Hi everyone,
Back with another chapter, where Catelyn Stark appears in a place where she never went, neither in the show or in the books.
CATELYN XII
In her childhood and youth, before she was married to Ned, before she and Robb moved to Winterfell at the end of Robert's Rebellion, Catelyn had travelled extensively with her lord father, Lord Hoster Tully. The Lord of Riverrun had been an active lord, visiting his domains and vassals on a regular basis, spending almost as much time on the roads than in his own castle. His daughter often accompanied him, especially after her mother's death, when he told her that from now on, she would be the Lady of Riverrun. As a result, Catelyn visited almost every town, every castle, and many hamlets in the Riverlands. She also visited some places in both the Westerlands, the Vale and the Crownlands on the borders of her father's lands. The Golden Tooth was amongst the most impressive she ever set eyes upon when she was only ten. She got to visit the North as Lady of Winterfell after her wedding with Ned, and she also went to King's Landing a few times. However, nothing could prepare her for Casterly Rock.
Catelyn felt as if the Lannisters cast a long shadow over the whole world, and the fortress from which it emanated literally cast a very long shadow. A long time ago, Arya had gone into a passion for Aegon the Conqueror's first wife, Visenya. For weeks, she could only talk about the Targaryen queen and once mentioned that the woman was relieved that Loren the Last met Aegon in the field, for even dragonflame would not have daunted Casterly Rock. Catelyn now understood what the first Targaryen queen had meant, just as they followed the path leading to the Lion's Mouth and the peak of the castle didn't look any closer.
Once the main gates were crossed, Catelyn found herself in a courtyard probably twice as large as any other she had ever been in. The small escort of a dozen men who accompanied her were dwarfed by the battalion of soldiers who occupied the court, along with all the nobles waiting for them. But none of the guards, none of the noble men and women, not even the young boy with a crown who Catelyn recognized as Tommen Baratheon from his short time at Winterfell, not even Lady Lannister who Catelyn had come to know very well, none of them mattered as soon as her eyes found her.
There she was. Older, taller, her little had grown. A lady at three, Catelyn could see even from afar that her daughter had become a woman. Catelyn hadn't dared to imagine how she would reunite with her eldest daughter, but seeing her face right now, her eyes so full of joy, she couldn't have hoped for better.
Catelyn had to refrain herself from running into the arms of her daughter and to hold her against her breast in fear she would lose her again. She unhorsed, and with all the dignity and calm she could muster, she walked towards the king and knelt.
"Your Grace."
"Lady Stark. I'm glad to see you again. It's been a long time."
Catelyn barely waited for his command to stand up. She voiced a few other courtesies before heading towards the mistress of the place. Always sweet and gentle as usual, Lady Lannister welcomed her.
"The hospitality of Casterly Rock is yours, Lady Stark."
Sansa stood right behind the Lady of the Westerlands. Margaery stepped aside, removing the only obstacle between Catelyn and her daughter. Not an instant had gone that they were in each other's arms.
Catelyn had wanted to hug her dear Sansa against her shoulder, but it was almost impossible. Her little daughter had grown so much that she was almost taller than her mother.
"I missed you so much," Sansa whispered.
"I was so afraid to never see you again. Let me look at you." She took a close look at her daughter's face. "By the Seven, you've grown so beautiful."
Sansa chuckled. Catelyn saw tears in her daughter's eyes. She must have had some as well, for her vision had become blurred.
"I'll lead you inside. I'm sure your reunion will be better in a more intimate place," a foreign voice said from outside their realm. For now, there was only Catelyn and Sansa, mother and daughter, finally together at last.
Still, they followed Lady Margaery, escorted by a large body of guards, inside the castle. Catelyn held her daughter's arm all the way long, afraid that if she let it go, she might lose her again. She didn't know for how long they walked. It seemed like an eternity for her. She just wanted to be with her daughter alone so she could finally spend the time she lost with her after all these years.
