The castle of Winterfell had an air of sorrow about the place, quiet and somber.
Willam sat beside his siblings, father, and mother as Maester Luwin treated Bran.
It was a tragedy, two weeks ago he was with Swiftrunner running about the Godswood and heard the howling of one of the pups. His hands shook, thinking about seeing his little brother's limp and broken body lying at the feet of the tower he's climbed more times than he could count, his brother's wolf licking his cheek.
He thought Bran was dead but still ran for help and now, we wait for the boy's condition to worsen or improve.
Arya and Sansa cried, Robb showed mournful concern beside their father and little Rickon was held in Mother's arms who looked as distraught as any of them.
Uncle Benjen stood at the entrance of the door, sadness written on his face.
His Grace walked in moments later with the Queen and their own children, "How is the lad, Ned?" Willam watched his father get up and leave with the King.
"Lady Stark, I want to offer my sympathies," Joffrey said but he didn't seem sincere at all, Willam also noticed a redness on the Prince's cheeks like he had been smacked.
Mother was so concerned with Bran that she didn't care much how sincere the Prince was, "Thank you, my Prince." She wasn't even looking at Joffrey.
"I pray your son wakes soon, seeing the child like this reminds me of my own son before Joff was born... " The Queen then became quiet before turning to her children, "Come, let us leave them their kin."
Moments after the Queen and her children left did his father return, a grim look on his face but he and the others know why that is so.
Before the tragedy, his grace had concluded the trip and his father decided to accept the King's offer of Hand and marriage between Joffrey and Sansa. Bran was supposed to go with Father and their sisters till... Till...
Now that is irrevocably impossible, if Bran wakes then it will be a miracle but his brother would have lost the ability to walk or run or climb, he'd be a cripple for the remainder of his life.
The King waited half a fortnight but must be getting impatient, even now the party his grace arrived with has begun packing everyone and breaking camp for those that didn't stay in the castle.
"Boys, girls, give me and your mother the room?" Willam got up and left with his siblings, walking out of the chamber and heading down the steps.
Willam and Robb later found themselves in the training yard, Jon stood by Mikken's forge waiting on a blade to give to Arya.
Taking a deep breath and pulling back the bowstring, Willam shot an arrow into a straw dummy. "I can't believe Jon wants to go the Wall, it's foolish." He muttered as he pulled back another arrow and hit the dummy in the head.
Robb sighed, arms crossed and looking back at Jon, "It's what he wants to do, and Uncle Benjen did well so why can't Jon?" His brother asked him.
This time he missed and the arrow hit a barrel, "Because his place is here, not in some cold place like Castle Black."
"Have you tried convincing him?" Robb questioned sarcastically, "You know our brother is as stubborn as a bull, I would like more than anything for Jon to stay but I won't force him." Robb walked over and put a hand on his shoulder, "Don't blame yourself for what happened, Will."
A single tear fell from Willam's right eye, "It is my fault, Robb."
The King wanted to go on a great hunt on the day Bran fell, he wanted to go and Bran asked him to stay and play but he said no to him. "If I just stayed like Bran wanted, he wouldn't be in such a state, he'd be packing his things to go to King's Landing with Father and our sisters. He'd be a squire for some Knight or one of the Kingsguard if I just said yes!"
Throwing his bow down, Willam took a deep breath and Robb offered him a smile but he shook his and walked away.
Finding himself at the weirwood tree, he knelt to his knees and began to pray for forgiveness and for his little brother to wake soon and be well.
He felt terrible and looked for some absolution, perhaps later he might go to that small Sept that his father built for Mother when she first came to Winterfell but anytime he tried it felt off like he didn't belong there.
Deep in concentration, he didn't notice his father enter the Godswood and took a seat next to him, only then did he see him.
"Prayer is good for the soul, my boy."
A sigh escaped Willam's lips, "It's my fault Bran fell, Father." His sire gave him a confused look, "The day of the hunt, Bran wanted me to stay but I didn't, I wanted to go with you."
