Welcome to Volantis

[kingofthenorth]

The first thing Robb noticed once arriving in Volantis, is the strong scent of the sea. It is almost stronger than the foul scent of waste and rubbish. The crowds were enormous, with traders, hagglers, and slaves all moving about at the harbor. Robb's prediction of their arrival was correct, it had only been 2 more days since he figured, and luckily his cold was mostly over. He had some lingering sniffling, but otherwise was stronger and healthier appearing than he was just a few days ago. He accredits a good portion of that to sleep, having slept longer hours than he was used to keeping, and tea Jeyne had made for him.

Eyes wide, he's look around them as he hoisted their small satchel with their things further up his shoulder as they moved away from the boat. "There's so many people." He commented, having to force himself through the crowd, a hand tightly holding onto Jeyne's to assure that they won't be separated. "Let's find some food, first."

He had grown accustomed to seafood, though the ideas of fresh fruit appealed to him more at this time, hoping they could find some local farmers, selling their goods.

Comments

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

Jeyne held tightly to Robb's hand, completely overwhelmed by the throngs of people. She feared they would be recognized even though she'd put her hair back so that it looked much shorter than it actually was. Robb's curls were beginning to return and as much as she loved them, she would have to cut them off again.

"Someplace quiet, if we can find it." Perhaps they could buy something to eat and take it with them into an alley or an inn, where they could hide in a dark corner. Volantis was much busier than Braavos, and the bravery and strength she'd found on the boat quickly disappeared amongst the bustle.

[kingofthenorth]

It didn't take long for Robb to pick up on Jeyne's feelings, noticing the anxiety both in posture and demeanor as they walked through the crowd. He doesn't say much, not that he ever did, browsing and noticing many people, nearly every 5 to 1, had tattoos of some sort marking their face. It takes some time, but he figures at least some of them are prostitutes, though unsure of the rest.

"I've never seen so many slaves in my life." Robb commented softly, trying to gauge how uncomfortable Jeyne may be.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

She managed to get close enough to him to hook her arm into his, keeping him even closer.

"I'd never seen one, until today. I never dreamed there were so many." Most seem intent about their work, from what can only assume is a fear of the repercussions if they are caught not doing their task. The marks are easy enough to interpret and her heart breaks for each of them. She can't help but want to save them all, to help them, to make their lives easier. But what can she do? She is just one woman who must remain anonymous and virtually penniless.

"I don't want to buy food from one. I couldn't eat knowing that they were forced into cooking te meal."

[kingofthenorth]

"The Dragon Queen is freeing them, though it looks like she has yet to make her mark here." Robb commented, pushing himself further through the crowd, searching for food.

"We might not find a vendor who doesn't have one being used, by the looks of things." Robb laughed to himself, saying they'd starve here, though he went further into the city and farther away from the harbor in hopes more inward, they'll find something.

Down one street there was a crowd gathered by a woman, praising a god Robb had only heard in rumors, though knew very little of it. Pausing, he stops to listen mostly out of curiosity.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

Robb laughed, yet Jeyne scowled. She disliked nearly everything she saw in Volantis - especially the women so freely flashing their bodies from dark doorways. She tried to move along faster but Robb stopped. When she saw what he was listening to, her frown deepened.

"She's not right, you know. The seven have protected us so far. We shouldn't do anything that would anger them." Magic was not real.

[kingofthenorth]

"Aye, but I don't think they reach this far. The Old Gods didn't reach the south." Robb was set in his opinions of the Gods, and his faith in them was strong, even when little seemed possible these last few months. However, Jeyne was right. They've made it this far without being killed.

The woman continued with her explanations scattered with chants. Robb looked over to Jeyne, "She probably practices blood magic. Stannis Baratheon was rumored to have a red woman with him."

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

Whether their reach extended to the other side of the Narrow Sea or not, Jeyne was not willing to risk it.

"And look where that got him at the Blackwater. I would not want to worship a god that requires the spilling of blood, even if it would allow me to do magic." There was something dark about the woman despite the bright red of her clothing. Jeyne held tighter to Robb's arm.

"I don't like it here."

[kingofthenorth]

"Nor do I." Robb agreed to both accounts. It was almost overwhelming, even more so than Braavos with so many people crowding every space they walked in. Lingering only for a moment more at the red woman, Robb moved on, pushing again through the crowd in hopes to find something worthwhile.

And they did finally, and with the crowd tapering off, there was a small Inn. It almost made Robb skeptical at first, but shrugging it off (mostly due to his own hunger), he walked in and had a seat, a hand resting reassuring to Jeyne's thigh next to him.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

Jeyne was relieved to both get away from the mysterious woman and the crowded streets. The inn was not completely empty, which she thought a good thing, so that there would not be too much attention on them from the innkeeper. But it was also not overly crowded, which gave her some space to breathe. Robb's hand on her leg is comforting, though an arm around her would be more so.

