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"I'm okay," the girl said quickly when her mother asked how she was doing. "I'm okay....
She was not and Catelyn knew it. The girl was trying to pull her emotions back in, holding them back from breaking free.
For now... Catelyn would let her deal with it on her own. But the moment she would need her, Catelyn would be there.
[CASTLE BLACK]
[Men of the Night's Watch prepare the horses as snow falls on Castle Black. TORMUND is brought before JON. JON looks at him, nods, and a Brother removes TORMUND'S chains. TORMUND raises his free hands to SER ALLISER in the distance and is carried away. JON walks over to ALLISER]
"First Ranger, you have command of Castle Black."
"Lord Commander, it is my duty to tell you I believe this mission to be reckless, foolhardy, and an insult to all of the Brothers that have died fighting the wildlings."
"The Wildlings have always been their enemies, and to now see the leader helping them... it is not easy to accept" Brandon the Elder mused.
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend" Jon Arryn spoke softly, but his voice travelled to every ear as if he whispered in each ear. "When your enemy is as strong as these White Walkers, it is wise to ally with others who see these things as enemies as well."
"Also the fact that anyone who died adds to their numbers, it should be a simple thing to do" Ned added.
"But the nature of man is not so simple. These two sides have been in conflict longer than any of us have been alive. One could even consider this a blood feud. Such feuds are hard to forget, especially if the deaths are closer to their heart."
"Not an easy thing to tackle then..."
"As always, thank you for your honesty."
[JON walks away to SAM.]
"You should just walk out from people who are advising you, no matter how disagreeable the advice is" Rickard grunted. "You put them in a position, so it is your duty to hear them out."
"I did" Jon pointed out. "And we all know what that conversation would lead to."
"Regardless of the predicted outcome, talk to them, listen to them, and put forward your view. If nothing changes, then there's nothing lost. But on the off chance that you may end up changing. his opinion or find yourself with a new perspective and a new line of thinking, it will only benefit you. Disregarding them entirely is insulting and will not warm them up to you. You don't need people who will only agree with you, you also need people who will tell you what is what and not mince their words or bend over to make you happy." Rickard explained
"I understand... But Alliser Thorne isn't a man who can be swayed by words you have to know that he could have dodged the watch if he bent the knee to Robert Baratheon like Ser Barristan did but he chose the Wall instead, this shows that in some ways he takes his vows more seriously than even Ser Barristan" Jon stated.
The others who knew the truth nodded even Robert Baratheon and Jamie Lannister who respected Ser Barristan Selmy couldn't object to what Jon said.
[CASTLE BLACK; MAESTER AEMON'S ROOM]
"There he is. That laugh. Egg! Egg laughed like that. One of the first things I remember about him."
"Egg?" Bran asked.
"Aegon the Unlikely" Jon Snow explained. "He had the nickname Egg when he was young."
"Odd name..."
"He shaved his head and it looked like an egg."
"You're kidding!" Arya turned this time.
Jon only smirked.
The younger Stark children snorted.
[AEMON'S mood changes, he suddenly becomes panicked.]
"Get him south, Gillyflower. Before it's too late."
"Not ominous at all" Rhaegar muttered. The man had lost his eyes but all his other senses compensated for it, Aemon had said something along those lines before. Perhaps the man felt things that the rest were blind to...
[WINTERFELL; SANSA'S ROOM]
[SANSA is sleeping. THEON approaches and closes a window, waking SANSA. SANSA sits up in bed, revealing cuts and bruises along her arms.]
Ned inhaled sharply.
"I'll kill him. I swear to the gods old and new that I'll kill him!" Robb raged.
Sansa was not holding back this time and her mother had her arms around the girl while she shook.
"He is dead" Ned muttered. His grey eyes darkened from rage. How dare that bastard touch his daughter? How dare he even feel entitled enough to think of doing this? Unforgivable, it was unforgivable! This one would not be allowed to live no matter the consequences
"Help me."
"You're his wife now."
"Theon."
"Do what he says. Do what he says or he'll hurt you."
"He already hurts me every night. All day I'm locked in this room and every night he comes. It can't be worse."
Sansa sobbed.
"Please don't let that man have me" she whispered, her voice broken and shaking.
"That man will never have you" Ned swore to her, knelt before his daughter, his hands holding hers. "As long as there is breath in my chest, no monster will ever have you. I swear it to you."
Sansa's bottom lip wobbled before she tackled her father with a sob, clinging to him with all her strength.
Ned stood with his daughter in his arms and walked out without a word, Catelyn close behind him.
"Go" Jon whispered..
"And you?" Robb muttered, shaken from what he'd seen.
"Go."
Robb stared at Jon for a moment before he was gone as well, Arya and Bran not far behind.
"Why didn't you?" Daenerys asked.
"Sansa needs her family now."
"You are her family."
Jon smiled and looked down.
"A cousin, and not long ago a half-brother. She needs her immediate family right now. I may have the Stark blood in me, but I am not like them, not like her family. My place is not there."
"You are a Stark of Winterfell," Lyanna said forcefully, grabbing Jon gently by the arm. "Nothing will ever change that."
"I know" Jon smiled, a half smile.
[CASTLE BLACK; AEMON'S ROOM]
"Egg! Egg! Mother's looking for you! Egg!"
"Get some sleep, Sam. You'll have to speak for him tomorrow."
"His time is over" Rhaegar muttered sadly. He was a good man, a knowledgeable man...
[AEMON looks panicked]
"Egg! Egg.. I dreamed... that I was old!"
[CASTLE BLACK]
[Close up on Maester AEMON'S Funeral pyre.]
"His name was Aemon Targaryen. He came to us from King's Landing, a Maester of the Citadel, chained and sworn. And a sworn brother of the Night's Watch, ever faithful. No man was wiser or gentler or kinder. At the Wall, a dozen Lord Commanders came and went during his years of service, but he was always there to counsel them. He was the blood of the dragon, but now his fire has gone out. And now his watch has ended.'
"And now his watch has ended."