A/N - This chapter was requested by user: That_One_Aussie. I ended up basing it on the song 'So Good' by Louisa. I hope you all enjoy it.
You had practically snarled at Robb the first time you had met. He was happy, and excited, and altogether far too loud, and as he had greeted you, you had flinched slightly at the sound of his voice echoing in one ear and out the other.
You father had been quick to abandon you with the Stark children, shooting you a warning glance as he made to follow Lord Stark. He was already in a sour mood with you since he had first set eyes on you that morning, and you weren't about to cause any more of a fuss by attempting to follow him into the building. He was always a little put out by your drinking habits but this time it seemed you had pushed him a step too far. You'd been lectured on your irresponsible behaviour all morning, and now you were finally able to experience a little piece and quiet.
And then Robb Stark had begun talking. Seven Hells, if there was a competition for most words said in the most annoying voice, then there was no doubt in your mind that he would win.
"My mother suggested that you might enjoy a walk in the gardens," he wittered on, a sweet smile fixed on his lips as he watched your brows furrow.
"Why on earth would I enjoy that?" you muttered, lifting a hand to rub at your temples. Your head was pounding and you wanted nothing more than to crawl into a warm bed and sleep away the rest of the day.
"I-" Robb looked a little taken aback by your comment, his mouth hanging open as he searched for something to say. "She said that ladies enjoyed that sort of thing."
"Wow," you uttered softly, shaking your head. "I'll give you a little heads up, My Lord," you paused for a moment, watching as he nodded. "I don't know what your parents have told you about me, but I'm not some lady for you to woo. I don't sew. I don't gossip with the other girls. And I certainly don't go for walks in gardens."
Robb nodded, any hint of a smile now completely gone from his lips. You had to admit, he was handsome, but he was a Lord, and by the sounds of it he was exactly the same as every other man your father had attempted to set you up with. "I'll leave you to it, then," he started, looking rather sheepish as you finally smiled at him.
"That sounds like a good plan," you uttered, rolling your eyes as you marched away from him and towards the entrance to the castle.
*Time Skip*
Sneaking out of Winterfell was a lot easier than you had expected. You had practically strolled out of the front gate without a soul to stop you. If your father had gotten his own way, you would had been surrounded by guards at every waking moment in order to keep you out of trouble.
The nearest inn was already bustling when you reached for the door, shoving your way inside and pausing for a moment. It seemed that even northern entertainment was different to what you'd experienced at home. There was loud music being played by a small group in a corner of the dark room, and groups of people sang and danced and chattered loudly all over.
You quickly made your way over to the bar, ordering a drink over the roar of fun. Despite the cold outside, the room was warm, heated by a mixture of a fireplace and the sheer number of people wedged into the small space.
"Does your father know you're in a place like this?" You glanced at the man beside you, releasing a sigh as you recognised the smirk of Theon Greyjoy. He had steered clear of you since Robb had mentioned your less that savoury personality, but you'd seen the way his eyes lingered on you when he was sitting with his friend in the dining hall.
"Does yours?" You watched his smirk drop from his lips as your words registered. "I had to miss a party," you finally added. "How could I come to the North and not experience the nightlife?"
Theon's smirk returned as you settled slightly, your venomous streak seeming to fade away for a moment. "Robb's here too," he uttered. "You should come and sit with us."
A small snort escaped you. "I don't think we have the same idea of what's fun," you murmured, lifting your drink to your mouth and taking a deep gulp. "Watching you two flirt with every pretty girl you see won't keep me entertained for long."
"Funny," Theon told you, his tongue darting out to wet his lips. "Robb doesn't enjoy that either."
Your smile dropped from your lips. "Did he ask you to come over here?" Theon looked a little confused as you glared at him. "You can tell him i'm not interested in finding myself a husband on this trip."
"That's a shame." The voice behind you caught you off guard, drawing your gaze to Robb a moment later. "Because you seem like you'd be a real fucking delight to be married to." He reached out, snatching two drinks from in front of Theon before stalking away from you again.
