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— Robb —
«To Lord Eddard Stark!» Robert Baratheon rose his glass laughing and gulping once again a brimming glass of wine. Robb surveyed the man whose figure had nothing alike with tales of kings, he saw no fit man, no honor or respect in him. His father had praised the King’s numerous qualities during their years together at the Eyrie, and then during the rebellion. Robb took another sip of the cup he held wondering still how his father and the King had been raised together and yet looked nothing alike in their manners.
His father and the King were sitting side by side, his mother was on his father’s left, and the Queen on his mother’s other side. He observed the discussion the two women were having noticing how annoyed his mother looked and how bored the Queen seemed. The two of them should have many stories to recount, their lives were somehow similar. Robb remembered then the discussion he had witnessed in his father’s solar a few days prior to the King’s arrival.
His parents were arguing over Robert Baratheon’s reasons to come up North, his mother was convinced Robert would ask his father to be the new Hand and while she dreaded it, for the sake of his aunt Lysa Arryn and for the sake of the King, his father had considered it.
Robb stood from the table and seized Sansa’s arm to her surprise. « Come on, let’s go see the Queen.» Sansa’s mouth gaped open but let him led her to the high table. Robb stood straight when two pairs of eyes landed on them. As much as his mother’s gaze was warm and familiar, it was also intimidating.
«Your Grace.» He said solemn bowing his head, Sansa repeating after him.
«What lovely children you have.» Cercei mused to his mother not withdrawing her eyes from them. «Robb is that it?» He nodded glancing at his mother. « Yes your Grace.» Cercei took a deep breath and looked back at his mother, whose blue eyes were filled with pride, as they were most of the time. «The two of you are spitting images of your mother. Did you make this dress yourself little dove? » His sister bowed her head to what might be her future mother-in-law if kitchen gossips were true.« Very pretty, you’ll have to make one for me. » Sansa bowed again.« Yes, your Grace. » Robb let Sansa go and took a step toward his mother completing breaking eye contact with the Queen.
«Mother, may I show you what I got father for his nameday? She smiled gratefully at him taking the opportunity to leave the high table. «Of course Robb.» She stood and contoured the large table, he offered her his arm and escorted her away from the hall, Robb could feel the Queen’s heavy gaze on his back, in the short time she had been here, he’d noticed how suspicious she looked, and how she lived up to her name. She was a beautiful woman with golden hair and the features of beauty however she was cold, indifferent, untrustworthy and it made it impossible to appreciate her traits.
«Thank you, Robb.» His mother’s voice snapped him out of his thoughts, and he realized he scarcely knew where he was heading. «There’s no gift, is there?» She looked straight into his eyes, he was her height now and it had been odd not to look up when she addressed him now. Robb shook his head grinning. « No, there is not mother. But I thought you might need a break. You’ve been sitting there for hours. I don’t even know how you stood talking to her for that long. »
She brought a hand to his cheek, and he leaned in her touch, forever appreciating the comfort and safety of the gesture. « Robb, don’t say such things. She is the Queen. It doesn’t matter whether I appreciate her company or not. I’ll have you consider her with the respect she deserves. » He felt his voice lowering.« She doesn’t have respect. Neither for the King, neither for you, neither for father. »
He caught sight of a slight smile at the corner of her lips. « And she is the Queen. There’s nothing else to say, Robb. I have no wish to go back there yet, would you walk with me a little more? » He nodded and took once again her arm leading her through the corridors he had grown to know well.
When they came back to the Great Hall, Robb noticed that many people were gone, the evening was still young and he saw no reason to it until he noted the absence of both the King and Queen. His father saw them from the other side of the hall and walked to them. Robb let his father take his mother’s arm when he leveled them, sighing in relief.
«Cat, Robb, I’m glad you’re back. Robert and Cercei have retired, one from boredom and the other from… » Robb grinned at his father for pausing half-way through his sentence, fearing people would hear out loud what everyone thought silently. From whoring. Surely the gone people had retired with their King. His father winded an arm around his mother, and they exchanged a few words for what seemed the first time since the beginning of the feast. It had been his father’s nameday feast and yet it had been all about Robert Baratheon and his wife. The sound of music filled the air, and Robb watched the remaining people immediately stand. Sansa was invited to dance by Theon, and Arya by Bran, twirling around was more like it.
Robb turned to ask his mother to dance, but he saw his parents already a few feet away, as close as possible in public. His father hated to dance and yet, there he was. Robb knew his parents shared way more than a dutiful marriage, he’d heard enough songs from Sansa to know that they were in love. Cercei’s behavior towards her husband was nothing like his mother’s, she never spoke to the King, barely touched him or looked at him, and he knew that it had somehow affected Joffrey’s behavior too. He wished for a good wedding then, fearing otherwise it would make him a bitter man who, like the king, was whoring more than loving.
