𝙸𝙽𝙰𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙰𝚃𝙰 ° myrcella baratheon

THIRTY ONE

The ale went smoothly down my throat before I placed my cup back down on the wooden table. Northmen chattered around me, and I could see my brother sitting a few tables down from me, my mother by his side.

"You seem to be lost in thought, Stark." Ashwell laughed softly as he clapped his hand onto my shoulder. "Have a drink."

I shook my head with a small smile to my friend. "I've already had three, but I appreciate the offer."

"Three? We're you in the south so long you forgot how to hold your liquor, boy?"

"Just the strong stuff."

Ashwell laughed once more as the voice of one of the northmen, Jonos Bracken, stood up and starting jabbering on about who Robb should pledge allegiance to in the upcoming war for the Seven Kingdoms. "The proper course is clear," He said loudly for everyone to hear. "Pledge fealty you Renly and move south to join our forces with his."

"Renly is not the king." My brother stated boldly.

"You cannot mean to hold to Joffrey, my lord." Bracken seemed dumbfounded, causing myself to scoff softly. "He put your father to death."

"That doesn't make Renly king." Robb said. "He's Robert's youngest brother. If Lachlan can't be lord of Winterfell before me, Renly can't be king before Stannis."

"Do you mean to declare us for Stannis?"

The man's words caused an uproar to go through the camp, with the lords arguing back and forth about who they should side with. That is, until Lord Umber stood up.

"My lords. My lords!" He shouted, causing everyone to quiet down. "Here is what l say to these two kings." The man spit out onto the dirt, causing a few people to laugh softly. "Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine from some flowery seat in the South? What do they know of the Wall or the Wolfswood? Even their gods are wrong! Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again?"

I furrowed my brows in thought as he continued on. "lt was the dragons we bowed to and now the dragons are dead!" The lord unsheathed his sword and pointed the top at my brother, who sat with wide eyes. "There sits the only king l mean to bend my knee to - the King in the North!"

Lord Umber stuck his sword into the ground and knelt down, bowing his head in respect. Robb looked over at me in shock and surprise. I made a motion for the older boy to stand up, which he did.

"l'll have peace on those terms. They can keep their Red Castle and their iron chair too." Lord Karstark said loudly as he followed the actions of Greatjon Umber. "The King in the North!"

Theon rose next, causing Robb to look over at him. "Am I your brother?" The ward asked. "Now and always?"

Robb nodded at his childhood friend. "Now and always."

At my brother's words, the idiotic ward unsheathed his sword knelt down before him. "My sword is yours, in victory and defeat, from this day until my last day."

"The King in the North!" The Umber lord shouted, causing the rest of the lords around us to follow his lead.

"The King in the North! The King in the North!"

I watched as my brother turned in awe to look at my mother, who gave him a small smile, before his eyes met mine. Smirking, I raised my cup in a playful toast.

"The King in the North." I muttered, though he knew what I said as he smirked back at me and turned to face his men, whose shouts filled the night sky.