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

~ ℭ𝔥𝔞𝔭𝔱𝔢𝔯 𝔗𝔥𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔶 𝔉𝔦𝔳𝔢 ~

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When Sofya saw Lord Karstark walking inside the room handcuffed and with a smirk, like he was still proud of what he's done, she lost control just like few nights before. She screamed and runned in his direction as everyone made wide eyes at her. Lord Rickard took a step back. He's seen what she had done to Lannister's assassin and he didn't want to be The Queen's next victim.
Robb's reaction was fast as he grabbed Sofya by her arm a second before she reached Lord Karstark. She turned around and he almost let her go, terrified of her eyes. Those weren't Sofya's eyes. Unless she was an animal.
"Calm down!", Robb shouted at her. It was easier for him since she didn't look like his wife anymore.
"Let me go!", she ordered and he slowly stopped squeezing her arm but this time she walked back to the place where two bodies were laying.
Robb faced Lord Karstark and clenched his jaw, trying not to think about his wife's weird behaviour at the moment. Another four handcuffed men entered the chamber and stood behind Lord Rickard.
"Is that all of them? It took five of you to murder two unarmed squires?", The King asked squinting his eyes at his bannerman.
"Not murder, Your Grace. Vengeance", Karstark explained.
Lady Catelyn looked at her daughter-in-law. She was looking down and playing with her hands maniacally like she was trying to stop herself from attacking Rickard once again. The Queen was shaking out of anger and she bit her lip so hard that it started bleeding. Lady Stark hated to admit that she was scared of her.
"Vengeance?", Robb asked, "Those boys didn't kill your sons. I saw Harrion die on the battlefield and Torrhen..."
"Was strangled by the Kingslayer. They were his kin", Lord Rickard remained stubborn.
"They were boys!", Robb shouted and everyone went silent, "Look at them", he ordered.
Sofya looked up finally as all the people inside the chamber were staring at her and two dead bodies on the floor in front of her.
"Tell your mother to look at them. She killed them as much as I", Lord Karstark said.
"My mother had nothing to do with this. This was your treason", Robb explained drawling out.
"It's treason to free your enemies. In war, you kill your enemies. Did your father not teach you that, boy?"
Lord Brynden punched Lord Karstark in the face. He fell down to the ground.
"Leave him", Robb told his uncle.
His wife couldn't understand. Why was he so soft? Why didn't he just unsheathe his sword and decapitate his bannerman? That's what she would do.
Well, there was something called war code. That's why he didn't kill Lord Whitehill right away after his treason. Sofya wouldn't give a damn about the war code. She was sure that people winning wars weren't following any rules.
"Aye, leave me to The King", Lord Karstark looked up at Lord Tully, "He wants to give me a scolding before he sets me free", he stood up, "That's how he deals with treason. Our King in the North. Or should I call him the King Who Lost the North?", he asked ironically.
Everyone looked at Robb in silence. Sofya clenched her jaw and approached them.
"You're lucky I have been stopped, Lord Karstark. I'd rip your poisonous tongue off before crushing your skull and slitting your throat", she drawled out in contempt.
"How does it come that your wife has more balls than you?", he smirked at Robb and The King tried to hide his anger, "You know she would totally do that. That bastard in her is turning her insane"
Sofya could kill him right away but she didn't even answer. She looked at her husband and she liked what she saw. He was furious.
"Escort Lord Karstark to the dungeon. Hang the rest", Robb ordered.
Soldiers behind Lord Rickard started to protest.
"Mercy, sire! I didn't kill anyone. I only watched for the guards", one of them pleaded.
"This one was only the watcher. Hang him last so he can watch the others die", Robb drawled out and turned around to leave the chamber but he grabbed his wife's arm on his way, "You're going with me", he whispered in a serious tone.
"Please! Please, no. They made me do it! They made me! They made me!", the man kept screaming while the guards were dragging him out.
Robb closed the door behind him and pushed his wife against the cold wall. He did it carefully but it still made her feel uneasy since he's never been like that around her.
"What in the seven hells was that?!", he asked her leaning in.
"So you think the same thing as the traitor? I'm going insane?", Sofya asked.
"It's not about that. Answer me"
"I don't understand the question", she teased with a smirk.
