Chapter 24 - Chapter 24

𝓒𝓪𝓼𝓼𝓪𝓷𝓭𝓻𝓪

Cassandra Baratheon stood still with her head up and strong gaze as she was lined up with the other Keepers of Light in the Sept, to assist at the cerimony for the new recruits of the Night's Watch. 

Her eyes tryied to stay as focused as possible, trying not to think at the words she had recieved that very morning. Only her sister had the decency to send words about what had happened. No one else. 

She shouldn't feel anger towards her mother's behavior, but she did. She felt so much rage inside of her. The King was Cassie's father, she was a Keeper of Light, but she was a Baratheon, she had the right to know if something bad had happened to him.

Cassandra cursed herself as she observed the Sept and the light that entered from the great window that faced the South. She wondered if her father was still alive, if he was suffering. She wondered what would have happened after his passing, would the High Sept shine that brightly the day of his funeral? Would have been a clear day? Or a day full of storm as a reminder of the late King's birth lands.

As they were getting ready, Cassandra noticed Jon's gaze on her, wearing that worried look still. 

"Maybe you should go South" he had proposed as she had gained back her self control. She still remembered the looks among the Night's Watchers and the Keepers on her in the yard. 

"I cannot." she said.

"But he is your father, Cassie" Jon insisted trying to look in her eyes but she shook her head.

"I'm a Keeper before anything else" she answered "This is my duty." 

Even because she knew that she would have never make it back in time to King's Landing. There was no reason. Her father would have mocked her for that behavior. She was Cassandra Baratheon, the blood of the fighter of the Storm's Lands ran through her veins. She could mourn, but with time. She had duties to fulfill.

"I've heard what happened" Rose muttered from next to her, but Cassie didn't turn.

She didn't want to hear other words of compassion. That would have not changed anything. Still her father was lying in bad, injured douring hunt. 

But that thought made Cassie frown for a moment. Her father was a skilled huter. It was his favorite pass time that he had. She still remembered the first time he had brought her with him. The only lesson he has ever gave to her.

"You want to be focused" he said to her when she had been just a girl of five "It wouldn't be amusing otherwise" he laughed out.

How the Gods kept mocking all of them; her father getting killed by the only thing that gave him some sort of joy.

"You came to us as outlaws" the voice of Ser Mormont brought her back to reality. The Old Bear was standing high before the altar "poachers, rapers, debtors, killers and thieves. You came to us children. You came to us alone, in chains, with neither friends or honor. You came to us rich, and you cam to us poor. Some holds the names of proud houses. Or others only bastards' name" Cassie's eyes moved to Jon who was observing the Lord Commander "Or not names at all. It makes no matter. That is the past. At the Wall, we are all one house.

"At evenfall you'll all take your vows. From that moment, you will be Sworn Brothers of the Night's Watch. Forget about the past. Here you begin anew."

A man of the Night's Watch lived only for the realm; no loyalty, no wife or children. They had a past, but that didn't matter anymore, they could only face ahead with only the well being of the realm as their concerne. And that was what Lord Mormont reminded the new recruits.

"You already know your vows. Think wisely before spoke them. Once you do it, there is not turning back. The penalty for desertion is death." 

Cassie let out a breath, she wasn't awear of holding, but she quickly tried to get her control back. She knew. She knew and they knew. Jon knew. A life to serve a duty, not different from hers, on that. A life of death. A life she was facing for so long. She could not run away for what she was. They could not run away for what they swore. How long would have they lasted? How long could Jon last? How long did Aesteria lasted?

Cassie shook her head. She was not in her right mind. Not at all. She didn't wan't to think. She could not do it properly in that moment.

"At evenfall, you'll spoke your vows here in the Sept" the Lord Commander kept saying "Do any of you keep the Old Gods?"

Jon stood "I do, my lord."

"Castle Black has no need of agodswood. Beyond the Wall the haunted forest stands as it stood in the Dawn Age" Lord Mormont expalined. Cassie knew that forest, she had been there many times " You will find agrove of weirwoods half a league from this spot, and mayhap your gods as well."

Suddenly Sam stood up as well and Cassie felt Rose and Wylly turning to each other for a moment.

"Might I...mightI go as well, my lord?" he asked almost timdly "To say my words at this heart tree?"

" "Does House Tarly keep the old gods too?" Lord Mormont asked.

"No, my lord," Sam replied.

"Why would you forsake the gods of your father and your House?" Ser Jaremy Rykker asked and Cassie could not help but feel surprised by the words Sam was about to spoke.

"The Night's Watch is my House now," Sam said. "The Seven have never answered my prayers. Perhaps the old gods will."

