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I hope you enjoy this installment of The Vows We Take. Let me know in a review! I'll take the time to answer any questions or suggestions you may have through a private message. :)

"I see he's taken a liking to you," Robb commented, glancing back at Grey Wind. He and Daella were walking through the Twins' meager gardens, the direwolf just steps behind them. After sharing two more dances, the pair had been in desperate need of fresh air and an escape from prying eyes.

Daella smiled at Grey Wind, a dazzling flash of white in the darkness of the gardens, and Robb had mixed feelings about noticing things like that. He loved Talisa. He knew that beyond a shadow of a doubt. But she was gone, likely out of his life forever, and he was to be married in a few short days. It was his duty to stay true to his word and marry one of Walder Frey's daughters, he just never imagined the possibility of being attracted to one of them. It was sending his mind on a whirlwind of mixed emotions.

"Your father expects a decision by the end of the feast," he blurted out, not sure how else to bring up the topic of his upcoming marriage. Possibly their marriage, should she agree to his proposal.

That one sentence was enough to dash all of the joy from Daella's face. It was as if, for the time being, she had been able to forget what tonight was about. Now that Robb brought it up, she was plunged back into reality. It was enough to make Robb worried. He would never force a woman into marriage and if Daella said she wasn't interested, he would have no choice but to ask one of her sisters.

With a sigh that expressed exhaustion far beyond her years, Daella sat on a stone bench, motioning for him to join her. After only a brief hesitation, she looked him straight in the eyes. "I cannot marry you without being completely honest, my grace."

"Call me Robb," he interjected, wishing more than anything to just be a regular person at the moment.

"Robb, I am in love with someone else," Daella whispered, tears welling up in her eyes.

The confession was the last thing Robb had expected to come out of Daella's mouth. He didn't know how to react and ended up allowing his own confession to come spilling out.

"So am I," he admitted, his hand nervously running through his hair. "There was a woman in my camp; a healer. She and I became very close over the past few months."

"Then why are you marrying someone else?" Daella asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. "You're the King, you can marry whomever you wish."

Robb chuckled humorlessly. "I wish it were that simple. When my army reached The Twins last year I made an agreement with your father, as you clearly know. My honor holds me to that agreement, regardless of how my heart feels."

Daella couldn't go any further with Robb unless she was completely honest with him. She may be forced into a marriage she didn't want, but she would do it her own way. Robb seemed like too good of a man for her to be deceitful with him right from the start. He had a right to know that her heart belonged to another.

When he confessed that he, too, was in love with someone else, she felt like crying and laughing at the same time. How cruel were the gods that they would put the two of them in this position? What kind of marriage could they possibly build together, let alone a family?

"I've known the man that I love since we were children. He works in the stables; we would never be able to be together." She urged the tears out of her eyes and fixed her gaze firmly on the ground by her feet. She always dreamed that the night she sat discussing love and marriage with a man that it would be the most romantic night of her life. Instead it was filled with words like "agreement" and "honor". She couldn't blame Robb, she knew that, but she suddenly had a deep-seated anger with her father. Hell, with the world.

"If you do not wish to marry me, I will not force you," Robb's voice beckoned her eyes up to meet his. He was being sincere, she could easily see it on his face.

Daella knew that she had no choice; no real choice, anyway. It was either Robb or Lord Bolton and only an idiot would choose the latter. As if he knew the decision she was about to make, Grey Wind placed his enormous head in her lap. She found comfort in digging her fingers into his deep fur and a playful smirk quirked her lips.

"I'll marry you if you answer one question," she prompted Robb, who was quick to agree.

"Do you turn into a wolf and eat your enemies alive?" she whispered, with as serious of an expression as she could muster.

Robb appeared surprised by her question before they both dissolved into laughter. "I assure you, I cannot turn into a wolf," he answered finally, one of his hands joining Daella's in Grey Wind's fur.

*Two Days Later*

To say that Walder Frey was pleased would be putting it mildly. Not only was he going to be the father-by-law to the King in the North, but it was his favorite daughter who was going to be queen. He ordered the cooks and servants to work around the clock to prepare the most elaborate wedding the North had ever witnessed.

In her room, Daella watched out the window with a scowl on her face. All of this fuss for two strangers to be married. The past forty-eight hours were such a whirlwind of dress-fittings, tastings, and decisions that she couldn't care less about that she wasn't even entirely sure what the event was going to look like. She and Robb and been barred from seeing each other during the process, which seemed odd considering they had only just met. "Propietry" her handmaiden would tell her, though not without a smirk.

"Aren't you at least a little excited, my lady?" Amelia asked as she tightened the strings on the back of Daella's gown. The dress was the finest either of them had ever seen. Pure white silk with layers upon layers of fabric pushing the full skirt out until Daella could barely fit through a doorway. The top was exactly the opposite: a corset that hugged her curves so tightly it was difficult to breathe. It was clear that this dress had been in the works for quite some time because to attention to detail was phenominal. Small wolves were beaded along the border of the hem, so subtly that you wouldn't know they were there unless you were looking very close. The dress did make Daella happy, and that was something, at least.

With one final pin to hold all of her hair up, Daella considered Amelia's question. "I suppose I am excited to finally see another part of the North besides this castle. And the Starks seem like good people, honest and kind."

Amelia smiled at her lady, who was her closest friend. "And what of you being the Queen in the North? That doesn't excite you?"

