasn't entirely bad. Catelyn however knew that first they would need to get the pregnancy discussion done and over with and if Victoria was not going to take the first step then she would push Robb. Her sons eyebrows furrowed in confusion and she explained as minimal as possible. "Have you asked her how she feels since the war has begun? Have you two even spoken in private about any of this? It is her father in prison Robb as well, that's not something she has taken lightly."

Robb looked at his mother and awaited the rest of his words because he knew there was more— there was always more when it came to Catelyn Stark but alas his mother simply looked away and pursed her lips. She was right of course there was times he had taken plenty notice of Victoria's silent moments and the way her hands seemed to rub together as well as her apprehension lately. Robb knew that matters needed to be discussed before things took a turn for the worst but he had no idea in what way the discussion would go. He pressed his lips together and nodded, "tomorrow mother, tonight she enjoys the company of her people."