you could taste heaven perfectly; [OTA]

[king_in_the_north]

WHO: Robb Stark
WHERE: The field
WHEN: October 12, morning
OPEN TO: OTA
WARNINGS: n/a
STATUS: Closed to new threads

---

There had come a point approximately three days ago when Robb had legitimately begun to wonder whether the rain was ever going to cease. Never in all of his life had he ever even heard of such rain, from dawn to dusk and all through the night, an unending torrent that kept the skies murky gray and made the days smudge disconcertingly into one another.

When he'd woken today, something had felt off -- Just a bit to the left of where it ought to be. It had taken several drowsy minutes of laying in his bed, listening to the earnest warbles of the early birds to realize that the strangeness was that the rain had stopped. He'd almost not believed it, had felt certain he'd step outside and find the shower was simply lighter than before, but there was nothing but an early-morning mist rambling across the lawn and the first soft rays of sunlight smearing over the broken clouds.

And gods, it was practically blissful to step down onto the front walk and stay dry. It didn't even bother him that there was now so much to do, so much time to be made up as hastily as possible. The serendipitous feeling wouldn't hold, he understood that well enough, but he might as well throw himself into what needed to be done while it lasted. Winter was coming.

He'd still not grown relaxed enough to work without a shirt on, but he was down to his sleeveless undershirt today, the white long ago turned to gray and now streaked with dirt as he applied himself to working amongst the beans in the humid mud of the field. It was early yet, but he had a feeling that the small group of them out there would quickly grow once the sun was properly up.

Comments

[thekittenqueen]

Much like every morning, Margaery tended to her animals (now kept in the former police station, now used as a barn.) Since being lost in the woods, she had avoided her usual routine of gathering in the forest. Instead, she would visit the fields to see if there was any work she could do or help she could offer. With the rains over, there was more to do and an urgency to salvage what they could.

Having spied Robb among the others, she had paused at the end to fetch a few things for him, guessing that he would need some food and water. If he wasn't hungry now, he could at least enjoy a bit of sustenance later.

She hadn't been feeling well of late, keeping mostly to herself during the days and nights, but had tried her best to mask any signs of illness from the village. Greeting him with a smile, she offered out the plate of food.

"How are you managing?"

[king_in_the_north]

Robb had to wonder whether the degree to which he'd become covered in mud was equatable to the degree with which he was mastering this particular task. And, in that case, whether being utterly filthy was a sign of being very good or being very bad at it. He had a sneaking suspicion it was the latter.

In any case, he was glad to have Margaery present herself as a distraction, and he was smiling as he squinted up at her, and then pushed to his feet to wipe his dirty hands as best he could on his already-filthy trousers.

"Honestly, I'm not sure," he allowed. "I've never done this before. No one has run me off yet, so I suppose it must not be too terribly bad. Is that for me?"

[thekittenqueen]

She normally saw him returning from the woods, covered in sweat and with the occasional twig or leaf in his hair. This was perhaps the first time that she had seen him covered in mud, smelling of the earth and his hard work. It didn't matter how good he was, he would learn in time. For now, he looked absolutely rugged.

The sight of his smile sent her heart fluttering, returning her to that formally shy state she had been in during the beginning of their courtship. She had no reason to doubt that he would be happy to see her, but it was wonderful to know that he enjoyed whenever she visited him.

She nodded, looking around at the others working. "At least tomorrow you shall do better, providing you can move. You will be sore, I imagine." She grinned, "I thought you might be hungry. You will be happy to find that it isn't even burnt."

[king_in_the_north]

"So you didn't cook it?" Robb asked as he accepted the plate, his smile clearly teasing. They were all rather well aware that Margaery's skills in the kitchen left something to be desired. He honestly couldn't tell if she was getting better or he was simply becoming used to it.

"And you do know that I go out everyday and crouch in the brush for hours to bring you home pitiful, stringy rabbits for our supper," he added. "I'm sure Jon would still count me a pampered lord, but I'm surely not so soft that I won't be able to move tomorrow."

[thekittenqueen]

"You're funny," she gave him a wry grin and a nudge with her shoulder. He wasn't wrong though. Being in the kitchen still was a recipe for disaster with Margaery. Cooking every night guaranteed that something would be burned or raw. No matter how often Kate instructed her on what to do, Margaery couldn't get a handle on it.

She frowned, "Just because you weren't trained at Castle Black doesn't mean you are pampered or lacking, Robb. You work hard, you contribute to our survival and you have adapted better than any lord I have met before. I think your father would be proud of you."

She added with a fond smile, "I wouldn't want you to be anyone other than the man you are."

[king_in_the_north]

There were days when Robb had wondered if that was entirely true, when there'd been so much friction between the two of them in the past. But it was clearly a well-enough-meant compliment today, and he tried to take it at face value.

Quite honestly, though, he was a bit afraid to eat anything on the plate.

"And what have you been doing now that you're not in fear of being drenched the moment you step out the door?" he asked instead.