"I don't like this version of you"
"And I don't like this version of you", she answered trying to get away but he was locking her way out with his body.
"What version of me?", Robb asked.
"If we lose this war it's going to be because of you. Lord Bolton was right, you're too soft and too forgiving. You're too kind. You want to know why Karstark did this? You want to know why he murdered the boys? Because he thought he'd be forgiven"
"So he must be disappointed now"
"It doesn't matter NOW", Sofya rolled her eyes.
"What you're trying to say then? That I should have hanged my own mother for treason? That would make them respect me? Really? Would you respect a King hanging his own mother? Or would you just fear him and look for any chance to get rid of him?", Robb shook his head.
"Why... Why are you even saying such a thing? It's not about your mother"
"It is. They're angry at me for treating her too kind"
"I am angry at you for treating everyone too kind", Sofya told him.
"Maybe you're right. I'm too kind for some people. Like you, for example", The King finished and took a step back.
His wife was left speechless as he came back to the chamber where his mother and uncle were waiting for him. Sofya followed Robb in silence, trying not to cry. He sat behind the desk and she stood next to him.
"Word of this can't leave Riverrun. They were Tywin Lannister's nephews. The Lannisters pay their debts. They never stop talking about it", Lord Edmure started.
Sofya snorted. She didn't care anymore if the Tullys liked her or not.
"Would you make me a liar as well as a murderer?", Robb asked.
"It wouldn't be lying. We will bury them and remain silent until the war is done", his uncle explained.
"What if someone has buried Bran and Rickon somewhere in a big secret while we're hoping to see them again?", Sofya asked swallowing her tears and raising her head.
Lady Catelyn made wide eyes at her daughter-in-law's words.
"I'm not fighting for justice if I don't serve justice to murderers in my ranks, no matter how highborn. He has to die", Robb insisted, clearly ignoring his Lady Wife.
"The Karstarks are Northmen. They won't forgive the killing of their Lord", Lady Catelyn approached them.
"Just like Lord Whitehill didn't forgive?", Sofya asked squinting her eyes, "If they are lawful people they will understand. If they are not, we do not need them by our side"
"I know The Karstarks more than both of you. Please, spare his life. Keep him as a hostage", Lady Catelyn pleaded looking at her son.
"A hostage. Tell the Karstarks that as long as they remain loyal, he will not be harmed", Lord Edmure added.
Robb didn't say anything as he was processing all the thoughts in his head.
"He has to die", The King stated finally and his mother looked away shaking her head.
"You're making a big mistake, my son. What for? Just to prove something?", she suddenly gave Sofya an unpleasant look.
Her daughter-in-law moved uncomfortably. She felt so angry and hurt that she couldn't keep her mouth shut. In times like these she was more of a Baratheon. Perhaps she's always been only a Baratheon.
"You're a mother, Lady Stark", Sofya told her, "Look at these boys, come on, look at them. Would you spare life of your children's murderer?", Sofya asked and waited a moment in silence, "Because I would slit a throat of anyone who would even try to murder my child. Oh, wait. I have already done that", she turned around to look at her husband. Robb couldn't believe in his wife's behaviour, "And now I'm being called insane for that", she added before leaving the chamber in a rush.
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Robb smiled sadly seeing Grey Wind waiting for him in front of the door to his chamber.
"Just like in the old times, right? Only you and me", he petted his head and sighed, "I fucked up again, didn't I?"
"Yes, you did", his wife's voice almost made him jump in his place as he raised his head and saw her leaning on the door in her nightgown.
"Sofya, I...", he started but she turned around and disappeared inside the chamber mysteriously. He followed her, "I shouldn't have said that. My anger is not my excuse. You know that I love and respect you. But your anger shouldn't be your excuse neither. I've seen your face, Sofya. You weren't yourself", he told her.
She was looking behind the window but turned around when he finished.
"Are you killing him only to prove something to me?"
"No. It is the right thing to do. I can't look at the boys and stop imagining that they could have been our sons"
"Cersei didn't kill Sansa and she had many occasions to. If people find out about these murders, they will make us look like we're the bad ones in this story", Sofya said.
"So you don't want me to kill him?", Robb asked confused.
"What do you care? You're not doing it for me, are you?", his wife approached him with a smile.
"I'm just curious..."
