You'll Hear Me Howling Outside Your Door

"I am blessed by the Gods." There was little room for question as to which he referred to. A smile came to his lips as he took in the sight of the sunrise in front of him. "To be born in the North, home to some of the most beautiful lands in all of Westeros. I couldn't be any more grateful than I am to them. They've given me everything that I could ever ask for." Robb frowned at his words, bit back a sigh that wanted to be left out. "So far, that is." He amended his last statement, the edges of his lips turned up into the smallest of smiles. If the Old Gods blessed him with even just a chance with Nyssa, Robb wasn't sure he would even know how to handle such a thing.

There was a sort of reservation as Robb turned his horse off the main road, onto a trail that would lead them deep into the woods where their words didn't need to be careful. Where they could talk about anything and everything that they wanted to. If a group of bandits happened upon them, Robb knew usually just a mention of his name was enough to scare them off. A group of bandits would have been no match for Ned Stark's anger if his heir was harmed in a grievous manner. But with a Lady by his side, Lady Manderly at that, was enough to make him just a bit nervous. He would, without any hesitation, defend her. With how comfortable he was with his skills, Robb decided that the woods were a viable enough option.

"I have little doubt that your father's army will defeat the Forresters. He is a great Lord, soon you will return to White Harbor, m'lady," Robb spoke, trying to reassure his childhood friend. He didn't want her upset on their ride, he wanted her to be happy while they were so far out of Winterfell's walls that they were sure to be alone. They would only have to worry once they returned to the castle because servants would be milling about by then. Jinny would surely realize that Robb had convinced Nyssa to go on a ride despite her maid's feelings. Robb couldn't help but feel just a bit triumphant because he had done so. Perhaps they hadn't changed as much as they thought, both still all too eager to cause a bit of panic when the castle began to wake and they realized two important people were missing. Robb had let the servants know that they didn't need to lie on his behalf, they didn't need to get in trouble because he didn't know how to behave himself when it came to Nyssa.

Robb's shoulders visibly drew together at the mention of the South, not having been in the particular mood to discuss politics. Not with her, not here. But he wasn't going to be so callous toward her. "Father and King Robert will always be like brothers, even when they are fighting. I hope that is enough to keep an all out war from beginning. Else I'll have to come rescue you from the South," Robb teased, thankful that she was behind him and couldn't see the look that crossed his face at the thought. If Nyssa so much as hinted at wanting to leave in a letter to Robb, he would make it so without little consideration for potential consequences.

"If I may be honest for a moment, m'lady," Robb paused, gathered his thoughts, and said a silent prayer that his words wouldn't offend Nyssa for that was the very last thing he wanted. "I don't care for the idea of you being betrothed to a Southern Lord. With the rising tensions..." He trailed off, trying to play the fact that he was simply concerned for her wellbeing and not jealous of the Florent Lord her hand had been promised to. "It's not... I don't think... it's a wise decision."

Nyssa Manderly | Adventurous ✘ Naive ✘ Stubborn

"Well, if you have to save me from the South, I'm sure House Manderly will sing ballads and poems about your heroic deeds for years to come." Nyssa teased back, letting go of some of her unease of being around Robb on her own. "If I may be honest for a moment, m'lady." They were quiet for a little bit before he spoke again, almost with trepidation that certainly peaked Nyssa's curiosity. Large, amalgamated orbs of stone and sapphire turned towards the future lord of Winterfell. "I don't care for the idea of you being betrothed to a Southern Lord. With the rising tensions..." His voice dipped for a moment, and Nyssa was sure her heart had stopped beating. He didn't want her to be betrothed to a Southern Lord? "It's not... I don't think... it's a wise decision." She was quiet, unsure of how to answer. "To... To continue in the vein of honesty," Nyssa started off uneasily, keeping her gaze fixed pointedly ahead so she wouldn't have to witness his reaction, "I'm not... I wish it wasn't this way. I've pleaded and begged with Mother and Father. They won't relent."

