Chapter 30: It Comes Home To Roost

Robert grimaced as his head pounded. He should not have had the amount of wine that he'd had earlier, but he had and now he had to deal with the consequences. Thankfully he could count on Barristan's silence for now, whilst whatever Jon Snow would do would likely fit in with his plans. After all, Snow was like Ned in that way. He was honourable to a fault but he had to gossip. Despite what Ned might say the man liked to gossip.

He grunted as Pycelle placed his infernally cold hands on his stomach. Pressing in various places. Robert looked down and felt shame. How had he allowed himself to get this fat? He had once been a warrior to fear. He had killed Rhaegar; he had wounded Prince Lewyn Martell and countless others. He'd fucked over Balon Greyjoy, and yet now here he was, fat and a mess.

Pycelle continued pressing before moving to stand away. Robert looked at the man and from the way the man kept his expression blank, he knew that the news was not good.

"Well, out with it." He barked.

"I am afraid, Sire, that it seems the inflammation has grown." Pycelle said his voice querulous as it often was.

"How long?" Robert asked.

"Maybe a month at most." Pycelle said.

Robert nodded, taking the news in his stride as much as he could. He should have known that the moment the blackouts started he would not be long for this world. He had never blacked out before, but before Jon had died, they had gotten more frequent.

"What would you recommend?" Robert asked.

"Nothing." Pycelle said bluntly. "If you stop doing what you are doing now, you will only make things worse. If Your Grace wants to live long enough to see some changes come to the court, then I would advise you to just keep doing what you are doing."

No doubt so that Cersei can swan about as regent. But she will never be regent.

"Very well, you're dismissed." Robert barked. Pycelle bowed once and then departed.

Once the man was gone, Robert turned to Ser Barristan and said. "I have always known you to speak frankly, Ser Barristan. With everything that you have seen of the court and of my son, what would you recommend?"

The old knight seemed exhausted. Sometimes Robert felt sorry for the man. He had served under Jaehaerys and Aerys and now Robert himself. He had earned glory for himself under the past two Kings but had been nothing but a glorified nanny under Robert. Maybe it would have been better to have had him executed as that Northman had suggested.

When the man answered, his response was to the point. "I do not think that Prince Joffrey is fit to be King, Your Grace. He is unusually cruel and has no brains in his head to listen to good advice. And I do not think Her Grace the Queen would allow anyone but herself to be his regent. I know that Your Grace wants Lord Stark as regent, but I fear he is not up to the job."

"And the Kingsguard?" Robert asked.

"Ser Jaime is the Queen's puppet; he will do as she commands. Ser Arys is loyal to Princess Myrcella and will do as she commands. As for the others, I fear they will go wherever they are paid the most." Ser Barristan said.

Robert snorted. "So, you were right all this time. I should have had more insight into who got appointed to the Kingsguard. And as always Jon was wrong."

Jon had been trying to do a lot and Robert was man enough to acknowledge that he had likely not helped the situation with his own actions, but still.

"Lord Arryn did what he thought was best. But he was thinking from one point of view, not another." Ser Barristan said.

Robert nodded and asked. "And where do your loyalties lie, Ser Barristan?"

"I will fight for whoever it is you wish to name your heir, Sire." Ser Barristan said.

Robert nodded. "Very well, I want you present when Lord Stark comes to visit. Is that understood?"

Ser Barristan bowed his head acknowledging what Robert had said.

Ned looked at the man before him, Lord Varys, Master of Whispers. A man who had come from across the sea, a man very few knew much about. Ned looked at him and wondered why he had come now.

"What do you want?" he demanded. His patience running thin. After what had been confirmed to him by his children, he wanted to handle Baelish and Joffrey and Robert and all of that. But there was also a nagging voice in the back of his head reminding him that his children had overheard Varys speaking about the family with someone.

"My lord," Varys simpered. "I have come to warn you about a few things and to tell you things that could not be said in the Council Chamber in front of certain people."

"Well, out with it." Ned commanded.

"First of all, Daenerys Targaryen is with child." Varys said.

