Chapter 23

"That was originally one of Winterfell's watchtowers," Aegor replied, his heart skipping a beat as he tried to suppress his anxiety. He gave the plain truth, knowing that such easily verifiable information couldn’t afford improvisation. "It was struck by lightning over a century ago and caught fire, leaving it abandoned. I've been inside—it's filthy, cluttered, and the stairs are completely unusable."

"Abandoned is exactly what it should be. Winterfell doesn’t need watchtowers," Cersei said with a disdainful smirk, glancing at the ruin. "Who in their right mind would ever bother leading an army to attack this dreary, frozen pile of stone?"

"Don't be so harsh," Jaime said, shrugging with a chuckle. "For some wolves, their shabby little den is better than any gilded palace. And what about that fortress?" He gestured toward the First Keep.

Aegor, feigning ignorance of the siblings' veiled mockery of the Starks, reluctantly explained the First Keep's history. Jaime listened idly, nodding with casual disinterest before asking, "Why are you training here, brother of the Watch? Winterfell’s courtyard isn’t far from here."

"I... enjoy solitude," Aegor said quickly, feeling an ominous twist in the conversation. Sensing Jaime's irritation, he scrambled to explain. "Too much noise distracts me and ruins my focus."

"Oh, I see," Jaime said, lips curling into a smirk. "Well, let’s hope the wildlings you meet are polite, quiet gentlemen and ladies. My dear sister, how about we take a look inside?"

"Here?" Cersei frowned and cast a wary glance at the decrepit First Keep, but a hint of intrigue flickered in her eyes.
----


What was going on?

Were they really going to ignore his presence and go into the First Keep anyway? These two reckless, shameless siblings—did they have no sense of propriety?

Aegor felt a tightening in his throat, his breath catching in panic. "My lords... the place is filthy and crawling with rats and spiders. There’s nothing worthwhile inside."

"I’m not expecting to find anything," Jaime said with his characteristic confidence, turning to Cersei with a playful glint in his eye. "But who knows, dear sister? We might stumble upon some ancient Stark family treasure tucked away in a forgotten corner."

Cersei hesitated, locking eyes with her brother. Though the idea struck her as risky, the allure of exploring a secluded, ancient structure with her beloved sibling was tempting.

"Are you still playing at being adventurers?" she said, trying to mask her anticipation. "Do as you like, but be careful."

"Call it youthful spirit," Jaime replied with a grin, leading the way to the First Keep. As he passed Aegor, he clapped him on the shoulder. "Stay here and keep up your training, brother of the Watch. The queen and I will just have a look around and try not to disturb you."

Aegor clenched his jaw but nodded, knowing Jaime wasn’t asking for permission—he was merely announcing his plans. No one would question the closeness of the Lannister twins, and Aegor, a mere ranger, certainly had no right to interfere. Without knowledge of their forbidden relationship, who could suspect anything improper in their behavior?

He stood silently as the two disappeared into the First Keep.
----


What now?

Aegor felt helpless, his mind racing with ideas that he discarded as quickly as they formed. Confronting them directly was out of the question—Jaime Lannister had already dismissed him, and forcing his way into the Keep would only provoke the Kingslayer. Worst-case scenario, he might end up the one being thrown from the tower.

And with Tyrion as his only ally, Aegor couldn’t afford to offend the Lannisters’ powerful siblings. The stakes were far too high.

Desperate, Aegor decided to stay where he was, continuing his training while keeping an eye out for Bran. If he couldn’t stop the queen and Jaime from entering the Keep, at least he could prevent the young Stark boy from crossing paths with them.
----


Aegor vented his frustration by focusing on his archery. Each shot thudded into the target with satisfying precision, and his aim was surprisingly accurate given his foul mood. Nearly every arrow struck the center or close to it, the best performance he’d had in days.

He had just emptied his quiver and was heading to retrieve his arrows when a high-pitched voice startled him.

"You're really good at this," said a boyish voice from above.

Aegor turned and froze. There, sitting casually on the wall overlooking the courtyard, was Bran Stark.

The young Stark heir, with his auburn hair and bright blue eyes, smiled down at Aegor. "I can never shoot that well. Even Arya’s better than me."

When had the boy gotten up there?

Heart pounding, Aegor realized his grave mistake. He had assumed that blocking the main path into the courtyard would prevent Bran from reaching the First Keep or the ruined tower. But Winterfell was a sprawling, chaotic maze of courtyards, halls, and rooftops. For a boy who loved to climb, the castle was a playground—and Bran had likely scaled a wall elsewhere to reach his perch.

"Bran, get down from there," Aegor said, forcing his voice to remain calm. "That’s dangerous."

"I’m fine," Bran replied, swinging his legs. "Tomorrow we’re leaving for King’s Landing. I won’t get to climb for a long time, so I thought I’d do it one last time."

"Climbing is dangerous," Aegor warned, his gaze flicking between the boy and the wall. It was too high for him to reach, so talking Bran down was his only option. "If you fall, your parents will be furious. Come down, and I’ll teach you archery instead."

Bran laughed. "I’ve heard the targets in King’s Landing are ten times bigger than the ones here! I’ll be able to hit those easily!"

"That’s not how you learn to shoot!" Aegor said, exasperated. He noticed Bran’s bare feet and frowned. "And why aren’t you wearing shoes?"

"It’s easier to climb without them," Bran said proudly. "And the guards can’t hear me when I walk across the rooftops."

Before Aegor could respond, Bran stood and began walking along the narrow wall toward the ruined tower. "I’m going to feed the crows at the top. You can keep practicing!"

"Get back here!" Aegor shouted, abandoning all pretense of politeness. But Bran ignored him, moving with the reckless confidence of a boy who had never fallen before.
----


By the time Aegor reached the guards, Bran was already darting across the rooftops. The guards merely shrugged.

"Don’t worry about him," one said. "The boy’s always climbing. He never listens."

"But it’s dangerous!" Aegor protested.

"Trust me," said the other guard. "It’s easier to let him be. He’s got his father’s blessing, after all."

Frustrated and out of options, Aegor could only watch as Bran climbed higher, heading straight for the First Keep.