Let's see what Baelish is hiding under his sleeves.


JON XIV

Strike. Parry. Feint. Counter-strike. Dodge. Step forward. Step back.

Arya made another attack. Jon drew back for the third consecutive time. She lowered her weapon.

"Is everyone exhausted like you are?" she asked.

"I'm afraid we all are."

He had decided to spar with his sister to keep her busy, and also because he wanted to spend time with her. And also because, yes, in the back of his mind, he believed Arya may need to fight soon. However, without the fever of battle, his body couldn't keep up. Arya was rested and well fed. Jon was not, and hadn't been for quite a while. He and Robb didn't eat much better than their own men. It was another lesson their father taught them. At war, do not show your men you are better fed and treated than they are.

"Let's take a break."

Jon didn't oppose Arya's suggestion. They sat next to a tree. They were in the godswood. It was always a good place to train in secret, though Jon could have sparred with Arya in the training yards since no one stopped her from training at Riverrun. But old habits were hard to kill, and for Jon it was a way to remember the time they spent together at Winterfell. Now that the castle was gone, he cherished these memories more than ever.

"Is everyone really exhausted?"

"Aye. Some more than others. I rode on a horse. Many walked all the way long." Some wore boots so damaged by the journey that they didn't deserve the name of boots anymore.

"So, we just sit there and wait." She appeared more disappointed than angry this time.

"Aye, for now. Maybe if Stannis is being slowed enough, then we can march again and meet him in the field, but not yet. Our men need to recover their forces, and we must protect Riverrun from two enemies rather than one."

Arya looked straight in front of her. Jon thought it was the direction where the weirwood tree was, even though they couldn't see it for now.

"The battle in King's Landing… How was it?"

The images lined up in Jon's mind. The mud mixed with blood clouded his sight. The armors displaying the burning hearts rode and slashed at him. They withdrew, then they attacked again. Arrows rained upon them. Rodrik was burning. Lord Gregor was saving his life. Jon took him on his horse. Fire everywhere. They flew away, leaving thousands of men behind them. One of them was Mira's brother.

"I would rather not talk about it."

"Is it true that Stannis showed you Joffrey's head in a box?"

"How do you know about it?"

"Soldiers talk, and their squires too."

Jon shook his head. "Aye, I saw it." Along with the heads of Jaime and Cersei Lannister.

"Are you sure it was him?"

"Aye, it was Joffrey." Along with his parents.

"Did Stannis tell you how he died? Who killed him?"

"We don't know. Some claim it was Stannis, others believe it was Lord Tyrion and Lady Margaery before they left. There are even some who claim it was Cersei who murdered her own son."

"Perhaps it was Jaqen."

"We don't know. Perhaps we will never know."

The thought had crossed his mind back in King's Landing, when he heard about the boy king's suspicious death. With the rumors that the Red Woman accompanying Stannis might have had a hand in Joffrey's murder and after hearing Lady Stark's tale, Jon wasn't so skeptical about the conversation he had with Mira when she brought Arya back to them. Arya had given three names to this man, and the three were dead. Joffrey was the last one on the list. Knowing that such people could potentially exist gave him chills.

Mira seemed very distressed when she told him about those assassins who could change their appearance to kill their targets. To see direwolves south of the Wall for the first time in thousands of years was one thing, but when Lady Stark was claiming that she saw a shadow murder Renly Baratheon right in front of her, and when Mira was talking about assassins with changing faces… Mira never stroke Jon for a superstitious girl. Quite the opposite. There was one time when Jon happened to discuss with people at Casterly Rock who claimed to have seen mermaids in the sea. Lady Margaery had happened to pass by at this moment. She made a pleasure to ask Mira to explain how reflections of the sunlight on the water created the illusion of mermaids and their shining fins.

She must have heard about her brother's death by now. Lord Gregor had sent a raven to Casterly Rock back at Harrenhal. Unless the Lannisters didn't bring her the message, but he didn't see why they would do this. Mira was still one of Lady Lannister's handmaiden, or so he hoped.

A boy who had to be about thirteen arrived. "My lord, my lady."

