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  élia sat by Bran's bed, holding his hand firmly, refusing to let go. Catelyn sat opposite, weaving a sacred wooden frame to pray for Bran. It was a mother’s prayer for her son, a tradition in the North.

  Meistre Luwin had already visited Bran. He expihat whether Bran would wake or not depended on the will of the gods, but he stated that Bran’s legs were destio never again support his body.

  élia was certain that Bran would wake, but her mind was bnk as she sat there. Sihe previous night, when she had pced herself in that spot, she felt a stant buzzing in her ears, as if the world around her were distant and muffled.

  Everything was happenily as it had in the plot she knew, and she couldn’t ge a thing.

  It was so sad.

  Jon would leave today with Uncle Benjen for the Wall, apanied by the dwarf Tyrion Lannister, who was curious to see the grandeur of the Wall. Her father, Sansa, and Arya would also leave soon with the king’s ente. Betweeerday and today, élia had been uo summorength to do anything. She hadn’t even spoken to her father before his departure.

  However, now it seemed irrelevant. Bran couldn’t go to King’s Landing anyway, and Arya, perhaps her fate would be the same, no matter what she said or did.

  élia khere was something wrong with her mi, but she couldn’t reanize herself. She felt as if she were trapped in a rushing river, watg branches pass by the water. Yet, she simply watched, uo grab any of them. She saw the branches pass, one by one, while she herself was carried by the current, sinking into a dark, endless river.

  She didn’t know what to do. What was right? What was wrong?

  élia was trapped in a mental byrinth, uo find a.

  After a while, Queen Cersei came to visit Bran. élia remained silently seated in the chair, not standing to greet her. However, Cersei Lannister showed no signs of annoyand spent some time talking to Catelyn. élia half-heard their versation but was so absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn’t even notice when the quee.

  It was only when she heard Jon’s voice that she snapped out of her daze. He had e to say goodbye.

  “I wish I could be by your side when you wake up, Bran. But I’m going to the North with Uncle Benjen. I’m going to bee a Night’s Wat!” Jon said, his voice firm.

  Jon walked to Bran’s bed and g élia, who was sitting beside her brother. He spoke directly to the unscious Bran, but his words also seemed directed at élia, whose mood had been dark these st two days. She hardly ate, drank, and remained motionless by the bed. Johis wasn’t the right time to leave, but he had no choice. His journey awaited him.

  “We always said we would go to the Wall together. When you get better, you e to Castle Bck to find me. Don’t be afraid. We walk beyond the Wall together.”

  élia remained unresponsive, which left Jon feeling helpless. He then moved closer to Bran’s head, k, and softly spoke into his ear. Jon believed that Bran could hear him, even if he were unscious. He khe future would be cruel, even if Bran woke, he would never be able to walk again. With a sigh, Jon stood up to make room for Catelyn, atg him with a stern expression.

  “Is it over?” Catelyn asked, her voice firm.

  “Mother, you’re tired,” élia interrupted, closing her eyes for a moment. She didn’t want to hear any more harsh words from her mother. She knew Catelyn hysically aionally exhausted and decided not to respond. However, deep inside, her mother’s words still hurt.

  At that moment, their father ehe room. élia and Jon realized he wanted a farewell versation with Catelyn. So, Jon stepped forward, leaned over Bran, and kissed him deeply on the forehead, a silent and meaningful goodbye. Theuro élia, and both left the room in silence.

  “Walk me to the city gate,” élia asked calmly. “You’ll leave as soon as our father is finished. I’ll say goodbye to you in time.”

  They walked side by side in plete silence. When they were he city gate, Jon suddenly broke the sileh a hoarse voice.

  “I’m sorry…”

  élia stopped for a moment, surprised by the apology. She khe reason behind those words. Jon had noticed that she hadn’t ged her luxurious, long dress i two days, proof that, despite her indifferent appearance, she was deeply affected by everything that was happening.

  “You don’t o apologize, Jon. You didn’t do anything wrong. Just do what you believe is right. If being a Night’s Wat makes you happy, then go for it.” élia sighed. “Sometimes, we want something, but we simply ’t reach it. And that’s the hardest part.”

  élia forced a slight smile and resumed walking. Just as she couldn’t do anything she truly wahere was no reason to stop Jon from following his own path. If joining the Night’s Watch was Jon’s dream, she knew no one should be deprived of their dreams.

  “Take care, Jon. And by the way, have you said goodbye to Arya and the others?” élia asked, trying not to dwell on the subject.

  “I’ve said goodbye and will travel with them for a while. Arya’s birthday is month. I gave her a sword as a birthday and farewell gift.”

  He paused for a moment before returning to the subject of Arya. But at that moment, it didn’t matter what he said; everything seemed futile.

  “That must be the best birthday gift she’s ever received!” élia ented, suddenly realizing that amidst the chaos and her owal fusion, she had almost fotten Arya’s birthday. Now, it was too te to prepare something.

  She sighed inwardly. They could only make up for it the ime they met. But when would that be?

  “As long as she likes it…” Jon replied with a slight smile. “By the way, the sword our father gave you… it looks like you still haven’t , right?”

