I looked at the doors that would lead me to one of the smaller rooms, where three guests that I was both hating and dreading on meeting. Two of them were Lannisters, and the other I had no clue of. But the fact that Lannisters were here in the North, in Winterfell, that was enough to want me to kill them. AS soon as I thought about murder, I then had to take a step back. What was I thinking?
The Lannisters were the main problem here, not me. But I was wrong again. As I stood in the small room with Jon Snow next to me, I thought back to who was really to blame for all that has happened to me: Cersei. I heard nothing about Jamie or Tyrion, anything that they did to me or my family. Jon would know more than I, but then I too saw the confusion in his eyes when he heard that the brothers were in our fortress, under heavy guard with no weapons on hand with their third companion. I folded my heads in front of me, trying to concentrate on the fact that I was not a killer. I was not going to be like her, like the Queen Regiment whom would kill for her pleasure. Were her brothers in the same boat, were they the same?
"I don't trust them being here, wanting to talk to you." Jon said to me as we looked at each other, before going into the room, "But I don't think either one of them would be behind all the killings in the North on the villages."
"I agree." I said to him with a nod of my head, "Something tells me that Cersei was acting on her own, since her son is the King. Jamie and Tyrion Lannisters don't seem like killers in that nature to me, especially Tyrion."
"He's not." We heard behind us, having me look and see Sansa walk over to us with determination in her voice. I think forgot, Tyrion was in fact her husband. She was married to him, out of force to be fair, in King's Landing from her father-in-law. I eyed her, seeing the truth in her eyes.
"Out of the three of them, I trust Tyrion the most. He has shown no ill nature to me, not once." She explained as she stood with Jon and I, having me think that she was covering up something, "He even saved me from a mass beating from Joffrey a couple of times. I promise you, Jon and Nora, to trust Tyrion."
"Does he know you are here?" Jon asked her aloud in a softer tone, having me see in his stance that he was believing her.
"No, he still thinks I am who knows here, but not here." Sansa replied, having me smile at her and nod my head. She might of wanted to be keep that a secret from Tyrion, that she was here the whole time and not running around on her own. Sansa was old enough to make that decision on her own, I knew that of course.
"If you trust him, and if he has sparred you this long with bringing you harm, than I wish to talk to him and his brother. It's Jamie I don't trust." I explained to her, seeing her nod her head. I head Jon walk over to the door and placed a hand on the handle.
"Go, be with Arya, Rickon and Gendry. They need you now." I said to her, seeing her nod in agreement and squeeze my hand in hers before leaving the room once more. As soon as she was out of the room, I followed Jon and we both opened the doors. With the new found information from my younger sister, whom I know still harbored nightmares of the South and all of the wickedness that happened there, I would believe her if she told me that Tyrion was not to be scared of. But now my focus was on Jamie, if he had something up his sleeve that would lead him to his sister.
"What does Jamie Lannister want to talk about with me?" I asked Jon under my breath as we approached the Great Hall, where I saw Jamie and Tyrion Lannister being guarded by some of the Brotherhood Without Banners and they are surrounded by them. Both of them had no weapons, and neither did their third member of the party: Brienne of Tarth. I never knew of Tarth, or of this woman that was there with the Lannister sons. But she looked more fearsome than I imagined, wearing her armor that had a tint of blue in it and her hair was slicked back, blond and shining in the light. I could see the feminine parts of her face, yet she looked fierce like a warrior. It made me think of Arya, for a brief moment.
Jon and I walked into the Great Hall, though the rest of the people were still as the guards had there weapons pointed to the three of them. There was no noise in the room, nothing to be heard except for our breathing as Jon and I walked over to the front of the room, seeing the three of them in front of us. They were watching us, as if they were waiting for our say for them to be killed. But after a moment, they bowed their heads once to show their appreciation in our home.
"Lords Jamie and Tyrion Lannister, I must say I am quite surprised and not pleased to have you in our home." Jon said to them aloud, his voice was deep and threatening as I watched the three of them with my own eyes. Tyrion looked innocent enough, as well as Jamie, no smug was evident on their faces. The same with Brienne, whom looked out of place with the two men there.
"Jon Snow, I see that the Wall has kept you well." Tyrion said aloud in a sincere voice. But his eyes shifted to me, having me watch him as he was drinking in the sight of me, as if I was in fact a ghost or a distant memory.
"Lady Stark." He said aloud, bowing to me as he continued, "The Heir of Winterfell."
"Forgive the cold meetings that you received, but as of late my villages have been torched and burned to the ground, by men with your banner on their chests and horses." I explained to them in a quiet but god fearing tone. I saw Tyrion lower his head and fold his hands in front of him, Jamie doing the same, since he was no longer having a smug look on his face, not like he did before when we were in King's Landing.
"That was the act of my sister, Cersei." Tyrion said aloud in a low but nonthreatening tone, looking back at me with what looked like sorrowful eyes, "My brother and I had nothing to do with the burning of your villages and what happened to your people."
