At that moment, Jon Snow suddenly seemed to think of something. He quickly turned to Brynden Rivers and asked urgently:
"Great-uncle! Do you think my uncle will agree to King Robert's request? And… if he rides south, will he be in danger?"
Lyana Stark also looked at Brynden nervously, as if hoping for an answer that would calm her heart.
"He'll definitely agree. And even if he didn't, your aunt would beg him to go. Your uncle is a man who values affection above all else—he'll go south, no doubt about it. But fortunately, he bears the title of Warden of the North. Under normal circumstances, his life shouldn't be in danger. After all, he represents the entire North. No one—except that madman Aerys—would dare to kill a duke at will. Doing so would break the very rules of the game.
Brynden's tone was calm but resolute. His certainty allowed the mother and son before him to breathe a sigh of relief.
Seeing their expressions, Brynden sighed inwardly with helplessness.Ah… someone will make sure he dies anyway. The Seven Kingdoms have been quiet for far too long. Too many are growing restless. Still… that saves me the trouble of lifting a hand myself.
The tourney began as scheduled after King Robert's arrival.This time, fifty knights had entered the melee, and the prize was a staggering fifty gold dragons—plus a brand-new set of knight's armor for the champion. Such rich rewards drew countless hedge knights and house warriors from across the North. Even heirs of several noble families had signed up to compete.
But before the contests began, an unexpected scene unfolded. King Robert—perhaps drunk, perhaps goaded by someone—shouted that he wanted to join the melee himself.Fortunately, Eddard managed to stop him in time, though the two quarreled bitterly over it.
It happened on the way to the opening ceremony. The royal procession and knights fell into confusion, delaying things for a while. Still, the ceremony began as planned. And that very morning, Eddard Stark had agreed to become King Robert's new Hand of the King.
Though Robert was angry, he couldn't deny his Hand—or his old friend—this face. So, sullen and brooding, King Robert entered the arena beside Duke Eddard.At last, Ser Rodrik Cassel announced the start of the tourney.
See
The contestants fought strictly by the rules—one-on-one duels only. Any who attempted a group assault would be immediately disqualified.Though the weapons had been blunted, injuries and even deaths were inevitable. Robert watched the combatants clash with glee, his earlier irritation completely forgotten—even his wife had slipped from his mind.
But one man hadn't forgotten the queen—her faithful Kingsguard, Ser Jaime Lannister. Ever attentive, he stood by his sister, watching over her… and even adjusting the looseness of her gown, checking the suppleness of her body.
The beautiful Queen Cersei looked out from beneath the Broken Tower, her eyes roaming over the bustling crowd below. But soon, she froze—she had spotted an unexpected figure.
"Jaime! He saw us—quickly!"
Cersei's face went pale with fright; her body stiffened so suddenly that Jaime's "sword" was caught halfway in its scabbard.
With a sharp pop, like pulling the cork from a wine bottle, Jaime drew his "greatsword," strode to the edge, and—without hesitation—pushed the wide-eyed Bran Stark from the tower.
The melee concluded with young Jon Umber of House Umber claiming victory. He defeated fifteen opponents singlehandedly—winning purely on strength and skill.
As King Robert presented the prizes, a servant quietly approached Eddard, whispering something in his ear. Eddard's expression changed; he immediately excused himself and hurried away.
That evening, the news spread through Winterfell: Bran Stark had fallen from the tower.
But for the queen and her brother, this news brought not relief—but dread.And worse yet—rumor had it that a forest witch was living in Winterfell… a woman said to wield magic powerful enough to raise the dead.
When the queen heard, she was utterly terrified. She sought out her brother in panic.
"We must urge him to return to King's Landing immediately. I just received word—there's been a great fire near Dragonpit. The excuse is perfect. I'll handle the rest. Don't worry."
The handsome Kingsguard Jaime Lannister kissed his sister gently. Though his heart trembled slightly, he was no stranger to chaos. In moments, he had composed himself and devised a plan.
The next morning, on Cersei's orders, a maester from her retinue reported the "incident" in King's Landing to King Robert.Maester Luwin of Winterfell, hearing this, was startled. He himself had only just received a raven from the capital that morning. How strange, then, that someone in the royal entourage already had the same news…
Robert might be a drunk and a lecher, but he still cared about his kingdom. And if something were truly wrong in King's Landing, then he could hardly enjoy his wine and women in peace.
Eddard felt helpless but could not defy his king's command. After comforting his wife, he began preparations to depart.
