Just thank you everyone ;-)

Take care you all.

Chapter 12: Dreams, Tales and Stories

Bran is bending his bow, aiming at the target in front of him when he is disturbed by the flight of a large black raven. He stares at the animal that caws to anyone who'll listen. Intrigued, the boy follows him around the Castle, till it leads him to the entrance of the family crypt. The bird suddenly turns his head towards the young man to show him the third eye in the middle of his forehead.

Bran wakes up with a start, his Direwolf close to him.

Old Nan is knitting on a chair near the bed. "You having those dreams again, young man."

"I don't!" He harshly answers

"Yes you do! You were mumbling something about a raven with three eyes near the crypt."

"And?"

"A three-eyed raven is a messenger from the future. You have to listen to his message or you will never know why he came to visit you in your sleep."

"Those are just tales, Old Nan."

"I though you like when I tell you tales of the Seven Kingdoms?"

"Not those boring legends about all the wonderful things that wonders around our world... I prefer the stories about the Wall and the White Walkers!"

"Hum... The boy prefers the scary ones, huh? Do you want me to tell you one?"

Bran enthusiastically nods when Ylliria appears in his room. "Rise and shine, my little prince. Time for your breakfast." She joyfully says, carrying a tray. "Old Nan, I'll stay with him, you may go down. Your breakfast's ready."

"Thank you, My Lady." The ancient says, putting down her knitting and leaving the room.

"Was she terrorizing you again?" Ylliria whispers him in a conspiracy tone.

"Nah... I'm too old now to be afraid of her stories." He giggles, pushing on his elbow to sit in his bed.

"What are you in the mood for today?"

"Don't know. Maester Luwin will come after the council to give me my lessons, I guess."

"You could maybe do them outside. The weather is not too bad today."

He shrugs, biting ravenously in his slice of bread covered with cheese.

.

Jon nearly finished another hard day of training with his companions. They were now all dressed with protection on their back, chest, forearms and legs and have a light sword for combat.

As last exercise, their Master-at-arms has requested to Jon to stand in the middle of a circle of five men and one at the time he will have to confront them. Despite their efforts and previous trainings, he still overcomes them all. "Well Lord Snow, that makes you the least useless person here." Thorne harshly smirks. "Go clean yourselves up. I've seen enough of you for today." He yells to everyone.

"Jon Snow, In my quarters!" Lord Commander Mormont calls him from the balcony.

The young man climbs up the stairs four at the time. "Commander." He salutes.

"There is a letter for you, arrived with this month supplies. It's from Winterfell."

"Good or bad news?" He dares to ask.

"Both, I'm afraid." The Commander smiles.

"Thank you, Commander." He says, leaving the room.

Outside, Jon nervously unseals it and starts to read the letter. He is a little bit disappointed to see that it is not Ylliria's handwriting, but a very short message from Maester Luwin advising him that Bran finally woke up, but that he has lost usage of his legs. The young man does not know if he must smile or weep at this news. He just sighs, looking at the huge Wall in front of him.

.

"Pssstt... My Lady." Belinda softly whispers when Ylliria's passes near the kitchen door. She makes a gesture with her hand for her to come in. "I heard a very disturbing story, My Lady. And since you didn't tell me anything about it, I must be sure its not a bad gossip." The kitchen-maid gently pushes her to sit down at the wooden table with her.

"Disturbing story? What kind?"

"The kind that involves you and Lord Stark." Belinda mysteriously comments.

"Me... Ahum... Me and Robb? That is so ridiculous!" Ylliria laughs, putting a hand on her chest to be sure that Belinda could not see her shivering.

"So, you didn't kiss him the night of my wedding?" The maid candidly speaks.

"Dah!... Well... All right, tell me the story and from whom you have heard it."

"Emma, the young maid... You know her, I believe."

The Lady nods.

"Well, Theon Greyjoy is often after her for... You know... And yesterday, he came flirting around as usual. But this time he lured her with a so-called secret information that he got from Lord Stark himself, he said. Emma started to do like she was interested and followed him in the small cellar next door."

"Oh, poor young thing. I hope he didn't ill-treated or forced her to do anything." Ylliria asks concerned.

