The night was ending, in few hours the first rays of dawn would have brought light to the Wall, but Cassandra Baratheon had not been able to sleep. She layed in bed, facing the dark cieling above her. Only the sound of the even breathing of Wylliana keeping her company. That night Rose had to take the Watch, so her bed was empty.
Cassie had turned frequently that night, her mind wasn't at paece, with anything; she and Jon had faced a dead man walking, not so long ago, and the thought of all those legends wouldn't leave her mind.
The South was not a place where people believed in old stories, it was much different from the North. It was common knowledge that the Northerners were superstitious folks. And Cassie had come to know it since the fist time she entered Winterfell. It was frequent for the Stark children to sit all around Lord Eddard, to listen to all the old legends that he knew.
Cassandra had grown accostumed to all of this, because even at the Wall there were many superstitious people. She had never believed in those fully, though... how wrong she had been.
She had faced the cold, the dark and the wildlings, but Cassandra Baratheon would have never believed that those legends could hold some truth in them.
"Winter is coming!" she remembered Robb exclaim proudly, making her frown as a child.
"I do not understand these words," she remembered saying as she was set on the ground, observing the heir to Winterfell scoff.
"Hear me Roar is supposed to sound better?" Robb had questioned.
"Those are not my family words!" she argued back, standing up.
"Ours the fury then," Robb said shrugging his shoulders, "What meaning is behind that."
"That we are fierce!" she exclaimed, "That we are as strong as the storms in the Storm's Land. It is much more reasonable than 'Winter is coming'. We all know is coming."
"But will you endure it?" Robb asked with a smirk, "Because we did."
"During the Long Night" Jon had added making her turn towards him, but she just rolled her eyes.
"Those are children stories."
Children stories... Cassie had no more reason to believe that. So many strange signs and as she turned towards her doll, Daisy, touching it with her fingers, she wondered if what it was said to be happened during the Long Night was what truly occured; monsters that couldn't stand the sun light, fire, and iron, or creatures with blood in their veins. The land sunk in darkness and coldness. And kings died, as well as their people. Not even children were spared.
Could it be possible? Could such thing happen?
Suddenly the sound of knocking came from outside the door, making her move in a sitting position. Cassie turned to Wylly to notice, that she was awake as well and confused as much as Cassie was. The first light were starting to appear in the sky, who could come at such hour?
Cassie stood up and when she opened the wooden door, she frowned to see Samwell Tarly looking at her pale and nervously.
"Sam, what are you doing here?" she asked "The sun is not even up."
But the expression on the boy's face only made her worry even more.
"Sam, what is it?"
The feeling of the shiver running down her back was no new to her, but it hold the power of scaring her every time.
"Maester Aemon and the Lord Commander and the Matriarch want to see you." Sam stutter nervously.
The Lord Commander? Why would the Lord Commander of the Nights Watch want to share words with her, and that early in the morning. The feeling on uneasiness didn't leave her, and it only got worse when Sam looked her in the eyes almost pleading "It is important, Cassandra."
She was quik to put on her order black dress, under the worried gaze of Wylliana. Cassie was confused, what was happening? Did they found Ben? But way they didn't wait for the sun light?
Cassandra was a good sword among the Keepers, someone dared to say the most skilled, but she was not important. She wasn't Wylliana, who was getting ready of becoming the next Mathriarc, Cassadra was one of many. Why did the Lord Commander wanted to speak to her?
"Is it about Benjen?" she asked at some point, as she followed Sam through the silent corridors of Castle Black, but no answer came form him. And that only made her worries grew.
She looked outside of the windows as she walked, that night was clear, but it was so cold. She shouldn't have felt the cold, but she did. Just it didn't seem to came from outside, but from inside of her. Inside her chest and inside her veins. There was something, wrong she could feel it.
"Is Jon alright?" she asked in a mutter as they stopped in front of the door of the new chamber of the Lord Commander. She had never been there yet, she had been recovering for many days and it had been almost a half a year that she hadn't been sent beyon the Wall.
"I don't have the heart to tell you..." Sam said before opening the dark wooden door.
Cassandra knew what fear was, she had grew up with it; she knew how to master it, control it and even hid it. But this was a different kind of fear. What was ahead was unknown to her, and Cassandra didn't like to be unprepared.
