Chapter 2:
Eddard Stark I
Maegor's Holdfast, 284 AC
Eddard Stark looks warily at the commotions ahead. Whatever this is, he hoped that this really warrants his personal attention away from his personal mission to find and bring justice to the Mad King.
"Maege won't ask your immediate presence lightly My Lord," said Jeor Mormont, the Old Bear, being one of the Northern Lords forming the honor guards around their young Lord Stark. "I am more ashamed of how my son Jorah run ahead for the loot, like a common sellsword."
"Pah, spoilsport." Snorted Jon Umber, the Lord of the Last Hearth. "Your son merely has the common sense to get some before those damned Westerlanders took everything else."
"Spoils of war is the right of the warriors, but it is unbecoming for nobles to be indistinguishable from overeager commoners," added Rickard Karstark to the jape. "The young Bear beats the Mountain Clansmen and the Skagosi, let it sink in."
"Hey! It's not that we could be getting in earlier than those damned Lannisters! It's just fair!" said Theo Wull, one of the Northern Mountain Clansmen with a boisterous laugh. "We are here to bring Northern vengeance against the Dragons! What's the matter if some of us break heads and took gold earlier than the rest?"
The young Lord Stark closed his eyes and shook his head. With this dishonorable Lannister treachery and how things quickly break down into chaos… All he wanted to do is an honorable justice, not this mindless brutality…
"There they are…" said Howland Reed, the Lord of Greywater Watch, whom Eddard personally befriended earlier when they meet during the Tournament at Harrenhal. "The She-Bear and the rest of the Mormont Scouting Party."
"Hold on…" said Eddard Stark as he recognized the large woman-at-arms waving at them. Holding a small babe in her hand, while behind her, a thin dornishwoman and a girl surrounded by several Northern Warriors in Mormont colors. "Princess Elia, I presume?"
At the sight of the family of the mad Prince Rhaegar, Eddard dismounted, expecting to accept the Princess' surrender, followed by the other Northern Lords.
"We surrender our lives to your protection, Lord Stark…" said the Dornish Princess as she weakly curtsied to the Quiet Wolf. "As a mother, I merely ask for your mercy to my children…"
"So this is Prince Aegon?" said Eddard Stark neutrally as he take a closer look toward the crying baby boy in the She-Bear's arms and contemplates what he would say next.
"A quick death would be a mercy, My Lord Stark," said the Lord of Karhold. "Justice for your Lord Father and Brother."
"We could be discreet about it, My Lord Stark," said the usually quiet Roose Bolton. "Just give us the word."
Looking once more at the frightened face of Princess Elia, the little girl who clung to her skirt, and finally to the potential claimant of the Iron Throne after the Mad King, Eddard Stark made his mind as he put his hand on top of the head of the infant Prince.
"I will not slay innocent children for the sins of their sire and grandsire," said the young Lord Stark as he caressed the head of the crying infant. "Princess Elia, you have my word that no harm will befall you… or your daughter… I cannot extend the guarantee to the ultimate fate of your son, but I will speak to His Grace and Lord Arryn to spare him."
"Thank you, Lord Stark…" said Princess Elia as she receives her baby back from the Northwoman. "And thank you for saving my children's lives, My Lady…"
"Maege of House Mormont, I'm just a woman-at-arms serving under my brother, and my nephew Jorah dragged me to help him looking for treasuries earlier," said the She-Bear with a blush.
"The Princess said you saved her children, what happened?" said Eddard Stark as the few Mormont Warriors present showed the newcomers two westerlander corpses, one is a giant wearing the sigil of three dogs, the other is a fat man wearing the sigil of a manticore.
"Heard the Princess screaming for help, found this giant brute tries to kill the baby boy. As I'm a mother, I immediately brained that big brute, only learned that I inadvertently saved Prince Aegon only after it happened," said the She-Bear with the weak nod of Princess Elia in confirmation. "The other one tries to kill that little Princess, Jorah took care of him soon afterward."
"Anyway, where is Jorah?" said the Old Bear.
"Jorah just left all alone after slaying the fat bastard," said Maege as she looked toward the little Princess who hides behind her mother's skirt. "Something about how he looks for more Golden Dragons, even if later the Princess here said that he headed to the Throne Room instead of the Treasuries."
"Let's hope the Young Bear did not end up stripping the Mad King naked in his search for Golden Dragons, lest he found a shrunken, smelly dragon instead!" japed Jon Umber, meeting with a mix between silence and awkward laugh from everyone present there. "Hey… Am I saying something wrong?"
"To act like a common-born sellsword than a Lord…" said the Old Bear as he shook his head in shame.
"I can't blame the actions of your son, Lord Mormont, considering with all this, he saved my children," said Princess Elia as she gave a weak smile to the Old Bear. "House Martell owed your House three life debts today. Just tell my brother Prince Doran about the ransom, and rest assured, we will pay in full."
"Well, Princess, I think it was time for us to bring justice to the Mad King," said Lord Stark as he gave the sign for his companion to resume their ride to the Throne Room. "In the meantime, Lord Reed, I want you to accompany Lady Maege and her men to escort the Princess and her children back to our camp and keep them safe. I will discuss things with His Grace and Lord Arryn later over their fate."
