Marina's green eyes filled with tears as the truth picked apart her mentality, shattering the very beliefs she thought she understood. It had been them all along, everything that has lead to this moment was planned. Every word that slivered past the...
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MARINA STOPPED JUST OUTSIDE BRAN'S ROOM. She let a sigh slip through her lips as exhaustion finally set in her bones. Ever since Catelyn departed for King's Landing three days ago, Marina has been all around the castle doing chores that were left for her. It seems as though Lady Stark had made it so that, even in her absence, Marina would not have any human contact for weeks. Robb has tried to lessen her duties but Marina advises against it. Whenever Lady Stark does return home, it would be better for just Marina to be at fault.
"Rina!" Bran exclaimed, sitting up on his forearms as the brunette woman entered the room.
Her green eyes fell to Bran tenderly, happy to see him alive and well- perhaps not as well as he could be but well nevertheless. Her eyes then moved to Nan, a wet nurse who sat beside Bran's bed knitting. No doubt she had been telling stories based off her imagination that is no wider than a spoon. Finally, they fell on Theon Greyjoy, Winterfell's ward.
"Where have you been, Rina! I was beginning to think you left with my mother" Bran said. Marina walked further into the room until she was beside him. Summer wagged her tail enthusiastically, her tongue falling out her mouth as she nipped at the brunette's fingers.
"Of course not, little Lord. I could never forget you" He smiled, blushing a bit as well. "Theon, to what do we owe this pleasure? I'm sure you'd rather be anywhere than in Bran's chambers"
Theon seemed to stand straighter when his name was mentioned. He had been so engrossed with Marina's very presence that he had forgotten what he needed for a moment. When his vision refocused so did his mind.
"Perhaps you can lend me a hand, Marina" Theon replied.
Said woman felt a tug on her hand. She looked down at Bran who stared at her expectantly. Seconds later, a small red ball appeared in her palm. The young Stark has been obsessed with her magic ever since he had seen them. On that day Marina and Bran had been walking through the woods. Bran decided to climb a tree and unfortunately lost his footing. Without realizing what she was doing, Bran had stopped falling in mid air with red wisps floating around him. Since then he always wants to play around with her magic whenever he has the chance.
"You need my help?" Marina asked, confusion and suspicion swirling in her eyes. Theon scowled, gritting his teeth with narrowed eyes.
"Robb wants me down in the throne room because some guests have arrived. I don't want to go" Bran explained.
"Neither do I, but Robb is Lord of Winterfell, which means I have to do what he says and you-"
"What? The son of Ned Stark, Lord of the North, has to listen to you?" Bran snickered, looking to the Greyjoy with a small smile on his lips. Theon's scowl turned into a full sneer. "Tell Robb that Bran is in good hands and that I will see to it that he is down there before our guests arrive."
The dismissal is obvious, even more so when Summer growled at the Greyjoy. Marina has never liked to throw titles around, especially to people with the same status as herself, but Theon has never shown an ounce of respect to anyone. Whenever he got the chance he'd let Jon and Marina know just how low on the food chain they truly are. However, no matter how low she is, her relationship with the Stark children places her above him. It felt good to give him a piece of her mind.
Once Theon had reluctantly taken his leave, the witch turned to Brandon, closing her hand so that her magic would disappear. He groaned, falling back onto his pillows.
"Not you too!" He whines. "I thought the purpose of telling Theon off was so that I could remain here in my chambers"
"Robb is still Lord of Winterfell-"
"But I am still a prince."
"-and you are still a prince, but we must do what your brother commands or he'll have both our heads." Marina teased. The brunette turned to the door. "Hodor? Can you come here please?"
"Hodor" The tall man stomped into the room, stopping at the threshold of the door, ready for any command thrown at him. A gentle giant if Marina had ever seen one.
"Can you take Bran down to the Great Hall please?"
"Hodor"
Summer leapt out of the bed and sauntered out of the room, no doubt to go with her siblings in the great hall.
"Will you be here when I get back?" The hopeful tone in his voice didn't go unnoticed by Marina, who smiled softly at the young Lord.
"Of course. I will meet you when the meeting is over."
Hodor promptly left the room right after, allowing Marina the peace she desired for the past week. Though that didn't mean her chores were to stop. Bran's sheets still need to be cleaned.
"The little Lord has been dreaming" a voice announced.
Marina nearly jumped out her skin before her eyes settled on the wet nurse in the corner of the room. The brunette had forgotten that she was there, knitting and listening to everything that just happened.
"Nan, you scared me"
The older woman kept quiet, which she never did when it came to Marina. The wet nurse would have so many stories to tell the brunette, some from dreams or some from past experiences- though no one really knows which is which.
"Lord Stark has changed" Nan continued, as if she didn't notice just how frightened Marina is. "He is not the sweet summer child we once knew"
Marina frowned, "Well of course he isn't. He fell from a tower, woke almost a month later to find out he'll never use his legs again." The witch went back to tending to Bran's bed. "I'd imagine that'd make anyone change a bit. Why are you telling me this anyway?"
"You're his protector"
"I am for now. I suspect I will have that privilege stripped from me in the near future when Lady Catelyn returns home" Marina had pulled the last of the heavy sheets from the bed and rolled them into a ball in her arms. "If you'll excuse me, Bran is expecting me in a bit"
Softly, she closed the door behind herself and took to moving down the long hall and towards the washroom. As she took a turn at the end of the hall the brunette felt her breath leave her body as someone pushed her into the wall. The sheets tumbled from her arms before they were pressed to the wall above her head. A hand smothered her lips into silence.
"Sooner or later you won't have those Stark's to save you" Marina's green eyes clashed with Theon Greyjoy's dark ones. His eyes left her briefly as red wisps appeared from her fingertips before he looked at her again, not surprised to find her once green eyes a bright red. "I wouldn't think about using those powers of yours. You know you're only allowed to use them to protect Bran. It'll be your word against mine and we know who's side Lady Catelyn will take"
Theon smirked as he watched Marina's eyes return to their forest green hue. It is only then that he removed his hand from her lips and to her hips instead.
Marina tensed. "Next time I expect a different response when I tell you to do something"
His breath fanned her face one last time before he let her go and walked around the corner, disappearing down the hall.
