The Crossed Rose - GoT - R.S.

Young Frey girls

"Very well." Robb nodded then. "I will go and check on the men. If I return and you are in bed..."

"I'll be sure to be under the cover upon your return, my King." Dahlia smirked a little as Robb smiled with a roll of her eyes. After all, he did know she was messing with him, but he could tell she meant her words this time. "It would not be wise to refuse an order from you, would it?"

Robb said nothing then, choosing to just nod at his wife and her sister and let them both to talk, knowing they needed the time. Roslin watched him go then, her eyes falling on her sister and smiling slightly at the way Dahlia's lips curved up in a soft smile at the mere sight of her King. Roslin felt a pang of jealousy tugging at her heart. Jealousy and fear, she realized, because, gods, she wanted a marriage like that, but now that she would have to marry someone she didn't know, she wasn't sure how likely that was ever going to be. So, yes, she was angry at her sister for putting her up to this and of course she understood the reasoning behind it, but it didn't mean it made it any better.

"You love each other." Roslin commented, closing the door of her chambers before spinning around in her heels and leaning against it, taking notice of the way Dahlia stood before her, all shy and almost anxious, twisting her hands and biting her lip. "You and His Grace... You love one another."

"We do." Dahlia nodded. "We learned how to."

"Do you... Do you think I could?" Roslin frowned. "Learn to love Lord Tully, that is?"

Dahlia sighed then. She nodded at Roslin's bed, as if asking for permission to sit. Roslin frowned. Of course she could sit. She was the Queen, really, and even if she wasn't... They had had conversations in that bed before. They had eaten together in that bed before, seven hells, they had slept together in that before, so why would Dahlia even need permission to sit?

Still, Roslin nodded, watching as Dahlia sat down at the foot of her bed and scrunched up her nose a little, in clear discomfort. In that moment, all anger she felt toward Dahlia melted away and, instead, she rushed over to her sister and sat down beside her, reaching for her pillow to put it behind Dahlia's back, to offer her some support.

"Is this better, sister?" She asked, and Dahlia smiled at her sudden worry.

"Thank you, Ros." She nodded, even if still a little off. "I think I just need to rest a little."

"Do you want me to take you to your chambers?"

"Later." Dahlia said, taking a deep breath before grabbing Roslin's hand on hers. "First, I just... I just need to talk to you, yes? I need to explain."

"There's nothing to explain." Roslin stated simply and it wasn't rude or angry. It was just true. Because there wasn't really, anything to explain. This was what happened to women. They grew up to be somebody's lady. They grew up to be somebody's mother. They grew up to carry somebody's heirs and that was all. Sometimes, they would get lucky and have their man fall in love with them, as King Robb had with Dahlia. Most times it didn't happen. "I knew that was what was going to happen eventually, Dahlia. I just... I just hoped... I dreamed..."

"I know." Dahlia nodded, a pout on her lips as she drew her sister closer and ran a hand through her long brown hair, letting her rest her head against her shoulder for some comfort. "And I am truly sorry. But you should know... I wanted to try and convince Father to have Lord Edmure marrying someone closer to his age. Maybe a cousin or another. But Black Walder and Lothar wouldn't bring my proposition to Father."

"I figured." Roslin shrugged. "He didn't even tell me he was going to do this before sending our brothers to talk to you. I only knew because Lothar told me when he returned."