Fortunately, that night, Aegis (the so-called forest witch) managed to save Bran.Her strange necromantic arts gave her an uncanny knowledge of the human body. With Maester Luwin's help, Bran soon regained consciousness.
But the poor child had lost his memories—and all feeling below the waist. He was almost completely paralyzed.
As everyone gathered around Bran's bedside, Eddard spoke quietly:
"Bran, do you truly remember nothing?"
It was all new and frightening to the boy. Seeing so many faces crowded around, fear flickered in his eyes. Lady Catelyn leaned down and kissed his cheek softly, whispering in his ear:
"
Bran stammered.
At that moment, a guard standing in the back of the room slipped away silently, his figure melting into the shadows.
King
Luwin
"How can a child of the duke's house be treated by someone of unknown origin?"Cersei's cold voice cut through the air as she entered, flanked by her attendants. "Everyone knows it was the maester's work—what does she have to do with it? I've heard she serves some bastard boy. Anything tied to such tainted blood is an ill omen. Sorcery is blasphemy—it defies the Seven themselves! Such people should be cast out, not allowed to deceive us here!"
Time
Lady Catelyn's eyes flickered with doubt at Cersei's outburst, though she masked it well. Rising, she curtsied to the queen politely.
Bry
"My lord, don't be angry. Those mortals…"Aegis, seeing her master striding ahead, thought he was upset and tried to comfort him—but Jon raised a hand, stopping her.
He leaned close and whispered something in her ear. Aegis's eyes widened slightly, but she nodded and departed quietly.
Jon continued alone down the empty corridor. After a minute's walk, he suddenly stopped. Without turning, he said,"Come out. You've been following me long enough—what do you want?"
"Well
Ser Jaime Lannister stepped from the shadows, holding two blunted swords. He tossed one toward Jon, who caught it by reflex, giving it a testing swing.
Realizing the other man's hostility, Jon had no choice but to ready himself.But as he saw the golden-haired knight before him, Brynden's earlier words about Jaime came back to him. An idea flashed through Jon's mind. He said calmly:
"Ser Jaime… have you ever truly looked at yourself?I used to be lost too—always trying to prove myself. But in the end, I found I couldn't change anything. Then I realized… I don't need to. I am who I am. I am Jon Snow. All I need to do—is act."
His voice carried a strange, magnetic rhythm. The red gem on his ring glowed ominously in the moonlight. Seeing Jaime's eyes glaze over, Jon seized the chance and lunged.
In Jaime's sight, Jon's form shifted again and again—becoming those he admired, those he hated, and finally the one he most feared to see.
"No… don't come closer! I—I don't want to kill him! He'll kill everyone—!"
Jaime's words tumbled incoherently. His mind was chaos. He parried desperately, shaken by Jon's words, terrified by his changing face—and shocked by his strength.
Each clash sent a strange heat through Jaime's sword arm. But as a battle-hardened Kingsguard, he soon regained his composure.
Gradually, Jaime began to press the advantage, his movements growing more fluid.Smirking, he taunted, "Not bad, bastard. Seems you inherited a drop or two of that bloodline. But it's not enough. Do you know why I've always wanted to duel Lord Eddard?"
"Because my idol—the Sword of the Morning, Ser Arthur Dayne—died by his hand. But do you know what kind of man Arthur was? He could take a piss with one hand and cut down five of today's Kingsguard with the other. I refuse to believe he fell so easily. I refuse to believe your father was that strong—ah!"
Jaime roared the last word and swung hard, sending Jon flying into the weapon racks behind him with a crash.
"Stop! What are you two doing?!"
King Robert's furious bellow cut through the air, halting them both. Jon was just pushing himself up when the king strode in.
"Robert! That filthy bastard attacked your Kingsguard—didn't you see? Why haven't you executed him yet? Ser Ilyn Payne, kill him at once!"
Queen Cersei's shrill command echoed through the yard as she urged the mute knight and several Lannister men forward.
"Stop, all of you!" Robert thundered. "I am the king of this realm! I'll not kill a good man wrongly—nor spare a guilty one!"
The knights froze under his wrath.
Then Robert turned to Jon. "Boy! Tell me—why were you fighting this Kingslayer?"
"AND
Jon bowed deeply, speaking with humble respect, taking all the blame upon himself.
"And you, Kingslayer—does he speak the truth?"
"Uh… yes. Yes, he does."
Jaime Faltere
Robert nodded to Jon, then turned on Cersei with a scowl."This is Winterfell, not your bloody Casterly Rock. If you hate bastards so much, why not go home and butcher that niece of yours? Hmph!"
"You—! … Hmph!"