"Remember," she whispered, leaning in close. "No names. We still haven't come up with false ones yet."

[kingofthenorth]

"Aye, I had forgotten we hadn't." Though they had come up with a story for themselves previously while traveling, they hadn't decided upon names. It was almost a frivolous story at this point, given how far away from home they were.

After ordering food, Robb looked around, "We can stay here, if you'd like. Or try another inn." This one seemed calm and far away from any problems, at least in the short amount of time they had been here. Soon after the food, they'd have to see what they could do to continue their journey.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

"Let us stay here. I'd rather be on our way, but I have to admit that my body needs some time on solid ground before getting onto another ship. I do not think there is an ounce of seafaring blood in my veins." With his hand on her leg her mind began to wander. They had not been intimate since before her illness. He was still recovering from his cold as well, but prior to their having to flee Westeros, they were very physically connected. She missed that closeness. Emotionally they have bonded immensely in the course of their journey. She was ready to add the physical connection back to their marriage.

"How are you feeling after all of that walking?"

[kingofthenorth]

He couldn't agree more, although the ship they just parted from was a better experience (in general) than the one sailing from Westeros to Braavos. Though he caught a chest cold, it quelled the nausea experienced the first time and it appeared to be not as harsh upon Jeyne, either.

He cracked a smile, "I don't believe either of us are cut out to be seafarers." Although pleased to be on land, the climate was growing warmer the more south they went, almost making Robb miss the snow. In the back of his mind, he realized they should probably find some clothes more suitable in warmer climates, assuming the bay cities were just as hot.

"I am well, better moving than idle." He reassured her.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

As they headed further south, Jeyne had one by one shed the layers of clothing that were necessary in the North. She no longer wore several layers underneath her dress - only the dress itself. Still, it was made of heavy wool, and becoming increasingly uncomfortable. They would need to buy clothing soon. But she was thinking of buying something else first.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw a slave mopping the floor. The girl had not been obvious when they'd first entered, but a step into the light of a nearby torch showed her for what she was.

"How much do you think she costs?" Jeyne asked softly, nodding toward the girl. It couldn't be much. "Do you think my crown would buy her?"

[kingofthenorth]

His gaze catches hers and he looks over to see what she is viewing. Dark brows are knitted together, trying to piece what she could possibly be thinking, then she asked the cost of the slave.

"...Are you wanting to free her?" He whispers this, leaning into her, weight on the hand upon her thigh, "Is that what you're wondering?" He sincerely hoped not.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

Two cups of ale were set down in front of them and a knowing glance cast from the barmaid at their closeness and Robb's hand. Jeyne was oblivious. She laid her hand over her husband's as she nodded.

"We can't afford to free them all. Surely one is better than none?" Her heart ached at the sight of suffering, and there was much to see in Volantis.

"She's so young. A child, still."

[kingofthenorth]

Robb had plenty of objections of this idea, more specifically not wanting to start a fight with the generous innkeeper during their stay. Leaning forward, he takes the cup of ale placed in front of him and downed a couple gulps.

It was strong and burned the back of his throat going down, which caught him somewhat off guard, but at least he didn't devolve into a coughing fit. "We'll talk about it elsewhere."

The last thing he also wanted was to have people too curious of them and stirring trouble. Jeyne had a big heart, which is one of the reasons why he loved her, but sometimes her desire to do good seemed counter intuitive. Or perhaps Robb was too difficult to change his opinion, which very much could be an option.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

That he reached for his drink before answering her spoke more than his terse response, coughed out after he downed the ale. She knew him well enough to know that his words basically meant 'no'. She wasn't surprised. She also realized that it was neither the time nor the place to argue with him about it.

She leaned in closer to his side and slid her arm under his, her hand taking a similar position on his leg that his had on hers. She kissed his cheek and set her chin on his shoulder, so that she could lower her voice and still be heard.

"In bed, perhaps?" He was a man, after all. He had always been more amenable when satisfied.

[kingofthenorth]

Her gesture certainly made him pause, and he glanced towards her. "Are you sure?" He hadn't placed any pressure upon her, knowing that could do more damage between them then good and waited to when she felt the time proper.

Though some time had passed, he still didn't think her suggestion now would've come so soon. His hand covered hers' and his voice softened, "If you don't think you're ready--"

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

Emotionally she was far past ready. If it had been possible she wouldn't have waited at all, but her body had not given her a choice. It wasn't that she ever doubted how much he loved her. There was just something that bonded them together more tightly when they could echo the joining of their hearts with the joining of their bodies.

"I am." She touched her cheek to his shoulder. "I miss it. I miss... us." The couple they had been before disaster and exile.