Mormont granted his wish before Bowen Marsh step forward with a parchment in his hand starting to read the names of the boys and their placement inside to Watch. Grenn and Pyp become rangers and Cassie noticed Pyp looking at Jon happily before turnin towards Rose with a big smile on his face and at that she heard her friend let out a quiet giggle.

"Samwell, tothe stewards." Cassie's eyes moved towards the boy who left out big breath that he was holding "Dareon, to the stewards. Todder, to the rangers. Jon, to the stewards."

Cassie frowned at those words, sure that she must have missheard. But she knew that it wasn't the case, because she heard Wylly let out a little gasp.

"There must be a mistake?" Wylliana said as Cassie looked over Jon; his face was pale, but his eyes were full of rage.

"This cannot be" Rose said as they observed the Builders following Othell Yarwyck, the Rangers following Ser Jaremy Rykker and the Stewards following the Lord Steward Bowen Marsh to come to know their new duties.

"Was it Thorne?" asked Cassie eyeing the man with his nasty grin upon his face "Can he do that?" she wondered turning towards Wylly, that held her same stupor.

"I do not know" she said shaking her head.

"I cannot believe it" Rose said "He is the best sword among them, why would put him towards the Stewards?"

"With the Winter getting closer, only the gods know how many swords we need."

Cassie observed Jon as he shared quick words with Bowen Marsh, but she was too far to hear their exchange, but as she saw Jon storming out with Sam and Dareon following him, she could not stop herself from going in their same direction.

"Don't you see what they're doing?" Cassie heard Sam say as she found the three of them in the yard. Jon was so angered, she had never seen him like that and in fact she could not help but stay still when he turned with fury towards Sam.

" "I see Ser Alliser's bloody hand " he said "He wanted to shame me and he did!"

Dareon seemd to agree on that "Stewards are fine for people like you and me, Sam. But no Lord Snow."

"This is not fair!" Jon exclaimed and at that Cassie walked down the stairs towards the three.

"What in the Seven Hells happened?" she asked, but her presence didn't seemed quite welcomed to Jon.

"You must be glad by those words" but Cassie ignored his rage, knewing that it was not ment to her.

"Shut that mouth" she said "You know I'm not, what did Bowen Marsh said?" she said turning towards Sam.

"Jon's going to be the personal steward of..."

"Do you think I want to spend the rest of my life washing an old man's smallclothes?" Jon kept complaining, but Sam didn't semeed discouraged by his behaviour.

"The old man is Lord Commander of the Night's Watch," Cassie's eyes widened at Sam's words.

Jon would be the personal steward of Mormont? That... she would have never thought about that.

"You'll be with him day and night" Sam kept talking "You'll take his letters, attend him at meetings, squire for himin battle. You'll be as close to him as his shadow. You'll know everything, be a part of everything...and the Lord Steward said Mormont asked for youhimself!"

What was the lord Commander doing? 

"The Lord Commander wants to groom you for command." 

That could be the only answer. It would have been foolinsh for them not to use someone as skilled as Jon among the Rangers, unless the Lord Commander wasn't aiming for something else. She knew. Even Wylly, who was Lady Eloyse's favorite was the only one who could assist the Mathriarch during meetings and important matters. They all knew that Wylliana would have been the next Mathriarch and the same behaviour was taken by the Old Bear towards Jon. Could he really become the next Lord Commander of the Watch?

 "I never asked for this" Jon muttered stubbornly.

"It is not a matter of asking Jon" Cassie said, making the boy move his eyes towards her, with some kind of realization and after a moment of silence he gave out a deep breath, turning towards Sam.

"You have the right of it. I was acting the boy." Then he turned towards Cassie once again.

"I didn't mean to be harsh to you, Cassie." his hand went to her arm, but she shook her head, she knew the feeling of speaking out of rage.

"Then you'll stay and say your words with me?" Sam asked almost happily and Jon smiled.

"The old gods will be expecting us." 

"I'll ask the Mathriarch to accompany you" Cassie spoke at some point making the two boys to look with stupor towards her direction.

"You can do that?" Sam asked with a big smile on his face.

"At least a Keeper needs to be there during your vows" Cassie said crossing her arms "I see no reason for me not to be the one." Jon seemed pleased by her words, but she didn't let him say anything before she walked away to ask the Mathriarch the permission of going beyond the Wall with Jon and Sam. 

"I've heard words about what happened to the King." Lady Eloyse said making Cassie take a breath.

"This is not the issue of my visit." she answered back, but the Mathriarch ignored her.

"How are you feeling?" the lady asked and Cassie left out a bitter laugh.

"If you're worried about my control-"

"I'm worried about you" the words spoken by the lady made Cassi shut her mouth in surprise.

"I know you're strong Cassandra, I know if will take more to make fall, but you cannot hide the issue." Lady Eloyse said "You need to face it."

