“Gods forbid,” a man’s voice replied lazily. “It’s not an honor I’d want.
There’s far too muchwork involved.”
Bran hung, listening, suddenly afraid to go on. They might glimpse
his feet if he tried to swing by.
“Don’t you see the danger this puts us in?” the woman said.
“Robert loves the man like abrother.”
“Robert can barely stomach his brothers. Not that I blame him.
Stannis would be enough to giveanyone indigestion.”
“Don’t play the fool. Stannis and Renly are one thing, and Eddard Stark
is quite another. Robertwill listen to Stark. Damn them both.
I should have insisted that he name you, but I was certain Starkwould refuse him.”
“We ought to count ourselves fortunate,” the man said. “The king might as
easily have named oneof his brothers, or even Littlefinger, gods help us.
Give me honorable enemies rather than ambitiousones, and I’ll sleep more easily by night.”
They were talking about Father, Bran realized. He wanted to hear more.
A few more feet … butthey would see him if he swung out in front of the window.
butthey would see him if he swung out in front of the window.
“We will have to watch him carefully,” the woman said.
“I would sooner watch you,” the man said. He sounded bored. “Come back here.”
“Lord Eddard has never taken any interest in anything that happened south
of the Neck,” thewoman said. “Never. I tell you, he means to move against us.
Why else would he leave the seat of hispower?”
“A hundred reasons. Duty. Honor. He yearns36 to write his name large across
the book of history, toget away from his wife, or both. Perhaps he just wants
to be warm for once in his life.”
“His wife is Lady Arryn’s sister. It’s a wonder Lysa was not here to greet us
with heraccusations.”
Bran looked down. There was a narrow ledge37 beneath the window,
only a few inches wide. Hetried to lower himself toward it. Too far. He would never reach.
“You fret38 too much. Lysa Arryn is a frightened cow.”
“That frightened cow shared Jon Arryn’s bed.”
“If she knew anything, she would have gone to Robert before she fled King’s Landing.”
“When he had already agreed to foster that weakling son of hers at
Casterly Rock? I think not.
She knew the boy’s life would be hostage to her silence.
She may grow bolder now that he’s safe atopthe Eyrie.”
“Mothers.” The man made the word sound like a curse.
“I think birthing does something to yourminds. You are all mad.”
He laughed. It was a bitter sound. “Let Lady Arryn grow as bold as shelikes.
Whatever she knows, whatever she thinks she knows, she has no proof.” He paused a moment.
“Or does she?”
“Do you think the king will require proof?” the woman said. “I tell you, he loves me not.”
“And whose fault is that, sweet sister?”
Bran studied the ledge. He could drop down. It was too narrow to land on,
but if he could catchhold as he fell past, pull himself up … except that might
make a noise, draw them to the window. Hewas not sure what he was hearing,
but he knew it was not meant for his ears.
“You are as blind as Robert,” the woman was saying.
“If you mean I see the same thing, yes,” the man said.
“I see a man who would sooner die thanbetray his king.”
“He betrayed one already, or have you forgotten?” the woman said.
“Oh, I don’t deny he’s loyalto Robert, that’s obvious. What happens when
Robert dies and Joff takes the throne? And the soonerthat comes to pass,
the safer we’ll all be. My husband grows more restless every day. Having
Starkbeside him will only make him worse. He’s still in love with the sister,
the insipid39 little dead sixteenyear-old. How long till he decides to put me
aside for some new Lyanna?”
Bran was suddenly very frightened. He wanted nothing so much as to go back
the way he hadcome, to find his brothers. Only what would he tell them?
He had to get closer, Bran realized. He hadto see who was talking.
The man sighed. “You should think less about the future and more about the
pleasures at hand.”
“Stop that!” the woman said. Bran heard the sudden slap of flesh on flesh,
then the man’slaughter.
Bran pulled himself up, climbed over the gargoyle, crawled out onto the roof.
This was the easyway. He moved across the roof to the next gargoyle, right
above the window of the room where theywere talking.
“All this talk is getting very tiresome40, sister,” the man said.
“Come here and be quiet.”
Bran sat astride the gargoyle, tightened41 his legs around it, and
swung himself around, upside down.
He hung by his legs and slowly stretched his head down toward the window.
The world lookedstrange upside down. A courtyard swam dizzily below him,
its stones still wet with melted snow.
Bran looked in the window.
Inside the room, a man and a woman were wrestling. They were both naked.
Bran could not tellwho they were. The man’s back was to him, and his body
screened the woman from view as hepushed her up against a wall.
There were soft, wet sounds. Bran realized they were kissing. He watched,
wide-eyed andfrightened, his breath tight in his throat. The man had a hand
down between her legs, and he musthave been hurting her there, because the
woman started to moan, low in her throat. “Stop it,” she said,“stop it, stop it.
Oh, please …” But her voice was low and weak, and she did not push him away.
Her hands buried themselves in his hair, his tangled42 golden hair,
and pulled his face down to herbreast.
thave been hurting her there, because the woman started to moan,
low in her throat. “Stop it,” she said,“stop it, stop it. Oh, please …”
But her voice was low and weak, and she did not push him away.
Her hands buried themselves in his hair, his tangled golden hair,
and pulled his face down to herbreast.
Bran saw her face. Her eyes were closed and her mouth was open, moaning.
Her golden hair swungfrom side to side as her head moved back and forth20,
but still he recognized the queen.
He must have made a noise. Suddenly her eyes opened, and she was
staring right at him. Shescreamed.
Everything happened at once then. The woman pushed the man away wildly,
shouting andpointing. Bran tried to pull himself up, bending double as he
reached for the gargoyle. He was in toomuch of a hurry. His hand scraped
uselessly across smooth stone, and in his panic his legs slipped,and suddenly
he was falling. There was an instant of vertigo43, a sickening lurch44 as the window
flashedpast. He shot out a hand, grabbed for the ledge, lost it, caught it
again with his other hand. He swungagainst the building, hard. The impact took
the breath out of him. Bran dangled45, one-handed, panting.
Faces appeared in the window above him.
The queen. And now Bran recognized the man beside her. They looked as
much alike as reflectionsin a mirror.
“He saw us,” the woman said shrilly46.
“So he did,” the man said.
Bran’s fingers started to slip. He grabbed the ledge with his other hand.
Fingernails dug intounyielding stone. The man reached down.
“Take my hand,” he said. “Before you fall.”
Bran seized his arm and held on tight with all his strength.
The man yanked him up to the ledge.
“What are you doing?” the woman demanded.
The man ignored her. He was very strong. He stood Bran up on the sill.
“How old are you, boy?”
“Seven,” Bran said, shaking with relief. His fingers had dug deep gouges47
in the man’s forearm.
He let go sheepishly.
The man looked over at the woman. “The things I do for love,” he said with
loathing48. He gave Brana shove.
Screaming, Bran went backward out the window into empty air.
There was nothing to grab on to.
The courtyard rushed up to meet him.
Somewhere off in the distance, a wolf was howling.
Crows circled the broken tower, waiting forcorn.