A soft little humorless laugh trickled from her throat. "I don't want to leave the North. It's my home. But Mother says it's my duty and we can't back out of this arrangement. Particularly because things are so tense between the North and South. Partially why I asked earlier. It's a child's hope but... But I thought that if Robert and Eddard were able to soothe things over I could back out." She shook her head almost to herself. Her throat was thick, but she refused to cry. This was not Robb's cross to bear. It was her's. "The Florents are vassals of the Lannisters. They're powerful enemies. House Manderly would rather not cross them. Besides- I'm a woman of noble birth. We don't marry for things like love." She tried to sound strong and confident, but it was soft, wavering a little at the end. If Nyssa thought there was a way out of this marriage she'd of taken it a long time ago. The more she thought of it, the thicker the lump in Nyssa's throat grew, and her eyes misted. Abruptly she pulled her reins until the horse stopped and forced a long breath through her body.

"S-Sorry. It's a sore topic. But you shouldn't concern yourself this matter." Nyssa murmured once she managed to force her emotions back down, turning her face away so Robb couldn't see how upset she was. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably with the thought that once the Manderly's thought it was safe; Nyssa would be sent back. They'd have her wedding and then she'd be moving south- to House Florent. "I just need a moment. Do you mind if I stretch my legs?" Without waiting for his denial or agreement, Nyssa slid out of her saddle, her feet landing upon the snowy ground with a muffled thud! She should of just smiled and waved off Robb's concern. Yet he always had a way of getting her to be honest with her feelings. And, she had been lying to so many people about how eager she was to go South. When Sansa had cornered her at dinner the other night, Nyssa had happily chatted about how nice the change would be. Sansa had plead with Nyssa to let her come stay South for a few months. Nyssa had wanted to tell her to enjoy the North before she was married off. Instead she had beamed and nodded.

But the moment Robb had voiced his concerns; she was speaking nearly all her fears and reservations about this marriage. The last person she should likely be telling all this. Not only did he have enough worries of his own- but Nyssa had held feelings for him since she could remember. "Please, Robb, please don't tell anyone of this conversation. If Jinny tells my parents that she thinks I'm getting cold feet the wedding will only happen sooner." She wished to remain in the North as long as she could. And while Jinny was only doing what Nyssa's parents had instructed- it left a sour taste in the young woman's mouth. The skies had lightened considerably and gentle golden rays of sun filtered through the trees illuminating the duo. "They say I'll be happy. What can I do but believe them? My hand is promised and very few things will change that, none without consequence. Above all, I"m a Northerner. I keep my word, it's my bond." She murmured more to herself in a soft desolate tone.

"Fuck the South," Robb's words formed in his mouth and were said before he could even consider what he was saying, what the implications of such a thing were. Robb's words felt sour in his mouth and had he contained them, he was sure that his feelings of disdain for the Southern lands would have only grown stronger. It would have surely sparked an argument if the wrong person had heard him speak in such a negative way in regards to the South but he was certain that Nyssa felt the same way. If nothing else, she wouldn't say it herself because she was Lady and such language from her would have been frowned upon. Even if Robb would have only snickered and given her a fake lecture about how unladylike her actions had been. When they were alone, Robb could not have cared less about whether she was prim and proper. He had grown up knowing the side of Nyssa that didn't care so much for politics or for her so-called duty and that had been what made Robb interested in the first place. "My apologies, Nyssa," his words sounded forced and in a way, they were. Robb wanted nothing more than to make her hurt go away but what could he do? It was only when Nyssa asked for a break that he pulled his horse to a stop, glaring ahead of them. His anger was still there, just below the surface.

Robb stood in his saddle and unmounted, took a moment that ended up being longer than necessary before he turned to face his companion. There was a hesitant, almost apologetic smile on his lips as he stepped forward to help close the distance between them. Only a foot or so of space was left and Robb found himself wanting to kiss her now more than ever. Nyssa was very clearly unhappy with the arrangement and her words did nothing but further his conviction. Had he been in his father's shoes, able to do as freely as he pleased, Robb would have offered right then and there. Robb's eyes flickered down to Nyssa's lips as she spoke. He swallowed back a growl that wanted to surface, looking away so that he didn't act on impulse. "Your secrets are always safe with me, m'lady. I hope you understand that," Robb's words were quiet. He turned back to her, raising a hand, prepared to tuck a strand of her hair behind an ear. His hands hesitated by her face and Robb looked to be fighting in internal battle. Eventually, he dropped his hand and looked away.

