Chapter 5

Since arriving in Winterfell, Aki has been curious about the heart tree in the 'Godswood'.

Especially after sensing the dense yet dormant magical energy contained at the center of it.

He had already thrown it at the back of his mind once.

But with nothing important to do at the moment, he could finally satiate his curiosity.

So before he left the Lord's solar, he had asked for permission if he could visit the said place.

Although it piqued Eddard Stark's curiosity, he didn't forbid Aki and permitted him for a visit-

only if he wouldn't do anything to the heart tree and the solemnity of their sacred place.

And it wasn't as if he had the time to worry and accompany Aki, thanks to his generosity.

He had just received an overwhelming amount of wealth that he felt he would be busy the-

entire day along with the Steward on where best to allocate the funds they currently have.

Especially after having known about the incoming doom that would soon, first stir the-

happenings beyond the wall after a dozen years or so before crossing and invading them.

'Fascinating...'

As soon as he stepped foot at the entrance of Winterfell's 'Godswood', Aki was welcomed-

with an eerie silence. Yet somehow, the ambiance felt both comforting and relieving...

"Its dense magic is just stationary though.", said Aki. "Like it's been asleep for a long time."

He sat at its thick root, observing its presence and probing it for quite some time in silence.

"So, does this mean they exist?", he asked. "And not just some 'Nothern' superstition?"

'Does this mean that the Old gods are real?'

'Let's see if I can wake it up.', thought Aki with an outstretched arm and an open palm.

He was intending to feed it, not with the faint magic from the-

surroundings, but with his more potent, and dense dragon magic.

He wanted to agitate it, or in other words, to wake it up forcefully from its deep slumber.

But before he could, his senses picked up the presence of two children sneaking a peak...

'Now, what an opportunity to test one of my 'parlor' tricks.', thought Aki with a wide grin...

--------

"Robb...", Jon said timidly. "We should get back now. I bet Maester Luwin is looking-"

"I know, Jon.", Robb butted in. "But we're currently on to something important right now."

Ever since their father 'or uncle', informed them about the peculiarities of their guests and-

how they are capable of doing magic, the boys had been eager to see it for themselves.

However, Eddard was quick to dissuade them. Much more so, the Lady Stark herself.

Nonetheless, children will always be children.

Their bright minds are always full of curiosity and fantasies. Especially so, for Robb and Jon...

"But-"

"Oh, come on, brother.", Robb cut in. "Aren't you curious about what Father told us about?"

"Well...", Jon muttered, hesitantly. "I am. But... Let's just be quick, alright?"

So, after being presented with a chance, unsupervised by any of the adults, Robb and Jon,-

instead of heading toward the castle library as they were supposed to, went the other way.

"Look, that's him!", exclaimed Robb. "He doesn't look like one of us."

"Aye, brother...", nodded Jon. "He's dressed like one of the ladies wear."

Coincidentally, just as they were wondering where they could find either of the said foreign-

guests, they saw Aki, in his eccentric clothing, strutting in the direction leading to the library.

"No...", sputtered Robb. "No, no, no- he's going near the library. We can't follow him there!"

Just as they were dreading that they won't be able to approach him and thought that Aki-

was on his way to the library himself, the place that they were avoiding, Jon saw otherwise.

"No, Robb. Look...", said Jon, pointing a finger. "He passed by it and entered the Godswood."

"What...", pondered Robb. "Hmm, you're right."

Like men on a mission, both hid from everyone's sights as they planned their approach...

"Should we wait til he comes out?", asked Jon.

"No, Jon.", Robb shook his head. "We should go around the armory, to the other entrance."

"But, Robb.", insisted Jon. "That's too far around. We should just follow the same way but..."

Instead of going along with his 'brother's' plan, he proposed another way to his brother.

Simpler but sneakier...

--------

"Where did he go?", wondered Robb. "He was just there a second ago..."

The boys successfully snuck into the Godswood unnoticed. They were hiding beneath the-

cover of the mossy thicket as they approached the center. To where the heart tree rests...

"Do you...", replied Jon apprehensively. "Do you think he noticed us tailing him?"

"I don't know, brother.", said Robb. "And why would he hide from us?"

"Mayhaps...", replied Jon. "Mayhaps he doesn't want us to get close or to find him?"

