I don't own Game of Thrones.
Chapter 6
Eddard Stark
The Kings' party made it.
Kingslanding is the main capital of all seven kingdoms. The last he came to this city was Robert's rebellion where he made a vow before Robert that he is king.
Yet trouble tidings when his family is in a mist of dispute.
Sansa and Arya are constantly fighting with each other.
Jon Snow and Jory Cassel tried to separate them from fighting. He pities the Direwolves that are already panting from the heat of the sun, but Lord Jason told him that there is a water stream for them.
When he heard that Jon accepted to be Lord Lannister squire, he felt trouble by it. Knowing the Old Lion, he must have not to be pleased by this.
Lord Lannister did not say much, but then again. He was always a private person.
However, the common people tell him a different story.
"Sevens blessings to you Lord Lannister."
"The Avenging Lion protect us!"
"Welcome back, Lord Lannister!"
"Look mother, it's the Black lion!"
'So, it's true. The common folks loved him more than others.' He had heard stories that after the protection of the mother and child.
He heard that lord Jason owns his tea stalls and big oven house where women pay any amount of money to cook their bread. The oven house is quite genius for you see, all women can enter there and placed any number of coins in a box and get a bag of flour to cook bread. They used the coin box to buy more flours and taxes. The only rule is that the oven house allows women to enter and not men unless there is a special occasion where a widow's father takes his daughter to bake bread until she is old enough to go by herself.
So, thanks to those operations there are fewer people that are starving in the streets.
There was a story where the Goldcloaks were trying to barge in, but the guards hired by lord Jason refused unless ordered by the trust manager who only obeys Jason Lannister. For you see, clever Jason Lannister used the Faith's septas as a way to use the holy faith power away from the corruptions of the court.
Not even the small council had any power to get in Faith's way of charity.
Eddard Stark rode through the towering bronze doors of the Red Keep sore, tired, hungry, and irritable. He was still on his horse, dreaming of a long hot soak, a roast fowl, and a featherbed when the king's steward told him that Grand Maester Pycelle had convened an urgent meeting of the small council. The honor of the Hand's presence was requested as soon as it was convenient.
The royal steward arrived to greet Eddard.
"Welcome, Lord Stark. The council extends their greetings and hospitality. Grand Maester Pycelle has called a meeting of the Small Council. The honor of your presence is requested."
Eddard was tired. He turned to look at Jory, his daughters Sansa and Arya, along with the rest of his household guard.
"Get the girls settled in," he ordered. "I'll be back in time for supper. And Jory, you go with them."
"Yes, my lord," Jory obeyed and helped the Stark girls settle in.
Jon Snow questioned Lord Jason and which he answered, "Come with me, Jon. So, I can show you the way you will be attending your duties."
Jon follows Lord Jason. It made Ned proud that Jon is being a squire and not a man of the watch.
"We had given you Lord Arryn's former chambers in the Tower of the Hand," the steward said. "If you'd like to change into something more appropriate…"
Eddard gives him a blank stare before taking off his gloves; the steward realizing the Stark patriarch's disinterest and has him escorted to the Small Council chambers.
At the Great Hall of the Red Keep…
Eddard Stark walks through the Great Hall, wherein front lays the Iron Throne. The seat of power of the ruling royal House of Westeros, where it is said that the legendary Aegon the Conqueror himself had forged the throne itself from the 1,000 swords of his conquered enemies during the War of Conquest and melted down by Aegon's dragon Balerion the Black Dread.
As he approached Eddard noticed Jaime Lannister lingering in front of the throne.
"Thank the gods you're here, Stark," he callously greets. "About time we had some northern leadership."
"Glad to see you're protecting the throne," Eddard replied.
"Sturdy old thing. How many kings' asses have polished it, I wonder? What's the line? 'The King shits and the Hand wipes.'"
Eddard looked at Jaime, eye him up and down.
"Very handsome armor," he complimented. "Not a scratch on it."
Jaime smirked with pride and arrogance, feeling quite pleased with himself as a distinguished knight of the Kingsguard. "I know. People have been swinging at me for years, but they always seem to miss."
"You've chosen your opponents wisely then."
"I have a knack for it," Jaime grinned as he approached Eddard. "Must be strange for you coming into this room. I was standing right here when it happened. He was very brave, your brother. Your father too. They didn't deserve to die like that."
Eddard frowned. He had remembered the atrocities committed during King Aerys II Targaryen's reign, and when a raven informed him the Mad King brutally executed both his father and older brother on charges of treason without a fair trial.
"But you just stood there and watched," Eddard remarked coolly.
"500 men just stood there and watched," Jaime corrected. "All the great knights of the Seven Kingdoms. Do you think anyone said a word, lifted a finger? No, Lord Stark," his grin slowly faded, but his smugness remained. "500 men and this room were silent as a crypt. Except for the screams, of course, and the Mad King laughing. And later… When I watched the Mad King die, I remembered him laughing as your father burned… It felt like justice."
"Is that what you tell yourself at night?" Eddard accused rather curtly. "You're a servant of justice? That you were avenging my father when you shoved your sword in Aerys Targaryen's back?"
Jaime was now no longer smug or arrogant. Instead, his facial expression twisted slightly into a deep frown of irritation, anger, and humiliation. "Kingslayer", "Oathbreaker" and "Man without Honor" was Jaime was called by everyone he crossed paths with these past seventeen years.
Jaime was still unrepentant about it and felt increasingly frustrated that Eddard still judged him as dishonorable for killing the Mad King, the murder of Eddard's father Rickard and brother Brandon, and for having the nerve to casually seat himself upon the Iron Throne after the brutal Sack of King's Landing was through during the final stages of Robert's Rebellion.
"Tell me, "He challenged. "If I'd stabbed the Mad King in the belly instead of the back, would you admire me more?"
Eddard remained unmoved. "You served him well when serving was safe."
Eddard Stark paused and added a final blow on Jaime Lannister's honor. "Your son, Lord Jason has more honor than you could ever possess. A pity that trait does not share with his birth father."
As he brushed past him, Jaime silently clenched his knuckles into a tight fist. Every day he's been forced to endure such mockery from people his House considered inferior.
Yet they praised Jason more like he was the only golden son to redeem the House of Lannister where Jaime had to fail at everything.
There were times Jaime should felt proud of his son's success where he had failed, but there were other times, he hates his son.
Eddard does not wish to understand Jaime, nor does he want to.
He only wants to know why all the time he had waited when he had killed that Mad King.
However, he wished to know more about what plans did Jason Lannister want?
He will find out soon.
Reviews are welcome.
I know this is short, but more is to come.