"If you're not well enough, though--"

[kingofthenorth]

There is an immediate shake to his head in reply, clearly giving his excitement away, though the only evidence outwardly would be his softened features.

"I am on the mend and feeling better than I have for days."

He had missed it too, the closeness, her soft skin and beating heart underneath his touch, followed by soft sighs and pleased moans. His fingers wrapped around hers, interlocking them together.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

His eagerness made her chuckle, low and soft, before kissing his cheek.

"Then one more supper will be the last bit of medicine you need before I declare you fully recovered." She can't resist stealing another kiss, this time on the side of his neck. To anyone coming into the inn, they would look like just another couple. Her time in the sun on the boat has lightened her hair considerably, and with his curls short and beard just starting to grow in after another shave, they are virtually unrecognizable.

"I hope they have a spare room with a nice, big bed."

[kingofthenorth]

There was a spare room with a decent sized bed, one they could hardly complain about, given the less than desirable conditions from the ship. It was barely after the door was shut behind the boy that showed them the room before Robb had his hands cupping Jeyne's face and bringing her in for a kiss, hints of ale could be tasted on his lips.

Her teasings downstairs were mostly innocent, but teasing nevertheless that egged him on to the point he could barely keep himself reigned in up until this point.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

She knew that the ale had nothing to do with how much he wanted her. They had never needed drink to dismiss with their inhibitions. Only heartache, and the desire to see a smile on one another's faces. There had been no other choice of beverage, and so she tasted just as he did.

She reached to unlace his shirt only to encounter smooth fabric. She'd forgotten that his heavier clothes were gone. The simple linen of the shirt he now wore needed only be lifted up and off of him as she stepped backwards toward the bed.

"I like these clothes. They come off much quicker."

[kingofthenorth]

"And do yours?" He teased, pulling off his shirt the rest of the way and following her to the bed, only to pause to pull off his boots.

Closing the distance between them, he brings her in for another kiss and wasting no time to deepen it as his fingers trailed down her sides and ending at her waist. From there he's slowly lifting the hem of her dress upwards to hopefully have it discarded ver soon.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

Her shoes slide off easily and she kicked them to the side so as not to trip over them later.

"Why don't you try and find out?" There were no complex laces or buttons or clasps to her dress. It was simple as a shift and just as light, and she found that she liked how it felt against her skin. When the warm breeze blew, she almost felt as if she were wearing nothing at all.

[kingofthenorth]

He takes a moment to slowly lift her dress, almost surprised at its light weight and a pleasant surprise to find no shift underneath. Long ago were the days they had to bundle in layers and hope it was enough, and even then such amounts of skin weren't so easy to find.

He clearly wasn't disappointed, taking a moment to slip the garment over her head and soon discarding it, quickly followed by his own shirt as he worked at the belt to rid himself of everything.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

She laughed at his eagerness and helped him with his belt, a complicated thing tied in multiple knots. Her affinity for local clothing began to wane. She took a seat on the bed to put her at better eye level with it.

"As much as I love you, my heart, I am willing to let your pants fall as you walk if it means we can leave this belt behind."

[kingofthenorth]

A sharp laugh escaped Robb, clearly amused at the situation and breaking through his stoicism and leaving that behind. "I think many might find that indecent." He commented before untying the last knot, ridding himself of the final garment before joining her on the bed.

His eyes search her body, looking for any changes from what he last remembered (though in all honesty it hadn't been that long ago), tracing fingers along her rib cage, down the narrow of her waist, to her hip before pulling her closer.

"I love you." Every time he says it, he's reminded that he should tell her more often.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

That he tells her so rarely makes the times that he does even more special. Her heart melts, just as it did the first time he told her. She stretches out beside him and rolls close, hooking one leg over his hip as she kisses him tenderly.

"As I love you," she says softly, trying not to look too closely at how thin he has become. They have both lost weight, though she feels she gained a bit of muscle while on their latest boat. His cold kept him in bed, and she is thankful for that, as it allowed him to perhaps put a pound or two back onto his lithe frame.

"Do I look different?"

[kingofthenorth]

His fingers trace down the curve of where her hips and waist meet and eventually stops there, a warm hand against her skin. "A little." She indeed had become thinner too, less soft, though there was more muscle showing in her arms.

He knew he had gotten thinner with less food available to them, but there wasn't much they could change about it.

"Do you feel different?" Although he didn't say anything, he certainly felt he had less energy and stamina, though his determination drove him.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

She nodded, closing her eyes for a moment.

"I feel...older." Constant worry was exhausting. She was certain she would never feel safe again, never be able to live a life thoughtless of where her meals or the roof over her head would come from. There was the crux - she missed being a child. It had been so easy then, and she hadn't appreciated it.

"I would be lost without you." She reached for his face, opening her eyes just enough to find him, find his lips again. They had changed. They had grown, aged internally much more than physically, but their love had grown as well. Every obstacle they surpassed bonded them closer together.

