Chapter 3: Kings Landing and Tower of Joy
Eddard met with Tywin a few days before Robert reached the capital. Tywin had unceremoniously taken up his old residence in the Tower of the Hand. Ned knew this battle would be more vicious than ones fought with swords so he decided to play the game like Cregan Stark had after the Dance of Dragons. Tywin was writing something when Ned entered and continued to do so when Ned sat down. A few minutes passed when he had enough and he unsheathed Ice and started cleaning it while staring directly at the Lion of Casterly Rock.
To his credit, Tywin heard the message and placed the quill back in the inkpot and finally asked, "Why have you requested this meeting Lord Stark?"
"I thought the fabled Lion of Casterly Rock that shat gold, would be interested in an opportunity to fuck over the enemies he has recently made himself and make some gold while he was at it. But now I see that you are nothing more than weakling that would take the easy option of wiping out his rebellious lords than actually put in the effort to bring them back into the fold." Ned replied in a voice that was colder than any winter that had graced the Capital and his eyes had turned to grey flints that promised pain.
Tywin was thrown off by the Northern brashness and profanity, but did not let a single muscle in his face move to show for it. "What is your proposition?", He asked. The new Lord of Winterfell was unlike the usual simpering idiots who could be intimidated by him. His usual methods will not work on Eddard Stark and he needed to undo the damage already inflicted.
"A port city built at the Stony Shore by Northern Hands and a stone road from the Stoney Shore to White Harbor passing through Winterfell built by Westerman Gold." Said Ned in a calmer voice and let Tywin figure out the rest. The two men stared at each other as if even a blink could destroy the peace.
"1500 miles of road to join the East coast and West coast. Inns with stables every 70 miles. 400 thousand gold dragons over the next 4 years. Who deals with the Ironborn?", asked Tywin.
"The Lannister war galleys can be used to defend trade ships as well as bleed any green boys. The Northmen have already established their ferocity in battle. They can be persuaded by gold to put their skills to use." Ned said without breaking the stare.
Tywin broke away first and said, "The paperwork will be ready before Robert reaches the capital." Having achieved what he set out to do, Ned stood and walked away without a word, only sheathing Ice after he had opened the door.
When Robert reached the capital and saw the bodies of Elia, Rhaenys and Aegon, he looked at them and said, "I see no babes, only dragonspawn". Ned was outraged and horrified but held his tongue in order to not compromise the plans he had in motion with Tywin. He instead chose to stare at Jon Arryn who was equally horrified at his other foster son. That evening Ned visited Robert in his chambers. He found Robert already drunk and Jon Arryn yelling at him. Ned chose not to say anything until Robert looked at him. He finally saw what Lyanna had been telling him.
Robert was unparalleled in combat and leading men but he was atrocious at administration and his obsession with wine and whores would lead him to an early grave. Ned decided in that moment that Robert Baratheon was no longer someone he could count on as a brother in all but blood. He could not respect someone who looked upon unarmed women and children murdered in cold blood and only see dragonspawn. The North was different from the South and its affairs needed to be separated from this cesspool of filth. Now that dragons were gone, the people of the North could be free of the South.
Instead of berating Robert like Jon Arryn had been doing, Ned chose to leave rather than stay and look at what Robert had become. However, the minute Robert's eyes landed on Ned, he boomed, "NED! Come have a drink with me!"
"I'm going to find Lyanna", Ned said simply.
At the mention of Lyannas' name all other thoughts fled Robert's mind. "Go. Find my Queen", he said drunkenly. Ned was disgusted at how little thought Robert gave to his starving brothers stuck in Storms End.
That night, Ned found the Spider who had been imprisoned in his rooms. The Spider had stared intently at the Stark for a while before telling him where his sister had been kept. He also told him which of the Kingsguard protected her. Having been imprisoned after the Sack of Kings Landing, the infamous all-knowing Master of Whispers did not find out about the Manderly fleet capturing the fleeing Royal treasury. What remained of the treasury in Kings Landing, over half had gone missing during the Sack. The little birds later told him that Lannister men were seen taking as much as they could carry to the docks. This was a diversion as Mors Umber had Northern men dress in the freshly slain Lannisters armor and carry half the treasury to a Manderly ship.