"Sometimes, m'lady, things can change in unexpected ways," Robb's words were unsure at the very best. He didn't want to give her a full idea of what he meant because that would have been foolish, particularly if Nyssa didn't return his feelings. But perhaps, knowing that she was so opposed to the betrothal, he could talk his father into doing something. Marching on the South if necessary. Robb thought it necessary, had for longer than he probably should admit. But he was not his father, he was not in charge. Whatever Ned felt needed to be done, would be. And he doubted very much that his father would go against a childhood friend like Robert Baratheon.

"While I firmly believe in the fact that Winter is Coming, one must not give up hope that Summer will follow. It always will, even in the darkest of hours, darkest days, Summer will come," Robb spoke, voice turning a bit softer. He looked back to Nyssa and offered a light grin, "Northerners will always get through winter, do not forget."

Nyssa Manderly | Adventurous ✘ Naive ✘ Stubborn

"Fuck the South." Robb's declaration had the woman pausing, and then in a softer more amused voice echoed him. "Fuck the South." It did a little to ease her nerves as she turned her gaze back towards the future Lord of Winterfell. There was a darkness in his eyes that rose goosebumps on her arms. She swore that sometimes she could see the Dire Wolf reflected in Robb of his house's sigil. She was beginning to loosen around Robb, to drop away the walls and etiquette that she'd been taught. And if nothing else, Nyssa thought it was nice not to have this burden clenched solely to her person. There wouldn't be anything Robb could do, but at least there was someone at Winterfell besides Jinny who knew how much she dreaded this damned marriage. It was his movement of dismounting that had Nyssa's gaze snapping back to him. They had grown up so much since the last time, and a part of Nyssa regretted it. She regretted not being able to run about anymore like a pair of wildlings any longer. She regretted they lost that to adulthood and responsibility.

One he dismounted, Robb approached her drawing close enough that she could reach out and touch him. But her hands remained at her sides while he spoke next. "Your secrets are always safe with me, m'lady. I hope you understand that," As the dark haired Stark spoke, his gaze flickered to Nyssa's lips and again that wild rush of emotion slammed into the young Manderly like a wall. She watched with baited breath as Robb reached a hand out as if to brush her cheek or tuck a strand of hair behind her ears; though it was dropped back down after a moment. The young Manderly was almost disappointed. So it was impulsive and without thought that Nyssa hesitantly stepped forward, closing the distance between them to gently sling her arms around his neck, resting her head against him in an embrace. She shouldn't of done that in the first place, nor should she had lingered there for as long as she did finding an innate comfort in Robb's arms. She was quiet as his strong heartbeat sounded in her ears, and Nyssa was almost miffed that Jinny had wanted to deny her this simple pleasure, this simple comfort.

"Thank you. For listening, and understanding." She spoke, pulling away from him before she lost all will to, a small smile on her lips. The only creatures to bear her words any witness, or her actions, were the woodland creatures. And they wouldn't tell. "Sometimes, m'lady, things can change in unexpected ways," Nyssa tried not to look too hopeful at this. "Short of having a bastard of my own, going North of the wall, or a fitting replacement... I'm not sure. But I'll hope." The first words were spoken with sort of wry humor that Jinny would of disapproved of but Nyssa was shrugging it off. She hadn't used to censor her words around Robb, and when they were alone- she didn't want to. With a sort of impish grin she added, "Those would all be unexpected though." All of those were reasonably outlandish circumstances- though it lightened her mood considerably. Even if he didn't mean to, the eldest Stark had a way of getting Nyssa to smile- even in the darkest of times. Something she was positive William Florent would not be able to do. "While I firmly believe in the fact that Winter is Coming, one must not give up hope that Summer will follow. It always will, even in the darkest of hours, darkest days, Summer will come,"

