Bad Blood // Theon Greyjoy

7. Not your concern

"What do you think would happen if we kissed right here, right now?" Nova asked as Theon dug his hands into the pockets, he stared back at her.

"I think it would cause a riot."

"Well, you know me," Nova said quietly, tilting her head up to him. "Causing a riot is what I do best." Theon licked at his lips, he wanted to but Sansa spoke up and Nova pulled away slightly.

"Come with me." Sansa begged.

"I don't want to meet the queen." Nova remarked. "Go on be brave." Nova urged helping Rickon cut his meat.

"Nova please." Sansa begged, Nova groaned but got up.
"Yes meet your mother in law to be." Robb mused and Nova threw her napkin back at him.

"Theon, talk to my father." She hissed. Theon glanced back at Ned.

"You like her, this might be your last chance." Bran told him.

"You all honestly knew and kept your loud mouths quiet this long?" Theon pondered.

'Is this your first time in the North, Your Grace?' Catelyn asked in desperation to make a good impression on the royal family.

'Yes. Lovely country.' Cersei said blandly.

'I'm sure it's very grim, after Kings Landing. I remember how scared I was when Ned brought me up here for the first time.' Catelyn went on as Sansa and Nova approached the front table and Sansa smiled shyly up at Cersei. Nova was looking back at Theon and Robb but Sansa grabbed her arm facing her forward.

'Hello, little dove. But you are a beauty. How old are you?' Cersei questioned and Sansa's little heart fluttered

'Thirteen, Your Grace.' She answered

'You're tall. Still growing?' Cersei questioned looking to a rather bored Nova.

'I think so, Your Grace.' Sansa said confused.

' And have you bled yet?' Cersei questioned and sansa stared at her mother clearly discomfited by the questioned but Catelyn nodded for her to answer.

'No, Your Grace.' Sansa told her, Cersei nodded stiffly.

'And your dress. Did you make it?' Cersei went on and Sansa was too nervous to speak she nodded. 'Such talent. You must make something for me.' Sansa nodded happily as she turned but stopped as the queen spoke again. "What about you?" Nova stopped turning back to cersei. "What was your name?"

"Nova. Your grace." She added

"And how old are you?"

"Sixteen, your grace." Nova answered stiffly. "I have bled as well, although I don't see how that is your concern, it is quite a private matter and to ask someone such a thing on first meeting, well that's both disgusting and appalling." Nova remarked and Catelyn gasped, Sansa's eyes went wide as she let go of Nova and slowly backed away.

"Your grace a hungrily beg your pardon, Nova must be tired." Catelyn remarked glaring back at Nova.

"How lovely you are." Cersei told her stiffly.

"Your grace." Nova said with a smug curtsey as she headed off.

'I hear we might share a grandchild someday.' Cersei said turning to Catelyn

'I... hear the same.' Catelyn agreed hoping that Nova didn't just burn this union.

'Your daughter, Sansa will do well in the capital. Such a beauty shouldn't stay hidden up here forever.' Cersei told her confidently and Catelyn nodded.

Nova stark was completely and utterly in love with her fathers ward Theon grey joy. She had been for years. Theon adored Nova thought the world of her and now he had to man up. Joffrey headed over to the starks table as theon got up to talk to Ned but he couldn't move. He watched Joffrey saunter over, that smug look on his blonde face and sit down right next to Nova. Her eyes pleaded across the room to Theon.

"I hear we are to be wed." Joffrey remarked and Sansa's heart plummeted.

"I don't hear that. I didn't hear that at all." Nova told him. "Did you?" Nova asked her siblings and an agreement of Nope Not Nova was echoed. "Must be someone else." Nova offered innocently.

"Nova Stark." Joffrey clarified.

"No, no Nova here." Nova told him. "Sansa, arya, Norma, that's me. nova is one of the dogs, are you to marry a dog?" Nova questioned and Joffrey's smug smile faltered.

"Lord Stark." Theon's eyes kept flickering past Ned to Nova and Joffrey.

"What Theon?"

"I was... hoping that... I would..." Theon swallowed the lump in his throat.

"You think yourself funny?" Joffrey asked his hand smacking down on the table flipping her plate, Nova flinched back, Ned turned to the noise. "I am a prince." He reminded her.

"As though the crown wasn't obvious." Nova muttered.

"You will treat me with respect!" He shouted.

"I'm not marrying you." Nova told him. "You got your information wrong. You and I shall never be wed." Nova snapped. Theon moved quickly back to Nova's side as she stood up facing off against the prince.

"You ungrateful little-' Joffrey began but Theon spun Nova around. And without thinking, without planning it, without worrying about the fact that a hundred people were watching, Theon kissed Nova.

He kissed her fiercely, with an utter abandon that Nova could swear time stopped around them. She wrapped her hands around his neck pulling him deeper into her. Joffrey stuttered out but Nova didn't notice or care, when Theon pulled away Nova bit at her lip as he rested his forehead against her.

"You asked him?" nova hoped.

"I'm asking him right now." Theon corrected and Nova chuckled watching him move back to Ned.

"Theon." Ned said in a way that stopped Theon in his tracks.

"I love your daughter and I want to marry her." Theon told him. "I promise to protect her and cherish her and love her right. For the rest of my days." Ned stared teeth clenched down at theon. Nova could do better than Theon but a union even if it never happened would keep her from marrying Joffrey... but then would robert want sansa for Joffrey? Ned sighed as he looked over to a very hopeful Nova gnawing at her lip. Ned opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He nodded once and Theon stared at him.

"Yes?" he questioned.

"Fine, we will discuss more later. But... fine." Ned agreed.

"Thank you my lord, thank you!" Theon told him and Nova couldn't tell by the look on her fathers face if he agreed or not but the smile on Theon's said it all.

"He said yes?" Nova questioned as Theon picked her up spinning her around.

"He said yes." He said fine, but it was the same Theon assumed as he kissed her again.

Meanwhile, Arya flipped food across the table and onto Sansa's face.

'Arya!' Sansa shouted wiping the potato away. Catelyn signaled a laughing Robb to deal with the girls. Robb wiped the smile off his face and hoisted up Arya.

'Time for bed.' Robb declared

"What?" Arya whined.