𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐅𝐈𝐕𝐄 | Riverrun

{ Eliza }

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𝕰liza's dress was dark and warm, her fur lined cloak fluttering in the brisk autumn air as she watched her husband and Brynden Tully release the funeral boat of Hoster Tully, letting it sail down the river and away from their pontoon. She was stood with Catelyn, who was so silent that Eliza had forgotten on two occasions that she was standing with someone else.

A swipe of wind sent the water, that was splashing at the jetty, onto the side of her cloak and her hands. It was cold, keeping Eliza present in the moment as she blinked a few times.

Robb clambered back up onto the dock, re-joining Eliza's side. She turned slightly, looking up at her husband, who rested a hand on his sword and offered her the crook of his arm in response. Eliza slid her hand through his, stepping closer to steal his body heat as they watched Edmure step forward, holding his bow out ahead of him.

The first shot that he lit splashed wide of the mark, a little too far from the boat. Eliza blinked a few times, turning to Robb in confusion. She did not know this type of burial and was a bit unsure about whether or not this was customary. Was it normal to miss your mark?

Bare funerals were simple affairs. You rode out with the horse of whoever had died, to the graves that were deep in the Weirwood forest of Faymont. Once there, you laid the person to rest and then the horse was let loose into the Weirwood land to remain retired for the rest of their days and to protect the ghosts of their ancestors.

Edmure pulled the next arrow back and shot it, which again was wildly off the mark. The boat was drifting further downstream as Robb snorted before trying to cover his laughter. Eliza nudged him, shaking her head as Robb gulped and tried to be serious. Others in the crowd were murmuring amongst themselves, their judgement stifling the air around them.

She could not imagine that this was easy, to set the boat alight, but surely this was their custom. They should be used to doing it, or at least have practiced the shot. For Bare funerals, if you could not keep up with the riding, then you were simply told not to come. 

Eliza had missed her mother's funeral because of that.

He tried one last time and once again, Edmure missed his mark and Robb turned his head, biting down hard on his lip to not laugh aloud. Eliza shot him a sharp look. Now was not the time and he was the king, he did have to set an example.

"I am trying. I am trying." He whispered, forcing himself to stop as Eliza rolled her eyes. Brynden stepped forward, lightning an arrow and unleashing a shot as the wind died. As it flew through the air, Brynden turned and tossed the bow back to Edmure, walking away as the arrow landed in the boat and set it aflame. 

Eliza and Robb both watched the older man go, before Eliza caught Robb's eyes and hummed, pursing her lips.

"What?" He muttered. Eliza just turned to leave. "What?"

"We have a war council meeting." Eliza muttered. "This is not going to go well."

"Do not say that, Eliza. You never know." Robb squeezed her hand as the crowd parted for them. "It might go wonderfully and he will take the constructive criticism to listen to orders well."

"On the day of his father's funeral? I think not." Eliza sighed as Grey Wolf came padding over, immediately leaning into Eliza's side and watching her with adoring eyes. Robb narrowed his own eyes at his traitorous wolf, who was ignoring him completely. "Well, let us get this over with."

✧✦✧

"If I may, nephew," Eliza sighed at Edmure's words. She was sitting beside her husband's form, Grey Wolf's head resting in her lap as she listened to the men talk. "I encountered a situation with one of my lieutenants at the Stone Mill which may have some bearing..."

"Why don't you shut your mouth about that damned mill?" Brynden Tully's voice was quiet, his grip tight on his sword handle as Eliza's eyes drifted between the pair, scratching between Grey Wolf's eyes. "And don't all him 'nephew'. He is your king."

"Robb knows I mean him no disre-"

"You're lucky I'm not your king. I wouldn't let you wave your blunders around like a victory flag." The pair were getting into one another's faces as Eliza turned her eyes onto her husband, who was staring out of the window as if he wished to ignore the sounds of what was going on behind him. Eliza coughed slightly, hoping to alert her husband as the argument continued, but he seemed to ignore her.

Her eyes narrowed, before she coughed harder. The conversation stopped as Eliza looked away from it all, pretending that it was not her who had made the sound.

"It's not about glory. Your instructions were to wait for him to come to you." Robb turned his head to watch Edmure, before leaving his position at the window and standing ahead of his uncle.

