BLACKBIRD (Game of Thrones)

CHAPTER FIVE

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A ROYAL ANNOUNCEMENT
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A WEEK HAD PASSED SINCE BRANDON STARKS FALL. The castle moved around in a sort of daze, all the servants were quiet while doing their jobs, the Stark children were grieving for their brother who had not yet died. And his mother - his poor mother had not left his side since his fall. Valencia, selfishly had not focused on the boy at all, but her care for Jon Snow, who she had not seen since their fateful afternoon together. It bothered her that all she focused on was him, and not the boy dying in his bed. To ease herself free of guilt, she come to see Catelyn, and the sickened boy.
She stood at the foot of Brandon Stark's bed, looking between Catelyn's disheveled frame, and the sickly boy laying in his bed, clinging onto life. "I am so sorry for your pain, Lady Stark," Valencia murmured quietly with the bow of her head.

Catelyn glanced to Valencia. She had not expected to see the girl bothering herself with a dying boy, though Catelyn had misjudged many before. Catelyn's soft, Tully eyes looked upon the Baratheon Princess, a soft smile adorning her chapped lips. She could remember Valencia as a baby, small and sickly, and now here she was, tall and smooth, broadly-structured yet holding feminine curves. She was as beautiful as her mother had been, and as handsome as her father in his youth.

"Thank you, you sweet child." A teary-eyed Catelyn said her hand holding onto Bran's limp one, pale and skinny just like the rest of his body. 

"If this is an consolation, I believe your son to be very strong. He will not fall victim to this, instead...I believe he will rise against his odds."

Catelyn nodded, wiping her tears and kissing her sons hand. "Thank you, Valencia."

Sighing gently, Valencia exited the room, not wanting to disturb Catelyn any further. Moving along, a familiar brunette stepped alongside Valencia. "Was that true, or are you just trying to stop her from crying?" Lilith asked, rather insensitively. 

Spinning, Valencia seethed quietly, "her son might die, Lilith. Do you think I'd be that cruel as to lie to her!"

Cheeks flushed, Lilith frowned. "I'm sorry if I have offended you. I didn't mean to."

"It's fine," Valencia sighed, Lilith always had a problem with withholding her thoughts, it was a great irritation to Valencia at times. "Just forget about it, talking about something else."

Lilith pursed her lips before speaking. "Your father is making an announcement tonight,"

Valencia nodded. "About what?"

"I don't know, but it's a secluded audience only." Explained Lilith, "even I'm not allowed to be inside."

Valencia's brows furrowed in confusion. "Perhaps it's only about Lord Stark becoming the Hand," Lilith shrugged in response.

"Would now be the best time to announce that? His son may die. And Lord Stark is just leaving, I do not think so."

The Princess pondered on the announcement tonight until Lilith left to do her own thing, leaving Valencia exactly where she wanted to be. Curled up against her window.
She sat there for a few hours, her legs pulled to her chest and a book seated in her lap. It was a story about Dunken and Egg, rather delightful and uplifting compared to the dreary mood Winterfell had fallen in to. She was nearly finished her book when a soft knock echoed at her door. Her brows twitched together, her legs stretching out, her dress bellowing out before her as she sat her book down and rose to her feet. "Come in".