The Crossed Rose - GoT - R.S.

A King in every corner

"I understand you wanted a word with me, but, before that, could I have a word with you?"

Robb had just stepped foot inside his tent when Dahlia stood there, in the middle of it, looking at him, a mixture of apprehension and worry in her eyes. Robb frowned then, but nodded his head anyway to let her know he was listening.

"Of course, love." He said. "Would you like some water? A bit of wine, maybe?"

"Wine would be good." Dahlia nodded, smiling at the offering and taking the goblet of wine that Robb poured for her from his hands with another smile. "Thank you."

"Of course." Robb said, pulling out a chair for him as he pointed at the bed in front of him so Dahlia would take a seat as well. "Now, what did you want to talk to me about?"

Dahlia sighed gently, then, looking down at the goblet in her hand as she sat at the foot of Robb's bed - the same she had been sleeping in some night with him as well - before lifting her eyes back up in search of Robb's.

"I understand you want to send Theon to Pyke." She said, biting her lip quietly when Robb stiffened.

"It wasn't my idea." Robb admitted. "But he's right, you know? I mean... Ships would go a long way in helping us take King's Landing. And who better to sail ships than the Greyjoys and their men?"

"It's true." Dahlia nodded. "No one sails like the Ironborn. I know for a fact half of my Father's men have never seen the sea before, let alone step foot on a ship."

"Have you?" Robb asked then, a small smile on his lips, as he detoured from the conversation a little. "Seen the sea, I mean?"

"Yes." Dahlia nodded, a smile of her own forming on her lips. "A few times. At the Reach. They had beautiful shores down there. Lord Mace took his children once to visit the Blackcrown. Lord Mace and his son Willas had matters to discuss with Lord Bulwer at the time, but Margaery, Loras, Garlan and I were allowed to explore. Marge and I ended up, somehow, in one of the cliffs overseeing the shore of the Whispering Sound. We sat there for hours, just watching as the sun hit the water and how the wind whistled when it blew. No one truly believes how loud that sound is until they hear it for the first time."

Robb's smile grew fonder the more Dahlia talked and as her words echoed all the memories she had had at her time at the Reach, the more Robb was reminded why he was even doing what he was doing. So that the war could end and they could all march home. So that he could free his sisters and reunite with his brothers so that all of them could have a chance of a proper childhood as he had. So that he could take Dahlia to Winterfell and, hopefully, make it as much her home as it was his. So that any children that they might have in the future, could fall in love with the beauties of the North, the same as Dahlia had fallen in love with the amazements of the Reach.

"Maybe we can go back there and you can show me the shores of the Whispering Sound, when all this is over." Robb offered, a gentle chuckle rattling his chest when Dahlia widened her eyes at him.

"Would you want to?" She asked, an excited shimmer in her eyes. And, just like that, Robb knew she could ask of him anything and there wouldn't be much he would deny her.

"I would love to."

Dahlia smiled again, her lips curving up in the most endearing way and Robb had to fight the urge to kiss her. It would not be proper anyway and she had been meaning to talk to him before. He suspected it had nothing to do with the shores of the Reach. So, settling for grabbing her hand in his instead, Robb reluctantly turned serious again.

"But you wanted to talk to me, before?" He asked, as Dahlia nodded, taking the rest of her wine in one sip before placing her goblet down. "Is this about the Greyjoys?"