A New Hope (Books I - VI)

Chapter 5

Winterfell - Year 300 - Two Days Before The Arrival of the King

Elia had slept four nights in her husband's chamber, and still they had not consummated their marriage. Elia could tell that Robb knew she was uncomfortable with the thought of sleeping with him, and she thought he was too. They still had not spoken much, most of the words they exchanged were in relation to sleeping arrangements, and saying 'how do you do'. It was maddening for Elia. She wanted to talk to him, she wanted to see if they could hold a conversation, and be intimate in the ways that husband and wife were supposed to be. But anytime she tried to talk to him he just stared at her. And it honestly made her so uncomfortable that after a few long moments of silence and awkward staring she would pretend her Uncle had called for her and run off to get away from the piercing blue eyes of her apparently mute husband.

The wedding feast they had attended had been drop dead boring, and was over in less than an hour. It simply seemed like a normal family dinner, which was fine, except Elia had expected more people to attend the wedding of their future Lord and Lady, especially as they were the future Lord and Lady of the largest area of Westeros. But it had simply been the commanders she had brought with her, her uncle, and a few Knights from Winterfell and the Stark family. Maybe they were worried she would embarrass them with her unladylike ways.

"Princess, are you ready to assist me in the last minute adjustments for the King's arrival?" Lady Catelyn was able to move like a fucking ghost. Elia thought as she almost fell out of her chair in shock at the woman who had managed to open the heavy wooden door and walk over to stand right behind the chair in front of the vanity without her noticing.

"I'm sorry my Lady, you surprised me. But yes I am. What's first?" Elia said quickly, rising to stand beside the woman who was hastily leading them out the door of Robb and Elia's chambers. Catelyn glanced back at the girl with a fond smile before looking down at the list in her hand.

"If you would, round up Robb, Theon, and Jon and have them visit Tommy for a haircut and a shave, and then meet me in the Grand Hall." Elia bowed her head slightly in confirmation before heading out to the yard where Robb had mentioned he would be if she were to need something before he dashed out of the room that morning. When she arrived there though she found something she was not expecting.

Robb had his shirt off, and was only wearing his under-blouse, which was so thin it was practically see through, and he was sparring with Jon as several woman watched on in excitement. Robb was laughing, as was Theon, but Jon seemed very serious about the spar, which was a trait that Elia had seen the first time she saw him spar on the second day she was in Winterfell. Elia found herself glaring at the women, who as she looked closer at them, she believed they were probably whores from outside the walls, as their skirts were hiked up in an unseemly fashion, and their tops were cut so low Elia was sure if they moved their breasts would fall out.

But no matter about the whores, Elia was Robb's wife, and if she needed him, she was damn sure going to get him. She shoved through the women who were blocking her from her husband, and as Robb blocked another fierce swing of Jon's sword, he glanced over and saw his wife standing to the side, surrounded by whores who were now glaring at her, with her arms crossed and an angry look on her face. Theon apparently saw her as well.

"Uh oh Lord Stark, looks like you're in some kind of trouble." Theon said loudly with a booming laugh, which made the Martell woman flash her glare over to him and his laughter died quickly as he looked away. Jon and Robb had stopped fighting when she looked back at them, and were looking at her in confusion.

"What is it My Lady?" Jon asked politely as he glanced between the husband and wife, the wife still glaring at the husband who was looking at her with a strange look that Jon had not seen.

"Lady Catelyn requests that you, Lord Stark, and Theon go and see Tommy for a haircut and a shave, she requested that I join her after informing you of this, so I'll leave you here with your whores. When your done trying to impress them, make sure they leave. Lord Eddard will not be pleased to find them here. And make sure you all do what I ask. I don't like to say things twice." Which another venomous glare and her now severely confused husband, Elia spun away and in a whirlwind of fabric she was gone almost as fast as she had arrived. Robb looked over at the women who he had just realized were watching them, and allowed a frown to cover his face.

"She's right, you all should leave, go back to your brothel and don't return here. Let's go." Robb said in his firm, low voice as he turned away from them and began to walk to the stables, being trailed silently by the men he thought of as brothers until they reached Tommy. As Robb sat down in the chair he shot a small smile at Tommy who began to get out his scissors and begin his work.

"What in the seven hells is going on with the two of you?" Theon asked as he leaned against a post, watching Robb. Robb closed his eyes and tried to relax so that he wouldn't accidentally move and get all of his hair chopped over before he tried to answer the man.

"I don't know. I still haven't bedded her, and we hardly even talk. Well, I hardly even talk. She talks to me, or tries, and I just stare at her. I don't know what the fuck is wrong with me. She's just so... and it's frustrating. Because I want to answer her questions, and reply when she speaks, but I can't I don't know what to do." Robb meant it. He would try to speak, but the words never come out. He gets distracted, by her. She's too bloody beautiful for her own good. Jon let out a snort as Theon started to laugh loudly.

"Dude you have it bad. Just try to open your mouth. It's not like she can leave you, you two are married now, so you might as well get it over with. And who knows? Maybe you just need to bed her, get it out of your system, and then you'll be able to talk to her. Gods knows I'd do her in a heartbeat. And if you don't, well maybe I'll give it a shot." Theon was giving Robb a sneaky look and it was all he could do to stay in the chair. If he so much as touched a hair on her head, he would kill him. She was his. So he decided. He would talk to her the next time he saw her. Maybe even just say hi. And based off of the anger he saw when he was near those whores, maybe she likes him more then she was letting on. Jon noticed the sudden tension in the room and decided he would try to break it.

"So, uh why's your mother so dead-set on us getting pretty for the King?" Before Robb could answer, Theon jumped in.

"It's for the Queen I bet. I hear she's a sleek old mink." Robb rolled his eye at the man and looked back up at the ceiling as he was being shaved.

"I hear the Prince is a right royal prick."

"Think of all those southern girls he gets to stab with his right royal prick." Robb decided to ignore him again and rose until he was out of the chair, squeezing Jon's shoulder as he passed him to get out of the way.

"Go on, Tommy. Shave him good. He's never met a girl he likes better than his own hair."

Winterfell - Great Hall

"We need plenty of candles for Lord Tyrion's chamber. I'm told he reads all night. And leave some extras in Lady Arya's as well, Ned said her favorite place was the library when she lived here. And make sure the library is dusted and that all of the chairs are comfortable if she decides to go back." Lady Catelyn said as she lead Elia and Maester Luwin through the Great Hall as it was being prepared for the welcoming feast. They were going over the last minute details for the King's arrival.

"I'm told he drinks all night." Maester Luwin said sassily to Elia as they continued to follow the Lady of Winterfell. Catelyn glanced back at him in confusion.

"How much could he possibly drink? A man of his... stature." Elia chuckled at the women before she input what she had learned in her one and only visit to King's Landing.

"When my father and I visited there to meet the King's son, I was introduced to Lord Tyrion and sat by his side at the feast that night. We had brought several barrels of wine with us as gifts for the Royal Family. He drank an entire barrel by himself during that feast my lady." Both of her companions looked at her in shock before Maester Luwin wrote something down on the pad he was carrying around.

"Well we have brought up eight barrels of ale from the cellar. Perhaps we will get to see how much he can drink." Catelyn nodded as she turned back around and began to lead them outside.

"In any case, candles."