CHAPTER WARNINGS! THIS CHAPTER IS REALLY DARK AND FROM ROOSE BOLTONS PERSPECTIVE I TRIED NOT TO GO INTO TO MUCH DETAIL BUT YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.
Chapter 19: Sharp
I was sure Brandon's wife would be a meek woman. After all she was a widow twice over and her side lost the war. Yet here we were a little more than a year into her marriage and she has adapted that Stark arrogant pride. She is a foreign woman but acts as though her opinion is as important of that of a man's. Brandon indorses this sort of behavior in people, just another reason the north is better off without him. There has not been such a chance to unseat house stark in 100 generations. Brandon dead, Ned being dealt with. House stark left to a boy and a babe easy to be controlled.
No one deserved it more than Brandon the smuggest Stark to ever live. He thought himself so mighty to boss me around in the mountains till his head was smashed in, he never saw it coming for all his pride. He would never have thought anyone would dare kill him especially not his own bannermen. He spoke of her before she died. She might have the same end.
One day I am in the solar getting work done and she just walks in without invitation I would never allow my wife to do that unpunished.
"Dowager lady Stark, what can I do for you?" I asked patiently as I was able.
"Why has Ned not arrived yet." The princess asked. She wore a black dress and kept a thick fur cloak around her like a Shaw she even pulled it close keeping it firmly to her.
"You do not understand the north or its weather, I am sure he is delayed." I told her hopefully he was now permanently delayed like Brandon.
"I can look out a window the weather has been fair all week." She bites back. She thinks herself so clever, she would not when the game is done and she gets what is coming to her.
"You do not understand the North or its vastness." I told her with an annoyed sigh to tell her to leave she did not.
"How did my husband die." She asked looking into my eyes her eyes were red with sorrow she had no idea how sorry she would be, poor dead Brandon was the least of her troubles. "You never said." She adds pushing her hair forward.
He would be arriving soon with a bashed head the lie was an easy one for me to come up with. "He fell off his horse." I say with no hesitation.
"He fell off his horse." She repeats she shows no tears or sadness though she wept for him days on end.
"As I said." I tell her annoyed I had no idea I lost her in that moment, not yet anyways.
She leaves the room without any goodbyes she just walks out. I have the urge to follow her and bash in her head as well. I restrain myself as the Dornish woman is none negotiable to Benjen I can usually sway him for the foolish youth he is but if I start to hint at sending her away Benjen gets angry and pushes me away and it takes me all the more while to get his trust. Her punishment would come later, mayhaps I would see what so enthralled Brandon there in his own bed.
Elia questions me on everything after that and Catelyn whines about writing her father and her husband which I keep denying which makes her whine more, shes better looking but still I cannot stand it, they keep this up four weeks and then I no longer see Elia around the castle as though she vanishes.
In the meantime, I look for Brandon's whores but to no avail, I wonder if he was sleeping with the Catelyn Tully even though she married Ned, After all she was by far the fairest thing in Winterfell. And the Brandon Stark I knew could hardly keep it in his pants. He had to have whores and they would have his secrets he loved to hear himself talk enough that he would tell his whores everything. Yet as long as I look I find nothing, from what Barbery says he would not mind ridding off to them so that appears to be that.
Then to my great fortune I find three little maids with their laundry walking along the halls.
"Alys why do you and I have to tend to Lady Catelyn anyways, I miss lady Stark and sweet Rhaenys." The youngest pouts none of them spot me and I am glad for it.
"Because Gara, Myla said so!" This Alys seems to say she is far too thin just as the girl she is talking to has a crooked face.
"Myla said so!" the little one says with fake authority.
"And when did nan die and make Myla in charge!" The crooked faced girl huffs.
The others only giggle and I step out from my hiding place they are scared and bow. Good, I think.
"I have not seen lady Stark in a few days, where is she?" I ask.
The skinny girl and the crooked faced girl look at each other nervously.
"We have not been allowed in the lady's chambers past these weeks." The skinny girl admits.
I look at the little one. "You have seen her, though haven't you?" I ask she winces not a face for bluffing. She is the weak link.
"Brina is just a baby she does not-"The crooked face girl starts I silence her with my hand.
"You two go!" I tell them.
"But-"The skinny girl starts I slap her. She tumbles back holding her face.
"NOW!" I tell them and they hurry off I push the little one against the wall she is the most be coming servant girl mayhaps a little stark in her from another comely serving girl in her line.
I push her to the wall she starts squirming and crying and begging. "What is princess Elia hiding." I ask her she just cries and begs even after I hit her, I decide to give her a reason to beg I move her dress up. When I see lady Elia with Rodrick and some of the Cassel boys.
"Get away from Brina now!" She orders me as though she is still someone important.
"You heard her Bolton!" Rodrick spats.
I move back and the girl runs into Elia's arms.
"You should not be so friendly with the servants." I note.
"You should not be trying to rape little girls." She barks like she is still royalty.