His father smiled, resting a hand on his shoulder. "No, nothing is your fault, nor is it Brans. Things happen, Willam, sometimes they are good and sometimes they are bad."
Changing the topic, Willam wiped his tears, "The King wants to leave today?"
"... Yes, duty awaits and Robert doesn't want to wait." Willam was angry, angry at the King who seemed to care little for his foster brother's tragedy, "Bran wished to come South with me, now he won't be able to. Will? You want to come?"
It had been a dream to see the great marvels of the South, from Harrenhal to the Red Keep but after everything that has happened? No, he wants to remain here at home until Bran wakes and Robb will need help too, what with Jon going to the Wall and Mother being in grief.
"No. I don't think so, maybe when Bran wakes but Robb needs us." His father didn't seem disappointed but relieved to hear him say this, patting him on the back and smiling happily. "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell, you said once. We won't fail you, Father."
"I know, son. I know."
Willam needed to at least give it one more shot at getting Jon to stay, so as his brother was getting his horse ready he approached as Jon embraced Robb, his elder brother offered him a pat on the shoulder and walked back to the keep.
"You sure you must leave?" He questioned and Jon scoffs in irritation, "You fantasize about life as Watcher but I don't think you realize how things are." Jon stopped him then with a stare.
"And what do you know? You've never been there either, and Uncle Benjen said it's a rewarding life." No, it isn't and Jon is throwing everything he has here away.
"Then answer me why so many deserters if it's such a 'rewarding' life, Jon? This is your home." He said matching his brother's frustration, "Is it my Mother? I know she hasn't shown much affection for you but that can change."
Jon finished tying his straps to his horse, not looking him in the eye for many seconds, "I need to be something more than just Lord Stark's Bastard Son... Come here," Jon embraced Willam and Willam fought back the emotions, "I love you, little brother, I'll write to you all and ask after Bran."
Sighing and seeing the futility in arguing further, "You have until you say the words, Jon, I pray to see you home soon." Turning from Jon he stormed off and paid no mind to look back.
He would climb the battlements and watch the caravan of Stark, Lannister, and Baratheon banners leave through the outer walls of Winterfell and stay until they receded down the Kingsroad, then sighed seeing Jon join Benjen and Lord Tyrion in going further North.
"Brother?" Hearing Rickon, Willam smiled and knelt to one knee, "I'm hungry... "
"Alright, little brother, let's go and find us some food. I hope the cooks made something good." He took Rickon's hand as descended from the battlements and made way for the kitchens, Shaggydog and Swiftrunner followed behind.
About a week would pass and the castle became peaceful and quiet once more, albeit with the exception of Bran's direwolf howling below his brothers' chambers during the late hours, mostly when the windows were closed.
His mother rarely left Brans' side, even when Luwin said that the danger had passed. Her hair was a mess, and shadows lie beneath her eyes from lack of sleep.
Robb and Luwin took up some of the duties, he helped where he could and kept watch over Rickon who would most days be by his side learning in the library or in the training yard where the six-year-old would smile a bit more.
At the moment, he was bringing his mother some porridge and bread, "Mother?" He called and saw her making another totem of the Seven, she made one for each of the gods and is currently doing one for the Crone. "Mother?" He called again, and Rickon ran off down the hall. "I brought you some food, you need to eat."
Some steps were heard and Robb stood in the front of the door, a look of concern on his elder brother's face. "Have you slept at all?"
"I need to be here for him." Their mother said, "He needs me." Bran does but so do her other children.
"Rickon needs you, and Willam cannot mother him forever- " Robb tried to say but Mother wasn't interested and out of frustration lashed out.
"Shut that window, I can't take it! Make it stop!" Willam set down Mother's food and walked over to the window.
A fire in the library caught his eyes and Willam gasped, "Robb, the library is on fire!" No, fearful of the books Willam ran out of the room and Robb sounded the alarm to the blaze that was roaring.
Rodrik and Beth, Hodor, and Mikken were all filling water buckets, other guards assisted in getting the fire put out. "Damn it!" He didn't leave a candle lit, did he? No, he was always careful.
