Catelyn III

"I believe it is my turn to read the next chapter," Ned said, reaching out to take the book.

When no one objected, he opened the book, quickly finding the correct page. He briefly closed his eyes to prepare himself and then read the title: "Catelyn."

She looked up in surprise – they hadn't read anything from her point of view in a while. What would be going on in her head during this time in the future? With Ned and the girls gone, and Bran… oh, gods, Bran! Catelyn felt impossibly guilty for not thinking of her son's future fate in a while. Her mind had been so full, with all these new insights and pieces of information that they had been learning during the past few chapters, that she hadn't remembered what would happen so soon in the future if nothing changed. Catelyn closed her eyes in dread as her husband began to read. She did not at all feel ready for this.

Eight days after Ned and the girls had left, Maester Luwin visits Catelyn in Bran's sickroom with the books of account, saying that it is high time they review the figures to find out how much the royal visit had cost.

Robb looked at his parents in interest. "How much would this royal visit cost us?" he asked quietly.

Ned said: "Well, that depends on several things: how large the royal party was, and how much food was eaten during the feasts… for a visit such as this, we would only go through the figures afterwards. It would be rude to refuse the royal guests anything if they ask for it, so one can never be sure in advance." He smiled at his son, who nodded in understanding.

Catelyn looks at Bran and brushes his hair off his forehead, realising how long it has grown. She will need to cut it soon. Never taking her eyes off Bran, she tells Maester Luwin that she has no need to look at the figures, and that he should take the books away.

Bran frowned, and looked at his mother in concern. Why was she not listening to Maester Luwin? What was wrong with him? They had heard during Tyrion's chapter that he was going to pull through, that he was going to be fine after his fall… right? Bran suddenly felt a stab of fear as his father continued reading. He could not tear his eyes away from his mother, hoping for comfort, but her face was like stone as she listened.

Maester Luwin protests, but Catelyn cuts him off, saying that the steward will see to Winterfell's needs regarding the food stores.

Maester Luwin refuses to leave, though, telling Catelyn that the steward went to King's Landing with Lord Eddard. He reminds Catelyn of a little grey rat, not letting go of this topic.

Robb, Sansa and Arya exchanged worried looks. That thought didn't seem like their mother at all! A little grey rat? Maester Luwin?

Everyone stayed silent, though, listening to Eddard read the next sentences.

She nods absently in agreement. Bran looks so pale, she thinks. She wonders if they might move his bed to the window, so he can get some sunlight.

Sansa was feeling more and more uneasy as this chapter went on. Her mother seemed almost unrecognisable, with the strange way she was acting. Would Bran's condition worsen after she and Father and Arya had left? Was her brother's continued sleep and her mother's… strange behaviour her fault? She closed her eyes and prayed that Bran would be alright in this future.

Maester Luwin is still talking, telling Catelyn about several appointments that need her immediate attention: they need a new captain of the guards, a new master of horse –

Catelyn's eyes snap up. A master of horse? She asks, her voice like a whip.

Catelyn was visibly shaken, listening to her husband read this. She could not even imagine what her future self must be going through. It had been horrible enough listening to Bran's fall, but this? Actually living through her worst nightmare? She closed her eyes to gather her emotions, and then looked at her son, sitting next to her, healthy and awake and alive, thank the gods, and focused on her husband's voice.

The maester is shaken by her response but tries to explain that Hullen went south as well.

Catelyn isn't listening. Her son lies here -

Ned's voice cracked, but he continued reading the next words.

Broken and dying -

The entire family flinched, and Bran looked at his mother with tears entering his eyes. He rubbed at them angrily, not wanting to cry. Catelyn reached out for her son and held him tightly in her arms.

and Luwin wants to discuss a new a new master of horse? she says loudly. She doesn't care one whit what happens in the stables! She would gladly butcher every horse in Winterfell if it would open Bran's eyes, does Luwin understand that?

The room was silent. No one knew what to say.

Robb interrupts her tirade, saying that he will make the appointments.

Sansa let out a shaky breath of relief that future Robb had interrupted. She hated listening to this. Her mother had never acted like that before, ever, in Sansa's life. And Bran - she could not even think about it. Was this really what the future would be like? Because if this was the price Sansa would have to pay for becoming queen and living happily in King's Landing, then she didn't want it.

Catelyn has not heard him enter. She realises only now that she had been shouting, feeling a sudden flush of shame. What is happening to her? She is so tired, and her head hurts all the time.