He spoke as he headed back to his horse, Nyssa following his suit, feeling lighter than she had in months. "Northerners will always get through winter, do not forget." He threw a backwards glance at her, and Nyssa swore she could drown herself in his Aegean depths. She made a noise of acknowledgement, akin to a hum, her thoughts turning. She hadn't ever faced a winter that she remembered. She had little faith in summer coming- but she had faith in Robb Stark. In the darkest of times, he'd been her summer. When winter came- that would not change. The two continued on the path Nyssa remaining quiet for a little bit still turning through her thoughts. It wasn't until they looped back to the main road, did Nyssa look towards Robb, and in a teasingly sweet voice called his name. "Robb? Do you recall that time we had raced our horses from the bridge back to Winterfell?" Nyssa wanted to have some fun, and she felt this was a good way to do so. "Well, I lost sorely if I recall. I should ask you for a rematch. And to make it fun, if you win I'll owe you one favor. If I win, you'll owe me a favor. Fair?"

Robb wanted to scream, his conscience certainly was. Do it. Do it. She's practically begging you to. Robb's mind was racing faster than he thought was even possible as he listened to her speak. His breath had caught and if it happened been for Nyssa's arms wrapping around him, he wasn't so entirely sure he would have remembered that breathing was, in fact, a necessity. He hesitated, wondering whether he should pull away and deny her the simple comfort that she was seeking. But Robb couldn't, even if he had truly wanted to, it would have been a useless attempt because his heart wouldn't have allowed it. His arms moved to wrap Nyssa in a tight hug, his hand resting gently on her head. Squeezing his eyes shut, Robb struggled to remind himself that this wasn't going to be his forever. This wasn't going to be his reality, it absolutely couldn't be. The moment Nyssa tried to pull away, he dropped his arms back to his sides and stepped back to give her space.

Winter was coming, it was perhaps the first few words that Robb had really understood when he was younger outside of father and mother. He was not mature enough to realize exactly what that meant, until he found himself comforting his brother, Jon, because the bastard felt like he was being singled out and like he didn't belong. It was that evening that Robb truly began to understand that the saying was literal in the sense that darker times were coming for all of the folk that lived south of the Wall. But then, as each and every person lived out their separate lives, small winters could encase them and overwhelm until they either stumbled and fell or they conquered whatever was bringing them down. The Great Winter, the Winter that would test everyones' will to survive, Robb knew it was nearing deep in his gut. He could only hope that his family would come out of on the other side, stronger than they were now, more resilient than ever.

It wasn't long until they were back on the main road. Robb kept his horse close to hers, wanting to still be able to talk amongst themselves easily. His interest perked at the mention of a race they had once had and he only let out a soft laugh in response. "We raced many times, m'lady. You may have to get a bit more specific," Robb teased gently, a grin breaking onto his features. "Of course I remember." He looked over to her in mild shock as she challenged him, feigning offense as he shook his head. "Are you sure that's a good idea?" He questioned, pulling his horse to a stop. Robb waited for her answer, nodded his head, and didn't waste another moment before he leaned forward, urging his horse forward. Who said that he had to play fair?

Robb's laugh echoed as his horse broke into a gallop. He glanced to Nyssa as he passed. "Should have known better!" He called over his shoulder before turning his attention back to the road in front of him.

Nyssa Manderly | Adventurous ✘ Naive ✘ Stubborn

Nyssa wasn't entirely sure any of this was a good idea, but would it be fun? Would it take her mind off of her own small troubles for a little while? Of course. With a comically indignant huff Nyssa pulled the reins on her horse so it would stop just next to Robb's. "I think you're frightened I'll win Robb Stark." She teased, that roguish light filling her startling sea-green depths. She shouldn't of been surprised when Robb nodded his head slowly as if considering, and then quickly kicked his horse into a gallop. "Should of known better!" Robb called over his shoulder, as Nyssa couldn't help the incredulous giggle that broke past her lips before she urged her own mount on to catch up to the dark haired lord. Robb's laugh echoed freely over the trail as Nyssa tried to catch up to him. The icy wind whipped at her exposed face and she was more than relieved she had brought her thickest cloak. The sound of hooves striking against the ground thudded in her ears. Nyssa couldn't recall the last time she had done something like this, and if Jinny decided to chew her ears off, then it was a reasonable price for the ride they had taken together.

