Only A Northern Song ~ Game of Thrones / Willas Tyrell ~

Chapter Forty Nine: Terms and Treaties

A crown of steel, bronze, and iron had been forged for Robb.

It was an exact replica of the original crown worn by the kings of winter, the one that Eddmina had seen so often in the history books, engraved with runes of the first men and topped with angry iron spikes in the shape of longswords. Should it come to it, she was certain her brother would be able to kill someone with it. It was certainly heavy and sharp enough, and Robb had told her more than once when he first started wearing it how uncomfortable it was.

"It isn't meant to be comfortable," their mother had despaired one night to them both when he voiced his discomfort, adjusting it on his head as if to find the perfect spot.

Their mother was right, as the weight of it was not purely from the metals, but the duties it represented. It was not meant to be a pleasant job, being King in the North.

At least the circlet crown that had been forged for Eddmina was significantly lighter, far more delicate and less violent. It was made from the leftover metal of Robb's crown, knotted together in a sort of braid, fronted by a tiny direwolf, roaring at a rose. She hadn't asked for it, she hadn't wanted it, just as she hadn't asked or wanted to be called Princess of the North, but the men took to calling it her anyway, and they made the crown alongside it. Eddmina had never liked jewellery, save the few pieces from her father or her husband, but she wore the circlet anyway to honour the men who had given it to her, only to feel instantly relieved the moment she was back in her tent at the end of the day and could take it off.

"You are my sister, if I am King that makes you Princess," Robb had reminded her one night after supper when he saw her face fall at the mention of the name.

"I'm not cut out to be a Princess," she had rolled her eyes. "Sansa maybe, but not me."

"I imagine Arya would be less than thrilled at her new title too," Robb had attempted to joke, but like many of their conversations about their sisters, it went cold, and they stopped to prevent their mother hearing talk of the two missing Stark girls as she entered the tent.

Their new positions were alien to both Robb and Eddmina, but they had been subjected to so much change in the last few years neither one was truly fazed, or perhaps they had merely grown accustomed to not expecting anything to be the way they thought. They learnt to take each day as it came, dealt with each problem individually, and when it came to battle, they never relied on their previous successes, always keeping one step ahead and trying something fresh. That was probably how the North ended up triumphing at most conflicts they faced, and each victory led them closer to what they wanted; justice, freedom, home. Still though, Eddmina knew not to rely on it, the tide could change again just as quick as it had turned to their favour, and so she never truly rested, steeling herself into the best advisor Robb would need, the woman she needed to be, the woman she hoped her father would be proud of.

Eddmina found that with time, the role and the duties became easier, and she had forgotten all the worries she had over people taking her seriously and seeing her outside of her gender. She was welcomed into war council, the men treating her with the upmost respect. Eddmina wasn't really sure why, and it was surprisingly Theon who made her understand.

"You were the one who made crowning Robb possible," he had told her after council one morning when they had gone riding to find a godswood, his voice quiet enough so no one would overhear, even if he was wearing his confident smirk. "They were all too craven to suggest a King in the North, you weren't."

"I didn't intend on him being made a King," she reminded him, rolling her eyes; even if they had settled into their friendship better than ever before, he still infuriated her from time to time. "I merely meant for us to fight independently until some other King comes grovelling for our support."