As she walked inside, the chamber was lit by a single fire and next to it, Lady Eloyse stood, looking inside the flames with her hands cleched in front of her. Behind his desk, Lord Mormont was sit, in silence and with his usual severe expression, the raven always looking at him not far from his desk. And near the fire between the Lady and the Lord Commander, maester Aemon was sit, his blind eyes lost in front of him, but somehow, Cassie felt always observed by the man.
"Cassandra," Lady Eloyse greeted her, making Cassie bow her head.
"My lords," she spoke, before the Maester started to talk.
"Gratitude Samwel," he said with his faint voice "You may go, now."
"My lords," he bowed nervously before extiting the chamber, closing the door behind him, openly avoiding Cassie's eyes.
"You'd wonder why your presence was required." the Maester spoke again breaking the silence that had grown in the room.
"I was called," she answered with her head high "My duty is to answer."
Lady Eloyse and the Lord Commander shared a look, before the woman turned towards Cassie.
"Apologise, for the late hour, Cassandra," she stated "But this matter cannot wait."
Cassie frowned "What matter?" she asked.
This time, Lord Mormont took an heavy breath "A raven arrived from the South," he said and all Cassandra could do was to observe him, not sure of the meaning behind the request about her presense.
"Lord Eddard Stark had been executed," as those words left the man's mouth, Cassie felt her whole body freeze; her eyes were fixed on the lords before her, her hands clenched in fists as nothing but heavy breaths left her mouth.
Ned was dead...
"The new King gave the order," the Lord Commander added, making Cassie turn to the side, feeling trouble breathing.
"Just a moment Jeor" Lady Eloyse almost commanded, observing Cassandra closely "You need to let her cope, or she could lose control."
Control.
Cassandra needed to stay in control, needed to breath. Needed to stay focused and calm. But that was extreamly difficoult, the pain that she was feeling was great and it brought back many memories and people that only hurted her more.
Eddard Stark had been the first men to treat her with nothing but kindness. The first man who made sure that she was safe and listened. The first to not be afraid. She had felt so lonely in King's Landing, for all her life, but in Winterfell everything it was different. It was the only place in Westeros where she felt safe and happy. How could it be?
How could Joffrey? How could their mother let him?
The realm was in ruin; she knew that Robb was marching to war against her mother's family. And now, a war was inevitable. Joffrey had killed the Lord Liege of the North. Such decision would not be forgotten by the Northnerss. He only sentenced everyone to death.
"Cassandra," Lady Eloyse called her observing her moviments closely, but Cassie ignored her, focusing her gaze on her hands.
She knew how to pull back, she knew how to do it. She knew what it ment to lose people. She had lost Aesteria, and many companions during those years. She had lost Benjen, not knowing where he went for all that time. She had lost her absent father, a wound that she would have never thought, would hurt like it did. And now even Eddard Stark was gone. Another name on the list of people that had left that world.
It is not the first, and he won't be the last.
That was the rule, that was her life. She was used to it. She knew how to put sorrow aside. She knew how to not feel anything. It was not easy, and it was hurting so much, but she had to manage.
It took her sometime, but at the end Cassandra puched aside all the pain and when she was sure that her hands weren't shaking, she turned towards the lords. Lady Eloyse had moved forward, ready to intervine in any moment. The Lord Commander had stood up, fear was in his eyes, as it happened often when one of the Keepers was close to lose control. While the Maester waited patiently.
"Who are you?" Lady Eloyse asked, as they always did to make sure that a Keeper was in control.
"Cassandra Baratheon." Cassie stated, return in her previous position with her head standing tall.
Lady Eloyse waited for a moment, studying Cassie's moviments and when she felt secure, she went back to stay next to the Lord Commander.
"This is not why you are here though, Cassandra." the lady said.
"I thought so," Cassie answered "As much as how the passing of Lord Stark is... devastating" she said taking a breath "This has nothing to do with Keepers, or the Night's Watch."
"That much is true," Lord Mormont said.
"Why then?" she asked, but the one to answer was the Maester.
"You're here because of Jon Snow."
Jon... Cassie dare not to talk, but inside her chest she felt dread for him. But she did her best to puch even that worry aside, even if her fists cleched even more, almost hurting her palm.
"Does he know?"
"He does," Maester Aemon answered, nodding lightly his head as Cassie looked down "And what he may do after is the reason why you are here."
But at those words Cassandra could not stop herself from frown.
"I do not understand."
Lord Mormont seemed like he didn't trust her words, and of that Cassie was almost offended. What was the meaning of all of this?
"Samwell warned me of Jon Snow's plans of leaving the Wall to go and help his brother, and now lord of the North, Robb Stark."