"It happens!" I tell her with an easy shrug.
"Not in Winterfell, get out you are no longer welcome we will wait for Ned on our own!" She tells me.
"That is not your choice! Brandon asked me to protect his family when he died." I tell her watching the guards faces turn in shock. I take their shock and questions as an opportunity to leave and meet up with my own guards. My servants tell me in the coming hours the princess has rounded up her servant woman, the children and Catelyn and Berena ladies of standing to all stay in her chambers until I am propelled out of the castle.
I decided to pay her a visit with my men but there is Benjen Stark at her door with his own guard. "You leave in the morning Bolton, if I were not a gentleman like you I would make you ride in this storm, I never want to see you in Winterfell again or I will have you castrated like the monster you are!" He tells me.
"You believe some rumor a Dornish whore starts over your own banner hav-" I began to twist him but he won't have it.
"How dare you Elia is my sister by law, she is a stark and a princess and she is twice as clever as you so walk away before I take your tongue!" He says pointing that sword at me.
Turns out he was not enough boy, so like a man he would have to die.
The Starks greatest weakness would always be there mercy. Brandon gave me mercy when I told him I did not answer his call because my son was ill, and now Brandon was dead. Oh, I had no doubt even battered as he was Brandon would have beaten me in a fair fight so I made sure to ambush him. I ambushed his little brother and widow as well but instead of a rock to the back of the head I let them think us leaving and had the men kill their guards as they ate breakfast. I am told they ran that Benjen Killed the man trying to grab Elia and they ran. A harrowing tale of them running for their lives and freedoms.
A weak Dornish girl and the pup of Winterfell fled the hall, that he grab her hand and pull her forward. They barred themselves in the nursery once they arrived. With the Hornwood girl, Catelyn Stark, Robb Stark, Brandons bastard and the Dragon spawn already there. When my men finally broke the doors covered with furniture only Benjen and Elia remained in the room no time for their own escape. It took the men far too long to figure out that the kitchen staff bellow helped them tear up boards and gladly took the children, then the hornwood girl and Catelyn with no time for Elia to escape so she and Brandon just put the rug back over the loose floor boards. The servants were still hiding them somewhere I was having the grounds searched and the servants tortured I would find them. In the meantime I had Benjen and the Dornish woman brought to me. As I sat in Brandon's chair to their obvious rage.
"How dare you sit in his chair! He was twice the man you ever have been!" Benjen screams.
I can only smile.
"Be kind to me boy you live at my mercy!" I told him. "And I have never been very merciful."
This alarms the Dornish woman, but she tries hiding it crossing her arms. "You cannot kill him; he is Rickard Starks son the north will hang you by your toes.
"Not when I control lord Stark." I remind.
"Ned was never coming, was he?" She askes Benjen shouts and rages when he realizes it.
"Took you long enough, and they say you are so clever." I tell her.
"Then you still cannot kill Benjen or else Robb will be the lord of Winterfell, but you will lose moat Callign." She reminds.
"I bet it was hard to hide your condition, so you sent maids away keeping only those bullheaded enough to keep your secret or young and naïve enough to believe your lies. You protected all the woman and children, but an old woman thought she did not need your protection and stayed in her own rooms she had strong grandsons to protect her. They must have gotten their strength from her she did not talk until I began peeling the second boy." I tell her in horror.
"Where is Nan!" Benjen screams.
"Don't be rude Benjen did your dumb brother not teach you any manners, the princess is carry Brandons child, the next lord of Winterfell or with any luck a girl to marry Domeric or mayhaps I will take her myself." I say watching her horror her hand flies to her stomach. I go over to her Benjen leaps forward but the guards hold him back as he kicks and screams I rip her cloak away to see her pregnant form she was trying t hide I grab her wrist tight enough to bruise keeping her near. As I put my hand on her belly.
"How much longer?" I ask she turns her head away from me with a sullen look and pouting lips I apply extra pressure to her wrist, but she will not give me the satisfaction of a reaction she is forcing herself not to she turns away looking out to the window but never does she cry.
Instead I turn and kick the boy heard and nod the guards join in she screams his name and tries to get to him I grab her. Benjen is down on the ground in a bloody heap. Terror is in her eyes.
"How much longer I ask again."
"A little more then five months." She says and I nod I could stand her for five more months especially once she learned my rules.
"You will learn to do what I say when I say for Benjen's sake or I will peel off his skin. Little by little and when he runs out, Rhaenys and Aegon have more." I tell her.
"Do you understand?"
"Yes." She tells me I do not make her swear an oath Dornish never keep their word anyways. I consider showing her my authority those lips of hers were meant to suck cock, I would sit in her husbands chair while her loving little brother watched but she looked like she was about to faint as it was and I could not have this frail woman loose this child when I needed it.
"Take prin-take the Dornish woman to her rooms and lock her in them. She is to stay there until I call for her. Take the boy to a cell." I ordered to the guards sitting back down in the large chair.
"You have lost." I promise them as they are taken away.