AN: The next few chapters are all happening at the same time, but they are from each character's pov. Also, this chapter is fluffier than plot driven. I apologize for that, but I adore Leila and Tyrion and their adventures together haha.
Leila
The news of Brandon Stark's fall spread through Winterfell like wildfire. Lord and Lady Stark were messes. Leila hadn't seen the boy yet, but she heard that when they arrived on the scene, he was completely unconscious and unresponsive. After much work with the maesters, they finally got a pulse from him, but he never did open his eyes. Leila hadn't seen Robb since the fall. Though Brandon breathed, there was no sign of him waking up any time soon.
"Do you think he'll be alright?" Leila asked Tyrion as they walked together.
"No…but I think he'll open his eyes," Tyrion answered.
"What does that mean? Shouldn't we go and see if we can help?" She asked.
"You're too sweet, sister," Tyrion said. "I don't believe there's anything we can do except offer our condolences to the mother." He snickered. "Are you really related to Cersei, Jaime, and I? You're too soft to bear the name Lannister."
"I am not too soft, brother," she snapped at him. "I am a Lannister of Casterly Rock."
They continued walking, and Leila said in a voice barely above a whisper: "What do you know about Lydia Stark?"
"Not much. I just know she doesn't seem to care much for Lannisters, not that I blame her. I don't care much for us either." When he saw the hurt expression in her eyes, he added: "Except for you, of course, dearest sister."
"But she doesn't even know us," Leila complained. "Ever since we've arrived here, she's hated us. You shouldn't judge someone before you know them."
"I agree," Tyrion said. "Have you ever stopped to think that maybe the reason she didn't like you had to do with the fact that you may be marrying her elder brother?"
"What?" Leila gasped, annoyed. "Is this what this is all about? How immature! She's like a child!"
"Is she? It's not like our family has the greatest reputation," said Tyrion.
"Reputation? Father has told me all about our family's great name. We have probably the greatest reputation in the entire realm," she said.
"Ah…Father told you that."
"Of course. Father doesn't lie."
Tyrion only smirked at her and said nothing else, but his smirk bothered Leila. She knew he didn't always see eye to eye with their father, but she never really understood why. She loved Father and she loved Tyrion. Why couldn't they get along?
"Well, suppose you're right about this…problem with Lydia," she began. "I need to find a way to make peace with her. She's to be my sister one day after all. If I'm to live in the North as Robb's wife, I'll have to get on her good side."
"So what do you have in mind?" Tyrion asked.
"I don't know," she admitted miserably. "Me just breathing seems to annoy her. What would you do?"
"Buy her something," Tyrion suggested. "We have the gold to get whatever we want. Anyone can be bought. How do you think House Lannister has so many allies?"
"But I don't know anything about her! How can I buy something for her if I don't even know her?" Leila asked exasperated. "What would you get for her, Tyrion? What do you think she'd like? What would you buy someone who was completely stiff and irritable and mean for no reason?"
As they walked, they got funny looks from the people. First they'd look at Leila (the men would smile at her) and then they'd see Tyrion and snicker. Leila tried to act like she didn't notice, but it did pain her deep down.
"I don't know if I can help you with this…" Tyrion answered.
"If you were irritable and grouchy and mean for no reason, what would make you feel better?" She pressed.
"A whore," he said without giving much thought.
"A whore. Like a whore whore? Do those make people feel better?"
"Leila, please, you can't seriously be thinking about getting a whore for Lydia Stark."
"But they have man whores as well as women. Maybe that is what she needs. Maybe it could ease some tension between us. You're always happier after lying with a prostitute after all."
Tyrion sucked in some air and then let a great breath out.
"Leila, sweet sister, you've lived at the Rock your entire life. Do you even know what a prostitute does?" He asked her.
"Yes, of course I do. I'm not a baby, Tyrion," she said. "I know they get paid to pleasure people. Father says they do inappropriate things in there, but it can't be that bad, can it? You're always happier after you leave a brothel."
