9th Month of 299 A.C. Winterfell

Queen Catelyn Stark

Summer was waning, that much was clear from the way the trees bowed and the wind blew harshly across one's face. The cold was coming back, and yet surprisingly she did not feel the cold, not as much as she had done when she had first come to Winterfell. It seemed the north had finally accepted her, and there was little to no southern blood left in her. Sansa was just like her, she would be far more beautiful than she had ever been that much Catelyn knew. Her daughter was also much stronger than she had ever been. Sansa had taken the truth that Catelyn had told her with remarkable calm and poise, Catelyn had seen echoes of Ned in the way she had calmly dealt with the news of her birth and the prophecy surrounding it. Catelyn knows had it been her in her daughter's place she would have screamed and ranted about the injustice of it all, and yet her daughter merely accepted it and asked if there were anything she could do to help. That surprised Cat, but also made her feel very proud.

Catelyn was also very relieved to have her boys back safe and sound. Ned and Jon had returned around a week ago, bringing with them the northern army, and there had been much feasting and celebrating. The Lannisters were defeated the Ironborn broken there would be no attack on them for some time to come. Her boys were different though changed in ways both obvious and not so obvious. It seemed to her that Ned had had a load lifted from his shoulders, Lyanna's child sat the throne, and the lie was no longer needed or at least for not too much longer. Ned was still haunted by the dreams of their girl, their little girl who they had lost so long ago, and so was she and yet together they had worked through it all. They were alive and the Lannisters had not, they had made the lions suffer for what they had done. Robb, Robb was the son who had experienced the greatest outward change, he no longer believed in honour so it seemed but the old way. The way of his ancestors the harsh way, the true way. Theon Greyjoy was a testament to that as was Ramsay Snow, the bastard of the Dreadfort had been stripped and quartered for his troubles. Her son seemed to accept his role as a Prince of Winter with much acceptance. It was Jon who worried her the most, her second son was quiet and very rarely spoke there was some trouble inside him, what it was she knew not.

And it seemed her husband did not know either. They were sat together in his solar discussing the events of the day, when she had asked him the question unable to keep it from her mind any longer. Ned looked ponderous for a moment before he replied. "I do not know what is wrong with Jon or if indeed there is anything wrong with him. We have been at war for a year my love. It takes time to get used to not having to constantly fight all the time. I am sure it will pass."

"Does he know?" she asks then.

Her husband shakes his head. "No. I thought it better to wait until we were all back at Winterfell before I told the children. Jon and Sansa especially will need to know and now that we are all here, they can know."

"When will you tell them?" she asks.

"I am not sure, once we have had enough time to get to know one another once more I shall tell them." Ned replies.

"You are worried aren't you my love?" she asks. "About how Sansa will take it. She already knows the truth Ned."

She would laugh at the expression on Ned's face now, if it weren't such a serious thing they were discussing. "She knows? How does she know? Did you tell her?" her husband asks.

"Yes." Catelyn replies.

"Why? Why did you tell her?" Ned asks sounding almost angry.

"Because she needed to know. She thought you left her in King's Landing to die because you did not love her Ned. You didn't even tell her anything did you when you were all in King's Landing? Even after she lost her direwolf? You still told her nothing?" Catelyn says anger colouring her own voice.

"I did not know what to say or how to begin!" her husband protests. "I thought she hated me after I killed Lady. She never spoke to me either you know."

"That is because she thought you were disappointed in her. She did not understand why you did what you did Ned. She was just a little girl. She had all these questions and hurts and there was no one she could go to." Catelyn responds. At the look on her husband's face she says. "I do not mean to be cruel to you. But it is the truth, you are not exactly the most approachable of people most of the time my love. Can you blame Sansa for seeking comfort in those things that seemed most comfortable to her?"

Her husband bows his head ashen faced. "I failed her. Just as I failed Lya, and Lyarra. I can never be good for them. I am surprised Arya even managed to do so well."

"You did not fail them. You were trying to protect them. And yet they did not know that because you did not speak to them. You did not explain why you did as you did. How could she come to you, when you made it seem that you were not approachable." She asks then.

Ned takes a deep breath then and says. "I do not know. Gods Cat, I have made such a mess of it all. This promise nearly cost me everything. It nearly cost me you and the children. It cost me Lyarra, I kept seeing her during the battles I fought you know. She looked just like Sansa."

Catelyn takes her husband's hand then and squeezes it. "Did she say anything to you?"

Ned looks at her a moment as if he does not understand what she is asking and then he responds. "No. But there was a point where I thought she was actually there with me. I got so scared. So very scared. I thought I was going to lose her for a second time."