Catelyn, listening to this, felt a similar feeling of shame. Her children should not have to sit here, listing to their mother lose her mind to grief. Especially Bran, she thought, looking at her son in her arms. He should be outside, playing with his friends and siblings, with not a care in the world.

Not for the first time, Catelyn wished the mysterious sender of these books had allowed her and Ned to read this alone. A seven-year-old should not be burdened with this.

Catelyn closed her eyes and prayed that her future self would make an effort to not completely fall apart because of this tragedy. She didn't think she or her children would be able to handle listening to that.

Maester Luwin turns to her son, and gives him a list of those they might consider for the vacant positions. Robb glances at the names in approval, and tells Luwin that they'll discuss the matter tomorrow. He hands the list back, and tells Maester Luwin to leave them.

When Robb closes the door, turning to her, she sees that he is wearing a sword.

Robb felt a tiny flicker of excitement at the news of a real sword, but quickly pushed it back down. There were much more important things at stake here, like his brother and his mother, he reminded himself, feeling slightly ashamed of his own thought process.

Robb asks Catelyn what she is doing.

Catelyn has always thought that Robb looks like her, like Sansa, Bran and Rickon, with the auburn hair and blue eyes, but now she sees something of Eddard Stark in his face, with his stern and hard expression.

Ned's eyes were warm as he looked at his eldest son, proud of the maturity he was showing. Robb smiled back, a little shy.

She is puzzled by Robb's question, and explains that she is taking care of Bran. How can he ask that?

Robb says that she hasn't left this room since Bran was hurt. She didn't even come to the gate when Father and the girls were leaving.

"Really?" Sansa whispered, disappointed. No one heard her comment. Sansa blushed slightly, feeling embarrassed at her childishness in this situation. She couldn't help it; she wanted her mother to come to the gate and say farewell to her when she moved to the other end of the continent. Was that so bad?

Ned continued reading, oblivious to his daughter's thoughts.

Catelyn answers that she said goodbye up here, and then watched from the window.

She remembers that she had begged Ned not to go, not now after all that had happened, but it had been no use. He had told her that he had no choice, and then he left, choosing.

Ned sent Catelyn a pained look as he read that sentence.

What had possessed him to leave his family like this? His son? His wife, who needed him, and had begged him not to go? A sense of duty. Duty and his old friend Robert Baratheon. Judging from his own chapters, his future self was beginning to regret the decision already, and he didn't even have this knowledge. Eddard Stark closed his eyes very briefly and prayed that he would be able to make the right decision this time around.

Out loud, she tells Robb that she can't leave Bran even for a moment, not when any moment could be his last. She has to be with him if… if…

Sansa couldn't stop the tears from streaming down her face as she reached out to hold her little brother's trembling hand. By this point, there was not one dry eye in the room.

She reaches out and holds his limp hand. He is so frail and thin, but she can still feel the warmth of his skin.

Robb's voice is soft as he tells her that Bran isn't going to die, that the greatest danger is past.

What if that's not true? What if Bran needs her and she isn't there? She asks.

Robb says sharply that Rickon needs her.

Catelyn felt a rush of shame at those words. Rickon! What was wrong with her? Even now, when none of this horror had yet struck her family, she was still in this rom all day, with all her other children, leaving her three-year-old son in the hands of his nursemaid. She needed to do better in the future, Catelyn thought, and she resolved to spend more time with her youngest son that evening.

He's only three, he doesn't understand what's happening, he thinks everyone has deserted him and follows Robb around all day, crying… Robb pauses, and then says that he needs her too. He doesn't know what to do. He's trying, but he can't do it by himself.

Arya's strength finally broke and she couldn't hold her tears in any longer. She wiped at her eyes angrily, not wanting to cry, but couldn't help it. Jon sent his sister a comforting glance, and reached out to put an arm over her shoulder.

Robb's voice breaks with emotion, and suddenly Catelyn remembers that he is only fourteen. She wants to go to him, but Bran is still holding her hand and she can't move.

Ned looked at his grieving family in concern, and paused his reading to clear his throat. "If anyone needs it, there's no shame in asking for a break," he suggested calmly. "If you wish, we can stop here and continue reading this in the morning."

The Starks sent each other uncertain looks, trying to come up with a decision. Bran, still wrapped in his mother's arms, was the one who broke the silence. "No," he said, his voice trembling, seeming impossibly small, "I want to finish this chapter at least. I need to know what happens."