"He wouldn't..." Cassie muttered.
"Oh, but he would have" the Maester said "I've spoken with the lad, myself."
Cassie looked down again.
He had planned to leave?
He swore an oath, an oath that he had to keep now. She shared his worries about Robb, she had them too. Knowing Robb in battle against her family was a costant thought of hers. She knew that if any harm would have ever come to Robb because of her family, it would have been so much more difficoult to push it aside, to move on from that.
But Jon had swore and that mattered, and it mattered to him as well.
"I've manage to calm his rush, and he restrained to leave."
"When?" Cassandra asked to the Maester.
"When you were recovering from your injouries."
Cassie clenched her teeth tight. He didn't tell her. He wanted to leave and he didn't tell her nothing.
"But our worries stand for what he may do now , after learning about death of his father."
Jon would be destroyed by it. She was sure. And when Jon was angry, he could make stupid decisions.
"But maybe the words of a trusthworthy friend will bring him back to reason." Sudgested Lady Eloyse.
As Cassandra exited the chamber and the wooden door closed behind her, she found herself facing Sam, who as looking at her pale and nervously, but that didn't stop the Keeper from glare at the shivering boy.
"He wanted to leave," Cassandra said in a venoumus whisper "And you both didn't tell me."
"I..." Sam started "I am so... sorry, Cassie" Sam said "I've promised not to... to tell anything to anyone..."
"At least you told the Maester," she said dismissively "You are two idiots."
She said before walking out as she could hear Sam asking from behind her.
"What are you going to do?"
"Go to the boys," she answered without turning "Tell them what happened."
Cassie knew Jon, and she felt like she could already picture what was going to happen. Jon Snow would have been angry at everyone, at the world, and he would have trown away his decision. But he swore a oath, and that had to be kept. Or the depth would have been paied with death. And Cassie could not have it.
Ned was no longer in that world, and there was nothing that Cassie could do to change it. But she could have made the difference to Jon. Cassie knew he would have made a stupid decision.
She could not lose any time, she had to stop Jon before he ran away, or he would have been considered a traitor and then ahead of him there was only the execution.
Cassandra was in the yard when she noticed a moviment from inside the stables.
"What a poor choice, Jon Snow." she said making him turn before he could get on his horse. He was covered in his cloak and on his back there was his new Valyrian steel sword, with the white head of a wolf carved on it's pommel. Many were fascinated by that sword, but she knew how it felt to have a weapon made of Valyrian steel.
"Go away, Cassie" Jon said strongly, but she did not move.
"You cannot leave this life," Cassie said sternly "you've made an oath, Jon"
"They've killed my father, Cassie" Jon exclaimed, his grey eyes filled with sorrow.
"I know" at her words he frowned hurt "The Matriarch and the Lord Commander told me."
"So you know what they did" he almost hissed "And you expect for me to stay here? As my brother is at war? As my sisters are hostages in King's Landing?"
"I expect for your head to remain in its place!" She argued back. Jon glared at her.
"Why are you here?" Jon asked coldly, moving his hand to his sword and Cassie did the same, taking out her Valyrian steel daggers.
"To stop you."
Their smoke grey blades shined under the last rays of moonlight, a cool breeze blow making Cassie's dark long hair move in the darkness.
"Move," he said holding Longclaw in front of her.
"No," she only said before moving forward.
She attacked first and he was quick to block one of her daggers, before moving. Of course he wanted to disarm her, so he was trying to hit her daggers in a way that with time would force her to let go. They moved, attacked and blocked, and she could almost feel proud of him, for having become less predictable. Their weapons clashed, as she blocked one of his blows.
"I have to Cassie!" He exclaimed.
"This is not a choice!" She said pushing him away "Do you understand the price? This is not a life where you can turn back!"
It was his turn to attack now, and she could feel the anger in his movements.
"Robb is at war! You're supposed to help me!" She glared at him as she kicked his side, making him groan.
"This is beyond me," she exclaimed, as her chest hurt thinking about Robb fighting against her family "This is beyond you!"
"How can you say this after what your family did?" His anger hit her, as if he had hit her with Longclaw.
Cassie's eyes widened as he attacked once again, she reacted a bit late, making her not block him as she was supposed to and that made her angry, so she attacked again.
"I cannot change the past," she said attacking "But I will not witness your death. Stop this none sense!"
"I'm sorry, Cassie," he said, making her glare.
"No," she hissed "I am."