"I don't think so, Jon.", said Robb, shaking his head. "Let's take a closer look."

With both boys' eyes darting from side to side, their short legs began moving.

Slowly approaching the heart tree in hopes of finding him somewhere near there...

"Mayhaps he's just hiding behind the heart tree.", whispered Rob. "Come on, brother."

"Aye...", nodded Jon in agreement. "But why are you whispering?"

While the boys were communicating in a whispery tone, they didn't notice Aki's presence.

Who, by the way, the entire time was invisible to the boys' naked eyes.

He was looking at them with a smirk on his face before choosing to reveal himself,-

and in an eerily creepy tone, out of nowhere, he spoke, spooking them from behind...

"I don't know, brother.", said Robb, still whispering. "I thought I should since we're spying-"

"Now, what do we have here!? Two little children, lost in the woods, eh!?"

His abrupt approach made the boys stand rooted on the spot, stiffened down to their toes.

Yet Aki, somehow, found their situation quite funny. Especially so as they braved-

themselves into slowly turning their faces behind, albeit gradually and comically...

"Two little naughty children... what should I do with-"

"Ahh, ghost! ghost! Robb, ghost!"

"Oh, G- By the Old Gods and the New! How did you- Ah... Ah! Run, Jon. Run!"

Soon, Robb and Jon, driven by adrenaline, began scampering as fast as they could. And-

none could blame them for it. Especially after being greeted by a creepy, ghost face mask.

Their legs rapidly moved alternately as if they were running for their very lives...

"Oh, no! Robb!", screamed Jon in distress. "He's gonna eat us! He's gonna eat us raw!"

Only for them to realize the next second that they weren't moving from their spot.

As it turned out, Aki lifted them a foot off the ground with his telekinesis...

"Hey! Let us go! Let us go and we promise that we won't bother you again!"

--------

Meanwhile, within the warm, cozy walls of the castle's great keep was the Lady of Winterfell.

Along with a maidservant, they were tending to the Lady's two darling daughters; One was-

a two-name day old named Sansa, and another, a suckling month-old baby named Arya.

It has always been her usual routine after doing her duties as a Lady of the Lord Paramount...

"Maester Luwin? Come in..."

She was just enjoying the giggles of her first-born daughter and the silent and steady-

breathings of her newborn when a sudden knock at their quarter's door came.

"Pardon my intrusion, Lady Stark.", said the Old Maester Luwin.

"Think nothing of it.", she said, shaking her head. "Something wrong, Maester?"

"It's just...", replied Luwin. "Young Lord hasn't been around since the morn for his studies."

"What?", Frowned Lady Stark. "Where could he possibly have gone to?"

"I'm not sure My Lady.", replied Luwin, helplessly shaking his head. "But I have seen them-"

"Them!?", interrupted the Lady. "He's playing around again with that Bastard, hasn't he?"

She couldn't help but hiss, her voice laced with intense spite at the thought of his first, true-

born son sticking to her Lord Husband's bastard, whom she thought was an abomination...

"Time and time again, I have told him to stay away from that bastard of a boy!"

If not for her peacefully sleeping baby daughter and her worry about scaring her darling-

Sansa, the Lady of Winterfell would have long lashed out like an enraged banshee.

Although restrained, Maester Luwin and the maidservant who had been silent for the entire-

time could hear still the intense rage that was threatening to crawl out of her throat.

It was nothing new to them. Everyone in Winterfell wasn't oblivious to the hate she had for-

the bastard boy who for her, was born of sin and lust. Her shame and her Husband's stain...

"Get the guards to look for Robb.", enraged, she said. "And bring that bastard..."

"I already have, My Lady.", said the Maester with a livid face, realizing that he had misspoken.

'I shouldn't have mentioned Jon on her...'

Putting her baby Arya back in her crib and telling Wyla, the maidservant to look after-

them while she was gone, she stormed out of the room with the Old Maester in tow.

Her face flushed with red as he chest heaved at the thought of her Husband's bastard.

She couldn't help but think that the abomination might have been 'playing brother' with-

her son so he could manipulate him and eventually usurp his title as heir to Winterfell...

"That vile abomination is going to get it this time- Have you checked the Godswood?"