Song: With or Without You by U2 (one last cheesy Fianna/Robb song?)
Fianna
Eerily, as the Twins loomed in their sight with Grey Wind and Chroi trotting ahead of the party, Chroi let out a lone howl into the cool air. It sent chills down Fianna's spine, and made her grip the reigns of her horse tighter.
They would only have to suffer through this ordeal for a few short days, she told herself over and over. Then they would make their move, with the Frey army at their back.
Robb looked over and smiled encouragingly at her as the gates were being rolled down to allow them entrance, they waited patiently. But Fianna was far from patient at that moment, only being able to force a half smile in response at Robb.
"Remember," Catelyn murmured to them, her horse coming up alongside of Robb's, "eat and drink when you get inside before discussing anything. The guest right will be invoked, and he cannot harm us."
Fianna and Robb nodded in agreement, fully intending to be under the guest right's protection before any wedding were to be held.
As they entered the stronghold, they dismounted their horses and walked slowly, close together, towards the great hall where they were being led.
Fianna felt itchy - eyes were fixed on the young King and Queen from all over the castle and were full of judgement and resentment.
They were led to the great hall, and the second Fianna laid eyes on the old Walder Frey, she was sure he would be the subject of a future nightmare. There wasn't a hint of kindness in his aged face, his expression didn't change when they entered nor did he greet them.
Fianna stood close to Robb, feeling entirely uncomfortable when she noticed the eyes of Walder Frey's sons, who were standing to the side, all fixed on her.
A servant approached them with a plate of bread and salt, the plate was then passed around to each of the guests - sealing them under the protection of the guest right.
"They wouldn't poison the salt, would they?" She whispered to Edmure under her breath, he only looked back to her with a dull expression showing he wouldn't be surprised if they did.
"You said that after I ate it on purpose didn't you?" Arya hissed under her breath at Fianna, only stopping because Catelyn shot her a deadly look.
"My honoured guests," Walder spoke finally as Fianna, albeit with some hesitation, dipped the bread in salt and popped it in her mouth, "be welcome within my walls and at my table."
The bread was passed around all of the Stark party and then to Walder himself, who continued, "I extend to you my hospitality and protection in the light of the seven."
"We thank you for your hospitality, my lord," Robb called out to him. Fianna could hear the tone in his voice, he was so desperate for this to go successfully.
When Walder Frey didn't reply, only looked at him expectantly, Robb decided to begin to execute his terms of the agreement, "I have come to offer my apologies, my lord. And to beg your forgiveness. I was not aware of a previous betrothal, I can assure you."
Walder, much like his sons, didn't look like he believed that.
"Don't beg my forgiveness, your grace," he replied dryly, "it wasn't me you spurned, it was my girls."
His words implied that he wasn't accepting Robb's word that he was unaware of a betrothal, perhaps he didn't believe there was an original betrothal at all.
With his wrinkled, age-spotted hands, he weakly gestured for the Frey girls surrounding him to approach Robb and stand in line.
They weren't all as bad as the rumours, Fianna noted. She imagined most of them would be quite pretty if they were cleaned up, they all looked dirty instead of ugly, which was probably why many said they were. The look of misery on their faces can't have helped matters.
Edmure looked eagerly at each of them, wondering which one was to be his bride, wondering which one was the prettiest.
"They're not that bad," Fianna whispered under her breath to him, but he didn't seem so sure.
"One of them was supposed to be Queen," Lord Walder called out mockingly, "now none of them are."
He began to call out the names of each individual girl, all of their which were rather peculiar, but Fianna was the first of her name in the seven kingdoms so she couldn't judge.
When he got to his twin granddaughters, he crudely suggested that Robb could have chosen both if it pleased him. Edmure shook his head in disgust, they were mere children. This creature was the man that would soon become his good father.
An awkward moment occurred where Walder couldn't remember the name of the second last girl, throwing out suggestions such as "Walda and Waldina." The girl embarrassingly replied her name was 'Marie' and Fianna and Arya immediately covered their mouths to hide their amusement. How could he have mixed her name up so much?
