the golden wolf || game of thrones

ii.

in winterfell

"we need plenty of candles for lord tyrion's chamber. i'm told he reads all night" catelyn said to maester luwin as they entered the great hall of winterfell. people all around the castle preparing for the king and his royal court's arrival. "i'm told he drinks all night." the maester replies.

"well how much could he possibly drink? a man of his... stature." catelyn says with a smile. "we brought up eight barrels of ale from the cellar. perhaps we'll find out." luwin suggested.

"in any case, candles." she tells him as they continue through the castle.

robb is sitting shirtless and getting his face freshly shaven. "why is your mother so dead set on us getting pretty for the king." jon asked standing shirtless in front of robb. "it's for the queen i bet. i hear she's a sleek bit of mink." theon, ned stark's ward, replied with a smirk.

"i hear the prince is a right royal prick." robb responded while he was getting finished up. "think of all those southern girls he gets to stab with his right royal prick." theon said still leaning shirtless against the pole.

"go on, tommy, shear him good." robb said as he slapped jon on the shoulder. "he's never met a girl he likes better than his own hair." rob and theon laughed as tommy began cutting jon's hair.

josephine could see winterfell's castle as they came down the king's road. she was nervous and a million questions ran through her mind. is he ugly? what if he's mean? is he smart or stupid? what if he thinks she's ugly? what if they hate each other from the start?

it was clear that her father had not mentioned the union to anyone because no one had said a word to her. she knew that if her mother knew of the union she would've made it known.

bran could see the royal party approaching from his spot on top of the castle. he was full of excitement and quickly climbed his way back down. catelyn and maester luwin made their way into the courtyard. "gods, but they grow fast." she said as they passed one of the stark children's pet direwolves.

"brandon!" she said sharply when she saw her son climbing down the wall. "i saw the king! he's got hundreds of people." he replied with excitement in his voice.

"how many times have i told you? no climbing." catelyn scolded. "but he's coming right now. down our road." he said as he made it to the ground. "i want you to promise me, no more climbing." she said as she leaned down to bran's level. he looked at his feet and then to his mother, "i promise."

"do you know what?" she asked as she stood back up. "what?" bran replied confused. "you always look at your feet before you lie." he laughed with a smile. "run and find your father. tell him the king is close."

the king's court entered through the gates. banners waving in the wind as joffrey and the twin's guard, sandor clegane, entered first after the bannermen. everyone gathered around in the courtyard as the stark family was lined up waiting for his grace to approach. catelyn looked around at her children and realized there was only four when there should be five.

"where's arya? sansa, where's your sister?" catelyn asked as they looked around for her. sansa shrugged in response.

"hey. hey. hey. hey." ned grabbed arya as she ran in front of them with a helmet on. "what are you doing with that on?" he asked her taking it off. jon laughed softly from behind the stark family. "go on." ned told her. she grumbled walking down the line. "move." she demanded as she pushed bran to the side to stand next to her sister.

joffrey rode in on his horse smirking at sansa as she smiled up at him. robb giving both of them a hard look, but his sister paid him no mind.

the carriage with cersei and her other four children entered next and robert road in behind it. when he rode up from behind the carriage everyone kneeled. he came down from his horse and marched straight up to ned. waving his fingers for him to rise and when he stood so did everyone else."your grace." ned spoke bowing his head.

"you got fat." robert told ned. there was a moment of silence and then they both began to laugh. the two men hugged and then he turned his attention to ned's wife.

"cat!" he said with a smile as moved to hug her. "your grace." she replied while hugging him. he pat rickon on the head and moved back to stand in front of ned. "nine years! why haven't i seen you? where the hell have you been?" he asked ned. "guarding the north for you, your grace. winterfell is yours." ned smiled. tommen, myrcella, josephine, and cersei made their way out of the carriage.

"where's the imp?" arya asked. "will you shut up?" sansa snapped at her.

"who have we here? you must be robb." robert said as he shook robb's hand. "my, you're a pretty one." sansa smiled in return. "your name is?" he asked leaning to her height. "arya." she responded. "show us your muscles." he said as he made it to bran. bran flexed his arm, "you'll be a soldier."

jaime removed his helmet looking around. "that's jaime lannister, the queen's twin brother." arya said. "would you please shut up?" sansa snapped again.

cersei and josephine walked towards the stark family. immediately her eyes fell on the tall, handsome young man standing beside ned. she could only assume him to be robb. well, he might still be dreadfully boring, but at least he's not ugly. his eyes also fell upon her as she approached. her green eyes holding all his attention as her golden hair blew softly in the wind. once next to her father, king robert spoke up introducing her to the starks, "ah yes my beautiful daughter josephine. the light of my life." cersei held her hand out in front of ned. "my queen." he said after kissing the top of her hand. "my queen." catelyn said as she curtsied.

"take me to your crypt. i want to pay my respects." the king said. "we've been riding for a month, my love. surely the dead can wait." cersei spoke up not ready to have to deal with lyanna's ghost haunting her again. "ned." robert called as he walked away.

cersei and her daughter walked towards jaime, joffrey, and the hound. "where is our brother? go and find the little beast."

"tell me about jon arryn." ned broke the silence as the two men walked through crypt. "one minute he was fine and then..." robert hesitated "burned right through him, whatever it was. i loved that man."

"we both did." ned replied as they continued to walk. "he never had to teach you much, but me? you remember me at sixteen?" ned laughed in response. "all i wanted to do was crack skulls and fuck girls. he showed me what was what." robert said. "aye" ned confirmed looking at robert. "don't look at me like that. it's not his fault i didn't listen." the two men laughed softly.

they came to a stop and robert turned to ned, "i need you, ned. down at king's landing, not up here where you're no damn use to anybody. lord eddard stark, i would name you the hand of the king."

ned kneeled before him, "i'm not worthy of the honor."

"i'm not trying to honor you. i'm trying to get you to run my kingdom while i eat, drink, and whore my way to an early grave. damn it, ned, stand up. you helped me win the iron throne, now help me keep the damn thing. we were meant to rule together. if your sister had lived, we'd have been bound by blood. well, it's not too late. i have a daughter, you have a son. we'll join our houses." robert said before turing and walking away.

ned looked shocked at what robert had just suggested. he turned and watched robert walk away frozen in place for a moment before slowly following him back out of the crypt.

josephine walked over to her siblings with a smile. "how are you feeling my sweets?" she asked tommen and myrcella putting a hand on their shoulders. "a bit tired from the trip here, but good." tommen replied wrapping an arm around her waist. "me too." myrcella said.

robb watched the interaction between the princess and her siblings. something about her intrigued him. she was just as beautiful, perhaps even more, than what he had heard. he noticed her glance over at him, but he turned towards his younger brothers pretending not to notice.

josephine glanced over at robb standing with his brothers. she could've sworn she saw him looking at her, but maybe she was mistaken.

"come sweet sister, let's go find something to do in this wretched place." joffrey said to his twin offering her his arm. "that's not very nice, joff." she accepted his arm leaning into him. "tommen, myrcella." josephine called after her younger siblings. they followed her like baby ducks.

she glanced back towards the stark children just before entering the castle. robb and josephine locked eyes. heat rose into her cheeks. if there's one thing she knew is that she could stare at him all day.