"Don't mind him," Theon uttered, his eyes following his friend back to their table on the other side of the room. "He isn't used to women telling him no." You nodded slightly, leaning forward to order another drink. You both stood quietly for another moment, and then Theon cleared his throat. "You should come and join us. He's not as bad as you may think."
*Time Skip*
You weren't quiet sure how he managed it, but Theon had persuaded you to come and join their table. At first, it had been uncomfortable. Theon and Jon had attempted to make light conversation whilst you were more occupied with the marks on the scarred table top.
"Were you hungover this morning?" The words caught you off guard, and your eyes quickly shot up to focus on Robb. "I mean, what other reason could there be for you being so heinous?"
You scoffed, running your tongue over your teeth as you considered your next words very carefully. "You're a real charmer, do you know that?" you spat out, lifting your cup to your mouth. "I'd had a little too much to drink last night," you murmured as you placed the drink back on the table, hearing him let out a snort of laughter.
"So you aren't normally such a bitch?"
You focused your eyes on his for a moment. "Oh, I am. I would make your life a nightmare if we went through with our parents arrangement."
His brow furrowed slightly, and a smile pulled at your lips. "Arrangement?"
"Don't be dim. Why would my entire family ride all the way to Winterfell if they didn't expect something from yours?" You paused for a moment, watching as he attempted to put the pieces together. "Likelihood is, this bitch is going to be your wife."
"I'm not marrying you," he spat out.
"Believe me, I'm not too pleased about it either." You paused for a moment, shaking your head. "Men get it easy; they can go and spend their money and time on whores. Women on the other hand; we get the husband or nothing." You all sat silently for a moment. "I think it's time for me to start heading back," you uttered as you stood, gathering your skirts as smiled down at them. "Have a good night, boys."
With that, you were headed out into the night, hugging yourself against the cold. You were only a few feet down the road when you heard the door of the inn open again, glancing behind you to see Robb hurrying after you. As he fell into step beside you, you released a small sigh, glancing over at him.
"We got off on the wrong foot," he started softly. "I'd like it if we could start again."
You nodded slightly and stopped walking, taking his elbow in your hand to pull him to a stop with you. "Hello. I'm Y/N. It's good to meet you."
A small smile pulled at Robb's lips as he glanced down at you. "Robb," he started, taking your hand in his and pressing a kiss to the back of it. "Would you mind if I walked you back to Winterfell?"
"You don't have to-"
"Yes, I do." He paused for a moment. "Winterfell is usually pretty safe, but I would feel terrible if something were to happen and I wasn't here to stop it." You nodded as he held an elbow out to you, linking yourself to him as you started your walk back home. "You know," Robb started, breaking the silence. "If we were married I wouldn't take a whore. It isn't the honourable thing to do."
You released a small chuckle. "You wouldn't be the first man to break your marriage vows. Hells, even the King does it and he's married to Cersei Lannister."
"But I'm not him. And you aren't her."
*Time Skip*
Perhaps marriage wasn't as bad as either of you had expected. You had both resisted being together at first, but soon enough you had fallen into a routine that worked for you.
"Are you still awake?" Robb asked you the same question every night when he came to your shared chambers. Work kept him gone for so long during the day, and your nights were the only time when you could be together alone.
You hummed your answer, shifting to look at where he smiled at you from the doorway. "What kept you so long?" you murmured, sitting up and giving him a sleepy smile.
The way you stretched your arms out for him left him a little breathless. In the few months that you had been married you'd allowed the barriers to come down, and now you were becoming a real cuddler.
"Theon wouldn't shut up," he uttered, crossing the room to sit beside you on the bed. He leant in, pressing a kiss to your bed-messed hair with a small chuckle.
"He never does," you murmured back, shifting backwards in the bed to make space for him. The second there was enough space, he was burrowing under the covers with you, drawing you close to his chest. "I love this," you uttered, smiling as you allowed your eyes to drift closed. You had never been so comfortable with another person before, and now, it felt perfectly normal to be so relaxed with your husband.
"I love you." The words almost knocked the air out of your lungs, and your eyes flew open to focus on Robb's face. He had the sweetest, most genuine smile waiting for you, and your felt your heart tighten at the sight.
You remained quiet for a moment, just allowing yourself to remember this moment. "I love you too."
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