Ned
"We need to talk, your Grace," Ned said after sitting down next to Robert who already had a look of anger on his face, no doubt after having spoken to Cersei. He whispered the words to the King so that the others in the Great Hall – a few guards from the Royal Family and House Stark – sparsely scattered around the Hall having their breakfast could not hear anything said. Ned looked around for Arya, Robb, and Jon but was unable to find them, 'they must have finished breaking their fast.' He nodded at the servant who brough him a plate of eggs, bacon, bread, and a jug of wine.
Robert looked over at Ned with a scowl before looking away and then taking a drink from the mug of wine in his hand. "Cersei wants to break the betrothal between Joffrey and your daughter." Ned nodded his head at the man who then continued, "she said some unflattering things about your eldest daughter."
"Your Grace," Ned interrupted before continuing, "I spoke with the Queen on the way here. She has already mentioned talking to you about breaking the betrothal between Prince Joffrey and Sansa." Robert signed before taking another drink while Ned thought to himself, 'your son who not only killed me, according to Sansa; but also watched as she was being hurt by one of your Kingsguard.' That thought still angered Ned… how could it not. But he calmed himself as Robert leaned his large body forward and grabbed the jug of wine in front of him and poured some of the liquid into his cup.
While Robert filled his cup, he spoke to Ned, "if your daughter and my son cannot be betrothed; I will have your heir and my daughter betrothed instead." That was a surprise to Ned who widened his eyes at Robert, "fuck Cersei. House Baratheon and House Stark will be united in marriage."
"Your Grace…." Robert gave Ned an exasperated look before the latter sighed and corrected himself, "Robert, I will have to speak to Cat about this new betrothal offer. But I know she will insist, as will I, that Robb must not travel South. The South has never been kind to the Starks so…"
"Done," Robert slammed his cup onto the table top with a THUD, the liquid contents spilling over the edges of the cup and down onto the wooden surface. The sound of the cup hitting the table was loud enough to silence the previous hushed tones of people in the Hall speaking amongst themselves. Ned waved everyone off and told everyone to get back to whatever it was that they were doing. He then turned towards Robert nodding his head, "give me an answer before we leave for Kings Landing, Ned."
And now Ned knew there would be more disappointment coming for his friend and King. The latter had a look of realization on his face before saying, "you wanted to speak, Ned?"
Ned looked out at the guards from both households and then surreptitiously glanced at the remaining Kingsguard standing at near the wall to the left of the stairs leading to the High Table. He knew the Stark Guards could be trusted with any secrets, but he did not trust the Royal Guards… especially since one of them reported Sansa's troubles to Cersei. But Ned determined the Kingsguard were far enough for him to speak candidly with Robert. Ned did not like hiding truths away from Roberts – he was already hiding the truth of Jon Snow and he did not want to hide anymore. But the source of what he wanted to reveal needed to be a lie to protect Sansa.
'Sansa is going through a Second Life,' Ned thought to himself, 'some Northerners still believe in this unique opportunity, but the Southrons will not. They may desire to speak about Sansa in the same way as the Queen just did. And I will not have her go through such a thing if it can be avoided.' He then mentally reminded himself to ask the Queen not to reveal what had happened to Sansa to anyone else.
"Yes," Ned said, "I…" Ned knew he needed to come up with a convincing lie that would encourage Robert to search for a new Hand and one that would push him to have more people sent to the Wall. A part of him was wondering if, after thousands of years and what Sansa had seen in her memories of the future, it would be best to temporarily change the rules of the Watch. It was something he would need to speak with the Lord Commander as soon as possible. He saw the King staring at him, waiting for him to continue, and so Ned came up with a lie that contained some pieces of truth.
Ned took in a deep breath to calm himself before speaking in a hushed tone, "I had the strangest dream last night, Robert. It was just before Sansa woke up screaming… the dream was so real, so vivid."
"What was this dream of yours?" Robert asked with a chuckle; as if it was a jape. "How can a dream harm anyone?"
Ned imagined in his mind the events that Sansa had already explained; of how the Wall fell at East-Watch-By-the-Sea, about the dead making it through the Wall, about the dead invading Winterfell and killing her. He felt a chill in his bones as he imagined blue eyed beings killing everyone in the castle, of having a dead Jon among them… of imagining the dead killing his daughters. And he was certain Robert must have noticed the anxiety on his face.
"Ned?" the King asked with concern, the expression on his face now serious, "what did you dream?"
Ned then spoke in a whisper as he leaned towards Robert, "I dreamt the Wall fell." The King narrowed his eyes as Ned spoke, "Robert, I swear to you that I could watch as dead men and women – all with these glowing blue eyes – made their way past the Wall and into Westeros. They invaded Winterfell, they killed everyone; I dreamt they killed Catelyn, Robb, Sansa and Arya."