She moved quickly at the attack, she would not have let him flee. She would not let him be killed. Their blades hit each other, echoing in the quiet night of the Wall. She moved and he followed, almost impressing her, but she was tired of that game. With one of her daggers she forced Jon's hand, the one that was holding the blade, out of the way, Cassie was quick to put the other dagger in one of the pockets of her corset, ready to punch him. But she stopped right before hitting him. Their eyes met and she could see all his sorrow, all his pain. He had lost his father, because of her family. And for some reason, her fist never hit him.
But suddenly a strong force pushed her to the cold ground, and as she turned she saw Ghost not far from her, growling. It happened in a moment, but as she looked at Jon, he was already on his horse, kicking it to make it run out of Castle Black.
No… she thought as she was still laying on the ground as Ghost followed Jon.
"Cassandra!" Pyp's voice made her look in the stairs direction as she saw the boy, with Grenn, Haider and Halder.
"Stop him! Go!" she shouted at the boys that with determination in their faces ran towards the stable, to exiting on the back of their horses.
"Cassie!" Sam's voice preceded his steps on the ground before he kneeled next to her. Cassie punched the ground with a groan as she felt Sam's hands trying to help her up.
"I did not go hard on him!" She exclaimed in disbelief "I couldn't… I…"
She had him. She had won. How could she let him go in that way? She was better than that. Why did she stopped?
Love is the death of duty, Maester Aemon's words made her freeze.
Was Jon Snow a weakness to her duty? A weakness to her choices?
Cassie and Sam had been silently standing at the entrance of Castle Black, staring at the night. The dawn was not that far now.
"They are going to bring him back." Sam's voice arrived in a whisper as she kept staring in front of her.
"If they don't, he is going to die." The cold hit her again, that was not how it was supposed to be. Jon should have never come at the Wall.
"Are you feeling well?" she kept staring in front of her.
"Jon and Robb had been my first friends," she said "Before them I had no one."
Cassie could feel the boy's eyes on her, observing her silently.
"I only knew solitude before that... or everytime I am not in Winterfell." she said "I know how to handle it. Solitude makes it easier. Because you have nothing to lose, when you have nothing." She said not daring to turn to Sam, "Until now, I've only lost a friend that I really cared about. I've lost companions before, but… they weren't Aesteria, or Benjen. Or Robb. Or Jon…"
After Aesteria she didn't let anyone to get to close to her at the Wall. Caring would make her weak, caring caused too much pain. Only Benjen was dear to her there, but now he was gone. She had always thought of Ned and Catelyn safe inside their castle, but now Ned was gone. She had always thought of her most dear friends away from the Wall, happily playing with their younger brothers. But those times were different and she could not feel any comfort in those thoughts anymore. And now at the Wall too many people cared about her, making her start to feel attachment, but attachment was a deadly matter.
"Do not tell him, I said that." She said turning to Sam, that gave her a sweet smile.
"I promise."
The time seemed infinite, she had no idea of how much it had past, but Cassie didn't like how she felt. She didn't know what Jon was doing, and what would have happened. She hated it. She had never been a girl of faith, but now it was the only thing she could do, wait and hope.
As they heard sound of horses coming closer, Cassie let out an heavy breath as she saw the boys coming back with Jon Snow and not far from them Ghost was following. As the direwolf got closer, he ran to her, rubbing his snout against her leg.
"Is this your way of apologizing?" she asked looking in his deep red eyes, before she extended her hand to caress his head.
"He gained back senses, Princess," Pyp said proudly, putting a hand on Jon's shoulder in a brotherly way.
Cassie nodded "Aye," she said as her eyes stopped on Jon, that was doing the same.
The rush of tranquillity that she felt, knowing that he was not going to become a traitor, was something unexpected and alarming. Her eyes moved to her hands. They were still, yet... something was strange.
Some days went by, two times the sun had disappeared and appeared in the sky and Cassie could not help but feel little tense. Many people didn't care about what happened outside of the Wall, but others did. And the cold gaze of Wylliana in those days had not been easy to face as she came to know about Lord Stark's death. Cassie should have not be surprise, Wylliana was part of House Manderly, one of the most loyal Houses of the North.
But those eyes she could feel no longer. So one evening, as they all were eating their dinner, as Wylliana was sitting with Hidi and Daerya, looking in her direction; Cassie could not stop herself from turning.
"Is there a matter you would like to share with me, Wylliana?" she asked, moving away from Rose's grip on her forearm as she spoke. Her moviment gained the attention of the people around.
