Chapter 19

[Chapter Size: 2800 Words.]

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The great hall was crowded, filled with murmurs and curious glances. At the top, King Robert, Queen Cersei, and the injured Prince Joffrey sat. In the center, surrounded by the crowd, was Arya. Her eyes were wide with fear, as all eyes seemed to judge her.

Ned, still outside searching desperately for Arya, received the news and rushed into the hall. He pushed through the crowd, shoving anyone in his way, until he finally reached his daughter.

"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry!"

Arya ran into Ned's arms, crying and apologizing in panic. She knew she had caused trouble for her father. Stabbing the heir to the throne with a sword was a serious crime, punishable severely. But she also knew it wasn't her fault.

It all started in the afternoon when Joffrey appeared while she was practicing fencing with Mycah, the butcher's apprentice. For no apparent reason, Joffrey decided he wanted to hurt Mycah. Arya had no choice. She had to protect the boy.

Since Jon gave her his sword, she was so excited that she decided to learn fencing. That's why she brought Mycah to practice with her. But then Joffrey showed up suddenly, deliberately injuring Mycah. When Arya tried to intervene, the prince attacked her as well. That's when her direwolf, Nymeria, came into play. Nymeria bit Joffrey, defending Arya.

But, clearly, the blame was on Joffrey!

"Are you hurt?" Ned asked, his voice full of concern as he held Arya tightly.

"No!" Arya shook her head repeatedly, wiping her eyes with the backs of her hands.

"Good!" Ned sighed in relief and continued to hug her, trying to calm her down.

Then, he turned to the king and queen, his expression hard and suspicious. "What does this mean? Why did you bring my daughter here alone instead of calling me as soon as you found her?"

Ned already had an idea of what had happened that afternoon. He had heard fragments of the story while searching for Arya. But the fact that they had brought his daughter here by force, without informing him, made him furious. What did they intend to do with Arya?

Cersei was the first to react. "How dare you speak to the king like that?" The queen cast a harsh glance at Ned, her voice cold as ice.

"Silence, woman!" Robert interrupted her impatiently, gesturing for her to be quiet. Even so, the tension in the hall only grew. Robert turned to Ned, his face tired.

"Sorry, Ned. I didn't mean to scare your daughter, but we need to resolve this matter as quickly as possible." The king's tone was almost resigned. After all, Joffrey, the heir to the throne, had been attacked, a situation that couldn't be ignored.

Cersei stepped forward, pointing an accusing finger at Arya. Her voice was filled with fury. "Your daughter attacked my son along with that butcher's apprentice! And her animal almost tore the prince's arm off with a bite!"

Arya reacted instantly. "That's not true! He only bit lightly! It was Joffrey who wanted to kill Mycah!"

Her voice started strong but faltered as she felt the weight of the accusations and the authority the queen represented. Arya knew Nymeria's bite wasn't that light. That's why, even though she hated doing it, she made the hard decision to drive Nymeria away that afternoon. She knew that if Nymeria was around, the queen would never leave her in peace.

Queen Cersei and Joffrey twisted the facts about the afternoon incident, using carefully chosen words to turn everything into a joint attack by Arya and Mycah against the prince. Arya was outraged. To her, it was unacceptable to manipulate the truth like that.

She tried to refute, insisting they were lying. However, she had no proof she could use to defend herself. In the end, King Robert called Sansa, who was also present at the time of the incident, to testify.

But to Arya's shock, Sansa lied. Fearing the consequences and worried about Joffrey, Sansa said she had forgotten what happened.

"You're lying!" Arya shouted in fury, accusing Sansa of betraying the truth. Unable to control her anger, Arya lunged at her sister, punching and kicking her. She couldn't understand why Sansa chose to side with the hateful queen and Joffrey.

"You're my sister! You know what happened! Why did you lie?"

Arya couldn't accept it. Sansa knew the facts. She knew who the real culprit was. But still, she chose to lie.

With Sansa's testimony, the case was quickly concluded. Queen Cersei pressured the king to punish Arya severely, but Robert refused. He dismissed the incident as a children's quarrel and planned to close the matter lightly.

However, Cersei wasn't willing to let it go so easily. She insisted that at least Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, be executed for attacking Joffrey.

The problem was Nymeria wasn't with her anymore. Arya, fearing for the wolf's life, had already made the painful decision to drive her away to protect her. With Nymeria gone, Cersei decided that "Lady," Sansa's direwolf, should be killed in her place.

Sansa and Arya broke down in tears, pleading for Lady to be spared. Even Ned, incredulous with the decision, questioned the king. "Robert, this is insane! She's not guilty!"

But everyone's pleas were ignored. In the end, Ned was forced to execute Lady with his own hands. He knew that if he didn't do it, the wolf would be killed cruelly by someone who would have no respect for the creature's dignity.