He bowed awkwardly. Jon thought that not long ago he might have been this boy, forced to perform the lowliest tasks in the army, had the war started sooner. He even wrongfully called Jon a lord, a mistake he wasn't the only one to make. Especially among the common soldiers, people called him that way more often as time went on, caring less about the fact he was a bastard than about the fact he spent most of his time with the King in the North and Lord of Winterfell, and sat among his advisors and military commanders.

"My lord, the king summons you. He wants you in the Great Hall immediately."

Jon bid farewell to Arya and headed to the Great Hall of Riverrun. He was awaited in the large room where audiences and feasts were organized. In Winterfell, most of the audiences were open to everyone who wanted to present a request or simply to watch his father rule. There were some circumstances however, when the matter was of great importance or delicate, that his father would have the court cleared, or invite the petitioner in his office, especially when he was a powerful lord.

Such seemed to be the case today at Riverrun too. Very few people were present, and the heavy doors closed as soon as Jon walked in. Robb and Lord Edmure sat next to each other on the dais. Lady Stark and Ser Brynden were not far away. Jon was the fifth and last person in the room except for the petitioner. When he entered, everyone looked at him, including him.

"Jon, come. We have a guest and I think you should be there to hear what he has to say," his brother told him.

Jon did as Robb asked and walked to the dais. The petitioner looked at him closely as he progressed. He wasn't a tall man, and very slim aside from that, though richly dressed, a short and clean haircut, a little moustache and a smile that would look sly even to those who lost their sight.

"You look very much like your father." The words stopped Jon as he was about to climb. The wicked expression was still on the man's face as his eyes wandered from to the top of the dais. "Am I not right? I suppose everyone guesses every time this is the bastard of Winterfell."

The gaze remained on the dais. No one there seemed to find this funny like the man seemed to think.

"Jon, sit," Robb repeated.

Jon took a seat. He was now towering the thin man by a large margin thanks to the steps he climbed.

"Choose your words well, Lord Baelish, because I'm not going to show you much patience after what you did," Robb declared.

Jon's breath was cut short for an instant. This was the man who claimed Tyrion Lannister was behind the attempt of murder on Bran. This man was also supposed to help his father, and yet when Lord Eddard Stark was thrown in a cell, he did nothing. And he did nothing more while his head was cut by Ser Ilyn Payne.

Arya has told them about his lord father's death. She said that Littlefinger was present at his execution and that he made no attempt to save him. Jon's muscles tensed. This man worked for Joffrey, the king who murdered his father.

"I'm not very surprised of this welcome, but I hope you will have better dispositions towards me after I tell you why I'm here," Joffrey's Master of Coin said.

"Why should we? You let Ned die. Don't you remember when we met in King's Landing? You promised to protect him." Lady Stark said.

"And I did. Truly, Cat, I tried. I'm sorry I failed."

"Don't pretend you tried," Robb said. "We know you were present when my father got killed. You stood next to Joffrey when he gave the sentence."

Petyr Baelish was silent. Jon wanted nothing but to kill him for his betrayal.

"Yes, I was there. And I was there when he was arrested too. In both cases, I didn't try to intervene. I'm sorry."

Robb stood up and drew his sword. Littlefinger looked around, looking for a way to escape, but there was none. Jon's brother seized him by the neck and placed the sword on it.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you right away."

"Robb, you are in my castle, Lord Edmure burst. You have no right…"

"He has every right. He is your king." The Blackfish had cut short his nephew and lord. "And with all this man has done, no matter that he's been a ward in this castle, your king is well in his right to execute him on the spot."

"I… I tried to save him while he was imprisoned," Baelish answered while the Tullys argued.

For a short moment that seemed to last an eternity, Robb's sword dug in the skin of the man, but he didn't plunge it.

"Explain yourself." The time for Petyr Baelish to die had not come yet.

"Your father had found proofs that Joffrey and his brother and sister were born from incest. He told me about that after he warned Cersei that he knew the truth. I urged him to leave because I knew Cersei would never abandon her crown, but he wouldn't listen. When the Lannisters turned on him, it was too late. There was nothing I could do. If I had tried anything, I would have gotten killed."

"So you betrayed my father and decided to serve Joffrey!"

