BLIZZARD: Winter Is Coming VOL 7 (ROBB STARK X OC)

The First Snow of Winter

I thought they turned out perhaps slightly better than before but who am I to be biased and give my opinion? No one but a stupid girl who can't even hold her marriage together. We spent our first two weeks as strangers who try to get to know the other but I couldn't speak to Robb. Each word he uttered I just hoped it would be about Aerion, that maybe- just maybe... He'd tell me about what happened.

He nearly told me something when we shared our first dance. A friend of mine taught me years ago. He was a great dancer. I hoped it would have gone further into a conversation about it. That maybe that night had my father not ruined it for us we could have done our duties passionately and truly enjoyed it. I imagined after that Robb would just confess it all to me. Tell me what happened. Tell me how it aches his heart. Trust in me to heal his heart and soul.

Because that's what I want to do with him.

But it's done nothing but shred me to ribbons that I can't even see through the window to his soul. He's built a wall and each time I try to break through he adds another layer. Another defense for me to break down. I can't do this.

I can't live my life fighting to love him if he can't love me.

"Robb is no animal." I muttered. "He's a good man. I think."

"You think?" She paused and then shook her head. "He's looking for one thing and one thing only, Flower. He wants an heir and he wants to lay claim to the gold your grandfather is leaving you in his will."

"Robb hardly wants an heir." I argued. "He can take the gold. I never wanted it anyways."

My mother grabbed me by my shoulders and breathed heavily with rage in her eyes. Her lip quivering as though she were to cry tears of anger just by hearing me utter those words. It's true though, Lannister gold means nothing to me, Baratheon pride means nothing to me, life slowly means nothing to me.

"You are a Lannister-"

"I'm a Stark now." I argued and then held up my hand for my mother to see the gold ring on my finger that had the sigil of House Stark pressed into it.

"By blood you are a Lannister. You are my daughter, my pride and joy- you are your grandfather's heir to Casterly Rock, you get the land and the gold. All of it. My father knew from the moment Joffrey was born that there was no hope for you to ascend the Iron Throne so he secured our ancestral home for you. All the riches... Just for you."

"I don't want it. Give it to Tommen. I have all of the north now." I shrugged. "That's much greater than Casterly Rock."

"You would have the north and the west. You'd need two create two heirs in that case. One for Robb's seat in the north and yours in the west where you belong... Where I should have sent you years ago. My father would have kept you safe-"

"I. Don't. Want. It." I argued more but it seemed as though she was not understanding it. "Give it to Myrcella or Tommen. I don't want the west or the fucking gold. It means nothing to me."

A slap landed across my face and placed my hand to my cheek. Shocked and gasping at my mother who seemed to be unbothered by the fact she just struck me. This wasn't new for her but you'd think since I'm not a married woman and in my new home she'd show me the slightest bit of respect. But in her eyes she's still the queen and will always have the upper hand.

She glared at me and then rose to her feet. Pointing her finger at me and shaking her head. "Where did I go wrong with you? With Joffrey? Even Myrcella has begun to rebel against your father and I. You know... I felt awful for forcing you to go through what I went through. I though perhaps it would mend this broken relationship in our family between you and I. Between your father and I seeing as he got his way and had Baratheon blood bound together with Stark blood. Now I see you as you are, your own righteousness. You will be swallowed whole by your madness soon enough, Alana. And I will not sit here while you are."