Thanks to everybody who took time to participate in the third CatxNed Week. I know it was a little slow, but the whole purpose of this week to try and inspire people to create more Cat x Ned fan related materials :)
I’ll be taking a bit of a break for the next few months, so I don’t think there will be another week until sometime this summer, but if you have any questions or ideas, the inbox is always open.
So thank to everybody who took out time to make something for this week and to all of our followers :)
Author: wolvesandatrout
Ship(s): Catelyn x Ned
Word Count: 2844
Rating: G
Summary: Wildling AU - Ned speaks to his father after compromising his honor with their captive.
Honour. A word Ned Stark had been taught before he was old enough to walk. Winter is coming, might be the words of House Stark, but Rickard Stark was as fond of honour, although Lyarra Stark had said that her husband was merely fond of the sound of his own voice.
How could Ned face the man? How was he to explain?
Father had trusted him to watch over their captive, and instead Ned had fallen in love with her, and then taken her into his bed, as if she were a common brothel girl and not a highborn maiden, or she had been a maiden, before Ned had dishonoured her.
She had sparked something within him the moment he had laid eyes on her, her blue eyes furious as Brandon held her in front of him on his horse, her hands bound, and her bright auburn hair tangled. She had tried pleading with him, and even though he had wanted to let her go, wanted to take her back to the family she belonged to, Brandon had been adamant in wanting to bring her with them.
When they had returned to the camp that had always been their home, Rickard Stark had been ready to murder his first born, commanding him to stay away from the girl, and not bring further dishonour upon their family name. Rickard had then cast Ned with the responsibility of watching over their guest. A task Ned had not been entirely thrilled with, seeing as he was already quite taken with Lady Catelyn, and he did not need her to be sharing his tent at night.
At first things had gone as well as could be expected, they had slept in different corners, and most days Catelyn had not spoken, and she barely ate. She had sat in silence and stare into the air, as if waiting for a sign. Then other days she had raged and screamed, and Ned had stayed with her until her fire died out and she retreated to her own corner of their tent and cry herself to sleep, although she had tried her best to hide her tears from him.
A month after they had returned, he had woken one night to her sneaking into his makeshift bed, curling herself around his back, and at first he had thought she had been trying to seduce him into letting her go, but when he had tried to turn around she had pushed him down.
"No, please don’t," she whispered, pushing her freezing fingers against the bare skin of his neck. "I’m cold."
Ned had grumbled something and then promptly fallen asleep again, waking the next morning to find her gone, and he had wondered if he had dreamt it. Until she had returned the next night, again pressing her body against his, dragging her furs with her this time, so when he had awoken the next morning he had been drenched in sweat and she had still been there, curled up like a cat, sleeping soundly.
This had gone on for moons, then a year, and for the last few moons they had not even pretended to sleep apart and had fallen asleep together every night he was in camp, and the times he would leave, Lyanna would stay with her, despite her grumbling that Catelyn didn’t like her – Ned looked up from his feet just in time to see his sister running through the camp with a girl of her age. Despite only being a couple of years younger than Catelyn, his little sister was still a child, and in his eyes she probably always would be, in the sense that she needed his protection, despite being able to defend herself quite well, which was why he had picked her to watch over Catelyn.
Catelyn seemed to like Lya, only a little better, finding her brash ways a bit too harsh, but most times Catelyn would treat her as a little sister, trying to softly teach Lya feminine ways. To Ned’s surprise, Lyanna had shown Catelyn as much patience as she was capable of and most days the two women would get along just fine, especially when they were not forced to spend too much time together.
Not wanting to delay speaking with his father while he still had his courage, Ned quickly passed by unnoticed and rushed towards his father’s great tent and quickly let himself inside. Once he reached the next part of the tent, Ned waited.
“Father?” Ned spoke, when he heard no voices inside.
“Come inside, Ned,” Father said, and Ned did not hesitate, knowing that facing his father was still better than facing himself.
Father was seated at his desk, and despite the meagre quarters, the man was nothing sort of Lord like, and Ned knew other people often felt the same, which was why the Free Folk respected his father. Rickard Stark represented strength, and the Free Folk followed strength. Sometimes it felt strange to think of himself and his family outside of the people that they so often saw and lived among. There were others with them that were of the North, most of them having been born North of the Wall, but considered themselves Northern folk instead of Wildlings, the Free Folk did not refer to them as Kneelers, but one could hear it whispered now and then, especially among newcomers to their small town. Ned’s grandfather had tried to build a town here, with houses made of stone and trees, but the winter here was hard, and near constant, so the houses blew away, and now only the walls remained, keeping the people within them, mostly safe from predators, and surprise attacks, making it better than most strongholds North of the Wall.
“Did you need something, son?” Rickard Stark asked, looking up from his letter, and the black ravens behind him both made sounds, as if speaking to each other.
“I needed to speak with you,” Ned said, looking past his father at the two ravens, wondering when they had returned – dark wings, dark words.
“Sit down son, I do not think looking at my birds will help you with your words,” Father spoke, and Ned quickly did as he bid.
Ned did not speak, and waited, as if to see if his father knew, perhaps he sensed Ned’s betrayal, his dishonour, but nothing happened and Father went back to writing his letters, patient as always, making Ned think of his mother, who had often been as brazen as Brandon and Lyanna, while Ned was more like their father, stern and solemn, patient when the others would be restless, thinking while the others would be loud.
If Ned wanted this over with, he’d have to be the first one to speak, else they might spend their entire day there in silence.
“Father, I must speak with you of Catelyn,” Ned said, trying to sound firm, but not defiant.
“Mhm, what of our Lady Catelyn?” Rickard muttered, not even looking up from his correspondence.
“I…” Ned hesitated, perhaps this was a bad time. Father had been awfully busy lately, and had taken another trip, this one even longer than the one a few months before he had sent him and Brandon South of the Wall. Although he would never speak of where he went or why, only taking Rodrik Cassel along and returning within a few moons.
“Is the Lady alright?” his father looked up, alarmed by Ned’s inability to speak.
“She’s fine,” Ned said quickly, an image of her sleeping with her hair loose around her face passing through his mind.
“Then what is it?” Rickard pressed, his curiosity peaked.
“I have failed you father,” Ned said, his jaw tightening, shame washing over him, but to his surprise there was no regret. Only shame and dishonour, both tied towards his family, and not the woman his heart belonged to.
Rickard Stark put down his quill and leaned forward, inspecting his middle son, the one he had put his trust in.
“Out with it boy,” Rickard spoke sternly.
“I’m terribly sorry, father. I had not intended for anything to happen.” Ned stopped speaking, licking his dry lips before continuing in a whisper. “I bedded Catelyn.”
“I beg your pardon?” Rickard Stark growled, his storm coloured eyes staring into Ned’s, and Ned thanked the Gods that his father was not as hot blooded as Brandon, for he would have no doubt leaped across the wide desk and strangled Ned with his own bare hands.
“I didn’t force myself on her,” Ned quickly added. “I love her.”
“Love!” Rickard laughed. He stood suddenly up from his seat and started pacing the floor, his words too low for Ned to understand.
When Ned was about to stand up and leave, allowing his father time to gather his thoughts, his father stopped him.
“Sit down Eddard,” Father said, both of them returning to their seats. “I cannot say that I am pleased by this,” he started before stopping, running a hand over his bearded face.
Chuckling, Rickard shook his head. “The wolf’s blood is apparent in both Lyanna and especially Brandon, I sometimes even see it in Ben, they are like your mother in that, they allow their desires to cloud their thoughts, and sometimes that leads to disaster, and other times they are rewarded for it.”
Ned sat silent, quite used to being left out of his father’s talks of wolf’s blood, after all Ned shared few of the qualities that his father referred to as wolf’s blood. Sometimes though he wondered if that was why Father was fonder of Brandon and Lyanna. Why he worked harder to include them, why he thought more often of them.
“When I was but a boy, I fell in love, or so I believed,” Father continued, and Ned stared at him shocked. “Oh yes, I might be your father now, but I was once just a little boy. She was older than I, and so beautiful, and brash. So when I was about to reach manhood, I thought I was capable enough to steal myself a wife, as the Free Folk did. To say that she did not appreciate my attempts at romance would be unfair; for I still carry the scar she gave me for my troubles. It was the first and only time I allowed my own wolf’s blood to control me.”
Father looked quite lost in his thoughts of the past, and Ned was curious who the woman might have been, a woman that had managed to make the great Rickard Stark do something so foolish.
“Lyanna often reminds me of her, the same smile and defiant look in her eyes,” Rickard said fondly. “Your mother knew her duty so when our parents made arrangements so that our line would continue with strong Stark blood, she did not protest, and she never told anyone about the boy who had sneaked into her tent, although she liked to hold it over me when it suited her needs.”
Ned looked up surprised, while his parents had clearly cared much for him and his siblings; he had never sensed passionate love between his parents. Respect, yes. Affection and mutual interest in restoring the Starks to their rightful place, but never something as deep as love.
“Your mother did not love me, but we grew to care for one another and she loved you and your siblings deeply, but it was never meant to be,” Rickard said, seeming content with what he had been given and Ned felt a hand grab around his heart, for he could now grasp why his father had shared this story with him.
“I will not give her up,” Ned growled. “I love her and she loves me.”
Father’s smiled a strange smile, “and your brother will no doubt say that he was the one to steal her, so she should belong to him.”
Ned could feel his face heat up in sync with the rage inside him. “Let him try to take her again,” Ned spoke in a harsh manner, banging his fist on his father’s desk, surprising himself with his outburst, but he was too angry to retreat, to fall back into line.
“Good, son. Be angry and prepared, for you might be forced to defend her quite often, Lady Catelyn has been blessed by the Gods with many qualities, most notably beauty often unheard of in these parts,” Rickard said.
“Do not speak in riddles, father,” Ned said, his brows drawn together in confusion and anger.
“I cannot change the past. I can no more make this disappear, then I could make your brother’s actions fly into the wind,” he said softly. “Brandon brought her here for his own purposes, I kept her here for a political advantage. I had arranged so many plans, plans that were to bring us closer to Winterfell, but when your brother stole a daughter of a great house, he left us vulnerable and exposed. The Tullys were there to serve our needs and Brandon stole Lord Tullys oldest daughter, a young woman whom he had already promised to our house in exchange for his help in restoring us to our rightful place. When Brandon took her, he jeopardised our future, his future.”
“Catelyn was to marry Domeric Bolton,” Ned said.
“That was the ruse, Lord Tully sent his brother and a few trusted men to inspect Winterfell, to see if it could be penetrated, what its weaknesses were, how many men Roose Bolton keeps there. He never intended to go through with the betrothal. Lord Tully does not like Bolton, and believes that he allows men to raid the Riverlands, but without definitive proof he cannot bring it to the King, and the Riverlands are much harder to defend than the North, so he does not want to risk open warfare,” Father explained, leaning back in his seat, as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
“This is why you have been disappearing? To meet with the Lords in the South?” Ned asked, more confused than ever.
“Yes, not only Lord Tully, but other Lords as well, many Lords of the North, men who wait our return, who plot against the Boltons in our names,” Rickard explained, and Ned could see the look of pride on his father’s face.
“How many are there?” Ned wondered aloud.
“Many,” Rickard said, not elaborating further. “I do not want to burden you, and you understand that you must speak of this to no one, especially your Lady Catelyn.
“Why not? Does she not deserve to know that we never intended to take her, that she can go home,” Ned asked, bewildered.
“She cannot go home, not now, not before the revolution is over,” he explained, leaning forward and looking Ned in the eyes. “You cannot tell her, Ned, it would not help her and it might risk all that we have done to return home.”