They entered a very large room, and despite Catelyn's attention being fully on Sansa, even she couldn't avoid the luxury and richness of the place they just walked in. Gold, silver and precious gemstones everywhere, along with the curtains and carpets made of the finest silks and furniture out of the finest woods. Stunned for a moment, Catelyn was awakened by the doors closing behind them.
She realized then that only she, Sansa and Margaery were in the room. The Lady of Casterly Rock, preciously courteous, now bore an icy expression, similar to the one she had when she discovered what had befallen the two Lannister boys in Riverrun.
"I'm sorry, Catelyn, but we have an important matter to discuss. This will probably sour your reunion with Sansa. I'll only ask the question once. Is there any plan right now to make Sansa escape Casterly Rock?"
Catelyn was stunned by the question, but most specifically by the accusing tone on which it was asked.
"Of course not. My son signed a treaty with you and the king. We know Sansa is to remain your ward for the next five years," she protested.
"Then why did a man who claimed to be working for you offered Sansa to get her out of the castle and back to her home?"
The accusation caught Catelyn by surprise. "I don't know what you're talking about."
Margaery Lannister of House Tyrell made a few steps in her direction. "Catelyn, listen to me very carefully because this is very serious. A man came to see Sansa while she was praying in the Stone Garden about three weeks ago. And then days ago, he came back to tell her everything was ready for her escape. Luckily for us, Sansa told us about this man."
Catelyn looked at her daughter. Sansa looked to the floor. "I'm sorry, mother."
"We have already arrested and questioned the man in question. He's been a servant at Casterly Rock for the past ten years. According to him, he was approached by a woman in Lannisport. The woman wore a heavy cloak and they met during the night, so he couldn't see her face, but she gave him thirty golden dragons to bring Sansa out of the castle by the sewers. We found the coins hidden under his bed. So tell me, do you have anything to see with that plot?"
"Lady Margaery, please. I'm sure my lady mother has nothing to do with that," Sansa pleaded.
"I know, Sansa, but I want to hear it from her."
Catelyn didn't know what to think of everything that was just told her. "Lady Lannister, I swear, on my honor as a Tully, on my honor as a Stark, that I had nothing to do with this. I was coming to Casterly Rock to see Sansa, finally, after all this time I was separated from her. Why would I risk this by trying to smuggle her out of this castle?"
"It's true." Lady Margaery's tone, if not her facial expression, already turned softer. "I don't think you would endanger it, Catelyn. But I have advisors, people who help me and Tommen rule the Westerlands and the Seven Kingdoms, and they do not share my views. And although I think you're innocent, I cannot be sure that everyone else in your family is. Recent events proved that House Stark and House Tully don't have complete control over their men's doings."
It wasn't difficult for Catelyn to figure out what she was referencing to. "Margaery, I swear, what happened to Martyn and Willem Lannister…"
The Lady of Casterly Rock raised a hand to stop her. "We're not talking about this right now. I don't hold you or Sansa personally responsible for what happened at Riverrun, no more than I consider myself accountable for your husband's death in King's Landing." This was a jab to her heart for Catelyn, but Margaery Lannister didn't seem to care. "The problem we have right now is that a man tried to smuggle your daughter out of this castle, only a few days before your arrival. He had everything. Two accomplices were to help him. We have detained them as well. And by all accounts, a woman gave these men gold, telling them she would bring Sansa Stark back to her family. So if you have any idea who might be behind all of this, I suggest that you tell me right away."
Catelyn was silent for a moment. "I don't know. But I can swear to you that this doesn't come from my son, or from my brother, nor anyone in my family. We would never put in danger a peace treaty with your houses."
"This man…" Sansa started, "he told me he was going to bring me back home. I told him Winterfell was destroyed, but he told me he would get me out of the castle and back to my family. I assumed he was talking about Riverrun."
"I swear, Margaery, my family had nothing to do with that," Catelyn repeated.
"Then is there anyone else who could have organized this? A vassal of your brother or your son? A member of their households? A friend? Or could this even be your sister Lysa Arryn?"
"No. Lysa made it clear that she didn't…"
Thinking of Lysa brought her memories of the things someone told her a long time ago. Something he offered. And she had accepted. Do what you can. Save my daughter. That was the answer she gave to the offer.
