The Wolf and The Doe || Robb Stark || Game of Thrones

~ ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔖𝔢𝔳𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔢𝔫 ~

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"I can't let you in, I don't know you, My Lady", one stubborn guard of the Stark camp was taking it too far.
"How can you not know her? She's your Lady!", Ser Tomas was starting to get angry.
"Tell Lord Stark to come here", Ser Rych tried to be calm.
"Who are you to give me orders?", guard asked, "Lord Stark has better things to do than..."
"For fuck's sake, get out of my way", Sofya jumped off her horse and pushed the man's chest. He reached for his sword but two knights have stopped him.
"Intruders! Intruders!", guard kept shouting and all the men turned around to look at Sofya, surprised to see an elegant Lady, that wasn't Catelyn Stark, in the middle of the camp.
"Oh, shut the fuck up, it's Lady Sofya Stark", Roose Bolton approached the guard and the two knights, "How could you not recognise your Lady? Shame on you, boy!", he turned around and hurried to Sofya's side, "I am deeply sorry, Lady Stark. It shouldn't have happened. Excuse my bad language as well", he kissed the palm of her hand nonchalantly.
"Lord Bolton, I am so glad to see you here", Sofya smiled at him, "Where can I find my husband...?"
"What in the seven hells are you doing here?!", Robb's voice made her heart almost jump out of her chest.
"I believe he's here", Lord Bolton smiled at her and took a step back not to stand in the way, "Stop staring, all of you! Go back to work!", he ordered the men around who were watching the scene curiously.
"Robb!", Sofya ran into her husband's arms, not caring much about what people in the camp may think, "Gods, Robb, I am so glad to be finally here...", she whispered putting her hands on his cheeks, "Lord Frey has informed me about your father... I am devastated"
Robb looked down. She noticed that he had to be crying not so long ago. His Tully eyes kept no secrets from her.
Lady Catelyn was more than surprised not only to see Lady Sofya in the camp, but also to see her son in a loving hug with his wife. Robb told his mother that his marriage had been going better, but she didn't expect it to be actually that good. Catelyn felt anxious as well - she thought that Sofya decided to visit them because something bad happened in Winterfell. Or maybe she was so mad at her mother-in-law that she wanted to confront her in person.
"Lady Catelyn...", Sofya looked at Robb's mother approaching them.
"Let's talk inside the tent. I don't want all these men to hear", Robb interrupted them as he took his wife's hand gently.
He couldn't believe his eyes. Sofya being by his side was a dream come true. But he perfectly knew that she had to be scolded for that - it was dangerous and risky.
They entered Robb's tent. Ser Rych and Ser Tomas followed them quietly.
"I'm sorry I left Winterfell", Sofya started and sighed, "I'm sorry I didn't write a letter about it as well. I didn't want you to focus more on that than on the war", she looked at her husband.
"Why did you leave? Did something bad happen there?", Catelyn asked in a shaky voice.
"There? No. Everything is fine there. Bad things are happening here", Sofya gave her a deadly look and Catelyn looked down.
"Sofya, please, it is not the right time... After my father's death...", Robb tried to calm his wife down.
"It is alright. I didn't come here to fight with my family. I came here because I can't sit in Winterfell and only read the letters about you, Stannis and Renly being at war. Not when you are not the allies. And I don't want to receive more letters about my unborn children's betrothals. I want to be there when the important decisions are being made. Because they're affecting my family", Sofya stated, "Lady Catelyn, do not worry. Bran and Rickon are fine and safe under Maester Luwin's protection. So is Winterfell. The Tyrells sold us grain and we saved some gold"
Robb looked at his wife with admiration in his blue eyes.
"How...?", he asked.
"My brother's about to marry Tyrell's daughter", Sofya informed, "That is no victory of mine"
"I have no doubts that my sons and castle are safe. I am worried that you came here alone", Lady Catelyn smiled at her daughter-in-law. She was never fond of Sofya but everything looked like it was about to change.
"I was not alone. Benygne went with me. And... Ser Rych with Ser Tomas. Their bravery saved our lives many times on the road", she smiled at her knights.
"That is an exaggeration, My Lady", Ser Rych smiled and bowed down.
"Thank you for keeping my wife safe. You will be rewarded later", Robb nodded his head at them.
"We are leaving tomorrow morning, My Lord", Ser Tomas informed.
"Where to?"
"Back to Winterfell. That is our Lady's wish to protect the castle. We don't have many men there"
"You can leave and rest now, thank you", Sofya smiled at them and they smiled back before leaving the tent.
Robb hugged Sofya as tight as possible the moment they disappeared. His mother quietly left them alone to give them some privacy.
"I felt terrible leaving Rickon and Bran.... But I had to be with you", Sofya whispered.
