"Draw! Loose!" Winterfell's Instructor told Bran to shoot, and the second son of House Stark picked up his bow and arrow, but the arrow veered slightly off the bullseye.
The onlookers laughed, including Robb, Eddard's heir, his ward Theon, and "bastard" Jon, among others. And from the gallery opposite, Lord Eddard and his lady wife watched.
Among these people, Theon, the heir of the Iron Islands, was the oldest. When Theon was ten, King Balon's rebellion was crushed, and his two elder brothers were killed in the rebellion, making him the heir of House Greyjoy and the Iron Islands. Afterward, he was brought to Winterfell by Lord Eddard as a hostage and ward, and raised for nine years.
"Keep your aim steady! Calm your mind!" Jon whispered to Bran.
Bran glanced at his bastard brother, calmed himself, and the next arrow flew in a beautiful arc, hitting the bullseye.
Jon applauded, proud of his younger brother. Jon was lean, long-faced, with brown hair and grey eyes. In that regard, he was more like a Stark.
"Well done, our good Knight!" Theon laughed heartily. Theon was known for his arrogant personality and cynical smile. He was a slender, dark-haired, handsome nineteen-year-old.
"Very good, Bran! If an archer keeps his courage, he will shoot very well," Robb said as he approached Bran. The tall and robust Robb grew stronger every day, but his appearance resembled a Tully: fair skin, auburn hair, and the blue eyes of House Tully.
"Knight! What a proud word!" Jon thought morosely. In terms of skill, Robb's Longspear was more powerful than his, but Jon's swordsmanship and horsemanship were among the best in the city. Yet, in this vast Winterfell, there seemed to be little place for him.
"Did you hear about that thing?" Theon said mysteriously. "The King's bastard, now a Mercenary King Across the Narrow Sea, with many armies, Unsullied, Screaming Warriors, and freed slaves!"
Jon also pricked up his ears; he too had heard about that Mercenary King. It was said he was invincible, and equally outstanding with the Longspear, Iron Hammer, and horsemanship. Jon felt a pang of envy; he was also a bastard, but others had already escaped their past and found their own purpose.
"If the King and his son clash, that would be too..." Robb instinctively felt this matter was an offense against etiquette and blood. Kinslaying was a great sin cursed by all gods, and considering the King's age and rumors of him growing fatter, Robb genuinely feared he might be killed.
"That's just what they say," Winterfell's Instructor twisted his mouth. "It's all bluster from those cowards Across the Narrow Sea. When it comes to courage and strength, is there anyone who can match us Northerners?"
Jon's gaze drifted to the gallery opposite, where Eddard and his wife stood. They were talking about something, he didn't know what. The bastard was accustomed to reading expressions, and Jon finally understood that something had been troubling Eddard and his wife these past few days.
"If that day comes, when Robb inherits Winterfell, Bran and Rickon can certainly be good vassals for him," Eddard said.
Catelyn was also very proud; she liked the unity of her Children. But at this heartwarming moment, seeing that bastard who bore more of House Stark's features, she couldn't help but feel some displeasure.
Catelyn could never develop feelings for the bastard; it was one thing she could never forgive Eddard for. And Jon was always visible, always an eyesore. Worse still was his appearance, more like his father than Catelyn's own Children, more like the blood of the direwolf.
"Without another reason, Robert wouldn't come personally. I have a premonition he will ask me to go South!" Eddard told his wife about the King's impending visit.
"South?" Catelyn pondered. "The kingdom is in a time of trouble. Old Jon is dead, and Robert's bastard is with the remnants of the Targaryen family. For all reasons, he needs his brother's help!"
"I have the same thought! I might refuse him! I believe my responsibility is more in the North, here. I have no intention of going South," Eddard thought.
Catelyn remained silent. Unlike her, who grew up in the warmer Riverrun, the people of the North always had a sense of desolation and cold. They worshipped the old gods, and House Stark was born to live with ice and snow, adapted to the Long Winter.
"Though that is true, he is the King now, and a King is not like ordinary men. To defy the King would surely bring us danger."
"He loves me more than his own brothers!" Eddard emphasized. "Even if he scolds me, a week later, we will be good brothers again."
"That was then, not now," Catelyn had no heart to argue further with Eddard. Everything would have to wait until the King arrived.
"But I might only refuse. If Robert truly asks me to join a war, I think I would still go. The last time I went South was during King Balon's rebellion. This rebellion might not be weaker than Balon's," Eddard said firmly.
"That's just Robert's outside..." Catelyn maintained her calm pace of speech, trying not to utter those words.
"I advised him back then, but he never listened to my advice when it came to wine and women. Now, this is the result," Eddard's mouth twitched. This was both an irony and a joke; the King's rampant desires had attracted enemies for himself.
"Is the situation really that bad?" Catelyn felt a chill rise, like the legends of the cold Others. She knew the battle between the Three Daughters Kingdom and the Targaryen Dynasty was bloody and long.
"Myr, Lys, the Stepstones, the Disputed Lands—that's three-quarters of the Triarchy's power back then! Not to mention the Targaryen family, that pair of orphans," Eddard said. "If Robert's son is so impatient, he will imitate the former Three Daughters Kingdom and blockade the coast of King's Landing, then we will have no choice but to go to war with him."
"That's the power of two Free Cities!" Catelyn analyzed. She didn't know much about the Free Cities, but she knew these Free Cities were always wealthy. The combined financial resources, material wealth, and fleets of two Free Cities were certainly not to be underestimated.
"It's easier to fight a brother than a father. Since Robert intends to leave the iron throne to Prince Joffrey, he should face the danger Across the Narrow Sea."
"Going South seems unavoidable!" Catelyn thought. Rather than King Robert committing kinslaying, this matter should be carried out by the other Lords.
"Going South isn't entirely bad!" Catelyn said. "The Children are all grown up. Sansa, Arya, if we could arrange good marriages for them in the South, that would be for the best." Catelyn had greater expectations in her heart; if it was about honor and glory, then the royal family was certainly the best. Moreover, Robert and Eddard were already good friends, and King Robert truly needed Eddard's support. But Catelyn also felt this glory was too dreamlike, and she didn't dare to ask for it yet.
"Jon!"
"He can go anywhere, but I don't think it's a good idea for him to stay in Winterfell."
Eddard looked at Catelyn helplessly, saying nothing more.
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