"This is not the place," Wylliana answered, but Cassie glared.
"What is it that you want?" she demanded. She cared not about the others, if Wylliana wanted to kept that between them, she should have gone to Cassie sooner.
"How are you so calm?" Wylliana asked getting up from her banch. Cassie should have known that the Matriarch's favorite would have not backed down, not that Cassie wanted her to.
"About?" Cassie answered.
Wylliana laughed bitterly "Do you even feel anything?"
"Wylly!" Rose exclaimed.
"You know it as well, Rosie," Wylliana said "We all think it, but no one is able to speak it out loud."
Cassie's blue glare remained on the older girl, before she stood up as well, making the main hall fall in a deep silence.
"Please, future Matriarch," Cassie hissed "I'm dying to know your deepest thoughts about me, so to make them clear."
"You have no capacity of feeling." her words made Cassie's glare only grew darker as she let out a laugh. That was what she thought of her?
"That is all you've got?" Cassie challenged as she could feel every single stare on her body, but she did not care.
Wylliana shook her head as her eyes seemed to water.
"I have tried, for many years to defend you." Wylliana said "Against every tongue that spoke ill of you and your behavior."
"How kind of you, my lady," Cassie answered mockingly.
"Do you think I'm lying?" she exclaimed "How long do you think that I hold it in?"
Cassie laughed again bitterly "I don't know, I've never took you for a lier, Wylliana. Did Lady Eloyse?"
Wylliana's eyes burned like fire hearing those words "I've seen you for many years returning mission after mission, without a tear when many of us died. All of us know what loss mean. And I thought you did as well." Cassie stood silent as Wylliana spoke "Then the King died."
"And?" Cassie said dismissively. What did she wanted from her? When she didn't even know the half of Cassie's life. And she would not have explained it. That was no matter to anyone but herself.
"Do you even care?" Wylliana asked almost desperate for something that Cassandra did not quite understood.
"I thought you had something better to justify your rage." Cassie said "If this is the reason behind your behavior, I am not going to justify myself." then she turning.
"And what about Lord Stark?" at those words Cassandra stopped, as her eyes moved briefly on Jon, that was sitting with his friends. Of course all of them were paing attention on what was happening.
"According for what we came to know, you should be fond of him. And his family," Wylliana said, looking at Jon as well and that made Cassie get her attention back on the blond girl, almost challenging her to go on.
"And yet, I have heard you say nothing" Wylliana exclaimed "A thought, a pray."
"A pray?" Cassandra exclaimed.
"Lord Stark is dead under faulse accusations, by the hand of your brother," Cassie's fists closed in fists "Robb Stark is at war. Shouldn't you care a little for them?"
"Those are not our matters," Cassie argued, but Wylliana shook her head.
"It is not a matter of war, it is a matter of feelings." Wylliana answered.
"We are supposed to control them."
"Indeed," Wylliana said "But become hard as stone is another matter." There was sorrow in her eyes, Cassie could see it, but her eyes deverted in Jon's direction, noticing that he had stood up from his sit.
"What would you have me do?" Cassie said.
"This is just a confirms to me what I've always feared." Wylliana said with an hint of saddness in her voice and when Cassie turned, she noticed that from her eyes some tears were falling "You are a great ally, Cassandra... but you do not let anyone close to you ever. And that leaves you empty."
Cassie stood silent as everyone was looking at her. She knew that they had always think that, but knowing that even one of her two only friends at the Wall felt that way about her... She hadn't expected that.
Her eyes moved to Wylliana's hands, moving in a faint tremor. As Cassie's were still. As they had always been.
"You've made your mind clear," Cassandra said "At least now you won't have to lie anymore."
She said before taking her leave from the main hall. She heard Rose calling for her, but she ignored her. Cassie walked out, taking a deep breath as she looked down at her hands. Still. Like they were supposed to. Like no one had ever done as good at her.
"Cassie!" Jon's voice came from behind her, as she was looking at the night.
"Go back inside, Jon Snow," she said, but she felt him step next to her.
"No, I won't," he assured "Not now."
Cassie shook her head "Stop being honorable," she said almost calmly "You've heard the lady, I do not give a shit about anyone but myself."
"No, that is not true," Jon's words made her turn to him. He was looking at her with his grey eyes. He was not a good lier, so she knew he was telling the truth. And that made her hint a smile.
