-Chapter 66-
-18th day of the 3rd moon of the year 299 AC-
-Castle Black-
"Lord Commander, rumors among the men of the Night's Watch speak of White Walkers? Some even say that you have seen one with your own eyes, is that the truth?" asked Yohn Royce, one of the few nobles to have avoided public execution.
I sighed and then said, "What do you want me to tell you?"
"The truth," he said, accompanied by his elder, who bore a striking resemblance to his younger brother who, according to Will's report, died at the hands of the White Walkers.
I sighed deeply and then said, "Follow me."
I grabbed a torch and then made my way to the underground dungeons, I lit the passage and then said, "Look through the door, and you will understand everything."
They frowned but complied and then quickly recoiled at seeing a Karlson with blue eyes, pale skin, and a completely emaciated face trying to jump at them, chained.
"This is…" said Yohn Royce, shocked by the monster that looked exactly like Karlson.
"Yes, it is indeed Karlson, or more precisely what remains of him. We plan to send him to the capital so that everyone can see what our real enemy looks like," I said.
"You plan to let the wildlings cross the wall," said Andar in a disapproving tone.
"I'd rather have the wildlings on our side rather than…this side," I said, pointing my finger towards the sealed door holding Karlson.
"The king will never accept it," said the former lord of Runestone.
"I must still try, and you might well be mistaken," he said.
"He listens to no one," said Andar, bitter in his new condition.
"No, he will listen if it's Benjen Stark who tells him," said Yohn Royce, piercing my thoughts.
-POV Edmure Tully-
"So it was the truth," said my father, coughing with difficulty.
Seeing my father dying and suffering from this long agony completely broke me; I could not understand why that bastard had chosen to spare our lives, but now I think I am finally beginning to understand.
This dog wanted us to suffer before dying, that we all die in a long, slow, and excruciating agony.
Even knowing all this, I could do nothing but prove him right because I could not enjoy my life at the Night's Watch.
Since our arrival, we have either been sent on dangerous missions from which we would gain neither gold nor glory, or we have been requisitioned to shovel the shit of horses, pigs, and at times even the shit of our 'sworn brothers'.
Contrary to what one might think, being a noble did not help us because the nobles who had taken the reins of the Night's Watch, like Ser Alliser Thorne, were former Targaryen loyalists, while the others were peasants who had no affection for nobles in general.
Except perhaps for the uncle of the late Lord Jason Mallister, Denys Mallister commander of Shadow Tower, no one was friendly with us.
"We will not die here," I said, trying to give hope to my father to continue fighting for his life.
I forced a smile at him, and then he said, "I feel the end is near, and when I die, I want you to burn my body; I do not want to be part of this army of the dead."
I nodded and said, "I promise you, father."
"Thank you, Son, I apologize COUGH if I have sometimes asked too much of you, but I want COUGH you to know that I love you and COUGH…that…..you are.....my greatestCOUGH…COUGH COUGH...pride."
I felt his hand slip away, and I knew by looking into his fixed gaze that it was over. The pain it caused me was like a knife piercing my guts and stirring them ceaselessly.
I felt my Uncle's hand, also looking like he had aged 10 years in just a few months, and then I said, "It can't end like this."
He sighed and then said, "It's already over, now all you have to do is survive."
'I will have my revenge, I swear it before all the gods, one day the bastard will hurt as much as I do,' I thought, seething with hate internally.