"That was very pleasant, certainly a change from our usual day to day duties." Elaine's soft voice filled the cold meadows as they trotted back towards their campsites.

Victoria smiled happily, "yes well I think it's important we take time to visit the commoners. Like you said, they don't care to be involved when King's go to war. I wanted to assure they were all well before we depart."

Victoria had taken her two closest confidants to the nearest village in the following days after battle, they'd left early in the day and spent the morning talking with the villagers and hearing of their complaints or not. The town had been welcoming and surprisingly upbeat despite the violence that had happened not far from them. They however were now Stark territory and it seemed like the Lannisters hadn't looted them terribly. After a few hours and the sun beginning to dip Trout had warmed her it would be better to leave and now they came upon their campsite, soldiers looking up and bowing their heads to the future queen.

Commander Monterroso walked up to her horse and extended a hand, helping her off the mare as she landed and smiled. "Lady Valiente, I assume it was a nice time."

"Yes," she has respondes cheerfully. "With your help we weren't even detected by any spies of commoners, it was nice to see the lives we effect. You know, I'd like to do this more often."

"You'll make a beloved queen," he hummed back. Monterroso trailed his eyes from the lady toward Elaine who was being helped by Trout from her horse, she seemed to be getting better and as she landed with slightly more agile abilities her eyes looked his way and smiled. The blondes cheeks tinted with a bright pink and his heart warmed slightly.

"Where is the King, and the Lords? Have they already began eating? Or are they discussing more war?" Victoria asked as she began to walk back into the camp while one of the squires took her horse and led him to the makeshift stables.

Monterroso swallowed thickly, paling slightly as he looked to find the right words for it. "The King has taken a walk—with one of the nurses?"

Victoria paused and looked at him, raising a brow and coldly questioning, "one?"

Monterroso knew exactly what she was asking, his lips pulled into his mouth and he finally admitted, "the same one, My Lady."

Victoria attempted not to breathe angrily, like her blood wasn't boiling and finding Robb wasn't the first idea to come to mind. He was walking a very thin line these days, and that women—well she wasn't exactly helping. The future queen knew this would be a possibility, who wouldn't want a son by a king? Noble born or not a bastard was treated well from a Stark, and now that he was King? Well that child would certainly be kept in comfort.

She turned her back towards the camp and looked at her most loyal of companions, "do you have information on her just yet?

"Not much, Lady Valiente, she is of foreign decent, Commander Monterroso has explained likely from Volantis. And judging from her ability to read, write, and pronunciation of words is likely from a family with a proper name." Trout explained, feeling himself frustrated at the sheer lack of knowledge he'd acquired.

Victoria snorted at his words, of course he'd like a foreigner whore, she was a foreign whore herself.

It was wonderful how sometimes irony worked, sometimes it was downright hilarious.

Her skin seemed to nearly boil as she stayed completely silent and decided what to do. Half the camp would have likely known where the king was by now and the other half would know by nightfall which meant she could either hide the rest of the day in her tent surrounded by her private companions or she could face the humiliation head on. Cersei Lannister and the late Robert Baratheon suddenly came to mind, how even to her face he would show his infidelity and the queen would onto smile and look away.

She was not a queen however, and she certainly was not Cersei.

No, she was not going to be humiliated. And she was definitely not gonna hide like some coward.

"Where are all the knights and Lords?" She asked no one in particular as her eyes shot up to find all 3 companions awaiting a response.

Monterroso blinked a few times, certainly not prepared for the calm demeanor and quickly answered. "In the Hall for a midday meal."

She nodded her head, "very well, I'd like to break my fast as well and speak to some of them."

"My lady, what are you thinking?" Trout questioned

Victoria smiled like the regular women she was and not the bitter, anger filled person she felt like. A slow breath escaped her as she said cheerfully, "I will not sit by while my future husband sticks his head between another pair of legs, he will have his reckoning when he returns for now I'd like to rule in his place. I am a Queen to these people, and thus I will rule."

The trio of her loyal followers looked at one another, yet again clueless as to what their young future queen would do. There was this look in her eyes, something that said she was on the cusp of greatness and there was no one able to stop her. She turned, her elegant dress flowing with the winds of the Riverlands and the strength of a true ruler.