While jarring, she managed to remain in the saddle this time, so really that was a small victory. Since the fights and skirmishes with the Forrester's, her riding skills had become rusty. Perhaps she and Robb could make their early morning rides more of a ha- no. Nyssa knew that she couldn't make a habit of this. Nyssa knew she was already much to entrenched with her head and heart when it came to Robb Stark. Spending more time with him would only complicate that internal fight. Ahead of her the distance between her and Robb's mount were shrinking, and for a moment Nyssa was sure that she'd catch up and pull ahead. Though it wasn't to be. Before Nyssa could fully pull her mount ahead, the two were at the gates of Winterfell, the race over. There was some shouting as the gates were opened for the pair, Robb slowing his horse in the courtyard, Nyssa not too far behind. There were already people around and thankfully Jinny wasn't one of them. She was either still sleeping, or waiting to pounce on Nyssa for going ahead with spending time out of Winterfell's walls with Robb. As she finally drew next to Robb, it wasn't hard to see the victorious glow in his eye as he grinned at her- with all the feral grace of a wolf.

"It appears M'lord you've won." Nyssa conceded as she dismounted, her lips still pulled into that wild smile of her own. Already stablehands were coming forth to take the reins and take care of the horses. "Though I cannot say you've beaten me by entirely fair standards." The little tease was viable in her voice as she bit back an amused smile. The morning had broken over Winterfell, basking the grounds with golden light that made it picturesque. The lands were covered with a light cover of snow, though light enough that dead blades of grass were still visible. Snow. Something that Nyssa didn't think she'd miss; until faced with the prospect of leaving such a place. Among some of the people in the courtyard, were Jon and Arya the former teaching the latter how to string a bow, and Nyssa smiled fondly. The last time she was here, she was about Arya's age, and the three boys took turns teaching the Manderly girl how to shoot. Jon seemed to notice them out the corner of his eye and paused to give the pair a friendly wave. She would put aside time to spend with Jon and Theon at some point. Turning back to Robb though she spoke soft enough for him to hear only, "You've one favor, and before Jinny strings me up by the ears I should head back to my chambers. We'll spend time together later I'm sure." Nyssa bade.

She knew she must of looked like a mess. Her hair was disheveled by the wind, her cheeks red and poignant and her thick winter cloak a little crooked on her shoulders. With nimble fingers she rearranged the cloak so that was at least in the right place, and giving up on her hair took the simple braid out and let her brunette locks fall down naturally. Perhaps if she were a little bolder, and free, Nyssa would of kissed Robb's cheek before scurrying away. But rather she just dipped her head slightly before turning to head indoors, greet both Jon and Arya on her way in and out of the cold. Her heart was still racing as fast as horses, though outwardly Nyssa tried to appear composed. Quietly she sneaked back to her room, and readied herself for the day. Carefully she brushed out her hair and arranged it, opting for a simple silver dress with black detailing. Once Nyssa was sure she looked well enough to present herself, the young woman decided to make her way down to the Greathall to secure herself some breakfast. It was the one thing she'd forgotten to do before going out for her ride that morning.

Robb couldn't help the laughs that sounded from his lips as he encouraged his horse to move even faster, lowering his chest so that it rubbed against the beast's neck as it galloped onward. His smile turned even brighter as he approached the gates of Winterfell, they opening just in time for him to race through them. He sat up straight, pulling on the reigns to bring the horse to a halt just inside the courtyard. That same brilliant smile adorned his features as Robb looked to the side, catching sight of Nyssa. "Oh, please, you're saying that as if I would have lost had I not taken a head start!" Robb retaliated with a laugh, shaking his head as he raised up just enough to lift his leg to the other side, dropping down to the ground with a solid thud. Robb flashed a grin, stepping over to offer his hand so that he could help Nyssa to the ground.

