"And so came the time for a dragon to be offered to a wolf."
A tale in which Robb Stark lives, Daenerys Targaryen is desperate to secure allies, and Rhaegar Targaryen's only living daughter serves as the bargaining chip.
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THE YOUNG WOLF
There came a time to deal with Theon Greyjoy and the weight of his presence, of seeing him once again -- but not the true him, merely the shell of his former self.
Robb realized this as he came to stand before the Greyjoy who cowered under his gaze, backing himself into the corner of the cell with dirty, trembling hands. He felt angry at first -- fury -- at seeing Theon alive, especially after his betrayal, and he had yelled at the man upon his first night of confronting him, expecting a fiery reaction that Theon would have awarded him in the past.
But there was none of that.
Alas, all the man had done was shake and cry, as if reliving some terrible memory before uttering apologies between sobs and heaving breaths.
Robb had left shortly after that, but did not fail to notice the frequent visits Sansa paid the shaken Greyjoy, appearing more sympathetic and forgiving with the man that witnessed her rape than her own brother.
He felt conflicted about ordering an execution, or allowing the man that betrayed his family and destroyed Winterfell to go free, and so he made no announcement on the topic. Naelyra seemed to notice this whenever Jon dared to broach the subject as the Young Wolf quickly deflected.
On the morn before the feast, Naelyra approached his study and took a gander across the room -- the books, the fireplace, the portraits that displayed his ancestors -- and asked suddenly, "he was your friend, was he not?"
Robb did not need to ask whom she was speaking about but a frown quickly appeared on his lips, indicating his displeasure at discussing his past with Theon Greyjoy. After a moment of silence, Lyra continued on with, "but he betrayed your family. Your trust."
"I died thinking that my youngest brothers had perished and that he had done it," Robb responded, leaning on the desk with his head in his hands, "He was a ward, but I considered him like a brother."
"Why did he do it?" Lyra inquired but Robb merely shook his head, clearly unwilling to theorize why his best friend had betrayed him.
Lyra approached his desk, leaning against it with a soft sigh and folding her arms over her lap. Robb took this moment to analyze the sheen of her silver waves as they tumbled down her back, the defined jawline and dark, sooty eyelashes as she observed the fire with contemplation. "I know this," she voiced, causing his eyes to dart to her full lips, "when I caught sight of Sansa, there was a dark haired woman trying to hurt her, and Theon Greyjoy defended her long before I arrived. Without him protecting her, I'm not so sure what would have occurred to Sansa."