Later, alone, Ned reflected on the events that led him to decide to go south. It all started with a letter he received from Lysa Arryn, widow of Jon Arryn and sister of his wife, Catelyn.

In the letter, Lysa claimed that Jon's death was not natural, but rather a murder. And according to her, the Lannisters were responsible. Lysa accused the family of being ambitious and stated that even King Robert was in danger. After Jon's death, Lysa fled King's Landing and took refuge in the Eyrie, the Arryn family's ancestral stronghold, taking her only son with her.

Though Ned had doubts about the authenticity of the letter, he knew something seemed off. Lysa had followed Jon to King's Landing right after the wedding and never returned to the Vale of Arryn. Now, after her husband's death, she not only fled but also sent a risky letter, knowing that if it was discovered, she could be punished with death. This didn't seem baseless.

Robert wasn't just the king to Ned; he was like a brother. And Jon Arryn, the man whose death was now so questionable, had been his adoptive father, a figure of great importance in his life. Ned couldn't simply ignore the possibility that something terrible was happening.

Still, he knew that traveling south wouldn't be easy. He was fully aware that King's Landing was a dangerous place, where political games could be deadly. However, he never imagined the complications would start so early, even before reaching the capital.

As he reflected, he couldn't help but wonder: had it been a mistake to bring Sansa and Arya south? Perhaps it would have been better to leave them in Winterfell, where at least they would be safe, away from the intrigues and dangers of King's Landing.

But now, thinking about it was useless.

Ned knew there was only one thing left for him to do: protect his daughters with all the care he could.

He would never allow anyone to harm his girls.

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In the far north, in the Sacred Grove of Winterfell, an urgent meeting was taking place under the ancient, silent trees.

"Don't tell anyone what I'm about to say today. Bran didn't fall from the tower alone, he was pushed!"

Catelyn, with a serious expression, gathered Robb, Cornelia, Maester Luwin, Ser Rodrik Cassel, and Theon Greyjoy, Ned's adopted son. She explained her theory with conviction.

The attack on Bran the previous night had made it clear to her that something was wrong. The next morning, Catelyn climbed the tower where Bran fell and found a strand of blonde hair caught in a crack in the stone. Blonde! A striking feature of the Lannister family.

"Bran has always been very cautious!" Maester Luwin said, agreeing with Catelyn. He had been with the boy since he was little and knew that Bran had climbed the walls countless times, even on rainy days, without ever falling.

"Why would anyone try to kill him twice? Why kill an innocent ten-year-old boy?!" Catelyn continued, her voice filled with frustration and anger. "Unless he saw something he shouldn't have!"

It was the only plausible explanation. Bran didn't pose a threat to anyone; he was just a child. But someone clearly wanted him dead. Catelyn couldn't ignore what Lysa's letter had suggested: the Lannisters were plotting something. Perhaps Bran, when climbing the tower that day, had witnessed something he shouldn't have.

"What could he have seen, milady?" asked Theon, confused.

"I don't know!" Catelyn answered firmly. "But I swear on my life, this is related to the Lannisters! We already have reasons to believe they want to usurp the throne."

She shook her head, her expression hardened. She didn't know exactly what Bran had seen, but the blonde hair found at the tower was proof enough to link the incident to the Lannisters.

And she would never forgive them for this. Just thinking about the dagger that almost killed Cornelia the night before made her anger flare up again. They would pay for this.

"Did you notice the dagger used by the assassin?" Catelyn asked, directing her gaze to Maester Luwin. "That man couldn't have such an exquisite weapon on his own. The dagger was made of Valyrian steel, with a hilt carved from dragonbone. It must have been given to him by someone powerful."

The assassin from the previous night was an ordinary man, with no position or resources to possess such a rare and valuable weapon. Valyrian steel daggers were not something anyone could acquire.

Valyrian steel, forged in Valyria on the distant continent of Essos, was incredibly rare. Valyria had been destroyed long ago, and weapons made from its steel were now scarce, true treasures that belonged only to powerful families or kings.

Even the sword Ned had given to Cornelia, though elegant, contained only a small amount of Valyrian steel. Yet he had obtained it by chance, a rarity few could afford to possess.

"They invaded my house and tried to kill my brother! If they want to declare war..." Robb spoke with anger, but controlled. He had treated them with honor, like respected guests, but now he knew that the night before they had tried to murder Bran. If it hadn't been for Cornelia and Bran's direwolves, neither his mother nor his brother would have survived.

"If there is war, I will be by your side!" Theon said, gripping his sword and stepping forward, agreeing fervently with Robb.

"What? You intend to start a war here, in the Sacred Grove? Be careful with your words! We don't know the truth yet!" Maester Luwin intervened, stepping between Robb and Theon. "We are before the gods, in the most sacred place of Winterfell. Speaking of war here is reckless. Remember, war only brings blood and destruction. We should not follow this path unless it is absolutely necessary."

