Forever Winter // Benjen Stark

4. Exactly

"Alright you all settled?" Ned questioned.

"Where might your brother be?" Katie questioned.

"Don't answer that." Dean demanded pulling Katie back. "Night Ned."

"Night NED!" Katie called as she chuckled. "You ruin my fun. The man is destined to live out his life celibate and alone." Katie reminded him. "Let me show him a good time. It is practically my duty to reward him for all his hard work at the wall." Katie negotiated.

"We are going to be spending a lot of time with him when we go to the wall," Sam reminded her.

"I am getting acquainted while we have a bed and privacy." Katie informed them and Sam groaned. "What? What's so wrong with that? Dean fucks everything that moves and Benjen is handsome and certainly my type." Katie told them.

"That he is." Dean grumbled.

"This was why you didn't want to tell me about them?" Katie questioned. "Because you thought I would fuck him and mess up your friendship?"

"Yeah." Dean admitted.

"You fucked every friend I ever made." Katie countered. "and I'm what? Not allowed to even entertain the idea!" Katie shouted back.

"Exactly." Dean agreed.

"You are such a child!' Katie shouted.

"Yet who is throwing a tantrum?" Dean countered his arms crossed over his chest as he stared down at her. Katie opened her mouth to reply but clamped her lips shut. "That's what I thought."

+

"So your friends..." Catelyn remarked.

"The Winchesters." Ned confirmed.

"You told me dean was trouble." Catelyn recalled.

"He is." Ned agreed. "But they are good people. I think Benjen has a little crush on Katie, shes a flirt just like her brother." Ned remarked with a laugh.

"Did you know they were coming? Today?" Catelyn asked through tight lips. She wanted to impress the royal family and Winchesters running amuck... but then again Robert was drunk the entire night anyways.

"No, they don't usually Raven they just-'

'Show up unannounced.' Catelyn said stiffly.
"Arya caused more trouble then them. Besides they are my friends Cat." Ned told her.

"I know.' She whispered.
"Speaking of friends... Robert has asked me to be his Hand."

"No." Catelyn shouted.

'I'm a Northman. I belong here with you, not down south in that rat's nest they call a capital.' Ned said as he lay in bed with Catelyn that night.

'I won't let him take you.' Catelyn declared

'The king takes what he wants. That's why he's king.' Ned reminded her.

'I'll say, 'Listen, fat man, you are not taking my husband anywhere. He belongs to me now.'' Catelyn told him confidently.

'How did he get so fat?'

'He only stops eating when it's time for a drink.' Catelyn remarked when there was a knock at the door.

'It's Maester Luwin, my lord.'

'Send him in.' Ned called and the door swung open.

'Pardon, my lord, my lady. A rider in the night from your sister.' He handed Catelyn a sealed note.

'Stay'. Ned begged as she got up.

'This was sent from the Eyrie. What's she doing at the Eyrie? She hasn't been back there since her wedding.' Catelyn remarked as she read the note, she looked up to Ned with alarm in her eyes, and then burned it quickly.

'What news?'

'She's fled the capital. She says Jon Arryn was murdered. By the Lannisters. She says the king is in danger.' Catelyn remarked.

'She's fresh widowed, Cat. She doesn't know what she's saying.' Ned reminded her

'Lysa's head would be on a spike right now if the wrong people had found that letter. Do you think she would risk her life, her son's life, if she wasn't certain her husband was murdered?' Catelyn countered

'If this news is true, and the Lannisters conspire against the throne, who but you can protect the king?' Luwin remarked

'They murdered the last Hand. Now you want Ned to take the job.' Catelyn exclaimed through an exasperated voice.

'The king rode for a month to ask Lord Stark's help. He's the only one he trusts. You swore the king an oath, my lord.' Luwin reminded them

'He spent half his life fighting Robert's wars. He owes him nothing.' Catelyn remarked she turned to ned. 'Your father and brother rode south once on a king's demand.'

'A different time. Different king.'