Gasp! It's a chapter!
Disagreements
CATELYN
News, of the one who sent the man to kill Bran, Ned had said, handing her the letter with a grim of what Ned told her, she was dreading this news. She wasn't sure who, exactly, had sent the man, if it was not Tyrion Lannister, but it was a thought she did not want to dwell on. If it was not the Imp who had sent the assassin, she feared she may have been the inadvertent cause of the war.
She held the letter in trembling hands, not daring open it for fear of what it contained. Ned and Robb were sat across the room, giving her the privacy she needed while they conversed quietly. Ned's presence, even on the other side of the room, gave her the courage she needed to unfurl the page, her eyes taking in the tidy script.
The letter was not written to her, that she could tell. She had spent little time at court, less time than was necessary to know Lord Varys, and even less for him to be familiar with her in a letter. Lady Lannister had likely given her husband this letter, knowing the accusations it contained. The thought was enough to make her blood boil.
My Lady,
It pains me to say that the attempt on young Bran Stark's life is part of a much deeper plot than you could have imagined. Lord Baelish has always been quite cunning, as you well know, and I fear that he may have known what lengths Lady Stark would go to for her children. Regardless of that, he has always held a deep fondness for Lady Stark, and has, more than once, stated that he would do anything to save her from her husband. You are clever, My Lady, I am sure you know what this means.
While Lord Baelish chose to remain in King's Landing, he did send quite a few of his own to attend to the Queen and her children. It would have been quite simple for one of them to remove the King's dagger from his possession. Whether he knew that Lady Stark would return to King's Landing for my consult or not, I believe he used the assassination attempt on young Lord Stark to drive a wedge between your family and theirs. Not surprising, of course, given the longtime feud between Stark and Lannister.
Regardless of Lord Baelish's intent behind the failed assassination, you must be wary. Should he discover the truth behind the Starks' supposed deaths, it will not be long before Queen Cersei also knows the truth. As it is, he is already aware that you will be in the North's camp brokering peace, as the King has claimed.
She stood quickly, not reading the rest of the letter. Ned and Robb were still speaking quietly, heads bowed over the map covering Robb's desk, allowing her to slip out of the room without them knowing. She would speak to Lady Lannister alone, and find out the truth for herself.
A commotion from the courtyard halted her before she could return to her chambers. Though she would have preferred to return to her solitude—lock herself away to soothe her burning hand while hiding the effect her guilt was having on her—she would first have to greet their… guests, as Robb was still quite busy.
Robb's men were gathered near the gates, preventing anyone from coming in. Their weapons were not drawn, yet, though she could tell their guest was being less than cooperative. Through the gaps, she could make out the tall, lanky figure of her longtime friend.
"Petyr," she breathed, pushing past the men in front of her, "what are you doing here?" The letter from Lord Varys, which she had tried so hard to dismiss, came to the forefront of her mind.
She wished he had not come at all. When around her, he had always been so honest, almost to a fault. Now, she could see how false his smile really was. It hadn't been as obvious in King's Landing, with her grief and anger crushing her as it had been. He looked almost gleeful to be there, though she still did not understand his reasoning behind traveling all that way.
"I have been tasked with returning your husband's and daughters' bones to you."
She felt her face fall at his words. Even as Petyr spoke, the grin didn't leave his face, though she could see the false look of sympathy that he tried to convey to her. A memory came to the front of her mind, the grin on his face being replaced by the delighted look he wore when he told her of the dagger's owner. At the time, she had assumed he was just happy to have knowledge that Varys did not, but perhaps that wasn't the case at all.
"Cat."
He was gripping her hands now, almost too tight. His grin was gone, his sympathetic act firmly in place. She would not allow herself to fall for his false words, for that's all they could be. She remembered the letter she had received from Ned, shortly after she had begun her return home, joining Robb in his war camp. The king had just passed, and even Ned's words couldn't hide how distraught he had been. He had assured her that Petyr was keeping his promise, and helping him in any way he could. And then Ned had been wrongly imprisoned.
"I cannot tell you how sorry I am for Lord Stark's death. I know how much you loved him. I want you to know, I did everything I could to ensure he would survive, but the Queen must have been a step ahead of me the entire time."
She knew better than to believe such a thing. Sansa had been allowed to write to her while she was held captive; a foolish decision on their part. In her letters, she described an encounter with the whore that Theon had been especially fond of, a whore who was now employed under her dear friend.
Catelyn had never been very fond of whores, but even she had to admit they were very adept at gathering information. This specific whore had been privy to one particular story told by Petyr, about his love for a woman and how he had lost her. To some, it may have been an innocent story telling of his lost love, but Catelyn knew better. He had told the story of his lost duel against Brandon Stark, and how she had spared his life, rather than letting Brandon finish him off.