The next morning, the Northern Army moved out of Kings Landing and made their way to Storm's End. There they told Mace Tyrell the war was over and to end the Siege or face Northern Swords. Food and supplies were sent to Storm's End and Stannis left for Kings Landing immediately leaving Ser Cortnay Penrose as Castellan, while the Reach forces retreated unmolested. The Redwyn fleet was then used to transport the majority of the Northern Army back to White Harbor. They had done their part and it was time to go home.
Ned decided to take a few men with him to the Tower of Joy. William Dustin, Mark Ryswell, Howland Reed, Ethan Glover, Jory Cassel, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull, Jeor Mormont, and Mors Umber accompanied him. They had become good friends during the course of the war and wished to bring back the Winter Rose.
When they reached the Tower of Joy, they found Lord Commander Gerold Hightower, Oswell Whent and Arthur Dayne guarding the tower.
"I looked for you on the Trident, and when King's Landing fell," Ned said to them. "Ser Willem Darry has fled to Dragonstone, with your queen and Prince Viserys. I thought you might have sailed with him."
"Ser Willem is a good man and true," said Ser Oswell.
"But not of the Kingsguard," Ser Gerold pointed out. "The Kingsguard does not flee."
"Then or now," said Ser Arthur. He donned his helm.
"We swore a vow," explained old Ser Gerold.
"Such honorable knights you are, to keep my sister from me. Do you think me capable of harming my own blood?", asked Ned.
"We know not what the Usurper's Dog is capable of and we seek not to find out, you savage heathen", said Ser Gerold heatedly.
"Such pinnacles of honor you Kingsguard are, that stand guard the door while the Mad King rapes your Queen Rhaella. Such men of fortitude to stand as a woman begs for mercy and help. Did or did you not swear in the name of the Maid to defend women? And yet you stood guard.", Ned asked them. "You were charged in the name of the Mother to protect the innocent and yet the Kingsguard watched my brother choke as my father burned."
Ned saw each of the Kingsguard look down in shame. He looked behind him to see Mors Umber loading a crossbow. He nodded to him and prepared to kneel at a moments' notice. He looked to the Kingsguard and moved to hide Umber behind him and said, "You have fucking failed to uphold your oaths and I deem you Oathbreakers and so dies the order of the Kingsguard"
Ned dropped down to his knees as a crossbow bolt sped above where his head was moments ago and proceeded to travel straight through Gerold Hightowers' left eye and into his brain, killing him instantly. Theo Wull, Ethan Glover and Jeor Mormont moved to engage Oswell Whent. Mark Ryswell and William Dustin followed Eddard in engaging Arthur Dayne who was wielding a sword in each hand. The Sword of the Morning lived up to his reputation as the greatest swordsman alive and held them off.
Theo Wull was struck hard in the head by Ser Oswell but before he could recover Ser Oswell had moved to decapitate him. The Mors Umber's intervention only deflected the sword but the Wull suffered a nasty gash across his face. Mors pulled him away and tried stemming the flow of blood. Seeing one of their own fall, Ethan Glover ferociously attacked Ser Oswell. However, in defending himself from Glover, he had made the fatal mistake of ignoring Jeor Mormont who snuck up behind him and promptly shoved Longclaw through the side of his chest.
Arthur Dayne fought with skill and agility as he seemed to dance with his swords. Mark Ryswell stumbled and was punished for it by getting his sword arm being cut off at the elbow by Dawn. Ned felt rage flood him like he had on the Trident but he refused to lose control. However, when William Dustin was nearly decapitated with a strike that landed on his helm instead, Ned lost control and began swinging Ice as a blizzard settled in his veins at seeing the possibility of losing another friend.
Jeor yelled a warning and threw Longclaw to him. Ned caught it and started wielding both swords with each hand. Normally wielding two greatswords would be an impossible task for any man not named Gregor Clegane. But to do so with skill was a task only the likes of the Sword of Morning could accomplish. None of them however had seen a Stark of Winterfell unleash their Wolfsblood in defense of their own before.