She squeezes his hand then and replies. "She got the justice she deserves Ned. The Lannisters are done for, a puppet sits in the Rock. She has gotten the revenge Robert denied her."

"I know, and yet it changes nothing. I have been a terrible father to Sansa and Arya for so very long. I….I do not know how to make it up to them." Ned replies his voice shaking with emotion.

"You start by telling them the truth. All of the truth. No half-truths Ned. They are not children anymore they deserve the truth now. Robb and Jon do as well, they were too young to remember when it happened but, they all deserve the truth now. We cannot hide it from them any longer." She replies.

"I am scared my love." Ned replies. "I am scared that they will hate me for everything. This war, this war is my doing. I….I did this to us. All of it, Lyarra's death, that is my fault and my fault alone."

"The Lannisters killed Lyarra my love," Catelyn insists fiercely. "It was not your doing. It was their doing. It was all their doing. And the Spider's. Please tell me you killed him before you left?"

Ned sighs. "No. But I know Aegon will take care of it. He owes me that much."

Catelyn nods and then asks. "And can we trust him? I know he is your nephew but we do not know much about him. Can we truly trust him to keep his word?"

Ned looks very tired then. His voice is heavy with emotion when he replies. "Aye. I believe we can. He gave me the horn after all. Without the horn he is more vulnerable than he was before. His uncle Viserys will try to do something. And I cannot do anything to stop it, for that is what is needed."

"Truth be told I am not that bothered. I know he is your nephew Ned, but he is nothing to do with us. You have done your duty by him, it is time you looked toward your own family. Let us be whole again and put the scars of the past behind us." Catelyn says then.

Her husband sighs deeply then. "How did Sansa take the truth?"

There is something akin to fear in his eyes and she squeezes his hand briefly before saying. "Well, surprisingly well considering. I think she always suspected something was always amiss. And she despises the Lannisters now more than ever. Of course the knowledge that she was born for something other than pure luck means that she is scared. Truly scared, she will say she is not, but I know she is."

"I will not let him have her Cat. I cannot do this again. I lost one daughter already, I cannot lose another. Not to him not to anyone. I will kill him myself if I have to." Ned replies.

"How can you kill something that is already dead Ned?" Catelyn asks fearfully hating how her voice shakes.

"By becoming it." Her husband replies.

"What do you mean?" she asks.

"I have both the horns now. For the first time in years my family has both the horns once more. Aegon knows what his role is to be in this. My men know what is to come. Winter is coming, he will come down from his mountain soon enough, looking to claim his bride. I will not give him that choice. Robb is marrying Wynafryd Manderly, we have our children and the alliance of the north behind us. He will not stand a chance." Ned replies.

"What about Jojen Reed? He has been trying to get Bran to go north beyond the wall. I do not know why completely, but I think it has something to do with him." Catelyn asks.

"Howland will be taking his son home. He knows what needs to be done to stop him. Jojen will not be here for much longer, and Bran will not remember him after a time. It will be okay Cat, our son will not go north beyond the wall." Her husband says.

"How can you be so sure? Bran seems to be adamant that he must do as Jojen says. And you know what Bran is like when he puts his mind to something. I am scared he will go north with or without our leave." Catelyn says, giving voice to her fear.

Her husband sighs. "Because Bran cannot leave without assistance and Hodor will only do as I tell him to. The Reed girl does not want Bran to go north of the wall, she herself does not want to go north of the wall. Jon was able to gather that much from merely looking at her. Robb was very clever in betrothing her to Bran that means she has even more reason to stay here. Her brother will go sooner or later. And that is all that matters."

"But what if he does not? He seems to be the type who will stick around even when he is told to go. If for no other reason than to get Bran beyond the wall. He seems convinced that this is what is needed. Do you think Jojen is working for him?" Catelyn asks.

Ned shakes his head then. "No. He is not. I would know if Jojen Reed was working for him."

"How can you be so sure?" she asks hating the doubt in her voice.

Her husband shows her the two horns on the desk before them and says. "Because we have these my love. One is for you, and the other is for me."

"What are we to do?" Catelyn asks though she suspects she already knows the answer.

"Blow them." Ned replies picking up the black horn that his nephew gave him.

Catelyn picks up the second smaller horn that she has always known about. She holds it to her mouth and looks at Ned. "You are sure this will work?"

"I am my love." Ned replies.

Catelyn takes a deep breath and then puts her lips to the horn, and just as Ned does she blows out. The horns sound out, a deep and primal sound, a mournful sound that makes the hairs on Cat's arms stand up. She swears she can hear the roar of dragons and giants, as she looks at her husband's face and sees that his eyes have gone pale blue.