She wondered, briefly, what would have happened if she had allowed him to strike the finishing blow. Ned would have still agreed to be Robert's Hand upon Jon Arryn's death, but would he have nearly died after Robert died? And Bran… Bran would still likely be able to walk, run, climb.
"My son will want to see you," Catelyn stated, gently pulling her hands from Petyr's grip. She couldn't let her thoughts get ahead of her, not while Petyr was here. If he was here to get information, or to discover the truth, she couldn't allow him to learn anything. She would have to distance herself from him.
"First, I have been ordered to verify Lady Lannister's arrival. The King has not yet received news of her safe arrival, and as Lord Lannister has begun withdrawing his men, the concern for her wellbeing is not unfounded."
Catelyn bowed her her head in acknowledgement. Before leading Petyr away, she stopped Olyvar from his errands, bidding him to inform Robb of her friend's arrival. He would likely send Olyvar with a request to bring Petyr immediately. Hopefully, the meeting with Lady Lannister would sate his curiosity, at least for the time being.
Lady Lannister was sitting in a chair by the window when Catelyn and Petyr arrived at her chambers. Even on her own, she acted as the perfect lady, her back straight and head held high. A bruise was forming high on her cheekbone, though the girl didn't seem to pay any mind to it.
"Lady Lannister, you have a guest."
Even years of hiding away emotions couldn't prevent the shocked look that crossed the girl's face. Catelyn knew it must have been because of her. One usually would not expect the woman who had hit her, giving her the bruise on her cheek, to visit her so shortly. She knew the woman wouldn't be expecting an apology; her pride wouldn't allow her to give the apology, regardless.
"My Lady," Petyr strode forward, folding his hands into his sleeves and giving a short bow. Lady Lannister's attention shifted to the man in front of her, and she gave him a curt nod, greeting him in turn. "King Joffrey wished for me to make certain you were being treated properly. It appears," he paused, his eyes tracing the bruise on her cheek, "that your hosts have been less than kind—"
Lady Lannister touched her tender cheek, then waved a dismissive hand, effectively cutting Petyr off. "Nonsense, Lord Baelish. I was, unfortunately, injured on my way here. My horse was spooked, I'm sure you understand."
Petyr was nodding, almost absentmindedly, while Lady Lannister talked, though he seemed to believe her. Catelyn couldn't understand why the other woman would withhold the truth, but she felt a bit of relief as she spoke.
Catelyn didn't know what would happen if the woman were to be called back to King's Landing. She knew it would not bode well for their tentative treaty with Tywin Lannister and the child king, though. Their treaty was holding on by thin threads, she knew that, and she knew Robb knew it too. Lady Lannister, despite her position in the camp, could break the treaty with just a few well-placed words, if she so wished.
The thoughtful look on Petyr's face was enough to tell her he was thinking the same thing. The silence stretched between them before Petyr eventually broke it, his grin once again on his face. "Well, My Lady, I will report back to the King that you are being treated as expected." He gave her another bow before bidding her goodbye and heading for the door.
Catelyn sent one more searching look at Lady Lannister before following.
ROBB
He couldn't prevent himself from pacing after he received the news from Olyvar. Lord Baelish was in Riverrun. His father and sisters had been ordered to lock themselves in their chambers and allow no guests; not even his mother was to visit them while Lord Baelish remained, lest the man discover they were, in fact, alive.
The man hadn't even came when he had been summoned, though Robb couldn't be sure if his mother had a hand in that or not. He was fully aware of the elder man's feelings toward his mother. While his mother had been less than happy to marry a Stark other than his uncle Brandon, Robb knew she had found love with his father. Petyr Baelish, though, seemed to think that his mother needed saving, despite her happiness. The thought, while ridiculous, was quite unnerving.
A knock on the door pulled him from his thoughts, and he called for his visitor to enter, seating himself at his desk. His mother opened the door, leading Lord Baelish in before closing the door firmly behind them. She put distance between them, walking to stare out the window while Baelish approached his desk.
His solar was facing the river, a spectacular scene to view as the sun descended. Robb's mother would often visit him as he worked to watch the scene outside the window. His men rarely ventured that way, choosing to remain in the main courtyard. The emptiness gave a sort of peace that was rare to find during the time of war.
"My Lord—"
"Your Grace," his mother corrected, her tone sharp. She hadn't even sounded so angry when she had received the news of another Lannister joining them. Robb distantly wondered what Littlefinger had done to anger her so. His mother was a fierce woman to have on one's side; he was glad to have her.
"My apologies, your Grace," the man simpered, bending into a bow that Robb was sure was supposed to be flattering. He wondered if the man acted the same way in front of his own king, groveling at the boy's feet. "News of my impending arrival was sent ahead. Did you not receive it?"
Robb knew damn well that they hadn't sent news ahead, though he kept his face blank. The man was planning something, that much was apparent. Perhaps he knew the truth, and was trying to catch them in the act. It wouldn't happen.