"And here's my youngest daughter," he reached the smallest and youngest finally, "Shiree. Though she hasn't bled yet, clearly you don't have the patience for all that."
Fianna's hands balled into fists at her side at this and Robb's jaw clenched in disgust, the girl was a child, younger than Arya.
"None of them were named Roslyn," Edmure commented to Fianna in confusion, was she so hideous she couldn't even be on display?
"My ladies," Robb replied after a silent moment, "all men should keep their word. Kings, most of all. I was pledged to marry one of you and I broke that vow. The fault is not with you. And any man would be lucky to have any one of you. I did what I did not to slight you, but because I discovered I was already betrothed to another, by the wishes of my late father. I know these words cannot set right the wrong I have done to you, and your house. I beg your forgiveness and pledge to do all I can to make amends so the Freys of the crossing and the Starks of Winterfell may once again be friends."
Walder smirked in amusement, sarcastically lifting his hands and giving Robb a slow clap. The more he spoke, the less Fianna trusted him and the more she wanted to leave this godforsaken castle.
"Very good," he answered, and with almost hungry eyes, he turned his sights to Fianna. "There she is. Come closer, let me have a look at you."
Fianna reluctantly moved forward, leaving the safety of Robb's side as she took three steps forward. Robb's grip tightened on the hilt his sword as he noted Walder's expression.
"Still can't see you!" He called, leaning forward for emphasis. "Old eyes."
He thought himself a funny man, to be certain.
Fianna's nose wrinkled and she looked back to Robb for approval, he stiffly nodded his head to her to encourage her to move. At that moment she wanted to do anything but, the nausea she experienced in the mornings had started to decrease as her pregnancy progressed but she could feel that bit of bread about to come back up and it had nothing to do with the babe inside of her.
She took multiple steps forward this time until she was close to the steps leading to Walder's seat, respectfully she bowed to him, and tried to ignore the beady eyes of his sons who were practically licking their lips for the young queen.
Lord Walder took one glance over her body, her eyes meeting his defiantly and refusing to be intimidated. She was a Queen. She could do this. He leaned back in his seat and smiled again.
"Love. That's what the Starks of Winterfell call it, eh?" He chuckled and everyone bristled. "Very honourable! I call it a pretty face, mhm, very pretty."
"Thank you, my lord," Fianna politely replied, grinding her teeth to hide her disgust.
"Prettier than this lot that's for sure, very shapely as well! Did you think you were hiding her under that armour? If you wanted to hide her, you shouldn't have brought her here at all."
Robb was beginning to agree. He really shouldn't have brought Fianna here, especially with her current condition.
"I can always see what's going on beneath a woman's clothes," he leaned in to look at her closer, "or in the Queen's case, a suit of armour. Been at this a long time. I bet when you take that breastplate off, everything stays right where it is. Doesn't drop an inch."
Robb inhaled deeply to calm himself, while Brynden himself was beginning to feel protective of his great niece, the two wanting to cover her from his stare.
"Your husband tells me he betrayed me for love, my queen," he addresses her directly, and Fianna shook her head.
"A previous betrothal, my lord."
"One that neither you nor him were aware of? I find that funny. I say he betrayed me for firm tits and a tight fit," he smiled smugly, knowing it was going to cause a reaction.
Robb opened his mouth to speak and moved to step forward, he was ready to drag Fianna back behind him and bury his sword into Lord Walder's belly. But Catelyn, knowing her son would react, swiftly threw her arm out to stop him.
"And I can respect that! I've heard the rumours about three generations of Bua girls now, each one as pretty as the last. Very fertile too, from what I hear." The way his eyes were fixed on Fianna when he said it, she was almost sure he knew. But there was no possible way he could have, unless Robb had told anyone. "I happen to be quite the same, as you can tell." He lifted his arms and gestured to his many offspring.
"When I was your age," he continued, "I'd have broken fifty oaths to get into that without a second thought. Well I've enough room in the hall for you lot, we'll set up tents outside for the rest of your men with food and ale."
Fianna quickly returned to Robb's side and immediately he reached for her hand, squeezing it tightly and she knew at that moment that he was angry.