While Maester Luwin spoke, Cornelia remained silent, lost in thought. She watched Theon for a moment, her mind reflecting on the young man's past.

Theon's father was Balon Greyjoy, Lord of the Iron Islands. The Islands were known for their naval traditions and their "Ironborn" warriors, fierce and relentless fighters who followed the Drowned God. After the unification of the Seven Kingdoms by the Targaryen dynasty three hundred years ago, the Iron Islands had been separated from the Riverlands and handed over to House Greyjoy, while the Riverlands were ruled by the Tullys, Catelyn's family.

For centuries, the Greyjoys had ruled the Iron Islands. However, about ten years ago, Balon Greyjoy tried to start a rebellion against the Iron Throne, hoping to gain independence for the Iron Islands and restore the "old traditions" of the Ironborn. The rebellion was crushed by Robert Baratheon, with Ned Stark's help, and Balon was forced to surrender and swear loyalty.

Theon, still very young at the time, was sent to Winterfell as a hostage and raised as Ned Stark's ward. Throughout all those years, the Starks had never treated him badly. Ned had given him education, care, and even trained him as if he were one of the family's sons.

But Cornelia knew the truth about Theon.

Although he seemed loyal and had a good relationship with Robb and Bran, Cornelia knew that, in the future, he would betray House Stark.

Over the years, she had never felt that Theon was a cruel or bad person. He was friendly, especially with Bran, and always seemed to seek Ned's approval. But considering his history, Cornelia couldn't blame him entirely. His father had been defeated by Ned, his brothers killed in the rebellion. He was the only heir of the Greyjoys.

Perhaps Theon's "betrayal" wasn't just an act of disloyalty, but also a matter of identity, after all, he was a Greyjoy.

Cornelia sighed, pushing these thoughts away for now. She had other priorities. The most important thing now was to accompany her mother to King's Landing.

Since her father and the others had left, Cornelia felt a growing anxiety. She was afraid she wouldn't catch up with Catelyn before she left Winterfell, but fortunately, now that her phoenix had hatched, she believed she could follow her south.

"Lord Stark must be informed about this!" Maester Luwin said, looking at Catelyn. "If this was really the work of the Lannisters, Ned needs to make a decision about how to handle this. Also, he should be warned to be prepared for the situation."

"We can't send a raven!" Catelyn replied, frowning. "It's too easy to intercept a message like this. If this information leaks, the consequences will be disastrous."

"I'll go to King's Landing myself!" Robb stepped forward, offering without hesitation.

"No! Winterfell must be guarded by the Starks. I'll go!"

Catelyn interrupted Robb firmly. As Winterfell's heir, Robb needed to stay in the North while Ned was away.

"No, mother!" Robb shook his head, disagreeing. King's Landing was far away, and the idea of leaving his mother to travel there alone was inconceivable to him.

"I must go!" Catelyn insisted, looking at her son with determination.

"I'll go too!"

Cornelia stepped forward, her voice firm. She knew the attempt on Bran's life wasn't an accident. Even though she didn't fully understand the exact reason, she was sure the Lannisters were involved. At first, she had believed the danger had passed with the departure of the king and Ned, but recent events had shown how wrong she was. The negligence had almost cost her mother and Bran their lives.

Cornelia knew Catelyn would travel to King's Landing. When the king and her father left, Cornelia had already decided to accompany her mother south. She didn't know exactly what she could do, but she felt it was her responsibility to act. Staying in Winterfell and waiting for things to happen would be a fatal mistake.

If she waited in Winterfell, she would only find out too late when something happened to her father. She knew that a war between the North and King's Landing would be inevitable if things continued like this. But this time, Cornelia didn't want to wait for destruction.

Cornelia's decision was immediately contested by everyone. Robb and Maester Luwin were the first to oppose, arguing that Winterfell needed her. But Cornelia, determined, was able to convince Catelyn and Robb. She was determined: she would not stay in the North while her family's and the kingdom's fate was decided in the south.

That afternoon, after lunch, Catelyn and Cornelia departed together toward King's Landing. Robb, worried, made sure everything was organized so they would be protected on the road.

Before leaving, Cornelia went to Bran's room to say goodbye. He was still unconscious, lying in his bed, surrounded by heavy silence. She leaned over him and left a letter under his pillow, a message he would read when he finally woke up.

She didn't want to leave him at that moment. The idea of Bran, only ten years old, being left in Winterfell while Robb led his troops south in the future was unbearable to her. The burden would be too much for a child. But Cornelia had no choice. She believed in Bran. He would manage.

Cornelia took with her everything she considered essential. Her direwolf, Winter, and Phoenix would accompany her on this journey. Additionally, she carried a small notebook, something she had kept with her since childhood, to record her thoughts and plans. She knew this trip to King's Landing wouldn't be brief.

As she walked toward the exit, Cornelia took one last look at Winterfell. She silently prayed to the old gods, asking that everyone would return home safely one day.

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