Joffrey V

The weather turned when they passed down the Causeway into the Riverlands. Was there something metaphysical about "The North"? He could not discount such fanciful notions, not anymore. It hadn't snowed at all in these lands, Joffrey noticed, and the driving rains that so tormented them on the journey north did but little to stunt or bend the wheat. Fields of grain covered the horizon while work gangs of peasants broke their backs to bring in what was likely to be their last harvest in a good long while.

Every water mill upon the banks of the Trident ran continually, grinding the corn for lords and smallfolk alike. The Kingsroad was crowded with drovers driving great herds of fat pigs and cattle to market, where they would be butchered and salted.

Good, he thought. Very good.

Every inn was packed full of travelers, highborn and low. All the realm was a bustle before the big settling down that would mean winter was truly here. There was urgency to it, but also much cheer. Barns, granaries, and smokehouses were all full to bursting after ten years of plenty. It would be a long while until it all ran short. If the gods were good, spring would return by then.

If.

Food was cheap, cheaper than he'd seen it, even in the poor areas of King's Landing. Good meat pies could be had for a copper at any inn they stopped at, and even better fare with the coin to pay for more. People looked fat, happy, and above all, pleased to see their king. They cheered Robert at every sighting. Many gaped to see the size of him. It was nice not to be the center of attention for a while.

"What are you thinking about, Joff?" Sansa asked at his side. She always called him Joff after he gave his permission, much to her delight.

I guess I spoke too soon.

Sansa was beautiful, he couldn't deny, with high cheekbones and thick auburn hair that fell down her back in soft curls. If her mother was any indication, her beauty would only grow. To cast it in terms from his old life, Sansa would be the prettiest girl in middle school, who would be every boy's first crush. They were inseparable now. She rode at his side while Lady pranced along, sometimes ahead, sometimes behind, always alert.

"Winter, I guess," he answered.

"Oh, we Starks know all about winter. I was a babe in arms when it was winter last, but I've heard stories all my life. Snow gets as high as Winterfell's curtain walls, trapping people indoors for months at a time. Sometimes roots grow under the snow, and there are always the glass gardens. Depending on how long it lasts, things can get lean, but we Starks always endure. How about you Baratheons?"

"I don't remember the last winter either," Joffrey answered truthfully. "Mainly, I wanted to get the building done, and one last harvest gathered before it was too late." He ran a hand over the lands to both left and right of the Kingsroad. "Looks like I got my wish."

"I'm so excited to see the wonderful things you built in the capital, dear," Sansa chattered happily.

"Excited for sewers?" Joff asked skeptically.

Since his horse knew the way, the prince didn't exactly have to keep his eyes on the road. When he looked at Sansa, a vague unease washed over him. Her eyes were wide, almost manic, and there was a worshipful smile that stretched her cheeks. "If you like sewers, I like sewers," she declared with absolute seriousness.

"You know we're not getting married right away," he pointed out. Best to deflate her before she bursts.

"Yes, yes, I'm well aware. I can wait until my eighteenth nameday, as long as there are no whores. There won't be, right?"

Silent pressure passed from her to him, and Sansa's smile got subtly tighter.

"I promise there won't be."

He meant it, too. No way was Joffrey risking an STD in this world. Puberty was definitely starting, and he was noticing girls more and more, but even if there were not ethical and moral concerns, which there were, he knew that the later Sansa had her first pregnancy, the better her chances would be. People still died in childbirth here, a lot of people. He would stack the odds however he could. Even if she was a little intense, Joffrey could honestly say he really liked her. It was better to have a wife who was into you rather than the misery dad had to deal with, after all.

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Like dawn breaking, Sansa's tight smile eased into a beatific one. "You're telling the truth. I can tell, or Lady can."

He cast an uneasy glance at the wolf cantering ahead of them. Carts pulled by oxen and horses ran off the road to avoid her. She can detect lies? This just gets better and better.

"Maybe don't tell people that, honey," Joffrey warned her. "People can be superstitious."

Sansa squealed happily when he called her "honey" and plainly didn't hear the rest. Just great. "I trust you, Joffrey," she said seriously, "but even so, I've instructed Jon to keep the whores away. You are far too handsome for your own good. Even if you mean to be true to me, ladies at court might try their luck anyhow."

Jon Snow with Ghost joined them, and Arya with Nymeria. Since Jon was pretty much considered to be a man now after fighting the war with the wildlings, he'd accepted the post of sworn shield to the both of them. It pleased Lord Stark to no end, and even frosty Catelyn seemed to be glad to see him go. Last Joffrey heard, Lady Stark was busy handling marriage negotiations for Robb. Since he was ruling from Winterell now, he needed a wife by his side. Good luck to them.

Their three wolves would be a wonder at court, Joffrey didn't doubt. He was mostly spending time with the Stark children since Father was enjoying his time with his old friend Lord Stark so much.

Their pace was easy. It had to be, since the Kingsroad was so crowded. Hopefully, Tyrion was putting the finishing touches on the last sewer lines. Everything that Joff knew about Valyrian engineering, Tyrion did as well. Sansa listened with rapt attention as he explained the project, though she claimed to have "no head for figures."

Well, he could handle the calculations for them both.

They talked about a lot of things, including the situation with his mother and father.

"Since we're to be wed, you'll know all my secrets eventually." Though he couldn't tell her one secret, the big one. Honestly, he hardly remembered that life now. Every year, the vague images became more distorted. Joffrey couldn't even remember what he used to look like.

"Your father, the king, keeps a mistress, you told me," Sansa said. "There will be no need for that with me, Joff. We'll be very happy together."

She sounded so sure. He hoped she was right.

"And my mother hardly leaves her bedchamber. Honestly, I would be afraid to introduce you two."

Sansa nodded somberly. "Whatever you're comfortable with, Joff. Fear not, whatever troubles you, you'll find a willing ear in me. Every family has quarrels. Arya and I used to be at odds constantly, before we found our wolves."

"So the wolves changed how you feel?" he asked in interest. Their bond looked supernatural to him. There were giants and mammoths in this world, and maybe dragons, if secondhand reports could be believed. Maybe beings he thought mythological, like the children of the forest, or even the Others, might be real, or had been real once.

"Yes," she answered. "There's a feeling, a feeling of belonging, like being a part of a pack. The more the wolves grew, the stronger the feeling. Leaving Grey Wind and Shaggydog was sad, but I can still feel them a little. Not like Charger. Charger is cut off. We can't feel anything beyond the wall. He isn't dead, though. If he were dead, I'd know."

He thanked her for being so forthcoming. Maybe the stranger things he read about, living stone, glass candles, and so forth, might have something to them after all. Valyrian roads were something he admired above all, but making them without dragonfire seemed impossible. Well, it was soon to be winter. They wouldn't be building much of anything soon.