"No. That's impossible. Why would he do that?"
"Who would do what?" Margaery asked. Catelyn hadn't realized she was thinking aloud.
"Petyr. Littlefinger. When he came to Riverrun and made an alliance with us, he told me he had people in the Westerlands who could get Sansa out. I told him to do what he could. That was before the war between our families was over. We thought we could trust Lysa back then."
"And you didn't think it would be useful to tell us about that?"
"Petyr had betrayed us. He had us believe the Knights of the Vale would help us against Stannis. Instead they fought with him. Why would he try to free Sansa? He has no reason to help us after that."
"My mother is right," Sansa added. "Back in King's Landing, Littlefinger was there when my father got arrested and executed. He did nothing to help him. Why would he try to help me?"
"Littlefinger never does anything that wouldn't benefit him," Margaery stated. "I don't know him personally, but from the little I saw of him, that was very clear. If he was to help Sansa, it would only be to further his own interests. I doubt he had any plan to bring you back to your family, Sansa. If he wanted to get you out of here, it was surely so he could use you for his personal gains."
"But what would he get from me?"
Catelyn knew exactly what Petyr Baelish could get from Sansa. He was seeking the same thing than the Lannisters when they stipulated Sansa would remain a guest for the king and wouldn't be allowed to marry without his consent. And the Lady of Casterly Rock summarized it to Sansa.
"Right now, since your brothers Brandon and Rickon are dead, and if Robb was to die as well, you would become the Lady of Winterfell. Whoever has you Sansa, in those circumstances, would hold the key to the North. Littlefinger just married your aunt Lysa, and seeing how ambitious he is, I doubt he would content himself being consort for the Lady of the Vale."
Dawn crept alongside Sansa's traits.
"I'll double the guard around you, Sansa," Margaery resumed. "It's a necessary precaution. I'll also provide guards for you, Catelyn, just in case," she added for Sansa's mother.
"I understand," Catelyn said, while her mind was in turmoil.
"Now, Catelyn, if you have any knowledge of any friend, ally, spy or connection that Littlefinger had in Casterly Rock, in the Westerlands or anywhere else in the Seven Kingdoms, it is time to tell me."
"I don't know. He just told me he had people in the Westerlands who could help me, who could get Sansa out of there. We were at war, back then. I was only trying to protect my daughter. I was trying to save Sansa."
"To save her from who? From me?" Lady Lannister loudly asked, accusingly.
"No. But you must understand…"
"What I understand, Lady Stark, is that ever since this war started, I did everything I could to help you, and in return, you just kept betraying me at every turn."
"Excuse me?" Catelyn asked, stunned.
"Ever since this war started, we've tried everything to end the hostilities between our families. One of my handmaidens risked her own life to bring you back your youngest daughter, we offered you peace with very generous terms not only once but twice, and you refused both times, we ensured the safety of Sansa from the moment we arrived in King's Landing, even from the threats of our own family, and in exchange, all you did was to keep fighting, to turn us away like we were the Stranger himself."
"You murdered my husband, the father of my children!" Catelyn pointed out in a cutting tone.
"And have any of your actions brought him back? All you've accomplished so far with your decisions was to let the North be plundered, Winterfell be burned to the ground, and your two sons Bran and Rickon getting killed by your own ward." Catelyn wanted to retort, but the Lady of Casterly Rock was faster. "And in the meantime, my brother was killed, and you made an alliance with a brothelkeeper and a king who burns people alive. So, I am done, Lady Stark. My husband is at war, I have a baby coming, and I must advise a king who's not ready to rule yet. I have better things to do than to be kind with you and your family. Now, please, leave me."
Margaery Lannister was out of breath once she was done, and she walked away, leaving Catelyn, who would have a lot of things to tell her, behind with her daughter. It was Sansa who tugged her dress and indicated it was better to leave.
Catelyn almost expected the guards to seize them and bring them to cells when they walked out of Margaery's private rooms, but as she told them, they just had a lot of guards following them.
"I never saw Margaery like that before," Sansa said after a moment.