"I think it is," she whispered, not able to control her eyes from water. "All my life, I've always done what it was asked of me. Accomplishing my duties." she took a breath as she turned to look at the dark sky.
Cassandra knew, she had always known what was asked of her. What was her place. She had never felt love for her father and mother. Or for her siblings. Since she was a child. She was five when she was sent North for the first time and not seeing them, made it all easier. Even because she knew that no one would have cared. She was a woman and for that she had no claim to the throne. She was a Keeper and that meant that she could not wed a pretencius lord, to bring power to her family. She was useless to her House. She was just waiting her time to leave that world, unnoticed, forgotten. She had learnt how to live with that, it was not a good feeling, but that was what was asked of her as a Keeper.
"It is not that I cannot feel anything," she felt like to explain, "I do not want to. I've never wanted to. I pushed everything away, so that nothing could ever hurt me. Because it's only a matter of time before someone dies. And you are left alone. And I cannot... start to feel again."
"Feelings are no something to fear, Cassie," he whispered, always kindly. Always gently.
"To me they are," Cassie answered turning again to him, but there was no harsh in her voice.
"Westerosi call us Witches, but that's not what we are," she explained "We are not like the magicians of Valyria, that knew enchantments and spells. Or like the children of the forest and their legendary abilities. Inside of us… there is a constant fight."
"A fight?" Jon asked.
"This is not a power that lays silent. That awakes only when commanded to," she said looking at her hand covered in black lines "It moves. It is restless and it begs to be released. Constantly. It takes a lot of will to keep it locked. Under control."
Jon shifted from next to her, but deared to say nothing.
"Since a child…" she stopped to take a breath "I've been trained to push my feeling aside. And I did, with not much difficulty in truth. My hands had never trembled," Cassie said "And I know that this is my duty. I know I should be proud of than. But what if this is not talent?" She took a breath " What if they are right?" She wondered "What if I've locked my emotions so much, that now I don't know how to feel anymore?" then she kept looking at her hands, as she felt a tear roll down her cheek "What if I'm just empty now?"
Suddenly though, Jon moved to take her tattooed hand in his, making her look up.
"You are not empty, Cassie," he said clenching his fingers around hers strongly, as he really wanted for her to listen "You are not. You are just scared," he whispered as from her eyes another tear rolled down.
"I've seen you, away from here." he said "I saw who you are when you forget to be a Keeper. I still remembered the little girl with missing front tooth and strong opinions that came at Winterfell," he smiled at her fondly "And I've seen you here. Since I had arrived you've did nothing but to try and help me, protecting me." their fingers locked together.
"I know you feel pain about what happen to my father." At his words more tears fell from her eyes "I do not need for you to cry to know that. I know you. And you don't need to prove anything to anyone." Jon let her see a little smile. He was suffering so much and yet, he was there trying to help her.
"And when you will be scared, I'll be at your side."
"And I at yours," Cassie answered, holding his hand tightly. Then after a moment of silence, she decided to speak again.
"How are you feeling, truly?" At her question, his eyes were the ones that darkened this time. She had observed him since his friends brought him back; he was trying to focus on his duties, but he wasn't the same Jon Snow of the previous days.
"I wish they didn't find me…" he answered in honesty.
"You would have died," she said, her hand not leaving his. He took in her words, silently nodding his head.
"I am aware of that, but…" he spoke in a whisper "I feel like I'm betraying them. All of them."
There was not much that Cassie could tell him, but they stood like that until the sound of the bell could be heard, giving the signal to the Keepers to gather in their training fields.
As she arrived, Cassie did her best to keep her distance from both Wylliana and Rose, deciding to stand in the last row. She could not help but to feel surprised as she noticed that the Keeper that was going to make the speech was the Lady Eloyse herself.
"I thank you for your presence." The lady said, "It had been almost a year since the disappearance of Benjen Stark and Cynthia's party," Cassie listened closely at the mention of Ben's name. "The Lord Commander and I have decided to march North of the Wall to try and find some more information."
Cassie's heart beat quickly inside her chest. They finally wanted to move north, and she was hoping that this time, she would be selected to go.
"We decided on bringing ten Keepers," the Lady announced. "Vyva, Elitera, Rose, Luna, Riona, Meira, Thalia, Daerya, and Cassandra." Cassandra straightened her posture. "In a few days, we'll live for the North, be ready."
There was nothing that Cassie wanted more in that moment; she wanted to find Ben, and she would have done anything to bring him back.
At the end a matter on which she had power over.