His eyes were trained on Nyssa as she adjusted herself first and then took her braid out, his eyes following the trail that her hair followed as it was let free. Swallowing the lump that formed in his throat, Robb looked away when she turned to leave so that his gaze wouldn't linger on her too much longer. Eyes locking on Theon's, Robb gave the slightest shake of his head, hoping that his friend would leave the situation alone. By the twinkle in the Ironborn's eye, Robb knew without a doubt that he had noticed the way that Robb's eyes lingered a little too longon the Southern girl. Heart pounding, Robb spun on his heal and stalked out of the courtyard, intent to go freshen up.

Inside of his chambers, Robb drew himself a bath, having given the servant who followed orders to find something else to do. Once the bath was ready, Robb disrobed and sank into the warmth of the water, his eyes slipping closed as he breathed a sigh of relief. It didn't take very long for Robb's mind to drift to what it would be like if it had been Nyssa drawing his bath for him, Nyssa running a soapy cloth over his skin. Groaning at the reaction his body had, Robb sunk a bit further into the bath.

---

The bath lasted far longer than what Robb would have expected but it was a relief, his muscles no longer ached in any sort of way. Pulling on a fresh pair of clothes, nothing particularly fancy, Robb made his way down to the Great Hall, knowing that his bath had lasted long enough that supper should be served soon enough.

Nyssa Manderly | Adventurous ✘ Naive ✘ Stubborn

When Nyssa had left her ancestral home, she had been told that the infighting between her house and the Forrester's wouldn't last more than a month. Perhaps it had been naive of Nyssa to believe her father's soothing words, that she'd be home in no time. Yet as time wore on, and the young girl found herself well into her second month at Winterfell, Nyssa found herself becoming less and less hopeful that there would be a swift resolution to this conflict between the Northern houses. Part of her was distraught over this. She knew each day that she was kept within the protection of Winterfell, the more the houses struggled and fought against one another. More blood was spilled over some pointless feud, and her people suffered. Her family suffered. From the ravens she received from her parents, it seemed both Houses were in a deadlock neither able to gain the upper hand over the other. By the middle of her second month, Nyssa felt the sharp pangs of homesickness for a home to which she could not return until the conflict was over. Though to her rather guilty conscious, it's not as if she wasn't enjoying her time at Winterfell.

Beneath the worry and the homesickness she knew the longer she was at Winterfell, the longer she could put off thinking about her engagement. The longer she could remain in the North, where her heart truly belonged. She felt at home, as much as she could of, around the Stark's. Eddard and Catelyn were never cruel nor cold to her, and often treated her like one of their own children. Sansa requested her presence often and Nyssa found her days were mostly spent with the eldest Stark daughter, joining her lessons of sewing, embroidery and other more "lady-like" pursuits. And while she wasn't much good at it, Sansa seemed to appreciate the company and the small-gossip their conversations were often laced with. And the more time that Nyssa spent with Sansa... The less time she had to fawn over Robb like a moonstruck calf. Though to be perfectly honest, once Jinny had heard of Nyssa's early morning ride two months ago with Robb, after a drawn out lecture she had taken to watching Nyssa like a hawk. Nyssa knew that Jinny was merely doing her job, and with more and more news of increasing tensions between the North and South- she knew it was selfish to continue to pine after the eldest Stark the way she did.

Nyssa shivers, drawing her thickly-furred cloak tighter around her frame. Overhead the skies are overcast and gray, though she knows it's drawing closer to evening. She had spent most of the day with Sansa Stark, their focus had been on embroidery and the occasional bit of gossip here and there. By the end of their lesson, Nyssa's fingers felt stiff as they usually did. There hadn't been enough time in the day to ride to the closet town, though she heavily doubted Jinny would've allowed such a thing to begin with. Feeling as if she needed a breath of fresh air, Nyssa had decided to go down to the Godswood, to pray and enjoy the opportunity to be alone with her thoughts. How long exactly she stayed beneath the ancient, gnarled branches Nyssa wasn't sure. But it's not until the sun has begun it's final descent for the day does the girl gather herself from her thoughts.

