"I don't know what you were expecting Robert, you know how protective we are when it comes to Y/N," Lyanna chuckled as she glanced over at Robert Baratheon's hunched form.
"You must admit that you don't have the best reputation when it comes to women," Brandon added causing the other man to huff.
"Y/N isn't other women," he uttered, leaning back and crossing his arms over his chest. "I love her, and I want to make her my wife," he added softly and Brandon scoffed. "I mean it," Robert told them all more seriously. "And I can't believe you told them," he huffed pointing at Eddard, who shrugged lightly.
"She's my little sister, and we all want what's best for her," Eddard spoke gently and his friend raised an eyebrow.
"And, in your opinion, I'm not what's best for her? I'm not good enough for her?" Robert asked them, trying to make eye contact with each of them and failing until he met Lyanna's guilt-ridden eyes.
"Robert," she started but he shook his head, standing up to leave. "Robert, where are you going?" she questioned with a whine as she followed him out into the hallway, followed closely by her brothers, all three of whom stopped short when they saw her walk straight into his broad back, stumbling a few inches backwards.
"Y/N," Robert breathed and you smiled sweetly at him.
"What are you doing?" you questioned, leaning around him to find your siblings all huddled together behind the larger man. "If you're playing hide and seek you are doing a very poor job of it," you teased, confused when none of them laughed, as they normally would have.
"We were just talking," Lyanna told her with an awkward smile and you knitted your brows together. "But Robert was just leaving," she added, moving past the man to stand at your side.
"Oh you weren't were you?" you asked in disbelief,a frown etching itself onto your face. "I thought you were staying all week," you added and Lyanna looked to her brothers for help.
As Robert went to speak, Benjen spoke up from his spot at the back. "He got a raven from his father and has to go back to Storm's End," he quickly spat out, standing on his tip toes to look over his brother's shoulders at his little sister.
"You're all behaving strangely. What's going on?" you asked looking between them all, waiting for an answer, your eyebrows raised in question.
"I'm in love with you," Robert breathed out, causing the others all to shoot him glares. "And they don't want me to get involved with you because they think I would be a bad influence. So I've decided to take my leave," he finished and he moved past you towards the door, headed for the courtyard.
"You don't have to leave, Robert," you sighed, placing your hand on his arm, causing him to turn to look at you. "And they can't stop you if you want to court me. I certainly wouldn't mind it," you added more quietly so that only he could hear.
"You might want to tell them that," he started, nodding his head in the direction of your siblings, who were all staring at the two of you in horror.
"They'll understand," you told him, moving to press your hand against his chest lightly. "I would love for you to begin courting me," you added, louder than you had before so that your siblings could hear you.
"Y/N, he's not in love with you," Brandon growled as he came closer, pulling you away from the man in front of you.
"You aren't our father, and you don't make my decisions for me," you growled when he finally released you.
"When Father is not at Winterfell I am the head of this house, as you well know, and I say that you aren't going to be courted by him," he spoke through his gritted teeth, trying to hold his temper back, not wanting to raise his voice in front of company.
"Well, I say that I am, and if you can't support that then maybe I should go with Robert to Storm's End," you told him, holding your head high and glaring at him as you heard your other siblings trying to speak but being cut off when Brandon held up his hand silencing you all.
"Don't do this, Y/N. We're trying to protect you," he told you and you shook your head at him.
"Robert is your friend. He wouldn't be if you didn't trust him, and I care about him," you paused for a moment. "And if he ever dream of hurting me, I swear I won't stop you from putting your sword through his throat," you joked, smiling as he cracked his own small smile.
"Fine, but I swear, if I even hear about any other women then I'll have your head," Brandon huffed, staring at Robert, who nodded in agreement.
Your family slowly filtered out of the room, leaving the two of you alone together, and you smiled sweetly up at Robert. You watched as he held his arms out for you as he had done many times before, although now it meant something different as you burrowed into his warm embrace. Now it showed how much he cared for you as a partner, rather than a sister as you had always thought.
"I love you Y/N. I have for a very long time," he mumbled as he pressed his nose into your hair, inhaling the smell of your shampoo before giving your forehead a light kiss. "I would never do what he said," he added softly, not allowing you to pull away from him. "I would never bed another woman, not when I know I have you. My little wolf," he finished and you tilted your head back to look up into his face.
"I trust you. Brandon may not, but I do," you told him softly, moving your hand between you to stroke his bearded cheek with your fingertips. "And that's all that matters," you informed him with a soft smile before reaching as far as you could to kiss him lightly on the lips.
Please consider supporting me for just £3 using Ko-Fi. The link is available on my profile page. If you have any questions about Ko-Fi please feel free to private message me. Thank you. L x