[kingofthenorth]

He could completely agree with her sentiments on aging. He too felt that way, felt his bones creaked more, he was more easily tired, and if he could, sleep an entire day away even though he had done exactly that during his illness. But of course circumstances forbid it and with Jeyne's help, he was determined to find the Dragon Queen anyhow.

"Aye, and I'd be lost without you." Most likely dead, if he were honest as he closed the distance, bringing their lips together for a slow, emotionally charged kiss. Funny how they had done this time and time again and sometimes it felt like the very first time all over again.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

And just like the first time, once they lost themselves in one another, what happened next came naturally - and quickly. There was a different emotional undercurrent this time, though. Rediscovering one another, reaffirming their love and commitment and connection, were feelings that only came with the passage of time and a bit of distance.

She had worried that she might have mixed feelings when making love to him again. It was hard to avoid the sadness and loss that had so recently dominated her thoughts. They stayed far away, though. As she always did when alone with him, she felt nothing but completely safe and loved.

After they were both satisfied they lay in bed together, the room now dark as the sun was setting outside, and Jeyne sighed happily. Now that they had bonded again, her mind returned to what she had been thinking of at dinner. That poor little slave girl.

"Robb?"

[kingofthenorth]

"Hm?" He's drifting off to sleep, an arm loosely wrapped around her, though keeping her close as he lazily played with the ends of her hair. Everything she was feeling, he was too, feeling emotionally closer to her than he had in the past week.

Though it hadn't crossed his mind that she'd be bringing up the status of the slave girl again.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

"I love you so much." She snuggled even closer, nuzzling his earlobe with her nose.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could share all of this love that we have with a child?" She pauses, approaching her point carefully.

"Buying that little slave girl would make all of us so much happier. And someday, when we have our own children, she would be their big sister."

[kingofthenorth]

There's a low hum of protest in his voice, though his features remain unwavering, and eyes were still closed. "We can't free all the slaves we come across, Jeyne."

He didn't want to point out they were going to have a child, but the gods felt otherwise about it. Losing their unborn child through the miscarriage was enough pain Robb could withstand at the moment. It was too soon to be talking again, especially when it came to slave children.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

His reaction was not what she had hoped. With a sigh she sets her head on his shoulder.

"I know we can't, and I'm not asking for all of them. Just this one." Just one little girl that Jeyne could teach. Together she and Robb could change that girl's life for the better, and show her that love and kindness do exist.

"Maybe if it looked like we had a slave then we would fit in better." It was a weak argument at best but she was willing to try it.

[kingofthenorth]

It was actually a very strong argument and one Robb agreed with.

Finally, he changes positions to where he's on his side, cradling his head on an arm tucked under a pillow. "There's consequences to this." He commented, unknowing how the true slave-lord relationship worked. "They might refuse and our identities are known, putting a target upon us." Which realistically is a complete long shot of a chance. "We don't much money left..." Robb was only planning to make it to the dragon queen and figure out funds once there.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

She moves her head as he rolls onto his side, so that they share the pillow, face to face. She takes his free hand and laces their fingers together before tucking them under her chin.

"I know. I know all of this, and yet I cannot help but want to save her." Tears prick at her eyes.

"There's something about her... she reminds me of my sister." So young and innocent, with long dark hair. So one that young should ever know suffering. They were too far away to save her sister, but this girl was just underneath their noses.

"There must be a way to sell my crown. The queen will only care about yours, you are the one with a claim. I'm just the girl who fell in love with you."

[kingofthenorth]

Robb's features were neutral as he thought about it. Always thinking, always trying to determine if decisions made were the right ones, and he had a very good reason to think that given his history.

There's a sigh, "I want to see you happy..." Which was more or less his way of giving in. Though truth be told, it would change plenty for them. For one, limited inn-spending or he could stay on the floor.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

She held her breath. Was he going to relinquish?

"Is that a yes?" She felt a pang of guilt. She had never manipulated someone's feelings to get what she wanted. She knew it was a risk and she would admit that if pressed. But she was owed an irrational desire or two.

[kingofthenorth]

"Aye, it is." It was foolish, but Jeyne had already been through so much and he owed it to her to make her happy.

"I don't know if they'll agree or if she'll even accept." He commented softly, not wanting her to get her hopes up too high, but with seeing a crown that could even be used for scrap might be more influential than expected.

His hand reached out to lace his fingers with hers.

[ladyjeyneofthecrag]

She wanted to jump up and down on the bed for joy, but she restrained herself. The win felt tenuous and she didn't want to do anything to make him change his mind.

"One thing at a time." She kissed his shoulder as their hands joined. "You were a king... I'm sure you can convince them. I can never say no to you..." So thus, nobody else should be able to either.