Gwen watched as the men took to covering Tyrion's head once more, hiding his gaze from her as she jumped back onto her horse, well aware that her time to depart would soon come. She watched as they handled him roughly and she wondered if she should say anything to Lady Stark. Gwen did not think that Tyrion had pushed her son. She did not think that he was the one responsible. Although she did find it curious.
Lady Stark had told her how a blonde hair had come to be in the tower along with the Lannister dagger. During that morning the hunt had been vast. It had been full of men, leaving the walls without a second glance. Yet there were only two blondes who she knew other than Tyrion to be in Winterfell. The majority of people had dark hair with dull colours. No one's hair could be as vibrant as the Lannister's blonde locks.
But if Tyrion did not commit the act then that meant that someone else did. Someone else with blonde hair. Gwen gulped at her thought, shaking her head and failing to believe it. He couldn't have. She knew that the Kingslayer was many things. He was a traitor to his master but she understood why he did it to a certain extent. The King was mad. He was not fit to be ruler and Jaime had seen to it that his reign came to an end. She supposed he had done people a favour. Yet it did not stop them talking behind his back, speaking of how he should not remain in the Kingsguard for being a back stabber.
Yes, she had heard the tales of him. She had heard how he killed without a thought. It was second nature to him. But she had also seen another side to him. She had seen how he had acted with her in the forest. She had seen some compassion in his gaze. He may be a killer but she did not think it possible for him to harm an innocent child.
Her thoughts then turned onto Cersei. His sister was many things. Gwen had seen the cold and deviant side to her. But she had seen the Queen with her own children on the ride back to Kings Landing. It pained Gwen to say that she did love them. Indeed, she loved them more than Gwen had thought possible for her. And besides, why would she want Bran to fall? Her family was to become the Stark's family. It held no advantage for her to harm him.
"Gwen."
She snapped out from the daze she had found herself in, watching as the congregation rode on and Lady Stark lurked behind with Gwen, making sure not to lose sight of the men in front. That was when Gwen saw the path bend and she knew she could not follow it.
"Ride back to Winterfell," she urged her and Gwen nodded. "Tell my son to take care of you. He will not have you locked in the dungeon like some common criminal."
"Yes, Lady Stark," Gwen said to her, biting down on her bottom lip whilst her gaze shifted to the side, looking anywhere but Catelyn's kind stare.
"Is something the matter, Gwen?" Lady Stark asked and Gwen sighed, nodding once and turning back to look at Catelyn.
"I...it is Lord Tyrion..." she admitted to her and Lady Stark resisted the urge to curse his name as she spoke it. "There is something not right about this...he...I do not think he pushed Bran from the tower."
"Gwen," Catelyn sighed, holding tightly onto her reins, her knuckles aching as she did so yet she paid no attention to the pain. Gwen shook her head, daring to silence Lady Stark as she began to open her mouth, ready to speak again.
"Something does not add up," she replied. "Lord Tyrion...I...I have heard stories of him...of his intelligence...and the dagger you found sounds foolish. He is too clever to have left evidence. I do not mean to speak in such a manner, my Lady, but I could not help but think that something is not right."
"And the hair?" Catelyn wondered. "All of the evidence points to him."
"There were two other blondes in Winterfell that day, my Lady," Gwen reminded her and Catelyn kept silent, eyeing her maid with suspicion. Gwen shrugged ruefully at her and then bowed her head.
"You mean to say that you think the Queen or her brother did this?" Catelyn enquired.
"I do not know what to say," Gwen admitted, no word of a lie slipping through her lips. "I just do not think that Lord Tyrion is responsible."
Catelyn sighed, her eyes narrowing slightly whilst looking at Gwen and she spoke in a stern voice to the maid after that;
"You spoke with him and he convinced you of his innocence," she declared. "He is a very good manipulator, I shall give him that. And you are too trusting, Gwen. I will take him to my sister and he can answer for himself there. Now, ride back to Winterfell and to my son. I pray that the journey will be kind for you."
"Thank you, Lady Stark," Gwen forced herself to appear gracious as the elder woman held a tight smile on her lips and then pulled at her reins, allowing her horse to move forwards and leave Gwen where she was. The maid watched for a few moments, the darkness surrounding her as she noted the moon in the distance, the only thing helping to illuminate her way.
She tugged on the reins and the horse moved forwards, carrying her back to Winterfell as quickly as possible.
...
The cold became too much for Gwen as she finally saw Winterfell on the horizon, a small smile breaking onto her face as she realised that she had made it alive. She tugged her simple black cloak tighter around her body and could not wait until she was back into the warmth of the walls. She urged Jaime's horse to travel faster and to her surprise it did. Never before had she travelled on such a creature. Then again, she supposed if Jaime had it then only the best would suffice.
She finally allowed the horse to slow as she entered the east gate, sliding down from the creature and looking around. She glanced around for a couple of moments; the only recognisable face she saw was that of Theon Greyjoy. She had not been as close to him as she had been to the other's, choosing to stay away from the boys as they grew older and became much more hostile towards her, especially Greyjoy. She knew what he enjoyed doing in the evening. His evening visits to the infamous brothel were something which everyone chose not to speak of.
