It had been two days since Rory's arrival in King's Landing. Rory had settled into his chambers at the Tower of the Hand, which were nice enough, Rory found no reason to complain.

He and Ned had begun looking into Jon Arryn's last movements before he fell ill but so far, there had been nothing of substance.

Ned was reading a letter in his study when Rory walked in, pausing as he saw him.

"Rory? Are you all right?" Ned asked as he saw him standing there.

"Yeah. Just remembering all the times I saw Jon doing the same thing," Rory said with a bit of nostalgia. "Everything okay?"

"Yes…and no," Ned said with a sigh. "My son Bran has awakened."

"And that's not good news?" Rory inquired and Ned was silent for a long moment.

"The Maester doesn't believe he'll ever walk again," Ned said softly.

Rory immediately understood, sighing heavily. The world at this point was not kind to cripples. At the moment, only strength mattered. Still-

"He's alive. Whatever else, Bran is alive," Rory pointed out and Ned nodded after a moment.

"Aye, he's alive," Ned said before the doors to his study burst father.

"Father! It is true about Bran? Is he awake?" Arya asked as she ran inside, followed closely by Sansa.

"Arya, you were supposed to knock," Sansa lectured and Arya glared at her.

"Arya, Sansa is right. Please do not enter my study without knocking," Ned said and Arya deflated.

"Yes father," Arya grumbled unhappily as Sansa smiled behind her.

Rory barely heard a word that was said, staring at Sansa in disbelief. It was like a ghost from his past, coming back to haunt him. For Sansa was almost the splitting image of what Rory had always imagined a daughter of himself and Amy would look like.

"Rory? Rory?" Ned called out, breaking Rory out of shock.

"Sorry. I got caught up in my head for a moment," Rory said and Ned eyed him, not believing him but nodding all the same.

"Girls, this is Rory, an old friend of mine. Rory, these are my daughters, Arya and Sansa," Ned introduced them and Rory nodded.

"Pleasure to meet you both," Rory said with a slight bow.

"It's nice to meet you, Lord Rory," Sansa said politely and he smiled.

"Thank you Sansa, but I'm no Lord," Rory said simply.

"To answer your question Arya, yes, Bran is awake. Maester Luwin ins optimistic that he'll survive," Ned said, deciding not to mention the news about Bran's legs.

Let them have the good news; they could all use it after what happened on the King's road.

"Sansa, Arya," the Septa scolded as she burst into the study. "I apologize Lord Stark, they got away from me."

"It's quiet all right, I imagine they were quite excited by the news about Bran. But it is quite rude for you to worry your Septa that way," Ned noted with a glance at both his daughters, who looked sheepish. "Go with her and please, don't give her anymore trouble."

Ned waited until the girls were gone, seeing Rory look at Sansa with an odd look on his face that confused Ned.

"Rory? Is everything okay?" Ned asked and Rory nodded after a beat.

"Yes, just…thought I saw a ghost from the past," Rory said cryptically. "You have lovely daughters. Although Sansa seems sad. She tried to be polite but she hasn't learned yet how to hide her feelings."

"Aye, she is sad. There was an…incident on the journey here," Ned said with a grimace. "Before we left Winterfell, my sons and I found a dead Direwolf."

"A Direwolf that far from the Wall? That's unusual," Rory said with a frown and Ned nodded his agreement.

"It is. There were six pups found by the body, I allowed my children to each keep one at my son Jon's suggestion. But there was an…incident between Robert's son Joffrey and Arya's Direwolf. It ran off but the Queen wanted justice. On Robert's orders, I killed Sansa's Direwolf. She's been inconsolable ever since," Ned finished before spotting Rory's horrified expression. "What is it?"

"You have no idea what you did, do you?" Rory asked, causing an unsettling feeling to come over Ned. "Direwolves aren't like regular animals. If a human keeps them as a pet, there's a sort of link between the hearts and minds of man and Direwolf. By killing Sansa's, you severed it in the most brutal way possible. To put it in a way you'll understand…Ned, it'll be like a wound on her heart that will never heal."

Ned paled, realizing for the first time the extent of what his actions had inadvertently done to Sansa. Rory thought of the sad red haired girl, realizing she would now carry a scar on her heart until her dying day.

For a beat, it was silent before a servant entered the room.

"Lord Hand, I apologize for the interruption, but Lord Baelish requests an audience with you," the servant said and Ned nodded.

"Tell him I'll be there shortly," Ned said and the servant left with a nod.

"Baelish, Littlefinger?" Rory asked warily and Ned looked over at him.

"You know him?"

"Only from letters Jon sent me," Rory explained.

"And what was Jon's stance on Littlefinger?" Ned asked.

"He didn't think much of him, didn't trust him but Lysa was fond of him, so he tried to put up with him while in King's Landing," Rory explained and Ned frowned thoughtfully.

"Jon was a good judge of character. If he didn't trust Lord Baelish, there was a good reason," Ned said and a beat passed. "Either way, we cannot keep him waiting forever."

Ned got to his feet and he and Rory exited the study. Journeying outside the room, they found Baelish waiting for them.

"Lord Baelish," Ned greeted politely.

"Lord Stark," Baelish greeted before turning to Rory. "And I don't believe we've met."

"I'm Rory," Rory said simply and Baelish nodded.

"Ah yes, the whole of King's Landing is abuzz with the news of the Last Centurion being here. Many of us thought you were a myth, a legend brought about by our king's drunken imagination," Baelish noted and Rory smiled tightly.

"You'll find I'm real enough," Rory said and a there was silence.

"Lord Baelish, was there something you wanted?" Ned asked and Baelish turned back to him.