Ned felt conflicted between his loyalties to his family and his love, he knew his duty, but now this duty pulled him in two different directions.
“What about Catelyn? I have dishonoured myself, but I have also dishonoured Catelyn, and while that was not what I would have wanted, it has happened and I must do something to mend what I have broken,” Ned said, not wanting to agree to anything that would further hurt Catelyn.
“And what, my son, do you want to do? You speak of righting this wrong, but I do not have the answers. I cannot ask Lord Tully for his blessing after what Brandon has done, but I had hoped he would be more compliant if I could promise him that Lady Catelyn would become Lady Stark, but I can’t promise that until I have Winterfell, and it would seem Lady Catelyn would be quite reluctant to marry your brother in any case,” his father said, folding his hands in front of him in defeat.
Ned clenched his fist and swallowed his pride, “Catelyn will do her duty. If her father intended for her to marry Brandon, and still wishes for her to do so, then she will do his bidding, and if that is what she wishes I will not stand in her way, but I cannot choose for her.”
Family, Duty, Honour. These were the Tully words and Catelyn had been taught them well, and when she spoke of it, Ned could not hear any of the resentment he so often heard in Lyanna’s voice when father would remind her of where they came from. Catelyn was bound by her family’s words, but she did not resent them and had enjoyed the life she had lived within their restrictions, even not being able to hold any bitterness towards her younger brother, whose birth had forfeited her right to rule the Riverlands.
“It cannot be,” Rickard muttered. “That dream must be set aside, and new ones must rise from the ashes. You must marry Lady Catelyn.”
Author: Veridissima on AO3/FF (thestagthatlovedthewolf on tumblr)
Ship(s): Catelyn and Ned, and Robert and Ned (friendship)
Word Count: 7318
Rating (NSFW?): T
TW(s): None, I think
Summary: Ned’s life changed one particular night, and the next morning he starts a new adventure. Shadow World AU (I included a few notes about this world below)
Notes: This AU was inspired by the Shadow World created by Cassandra Clare (in book series such as The Mortal Instruments and The Infernal Devices). And I thought it was best to introduce this world, so you could better enjoy this fic.
In this world lives a race of warriors called Shadowhunters, their power is drawn by the runes they draw on their bodies (they can give them many different especial capabilities). This group mainly fights Demons or other supernatural creatures that could put mundanes (mortal/normal human people) in danger.
On the other hand, there are Downworlders – warlocks (similar to wizards), vampires, werewolves and fairies (elves, mermaids, satyrs, “classical” fairies, ogres, etc).
I’m writing this story in a time period similar to the one in ASOIAF canon (which for the readers of TMI/TID means no Accords are in place yet).
***
“Ned!! Ned!! Is that you?!” Ned heard his friend call, and he tried to go back, maybe go around the stables. “It’s you!! For the Gods, you’re alive!!” Robert yelled, throwing his arms around him. “I was so scared… I thought I had lost you, you can’t leave without me, you know that. You’re my parabatai.” Ned still didn’t know what to answer. “We should talk to Jon, something weird happened – my parabatai rune disappeared. How’s yours?”
“I need to talk with Lord Jon as well.”
“About the rune, right?! I’ve never heard anything about this. Have you?”
“No.”
“Come on, Ned. You’re acting weird, is there something else happening? Do you need an iratze?” Robert asked, taking his steele from his belt.
“No,” he said, pulling back immediately – an obvious mistake, Robert was now sure something was wrong.
“What’s wrong? You don’t need to pull away.” But Ned kept walking backwards, until he stumbled in a rock and fell into the ground. Robert ran to his side, and seemed to notice the gashes in Ned’s clothes only now. “Your tunic is ripped, so are your breeches. What happened?” he asked. “Your hand, the voyancerune is gone – it shouldn’t be gone.”
“I need to tell Lord Jon to call the Clave – they will set the punishment. Just try to get my bones returned to my family.”
“What are you talking about? What’s this about punishment?”
“I can’t live like this – the law prohibits. It’s my duty as a Shadowhunter to turn myself in.”
“For what?!”
“Robert, it was a full moon last night, and you felt the connection between us break – it’s not that hard to figure out.”
“You were bitten?! When?”
“Three weeks ago, in Runestone.”
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I thought that maybe I wouldn’t change. There are stories about people that are bitten, but aren’t affected by the lycanthropy. Maybe I could be one of them.”
“You should have told me. I would have been there for you.”
“You couldn’t, you would have to report it.”
“I’ve never been one to do my duty. Now, come on – we’re thinking about this, and finding a solution.”
“The quickest I tell Lord Jon, the least trouble he and you will be with the Clave.”
“We can find another solution.”
“No we can’t.” Robert seemed to be ready to argue with something else, but he stopped himself and suggested something else.
“Why don’t you sleep for a bit before doing that? You must be tired – it was a complicated night.”
“Maybe I can sleep for a bit, but I need to talk to him before lunch.”
“I’ll wake you up before it’s time.”
“Thank you,” Ned said, walking back into the Institute like nothing had happened, he hided his hands in his pockets and took Robert’s tunic to cover his now naked shoulders, before always marked with runes. Ned didn’t take long to reach his room; he stripped down to his underpants and climbed under the thin sheet.
“I’m sorry, Father. I’m sorry, Mother. Lyanna. Brandon. Benjen,” he whispered into the hair, since the people he needed were far way; before falling into his last sleep in a featherbed.
***
Robert did his best thinking when he was fighting, and already barechested after having given his tunic to Ned, he moved to the training grounds. He picked up his hammer immediately, and started gulping the air, which felt strange since he always had Ned to meet his hammer. He needed to do something; he couldn’t fight alone for the rest of his life – it just wasn’t right.
He knew Ned well enough, to know that he would do what he thought was the right thing, and that was turning himself in. But Robert had always been more stubborn that his friend; and he wasn’t letting him go like that. Obviously he would have to trick him, since Ned would never run away in his own will.
Robert realized the solution when he left a huge dent in a tree while swinging his hammer around – I’m stronger than everyone else, and I’m not even wearing a strength rune, right now. I can just pick up Ned and go. With his plans formed, he only needed something else, from the Maester’s room, something to keep Ned asleep.
He wasn’t the most discreet person, so he knew he would barely make it if he was the one entering the room, so he had to use his second best quality – his looks and flirtation capacities. He quickly found one of his favorite servants, who had never pushed him away.
“Could you help me with something?”
“Of course, Lord Robert. Anything you need?” she answered, politely as ever, trying to please him and hoping that maybe she could gain a place among the Shadowhunters.
“I need you to get me some of milk of the poppy from the Maester’s room.” It was the best option; the Maester could make milk of the poppy, one of the warlock potions would be more effective but also easier to notice.
“Of course, m’lord. Are you not feeling well, m’lord? Should I call for the Maester, he’s in Lord Arryn’s solar, but he will come.”
“No, thank you. Sleep will be enough; I just need a bit of milk of the poppy to help me.”
“I understand. I can bring it to your room, m’lord.”
“That would be great,” he said, already moving away from the hall. He needed to start packing some essentials for them, and firstly he needed to find a suitable bag – easy to carry and not too heavy, since he needed to carry Ned as well. After awhile Robert finally found one, under the bed; he started packing every piece of clothing he dimmed essential, trying to look for something that would fit Ned as well, which was hard since Ned wasn’t as broad and tall as Robert
When he heard a knock, he immediately threw his bag under the bed, and opened the door.
“Hello, Lord Robert. The milk of the poppy.”
“Thank you,” he said as he convinced himself that he had no time to invite the girl in. “Maybe I can sleep now. Anything you need just ask,” he offered, partly because he was leaving and he didn’t need to keep his promise.
The girl left, and Robert took another look through his room to see he was missing anything, but he couldn’t find anything, so he threw his bag over his shoulder, looked around the hall, before escaping to Ned’s room.
His room was much tidier than Robert’s, and he quickly found some cleaned tunics and breeches, throwing them together with his things in his bag. He knew that Ned would want some other things, so he started looking – it wasn’t hard to find his family letters, all seemed to have been re-read a few times (Robert had some in his room as well, but he didn’t bother taking them, they would just take up space, he didn’t need Stannis’ words of nothing); Robert took Ned’s Shadowhunter Codex (it was better than his own, with Ned’s notes everywhere); and he packed his steele as well even if Ned wouldn’t need it anymore. And only after that, did Robert prepare the drink for him, and forced it down his throat, he slapped Ned a few times but he didn’t move – so Robert knew that now was the chance to make his move.
He dressed Ned in his tunic and breeches, and put some boots in his feet; after that Robert drew a strength rune on him again, and then, now able, threw Ned over his shoulder, and their bag over the other. Robert peeked again into the hall, and quickly made his way out of the Institute; outside he immediately noticed that the practice yard had people around at this hour, but he still needed to get the weapons. So Robert dropped a sleeping Ned nearby, and walked into the armoury, he took his hammer, a few seraphs blades, and Ned’s seraph sword.
Now he was finally ready, he had Ned, their bag and their weapons; he needed to leave the Eyrie quickly, and then he would have to make it to the Mountains – they were more danger, but Jon wouldn’t think they went that way.
Getting down from the Eyrie was not an easy thing to do while you carried someone else, and since he couldn’t buy a goat or a mule, he was in big trouble. Until he remembered something – he could not buy, but he could steal (and since Ned was still passed out nobody would oppose); so instead of walking down, he walked into the nearest houses, he passed three before he finally found one that had any sort of animals.
He climbed the wall, after finding a good hiding place for Ned’s body, and inside he found various animals, but in the end he got a goat that seemed strong enough to hold him and Ned.
After that the journey down was as tiring, Robert would walk a few times, letting the goat carry Ned. But he missed having someone to talk to, especially Ned’s voice telling him to be careful with that and that rock, to put his foot correctly or he would fall – and he did fall a few times.
***
Ned felt the pain before he opened his eyes; he was surprised to find above him the dark sky with since what he last remembered was falling asleep on his bed. He looked down and noticed why he felt pain – the full moon was still strong enough to make him change – he tried to stood in his four pawns, looked around and concluded that he was in the middle of some forest; he took another look again, and that was when he noticed Robert sitting in a rock with his hammer next to him.
Some part of Ned told him to attack, that humans were dangerous, but he was strong enough to pull that feeling deep enough to make his way to Robert. His friend picked up the hammer immediately when he noticed him – Ned imagined that he must be a terrifying picture, something both of them had killed multiple times – but then, thankfully, he noticed Robert take a second look to the place where Ned had been lying.
“Ned?!” Ned nodded the best he could, and Robert seemed to relax again. “You’re huge. I hadn’t imagined you would be that big… and the fur is the colour of your hair, and your eyes are the same. Wait?! Can you even understand me?!” Ned nodded again. “I’ll take that as a yes.”
Ned had a ton of questions, starting with what they were doing here, but unfortunately he couldn’t talk, and he hadn’t figured out a way to communicate, yet. But Robert knew him well enough to know what Ned was thinking.
“I guess you’re wondering why we’re here – maybe I shouldn’t tell you now, since you can rip me apart, but at least you can’t yell at me in disappointment.” With that Ned started having an idea of the reason behind them being here. “Yeah… you probably would be talking about our honour and duty as Shadowhunters. But Ned, I couldn’t let you be killed – we’re parabatais, we have each other backs and I protect you, even from yourself.”
Ned was touched by Robert’s words, but he still couldn’t accept it – his promise as a Shadowhunter was that he would do his duty, keep his honour and follow the Codex.
“We’ll go North. Think about it, you would at least get to see your parents and siblings one more time, even if you take yourself in. I still think you shouldn’t, didn’t you tell me that your parents kept contact with Downworlders? If they only kill the ones that hurt mundanes – why would they kill you? Come on, Ned, trust me.”
