The ride back to Winterfell was a jovial one, everyone was happy except Tommen. He hid his guilt-ridden conscious behind a smile. He had allowed something terrible to happen to his friend. But maybe Tommen thought maybe I manipulated the timeline enough to ensure he didn't fall. Tommen felt even more guilty when he realized he couldn't decide whether or not it should happen. He knew Bran's fall was one of the reasons for Catelyn Stark's seizing of Tyrion Lannister but he wasn't sure why.
Tyrion was always the most courteous of the Lannisters, despite being called a "Demon monkey" or "Tywin's bane".
Winterfell began to appear on the horizon Tommen felt his stomach flip over with growing apprehension. The royal party was to leave tomorrow and he would have to be serious and courteous when he gave his condolences to the Starks. Tommen began to question his being born again. Why? Why would the gods give me a second chance? I am a bastard, after all, at least I think I am. Tommen questioned why the gods brought him back if they knew his plans for the sparrows. He planned on pulling them apart piece by piece. He wanted to in his old life but he couldn't lest he risk the life of Margaery and Loras. He wanted to give the heads of sparrows to her for her name day, but all she got were ashes.
They rode through the main gate, where they received a somber welcome. Eddard was the one to greet them, he told them of the day prior. Told them of Bran's fall and how he was unlikely to live and if he did he would not walk again. Tommen gave his condolences to Robb, Eddard, and Jon. After he put his white destrier in the stables. He went to Lady Catelyn in one of the towers of Winterfell where he gave his condolences to her and looked at Bran's state of destitution.
His skin looked like it was barely hanging onto his bones. Like he was wearing someone else's skin. Lady Catelyn was courteous though she looked at him with a glare. As if she didn't trust him, she looked at him as though he was the cause of his fall. Of course, he was, but Tommen was unsure as to why she didn't look like she trusted him. He remembered she seized Tyrion for Bran's incident even though he had nothing to do with it.
Perhaps there's more to this than meets the eye. Tommen thought. Afterwards, he searched for Lady Sansa, she was a lot prettier than Tommen remembered her in his old life. Tommen knew it was because she was happy in this life and depressed in her old one. She even confessed in his old life that she almost threw herself from the window of her chambers when her father died and Arya disappeared but she said she didn't have the courage to do something as drastic as that. Now looking upon her as Septa Mordane and Myrcella tried to comfort her she looked exactly as she did in Kings Landing in his old life. Something inside Tommen broke seeing her like this but he pulled himself together and gave his condolences while he comforted her. He told her that Bran was strong and that he would live, which she thanked him for. Septa Mordane thanked Tommen outside the door for coming to give his condolences and said Joffrey hadn't said a word of regret to the Starks as of yet. Tommen tried to make an excuse for his brother but failed.
He went to Arya's quarters next but failed to find her. After half an hour of searching, he found her in the Godswood. This was the first time Tommen had seen her praying in both his old life and the new. She was muttering silently under her breath as Tommen approached. She looked over her shoulder as she heard him approach. She got quickly to her feet and to his surprise embraced him. Tommen had never seen her vulnerable, and she didn't mind his smell. As he had yet to change out of his dirty clothing of the day prior. He consoled her for a while before he headed to his chambers to wash up. Changing out of his boiled leather for a grey brocade with a lion's broach at the neck.
Tommen spent the remainder of the day brooding in his chambers, trying to read to distract his mind but failing every time he tried. Myrcella eventually showed up to the chambers and looked at him oddly, he was lying on his bed with a book. The book was on his chest and his hands held the book in place. But he wasn't reading he was looking past the book thinking of Bran. Not even thinking of Margaery helped ease his consciousness like it usually did when he thought of her. His thoughts constantly returned to Bran and his fall.
Myrcella climbed beside him on his bed and asked where he had been all day. He told her that he was aching from the bruises inflicted on him on the day prior, but that wasn't the reason he stayed in his chambers and Mrycella knew it. "You mustn't feel guilty. You weren't even here, no one could have prevented it." Tommen simply pursed his lips and nodded.
He went to sleep and dreamt of bloodied snow.
The next day was the day of the Royal party's departure, Tommen dressed in another grey brocade but this time with a Stag broach and a grey cloak with a lion and stag sewn into the design. It had a grey exterior but a silk-black interior, it fit him perfectly but it did not touch the ground only making it to just below his knees.
He saw Tyrion and Joffrey arguing and Tyrion even slapped Joff which gave him a little chuckle under his breath. He needed fresh air after spending so many hours indoors. Though the air was stale and cold and unforgiving. He went back inside to join his family for breakfast, where the topic of Bran inevitably came up after Myrcella asked about him, Tyrion told them that he would live and every hour he lived would improve his chances of waking. Tommen was grateful that he hadn't altered the timeline too much to the point where Bran would die.
So Tommen letting Bran fall wouldn't be all for not. He and Myrcella left breakfast early to begin packing their things, Myrcella said she thought she would miss Winterfell and Tommen agreed other than the bitter cold. They both felt free there, where their movements weren't hindered like they were in the Red Keep. Where you could go outside and you wouldn't smell human excrement only the dung from horses. Which was not nearly as imposing of a smell. He went up to the tower where Bran was, planning one last goodbye. Joffrey passed him on the winding stairs. Joffrey spoke in a low tone "Tyrion force you to offer condolences too?" After a moment of looking Tommen up and down he continued "Probably not. You and Myrcella always had a soft spot for these Northern Barbarians and their whore daughters." He completed with a smirk pulling at his lips.
Tommen simply ignored him as he really didn't want to put up with Joffrey at the moment and he knew ignoring Joffrey would only make Joffrey madder. So he simply continued up the stairs of the tower. He approached the open door and sure enough Lady Catelyn was there in the same position as she was the day prior wearing the same clothes, and knitting the same cloth. She looked tired but she dared not leave her child's side. She seemed hopeful though and that only made her want to stay by Bran's side more.
Tommen chose his words gingerly and cautiously and put meaning behind them no doubt Joffrey had offered a condolence that only left her feeling more stressed. "My Lady...your son has been a good friend for the duration of my stay in Winterfell. He is a gleeful and wonderful child, no one deserves this. He is a strong boy, I have no doubt that he'll make it through this."
Catleyn looked at him her sharp eyes softening a little she said "Thank you, for your kind words my prince... and you're right. He is a strong boy. He'll make it through this." She then turned back her gaze solely on Bran. Tommen bowed his head ever so slightly then left the room.
Over the next few hours, the royal party finished packing their things. Tommen said his goodbyes to Jon, he even considered offering him a position as his Sworn shield. But Tommen knew he'd likely die when Joffrey cleansed the Red Keep of Stark loyalists. He then said goodbye to Uncle Tyrion and wished him luck in his admirable goal of pissing off the edge of the world. As the royal party was just about to leave Tommen fed Fastmane several carrots and two apples. He then brought Fastmane out of the stables and mounted her. Muttering under his breath that he would bring Sansa and Arya back to Winterfell. As he passed under the portcullis he took last one look at Winterfell, knowing that if he remained a passive figure in the Game of Thrones nearly everyone in this castle would be ruthlessly butchered by Ironborn dogs. He was determined to not let it come to that, he would not let it come to that.
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Reborn (Discontinued but being reworked)
Fanfiction'A good king must be just... Orys the first was just. Everyone applauded his reforms, nobles and commoners alike. But he wasn't just for long, he was murdered in his sleep after less than a year by his own brother. Was that truly just of him? To aba...
