The Crossed Rose - GoT - R.S.

Who passes the sentence

The storm raged outside, as if to match the nerves of everyone standing at the yard of the Riverrun castle. The water fell hard, bitter, cold and unforgiving, the same as Robb's blue eyes seemed to be as he stood in the pouring rain with the biggest of his swords, all dressed in chains and mail and his crown - always his crown. Dahlia, Jeyne, Catelyn, Lord Edmure and the Blackfish had been allowed a place covered, sheltered from the rain, but that didn't mean Dahlia didn't feel the cold all the same. In fact, as she ran her eyes through the yard and saw all of the men standing there, she felt a shiver run down her spine.

She didn't like this. She didn't like this at all and she thought Robb was making the wrong decision. Still, he was the King and his word was law. Besides, he hadn't talked much to Dahlia ever since he stormed out of the main room earlier that day, so she didn't think that, even if she tried, she'd be able to convince him to reconsider this. Robb had his mind set. Lord Karstark had betrayed him. He had acted behind his back, killing his prisoners and even some of their own men who were guarding the boys' cells. And, for that, he needed to die. And Robb would be the one to do it, after all, he was his Father's son and one of the many lessons Lord Eddard Stark had taught him in his life was this: the man who passes the sentence, should swing the sword.

And he would.

Two of their men brought forth Lord Karstak, who had his hands tied up behind his back and a scowl on his face as he was forced to stand in front of Robb, blinking away the drops of rain that fell down his face. He was standing in front of Robb, his head raised and his eyes hard as stone. He knew he was going to die. Lord Karstark and everyone standing around to watch this execution knew there was no way he was walking out of this alive, but he didn't waver. Instead, he just glared at Robb - his King, the one he betrayed and the one who would take his head from him for it.

"The blood of the First Men flows through my veins as much as yours, boy." Lord Karstark said, his words sounding almost venomous in his tongue and, once again, Dahlia felt a chill run down her spine when Robb's expression darkened at being called a boy. "I fought the Mad King for your Father. I fought Joffrey for you. We are kin, Stark and Karstark."

"That didn't stop you from betraying me, and it won't save you now." Robb stated simply, his voice sounding as harsh as the rest of him looked.

"I don't want it to save me." Lord Karstark said. "I want it to haunt you to the end of your days."

"Kneel, my lord." Robb almost growled then, but held back, grabbing his sword from Olyvar who was standing just beside him in the rain as well, and resting the tip of it on the ground in front of him.

The two men who had been holding Lord Karstark harshly forced the man to kneel. Lord Karstark didn't fight much, choosing to, instead, let Robb's men handle him as they pleased and lay him across a small bench on the yard, with his chest laying across it and his head hanging in the air. For a moment, Robb's eyes met Dahlia's across the yard and he recognized the fear and dread in the usually warm and lovable brown of his wife's eyes. Robb wished he could help her, he wished he could shoot her worries and he wished he could hold her, but he couldn't. Not now. He couldn't do much to help her at all, actually, because he knew. The only thing that would truly appease her would be not killing Lord Karstark at all. And that, he could not do. That, he would not do.

So he looked away from Dahlia, knowing that, should he look at her more, he could lose all of his conviction and certainty. If for nothing, at least to please his wife. He could not. Not now. He could not deny it, however. He had been pleased when he noticed the way Lady Jeyne reached over to grab Dahlia's hand in hers. Robb wasn't sure if Lady Jeyne meant to calm herself or Dahlia, but, either way, it was good fortune she was there.