A Chorus of Flame and Snow

Exile/Lies

Jeyne

Bran had fallen from the high tower and had been left comatose since. For the first time since receiving her dear cub, she committed Ghost to her room by herself. It pained her to do it but there was no chance that she would be permitted to see Bran with the evergrowing direwolf at her side. She paced outside Bran's solar afterwards, praying internally with the old gods for the strength to enter; it was not for the strength to see Bran. Bran was dear to her and she would gladly be by his side without hesitation as she would any Stark. She prayed for the strength to face Lady Stark, whom she had heard hadn't left the room since Bran had been rendered inside.

After a time, Jeyne pushed open the heavy, wooden door. He laid motionless in the large bed, covered in blankets and furs and gave faint but steady breaths. As expected, Lady Catelyn Stark was seated in a wooden chair at his side; she had several odd, crafted idols of the Seven beside her. Jeyne focused on the shocked face Lady Stark carried at the sight of her for just a moment and strode right to his side opposite from her. Lady Stark's bewildered eyes followed her the entire way. As Jeyne knelt down over the bed, tears streamed down her cheeks and she took Bran's left hand in both of her own. She placed her forehead over his hand and sighed.

"Bran ... ", she whispered to him. "Dear ... Bran. It's me ... it's Jeyne. I don't know when ... you'll wake but I want you to know ... I will be here when you do."

"No ... you won't", Lady Stark said to her.

Jeyne raised her head and looked up at her, whom had half-dried tears of her own.

"It's a good act, I must admit", she went on. "But I see right through you, girl."

Jeyne sniffled and opened her mouth to speak. "My Lady –"

"Shut up!"

Jeyne went silent.

Lady Stark stood slowly, placing her hands on the bed to steady herself and look down on Jeyne. "I want you ... out of this room. Do you hear me? I must have done something to anger the Seven for if they were good and gracious to me, it would be you broken and bed-ridden and not my ... sweet Bran."

Jeyne inhaled and squeezed her eyes shut, spilling more tears in response to Lady Stark's callousness.

Lady Stark leaned farther towards Jeyne. "I said 'Get out'!"

"Cat!" yelled Lord Stark from the doorway, whom had appeared there at some point. Catelyn turned to him at his voice. Jeyne crept forward and kissed Bran on the forehead.

"We'll see each other again, Bran" she whispered to him.

Lady Stark turned back and saw this.

"Noooo!" she screamed. "Don't touch him!"

She lunged forward and pushed at Jeyne's face multiple times to get her away from him.

"Catelyn!" Lord Stark yelled as he approached. "Enough! Stop this!"

When Jeyne got to her feet, Catelyn reared back and smacked her across the face, forcing her to stagger against the opposite wall. Lord Stark finally grabbed ahold of Catelyn to keep her from more violence. Jeyne held her burning cheek for a moment before rushing from the room.

She ran down the hall until she found a niche in the wall to her left where she could crouch a sufficient distance from that room. She lowered to the floor and held her head in her hands; she burst into tears and began sobbing uncontrollably. She had never thought her day would go like this and everything had just gotten away from her.