"No, no... Don't you worry, My Lady. Emma might be still very young, she is not that innocent. She hide it well, but she is less stupid than she wants to make believe. And knows how it goes with men. So... Theon told her that after the wedding feast was over and that everybody was heading to their homes, you were a little... Let's call it 'Happy'... See what I mean, My Lady?"

"Yes, I think I know what you mean. At least, my head remembers the next morning." She softly laughs.

"And Lord Stark accompanied you back to your room because he feared that you could have fallen in the stairs."

"I don't remember that part very well, I must admit." Ylliria lightly blushes, a little embarrassed.

"That sort of things happens, My Lady. You were not used to drink wine a whole night long like that. And it was strong wine, I can tell you... Ailwin could not... See, we had to wait the next day to consume our marriage." Belinda giggles, making the young Lady giggle with her. "But, lets get back to one's muttons. So, the Lord brought you back to your room and... Well, it seems you told him how a great Lord he is and you kissed him full lips before closing your door."

"I didn't!" Ylliria says in shock.

"You don't remember doing that?"

"Ad!... Well... Ha!... No... I didn't... Oh by all the Gods!" She puts her elbows on the table and drops her head in her hands. "What am I suppose to do now?... And why did Robb tell that to... Theon Greyjoy!" She comments with disgust.

"Was Lord Stark any different with you since the wedding?" Belinda gently asks.

"Well... Actually not that I noticed. Buy, we hadn't the chance to have another one of our private discussion since."

"You have private discussions with Lord Stark?" The maid opens her eyes wide.

"We always openly talks to each other and this since we were kids. It seems I'm a good listener and he seems to be one to... We are throwing all our frustrations, fears, hopes, anything in the open. And so, one could give the other another point of view or some comfort when needed. But, we always did this... It never seemed odd or indecent to do so. Nothing ever happened, you know..."

"But it could appears weird to others... Now that he's acting as Lord of Winterfell and you both are slowly becoming adults."

"I will have to speak to him, isn't it?"

"Definitively! Better you to tell him, before too many scuttlebutt are turning around the Castle. And you know that the more you tell a story from one person to another, the more amazingly stupid it becomes... But, do you allow me to ask you a question, My Lady."

Ylliria nods.

"How do you feel about what you did? Now that you know it happened?"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, liquor can sometimes uninhibited your most hidden desires... For some, it makes it easier to approach someone they wants to woo, but are too shy to do so. Before telling the Lord all this, you might as well think about what you feel about it."

"Hum... I must admit, those last months, Robb and I got closer. We're spending a lot of time together. He involves me more and more into the management of Winterfell. But even then, kissing him like that... It's really not me." Ylliria having a faraway look in her eyes.

"And what you certainly have to talk with Lord Stark is who spread that type of information around. I'm sure he does not know his dear 'friend' Theon..." She gestures quotation marks with her fingers. "Is talking about his private matters to anyone and could not be trusted."

"Thank you, Belinda... I really don't know what I could do if you were not here with me!" She gently smiles to her friend. "Say hi to Ailwin for me." She says leaving the kitchen.

.

Tyrion Lannister is going on top of the Wall to say goodbye to Jon on duty watch for the day.

"I'm going back South." The dwarf tells him.

"I'm sorry to see you leave, Lannister."

"It's either me or this cold! It doesn't appear to going anywhere... So..."

"Will you stop at Winterfell on your way back?"

"I expect I will."

"If you see my brother Bran. Tell him I miss him... Tell him I visit if I could."

"Any other message for any other person of the Castle?" Tyrion smirks.

"Hum... Well, tell them all I'm fine and well."

"All right then... I will put together a nice little story for the Lady Bennett on my way to Winterfell."

Jon looks dagger at the little man.

"You're hiding a portrait of her in your doubled, you have that constant melancholic gaze on your mug and we can see you run like a mad man each time a raven arrives in Castle Black. You must know by now that I'm not stupid."

"She and I are just friends."

"Of course, just friends... As you wish... Take care, Snow." He reaches over a hand.

"Far well, My Lord" Jon accepting the handshake.

The dwarf is going his way back down when suddenly the young man starts to run after him. "Lannister... Wait!" He takes out a squared folded paper, sealed with the Castle stamp, from his doubled. "Could you please hand this to Ylliria?"

"I will, Snow." He winks before closing the elevator iron door.

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