Winter In My Heart | ROBB STARK.

XXXVI. Fire and Blood

"What?" She pressed, crossing her arms over her chest.

"You're probably old enough to know now," he sighed, preparing himself for the coming conversation. "Rhaella was particularly unhappy with your father to begin with, even before he lost his mind."

Before she could ask why, he continued anyway, "she loved another."

"What?" She inhaled sharply, that was one of the last things she expected to hear from him.

"It's true," Barristan smiled in resignation, "she fell for a knight from the Stormlands before she even wed your father. I'd never seen two who were so in love before those two."

"And she was forced into marrying my father..." Daenerys confirmed, her expression noticeably saddened by the news. "What was he like? This knight that she fell for?"

"I've mentioned him to you before, like I said then, you would have liked him."

Daenerys' brows furrowed as she tried to think back, unable to remember a mention of his name.

"The grandfather of Fianna Bua," Barristan answered her thoughts, "Ser Bonifer Hasty,"

-

Fianna

Many would see the Dreadfort having a river at its back as a disadvantage. But Fianna Stark considered otherwise.

To her, this meant they had nowhere to run.

In a move that was almost becoming signature to her, the grapples they would use to scale the Dreadfort were once again coated in wolfsbane.

As it was still daylight and the element of surprise would be eliminated, Fianna knew they would need a distraction for the sentry guards who were surely standing on the wall.

The Glovers held the largest number of men in their party, so it was decided that the Glover men would wield their banners and approach at a calm pace to the main gate, under the rouse that Robbett Glover had come to pledge fealty to the Bolton's.

This would cause suspicion of course, the letter addressed to every Northern family specifically said to come to Winterfell. So the guards would be on stand by. None the less, they would be distracted. Allowing Fianna and the rest of the vanguard to split between the line of trees to the east and west of the compound, and eventually attack from all three sides.

They waited quietly in the trees, their horses having been left miles behind to lessen their visibility. The only ones on horseback were Glover's forces.

Fianna watched patiently, dirt splattering her cheeks as she lay flat on her stomach in the tree line, watching as the other sentries were curious about the approaching command.

As directed, Robett led his men slowly and with their banners raised high. When finally having reached the gate, a guard, standing atop the wall next to the contraption that would allow them inside, spoke out.

"Who goes there!"

"Lord Robett, of House Glover!" He called back, "we have come to pledge fealty to the new Warden of the North!"

"Lord Bolton is in Winterfell, you were directed to go there and quite some time ago, I believe!"

"Well better late than never," he sarcastically shouted back, earning a few low chuckles from those behind him, "are you gonna let us in or not then, boy? My men have travelled miles and we will require some rest! Surely, the new Warden of the North would not turn away his subjects?"