[fieldbox="Robb Stark; Winterfell's Wolf, grey, solid"]
Traveling with King Robert's entourage was nearly intolerable. They were plagued with broken axles and incessant stops. Though he had never traveled so far South, Robb Stark - the Lord of Winterfell now that his father was Hand of the King - was absolutely certain they were taking twice as long as should have been necessary. He would be extremely glad to be rid of the royal party - not that he'd ever voice such an opinion. It was hard enough to deal with his sisters' perpetual squabbling, but to hear the king and his wife almost constantly at one another's throats was practically too much to bear.
Leaving Winterfell for this - a drawn out journey full of problems and too many arguments to count - seemed like a foolish mistake. Especially when his brother's poor state was taken into consideration. Thankfully, they just had to make it to King's Landing and they could be rid of the royal party. They just had to make it to King's Landing in one piece.
Their stop at the Crossroads Inn could have kept them from getting to the capital in one piece. Fortunately, the stop did not have as dire of consequences as it could have. As it was, however, had Robb the authority to do so he would have severed Sansa's ties to the Lannister family. It left a foul taste in his mouth, to see what a little monster that golden haired boy Cersei called her son was. To think that Sansa was engaged to such an incorrigible lad turned his stomach.
Robb made an attempt to bring such concerns to his father's attention, but was rebuffed with the fact that it would be easier to terminate his own engagement than one to the heir apparent of the Iron Throne. An engagement was not something that could simply be broken, it was a holy vow made to another - and it was meant to be honored. Certainly Robb would not break his own engagement if Sansa or Arya disapproved of his intended. He couldn't expect his father to deny Sansa's elevation to a much higher station, because of a small altercation.
Had the altercation been small, Robb would not have thought much of it. However, he knew it best not to argue and let the subject drop. Instead, the closer they got to King's Landing, the more he put his mind toward his own engagement to Margaery Tyrell. His memories of the young woman were fond ones from their childhood. It would be a joy to see her again, even if they were to be married shortly after their reunion.
He'd made certain that his father knew that it was his desire to comply with whatever wishes the young lady had for their wedding ceremony. Though he carried the old gods as Eddard did, he wanted to have the ceremony where Margaery would be most comfortable. If that placed them in a sept, he wouldn't argue. Or, if she desired to be joined in the sight of the old gods, they could return to Winterfell and be married beneath the ancient heart tree there.
Arriving at King's Landing and leaving the royal party behind was a weight off their whole party's shoulders. With only a handful of them traveling now, the road passed by much quicker and much quieter. There was still the occasional, "Arya, stop it!" followed by a subsequent, "Make me!" from the carriage that the girls rode in. That was nothing compared to riding with the king's large entourage, though.
One thing that Robb took notice of quite quickly was how much warmer the air got, the further South they traveled. For a Northman, it wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, but he would be glad to travel North again. That did bring up the concern over whether Margaery would be comfortable in Winterfell. If she was used to such a warm climate, could she adjust to the cold air of the North? Or would she forever be unhappy to live in such a cold and dreary place?
Perhaps he should have taken that into consideration sooner... But, there was little he could do about it. She seemed to have enjoyed her time in Winterfell when her family visited, though much could have changed since then.
It was that thought which put him toward wondering about his intended. Ten years had passed since they'd seen each other. At least neither one of them knew what to expect of the other, so in that they were not alone. During his ponderings about Margaery, Highgarden crested the horizon as he rode alongside his father.
"Ah, finally," Eddard spoke beside him.
"I was beginning to think we'd never make it."
"That makes two of us," Robb agreed.
"Arya and Sansa have been far too quiet... I would not be so sure we all made it safely."
Eddard laughed and shook his head.
"Sansa! Arya! Have a look at this!" he called back to the carriage.
Quarrelling immediately erupted from within the wagon as the two fought over who would be looking at what and out of which window.
"I suppose that means they're both all right," Robb surmised, chuckling.
"Hopefully they settle down once they're able to get out of that carriage..."
As his sisters argued, Robb took in the sight before him. Tiered walls and vibrant colors, a stark contrast to his own home. No doubt that he and his father would stick out like sore thumbs in their dark, heavy woolen and leather clothes. Highgarden was a sight to behold, though. Even from such a distance, he could tell it was full of life and merriment.
Hopefully Margaery would not begrudge him for taking her from such a place.
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