LIONS AND WOLVES | Robb Stark

13. One House 𓃬

CERSEI LANNISTER REFUSED ROBB STARK'S TERMS. Alton Lannister returned to the Stark camp in the early hours of the morning with the bad news and Joanna, who already knew of her mother's refusal to accept Robb's terms, listened to the Lannister boy relay the news to her husband.

"And what did she say?" Robb asked.

"She admired your spirit, Your Grace," Alton replied.

"And what then?"

"She, uh..."

"If every man were held accountable for the actions of every distant relative, Ser Alton, we'd all hang," Robb said.

"She tore the paper in half, Your Grace," Alton replied.

"You've acted with honour," Robb said. "I thank you for it. Lord Karstark, see that Ser Alton's pen is clean, and give him a hot supper."

"Ser Alton's pen is occupied, Your Grace," Lord Karstark replied. "The prisoners from the Yellow Fork."

"Too many prisoners," Roose Bolton said.

"Is there room for Ser Alton?" Robb asked.

"Does he need to lie down?" Lord Karstark asked.

Joanna stood up. "Have the men build him a new pen. Put him in with my uncle for now."

"Have your boy watch over them," Robb instructed Lord Karstark.

"Torrhen," he called to his son.

"That will be all," Robb concluded.

Roose Bolton lingered. Joanna turned to ask him what he wanted, but Talisa entered the tent unsurely. "Your Grace, a minute of your time?" 

Roose cast the two rulers a look before he left the tent.

Joanna grit her teeth. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to make sure Ser Alton is settled well with my uncle."

Robb nodded, leaning forwards to kiss Joanna's cheek. "Be careful."

"Jaime would never harm me," Joanna reminded him. "Regardless of my name now."

Robb looked unconvinced and his eyes followed Joanna until she had disappeared from view. Breathing in the fresh air, Joanna headed towards the pens where the prisoners were being kept. In the days since their wedding, it seemed that she and Robb had become acutely aware of one another's every move.

At the Battle of the Yellow Fork in particular, Robb and Joanna fought side by side, defending one another in battle and coming out victorious once more. After that, their lingering touches had become more frequent, with Robb often bestowing soft kisses to Joanna's cheek in passing or her placing her hand on his cheek.

The two of them were always destined to be this way; married and united as one house, but navigating this change in dynamic was taking its toll on the both of them. They had yet to consummate their marriage, a fact that only they and the Oscura siblings were aware of, but Joanna could tell that Robb was growing agitated.

The night before, he had asked her if she had a problem with him and whether that was the reason for her hesitance to consummate. That had led to gentle kisses and a few wandering touches, but Joanna had put a stop to it before it could go much further.

As she walked towards the pens, she wondered how their relationship would change once they had sex. Would it change how Robb saw her, casting a different light on her and putting a spotlight on the idea that she could give him an heir one day? Would he crave a baby so badly that he forgot that she was one of his best fighters? Alayna had told her not to worry, but it seemed that all Joanna did these days was fret.

Reaching the pen housing the Kingslayer and Ser Alton, Joanna saw Torrhen Karstark guarding them dutifully. As she approached, he bowed his head respectfully. "Your Grace."

"A word with my uncle, if you will," Joanna requested.

"I... I don't know whether that's-"

Joanna forced a smile. "A word with the Kingslayer."

Her tone held a sense of finality and Torrhen stepped aside, allowing Joanna to stand before her uncle. He was still tied to a post and covered in more dirt than when she had seen him last, but he was still breathing. "Uncle Jaime."

"Darling Joanna," he replied, reminding Joanna of Cersei's letter. "What a pleasure it is to see you again. I do believe congratulations are in order."

"Save your congratulations, Uncle," Joanna said. "I'm not here for niceties."

"Oh, but it isn't every day that your eldest niece gets married," Jaime said. 

"Eldest. Only." Joanna raised her eyebrows. "Is that right?"

Jaime ignored the jab. "And to a Stark, no less. You know, your father always said you were destined to grow up and marry a Stark boy, but everyone always assumed that you would run away before that happened."

"I did run away, but not to escape marrying a Stark boy," Joanna replied. 

"No, you ran right into the arms of one."

"Because it's a safer place for me than what's behind me," Joanna said. "And I'm tired of fearing my future."

"Have you consummated the marriage yet?" Jaime asked. "I hear whispers among these men when they think I'm not listening. A lot of them believe you and Robb Stark have yet to take one another in the bedroom."

"Well, don't believe everything you hear," Joanna replied. "And besides, what Robb and I do is no one else's concern but our own."

Jaime almost smiled. "Your mother would be proud of you."

"Mother would see me hanged for treason against the king," Joanna replied. "She cares little for me anymore. She has rejected Robb's terms."

"As I assumed she would," Jaime said. "And, I assume, you knew as well."

"I did," Joanna replied. "There is only one thing that would have Cersei seeking peace."

"Me," Jaime said quietly.

"Yes," Joanna nodded. "You know, for all your faults, you are still my uncle. Are they treating you well?"

"I could do with a bath," Jaime replied. "Perhaps a hot meal. Could the Queen in the North make that happen?"

"I will see what I can do," Joanna answered. "After all, my loyalties lie elsewhere now, Uncle Jaime."

Jaime sighed. "The lion cub has left the pack. You always were the runt of Cersei's litter."

"The runt? Or just the one you didn't father?" Joanna asked.

This time, Jaime couldn't ignore it. "How did you-?"

"It's pretty obvious," Joanna said. "Besides, Ned Stark knew and he told me. But who am I to judge? You got two out of three right. Tommen and Myrcella are good children. Shame they slapped a crown on the head of the psychopath."

Jaime gave Joanna a dark look. "They are still your family."

"They are no more my family than the Oscuras in the North," Joanna said.

"You've really turned against us, haven't you?" Jaime asked. "Your family?"

"I have a new family now," Joanna replied. "And we are winning this war, Uncle. It won't be long now before King's Landing is sacked. They're calling it the War of the Five Kings, you know. Joffrey, Robb, Stannis, Renly and Balon Greyjoy."

"Ah, but isn't Renly Baratheon dead?" Jaime asked. "So does that not make it the War of the Four Kings now?"

Joanna's jaw tensed. "Yes, Renly Baratheon is dead."

"I am sorry," Jaime said. "I know he was your uncle as much as I."

"I never knew him," Joanna replied. "But as for you, Ser Jaime, I thought I knew you. You do understand that if you go back to my mother after this, then you will never escape. You're better than her, Jaime. You always were."

With her final words hanging in the air, Joanna turned and walked away from Jaime Lannister.