Eddard Stark

Ned spent most of the time in darkness thinking about his daughters. Sansa and Arya were left solely at the mercy of the Queen.

Damn the man. Ned thought, I should have known better than to trust that weasel. Even he warned me not to trust him. Now because of my stupidity Sansa and Arya are in danger.

The door opened and the gaoler returned in with a flask. He shut the door and knelt behind Ned. He then pulled back his hood to reveal a face that was familiar to Ned.

"Varys?" he asked incredously.

"Yes it is me, my lord." Varys bowed down. Ned never thought that he would ever be happy to see the Spider. "What do you wish for the most?"

"Wine," The moss-filled water that the other gaolers brought him had left his throat dry as the Dornish sands. Varys brought forth a wineskin from his long sleeves.

"What sort of sorceror are you?" Ned asked surprised.

"A thirsty one," Varys said. "Drink, my lord."

Ned's hands fumbled at the skin. "Is this the same poison they gave Robert?"

"You wrong me," Varys said sadly. "Truly, no one loves a eunuch. Give me the skin." He drank, a trickle of red leaking from the corner of his plump mouth. "Not the equal of the vintage you offered me the night of the tourney, but no more poisonous than most," he concluded, wiping his lips. "Here."

Ned tried a swallow. "Dregs." He felt as though he were about to bring the wine back up.

"All men must swallow the sour with the sweet. High lords and eunuchs alike. Your hour has come, my lord."

"My daughters?"

"The younger one managed to escape Ser Meryn Trant. The Lannisters haven't been able to find her. A small mercy. There is no love between her and the new king. The older one still remains betrothed to Joffrey. She came to court a few days ago. If you had been there, you would be touched." Varys looked deep into Ned's eyes, "I trust that you think that you are a dead man, don't you, Lord Stark?"

"The queen will not kill me. Cat holds her brother."

"Held. Lysa Arryn seems to have misplaced your wife's prisoner. But then that was the wrong brother. Your son managed to get a finer prize. The queen's beloved Ser Jaime."

Ned was flabbergasted.

"The Kingslayer? How did Robb manage to get the Kingslayer."

"Lannister was besieging Riverrun. Your son managed to draw him to Whispering Wood and defeated him in single combat."

"Single Combat?" Ned asked incredously, "How in the Seven Hells did Robb defeat the Kingslayer in single combat?"

"No one will know, my lord." Varys tutted. "But there might still be a chance for you to live. We cannot predict anything with the new king, I fear. He rarely ever listens to the small council. But the Queen will not want to harm you, Have no fear on that count."

"What of Tywin Lannister?" The lion lord was unlikely to sit still as his family members became captive one-by-one.

"Lord Tywin cannot do anything. He is trapped on the east side of the Trident. Your son made sure of that. He defeated your son's diversionary host commanded by Robett Glover." Varys smiled at Ned, "I have to tell you, your son has a good mind for warfare. They call him the Young Wolf now."

Ned couldn't have been any prouder of his son.

"In truth, the Queen fears your son. She thought of him at first to be only a boy but after he defeated Jaime, she sees him in a whole new light. The Queen now knows that a tame wolf is better than a dead one. And it will give her time to deal with King Robert's brothers."

"Robert's brothers?"

"Renly Baratheon has been declared King at Highgarden. The power of the Stormlands and the Reach march behind him. No one knows what Stannis is doing at Dragonstone except that he has called his banners."

"And why would Robb listen to her?"

"Because you will tell him to."

"And why would I do that? You want me to serve the woman who murdered my king, butchered my men, and crippled my son?" Ned's voice was thick with disbelief.

"I want you to serve the realm," Varys said. "Tell the queen that you will confess your vile treason, command your son to lay down his sword, and proclaim Joffrey as the true heir. Offer to denounce Stannis and Renly as faithless usurpers. Our green-eyed lioness knows you are a man of honor. If you will give her the peace she needs and the time to deal with Stannis, and pledge to carry her secret to your grave, I believe she will allow you to take the black and live out the rest of your days on the Wall, with your brother."

"Tell me Lord Varys, You think I value my life over my honor?" Ned asked him.

"No, my lord. But what about your daughter's?" Varys asked with impunity.

"Good Gods." Ned cursed. "Sansa is just a girl."

"So was Rhaenys Targaryen. Did you know that she had a kitten called Balerion? She loved to call him Balerion the Black Dread. But Armory Lorch showed her the difference between a dragon and a kitten the day he shoved his dagger into her guts half a hundred times."

Ned took a long swig of his wine.

"There is another way." A deep gravelly voice came from behind Varys. A man with armor consisting of a shirt of enameled scales chased with gold, a tall helm with a golden sunburst crest, greaves, and gorget and gauntlets and boots of gleaming plate and a heavy wool cloak clasped with a golden lion stepped out of the darkness. A Knight of the Kingsguard. Ned hadn't seen him enter, but by the look on Varys' face, he suspected that the Spider had brought him along.

The knight removed his tall helm revealing a pair of droopy eyes and a red beard.

"Ser Meryn?"

"No, Lord Stark." Ned watched in a mixture of fascination and revulsion as the man peeled of his face and wig to reveal a bald head with a beak of a nose.

"Syrio Forel."

A/N: If you guys are enjoying the series please make sure to fav and follow the story as it goes a long way. Also I am in need of a new thumbnail for this story so if anyone can send me links to some through PM. Any artists are also welcome to draw new fanart of Robb Stark as I feel that the ASOIAF lacks these.