"No, I didn't. I made Joffrey and Cersei believe that I was on their side. In the meantime, I tried to persuade them to spare your father so he could join the Night's Watch. That way he would be sent back in the North and rally his men. I managed to convince the Lannisters, and even convinced them they should send Sansa away. I was planning to have some of my men kidnap her so they could bring her back to you, or to hide her somewhere safe. But Joffrey changed his mind on the moment he was supposed to send Ned to the Night's Watch. Instead he decided to execute him. Everyone was surprised, even his parents. We had no time to react. And he decided to keep Sansa by his side to torture her."

"And you decided to serve him!"

"To keep an eye on Sansa. By staying at Joffrey's side, I could help you more than if I was dead trying to save your father. And I was afraid of what might happen to Sansa if no one was there to protect her."

"How do I know you're telling the truth? You've done nothing to help us since this war started!"

"Really? How do you think Stannis took the city so easily?"

"You're working for Stannis?"

"I was. Not anymore. Back then, he was your ally. I gave him a way to get his men inside the city and to open the gates."

Robb threw Baelish away. The Master of Coin breathed heavily and massaged his neck. Robb was stil lholding his sword threateningly.

"Did you kill Joffrey?"

"I wish I did. No, I didn't. I wanted Stannis to take him alive, maybe to get your chance to kill him yourself. I know it's important for you, that the man who passes the sentence should swing the sword. However, someone killed him before you." He sighed. "That night was a nightmare. Tyrion Lannister and his wife abandoned the city. They left the Kingslayer, the queen and Joffrey to die. They took Sansa with them before I could realize what was going on. Then on the morning I learned Joffrey was dead. I left the Red Keep at this moment. I knew my days were counted from this moment."

"And you went to Stannis?"

"No, I didn't. I went to…"

"You're lying."

"I'm not. Everything I told you is the truth."

"No. You lied to us in the past. You told my mother that the dagger that almost took Bran's life belonged to Tyrion Lannister, but we know that Tyrion Lannister himself offered it to Joffrey for his name day."

"Well, the prince bet it in the joust and lost it to its previous owner. I didn't know the dagger was a gift from Tyrion Lannister, but what I can tell you is that he won it back."

Lady Stark spoke at this moment. "Lady Margaery assured us that her husband would never bet against his own brother."

"Just like he would never abandon him to Stannis, I guess." Lady Stark was speechless. "I'm afraid Lady Lannister doesn't know her husband as well as she believes, or she manipulated you, Cat. Either way, she didn't tell you the truth. The facts speak for themselves."

Before any of them could speak again, he resumed. "But I have something that might persuade you of my goodwill. The Knights of the Vale are coming."

The Blackfish stood up. "What are you talking about?"

"You've seen the men who escorted me here. After I left the Red Keep, I headed for the Vale. I knew that Lady Arryn didn't support you in this war, so I went to the Eyrie. It took me some time, but I managed to persuade her to send her troops to help. An army is heading in your direction, led by Yohn Royce. They will be here before Stannis reaches you."

Jon had met Lord Royce. He came to Winterfell not long before the king's visit with his son Waymar. He sparred with his lord father and Ser Rodrik and they hunted in the Wolfswood. Then he headed north to Castle Black, accompanying his son who would join the Night's Watch. When Jon went to Castle Black, he learned that Waymar died in a ranging north of the Wall. Only one of his companions from the ranging came back. He deserted and was later executed by Lord Eddard Stark. That was the first time Bran was brought to an execution, the day they found the direwolves.

"Lysa did it? Her men are really coming?" Lord Tully asked.

"Wait. How come Lysa didn't write about this? Why didn't she warn us of your arrival?" Ser Brynden asked.

Lord Baelish seemed bothered. He folded and unfolded his fingers a few times. "Lysa is not in a very… stable state, to say the least. She took refuge in the Eyrie and refuses to leave it, or to let her son leave it, even for a day. You have no idea of all the efforts I had to make to convince her to send her knights to help you. But she didn't want to reply to your ravens. I tried to convince her to do the opposite, but she didn't want to hear any of it. She was afraid that Varys's little birds or anyone at the service of the Lannisters or Stannis might intercept her messages and that her son would be in trouble then."