[thekittenqueen]

The rivalry that existed between Jon and Robb wasn't lost on Margaery. It was the normal competition that all siblings shared, even Margaery and Loras. They were of similar age, born of two different mothers, both eager to emulate their father, and now were Kings of the North. Competition and rivalry were naturally going to exist between them.

That didn't mean, however, that Margaery would let Robb doubt his worth or abilities. He was one of the most remarkable men she had met, she intended to help him see and understand that, if he would let her.

She noted his reluctance to eat from the plate. The look on her face became expectant, patiently waiting for him to taste it. "I didn't make this, Robb. It's safe to eat." She pouted playfully, turning slightly away from him.

"I've been about my usual routine. The foraging is becoming a bit more difficult, as I've picked several of the fruit bushes clean. I'll need to go a bit further in the woods to see if I can find more."

[womanofvalue]

Stalking is a terribly crude word, Peggy thinks. And yet, despite her dislike of the word, it's the most apt for what she's been doing recently with the rain having made the canyons somewhat inaccessible. Margaery has told her plenty of her gentleman and Peggy thinks it a ridiculous thing that she's yet to properly meet him and vet him.

So she may have followed him a little before broaching the actual meeting. It's hardly like it's hurting anyone. Now, though, with the weather returning to good form, she thinks it's time for an official introduction. Using her hand to shield herself from the sun, she sights him near the beans and begins her journey over. "Morning!" she greets brightly. "Would you like a hand?"

[king_in_the_north]

It took Robb a moment to realize the woman was calling to him. There was quite possibly not a single person about the field who knew less about beans or soil or planting things than he did. Mark had given him specific instructions, and even so, Robb couldn't help but feel he must be following them poorly, if the state of his clothing was any sign.

"Good morning," he greeted in turn, squinting up at her as she approached. Distantly, he felt certain he'd seen her talking to Margaery, despite that he'd been admittedly bad about keeping up with his betrothed's social life. This was the sort of handsome woman one didn't easily forget.

"I certainly wouldn't say no, although I scarcely know what it is I'm doing as it is," he admitted with a faint, self-deprecating smile. "And it's rather messy work, I'm afraid."

[womanofvalue]

"I assure you, I've never been afraid to get my hands messy," Peggy promises, not even needing to roll her sleeves up thanks to the short-sleeved required wardrobe this place has seen fit to impose on them. "What's our task today?" She hasn't made a stop to see what deserves first priority, but it seems that Robb seems to be quite clear on what he's doing, so she can certainly help.

She should also introduce herself, she realizes, given that while she knows him, it's through other people's information. "I'm Peggy," she says. "I know Margaery," she goes on, thinking it only fair to forewarn him of her connection with the other woman.

[king_in_the_north]

"That would explain your eagerness to become a field hand, then," Robb replied with a slight, bewildered shake of his head. The community's need for willing hands still warred with his own ideas of what a lady could be reasonably expected to endure, and that was without taking into account how bad Margaery seemed to be at it.

"I've been told to ensure the soil's not washed away from the base of the plants and build up a bit more where it has been," he continued. "You might want gloves if you're serious about helping."

[womanofvalue]

She cranes her head over to find where the gloves seem to be stored, heading over to pick up a pair before returning to Robb's side. She may be intending to help in order to ensure the community is in good shape, but she's also quite good at multitasking and certainly intends to probe into the man's intentions, while he can.

Kneeling near, she glances up at him and debates where she wants to begin. "Is there still a happy engagement to be congratulated?" she asks, in order to ensure her information isn't out of date.

[king_in_the_north]

Robb slowly stilled where he was crouched with his hands pressing soil in around the base of a plant, his face going fleetingly pinched. He and Margaery were still betrothed, of course, but it was a complicated thing, and he honestly couldn't fathom why she'd go about announcing it when she'd been so firmly against it, to the point of tears, and they both had avoided speaking of it since the night he asked.

"Last I checked," he said at length with a glance down to Peggy with a small, measured smile. He'd never had Sansa's gift for hiding his own discomfort, but honestly didn't see the need.

[tooktheblack]

Jon wasn't the sort to tend the fields. There were others at the Wall who had done so, certainly, but he had never been among their number and their crops had been meager at best; very little grew so far north with winter so close. He knew little about farming and knew much more, practically, about hunting. Still, if he knew little about farming, he thought Robb should know much, much less.

"Who would have thought that a king would be tilling a field? Especially a king in the North? We're more known for leading a hunt, I think, or charging a field."

[king_in_the_north]

"Honestly, I think that if anyone here realized what a poor job I was doing at it, they'd run me off," Robb admitted from his place crouched amongst the rows. There was a slight pang of embarrassment at having been so called out by Jon, but he'd been led here with the firm belief that their father would have considered it the honorable thing to do, and the knowledge was a balm to his pride.

"Never mind that I'm not king of anything anymore," he added, shaking the hair back from his eyes as he looked up at Jon.

[tooktheblack]

"And neither am I. Still, two kings of nothing might make something in this place, yeah?"

Jon chanced a smile, one corner of his mouth turning up as he watched his brother work. It was good to simply see him alive, to see him doing something so mundane as tilling the earth and Jon didn't know if he'd ever grow used to it.

"Do you need any help?"