«Stark! » Robb turned his head and saw Jon coming toward him, a very empty glass in his hand. « How many did you have? You look like Robert. » Jon mumbled and placed his elbow on his shoulder. His brother had been seated to another table since the King had been here and his table companion didn’t care for manners and thus had way more alcohol than he had. At some point, he’d seen him flirting with some southern girl whose shape was almost outrageous with generosity.
The hall slowly drunken-ed with music and more ale, the cook brought cakes for his father and the Winterfell men and women sang their lungs out for his lord father. Robb noted how the high table had emptied except for his father who seemed to take very good care of a pitcher of wine in front of him, the royals being gone, the whole atmosphere of the feast had turned into something more convivial, familiar. His mother was twirling on the dance floor, and he had lost count of the dance partner she’d had, she was smiling brightly at everyone, the wine bringing heat to her face. Suddenly the tune changed drastically and he recognized the northern notes he’d heard his entire life.
«A song!» Someone shouted. Some folks began singing in the old tongue, raising their glasses to his father who had left the high table and rejoined his mother in the front middle of the hall. Rodrick Cassel and his son were very implied in the song and gave life to their words by flinging arms in the air.
«Lady Stark! A song! »
Robb tried to see who spoke something so carelessly but soon, many voices covered him by requesting the same of his mother whose blush blossomed for everyone to see. He hated how he had inherited that blush from her, it made him feel uncomfortable and vulnerable, however, it was lovely on her.
She was sitting on a bench with his siblings and was trying to take the attention off her by pouring herself another glass of wine. Robb came closer and chuckled when his own father asked her to sing a song as well.
« My lady, for my nameday? »
Her blue eyes shot up and rolled, the room cheered when they saw her stand and clear her throat. His mother had a beautiful voice, it was not special but it held honesty and he’d learned over the years that honesty in songs was what made them beautiful to hear. His mother always sung for his younger siblings like she had for him and he’d come to know her tunes very well. She had taken those southerns songs with her when she came north to Winterfell, and it was nice to see the contrast with the cold tunes coming from the frozen lands he’d been raised in.
Robb sat down next to Sansa whose eyes were fixed on their mother and father, such a romantic. The room fell silent, and his mother’s silvery voice filled the room.
Moon River, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style someday
Old dream maker, you heartbreaker
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend
My huckleberry friend, Moon River, and me.
His parents exchanged looks and Robb could say the whole room had been charmed, for the end of the song was followed by a long silence. Slowly claps and cheers were heard and Sansa was on the front lines of it.
«To Lady Stark!» Robb rose his glass along with the others and smiled. Yes, his parents had nothing alike with the royal couple. He watched as his father went right up to his mother and kissed her hand not very lordly like.
«Hell of a woman. Wonder if that’ll be Lady Stark only present to Lord Stark tonight. » Robb turned around and saw a man patting another one on the shoulder.« Aye, he’ll likely make her sing with his cock ya know. I wonder if the river she sings about is her cunt.»
Robb walked up to the drunken man and gripped him by the collar of his shirt, looking daggers at him. « Say that again!»
The two fools mumbled looking down. Robb could say the wine had loosened their tongues, but he wouldn’t allow people to talk about his mother like this.
« Sorry, my lord! It was only a joke. I meant no disrespect. »
He noticed the grin on the other man’s face and felt the blood boiling in his veins. « Yet you did. I’ll have - »
Robb was interrupted by a hand on his shoulder. «What’s the matter, son?» Robb appreciated the features of the man at the end of his arm. He was terrified.
«Nothing my lord! Nothing for you to worry about!» The poor man attempted.
«My son is holding your collar for nothing? » Robb looked over his shoulder at his father, his mother had stayed behind with his siblings and he noticed that his shouts had alerted the whole room, everyone was looking at him.
«He disrespected mother.»
His father glared at the man. « What did he say?» Robb shook his head. « I won’t say it.» Robb loosened his grip on the man when his father led the man out of the room. He followed but was halted by his mother’s voice.
«Robb? What is it? » He looked everywhere but to her face. «He disrespected the King and Queen…»
When he was out of the hall, he looked around and saw the man pinned against a wall with his nose bloodied. « If I ever hear you or your companion speak of my lady wife like that again I’ll have your tongue cut, is that clear?» The man eagerly nodded begging to be released.
As soon as his feet hit the floor, he stumbled and ran away from the hall, probably the castle. « I take it he told you.»
His father cleared his throat and looked down wiping the man's blood off his fist. «He did. You did the right thing Robb, but you should have taken him outside the hall. People are nosy.» He nodded and walked toward the gate again. « I must admit that I didn’t think much then… »
Robb tried very hard to forget to comparison the drunken man had done when the next evening he overheard his mother sing Moon River to Rickon who’d elected it as his favorite. I’m never singing that song again.