"GreyWind, careful with Shaggy Dog!" Victoria bellowed at her pup who had now grown to about twice its size in the last week. The direwolf now measures near her hip and would have towered if it stood on its toes, compared to his brother the wolf was a beast. The two were playing, tossing around the dirt of the keep just as the brunette walked past.

The bigger wolf looked up, as if to acknowledge what his mother had just said with a firm head nod before stopping the roughhousing. Rickon looked up, the young boy's curly hair practically covering his eyes. "Vic! Where have you been!"

He ran over towards her, smiling fondly at her. His arms wrapped around her legs as she used her arms to hug him back. Rickon was so sweet, he'd always been such an adorable little boy. Rickon was gentle and so different to all his siblings, he was caring and kind. Vic smiled down at the boy, squatting down to pull his tresses of hair back from his face, "here and there, look what I got."

She pulled inside her winter coat to reveal the sweets she'd brought for him, his eyes widening and then grasping at the treats. "Vic!"

She smiled at the young boy who shoved a group of them into his mouth and then pulled her into a kiss on her cheek. Her laugh was contagious as she hugged him to her body, she wondered if this would be what it felt like to have a child of her own one day. The love she held for this tiny boy was unquestionable but she wondered what it would be like for a son of her own, or maybe a young daughter.

"Careful now," Elaine walked up beside her Lady, she'd previously dropped off her ladies fitted attire in her chambers before joining the Valiente girl in the keep. "Your teeth might rot if you eat too many."

"She's right," Vic nodded, tapping Rickon on the nose when he pouted. "Come now little wolf, where is your brother?"

"Robb's with mom and Bran, he seemed angry." Rickon responded casually, too concentrated on the sweets in his hands.

Victoria breathed evenly, rolling her eyes as she knew what he'd done. "Of course he is," she grumbled and then turned to Elaine who pressed her lips together in agreement. Robb was likely trying to convince his mother to leave Bran's room in the worst way. She knew her betrothed to be a bit of an angry man and it was likely happening now. Rickon looked up, curiosity in his eyes at her comment and when Victoria noticed she pressed her lips into a smile. "Go on now, enjoy them but don't have to many or you won't eat supper."

Rickon runs off, Shaggydog hot on his trail and Vic watches this with a smile until he turns around a corner and she can no longer keep him in her eyes. She turns to Lady Elaine after a moment, huffing heavily as she knew it was her duty to possibly halt whatever Robb was saying to his mother, "well come on, we can't let Robb yell at his mother all afternoon."

"Yes m'lady," Elaine nodded her head and the two walked side by side. Vic pulled the fur coat tighter around her body, her new one was somewhere in her chambers now but she refused to give up the one her father had let her borrow.

Victoria began her walk to Bran's room when her feet halted and she turned her body, her nose twitched with a very distinct smell, "is that smoke?"

|•|•|•|•|

"The damages are minor, the injuries are even fewer. We have yet to find the source of the fire but it seems like nothing was damaged too bad. Only one man seems to have suffered serious burns, my lady," one of the servants of the castle explained to the Valiente girl as she watched the damage be cleaned.

Her brown eyes were hard, wondering what on earth could have done it. There had been no ravage winds to bring lightning to touch ground, no large feasts that could have been the source, it was the middle of the day for gods sake, nothing could have caused it. Her lips pressed together, finding that Trout shifted in his steps, bringing her directly out of her thoughts and back to the present. She nodded her head at the young worker. "Alright well, make sure the injured get care right away and also id like an evaluation of the damages as soon as it's safe."

He ducked, his thinning hair shining against the bright day, "of course, my lady."

The man walked off after a bow and helped once more, leaving the Valiente and her knight to talk amongst themselves. Her eyes turned to his, finding that Trout had already been staring at her with his own thoughts. She raised a brow, "this is odd."

"More then odd," he agreed, blue eyes wide as if to agree with her suspicions.

"Lady Valiente," a calm voice was followed by the crunching of dead leaves under rising boots. The current Lord of the North walked up to his future bride, his face void of emotion as he stopped in his pace. "I wonder if you would join me in a private discussion."

Victoria locked her eyes with him, Robb never asked her out on a walk, especially now with all the things they needed to do in Winterfell. The two rarely managed time with one another before supper which is why her lips thinned as she wondered what Robb needed to say. She nodded her head, "of course."

Ser Marcos moved to walk with them but Robb was quick to stop in his track, "I asked if I could speak with the lady alone."

Trout's eyes narrowed, his breath growing deeper as he calmly adverted his eyes to the brunette he vowed to save and awaited her orders. Her smile was gentle, a small connection in her eyes in which she explained that he would know soon just what Robb wanted. "It's alright Ser Trout, make sure Elaine is bidding well with the aid of the injured."

He nodded, immediately agreeing with her orders and turning the other way. She never understood the animosity her knight held towards her betrothed but she had faith in her heart that one day it would decrease. Her eyebrows furrowed but other then that she couldn't bring herself to speak on the matter as her attention was somewhere else.

