Bran had jolted awake at the sound of someone suddenly entering his room. He had thought maybe it was someone to inform him about Jaidyn.
The girl he considered a sister had left soon after a boy had delivered terrible news. His teacher had been the one to inform him of her whereabouts. At that news, he wanted nothing more than to follow behind her. He was after all a lord of Winterfell and he should help defend it. But he knew Jaidyn would only reprimand him for such a notion.
Instead, he was subjected to wait for any word of her well-being. He knew her training would certainty come in hand but there was also the worry about her current state. He could only pray to the gods for her safety.
What he never expected was for Theon Greyjoy to be standing in front of him? The ward he had know his whole life was suppose to be fighting alongside his brother.
"We taken the castle." The Ironborn informed simply.
"Theon?" Bran asked trying to grasp his bearings.
"It's Prince Theon now." The boy said proudly assuming he had secured a position among the world. "Get up. You have to get dressed. I've taken Winterfell. I took it. I'm occupying it. I sent men over the walls with grappling claws and ropes."
"Why?" Bran questioned unsure what to do.
"To take the castle." Theon worded simply trying to get the boy to understand.
"You went with Robb." Bran stated.
"And he sent me back to Pyke. I'm a Greyjoy. I can't fight for Robb and my father both. Where's Hodor?" Theon explained remembering the internal debate he had had before he decided.
"I don't know." The boy answered making Theon turn to his companion.
"Find the halfwit and the Queen. We need her." He addressed noting the key point he needed.
Theon Greyjoy had this plan well-thought out. He would attack Torrhen's Square drawing out any fighting men. Then stage a small raid for whoever was left. Once the fighters were cleared out he would take the castle. But what he had expected was for Jaidyn to be among the people fighting against them. He would her current state and the Stark boys if needed to get her to surrender. Except he hadn't seen the brunette fighter at all.
"My men are bringing your people together in the courtyard." He informed making Bran question him again which he decided to explain. "So you can go down and tell them how you yielded Winterfell to me."
"I won't." Bran denied making Theon argue back. "I won't. I'll never yield. We'll fight you and throw you out."
The boy's thought was he was fighting for his home. For his family so they could return to them. But another suggested that Jaidyn was still outside the walls and she would need a safe place to give birth. He couldn't give up the castle to Theon.
"The castle is mine. But these people are still yours. You'll yield to keep them safe, to keep them alive. That's what a good lord would do. Think carefully about what you want to say." Theon finalized going to leave the room.
"Theon." Bran called out before could leave. "Did you hate is that whole time?" He asked because to him Theon and Jaidyn were never wards. They were part of the family.
Theon didn't answer him instead he left. It was a question he had struggled with during his time on Pyke. In truth, he didn't hate the Starks and did consider Robb and the others family. But his father's greeting was anything but pleasant. All his doings from that moment forward was only to appease his father. But there was also been a side that resented Robb, a side he wanted so greatly to ignore.
His thoughts interrupted when his companion had returned. Hodor went passed them to gather Bran. But Theon was observant of his expression.
"What is it? Did you find Jaidyn?" He questioned wanting answers.
"The Queen couldn't not be found in her chambers. We gathered all the brunettes in hopes that one of them resemble the Queen but we have no way to identify her." He informed with reason.
Jaidyn Mormont-Stark had not been seen by anyone other than the people of Winterfell. Whoever discussed her always refer to her house sigil.
This made Theon sigh as he followed him to where they had gathered the girls. But a part of him was telling him Jaidyn would've been easy to spot because she would've resisted. It wasn't till he had gotten to the room that he realized how right he was.
In the room was all the brunettes in the castle but they all had a distinct similarity. They were all shaking in fear of the men surrounding them. Theon knew Jaidyn would never cower in fear of an enemy.
The more he looked, the more he began to realize the flaw in his plan. Jaidyn was not among them. And if she wasn't there, then he couldn't secure his holding of the castle.
He quickly made his way out and finding the only plausible person who would know her whereabouts. "Where is she?" He demanded to the maester.
Maester Luwin only looked at him and seen the frantic look in his eyes. Theon needed Jaidyn. It began to make him feel better about allowing her to leave.