"We are in her home. She had the decency to speak this way in private, at least."
Catelyn didn't want to tell more. She preferred not to say something she might regret, but she wasn't about to forget or forgive this outburst who was unfair to the widow of both Eddard Stark and two young sons, in presence of her daughter and made by a woman whose family committed more than its share of crimes.
"This way, Mother," Sansa told her in a low tone. "They gave you a room next to mine."
Catelyn followed her daughter in the dark corridors of Casterly Rock, which Sansa seemed to know very well. Catelyn thought that her daughter had lived there way too much time, and dreaded the years to come as she would be forced to stay there as well. Sansa turned several times, not hesitating a moment. She knew the place very well. They finally arrived before a wooden door not very different from the others. However, this was no simple wooden door. The carvings and traces of melted gold marked even the doors of the castle as richly ornamented and a work of artists. How could these people live in such luxury?
Sansa opened the door. At least, the inside seemed common, though Catelyn noticed all the same the room was larger than the usual ones in Winterfell or Riverrun. A featherbed, a table to write with ink, paper and candles ready, a chamber pot, another table with a few chairs for guests and a window made it what seemed like a good place to live.
"My room is just next to yours," Sansa repeated.
Catelyn turned to her daughter. She hugged her once more. "I'm just glad to have you with me again. Winterfell wasn't the same without you." Winterfell wasn't the same without all of them. Catelyn made her daughter sit by her side. "So, tell me everything. Do they treat you well."
"Yes, or course, Mother. They've been very kind. Joffrey… He had his kingsguards beating and slapping me back in King's Landing. Lord Tyrion and Lady Margaery protected me the best they could back then. And… I'm fine here. I even made a few friends. Some of Margaery's cousins and handmaidens are very kind. Even some of the men. There are a few who had good memories of Jon's time here. But I was confined in my rooms for some time after the Lannisters were killed. They only allowed me to go out after the battle at Riverrun."
"It wasn't too difficult?"
"No. In comparison to my time in King's Landing, it was good. Lord Tyrion told me it was for my own safety. He was afraid some people at Casterly Rock might try to hurt me." That was quite possible, though Catelyn was sure this wasn't the only reason why they locked her daughter. "And I kept receiving some visits. Tommen, and Ser Barristan Selmy, for example."
"Your father always had a good opinion of him."
"Yes. He's always been very kind with me. And then…" Sansa hesitated to say something. "I usually go to the sept to pray at this time of day. Do you want to come with me?"
"Of course."
It had been a very long time since Catelyn prayed with one of her children. Sansa led the way again, keeping talking to her. Catelyn started telling her a few things about her brother and sister after she asked. She even gave Sansa some news about Jon Snow when she asked about him. Catelyn was surprised since Sansa seldom spoke to him before.
Like most of the rooms and places in this castle, the sept was carved in the stone, but light came in from the ceiling. Both Sansa and Catelyn shut up as they entered the holy place. There was another woman in the room, praying before the altar of the Mother. Sansa told her mother with a gesture of her hand to remain where she stood and walked quietly to the woman, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Lady Dorna."
The woman straightened up her head and looked at her. "Oh, Sansa. I must have drifted. I didn't realize this was the time when you came."
"There's someone I would like you to meet." The woman stood up and followed Sansa until she stood before Catelyn. "Lady Dorna, this is my mother, Lady Catelyn Stark. Mother, this is Lady Dorna Lannister."
The woman fixed Catelyn with a blank face, which Catelyn wasn't surprised. She herself did her best to remain polite, without doing more. Then the face of Dorna Lannister got softer, but it also took a softer tone.
"Lady Stark, this is a pleasure to meet you."
"The pleasure is mine, Lady Lannister."
"Please, just call me Dorna. I'm not a Lannister by birth. My husband is."
"If you wish so, Lady Dorna."
"Thank you." She sighed. Catelyn realized at this moment how fragile looked this woman who had to be around the same age as she was. "I was very sorry for what happened to your husband and your sons. I prayed for them when I heard."
"I appreciate the thought."