"You're stubborn and stupid. You risked your life", Robb caressed her face and leaned in to kiss her. The kiss was gentle but eager at the same time. Like a reunion but also like a promise.
"I'm just like Robert, aren't I?", she asked with a smile, "A true Baratheon"
"And a true Stark", Robb added which made her heart beat like crazy.
He had no idea how happy his words made her.
"Do you want to talk about your father?", she asked carefully.
"Later. I am about to have a council with the lords now. We are going to choose between the alliance with Stannis and the alliance with Renly", Robb informed his wife.
"Oh"
"So? What's your opinion?", he asked.
"You'll know my opinion during the council", she smiled at him and caressed his arm.
"Um... Don't you want to rest now?"
"No", Sofya took a step back and furrowed her brows, "You don't want me there, do you?"
"It's not the right place for women"
"Does it mean your mother won't be there?"
"Sofya..."
"I didn't risk my life and didn't come here all the way from Winterfell to wait for you in the tent and warm your bed. I came here to help you making decisions", she hissed, "I grew up in The Red Keep. I know some ways and I know few people. I can be useful"
"I didn't mean it like that... I don't know what other lords may say...", Robb started while scratching his head.
"What do you care?", Sofya snorted and turned around to see Grey Wind entering the tent.
He jumped on her the moment he saw her.
"Oh, baby!", she laughed as he started licking her face and his tail started to wave like crazy, "You're so big, I almost fell down", she giggled petting the happy wolf's head.
"Alright", Robb smiled a little at the sight, "The meeting starts in an hour. Get ready"
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Northern Lords had to think she was insane. Not only she joined her husband at the war but also she brought few fancy dresses with her. They didn't understand one thing - Lady Sofya wanted to use her beauty and her wit to charm their enemies. She couldn't be negotiating while wearing a potato sack.
This time she wanted to look pretty for the first time in a long time and to intimidate Robb's bannermen. She wore one of the dresses she had taken with herself from the King's Landing long time ago. It was black and yellow like the colours of House Baratheon. On her finger there was a ring from Lord Tyrion - the direwolf and the stag on it were reminding of the union between her ancestors' house and her husband's one.
She was sitting between Robb and his mother, feeling like every Northern Lord was looking at her with despise in his eyes. Almost every Northern Lord.
"We are lucky to have Lady Sofya with us tonight", Roose Bolton stood up and smiled at his Lady, "She's a sister to both, Stannis and Renly. She knows them more than any of us"
No one said anything but it was clear they didn't care about her opinion.
Robb looked at his wife and shook his head to show her that it was the right time for her to speak. Sofya tried to pretend that her hands weren't sweaty and voice wasn't shaky. She'd rather spend another day on the road with the surrounding danger than speak to all these lords.
"S-Stannis is the eldest", she started looking at the faces of the men in front of her, "He fought bravely with King Robert and Lord Eddard against The Targaryens. But Renly is the fresh blood. And so is our Lord, Robb Stark. Fresh blood is what we need. Men like Robert and Lord Ned seem to be losing against the old tricks of Lannisters...", she had to stop and wait for a second because some men were whispering to each other about her being a Lannister. She closed her eyes for that moment, pretending to be deaf and swallowing her pride, "Stannis may repeat their mistakes. I love him, he is my brother, I'd love him to cooperate with Renly. But if that is impossible and we must choose, I'd choose Renly. His alliance with The Tyrells makes him quite powerful and Stannis has always been rather distant and cold, even towards his own family. I've also heard that he converted into different faith and made friends with a dangerous woman from Asshai"
"I'm sorry to interrupt you, my love, but how do you know she's dangerous?", Robb asked worried.
"She's from Asshai", Sofya repeated fluttering her eyelashes.
"Excuse me, but... What does it mean? Why does it make her dangerous?", Robb asked.
Sofya snorted a little and looked at the Northern lords but they seemed to be as uninformed as her husband. She sighed.
"What have any of you ever learnt during your classes? Asshai is a city located in the far east of Essos. It's a very dangerous and dark place. Some people actually call it The Shadow", Sofya tried to explain without sounding arrogant although she wanted to be, "It's a city of dark magic, they even know how to resurrect people there"
"With all respect, My Lady, do you believe in that?!", Lord Umber asked trying not to snort.
"I don't know if that is true. I'm telling you what I know because Stannis' new friendship may be dangerous. I want the best for..."
"How can we know that she's not leading us into the trap?", one of the lords asked, "Maybe she wants us to have an alliance with Renly because that would be the end of us?!", he shouted and some lords nodded their heads.
Sofya sat down without a word. She felt like crying.
"Lord Whitehill, you ought to show respect to your Lady", Robb stood up and hissed at the man, "Disrespecting my Lady Wife is like disrespecting me directly"
Everyone went silent for a moment. Robb sat down again, still watching Lord Whitehill closely.
