chapter 59
I sit at the head of the main table in the hall as it fills up with people.
The seat my Father sat on, then Robb after him… now me. Trying not to think about that too much I look at the people walking in.
I see Bran coming and entering following after Meera Reed, it seems that he has a bit of a crush, if Meera notices it, she is not letting on.
Behind those two are Jojen and Osha.
Osha is a wildling woman who lived beyond the Wall, she fled from there and escaped, managing to get past the Wall and into my lands.
She was caught with a bunch of wildling raiders who tried to kidnap Bran for ransom but they were all killed except for her, she was put in chains and “hired” to work in Winterfell.
But since then it seems she has endeared herself to Bran and most of the staff in Winterfell even Luwin seems to like her.
I will have to speak to her soon to make my own judgments on whether she is trustworthy and to get some knowledge from someone who experienced firsthand what is happening beyond the Wall.
Most of the guests we are hosting have mostly almost filled the hall, Maester Luwin sits at my side on the right as he fills me in on who the heirs of the Vassals of our house are and what part they played in the war.
The most interesting in my eyes is Maege Mormont among those in the battle guard of my brother. As she was the only woman in the battle guard and she was extremely loyal to Robb.
It makes sense after thinking about it, she likely has a chip on her shoulder as the only woman on the guard, not only that but as the heir of Bear Island one of the poorest and least influential houses among our vassals.
On top of that the last heir of Bear Island, Jorah Mormant fled into exile in disgrace humiliating their house.
So it is no wonder she might have been overzealous.
But my analysis might be underestimating her character and my Brother as a leader because it was not only her who showed such loyalty, but also the likes of Smalljon and other heirs of major houses who tried to shield Robb from crossbow fire with their bodies after the initial volley.
Unfortunately, it was not enough.
The crowd quiets down and I look to see the cause and see my sister Sansa entering with her friend Jeyne Poole by her side and Lady behind her.
Looking at the girls, if I can call them that anymore. Jeyne Poole has become a true beauty with her delicate features her brown eyes and her dark hair have a shine to them. She is dressed in a regal blue dress as she walks with the poise of a highborn woman into the hall.
But as beautiful as she is, it is Sansa who is really the cause of the sudden silence in the hall.
Her red hair is adorned with light jewelry and she is wearing a red dress that does not show much skin but fails to hide her figure, she will soon equal or even surpass Catylin when it comes to her figure, which is nothing to scoff at.
The men she walks past are kept in check because she is a Stark and has a growling direwolf trailing her, keeping them from doing anything inappropriate but few refrain from leering at her.
Until she reaches my table and sits at my side on my left.
“Mother has still not woken up, so we are the last to arrive you can begin the festivities” She informs me formally, ever acting the poised noble lady.
But I know her better than that, I can feel she is tense from her body language both from the recent stressful situation add on the amount of attention her beauty is bringing her.
And now that I returned, I will likely be the Lord of Winterfell and King in the North, she has a hard time figuring out how to act around me so she has to be formal to cope.
Since this is a feast I will leave it for later to address the way she is acting but settle for calmly grasping her shaky hand under the table.
I take out a letter and let it thunk on the table with my hand, my action drawing the attention of the hall.
“I have some news to share with you all before we start to eat,” I say my voice carrying across the hall as they all look at me.
“Most of you will not have heard about it since you have been stuck in war and sieges ever since my brother called the banners to avenge father and get my sister back from King´s Landing. While I know what I am about to tell you is not how any of you wanted things to play out. I am happy to inform you that the foolish boy king and his grandfather the wrinkled hand, have both died” I announce shocking the hall into silence.
I shake the letter in the air as I continue.
“Joffrey was killed by poison that made him choke to his death and Tywin Lannister was killed by the culprit of Joffry´s poisoning. The imp Tyrion Lannister poisoned his nephew and killed his father Tywin while he was taking a shit… it is said the reason he killed his father is that he bedded a whore Tyrion fancied”
I let my words sink in the complete silence before I let out a booming of laughter that echoes across the hall.
For a while, only my laughter is heard until it is joined by another in the hall and another until all you hear in the hall is laughter from every voice in the room, loud enough to shake the castle.
“And on that note, let the feast begin! Bring the food and drink!” I yell out now that the doom and gloom and uncertainty are mostly gone from the atmosphere.