Game Of Thrones : Merchant of Two Worlds

Click, click, click.

Bran giggled proudly as he crunched on crispy potato chips.

Watching the mischievous boy grinning from ear to ear, Jason Liu had the sudden urge to grab him and give him a few well-deserved smacks on the butt.

"Bran, what are you doing up there? It's too dangerous! Do you want me to get someone to bring the ladder down for you?" Jason tried his best to keep his voice calm, forcing a gentle smile as he looked up at the boy perched on the high wall. "Come down first, Bran. Don't play around on the walls—it's really dangerous."

As he spoke, Jason subtly gestured for Kent to go find Lady Catelyn in the reception room and get someone to bring a ladder. They needed to get this little troublemaker down safely.

Damn it, this kid... Even if Jaime Lannister hadn't pushed him off the broken tower, he would've fallen to his death sooner or later with all this reckless climbing.

Kent nodded, quietly turned around, and jogged towards the reception room to inform Lady Stark.

Bran, however, paid no attention to Kent's departure. Sitting comfortably on the high wall, he continued munching on his chips and flashed a smug grin at Jason Liu. "Hehe, don't worry, Ser Jason. I've been climbing this wall since I was seven. I've gotten really good at it, and I've never been in any danger."

Oh really? Well, congratulations on not falling to your death yet!

Jason resisted the urge to roll his eyes. If Bran kept pulling these stunts, even the combined efforts of his father, Lord Eddard Stark, and his mother, Lady Catelyn, wouldn't be enough to save him from his own recklessness.

Looking at the boy's proud face, Jason felt his head ache. Still, he kept his expression neutral and forced a stiff smile. "Bran, be a good lad. Just sit still, alright? How about we have a little chat? You stopped me earlier—was there something you wanted to say?"

He decided to keep the little rascal distracted, at least until help arrived. This kind of fearless child could only be dealt with by his parents.

To Jason's relief, Bran seemed interested in talking rather than climbing around like a madman. He grinned and said, "Ser Jason, I wanted to thank you for all the goodies you sent to Rickon and me! I really love the spicy biscuits the most!"

Bran held up his bag of barbecue-flavored potato chips and waved it at Jason excitedly.

Jason didn't care whether Bran liked the snacks or not—he just needed the boy to sit still and stop tempting fate. If the kid slipped and fell, even if it wasn't Jason's fault, he'd still be blamed. After all, Bran was the most doted-on child in the Stark household, and neither Lord Eddard nor Lady Catelyn would take it lightly if anything happened to him.

If Robb were here, he would've disciplined Bran properly, making sure the boy never attempted such dangerous stunts again. Parents who spoil their children too much are asking for trouble, Jason thought grimly.

Keeping his fake smile in place, Jason replied, "Ah, I'm glad you like the biscuits..."

"And the toys!" Bran interrupted, his excitement growing. "Rickon and I have never seen anything like them before. Those little carriages—they don't even have horses! What are they called again?"

Jason sighed internally but kept the conversation going. "Uh, they're called cars. They don't exist in Westeros, so the toys you and Rickon have are the only ones in the entire kingdom. My homeland has plenty of interesting things like that. Maybe I'll bring you more fun toys in the future."

Bran's eyes lit up like stars in the night sky. "Really? You mean it, Ser Jason? You'll give me more toys?"

"Of course," Jason nodded. "But only if you stay put and stop climbing dangerous places. Deal?"

"Hahaha! That's great! Ser Jason, you're such a good man!" Bran beamed, his young face full of joy.

Jason twitched slightly. A good man? Yeah, sure. If I didn't have to babysit you and worry about you breaking your neck, I wouldn't even be standing here.

Just as Jason continued to keep Bran occupied, Kent finally returned with reinforcements.

Lady Catelyn approached quickly, holding her skirts to avoid tripping. Her usually composed face was filled with worry. As soon as she reached the wall and saw her beloved son sitting so high up, her heart nearly stopped. But she took a deep breath, forcing herself to remain calm. She knew that if she panicked, Bran might get startled and lose his balance.

Speaking softly, she called out, "Bran, sweetheart, that's a very dangerous place to sit. I've brought a ladder. Let's get you down safely, alright?"

A Winterfell soldier carefully propped a long wooden ladder against the wall, his every movement slow and cautious to avoid frightening the young lord.

"Bran, come down! It's too dangerous!" Sansa cried out, her face pale with fear. She clutched her hands together, as if praying that her little brother wouldn't fall.

Arya, on the other hand, crossed her arms and shouted, "Bran, you little idiot! You're climbing again? What if you fall? Get down now!"

Bran lifted his chin defiantly. "I won't fall. I've climbed this wall dozens of times—it's not dangerous at all!"

Lady Catelyn's voice, though gentle, carried a firm edge. "Bran, darling, please come down. You promised me you wouldn't climb dangerous places anymore. A true man keeps his word."

Bran hesitated. He knew his mother was right. Lowering his head slightly, he mumbled, "Okay, Mother... I'll come down."

The soldier steadied the ladder as Bran carefully climbed down. The moment his feet touched the ground, Lady Catelyn rushed forward and wrapped him in a tight embrace.

Jason Liu exhaled in relief. Thank the gods, this little menace is finally on solid ground.

Watching the scene unfold, Jason made a mental note:

Next time, I'm bringing a leash for this kid.

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