Rob extended his arm for her to loop around his own and she did so without saying a word, waiting as Robb trailed away from the location where most were and indeed walked to the Godswood. Once they were out of earshot from anyone she whispered, "what's going on?"

Robb let out a slow breath, his jaw relaxing as he spoke, "the fire was a distraction for an assassin to kill Bran."

"What?" She whispered harshly and nearly stopped in her tracks had Robb now continued to push her forward. She followed suit after realizing that he was entirely too calm and if Bran had been injured there would be no way of consolingly

Robb nodded his head as if to ask her for patience and continued, "Mum didn't go and he found her instead of an alone Bran, she fought the cunt, injured herself pretty good but distracted him long enough for Summer to come and rip his throat out."

She nodded, exhaling in relief, "gods save the direwolves."

Robb nodded as if to agree but his blue eyes were hardened as he had not finished his story, "mother wants to meet in the Godswood, says it urgent. We must go."

She nodded, squeezing his wrist for support, "who do you think it was?"

"Who else?" He pursed his lips and she found his eyes were no longer a calming sea green but the color of frost in winter.

Victoria ducked her eyes and imagines why they would have done it, "the fall wasn't an accident then."

Robb nodded his head, ducking his eyes to find an observant and quiet Victoria running a million thoughts through her head. Slowly concern washed over her like it did him, concern for his father and sisters, concern for her father. They both had more to lose now then just Bran.

Victoria and Robb were silent as they joined the group consisting of Ser Rodrick, Theon, Maester Lewin, and Catelyn herself. She urged them forward as the group huddled together.

"What I am about to tell you must remain between us. I don't think Bran fell from that tower. I think he was thrown." Her eyes were wide, rimmed with red lines that indicates lack of sleep but no one bothered to give it attention as her words impacted them all.

Victoria looked at Robb with caution, the two equally reeling.

Maester Luwin was the first to speak after, "The boy was always sure-footed before."

Catelyn nodded her head, "Someone tried to kill him twice. Why ? Why murder an innocent child ? Unless he saw something he wasn't meant to see."

"Saw what, my lady?" Theron's frosted blue eyes asked the question that hung in the air for everyone.

"I don't know. But I would stake my life the Lannisters are involved. We already have reason to suspect their loyalty to the crown." Catelyn responded and for the first time the group blinked at one another, a silent agreement that they all held within their hearts.

"Did you notice the dagger the killer used ? It's too fine a weapon for such a man. The blade is Valyrian steel, the handle dragonbone. Someone gave it to him." Rodrick commented about the would be killer.

"They come into our home and try to murder my brother ? If it's war they want..."

"Robb," Victoria warned lowly, she knew what was running through his mind at the moment. He was now the Warden, this was his home and his brother had nearly died under his protection, he wanted  blood and revenge, more so then had already been spilled. Still, her soft hand found his own and squeezed, his eccentric eyes narrowed at her warning but then slowly began to relax when he took how gentle they were.

Theon seemed to be on the other end of spectrum as he stepped up to his best friend, "If it comes to that, you know I'll stand behind you."

"What, is there going to be a battle in the Godswood?" The Maester defied him with a scoff. "Too easily words of war become acts of war. We don't know the truth yet. Lord Stark must be told of this."

"I don't trust a raven to carry these words." Catelyn shook her head at the thought.

"I'll ride to King's Landing." Robb offered himself as the messenger.

"No." Both Catelyn's and Victoria said at the same time with sternness. Victoria wished to add a angered are you mad but decided against it as now was not the moment for snark. Catelyn instead finishes off with more reason. "There must always be a Stark in Winterfell."

"Your mothers right Robb," Victoria agreed and squared her shoulders. "I'll go, I'll take Ser Trout and send word to my Uncle Oberyn and he'll have his spies keep watch."

"No, the Lannisters hate the Dornes more then anyone else. You'd never make it out alive." Robb disagreed and shook his head.

"Robb—" she rolled her eyes.

"Victoria, no," he spoke with much more firmness this time, standing his ground.

"Victoria what happened to Bran would be nothing compared to what they would do to you if no one was watching." Catelyn's agreed and then spoke. "I will go myself."

Robb didn't seem to agree with this either. "Mother, you can't."

Catelyn's words were finally. "I must."

Rodrick planned in his head, "I'll send Hal with a squad of guardsmen to escort you."

She shook her head with dismay, "Too large a party attracts unwanted attention. I don't want the Lannisters to know I'm coming."

"Let me accompany you at least. The Kingsroad can be a dangerous place for a woman alone." Ser Roderick relented.

"What about Bran?" Robb questioned the fate of his young brother.

Catelyn looked down, her eyes filling with sorrow but quickly filling with determination. "I have prayed to the Seven for more than a month. Bran's life is in their hands now."

The small meeting was over and as quickly as they'd arrived the group dispersed, Victoria clutching at Robb's arm as he guided her out. Her mind was on her father and the fate of them all, under reckless eye of the crown anything was possible—gods save them all.

"Do you think this will become war?" Robb questioned her as they walked out in silence

"I don't know but if it does—then I fear the seven hells will fill to their maximum before we're done with the bloody Lannisters."