"Bah! Ned, these are just stories," Robert said leaning back and then chuckling; all seriousness now gone as he reached for the cup of wine, "we…"
"Robert," Ned hissed curtly, the harshness of his words forcing Robert to turn his attention back to the Warden of the North, "the deserter I executed a few days ago said he saw White-walkers… that his fear of them made him desert the Watch. I have heard stories from wandering crows of creatures with glowing blue eyes and I too thought those simply just that… stories. But my dream… Robert, I spoke to Sansa after she calmed. She had the same dream."
Robert now remained silent and watched with eyebrows furrowed.
"How could she have had a dream… or rather a nightmare… of the Wall falling and the dead walking into Westeros," Ned asked before continuing, "and how could she have dreamt of the dead, of Winterfell being attacked… Robert, she dreamt of her own death." Robert was still silent. There wasn't an expression on his face as he turned away and stared at the half-filled cup of wine.
Ned continued onwards, "my father once told me that the Starks have the capability of Greenseeing… having visions of the future. Robert, Sansa and I have seen the same thing in our dreams. The Wall falling, the dead invading Westeros, the fall of this castle, the death of my daughters and the deaths of who knows how many others."
"Ned, this has to be…" Robert turned back towards Ned and rubbed his face with both hands before continuing, "this has to be just that… a bad dream that…"
"Shared between me and Sansa?" Ned said gently. He didn't want to push Robert, just nudge him. Just a little… I think Catelyn would have been better at this than I.' Ned then whispered, "nearly the same dream, Robert. As Warden of the North, I cannot ignore this threat."
"You are asking me to believe in a myth, in stories of snarks and grumpkins," Robert whispered back.
"I am asking you to believe in me," Ned countered, "I need to ensure the North is ready… if my dreams come to fruition, then the Wall will fall in the near future. The North will fall, and then the South will follow. Winter is coming, Robert. And the long night comes with it. I need to ensure the North is prepared."
Robert then waved his arms, signalling Ned to stop talking. Once Ned explained he was finished with what needed to be said, Robert went on, "let us say that this dream is true, how will you convince the rest of the Kingdoms that such a threat exists? Will you lead a ranging to find a dead man or woman? Ned, everyone will demand proof." Ned was very much aware of that little fact, there needed to be proof of the walking dead. And the only way he could think was to speak to Lord Commander Mormont and perhaps arrange a ranging to search and bring a dead man to this side of the Wall. But before he could say anything, a Stark guard – Ned recognized him as one of the guards at the gate leading to the Kings Road – strode through the doors and towards the high table.
"Lord Stark," Ned nodded as the guard spoke after stopping at the edge of the stairs that lead to the raised platform where the table was located. The guard then turned towards the king and bowed his head, "your Grace."
"What is it, Osric?" Ned said after Robert waved his hand before taking a drink.
"My Lord, there is a lady knight waiting at the gate," Osric said much to the surprise of both Robert and Ned. It was Robert who then just as quickly roared in laughter before saying there were no lady Knights anywhere in the Kingdoms.
"Women aren't built for fighting," Robert's laughter turned into a loud chuckle before continuing, "what's she thinking? Pretending to be a Knight. Hah!"
Ned pressed his lips together as he looked over at Robert. He had so many things to say to him about Lyanna, but he held his tongue. Turning towards Osric, Ned asked what it was the Lady wanted in Winterfell.
"She asked to speak with you, Lord Stark. She said she needed to speak with you urgently, my Lord," And that had raised Ned's curiosity; why would someone – especially a woman claiming to be a Knight – want to speak to him. Ned looked over at Robert who was now onto his feet while wiping his lips with the back of his left hand.
"Let's go speak to this wench together!" Robert slapped Ned's shoulder before the latter rose up onto his feet just as the King strode past him. Ned sighed before following the King down the stairs after telling Osric to lead the way to the gate.
Brianne
Brianne remained sitting on her horse while staring through the thick iron wrought gate. There were so many people in the courtyard because of the King and his retinue. She could see men and women hurrying about as they went about their day. The atmosphere itself was so very different. A smile formed on her face; it was so different than the Winterfell she had known in her past life.
'Of course, it is different', Brianne thought to herself as the smile slowly vanished off her face while memories of the tense and dreary atmosphere in the Winterfell of the past formed in her mind. The castle had seemed so bleak then, even after the Boltons were defeated… even after that cruel and sadistic Ramsey was killed. Then came news of the Long Night, and then came Daenerys Targaryen and her dragons, then came the war between the living and the dead. No, calling what happened near the Dreadfort a war would be foolish. A war implied both sides had a chance to win. Instead, what occurred was a massacre. Hundreds of thousands of dead – dead who do not tire, who do not go hungry, who do not speak of surrender - against defenders of the realm who were only living humans. The army of the living was routed, the dragons fell from the sky before rising into the air as creatures of death… the dead bringing death from the sky as well as the land. So many people died that day.
