Chapter Text
Darkness surrounded him and twelve year old Robb Stark felt a thrill of excitement as he slowly made his way inside Winterfell’s large kitchen. His eyes had already adjusted to the low lights from the few candles that were left burning on the table where meals were prepared. It was brighter here than in the hallways where he had stealthily walked from his bedroom, passing the Lord’s Chamber and finally scrambling outside the mildly cold early morning. The kitchen was kept as a separate building, ensuring that if there was an accident; fire would be easily contained and would not spread throughout Winterfell.
Inside the kitchen, a low fire was kept for the pottage which smelled absolutely, mouth-wateringly wonderful. Robb made a mental note to ask for their cook, Gage to give him some later but it wasn’t enough to distract him from his mission, though.
He crept softly towards where the castle’s supplies were kept and was extremely careful when he lifted the wooden bar that had kept the storeroom closed. There was no lock; he had made sure of that one week prior, when the idea first formed inside his head. There was a slight creaking sound when he opened the door and he stopped, heart hammering inside his chest.
It was too early for anyone to be awake, no one in the castle should be up yet but it wasn’t as quiet, there were a few snoring stable boys that were sleeping on the kitchen floor, near the fire to keep them warm and he could faintly hear the animals outside starting to wake and move around. He swallowed hard, taking a deep breath before digging his hands inside his pocket to check the small parchment where he had written the list of things he needed:
Refined flour. Salt. Buttermilk. Eggs. Sugar. Butter. And of course, Lemon. Lots of lemons.
Robb figured he could fit all these on a burlap sack that he had brought. He knew he had to be careful with the eggs. They were too fragile and he would most likely break them inside the sack. He frowned and let out a curse (a new word he’d learned from the stable boys. Mother would be horrified) but then he suddenly remembered that he was supposed to bring the cake hoop that needed to be lined with butter. He’d put the eggs inside the cake tin. It should be safe there.
Robb made sure he got everything he needed before hurriedly putting the wooden bar back where it had been. He looked at door of the storeroom for a moment and satisfied that nothing looked out of the ordinary, he sprinted out, hugging the burlap sack.
He hoped no one would notice that anything was missing. He didn’t take too many, just enough to bake a small cake for Sansa’s ninth name day. He wanted to surprise her and if he told Gage that he wanted a cake to be baked, the whole castle would eventually find out. Gage wasn’t a gossip, but his wife was. Father always told Mother everything and he assumed it would be the same for Gage.
Anyway, he wasn’t going to do all the baking by himself. He had already asked the help of one of the servant girls. He didn’t even have to use his charm too much, there were certain perks, being the son of Lord Eddard Stark and he wasn’t quite oblivious to the lingering, admiring looks he had been getting of late. He’d be thirteen soon. A man almost. And he couldn’t wait for his own birthday. But today was Sansa’s and he wanted to do something special for his sister.
Robb liked her best amongst his siblings. Precious Sansa who always looked adoringly up at him with blue eyes almost the same shade as his. She always favored him whenever they played Knights and Princess. And she would very kindly and gently comb Grey Wind’s fur, while she sweetly sang songs. Robb loved all of his sisters and brothers equally, but he was especially fond of Sansa who he had vowed, as a young boy, to always protect and treasure, just as his father had asked him to when Sansa had been born.
Robb was about to enter the castle’s side door when he felt someone watching him. He stiffened and swallowed a scream when something brushed against his legs.
“Fuck’s sake! Ghost!” Robb hissed as Jon’s direwolf sat down in front of him, tilting his head and giving him a curious look.
“What’s inside the sack?” His half-brother suddenly asked from beside him.
Jon was as silent as Ghost and Robb almost yelped in surprise but thankfully he was able to remain calm. He knew of course that Jon would be nearby. Jon and Ghost were never far from each other. He just didn’t think Jon would be standing right beside him without him noticing it.
