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[queeninthenorth]

If Jeyne had still been inclined to pray to the Seven, she would have thanked the Mother every day that Reynald was a healthy, happy, easygoing baby. Of course he cried and fussed at times as any baby did, but it was almost always due to being hungry or tired and he was easily soothed, unlike his cousin Rickon who seemed to drive his mother to

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[giftless]

A sad sort of after effect of all the history-that-was-not-his-own with Robb was that, quite unconsciously, Edmund had distanced himself from Robb's wife, Jeyne. She seemed quite nice, and a rather backwards, boyish sense of competition insisted that she had to, in some way, be equal or better than Edmund. But the truth was he had never let himself get close enough to see for himself. There were always family gatherings, polite exchanges, but Ed felt as though he didn't know the woman at all except as Robb's wife.

And what a horrible thing to be summarized in two words! Edmund, realizing the state of things as he walked along the beach towards the dock, would not let things sit as such. His goal had been the Treader, but with Jeyne and Reynald sitting on the shore, happy as could be, he changed his focus.

"Hello there," he said, smiling warmly, Honour trotting along as a heavy, furry shadow. "How are you two this day?"

[queeninthenorth]

"Good day, Your Grace," Jeyne said, looking up--though it felt overly formal to address her goodbrother so, she did not quite feel she knew him well enough to call him by his given name even after all this time. Though she knew quite well that this Edmund was not the Edmund with whom Robb had been involved, it was still strange; though no matter how strange it was for her it must be even stranger for Edmund, if he had been told of his former self's life.

Despite the strangeness, Edmund was making the effort to be kind, and Jeyne could not hold it in her heart to be at all bitter towards him. "We are well," she added. "Just amusing Reynald with a silly game. Babes are so easily amused sometimes--no, sweetling, you mustn't eat it," she broke off as Reynald attempted to eat a fistful of sand.

[giftless]

Those from Westeros tended more often than anyone to greet Edmund with a title. Edmund could think nothing of it when, say, Davos gave him such respect, but from family it felt awkward and clumsy. It reminded him, foolishly of course, of how desperately he had wished for the White Witch's fulfillment of her promise, of Edmund made prince and king while his siblings knelt before him as dukes and duchesses.

All this could not be explained in passing conversation, so Edmund tried his best to ignore it. Laughing at Reynald's antics helped. "They are," he agreed. "But only if you're lucky with Rickon. Please, call me Edmund, won't you?"

[queeninthenorth]

"All right," Jeyne agreed. "Edmund." Reynald offered Edmund his fistful of sand, but Jeyne discreetly brushed his hand somewhat clean and distracted him again with the seashells. "Rickon is much like his namesake, from the stories I hear. It might be a trial now, but it may be good as well; with such a strong personality it would be very difficult for anyone to take advantage of him when he is older." She was glad that Reynald was an easy baby, but she hoped he would be stronger-willed than she was as he grew.

[giftless]

Feeling a bit more at ease now, Edmund crouched down to be closer to mother and child. "A strong and good personality," he said, remembering full well his own strong but awful personality from before. "Anyone can be taken advantage of if their desires are questionable."

[queeninthenorth]

"A strong mind and a strong heart would be the most desirable," Jeyne agreed. "I wonder... how much of that I can give him as his mother, and how much of it he will have to get on his own?" She shook her head and laughed a little. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so serious."

[giftless]

Edmund smiled in return, but he shook his head to dismiss her apology, not her thoughts. "Mothers are meant to be serious about their children's future," he said. "And I think a great deal he shall have to earn on his own, but with the sort of family he has around here, it shan't be difficult for him at all."

[queeninthenorth]

"I hope he always has so much family here," Jeyne said. "The disappearances can be a hard thing, sometimes. I'm sorry about your sister Lucy," she added. "I know it has been some time... but she is a lovely girl. I know you must miss her very much." Jeyne knew that Robb missed his younger brothers, the ones she had never met, and they both missed Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn.

[giftless]

His expression fell slightly, but in no great way. The loss of Lucy was still a hard thing, a hurt deep in his heart, but the sentiment was appreciated and the time helped him ignore the pain.

"Yes," he admitted with a small nod. "But even with the disappearances, I think we both have more than our fair share of family about. And we never know who might appear next."

[queeninthenorth]

"I would love to see my brothers and sister again," Jeyne admitted. "Reynald is named for my eldest brother, who joined Robb's cause after... after we were married." She was certain her brother had no part in her mother's schemes, and she missed him dearly, even more so than Rollam and Eleyna although she missed them as well. "And I have two younger siblings, a brother, Rollam, and a sister, Eleyna. It would be so good to see them again."

[giftless]

"I hope they arrive one day," Edmund wished sincerely. One of the many reasons that Susan never married any of her visiting princes, he thought, was that she didn't want to leave her family. Edmund couldn't fathom actually doing it. "It must have been hard for you to leave them the first time. Neither of my sisters ever married. Well," he paused and smiled faintly. "Until here of course."

[queeninthenorth]

"I did not actually have to leave them," Jeyne admitted. "Robb's armies took my father's castle, and during the battle Robb was injured. He spent some time there to recover, and it was then that I got to know him. After a time ... we were married," she explained, somewhat awkwardly. It was not the whole story, but Jeyne still felt too guilty, too responsible for Robb's fate when she thought about what had really happened. "When he left to rejoin his forces, I went with him, as did my family. My elder brother Reynald joined his cause, and my younger brother Rollam became his squire."

[giftless]

For all the time he spent in the company of the Starks, Edmund knew little of their history. He could guess that it was not a happy history, so though genuinely curious of their affairs he never pressed the subject of their homeland. This sounded, to Edmund's ears, a rather pleasant story compared to what he might have expected.

"Well that's lucky," he said with a faint smile. "Not for the war, of course, but that you were able to get to know each other and then that your family supported him."

[queeninthenorth]

Jeyne flushed, feeling guilty that she had misled Edmund into thinking it was a happy situation when it truly was not and was mostly all her fault. "My brothers joined his cause, yes," she said, "but my parents only pretended to support him, being in league with the Lannisters in secret. My mother plotted with Robb's enemies behind our backs to bring him down--if she comes here I shall have naught to do with her."

Her voice was unexpectedly cold, and Reynald made a small, uncomfortable sound that brought her back to herself. "I'm sorry, your--Edmund," she said, soothing Reynald. "I didn't mean to speak so harshly."

[giftless]

Well, that changed things, didn't it? Ed looked down for a moment, not sure how to react to that and not wanting to hurt Jeyne unintentionally with some stupid expression. "It's alright," he said. "Sounds like it might be deserved. Awfully ugly for parents to use their own children like that."