MTLNOVEL Chapter 2: Chapter 2 - Land of Winter
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[Chapter Size: 2300 Words.]
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The beautiful melody reverberated through the room. Cornelia sat up straight in the chair, holding the harp, her slender fingers moving across the strings, playing a soft and enchanting tune.
Catelyn sat elegantly in front of her, silently watching her daughter play. Finally, a satisfied smile appeared on her face. It was only in these moments that she could forget, even if just temporarily, that her daughter wielded a long sword at night.
At the end of the song, Cornelia sighed quietly, relieved. The test of that day had finally been overcome. However, Catelyn didn't seem willing to let her go so easily. With a slight smile, she was about to ask Cornelia to repeat the song when, fortunately, Ser Rodrik entered the room.
"Lady, miss, my lord is looking for you. Benjen Stark has returned from the Wall."
After speaking, Ser Rodrik glanced at the harp in Cornelia's hands and frowned. God, forgive him, for he hated music.
Upon hearing this, Catelyn stood up and looked at Cornelia, who silently sighed in relief. Her mother chuckled lightly. She then walked over to her daughter and handed her the support staff.
"Let's go. Your dear uncle arrived just in time and saved you. You should thank him."
"I will!" Cornelia stood up, holding the staff firmly. Using it skillfully to guide herself, she followed Catelyn to meet her uncle Benjen, who had returned once again. She never allowed anyone to help her walk, even with her blindness during the day. She didn't want to depend on anyone, not even her own mother.
And, over the years, she had done very well. Even on unfamiliar roads, her walking speed wasn't much slower than others. She couldn't see anything, but the curious thing was that, even in that state, she could inexplicably sense the presence of life around her.
She could feel any living being, like people, dogs, and even rats, although she couldn't see them. Still, she could perceive the distance between them and herself; it was a very peculiar sensation.
And this place was Winterfell, the home where she had lived for ten years. Cornelia knew every plant and tree in that place. Now, she never tripped over anything, even without seeing, when she was at her own house.
Ten years ago, Lord Eddard Stark, lord of Winterfell, had a daughter born blind. This fact was known by everyone in the North and even throughout the Seven Kingdoms. However, except for the Stark family and a few deeply trusted servants, no one knew the true extent of her condition.
She couldn't see during the day, but at night, her vision became clear. She was able to see perfectly two dogs running across the lawn around Winterfell. Of course, her peculiarity didn't stop there.
If it were only that, Cornelia believed her mother, Catelyn, would never allow her to learn fencing. Everything changed because of one night, five years ago.
It was the night she had her first nightmare.
Her father strictly ordered that no one reveal her secret to the outside world. He also repeatedly advised her never to expose her abilities in front of strangers, even to the lords and families of the North who had sworn loyalty to the Starks. Furthermore, her training in fencing and archery was also kept secret.
To others, she was just a young blind noblewoman. But she had to admit that she hated being a lady just as much as Arya did!
Cornelia followed her mother to meet Uncle Benjen, whom she hadn't seen in a long time. As part of the Night's Watch, he spent almost the entire year at the Wall and only managed to return on rare occasions.
"How long will Uncle Benjen stay this time?"
After Uncle Benjen and her mother finished their greetings, Cornelia tightened the staff in her hands and asked. Something that shone with a blue-silver light, submerged at the bottom of a lake in her dreams, had been appearing every night recently. She knew she needed to do something about it.
Cornelia didn't know exactly where the place she saw in her dreams was, but she had a rough idea.
The land of eternal winter, north of the Great Wall.
It was a dangerous place, but Cornelia knew she had to go.
"I'll stay more than ten days. I have some things to settle this time. Are you curious to know more about the Wall?"
Benjen raised his eyebrows and joked. Every time he returned, Cornelia and Jon were always eager to hear stories about the Night's Watch. They were the only two young people in Winterfell who showed so much enthusiasm for it.
When Cornelia was little, she was very curious about the White Walkers in the stories. After all, they were completely different from any creature in the world she had lived in before. To her, everything about the North and the Wall was shrouded in mystery. However, as a child, the only thing she could truly identify with was the Night's Watch, whose stories were told by her uncle Benjen.
"Actually, no." Cornelia shook her head slowly, with the elegant smile her mother always said was that of a true lady.
"I just want to know how much time I have to pack so I can go with you to the Wall." She said this calmly, but it was enough to make everyone in the room lose their composure.
"What?" Ned was confused and surprised.
"Lia, what are you talking about?" Catelyn lost control. She completely forgot the refined manners she always demanded of a lady and grabbed Cornelia's arm, panicked.
"Father, mother, this dream has never stopped in all these years. Recently, the water in the frozen lake changed, and something appeared in it. It's calling me, I need to go! I know I can't ignore this dream!"
Cornelia tightened the staff in her hands, looking directly in the direction of her father. Although she couldn't see him, she knew his eyes were fixed on her. At the same time, she knew his gaze must be filled with seriousness and disapproval. But she trusted that her father would understand her.
"I need to go there and find out. It's still summer, winter hasn't arrived yet. I have to go now!"
Cornelia spoke with determination, not a trace of hesitation or fear in her voice.
"Lia, since your first dream, five years ago, I've searched for this place you described."
Benjen frowned, clearly disapproving of Cornelia's suggestion. For the past five years, whenever he patrolled beyond the Wall, he kept his eyes open to try to find the snowy valley she mentioned, but he never found any sign of that place.
In such a dangerous place as the north of the Great Wall, how could Cornelia, a 10-year-old girl, go there?
"No, Uncle Benjen, no dream can be this real, and no dream can last five years. I can't be fooling myself."
"Besides, I feel like I need to go in person!"