"I seized an opportunity." Edmure was waiting for a thank you, a congratulations of a sort that he was not going to get if her husband's clenched jaw was anything to go off of.

"What value was the mill?"

"The Mountain was garrisoned across the river from it."

"Is he there now?" Robb snarked. 

"Of course not." Edmure grinned. "We took the fight to him. He could not withstand us."

"I wanted to draw the Mountain into the west, into our country where we could surround him and kill him. I wanted him to chase us," Robb ground out, as Eliza sighed. Her brain was whirring, thinking away on new plans and new ideas, new ways for them to gain back their advantage. "Which he would have done because he is a mad dog without a strategic thought in his head. I could have that head on a spike by now. Instead, I have a mill."

"We took hostages." Edmure gulped. "Willem Lannister. Martyn Lannister."

"Willem and Martyn Lannister are ten and four years old."

"Martyn is ten and five, I believe." Brynden piped in helplessly as Eliza rubbed a tired hand across her forehead, thinking to herself.

"Tywin Lannister has my sisters. Have I sued for peace?"

"No."

"Do you think he will sue for peace because we have his father's brother's great grandsons?"

"No." Edmure shook his head as Robb's eyes narrowed.

"How many men did you lose?" Edmure had the decency to at least look embarrassed by Robb's questioning.

"Two hundred and eight." He caught sight of the disappointment on Robb's face and was quick to add on. "But for every man we lost, the Lannisters..."

"We need our men more than Tywin needs his!" Robb snapped, his voice raised.

"Enough." The men froze, all taking deep breaths as Eliza stood up. She brushed her skirt out, looking between the men carefully. "I can see emotions are running a bit high here, and we are lacking patience in this meeting. I think we should leave it here for now."

Edmure and Brynden watched her as Grey Wind curled further around her, amber eyes unblinking.

"A moment with my husband, if you will my lords." Eliza forced a smile, as the two older men left, before she twisted her head to her husband's furious form. 

"Do not say it." Robb hissed as soon as the door closed, pointing a finger towards his wife, who ignored it.

"I told you he would not take it well."

"You were right, I was wrong. Is that what you wish to hear?" Robb groaned, running a hand through his hair as he huffed. "This ruins the plan."

"It does not ruin it."

"It does. The Mountain is gone."

"Aye, but the plan is not ruined. It is just evolving." Eliza suggested instead, her voice still soft as Robb finally approached her. "I have an idea, of sorts. Let me sleep on it, and fully form it and then I shall present it back to you. In that time, try not to yell at your uncle or mother."

Robb sighed, huffing slightly before relenting. He took a deep breath, his shoulders untensing, before he pressed his hand to Eliza's back, kissing her cheek in apology.

"I should not have been rude."

"You should not have." Eliza agreed.

"I am sorry." He pulled back, looking down at his dark haired wife, who looked unamused.

"You all bicker like you are nine years old and have never had to share a toy before." Eliza stated. "It is a wonder anything ever got done without a mediator. What would you have done without me?"

"Shouted at my uncle and advisors more."

"Maybe ask Brynden Tully to become the head of the army here at Riverrun. He is far more competent it seems, at least from the brief conversation that we have had." Eliza suggested as Robb sighed.

"Aye, but that will mean that I have to go against the line of succession."

"We have to do what is best to win the war. Stop being nice." Eliza shot back. "Start thinking logically."

"I try, but I am not nearly as good as you." Robb smiled at his wife, who shook her head. "You are the best strategist for a reason."

"I am the Queen, not a strategist."

"You are both." Robb corrected. "I should name you as the head strategist."

"That would go down well. They will assume that I only got that position because we are married." Eliza sighed, before feeling Robb's hand catch hers as he twisted her back towards him, catching her before she could slam into him.

"Then they are fools. All who are my advisors know that you are the best." Robb smiled once more as Eliza watched him. She patted his chest softly, a signal to let her go as he did.

"I will be plotting and planning somewhere else." She muttered, her voice growing softer as she opened the door to the room they were in. "Do not get into too much trouble."

"I will await your return eagerly." He smiled.

Hiya,

It's been a while, but have Liz and Robb plotting together about how things are going and stuff. They're getting sweeter, and they've definitely built their relationship up a fair amount since the beginning, which is very good.

Let me know what you think,

Love Li xx