Hoax // Benjen Stark

7. Snow

"Sit. You'll be fed. Untie them." Benjen instructed

'Who are they?' Jon questioned nodding over to the men they were bringing to the wall. Tyrion put his book down looking over at the men.

'Rapers. They were given a choice no doubt' Tyrion said as three men were untied and brought next to the fire. 'Castration or the wall,' Tyrion told Jon 'most choose the knife...' Tyrion admitted and saw the horrified look on jons face 'Not impressed by your new brothers? Lovely thing about the watch you discard your old family and you get a whole new one.' Tyrion told him, going back to his book.

'Why do you read so much?'

'Look at me and tell me what you see.' Tyrion asked him

'Is this a trick?' Jon asked.

'What you see is a dwarf. If I had been born a peasant they might've left me out in the woods to die. Alas I was born a Lannister of Castlery rock. Things are expected of me. My father was the hand of the King for 20 years-' Tyrion reminded him.

'Until your brother killed that King' Jon remarked

'Yes.' Tyrion agreed 'until my brother killed him.' Jon sighed ''Life is full of these little ironies.' Tyrion said 'My sister married the new king and my repulsive nephew will be the king after him.' Jon stared across at him 'But I must do my part for the honor of my house. Wouldn't you agree? But how?' Tyrion asked 'well my brother has a sword and I have my mind and I need books like a sword needs a whetstone, that's why I read so much Jon Snow.' Tyrion told him. 'And you? What's your story bastard?'

'Ask me nicely and maybe I'll tell you dwarf.' Jon said calmly. Tyrion laughed.

'A bastard boy with nothing to inherit, off to join the ancient order of the nights watching alongside his valiant brother in arms.' Tyrion told and Jon glanced over at the rapers they had picked up anxiously.

'The nights watch protects the realm from...' jon began.

'Yes yes' Tyrion agreed, '-against grumpkins and snarks. All the other monsters your wet nurse warned you about.' Jon's eyes flickered back and forth, maybe he was making a mistake. Although Tyrion knew there were monsters, creatures of the unknown somehow Vampires, his own mother being a vampire and the idea of grumpkins didn't mix. But he had seen his mother run faster then lightning and make people forget things they just saw, he was amazed by her yet snarks and grumpkins were fictional.

'You're a smart boy you don't believe that nonsense.' Tyrion told him and Jon looked back over at his new brothers, 'everything is better with some wine in your belly too,' Tyrion said throwing him a pouch. Jon took a long sip.

+

'What I'm about to tell you, you cannot repeat anyone else.' Catelyn said to Robb, and Theon. 'I do not think Brandon fell from that Tower I think he was thrown and I believe a Lannister's are involved.' Catelyn told them 'We already have reason to believe they're not loyal to the crown.' Catelyn went on as Robb's mind raced.

'So they come into our home and try and murder my brother.' Robb said through clenched teeth 'if it's war they want-'

'If it comes to that you know I will stand behind you.' Theon added

'war? Is there going to be a battle in the gods wood?' the maester said 'to easily words of war become acts of war we don't know the truth yet.'

'I will ride to Kings Landing.' Robb said

'no I know there must always be a stark in Winterfell.' Catelyn reminded him.

++

'Thank the gods you were here stark' Jaime said sitting alone in the throne room, 'it's about time we had some stern northern leader ship'

'Glad to see you are protecting throne,' Ned said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice

'Sturdy old thing. How many kings houses have posted it I wonder...' Jaime looked him over a smug look on his face. 'I heard there was trouble on the kings road.'

'Very handsome armor' Ned noted 'not a scratch on it.'

'well people have been swinging at me for years but they always seem to miss.' Jaime informed him.

'You've chosen your opponents wisely then.' ned marked

'I have a knack for it,' Jaime assured him, the men stared each other down, assessing the other. 'it must be strange for you coming into this room...' Jaime noted 'standing right here where it went down, you're very brave your father too, he didn't deserve to die like that. Nobody deserves to die like that-'

'You just stood there and watched' Ned remembered.

'500 men just stood there and watched' Jaime corrected 'all the great knights of the seven kingdoms and you think anyone said a word, lifted a finger? No one... 500 men and this room was silent as a crypt except for the screams of course. And the mad king laughing. And I watched the mad king die.' Jaime informed Ned. 'I remember him laughing as your father burned,' Jaime went on 'it felt like justice.'

'Is that what you tell yourself at night? You are a servant of justice, that you were avenging my father when you stabbed your sword in the Targaryen's back?'

'Tell me if I stab the mad king in the belly instead of the back would you like me more?' Jaime questioned with a smug grin. Jaime would be a better king than Robert, he sat on the throne once but Ned made him give it up. Jaime should have had the courage to say no. now they were stuck under Robert's ruling.

'You served him well,' Ned told him 'when serving was safe.' Ned pushed past him, he had work to do.