…
After a short ride to the Throne Room, the young Lord Stark and his companions could see that the heavy doors were already partially opened, there were a few torches laid burning on the ground. As two of the men widened the double doors for the riders to enter, a pyromancer's corpse could be seen, and…
"Kill… me…" said someone weakly as the group immediately reached for their swords.
"JORAH!" shouted the Old Bear as he galloped ahead of the group, recognizing his own son getting entangled with the only Kingsguard present in the Red Keep.
"Ser Jaime Lannister…" muttered Eddard as he recognized the young Lion, before seeing the brutally mangled corpse of the Mad King laid just under the Iron Throne, with yet another burning torch fallen nearby. "The Mad King… Dead…"
"Fu… Father? LORD STARK?!" said the heir to the Bear Island as he recognized the newcomers.
"You killed the Mad King?" said Eddard neutrally, almost feeling his revenge stolen by this overeager mercenary Bear, but he pushed his darker thoughts inside.
"I… Err… Well…" muttered the young Bear. "Careful My Lords! The Mad King has ordered his Pyromancers to put Wildfire under the City! I tried to stop them, but some Pyromancers escaped!"
"W… Wildfire?" whispered Eddard Stark as he imagine what his Lord Father's last thoughts must be while the Mad King ordered him to be immolated. "UNDER THE CITY?!"
"What the… We are…" said one of the Northman present.
"Trap… we're… in a trap…" said another voice behind Eddard Stark.
This… This is terrible… Taught the young Lord Stark as the sheer scale of the Mad King's last command dawned on everyone. Knowing the dangerous volatility of the Wildfire, spread unfortunately by the tales of how the Mad King enjoyed immolating people with that, and with how his own father was one of its victims…
Forcing himself to breathe deep in a rhythm to calm himself, Eddard Stark gritted his teeth and steeled his resolve. No! The Mad King's last, horrifying, spiteful command, shall never pass…
"LORD MORMONT! LORD BOLTON!" shouted Eddard Stark in his most commanding tone. "Ensure that there will be no Pyromancers left alive to burn the city!"
"YES MY LORD!" said the Old Bear, breaking the silence, followed by the younger Lord Bolton affirming that they would lead their men to scour the city for dangers of wildfire.
Returning his gaze to the Young Bear who still locked the Last Loyal Kingsguard under him, Eddard Stark, still in half-stupor after the sudden declaration of danger, speaks as calmly as he can…
"You killed the Madman?" said Eddard Stark, more as an affirmation to himself than accusing the Young Bear of stealing what should be his right for Justice.
"Aye, killed the King and that Pyromancer there, but I saw some of them escaped already," said Jorah Mormont. "Ser Jaime fought valiantly to defend his King, and…"
"A LIAR AND A COWARD! HA!" shouted Ser Jaime Lannister as the last Loyal Kingsguard apparently tried to say something, before the Mormont Warrior quickly used his hand to lock his head and shift his weight to pin the fallen Kingsguard deeper. "IT'S M… M… MFFF! MMMF!"
"A dagger?" said Lord Jon Umber, noting something lies just under Ser Jaime's left hand, and at this command, several men-at-arms present in the group started helping to pin down the fallen Kingsguard to secure him.
"Surrender and your life would be spared, Lannister. There's enough bloodshed for today. Your father would want you to come out alive…" said Eddard Stark as he realized that the Young Bear did not release his grip on Ser Jaime's mouth. " Lord Jorah, please let Ser Jaime speak..."
A few seconds happened before, much to Eddard Stark's chagrin, that Jorah Mormont finally let Ser Jaime's Mouth open again.
"A COWARD'S STAB FROM THE BACK! AND YOU BASTARD TRIED TO… A… A…" said Ser Jaime Lannister as he apparently lost his consciousness as his speech turned into a slur. "KING AERYS… I… KING…"
"Holding his oath to the bitter end, he lamented 'I have failed you to the Mad King," whispered Lord Rickard Karstark. "An honorable, if misguided young man."
"That's enough, Last Loyal Kingsguard. You might be willing to sacrifice yourself to uphold Your Liege's Last Command. But I swear to the best of my ability we would ensure that the Wildfire will never claim their intended victims," said Lord Stark as he quickly remembered that the life of Ser Jaime Lannister might be the one that might make his father, Tywin Lannister, to help him stop the chaos and let them evacuate the Wildfire out of the City. "Call a Maester and inform Lord Tywin Lannister, that we have his son. Tell him to stop the looting, there's a Wildfire trap hidden underneath!"
"We have found a pair of Pyromancers running, and they confirmed that King Aerys has ordered them to pile the wildfire under the White Sword Tower…" said a man-at-arms in Bolton colors as he run into the Throne Room. "Lord Bolton ask if we should just evacuate or…"
"No, we will stay," said Eddard Stark, already steeled himself to ensure the Mad King's Last Command would never be fulfilled. "We will not let the Mad King have the last laugh, even after his death!"
…