Letter

Theon walked back to his bedroom in a slump, shut the door, and flopped onto the bed.

Today's banquet had been full of twists and turns.

He had gone to great lengths to stir up trouble at the feast, only to end up looking like a complete clown.

Not only had he failed to accomplish what Catelyn asked of him, but he had also successfully infuriated Ned and Robb.

That damned Garon had actually emerged victorious in the trial by combat!

"How?"

"How could the gods make him so strong!"

The mere thought of Garon cleanly and efficiently killing Meryn Trant made Theon's entire body go cold.

If even a member of the Kingsguard was no match for him, how could he ever hope to fight him?

"He will surely use the hunt tomorrow as an opportunity to target me again, and since I've offended Robb and Lord Ned today, I'm afraid they won't help me."

Regret welled up in Theon; had he known it would come to this, he never should have agreed to Catelyn's request.

"Should I go and explain everything to Lord Ned?"

"Tell him it was all Lady Catelyn's idea..."

This thought only crossed his mind for a few seconds before he shook his head repeatedly, dismissing it entirely.

Offending Ned and Robb was one thing; Theon knew their temperaments well enough that if he spent some time apologizing, he could eventually earn their forgiveness.

But if he offended Catelyn, his life in Winterfell would become even more unbearable.

"Sigh, I wonder when I'll finally be able to go home..."

Theon had always viewed Winterfell as his home, but now, as he looked around the bedroom where he had lived for nine years, a sense of loneliness couldn't help but rise in his heart.

"Huh? What's that?"

Just as Theon was feeling melancholy, his gaze swept over the head of the bed and he discovered a piece of stationery tucked under his pillow, with one corner peeking out.

Theon froze, reached out curiously to pick up the letter, and tore it open.

[Meet me at the Broken Tower tomorrow morning. The matter is of great importance; do not inform anyone else. Balon Greyjoy!]

The content of the letter shocked him!

An incredible thought surged from the bottom of his heart: "Is my father here to take me back?"

Theon's expression turned frantic, and he instinctively started to get up to inform Ned.

But after taking only two steps, he stopped in his tracks.

"Could something have happened in the Iron Islands?"

"It must be something very important, otherwise he wouldn't have used this method..."

"If I inform Lord Ned and ruin my father's plans, what should I do?"

Theon's expression flickered between uncertainty and anxiety; he gripped the letter tightly and paced back and forth in his bedroom.

It wasn't until the image of Garon's disdainful gaze and the angry rebukes of Ned and his son surfaced in his mind that he finally made a decision.

"I'll go over tomorrow and see for myself first..."

"Depending on the situation, I'll decide whether or not to inform Lord Ned."

"If there is trouble in the Iron Islands, then I can finally go home..."

Theon's eyes were filled with anticipation; the events of the past few days had made him find Winterfell increasingly intolerable.

Especially tonight.

If he could go home, it would be far better than living under someone else's roof in Winterfell.

Clutching the letter, Theon remembered the note saying the matter was of great importance, so he walked over to a candle and silently set the paper ablaze.

And just as Theon was burning the letter, Ned and his wife, having finished their baths, were also talking about Garon on the other side of the castle.

"I never expected that boy's swordsmanship to be so astonishing."

"Even the Kingsguard was no match for him."

Ned stood before the narrow window as he always did, gazing out at the night in Winterfell, speaking with lingering fear.

The events at the banquet had caught him off guard.

Had Garon not adapted to the situation and taken such a risky gamble, the honor of The North would likely have been completely lost at the feast.

At the thought of Theon's actions, Ned's anger flared up.

"What exactly is wrong with Theon!"

"He repeatedly sought trouble with Garon at the banquet, even though I had specifically warned him beforehand!"

Catelyn, lying in bed, felt her heart skip a beat and tried to make excuses for Theon: "You know as well as I do about the bad blood between them."

"Garon started a conflict with Theon the very first day he arrived in Winterfell."

"It is only natural that he couldn't hold back for a moment, all things considered."

"Besides, Garon won the trial by combat, so the outcome was good in the end. You shouldn't punish Theon."

Catelyn spoke of a satisfactory conclusion, but deep down, she gritted her teeth in hatred toward Garon.

She never could have dreamed in her wildest nightmares that Garon would use a trial by combat to break the deadlock, nor that his martial prowess would be strong enough to kill a member of the Kingsguard.

Could he truly be favored by the gods?

Catelyn found it impossible to accept.

Ned did not notice Catelyn's strange demeanor; thinking of the conflict between his ward and Garon, he could not help but sigh.

"Let Theon rest tomorrow; don't let them cross paths again..."

Ned pondered how to arrange things for Theon and Garon the following day.

Just then, a knock sounded at the door.

Ned snapped back to reality, frowning as he asked, "Who is it?"

The voice of the attendant Desmond came from outside: "My lord, Maester Luwin is here. He says he has an urgent matter to discuss."

"An urgent matter?" Ned's brow furrowed further. The trial by combat at the banquet had barely settled, so why was there another emergency? "Show him in!"

Ned walked to the wardrobe and threw on a heavy robe, while Catelyn put on her nightgown and sat on the bed.

At that moment, Maester Luwin was ushered inside.

"My lord," he said to Ned, "please forgive me for disturbing your rest, but someone left a letter for me."

Ned looked displeased. "Someone left you a letter? Who left it? Did a messenger arrive today? Why was I not informed?"

"My lord, it was not brought by a messenger," Maester Luwin paused, explaining, "Someone placed an intricately carved wooden box on my desk while I was dozing off in the observatory."

"My servants say no one entered, but it must have been left by someone in the King's retinue. We have no other visitors from the south."

"You said it was a wooden box?" Catelyn's heart skipped a beat as she asked.

Maester Luwin nodded. "Yes, my lady. Inside was an exquisite lens, and a secret letter hidden at the bottom of the box!"

"A secret letter?"

Ned was puzzled and held out his hand. "Then let me see it."

Maester Luwin did not move. "My lord, the letter is not for you. It is clearly written that only Lady Catelyn is to open it."

Upon hearing this, Catelyn looked curious. She rose and went to Ned's side, asking the maester for the letter.

Catelyn took the letter, and at a single glance, she recognized the sender.

"It was written by Lysa!"

Ned also noticed the moon-and-falcon sigil on the blue wax seal, and a sense of foreboding surged in his heart. "Open it!"

Catelyn broke the seal.

Her eyes scanned the text rapidly. At first, she could make no sense of it, but then she suddenly realized the truth.

"Lysa is cautious and refuses to take risks. When we were young, we invented a secret language that only she and I know."

Ned asked, "Can you decipher the specific contents of the letter now?"

"I can!"

Maester Luwin interjected, "My lord, perhaps I should take my leave."

Catelyn shook her head while deciphering the text. "Maester Luwin, Ned and I need your judgment!"

But when she had finished interpreting the entire message, her body suddenly stiffened, and a look of terror spread across her face.

"What exactly does the letter say?"

Catelyn's teeth chattered as she turned to look at Ned in panic. "Lysa says Jon Arryn was murdered."

Ned's hand clenched tightly. "Murdered by whom?"

"The Lannisters," Catelyn told him. "It was the Queen!"

Ned was stunned, whispering in a rough voice, "Old Gods, does she know what she is saying!"

"She knows, of course," Catelyn murmured. "This letter was meticulously planned and carefully hidden."

"She must be well aware that if this letter fell into the wrong hands, she would surely die."

Catelyn stared at Ned, pleading, "Ned, you must help her!"

Ned turned silently, his back to them both, and walked straight to the window, remaining silent for a long time.