Cornelia argued with frustration. She couldn't explain why, but she just felt something was calling her from the land of eternal winter.
It wasn't that she wasn't afraid of the White Walkers, or that she was making a joke. Cornelia knew that, at least before the story began, and still in the summer, the danger was minimal. The real danger would come later.
"No! You absolutely cannot go. I won't allow it!"
Catelyn took a deep breath and refused sternly. She would never allow her 10-year-old daughter to go to such a dangerous place, especially because of a dream.
"Fine! When Benjen returns, you will go with him to the Wall."
Ned, who had been silent for a long time, finally nodded. He looked at Cornelia's determined face and had to admit that she had always been different from others. Since she was a child, his daughter had been surrounded by many mysteries, and this dream could not simply be ignored.
Open danger is not what scares the most, the unknown is what truly frightens. He didn't want his daughter to carry such a great and uncertain mystery forever. Perhaps a journey was necessary to find answers.
"Ned!"
Catelyn turned to her husband in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she had just heard. How could he really allow their daughter to put herself in danger?
"Catelyn, don't worry! Lia won't go alone. I'll accompany her on this journey. You know what happened that night, five years ago."
Ned approached, held Catelyn's shoulders firmly, and spoke seriously, trying to calm her.
"But..." Catelyn frowned, still concerned, but the memory of that night made her hesitate. After a long silence, she nodded in resignation.
"You must bring Lia back safely, Ned! Promise me!" Catelyn let go of his hands, her voice laden with solemnity. The idea of losing her daughter was unbearable.
"I promise! I swear by the old gods and the new, I will bring our daughter back safely."
Ned gave a light pat on Catelyn's shoulder, trying to comfort her. Then, he looked at his graceful daughter. He knew that soon they would have answers to the mystery that tormented her. Whatever was waiting, it would be revealed at the right time. But he would never allow anything or anyone to hurt his daughter.
Although Catelyn had agreed to Cornelia's journey North, sadness and concern still weighed heavily on her heart. She hugged Cornelia for a long time, reluctant to let her go. Cornelia, in turn, comforted her patiently until, finally, she managed to break free.
She held her staff and walked slowly outside. The blue sky she would never see was, to her, an endless night with a shining moon.
Cornelia believed that this journey North would bear fruit.
"Lia! Over here!" Robb and Jon were accompanying Bran in his archery practice. It was his second training session.
"How's the training, Bran?"
Cornelia lowered her eyes and approached, feeling her way toward Bran and the others. She stopped in front of them, looking in the direction she sensed they were in. It felt strange for her to look at people during the day.
To her, people seemed somewhat like a flame or smoke. This perception was vague, but each person had a slightly different color. She still didn't fully understand what this meant, but she called this perception "Heartfire."
"I think I'm doing well, but you were probably better than Bran when you started archery, right?"
Robb teased, recalling the time when Cornelia began archery training. It was always after dark, since she could only see at night. However, he had to admit that Cornelia was naturally talented.
Although she couldn't see during the day, her other senses were incredibly sharp. Moreover, her strange ability of special perception allowed her to almost always hit anything moving.
The previous year, they had gone hunting. Cornelia rode a horse specially trained by her father to suit her condition. It was no surprise that, at night, she excelled with her agility. However, even during the day, her hunting skills were impressive.
"Robb, you have to understand that Bran is just starting." Cornelia frowned, disapproving of the teasing, and turned to Bran, somewhat frustrated. She raised her hand and gave him an encouraging tap on the shoulder.
"Come on, Bran! One day, you'll surprise both of them! And then you'll defeat them! You can do it."
Robb and Jon exchanged glances, smiling, and shrugged helplessly.
"Do you think I can?" Bran held the bow and arrow. It still seemed a bit heavy for him. He couldn't understand why he couldn't hit the target, while Cornelia, even without seeing, was so skilled.
"Of course you can! Come on, keep practicing. Failure is the path to success!"
Cornelia gave Bran a gentle nudge, guiding him toward the target. It was where she practiced archery every night. Even though she couldn't see, she knew exactly where the target was. But now, it wasn't the time to show off her skills. She didn't want to discourage Bran further.
"This isn't fair! I also want to learn archery and fencing. Why won't my mother let me learn?"
Arya, who had just finished an etiquette lesson with Sansa, approached Cornelia, as disheartened as a wilted flower, and together they watched Robb and Jon teach Bran. Arya's eyes sparkled with envy.
"Have you asked Jon to secretly teach you?" Cornelia asked with a faint smile.
Cornelia playfully draped her arms around Arya's shoulders. Deep down, she was glad she couldn't see during the day. It spared her from becoming a lady of society, even though Catelyn insisted she learn female etiquette and play the harp.
"But he doesn't have much time to teach me. Jon also has his own responsibilities, and I need to keep my mother from finding out."
Arya spent her days sneaking around and hiding, but in reality, she had very little time to train, and deep down, she didn't like living that way.
"I don't like being a lady, I like swords. Sansa likes sewing needles, but I want to be a swordswoman!"
Arya lowered her head, discouraged. She knew her mother would never allow it. After all, there were very few female swordsmen in the Seven Kingdoms.
Why couldn't she learn fencing like Cornelia?
"You can, Arya! One day, you'll be a great swordswoman!"
Cornelia encouraged her, though she knew the path wouldn't be easy. The freedom to follow that path came at a high price, something Cornelia wished she could alleviate, but couldn't promise anything, even with what she knew.
But so what?
Cornelia had never been naive enough to think that, just by knowing future events, she could shape fate as she wished. That would be presumptuous. Besides, the plot she knew was only a small part of something much bigger.
All she could do was her best.
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