"Your daughter is a very kind and sweet girl. Soon to become a woman. You can be proud of her."
Sansa smiled and Catelyn noticed her cheeks took a rosy tone. "Yes, I am proud of her." Now her daughter looked away from both women. Catelyn couldn't help but share an accomplice smile with this woman when she offered her one. "I hope I didn't disturb your prayers."
"Not at all. I welcome some distractions from time to time. My friends say I'm spending too much time in this sept."
"Here the gods can hear us," Catelyn pointed out.
"Yes, they can," the woman replied, a longing in her voice. "I pray for my children. And for my husband. He's off there, to war. I pray that he may come back to me alive. We marry men who end up going to war, and we are left behind, unable to do anything but to pray for their safe return. And then we give them sons, and we do the same once they go to battle as well."
"Yes, I know what this is. Would it bother you if I made a prayer for the Mother?"
"Of course not. The gods are here for us all."
Catelyn and Sansa followed the woman to the altar in question and all knelt. They probably remained there for the next hour. Then they left the sept, Lady Dorna going her own way, Catelyn and Sansa going another.
"A very kind woman," Catelyn commented.
"She is the wife of Ser Kevan Lannister."
Catelyn thought her daughter just punched her in the stomach. She stopped abruptly. "What?!"
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, Mother. I wasn't sure she would be in the sept, and when we entered…"
"Sansa! Her children died. They were killed by Lord Karstark. How…"
Catelyn was at a loss of words. Her daughter should have told her who this woman was. It was in Catelyn's home that her two young boys had been savagely murdered. What could this woman think of her? Catelyn thought herself stupid not to have known that Dorna Lannister was the wife of Ser Kevan.
"Mother, I'm sorry. But she's very kind. She was very sweet with me after I was allowed to leave my rooms again. She does not judge us. She's just sad because she lost her three sons since the war started."
That, Catelyn understood only too well. She had lost so much to this war as well. Sansa continued to apologize and to explain to her the situation as they walked to Catelyn's apartment, where they took a small lunch.
Catelyn spent the rest of the day with her daughter, who had her visit some of the most beautiful and important places in Casterly Rock. Catelyn was also shown what must be the strangest place of the castle when Sansa led her to the Stone Garden, the godswood of the castle, a dark cave with a huge twisted weirwood tree whose roots and branches went in and out of the stones. They didn't stay long. Despite this and the cold welcome she got from the Lady of Casterly Rock earlier in the day, Catelyn spent very good moments with the daughter she had not seen for an eternity. It turned to be one of the best days she had in a very long time. She had lost so many people she loved, but the ones who were still alive, she could feel it, were safe. Arya was at Riverrun, and Robb, despite being still at the head of an army, was now engaged in a war where he had the upper hand and a very likely chance to come back from. And Sansa… Her Sansa was alive and well, and right next to her, walking back to their rooms as night fell upon them. It was at this moment that a young woman walked to them. She wore garments from the Reach. Catelyn had noticed several of these people, men and women, wandering around the castle alongside people who clothed more in the fashion of the Westerlands. This one, brown of hair, was probably one of Margaery Lannister's handmaidens if her demeanor didn't lie.
"Excuse me, lady Stark," she said towards Catelyn. "Lady Margaery Lannister of House Tyrell asks for your presence. She wishes to speak with you alone. She's waiting for you in her chambers."
Catelyn wondered why the Lady of Casterly Rock wanted to see her again, and so late. At their meeting this morning, she didn't display any willingness to speake or see Catelyn again today.
"Of course. If the Lady of Casterly Rock wishes to speak with me, I'm available. Could you lead me to her?"
"Yes, Lady Stark." Catelyn couldn't help but feel an edge in the young girl's voice when she replied.
"Sera," Sansa started, "do you happen to know where I could find Mira? I haven't seen her today."
"Mira didn't work today. She wasn't feeling well. She's probably in her room. You know where it is." Again, the same edge was directed this time towards Sansa.
"Yes, thank you. Have a good night, Mother. I'll probably be sleeping when you come back."
"Of course. Take care of yourself, my girl."