"I want you to kill him. Damn, I'd ask you to let me kill him if I weren't pregnant. But maybe your stupid uncle is right", she sighed.
"I don't understand"
"We are thinking of our children while looking at the boys. We are thinking like parents already. And we should be thinking like The King and The Queen. Maybe there are more important things than honour"
"Family, duty, honour", Robb stated.
"I love the fact you're so courteous, kind and rightful", Sofya put her hands around his neck, "I admire that and it makes me proud. But at the same time it annoys me so much, Robb", she gave him a faint smile.
"And I admire your furious spirit although it makes me want to act less courteous towards you", he pressed his forehead to hers, "The Gods had to be laughing on the day your brother and my father made a deal about our marriage"
"No, I don't think they were laughing. They were perfectly aware of what they were doing"
"I'm sorry for what I've said", Robb sighed and brought his wife closer to him, "I'm so sorry..."
"It's alright", Sofya leaned in and kissed him, "I think I deserved it a little bit"
"Do you really think we're going to lose this war because of me?"
"No, of course not", Sofya chuckled, "I think we're going to win this war because of you", she kissed him again. She wanted to believe in her own words but they felt like lies.
"What if The Karstarks really leave us?"
"After I give birth I will be ready to start the negotiations again. I will visit all the Lords that remember me from The King's Landing, that were loyal to Robert and Renly. Your mother will visit her sister and try again to convince her to join us", Sofya told him her plan.
"I love you so much", Robb's eyes glistened as he put his hands on his wife's abdomen and caressed it gently, "Little man, we're so lucky to have her", he smiled.
"Or little woman", Sofya reminded him, "Right, a name for a girl. I don't have one. Do you?"
"Lyanna"
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The sound of heavy rain woke Sofya up very early in the morning. When she opened her eyes she noticed that she was laying in her bed alone which meant that Robb had already left for the execution. She wanted to go with him, she still remembered Lord Whitehill's head rolling over on the ground until it had reached her feet. But her husband wasn't as enthusiastic as her about it.
The Queen stood up and wore a fur coat because it was cold in the chamber. She approached the window and saw people gathering on the courtyard. The thought of Martyn and Willem Lannister being dead was petrifying her. Not only because of the fact they were two young and kind boys. But also because of the fact they were Lannisters. And their family was never supposed to forget that.
No family would ever forget such a thing to be honest. She sighed and caressed her stomach gently. She didn't even want to imagine being in a situation like this.
When Sofya saw her husband on the courtyard, she opened the window because she wanted to hear and see everything properly.
Robb approached Lord Karstark who was surrounded by the guards.
"The blood of the First Men flows through my veins as much as yours, boy", the traitor stated, "I fought the Mad King for your father. I fought Joffrey for you. We are kin - Stark and Karstark"
When Sofya was a child, one of the septas told her that the Northern Men were different. They were wild, rough and primal. It was one of the reasons why The Princess was so afraid of marrying Robb. But it was not him, but his people, that were proving septa's words right.
"That didn't stop you from betraying me. And it won't save you now", Robb told his bannerman coldly.
"I don't want it to save me. I want it to haunt you to the end of your days", Rickard's words sent shivers down Sofya's spine. She held her breath while precisely watching the scene below.
"Kneel, my lord", Robb ordered and Lord Karstark leaned over the table.
Lord Whitehill wasn't as lucky, his execution was in the middle of the camp. He had no table to lean on, he had to be kneeling on the grass. Sofya sometimes regretted killing him. In the hour of his death he was truly sorry. And he was Gwyn's father. But it was done already and no one was able to change the past.
"Rickard Karstark, Lord of Karhold, here in sight of gods and men, I sentence you to die", The King exclaimed while holding his sword, "Would you speak a final word?", he asked.
"Kill me and be cursed! You are no king of mine", Lord Karstark shouted and lost his head few moments later.
Sofya saw anger on her husband's face. But also frustration and confusion. She felt sorry for him.  Every battle they have won was meaningless at the moment. They were losing the war. Their own people stopped respecting them, their friends were dying and their enemies were growing stronger. Lord Karstark didn't have to curse them - they've already been doomed.
Sofya took a step back to close the window but before she did, she noticed Lady Catelyn staring at her from the courtyard. Her Tully eyes were cold as ice and they were looking straight into Sofya's soul.
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