"The proper course is clear - pledge fealty to King Renly and move south to join our forces with his", Lord Jonos Bracken broke the awkward silence.
"Renly is not the king", despite Sofya's speech, Robb still wasn't sure.
"You cannot mean to hold to Joffrey, my lord. He put your father to death", Lord Bracken remided him.
Sofya moved uncomfortably on her seat. The thought of her nephew, or at least a boy she considered her nephew, killing her father-in-law was overwhelmingly crushing.
"That doesn't make Renly king. He's Robert's youngest brother. lf Bran can't be Lord of Winterfell before me, Renly can't be king before Stannis", Robb was stubborn about it.
Maybe his wife was right about her brothers. But Robb wanted to act lawfully - it was one of the many things his father had taught him.
Sofya bit her lip trying not to be angry at her husband. Of course he didn't have to listen to her advices. But she still felt irritated.
"Do you mean to declare us for Stannis?", Jonos asked.
"Renly is not right! lf we put ourselves behind Stannis...", Lord Galbart Glover started.
"My Lords. My Lords!", Lord Umber interrupted them shouting as he rised from his seat, "Here is what l say to these two kings!", he exclaimed and spat on the ground.
Sofya closed her eyes and took a deep breath. If only she was a man... If she was a man she would stand up, raise her sword and tell Greatjon Umber that disrespecting her brothers may cost him his head. She secretly hoped that Robb would do it but he didn't even move while other lords were laughing.
"Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine from some flowery seat in the South?", Lord Umber continued, "What do they know of the Wall or the Wolfswood?", he kept asking and people around them were nodding their heads, "Even their gods are wrong!"
The sound of laughing filled the air again. Sofya noticed a small smirk on her husband's face. Theon Greyjoy, the one she despised, was there too, smirking and laughing. She didn't expect that she would be regretting joining her husband so fast. She was in the camp for two hours and already wished to be back in Winterfell.
Maybe Robb indeed loved her as he claimed in his letters. But he was coming from a different world than her. Her world was on fire at the moment so she had to learn how to live in his.
"Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? lt was the dragons we bowed to and now the dragons are dead!", Greatjon's voice became serious once again as he unsheathed his sword and pointed Robb with it, "There sits the only king l mean to bend my knee to - the King in the North!", he kneeled down.
It was so silent that Sofya could hear her own heartbeat which was faster than her horse galloping to the South. Lady Catelyn's face was worried. Rebellion was not a good idea in her  Tully eyes. Robb didn't know what to do so he looked at his wife with the corner of his own Tully eye.
He looked at her like she knew what to do. She didn't. She probably knew less than him. But she took a deep breath and nodded her head slightly. Rebellion was always a good idea in her Baratheon eyes. She had nothing to worry about - Robb was an excellent leader. She didn't want him to be at war at all, but if he was already fighting, he could have been fighting as The King.
Robb Stark stood up.
"l'll have peace on those terms. They can keep their Red Castle and their iron chair too", Lord Rickard Karstark was first to support Lord Umber and he kneeled down in front of Robb as well, with his sword unsheathed.
Theon Greyjoy was the next one.
"Am l your brother, now and always?", he asked Robb.
Sofya thought it was impudent for the ward to ask his Lord such thing. But maybe she just didn't like Theon and she wouldn't be pleased with anything he'd ever do.
"Now and always", Robb assured him and Theon took out his sword before bowing down.
"My sword is yours in victory and defeat, from this day until my last day", Greyjoy promised.
His words reminded Sofya of her wedding vows. She raised herself as well, knowing that all the distrustful eyes were on her.
"My brother fought by Lord Eddard's side and he won thanks to his bravery and wisdom. Our current victories are proving that his son is no different. The union between House Baratheon and House Stark feels natural to me and my Lord Husband Robb Stark is the only King of no Baratheon descent that I would ever bow down to", she looked at him and smiled a little, "All hail the King in the North", she kneeled down.
It was something she would never expect her pride to let her do. But she wanted the Northern Lords to finally look at her more kindly. And she actually wanted Robb to feel her support.
"The King in The North!", Lord Umber yelled after giving Sofya a small smile.
His small smile meant to her more than anything that night. Lord Greatjon's sympathy and respect was difficult to earn.
"The King in the North! The King in the North!", all the lords chanted taking out their swords and kneeling down.
Lady Catelyn was the only one still sitting, the rest of the people were kneeling in front of her son. She forced herself to smile warmly at him despite being worried. He looked around kind of scared and kind of impressed. He felt pride filling his chest as he looked down at his wife.
"There's no need for The Queen to kneel in front of The King", he stated and extended his hand towards Sofya before helping her to stand up with a loving smile.
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