Because I Was Foolishly Following Orders

Later that night Robb held a war meeting for the camp. They sit at the table at night by torchlight. Catelyn had Arabella join staying hidden and wearing a cloak to cover with.

"The proper course is clear - pledge fealty to King Renly and move south to join our forces with his," Jonos Bracken states.

"Renly is not the king," Robb states.

"You cannot mean to hold to Joffrey, my lord. He put your father to death," Jonos questions.

"That doesn't make Renly king. He's Robert's youngest brother. lf Bran can't be Lord of Winterfell before me, Renly can't be king before Stannis," Robb states.

"Do you mean to declare us for Stannis," Jonos questions.

"Renly was not right! If we put ourselves behind Stannis," Galbart Glover states.

"My Lords. My Lords! Here is what l say to these two kings. Renly Baratheon was nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine from some flowery seat in the South? What do they know of the Wall or the Wolfswood? Even their gods are wrong! Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? lt was the dragons we bowed to and now the dragons are dead! There sits the only king l mean to bend my knee to - the King in the North!, " Greatjon Umber states, bowing to Robb with his sword unsheathed; Robb rises

"I'll have peace on those terms. They can keep their Red Castle and their iron chair too," Rickard Karstark states, bowing to Robb and extending his sword, "The King in the North".

"Am I your brother, now and always," Theon claims.

"Now and always," Robb agrees.

"My sword is yours in victory and defeat, from this day until my last day," Theon states, taking out his sword, bows to Robb.

"The King in the North," Lord Umber exclaims.

"The King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North," the crowd yells out as they all take out their swords and swear fealty to Robb . Catelyn looks wearily at the whole scene, before turning out of the tent.

"The King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North! The King in the North," Everyone yells out.

Catelyn goes to the outskirts of their camp, to the dungeons where prisoners are being kept, Arabella hot in her heels.

"Lady Stark," the guard calls out. He does not see Arabella behind her.

"l want to see him. Now! Leave us," She states. The guard walked away from her and the prisoner she wished to see.

"You look lovely tonight, Lady Stark. Widowhood becomes you," Jaime calls out. Arabella rolls her eyes and glares at him from afar.

Catelyn grabs a large rock from the ground.

"Arabella, how are you? Feeling the urges that comes with pregnancy. I may not be able to please you as I would back at home, but I promise you, I'm up to it," Jamie continues.

"Jaime, shut up," Arabella says to her husband. Her mother marches towards him and hits the rock against his forehead.

"Oh, l do like a violent woman, Lady Stark. But I think your daughter is more to my taste," Jaime says egging on Catelyn some more.

"I will kill you tonight, Ser. Pack your head in a box and send it to your sister," Catelyn tells him.

"Mother he is not worth it. Doing that will only-," Arabella was cut off.

"Let me show you how. Hit me again, over the ear. And again and again. You're stronger than you look, it shouldn't take long," Jaime states.

"Jaime, shut up," Arabella said, anger clearly in her voice.

"That is what you want the world to believe, isn't it? That you don't fear death," Catelyn questioned.

"But I don't, my lady. The dark is coming for all of us. Why cry about it," Jaime states.

"What about your children? Would they be okay with you being gone," Catelyn asked.

"Mother," Arabella exclaimed, placing her thumb and forefinger on the bridge of her nose.

"Because you are going to the deepest of the seven hells, if the gods are just. I just hope that you do not bring my daughter down with you, because she has done nothing to desire it," Catelyn tells Jaime.

"What gods are those? The trees your husband prayed to? Where were the trees when his head was getting chopped off? lf your gods are real and if they are just why is the world so full of injustice? Arabella here would know more about herself than anyone would let on. I may talk slow Lady Stark, but I am far from being stupid. I know who she is, I've known for some time now. But I would rather fall on my own sword than see harm to her. I may be going down to the deepest parts of hell, but I can promise you this. She is not coming with me, if I have anything to say about it," Jaime tells Catelyn.

"Because of men like you, there is so much injustice in this world," Catelyn tells him.

"There are no men like me. Only me," Jaime tells her in all honesty.

"My son Bran. How did he come to fall from that tower," Catelyn asked. Arabella eyes widened in disbelief. There was no way Jaime would know what happened to Bran.

"I pushed him out the window," Jaime said as a matter of fact. He didn't dare look at Arabella. He knew the look on her face, he could feel the disbelief, the sadness, the anger. He had comforted her after everything, and played like he didn't know what had happened.

"Why," Arabella questioned her voice cracking as she kept her tears at bay, "Why did you push him out the window"?

"I hoped the fall would kill him," Jaime said, his eyes not meeting hers. He knew that this was going to break her.

"Why," Arabella questioned again.

"You should get some sleep. It's going to be a long war," Jaime states hoping to end the conversation.

"Tell me why Jaime. After everything I have been through because of you. You owe me at least that," Arabella said looking down at him. His eyes met hers, and you could see the regret in his eyes.

"Because I was foolishly following orders of someone who gave me what I thought was love," he explained to her.

"Did you hire the assassin," She asked. Catelyn dropped the rock in her hand and stared at Arabella. She could not imagine what was going through her head at this moment, and she could only hope that this was not going to break her further.

"No, but I promise you. I took care of the person who did. I know now that I messed up back then. If I could go back and change how things happened I would. Arabella I promise you, I know I made a mistake and I have been doing everything in my power to correct it. I know right now you are beyond angry with me, but please do not lash out and go picking a fight that you need to stay out of. If not for me than for your family, current and future. Arabella you need to think of them above all else. I know Fire and Blood runs through your body, but you need to think about everything before you start setting fires, you can't even begin to try and put out. Amelia will take care of you, let her. For the sake of those you care about most. I am already lost to the war, I won't let you get lost as well," Jaime tells her.

Arabella looks down to the ground and runs off to her tent burying her head into the pillows and praying that one day she can have a break. Even if it was for a small bit of happiness. She did not want to play the Game of Thrones anymore. She never wanted to play in the first place, but it seems to keep bringing her back into it. No matter how hard she tries to get off the board.

Catelyn Stark looked at the man before her. She could not believe what he just told her.

"I never intended to hurt her, or bring harm to her. I was foolish back then, and I swear to you. I will keep her secret safe. No matter what happens she is my wife, the mother of my children, even if I never see them. She has more of me than anyone else in this world has. If anything happens, Tywin will take care of her. He does not know who she really is, but she has his heirs of Casterly Rock, and that is all that will matter to him," Jaime told Catelyn.

"I believe that you just destroyed her," she tells him before turning away and walking back into camp. All Jaime could do is pray that somehow he can make it up to her, and make it right. If only he could get the chance. If only.....

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