"I did not," replied Robb after a moment, his voice carefully neutral. Until he knew what Littlefinger's plans were, he could not give away any hint of suspicion. "However, I was informed that you returned my father's and sisters' bones to us. I cannot thank you enough."
The look of barely concealed fury on Baelish's face was enough to send a jolt of satisfaction through Robb. The man may have been sneaky when associating with Southerners, but they were of the North, and the North was not easily fooled. It had been simple enough to figure out Littlefinger's true intentions. All they had to do was wait for his mother to turn on her charms, and he was wrapped around her finger.
"Petyr, were you aware that Ned had sent me a letter shortly before his imprisonment? I do believe it was sent the night the late King Robert passed." His mother's voice was strong and carried through the large hall, allowing everyone there to hear her words.
All his lords were in attendance, scattered through the hall, many eating with their men as they kept one eye on the spectacle before them. Lord Baelish stood before the head table attempting to clear the look of anger from his face, very clearly shocked by the way the events had turned on him. Catelyn Stark stood before him, looking just as queenly as Robb was sure she felt.
His mother had even asked Lady Lannister to dine with them. The blonde sat just two seats down from him, his mother's empty seat between them. Robb hoped that meant she was warming up to her, but doubted it. Despite the younger woman's acts, his mother would not forgive easily, even with the younger woman having nothing to do with Bran being thrown from the window.
Lord Baelish's mouth opened and closed for a few moments before he gathered himself enough to speak. "My Lady, I was not aware that your late husband had been able to write to you before his… untimely demise."
"I see," his mother replied, her voice clipped. She was slowly pacing, now, circling Lord Baelish where he stood. Robb could see Lady Lannister attempting to hide a smile at the way his mother was acting. Catelyn Stark could be a fierce woman when pushed. "Then you also do not know that he assured me countless times in his letters that my dear friend, Lord Baelish, you, had promised him that the men you gave him would remain loyal to him." Her voice dropped into a near whisper as she approached her old friend. "You have until nightfall to gather your belongings and leave. Should you return to our camp, or to the North, you will find that your welcome will be much less… kind."
Lord Baelish took a moment to compose himself before stalking from the hall. The chatter from Robb's men swelled, drowning out the sound of the door slamming. His mother remained standing before the main table, her chest heaving with her quick breaths. Robb knew it would not have been easy to send the man away, despite the fact that he had been the reason his father had nearly been killed.
Lady Lannister greeted her when she returned to her seat, sparking Robb's curiosity. He knew neither woman would appreciate him cutting into their conversation, though, and sat quietly, observing his men as they ate.
Author's Note: I am sooo sorry that this has taken so long to get out. My big plan was to get a chapter out at least every month, but I have been so exhausted lately, what with working two jobs and all, that I basically go to bed as soon as I get home. Most of my free time is spent on job applications, errands, and finishing my portfolio. On top of that, my Walking Dead muse is kicking my ass. Guess that's what I get for finishing season 5 on Netflix and buying the 6th season for Google Play… Anyway, it's done now! I managed to finish it while I was at work one day…. Oops, naughty me!
This was originally supposed to take place before the last chapter, but my mind apparently had other plans. Because of that, I ended up cutting out a large portion of the chapter and replacing it with something else entirely. This chapter was also insanely difficult for me to write. I knew what I wanted to happen, but it just wasn't. To top that off, I'm pretty sure Baelish's arrival completely screwed the timeline I had going… I didn't plan this at all...
On another note: holy hell! Over 100 faves and 170 followers. You guys are all amazing, seriously.
MysticEm: I'm so glad you're enjoying this fic, and thank you so much for the review! It means a lot to me to receive such a compliment. One thing I've been super worried about is keeping everyone in character. I hope I've succeeded? As for deviating, there will be plenty more, I assure you! But one thing I absolutely had to change was the whole Robb/Talisa romance. Honestly, I never really cared for it when I saw it, so it wasn't too hard to split them up. Having them meet earlier, though, was essential to how I wanted their interactions the go.
SyntheticProduct: Cersei is totally up to no good, which I kind of enjoy writing. It's hard switching between characters and showing what's really going on in their heads, but definitely satisfying once everything is finished. I'm both glad and sad to say that we won't be seeing too much happiness this early in the story. It's still GoT, so we've got to have some bad things happen, right?
Anna B: Glad you're enjoying the story! I like to think that having Emmeline there softened the impact of Joanna's death. While Tywin is still very much hardened because of it, we can see that he holds a soft spot for his youngest daughter. As for Jaime, I wanted to show that he holds all of his siblings in a high regard. I haven't decided if Emmeline will be present for Jaime's punishment, though it will be coming up shortly. As for Stark children interacting, we will get to see Emmeline spend some time with Sansa and Arya in an interlude, and we already know that Arya is quite a fan.