Eddard Stark sent his son a small, proud smile. "If that is what you wish," he agreed, and went back to the book.

Catelyn held Bran tighter as she prepared for her husband to start reading again.

Outside, a wolf begins to howl and Catelyn trembles for a second.

Robb says that it is Bran's wolf and he opens the window, letting air into the stuffy room and making the howling grow louder. It sounds cold and lonely, full of despair.

Catelyn protests this, because Bran needs to stay warm. Robb answers that Bran needs to hear them sing.

That made Bran smile softly. He loved his wolf so much. As Ned continued reading about how Shaggydog and Grey Wind joined the howling as well, all Stark siblings started to smile a little, sitting up taller in their seats, seeming to draw strength from those words.

Catelyn is shaking. It is the grief, the cold, the howling of the direwolves night after night, on and on it goes, never changing, and her boy lies there broken, the gentlest of her children, Bran who loved to climb and laugh, and she will never hear him laugh again. Sobbing, Catelyn pulls her hand free and covers her ears against those howls. Makes them stop, she screams at Robb. She can't stand it, make them stop, make them stop, make them stop!

Catelyn didn't even notice how much she was shaking until Sansa, sitting next to her, squeezed her hand. She gave her oldest daughter a tiny smile of gratitude in return. How strange, she thought, to be the one being comforted by her children. She could still remember a time not long ago when it had been the other way around.

She doesn't notice falling to the floor, and Robb is there, holding her in strong arms. He gently tells her not to be afraid, and that the wolves would never hurt him. Robb helps Catelyn to the bed in the corner of the room, and tells Catelyn to get some sleep.

Robb was looking at his mother, who was surrounded on both sides by Bran and Sansa, with wide eyes during this entire paragraph. He had never seen her act the way this book was describing. Grief-stricken, panicking, struggling to breathe. How could he help her? What had happened to Robb in those few months to make him so grown up, so competent and calm?

Robb turned his head to meet Jon's eyes, who was just as stricken by this chapter as everyone else.

They shared a helpless look and turned back to the chapter, trying to focus on Father's steady voice.

Catelyn weeps, saying that she can't sleep, what if he dies while she's asleep, what if he dies…

The wolves are still howling, and Catelyn screams at Robb to close the window!

Robb goes over to the window, but pauses as he suddenly hears all the dogs barking. He is confused, saying that they've never done that before, when his breath catches in his throat, and he whispers "Fire," his face pale.

The family shared a panicked look at this turn of events.

"What is happening?" Arya asked with wide eyes. Everyone ignored her question, too shocked to respond. Ned immediately kept reading to figure out what was going on. How could this situation get any worse, after all?

Catelyn's first thought is of Bran, and she urgently asks Robb to help her move him, but Robb doesn't hear her. He says that the library tower is on fire.

Catelyn sighs with relief. Bran is safe. Thank the gods, she whispers, and Robb looks at her as though she is mad, and tells her to stay there as he runs out of the room to get help from the guards. Catelyn can hear panicked shouting from outside, as people are running away. She realises belatedly that the howling has stopped.

Ned's voice faltered and stopped as his eyes fell on the next paragraph. A frown appeared on his face, but before he could speak, he was beseeched by his family to continue reading immediately.

"My apologies," he muttered softly, clearing his throat before going back to the book.

Catelyn says another prayer of thanks, and closes the window. When she turns around, the man is in the room with her.

It felt like the entire room gasped in shock and fear. Everyone sat up higher in their seat, not taking their eyes off the book, desperate for an explanation.

He mutters slowly that she wasn't supposed to be here – no one was supposed to be here.

Arya frowned, eyes wide. "What is he planning?" she whispered. No one heard apart from Jon, who could only offer her a confused, nervous shrug in return.

The man is small, gaunt and dirty, and Catelyn doesn't recognise him. There is a dagger in his hand. Catelyn looks at the knife, and then at Bran, and whispers no.

Catelyn began shaking her head in denial. This could not be happening. She held her son tighter and kept her eyes glued to the book in her husband's hands.

It's a mercy, the man replies. He's dead already.

No, Catelyn repeats several times, louder now. He can't. She tries to scream for help, but the man is immediately by her side, one hand over her mouth, the other holding the dagger to her throat.

Catelyn felt frozen in place. She wanted to block her husband's voice out, did not want to hear this, but she could not move from her seat.

Robb wanted leap to his feet in anger. How dare that man lay a hand on his mother?