"That I am," Tyrion agreed. "Why don't we…look first. We'll do some, shall we say, shopping this afternoon to find the perfect gift for the Stark girl."
She smiled at him. "Thanks, Tyrion. You're a life saver. I knew I could trust you."
She kissed him on the cheek and ran off.
Leila was at a loss for what to do. She almost wished her uncle Kevan was around so that he could keep her busy with his endless questions. Robb was busy with his brother, and she hadn't seen Miriam the whole day. Come to think of it, she wasn't even sure why Miriam was in Winterfell in the first place. She had said something about seeing Theon, and Leila could only assume that meant Theon Greyjoy, the Starks' ward.
She spent the afternoon doing nothing, and she hated it. Jaime and Cersei had business to attend to. She hardly knew anyone in Winterfell, and she found herself annoyed each time she passed by a group of young men who followed her with their eyes. She was a Lannister, not some kind of parade for them ogle. She clenched her fists and tried coming up with anything to do while she waited for Tyrion.
At long last, there was a knock at the door and Leila ran to answer it. When she saw her older brother, she attempted to pick him up like a child but found she couldn't. Tyrion certainly wasn't light, even if he was small.
"Leila, I thought you already learned you can't pick me up," Tyrion growled. "And it's a good thing, too! You're my younger sister! Younger sisters don't pick up their older brothers!"
"Sorry," she said impatiently. She wiped her hands nervously on her skirt. "I've just been so bored without you! I thought we could hurry up and get the gift for Lydia, and she can have some company for tonight!"
"Leila, dearest, are you sure?" Tyrion asked slowly.
"Yes! I'm sure," she said. She grabbed his hand. "Let's go. You know where all the brothels are."
Perhaps finding a whore wasn't the best idea, but Leila secretly wanted to spend time with Tyrion. It had been so long since she'd seen her family, and she was determined to take advantage of the time with them. Especially since they would return to King's Landing and she'd remain in Winterfell. Not to mention Tyrion's life was so foreign to her…she wanted to learn more about him. How bad could a brothel be anyways?
Tyrion led Leila through the streets of Winterfell and down to some back alleys. At first it frightened her, but she refused to say a word. She had the utmost confidence in Tyrion, however.
"I'm not usually in the part with…men," Tyrion confessed.
"We'll learn together then," Leila said, not very confident. "Is it in this door?" They had reached a large establishment.
"Yes, I believe so. This door over here is where the women are," Tyrion said. "Oh gods…what am I doing?"
"Come on," Leila said snappishly. "We're doing it for Lydia."
"And since when did I care what became of the Stark girl?" Tyrion muttered darkly.
Leila gasped the door handle and pushed on it. When the door opened, a bell rang overhead. Leila got her first look inside a brothel.
"Oh gods, Tyrion," she said, freezing.
The place was one her father would never allow her to enter. There weren't many women there, but there were men. They were engaging in odd behaviors that Leila had never seen before in her life. It was like one was the man while the other tried to be the woman…
"The men's section is a lot smaller than the women's," Tyrion said. "Male whores don't sell as well as female prostitutes, I guess."
"They're all sword eaters," Leila muttered. She felt her cheeks turn red at the activity.
"Not necessarily," Tyrion said. "They do what the client wants for gold."
A few men who weren't busy with clients sauntered over to them. Leila automatically took a step back. There were just two of them, and both wore very little clothing, just a thin sheet that hung from their hip bones. Both were well proportioned.
"Welcome," a dark haired one said and took Leila by the hand and kissed it.
"Um…hello," Leila said, unsure of herself completely. What am I doing? I'm a Lannister of Casterly Rock damn it!
"She's not interested," Tyrion said loudly.
The prostitute took a step back.
"And are you? We don't normally serve…well…" he trailed off.
Leila saw Tyrion flush angrily. Maybe going to the brothel wasn't the best idea.
"We're here for someone," Leila said quickly, getting ahold of herself. "We wanted to pay upfront for one of you to pay a visit to a friend."