Trout was the first to walk behind her, speaking lowly to the other two, "queen or not, we follow her to the ends of this earth."

Elaine and Monterroso were left to walk together. The blonde decided for the first time she'd be the one to strike up a conversation, "quiet a debacle we have on our hands."

"Our little Queen has a special way of dealing with people who piss her off." Monterroso joked.

"I expect nothing less from royal blood, and Panther one combined." Elaine nodded her head.

"My Lady, are you sure you want to deal with the eyes of all those Lords right now?" Ser Trout was worried as he walked beside the queen.

She gave him a half smile, "come now, my glorious knight, was it not you that showed me where there is doubt you must give them a face to trust in."

"My Lady, that was meant back when you were a child attempting to show your father you could ride horses across the sand dunes not against a King."

"Who said anything about going against him?" She smiled and patted his armored shoulder. "For now we will show these people that even with Robb running off I can still control these armies. And if the day were to come that we must change our minds, well at the very least they know I kept a cool head."

|•|•|•|•|

The sun had nearly started to set and yet Robb Stark still had not returned, although Victoria hadn't given it much thought.

She was enjoying a cup of ale with the Lords, sitting at the head of the table as the current queen and enjoying the warm meal placed in front of her.

"Would you like another cup of wine?" She heard Monterroso ask the blonde handmaiden who had been silent up until now. Her eyes tipped their way for a moment, but quickly reverted back as she did not want to be caught. A smile however came upon her lips, something was definitely happening.

"I'm quite alright," she spoke softly and kept her blue eyes on the half eaten meal in front of her.

Lord Karstark was doing the very repetitive and tiring procedure and staring her down like she was the most vile thing on the planet, it was becoming quite the nuisance as of late, but only for the Commander. He leaned into her presence, getting as close as to speak in her ear without caring for anyone else's care. The blonde jumped slightly but listened, "You should not bow your head to these lord, right now you're of more importance then any one of them. You are the Queens closest confidant, the only person who knows her better then anyone, probably better then the king at this point."

"And I'm still nothing more then a bastard born," Elaine remarked back, sipping from her cup and finishing what was left. She closed her eyes as she downed the drink in an effort to press away the toxic that spewed from her lips as she looked at the knight apologetically, "I'm sorry, my lord. I shouldn't speak to you in such a way."

"It's quite alright, bastards have to stick together." He winked and lifted his own drink. "Besides, If you think about it the idea is quite comical. Bastards in their eyes, we are, and yet here we sit beside them, drinking and eating, riding better horses then them and in better company. Let Karstark have his frown and his whiny children their words, that's all they have—that's all they'll ever have from you ever again."

Elaine turned her head in his direction, "You speak boldly, Lord Commander."

"I speak truthfully, my good lady, one day while you sit in your beautiful castle overlooking the seas of Dorne you will understand my words."

She lifts a brow, for the first time breaking into a smile, "and why Dorne?"

Monterroso blushed and finished his cup, "I believe I've had my fill on ale now."

Elaine narrowed her eyes but said nothing else when she turned back to the Queen who was standing, as a guard had come into the tent and walked in her direction. His expression was not of comfort and the acting Queen felt her stomach drop but she walked forward.

"Your grace," the young man stated as he dropped his gaze and bowed to her. "A raven has come."

"Rave?" Her hands pressed into a fist as thoughts ran through her mind. "Is the king alright? What has happened?"

"The King does not know of this just yet, your grace, news has just arrived and we thought to inform you first." He stammers as the longer he drags the situation on the worse Victoria feels.

"Out with it boy! Our Queen has no time for games! She must send word to the king immediately," Glover roars.

The young messenger shakes with fear and he swallows thickly as he looks the queen in the eyes and shakily states as he lifts his hand and pressed a scroll into he palm. "Lord Greyjoy has taken Winterfell."

Victoria almost falters and is thankful there is a table behind her as she holds steady but there is no weakness in this step as their is gasps and immediate whispers from all the Lords. Angry huffs follow and soon eyes fall on the acting queen herself who is now full of nothing but anger and regret, a bitter mixture that has her lips lifting into disgust and a snarl threatening to escape. "Find the King, now!"

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YOU CAN BE THE KING BUT WATCH THE QUEEN CONQUER