Bleeding Ivory l Robb Stark

the wall

C

astle Black was everything Bayla Caine imagined it would be.

A giantess wall stretching for yards on end along the border of the North. As a child Varys would tell her stories , legends of what lied beyond the great wall, but those were just stories and the fact of the matter is that her reality was so much crueler than make believe stories.

She had lost count as to how many days it has been since the Red Wedding. She still had nightmares of the whole ordeal, the screams of soldiers as their bodies were sliced open, the fire blazing around her and sweet Arya

Bayla was never a religious person, but she prayed to whoever was willing to listen that Arya and Sandor managed to escape. That Sandor took Arya as far away as possible from the blood bath and that wherever she was , she was safe.

She'd spent so long blaming herself for what happned. How she allowed Shae to betray them! How she lost her spies because of her ignorance. The guilt feed her from the inside that is until she managed to salvage herself.

A knock at the door as Samwell Tarly and Jon Snow entered. She sat near his bed as his eyes were still were still pale as snow. He would spend every morrow trying to find her

Joanna.

It hadn't been long since we was able to warg,  but ever since arriving at Castle Black, he never wavered in any attempts to find his bride.

His eyes shot back to that of a Tully blue as he sat up in his bed. Sam, Jon and Bayla surrounding him.

"I take it you haven't found her yet?" A nervous Sam asked to which he only received a glare.

"Robb, if Greywind can't find her, perhaps she's not North anymore." Bayla attempted to reason as Robb pulled his cloak around him staring blankly back at them.

Robb Stark was alive, but he was no longer the king in the North, hardly even a commander. Simply a man who survived a tragic fate by the grace of the gods.

"She has to somewhere!" He grunted in frustration before sighing "I'm sorry..." he apologized to Sam "I just can't think where she could have gone after escaping the Boltons."

The moment we woke up in the castle Black his mind immediately raced to Joanna. Where she was, was she even alive. He had the utmost sympathy and gratitude for Bayla who - through some manner fought themselves off the very soldiers of House Bolton that intended to behead him. Greywind was gone, Joanna a prisoner and his mother...

Bayla for a moment was not Bayle. Her face and body changed into that of a man's. She had yet to explain herself to him, but after saving his life he felt he had no right to question her methods , even if it did bother him.

"What if she's in Kingslanding?" Jon spoke taking a step closer to his brother. When Bayla arrived with Robb , North of the walls, she had nothing but the clothes on her body and a sled she carried an injured and comatosed Robb on. His body tied together with pieces of  her dress and cloak to stop his bleeding. His chest tied tightly with a piece of her cloak as she pleaded for the gates to be opened and helped them.

Jon had put Robb on a pedastle his whole life. Since they were boys he was the perfect son but seeing him as he was now, a tired and paranoid man, it almost felt like he was looking at a ghost.

"I know it's not what you want to hear, but if there's even a chance she's alive, you have to realize that she's South again brother." Jon sympathized as he lifted his hand but Robb stood back, never allowing anyone to touch him

"I can't just stay here!" Robb exclaimed "I need to find her! She's not safe with them." He quietly told himself

Baylas heart shattered at the thought that Joanna could be in Kings Landinb again. Cersei would never let her leave the capitol again. "Robb, we can't leave and you know this." Bayla softly spoke as she faced away from them looking out the window as she watched the men of the Nights Watch go about their day "We leave the wall, the first raven will be sent to the Boltons. They'd burn down the entire North if they were to find out Robb Stark is alive..."

The door flung open as Lord Commander Alliser Thorne marced in with Maester Aemon behind you. "Figures you two would forget your duties because you've got friends now. Have you forgotten the oaths you made?!" He scolded as both Jon and Robb simultaneously rolled their eyes

"No commander, we just-" Jon tried to explain

"I don't care for your shit excuses Snow. You're stewards, the last time I checked that didn't give you permission to laze in fucking bed all day." Alliser continued as his eyes landed on Robb and Bayla "And you, do you expect us to carry plates of food and wine behind you?!"

Robb bit the inside of his cheek as Alliser had made it very clear where he stood in terms to the sons of Eddard Stark

"Did they cut your tongue boy? Speak!" He commanded as Robb reminded himself to keep himself strained

"I'm not your boy." Robb gritted his teeth "And I do not take orders from you."

Alliser scoffed as he glanced to Jon "Do not forget your place here boy." He warned "The only reason we opened our gates to you was out of respect and loyalty to Benjen Stark." He arrogantly added "You walk on your fucking legs because of our Maester, you sleep and eat out of our hand, so you will take command of what I say or you can fuck back to Wintefell. Boy." Alliser reminded him as even Jon held a firm grip around his shoulders.

"You're on the wall boy. Here you are no king to me."

Night had fallen upon castle Black, though Robb struggled to find sleep. Every moment he would close his eyes he would only see her being ripped apart from him as she cried for him that night.

Robb sat with so much guilt not only for the great loss the North suffered but also Joanna.

He had promised that he would keep her safe, but alas he failed. She was gods know where, he didn't even know if their child was alive.

Arya was missing,  Sansa still a hostage, Bran and Rickon pressures dead- he was a failure

He cursed himself every night when he would wake from a nightmare. Cursed himself as to why he couldn't have just married the Frey girl. 

But no instead he followed his heart, and though he would never be allowed to say it, Robb wouldn't trade his wife for all in the world

Joanna blinded him by love. He was one of few who were able to truly love his betrothed to the very end. Robb fell in love with every detail about her. The way she braided her hair back when she wore armlur, her sweet laugh that welcomed him the morning they would wake up together. The secluded safety in her eyes.

Robb watched up from the stairs as his mind dug himself into a deeper grave.

"Thought I might find you here..." a familiar voice called.

He turned to smirk back at his brother It's not like Maester Aemon would allow Alliser to make a fool of me." Jon took a stand next to his brother as they took in the sunset

"What are you doing out here. Thought you would be starving?"

Robb simply shrugged "I don't care much eat right now." He faced Jon , turning his back to the sunset "Did you really come here to ask me about dinner?"

"Bayla was worried about."

"I'm fine." Robb sighed in defeat "I just wish I could keep her safe."

"I know..." Jon replied "And what's worse is there's nothing I can do to stop you from finding out."

"Not until I have my wife back in my arms again."