Only A Northern Song ~ Game of Thrones / Willas Tyrell ~

Chapter Thirty Seven: Return

'I am on my way home to you, my dear wife. I have been so grateful for the opportunity to visit the Wall, and with such excellent company too, yet the entire time I have wished to have you with me. I hope you are well, you and our child, and I cannot wait until I have you in my arms again. With love and endless affection, your husband.'

"You've already read that letter three times this morning," Bran pointed out with a slight scowl, not even smiling as he saw his sister's cheeks turn pink.

It was true, but what Bran didn't know was that the letter had arrived two days before and in that time she had already committed it entirely to memory. It wasn't particularly interesting, his letters back in their courting days in Highgarden had been vastly longer and carried more detail, yet it still quickly became her most treasured possession. It had been so long since she had seen Willas and even longer since he had written her a letter so she had read it over and over, even carrying it with her wherever she went, not that she went far considering she only really went to the Godswood and Bran's room.

The latter had become a much more eventful place in the days that had followed Bran waking up. It had happened a week after their mother departed for King's Landing, and since then he was yet to leave his room. He was stubborn, like all of the Starks, yet this stubbornness was more out of anger and upset than anything else. Eddmina liked being right, but she hated that she was right about Bran's mood following his awakening. He had been exactly like how she'd told her mother he would be, confused at what had happened, frustrated that he could no longer walk or climb, and downright depressed that his dreams had been taken from him. Three days after he woke up he told his eldest siblings that with everyone leaving Winterfell it was like he had fallen asleep and by the time he woke up everyone had died, only to follow that up with the declaration that he too would rather be dead, and Eddmina had to leave the room so he didn't see her tear up. She decided then that she would spend all her time with him, and so she took every meal with him, stayed up in his tower room until the early hours and returned each morning at first light. She was exhausted, but was certain she would be anyway considering how much her child now moved, especially at night.

"You can read it yourself if you like," she suggested, offering the letter to her little brother, smirking slightly as he grimaced in disgust. "He asked how you were, he says he's looking forward to seeing you again,"

Bran didn't say anything, he merely looked up at the ceiling, and so Eddmina bit her lip slightly as she tried to think of something else to say. Usually their conversations revolved solely around climbing and adventures, or stories of knights of the golden age. It felt cruel to bring up those topics, and so she found herself at a loss for what they could now talk about. She racked her mind, desperately trying to think of anything that would take his mind away from what was happening.

"I can go get my lute if you'd like, I've been learning some new songs from that book Princess Arianne sent to me," she suggested on a whim, despite knowing Bran had no interest in music.

"What's Dorne like?" Bran asked, almost boredly.

"It's warm, but brilliant," she told him. "Sunspear is beautiful, the gardens are even better than those in Highgarden, though I wouldn't tell any of the Tyrells that. The Martells were very accommodating to me too. I'd like to visit again one day, perhaps you could come with us?"

"I won't be able to go though, will I?" he spoke bitterly, clenching his jaw. "I can't go anywhere anymore,"

"Whoever said that?" she narrowed her eyes at him stubbornly before offering him a smile, leaning over and taking his hand. "I know things seem dire right now, but we're going to do everything we can for you to give you the best life possible. I'll be damned if you don't get every opportunity to thrive, you don't deserve any less than anyone else."