Page 6 (1/2)

Catelyn

Of all the rooms in Winterfell’s Great Keep, Catelyn’s bedchaht a fire The castle had been built over natural hot springs, and the scalding waters rushed through its walls and cha the chill froardens with aOpen pools sht in a dozen s, in summer; in winter, it was the difference between life and death

Catelyn’s bath was always hot and stea, and her walls warm to the touch The warmth reminded her of Riverrun, of days in the sun with Lysa and Edmure, but Ned could never abide the heat The Starks were h and tell him in that case they had certainly built their castle in the wrong place

So when they had finished, Ned rolled off and climbed from her bed, as he had a thousand times before He crossed the rooh narros one by one, letting the night air into the chamber

The wind swirled around hi the dark, naked and empty-handed Catelyn pulled the furs to her chin and watched him He looked somehow smaller and more vulnerable, like the youth she had wed in the sept at Riverrun, fifteen long years gone Her loins still ached froood ache She could feel his seed within her She prayed that it ht quicken there It had been three years since Rickon She was not too old She could give him another son

"I will refuse him," Ned said as he turned back to her His eyes were haunted, his voice thick with doubt

Catelyn sat up in the bed "You cannot You must not"

"My duties are here in the north I have no wish to be Robert’s Hand"

"He will not understand that He is a king now, and kings are not like other men If you refuse to serve hiin to suspect that you oppose hier that would put us in?"

Ned shook his head, refusing to believe "Robert would never harm me or any of mine We were closer than brothers He loves me If I refuse him, he will roar and curse and bluster, and in a ill laugh about it together I know theis a stranger to you" Catelyn reed deep in her throat She had to ,you these great honors, you cannot throw thehed bitterly

"In his eyes, yes," she said

"And in yours?"

"And in ry now Why couldn’t he see? "He offers his own son in hter, what else would you call that? Sansa ht someday be queen Her sons could rule fro with that?"

"Gods, Catelyn, Sansa is only eleven," Ned said "And JoffreyJoffrey is"

She finished for him "crown prince, and heir to the Iron Throne And I was only twelve when my father proht a bitter twist to Ned’s mouth "Brandon Yes Brandon would knohat to do He always did It was allHe was born to be a King’s Hand and a father to queens I never asked for this cup to pass to me"

"Perhaps not," Catelyn said, "but Brandon is dead, and the cup has passed, and you must drink from it, like it or not"

Ned turned away fro out in the darkness, watching the moon and the stars perhaps, or perhaps the sentries on the wall

Catelyn softened then, to see his pain Eddard Stark had married her in Brandon’s place, as custom decreed, but the shadow of his dead brother still lay between them, as did the other, the shadow of the woman he would not name, the woman who had borne hio to him when the knock ca "What is it?"

Desh the door "My lord, Maester Luwin is without and begs urgent audience"

"You told him I had left orders not to be disturbed?"

"Yes, my lord He insists"

"Very well Send him in"

Ned crossed to the wardrobe and slipped on a heavy robe Catelyn realized suddenly how cold it had become She sat up in bed and pulled the furs to her chin "Perhaps we should close the s," she suggested

Ned nodded absently Maester Luas shown in

The rey, and quick, and saw rey, what little the years had left hirey wool, trireat floppy sleeves had pockets hidden inside Luas always tucking things into those sleeves and producing other things froe artifacts, toys for the children With all he kept hidden in his sleeves, Catelyn was surprised that Maester Luwin could lift his arms at all

The maester waited until the door had closed behind him before he spoke "My lord," he said to Ned, "pardon for disturbing your rest I have been left a e"

Ned looked irritated "Been left? By whom? Has there been a rider? I was not told"

"There was no rider, my lord Only a carved wooden box, left on a table in my observatory while I napped My servants saw no one, but it ’s party We have had no other visitors from the south"

"A wooden box, you say?" Catelyn said

"Inside was a fine new lens for the observatory, from Myr by the look of it The lenscrafters of Myr are without equal"

Ned frowned He had little patience for this sort of thing, Catelyn knew "A lens," he said "What has that to do with me?"

"I asked the same question," Maester Luwin said "Clearly there was "

Under the heavy weight of her furs, Catelyn shivered "A lens is an instruered the collar of his order; a heavy chain worn tight around the neck beneath his robe, each link forged from a differentinside her once again "What is it that they would have us seeI asked htly rolled paper out of his sleeve "I found the true e concealed within a false bottom when I dismantled the box the lens had come in, but it is not for my eyes"

Ned held out his hand "Let me have it, then"

Luwin did not stir "Pardons, e is not for you either It is marked for the eyes of the Lady Catelyn, and her alone May I approach?"

Catelyn nodded, not trusting to speak The maester placed the paper on the table beside the bed It was sealed with a san to retreat

"Stay," Ned corave He looked at Catelyn "What is it? My lady, you’re shaking"

"I’m afraid," she ad hands The furs dropped away frootten In the blue as the moon-and-falcon seal of House Arryn "It’s frolad," she told hie, Ned I can feel it"

Ned frowned, his face darkening "Open it"

Catelyn broke the seal

Her eyes moved over the words At first they made no sense to her Then she reether, we had a private language, she and I"

"Can you read it?"

"Yes," Catelyn admitted

"Then tell us"

"Perhaps I should withdraw," Maester Luwin said

"No," Catelyn said "We will need your counsel" She threw back the furs and clirave on her bare skin as she padded across the room

Maester Luwin averted his eyes Even Ned looked shocked "What are you doing?" he asked