eternity • Brandon Stark

chapter 59

"cat slow down!" Rickon worriedly said as he stumbled to catch the child.

The child in question wobbled from side to side as she tried to run with all the strength she can.

Squealing laughter coming from her lips as she breathed heavily.

Rickon and catelyn are spending time at godswood whilst the other starks are doing their own chores at the moment.

And catelyn had only turned one year old about a few weeks ago. Arya and rickon alongside some of the lords were almost whining to sansa about setting a feast for the little lady's nameday.

Catelyn has definitely become their little lady, princess as they liked to call her.

But sansa and valeria rejected the proposal knowing they need all the supplies they have for the long winter, and the war.

Bran was quiet the entire talk. He definitely wanted to give his child the biggest feast she deserves that would last days but, it's really not preferable at the moment.

A few months ago after speaking about Valeria's ancestry, catelyn slowly stood as her small hand firmly gripped the bed and finally,

She walked her first steps.

To say the starks were ecstatic was an understatement.

But now that she's learnt how to run— still not so stable— rickon's hair will surely be white like valeria's with how much stress and worry he's under as he watched the child run in circles, body tilting to the left like she's about to fall every time.

"Gotcha!" He yelled as soon as he caught the small toddler.

Catelyn laughed so much making her pant as rickon placed her down gently, patting the snow off from her clothes.

His fingers touched her cheeks only to gasp when he felt how cold it is.

"Wait ok? Don't move.." he said slowly to the child, her wide eyes staring up at him as she vigorously nods her head.

"Ok!" She shouts excitedly.

Rickon stood back up, fingers removing his fur cloak-

"Oof!"

The sound made him jolt, head immediately turning behind him only to see catelyn, face down on the snow.

"Gah!" He let out as he immediately went to help the child up.

he sighed as he saw her nose go red, then she started to sniffle with her eyes going glossy.

Rickon's face slowly scrunched as he waits for her to blow.

And she did.

"WAHHH MY DRESS IS WET!" Her tiny voice cried, small hands gripping on her wet cold dress.

Laughter suddenly erupted from behind rickon making him turn around only to see bran laughing uncontrollably with valeria annoyingly slapping his arm.

"Gods, stop laughing Brandon stark!" She annoyingly said as she stomped to go and ease her child.

Rickon was confused as he stood beside his brother. "Yeah why are you laughing?" He placed emphasis on the 'are' as his confused faced watched his brother.

He honestly thought bran would be scolding him for letting catelyn fall down like that.

Bran finally regained his breath, eyes lovingly watching valeria as she wiped Catelyn's tears away, she finally stopped crying, only sniffing as she listened to her mother.

"Valeria used to cry whenever the snow would soak her dress" bran whispered to rickon.

Valeria gasped. "I did not!" She called out.

"I don't remember that?" Rickon said with a chuckle watching the two.

"You were just a baby then, it was her first months in winterfell" bran said as a smile was left on his face.

Rickon couldn't help but chuckle, he now realized why bran was looking with so much love at the two.

He saw a glimpse of valeria in catelyn.
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"Love, you're crying again" bran said softly as he went to wipe her tears.

She sniffed, "i miss meera" she said with a broken voice. "Why'd you have to be such a dick" she whined as she started to cry again.

Bran smiled softly at her crying face as he sighs, comforting her as he pulled her into his arms.

"Mama!" Catelyn called as she climbed up the bed, before she crawled over bran's body, ultimately sitting down onto Valeria's tummy.

She frowned cutely, tiny hands wiping her tears away making valeria chuckle.

"Mama's fine" valeria softly said.

Catelyn smiles before she laid her head onto Valeria's chest, she sighed knowing what the child want.

Milk.

She sniffled as catelyn sucked on her swollen breast, "i wish meera was here" she sniffled. "She would be visiting us atleast if you weren't such an asshole to her.."

Bran sighs, taking all her frustration in as he leans in to kiss Valeria's temple, " she'll be safer away from us. You know that" he softly said.

Valeria furrowed her eyebrows. Something inside her clicked.

"You. You did that on purpose? To protect her..." She slowly said to which bran could only sigh as he stared up the ceiling.

"She was like my sister— she is my sister. My sister beyond that wall." He softly said.

The only sister he had when he suffered through the long journey.

Valeria couldn't help but smile, giving bran a sweet kiss on his cheeks as if saying sorry for calling him an asshole, they both loved meera, they always will.

And meera loved them. Especially Catelyn.

There is no doubt she'll come back to them when the dead comes, she won't be able to bear the idea of being away whilst bran and valeria were possibly dying.

That's how she is.

"Perhaps we'll be able to give her the life she deserves once this is all over" bran softly said.

Valeria couldn't have agreed more as she scoots to lay her head on his chest.

"Will it be over?" Her soft voice hesitantly said.

But before he could even answer, the sound of snoring interrupted the two.

They looked upfront, only to see catelyn laying on top of Valeria's chest, milk dripping down her chin, knocked down cold as she snores.

Bran chuckled quietly making valeria chuckle as she slowly laid the child between them.

"She's precious- snores just like you" valeria teased making bran furrow his eyebrow.

"I. I do not snore" he whispers to her in disbelief.

"How do you know?" She giggled at his reaction.

Only to stop when they saw something— in another place.

"Looks like meeting the dragon queen is near.." she mumbles.

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