Lady of Winterfell

Chapter Nine: News from Kings Landing

Slowly approaching her husband who was seated upon a rock in the Godswood, Catelyn couldn't help but feel that no matter how many times that she came to this place that she was still no more than an outsider. 

To her the sept was a place of worship, Catelyn never felt like she was truly welcome here; she took a deep breath as she watched Eddard clean his sword with steady hands. 

"All these years, and I still feel like an outsider when I come here," Catelyn mused stopping just a little away from Eddard, her eyes swept the Godswood glad that she would be able to speak to him alone here. 

It was going to be hard enough to share such news with him, he'd been a little distracted since they had returned from the execution of the deserter from the Night's Watch. 

The words that the boy had told her husband seemed to bother him and Catelyn wished that she could ease his troubles in some way. 

"You have five northern children. You're not an outsider," Eddard reminded her with a smile, he stopped what he was doing to admire his wife; she was so very beautiful and he couldn't imagine his life without her. 

In the years since he had married Catelyn Tully, Eddard couldn't bring himself to regret how things had worked out for them; the rebellion had cost him so much and there was still much that he did not feel he could share with anyone about that time. 

It had originally been his older brother that Catelyn had been set to marry, however the Mad King had seen to that when he had strangled Brendan with a choking device while their father had been burned alive. 

"I wonder if the Old Gods agree," Catelyn murmured looking to the heart tree, she found it so strange how different it was here compared to how she had grown up in Riverrun. 

Her children had been raised in the ways of her husband's family at times Catelyn did feel like an outsider; there weren't many southern ladies this far north that she could relate to. 

"It's your Gods, with all the rules," Eddard reminded her teasingly, he was a little curious about why Catelyn had come here; it was strange to see her here when her place of worship was in a sept. 

Catelyn slowly reached into her sleeve and produced a parchment from her sleeve, she looked down at the parchment before she looked to her husband with a sigh.

"I am so sorry, my love," Catelyn whispered with a shake of her head, she knew how much this was going to upset him, hurt him even and she wished that she had better news to share with him. 

This wasn't what Catelyn had been expecting when she had heard that there had been a raven from King's Landing and she couldn't help but fear what would come next; she stared at Eddard fearing what was too come. 

"Tell me," Eddard encouraged watching her, his stomach turning at the look on his wife's face and it could only be bad news for them. 

It had been a while since they'd heard news that would give them cause to worry, the last thing they wanted when things were finally peaceful was for more trouble to come this way. 

The last war had cost him greatly, his father, his brother and his sister had all been lost and Eddard did not wish to think of losing his children in anyway. 

"There was a raven from King's Landing. Jon Arryn is dead. A fever took him," Catelyn revealed carefully, she could only watch as Eddard looked down; she knew how shocking this must have been for him and she wished that there was something that she could say to make this right. 

None of them could have expected this even with Jon Arryn being as old as he was, it had been a sudden death and Catelyn couldn't help but worry for what would come now.