Brienne remembered bleeding through the stab wounds, her torn lips, her broken teeth and gums, her half-bitten off tongue, and the torn pieces of flesh on her face and neck. Heavily bleeding, she found herself with her back to a Heart Tree in the weirwoods near the Dreadfort. There were so many bodies around her… their blood made the snow and ice on the ground bright red. She didn't even know how she made it all the way to the Heart-tree. Her mind went to Sansa and Arya; they needed to be protected. She knew this evil was going to march towards Winterfell… and the castle would fall. She knew it in her slowing heart.
'Just once more,' Brienne thought as her body began to feel as if it was about to freeze, 'one more time to make it all right. Just one more time to protect them. Please, there must be a way to stop this from happening.' Her thoughts were desperate and true… still though, she didn't even know if she made any sense.
As her eyes closed, she swore she heard a soft voice in the distance, "done. Protect them… protect them."
Back at the gate in the present day, Brienne was so deep in her thoughts that she didn't notice the gate rising up while Ned and Robert stood on the other side staring at Brienne. It was when she heard the crunch of boots on the sandy pathway did Brienne gasp while raising her head.
"My Lady," Ned said with a look of concern as Brienne shook her head quickly before getting off her horse. Brienne quickly went down on one knee and bowed her head. She had noticed the King's eyes on her as he looked up and down at her armour. She had guessed the man next to the King was Lord Eddard Stark; it was a guess since she had never met the man. She only believed he was the Lord of the castle since he arrived with the King.
"Your Grace, I am Brienne of House Tarth," Brienne said in a low tone of voice. This was the first time meeting the King for her; she had seen him during tourneys but this was the first time meeting him face-to-face.
She didn't see both the King and Ned looking at each other in confusion before the King tapped her shoulder and asked her to stand. And so, Brienne did. She bowed her head at Ned after he introduced himself before asking why there was an urgent need for the both of them to speak.
"Tarth," Robert said while rubbing his chin with his fingers, "Lord Selwyn is your liege Lord?"
"He is my father, your Grace," Brienne answered as the King nodded his head in acknowledgement, "I am his only child and heir."
"And why are you so far from the Stormlands?" the King asked.
This was the moment Brienne had spent the past few months wondering what she should say. After she felt herself die… after hearing that voice, Brienne found herself in an Inn somewhere close to Griffith's Roost. She was shocked to say the least and thought it all a dream. She dressed and rushed down to the bar where she demanded to know the date and any recent events. She was surprised to hear the Hand had died from a man who introduced himself as Thoros of Myr. She was so much in shock that she returned to her room and just sat on the bed with her hands covering her face. She remained in her room for some time before getting up from the bed, wearing her armour, and then leaving.
Somehow Brienne had come back into the past. She continued thinking to herself that it was simply not possible. But in the past she was. The impossible had become possible. She made the decision to head North, she needed to speak to Lord Stark. She needed to see Sansa and Arya, and even Jon Snow as well. Seeing them as they were in the past would confirm everything.
As she continued on her horse, days behind the King's retinue, Brienne wondered what she would say to Lord Stark. Simply saying she was from the future would be a mistake, Brienne knew that much. Lord Stark would mostly like have her arrested and then sent back to Tarth. As she continued on her horse, her mind swimming with ideas of what to say, Brienne recalled overhearing Bran speaking to Sansa about his greendreams.
Back at the gate, Brienne took a deep breath before exhaling, "your Grace, Lord Stark." She first looked at the King and then at the Lord of Winterfell before saying, "this may be hard to believe, but I was compelled to come North. I… I had a vivid dream."
"A dream?" Brienne could see Ned's eyes slightly widen in surprise. She glanced at the King and noticed the serious expression on his face. Brienne then turned her attention to the Stark before nodding her head.
"I dreamt of the Wall falling," Brienne said, she continued noticing the suppressed expression on Lord Stark's face. Brienne didn't think too much into it, after all Ned could very well be surprised in hearing about the Wall falling from a Southerner. She continued, "I saw dead people and men of ice walking into Westeros past where the Wall once stood. There was a battle in the ice and snow near the Dreadfort… I dreamt of many deaths… the screams of those men still ring in my ears."
'I was there… I fought… I died,' Brienne thought to herself.
"How? How would you…" Stark whispered in such a tone that Brienne barely heard him.
"That is three people who have had these dreams, Ned," the King spoke, leading Brienne to stare at him in surprise. The lie about dreams were just supposed to be a lie. What was the king saying? Was he from the future as well?
'Has Lord Sark had a similar experience as I?' Brienne thought as Ned stepped forward before inviting her into the castle.
"Let us speak in my solar, my Lady," Lord Stark said before Brienne nodded her head. Yes, they need to speak urgently. If Lord Stark had the same experience as she in her past life, then he would believe in the concept of time travel. However, there was no way to know if the King had a similar experience. If he did not, then who else had these 'dreams'? All Brienne could do was wait as she walked behind Lord Stark and the King as they headed into the castle and towards the solar.
TBC