"There's nothing to face" Cassie answered sternly.

"Sorrow needs to be faced." lady Eloyse said but Cassie shook her head.

"Sorrow it's not what I feel."

"Anger needs to be faced." 

Only surprise was what she felt. She didn't love that man, she didn't knew that man. It was strange to think of him dying? Of course, it was not an option she would have ever thought of facing, but that was life. People died. She knew, she was accostumed to it. There was nothing to be sad or angered about.

"The King is a drunk" Cassie said finally "A man too focused on his own sorrows to even give a damn about any of his duties or children. The only good memory of him that I have? When he gave me my knives and he sent me to Winterfell. So no, I do not feel sorrow or hate towards anyone or any God and I do not see reason to keep talking about this matter." Cassie said "My only issue now is waiting for your answer to follow Jon Snow and Sam Turly beyond the Wall for their vows."

Lady Eloyse studied her with inquisitive eyes, she always did that. The Mathriarch was known as a woman who didn't spoke much, but that was able to read people, many didn't feel at ease under her gaze.

"You may go." she said finally and Cassie bowed.

"Gratitude" but as she turned the lady spoke again.

"Pushing away your every feeling will not always be possible, Cassandra" the lady said "And once you do, I hope you've not pushed them away too far."

Cassandra was feeling anger, but only towards the Mathriarch. She faced her emotions, she was a Baratheon, she ran away from anything. She kept her rage until evenfall, when she was on her black mount beside Jon, Sam four more rangers and Bowen Marsh. They lead their horses down the narrow tunnel in the ice. The two boys looked around with widened eyes, as Cassie did the first time she went through that tunnel, now she was used to it. 

When they emerged to the other side, she noticed almost a sign of relief in Jon's face. The tunnel was breathtaking but it was very long and at the end it felt quite like a tomb, so it was quite predictable for him to feel relieved as he walked out.

"The wildlings" Sam said getting closer to Cassie and Jon "They wouldn't... they'd never dare come this close to the Wall. Would they?"

"They never have." Jon said before turning towards Cassie "Or so I've heard."

"The words were correct" Cassie answered calmly looking ahead at the empty and cold land in front of her eyes. She never got accostumed to that sight. She felt torn about those lands; she found them quite beautiful, but frightening as well. She knew those woods, and yet she didn't trust them, she would have never trust them fully. 

Suddenly Jon whisteled before Ghost came running out of the tunnel. Cassie observed the white darewolf as he ran in the lands where he belonged. 

"Do you mean to take that beast?" Bowen Marsh asked towards Jon, who nodded his head.

"Yes, my lord" Jon said simply as Ghost sniffed the hair, before disappearing in the woods.

Once they reached their destinantion, the little party left their horses outside the sacred ground. They needed to be respectful towards the Gods. They moved towards the white tree with the blood red leaves moved by the North wind.

"They're watching us," Sam whispered as Cassie took her place next to Bowen Marsh "The old gods."

"Yes." Jon answered before kneeling down. 

Cassie took a deep breath Jon and Sam started to say the vows, strong words that they had memorized. They spoke together and without any hasistation.

"Hear my words, and bear witness to my vow," they said and their voiced almost echoed in the silence of the North "Night gathers, and now my watch begins. It shall not end until my death. I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall wear no crowns and win no glory. I shall live and die atmy post. I am the sword in the darkness. I am the watcher on the walls. I am the fire that burns against the cold, thelight that brings the dawn, the horn that wakes the sleepers, the shield that guardsthe realms of men. I pledge my life and honor to the Night's Watch, for this night and all the nights to come."

"You knelt as boys," Bowen Marsh intoned solemnly."Rise now as men of the Night's Watch."

As they did, it was done. There was no turning back. Cassie knew that Sam had no other choice, but she could only hope that Jon would never regret this day. 

"Congratulations, I suppose" she said walking towards Jon and Sam that gave her a smile. Suddenly though a soft sound could be heard and Cassie's hands moved immediatelly to the handles of her daggers. Wildlings never got that close, she knew... But Benjen had always came back as well. Those land had always been unpredictable, but she felt threatened. Like she hadn't felt in many years. But she gave out a quiet breath when Ghost came out from those woods.

"Gods, he's quiet" she muttered.

"What's he got there?" at Bowen Marsh's words Cassie returned her gaze on the direwolf, that was in fact holding something in his mouth. It was black, but the shape she knew, but she didn't dare to talk. It could not be.

"To me Ghost" Jon said kneeling down "Bring it here" the direwolf obbliged with no hesitation. And when he let the thing go in front of Jon, the men all gasped.

"By the Gods..." the ranger Dywen said.

"It's a hand" Cassandra said, holding tight on her daggers as Jon looked up at her with wide eyes.