A Wolf and A Lion || Jaime Lannister Love Story

Chapter 17 - Tragedy

Aurelia can give a list of things she would expect to happen the next day, however, what truly happened would never even have entered her mind. She woke up this morning feeling unsure after the events that occurred last night. Jaime was nowhere to be found in their room, and she simply assumed that he must have left for his duties. She felt quite thankful that he wasn't there, as she would much rather avoid talking about her wedding night. Then came the breakfast, and it was unusually quiet. Everyone was careful not to talk about the wedding, making Aurelia grateful. If she doesn't want to talk about it with Jaime, it means she especially doesn't want to talk about it with her family.

Ned reminded the girls to continue packing their belongings, as they leave for King's Landing tomorrow. Catelyn almost forgot about that, as her mind was continuously preoccupied with the wedding; as was Aurelia's. She stopped chewing her food as soon as she heard that, and the table grew even more quiet than before. Sansa announced then that she had finished packing, sounding exceedingly enthusiastic about the prospect of leaving her home. It was all Sansa ever wanted.

Arya created another disagreement as she shared her opinions once more about how she did not want to leave, and could not understand why. Normally, Aurelia would always jump in the middle of the argument however this time, she stayed silent. Ned wanted to hear no more of it, and Aurelia could see the tiredness growing in Ned's face. The wedding must have took a toll on him, and Aurelia felt guilty for that. Sometimes she likes to forget that her father is undergoing a hard decision, just as much as them.

Breakfast ended when Ned announced that the King wishes to have a hunt later this afternoon, inviting Robb as well. Robb, of course, was more than eager to join. With that, he left the table. Catelyn followed suit next. In the end, only Aurelia was left with the two youngest. She had to explain to Bran and Rickon what was happening as easily as possible, without having to worry them.

Then afternoon came. The worst had befallen the Stark family since the end of the war. Aurelia was resting in the library by the cozy wall nook. Her legs wrapped in a soft fur blanket. It seems she had dozed off, as Maester Luwin woke her up with the book she was reading laying down across her stomach. She was surprised at his appearance, and took in her surroundings; looking at the window beside her, and letting out a sigh that the sun was still up. Aurelia had thought it was nighttime already.

"I must have dozed off. What time is it?" Aurelia spoke as she sat straight up, pulling the fur covers off of her. She was about to stand up, but then saw the look of unease on the Maester's face. "What is it? Has something gone wrong?" She asked in a serious tone. She had never seen that expression on his face.

"My Lady, you need to come with me. It's Bran." Maester Luwin said to her. Immediately, Aurelia tensed up at his words. He didn't answer her question specifically, which meant that he couldn't bear telling the truth to her. She nodded her head, placing the book down on the mat, and following Maester Luwin out of the library.

"What truly happened to Bran? Did he injure himself whilst training? With Ser Jorah gone off with the hunting party, Bran shouldn't have trained in the first place. Did he accidentally injured himself with an arrow? He has been very keen on being a marksmen, did he try to do it himself?"

Aurelia fidgeted with her nails, walking behind Maester Luwin. She anxiously followed him, as they both walked as quickly as possible. The sound of her shoes hitting the wooden floors echoed throughout the halls, as her pace only got faster. Her mother's wails became clearer as she neared Bran's room. She's heard her mother cry before, but never this agonizing. She entered her younger brother's room, only to be met with a sight that made her stomach curl and her legs weak.

Aurelia's breath got caught on her throat, as she saw her brother lying on his bed with the fur covers up to his chest. Seeing Bran this way brought tears into Aurelia's eyes, as she slowly sat beside him on the bed. Catelyn was sitting on a chair on the opposite side, her hands clutching on Bran's. Crying, and hoping that he would wake. Bran's eyes were close, but Aurelia could see his small chest moving up and down, though his breathing was faint.