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The Competitive Nature of Siblings

Chapter 2

Notes:

I forgot to say at the start of the previous chapter but this fic spans a number of months because unfortunately Robb and Sansa cannot devote all their time to the competition- they do still have a country to rule after all!

Chapter Text

Robb’s stunt with the flowers had not just made Sansa annoyed, no it had also made her angry. She knew that such a thing was his aim, and yet she could not keep from feeling such a way.

She would not let it make her stupid though, oh no. Instead she would hone it and use it to beat him.

No longer was she going to beat him purely for the joy of beating him, now it was a matter of honour.

Sansa had a secret weapon though, an ally that Robb did not and did not know about. Not that said ally would support Robb anyway, no, Yara Greyjoy always looked at Robb with mild suspicion whereas she had offered more than once for Sansa to leave Theon and take a place at her side instead.

Queen Yara,

I hope that you are well and that your people are prosperous.

I find that I have a favour to ask of you, one with the dual aims of making your brother happy and causing irritation to mine own brother.

My fool of a brother, for you know how foolish brothers can be I am sure, has challenged me to see who can make your brother happiest. In short he has challenged me to see who can romance Theon the best.

I ask aid of you in this challenge. I ask that you help me, for I should like to win.

It is my hope to send for sea foods that Theon does like, ones prepared in a manner that might remind him of the Isles, however there are few here who know of such things. I would ask your opinion of such things, and of merchants I might contact who would be able to deliver such goods to Winterfell.

I know that this is a lot to ask for, but I hope you will aid me in making your brother happy.

Your friend,

Sansa Stark.’

 


 

Robb did not trust his sweet sister. He knew she was angry, and when Sansa was angry she became dangerous.

Except, she did not act as though she was angry. She sang her sweet songs as they worked, she did not glare at him over the desks in their shared solar.

She was plotting something then, something that was likely to humiliate him.

He had taken his fear to Jon, but his brother had merely shook his head and claimed not to know what was going on. Robb trusted Jon about that, he knew his brother would not betray him for Sansa . Although he was not overly sure whether Jon would betray him in order to win a bet of his own; his brother’s honourable nature could sometimes be corrupted by competition between Jon and Theon.

Sansa had ravens flying back and forth, and she ducked into the kitchens with scrolls in her hands. While this was not really unusual behaviour for Sansa, it was suspicious, for her ravens and visits seemed to be happening with a greater frequency than usual.

When he entered the kitchens though, to see what was going on, he was rebuffed firmly but respectfully by the cook. Then again, it was the same cook who had once caught he and Jon stealing blackberry tarts which were cooling on the side as children, so it was likely that he still saw Robb as said child.

Quite a few of the older members of the household in Winterfell had the same reaction to them all, but Robb did not take offence at it. In fact, it was quite nice sometimes to be scolded for sneaking food with no fear for the crown upon his head.

He liked it quite a bit less though when the household was helping Sansa hide things from him. She could charm almost anyone, and while usually her powers were used for good, sometimes she employed them against him.

By the time he found out what Sansa was keeping quiet it was too late to stop, he could only watch as it occurred and plan for how he was going to make her pay.

 


 

Theon choked up as he saw the spread before him, he would deny it later of course, but for now there was no mistaking the wetness of his eyes.

He had not seen such a spread of food since his last nameday with his mother, before the rebellion which killed his brothers and dragged him from her arms.

Scallops and oysters and lobster, thick fish stew lay next to the greenish bread made with seaweed.

It was all food from his childhood, all food that he remembered loving. There was no sign of the traditional mussels or squid that he had hated, meaning that someone had actually spoken to someone who knew him rather than just producing a spread as described in a book. It meant someone had spoken to Yara.

One glance at his lovers told him exactly who was responsible for this, Sansa had a slightly snug air about her, while Robb’s ears had gone red with rage at the tips.

Theon merely stared at the food for a while, for long enough that Rickon tugged at his jerkin in impatience.

“Sansa says we can’t eat until you eat, so hurry up. I’m hungry!”

Theon blinked down at the smallest Stark before letting himself be pulled to sit down at the table in his usual place between Robb and Sansa.

“Thank you for this.” He said softly to Sansa, “And thank you for speaking to Yara as well, I know you couldn’t have planned this without her help.”

Sansa pressed a soft kiss to his cheek, “It is a pleasure to do something that makes you smile like this.”

Theon touched his cheek, suddenly aware of the grin he had been sporting since entering the room, a grin which certainly explained why his cheeks were aching.

Not to be outdone Robb pressed a kiss of his own against Theon’s lips, a soft one which had almost all his younger siblings squealing in disgust. It was the usual reaction from them though, they protested any affection that took place in front of them, just as they had those gestures between Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn before the King’s visit all those years ago.

He bit into a piece of the stew, and the taste of home flooded his mouth, the warmth of his mother’s arms around him, and the memory of her hand stroking through his hair. He resolved to do something nice for Yara in thanks, and Sansa as well.

And as he looked at the jealous face of Robb he could not help but wonder what exactly he was going to do to top this.

Notes:

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