The jab at his mother stung, but Robb was too acutely aware of the more painful truth of what Jon was saying. Never once had Jon spoken against Lady Catelyn, but Robb had long suspected that the simmering undercurrent between them had occasionally spilled over into cruelty.
Dropping his head, Robb squeezed the bridge of his nose as if he might assuage the sudden onslaught of information clattering in his head as easily as a typical headache.
"Did he give you an answer?" he asked, and swallowed roughly. "Why he hadn't told you?"
Being circumspect Robb could understand, but certainly there had to be a point when his father had seen that Jon was well enough qualified to hold his own secrets. It might have altered his entire life, it might have—
Robb sucked in an abrupt gulp of air, realizing that Jon might have been with him rather than at the Wall. Would it have made a difference? Would they both be dead now, or would Jon's steady temperament have prevailed over his own and kept everyone living?
no subject
Dropping his head, Robb squeezed the bridge of his nose as if he might assuage the sudden onslaught of information clattering in his head as easily as a typical headache.
"Did he give you an answer?" he asked, and swallowed roughly. "Why he hadn't told you?"
Being circumspect Robb could understand, but certainly there had to be a point when his father had seen that Jon was well enough qualified to hold his own secrets. It might have altered his entire life, it might have—
Robb sucked in an abrupt gulp of air, realizing that Jon might have been with him rather than at the Wall. Would it have made a difference? Would they both be dead now, or would Jon's steady temperament have prevailed over his own and kept everyone living?