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Brandon found his father waiting for him on the other side of the door. There weren't many who could read the Deceased Lord Rickard well other than his wife, but Brandon prided himself in knowing what his father was thinking.
Right now all Brandon saw was a cold look in his eyes.
The mask of The Lord of Winterfell.
"Have you said what you needed to say?" Rickard asked.
A little confused he nodded.
"Go back inside."
Brandon, still a little unsure, did as asked. Ned was still standing where he left him, hands clenched into fists. However, when he saw their father, Ned's expression cleared.
Rickard closed the door behind him and stared both his sons in the eyes.
"Is there something you wish to say, father?" Brandon asked.
Rickard inhaled deeply, before letting out a long exhale.
"I... honestly do not know how to start" Rickard admitted, motioning for his sons to take a seat. It would be a while. "I have never spoken to either of you in such a manner before."
Both brothers looked thoroughly confused.
Rickard pulled up a chair and sat before the two of them. For a moment he was reminded of a time when both men were younger, just boys who had yet to face the darkness of the world and let it taint them.
"It is entirely unfair to pin everything on Ned" Rickard began, holding a hand up to silence Brandon. He was speaking and his sons would listen.
"Lyanna ran away with Rhaegar, regardless of whether she left a letter or not. Brandon thought the worst and went straight to the capital to demand Rhaegar to come face him, a threat mind you. Aerys had every right to imprison you. I as your father marched to free you, a trial by combat was something you had a right to. I died by fire, you died being strangled and Lyanna died birthing Jon. One mess after the other we left for Ned to clean it up. Ned was not raised to clean these messes. gods know the struggle he had to go through to clean them up in the first place and make something from these messes. He had a wife he did not wish for but had to take because I swore to Hoster Tully that he would have the heir of Winterfell. He had a woman he loved, he had dreams of his own and an image of a family he wanted. All of which he had to let go to clean up our messes."
"But he has done well from everything I've heard. Possibly become a better Warden than I was" the man chuckled, much to Ned's shock. "The war may never have reached the North, but our people have fought in it. There were lives lost, mental scars and much more. But you have taken a war damaged North and unified it. Of course, you have made mistakes. But those mistakes should not overshadow the good you have done for our family, for our people. And for that, son, I am extremely proud of you."
"Thank you, Father" Ned muttered, his head lowered.
Brandon though did not look too pleased.
"He built a sept in the heart of the Old Gods' domain, spitting upon the struggles of the North in fighting against the Andals to eradicate our religion."
"A mistake to keep his wife happy. A wife he took because of a war we caused. A wife who was under the impression that she had not been enough and that is why her husband sired a bastard from another woman."
"What does it matter what Catelyn Tully feels?" Brandon asked.
"And if it were Barbrey Dustin in her place?" Rickard raised a brow.
"That is unfair" Brandon stood looking insulted. "Barbrey is ten times the Northern woman Catelyn can ever be! She would have made a better Lady of Winterfell because she knows how much is expected from her."
Rickard leaned back in his seat.
"From all accounts, Catelyn has done a fine job as Lady of Winterfell. She took care of the house and staff well, supported Ned whenever he needed it, and gave him heirs to secure his bloodline. Some would say she's done more than what was expected of her by simply allowing Jon, her husband's supposed Bastard, to live under the same roof as she did."
"She thinks herself untouchable! She does things she knows will come back to haunt her family, to destroy it!"
"Like you did when you rushed to the capital and demanded Rhaegar come face your blade?" Rickard raised an eyebrow.
"That is different! He had my sister!'
"And they had her daughters" Rickard countered. "We all do stupid things for the people we love. It does not wipe away the good we have done. It only makes us human."
Rickard stood.
"You two will sit here until the two of you resolve this enmity. The viewing shall be paused till then. I will make sure nobody comes to hasten this process."
Rickard left the chambers without another word, closing the door behind him with a click.
There was a tense silence between the brothers after their Father left. Truth be told neither knew what to say to the other, primarily because neither of them saw the situation from the other's point of view.
At least, not until their Father had made a very valid point.
"I say what I say to not be mean or mean any insult, brother" Brandon spoke, face looking constipated as if he was having a tougher time coming up with the right words. "But I really do think you have been lenient on Catelyn. A little bit of leniency is alright, it is something all wives deserve I suppose, but she's actively undermining you and putting you and the family in situations that can be avoided."
"You think I don't know that?" Ned asked, leaning back with a sigh. "Catelyn is a brilliant woman. She is smart, she can think long-term, knows how to solve an issue. She has helped me a lot in the running of Winterfell. But she is emotional, and I suppose we do not see anything else when it is our families who are in trouble."
"I suppose not" Brandon sighed. "I do owe you an apology. All this time I have been looking at all the things you, Catelyn and your children have done and thought about how things would have gone if it were me, if it were my children if it were my wife. When the reality is I died doing a stupid thing and left you to clean my mess."
"All it took was for Father to point it out."
"He was wearing the mask of the Lord of Winterfell. You know how scary he can become when he's like that."
Both brothers share a laugh.
"I will try to keep my mind clear when I watch the rest and if I do have comments to make, I'll do so to myself."
"You may say it to me without sounding like an absolute dick" Ned stated with a smile, "a fresh perspective might just be something I need to see things more clearly. Is that not why you are here? You and everyone who has died? To give us a different perspective."
"I suppose so."
They were silent for a moment.
"Catelyn is trying" Ned said, "she is learning what her actions lead to, learning how it affects our family. By the end, I know for certain that she'll come out of this different from the rest of us. A better person entirely.
"I pray she does" Brandon muttered. "I was too harsh on her. She is a woman, and Hoster Tully is anything but a free-thinking man. No doubt she has little clue on the goings of politics."
"Perhaps I'll keep her close when we speak of politics. So she'll pick up on a thing or two. She is quite the fast learner."
"She's good for you Ned, I can see that" Brandon smiled and stood. "Shall we?"