Ned wasn’t confused, he would still talk to the Clave and accept his punishment, but he couldn’t deny it was good to see his family one more time before dying – he hadn’t seen them in so long.
“And right now, you’re probably thinking that I can be killed or stripped of my marks as well for being an accomplice. But come on, where would I be if it wasn’t for you?” And now Ned felt bad for not pondering this before, putting Robert at risk was too dangerous. But with that he moved closer to him, and Robert reached for Ned’s fur – it felt good to be petted, no matter how weird it sounded. “Thank you, friend. Do you think I can ride you? We’ll move quicker,” Robert suggested, and Ned growled back. “Okay… okay… just kidding, man. Now can you keep guard for awhile, you’re not that light and I had to carry you around, so I’m a bit tired.”
Robert left to take the place where Ned had been sleeping before, still with his hammer, while Ned took guard. But unlikely his normal state, he didn’t want to be in the same place, and he took off running, never too far away from Robert – always keeping an ear on him. And before he knew it, the sun was rising again and Ned went back to his human form, finding his clothes and pulling them on.
“What were you thinking?” Ned asked, the moment he got closer to Robert.
“Gods, can’t you see I’m trying to sleep?!”
“Robert, you kidnapped me.”
“No, I protected you, from your own judgment.”
“You read the Codex, you were in the same classes as I was. We swore in our honour as Shadowhunters to do our duty, ably by the law – The Law is hard, but it is the Law,” Ned said, remembering Robert of the Shadowhunter motto.
“Shadowhunters should protect the mundanes and the innocent. That’s why we kill Demons. And Downworlders, when they are dangerous.”
“You say that now, but we’ve been killing them without discrimination.”
“That’s not true, we perceive who could cause danger. Haven’t you told me that your father keeps a warlock near Winterfell? That she even sits at the table sometimes.”
“She does.” Ned thought back to Old Nan, she had been with the Starks for centuries, she couldn’t move very well due to her old age (all warlocks stopped aging at a random age, but she was the warlock that he knew of that stopped aging so late in life, leaving with an eternity to live and not the physical strength to enjoy it fully). “But it’s not the same, she was not a Shadowhunter before.”
“Right, she wasn’t. So why would your family trust her? Your parents know you and care for you. We’ll go there Ned, and if you still think you should call the Clave, you can.”
“I’ll hold you to that.”
“I’m sure you will. Now since we’re up, we should get going – I’m sure Jon as noticed that we’re missing by now. I don’t think they would suspect we would go through the mountains.”
“What?! We’re at the mountains.”
“Yes. I supposed since you’re a Downworlder too now, it wouldn’t be as dangerous.”
“There are all types of faeries in there – ogres, goblins, nymphs…”
“Nymphs, what could be wrong with that?”
“Robert, that’s how we would get in trouble. Don’t you dare go off with any kind of faerie, I don’t care how beautiful she is.”
“Okay, I won’t. Now come on,” Robert said, going back to the bag, which Ned hadn’t noticed before – he was glad the Robert had at least thought enough to pack one – and pulled Ned’s seraph sword, and two small blades (one for him and other for Ned). “I know you have your wolf powers now, but I thought you would still like the comfort of a sword.”
“I would,” Ned nodded. “Come on, I’ll take the bag – after all what did you pack?”
“Some clothes, mostly. I packed your letters too, relax – I know how important they are to you.”
“Thanks, Robert,” he said, stepping deeper into the heart of the mountains.
“Wait. I don’t know if it still works better or not – but could you mark me,” Robert asked, handing him his steele. Ned didn’t know if without the parabatai rune working it would still have a stronger effect than Robert doing it on himself, but Ned like the routine of it, so he drew three runes – the one for agility, the one for speed and the one for strength.
***
After days of running through the mountains, killing Downworlders and seeing Ned rip Demons apart with his new teeth and claws; Robert was glad to be out of there.
Their plan was to get to the Riverlands, probably rest in the famous Inn at the Crossroads, and then take the Kingsroad North. But before that warm and featherbed that only good coins could buy, they needed a good night sleep on the hard ground.
The moon wasn’t making Ned change without control anymore, but he was still experimenting with his ability, he could change at will, during the day too, what had been very useful against the Demons. Now he was trying to change only parts of himself, but until now unsuccessfully.
Robert lay back against a tree, looking at Ned and laughing at his several missed tries. “You can do better than that.”
“I’m trying, Robert, this is harder than it seems,” Ned complained, and Robert closed his eyes, just for a few moments later hear Ned say, “You can sleep for a bit if you want, I take the first shift – I’ll wake you when the moon is high on the sky.”
Robert took his advice and fell asleep; he couldn’t have imagined how much he had need it after long days of running and fighting. It had been different from all the times before, because while he could see Ned behind him or next to him, he could no longer feel him or guess what his movements were going to be, and he no longer felt Ned’s power sipping into his.
Robert never dreamed of much, or at least he never remember it – mostly it came back to the girls he had back in the Eyrie. But tonight he dreamed of something different, a part of him told him that the Starks would accept Ned back, why wouldn’t they? But Ned also talked how honourable his parents were; after all he had that sense of Shadowhunter duty before they were both moved to the Eyrie Institute, and were taught by Jon Arryn. What if his parents punished him for being a Downworlder? He could imagine him being tortured with silver – Robert had never seen that done, since Jon had always been very clear about being against torture, but he knew that other Shadowhunters did it – he also knew that the Starks were not in that group, but fear was more powerful than logic sometimes.
Robert still couldn’t awake from his nightmares, and multiple death scenarios played through his mind – surprisingly never for his own (he feared Ned dying more than his own death).
Ned was being tortured with silver stags in his eyes, when he was woken by the real Ned; clearly shaken up, something that his friend couldn’t help but notice.
“Robert, are you okay? You look like you saw a ghost.”
“It’s nothing, I promise. I’m okay. Go to sleep, Ned. We’ll take off in the morning.” And then they traded places, Ned lying where he previously was and Robert stood at the side with his hammer ready to attack if needed.
While ready, he was still pondering on his dreams, and what would happen when they reached Winterfell, but Robert made a decision. Someday he would be the Lord in charge of the Storm’s End Institute; he would take his place earlier and present Ned with protection there. He knew the South and his bannermen wouldn’t like, only the North and Dorne seemed to have any interest fraternizing Downworlders, but maybe the Stormlands could change, especially if it was for Ned.
But Robert knew enough, to know he shouldn’t be distracted when it was his turn to stand guard so he ignored his thoughts, and turned back to his surroundings with eyes and ears everywhere. In a few days they would be out of the Vale, and the treat of Arryn coming after them further away; while a new treat, besides Demons and Downworlders, arose in the Riverlands, since the region was famous for the many outlaw groups around, and for obvious reasons they couldn’t deal with these mundane groups the same way they dealt with everybody else.
Nothing came during the night, and then the sun rose he let Ned sleep for a bit longer, at least until the light was too much, he looked for something to eat. He didn’t bother hunting this early, since they still had a few pieces of meat to eat later in the day; what he wanted now was something smaller, maybe sweeter, he finally found something that seemed comestible, and took it back to camp, waiting for Ned to wake up and check them to be sure they could be eaten.
***
Ned had never thought he would miss a featherbed that much, he had never been a man who worried too much about material things, but a bed made the difference.
They had made it to the Riverlands five days ago, and they had spent the last night in the Inn at the Crossroads – a soft bed, a warm meal and Robert had even spent money in a woman to keep his bed warm. But even if Robert did spent money on that, neither of them saw the sense of spending money on a bath, with so many rivers nearby
So leaving the Inn behind, after a long time trying to convince Robert that they could not stay any longer, they tried to look for a proper place to bathe – not too exposed and with calm waters. When they finally found a good place, far away enough from the roads, and hidden by the trees, they both stripped and put their things under a tree (and still under their ray of vision) before entering the cold water.
Ned liked the cold water; the Riverlands were too hot – while the Vale was never as cold as Winterfell, the strong blows of wind always made the place fresher. While they both bathed, sharing a bar of soap they had bought at the Inn (because Robert had never thought that it was necessary to get some when he arranged their get away bag); Robert kept talking about his night with the prostitute he had paid last night. He was about to go into explicit detail about something the girl had done with her tongue, when he was pulled underwater.
Ned couldn’t process what was happening, maybe Robert was joking (Ned wouldn’t put it past him); but since he wasn’t sure, he dived underwater. He couldn’t see much, but he did as he had been training and luckily was able to change his eyes to wolf form, so it became easier to see underwater
He quickly noticed that Robert hadn’t been playing. A large coral fish tail was wrapped around his torso, holding him down. His eyes followed the tail, and noticed the body of a woman attached to it. He jumped into action, and tried to pull her away, catching her by surprise – she almost loosened her hold on Robert, but no luck. She didn’t seem to understand what was happening, and since he couldn’t explain underwater, and he knew Robert couldn’t hold on much longer, he clawed at her – not enough to seriously harm her but enough to scare her away.
She relieved her hold on Robert for enough time, so he could drift from her hold, while she growled at Ned and he noticed her sharp teeth, which seemed strong enough to rip someone’s throat. Ned left the water, and helped Robert into the bank, giving him enough space to breath, and starting to look for the steele between Robert’s clothes.
“What are you doing?” the female voice asked from behind.
“I?! What were you planning?”
“He’s a Shadowhunter, I thought he was trying to kill you or something. I know you’re a Downworlder like me, they’re never nice to us.”
“He is. He’s my friend,” Ned answered, reaching for the steele and doing the first iratze, trying to heal him – but that had always worked better with external wounds.
“Try this,” the mermaid said as she came closer to the riverside. “It’s seaweed, smash it and spread it around his neck and chest. It helps opening his airways; now just press his chest, I’ll open his mouth,” she said, pulling herself out of the water.
Ned counted six pushes on his chest before Robert started spitting water, showing signs of being alive.
“Thank you,” Ned said finally meeting her eyes.
“The least I could do. I’m sorry I put your friend in danger,” she apologized as they both looked down to his body, both their hands on his chest now. Only now Ned realized that all this time he and Robert had been completely naked – he shouldn’t be presented to a lady that way. And just as he was looking around for some clothes to cover him and Robert, the later spoke.
“What happened? Ohhh… a dream for sure, such a beauty next to me,” he murmured looking at the girl, before turning his head to his friend. “Wait… Ned isn’t normally part of my dreams with beautiful ladies.”
“Because it’s not a dream,” Ned answered, finally noticing that she still kept her hand on Robert’s chest, and seemed to be doing some pressure – still scared of him and keeping him down.
“He won’t hurt you,…”
“Catelyn. Are you sure?” she said with a frighten look in her eyes, that he hadn’t noticed before.
“Even if he wanted to, he isn’t strong enough right now.” That seemed to be the right answer, because she let go of Robert and went back into the water. Ned picked up his clothes, and also threw a tunic to Robert, who only picked it up and covered his waist, still lying on the ground. And while he was pulling his breeches up, he heard her again.
“So what are your names? You never told me.”
“Robert Baratheon,” he answered, pointing at his friend. “My name is Eddard Stark – Ned.”
“You have a Shadowhunter name too,” she concluded confused. “I know you’re a Downworlder.”
“How do you know that?”
“About the name? Or about you being a werewolf?”
“Both.”
“We have to protect ourselves – we are taught about Shadowhunters and who they are,” she told him, resting her shoulders in the bank, looking up at them. Only now Ned noticed that she had nothing but her hair to cover her chest, her hair was auburn and long, decorated with some shells and seaweeds. “So how long have you been a Downworlder? And I always thought you were followers of your code – that Downworlders were something too disgusting to be or mate with.”