Jon put a hand on his brother's shoulder in an attempt to calm him down. "It hasn't happened yet, Robb," Jon said softly. "And we're going to change this. We will change this. It won't ever happen."

Robb was still breathing heavily, but sat back in his chair. His father kept reading steadily, forcing his tone to stay calm.

His stench is overwhelming.

She reaches up and grabs the blade with both hands, pulling it away from her throat.

Sansa shut her eyes tightly, praying for this cursed chapter to be over at last. She did not like this. Unwanted pictures of this scene kept entering her head as her imagination ran wild. Grabbing a sharpened blade with her bare hands… Sansa could barely suppress a shudder.

He curses into her ear. Her fingers are slippery with blood, but she does not let go of the dagger. He covers her mouth even tighter, and she can't breathe. Catelyn twists her head and bites down on his hand with all her strength. The man grunts in pain and lets go. She breathes in deeply and screams, and he grabs her hair, pulling her down, and then he is standing over her, shaking.

He is still holding the dagger. You weren't supposed to be here, he repeats stupidly.

Catelyn sees a shape enter through the open door. There is a low rumble, and the man turns around just as the wolf starts to leap.

The family let out a faint sigh of relief. Their mother would be alright in this future. Even Bran, who had been burying his head in Catelyn's chest for the past few minutes in an attempt to block all of this out, began to smile shakily.

The wolf has him under the jaw, and the man's shriek lasts less than a second.

Bran flinched as his father read that sentence.

His blood is warm as it sprays across her.

Catelyn shuddered at that mental image, but was unimaginably grateful for the wolves' existence in that moment. She was still shaken by what she had heard, however. The thought that all of this would happen in two months' time was unthinkable.

The wolf is looking at her. She realises it is Bran's wolf – of course it is.

Arya and Bran shared a shaky smile. Bran really wanted to run down to kitchens and hug his wolf, but he stayed put for now, since his father was still finishing the chapter.

Robb was just grinning, giddy with relief that the worst of this book was over. Slowly, everyone in the room started smiling.

The wolf pads closer, sniffing her and licking her to clean her of the blood, and then it turns and lies down on the bed beside Bran. Catelyn starts laughing hysterically.

That is how Robb, Maester Luwin and Ser Rodrik find her, as they come bursting into the room, followed by half the guards.

Ned sent his wife a worried look, checking how she was handling all of this. She sent him a small, reassuring smile in return. Now that all of the horror of this chapter was over, she was still in shock, of course, but mostly she was concerned with her son's welfare and discovering the identity of the man who would attack her in this future.

"Continue reading, my love," she told Ned softly. She needed to know more about this.

Once her laughter has died, she is wrapped in blankets and brought up to the keep, to her chambers. Old Nan helps her into a hot bath.

Maester Luwin comes later to dress her wounds. The cuts in her fingers are very deep, and her scalp hurts from when the man had torn out some hair, and Maester Luwin gives her milk of the poppy to help her sleep.

She wakes up again four days later.

"Four days?" Sansa breathed, sending her mother a concerned glance. She must have been very ill indeed to have slept for four days straight.

It all feels like a terrible nightmare, everything after Bran's fall, but the pain in her hands reminds her that it was real. She feels weak, but strangely as though a great weight has been lifted off her.

She tells the servants to bring her bread and honey, and to tell Maester Luwin to change her bandages. The servants obey, looking surprised.

Catelyn remembers how she had been, and feels ashamed.

Catelyn felt similarly, listening to this now. It frightened her a little to think that she was capable of completely falling apart like this, to the point of neglecting her children. If something like the horror she had heard in these books were to happen now, Catelyn silently vowed never to let it come to this. She would do her utmost to stay strong and hold her family together.

She has let her children, her husband and her house down, and decides that it won't happen again. She will show the northerners how strong a Tully can be.

Ned chuckled softly as he read this, feeling proud of his wife for pushing through this. She was incredibly strong, and he had no doubt in her ability to take charge and do what was necessary to protect Winterfell and their family.

Robb arrives, followed by Theon Greyjoy, Rodrik Cassel, and Hallis Mollen, who, Robb explains quickly, is the new captain of the guard.

Ned nodded in approval. Hallis Mollen was a good man, and well-suited for the job. Robb had clearly made some good decisions while in charge of Winterfell.

Catelyn asks them immediately who the man was, but apparently no one in Winterfell knows his name. With all these strangers from the king's party filling up Winterfell as of late, he could have been anyone.

