Sometimes he wondered if he had ever said anything regarding his future. Sometimes he asked himself if his decisions had been the right ones, but then he remembered he had been raised to take that role as Lord of Winterfell, to lead his people and bannermen, to be just and kind, but also protect them. Painfully for him, his father never taught him how to be king or fight a war. He had not had time.
In days like that one, he missed him. Robb wished he could have gone to his late Lord Father and ask for advice.
He watched the face of his smiling son, demanding his attention by tugging on his furs.
"Papa," Iagan's voice called, soon squealing when Robb lifted him off the ground and held him high above his head. Flying like the dragons, Robb thought.
Had Eddard Stark ever thought that when he was a child, he would once become liege lord of the North? Could have he ever fathomed having a son who could become king? Strangely enough, Robb could see all of this in his own son as blue met blue. Iagan had the same spark in his eyes that Dany had.
"What do you think?" Robb whispered as he sat his son on his lap, watching his chubby cheeks and bright eyes studying him. Of course he would not get a reply, but the boy seemed to understand him.
Iagan placed his tiny hand over Robb's heart. "Papa?" he called softly and cooed in incoherent words. That made Robb chuckle.
At that moment, Theon knocked on the door.
Robb had decided to stay in separate chambers with Dany. She was still in pain and he feared to hurt her while they slept. The last thing he wanted was to cause her more pain than what she had already suffered.
Iagan turned to Theon and grinned, lifting his hands and opening and closing his fists. "Don, Don," he chanted.
Robb arched an eyebrow at his former friend, at the man who would have probably become his second in command had not been for his betrayal. Could he be able to ever comprehend why Theon still wanted to be loyal to a father who had never shown any interest in him? He hoped so, because it was obvious he had been an important figure in Iagan's life during his absence.
Theon snorted a laugh. "He likes to be taken outside and play with the snow; and Rickon cannot carry him around for long."
Nodding, Robb looked down at his son and ruffled his hair. Iagan giggled innocently. If his child could see goodness in Theon, did that mean there was more than traitor's blood running through his former friend's veins?
"Would you protect him from your people if you had to? Will you call him your king when he takes the crown? Would you keep him safe?" Robb asked through clenched teeth, with some rage still present in his tone.
"Why would Northmen attack him? Why would I not call the son of my King a prince, a true heir of the throne? Why would I not keep him safe if I swore to keep you safe?" Theon was firm, his voice did not waver and he never looked away from Robb as he recited the words. "I'm not longer an ironborn, because they have turned their back on me, while the North has given me everything."
"I trusted you." It had been one of the moments in which Robb had doubted his instincts. Theon had been like a brother to him, his best friend, but the moment he decided to be neutral during the ironborn attack, Theon had also decided not to defend the family he had grown with.
"I doubted and I shouldn't have."
There was still a spark of the man he thought he knew, but after everything that had happened to Robb, he could not just accept an easy apology.
"You will come with me to the Wall. Of everyone, you know the lands better and I'll need the help, but if you even give me one reason to not trust you, I'll make an example out of you," Robb uttered in an icy tone, one he had slowly grown accustomed.
Theon's easy smirk did not make an appearance like it used to. Perhaps this was one of those rare solemn times in which he was finally being serious.
Robb had felt so abandoned when Jon had chosen to join the Night's Watch, right when their father informed them he would be leaving to become the King's Hand. It had all led them to that moment, in which nothing was certain and no one was safe. Why had honorable decisions taken them to awful places?
Gurgling, Iagan turned his face at him, blinking slowly before he yawned, opening his mouth wide. He had to admit that there was the best outcome of everything; Iagan and Dany were the ones he had gained and was not willing to give up on them.
-o-
Next morning he was to finish settling the last arrengments before his departure to the Wall. Thinking about all the possible outcomes, about whether or not to trust Stannis now that some spoke ill about the priestess who guided him, not longer following the Faith of the Seven, Robb could hardly sleep.
He kept his eyes opened in the dark, watching as the fire dwindled down and the embers crackled quietly. Grey Wind was curled near the hearth but soon he lifted his head, just as Robb did when the door opened.
"Leave us," the soft voice called as she sneaked into the chambers, patting Grey Wind's side when she gestured for him to exit. "Go," she muttered.
Dany looked at him in the dark, and silently approached him. Her feet slid against the floor in a soft whisper. She still had not fully recovered, but as stubborn as she was, she refused to be bed-ridden for long despite Maester Luwin's apprehension and his own mother's advice.
Wordlessly she lifted the furs covering him and slid under them. He did not move and let her curl against his side. Her silk gown brushed against his skin and her fingers danced sweetly to tangle in his hair, tugging tenderly at his reddish-brown curls.
After a very long time he had gotten a proper shave, and Dany seemed to miss the coarse hair covering his jaw and cheeks, because she caressed the nude skin over and over as if trying to remember the feeling.
"Where are you sending us?" she asked, her lips kissing his shoulder as he let himself pull her closer, wrapping his arms around her and feeling the weight of her head fall gracefully on his chest. Her platinum hair was as soft as her gown.
There was no point in hiding things from her.
"Bear Island. Dacey should meet you, Ser Barristan and a few of our men on the way there. She has decided to return since... well."