“Nothing.” Robb quickly said, sounding both guilty and defensive. He wanted everything to be a surprise! And although he and Jon were close as true brothers, Robb had imagined everyone gasping in wonder as he handed Sansa her lemon cake as his birthday gift. Lemon cakes were Sansa’s favorite.
Jon merely raised his dark eyebrows, his eyes full of mirth. Robb wondered what was Jon doing outside so early in the morning and then he noticed that Jon kept both his hands behind his back and suddenly, Robb smelled the sweet scent of something flowery ---- roses, he realized with a start. Robb looked at Jon and frowned, trying to peek at what Jon was hiding. “Are those blue roses?”
Sansa also loved blue roses.
Seems like he wasn’t the only one who had planned on surprising Sansa. But he wondered why Jon would bother. He and Sansa barely talked to each other.
“Mind your business.” Jon told him, suddenly turning somber, taking two quick steps back.
Robb rolled his eyes. Jon was kind and brave, never ratted out to father if they ever fought, he was also fun to be with and can come up with the silliest of jokes but he would sometimes turn defensive over the most stupidest thing. “Never mind. I know what it’s for anyway.”
“No you don’t.” Jon huffed.
“Yes I do. See, look. I’m baking Sansa lemon cakes for her birthday.” Robb said, showing Jon the partly opened sack. The scent of lemons wafted in the air. Jon looked down, lips pursed.
“You? Baking?” There was mildly impressed tone in Jon’s voice which he tried to hide by smirking at Robb.
“Alright. Not me exactly.” Robb replied, exasperated. Lords don’t bake! He wanted to argue, but he didn’t say it out loud. He hated that Jon was a bastard and he didn’t want to always remind him of that. “I asked someone else to bake it for me. I want Sansa to like the cake and not be poisoned by it.” He added truthfully.
Jon gave him a long look before grinning slowly. “You’re a good brother, Robb.” He said finally.
Robb returned the smile, pleased to hear Jon say so. “So are you.” He said, gesturing at Jon’s bouquet of blue roses.
Jon visibly reddened and Robb felt strangely sorry for him. “Do you think she’ll like it?” Jon asked, suddenly shy.
Robb nodded. “She will. She’ll love those.” He hoped Jon believed him and if anything, Robb was sure that Sansa would be utterly delighted to receive those flowers. Robb briefly whished his Lady Mother would allow Jon to present his gift. He silently prayed that mother would not turn up her nose and give Jon that cold smile. Robb loved his mother with all of his heart, but sometimes he wished Lady Catelyn wasn’t so mean to Jon. He was young, true, but Robb understood why mother was never nice to his bastard half-brother. But surely, it wasn’t Jon’s fault? And Jon should not be punished it for. Perhaps when Robb was older he could talk to his mother about the way it hurt him when Jon was treated so unfairly. Mother would listen to him, wouldn’t she?
Maybe he should give Sansa the same talk too, Robb realized. He had seen Sansa imitating the way their mother looked at Jon and that would probably explain why Jon seemed eager to get into Sansa’s sweet side. Sansa had always been nice to Jon. It was only now that she had gotten older when she seemed aware of Jon’s status as a bastard.
“Alright, then.” Jon muttered, looking away.
“Alright.” Robb echoed.
From inside the kitchen they both heard Vayon Poole waking up the stable boys. Farlen, their kennelmaster was also awake, his booming voice filled the morning as he greeted Mikken and Barth.
They each gave each other a silent look: don’t tell anyone. They nodded at the same time, a silent understanding passing between them, before turning the other way and running, Robb towards the castle and Jon, followed by Ghost, to the washing well.
Robb briefly wondered why and then realized, for the flowers. Something nagged at the back of his mind but he was too worried that he will be discovered traipsing inside the castle when he ought to be still in bed to think about anything else.
Worst, they’d find him with the ingredients for Sansa’s lemon cake and that will surely be the end of his surprise! The whole castle will be awake in no time and he needed to get back to his room, hide the ingredients and get ready for their breakfast. And then he had to figure out how to get those ingredients to Rosa, who had agreed to help him bake the cake.
It was going to be a long day!