BOOK TWO: ESSOS

Robb is holding an audience with several bannermen regarding the incoming winter when the letter arrives. Catelyn reads it first alone in her chambers.

King Robert Baratheon is dead, it says. Poisoned by his Hand, Eddard Stark, with his daughter Sansa's aid. Lord Stark, already held prisoner in his chambers, was transferred to the black cells, while Sansa was sent to the Silent Sisters in Duskendale.

Arwyn Baratheon, first of her name, is the realm's new Queen. She is to rule with her mother and her regent, Lord Renly Baratheon, while his brother Stannis holds the stormlands. A new Hand is to be pointed soon, to replace our late king's traitorous former friend.

It is believed the Starks killed Robert due to his continuing quest on eliminating the Targaryens from the world, a quest begun in the rebellion that took the mad House off the Iron Throne. His daughter will continue on this quest, as this assassination proves its importance. A hundred golden dragons will be given to whoever brings the Avatar, Jon 'Frost' Fyre, to court, dead or alive.

Attached to the letter, which seems to be the standard one sent to the whole realm, there is one written for House Stark. Robb Stark must come to King's Landing at once to pledge himself to the new Queen, it says. If he does so, his House won't suffer the stain made by his father and sister. Failure to answer will lead to loss of titles and equal charges on treason.

She lets a few tears fall, but refrains herself from sobbing. Robb's words came true; this won't be answered with knee bending, but with a war declaration.

After recomposing herself, she stands up and goes to the audience room. Having so many bannermen in Winterfell is surely going to work in their favor; nobody will agree with Ned's and Sansa's punishments. We will have to be honest about Jon, she realizes as she makes her way to the room. Hopefully they'll understand why we did it. In any case, I could use Lysa's betrayal as an example of why we kept our mouths shut.

She storms inside, uncaring if she's interrupting Robb or some other lord. "Robb," she calls with a firm voice—her firstborn doesn't like it when she is soft with him in public, and she must respect it now that he is acting Lord of Winterfell. "You must read these two letters now."

He wordlessly grabs the two rolls from her hands and reads them. She watches the room as he does, noticing who is present: Greatjon Umber (the only noble house aware of the wildlings' village in the Gift), Roose Bolton, Rickard Karstark, Maege Mormont, Ser Rodrik Cassel, Galbart Glover, Ondrew Locke, Helman Tallhart, Wyman Manderly, Halys Hornwood and others she can't name as easily. No crannogmen are there, nor is anyone from Skagos—not that she expected either faction to be there, as they usually govern themselves without much aid from Winterfell. Theon is also present, standing in the corner, watching everything with careful eyes.

She knows Robb finished reading when he sighs and calls for her to look at him. With time, she and her son learned to communicate with their faces; right now, Robb's asks her whether he should disclose the truth about Jon or not. She nods, and he stands from his seat.

"My lords, Sers, my lady," he begins, "I'm afraid the subject of this meeting must change to a more urgent matter. We have some truths to disclose, truths we unfortunately had to keep hidden for years."

"Is this about the rumours about the Avatar?" Tallhart asks.

Robb sighs and nods somberly. "Some of them are true," he proclaims. "The ones that claim Jon Frost is him." Whispers begin to be heard, but Robb shushes them. "Almost sixteen years ago, my father brought a baby home, telling my mother he was a bastard. In his first three years of life, he seemed to be a non bender. Then, out of the blue, he began to firebend." He raises his arm. "I still carry the scar of when he sneezed on my arm, accidentally burning it."

More noise erupts, and this time Robb has to speak louder to get their attention back. "It was when Father told Mother the truth: Jon is his nephew. Lyanna Stark's son with Rhaegar Targaryen. Most of you remember Robert's Rebellion a lot better than I do, so I assume I don't have to explain why Father chose to lie."

"King Robert would have killed him," Manderly guesses, "as he's been trying to do with Aerys' surviving children."

"Precisely," Robb agrees. "Jon went to the Wall to learn firebending from Maester Aemon Targaryen, whose existence was happily ignored by the king all these years. And yet, when he was eight, Jon icebent while playing with my sister Sansa."

Gasps are heard, but the men otherwise remain silent, looking eager to hear more. "He began his training in all waterbending forms and, when the Lannister twins were charged for treason in this very castle, my father swayed the king to spare them and send Jaime Lannister to the Wall, so Jon could have a metalbending teacher. However, shortly after Ser Jaime said his vows, he and Jon fought a man who was reported as dead days prior. A wight, as you must already know, since the Night's Watch has requested aid for that very reason."

Most of them nod. "I assume Jon has left the Wall then," Glover says, "since we did not hear rumours about the Avatar's return until these pleas for aid."

"Yes," Robb agrees. "Jon left the Wall with Ser Jaime to learn to master the other elements. However, his trust was betrayed in the Eyrie. My aunt Lysa, alongside Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin, found out about Jon's parentage and told King Robert another Targaryen was loose in Westeros. As some of you might already know, there is a price on my cousin's head, for no other reason than his father's name."

"Is the king mad?", Lady Mormont asks. "Who in their right mind would kill the Avatar?"

"King Robert's hatred for House Targaryen ran past the point of sense," Catelyn replies. "My husband told me that part of his rage at finding out his former wife's affair was due to the fact that she supposedly fancied herself a Targaryen by having sex with her twin brother."

"Ran?" Roose Bolton asks, frowning.

"Yes, past tense. King Robert is dead, and my husband—your liege lord—stand accused of murdering him with Sansa's help."

Noise erupts again, but this time Robb lets them talk and whisper and shout. Their collective indignation is exactly what they want. Eventually, her son clears his throat, drawing everyone's attention back to him. "Sansa is in Duskendale, forced to join the Silent Sisters, while my father rots in the black cells. Robert's daughter sits on the Iron Throne—or rather on her mother's lap—while Renly Baratheon rules as her regent. They continue on the late king's quest and offer a large sum for whoever brings Jon to court, dead or alive." He leaves his seat and circles around the table. "My lords, Sers and my ladies," he looks up to her, "do you believe that my father would poison his own best friend?"

Loud cries of 'No!' are heard, and Robb grins. "Do you believe the Avatar should be killed when the Others are at our door?"

Similar cries erupt, but Greatjon stands and silences them all with his own speech. "Centuries ago, House Stark bent the knee to the Targaryens. We married the dragons so they would not set us ablaze like they did to many southerners, and for this whole they respected our wolves. But now, stags and flowers think themselves superior and want to destroy our pack! I say they do not deserve the North! I say we name Ned Stark our King in the North and march to his rescue!"

The other men stand as well, and swords are drawn. "THE KING IN THE NORTH! THE KING IN THE NORTH!"

Robb smiles widely. It is not what either of them expected, but it works just the same; they intended to go to war, after all. "Then gather your men," he announces. "We will march to King's Landing and rescue our king!"

More cries are heard, and it takes a while until they calm down enough to begin strategizing. Robb is soon referred to as 'Prince Robb' and 'Your Highness', while she is called 'Your Grace', 'my queen', 'Queen Catelyn'. She takes a deep breath. This is more than we bargained for, but if it's what will keep Ned and Sansa alive, I'll take it. She prays for Jon's, Arya's and Bran's safety as well, and for this war to end as quickly as it just began.