“Almost a moon, I think… How long does it take to get here from Eyrie? We haven’t actually kept track.”
“So you ran from the Eyrie Institute? Arryn, right?”
“Yes, Arryn. But we didn’t actually run…”
“It was my fault,” Robert said, trying to sit, but giving up immediately. “He’s a good Shadowhunter, he was going to turn himself in and tell everyone he had been changed. But I kidnapped him, you know – not letting my friend be killed,” he said, before starting to cough.
“Don’t let him talk, Ned. I’m going to get more of that seaweed for him.”
“But it smells,” Robert protested still coughing.
“Ignore him. Thank you for helping, Catelyn.” She disappeared inside the water again, her coral fish tail splashing the water.
“She’s beautiful, Ned. But don’t let yourself be fooled by her tail, she’s still a fairy.” Ned knew, he hadn’t forgot what he had learned about those creatures, they seemed to always have a hidden agenda, and while some of them couldn’t lie, they talked in a way that tricked them all the same.
“Here you have it,” she said, handing him the same seaweeds as before, and he took the same procedures. “You should rest here for awhile. He’s not capable of going. If I had known, I wouldn’t have hurt him.”
“He will heal,” Ned affirmed, drawing another iratze on Robert’s skin.
“You can’t take them anymore, can you?” she asked, as Ned left Robert’s side, who seemed ready to fall asleep to sit by the water, and still barefoot dove his feet into the water.
“No, not anymore. Never will take another rune on my body.”
“Does it hurt?”
“The first one, I think. We get used to the pain.”
“Isn’t it a sad thought? Getting used to the pain – people shouldn’t expect pain.”
“As a Shadowhunter, you know you’re going to live a life of pain, and you prepare for those things, as you do for dying young. Our propose is to protect mundanes, most of us die young by the hands of Demons or Downworlders. Some say it’s a worst faith to be changed into one of them.”
“Do you agree?” she asked and she took of swimming through the river, but never going far away from him.
“I don’t know yet. Have you live here all your life?” he asked, thinking it was his turn to make a question.
“Up and down this river. You cannot say that the Riverlands aren’t the best place for mermaids.”
“I heard about the raids and groups of outlaws.”
“Eddard, you saw what I almost did to your friend. Imagine with mundanes, that don’t have werewolves for protection. We may look beautiful and fragile, but we can handle ourselves.” Ned liked how she talked about her people – it gave him hope that not all Downworlders were as despicable as he thought, that they were more than vicious killers (but that was probably what they thought of them).
“Right… I forgot about that,” Ned whispered looking behind him.
“Where are you going?” she asked.
“Winterfell. I probably should see my family one more time.”
“How long have you been at the Vale?”
“Since I was ten. I still got my first rune at Winterfell, but all my training has been done here.”
“And your friend?”
“He was already there when I arrived. But I think that his parents were there when he was marked, I’m just not sure if he went south or they came to the Vale.”
“Why don’t you ask questions?”
“I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable, Catelyn.”
“I’m not leaving you here alone, when I can keep you company. But you need to cooperate – a conversation is a two way road.” Ned nodded, and tried to think of an appropriate question, he could see that Catelyn was still waiting, even if was once again, she was swimming, not very far from him. He found himself distracted again, by the colour of her hair and of her tail, as well as the curve of her back as she jumped out of the water.
“What does the bottom of the river looks like?” he asked, and she smiled, before moving closer and starting her tale.
***
Robert wasn’t sure how this happened, but just this time Ned had gotten the hot girl. The problem was that she wasn’t actually a girl, she was half a girl… actually how would that work… where would he put it? He thought about asking Ned, but he would probably be insulted by the question.
Robert observed them from afar; it had been like this every night, every time Robert woke up to take his shift. Sometimes they were both just talking by the river, but other times like today Ned was running in his wolf form while Catelyn swam next to him.
She had been following them since she attacked him, and he wasn’t sure how far she would be able to go, but it was obvious, at least to him, that she and Ned liked each other. Firstly Robert had never seen Ned act that way around anyone from the female gender, he was talking, sharing stuff and he even had new kind of smile (that Robert had called the Catelyn smile, but it could be just a ladies grin – he had just never really shown it before).
Robert waited to see if Ned would notice that he had already given him extra time to sleep, but since he didn’t seem to even notice, Robert had to interrupt the two love birds.
“Ned!!” he called and his friend turned back, not being able to change back since it was a full moon. “You let me sleep. It’s your turn, I’ll take guard now.” He howled, in a way that seemed to agree with Robert and then looked back at Catelyn before curling himself to sleep.
“Sorry, Robert – I must have kept him busy,” Catelyn said, as he moved closer to the river. Gods, he loved who ever decided that mermaids shouldn’t cover their chest, while somehow her hair covered her breast most of the time, there were some movements she did that bared him her glorious naked breast – really if Ned didn’t like her, he would have fucked her by now.
“No problem, it’s him who looses sleep. You should sleep for a bit too. We’ll take off walking right in the morning.”
“Thank you, Robert. See you tomorrow,” she said diving back into the water, probably to sleep in some cave or something – really, he wondered what the fuck existed down there. Also where were all her mermaid friends, he couldn’t have her but if her friends were as hot as her he would be a happy man.
He sat in a nearby rock, looking at the clearing, trying to see if he noticed anything. I took awhile, but when the moon was coming down, he heard a sound. Ned was still sleeping peacefully on the floor and by all accounts Catelyn was still under water, so it couldn’t be them. He thought about waking up Ned first, but he decided to take a look first, if it seemed like he couldn’t handle it, he would go back and get Ned.
Robert picked up his hammer from inside, decided to draw new strength, speed and agility runes. And now with regained strength of the runes, and his hammer, he made it into the woods; he tried to make sure we wouldn’t step in anything that made too much noise, and he made it through the woods until he found a Demon – it didn’t seem very danger, it was one of the less threatening species. Knowing this, he picked up his hammer, stroke the Demon down, and with him down he stabbed him with a seraph blade – the only thing that could sent him back to the Demon realm.
Robert searched around, but found no more traces of Demons around, and went back to camp finishing Ned sleep asleep in the same position. He took his place as watchman once again, and waited for the morning.
The journey continued for days, each day closer to the destiny, and each say closer Catelyn and Ned grew. Robert would be left behind, as he noticed their movements, how they always tried to keep an eye on each other, making sure the other was far away; how when they ate, they always shared what they had – Robert couldn’t get the logic, they were already dividing it three ways, why would they share it again.
Robert knew he needed to talk with Ned about his feelings, so finally a sennight after he was able to find Ned alone and speak with him; but surprisingly Ned was the first one to spoke.
“We’re in the North.”
“Since when?” Robert asked surprised.
“Two days, I think.”
“Why didn’t you say anything before?!”
“I wasn’t sure. But today, Catelyn told me she was cold – she had never been cold before. It’s only going to get worst from here, I should tell her to go back around. There isn’t much river left either.” Robert knew this was the moment to introduce what he wanted to talk with him.
“You should tell her.”
“To go back, I know.”
“No, not that. Kiss her, tell her how you feel.”
“I can’t, I shouldn’t”
“Why?! Haven’t you told me to not play with girl’s feelings?! And I know she’s a Downworlder, but now you’re one too, so nothing is stopping you but your own insecurities. Tell her!!”
“She won’t feel the same way. Girls don’t like me, they like you.”
“Mostly, since I’m the hottest and everything. But you need to be blind to not see how she feels for you, Ned.”
Ned didn’t answer him, but he knew that these words would make him think and maybe he would actually do what he wanted, instead of what he deemed right, at least once in his life.
***
Catelyn missed Ned; she really missed talking to him, but she couldn’t decide what she should do. She never thought he would tell her, even if she already knew how he felt, but somehow he had gathered the courage and now she was more confused than ever – not about her own feelings those she knew well.
The problem was that she didn’t know if she could do this, she would get hurt eventually; she had heard enough stories about immortals and mortals getting involved, besides how could they leave when she belong in the water and he on the ground.
So that was why she was avoiding him, why she hadn’t seen him in three days. She was still following them, but always under water, never coming to the surface. She sometimes heard them talk, she had learned that it had been Robert’s idea that Ned told her – what made much more sense; she heard Robert tell Ned that it wasn’t his fault and that he was still sure she cared for him – and while she was glad Robert was trying to keep Ned’s spirits up, she wasn’t sure how she should feel that he kept giving him hope.
She was still under water, when she heard a howl; somehow she knew it was Ned, even if she had never heard anything like that before. At first she feared they were being attacked, but listening closer, she closer learned that they weren’t, and when she peeked Robert was still sleeping on the ground. But it was also then she found Ned.
Ned was in his wolf form once again, and his paws were in the water, as his face looked down; and seeing that she decided to reveal herself. She swam in his direction, and Ned must have heard or felt the movements in the water, because he lifted his head and looked around.
“Good night,” she whispered when she broke the surface, and was face to face with him again. Ned quickly and awkwardly changed back to a human, and searched for his clothes – he was always rather shy about his nakedness, or Catelyn’s (she had never actually caught him looking at her chest, even if she knew he did it sometimes, but not as openly as Robert).
“Hi, Catelyn…” he finally said, coming down to sit next to her, already properly dressed. “I thought you had left.”
“No. I was following you from underwater. And if you thought I went back why did you keep following the river? Why didn’t you make it to the main road?”
“I don’t know, maybe hoping it was easier for you to find us if you wanted too.”
“Ned…”
“I know. I shouldn’t have said anything; I’ll forget what I said. But I still want to be friends.”
“Ned… didn’t you listen to Robert? I thought you knew that when I left, it had nothing to do with my feelings for you. I kissed you back, Ned,” she said, thinking back to that kiss three days ago, so sweet and tentative. “I left to think, about what this could mean. The river is ending, Ned, and I can’t survive that long out of water, and I can’t walk by your side even if I want too. And someday you would die, and I wouldn’t – these things worry me. You’ve been saying you deserve to die, that you’ll get to Winterfell and call the Clave and that they will do that.”
“I need to tell them. The Law says I need to tell them.”
“And I understand, but what future does that leave for us?”
“They could give me a different punishment.”
“Maybe… I like you and I think we could be happy, and if there was a sure future for us, I would search for a warlock and built our future.”
“A warlock?”
“I would give up my immortality, for a pair of legs would let me live on the land with you.”
“You would do that?” Ned seemed shocked, but she had no doubts about what she was saying; and maybe it was irresponsible to be able to make this kind of choice when they’ve only known each other for less than a moon; but her heart didn’t lie.
“I would. I would want a future with kids and growing old together. I would still be me, I would still change inside the water, I would teach them to be the best swimmers in all the land.” He smiled, and she could see his mind working, probably imagining what she said – and she wondered how their children looked in his head.
“The Law is hard but is the Law. I need to go, Cat…” he told her, using a diminutive nobody had used in a very long time.
“I’ve known you for less than a moon and I knew that would be your answer,” she whispered sadly. “Wait here,” she said, diving deeper into the river, the bottom was full of different seaweeds and animals – she finally found what she wanted, and took the special seaweed to the surface. “Take this, Ned. If you can and still want me, come back and drop this seaweed into the river, with a drop of your blood – I’ll be able to feel it. And I’ll come to wherever you sent it from.”
“I would still want you.”
“So make sure you can prove the Clave you’re innocent. Also bring a warlock with you too if you want.”
“You should think about that a little bit more, Catelyn. Immortality is a very big thing.”
“I know… it’s long when you don’t have anyone to spend it with. And I want to enjoy life.”
They looked at each other, neither knowing what else to say, or how to say goodbye, but Catelyn as always moved first.
