The Children of Spring

Gerion III - A Voice from the Past

The next day felt exciting and weird at the same time, for the first time Gerion would atend a war council. They were trapped there and could not get out or attack, making him question if there was a need for a war council in the first place. Guess, we'll see that, Gerion thought. He dressed himself, a black shirt with a balck leather jacket and brown pants. He put on a pair of black leather boots.
After finished getting dressed, Gerion remembered, The letter. I have to give it to the maestre and I have to hurry. Gerion took the letter that was on the table and went to the maestre's chambers almost running, it was morning and it was almost time for breakfast. He was almost at the maestre's chambers when he heard,
"Where are you going, dear?" It was his mother. Shit!, Gerion thought, couldn't he just do something without being caught?
"Nothing, mother. I was just going to see if there were any new messages in the maestre's chambers." Gerion said, fortunately for him, he could lie quite well.
"Really? And what's that in your hand?" Sansa asked curiously. Gerion lied exactly like his father, he just did not have the same pratice.
"It's just some notes to get my ideas in order. You know that I'm always forgeting something." Gerion said.
"Can I see?" Sansa asked.
"Uh, no. I don't want to spoil the surprise." Gerion said. And I was caught..., Gerion thought.
"You lie just like your father, Gerion. Who's that letter for?" Sansa asked smiling.
"Marianne." Gerion said looking down.
"You are worried about her, aren't you?" Sansa said going near her son.
"It's just that she's alone in the Rock. Jen, James and Thomas had each other and all of the others. Rickon and Bran are together, Lya and Jeyne are together. Even Ned and Jo are just hours away and they have uncle Bran and Selwyn. And I have you and father and uncle Jaime. But she's alone in the Rock. And... her mother is dying. I don't want her to go through that alone." Gerion explained, looking at his mother.
"I know, Ger. That's really nice and decent of you and I'm sure Mary is going to like it very much." Sansa said smiling.
"Really? How do you think they are in the wolfswood?" Gerion asked, changing swiftly the subject but with some concern in his voice.
"Well, I don't know, Ger. But I know that your aunt is very strong and so is your uncle. Besides, I'm sure that everyone there is doing everything they can to help them." Sansa assured him.
"Is there something more we can do to help?" Gerion asked, looking at his mother.
"I don't think so, my dear. But if there is anything, we will help them." Sansa said, reassuring him.
"Thank you, mother. I will just give this to the maestre and then I'll meet you for breakfast." Gerion said smiling.
"Alright. Don't take too long." Sansa said, Gerion nodded smiling and proceed to the maestre's chambers.
Once there Gerion gave Maestre Wolkan the letter.
"Where is this one to, my prince?" the maestre asked.
"Casterly Rock, maestre Wolkan." Gerion said.
"Alright, I will send it, right away." Wolkan said.
"Thank you, maestre." Gerion said and then excuse himself to go and have breakfast.
Gerion entered the hall and sat down next to his uncle and in front of his mother. They were with serious faces and Gerion did not like it.
"How are you feeling today, Ger?" Tyrion asked.
"I'm fine, father." Gerion said. He did not quite understand the question. Mother must have told them that I sent the letter, Gerion thought.
"Your mother told us that you sent a letter to the Rock." Tyrion said softly.
"I did. Mary is alone there, maybe that way she won't feel so lonely." Gerion said. At least, that way I know how she is, if she answers the letter, Gerion thought, somehow he knew that she would.
"I'm going to ask you again, is everything alright?" Tyrion asked concerned.
"It is. There's nothing we can do now. Unless, sending letters." Gerion said a bit sadly.
"It came a letter from camp. We told you that there will be no more secrets, so we think you should know." Sansa said at last.
"What does it say?" Gerion asked a bit afraid of the answer.
"They think the enemy wants to cut them down, because they're always attacking. The warlocks must have been withdrawing force from the dragon, somehow. Rickon and Bran are alright and they're helping them a lot. And..." Tyrion said.
"And...?" Gerion asked.
"It said that Joanna got worse. They're helping her and they already called Sam. From what I understand she collapsed one day at a war meeting and had to stay in bed from then on, which must have been deligthful for her. She started to get delusional on ocasions. They said that they're trying to keep Rickon and Bran away when she has delusions. However, the attacks don't always let them." Sansa explained.
"Why are they trying to keep them away? Is there any cure for the poison?" Gerion asked concerned and confused.
"Sometimes the delusions are brutal, there's too much for you to understand what they're about. And I don't know, but Sam is the best maestre we know, so he'll work it out." Tyrion explained.
"I hope you're right. What if..." Gerion said, he did not want to tell that to his cousins.
"Your aunt survived an arrow through the shoulder, two broken ribs and a stab wound. She'll survive this." Jaime said determined. Then he and Tyrion looked at each other with a look that said 'I hope it is true'. Gerion noticed the look and he did not like it. Gerion did not want his cousins to loose their mother, nor did he want to loose his aunt. He always got along with her and she really inspired him. He did not want to imagine what they were going through in that camp.
