Chapter 4

Eddard

Eddard Stark was on his way for the important meeting with the Small Council. He knew he was a bit late as he paced through the halls of the Red Keep that lead him to the council chamber. On his way he greeted a few Gold Cloaks who were patrolling the area. Sometimes they would greet them back, sometimes they did not. It depended on their mood, Ned had found out. In the past few months he had learned that Gold Cloaks were not the most likeable guys to have around, but that could be said of many people in King's Landing.

Oh, how he missed Winterfell. Nothing in the capital felt like home. Ned was not made for dealing with the snakes and rats that lived in this city, sometimes in very high positions. Speaking of Varys for example, the Spider, whose little birds could be anywhere. The thought made Ned always feel uncomfortable whenever the eunuch was around. He knew the birds were most likely watching him as well, although it amused him that this must be quite a lazy job for them.

The King eats and the Hand shits, Robert had said when he asked him to become Jon Arryn's successor. To him it felt more like the Hand worked and the King didn't care. He had developed the uncomfortable feeling that Robert did not really take his Hand's advice seriously. The same could be said of the pit of snakes that called itself The Small Council and that had gathered in the council chambers he just entered. Being welcomed by Pycelle, Varys and Renly, he immediately noticed that Littlefinger and the king were not there yet.

"Where is Lord Baelish?" Ned asked. He took his usual place next to Pycelle, while Varys sat right across him next to an empty chair that normally belonged to Littlefinger. Renly was seated at the far end of the large table.

"I am here, Lord Stark", he heard a familiar voice say from behind. "I'm delighted you've been awaiting my presence."

"Welcome, Lord Baelish. Take your seat so we can start the meeting once the king is present as well", Ned answered.

"The king?" the little man answered with a trembling surprise in his voice. "What did we do wrong this time?"

Varys rolled his eyes and looked away. Renly took a zip from his wine, apparently ignoring the question as well. It was Pycelle who broke the awkward moment of silence.

"These are times of great distress, Lord Baelish. The queen has committed treachery, yet she is still the queen. This must be difficult days for our king and it is up to us to give him council and help him through these turbulent days."

"Your Grace", Varys interrupted the Grand Maester and rose from his chair. The others joined him in silence as the King took his seat next to his Hand.

"Where is my other brother?" Robert asked impatiently while Ned filled the king's cup with wine.

"Lord Stannis is attending business for the Crown at Dragonstone, Your Grace", Littlefinger answered. "He has been there for the past few months, as you might have noticed before."

"Spare me your mocking, Baelish", Robert responded. "Ned, order him to return to King's Landing as soon as possible. There is nothing more important right now than to have both of my brothers at my side in the dark days that lie ahead."

"Of course, Your Grace", Ned answered, "Shall we start with our meeting now?"

"Seventeen years", the King said thereby ignoring his question. "Seventeen years it has been since I won the war, since I slayed Rhaegar Targaryen and disposed the Mad King. For seventeen years I've held this bloody thing together, but now it seems I am losing it. The Starks and Lannisters are fighting each other, across the Narrow Sea is a living Targaryen heir with a Dothraki army lurking for revenge, but I almost got myself killed by the woman who still happens to be my wife. It is time to get rid of our enemies once and for all. How is Cersei doing, Grand Maester?"

"She is taken care off, Your Grace", the old man answered. "She is being held in her private cell, isolated from her children and other prisoners. This way she has all time to reflect on her perversity and despicable deeds."

"Good. She is running out of time however. I want the trial and execution to be carried out in three days", Robert bluntly responded.

Execution?! No more war Eddard Stark had told himself, but the King appeared to think differently. What in the Seven Hells was Robert up to?

"Execution? But that's... that's unheard of...", Pycelle mumbled in utter confusion.

"If I may speak freely, Your Grace", Varys began, "killing her is a rather harsh decision. A living Cersei is a very valuable hostage, for whom Lord Tywin will pay a high ransom for sure."

"A ransom that we are eager to accept. The crown is short of money. Let Lord Tywin bleed gold instead of chopping of the head of his only daughter", Littlefinger added.

Ned looked at the King, hoping that he would change his mind and listen to the councilors. He begged that for once Robert would listen to them or at least to him. But Robert only listened to his own fury as he was losing his temper once again.

