CHAPTER FOUR
❝ pretty girl ❞
act one . winter is coming
TALIANA STOOD IN HER CHAMBERS, Cerella had just finished doing the princess' hair for the day.
A knock was heard, "Come!" Taliana called out as she turned towards the door, Robb entered, "Princess," Taliana could see that Theon Grayjoy was standing outside of her bed chambers.
"My lord," Robb smiled small, "Do you wish to join me?" He asks, "Where to?" Taliana asked as she looked back at her friend, who is smirking at her.
Robb smiled, "i'll be taking Bran riding," Taliana nodded and continued to listen, "–Would you like to join us?"
Taliana looked back at her lady, almost asking if she should go or not, Cerella nodded. Taliana smiled softly at her lady before turning her body back to the door where Robb is standing.
"Yes."
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BRAN COULDNT STOP SMILING, as Taliana rode horseback with him and Robb walked along side them with Theon, as the four of them went into the woods so that Bran could try out his new saddle, and Taliana accompanied him.
Taliana sat on her horse ladylike, side-saddle. But she wasn't riding, she was with Robb and Theon who sat on a log, watching young Bran ride.
"Not too fast!" Robb yelled out to Bran, the young Stark was riding in circles around the two men and woman.
"When are you gonna tell him?" Theon asks, "Not now," Taliana looked between the two men awkwardly, "Blood for blood. You need to make the Lannisters pay for Jory and the others," Taliana sighed feeling uncomfortable about the conversation that she knew was going to happen. Taliana cleared her throat making the two men look up at her.
"I think this is my cue to leave, i'll ride with Bran, while you two talk..." Taliana speaks, before pulling on reins cueing the horse to move ahead.
"Taliana wait!" But the princess never looked back. Taliana approached Bran, "Bran? Mind if I join you?" Bran smiled bigger if that was possible, before Taliana and her horse rode along side Bran and his horse.
Robb and Theon started arguing, Robb got angry at Theon for making Taliana feel uncomfortable, and making her leave, unknowingly to them –Taliana spoke to Bran, while they were arguing.
"Come, Bran. Let's explore the woods," Bran nodded before the two snuck off.
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"–AND ITS NOT YOUR DUTY, BECAUSE ITS NOT YOUR HOUSE," Robb then stands up not hearing anything anymore, not Bran's or Taliana's horses, "Where's Bran? Where's Taliana?" Robb looked around.
"Where's the princess?" Robb questioned again, "I don't know, it's not my house," Theon says walking away.
Meanwhile Taliana and Bran explore more of the woods slowly, "It's kinda scary down here, don't you think?" Bran asks, "A little, but don't worry i'm here," Taliana smiles at the boy.
But then Taliana and Bran's horses start making noises, "Easy there, girl," Taliana says to her horse but then out of nowhere three creepy people came out from the bushes and up to Bran and Taliana, they were wildlings.
"All alone in the deep, dark woods," A woman says looking between Taliana and Bran, "We're not alone. My brother is with us."
A man approaches Bran, "I don't see him. Got him hidden under your cloak?"
The woman then looks at Taliana, more importantly her sparkling jewellery, and her small crown on her head, "I think we have a princess here?" The woman speaks again, Taliana gulps.
"We'll take the jewellery and your horses, and maybe the princess too, we could sell you," The man speaks making Taliana glanced at Bran, "Get down. Be quick about it," The man speaks to both Taliana and Bran.
"I can't," Bran looks down at his legs, "The saddle... the straps," Another man pulls up Bran's cloak, revealing Bran's saddle that Tyrion give him.
"What's wrong with you? You some kind of cripple?" The wildling asks him, "I'm Brandon Stark of Winterfell! And this is Princess Taliana Baratheon of Kings Landing. If you don't let us be, I'll have you all killed!" Bran speaks loudly, "Bran, it's okay. Robb will find us," Taliana speaks up.
One of the wildlings brings out his knife, and starts cutting off the straps, "Cut his little cock off and stuff it in his mouth," Another man walks over to Taliana and her horse and grabs her off her horse, and holds her by her two arms so she couldn't fight back, "And you... a princess and a very pretty girl, we could fuck you," Tue man says holding her, "Please don't..." Taliana voice trembles.
"The boy's worth nothing dead. Benjen Stark's own blood? Think, what Mance would give us, and this princess, if the queen knew we killed her oldest daughter or raped her, she would kill us, all." The woman speaks to the two other wildlings.
The men who isn't holding Taliana stops cutting the straps, "Piss on Mance Rayder, and piss on the North. We're going as far South as South goes. There ain't no White Walkers down in Dorne."