She's growing cold despite the warmth of her furs, and she knows that dinner would likely be served in an hour or two, and she should freshen up. Being near the Weridwood has given her a sense of peace as she makes her way back to Winterfell, her gaze distant and worlds away. The closer Nyssa draws to Winterfell, the better she can hear the distinctive clanging of someone practicing with a sword. She figures that it's Jon, the Snow bastard seems to enjoy working with a sword. As she enters the courtyards of Winterfell she notes it's nearly empty, and the sounds of a sword hitting the wooden dummies grow clearer. It's not until she rounds a corner though, does she realize who was practicing their swordskill; none other than Robb Stark. He doesn't notice her at first, and the young lady draws to halt a small, unwitting smile touching the corner of her mouth. The bright-eyed Manderly remains quiet as the young wolf attacks the practice target and it's not until he pauses, wiping his brow and taking a deep breath does she clear her throat. At once he whirls, his dark cobalt gaze clashing upon her's. "M'lord, you're positively fearsome against those practice targets." The soft tease is void of any real malice or ill intent towards the eldest Stark son. "I have to admit Robb, sword practice seems more enjoyable than sewing. Count yourself lucky you get to learn swordwork as opposed to needlework."

Duty. Robb had a duty that he had to tend to, he couldn't just ignore the fact that he was the next trueborn heir to the North. That he would one day rule over Winterfell and hold the title of Warden of the North. With that duty, along came needing to focus on learning as much as he could from his father. He knew that one day, his father would no longer be there by his side and he would have to look upon himself for the answers to what was the right thing to do. As a Stark, honor was high up on his list of priorities. It was paramount that he would always do what was right, no matter how hard it would prove to be at times. A few days after Nyssa's arrival, Ned had pulled Robb to the side to discuss something that he described as important. Of all the things that he would have expected for his father to bring up, he had never thought that his father would more or less tell him to keep a distance from Nyssa.

They had once been close as children and that had been acceptable at the time because they were children. Now, Nyssa was to wed a Southern prince. The wedding would certainly take place soon, the moment that Nyssa could return to her home. Robb had to be respectful of that, needed to keep in mind what it could mean for him if he grew too close to the Manderly girl. Robb would be heartbroken and there was no real telling how Nyssa herself would react. Robb had been reluctant to agree but he had, because his father was right about the situation. No matter how much Robb didn't want to admit to it. So he had returned to his studies during early morning hours and mostly sword training later on in the day. He threw himself headfirst into his studies, trying to distract himself from the visitor they had. Even his brother and best friend realized that Robb needed the distraction and quickly enough, it seemed to be doing his job well enough.

Robb had gotten into an argument with Jon earlier in the day. Jon and Theon had gone off to do something ridiculous that Robb hadn't wanted any part of for once and settling on that fact, the two had left with Robb staying behind. he threw himself into his sword training, taking his frustrations out on the wooden dummy that lay before him. Sweat had broken out on his brow, only spurring him to go harder because it meant that he would sleep well tonight if he managed to tire himself out. He paused long enough to take a deep breathe, using his free hand to wipe sweat from his brow when he heard someone behind him. Spinning around, Robb couldn't help himself but to grin at the Manderly girl. He stepped to the side, waving his arm in the direction of the dummy. "I only wish that they would fight back. Imagine how much better of a swordsman I could be..." Robb trailed off with a shrug.

Listening to Nyssa's words, he knew that it was a terrible idea to offer her to even hold a sword. She was a noble lady, meant to marry off to a lord and bare children for the joined houses. Not to fight in wars but what did learning to hold a sword mean? Robb looked to be dating something for a moment, tugging his bottom lip between his teeth as he studied the ever present grin on Nyssa's face. Robb cleared his throat, taking a step closer to her before holding his free hand out to her. "C'mere, let me show you how to hold a sword. What's the actual worse that could happen?' With the question posed between the pair, Robb wasn't too sure which of them he was asking.