Baratheon Born

18

Eighteen || Enemy in the East

The yellow queen carries two.

A crudely sharpened dagger sliced through the words, embedding itself into the wooden table beneath the parchment. The dagger vibrated with the intensity of the stab, and the wielder stood so abruptly that the chair he sat upon toppled to the floor.

It wasn't enough that she had taken what belonged to his queen, but she was populating more heirs to usurp her further? All while parading around as though she was her friend. No... no one across the Narrow Sea could be friends with what they could never understand.

He turned, yanking his dagger from his marred desk before making his way to his queen's throne room. He stood steps below the seat, as he always had, and addressed his masked legion.

"Shadow Men," His voice boomed through the throne room, the low torchlight reflecting off of the bronze masks adorning each face he addressed. "It's time."

————

Morganna jolted awake in a cold sweat, her hands frantically reaching for something to ground her. Robb's hands met hers as he sat up, bringing her gently up with him.

"Sh, my love." Robb soothed his frightened wife, bringing her into his arms in the dark. He moved her hair from her shoulder, letting the cool night air hit the back of her neck. "Another nightmare?"

Morganna nodded, trying to calm her erratic breathing. She leaned her head back on Robb's shoulder, her fingers clinging to his. She swallowed harshly before her shaky, broken voice cut through the night.

"They're dead." Morganna said with such calm certainty that Robb froze.

"Who, my love?" Robb assumed the worst, his hands entwined with hers moving to her immensely swollen belly.

"My uncles." Morganna stated, tears falling down her cheeks.

"How can you know?" Robb inquired, worried that carrying twins was taking a toll on his wife. He wrapped his arms around her, hoping to provide her comfort from her own words.

"My dreams of late..." Morganna murmured, clinging to her husband. "They seem far too real to be dreams."

Robb understood. She had been having vivid dreams since she found out she was pregnant this time around, and telling him about it since he found out. He would often catch his wife with a furrowed brow, examining such small details or the faces of those she'd likely never see again, muttering how similar they were to her dreams. He hadn't put much stock in it, until the last week. She had been having terrible visions of people dying, but none were named until this night. And, chillingly, Ned had reported at the last council meeting that an unknown assassin group had been claiming lives in the East.

"Robb, I am frightened something horrible is heading for us." Morganna whimpered, longing for the reassurance and safety of her father.

"My love." Robb murmured, tightening his grip. "No matter what storm comes for us, it will have to pass through me to get to you. After it must pass through Addam, and he would never let any harm come to you."

Morganna nodded her head, finding comfort in the arms of her husband. Grey Wind whined at the foot of the bed, his large head peering over the edge at his distressed mistress. Morganna reached a hand out, and Grey Wind walked to place his head beneath it, offering her more comfort.

"I love you." Morganna murmured.

"I love you." Robb kissed his wife's forehead firmly, coaxing her back to sleep in his arms.