"And you think I should believe you?" I asked him aloud, having me try to control how loud I wanted to yell at him, both of them. I saw Brienne look over at Jamie, whom finally looked at me with no longer smugness or superiority, but with shame as well as his shorter brother.
"All of the acts that were against you, that was our sister and no one else in our family." Tyrion tried to convince me some more, but I saw Jon next to me take a step forward to be near to me, showing that he too was confused and angered that they were in our home.
"Even your own father Tywinn Lannister has nothing to do with it?" He asked, anger was in his tone of voice. Tywinn Lannister, the patriarch of the Lannister family, whom I remembered being in Harrenhall when I was a prinsoner there with Arya, Hot Pie and Gendry. His face was in my head and it made me hate the family name even more.
"He and knowledge of you and how vital you were in the holding of the North, but Cersei overlook his cautious words to her and never listened to him once." Jamie said to me aloud in his kind tone, his eyes shifting to Tyrion whom looked at him with a hint of hesitating before he said the next thing that came out of his move, having me feel my blood going cold:
"Our father is dead."
Jon and I looked at each other then, knowing that they would not lie about something this big and this vital o their own lives. The Lannisters could be many things, but someone who was not afraid of their father, that was not them. Their father was a man of duty and fear, knowing whom to crush and whom to push aside for his reign on the Iron Throne, or least for his Grandson. But now, he's dead.
"Dead." I said aloud, making sure I got it right. From what I saw on their face, they were in fact telling the truth. I looked over at Jon, whom could see the same in the both of them.
"So, your sister is the sole reason for the burnings of my villages, of my people and their deaths…all to find me." I said tot he both of them, having me see the both of them look at m without talking for a moment or two, "And you both of knew who I was?"
"After you arrived in King's Landing some time ago with Eddard Stark, along with Arya and Sansa Stark, Cersei did some investigation on you to see if you were trull Nora Stark, Eddard and Cateyln Stark's first born daughter." Jamie explained to me, finally speaking to me since he arrived in Winterfell. I thought back to when I was in the presence of Cersei, how she seemed to have known me before I met her. She had a sense of hesitation about her, when she was looking at me with analyzation. I even remembered something she said to Tyrion, when I was leaving her room and when he was entering.
"She's the one. I knew it from the moment I saw her."
"After you disappeared from Flea Bottom, she tried in vain to find you and make sure you were dead." Tyrion explained to me some more, but I felt the bitterness seeping in my tongue from then on out.
"Right after you killed my father for treason." I said back to him in almost a bark, "She thought me dead then, didn't she?"
"We were told you died." Jamie replied in return, "But our sister was not convinced then. You were still alive in her mind, and she was not going to stop until your head was brought to her."
"And what of Joffrey? Did he know of his mother's plans?" Jon asked him aloud, now having me think of the old King Joffrey, and how much I hated him as much as his grandfather.
"He knew nothing as well. The only other person to know about it…was me." Jamie confessed, pausing before ending his sentence, "And that is the reason why we are here to see you."
"To confess? In knowing that Cersei wanted to kill me and you were helping her?" I asked him aloud, still unimpressed and unmoved.
"I left my sister and the means of Kings Landing." That sentence made me freeze in my spot, watching him as he said it in such a bold fashion. I shifted in my spot, finally noticing that he was not sporting the red and gold on his attire, nor was hr wearing his armor that was gold. Neither was Tyrion, no gold or red. Something was off, very off. Tyrion was only sporting a jerkin, a under shirt, trousers and shoes. But Jamie, he was wearing regular armor, that had a different sigma on the outside. This must of been real, real enough for me to believe.
"I was sent to death by my father and sister, under the belief that I killed King Joffrey. But I escaped and was living in the Island of Tarth, under the protection of the Tarth House." Tyrion explained to us some more, having me look over at Jamie, whom was watching Brienne with his own eyes. I looked over to her as well, having me see her watch me and bow herself. But once we both locked eyes, I saw that she had a look of sadness in her own eyes, as if looking at me brought her sorrow and pain.
"You are affiliated with these two, I presume?" I asked her in a polite tone, seeing her bow her head at me.
"I am, MIlday." She said in return, her voice was low but it sounded proper enough, "I was once a knight for Renly Baratheon, but after he died I then vowed to work for your mother, Lady Cateyln Stark." I watched her as she tried to hard to be strong in front of me, but bringing up the memories of the past were hurting her from the inside out: I could tell. She then explained to me her own tale: How she was supposed to bring Jamie Lannister, and after he was returned to Kings Landing she still kept her oath to try and bring Sansa and Arya back to Winterfell. I was shocked to hear that she was ally for the Starks, and Jamie knew about it and tried to help her when he sent her with a squire to find Arya, equipped with new armor and a new sword. I saw the sword on her hip, how it looked so mighty compared to other swords that I saw. She was went to protect us from the South, to keep us safe. It made me think, there were people all over Westeros that were meant to help us, even those behind enemy lines.
