LIONS AND WOLVES | Robb Stark

25 - The Rains of Castamere

OUTSIDE THE GREAT HALL OF THE CROSSING, men fought one another for sport in the encampment set up in the grounds. Before the wedding, Joanna had been outside, watching the men with an amused expression on her face. Even from inside the great hall, she could still hear the faint cheers from those outside.

She stood at Robb's side, playing the part of a dutiful wife, and in her dress she felt most uncomfortable. It was a gorgeous dress; one that Alayna had said made her look "more like a queen and less like you're about to slit someone's throat," although Joanna was not used to wearing such fine clothes after slogging it in the mud for so many years.

To her left stood Alayna, also wearing a dress for the sake of the occasion. Behind her stood Alden, who had complained about being made to miss the activities outside, to which he had received a smack on the back of the head from his sister.

The bride was walked down the aisle by Walder Frey, a veil covering her face. Joanna caught Roose Bolton's eye and he gave her a knowing look, which unsettled her as she turned away. It was deathly quiet in the hall, the only sounds being the bride's heels hitting the floor with each step she took towards her new husband.

Edmure looked worried, but when Walder stopped before him and removed the veil, a look of pleasant surprise appeared on his face as Roslin Frey knelt before him.

"Lord Edmure," she said. "I hope I am not a disappointment to you."

Edmure let out a breath and helped her stand. "You are a delight to me, My Lady."

"You may now cloak the bride and bring her under your protection," the priest said.

Edmure removed his cloak and draped it over Roslin's shoulders. Robb caught Walder Frey's eye and the man gave him a look as though to say, look what you could have had. Robb ignored the gestured and his fingers brushed against Joanna's gently.

The ceremony was not unlike Robb and Joanna's, the same vows being spoken as the two of them had said to one another all those months ago. Hearing them again reminded Joanna of her own wedding, when she too was unprepared for a marriage to someone she didn't love but one day learned to.

When the ceremony was over and Edmure was officially wed to Roslin, the real festivities began. Crowds poured into the great hall, filling the seats at the tables as food was brought in by the servants, wine goblets being filled repetitively.

Joanna ate as much food as she dared, knowing how her stomach tended to disagree with her whenever she ate, and as she placed down her fork, she caught Robb's eye and found him staring at her.

"What?" she asked.

"I was just thinking," he said.

"About what?"

"About how this could have been my wedding day," Robb replied. "I could be sitting up there instead of down here with you."

"Do you regret marrying me?" Joanna asked.

"Never," Robb replied, glancing over his shoulder. "My mother is alone with Roose Bolton. I should rescue her."

"Your mother is less in need of rescue than any woman I've ever met," Joanna said.

"Be kind," Robb scolded. "She's finally starting to like you."

"I'm not looking to be liked," Joanna said. "And if she had her way, you and I would never have been married, I would probably have been murdered by someone with an axe to grind against the Lannisters and you would be sitting over there eating blackberries out of Roslin Frey's pretty little hand."

"Perhaps I've made a terrible mistake."

Joanna gasped and went to smack Robb's shoulder, but he caught her wrist with ease. "Striking your king is an act of treason."

"Manhandling your queen is an act of treason," Joanna quipped in response, raising her eyebrows at Robb. He leaned in to kiss her, but she stopped him and pushed at his chest. "No, don't," she glanced at Walder. "Don't insult him."

"Your Grace!" Walder suddenly announced.

Men banged their cups on the table, filling the room with a thundering sound that was soon quieted when Walder held up his hand for silence.

"The septon has prayed his prayers," he said. "Some words were said, and Lord Edmure has wrapped my daughter in a cloak, but they are not yet a man and wife. A sword needs a sheath," the crowd laughed. "And a wedding needs a bedding. What does my sire say?"

The crowd started chanting, "To bed! To bed! To bed!"

Robb rose to his feet. "If you think the time is right, Lord Walder, by all means, let us bed them."

The band struck up a merry tune and the crowd cheered. Joanna watched poor Roslin Frey get pulled from her seat and lifted onto the shoulders of four men, carried through the crowd towards the exit.

Robb watched them go before turning to Joanna. "You seem unhappy."

"Bedding ceremonies are such silly things," Joanna said. "Why did we never have one?"

"I don't need anybody watching the first time I make love to my wife," Robb replied. "And someone would be asking for a broken jaw if they tried, so I felt it best to forbid it."

"There are other ways of providing proof," Joanna said, bringing Robb's hand to her stomach. "As we have so proven."

"Boy or girl?" he asked.

Every time they talked of the baby, they discussed the possible gender, although they had yet to talk of names. Joanna smiled. "I still don't know, but if it's a boy, I know what we should name him."

"Oh, do you?" Robb asked. "It seems to me the father should have some say in his son's naming."

"Hmm, I don't know," Joanna replied. "After all, I have carried this baby for nearly nine months now."

"That's hardly a fair argument-"

"Eddard," Joanna said. "Eddard Robert Stark. Don't you want to teach title Ned Stark how to ride horses and swing a sword and shoot a bow and arrow?"

"I do," Robb replied.

He leaned towards Joanna and kissed her. Her hands came up to Robb's collar, pulling him closer as she kissed him. She would never get tired of kissing Robb Stark, but if she had known that that would be the last time that she ever got to do so, then she would have never let him go.

When they pulled apart, Robb kissed her forehead as Joanna said, "I never thought I'd love you the way I do."

"And I never thought this would be our story," Robb replied.

Joanna laughed. "As much as I am enjoying this heartwarming moment, I have to find a place outside to piss."

"Very ladylike," Robb replied.

"When you have a baby sitting on your bladder all day every day, formalities and politeness exceed your capabilities," Joanna replied, kissing Robb fleetingly. "I'll be right back."

"At least take Alayna with you," Robb requested. "With all the drinking going on out there, I'd rather you not be walking around alone."

Joanna smiled. "I can handle myself, Stark."

"I know you can, Stark," Robb quipped in return. "But for my own peace of mind, will you take Alayna with you?"

Joanna sighed dramatically. "I suppose I can. It'll be nice to have someone to walk with. I promise I will be right back."

Robb watched her leave, tapping Alayna on the shoulder before the two of them ventured out of the hall relatively unnoticed. When they were out of sight, he smiled. What he did to deserve a woman like Joanna Baratheon, he would never know, but he thanked all the Gods that the two of them found one another.

If Robb had known then what was about to happen, he would have run after his wife and told her he loved her one last time, but life does not always work that way and Robb Stark's last I love you died on his lips...