Greyjoy says that the man had been hiding in the stables, and Robb adds that they've found the place where he had been sleeping – there was a bag with ninety silver stags buried beneath the straw.

"Ninety silver stags?" Robb asked, staring at his father in disbelief. "Who would pay that much to…?" he couldn't finish the sentence.

Ned could only shake his head in response. "We will find out more if we continue reading for now," he said, turning back to the book. He would stay silent on his own thoughts and theories for now.

Catelyn bitterly says that it's good to know her son's life was not sold cheaply.

Hallis Mollen is confused, and asks whether she is sure that they were out to kill her boy? Greyjoy adds that that is madness, but Catelyn is certain, and repeats that he came for Bran.

He kept muttering that she wasn't supposed to be there, Catelyn explains. He must have set the library on fire thinking she would rush to put it out – the plan would have worked if she hadn't been half mad with grief.

Robb asks her why anyone would want to kill Bran? He's only a little boy, helpless, sleeping…

Catelyn gives her son a challenging look, and tells him that he must think these things through if he is going to rule the north one day. He should answer his own question: Why would anyone want to kill a sleeping child?

The family looked at each other, the same thought running through everyone's minds. "The Lannisters," Arya whispered.

"After what Bran saw in the tower – of course they would have a second plan," Jon said very softly.

Before Robb can answer, the servants return with a plate of bread, honey, butter, blackberry jam, bacon, cheese, a soft-boiled egg, cheese, and mint tea. There is much more than she had asked for, and looking at all the food, Catelyn finds that she has no appetite.

Maester Luwin enters the room just after the servants, and Catelyn immediately asks him how her son is. He lowers his eyes and answers that Bran's condition is unchanged.

That is exactly the answer Catelyn has expected. Her hands are throbbing in pain.

Sansa sent her mother a worried look. She knew that none of this had actually happened, of course she did, but either way she did not like reading about her mother in pain. She wondered vaguely how long it would take for a wound as serious as this to completely heal. Would it even be possible? Or would her mother always have scars in this future?

She sends the servants away, and asks Robb if he has an answer yet.

Robb says that someone is afraid Bran might wake up. Afraid of what he might do or say or know.

Robb's mother smiled at him as she heard that, and his father nodded in approval. Robb felt a strange rush of pride at his future answer, even though he had not actually done anything in real life to deserve his parents' approval.

Catelyn is proud of him, and tells him that the answer was very good.

She turns to the new captain of the guard, and tells him that they must keep Bran safe. When he asks her for instructions, she replies that her son is the current master of Winterfell. Robb stands a little taller, and says that one man should always be in the sickroom, another outside the door, and two at the bottom of the stairs. Robb adds that his wolf should stay in Bran's room as well, and Catelyn agrees.

Once Hallis Mollen has left the room, Ser Rodrik asks her if she had been able to notice the dagger the killer used?

"Why is the dagger important?" Arya asked with a frown, struggling to wrap her head around everything that had happened in such quick succession.

"It's possible that a coat of arms or some symbol has been engraved on the hilt," Jon explained softly. "There could even be initials or a name on it."

Arya smiled at her brother and nodded in understanding.

With a dry smile, Catelyn replies that due to the circumstances, she had not been able to examine it closely, but she can vouch for its edge.

Ned suppressed a snort of amusement as he read that. Honestly, even lying in bed, wounded, only days after an armed man had broken into her son's room, Catelyn never lost her sharp tongue and wit. He shook his head in admiration and continued reading.

Why does he ask?

The knife was still in the villain's grasp, he explains. The blade is Valyrian steel, the hilt dragonbone. It is much too fine for someone like him, which means that it must have been given to him.

Ned nodded thoughtfully. He had expected something like this. It seemed the Lannisters had not spared any expense in carrying out their plan.

Catelyn nods thoughtfully and asks Robb to close the door. She tells them all that to swear that not one word of what she is about to say will leave this room. If even parts of her suspicions are true, Ned and the girls have ridden into deadly danger, and one word in the wrong ears could mean their lives.

Theon Greyjoy says that Lord Eddard is like a second father to him, and swears never to tells a soul of what he is about to hear.

Robb smiled fondly, knowing this to be true. He couldn't help but wish for his best friend to be reading this book with them, even though he knew and understood why it had to be restricted to family.

Ser Rodrik, Maester Luwin and Robb also give her their word.

