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"You're my choice to replace Jon obviously," the man said in the most obvious tone. "Who better to clean my mess than you?"
Stannis tried not to show it, but the stiffness in his jaws was enough to sign that the statement did not settle well with the man.
NED: He's coming this far North, there's only one thing he's after.
CATELYN: You can always say no, Ned.
"Robert is not a man who likes to be told no" Renly said slowly. He'd been Master of Laws long enough to know his brother and his nature.
[Scene shifts to the Winterfell great hall where a great banquet is being prepared.]
"Oh, that was a jump" Sansa muttered. She had been engrossed in the story so far in silence.
"Probably nothing of importance happened," Robb told her kindly.
"We need plenty of candles for Lord Tyrion's chamber. I'm told he reads all night."
"Do you?" Joanna questioned her youngest.
"I do sometimes Tyrion shrugged.
"I used to do it a lot before I got pregnant with you. Perhaps all my reading had an impact on you" The mother smiled at her youngest and Tyrion returned half a smile.
"I'm told he drinks all night."
Tyrion had the decency to look abashed.
"Your grandfather was a great drinker" Joanna snorted, shaking her head in disappointment. She was still unsure of her youngest, whether she should be proud of him or not. As a mother she should, yet as a Lady of a Noble House, she couldn't help but feel disappointed in the child she produced.
"How much could he possibly drink? A man of his ... stature."
"I can assure you Lady Stark, a man of my... stature can drink his weight easily" Tyrion answered with a sardonic smile.
Catelyn blushed, lowering her head. The man was not supposed to hear her say that.
"We've brought up eight barrels of ale from the cellar. Perhaps we'll find out."
Tyrion hummed. That sounded like a good amount.
Joanna frowned at the number. Surely not all the barrels will be spent on her youngest.
"In any case, candles."
[Scene shifts to Robb, Theon, and Jon getting barbered.]
JON: Why's your mother so dead-set on us getting pretty for the king?
THEON: It's for the queen, I bet. I hear she's sleek as a mink?
Theon stiffened and against his better judgement turned to the King. The man did not look remotely bothered at his wife being name-called like that. He sighed in relief and immediately stiffened when his eyes fell on the Kingslayer. The smile on the man was anything but friendly.
"You are probably going to get beaten up at some point brother" Yara whispered to him with a large grin.
"Shut up" Theon said with a scowl.
"I hear the prince is a right royal prick."
It was Robb's turn to stiffen. Nobody told him off nor did anyone throw him looks.
"Think of all those southern girls he gets to stab with his right royal prick."
"So it's either violence or fucking that runs in your ruddy head then" Yara barked a laugh, "mayhaps you haven't forgotten your Iron roots."
"Why would you think I would?" Theon raised a brow.
Yara shrugged.
[Scene shifts to the royal procession approaching Winterfell. Bran sees them from his perch high atop a castle wall and clambers nimbly down to tell everyone.]
"Gods be good what is that boy doing up there?!" Lyanna said in shock.
"Bran has a habit of climbing to high places, regardless of what his father and I tell him" Catelyn threw her son a fond look.
Bran smiled at his aunt who just shook her head at the boy.
"Are you not afraid?" she asked.
"No. Because I know I won't fall" Bran declared boldly.
Lyanna couldn't help but smile at the boy's confidence.
"I saw the king! He's got hundreds of people!"
"How many times have I told you: No climbing!?
"But he's coming right now! Down our road!"
"I want you to promise me: No more climbing."
"I promise."
"He's lying" Brandon the elder laughed. "Benjen used to do that when he was that old, Where is he by the way?"
"Benjen joined the Watch not long after the Rebellion" Ned answered his brother.
"So he went through with it" Lyanna frowned. She remembered how taken Benjen was with the Nights Watchman at the Tourney.
"Do you know?"
"What?"
"You always look at your feet before you lie. Run and find your father. Tell him the king is close."
[BRAN runs off, followed by his wolf pup.]
"Look at how big the pups have gotten!" Lyanna said with excitement in her tone and figurative sparkles in her eyes. "Not much time should have passed since the raven came from Kings Landing, They are growing fast!"
"Animals unlike humans grow extremely fast" Brandon nodded, remembering his hunting dog and her pups. He wondered how they were doing these days.
[Scene shifts to the grand entry of the king's horses and men. Arya, wearing a helm and cloak, pushes her way into a tall wagon for a better look. In rides Joffrey, followed by the Hound. The other Starks wait in a greeting line.]
"Not much of the King in the Prince" Oberyn noted with a soft hum.
"Not much of the King in any of his children Doran added, his eyes on Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen. His eyes then went to the boy who sat with Varys. That one looked more like Robert than any of his children. "Very interesting."
[More riders with banners. Arya scoots past her parents to get in the receiving line. Ned pulls the helm off of her head and Catelyn stands her between Sansa and Bran]
"Move!"
"They remind me of you and Ben" Brandon whispered to Lyanna, who smiled at the scene and the comment.
[Joffrey rides up, Sansa smiles at him, Robb glares at Joffrey. The Hound pulls up his helm. The coach carrying Cersei lumbers in, followed by Robert. All kneel. Robert heaves himself off his horse. Ned looks shocked at the sight of his old friend, now fat and red-faced. Robert signals for all to rise and looks at Ned.]
"You let yourself go" Ned muttered to his friend.
Robert sighed seeing himself on the glowing dragon glass wall. Look at how much he had fallen.
"Your Grace."
"You've got fat."
[Ned gives Robert a "What about you?" look. They start laughing.]
"Nine years. Why haven't I seen you? Where the hell have you been?"
"Guarding the North for you, Your Grace. Winterfell is yours."
"So Jon dies three years from now" Ned murmured. The word Ned wished to use was 'Murdered but he did not have enough proof of that.
"We don't change much in three years do we" Robert boomed with laughter. "We had the same conversation when we got here!"
Ned shook his head with a smile.
[Cersei and her other children descend from the coach.]
"Where's the Imp?"
"Yes, where are you?" Joanna raised an eyebrow.
"How would I know? It's three years in the future" Tyrion answered. But he had an idea of where he could be.
"Who have we here? You must be Robb. (To Sansa) My, you're a pretty one. (To Arya) Your name is?"
"Arya."
"Ooh. Show us your muscles. You'll be a soldier."
"He's a lot nicer to children than he is to any of us" Renly commented idly.
"He is a lot nicer to Lord Stark's children" he hissed to his brother, just so his daughter wouldn't overhear. Robert was not mean or rude towards Shireen, but the man did not attend to her remotely as he was attending to Ned Stark's children.
[JAIME removes his helm.]
"That's Jaime Lannister. The queen's twin brother."
"Would you please shut up."