“I’m leaving you now. There’s very little river left anymore, and it will be quicker for you and Robert to take the Kingsroad. I hope you come, Ned, but you do what you need to do.”
“I will try. I promise,” he said, and she smiled, knowing how much a promise means to him. She put her hands around his neck and pulled him down, kissing him, he immediately responded, one hand in her hair and other at her waist, almost lifting her off the water – that kiss itself was an eternity for them, not knowing if they would ever have a future together.
When they pulled away, they were both panting, Catelyn looked one more time at his grey eyes, hard features and dark hair, before diving back under the water, and swimming in the opposite direction that she knew Ned would take.
It is time for Fill Day - meaning anything that you couldn’t submit on their assigned day can be submitted today - just tag it with their original day. Submission Box is now open and will close in 24 hours (at 23:59 GMT on March 22st).
Author: wolvesandatrout
Ship(s): Catelyn x Ned.
Word Count: 1751.
Rating: G.
TW(s): None.
Summary: Ned wonders if he has fallen in love with his wife.
Love was a complicate thing, especially for a man like Eddard Stark. He had never loved a woman who was not of his own blood, but that came naturally, he had not had to think of it. He had loved his mother dearly, she had been a Stark to the bone and had loved and protected her children as fiercely as a true she-wolf, yet also showered them with love and affection. Then there had been Lya, so lovely and sweet, his little sister who had been taken from this world before her time, for a long time he did not think it possible to ever love a woman more.
Until Catelyn handed him a babe wrapped in a blanket with leaping direwolves, a little girl swaddled inside of such beauty it had taken his breath away, his Sansa, so perfect Ned could barely hold her without thinking he was staining her beauty by merely looking at her. Yet none of these felt anything like what he felt for the woman whom had birthed her.
Ned was still not sure what he felt, for they were feelings he was unaccustomed to, he did not love her the way he had loved his mother or Lya, and it certainly felt nothing like the love he felt for his daughter. No, while Sansa’s crooked smile and soft coos left him proud and taken, her mother’s smiles left him breathless and confused.
He loved all of the gestures she made with her face, even the ones of anger and irritation, he loved the sound of voice, especially when she sang to their children, he loved the sounds she made when he had the cooks make something she was particularly fond of, and he loved the sounds she made when they were alone in her chambers even more. He loved every inch of her body, and every scar on her soul. Her stubbornness and how she so obviously loved their children. But he was not certain he was in love.
And what if she did not feel the same? What if he was confused? There was nothing improper about his feelings for her, whatever they might be called. She was his wife, and she freely shared her bed with him. Perhaps he was confusing his desires for her with feelings of affection?
“Papa,” a cry of displeasure coming from his first born, the little boy playing on the floor of Ned’s solar with his little toy horse, no doubt displeased with his father’s lack of attention.
“Sorry, son, my mind wandered,” Ned said, getting up from his desk, leaving the papers he had no mind to finish in any case and sat down on the floor with his son, the boy smiling up at him, two of his front teeth missing, reminding Ned of the day they had fallen out, and Catelyn’s face when the nurse had come running into this very room, telling them that the little lordling had fallen.
Robb had somehow gotten away from his nurse and found his way to the stables intending on going riding by himself, finding the whole thing very exciting and without Jon to play with, he had gotten restless. Thankfully the worst that had happened was that Robb had fallen over the railing he was attempting to climb over, and had fallen on his face, breaking his front teeth. The cries that had come from the stables the moment they had stepped out of the keep had made him more terrified than open battle ever could, and both he and Catelyn had sprinted across the yard to be able to get to their son as fast as possible. Ned had gotten there before her, but when the boy had seen his mother, hers were the only arms he wanted. That would have hurt Ned, if he did not feel the same, for there were no arms warmer than Cat’s.
The Maester had suggested they remove the two teeth and simply wait for the new ones to make an appearance, Robb would not be harmed by it, and if Ned was asked, he’d probably say the boy enjoyed it quite a bit, for he often liked to stick his tongue between his teeth, earning him a glare from his mother.
“Papa play,” Robb insisted, seeming a bit displeased by his father’s bad playacting. “I misth Jon.”
“I know son,” Ned answered, smiling softly, truly glad with how close the two boys had become. “He’ll be well soon.”
“Pthromise,” Robb asked.
“I promise, the Maester said the worst is over and that you might be able to visit him tomorrow if he feels up to it,” Ned said, lifting his arms just in time to catch the boy, who threw himself into his arms, hugging him tightly.
Just as Robb moved back towards his toys a soft knock was heard from the door and Ned quickly stood up before telling the person to enter.
It has been less than four years since father and Brandon had passed, and Ned was still not comfortable as Lord of Winterfell, he wasn’t sure he’d ever be, but he did not want the servants to think him weak, even if he enjoyed spending time with his children, but lords did not sit on floors.
Instead of a servant, his lovely wife entered instead, her arms free of the child that so often rested there, and Ned felt a flash of disappointment.
“My lady, I did not expect you,” Ned said, his hands unconsciously smoothing out his tunic.
“I’m sorry to disturb you, my lord,” Catelyn said, a small smirk on her lips. “Sansa is sleeping, so I thought I’d see Robb, but the nurse said that you had taken him with you to your solar.”
Hearing his name Robb looked up, smiling at his mother before turning back to his project of raising a tower with his blocks, so he could no doubt knock them down with his horse.
“Yeah, I figured I could try to spend some time with him,” Ned said, stopping himself before he mentioned Jon, not wanting to scare her away.
Catelyn nodded, smiling softly at him, her smile kindling desire in him, which she no doubt had not intended to ignite.
“I thought we might let him ride a little since the weather today is quite pleasant, and hopefully if either of us are there to watch him, he’ll be careful.”
Ned was surprised by her suggestion, he had feared Catelyn would never allow their son near another horse after what had happened, but then again, no horse had hurt their son, only his own sense of adventure.
“I could take him if you’d like,” Ned offered, knowing how Catelyn disliked the cold.
“If you don’t mind, I wouldn’t mind riding a horse again, even if it is only in the yard, it has been too long,” Catelyn said, a soft blush covering her cheeks.
Catelyn hadn’t been riding since she had been round with Sansa, the Maester having forbidden it when she was almost in the birthing bed, and for the sake of their child, Catelyn had reluctantly agreed.
“The morning is still young, if you’d like, we could ride outside the walls,” Ned offered, wanting to spend some time with his wife, perhaps some time together would lead him in the right direction, since spending time apart had done nothing for him, other than making him miserable.
Catelyn’s face lit up at the suggestion, and Ned knew her answer before it ever passed her lips.
The air was cool, but there was less snow today than had been in the last few months, the height of the storms hitting around Sansa’s birth two moons earlier.
Robb, for one, was very excited for this venture, and was practically bouncing in the seat in front of Ned, holding the reins as he was shown, looking up at Ned now and then to look for approval.
“Well done, son,” Ned said, putting his hands over Robb’s. “Just let go a little so you don’t hurt his mouth.”
They had been out for more than an hour, but Ned was reluctant to suggest that they return, for his wife seemed to be enjoying herself immensely, allowing her horse to sprint and jump, making little Robb, glee and clap, asking Ned to do the same, but other than jumping over a small log, Ned had kept the pace slow and easy, allowing Catelyn to be more carefree. During her ride, her auburn mane had come loose from its bindings and her hood had fallen down, her hair flowing around her face, which was bright red.
“We should head back,” Ned suggested, not wanting her to overexert herself.
“Alright,” she replied, and at first he thought her smile would falter, but she quickly recovered. “Do you want me to take him so that you can ride a bit?”
Ned shook his head, smiling. “I ride too often alone, it is good to have company,” he said, stroking a hand over their son’s hair, the little boy leaning back against him, no doubt tired from their ride.
Once they were at Winterfell and the groom had helped Catelyn off her horse she sent him away with her horse, walking over to them to help Robb down, telling him to run along and tell Old Nan of his adventures. The boy did not wait long enough to even thank his parents for the day, and despite having spent most of the ride dozing off in the saddle, he seemed to have regained his usual energy, for he sprinted across the yard and out of sight.
“Thank you, my lord,” Catelyn said when he dismounted, coming to stand in front of him, her cheeks flushed. “I did not know how much I needed that.”
“It was my pleasure,” Ned replied, and he was sure his own face bore a hint of a blush.
Before he was able to say anything else Catelyn pushed up on her toes and pressed her lips against his, her lips lingering longer than they had before outside of her chamber.
“Come to my room tonight, Ned, the Maester said I’m well enough,” Catelyn said, the blush deepening, and before he could reply Catelyn rushed off, disappearing almost as quickly as Robb.
Love might be complicated, and Ned might doubt if she returned his feelings, but he was quite certain he was madly in love with his wife.
"That is not Ned, this is not the man I loved, the father of my children."
Prompt: Love.
This week is almost over and we are already on Day 4! The prompt for today is Love. The submission box is now open and will close in 24 hours (at 23:59 GMT on March 19th). Good Luck.
Title: A Lady for Winterfell - found here on Ao3.
Author: wolvesandatrout
Ship(s): Catelyn x Ned, past Brandon x Catelyn
Word Count: 2490
TW(s): None.
Summary: After his father and older brother die aboard the Titanic, it is up to Ned to save their family estate, Winterfell.
Eleanor Tomlinson as The Honorable Catelyn Tully.
Matthew Goode as Eddard Stark, the Earl of Crawford.
Description: Ned and Cat at their wedding, which was arguably an act of duty and not love. I tried to use a different style to show the event through Cat’s eyes, especially the solemness of the occasion and Ned’s grimness.
Author: wolvesandatrout
Ship(s): Cat x Ned, Brandon x Catelyn.
Word Count: 1294
Rating: T.
TW(s): Minor sexual references.
Summary: An affair gets discovered when the husband walks in at an inopportune moment.
Catelyn enjoyed the feeling of his beard against her soft skin as he left wet kisses along her throat and chest as his thrusts became more forceful, though still deep and controlled.
She could feel the sensation in her lower belly return and grow like before, when Ned had kissed her between her legs instead of her mouth. She knew from their previous encounters that he was close to his own finish and she slid her fingers down his back, pushing her hips up to meet his hard thrusts.
She was entirely too preoccupied to notice that the door to her chambers had been opened and that her lord husband had walked in to see his wife frolicking with his younger brother.
"She likes it best if you take her fast brother," Brandon said in a calm, but dangerous voice, and if she hadn’t been so startled by his presence she would have corrected him and said she enjoyed Ned’s deep and hard thrusts, to being left unsatisfied after Brandon’s quick fucks for his own satisfaction.
Ned was quick to pull back and cover them, but Brandon said nothing, just walked over to her vanity and sat down in front of it, watching them as they tried to cover themselves as fast as possible.
"Brandon, we… I, we never intended." Ned fumbled with what to say to his brother now that they had finally been caught.
After three years Brandon had finally caught them, and Catelyn wondered if they had become too arrogant and forgotten their discretion.
"Hard to find your words brother," Brandon said, leaning back against the table, sizing his brother up.
"I’m sorry Brandon. I should never have let this go this far. I let my desires run away with me," Ned apologised, but Catelyn could see that his eyes did not agree with his words.
They had often tried to stop their affair, but the more they denied their attraction the more it seemed to control them and now she would do almost anything for this man standing next to her.
"We will talk later brother, leave us," Brandon said, but Ned did not move, looking between his brother and Catelyn, caught between duty and love.
Brandon stood up and screamed at him to leave HIS wife’s chambers immediately, however, Ned didn’t move and his jaw tightened.
Catelyn walked over to him and begged him to go, trying desperately to defuse the air, before the two came to punches in her chambers, alerting the entire castle to their predicament.