He caught her eye, watching her as she walked forwards and remained with her head down. She heard his footsteps come towards her and only then did she dare to look at him, the glare in his eyes startling her slightly.
"How dare you come back here!" he snapped at her and her eyes widened as she felt his hand wrap around her arm, dragging her away from the horse. "The Queen has issued a warrant for you head! A nice sum too, if I must say. And you come back here for what? You want to seek refuge? Do you think Robb will appreciate this? The tension between the Lannister's are high enough after Lady Stark took the imp...and now you..."
"What are you talking about?" Gwen snapped at him as he continued to drag her closer to the great hall where he knew Robb was residing, reading through multiple letters. "I did nothing wrong!"
"Save it," he urged her. "Robb will deal with you."
Gwen wormed around in his hold, willing for him to remove his hands from her as he pushed her into the grand hall, looking to Robb who sat along on a bench, reading Sansa's letter over and over again and trying to make sense of it. Gwen had no idea what was happening, her sense of time lost after days on end travelling.
"Robb!" Theon called out, snapping the young man's eyes from the letter and to the sight before him. Greyjoy pushed Gwen down, forcing her to fall to the ground as she placed her hands in front of her, stopping her face from hitting the ground. "It is the maid. The one who the Queen wants. She came back here seeking refuge...but we cannot do that knowing that the Lannister's want a war already..."
Robb closed his eyes, his head throbbing and the sign of a headache coming his way as he stood up from the wooden bench, his heavy cloak flowing behind him as he eyed Theon with suspicion, the look of joy still on his face. No doubt he thought he was helping. If only he knew that nothing could help them now.
"Be quiet," Robb told his friend simply whilst Gwen sat before the new Lord of Winterfell. She remained shocked at Robb's annoyed tone with Theon as he moved his eyes to look at Gwen. "Do not forget who it is that helped to raise my sister's, Theon," he warned him. "Gwen is no prisoner in Winterfell and she never shall be."
Theon's mouth fell open in shock as Robb offered Gwen his hand. She took it with caution, barely pressing any of her weight into his palm as he helped her from the ground.
"But she...the Queen..." Theon blabbered and Robb shook his head.
"The tensions do not matter. No one shall know of Gwen being here," he said. "Unless you intend to tell anyone?"
Pressing his lips into a tight line he shook his head and Robb nodded, his gaze narrowed as he continued looking at Theon.
"Good. Now go and check on Bran and Rickon. Make sure they're not making a nuisance of themselves."
Theon threw Gwen one final look of disregard and then swept from the grand hall, the noise echoing around the stone walls as the door slammed shut. Gwen dared to look at Robb as she released her hand from his and bowed her head in gratitude.
"Thank you, Lord Stark," she spoke and he shook his head.
"My father is Lord Stark, Gwen," he told her simply. "He may be gone but I do not intend to take his place."
"In that case then I shall say thank you, Lord Robb," she said to him and he nodded curtly.
"Better," he assured her and saw how she looked weary. He did not doubt that the journey had been long and tiresome for her. He took lead, moving back to the long bench he had been sat on as he spoke to her.
"Sit down, Gwen," he called back. "I have some meats and water...help yourself...you must be famished."
"Thank you, my Lord," Gwen generously spoke to him and moved to sit across the table from him. He pushed the plate in front of her before filling up an empty goblet, the water sloshing into it causing Gwen's mouth the water. She ate and drank as if she had never seen food before, trying to remain ladylike yet failing terribly. Robb watched her with suspicion, wanting answers from her if he were to grant her the safety of Winterfell.
"I have heard many stories, Gwen," Robb spoke deeply. "Most of them do not show you in a positive light."
Gwen gulped down the chicken she had been chewing at hearing him say that and she waited for a second, wondering what more there could be. Her blue eyes found his gaze and his face remained emotionless.
"Yet the stories I have heard do not make sense," he admitted to her. "You have been in the service of my family for years. I cannot believe the things which you are accused of."
"I have a just reason for acting the way I did, my Lord," Gwen admitted to him.
"I do not doubt it," he promised her. "I cannot see you lashing out at the Queen if you did not have such a cause. But I would like to hear it, Gwen. I need you to tell me the truth if I am to allow you to stay in Winterfell."
She nodded to the conditions of her stay, her hand remaining wrapped around the goblet as she looked into the depths of the water, thinking of what to say and how best to say it. She told him how the Queen had wanted her removed from the services of his sisters. She said how she thought there was something else to her dismissal for the Queen had never seemed to truly like her. She left out the part of how she thought she was jealous, choosing to skip over Jaime and his input. She then went on to tell him how she lashed out at the Queen, unable to be parted from the girls for what had happened that night at the inn. Robb's face had been one of shock when she told him of how Lady had been killed unnecessarily and she saw his jaw tense but he held his tongue, allowing her to continue with the tale. She spoke of how Jory had helped to free her, telling her to return home without a single word.
"And I so happened to meet your mother on the ride back," Gwen admitted and Robb silently cursed his mother for what she had done. She should never have gone off to Kings Landing without him. He should have gone with her. Perhaps this mess could then have been avoided.