"How can you be so certain?" Gerion asked concerned and seriously.
Sansa looked at her son and then at her husband and brother-in-law, she knew that none of them should tell him by then what had happened in the past, however it was necessary. We have to face it, they're growing up, Sansa thought.
"Many years ago, me, your father and your aunt Joanna were in KingsLanding. Joffrey was on the Throne and that meant nothing good for any of us..." Sansa said and then she looked at the Lannister brothers and they nodded for her to continue. "One day, your aunt was practicing in the yard of the Red Keep and Joffrey challenged her for a practicing match. She accepted it. I did not have anyone in that Keep that I could count on. I didn't have friends or family. Me and your father did not yet get along. I didn't have anyone except for Joanna and from then on Pod was there as well. That day, Joanna came to me, we hadn't talk for some time, because, well, things were not in the great terms at the time, both of us had our problems to solve. She apologized for not being there for me, and I was just shocked, no one had ever done that since I had gotten to that damn city. Of course, I forgave her. We talked about our families, I realized that I missed my brothers and sister, as much as she missed her brother. I was terrified of Joffrey and Cersei, at the time, but she was there. And she told me this: 'You are very strong, you know. I'm going to beat Joffrey up at practice tomorrow, so if you look through the window, you'll see that he is just a boy. And you are a woman, you are stronger and smarter than him, so don't let him abuse'. She helped me keep faith. The next day, she and Joffrey fought, he was in armour and had a real sword, your aunt did not have armour and fought with a training sword and she beat him up anyway..." Sansa said remembering.
"When the pratice ended, Joffrey was furious. He called her names and said that she didn't deserve to have the Lannister name and that she would never be a knight." Tyrion said.
"What?" Gerion asked in shock. Who did he think he was?, Gerion thought angry.
"She told him that she would always be a knight even without the title. And when he was gone, Joanna went straight to her room. The first person to be there for her was your uncle. He told her that everything would be alright, that she wasn't alone. It may be stupid to think that they fell in love the first time they saw each other, but there's no other way of explaining it. They were there for each other, even when they were angry with each other..." Tyrion said.
"Later that day, I met them in the yard. It was the first time I felt like I had friends. We talked a lot and laughed a lot. At some point, she said 'perhaps someday, we will be able to bring peace between Lannisters and Starks'. We could to that." Sansa said.
"The point is that they survived it together, they are always in everything together. If they survived that and everything that came after, they'll survive this. This is not even the worst for them." Jaime said, remembering the final war.
"But aren't you afraid?" Gerion asked confused. He understood that they were strong and had been through a lot, still everything could happen.
"Of course, we are afraid. We lost one sister, we don't want to loose another. We don't want our friends to loose their friend. We don't want Pod to loose her. We don't want you all to loose your aunt, but we have to be strong. Joanna would want us to be strong. I'm sure that Rickon and Bran are doing just that in there. And we'll do that in here." Tyrion said.
"Alright. I'll do that." Gerion said determined. We'll work it out, Gerion thought.
After breakfast, there was a war council. It went well, despite the anxiety that Gerion was feeling, for it was his first war council after all. They planned the defenses and the escape if needed. Gerion managed to convince them to put him as a commander if it needed be. It was a win for him and he could not be more happy about it.
After the council, he went to the Godswood. He always found peace there. Bold was there for his surprise, the direwolf came to him and he hugged him.
"I missed you, boy. Where have you been? Having some adventures without me, I assume." Gerion said happily, petting the direwolf.
Then he looked around and saw a man. He was old and for the look it seemed that he was blind as well, at least, at the present times. He also seemed to have lived his life in Winterfell.
"I'm sorry. I did not want to bother." Gerion said.
"That's alright. I've seen so many things in this Godswood and in Winterfell. I just like to came here on ocasions. It's realy peaceful despite everything ." the man said.
"Really? What's you name?" Gerion asked curiously. He knew most of the people in Winterfell, but he did not know the man.
"Arnold. And yours, young man?" Arnold asked.
"I'm Ned." Gerion said, he chose not to use his full name for the man might have started with courtesies that would never end.
"Like Lord Eddard Stark." Arnold said.
"Yes, I was named after him." Gerion lied without hesitating, he understood that he could get some information about the past. I'm actual named after my father's uncle Gerion Lannister, but he doesn't need to know that, Gerion thought.
"Did you know Lord Eddard?" Gerion asked curiously.
"I did. I served him and his father before him. And now I serve his daughter." Arnold said.
"I've never knew him, though. So, did you came to the Godswood to pray or to meditate?" Gerion asked.
"I come here to pray. And to find peace. I've seen quite a lot actually while I was here." Arnold said.
"I've come to find peace as well, my aunt always said that it's the best place. What did you see?" Gerion asked.
"Oh, where to begin? I've seen everything, from happy to sad, from romantic to heartbreaking." Arnold said. Really?, Gerion thought.