"The Queen left Winterfell to attend to business. By now, she has received word of the current predicament and would be wise not to return." He stated simply.
Theon felt enraged at the information. His whole plan was to hold the Queen to his will. Without Jaidyn, the plan held little meaning. He could only hope that Bran and Rickon would suffice.
The Ironborn dismissed the girls into the courtyard before he and his men entered the courtyard. He had Bran publicly announce that he had yielded to support his rule. But this only encited the people to be against him. Theon could only sense that it was because the queen and the unborn heir wasn't in his grasp.
To strengthen his hold on the castle and its people, Theon had spoken with authority only for his companion to tell him otherwise. Theon didn't want to result to violence but in order to will submission to the people and respect from his crew, it had to be done. He sentenced Ser Rodrik to dead for speaking out against him.
And it wasn't just the act that would stick with him, but the words the knight had spoken to him. A lesson he as well as the other Stark boys, with the exception of Jaidyn, had learned.
The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword.
He began to wonder if this was the right decision after all. But he could continue telling himself that his father would be pleased.
《Northern camp》
Robb Stark had been wondering his camp after another battle had been won. He couldn't stand another moment longer in the presence of the lords and opted to walk around. What he didn't expect was to come across the nurse that had joined their entourage.
"Lady Talisa." He greeted stepping toward her.
"Your Grace." She greeted back surprised to see him talking to her. "I'm not sure I'm a lady. Westerosi customs are still a but foreign to me."
"It's hard to keep all the rules straight. But if I remember my lessons, a woman of noble birth is always called a lady. Unless she's a queen or princess. I could find someone who knows." Robb explained striking up a conversation.
"Why are you so sure I'm of noble birth?" Talisa asked wondering if the king had done any research into her background.
"Because it's obvious." Robb stated simply stating his view point at how she held herself. If only he could look beyond what he could see.
"What if I told you my father sold lace on the Long Bridge, and my mother, my brother and I lives with him above out shop?" She stated with a semi-serious face.
In truth, he was pointing around to see just what he knew. But then she realized if he truthly knew her past then he wouldn't been conversing with her. She could only hope that her speaking with the king would not being unwanted eyes.
The two conversed awhile longer but both did not noticed the pair of eyes that settled on them. The woman watching how her son conversed so easily with this young lady. It had been awhile since he seemed free to speak. But it only hurt her as she thought this was how a similar scenario played out long ago, one that she despised for countless reasons.
Her presence had caught the nurse's eyes making Robb turn to his mother. The king made introduction but Catelyn had picked up on the absence of a last name.
"Lady Talisa..." She commented wondering just how much influence this nurse might hold.
"Maegyr." Talisa said hoping she sounded convincing. Her only worry was that they were so observant of her state.
"Maegyr? Forgive me, I don't know this name." Catelyn mentioned her knowledge of Westeros. But the last name had only peaked the woman's curiosity.
"An uncommon name here. An old name in Volantis." Talisa explained thinking they would have no reach across the Narrow Sea. If only she had know what she was up against. The two in front of her were not the threat but her biggest worry was only beginning.
Once the nurse dismissed herself, the two decided to have a talk. Catelyn worried for what her son might see in the nurse. As well as what the nurse's intentions might be. While Robb had seen no problem conversing with anyone in the camp.
"I know this distance might be hard on not only you but for Jaidyn as well. A married couple should not spend their first year far from one another, especially when they are expecting their first babe." Catelyn commented soothingly.
Robb stayed silent as he thought of Jaidyn being alone caring for their child. But until he avenged his family, he couldn't to back.
"I just don't want you both to go through what your father and I did when he marched off to war." Catelyn expressed making it all connect for Robb.
"I am not my father. I would never put Jaidyn in that position." Robb stated not believing his mother would think such a thought.
He loved Jaidyn. He just enjoyed the conversations with a woman rather than the brooding talks he had with his council. He had also seen what had come of his father's infidelity and knew how much it hurt not only his mother but his brother.
"I never thought your father would do that to me either. War changes a person, Robb. I only want you aware of your decisions beforehand." Catelyn mentioned but before Robb could respond Lord Bolton approached them.
"Your Grace, My Lady. News from Winterfell."