WARS TO COME, game of thrones

𝐈𝐈𝐈. warmth

At the feast, Anrir had surprisingly been given a place at the long table and suspected that Robert had insisted on it. He could not imagine that the queen had agreed to this. The looks she kept giving him made him feel like a mouse dining with hungry cats.

His gaze slid to the boisterous crowd dining at the other tables and fell on Lark, who was talking to a pretty maid. The knight had actually let Arya hold his sword and good-naturedly showed her a bit of something, at least until Sansa had hurriedly picked Arya up, missing her in their embroidery room. He was a little envious of Lark's inconspicuous place, which required no special behavior.

He looked at Robert, who was sitting next to Ned, laughing and talking to him and the Queen's brother, Tyrion Lannister. Anrir could see from here that Ned was lost in thought and barely participating in Robert's anecdotes. Apparently he had not taken up Robert's offer. Catelyn and Cersei sat next to him, silent. Cersei seemed to notice the look and her green eyes fixed on Anrir's black ones.

Anrir smiled and then rose, walking towards the two. "Lady Catelyn... A dance?" The redhead looked at him in surprise. There was music playing, but hardly anyone was using the space to dance. "It would be a pleasure, Lord Riverfall,"she replied with a smile and Anrir bowed his head and gallantly held out a hand to her. Catelyn took it and Anrir led her away from the table. The people made room for them and Anrir smiled to himself.

Then they danced together and Anrir enjoyed it. He was a good dancer and Catelyn was one as well and they moved around each other with ease. Catelyn's red hair swirled around her and she looked younger, more playful that way. Anrir's smile remained and for the first time he didn't feel strange around her. He didn't thought about the fact that in a better world he was married to Ned, that he was living the life with him that Catelyn had now. Right now he was thinking of nothing, letting his body take over as it usually only did in battle.

Then the song was over and Anrir and Catelyn paused. Anrir bowed his head to her and kissed the back of her hand while Robert applauded them, laughing. "You are a good dancer," Catelyn smiled at him, her cheeks slightly flushed. "It was a pleasure," he spoke truthfully and led her back to her seat at the table. He felt a tingle on the back of his neck and when he turned around, he looked Ned in the eye, who was looking at him from his seat. Their gazes locked briefly, the first time they had really looked at each other since they arrived. They both remained motionless and then Robert suddenly stood by him and pulled Anrir with him, back down to the other guests and into the hustle and bustle.

"Come on, you're the only one who can still party properly!" Rob boomed at him and Anrir was forced to follow him. For a while, he seemed to drown in the crowd until he eventually landed next to Lark, who slid a little to the side on the bench so that Anrir could sit next to him.

"You dance well." "That seems to be the common opinion," Anrir laughed and took a goblet of fruit brandy from a maid, emptying it quickly. Lark eyed him silently and Anrir sighed. He wondered if he was attracted to the knight because he was silent and somehow reminded him of Ned, or because there was an actual attraction.

He let his gaze wander and noticed Robert, who had come quite close to a young northern woman. Cersei was watching him too and Anrir shook his head. Rob had never really changed and again and again he found himself relieved that Robert had never had Lyanna. She would have suffered, so imprisoned in the role Robert had wanted her to play. Perhaps Cersei was suffering too. He eyed the blonde Lannister beauty. She was a lioness.

"The king has asked Lord Stark to become Hand, hasn't he?" Lark inquired quietly and Anrir nodded, turning back to him. "Would you like to take on this offer instead of him?", the knight continued and Anrir sighed. "I have no interest in coming near the Iron Throne. My place is in the Vale..." he rubbed his mouth, "My place is in Riverfall."