Daella grimaced. "To be honest, whenever I think about it I get a little nauseated. I have no idea how to be a queen." When she thought about a queen, she thought about women like Cersei Lannister, someone who was born and raised in the court and new how to navigate politics. Daella could only hope that Robb wouldn't expect her to run the entire North while he was off waging war.

"You'll be a wonderful queen, and a gorgeous one at that." Amelia clasped the bridal cloak around Daella's shoulders, the Twins emblazoned on the gray and blue fabric. "Besides, I'll be with you the whole way, my lady."

Daella finally did tear up and wrapped her arms tightly around her friend. When her father had asked what she wanted to bring with her to Winterfell, the only thing that could have mattered to her was having a familiar face nearby. She was elated when Amelia agreed to make the move with her.

Knocking on the door alerted the pair that the time for Daella to make her way to the ceremony had come. The Twins had a small sept where people of faith could worship the Old Gods. Daella had to admit that, outside of her teachings, she didn't spend much time there. But from what she did know of the place of worship was that it couldn't possibly hold all of the people who were attending the wedding.

At the final turn before reaching their destination, Daella was surprised to find her father waiting for her. He was dressed nicer than she had ever seen him, in a brand new cloak and shiny boots. She suppressed the eyeroll that begged to be let loose. Had she been marrying any other lord, she knew he would never bother to walk her down the aisle. Of course he would make sure his face was shown now; every major lord in the North was just down the hall.

"Father," she greeted him with a small curtsy, which was all she could manage in her dress. Amelia dipped into a low curtsy before taking her place behind the bride, holding the bottom of her dress.

Walder nodded at her appearance and held out his arm for her to hold. They rounded the corner and a sea of bodies entered their line of vision. Along both sides of the hall dozens upon dozens of people were waiting to get a glimpse of the future queen on her wedding day. The crowd was mostly made up of promiment merchants of the area, sprinkled with distant relatives. There were also guards with both House Frey and Stark colors dotting the crowd, acting as security incase something were to go amiss.

"Smile, daughter," Walder muttered under his breath, snapping Daella into attention.

She straightened her back and did as she was told; what choice did she have? To be miserable and spark rumors that she was unwillingly marrying Robb? That wouldn't do much for his image as king. No, she needed to act like she was the happiest woman in the world, though with each step her heart was breaking a little more. She smiled at each person they passed, nodding her head to acknowledge those she recognized. At the back of her mind she was hoping to see Ryder's face in the crowd. Whether she would be able to handle seeing him or not she didn't know, but the hope was there nonetheless.

They reached the open doors of the sept with no sign of him and she knew it had been foolish to think he might be there. He was a commoner and would have never been admitted entry. Tears welled up in her eyes, something that she was quickly growing tired of happening, and she passed through the doors to meet her fate.

As her eyes adjusted to the dimmer lighting of the sept, she immediately spotted Robb standing beside the Maester at the altar. She couldn't deny how devastatingly handsome he looked. His curly hair was pushed away from his face and his beard was neatly trimmed, accentuating his bright blue eyes. He was dressed in Stark colors, of course: grey and black clothing with a thick white fur cloak. His eyes met hers and he gave her a bright smile.

She found herself smiling back at him genuinely. Not out of love, of course. But out of a shared respect and understanding of their situation. Instantly she was glad that they had shared their secrets with each other because they both now knew what to expect going into this union. There wouldn't be a need to try to force a romance that simply wasn't going to exist. Perhaps in time they could grow to care for each other in that way, but both of their hearts still remained with others.

Much faster than she had anticipated, she and her father arrived at the altar. Walder released his hold on her, only to be replaced with Robb's gentle hand taking hers. He gave it a reassuring squeeze and, as his hands moved to her neck to remove her bridal cloak, she felt goosebumps erupt on her skin. She kept her eyes locked with his as her cloak was shed.

Catelyn stepped forward, the cloak of their house in her arms. She exchanged it with Robb, taking Daella's old cloak from him before stepping back into the crowd. In one sweep of his arms, Robb covered Daella's shoulders in the bright white of House Stark. She knew, even though she couldn't see it, that there was a large direwolf head proudly displayed on her back. In a few moments she would be a Frey no longer.

"You look breathtaking," Robb whispered to her as he fastened the closure at Daella's neck. She shivered from the sincerity of his voice, whispering her thanks with a light blush on her cheeks.

The Maester requested their hands and they obliged, watching intently as he bound them together with a length of fabric. They said the words they knew they were expected to say, ending with "until the end of my days" in unison.

As their hands were unbound, Robb slipped a ring out of his pocket. It was silver and had a wolf engraved into the side, with a pretty black stone set on top. He slid it onto her finger and whispered, "The Queen in the North must have her own wolf."

"You may seal your union with a kiss," the Maester said before Daella could thank Robb. Tentatively, she leaned into him and pressed her lips onto his. He was warm, was her first thought. Secondly that his lips were soft and felt nice against hers. After a second's hesitation, Robb pressed his lips more firmly into hers and cupped the side of her face with one of his hands.

"Your King and Queen in the North!" someone shouted, spurring the sept to erupt with applause and shouts. Breaking their brief kiss, Robb and Daella looked at each other with shy smiles. After all day of dreading and wallowing in self pity, Daella had to admit that, when it comes to arranged marriages, she definitely pulled the lucky straw.