"She needed to speak with Lord Stark of something. I do not know what. I waited for her outside the walls and we took shelter within an inn at the Crossroads for the evening. I went up to rest for a while and your mother had Lord Tyrion held captive whilst I was gone. She believes him to be the one who pushed Lord Bran from the tower. She intends to take him to her sister for a trial."
"I wondered where she had gone," Robb mumbled to himself, shaking his head back and forth. "I received word this morning that he had gone missing and mother was the prime suspect. The Lannister's are looking to start a war now and I have no choice but to defend my mother for what she has done."
"Lord Tyrion claims that it was not him who pushed Lord Bran from the tower," Gwen said and Robb looked at her with wide eyes, a sarcastic smirk crossing his face.
"Well he would say that, wouldn't he?" Robb checked with her. "The evidence points towards him. His dagger was there along with a blonde hair. But my mother should not have taken him captive like she did. It was foolish."
"Yet there were two other Lannister's present, my Lord," Gwen reminded him and Robb arched a brow.
"But it was only his dagger which was found."
"True," Gwen admitted with a quick nod. "But Lord Tyrion is no fool. He would not have left his dagger there if he had committed the crime. Besides, why would he push Bran? What motive does he have?"
"He is a Lannister," was the only explanation which Robb offered her. "It is too late now. My mother has taken him captive and the news only becomes worse with each passing moment."
Gwen's brows furrowed together as she waited for Robb to offer her an explanation. He dropped his head into his hand for a moment, his eyes looking down at the letter which showed Sansa's scrawl. He said nothing, choosing to hand the letter to Gwen, knowing that he could trust the maid after years of dedication. Besides, she had faced death for his family.
She took a few moments to read it, thankful for the education she had received until her tenth name day. She shook her head before placing it down, looking at Robb with concern.
"Sansa could not have wrote that," she informed him.
"Maester Luwin said the exact same thing," he informed her. "He thinks that the Queen put her up to this. My father is a prisoner of the Lannister's now. Surely you see how this means war between us."
Gulping loudly, she felt her hands tremble and she placed the letter down, clenching her fingers into balls and resting them on her lap whilst Robb took another drink of his water, realising that he would only spend one more night in the safety of Winterfell. The thought scared him beyond his wits.
"What do you intend to do, Lord Robb?" she wondered and he shrugged.
"I have no choice but to go to Kings Landing for my father," he informed her. "The Lannister's will pay for what they have done. I will go there and free my father and bring my sister's home. Bowing down to Joffrey is not an option. I have had Maester Luwin call for the banner men. We leave for the capital in the morning."
"I want to come with you," Gwen blurted out and Robb looked at her, his gaze intense and he shook his head hastily.
"You have just reached the safety of Winterfell, Gwen," Robb told her. "Besides, battle is no place for a woman. You know that. What would my mother say if she knew I allowed you to go through with this?"
She bit down on the inside of her cheek, her head shaking back and forth in defiance of Robb and his words. She looked down to her lap, her eyes closing for a brief second as she thought of Sansa and Arya.
"Besides, the Queen is looking for you. If she finds you then we both know it will be instant death," Robb said.
"And if she finds you attacking her do you think she will let you live?" Gwen asked from him and Robb pushed his lips into a firm line. "I have to come with you. I cannot sit here and wait for word of what has happened. Lady Sansa and Lady Arya mean more to me than I can care to explain. I have served them for years and I want to come with you to get them back. I will stay out of the way if that is what you wish. I shall be no bother."
"You know that if you will be with me then I will worry about you," Robb said. "Dear Gods, Gwen, my mother would have a fit if you were hurt. You remember how she promised to look after you."
"I know," Gwen said. "Just as I promised to look after Lady Arya and Lady Sansa. Besides, I am sure I will come in use. Men are bound to be injured. They will be in need of being looked after. You know that and I do. I can help. I am not useless, Lord Robb."
Robb studied her for a couple more moments, wondering what to do. She cared for the girls. That much was apparent. But Robb did not know if he could let her take the risk. Yet her next sentence was one which seemed to come from the thoughts of his mind.
"It is my risk to take, Lord Robb."
Her gaze challenged his and he took a second before his head nodded on its own accord. Gwen nodded back at him, unable to do anything else as she continued to listen to him;
"Go and get some rest. We leave tomorrow and travel as far south as possible before setting up an encampment. You will stay there and make sure you stay out of trouble. I have already had one man challenge my leadership today and I do not need any more bother."
"As you with, my Lord," Gwen said and she stood up, dropping into a curtsey in front of Robb. He looked at her sternly before speaking, his tone slightly lighter and caring.
"It is good to see you safe, Gwen," he informed her. "Even during this time of madness."
She warmly smiled at him, her lips not reaching her eyes but Robb saw the genuineness of the motion. She turned on her heel and let him be, keeping quiet and heading back to her old room, simply waiting for tomorrow to unfold.
...
A/N: So thank you to moonlight1fly, Jofrench22, Guest, Guest and smilin steph for reviewing chapter 11! The next chapter should be out later on today and it does so happen to see the return of a certain individual! Do let me know what you think!