LION'S LEGACY | ROBB STARK [2]

37

LION'S LEGACY
37. The Hidden Truth

Just moments after leaving Rickard's chambers, Annalys practically dragged her son all the way to the bathing chambers. She ignored all of Rickard's pleas to be given a chance to explain himself. In truth, she should have let him explain himself. If she had, she wouldn't have been treating him so cruelly at that moment.

However, it wasn't her fault, either. She was being consumed with memories of the past, memories of herself and Myrcella in Torrhen and Joanna's position while Rickard was in Joffrey's.

Rickard was another Joffrey. She couldn't believe it. She had given birth to a child that was exactly like her mad little brother. She wondered if her ways of raising her children were at fault or if it was in the blood. Joffrey was completely mad while Annalys had a touch of madness in herself as well, but was able to keep it contained. Perhaps Rickard had inherited from her. She had no idea. Was he actually mad? She had no clue. But everything she had seen that night seemed so.

Rickard was such a difficult child, he always had been. She remembered Joffrey being the same. He was secretive and smiled in amusement as his siblings got into trouble. Just like Joffrey. He was so young yet had resulted to killing a poor, innocent animal that happened to belong to one of his siblings. Just like Joffrey. He was an outcast to his siblings. Just like Joffrey. He took pleasure in the chaos around him. Just like Joffrey.

Everything pointed to him being mad, just like his uncle, so why wouldn't she believe that he was, indeed, mad? There was no proof she could think of that showed that he wasn't. But if she had paid more attention, she would have learned earlier that there was more to the story.

When they arrived at the bathing chambers, Annalys filled one of the baths with hot water on her own. She ordered him to get into the water and despite it stinging due to how hot it was, Rickard sat in it anyway. He wouldn't admit it, but he was terrified at that moment. Terrified of his mother. It had been twenty minutes and she hadn't said a word, which was a first. Everyone knew how much Annalys loved to talk.

Her expression was blank and unreadable. He had been gifted with the ability to read people expression's, just like his mother. However, Annalys' expression was entirely blank and emotionless. Her right hand was balled in a tight fist while she used her left hand to shrub the dried blood off his small body.

He grew impatient and uncomfortable with the silence. He usually enjoyed the utter silence, knowing there weren't many opportunities to experience it in a castle like the Red Keep while also constantly being surrounded by seven other siblings.

His lips parted as he inhaled sharply, on the verge of speaking. He winced, however, as his mother shrubbed his back a little too hard, clearly taking out the pain and heartbreak she was feeling on cleaning him up. She was so caught up in her thoughts she didn't even notice the bruises and cuts on her son's back.