The Crossed Rose - GoT - R.S.

A good man

When Robb reached their chambers, he sighed at the sight in front of him. There she was, his Dahlia, sitting at the edge of their bed with her elbows to her knees and her face hidden in her palms as she sobbed quietly, her crown slipping away from head with each shake of her shoulders. Robb had barely had the time to process everything before Grey Wind was practically pushing past him to sit in front of Dahlia, whining quietly at her as if to get her attention. The wolf's plan clearly worked and, as soon as Grey Wind tilted his head to the side a bit to try and nuzzle his snout on Dahlia's face, the girl chuckled quietly, sniffling as she lifted her face and stared at Grey Wind with a sad smile before reaching her hands forward to mess with his furs a little.

"Do you send your wolf to do your bidding now, my King?" Dahlia asked, her voice still cracking and her eyes set on Grey Wind still, but her words clearly a little jest at Robb.

"I didn't send him at all." Robb smiled a little, still standing by the door, but pulling it close after him. "He came to his own accord. Seems to like you more than me, the little bugger."

"He could never." Dahlia shook her head, her small smile from the light conversation they were just having disappearing in a second as she suddenly turned serious again. "I'm sorry, Robb."

"Sorry?" Robb frowned, starting to move toward the bed to take a seat beside his wife. "What could you possibly be sorry for?"

"My behavior at the meeting today." She said. "It wasn't... It wasn't very Queen-like of me. And I've probably offended Lord Edmure."

"Uncle was not taken by your words, my love." Robb shook his head, his voice soft and reassuring, as he reached for Dahlia's crown in her head and pulled it off, placing it gently beside him on the bed, along with his. This was their chamber, their private moment. Here, they were just Robb and Dahlia; not King and Queen as they usually were anywhere else, here they were just husband and wife. "He understands."

"Still... It was my idea to try and talk to my Father. I should have known... I should have known he would... Oh..."

"Love..."

"It didn't have to be Roslin, though." Dahlia said, a mixture of anger and disgust in her tone that Robb had seen only once, when they were still getting to know each other and he doubted her loyalty to his cause. "She's fifteen, Robb. She's just a child."

"I know."

"Why did it have to be her?" Dahlia sighed. "Father has twenty nieces at the least... All named Frey. At least half of them more age appropriate to Lord Edmure."

"They are not his daughters, though."

"His daughter is Queen in the North now. Doesn't that mean something?" Dahlia spat. "Ours is the best marriage House Frey has had in centuries. I don't understand why he needs another marriage."

"My Uncle is the liege lord of the Riverlands." Robb said, and, even though he knew Dahlia knew all of that already, maybe hearing somebody say it would help her accept it. Probably not, though. "Marrying one of his daughters to him would give him unimaginable advantages. Especially considering another one of his daughters is the Queen."

"I know." Dahlia admitted after a moment, finally taking her hands away from Grey Wind to fold them one over the other in her lap as she looked down at them. "I just... Your Uncle is right. My Father has been trying to marry one of his daughters into the Tully family for so long. I should have known one of his terms would be that. I just... I didn't think it'd be Roslin."

"I'm sorry, my love." Robb said, unsure of what else he could possibly say.

Instead, of arguing any further - after all, there wasn't much to be argued about. Roslin was young. Too young. And his Uncle was more than twice her age. He didn't feel comfortable at all with this either, but what could they possibly do?