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[BEYOND THE WALL, CRASTER'S KEEP, NIGHT]
[A door crashes open as CRASTER throws JON SNOW through it and onto the floor.]
"That bastard!" Lyanna glared.
"Out, all of you."
[LORD COMMANDER JEOR MORMONT and the others of the Night's Watch leap to their feet. CRASTER'S wives peer out from their berths.]
"This bastard's been meddling where he shouldn't!"
[CRASTER kicks JON in the abdomen for emphasis.]
Jon glared at the wildling. Oh, he would go up North just to skewer him like game meat.
[Craster pointing at JEOR with the handle of JEOR's sheathed sword.]
"I want you and your men gone. And you will make this right."
[JON stands and spits out a mouthful of blood. JEOR turns to JON]
"Wait outside."
"Lord Commander-"
"Now!"
"He's not even listening to him!" Arya shouted in frustration.
"He's probably trying to play peacekeeper," Sansa said with a sour look.
"Fuck peace with that creature!" Robb exclaimed, much to his mother's displeasure.
Not that she wasn't displeased. But it didn't mean Robb had to swear.
[CRASTER'S KEEP, NIGHT]
[JEOR strides through camp until he finds JON and SAMWELL TARLY, who is tending to JON's wounds.]
"Lord Commander-"
"Leave us."
[SAM leaves.]
"What did you do?"
"I followed him. He took the baby into the woods, the newborn."
"What business is that of yours?"
"No, you don't understand. He's killing them, all the boys..."
[JON breaks off as JEOR stares back at him mutely. JON's face narrows in realization.]
"He knows," Ned said as the expression dawned on him. He knew... and did nothing? This couldn't be the man he had respected for so long.
While he reeled from the shock, the rest burst into angry outrage at the revelation.
"That is the man leading the Night's Watch?!" Robert exploded. "He knows and does nothing!"
"Perhaps if we keep watching, we'll know why" Stannis suggested, jaws set stubbornly, even more so when Robert glared at him.
"Wildlings serve crueller gods than you or I. Those boys are Craster's offerings."
"Offerings? He's murdering his own children. He's a monster."
"Aye, many a time that monster has been the difference between life and death for our rangers, your uncle among them. We have other wars to fight, out there. Like it or not, we need men like Craster."
"Sounds a lot like why you had to worry Cersei Lannister" Renly whispered.
Robert sighed.
"Can't the Night's Watch just build an outpost there so they don't have to rely on this man?" the King asked.
"The Night's Watch is undermanned to do that" Ned explained, slightly relieved once he knew the reason but still unhappy about it all the same.
"Perhaps if we bolster the Night's Watch with capable men, they can do away with this Craster and have themselves an outpost there. Perhaps even a Lord to establish the first claim of land beyond the Wall" Renly suggested.
"The lands beyond the Wall are inhospitable places, not easy to settle anyone there" Ned explained.
"If the wildlings can survive there, why can't any of us?" Renly asked. "Plus, unlike the Wildlings any one of us who settles there will have the Watch's and the Crown's backing. He can build, fortify and be a place for Rangers to rest as well. A much better choice than that waste of space and breath.
Ned looked at Robert with a raised brow and Robert shrugged.
"We can talk about this some more" the King conceded, much to Renly's glee. He was being heard.
[CRASTER'S KEEP, THE NEXT MORNING]
[SAM arranges some crates containing ravens. GILLY walks by holding a basket. SAM quietly walks over to where she is loading her basket with sticks.]
"I, I wanted to give you something. It belonged to my mother."
"Oh poor things smitten" Margaery giggled. She felt slightly bad for the boy, only just.
"Men" Olenna rolled her eyes.
[SAM shows GILLY a white thimble.]
"I can't take it"
"Please. I want you to. My mother used it for sewing. She'd let me sit with her in her chamber while she sewed and I'd read to her. My father put a stop to it when he found out. It's the only thing I have of hers. She gave it to me before I left for the Wall."
"The more I hear about this Lord Tarly, the less I like him" Robb frowned. His father would never do something like that.
"Perhaps we can welcome Sam to Winterfell" Arya suggested. "He seems nice so he'd fit right in with us!"
"I don't think he'd fit right in" Jon sweatdropped, "but inviting him would be a good idea. His father is going to just send him to the Wall and name his little brother as heir to Horn Hill. Maybe he wouldn't mind this instead."
"We'll have to convince Father" Robb pointed out.
"I think the more we watch this, the easier it will be" Jon countered.
[STORMLANDS, RENLY'S CAMP, TOURNAMENT]
[An exhibition fight between two armored knights takes places as KING RENLY BARATHEON and QUEEN MARGAERY TYRELL watch.]
"You're hosting a tourney of sorts during a war march?" Stannis raised a brow.
"It's for entertainment, brother. To keep the people's moods up and all that" Renly smiled.
"You're in a war"" Stannis ground out, before eyeing the Tyrells. "I can understand why you got the South's support on you. The girl is your Queen."
"Perhaps, brother. But Lady Margaery would still have come to me even if you were unwed or widowed."
"Would she?" Stannis turned to the Tyrell, but not Margaery. "Clarify it for us, Lady Olenna. Were I without a wife for any reason, would you still back my brother?"
Olenna Tyrell's sharp eyes met Stannis' cold ones.
"My granddaughter is to be Queen. Whoever gave her that opportunity would have our support."
While Stannis and Renly, and most others, thought the declaration was for Stannis, Rickard knew what Olenna Tyrell meant by it. He held back a sigh and kept his eyes on the wall.
[LADY CATELYN STARK and SER COLEN OF GREENPOOLS enter and watch from among the crowd.]
"Mother?" Sansa asked in confusion.
"She's probably there to form some form of a truce with Renly" Jon explained to her.
Sansa gave a small nod in thanks.
[The other fighter lifts LORAS and takes him to the ground, then lifts LORAS's visor and draws a dagger to his face. MARGAERY gasps nervously.]
"Yield! I yield."
"Whoever that knight is, is very skilled to have beaten Loras like that" Renly commented, slightly shaken by Olenna's declaration. He shouldn't be surprised, it's all politics after all. Yet he was shaken. How strong was Tyrell's support then?
[RENLY claps]
"Well fought. Approach."
[The second knight approaches first and kneels while LORAS looks on.]
"Rise. Remove your helm."
[The knight removes her helm to reveal her identity as LADY BRIENNE OF TARTH. The crowd gasps. CATELYN looks mildly stunned at the turn of events, while LORAS appears angry and humiliated.]
Catelyn in the room looked just as stunned.
"I have heard of her, Lady Brienne of Tarth. Larger than anyone who comes to court her, not the best to look at either. Her father allows her to train with a sword and learn the ways of a Knight" Renly spoke.
"Well... she's certainly something..." Catelyn mumbled to herself.
"You are all your father promised and more, my lady. I've seen Ser Loras bested once or twice, but never quite in that fashion."
"Now, now, my love. My brother fought valiantly for you."
"That he did, my queen. But there can only be one champion. Brienne of Tarth, you may ask anything of me you desire. If it is within my power, it is yours."
[BRIENNE kneels]
"Your Grace, I ask the honour of a place in your Kingsguard."
[The crowd gasps.]
As did many in the Hall, excluding Arya who looked excited.
"I will be one of your seven, pledge my life to yours, and keep you safe from all harm."
[LORAS stares at RENLY.]
"Done. Rise, Brienne of the Kingsguard."
"You wouldn't have named her in your Kingsguard if you hadn't promised her, would you" Robert asked.
"Probably not" Renly sighed. Unlike his future self, he did not miss the look on Loras' face.