[Winterfell]
Catelyn Stark sat on the cold stone bench inside the small sept of Winterfell, made especially for her after she got married up in the south to the lord paramount of the North. Being from the Riverlands, she had grown up praying with the religion of the Seven and even after marriage, she didn't turn her worship to the Old Gods.
She was lucky in this regard, she married a lord who didn't have her convert her religion. So every time she prayed here she found herself blessed to have the only sept in the entire North, all for herself.
However, today was different, she sat with her hands clasped tight in prayer. The soft light of the candles flickered against the walls, casting long shadows around her. She had been there for hours now, whispering to the Seven, begging them to watch over her son.
Ever since Robb's letter arrived, she had known no peace. Bran—her sweet, brave boy—had been found at Castle Black, but then he vanished again. Gone without a trace, and not alone. Robb had written that the Hound had disappeared at the same time. There was no doubt who did it.
Catelyn's heart ached with worry while a mother's fury was boiling inside her, it was times like this when she wished to be born as a man, at least she could go after her child and find him.
She asked the Seven to protect her son, to guide him back to her. She promised them offerings, prayers, and devotion—anything if only they would return Bran safe.
It was on one of these sorrowful days, when Catelyn was once again kneeling before the altar, that a servant came rushing into the sept. The young man looked pale, his hands shaking slightly as he held out a folded piece of parchment.
"My lady," he said, bowing low. "A Raven. The message is unknown but for your eyes only."
Catelyn rose quickly, snatching the letter from his hand, not sure who sent it or why, but to a grieving mother, anything which mildly looked like a hope to find her son was a treasure. Fear gripped her heart before she even broke the seal though. The message could bring hope as at the same time it could bring the same amount of desperation and fear at times. She didn't recognize the wax—no sigil, plain and simple, meant to not draw attention.
Her fingers trembled as she opened it. Her eyes raced over the words. And then, she froze.
Ned. Captured.
She read the words again, hardly believing them. Her husband—her strong, loyal Ned—was declared as a traitor by those Lannisters. Betrayed and thrown into chains.
There was nothing more in the letter, it was so plain even believing the words written in it was questionable.
Catelyn sat back heavily on the bench, the letter falling from her hand. First Bran, and now Ned. Her family was being torn apart piece by piece, and she was powerless to stop it.
She didn't wish to believe it, however, when the mind only sees dark, it gets blind to the light existing in the world.
Tears welled in her eyes, but she bit them back.
What about Sansa and Arya ? Her mind raced.
"Ser Rodrik, he must know something," she muttered to herself and got up. Being a woman, she had no hand in politics, but to a battle-hardened man like Ser Rodrik who is the master at arms at Winterfell for years, he must know something. He might be able to prove the message's validity.
...
[King's Landing]
Cersei's chambers were chaos. The Queen Mother stood in the middle of the room, hair wild, her face streaked with tears and rage. She overturned a table with a furious scream, goblets and plates clattering to the floor.
"My son! My golden lion!" she shrieked, her voice echoing down the halls. "Poisoned like a dog before my very eyes—and you dare tell me you found nothing?"
The Kingsguard stood stiff, armor rattling nervously. "We searched every corner, Your Grace. We questioned the servants, the guests—none saw who placed the poison."
Cersei's hand snapped across his cheek, hard and sharp. "Lies! Useless fools! You swore to protect him, and now he lies cold in the sept!"
Her voice cracked, but her fury only grew. She grabbed a wine jug from the table and hurled it at the wall, the stone dripping red as if bleeding with her grief. She screamed again, clawing at her dress as though tearing the pain from her chest.
"Find me the culprit!" she roared, pacing like a caged beast. "I want names, I want blood! If you must tear the city apart brick by brick, do it!"
The guards exchanged uneasy glances, but none spoke.
"Bring me Varys," she spat suddenly. "The spider knows everything. Bring that damn Enuch here."
Moments later, Varys entered, his face calm as ever, his hands folded before him. He bowed low. "Your Grace."
"Tell me," Cersei hissed, stalking toward him. "Who did this? Who poisoned my son? Speak!"
Varys lowered his eyes. "I grieve with you, Your Grace, truly. But my little birds bring me nothing certain. Too many hands touched the cup, too many guests with too many motives—"
"Enough of your riddles!" she snapped, her voice like a whip. "You know something. You always know something."
Varys shook his head softly. "Not this time, my Queen."
He turned, as if to leave, but then—Cersei froze. A memory came crawling back, a drunken night, a whisper in her ear. Thor's voice.
"Spider huh, damn… a Targaryen loyalist… waiting to place his dragon queen on the throne…"
"That spider is more poisonous than vipers at dorne... you wouldn't even know when he poison you."
"Poison isn't just women weapon..."
He was basically complaining about his own greviance while fucking her but she recalled it just right.
Her eyes widened. It was like a torch lit in the dark. That was why there was no culprit. That was why nothing could be found. The spider himself was hiding the truth.
"Guards!" she bellowed suddenly.
The men stepped forward.
"Seize him!"
Varys blinked, startled for the first time. "Your Grace,"
The bald Eunuch was baffled. How come he was the one getting arrested?
"Capture him, take him to the dungeon!" Cersei snarled, stepping closer, her eyes blazing.
"My queen, this is a mistake." Varys didn't know why but he decided to plea first and question later.
"It is no mistake. You will tell me everything, eunuch. You will tell me who killed my son. And if you lie, I'll have your tongue ripped from your skull!"
The guards grabbed him by the arms, dragging him back.
Varys said nothing, but his silence only made Cersei's rage burn hotter.
She would have her truth—even if she had to carve it from him herself.
"Send a raven, I need to know any connect Varys has to those dragon spawns."
xxx
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