Ned left against his wishes and she hoped she had done the right thing in sending him away.
"How long?" Brandon asked, after Ned was gone.
"What?" she asked, turning around to face him.
"How long have you been fucking Ned behind my back?" he growled at her.
"Not nearly for as long as you have been fucking Lady Dustin behind mine. And a dozen others if you are counting," she answered, gritting her teeth together.
She flinched back when he came at her, but then suddenly he stopped. “You don’t have to be frightened, I would never strike you,” he said quietly, although his grey eyes were still full of fury.
Catelyn had no words for her husband, no pleas or answers. She had done what had to be done to save their marriage and House Stark. She had never thought she would love Ned, although she should have known, at least after Sansa, and definitely after Rickon. She should have controlled her desires.
A moon passed and then almost another, and the air in Winterfell was tense; with the Stark brothers not speaking and Lady Stark caught up in the middle of it all, too frightened to be caught speaking to Ned, and Brandon to angry to speak to her.
Then finally Ludwin told her Brandon wished to speak to her, just as he started the lessons for Jon Snow and her young son, Rickon. Sansa and Arya were already with their Septa, and so she mustered up the courage to face her lord husband once more.
Catelyn felt like a pray to Brandon’s wolf, standing before the large desk in his solar, his eyes filled with anger, even after all this time, although they did not even look upon her.
"I want you to take the children and go visit your Father," he said, not even looking up from his writing. "I have written yourLord Father and he will welcome you all to Riverrun, I am sure he misses you a great deal.”
"Is this to be my punishment, then?" she asked, furious that he would lay the blame entirely at her feet, when he was the one to start this to begin with.
"Do you not wish to see your father again? It has been so long since you last saw him and your children have never seen where you are from," Brandon said, putting a strange emphasis on the word your, as if he was in the dark as to where they came from.
"And when do you expect us to return?" Catelyn questioned, even though she already knew the answer.
"Oh, Rickon will have to come home eventually, but I see no reason why the girls should not stay in the South and learn Southern ways, after all they are more than likely to make Southern matches.”
Catelyn knew she shouldn’t, but in that moment she hated him, truly hated him.
"What is Ned’s punishment to be then?" she hissed.
"Oh, don’t look at it as punishment. I’m being quite generous if I say so myself. After all, I won’t be telling everyone that instead of having three legitimate children myself, my brother does in fact have four bastards." His face was as hard as Ned’s could be, and Catelyn couldn’t help the blush in her cheeks. Even though Brandon was equally guilty of that particular crime, Catelyn had no defence, and in an effort to protect her children, Catelyn would take her punishment with all the grace she could muster.
"Oh, and you should know that I finally managed to find a lady to wed my brother. Yes, apparently the Manderlys are not so bothered by my brother’s bastard and Lord Wyman has agreed to marry his granddaughter, Wynafryd, to him," Brandon said before she could leave, the grin that was plastered on his face, made Catelyn want to claw his eyes out.
"The girl is barely more than a child," she said. Unable to believe he would do this and at the same time she felt there was no one else to blame other than herself.
"She is almost a maiden of fifteen and has flowered, I see no reason to wait," Brandon said with a grin, seeming to take great pleasure in her pain.
Catelyn couldn’t listen to him anymore and she walked out, and didn’t stop until she was outside Ned’s door and she prayed to the Gods he was here.
Ned opened the door after she had been banging on it for a few seconds, and she pushed past him into the chamber she has spent more nights in than her husbands.
"You should not be here," he said quietly.
"I couldn’t leave without seeing you," she said, tears welling up in her eyes.
He came to her, wrapping her in his embrace as she cried, cried for herself, her lover, but most of all she cried for their children, who would never know the kind man their father was.
They spent the night in each other’s company and the next morning she started packing her things and within a sennight they are ready to depart. Catelyn watched Ned as she left with their children, and she prayed it would not be the last time she would lay eyes on him.
Author: myownsuperintendent
Ship: Ned/Cat
Word Count: 2075
Rating: G
TW: None
Summary: Catelyn must face the knowledge that Ned has lied to her. AU—Canon Divergence
It couldn’t go on like this, Catelyn knew. There was far too much between her and Ned for them to spend the rest of their lives as they’d spent this week: barely speaking a word to each other. It wasn’t as though they were the only people concerned, either. There were the children; Catelyn had suspected all week that they noticed, and this morning, when Bran had asked her what was wrong, she had been sure of it. She’d tried her best to keep her voice light as she’d told him that it was something between her and Ned, as she’d told him that he needn’t worry, but inside she’d been even angrier than before. Of course Bran worried; he was only eight years old, and how could Ned ever have believed that lying like this wouldn’t hurt anyone?
That wasn’t fair of her. She knew Ned well enough to know that he wouldn’t have believed anything of the sort, that he’d likely agonized over this as he agonized over so many things. But what did it matter what he’d thought? He’d done it all the same. He’d lied to her with his words, and he’d lied to her all over again by acting as though he always spoke the truth when she now knew that that had never been so.
And now the children were worried because they weren’t speaking. After he’d told her, after he’d left her chambers, she’d lain awake thinking up things to say to him if, in the morning, he tried to add insult to injury by acting as though nothing was wrong. But she needn’t have bothered. He hadn’t tried to act as though nothing was wrong. He hadn’t tried to do anything at all. Perhaps he expected her to break the silence first, but Catelyn couldn’t imagine talking to him without shouting, and that would worry the children even more. She could talk to him alone, of course. But why should she have to be the one to go to him? This wasn’t her fault. She told herself that, firmly, even as she wondered if she could have done something differently. Was there a reason Ned hadn’t trusted her, hadn’t told her this secret years ago? Had she done something to make him think that she wouldn’t keep the truth hidden as he did? Why had he thought that even as they had grown close in so many ways, he needed to tell her this lie? She had never lied to Ned; she had believed, until a week ago, that he didn’t lie to her either. And she still didn’t understand why, even as she told herself—as she knew with most of her being—that it wasn’t her fault, that she had a right to be furious.
But if she wasn’t the one to go to him, she wondered if they would ever talk. As much as she believed that it was his responsibility to try to mend this, she knew why he barely spoke. A part of her wanted to declare that Ned was a cruel, unfeeling man, because that might be easier that believing that he was still her Ned, somehow, and had hurt her like this anyway, but she knew that it wouldn’t be true. She had been able to tell from his voice when he told her the truth that he felt terribly guilty, and when Ned felt guilty about something he was usually silent. When Ned was silent about something, Catelyn usually tried, as gently as she could, to find out what it was so that she could help him. But now she knew exactly what it was, and she didn’t want to help him at all. This was something that he should feel guilty about. But she knew that he was capable of brooding for a very long time if she didn’t do anything to break the silence. And she didn’t want the children to worry, as they were doing already and would doubtless do even more if this went on longer.
I’m doing this because of the children, she told herself as she knocked on Ned’s door that night.
He opened it very quickly, and somehow that made Catelyn angrier. Had he been imagining that she would come, expecting her to turn up and tell him that everything was all right? If he thought that… But she wouldn’t turn back now. “We must speak,” she said.
Ned nodded. “Yes,” he said, and she could tell from his face that he didn’t, at least, expect her to tell him that everything was all right. He stepped aside from the doorway. “Please come in, my lady.”
Once inside the room, Catelyn paused, not knowing what to do. Ordinarily, she would have taken a seat on his bed, but that felt almost too intimate now. Ned seemed as unsure as she was; he remained standing where he was, not speaking. Finally, she sat, though, wanting simply to get on with things. She had come here to speak with Ned. If only she could think how to begin…
“I know you are still angry.”
She started at the sound of Ned’s voice. His words were true, of course, and yet they made the whole thing sound far too simple. “Of course I am still angry,” she said. “Should I not be? You lied to me for fifteen years, Ned. It will take me more than a week to stop being angry.”
“I would never tell you that you should not be angry,” Ned said. “You have every right.”
She acknowledged his words with a nod. “But we cannot go on as we have been doing. The children have noticed that things are not as usual. Bran asked me this morning what was wrong.”
“You didn’t tell him?” Was that all he could think about? Did he still not trust her?
“Of course I didn’t tell him!” she said. “Whatever you may believe, my lord, I am capable of holding my tongue. I told him that it was between us. I told him that he shouldn’t worry, but I know he will! I know they all will, and I won’t have that! They shouldn’t have to suffer for…for…”
“For what I’ve done.”
“Yes,” Catelyn said. They were quiet for another minute. Catelyn wondered what she could say, how she could proceed. A week ago, she’d shouted and nearly cried, almost overwhelmed by the feelings of hurt. But now…now what she wanted most of all was to know why. She didn’t think that would stop her being angry, but perhaps it would make things slightly easier. Perhaps she’d be able to talk to Ned, as usual, at meals, calmly, in such a way that the children wouldn’t worry.
“Why did you tell me?” she asked. She’d wondered, over the past week, if it would have been easier for her to go to her grave not knowing. Would it have hurt her less to always have questions about a mystery woman than to know that her husband had lied?
“I told you that I told Jon when I was at the Wall,” Ned said. Of course he had told the boy first. He’d told her that a week ago, and he’d told her that the boy had been angry too—as if that was supposed to make her feel better about anything! “He was old enough to know, and I decided that I couldn’t tell him and not tell you, Cat. You…you deserved to know.”
“I deserved to know?” she said. “Why now, my lord? I didn’t deserve to know for fifteen years and all of a sudden I do? Pray tell me, what has changed? You can’t say that I wasn’t old enough to know before, after all.” She had come to talk, and she should let him speak, Catelyn knew, let him at least try to give her the answers she sought. But as he opened his mouth to speak, she pushed onwards, unable to stop her own words. “Why did you never trust me? Fifteen years…why did you never trust me?”
“I do trust you, Cat,” Ned said. “Of course I trust you. It isn’t that. I thought it would be safer not to tell anyone.”
He had said the same thing a week ago; it had filled her with anger then, and it was no more palatable now. “If you trust me so much,” she said, “why wouldn’t it be safe to tell me? And who was it you wanted to keep safe, my lord? Your…the boy?” Your bastard, she had almost said. It was how she had always thought of Jon Snow, and the knowledge that it had never been true would take more than a matter of days to truly sink in. “Were you thinking only of him?” she demanded. “Did you never think of how your lie might hurt me? Did you enjoy deceiving me?”
“No,” Ned said. “No, Cat, I never enjoyed deceiving you. Please believe that.”
“How can you ask me to believe you now?” Catelyn said. And yet a part of her wanted to believe him, to be able to trust that Ned had not set out to hurt her. “Answer my questions. If you trust me, why couldn’t you have told me before?”
“We were almost strangers—” Ned began.
“For fifteen years?” Catelyn asked. “Until last week, we were almost strangers?”
“No,” Ned said. “But Catelyn…to tell you something like this…”
He fell silent, seemingly searching for words, and Catelyn realized what he was trying to say. “You did not want to tell me,” she said. “You did not want me to know that you’d lied to me. Is that it?”
“I…Cat, I didn’t wish to hurt you.”
“And why not?” she asked. “For my sake? Or because you didn’t want me to be angry with you? Tell me.”
And Ned looked her in the eye when he answered. “There was some of both in it.” The words stung, even as they had the sound of honesty—the honesty she had so long believed that he always showed.
“So you didn’t want me to be angry,” she said. “Did you think that waiting this long would make me less angry? You…you…you coward.” She could feel herself shaking. “You coward.” Why didn’t he speak? “Is it too hard for you, to have me angry? Is it as hard as knowing that you’ve been lied to for years? Is it as hard as always worrying and wondering…? Do you know what it was like for me, Ned? And you made it like that for me just because you couldn’t face having me angry?”