"Does Cersei know of your whereabouts now?" Jon asked Jamie, having me think about to reality and watch the three of them in front of us.
"She knows nothing." Jamie said in return.
"That gives her a reason to come down here to us, to burn more villages to find you." Jon said in a small speck of anger.
"Trust me, Jon Snow, I would not of come here if it was not important and not safe for both myself and your family." Jamie retorted to him, looking over at Tyrion. Tyrion took out a folded letter from his pocket and held it out to Jon Snow, his face was still sincere with a hint of sadness in it.
"This is from my sister to her Gold Cloaks Captain." Tyrion explained as Jon Snow walked down to meet him, looking at him with hesitance. I watched as well, shifting defensively as I saw Brienne and Jamie eyeing me from their spots as well. Jon took the note hesitantly and opened it, reading it to himself.
"I thought you were the Captain of the Gold Cloaks?" I asked Jamie aloud in confusion, since I knew he was still Captain when I was in Kings Landing some time ago.
"After my father's death, I withdrew from the title, much to my sister's dismay and refusal." Jamie replied as I saw Jon reading the note, his face on the verge of crumbling.
"Jon?" I asked him aloud, walking down the few steps to stand next to him and in front of the three guests. He looked over at me, his face was now showing fear and hint of anger as well, making me wonder even more what was to come from his mouth when he tells me what was in the letter in Cersei's handwriting.
"She ordered a full bounty on all of the Stark Children's heads, yours is the highest." Jon explained to me as I watched him, placing a hand on his arm, "And she wished to wipe out the Houses of the North if they knew of your whereabouts, both allies and foes to Kings Landing." I looked from him to Tyrion and Jamie, seeing the uneasiness on their faces and their stances. She was willing to kill other Houses for the sake of the North to fall to the knees of the South. They had grave looks on their face; they must of saw what the madness did to their sister, if not sooner than this whole thing unraveling around them. So the South was no longer strong as I thought it would be.
"I intercepted this letter from the Gold Cloak Captain, it was then I knew my sister fell into madness that would drag me with down with her, not soon after she sentenced Tyrion to his death. She is lost now…lost to her own shattered mind." Jamie explained to me in a grave tone. I saw it in his eyes too: pain that he lost his sister to reign and glory. He looked different from when we were in King's Landing. He was no longer suave and and glory in his smile. He was real now, as if he went through hell and back. it was like Sansa all over again. Even Tyrion looked different, all from the pains and turmoil of their sister who was more power hungry than ever before.
"Do you know her next move?" I asked him aloud, seeing Jon fold back up the paper and clutching it in his gloved hand.
"She wishes to advance a large army coming to Winterfell. There were rumors spreading in Kings Landing of the North turning against the South, all for the warrior they call the Surving Wolf." Jamie explained to me as I looked over to Jon, seeing him think to himself.
"When did you hear this?" Jon asked aloud, back to his authoritative tone and warrior stature.
"Several moon go before I fled King's Landing to the Island of Tarth." Jamie replied, having me watch him carefully and then look over to Brienne and see her watch me as well.
"That is your home, is it not?" I asked her.
"It is, Milday. I have them at my home under my protection." Brienne said back to me, having me nod my head.
"Then we need to make plans then." I said to myself mostly, all three of them staring at me with both interest and confusion. I watched all three of them from my spot, having me feel the sense of urgency upon the situation. Now that we had three more allies, very usual ones at that, I had no choice but to trust them and keep a watchful eye on them. They could turn on me within seconds, take me back to Cersei to have me loose my head. But then, just thinking about the worst, I head Sansa in my head all over again:
"I promise you, Jon and Nora, to trust Tyrion."
She trusted him, after all she went through, she told us to trust him with our lives. That was enough for me, having me look over at Tyrion and eye him, the feeling of being the Heir of Winterfell was flooding over me at that moment in time.
"Will you promise me, on the life of your wife, my sister Sansa Stark, that you will not betray us to Cersei Lannister?" I asked him aloud, seeing him watch me. AS soon as I said Sansa's name, I saw his face crumble slightly. It must of been paining him to not know where she was, although she was hiding out here in Winterfell. She was not ready to see him yet, but I could tell in his face and stature, he was ready to find his wife again. He then knelt on one knee, looking up at me with a stern look on his face.
"I promise you my allegiance to the North, Nora Stark of Winterfell." He said aloud, having me feel a shift in all I knew about the South. Everything was changing, and it was happen all around me without me knowing it at first. Then Jamie knelt down, although bigger but just as devoted. Brienne right after him. I stood in front of two kneeling members of the South and one knight whom was already devoted to the family, whom were turning their backs on all they knew to help the North.
"We have work to do."