The other male whores paused and looked over. Leila tried to appear braver than she felt.
"We'll have to be paid first," the one whore said to them, smirking. "'Tis a shame a pretty thing like you isn't looking for a good time. I wouldn't even charge ya…"
"Trust me, if you knew who she was, you wouldn't be so inclined to bed her," Tyrion said.
"Hey!" Leila snapped.
"She can make her own choices, dwarf," the man snarled. "Now who is it we're supposed to visit? He coming here for the night?"
"Uh…no," Leila said. "At least I don't think so. And it's not a he. It's a she."
"Even better," the man said. "I don't fancy much boys, but if they pay well…"
"We need you to visit Lydia Stark," Leila said quickly.
When she said that, for some reason she couldn't identify, all the men in the brothel who weren't engaged with a client covered their mouths and burst into laughter. Leila opened her mouth and tried to say something, but they kept laughing, and she was cut off. It was annoying for her. She was used to people listening to her, to getting her way.
"We're going to pay you!" Leila cried angrily. "Three times the gold you normally make! You just have to go and pay her a visit and relieve some of the stress in her life!"
Talk of gold calmed them a bit, and Leila smirked. Tyrion taught her that anyone could be bought, and he was right.
"Why would you two have so much gold?" The whore asked suspiciously. "You steal it from some lord?"
For some reason, that really offended Leila.
"It's because we're –" Leila began, but Tyrion stepped in.
"It's our business why we have gold. Now, do you wish to help us or not? We know of another brothel that may be more accepting of our payment than yours," he said.
Leila stared. Why wasn't Tyrion telling them they were Lannisters? They'd respect them more if they knew.
The whore who seemed to have named himself leader lifted his lip but stared down at Tyrion. "We'll take your gold. I'll go see the lady, but pay me first."
"As was the deal," Tyrion said and reached into his pocket, producing a bag of gold. "Be wise with it. I trust you know where the lady's room is."
"Of course I do," the whore said as Tyrion handed him the money.
"Come, Leila, we're done here," Tyrion said and took her by the hand. Then the two marched out of the brothel, though Leila could hear the whores snickering and frowned. Once they were outside, Tyrion groaned. "The women are much kinder. How any man could lust for another man is beyond me…not that I judge them. I have some odd tastes myself honestly."
"I don't think I want to go into another brothel again," Leila sighed. "Why were they so rude?"
"Because they wanted to bed you, and you refused them," Tyrion said, shrugging. "Best not to tell Father about this incident, though. He wouldn't be happy if the little lioness of Casterly Rock was visiting whore houses. He'd probably blame me."
She grinned at Tyrion a smile that looked exactly like their mother's. "I won't say a word. It'll be our little secret." She held out her littlest finger.
Tyrion took the tiny finger in his own little finger and gave it a firm shake.
"Now we just have to wait and see if Lydia Stark enjoys the gift," he said.
Night hadn't fallen, so Leila couldn't be sure how Lydia's gift went, but she hoped all was well. If she could gain Lydia's friendship, then she could gain more trust with the Starks. The little Stark boy had been in bed for two days, and the rest of the family wasn't really seen. They were all caring for him.
Being without Robb was starting to eat at Leila. She didn't know his feelings for her, but she was determined to find them out. Perhaps she could find him watching over his brother. That's where all the Starks had been, going in and out.
Leila made sure her hair looked appropriate and that her lip paint hadn't smeared. Then, with a high head, she walked toward the part of the castle where Brandon Stark would be resting. No guards stood in her way, and she thought that was a little odd. She recalled a time back at the Rock when she had been climbing in a small tree and fell out of it. It was probably the only unlady like thing she had ever done in her entire life. Her father had found her, carried her back into the keep and stayed by as the nurses brought her back to health. Though her father was there, and no one could ever kill her father, he insisted on having protection at the door. Her accident was tiny in comparison to the Stark boy's. Why didn't the Starks put guards in front?