"Drop the knife, and let both of them go and i'll let you live," A voice Taliana knows all to well, Robb Stark, he draws his sword, but the men who is holding Taliana lets her go and starts swinging at Robb with an ax in his hand. Robb ducks, and drives it up from below, missing. He turns around, with the ax in the air, and drives it down to meet Robb's sword. Robb pivets his sword, pulling the wildling closer, Robb's sword taking the men with it, then swings his sword, driving it through the wildings throat, slitting it.
Taliana moves over to Bran trying to get him off his horse so she could carry him away from the bloody mess, she had Bran almost off his horse before one of the big wildlings men grabs her, putting a knife to her throat, and now Bran had fallen off his horse and is laying on the ground, not hurt.
"Robb! Robb!" Taliana starts to feel scared, the wildling man presses the knife against her throat harder, she could feel the blade cut her side of her neck, but only enough for her to feel it sting.
"Shut up!" The wildling man yells, "Drop the blade!" The man yells at Robb, "Robb don't!"
"Do it!" The man says again, Robb looked into Taliana teary eyes, and he knew from this moment that he would do anything to protect the princess, his betrothed. Robb slowly places the blade on the ground, suddenly an arrow has pierced though the wildling's chest. He fall down to reveal Theon holding an arrow behind him.
Taliana looked on the ground to see the man now dead, Theon walks up the wildling woman who's on the ground, he holds an arrow at her, making sure she stay where she is.
Robb runs up to Taliana, and she throws her arms around Robb, hugs him, "Are you alright?" He mumbles as she's holding him tightly, "I can't lose you," He mumbles that no one hears him, not even Taliana.
"I'm alright!" Taliana softly whispers to him, she had the look in her eyes while she hugged him, Theon could see it. The look was warmth, and had a soft smile on her face, and she had a soften facial expressions, Theon didn't know what it was, was it the look of love? Maybe.
Taliana let's go of Robb, and she wipes away her tears, Robb crouches down to Bran who's laying on the ground, "And are you alright?" Robb asks his brother looking at his leg that has a cut on it, "Yes. It doesn't hurt."
Robb picks up his brother, "Tough little lad. In the Iron Islands, you're not a man until you've killed your first enemy. Well done." Theon joked still holding an arrow to the wildling woman, "Have you lost your mind? What if you'd missed?" Taliana then cuts in, "But he didn't! Theon saved me, and with that he has my gratitude," Theon smiled at the Baratheon princess, "He would have killed you, and cut Taliana's throat, and done whatever to Bran."
"You don't have the right..." Robb gets cut off, "To what, to save your betrothals life? It was the only thing to do, so I did it," Theon says sincerely.
"What about her?" Robb and Theon look down the the wildling woman, "Give me my life, my Lord, and I'm yours," She begs with her hands together.
"Let her live, she doesn't deserve to die...today," Taliana whispers to Robb who nods, "Are you sure about this?" Robb questioned, "Quite."
"We'll keep her alive."
——————୨୧——————
LATER THAT NIGHT TALIANA SAT IN FRONT OF HER MIRROR, she had a small cut on her neck, and Lady Cerella had cleaned for her, all that's left is a scar, "Taliana?" Robb's voice was heard outside her bedchamber.
"Come," She yelled out, he opened the door, and walked in closing the door behind him, "It seems to me that you coming to my bedchamber at night is starting to become a thing," Taliana jester, "It seems to me that i'm drawn to you," Robb smiled which Taliana just laughed it off.
Robb was close enough to Taliana to see the small cut on her neck, "Did that happen today?" Robb questioned, "Yes," the lord of Winterfell shook his head, "You said you were alright!" He looked at her, "I am! It doesn't hurt anymore, my lady helped clean it."
"What were you thinking out there?" Robb asks lashing out on her, "Excuse me?" Taliana stood up, "You were almost killed!" Robb raised his voice, "But i'm not, i'm here, still in Winterfell with you," Taliana is now face-to-face with him.
"It would have been my own fault if I was killed, I was the one who told Bran that we should go more into the woods," Taliana informed him, "It was stupid of you to go out there alone!" Robb informed her, "I wasn't alone, I had Bran," Robb sighed, "Bran is young, and he can't walk!"
"Fine, I was stupid enough to go alone in the woods, without any protect, I just... I can't listen to anymore people saying things about my family, I hear them gossip around the keep some even speak it to me, I hate it," Taliana sighed looking down at her nail beds. Robb realized that Taliana only felt happy in Winterfell when he was around because the northerns wouldn't dare to say anything to him, "Taliana why haven't you told me this before?"
"It wasn't important," The room fell silent, "The next person to say something to you about this matter will be sent to me, got it?" She looked back up, her eyes meeting his, "Robb..."
"The hour is quite late my lady, I shall let you rest, and i'll see you at breakfast, on the morrow."
𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜...
this chapter is probably
one of my favourites, only
because it shows Taliana
and Robb caring for one another.
-b