Catelyn let Sansa go and followed the handmaiden whose name was Sera. Catelyn wasn't sure, but she thought she might have seen her at Winterfell a long time ago, when the Lannisters paid them an early visit before the king's arrival. But of course, the only handmaiden of Lady Lannister Catelyn truly remembered was Mira Forrester, the northern servant who brought Arya back to them and who was close at the same time to Margaery Lannister, Jon Snow and now Sansa. Her daughter had told her what the Forrester girl had done for her before and after they arrived at Casterly Rock. And again, Catelyn couldn't help but have a bad feeling whenever that girl came on the table. Perhaps it was the fact that, despite helping them on several occasions, this girl seemed to be working for all sides at the same time, serving a Lannister lady while helping the Tullys and the Starks, then revealing the tragedy at Riverrun. Or perhaps it was only since the girl spoke to her in that inn a long time ago.
When they arrived at Lady Margaery's apartments, the handmaiden first went inside. Catelyn heard the girl announcing her presence. When she came back from the other side of the doors, she told Catelyn that Lady Margaery Lannister of House Tyrell was ready to receive her.
When Catelyn walked into the living room, Margaery was sitting, turning her back to her, a glass full of a yellow liquid in her hand. She brought it to her lips, then placed it back on the nearby table.
"We need to talk, Catelyn. Please sit."
Catelyn did as she was asked to. The moment she looked at Lady Margaery caused a shock to her. When she had welcomed Catelyn earlier this day, she was wearing a heavy gown. This evening, dressed lighter, the swelling in her belly was very plain on sight. The position she had taken gave the impression she was half-asleep and even her eyes looked half-closed. She didn't even look at Catelyn, and she took her time to finally bring her eyes upon her.
"I wanted to apologize, Catelyn."
The surprise Catelyn felt was caused as much by the words and by the weak voice in which they were pronounced.
"For the words I had for you earlier," the Lady of Casterly Rock continued. "I understand the reasons behind everything you've done. I may not be a mother yet…" She caressed her belly while saying this. "… but I've seen what my parents and my grandparents were ready to do for me, so I can imagine. You deserved better than what I told you this morning."
Catelyn remained silent for a moment. "Thank you. I appreciate this."
"I just… I have a baby coming, and my husband is far away, gone for the war. Tyrion is the most brilliant man I ever met, but he's not made for battle. I'm afraid everyday he will not come back."
Catelyn could understand that feeling. She watched Ned leaving for war many times, unsure as to whether he would come back. The first time, she barely knew him, but he had left her with a child in her belly. As years had gone by, it had become difficult to watch him go, as the number of children who could lose their father grew and as Catelyn fell in love with him.
"My son is off at war as well. And so are my brother, and my uncle," Catelyn offered. "I'm worried for them as well. But we have to stay strong. I pray for them, and I'm telling myself that they were well trained…"
"I have no doubt about that," Margaery cut. "But unlike your son Robb or your brother Edmure, Tyrion wasn't trained for war."
No, indeed. Catelyn had to acknowledge she didn't choose the right words to comfort the woman in front of her.
"I'm sorry, Lady Margaery. The truth is… even though I know they were prepared, I'm not less worried for it. In the end, we can only pray, and accept whatever fate gives us."
"I didn't accept it when Loras died, Catelyn. And I don't think you accepted it for Ned or Bran or Rickon either.". There was no harm intended in the voice of Margaery. "By the Seven, what does accepting fate even means?"
Catelyn had no answer to that. Well, she had, but the answer was not satisfying. A wife and a mother had to resign herself to the fact that, sooner or later, her children would go away, that her husband and her sons would go to war, one day or another. She had to watch them leave, knowing they might never come back, and there was nothing she could do or say to avoid it. In the meantime, she was to wait, and there was nothing she could change about that either.
But there was one thing a woman could do to forget about her loved ones who were gone : take care of her children.
"Whenever Ned left, there was one thing that kept me going no matter what happened and no matter what I felt. Even when he joined Robert Baratheon the day after our wedding, I had children to take care of." Catelyn laid her eyes for an instant on the growing belly of Lady Margaery, then looked back straight in her eyes. "You must think about your child. He is what's more important for you right now."