Catelyn tells the that her sister Lysa believes that the Lannisters murdered her husband, the Hand of the King. Catelyn remembers that Jaime Lannister did not join the hunt on the day that Bran fell, but remained here in the castle.

The room is deathly quiet at her words.

Catelyn says that she does not think that Bran fell from that tower. She thinks he was thrown.

The family listened intently as Catelyn in the book laid out her theory. Catelyn's face was carefully blank. It was still too strange to hear herself think out loud like this.

It was truly impressive, Robb thought, knowing everything they have learnt by reading this book, how accurate his mother's thoughts were.

Ser Rodrik says that this is a monstrous suggestion – even the Kingslayer would not murder an innocent child.

Theon Greyjoy disagrees with that assessment of Jaime, and Catelyn reminds Ser Rodrik that there is no end to Lannister pride or ambition. Maester Luwin is thoughtful, saying the boy was always surefooted in the past.

Bran had barely spoken during this chapter, still too shocked to take everything in, but was still listening intently, even though all this was impossibly difficult for him.

When he heard that, though, Bran smiled softly. He liked Maester Luwin.

Robb's face is dark with anger as he draws his sword, saying that if this is true, Robb will kill him himself!

Ned's eyes were stern in disapproval at these actions. Still, he elected not to speak, seeing what Ser Rodrik would say in the next paragraph. Not to mention how unfair it would be to reprimand Robb for something he had not even done yet. Taking a steady breath, Ned kept reading, silently relieved at how close this chapter was to finishing.

Ser Rodrik immediately reprimands Robb. He should put that sword away – the Lannisters are a hundred leagues from here, and Robb should never draw his sword unless he means to use it.

Embarrassed, Robb sheathes his sword, suddenly childlike again. Catelyn says to Ser Rodrik that she sees her soon is wearing steel now, and he replies that he thought it was time.

Catelyn agrees – it is past time, she says. Winterfell may have need of all its swords soon, and they should not be made of wood. Theon Greyjoy tells her solemnly that if it comes to that, his house owes hers a great debt.

Maester Luwin reminds them that all they have is conjecture. They need proof, if they are to accuse the queen's beloved brother. She will not take this lightly.

Ser Rodrik says that the dagger is proof, and Catelyn realises that there is only one place to find the truth. Someone must go to King's Landing.

Catelyn was frowning. She had feared that it would come to this. Knowing the small amount of information her future self had to go on, she even supported the decision and understood why it had been made. Still, against all hope, Catelyn prayed that she would not need to leave Winterfell. Perhaps there was some other way, some other option that her future self hadn't considered?

Catelyn did not think it a wise idea to leave her three sons alone in Winterfell, especially sine only days had passed since the murder attempt.

Robb immediately offers to go himself, but Catelyn tells him determinedly that his place is here. There must always be a Stark in Winterfell.

Ned nodded grimly in approval. He was glad his wife truly understood this simple fact of life. After fifteen years in the north, she had truly become a northerner, he couldn't help thinking.

She looks at Ser Rodrik, Maester Luwin and young Greyjoy, and doesn't know who to send. Then she realises. She struggles to push back the blankets with her heavily bandaged fingers, and climbs out of bed, saying that she'll go herself. Maester Luwin warns her that the Lannisters would greet her with suspicion, and Robb is confused, asking about Bran. Does she mean to leave him?

Catelyn lays a hand on his arm, and says that she has done everything she can for Bran, and that as Robb reminded her himself, she has other children to think of now.

Theon remarks that she'll need a large escort and Robb offers to send a squad of guardsmen with her, but she refuses. She would rather not have the Lannisters know she is coming. She consents to have Ser Rodrik travel with her, but she will not take the kingsroad. They will ride to White Harbour, and take a ship from there. With luck, they shall arrive in King's Landing well before Ned and the Lannisters arrive.

And then, she thinks, they shall see what they shall see.

"This is the end of the chapter. A lot happened in this one," Ned said, closing the book. "How are you all getting on?"

"I think we need a break," Catelyn remarked, looking at her children. They were all clearly emotionally exhausted after this chapter, not that she was any better.

Bran nodded gratefully at that suggestion.

Arya guiltily suppressed a yawn.

"Perhaps we can meet again in the morning?" Robb suggested. "That way we will all have time to eat and sleep and think about everything we have learnt today."

Everyone nodded, happy with that idea. After a few moments of numbly sitting, glancing at one another, the Starks began to get up one by one, in search of food and rest.