Carliene Stark

Chapter 8

Jamie

The dinner was pure torture. I never was one for small conversations, though I would have preferred them over this. A mixture of silence and tension lay over the entire room, as everyones eyes always wandered to us, even though they would look away and pretend to be busy with their food when I tried to make eye contact. All but my father, he stared at us openly, frowning as he studied every move the Stark girl made. The other people at the table were my aunt Dorna and her daughter Janei, I could tell they were not at all pleased to be sitting at the same supper table as a Stark. 
Both the ladies husbands had fallen in battles against the young wolf. 

 "I am needed in Kingslanding and planning to depart during the next week" father announced, breaking the tense silence. 


The thought actually calmed me down, everything would be much easier without my father around even though I hated the idea of staying behind in Casterly Rock.
 

 "Which means I had the wedding planned for the day after next" he traced his glances between the two of us. 


I almost spit into my wineglass. "Already?" I frowned. 
 

"Yes, I want to have you properly wed and bed your wife before I return to Kingslanding, we let the later slide with Tyrion and look where that got us. Sansa probably remains a maid to this day" 


Out of the corner of my eye I could see Carliene put down her knife and fork. "Might I be excused?" she said much softer than her usual tone. 
 

"No" my father answered simply  and strictly, turning his attention back to his plate. 


The chair scraped loudly across the stone floor and almost threatened to tip over. Carliene hurried out of the room closely followed by Ser Eron, after earlier he didn't seem to want to let her out of his sight again. Dorna frowned as she and my cousin stared after the Stark girl. 
 

"Well what are you waiting for?" my father sounded unmoved as ever.
I looked at him confused. 
 "Go after her you fool, its about time you get the girl under control"


I stood up with anger burning up inside me. He made it sound so simple. Leaving the hall I went into the direction Carliene and Eron had disappeared to and soon followed the sound of coughing. When I turned the corner I found Carliene leaning of the balcony, holding back her hair and spitting into the flowers bellow, while her guard was standing against the wall behind her, with a rather disgusted look on his face. 
 

"Are you alright?" I asked as I slowly approached her. 
She straightened up breathing heavily. "Yeah I just-"
 

"She just stormed out here and vomited" Eron said complaining.
 

"Well then what are you standing around here for" I scolded him. "Get the maester"
 

"No it's fine, I don't need.." Carliene trailed off as Eron had already hurried off. 
 

"Something wrong with the food?" I questioned.


She shook her head and brushed her hair out of her face. "No its not... it wasn't the food" her breathing was still quite fast and I noticed that her hands were shaking. She walked a few more steps before sitting down on the steps, placing her head in her hands. "Its just too much" she mumbled. 


So the realisation of the wedding had made her physically sick to the point of vomiting. I had to admit that I felt a little sick myself, and of course I didn't want this one bit more than her. Yet I didn't sit around crying, I never liked the wailing of women, it made me uncomfortable and I didn't know how to handle it. How I wished I could just walk away and leave her there... but the truth was we would be stuck with each other and the more we tolerated each other the easier that would be. 
 

"Are you afraid?" I asked as I sat down next to her. 


She raised her head looking straight ahead as she thought for a moment. "No... I'm terrified"