[king_in_the_north]

"I won't refuse it if you're offering," Robb replied with a motion of one soil-smeared hand to the line of plants. "It isn't complicated to hear Watney tell it, but I've honestly no idea if I'm going about it correctly. I'm making sure the soil's not been washed away, and building it back up round the bases where it has."

Two kings of nothing, put soundly in their place in one of the mostly lowly occupations one could hope for. Still, Robb supposed it was something.

[tooktheblack]

"Well, since we're both going to want to eat come winter, I'll help you with it," Jon said. He was no farmer either and had no experience with it but if Robb had heard some of it from Watney, it was likely to be sound information.

"I've never been afraid of hard work. Besides, time spent with my brother is never ill spent." Jon liked to think that somewhere, Ned Stark would still be proud of them both even if they weren't fighting or sitting the high seat at Winterfell but were, instead, making the best of their situations in a new place.

[king_in_the_north]

"You say that now, but you've only just gotten started," Robb teased, shooting Jon a broad smile. In truth, he was glad for the company. It was a strange feeling, going from the golden son with all of the opportunities to feeling as though he'd never catch up. There was a gulf between them now, not just of time, but experience.

They fell into a companionable silence for a moment before Robb gently cleared his throat. "So, what do you think of Margaery?" he asked with a sidelong glance Jon's way. Convention would tell him that the opinion of his bastard brother should matter very little, but somehow for Robb, it always had rather a lot.

[tobeclosetohim]

He's not the only one outside. Jo has gone all but batshit with the rain. Being stuck in the bubble inside the cliffs was bad enough, but being stuck inside the inn, or her house, or any other building was only driving her further insane. She'd gone out into the rain to escape it, but that had only made her restless and miserable wet and cold on top of it.

But it had stopped and for the first time Jo wasn't in the inn this morning at all. She was outside. Everything around her was still moist but nothing was falling from the sky and it felt like the whole world was opening up finally, again. Like there was more air and more world, and she could stop trying to plot the death of anyone breathing within ten feet of her. She walked around the town, everywhere, just glorifying the ability to get anywhere.w

She's even sort of smiling, when she passes one of the guys working she hasn't talked to much, but recognizes well enough. "Mornin'."

[king_in_the_north]

"Good morning," Robb greeted in turn, squinting up through the early-morning sunlight, and then finding himself delighted all over again at the prospect of there being sunlight to squint through.

He recognized Jo from the few meetings the townsfolk had held -- She was not a woman who was afraid to speak her mind, and some of the things she had said had been rather extraordinary. But then, Robb supposed much of this place fell into that category.

Now that he considered it, he didn't think he'd ever seen her smiling before.

"It's nice to be out without the rain for once," he remarked with a glance toward the sky as he wiped his dirty hands on his trousers.

[tobeclosetohim]

It's kind of hard not to smile, isn't? Infectious in fact, when she can watch him squint up at the sky, that wary second of expecting what they've had, and then sort of shiny, balmly relief that he can look up at the sky, has to shade his eyes from the sun rising higher and higher. That it's just blue skies and the end of the clouds moving off from them. Wherever off was.

She didn't even care to figure that out right now.

She was too busy being grateful it was done being right on top of them.

"You can say that again," Jo agreed. It's brighter than normal, and she doesn't even attempt to keep it in check for today. "I've seen you around here, working and at some of the meetings, but I don't think we've actually had the chance to meet, which seems crazy given how small this place is, but-" She gives a sort of too pleased at the morning to dither about the tiny things right now. "-you know. So, hi. Again. it's nice to get to see another face."

[king_in_the_north]

"You're Jo, yes?" he asked, settling back on his heels. "I'm Robb. You may know my brother, Jon? He's apparently been here for some time." And wasn't that still impossibly strange to think about, that Jon might be from his own future, yet have arrived in this place first? Old Nan had been fond of saying that the ways of the gods were beyond man's understanding, but Robb had never found much comfort in the adage.

"It's likely my fault, that we've not properly met before. I haven't been as sociable as I likely ought to have been."

[tobeclosetohim]

"You won't get any argument from me." It's congenial enough, at the last part. "This kind of thing hardly makes people want to break out in dance and song, and that whole getting to know thy neighbor thing."

Honestly, it should have made the last part more imperative, and in some ways it did, but in a lot of them it didn't, too. Communities formed under desperation had lynch pins and so many lacking steps between who they were and what they had to be that weren't based on choices, as much as a lack of choices that would result in worse consequences without them.

"So, you and Jon?" Jo shifted a little on her feet, in the squelchy mud. "I guess you'll be the first straight on family people here."

[king_in_the_north]

"I hadn't really thought about it before, but I suppose you're right," Robb answered with a considering tilt of his head. Not that he'd been keeping up with everyone, but it seemed like something he might have heard about, in Margaery's babbling if nothing else.

"We hadn't ever expected to see each other again, so it's been something of a blessing." Not quite the blessing he would have preferred, with the both of them safe and whole back in Winterfell, but he didn't suppose he had room to be picky about it.

"There are a fair few people around who knew each other before coming here, though, aren't there?"