"Thank you, my lord," he practically spat out, his teeth ground together.
"Now, the little princess," he beckoned towards Arya and Fianna automatically stood in front of her, blocking her from his gaze. Noting the stiff reactions from each of the guests, he continued, "she's betrothed to my boy, is she not?"
Robb, Catelyn and Fianna's hearts stopped automatically. They were so preoccupied with Edmure's betrothal, they never considered that the betrothal between Arya and Walder's son would still be in place from the original agreement.
"That was part of the original agreement, my lord," Catelyn broke her silence, her knuckles were white from squeezing her hands together so hard.
"What's he talking about?" Arya murmured in a panicked tone to Fianna, who could only look to her with sad eyes in response.
"So, I just gave you my armies the first time to fight for months for nothing then?" He was a bitter man, she thought, that he would use this against them as further penance for the broken betrothal.
"With respect, my lord, Arya is but a child. The original agreement has been broken, and therefore her betrothal as well," Robb spoke out, his grip squeezing on Fianna's hand.
Arya's face had gone white, she had been entirely unaware of the agreement and they had originally been so preoccupied with the war and getting her back, they never considered what would happen if she were returned to them.
"Fond of breaking betrothals are you, your grace?" Walder asked in a harsher voice, growing increasingly irritated by each passing moment.
"She's just a child," Fianna's voice cut through, staring directly at him with a look of disgust and hatred.
"I can allow that betrothal to wait until she's older. We have enough of a wedding now to plan," not giving them a chance to reply to that, Lord Walder stood and clapped his hands once.
"Well let's get ready, the wine will flow red and the music will play loud and we'll put this mess behind us."
Fianna didn't know if it was his tone or his demeanour, or the eerie feeling she felt creep up her spine. But she doubted very much that Lord Walder was about to put this behind him.
-
They walked silently as they were led toward the chambers assigned to each of them. Arya was distant, and by the set of her lip and the fierceness of her gaze she was absolutely rife with anger. Understandably.
So when the servant had pointed out each room Arya, Catelyn and Robb and Fianna together were staying in, which was all close together, they trio piled into Arya's room following after her.
"I can't believe you've done this!" She erupted after they shut the door, she was practically seething with anger and it wasn't hard to understand why.
"Arya, we had no choice at the time-" Catelyn tried to soothe her, approaching her youngest daughter carefully.
"No choice?! Just like Robb had 'no choice' but to marry Fianna?!" She was yelling now, the most emotion they had seen from her since her return. "Edmure has to suffer because of your mistakes, but I won't be forced to marry a Frey just because you want to win a war!"
"To avenge our father!" Robb retorted, his voice getting louder too.
"If you wanted to avenge our father you would have attacked King's Landing already, Sansa is still there and you're doing nothing!"
"Arya," Fianna spoke in a calm voice, guilt rushing through her even though she wasn't the one to agree to the deal, "I won't let him marry you off to his son. He said he's willing to give it time, we can work something out before then-"
"Did you know about this?" Arya asked in a hollow voice, looking at her with eyes full of distrust.
"I..." Fianna began, sighing before admitting, "I forgot. I honestly did, I would never have let you come here with us if I remembered."
Arya shook her head, looking absolutely crushed with betrayal.
"Get out."
"Arya, I'll fix this I will-" Robb started but was immediately cut off by Arya letting out a shout.
"GET OUT!" Robb jumped at how loud her voice was and nodded his head grimly, turning and leaving the room and taking Fianna with him. Catelyn stayed, desperate to comfort her daughter but she received the same response.
There, in the hallway outside of her room, they stood silently, absolutely ashamed.
"She won't marry the Frey boy," Catelyn swallowed hard.
"She shouldn't have to," Fianna replied softly, Arya and Fianna were as close as sisters and she felt every bit as guilty.
"I won't let her, I've ruined Edmure's life. I can't ruin hers too," Robb spoke sadly before turning and going towards their assigned chambers, to wallow in guilt.
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So this chapter and the next is split into two parts each because they're so long, the wedding chapter alone is over 7000, I hope you're all ready for it!