Catelyn did not want to cry. She had come to talk to him because she had hoped that it might make things easier, because she did not want the children to worry. But she couldn’t think about that now, as she felt the sobs begin. All she could think about was the way Ned had betrayed her and shown her that the trust between them was not what she had believed.
She heard him walk towards her and then pause. When she cried, he usually took her into his arms and tried to comfort her as best he could. But he usually was not the cause of her crying, and perhaps he would not try to do that now.
After a moment, though, Ned took a seat beside her on the bed. His arms went around her just as they always did, pulling her in, and his hands rubbed her back. “Cat,” he said quietly. “I am sorry.”
His words didn’t seem to mean anything. “Do you know what it was like for me?” she asked. “Or what it is like for me now? You lied to me, Ned…”
Yet even as she spoke, she did not pull away from his embrace; she had to fight to keep from leaning her head against his shoulder. She could tell herself that she had only come to him because she didn’t want the children to worry, but then she would be as big a liar as he was. And that was what made her the angriest of all: that after all that had happened, it was still Ned and his comfort that she wanted. She knew that he couldn’t make everything all right again, at least not quickly. But oh gods, how she wanted him to.
"Shattered legs may heal in time, but some betrayals fester and poison the soul."
Prompt: Betrayal.
It is time for Day 2. The prompt for today is Betrayal. The submission box is now open and will close in 24 hours (at 23:59 GMT on March 17th). Good Luck.
Author: wolvesandatrout.
Ships: Catelyn x Ned.
Word Count: 4245.
Rating: M.
TW(s): Sexual references and bad language.
Summary: Cat & Ned take their children on a trip to Riverrun, and things don’t really go as planned.
“Mom!” “Mom!”
Catelyn rolled her eyes as her daughters screamed down the stairs for her attention, probably yet another disagreement about luggage and having been told that they would be sharing a room during the stop to visit Catelyn’s father in Riverrun.
“Mom! She’s ruining everything!” Sansa’s dramatic voice filled the house, followed by her shriek, when Arya undoubtedly pulled on her hair.
“Arya! Let go of your sister’s hair,” Ned’s tired voice called out, followed by the slamming of doors.
Ned came down the stairs, holding Rickon’s bag in one hand and their three year old in the other, holding him up by the suspenders on his overalls, the boy screaming with glee as Ned bounced him up and down while he walked down the stairs.
“Ned!” Catelyn scolded him, rushing over to grab hold of Rickon.
“What?” Ned answered, putting Rickon’s bag along with their own and Jon’s. “He wouldn’t walk down the stairs himself because he was waiting for Bran, and he wouldn’t let me carry him.”
“That doesn’t mean you pull him up by his trousers,” she said, looking her baby over for any damage.
“He’s not made of glass, Cat,” he said, coming over to them, pressing a kiss to her hair. “Stop worrying.”
“I can’t,” she replied, practically shoving Rickon into Ned’s arms as she walked up the stairs to hurry their other offspring along.
When she got to the top of the stairs, she was almost knocked over by Robb, who was carrying his suitcase along with his guitar case.
“One bag, young man,” Catelyn reminded him, eyeing the guitar with displeasure.
“But mom! I have to practice!” Robb cried out, his pleading eyes reminding her of her little brother.
“It is just a couple of weeks, you’ll just have to practice in your mind, unless of course you want to leave all your clothes behind,” she suggested eyeing his suitcase, knowing full well he would never leave his precious hair gel behind, not to mention the designer jacket he had gotten them to buy for him last Christmas.
“But…” he started, but she raised her hand up and Robb quickly relented, dragging his guitar case back towards his room, two doors down.
“This vacation is going to suck,” she heard him mumbling as he got to his room.
“Language!” she yelled after him, shaking her head.
Catelyn was about to look in on Arya when she heard a dog whining in Brandon’s room across the hall, so she quickly altered her plans, and headed across the hall, not quite prepared for what greeted her.
On the floor in the middle of the room, her middle son sat on the top of his suitcase as his dog Summer, was hidden inside it, the large dog clearly not appreciating Brandon’s attempts at fitting him into his one bag.
“Brandon Stark! What in the Gods name are you doing?” she asked, her hands on her hips as she tried her very best not to laugh at the sight before her.
“Mother!” Brandon panicked, jumping to his feet in front of the suitcase, trying to conceal it behind him. “Are we leaving?”
“Bran, what did we talk about last night? About Summer and the other dogs?” she asked, lowering herself to his level, looking into his blue eyes.
Bran looked down at his feet, shovelling them around as he whispered, “That they were to big to come along and that they would uncomfortable in the car with all of us.”
“Then what is Summer doing in your suitcase?” she asked, pulling his chin up so he’d look at her again.
“I don’t want to leave him. He’ll be lonely without me,” Bran argued. “I don’t want him to think I’ve left him.”
“He won’t think that, and he’ll have his siblings and Uncle Ben,” Catelyn said, moving forward to flip open the suitcase, allowing Summer to get up, his snout sniffing at her extended hand. “Besides, would you like for me or your father to put you in a suitcase?”
“At least then I wouldn’t have to sit between Sansa and Arya,” Bran grumbled, his eyes once again looking at his feet.
“Alright, let’s make a deal. I won’t make you sit between your sisters, and you will stop trying to pack Summer into our bags?” she said, finally cracking a smile.
Bran nodded his head, looking behind him at the bed where he had thrown all of his clothing and toys that they had packed the night before.
“Oh no, young man. You took everything out, so now you have to put everything back in its place, including Summer,” she said, pointing out the window towards the large shed Ned had built for the dogs in the backyard.
Bran did not reply, but quickly started pushing the stuff off his bed and into the suitcase, Summer helping along by grabbing the things that fell on the floor and placing them back on the bed.
“ Mom!” Sansa’s voice cried out again, and Catelyn left her son to his own devices for a little while to answer her daughter’s cry.
“Sansa!” Catelyn cried out in the same whiny tone as Sansa had, only to discover her daughter’s room cluttered with clothes, which wouldn’t have been unusual if she was in Arya’s room, but Sansa was usually much more careful, especially when it came to her clothes.
“Mom, it isn’t funny! I have absolutely nothing to wear,” Sansa cried out, the dozen or so bathing clothes she held in her fist, along with her whole wardrobe scattered around the room contradicting her statement.
Sansa had always been fond of pretty things and fairy tales, and as she grew older these things turned into a love of fashion and romance, which worried Ned far more than Catelyn found necessary. Sansa might be a bit naïve, but she had a kind heart and an inquisitive mind.
“Sansa you have more than enough things to wear,” Catelyn argued, moving a few articles of clothing away from the bed so that she might have a seat.
“Why can I only have a bag? Why does Arya get the same size as I do, she has way fewer things to bring than I do,” she cried.
“Sansa! Your sister might not have a love of fashion and clothes like you, but she is entitled to as much luggage as you are,” Catelyn replied sternly, wishing that her daughters might get along, or at the very least not fight as much as they do, sometimes it was enough to break Catelyn’s heart, to see the two go at each other with such cheap shots and how little they valued each other.
“It isn’t fair, Margaery got to bring three suitcases when her father took her and Loras to Myr last summer,” Sansa said, a dreamy look appearing on her young face.
“Yes, well, we do not have the space for three suitcases since we’ll be driving and the car can only fit so many bags,” Catelyn replied, getting quite tired of having to repeat herself.
“Why can’t granddaddy not just come here?” Sansa asked as she threw a few things into her already overfilled bag.
“Because your father and I wanted to take you guys on a trip with us, you kids are getting older and soon you’ll be heading off to college and starting your own families and we just want to spend as much time with you as possible before you leave,” Catelyn said, choking up a bit, remembering her conversation with Ned at the Dragon Hotel, thinking of her little babies as grown ups always upset her up a bit, but Ned had promised that they’d go away together, just their family and the open road, and pretty soon after they had settled on Riverrun, the old Tully mansion in the Riverlands, the magical place she had loved as little girl.
“Fine,” Sansa agreed, pushing her suitcase together, trying to close it on her own. In the end they managed to close it together and just as they entered the hallway Robb was running past and agreed to help his sister carry the bag down the stairs.
Having seen all of her children except one, Catelyn walked down the hall towards her younger daughter’s room, knocking lightly before opening it, finding her son supervising Arya and Nymeria as the two tried to pack Arya’s things in her trunk.
“You know, little sister, if you fold things, they will fit more easily and you’ll be able to bring more books and games,” Jon pointed out, earning himself a frown from his sister.
Catelyn stood in the doorway watching the two together as she often had before. When he was young, Jon had felt uneasy in their family, but neither she nor Ned ever hid his origins from him, although they tried their best to show him that he was their son no matter what his birth certificate said, but with only Sansa and Robb to compare himself to, he felt out of order in their family. Until, Arya was born.
Sansa had loved the idea of a little sister and had thought that she’d be her little doll, although that fantasy only lasted until a day after Arya came home from the hospital and Sansa felt that she had been replaced by the new baby in their father’s eyes. Robb had been disappointed that Arya hadn’t been a boy, but as he usually was, he accepted her and moved on, treating her no differently from Sansa.
Jon on the other hand had come alive, as if Arya’s birth had vindicated his place in their family. Now that someone other than Ned resembled him, he was finally a part of this family. Arya had also taken to her big brother at once, and other than Catelyn’s own arms, Jon’s had been the ones that she preferred best, as if sensing her importance to him, even when she was only a babe.
“How are things going?” Catelyn asked, sharing a grin with Jon.
“Sansa tried to sneak some of her stuff into my bag!” Arya said with a frown. “I told her I needed my space, but she wouldn’t listen.”
“She shouldn’t have done that,” Catelyn agreed, watching Arya nod her head.
“Do you think Granddaddy will allow us to ride his horses?” Arya asked excited, nearly jumping on the heels of her feet.
“If you behave, then I’m sure he will,” Catelyn said, knowing full well her father would allow Arya to do whatever her heart desired so long as he believed her to be safe.
“I promise, I won’t even fight with Sansa,” Arya promised, before adding. “Well, I will try to not fight with her.”
Catelyn and Jon shared a knowing look and laughed as Arya frowned, although she quickly joined the laughter when Jon grabbed her and tickled her a little before getting up.
“So are you ready?” Catelyn asked Jon, stroking a hand over his hair, pushing it back from his eyes, both he and Robb were getting very tall, and soon she wouldn’t be able to look them in the eyes without a stool to stand on.
“Yeah, mom,” Jon replied. “I finished last night, knowing that some people might be a little behind.”
“Hey, I heard that,” Arya cried out as she tried to fold a T-shirt before giving up and throwing it in with the rest.
Catelyn decided to let Jon handle Arya, and walked back towards Bran’s room to find it empty, and much neater than it had been before. An hour later they were all seated in the car and driving out of King’s Landing, the girls seated on either side of Rickon in the row behind them, and the older boys seated in the back row with Bran in the middle, smiling widely despite having had to say his goodbyes to his pet.
“See, only an hour behind schedule,” Ned said, leaning towards her from the driver’s side.
“Mhm,” Catelyn mumbled, exhaustion finally catching up with her, after spending half the night up, worrying about getting everything ready.
“Only ten hours until we reach the Inn, and we can have some time to ourselves,” Ned said, his hand coming to rest on her thigh.
“I can’t wait,” Catelyn replied, squeezing his fingers with her own.
“Ewww, Dad! No PDA in the car,” Arya cried out, her seat behind Ned giving her, a good view towards the front of the car.
“Focus on your game,” Ned replied, not drawing his hand back towards himself.
“Daddy, you’re supposed to keep two hands on the steering wheel at all times,” Sansa said, having pulled off her headphones when she heard Arya’s cries.