The blaze took half of the library, books he had read and repaired for Luwin were destroyed so he was distraught. "It's alright, Willam, we'll have new ones brought up from Oldtown," Luwin said but it had little effect.
Something felt off, and Willam noticed that Bran's direwolf wasn't howling anymore so he started walking back to his brother and mother. "Wait up, Will!" Robb said aloud as the two of them went.
Both brothers were shocked to see the scene before them, a man dead on the floor like his throat had been chewed to pieces, Bran's wolf sat beside its master on the bed and their Mother leaned against a chair with hands cut from a blade.
Not waiting, he ripped some cloth from one of Brans' shirts and wrapped his mother's hand, "What happened?" Robb asked as he checked on Bran.
"A man, he tried killing your brother." An assassin? Who would want a comatose boy killed? Nothing is making sense.
Sitting there, holding his mother's hands which were shaking alongside his own. "Mother, you need rest, please get some rest... " He begged softly and his mother nodded and kissed him on the cheek, Robb helped her up and he took over leading her out of the room.
Robb had Rodrik and Theon take the body out, and Beth, Ser Rodrik's daughter helped clean the blood off the floor.
It was a few days later at about noon when Mother called him, Robb, Luwin, Theon, and Rodrik to the Godswood.
"What is said here must remain between us," She said quietly before continuing, "I don't believe Bran fell from that tower. I believe he was thrown." It was a shock but considering the attack last night, there had to be something else going on.
Luwin hummed in agreement, "The boy was always sure-footed before the incident."
His mother nodded, "Whoever it is tried to kill my son twice. Why? Why murder an innocent child? Unless he saw something he wasn't meant to see." Theon wondered what that may be, "I don't know, but I would stake my life the Lannisters are involved. We already have reason to suspect their loyalty to the Crown."
"Did you see the dagger the killer used, too fine a blade for a catspaw." Rodrik pointed out.
Willam pulled out the dagger and unsheathed it, "Too fine a blade indeed, actual Valyrian steel, just like Ice." He said, sliding the dagger back into the scabbard. "Gold inlaid on a dragon bone handle, someone wanted their weapon to land the blow."
Only Lannisters could afford such a prize, but enough to lose it? Willam scratched his cheek in confusion.
Robb was furious, gripping his sword's handle tightly, "They come into our home and try to murder our brother, if it's war they want- " Luwin disapproved of what Robb was saying, Theon, on the other hand, was eager and said he would stand behind Robb.
"Oh, is there going to be a battle in the Godswood?" Like that, Robb's anger cooled slightly despite Theon egging him to it. "Too easily words of war become acts of war, my Lord."
"Luwin's right, brother, we have to keep a level head for this." Willam said and turned to their mother, "Father needs to know of this, Mother."
"I do not trust a raven to send these words." This is true, so someone trusted must deliver the news personally.
"Then I will ride to King's Landing," Robb volunteered, stepping forward.
Mother shook her head, "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell, no."
Stepping forth with some trepidation, Willam put himself forward, "That is true so send me, I can travel by sea, quicker than riding on the road."
Again, Mother denied the idea, "The Lannister tried to kill one of my children, no, I won't put you nor your brother in danger... I shall go myself."
"No!" Both he and Robb said in unison.
Rodrik offered to send Hal with a compliment of guard but Mother said no, then the Knight offered himself as the roads are dangerous for a woman alone to which his mother agreed.
"What about Bran?" Robb asked and Willam wondered the same.
Mother smiled and cupped both his and Robb's cheeks, "I have prayed to the Seven for more than a month, my loves. Bran's life is in their hands now."
Willam fought back tears, "Alright Mother, good luck." He handed the dagger to Rodrik to hold and left, his mother and brother calling after him but he ignored it and simply wanted to find something else to do.
His family is splitting apart, and he doesn't know how to feel about it...
Review Replies
Jon, Thank you very much, happy you enjoyed it.
Drakena, Thank you for reading. I am afraid there won't be any Starkcest if I read right by your review.