All four swords clashed against each other as both men tried their best to kill the other. None of the survivors dared interfere as they could not even imagine getting close to the two whirlwinds of death. Dust was thrown up from the dry Dornish sands as they struck at each other. A cloud enveloped both men until suddenly all sound stopped.
The silhouettes of both men could be seen. Until one of them fell to their knees and fell face first into the dry Dornish sands, never to rise again. As the dust settled, Eddard Stark was revealed to be the last man standing. Repeated clashes of Longclaw and Ice had weakened Arthur Dayne's Sword made of castle forged steel and had failed him at the wrong moment and Ice had opened up his neck in punishment.
The Wolfsblood drained out of Ned and he felt exhaustion set in, but he could not afford to stop now. Lyanna needed him. He dropped Longclaw and ran up the Tower of Joy as he heard Lyanna's voice cry out in pain. He was stopped by a locked door but without a break in his steps he charged the door with his shoulder and the door came clean off its hinges. He saw Lyanna covered in blood and felt his breath leave him at the amount of blood surrounding her.
Lyanna was extremely pale and had lost a lot of blood. She saw Ned and cried out in relief, "Ned! I'm sorry. . . . .Father. . . Brandon. . .All my fault. . " Her voice grew weaker as she spoke. Ned had seen too much of death in the past year. But this broke his heart more than any other. He held her hand and ignored the smell of blood.
"It's okay Lya. I'm here."
"Keep him safe Ned", she pleaded weakly
"What- . . Who?", Ned asked confused.
"Promise me Ned", She said as she looked him in the eye.
"I- I promise", Ned found himself saying.
He saw her relax at his promise. And a small smile tugged at her mouth when the light faded from her eyes. He kept staring at her long after his sister was gone and tried to memorize her face. A baby's cry broke him out of his stupor and realization flooded him. He moved to pick up the child as tears streamed down his face. He couldn't help but see Lyanna in the baby's features. The brown hair atop his head that would turn as dark as the night and his eyes were the characteristic bright grey of the Stark Family. Ned couldn't help but search for the Targaryen prince but could not find any trace in the baby.
He descended the steps of the Tower to see his fellow Northmen freeze at the sight of the baby in his arms. None dared move a muscle until Ned said, "This is my Bastard, Jorah Snow". They all imperceptibly relaxed but bent down their heads in sorrow when Ned informed them of Lyanna's death. They stripped the bodies of the Kingsguard and left them out in the sands as a final insult to the dead. Howland Reed collected all notes and communications from the Tower. Ned and his companions rode to Blackmont with Rickard, Lyanna and Dawn. Ned dispatched a raven to Starfall asking Lord Dayne to come to Blackmont. He also hired a milknurse named Wylla for the infant.
It was in the letters that Howland collected that the truth of the War was revealed to Ned. Lyanna and Rhaegar had fallen in love at the tourney in Harrenhal. When Brandon was sent to marry Catelyn at Riverrun, Lyanna and Benjen accompanied Brandon south. It was then that Rhaegar and Lyanna had run away together escorted by Ser Arthur. They got married in secret at Harrenhal in front of a Heart tree and travelled to Dorne where Lyanna would be safe away from the Mad King. However, they had only made it to the Tower of Joy when Ser Oswell Whent and Ser Gerold Hightower found them and told them about Brandon's imprisonment. Lyanna immediately demanded to go back and set things straight but Rhaegar would not let her. The Prince needed the third head of the Dragon and proceeded to rape her until she was pregnant. He then left for Kings Landing with ten thousand Dornish spears at his back and left the Kingsguard behind to await his return. Lyanna also mentioned they had written a letter to Brandon while he was at Riverrun explaining everything but he never got it.
Ned was angry beyond belief. He could hear nothing apart from the blood rushing in his ears. His hands held Ice with so much force that his knuckles turned white as his hands shook. A small layer of frost built upon the Valyrian steel sword that quickly melted and evaporated in the hot Dornish sun.