“Sorry Princess,” Ned said, reluctantly pulling his fingers away from hers, rolling his eyes as he did so.
The ten hour ride turned into thirteen, due to many pullovers for pee breaks and cries of hunger, because apparently she and Ned hadn’t fed the boys since they were born. So dead tired and ready for a break from their lovely children, Ned finally pulled the car into a parking spot outside the Riverside Inn, a lovely countryside hotel with a large pool and adjoining rooms.
“Good evening and welcome to the Riverside Inn, how can I help you?” the perky young woman at the check-in desk said, smiling at the tired pair.
“We have a reservation under Stark,” Ned said, pulling out his phone, looking for the confirmation e-mail. “Three rooms for two nights.”
The woman quickly typed into the desk computer, but a frown formed on her face, concerning Catelyn.
“I’m sorry, sir, but there is no such reservation booked for tonight,” the woman said, trying to keep a smile on her face as she faced as grim faced Ned.
“What do you mean?” Ned growled at her, and Catelyn quickly grabbed his hand, hoping it would calm him down after their long journey.
“I’m sorry, sir, there is no reservation under the name Stark,” she said.
“I got an e-mail from this place, confirming it,” Ned hissed at her, thrusting his phone towards her.
The woman took the phone and looked over the email, then went back to the computer and for a few minutes clicked on the keyboard while they waited.
“I’m terribly sorry Mr and Mrs Stark, but it appears an error has been made, and the booking you made was posted on the wrong date,” the receptionist explained after a while. “Instead of June 15th and 16th, they marked it down for July.”
“Alright, so you’ll be able to fix this?” Catelyn asked.
The woman turned a bright shade of pink and Catelyn almost yelped when Ned crushed her hand in his, smoke almost appearing to leave his ears.
“Love, why don’t you go and sit down with the children and I’ll have this sorted out,” Catelyn suggested and Ned reluctantly departed from the check-in desk, leaving Catelyn alone with the check-in attendant. “So, what seems to be the problem.”
“Unfortunately, we only have two rooms available at the moment, we are hosting a convention this weekend, and we are bit packed, I’m terribly sorry,” the woman explained, seeming genuinely sincere in her apology.
“Do you have any cots or extra mattresses?” Catelyn asked, and the woman nodded, seeming to relax a bit.
After speaking with the manager, Catelyn got them one night free, and a decent discount on the next night for their troubles and within a half an hour she got her entire brood, along with her displeased husband into one of the adjoining rooms.
“We only have one room?” Sansa asked, shocked.
“No stupid, weren’t you listening, we have two,” Arya answered, pushing her sister aside so that she could sit on the bed.
“Language,” Ned growled. “And no arguing.”
“We have a cot coming up, so Robb and Jon will have to take a night each on the cot, while the other sleeps on the smaller bed,” Catelyn explained, pointing towards the smaller bed of the two in the room. “You and Sansa will share the one you are sitting on, Arya.”
Both the girls were about to protest, but a look from their father stopped them, before they could start.
“What about me and Rickon?” Bran asked, dragging his bag behind him.
“You guys will sleep in our room,” Catelyn said, and identical looks of horror passed over Ned and Bran’s faces. “It is only for two nights, there are plenty of rooms at Riverrun, so you guys can all have your own space, this is only for two nights.”
“Alright,” Bran answered, pulling the door to the adjoining room open, dragging his feet behind him as if he was heading for his execution.
Rickonwas already asleep in Ned’s arms, so Catelyn quickly pulled Ned after Bran, so they could get settled and get some sleep.
“Mother, can I stay with the others until bedtime,” Bran asked.
“Sure,” Catelyn answered, more concerned with Ned than Bran.
Ned gently placed Rickon on the smaller of the two beds in their room, and started pulling off his coat and boots.
“Can you find his PJs?” Ned asked.
Catelyn quickly found them, coming to stand next to him, watching him getting their wild wolf into his little pyjamas.
Once the child was properly settled on his bed, Ned stood up and fell back on their own bed, resting his arm over his eyes.
“This was not how it was supposed to be,” he groaned, his hand coming to rest on the small of her back when she sat down next to him.
“It is only for two nights, if the children can endure it, you certainly can,” Catelyn laughed.
“The children are not heading towards their father-in-law’s home,” Ned complained, his warm hand now resting on her bare back, stroking in circles.
“My father’s quite aware that we have sex, Ned. I have given birth to five of your children and I’m quite certain my father knows what that means,” she said, turning slightly so she could see his face, his hand moved from her back to her sides, tickling slightly.
“No father really knows,” Ned replied, pulling hand away to look at her. “At least they don’t admit it to themselves.”
“What does that matter then?” she said, shaking her head at his logic. “According to your reason, he won’t even suspect what we do in the privacy of our room.”
“I can’t,” Ned said shocked. “It would be breaking the father code.”
“Well, I can tell you what will be broken if you really are going to pick some unspoken agreement you have with my father over me,” Catelyn said with a shake of her head.
After a couple of hours Catelyn started rounding up her children and ordering them to bed, making sure all of them had everything they needed, checking one last time on the older kids in the next room after Bran was asleep next to Rickon, making sure Robb and Jon were both aware, that if she found out that they had for any reason left the room without her permission, she’d make their lives hell during high school. Also, checking to see if Arya and Sansa had killed each other in her absence, which seemed to be an unnecessary fear, as both girls were buried underneath the sheets together, reading the same adventure book, something she hadn’t seen them do for a few years.
After making sure all the doors were locked, Catelyn finally crawled into bed next to Ned, scooting as close as possible, trying not to wake him, since he had seemed exhausted after the long day, even falling asleep before Bran.
Catelyn jumped when she felt an arm around her waist, and lips kissing her neck.
“Mhm, finally,” Ned groaned into her neck, pressing his front to her back, squeezing a leg between hers.
“Ned, the boys,” Catelyn warned, although she couldn’t resist pushing her hips backwards, drawing a moan from him.
“No fair,” Ned growled into her neck, biting her lightly before suckling the same spot, probably leaving a mark.
“You started it,” she moaned back, when one of his hands reached over and cupped her breast.
“I’ll finish this as well,” Ned said, squeezing her breast, before circling her nipple with his thumb.
Catelyn was about to give in when she heard one of the boys shifting on their bed and she was shaken back to reality and quickly shoved Ned’s hand away, pushing the sheets off them, and pulling Ned by his hand towards the bathroom.
Once inside, she quickly closed and locked the door, turning towards a grinning Ned, the light gleaming in through the window enough to allow her to see his face.
“Don’t look so smug,” Catelyn said with a smirk of her own.
Ned quickly grabbed her waist and hoisted her up on the counter, pulling her nightgown over her head, throwing it on the floor along with his shirt, and quickly shoving her underwear down her legs.
“Ned!” Catelyn moaned as he pulled her flushed against him, his lips capturing hers.
Breaking the kiss, he looked down her body, bending over to capture one of her nipples in his mouth, sucking greedily before letting it go with a pop, turning his attention to the other. His hand moved down her side, gripping her hip in a firm grip as he suckled, her back arched, pushing her breast closer to him.
“Please Ned, please,” she begged, running her fingers through his hair.
Ned moved his hand to travel from her hip down towards her sex, one finger sliding between her lower lips, spreading the wetness there, tapping lightly over her swollen clit.
“Ned,” she cried.
“Hush,” Ned warned, capturing her lips again to silence her, just as he slipped a finger inside her, dragging in against her walls before adding another, thrusting into her, capturing her moans with his mouth.
Without warning he pulled back, leaving her bare and needy, though only for a moment long enough to pull her closer to edge, so that he could sheathe himself inside her, pulling her up against him, as he entered her completely.
Catelyn had to bite into his shoulder to silence her cry, his own mouth buried in her hair, only a sigh of relief leaving his lips.
“Gods,” Ned uttered as he moved against her, his hips slamming against hers in a rhythm she knew well.
After a week of abstinence and all the foreplay in the car with the anticipation they would be left alone, it didn’t take long for Catelyn to fall over the edge, her screams only silenced by Ned’s large hand over her mouth. After allowing her to come back to her senses, Ned grabbed her hips harder, pulling her tightly against him with each thrust, she could see he was close.
“Mommy! Mommy!”
Ned quickly stopped, his cock still buried deep inside her and she couldn’t help squeezing her muscles around him, sending poor Ned over the edge, his groan sent flying into the air.
“Moommmmyy!” Rickon’s voice yelled, his fist banging on the door. “I want mommy!”
Catelyn quickly pushed Ned away, jumping off the counter and pulling her nightgown over her head in a swift move so that she’d reach the door before Rickon woke up the entire hotel.
Throwing the door open Catelyn didn’t even look behind her to see if Ned was decent.
“Mommy!” Rickon exclaimed, throwing his arm around her legs.
Catelyn quickly pulled him up, settling him on her hip, hushing him.
“What’s wrong Rickon?” Catelyn asked, wiping away a stray tear from his blue-grey eyes.
“You were gone, I was all alone,” Rickon protested, frowning as he buried his face in her neck.
“What do you mean, Bran was right next to you,” Catelyn said, looking into the dark room to find Bran thankfully fast asleep.
“I want you,” Rickon said with a frown. “No Bran. I want Shaggy.”
“Alright, my little wolf, I was just using the bathroom, I just have to wash my hands and I’ll be right back, alright? Can you be a brave boy and stay here on my bed and wait,” she asked, placing him down on the bed.
Rickon was about to protest, but changed his mind and nodded his little head.
Catelyn quickly returned to the bathroom, turning on the mirror lights to find Ned sitting in the bathtub, hiding away.
“Is he alright?” Ned asked.
“He’s fine,” Catelyn assured him, looking at herself in the mirror, inspecting the bite mark on her neck.
“Sorry,” Ned said, standing up from the bathtub to come up behind her, circling her waist with his arm.
“No you’re not, you like marking me,” Catelyn said, turning around in his arms, pressing a kiss to his lips. “But that’s alright, I like marking you as well, circling her own bite mark with the tip of her finger, sending a shiver down his spine.
“Wicked woman,” Ned growled. “Clean up so you can return to Rickon, I’ll wait here until he’s asleep, and he won’t know a thing,” Ned assured her, handing her a warm washcloth.
Catelyn was almost asleep when Ned slipped into bed behind her, his arm settling around her and Rickon.
“The things I do for family.” She heard him mutter just as she fell asleep, squeezed tightly between them.
Description: Ned, Cat, and Robb after Robert’s Rebellion and before Sansa was born. Despite the rocky start to their marriage, Ned and Cat’s shared joy over Robb and their commitment to their new family helped strengthen their relationship and further their feelings for each other.
"I know my sister. She need the comfort of family and friends around her."
Prompt: Family.
Welcome everybody to the start of the third CatxNed Week. The theme this time are major themes from Cat & Ned’s storylines, and the first prompt is Family. The submission box is now open and will close in 24 hours (at 23:59 GMT on March 16th). Enjoy.
Cat x Ned Week - March 16th - 22nd, 2015.
Theme: Prompts.
March 16th - Family.
March 17th - Betrayal.
March 18th - Duty.
March 19th - Love.
March 20th - Honor.
March 22nd - Fill Day.
More information under the cut.
All fanwork accepted, so long as it centers around Cat and/or Ned - entries also must follow the theme of each challenge.
CatxNed Week will start on Monday the 16th of March and will end with a fill day on Sunday the 22nd. Prompt for each day can be found here.
All submissions for each day must be submitted before 00:00 (12 am) GMT - If you can’t make it in time, please use fill day.
Please read the rules and submission guidelines before submitting.
If you need further information or just curious in general, please don’t hesitate to send me a raven.
> Questions from last challenge can be found here.