Leila entered without any problems and climbed the steps. When she got to the door, she knocked, but no one answered. She tried again, but once again, nothing sounded. She bit her lip and checked to see if the door was unlocked. When she found it was, she very carefully opened it.
The scene that met her was a large bed covered in wolf furs and a Brandon Stark looking like he was just sleeping. Had he gotten better?
"Sorry," Leila automatically said.
She froze though when she saw sitting in a rocking chair Lady Catelyn Stark. The Stark Matriarch didn't budge. Well this is uncomfortable, she thought to herself. She tiptoed over to Lady Stark who hadn't seemed to notice her yet. When she was right next to her she saw that she was also sleeping.
Lady Stark may have been middle aged, but Leila could still see that she was beautiful. Having six children hadn't ruined her figure, and her long auburn hair was falling from its knot. If Leila's and Robb's children were to take after his mother…they'd have very beautiful children indeed. Though beautiful, Catelyn also looked exhausted. Leila figured she hadn't left her son's bedside since the fall.
Thinking that maybe it would be better to return at a different time, Leila put one foot forward, but an inclination stopped her. She looked at Lady Stark once again and saw that the Matriarch was holding in her hands a book. The way she held it still kept the page she was on. Leila carefully removed it from her hands and scanned the pages.
Then, not quite knowing why, she began to read aloud at the boy's bedside.
"Though no one trusted the giants, Bran the Builder wasn't like others. He was aware that those in the far North could help protect them from the ice men…" Leila read. She paused, and though Brandon didn't stir, she went on.
The tale she read seemed to be a more romanticized version of the history of Bran the Builder, probably Brandon Stark's namesake. It was certainly interesting to read, but she kept looking over at the boy. He kept on sleeping and when she finished the chapter, she walked over to him and ran her fingers in his hair. Still, neither he nor his mother woke.
"All will be well," Leila said. "You're strong. You're a lord of Winterfell, a Stark."
"What are you doing here?"
Leila jumped and pulled her hand away from the boy. There, standing in the doorway, was none other than Robb.
"Oh, gods! Robb…I'm sorry," she said quickly. She found herself slightly tongue tied, and it bothered her immensely. "I came to see how your brother was doing, but when I arrived your mother was sleeping. I finished the chapter in the book for him. I don't know if he can hear me, but I thought it might give him pleasant dreams –"
"How did you get in here?" he asked, striding over.
"The door was open," she said. "I can go now, though. I wasn't…I wasn't thinking…"
Robb looked down at his brother.
"We're lucky he's not dead. I had a dream that he didn't make it. I woke up in a cold sweat, colder than any winter we've seen," he said. "Family's important, isn't it? My brothers and sisters mean a lot to me."
"I can only imagine," Leila said. "I'm the youngest in my family, but my sister and brothers have always taken care of me." She glanced over at the sleeping Catelyn. "And your mother cares a lot too. I never knew my mother, so I'm jealous. I have a very loving father, but I would give anything for a mother too."
"She's been in here since the fall and she barely eats," Robb said. "I'm glad she finally got some rest."
"Me too," Leila agreed. "She's a strong woman. I like to believe my mother was like her."
Robb actually smiled, and Leila's breath caught. Was that the first time he smiled in front of her before?
"Mother and Father still haven't said anything about the wedding between us," Robb said casually. "I'm not actually supposed to know, but I overheard them talking."
"Oh!" Leila gasped.
"I'm not sure if I could ever live up being married to a lady of Casterly Rock, but I can see you do care for those around you," he went on.
"Robb…I want you to be happy…" she trailed off, feeling stupid.
"Thank you," he said and approached her.
Her heart stopped for a moment. Was he going to kiss her? She'd only kissed a page when she was very young. Robb really was very handsome. She closed her eyes, not knowing what to do or even what he expected.
He kissed her on the cheek.
"Robb…" she said, puzzled.
"We'll wait 'til my mother awakes. For now, we will take care of Bran together," he said.
They sat down on the bed's side and no more words were spoken between the two, but the entire time Leila could feel her heart hammering.