"I don't care about what Lord Tywin will pay for, you damned fools!" he exclaimed as he slammed his fist on the council table. "I won the war seventeen years ago, while that cowardly piece of shit was hiding on Casterly Rock. Only when he realized that I was winning battle after battle he took King's Landing himself and "gave" it to me as a token of his loyalty which will last as long as I serve his personal agenda. That is how Lord Tywin thinks, stubborn fools, and that is why I am sick of Lannisters paying their debts. That must sound familiar for you as well, doesn't it Ned?"

Robert's Hand ignored the fierce eyes that tried to find his, looking for affirmation. But Eddard Stark returned his gaze with silence.

Robert sighed and shook his head for a moment. "Look at you, Ned. What happened to you? Are you feeling sad for the woman's life? First the Targaryen girl and now this. Those years in the North have made you too soft, Ned."

Ned Stark took the king's words a lot harder than Robert had hit the table in his temper. With his own eyes full of disbelief and frustration he gazed straight into the eyes of his old friend.

"Seventeen years", he began, "seventeen years ago you told me how you despised Aerys Targaryen for the madman he was, obsessed with the joy of death and punishment. Look at who you have become now, Robert. A man obsessed with holding his power and a king who does not refrain from slaughtering women and children. What happened to the man I called my friend?"

"ENOUGH, Stark!" His deep voice silenced the council at once.

"Do you still remember my father and brother?" Ned continued. "Do you understand now why the Mad King killed them?" He knew this was not a wise thing to say, but he could not stop the flow of words coming out of his mouth anymore.

"ENOUGH!" Robert shouted. "Is this your advice and the way you address your king, Lord Hand?!"

"Brother, Lord Stark, please, we have a lot more to discuss", Renly interrupted.

Ned Stark knew he had made the King furious, but he did not care about it anymore. If the King would simply ignore his Hand, why should he care about being Hand then? The Hand of a King, who had become corrupted and obsessed and just did whatever he liked. Robert's fury was dragging the kingdom into a total unnecessary war, which would cost a lot of money the Crown didn't have. Yes, Ned despised Cersei as much as the king did, though he never believed he would be stupid enough to execute their most valuable hostage. It all felt so stupid. He wanted to walk away, but a part of him could not do it.

"Go on, Renly", the king replied while glaring at Ned. "Any news from the Lannisters?"

Renly did not reply, but looked at Varys instead.

"My birds told me that the Imp has been released by Lady Stark, Your Grace."

Catelyn has released the Imp? Why would she have done that, Ned wondered.

"Furthermore, no news from Lord Tywin or the Kingslayer. The news of the capture of Cersei and her children must have reached them by now, but we still have to wait for their reaction. However, I doubt the Kingslayer will appear anytime soon", Varys continued.

"Yeah, what about the children, Your Grace?", Littlefinger asked.

Robert paused for a moment. "Forget about Tywin and the Kingslayer. They can wait. And about the children, I want them to live. They are... children. We can use them to manipulate Tywin as we'd like to."

"That's truly merciful of you, My King", Pycelle commented. Shut up, Ned thought.

"Do not forget that as long as the boy Joffrey is alive, Lord Tywin will consider him the heir to the Iron Throne and try everything to get him back in that position", Varys responded cautionary.

"Tywin Lannister will rot in hell before he could succeed in that. My brother Stannis is my heir. I will declare that publicly. No one will accept a bastard like Joffrey on the Iron Throne after that."

Varys continued. "I also received a message from Jorah Mormont, telling me that Daenerys Targaryen has survived an assassination attempt."

Robert looked clearly annoyed as he took a deep breath. "Did we send the assassin?"

"Yes", Renly answered, "but we will send another one of course."

"And a better one this time! I want her dead! Now, all of you out so I have some time to reflect on this myself!"

"Well, we weren't actually finished, Your Grace", Littlefinger replied.

"We are if I say so. Be gone!"

As Ned Stark and the others were reluctantly leaving the council chamber, he was halted by the King.

"Not you, Ned. Sit down and have some wine", Robert said offering him the pitcher of wine, but Ned politely refused.

"You don't refuse your king. Drink."

Ned followed the orders, but the wine did not taste very well. His frustrations had taken away the joy of drinking, for which Robert seemed to have an immunity. The uncomfortable feelings had boiled up inside him for months. It was more than just today's meeting; it was the realization that whatever he would say to the king, Robert would barely listen to him. It made him feel agitated, useless and homesick of Winterfell. As speaking up would not help, Ned thought, he decided to remain silent.