Margaery Lannister didn't reply immediately. She passed a hand over her belly. "He? How can we be sure this will be a boy."
They had no way of knowing that. People usually said he for they wished that it would be a boy, in order to settle the succession. Catelyn knew that in Dorne, men and women had the same rights over succession, but it was still better to have a strong son. Women were not meant to lead their houses, at least not without a man at their side. The other way, they would be struck down by other men. Such was the world.
"Your baby is the only thing that matter," Catelyn added.
Margaery sighed. "If only that was the case. Normally, Tyrion and I rule the Westerlands together. It is already an exhausting work to rule one kingdom in times of peace, and now not only must we rule the Westerlands in times of war, but we also must rule all the Seven Kingdoms while a part of them and the capital still escape our control. Tommen is well intentioned, a kind boy, but he's not ready to rule. And with Tyrion away, it falls on my shoulders to advise my nephew. I almost rule in his stead. How can a child be the only thing to matter for me right now?"
Catelyn now realized the full extent of Lady Margaery's exhaustion. This woman was not performing the tasks and duties usually performed by a lord's wife. Somehow, Catelyn was already aware of the larger role Margaery Lannister was playing in the politics of the Seven Kingdoms, but right now, she thought she understood better at what point this woman was not like the others. Not only was she organizing feasts, managing a household and standing next to her husband, she actually participated to the taking of decisions for all the Seven Kingdoms. Sansa told her she even was part of the small council back when they were in King's Landing. In his absence, Tyrion Lannister had placed all the burdens of a lord on the shoulders of his wife. Catelyn found it unacceptable to place such burdens on his pregnant wife, but it explained how Margaery Lannister was behaving since she arrived. She just had too much to deal with.
"Have you ever dreamed to become queen, Catelyn?"
The question surprised her again. "When I was a little girl, yes, I did, like every other young girl. But my union with Brandon Stark was arranged very early. I never thought that as a possibility." Because Catelyn knew she would never be queen. What was the point of dreaming of something that would never happen? Sansa had dreamed of it, but she actually had a chance to become queen, to the opposite of her mother.
"I thought of it my entire life. As far as I can remember, I always wanted it. When my family arranged my marriage with Tyrion, I was disappointed. But today, I wonder… Is it worth it to be queen? Why become queen when you lose the people you love, when those who are the most dear to your heart die all around you? When you worry every hour, every minute what might happen to those you love and who still have the chance to be alive?"
Catelyn didn't know what to answer. The Lady of Casterly Rock may not even be looking for an answer from her part. Margaery was looking away again, and she seemed as if she was talking to herself.
"My grandmother used to tell me that not all queens wear crowns. What would you do with a crown, Catelyn?"
Catelyn wasn't sure. "Probably the same I am doing right now. I would do anything to protect my family."
"Family. Duty. Honor. Your words are true for everyone. Who would place something before his family? Who could?"
Indeed, Catelyn agreed on that. "This is what matters the most."
Margaery nodded. She stood up, very quietly. She seemed to struggle to get on her feet. She turned her back to Catelyn, holding the arm of her chair, and began to turn back towards her guest, behind the chair she previously sat in. Then she fell.
A loud thump followed by a groan were all the sounds it made. In an instant, Catelyn was calling the guards and rushing to the side of the lady, her heart beating very quickly.
"Lady Margaery? Are you alright?"
The Lady of Casterly Rock, laying on the side, raised her head a little, her eyes closed. "Yes."
In the meantime, the doors had opened to the volley and about four men rushed inside. Seeing Catelyn over Margaery on the floor, one of them grabbed her by the arm, taking her away.
"My lady, are you fine?" another one asked her. "Did she hurt you?"
That seemed to wake her up. Margaery Lannister stood up very quickly. "No. Stop this. Release her. I just fell, that's all."
She sent an inquiring look at the soldier who was now holding Catelyn by the two arms. He let her go, though Catelyn thought he did so reluctantly.
