[Intro] With flag unfurled

[homely_sonja]

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[eldeststark]

Robb has been dead, as far as she knows, for several months. Thus, it may come as a surprise to her, if she is in the hallways, to turn a corner and find a huge wolf, pony sized, growling deep in his chest. And immediately followed by a red-haired young man stepping up to lay a hand on the wolf's back, half opening his mouth to apologize and then blinking.

Robb Stark looks simultaneously older and younger than he last did. There's still the heavy weight of known responsibility on his shoulders, and he still bears it well, for his youth, but his bearing is mostly lighter, freer. Might have to do with impending matrimony.

"--La - Ser," and that is still weird to think, "Brienne of Tarth?"

[homely_sonja]

Brienne pales violently when she sees Robb, and has to reach and pinch herself to make sure she's not dreaming.

"-- My lord," she says, and drops to her knees immediately. "-- It is meet that you are alive."

And unexpected. And maybe -- oh, there's hope in her heart, now. So much hope.

[eldeststark]

He blinks, and can't quite keep himself from saying, "No, I'm not," even as he drags Grey Wind to a sit. And tells him firmly to stay there. And then winces at his own words. "--my apologies. I don't mean to be -" It's been a long time since anyone bowed to him, and he very nearly shuffles, awkwardly.

"Rise, ser," he manages, with hastily mustered dignity. And then remembers what his mother sent this one away to do, and straightens, his eyes coming alive with hope.

"La- ser Brienne, have you - did you reach King's Landing? Have you found my sisters?" Last he heard - but no, perhaps she's from after, later on, and knows that they're all right, because they have to be.

[homely_sonja]

Brienne's eyes fill with so much sadness. She shakes her head. "Not as of yet, Your Grace," she says softly. "And never, now, probably."

He's dead. He's dead, admitted to it, and therefore so is she. Her eyes fill with tears.

Robb Stark was never unkind to her. He would not be so cruel so as to play such games. Not him. Not Catelyn's son. Not -- she looks away.

"Forgive me, Your Grace."

[eldeststark]

He closes his eyes and sighs, bites his lip, and collects himself again after a moment. "Don't say that," he says, firmly as he can manage. "It's - no fault of yours. No one seems to have known where they are now."

He takes a deep breath and looks up again, and then his eyes fill with concern, eyebrows drawing down. "--Ser Brienne, what - is it?" A slight pink tinge to his cheeks, he's forgotten what it's like to be addressed by his rank. "Forgive - what? It was hardly - your fault that my mother sent you away after I'd made my wishes clear-"

He misinterprets, Robb does.

[homely_sonja]

She's still not looking at him, as if full of shame. "--I -- failed in the quest to find your sisters," she finally says, quietly.

She's struggling not to break down and cry here and now.

And your mother killed me.

[eldeststark]

He looks worried, and releases Grey Wind to step over and tentatively reach - well, up, to put a hand carefully on her shoulder. "It's - it's all right. They seem to have - vanished. Others...people who should have known," Tyrion, he thinks, and his jaw clenches, "Were here, briefly, and they didn't - it's not your fault."

Tell him that. Please do, Brienne.

[homely_sonja]

She's still looking away and trying not to look at Robb, because she's terrified of what she might tell him. "Your Grace is too kind," she manages to say, and she almost chokes on her words.

She can still feel the noose around her neck. She can still see Podrick Payne's legs twitching.

Perhaps Robb might notice the bruises around her neck. Perhaps. She's going to valiantly try not to tell him, though.

[eldeststark]

His frown deepens, as he does notice. "Lad - Ser, you're hurt. What happened?" Carefully, he remembers how disoriented he was when he came here with an arrow in his shoulder and no clear memory of what happened, and she seems so...shaky.

And won't look at him. "Did something else - happen?" He asks, eyebrows drawing downwards into a v.

[homely_sonja]

"I -- I would be grateful if you did not order me to answer, Your Grace." Her eyes are pleading, filled with water, and her large and crooked mouth is trembling.

She's really begging him, with all that she has, to let it rest.

[eldeststark]

He chews his lip in a gesture that isn't very lordly at all, and finally nods, barely. "If - very well. If at some point you can tell me...I would be grateful, if it concerns my family? But I - understand how it is to be here suddenly."

[homely_sonja]

The relief in her face is plain to see. "Thank you, my lord," she replies earnestly. "I have had a long -- I am weary, if truth be told."

As discussed... [For Robb] Questions With a Capital Q

[eldeststark]

Robb looks abruptly guilty. "I will not keep you, then," he says, hastily. "Go and rest, --ser. You will be safe as long as you require."

[homely_sonja]

She nibbles at her lip and nods once. "-- Thank you, Your Grace. May I see you on the morrow?"

And yours can be the last, perhaps? And if you don't mind assuming this, I think, as mentioned earlier, that Robb is going to gain a shadow for a bit.

[eldeststark]

"--of course," he says, with a hasty bow - properly, though he finds himself a little awkward at it. (Time to brush up!) "I will be - here, most likely, I would be happy to speak with you again."

Sounds good! I'll go catch that post. <3 <3 <3