Princess in The North

Chapter 24: To End A War

“What is this?” Robb demanded of Sansa when he read the letter.

“It is something I promised not to speak of.” Sansa replied. “She has also given you a crown.” She held up the one that was Renly’s before hers. “You are King, Robb.”

“I don’t want to be King. Why did she do this?” Robb demanded. 

“You do want to be king, you just wanted her to be your queen.” Sansa said. “And that is romantic, but she cannot have you around if she is to live. You are married to someone else, Robb, how do you think she will be able to handle being around that if she returned to Winterfell?”

“She’s taking Ned from me.”

“She will send him to you when he is old enough to travel. He is still nursing, he needs is mother.” Sansa told him. “Don’t ask me. I only know what her plan is. I know no more.”

“He’s already calling Jon, ‘papa’ what do you think will happen in a few years?” Robb demanded. 

“Do you love her?” Sansa asked.

“More than anything.” Robb told her.

“Then do what she says.” Sansa told him. “She always believed that you would be there for her, and now you cannot be there for her, so she would rather not have you there at all. You can’t have her and she can’t have you.”

“And how am I supposed to live without her?” Robb asked. “I don’t know how to do that.”

“You have to.” Sansa told him. “She told me to remind you that you promised to do what she said. Learn to live without her. She has to learn to live without you too.”

“But we are married, shouldn’t the marriage with Jeyne be null?” Robb demanded.

“You were married by a septor with Jeyne. You were married in front of the Heart Tree, and not by a septor. The king legitimized your marriage, not the church.” Sansa said, repeating what Ella had told her.

Robb rubbed at his temples. “I can’t do this without her. I don’t know how to be king. Not without her.”

“Learn to.” Sansa said. “Grow up, Robb. You’re not a child anymore, stop acting like one.” She turned and walked away then, frustrated with her elder brother.

Sansa didn’t know how Ella was going on with life, she was sure she wouldn’t be able to if her husband did what Robb did to her.

XXX

“How am I supposed to do this?” Ella demanded of Jon when he was trying to get her to ride the smallest dragon, Viseron, who was white and gold, and Ella felt like he was still much too large for her, but Daenerys rode Drogon, the largest of the three with black and crimson coloring. She had no trouble with petting the dragon, he nuzzled into her when she first approached him.

“Get on.” Jon told her. “There’s a saddle and everything. Dany doesn’t always use a saddle. If she can do it without a saddle, you can do it with one.”

Ella pouted at Jon. 

“Come on,” he said, entwining his fingers together to give her a boost onto the dragon., which she did. “It’s similar to riding a horse without reigns. Steer him with your legs, lean back to go up, lean forward to go down. If you want him to breathe fire scream--” he leaned towards her and whispered, “--dracarys to have him breathe fire.”

Ella nodded slowly. “And if I fall?” 

“You won’t. But make sure you go out over the water and I will come save you.” He teased her.