"Tell me one, please." Gerion said.
"Alright. There was one time. How old are you, Ned?" Arnold asked.
"I'm 16." Gerion said honestly.
"Ah, you were not even born yet. It was a beautiful day, I was a gardener back in the day. I was colecting some herbs nearby. When I saw Lord Eddard, I was going to greet him, when Lady Catelyn showed up, I felt it was a moment just for them, therefore I stayed in my bussiness, of course, I couldn't help but to hear." Arnold said with a chuckle.
"I would have done the same." Gerion said with a chuckle too.
"Well, Lady Catelyn brought sad news. A raven had come from KingsLanding, it said that Jon Arryn was dead, a fever had taken him. He was Lord Eddard's guardian and a father figure." Arnold said.
"A fever? In KingsLanding? I don't believe that. Who killed him?" Gerion asked curiously. Nothing happened in that city for an unknown reason, that much he knew.
"Some said it were the Lannisters, other said it was the Spider or Littlefinger. The most common suspect was his wife, Lysa Arryn." Arnold said. The Lannisters? Varys? And whoever Littlefinger might be? How?, Gerion thought.
"Why would she killed her husband?" Gerion asked confused.
"Love, perhaps. Or madness." Arnold said. Alright, I'm going to find out, Gerion thought.
"How did Lord Eddard react?" Gerion asked.
"He asked for Lysa Arryn, she was Catelyn's sister, and for her boy, Robin. She said that they were safe and in good health. However there were more news." Arnold said.
"What else?" Gerion asked curiously.
"The Royal family was coming to Winterfell." Arnold answered.
"The Royal family?" Gerion asked confused.
"It was the first time they came here. It was the first time our King came to Winterfell." Arnold said smiling. It was the first time, my father came to Winterfell, the first time he saw my mother, perhaps, Gerion thought smiling.
"Who else came?" Gerion asked curiously.
"Let me see. King Robert Baratheon, t Queen Cersei Lannister, the princes Joffrey and Tommen and princess Myrcella Baratheon. The Queen's other brother, Ser Jaime Lannister, he was a Kingsguard at the time, -." Arnold was saying.
"And the Queen's sister, Joanna Lannister? She didn't come?" Gerion asked confused.
"Not this time, no. The Hound came too, because he was Joffrey's sworn sword." Arnold said. Why did she not come?, Gerion thought.
"I did not know that." Gerion said surprised. Why did uncle Sandor swore himself to such person as Joffrey?, Gerion thought confused.
"Still, Lord Eddard knew that if King Robert was coming this far North, there was only one thing he was after. Lady Catelyn said that he could always say 'no'. Still, Lord Eddard accepted being Hand of the King." Arnold said.
"Why? Jon Arryn was the Hand of the King and he was murdered." Gerion said surprised.
"Because, Lady Lysa sent a raven to Lady Catelyn saying it were the Lannisters. If that was true, it meant that the King was not safe." Arnold explained.
"Why would my- our King's family do something like that?" Gerion asked surprised. It did not make sense.
"The Lannisters were a complicated family. Tywin Lannister was a rigid man and Cersei was his daughter after all. They would do anything for their house." Arnold explained.
"And the rest of them?" Gerion asked.
"Well, they would do the same, but in a way that the number of people involved being hurt would be fewer to zero." Arnold said. That's a good thing, I think, Gerion thought.
"Thank you for telling me. I'd love to hear more stories." Gerion said.
"Well, Ned, I come here from 5 to 5 days. You're welcome to show up." Arnold said smiling.
"I'll try. Guess my aunt and uncle were right, this place is magical." Gerion said smiling. Don't worry, aunt Joanna and uncle Pod, I'll be strong for you and you'll get through this, Gerion thought. The war was still growing, Gerion knew it, however there was nothing he could do right there and then, therefore if he continued to come to the Godswood and maybe if he wished a lot of times, the Old Gods might hear him.
"You sounds like you admire them very much." Arnold said.
"I do, mostly my aunt. Of course, they're inseparable." Gerion said with a chuckle. He missed his family, not only Joanna and Pod, but also Brienne, Jon, Arya, Gendry, Daenerys. Above all, he missed his brother and sister and his cousins.
"Where are they from?" Arnold asked.
"Casterly Rock." Gerion said.
"It's a long way from here." Arnold said.
"Yeah, but my mother and father are from Winterfell, it's just a branch of the family." Gerion said, he had almost screw up.
"Very well. See you in 5 days, Ned." Arnold said and then left.
After sometime Gerion and Bold left as well. There was a lot of questions in his mind, still he knew more than before. Still, Gerion continued to go to the Godswood talking to Arnold from 5 to 5 days.
Some days after, in one of those days, Gerion was ready to go to the Godswood, when a letter came. From Casterly Rock. Gerion read it and was very happy to know that Marianne was safe and was home. He wrote to her about what he had found out and he hoped she had found something too. However, he was going to have to wait to see.