Northern Sun | Robb Stark

Chapter 7

Stannis was unlikely to be kind.

He hadn't exactly been warm when he thought he was Eidalya's uncle. Now that it was known she was a bastard, she doubted he'd have many a kind thing to say to her.

Robb trusted Theon enough to escort her, given he needed most of the men and couldn't spare the most trusted lords. Accompanied by a handful of Umber, Glover, Karstark, and Manderly men, they rode ahead to White Harbor, where the Manderlys would generously acquire a ship to sail them to Dragonstone.

Eidalya left Robb behind, wondering how he'd be when they saw each other again. He'd be a married man, most likely. His mother would probably be sent to Winterfell to see her boys again while Robb stayed at the Twins with the largest garrison.

Maybe he'd like his wife more than he expected himself to.

"The trip will be long, Lady Hand," said Theon as she leaned against the railing, looking out at the ocean. "We'll be there in a fortnight if all goes well. This is a sturdy ship."

"Thank you, Theon," said Eidalya quietly.

He hesitated, then said, "You were right... about my father. When we reached White Harbor, there was a letter waiting. The Ironborn tried to attack Barrowtown. But because you suggested we take men back awhile ago... they were able to send them back to the Iron Islands. My father wants to be King of the Seven Kingdoms."

She smiled weakly. "You're a good man, Theon. Your intentions were in the right place. It's difficult to anticipate what our parents might do... they're our blood, the reason we exist, but they can also be such complicated people."

"I suppose we're not that different, you and I. I apologize for being... well, a cunt in the past. I don't quite like to talk to people who tell me I'm wrong about things."

"Does anyone?" She laughed, shaking her head. "I don't blame you for thinking I was the cunt. It's a terrible truth. Someone has to say it."

For a moment, they were both quiet. "How are you going to manage this?" whispered Theon. "How in the world are you going to broker a good enough deal for Robb? He said... he said that you might be married off..."

"A likely scenario. But not the one that'll happen here. If Stannis had a son, it would be much easier. And gods be damned, I will not be submitting myself to becoming his Queen to give him that son. The situation may change, we may not need a marriage alliance for me."

She wrung her hands together. "At any rate, not many will want their sons to marry me given I'm a bastard. My grandfather would likely find a good match but money would surely be involved. There are few who would take me as I am. Given all our work with the Riverlands— and I shiver to think this but given the way our world is at present, I'm left with no choice but to consider it— if we emerge victorious I may indeed marry Edmure Tully. He's... what, ten or eleven years older than I am? They will need some compensation even if they are Robb's blood."

"Robb wants to marry you," whispered Theon. "Everyone knows it."

"He can't marry me," whispered Eidalya. "He will marry a Frey girl and that will be that."

"He will... but the entire time he's married to her, he'll want you."

"It doesn't matter what he wants."

"It matters when he doesn't know how to hide it. You realize that no matter how beautiful the Frey girl ends up being... he won't set it aside? As vulgar as it is to say, he will see your face on their wedding day. He might say your name accidentally! If Walder Frey were to find out–"

"He won't find out."

"He might, when we return to the Twins–"

Eidalya closed her eyes. "Then I won't go to the Twins. I'll go to Moat Cailin or Winterfell."