"as your kids grow they may forget what you said, but won't forget how you made them feel." - kevin heath
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Aloy was rushing through the halls, scuffing her feet on the cobblestone. She was in nothing but her nightgown, hair down in matted curls. She had to make sure he was okay. He's never fell before.
Aloy was the last to receive the news. A handmaiden giving it to her at her bedchambers door. Bran fell from a tower on the outskirts of Winterfell. He hasn't opened his eyes since he hit the ground. Not moving an inch.
She jumped up the stairs, three at a time, until she reached the top. The door swung open, loudly banging against the wall.
Catelyn jumped in shock, eyes wide staring at Aloy, believing she was an intruder.
"You can not be in here." Catelyn spat, her fingers fiddling with a small project she was working on.
Aloy ignored her, focusing on her brother who laid still. He was emotionless, eyes closed and arms laid out over the wolf skin blankets. His hair was laid down on the pillow, sweat gathering on his forehead in a clear sheen. The wolf-skin blanket covered his body, hiding the mangled legs under it. He was an angel, even near possible death.
"How is he?" She asked.
"I don't know." Catelyn said shakily, fingers twitching madly as she attached more sticks to her project.
Aloy walked over, grabbing Bran's hand, taking a deep breath, and sitting on the edge of his bed. Her mind raced with every possibility. His legs could be missing in a days time, he could've died from the fall...he could never wake up.
Aloy shuddered at the thought, hoping Catelyn wouldn't see and judge her further for being in here.
She closed her eyes, praying to the old gods and the new for her brothers safe return to the realm. She never believed in religion but knowing she was not a maester or any alchemist. Aloy resorted to a desperate plea.
"You have to go." Catelyn insisted again, letting out a heavy sigh. She could not stand the living and breathing reminder that her husband was unfaithful to her, not once but twice.
"He's my brother, my lady. I have the right to see him." Aloy said, growing angry with Catelyn's ignorance. She couldn't bear to look her in the eyes, afraid she might snap and the fury of all those years of neglect and isolation would take a toll right before Aloy left for The Wall.
Aloy swore she heard Catelyn mumble something under her breath but ignored it for both their sakes. Aloy was reaching her breaking point, she never expected Catelyn to be kind to her, to be a mother, to treat her and Jon like the rest of the Stark children. She simply wanted to be considered a person to her.
The more Aloy thought about it, the more it enraged her. She bit her tongue, knowing Catelyn would have the pleasure of seeing Aloy leave.
"Do we know who did this?" Aloy questioned. She reckoned he was pushed by someone, having her own lists of suspects but it would be best to hear someone else speak about it before Aloy went blabbering on.
"No." Catelyn snapped, accidentally breaking a twig on her project. She then spoke again, "You have to leave. You've seen him."
Aloy let go of Bran's hand, raising her eyes to meet Catelyn's cold ones. The clash of metal and the caw of a crow the only noise in the chambers. Aloy's eyes started to well up with tears, Catelyn's face turning red. It wasn't about Bran, it was about Catelyn's hatred towards the poor woman, how it made her blood boil to see Aloy and Jon have an influence on her true children, especially Arya. Catelyn despised Jon and Aloy for it, wishing some sickness would take them in the night.
"I never chose to be born a bastard. I never wanted to be a whore's daughter, to put a stain on the Stark family." Aloy said through gritted teeth, her voice low and shallow.
Catelyn could not find a justifiable response, something to excuse her horrible actions to the Snow siblings.
"As a child, I wanted so badly to be like you, marry a prince and live in a castle somewhere. You've shown me nothing more than pure hatred to me and Jon. We never chose this! I never chose this! Don't blame me for something your husband did!"
The door swung open, revealing Robb in his leather armour and black bear fur cloak. His eyes wide, his hand on his sword. Catelyn and Aloy wouldn't break their gaze, leaving Aloy shaking violently with sadness. The flow of tears cleansing her boiling anger. Aloy's mind glossed over, wanting to leave now for The Wall on her own. Her words would never have an impact on Catelyn, she was happy to have expressed them to her face for her once.
"Is everything alright?" Robb asked gently, afraid to spook the two she-wolves into ripping his throat out.
Catelyn hissed, "Go."
Aloy was frozen in place, breathing so heavily that it drowned out the noise coming from outside.
"Get out!" Catelyn shrieked, throwing her wooden project close to Aloy. It shattered against the cobblestone, splintering to the cold ground.
The crows fell silent, the workers below set down their tools to gaze up at the open window. The air became thin and weighed a thousand pounds. Aloy's breathing ceased, her body refusing to move. She wanted to strangle Catelyn in that moment, enacting revenge for everything she's done. Aloy's fists clenched, she couldn't leave her siblings without their mother.
"Leave!"
Robb rushed over, grabbing Aloy's forearm. She pulled away, shouldering her way past and down the hall. She would not have her embarrassed by being escorted out by her older brother. Robb continued to follow her, calling her name like he was calling a toddler. Aloy's ears rang loud, only grabbing her attention when Robb grabbed onto her shoulder.
"What was that?" Robb asked, turning her with one hand to face him.
"Never mind what that was." Aloy said, looking up into his blue eyes which clashed with her green ones.
"You've upset mother. Why?" Robb said.
His grip was still strong on her shoulder, leaving a red mark there in an hour. Aloy did not want to tell him, Robb was always so loyal to Catelyn, he'd never side with her honestly.
"I wanted to see Bran." Aloy responded truthfully.
Robb's face softened, staring at his younger sister. He didn't want his sister to feel this way. He was losing a lot of his family in one day, he'd rather not lose them in anger. Aloy waited for Robb to say something, the cold now catching up to her with a shiver up her spine.
"I will talk to her. She's just worried and protective over Bran at the moment and the situation." Robb said, portraying his concern with reason. "This is about Bran. Don't let your anger get in the way of that."
Aloy sighed lightly. Robb removed his hand from her shoulder and rested it on the handle of his sword casually. Aloy did not say anything. It was still early in the morning, Jon said that he had something special for Arya before they left for King's Landing.
She glared up at Robb's muscular frame, "You don't know what you are talking about brother."
Aloy's head was pulsing, her vision blurry and shaking. She never wanted to feel what she did again. Today in Winterfell was going to be the last day that the Stark family saw each other, all happy and smiling. All except one.
——
this chapter isn't sitting right with me. i wanted to build Catelyn and Aloy's relationship and get some Robb lines in there. this is really a brain dump.
word count - 1,330
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