Bleeding Ivory l Robb Stark

dirty blood

Joanna found herself in the crypts beneath Winterfell. Joanna had heard the stories of generations of Starks being buried there. Though a solemn thought Joanna found it comforting that even in death the Starks would be joint as a united front. She looked at their faces and tried to imagine what life they lead. The men's faces structured and stern each one looked like a replica of Ned Stark to her. Her eyes landed on the stone of Lyanna Stark. Growing up in the capitol she wasn't spared to the tragic end of Lyanna Starks life.

"Joanna?" she turned around to see Robb. He looked different. His face was pale and eyes red from the tears that escaped his eyes. His jaw was clenched forcing his emotions down but given the circumstances she could understand why.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to intrude. I'll leave immediately." She bowed her head scared that she may offend his family.

"You don't have to leave. I just didn't expect to see you here." Robb affirmed as he took stand next to her, gazing back at the stone carved in the memory of the aunt he never knew. Robbs eyes faltered to her. It was a sensation he couldn't escape. He was so used to all his live women would flock behind him and now the only woman he seemed to take notice of was Joanna. She stood out from any woman in the North. Not because of her sun kissed skin or golden locks but from her heart and soul. In the short time he gotten to know her he found himself more enchanted by her. Joanna's eyes never left Lyanna.

"As a child I would always cry at the stories I heard about what happened to your aunt. I was never spared from the bloodshed of Robert's Rebellion."

"You know the tale?" Robb asked "It's strange to think she's my aunt. My father has never spoken about her. I never got the chance to ask what was she like." Robb turned his focus back to the statue of her but not without sneaking glances at Joanna.

"I was told she was the most beautiful woman man had ever seen. Eyes so beautiful they pierced into your soul. The famous she wolf. She was betrothed to King Robert when she was no older than the two of us. Even in his drunken states he would tell me about how much he loved her, how he could never love another woman as he did her. She was a warrior, unlike so many women.

The wolf walked along the men but she was no sheep. They followed behind her. It's said that Rhaegar Targaryen was married to Elia Martell of house Martell. But he wanted you aunt. The stories I've been told is that - " Joanna stopped as she turned to look at Robb. It shouldn't but the fate that Elia and Lyanna had met always scared her. Who's to say she wouldn't meet an early death because of forced betrothals

"Robert and Lyanna would have married but Rhaegar wanted her for himself. Even married to Elia his lust for your aunt consumed him. He kidnapped her, that's why Robert started a rebellion. To get back the woman that he loved. The war was a bloodbath, thousands died and the saddest part of all is that when they found Lyanna she'd already died laying in a pool of her own blood said to have been raped and murdered." Joanna swallowed the lump in her throat.

"As a child I used to weep in my mothers lap thinking of the fate that all these women met."

"Women?" Robb asked in a sombre tone

"Rhaella Targeryen, Joanna Lannister, Elia Martell, Lyanna Stark and so many others that suffered at the hands of men's insolence, lust and power hunger. Thinking they had claim to any of these women. It always terrified me, marriage. I feared that I would be sold like a piece of meat and die an excruciating death because as history shows, it's never been kind to women." Robb's face soften when he heard her voice breaking.

Joanna was truly terrified of marriage and of love. She didn't grow up like him with a mother and father that adored one another. From what he observed it seemed like King Robert and Cersei despised each other.