  He raised his eyebrows, thinking of how enthusiastically Arya had hugged him before leaving. Her expression when holding the sword was engraved in his memory. He knew Arya loved that gift, even to the point of making Sansa jealous for not receiving something simir.

  “Well…” élia murmured weakly as she gazed at the sky. Despite her gloomy mood, she khe day was beautiful. The sun was shining brightly, and she felt its warmth on her face, although the light didn’t fully illuminate her heart. It was as if Winterfell was a little lighter in that moment.

  After a pause, élia lowered her gaze from the sky and focused on the fire in Jon’s chest. His expression was serene, but his thoughts were restless.

  “Let’s call it… Sword quering the Heavens!” she suggested softly but firmly.

  élia and Jon took a while to talk. When they reached the city gate, their father immediately approached them, but Catelyn didn’t e out to say goodbye. Since Bran’s fall, their mother had been isoting herself in the room. She knew Catelyn was a bit resentful at that moment, but she could uand.

  All the mothers in the world would find it hard to accept seeing their children trapped in a bed, unsure whether they would live or die. That’s too cruel!

  Soon, the king, her father, and Joed together. A rge number of people apahem, leaving with the same grandeur with which they had arrived. elia heard the sounds of footsteps fading away but remained where she was for a long time, relut to leave. When they arrived, the atmosphere had been under immense pressure. Winterfell had greeted them with warm hospitality, but when they left, they took their closest and dearest ones.

  What a group of well-dressed thieves!

  "Robb, now it’s just us here at home. We... we will protect Winterfell and the North. Then, we hope that our father will bring Sansa and Arya bae, right?"

  elia looked ahead. The sound of the king’s army leaving could no longer be heard. Only the cold northern wind blew violently. Her face showed a calm expression as she let the icy wind hit her body and clothes. Behind her and Robb was Winterfell, their home.

  "Of course!" Robb turo elia, smiled, and nodded affirmatively.

  The people of the North are direct desdants of the First Men, the aors who were the first to step on this ti, except for the Children of the Forest, the inal inhabitants of Westeros. The First Men arrived on the ti more than 12,000 years ago.

  They nded ieros and waged wars against the Children of the Forest. However, a peace agreement was eventually reached, f an alliahat brought pead friendship between them for over 4,000 years. The First Men abaheir inal beliefs and, alongside the Children of the Forest, began to worship the God of Nature, now known as the Old Gods.

  However, about 6,000 years before Aegon’s Landing, the Andals began invadieros. They quered the South through several wars and forced most of the First Men to retreat to the North. It was during this period that the King in the North fortified the region, blog the invasion at the Neck, at Moat Cailin. This resistance made the North the only kingdom of Westeros ruled by the First Men that was not quered by the Andals.

  The first King in the North was the founder of House Stark, the builder of Winterfell and the Wall. He was known as Brandon the Builder and was reized as the first King in the North. Sihen, House Stark’s importao the North has beeraordinary.

  While the South came to be ruled by the Andals, eventually f the Seven Kingdoms, the Starks maintained trol of the North. Even after Aegon’s Landing and the unification of Westeros, the kings who succeeded him tio make House Stark the protectors of the North.

  Even though the North ter willingly submitted to Aegon’s rule, successive kings tio appoint House Stark as the lords and guardians of the North.

  The northern border is very far from King’s Landing in the South. The North and South are naturally separated by the vast and dangerous Neck S. Additionally, the people of the North carry the spirit of their aors, which makes them culturally distinct from the southerners. For this reason, the northern border has always been more indepe pared to the reat kingdoms of Westeros, except for Dorne in the far south.

  For example, while almost all of the South of Westeros came to worship the Seven New Gods over the turies, the people of the North remained faithful to their a belief in the Old Gods—the God of Nature.

  Several Targaryen kings, as well as Robert Baratheon, who ted on Winterfell’s support due to its proximity to ark, have cimed that the North is the hardest region to govern. However, the loyalty of its people, particurly the vassal families, is unwavering. The status and influence of House Stark in the North are absolutely uionable.

  Although the people of the North have iably ied and mingled with the Andals of the South over more than a thousand years, whether during the initial Andal invasion or after Aegon’s Landing, the North has never fully ied into Andal culture. Having ruly been quered or occupied, the North has preserved its aral blood and maintais oldest traditions.

  In any case, Winterfell was founded and governed by House Stark from the beginning. Over thousands of years, the Starks became defenders not only of the North but also of all of Westeros. On two occasions, they united with the Children of the Forest to protect the ti from the threat of the White Walkers.

  Winterfell belongs to House Stark.

  This is an uionable fact.

  It has been a truth sint times.

  And the same is true for the North.

  The North has ruly been invaded or defeated in the past thousands of years. This time will be no different.

  elia, struck by the fierorthern wind, felt her thoughts from the past two days clear away. Life is full of uainties, and as she herself said, not everything goes as pnned.

  She might fail iure, but would she stand by, allowing the enemy’s bde to strike herself and her family?

  No, she is a Stark.

  And Stark is a wolf.

  A wolf never gives up easily!

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