Since the last chapter, two months has passed. Unable to come up with a quick solution to end Isobel's engagement to Renly, she has been sent to the capital with him, along with her sister, the Stark girls and Lord Eddard the new Hand of the King. She is being closely followed by the Captain of the Forrester Household guard - Jakob. Lord and Lady Forrester have returned to Ironwrath with Ryon. Winterfell is ruled by Lord Robb, with Rodrick acting on his counsel. Asher remained at Winterfell to help serve and counsel however Robb sees fit.
Two months in Winterfell, and I still think about Louise everyday. I had sent a raven, informing her that I was staying on under my fathers wishes... I meant to tell her we should stay apart indefinitely... but I couldn't bring myself to do it. How could I deny myself that happiness... even if it is what my father command. I missed her singing to me as we lay in bed together, her hands running through my hair as I stroke the dimples at the bottom of her spine. That's the dream I have each morning, before I wake up to the cold hard reality of my life.
Since the royal visit, things are back to normal, I attend Robb each day as I did my father, although he is not quiet as boring. Mostly we train in the morning, hold court for the locals in the afternoon, occasionally go hunting, and drink in the evening. Since Isobel left Robb is cold and distant. He is heartbroken, I know because I felt it myself, when my father told me I could not return home, to Louise. Asher is his usual cocky self, doing more fighting and drinking than ever, now that he has lost his twin, and his best friend he himself is lost. I understand father wished him to mature during his stay here, but he simply refuses to. Not that I blame him.
We all worried about Isobel, not a single message since the first one, when she had arrived, even then it was vague and cold. Asher missed her most of all, he was even more heartbroken than Robb, one evening he was so drunk he was weeping like a maiden about how he had failed to protect her. Allowing her to become Jakob's plaything. That night Robb was also drunk and the to ended up in a stupid brawl. Neither of them actually won due to being so inebriated and they both regretted it in the morning.
Things were getting worse in Winterfell. Lady Stark had left to carry important news to her Lord husband, after an assassination attempt on young Bran, who was now a cripple, but he was awake and of sound mind. But each day we still plotted on how to save my sister from this awful marriage arrangement. Robb had even confessed he would go to war for her, although he knew how stupid that was. We were the same, me and Robb, duty before our own hearts.
And Robb had a new marriage proposal in the works, which spurred his cold anger even more.