THE DRAGON QUEEN [ Jon Snow ]

II.

CHAPTER TWO
[ broken things ]

SHE VISITED BRAN ONCE EACH DAY. Her younger brother, though always surefooted and careful, had fallen from a tower days previously. He had been asleep ever since, and their mother had not left his side. Once each day, Asena visited him, kept Catelyn company, and told him stories she hoped he could hear.

When she left for the night a few days after the king's party— accompanied by much of her family— had departed, she heard the shouts. Screams of 'fire! fire!' echoed through Winterfell, and she and everyone else went running. Once the fire was out, and Asena and Robb were standing together in the courtyard, they heard a commotion from inside. Bran's bedchamber.

They ran, as fast as they could, and found Catelyn, hands bloodied, with a man dead on the floor. An assassin.

Those most trusted met in the Godswood the next morning. Asena, Robb, Catelyn, Theon, Maester Luwin, and Rodrik Cassel all gathered in a circle with Catelyn taking the lead. It is here that she declared that she believed the Lannisters made an attempt on Bran's life for seeing something he should not have seen, and that she was travelling down to King's Landing to get answers.

It was only days after Catelyn left for King's Landing that Bran woke, and not long after that that Tyrion Lannister arrived at Winterfell, on his way back south from the Wall. Asena was seated to Robb's right when Tyrion was escorted into the hall, along with a man from the Night's Watch. "I must say, I received a slightly warmer welcome on my last visit," were Tyrion's first words to Robb.

"Any man of the Night's Watch is welcome at Winterfell," was Robb's cold response.

"Any man of the Night's Watch, but not I, eh, boy?"

"I'm not your boy, Lannister. I'm lord of Winterfell while my father is away."

"You might learn a lord's courtesy," Tyrion responded, quick and pointed. He was right, though, Asena knew. Tyrion might have been a Lannister, but he was a lord and a guest. It was then that the door opened, and Hodor carried Bran, cradled in his arms, inside. "So it's true," Tyrion muttered, staring at the boy. "Hello, Bran. Do you remember anything about what happened?"

"He has no memory of that day," Maester Luwin answered for him.

"Curious."

"Why are you here?" Robb asked, impatience building inside of him. A trait unbecoming of a lord. Remembering her father's words, she laid a hand on her brother's arm underneath the table, silently cautioning him to be more patient.

Tyrion ignored him, instead speaking to Bran. "Would your charming companion be so kind as to kneel? My neck is beginning to hurt." Bran complied, telling Hodor to kneel so they were level with one another. "Do you like to ride, Bran?"