AAAAAAND WE'RE BACK! Ok, after a few chapters focused on everyone's favorite bastard, I think it's time to get back to the star of the show.

High Valyrian will be italicized

Dothraki will be bolded

Inner thoughts will be in between apostrophes


Chapter 5

"How sure of are you?" Zacrys asked "Quite sure my lord. The information came from one of our spies in Winterfell and he has never been wrong before." answered Ser Arthur. "If you say so" Zacrys said. He had to admit, when he got out of bed and went to eat his breakfast, he wasn't expecting THIS, especially not after more than a month of peace and quiet. When Zacrys got his ancestral armor on his birthday, he spent every waking moment wearing it. He would find the most inane excuses to simply put on the armor that belonged to his ancestors. He wore it while sparring, riding, and shooting to get more comfortable with it. He pestered Ser Arthur into attacking him with a real sword and with Dawn to test its strength and efficiency, despite his NUMEROUS objections. He even wore it to sleep a few times, though not intentionally. After wearing the armor so much, it had become like a second skin to him, not noticing that it was even on until he tried to kill a bug that landed on his face and accidently broke his own nose and gave himself a bruise on his forehead. Zacrys decided to give the armor a rest for now and went back to his usual routine, one that was broken just a few seconds ago by the news Ser Arthur brought. Apparently, Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie, Protector and Lord Paramount of the Vale, Warden of the East, and Hand to the King for the Usurper Robert Baratheon has died. The details surrounding his death are rather mysterious and sketchy to say the least. Lord Arryn was fine, healthy and fit as a fiddle one second, and the next he is incredibly sick and on his deathbed. 'Very strange' Zacrys thought when he found out. And while this was certainly very strange, the death of Jon Arryn wasn't what shocked him. No, what shocked him was that Robert Baratheon has already chosen Jon Arryn's successor and had decided to make his old friend Eddard Stark, the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, his new Hand. The man who also happened to be Zacrys' UNCLE and his mother's older brother that fought against Ser Arthur at the Tower of Joy the day both of his parents died. And the day when Ser Arthur took him away from Westeros to protect him, thus beginning their lives as fugitives, even if no one knew that Zacrys existed.

"I am not exactly sure if this is good or bad." Zacrys said after a moment of thought "My lord?" Ser Arthur said, confused. "Well on the one hand, when my uncle Eddard becomes the new Hand of the King, he might be able to bring that fat, lazy oaf he calls his friend, brother and king to heel and improve the lives of the people of Westeros. But on the other hand, if he does do that, it could make getting the Iron Throne from the Usurper much more difficult. Especially since the North would fight for their liege lord if their called." Zacrys says with a worried look on his face. Ser Arthur's eyes widen in surprise, having not thought of that at all "Then we must ensure that Lord Stark does not become Robert's new Hand." the knight says urgently "I will give word to our contacts in Westeros to make sure that Lord Stark meets a small "accident" should he accept Robert's offer." he moved to do so when he heard "You will do nothing of the sort" Ser Arthur turned to see Zacrys with a menacing look on his face. The knight recoiled back instinctively, not used to seeing his ward so... scary. "With all due respect my Prince, why not?" Ser Arthur asks " You said it yourself that if Lord Stark becomes the new Hand, he could make it harder to take back the Iron Throne" he continued with a tone of disbelief. he saw the prince sigh loudly in exasperation and start massaging his temple. "I'm surrounded by idiots" Zacrys mumbled to himself before saying "Well, first of all, I may not know him too well, or at all, but Ned Stark is still my uncle by blood. I am NOT going to assassinate him unless I have no choice or unless he becomes a direct, legitimate threat to me. Got it?" Ser Arthur nodded "Second of all, if Eddard Stark DOES NOT become the Fat Stag's new Hand, who do think he will choose instead of him? Hmm?"

Zacrys asked and waited for Ser Arthur to give an answer, but was disappointed when the middle-aged knight shook his head. Zacrys exhaled loudly and said "It is unlikely that Robert would give the position to either of his brothers as they already have seats on his Small Council and because he doesn't particularly LIKE them very much" to which Ser Arthur nodded in understanding. The Prince continued "he won't choose any of the minor houses, as that might offend the other Great Houses, nor will he ask the lords that fought against him during his rebellion, such as Mace Tyrell. he might offer the position to the Martells, but after what happened with my siblings and their mother Elia Martell, none of them are likely to accept." Ser Arthur nodded once more. Being Dornish himself and growing up with the Martell brothers Doran and Oberyn, he knew how much they loved their younger sister Elia and how much hate they would carry for anyone who was involved in her death. "Ergo, Robert would have little option than to choose someone who is wise, rich, powerful, and experienced to be his Hand. Like say, his father-in-law?" Zacrys finished with a suggestive tone. Ser Arthur's eyes widened in horror when he finally understood what the young heir was saying "Tywin Lannister" he whispered "EXACTLY. Lord Tywin served as my grandfather's Hand for 20 years before resigning after my grandfather, the Mad King anointed his eldest son and heir Jaime to his Kingsguard, practically handing Casterly Rock to his NEXT son, Tyrion "The Imp" Lannister. Who, from what I've heard, Lord Tywin HATES more than almost anything." Zacrys said matter-of-factly "And while the two of them might not like each other very much, Cersei would surely find a way to convince her husband, and I use the term 'husband' very loosely mind you, to appoint her father back to his old post and Robert would most likely agree so that he could get back to drinking, whoring, and hunting his way in to an early grave. Meaning that out SAFEST choice would be to let Ned Stark become the new Hand of the King." Zacrys finished talking as if this was all plainly obvious. "Also, it's not an IF, but a WHEN" the prince added. Ser Arthur was shaken out of his stupor and adopted a confused expression once more "You said IF Lord Stark accepts Robert's offer. But if there's one thing I do know about my uncle, it is that he is a man of honor and duty. Robert Baratheon is Lord Stark's king, his best friend since boyhood, and his brother in all but blood. Do you REALLY THINK he would or even could say no to him?" Ser Arthur thought for a second and had to agree. Eddard Stark was a man who put honor and duty before most things, perhaps even before his own family.

"No, I don't think he would" Ser Arthur replied

"Thought so" Zacrys said


And that's a wrap

Until next time

Valar Morghulis