He buried his nose in her hair and inhaled deeply. To the strands of her hair clung the scent of blue winter roses.
"Who are you sending to the South?" she asked without the anger he expected from her. She was not one to give up easily, much less at things like the one he had admitted. Dany did not like to be left out of the war, as if she was only a mere observer.
"My uncle Brynden should be meeting Randyll Tarly's army, and prepare to fight against the Tyrells guarding Highgarden. Prince Doran Martell sent a raven; their army will attack at the same time. We will lay siege to Highgarden and that way limit the Lannisters's territory to the Crownlands only." He spoke in the terse voice that seemed foreign to him, almost as if he were the observer, having to leave war just at the verge of conquering almost all of the Seven Kingdoms.
Dany's lips pressed ocassional kisses to his chest, the pads of her fingers traced small scars and lines of muscles as if he were a map she wanted to learn.
"Aren't you going to fight me about this decision? About me wanting to send you and Iagan away?"
She did not reply and he could imagine her pressing her lips together in a tight line, wanting to lash out at him and scream that she was not a defenseless woman who needed to be locked away. She was not Elia Martell, and she would not end up like her, slaughtered with her children by their enemies.
"Aren't you going to run away and… and follow me or worse, travel south to fight the war?"
Dany's voice filtered trhough the air, barely loud enough to hear her over the fire crackling. "Have you heard what they say about the woman accompanying the Usurper's brother?"
"The priestess?"
"They worship R'hllor." She tightened her embrace. "She's a shadowbinder," she whispered like a scared child. "Back in Essos, when I was little, I heard the stories spoken about them, about the sorceries… I just want to keep Iagan safe."
"Dany?" Robb called, taking her chin between his fingers and gently turning her face so she faced him. "Have you had dreams again? What do you fear?"
"Bran told me this morning he had seen a man with long and white hair leading an army that covered the Seven Kingdoms from Dorne to the Wall, fighting… creatures that froze and killed anything they touched. He said everything was dark, no stars or moon."
Robb frowned but tried to smile. "Old Nan has been telling him stories again? He likes them. All children do."
She shook her head. "It's more than that. Do you remember when I told you about the Stallion Who Mounts the World? Have you heard about the Prince that was promised?"
Robb decided to stay quiet and only pressed his lips against hers.
He had heard her speaking about myths, but he was not a man fond of old stories more than to scare small children. They were fun, but had not room in real life. Still, Dany was a firm believer that all stories were at least partially true, that they had to have an origin and could not be just made up stories.
Having her implying that their son would be more than just the heir of kingdoms but the world was too much for him to think about at that time.
He kept on just kissing her, helping her to sit astride his waist and to shed her clothes off. Robb watched her with the eyes of a man who watches a treasure for the first time, feeling fortunate and greedy. His heart ached when his gaze fell on the angry red scars at her side, marring her smooth skin.
Bending his head, Robb pressed soft kisses to her wounds in silent apology, feeling her forgiveness as she ran her fingers through his hair.
He laid her beneath him and took their last night together with tender patience, trying to put the wars away just for a moment. Making his world only her.
His father had taught him that a man could only be brave when he was afraid. This was his time to prove his bravery.
-o-
The next day, two parties were getting ready, one being excessively numerous. Robb's army was about to start their journey to the Wall to join Jon and Night's Watch, defending Westeros against the wildlings. Of course, as a northman, Robb felt it was his duty to be there but that did not help ease his worry about the alleged truce with Stannis.
Up until that day, his army hadn't face directly the one belonging to the Lord of Dragonstone, and Robb had enough reasons to believe he could be double-crossed, considering what had happened to them at The Twins.
He would be taking Rhagal with him, as Grey Wind as well. As usual, Viserion would stay in Winterfell in case anything happened, and Drogon would play guard to Dany and Iagan.
Irri had already mounted her mare and Daenerys was hugging Doreah and Jhiqui, asking them as always to take care of the boys and girls. "They are my family and yours," she said. And she was right. By then her handmaidens had become a part of Winterfell and the North, even if they shivered when they felt a gale in the evenings.
Robb personally helped Dany to mount her horse. He hugged his son tight to his chest, kissing his white blonde hair in a wordless promise of return. When he raised Iagan high above his head one last time, the boy laughed joyously and smiled at him once he was secure in his mother's arms.
"My Wolf, we'll see each other soon," Dany said. "I know. You will return to us victorious as always."
He smiled at her, at her confidence and thanked the Old Gods for having her.
Ser Barristan swore he would keep his family safe, and in that moment, Robb knew he had to believe him. That man was probably the only one who had kept his honor intact even through the worse situations. Robb admired him.
Before leaving, Robb decided to see his wife and son part. Most men accompanying Dany and Iagan were for Deepwod Motte and Bear Island, familiar with the wolfswood and the sea respectively. They were the best for the task, even if they were not many.
Dany looked longingly at him one last time, but soon she held the reins firmly in her hands.
He took one breath with relief and choked on it when he heard the piercing scream from his son, "Papa!"
Robb looked at Iagan's bright blue eyes and saw fear. He also saw courage, even in that little boy, blood of his blood, and knew the North was strong.