Chapter Text
He hates the word Fate.
Fate... that holds the indivisable thread that ties every being, every thing, to the wretched, cruel world we live in. If a man's destiny is predetermined before him, if a man will never truly be able to live the life he chooses without divine intervention, what seperates him from an animal? Caged and forced to follow his destined path... Is he truly a man?
Robb Stark hates fate.
Fate is what has him caged, what has seperated them, what made him the blood of a wolf and she a lion. Two entities too far removed to ever be one, to ever be whole. So close, he yearns to touch her, to feel the smoothness of her skin beneath his lips, to move his fingers through the sun kissed curls that flow down her back; yet so far apart all he will ever know is the sound of her voice and the warmth of her smile... Sometimes he is able to convience himself it's enough.
He can feel his body breaking apart, almost like glass, yet he carries his Myrcella-his whole world-in his arms. He sets her gently on her bed her green eyes lost to him, hidden behind her closed lids as she lies asleep, and he moves a blonde curl away from her forehead.
I love you.
Robb presses a kiss to her pink lips just before his entire being shatters into pieces and he is carried away by the wind. Where had once stood a man, now stood nothing, not even ashes left behind to be buried.
Myrcella wakes with a sharp intake of breathe, her lips feel as if they are frozen yet burning at the same time and her heart is pounding so quickly she's scared it might actually jump out of her chest. Where am I? She thinks as she slowly takes in the foreign room, she quickly realizes she's in a room that has long been deserted for some time now; the wooden floor that she guessed had once been clean and new were now aged and filthy, many things-clothing and furniture alike-were scattered across the room, the once sky colored blue walls bared angry scorch marks as if someone had tried to set the house on fire and broken glass lined the floor beside the bed she lay on. As Myrcella climbed off the bed, careful not to step on any pieces of glass, something silver caught her eye. It was a picture frame, not of great size, that she assumed was the cause of the glass. She quickly picked up the broken frame and turned it over to reveal a picture.
It was of her.
Her hands were placed delicatly in her lap, and the background around her was that of a bright sunny day and large green oak trees. She had on a jacket that was rather big on her and what seemed like a red dress underneath. A normal picture of a perfectly normal girl it seemed but as Myrcella stared at the photo she could have sworn she could see two faint outlines on either side of her. Almost as if something-or someone-was missing from the picture.
"Ah!" Myrcella hissed as she dropped the frame to clutch her to hands to her chest in sudden pain. The frame clattered to the floor, making a sound much to loud for something so small that it rang in Myrcella's ears. Everything is alright 'Cella.
Myrcella's eyes widened at the whisper. "Who's there?" She looked around the room, her body on alert, but found nothing besides it's aged remains and herself.
Myrcella, now nervous, picked up the picture again; this time a flash of what should have been there passing through her mind, blue eyes, brown eyes, red hair, black hair, gray, black. "What's happening?" Myrcella clutched her head in her hand, her eyes never leaving the picture. Wet marks started to appear over the photo and Myrcella wiped her face and realized she had been crying. Why am I crying?
Had fate been kinder, she wouldn't have been left with such an ache in her chest.
(SEVEN MONTHS BACK)
"Robb."
"'Cella, no..."
"Robb, you have to get up."
"No..."
"Fine, but don't get angry when your late." Myrcella sighed walking out of the room Robb shared with Jon, who had already left for his job at the Wall training gym an hour ago, as she walked into the living room where Rickon and Bran both sat in front of the television munching on their cereal. She smirked at Rickon as he looked up at her hopefully, Robb really shouldn't be late.
"Okay Rickon, your up." Myrcella smiled as the boy sprang up from his seat, already making his way into the room where he knew his older brother was sleeping, Bran gave her a knowing look before going back to his cartoon. Myrcella made her way back into the kitchen to finish making breakfest for Robb, seeing as the boys had decided on lucky charms for breakfest and Arya and Sansa had already left for school. Not together of course, since both girls would rather do chores for a month than spend time with eachother during school.
Myrcella had just finished getting bacon on Robb's plate of eggs when she heard a thump and Robb's pained groans from his room.
"Rickon! Get back here!"
"'Cella! 'Cella!" Said five year old ran into the kitchen, hiding behind her lithe form as Robb stomped into the kitched three seconds after him. Robb's t-shirt was soaked and he was sporting a rather big red mark on his face, Gods Myrcella could only imagine how. Rickon snickered as Robb ran a hand over his face where he knew the mark was still present.