"That makes no sense. By sending her army, she puts him into danger. A raven to Riverrun is nothing compared to this," the Blackfish declared.

"I agree but, as I told you, Lysa is not in a very good state since her husband's death."

"She has nothing to fear. We don't have spies within our walls," Lord Edmure said.

"I wouldn't think so, my lord. After all, Varys knew what was going on in Riverrun the whole time I was in King's Landing, before and after Robert's death."

The Lord of Riverrun got pale all of a sudden. Jon had to concede he had all the rights to be afraid. After all, half his bannermen turned on him already, either to join Stannis or Tommen.

"If you do not believe me, then believe Lysa."

He produced a large scroll from under his coat. Robb roughly grabbed it and read it. For some time, the Great Hall was silent, everyone waiting the verdict as Robb read the letter. After a while, he handed it to his mother.

"Is that Aunt Lysa's writing?"

Catelyn took a look at it. "Yes."

Robb turned to Littlefinger once again. "Leave us. Lord Tully, I suppose Lord Baelish can benefit your hospitality."

"Yes," Robb's uncle said, almost sounding as if he complained. Littlefinger left. Jon was now the only man in this room who was neither a Stark nor a Tully. Lady Stark, in the meantime, had given the letter to the Lord of Riverrun.

Robb looked at his mother. "What do you think of it?"

"I don't know," she replied after a moment.

"This is Lysa's hand, I confirm," Lord Tully declared.

"Then it was about time that she sent us her men, though I wish she didn't send that worm ahead of them," Ser Brynden said. He took the letter from his nephew's hand to read it.

"Can we trust his word?" Jon asked. "Arya was there when our father died, Robb. And she saw Lord Baelish standing next to Joffrey. He served him for several months now. I'm not ready to believe him."

"Me neither, your Grace," the Blackfish intervened. "But Lysa is very clear in her letter, and she's telling us that we can trust Littlefinger. And I can testify me too that this is her writing."

"Forgive me, my lords, and my lady too, but despite all the respect due to Lady Arryn, while I was at Casterly Rock, word ran everywhere that she was crazy."

"These are only rumors, Jon," Robb countered. "And coming from the Lannisters, I'm not sure we should believe them."

"Lord Forrester's daughter herself met her in the capital, and she confirmed to me that Lady Arryn wasn't behaving correctly. Anyway, I find it strange that Lady Arryn chooses to help us after months of silence, and at the request of Joffrey's former Master of Coin."

They all remained silent for a time.

"I don't trust Baelish me neither," Lord Edmure said. "But Lysa is finally helping us, and if he played a role in her decision, it would dangerous to harm him."

"I agree." Robb said on a begrudging tone. He didn't agree with his uncle with pleasure. "We need the Knights of the Vale. They can help us shift the balance in this war. With their help we can hope again to defeat not only Stannis, but also the Ironmen and the Lannisters and their Tyrell allies."

"I don't like this, Robb. I don't trust this man," Jon said.

"No one here trusts him," the Blackfish agreed. "We should keep him at Riverrun as a guest while the Knights of the Vale are coming."

"Yes, let's keep him here," Lord Tully approved.

"We must know where the army of the Vale is. Depending on their position, we might have to leave Riverrun as soon as possible if we don't want their forces to be cut from ours," Robb declared.

"I'll go and ask Petyr myself," Lady Stark offered.

"With all my respect, Catelyn, why you?" her uncle asked.

"Because I know Petyr, better than any of you. And first I need a good discussion with him."

For a moment, his brother and Lady Stark looked at each other. Robb nodded and she left. Jon approached him.

"Whatever you decide, Robb, be careful."

"I know, Jon. It makes me sick to deal with this man, but Lady Arryn made him her personal representative. Her letter specifically states that outside the Vale of Arryn, when Petyr Baelish is speaking, it is as if she was the one speaking. She even declares that whoever lays hand on him will suffer the hatred of the Vale forever. So, if we want the help of the Vale, we need Littlefinger's help."

Jon was more certain than ever that Lady Margaery Lannister was right when she described Lady Arryn as crazy.


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