"Indeed there was. I heard the news about your son, Bran. I imagine its news you'll want to share with your wife," Baelish said and Ned looked at him oddly.

"My wife is in Winterfell," Ned said slowly.

"Is she? What if I told you she was in King's Landing. And that I came to bring you to her?" Baelish asked pointedly.

"I would ask how you where my wife was and how you came to know she was in King's Landing," Ned said after a moment, not sure whether to believe it or not.

"I would say we should discuss this outside the castle. The walls have ears," Baelish said pointedly.

"He does have a point Ned. You never know who might be listening," Rory added, hating to agree with Littlefinger but seeing the logic in it.

Ned glanced at Rory warily before sighing.

"Very well Lord Baelish, take me to my wife," Ned said humoring him.

Baelish led the two men deep into town, into some of the more seedier parts of town until they reached-

"A brothel? You brought us to a brothel?" Rory deadpanned, not sure whether to be annoyed or insulted.

"Your wife is inside, Lord Stark," Baelish said with a gesture towards the building.

This was the last straw for Ned, who grabbed Baelish by the throat and slammed against the side of the building.

"You're a funny man," Ned said without smiling as Baelish struggled against his grip.

Rory was half tempted to allow Ned to kill him, but it would not do for the King's new Hand to be charged with murdering the Master of Coin.

"Ned," Rory said and Ned looked over at him. "If you're going to kill him, maybe do so somewhere less public. You are the Hand of the King."

"Ned," a voice called out.

All three men looked up, seeing a woman looking down at them from above a railing. Rory did not need to see Ned's face to know this was Catelyn Tully Stark. Sansa clearly took after her mother in looks.

Ned released Baelish after a moment and headed inside. Rory followed after a moment, glancing at Baelish who held his neck, struggling to catch his breath. He and Baelish eyed each other on Rory's way in.

Rory made his way upstairs, Baelish lagging behind him. He entered to find Ned and Catelyn in a loving embrace before they let each other go, spotting Rory and Baelish.

"Rory, this is my wife, Lady Catelyn Stark. Cat, this is Rory," Ned introduced them.

"The Centurion. The man who taught Ned how to fight," Catelyn noted, remembering the story well.

Brandon had told her some of it and Ned had filled in the blanks after they were married.

"I just got him started," Rory said modestly.

"On the contrary, many of the things taught me saved my life on the battlefield," Ned disagreed.

"In any case, it's an honor to meet you, Centurion," Catelyn said graciously.

"And it's an honor to meet you as well, Lady Stark. A woman who managed to capture Ned's heart is clearly someone worthy of praise," Rory said and she smiled.

"Thank you, but I didn't come here for flattery," Catelyn said.

"Why are you here Cat? Why did no one tell me you were coming?" Ned inquired.

And then, Catelyn told them the whole story. About the assassin that nearly killed Bran, how his Direwolf had saved Bran's life. And most importantly, how the dagger the assassin had used had belonged to Tyrion Lannister.

"We have to bring this to the king," Catelyn insisted.

"It's not that easy, Lady Stark," Rory disagreed.

"The Centurion is right. The mere suggestion that the Queen's brother tried to kill your boy would be considered treason," Baelish added.

"We have proof," Catelyn protested.

"With all due respect, Baelish's word isn't proof. Tyrion is a member of the royal family, it would be like in Winterfell someone accusing you or Ned of murder," Rory pointed out and Baelish nodded.

"And the only person who could point the finger at him is without a throat due to your boys wolf," Baelish agreed.

They could see Catelyn didn't like this information, but she accepted it with all the grace she could.

"Petyr has agreed to help us find the truth. He's like a little brother to me Ned, he would never betray my trust," Catelyn told Ned.

"I'll try to keep you alive for her sake. A fool's task admittedly, but I've never been able to refuse your wife anything," Baelish said sarcastically.

Rory shot him a look, unnoticed by Ned and Catelyn. In spite of Baelish's proclaimed noble intentions, there something about him Rory just didn't trust. How all this information conveniently came from Baelish. And there had to be a reason Jon didn't trust him.

"I won't forget this. You're a true friend," Catelyn said gratefully and Baelish smirked.

"Don't tell anyone about it. I have a reputation to maintain," Baelish told her.

"Well, in the meantime, we have to find proof that it was Tyrion…or if it was someone else," Rory said and Ned nodded his agreement.

"Aye. And you need to head back to Winterfell, love. Bran is awake," Ned said and Catelyn started. "He'll need you. Now more than ever."

"You're right of course. I will return to Winterfell as soon as I can," Catelyn promised.

"I have a room for her prepared. Forgive me Cat, but it's not safe for you to go with Ned," Baelish said.

"Hate to say it, but I agree with him. Until you know who you're enemies are, no one can know you're here," Rory said and Ned agreed silently.

"I'll see you off tomorrow but then you must go, before anyone knows you came," Ned said with all the authority of a Lord of Winterfell.

"You're right, my love," Catelyn said before kissing him.

As Ned and Catelyn walked out of the room, saying goodbye for the night, Rory held up a hand, stopping Baelish.

"Is there a problem Rory?" Baelish asked.

"My friends call me Rory; people I trust call me Rory. You have no right," Rory said with a dark look on his face. "Catelyn trusts you. Maybe she's right to, maybe she's blinded by whatever love she has for you. But if that trust is wrong, if you betray the Starks in any way…the last thing you will ever see is my sword being plunged into your chest. Just so you know."

Rory then walked out of the room leaving Baelish staring after him with an unreadable look on his face.

The Centurion's presence in King's Landing could prove troublesome. He would need to find out all he could about him.

And now the plot starts to move forward a bit with the introduction of Littlefinger. Hop you all enjoyed.