"Rickon, get out from behind Myrcella." He said, trying to make a grab for his youngest brother only for Myrcella to hand him a plate instead.
Robb looked down at the plate of eggs, bacon and toast and his anger diminished slightly. He could always get back at his brother some other time.
"You can punish him later, right now you have to eat and then get ready." Myrcella said, giving Rickon a wink and lightly pushing Robb's larger frame in the direction of the small table they had set up in the kitchen.
"Alright, alright." Robb agreed, a small grin on his face as he sat down to eat.
They passed the next few minutes in silence, Rickon having returned to the living room to finish watching cartoons and Myrcella washing and drying the dishes as Robb ate.
"Are you going to be out late tonight?"
Robb looked up from his fork full of eggs to see Myrcella looking at him, a clean dish in her hand and a concerened look in her eye. He hesistated before answering, "Yeah, I finally got Jory to give me some extra hours, figures they'd be closer to the graveyard shift though."
Myrcella set down the plate, turning to lean against the counter and look at him. "Robb your exhausted, you really don't need to have two jobs, we can make due and if not then I can st-"
"No," Robb interrupted, picking up his now empty plate and walking towards Myrcella. "Out of the question, I can't let you get a job, your still..."
"I know but," Myrcella looked to the floor before taking the plate from Robb's hand and turning around to start washing it. "Sometimes I just feel, I don't know, like I'm a burden."
"'Cella, look at me."
When she didn't look at him, Robb softly grabbed her chin and turned her head to face him. "You are and never will be a burden. When your all better, you can get a job if you want but until then Jon and I are perfectly happy to pay the bills, okay?"
Myrcella smiled softly, nodding her head in agreement and Robb moved the fringe out of her face to kiss her forehead. "Good."
"Okay, okay," Myrcella swatted his chest lightly. "Go get changed."
Robb laughed before making his way out of the kitchen. "And here I almost forgot how bossy you are!"
"Okay, remember to tell Rickon's teacher that he is allergic to raisins and that if he tries to ea-"
"'Cella!" Bran interrupted Myrcella's ranting. "I won't forget, I promise."
"I know you won't Bran," Myrcella apologized. "I'm just worried, it's his first day of Kindergarden and I can't drop him off."
Bran put a hand on her shoulder. "He's going to be fine," Bran paused. "He might get into a little trouble though..."
"No I won't!" Rickon bounced into the room, his shoelaces untied and Myrcella crouched down to tie them as Rickon frowned at his brother. "I promise 'Cella! Cross my heart and hope to get chicken pox!"
"That's a pretty big promise," Robb joked as he walked into the door way where both Bran and Rickon had been waiting for him. Since Robb's job was farther than Jon's he got the car usually and on the way to work he'd drop off Bran and Rickon at school.
Robb struggled with his tie just as Myrcella finshed tying Rickon's shoes. She rolled her eyes as he continued to fidget with it before finally taking it from him and tying it properly around his neck. Robb grinned sheepishly at her when she finshed and slipped on his shoes.
"Are you sure your going to be okay alone, I could call Jon and have him drop by for lunch."
"No, no, I'll be fine." Myrcella flushed, not wanting Robb to worry anymore than she already knows he does. "I still have Leo," Myrcella pointed to her apricot colored cat, who sat lazily at the window sil near the front door watching them. "Besides I think Jon might have a girlfriend and I wouldn't want to ruin his plans."
Robb laughed. "Jon? Our Jon? With a girl?"
She swatted his arm playfully. "Be nice." She looked to Rickon and Bran, the younger making faces at Leo while the older watched them with a smirk on his face. "Okay time to go, time for school." She crouched down to give Rickon a big hug and then leaned up a bit to hug Bran as well. The two boys made they're way out the door to the car and Myrcella watched them go, a small smile on her face.
"I think Arya will be the first one home today, if not then maybe Sansa," Robb said as he hugged her goodbye and pecked her on the forehead before making his way out the door. "See you tonight, Cella!"
Myrcella watched sadly as the car pulled out of the drive way and into the street, when the car was finally out of view she turned to Leo and the cat looked up at her with a yawn. "I'm going to miss them, aren't you?"
The cat, as if understanding what she said, shook his head quickly and hopped off the window sil and made his way into the living room where Rickon and Bran had left the television on.
Myrcella sighed. "I didn't think so."