The Lannister Wolf Series

Chapter 9

The breakfast table was stone silent the next morning. Evelyn usually loved sitting next to her father, Robb across from her and Rickon at her other side. Now, Robb was staring holes into her head from across the table, everyone else was giving her confused looks while Ned Stark tried to act normal.

"Mother," Rickon spoke up, "Why is Eve getting married?"
The table was swallowed into a thicker silence if that was possible. No one from Arya down knew about the engagement.

"Eve is getting married?" Arya asked, "Since when?"
"Since yesterday," Robb snapped.

"To whom?" Bran added.

Robb was about to snap at him too but Jon beat him to it, "A good man Bran. He'll take good care of Evelyn."
All eyes turned to Jon in gratitude. Even Catelyn didn't glare. They were glad he had avoided the conversation and given the children a comforting answer, even if half the family didn't agree with his observation.

"IT's Ser Jaime isn't it?" Arya asked.

Robb and Jon glared daggers at her, but she obviously didn't notice or chose to ignore it for she kept going, "Anyone would have guessed. It's obvious!"
"What do you mean by that?" Sansa asked.

Robb mentally facepalmed. Was Evelyn the only sister of his with common sense? He noticed Eve had been pale all morning but now her hands were quivering.

"Don't you see the way he looks at her?" Arya asked, "Like he just met the sun for the first time. Honestly, I think he's a little obsessed."

Ned Stark was clenched the side of the table, trying to keep himself calm while Catelyn was trying to send her daughters signals to shut up but they didn't notice them.

"AT least he doesn't look at her like a piece of meat," Robb stated, not meaning to talk but it slipped out.

Sansa glared at him, knowing that her brother was referring to Joffrey and how he looked at Sansa.

Arya shrugged, "Just saying. He'll take care of her, that's for sure...." Then in a barely audible whisper, "In more ways than one."
"ARYA!" Catelyn scolded.

Jon was up in an instant and escorting Rickon and Bran to a safe distance while Catelyn scolded Arya and Sansa. Robb glanced at where Evelyn sat.... but she was gone. Zinzi too.

When Jon finally found his half-sister, she was sitting on her thinking rock. Jon smiled. Evelyn had always possessed a special place in Jon's heart. He had a place in his heart for all the Starks, but Evelyn had been more of a sister to him than anyone.

Her thinking rock was a large flat boulder right outside the gates in the shadow of a cluster of trees. Once upon a time, Jon had proposed marriage to Evelyn on that rock but the four-year-old girl had informed him that siblings couldn't marry. Years later, the 9 year old kids made a pact that if they ever had any reason to come to the thinking rock, they would tell the other what it was about.

"Arya says she's sorry," Jon remarked, sitting down behind the girl, stretching his body perpendicular to Evelyn. The girl laid back, so her head was on his stomach like they did as kids.

"She didn't do anything wrong... she just said the truth. I should have gotten upset. Those who fear the truth are the ones who are living a lie."
Jon smiled and held the girl's hand, noting that it was cold. "With your brains and wit, you'll be just fine."
When Evelyn didn't reply, Jon glanced at the girl to see a look of pure fear on her face. Evelyn rarely showed fear so when Jon saw it in her eyes, he knew it was bad.

"I don't think my brain and wit will keep certain things from happening for long," she muttered.

Jon sighed and sat up, still allowing Evelyn to lay her head in his lap as he ran his fingers through her dark hair, "I honestly don't know what to say on that matter Eve.... As I have never done it myself and as I will be joining the Night's Watch, I will have no choice but to never know it."

Evelyn nodded and closed her eyes, sighing deeply, "Is it wrong of me to fear it... but to also want it?"
Jon looked at her puzzled, "What do you mean?"
The girl sat up and turned to sit facing Jon, their legs stretched out side by side, "Ever since I was little I have always wanted children... but when I learnt from mother what goes into having children, it began to scare me. However, I pushed it into the back of my mind and a part of me still yearns for children and a family of my own... to know what it feels like to have a life growing within you.... To see the outcome of you and your spouse.... but then there is how you get there...."
"I can honestly say that is something about you I never knew sister," Jon remarked, smiling fondly at her, "Why did you never mention it?"
Evelyn sighed, "I thought everyone would find it strange."
"No one would find it strange," Jon replied. "Honestly, there needs to be more people like you in the world Eve. Look at the queen for example. It seems she holds some fondness for her children but no great love for them. I'll wager she didn't want children that badly but had to because the king needed an heir."
Evelyn nodded, "That's true. But I will also have to supply Ser Jaime with an heir."
"But he's not the king," Jon pointed out. "Ser Jaime may be completely different in how he looks at things and he might be willing to give you time until you two decide to consummate."
The girl slowly glanced at her brother and smirked, "You're starting to sound like you don't think ill of him."
Jon squirmed, "I don't think ill of him..... but I still don't like some things about him.... ugh it's complicated! There are people you meet that you can just tell are mean and you shouldn't trust them because they reek of evil."
"Like Cersei."
Jon nodded, "But there are others whom you think you shouldn't trust entirely... but there is something about them that makes you think you can."
Evelyn smiled and laid her head on her brother's shoulder, "Thanks Jon. I'm glad I have you... at least for two more weeks."

Jon cringed, "Don't say it like that! I'm going to have to wear something pretty for the wedding wont I?"

"Probably."

Hello all!!!! Just a quick note: With there being eight parts to this story, I am going to try and limit the number of chapters per part to 15-20 so that some parts aren't longer than others, though there may be a part or two that may surpass 20 chapters but I'll try to keep in range:)