BLACKBIRD (Game of Thrones)

CHAPTER TWO

After their discussion with Theon, Robb and Valencia were moving back to their chambers in the Keep of Riverrun. Valencia refused to loop her arm through Robb's, keeping a well-enough distance from him.

"I don't trust Balon Grejoy," Valencia announced, breaking the silence.

"You don't trust any Grejoys," Robb replied.

Valencia glared at him, "I have good reason, Robb. They fought our fathers, betrayed their allies. How can you expect me to trust them?" She snapped. "I can't see why you would want to trust him," Valencia finished pulling her cloak around her side, feeling shivers crawl up her leg.

"We need ships, he has 200, apparently," Robb reminded as they rounded a corner.

"We need someone better than Balon Greyjoy, someone more trustworthy. Give it more time, Robb, you will get your ships," reassured Valencia.

"We do and we will, which is why I'm sending my mother down to the Stormlands to speak with Renly Baratheon," he announced.

Anger sparked within Valencia's stomach. Spinning on her heel, she stood in front of him with death in her eyes. "Your sending, Catelyn, to see my uncle?" Her tongue was heavy in distaste, her eyes wide and her heart beat thumping away. "And you didn't think to ask me, considering I've known him my entire life?" She questioned with a thick frown.

Robb exhaled sharply, rubbing above his eyebrows before taking a step closer to her. "I need you here, Valencia. You're my wife, you belong with me, not in the South."

Valencia's anger sparked more. "Your mother, knows nothing of the South," she growled, gritting her words through her clenched teeth. "They aren't her people, they are mine. The Stormlands belong to me, they're mine, by right. It makes no sense to send some foreigner with no claim to my ancestral lands."

"Watch your tongue," warned Robb, catching her bitterness. "My mother will be going."

"No! Renly is my uncle, my blood, Catelyn is merely someone he knew when was a boy. Nothing more, nothing less." She seethed, "Renly has an army of 100,000 men, I know him, better than most. Let me go to the Stormlands, Robb. If Renly sides with us, we'll outnumber them two to one. When they feel the jaws beginning to shut, they'll want peace. We'll get Arya and Sansa back." She struggled to push through her next words. "Then we can go home. For good."

Valencia could see the conflict in her eyes, he saw the logic, but didn't want her to go South for so long. But it was the right thing to do.

"Okay, convince him to join us, explain to him we don't want the South, only the North," Robb said.

Valencia nodded, "of course, of course."

"Give Lord Renly my regards," Robb said, moving a smile onto his features.

Valencia forced a smile. "Don't you mean King Renly, there's a King in every corner now," she scoffed her eyes squinting. She reached up, flicking a curl from her eyes as Robb looked at her.

Robb smirked and leant forward. "Perhaps," he responded, his hand outstretching and prying the curl away from her eyes that she could not get. Valencia tilted her head back, knowing what he was trying to do. He reached out grasping her waist and pulling her tightly against him, her hands crumbled into his chest.

Robb just stared down at her.

She was truly beautiful. With skin like the moon, hair like the night, and eyes the colour of the night sky, the scar she had suffered from the Battle on the Green Fork had somewhat healed enough for the stitches to be removed, but there still remained a cut.