"Leave us," Margaery shouted, and the men left the room on the spot. "I'm sorry. Some people here will need as much time to trust the Starks as people in your family will need to trust us," she added with a normal voice to Catelyn.
"We should call the maester so that he may examine you."
"No, that's useless. I'm just exhausted."
"Then you should delegate some of your tasks to other people, take time to rest."
"No, I can't. I have to perform them myself."
"You are pregnant." Without this intent, Catelyn had said it with a certain hedge in her voice, as when she scolded one of her children. Margaery might have been young enough to be her daughter, but she wasn't, and the way she spoke to Catelyn showed it very clearly.
"I know. And I'm sorry for having bothered you tonight. You may leave."
This was without appeal. Catelyn left the rooms and returned to her own. Sansa was already in bed, so Catelyn went to hers.
The next morning, Catelyn and Sansa were breaking their fast together. She told her daughter about her discussion with Lady Lannister and how she just fell on the floor in the middle of their conversation. Sansa was worried by the news.
"Maybe I should pay her a visit," she told her mother.
"I'm not sure. Lady Margaery seems to be very busy. I think it would be best if we left her alone. She needs time for herself."
"I don't think so. We can still visit her briefly. She will not mind."
Catelyn wasn't eager to cross the path of Margaery again, but she couldn't prevent Sansa from going to see her, and it would be better if Catelyn was there. Once they were done with the first meal of the day, they opened the door of Sansa's room to leave, only to bump into the back of a guard who stood right before. Before they could say anything, he turned to them and spoke in an authoritative tone.
"My ladies, you must remain into your rooms."
Catelyn had left first. Sansa was still in the doorframe. She was the one to speak first, though.
"Good ser, we are going to see Lady Lannister."
"Your must remain in your chambers," the guard repeated.
"What does it mean?" Catelyn asked. "We were told we would be free of our movements."
Had Lady Margaery changed her mind through the night? Catelyn knew that a pregnant woman could have quite a temper. She had experienced it herself, especially while she was carrying Robb. There were times she never wanted to see Ned again, blaming him for abandoning her alone with a child, and a second later she would beg the Mother and the Warrior to bring him home safe. She even threw dishes and utensils to a servant on two occasions, something she would never have dared to do before. If she had the same powers Margaery currently had while she was bearing a child… Catelyn wondered what would have happened.
"Orders have changed, my lady. You are not to leave your rooms." Other guards had joined him in the meantime. "We must bring you back to your chambers now, Lady Stark. Do not resist."
Catelyn looked at Sansa, who just seemed as clueless as to what was going on. Her daughter looked to their guardians. "Can't my mother stay with me? There's more than enough space…"
"We have orders, my lady. Everyone must remain in their own rooms."
"Now, come with us," almost roared another guard as he grabbed Catelyn by the arm. She shook it violently.
"Do not dare to touch me!"
The man stepped back. One of his friend positioned himself between he and Catelyn. "I apologize, Lady Stark. But you must return to your own chamber. I'm asking you one last time. If you refuse, we'll have no choice but to drag you to it. Don't force us."
This man, probably the leader of the group, was glaring at her, his eyes unflinching, cold. Catelyn knew it was useless to resist. She looked back at her daughter, trying to show her all the love she had for her through one single gaze. In this very moment, she was afraid she might never see Sansa again.
Then she followed the guards who escorted her on the very short way to her personal room, the one just next to Sansa's.
"When could I get an interview with Lady Lannister?" she asked her captors.
They didn't provide an answer.
One of the guards roughly opened the door, and although he didn't push Catelyn inside, she felt thrown forward by the presence of the guards who formed a human shield between her and the entrance to her chamber. The door was slammed behind her.
Catelyn looked around. She was stuck between four walls, only a few feet away from her daughter, yet unable to reach her. She was a prisoner of the people who called themselves their allies. Right when she reunited with Sansa, she was taken away from her once more. And this time, Catelyn feared she would definitely never see her again.
Things may start to get ugly at Casterly Rock.
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Next chapter : Margaery