"It's not the same, Ned", Robert began. "Your father and brother were executed for no reason and Aerys Targaryen even enjoyed it. Do you think I enjoy it as well? Let's me being honest with you as I have always been with you. I hate to do this, Ned. I did not love the woman, but the thought that I am going to have her executed is constantly haunting me. And the children... I really cannot harm them, even if it would be wiser to do so. Until a few days ago I believed Cersei was the mother of my children and that our marriage had held the realm together all those seventeen years. Now I don't know in what to believe anymore. Would you believe it, Ned? What would you do when you were told that your Cat has betrayed you all those years and that all your children are bastards?"

Robert's words somehow struck him. He suddenly felt sorry for the man, because it must indeed be horrible what he was going through these days. But still that did not make him feel comfortable with the situation. If Robert really felt so confused, why would he not be a little bit less stubborn?

"Why is it that you never seem to listen to me?" Ned asked.

He had not expected Robert's loud laughter to kick in so suddenly.

"You talk like a woman, Ned. Let me tell you something. I might ignore your honorable northern wisdom another hundred times, but don't forget that I stand with you. As long as I am around, I will save your frozen-cold ass from Lannister filth or whatever else is threatening you. And there will be a lot of threats in the days that lie ahead, that I am sure of. Let it not divide us, instead I hope we will fight together as we did seventeen years ago. After all, both of us need fewer enemies instead of more."

Ned shook his head. "How can we stand together, when I do not agree with you? First, you throw Cersei and her children in some dark dungeon and now you want to chop of her head, dragging the Seven Kingdoms in another exhausting war. Why would you dishonor yourself like this?"

"Are you mad?! The woman tried to murder me and she has been fucking with her brother for years. And you, the honorable Ned Stark, are telling me that I am dishonoring myself? You never cease to amaze me, Ned. She will face the consequences of her crimes and I will punish her for that. That is what I call justice, can't we agree on that at least?"

"No", Ned responded coldly.

Robert frowned. "And for fuck's sake, I don't give a damn about whether we agree or not! This isn't the North, where the cold seemingly dulled your lust for conflict. If the two of us would agree on everything, we would all pray to the same gods and I would execute Cersei myself, but instead I let Ilyn Payne do it. And it doesn't have to come to war." He let out another loud laughter, which slightly annoyed Ned.

"Tell me how."

"Alright, Ned, I know that if Tywin Lannister is stupid enough to march against me, I will crush him like I crushed Rhaegar Targaryen at the Trident. The man is not stupid, he knows he is military outnumbered and he would like to see his grandchildren back, alive. So, I do not know what he will be up to, but it will be something else than simply marching his armies towards our gates. But there is something I am asking of you as well."

Ned found himself surprised that Robert was actually making sense here. He had thought the King just felt the urge to pick up his warhammer again and used this conflict to satisfy his own wishes. However, besides the big talk Robert actually appeared to have some cunning plan. Seventeen years of ruling had at least taught him something, he thought.

"And that is?" he asked.

"Send a raven to Winterfell. Tell your son Robb to take his preparations to call the banners of the North. Do not let him march yet, as long as there are no other signs that it will actually come to war. Tywin Lannister should be aware of this threat from the North, together with the troops of the Crownlands and Storm's End, he might think twice before calling his banners, especially if he does not want his grandchildren to be harmed."

"And do not forget about the troops of the Riverlands and the Vale", Ned said. "I am sure they will follow you as well. But you just told me you will not harm the children?"

"Lord Tywin will not be sure about that. I am counting on you, Ned."

When Robert was gone, Ned decided to leave as well for his own chamber in the Tower of the Hand. On his way back he could not take his thoughts away of what Robert had said. He still felt that killing Cersei was not an honorable thing to do, though in all honesty he couldn't care less about a dead Lannister. He could also not deny that the matter seemed less foolish than he had initially thought. Lord Tywin would indeed not go to war without decent chances to win and they would not give him those chances. The military threat from the North and other loyalists and the hostage of his grandchildren should give Robert a serious advantage. But Ned also knew that you should never underestimate Tywin Lannister. Therefore, he just hoped for the sake of his family that they would maintain the peace. Everything would hopefully deescalate soon, so he would not have to drag his wife and children into a war as well. They were a lot safer in the safe haven of Winterfell after all…

…except for Sansa and Arya who were still in King's Landing. Damn, how could he have forgotten about them? He had already made arrangements for the ship that would take them back to the North, though it had not arrived while it should have a few days ago. As he wanted them on their way back as soon as possible, he decided to go for his alternative plan: an escort over land via the King's road.