Evermore // Bran Stark

69. I Forbid It!

Seeing Amelia again after all this time, in person was like someone restarted Bran's heart. Bran stared at her, waiting for her to see him but still all this time later she felt like that nervous little girl. The last time she was at winterfell she was a prisoner. She was married for a less than a moon before she was put on house arrest. She didn't like being back here. But she liked that Rickon was here. 

"What's that look?" Rickon asked. 

"Sansa requested very aggressively that I return to my chambers." Amelia told him softly. 

"I can come-"

"Rickon!" Sansa shouted. 

"Go on,'' Amelia assured. "It's late. I'm just going to go to bed." Amelia told him. "I will see you in the morning." 

"Alright." Rickon agreed slowly as he watched her go. 

"Bran!" Rickon declared hugging him tight. Rickon's mouth moved wordlessly he couldnt believe it. 

"Hello." Bran replied hugging him back. 

"Seven hells, I have so much to tell you!" Rickon remarked. "Amelia is-" Rickon began but Sansa shushed him. "Bran loved Amelia." Rickon told her defensively. "Stop treating her like a prisoner!" 

"Rickon enough, Bran doesnt need to hear this." Sansa spat back. 

"Jon might have left you in charge but now that Bran's back he is the lord of-" Rickon began but Bran brought a hand up touching his arm. 

"It's alright." Bran assured calmly. 

"A raven came from the watch, the smiths didn't tell me but now I know why they brought this in." Sansa remarked looking to the wheelchair. 

"It's beautiful." Bran remarked calmly. Sansa expected more energy from him. He was home and safe and yet he sat, calmly spoke to them. He seemed very different. But she supposed she was different as well. 

"Are you hungry? Tired? Is Summer-" Rickon began and Bran shook his head just slightly. "Oh... shaggy dog too." Rickon informed him softly. 

"Who is your friend?" Sansa asked looking to Meera standing awkwardly behind them. 

"Meera Reed." Bran answered. 

"So nice to meet you." Sansa said stepping forward. Rickon stared at Sansa in amazement. 

"Rickon, where is Amelia?" bran asked. 

"Her old chambers." Rickon told him. 

"Could you help me?" Bran asked nodding to the chair. 

"Yeah." Rickon said eagerly. He helped lift Bran over to the new chair. 

"Why is Sansa acting like this?" Bran whispered. 

"I don't know.' Rickon told him honestly. "Amelia saved me. Ramsay Bolton-" Rickon spat out his name like it was poison. "-Was going to kill me, Amelia saved me. Jon liked Amelia but Sansa acts as though she is the enemy still." RIckon informed him. "Amelia didnt do anything wrong!" 

"I know.' Bran agreed. 

"So you and my brother?" Sansa asked hopefully. She knew of Bran's previous crush on the lannister traitor and hoped that this Meera was someone that Bran turned his focus to. 

"No." Meera told her, disgusted at the thought, after everything she did to try and help Bran, to save him and what thanks did she get... "I helped him and my brother died for him." Meera corrected. 

"Oh." Sansa said her lips pursed as she glanced back at Bran. "Well, please, stay." Sansa offered "I'm sure you are hungry and could use a warm bed?" Sansa offered. Meera nodded moving past her.

"Bran!" Sansa called marching towards him. "Where are you going?"

"To see Amelia." Bran told her still moving closer to the castle getting used to the new wheelchair. 

"No. She is not to be trusted." Sansa corrected. 

"Says who?" Bran countered. 

"Says her Lannister blood." Sansa spat. 

"She is not her brother." Bran reminded Sansa. 

"That's what I keep saying!" Rickon declared. 

"She might as well be. You don't know what her family did to me! To father! To Robb and mother!" Sansa shouted. 

"Her family. Not Amelia. She didn't do any of this." Bran corrected. "She is still my friend." 

"I forbid it." Sansa told him sternly. Bran stared back at her. "I forbid it." Sansa repeated crossing her arms over her chest.  

"Sansa-"

"Please escort my brother to his chambers, he is tired from his long journey." Sansa instructed the guards. 

"Sansa!" Bran declared completely appalled. "Rickon-"

"I will check on her." Rickon said running past the guards. 

"When are you going to understand that she is the enemy!" Sansa called after Bran. 

"When are you going to understand that I've been in love with her since I was ten." Bran countered. 

"That was before-"

"It doesnt change how I feel about Amelia." Bran countered. 

"Then I hope your answer changes in the morning. I hope you see clarity Bran. I'm glad you are back but I won't lose you over a crush you had a million years ago."