Ned swallowed. Robert would pitch a fit when he learned about that. "Where is she?" He asked.

"Somewhere far to the east of Essos. Our spies have not reported in for some time but given the distance it takes for correspondence to get through I am not surprised." Varys replied.

"What about her brother?" Ned asked. He had always wondered why the girl had gotten married first and not Prince Viserys, but then he supposed that the girl was more valuable for what was between her legs.

"He has disappeared." Varys replied.

"Disappeared?" Ned echoed. "What do you mean disappeared?"

"As in he got into an argument with his sister and her husband and left. None of our spies have been able to find him." The eunuch said.

"I see." Ned replied. That was not good news. Robert would pitch a fit about that as well.

"Where do you think he could have gone?" Ned asked.

"He could have gone anywhere." Varys replied. "Pentos, Volantis, Meereen. He is not of the most stable mind."

"Well make sure he is found." Ned said.

Varys bowed his head in acknowledgement.

"What were the other things that you wanted to discuss?" Ned asked.

"There has been some serious trouble on the border between the Riverlands and the Westerlands. Skirmishes between various lords and their tenants. Neither side is willing to escalate things, but the issue is there." Varys said.

"What has caused this?" Ned demanded.

"Nobody is quite sure, but I know that it goes back to a dispute that emerged under Lord Tywin's father. A dispute over trading links and boundaries on the border and who was owed what." Varys said.

"If this dispute has been that longstanding, why is it only now flaring up?" Ned asked.

"Because Lord Hoster is ill, his son Ser Edmure is running things in Riverrun and he is not as capable as his father was, to put things bluntly." Varys said.

"I see." Ned said. "I will summon them to court. We cannot have this escalating." He would also send word to Cat, maybe she could speak some sense into her brother.

"There was another matter, my lord." Varys said. "To do with the Riverlands."

"And what was that?" Ned demanded.

"Petyr Baelish has been sending some of his men to meet with various Riverlords, minor ones you understand, but those with some power. He seems to be buying them over to his side with promises of money and favour." Varys said.

"How?" Ned asked, from what he could understand, Baelish's income was not sufficient to afford something such as this.

"By stealing money from the treasury." Varys said. The man pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Ned. Ned took it from the man and read through it. It contained a series of numbers and figures that he didn't understand.

"There is a man named Edd, if you have the chance to speak with him, he will tell you the full extent of what Baelish is doing and why." Varys said.

"Where can I find this Edd?" Ned demanded.

"On the street of silk. He runs one of Baelish's offices." Varys said.

Ned nodded, then asked. "Why are you telling me all of this now and not at Council?"

Varys tittered. "Because my lord, as I am sure you are aware, there are some on the council who benefit by this information being kept quiet. And it is my duty to ensure that it is there. Now you know, you can act accordingly."

Ned sighed and nodded. "Very well, thank you." The man bowed and departed.

As he got to the door that led to his father's solar, he saw a man emerge. The man was short and slightly built, as he passed Jon, Jon caught the smell of jasmin. He frowned, that was an odd smell for a man to have.

He blinked, he pushed that thought to the side and knocked on the door.

"Enter." Came the call. He nodded to the guards and then entered his father's solar.

Father was standing next to a desk seemingly deep in thought. He looked up as Jon entered. "Ah, Jon, how is everything?"

Jon bowed and then said. "I'm fine. How are you, father?"

"Well enough." Father said. "My apologies for not checking in with you sooner. Things have been quite busy for the both of us."

Jon nodded.

"How are you finding being the King's squire?" Father asked.

Jon hesitated. On the one hand he wanted to be completely truthful as he'd been taught, on the other hand, the King was father's friend. Eventually the truth won out. "It is not what I expected it to be."

Father cocked an eyebrow, prompting Jon to continue.

"My fellow squire, Tyrek is fantastic and I get on well with him. The King is an interesting man. He gives me great freedom to fight and to learn. He shares what he knows and the knights of the Kingsguard share what they know as well."

"But?" Father asked.

"But the King also drinks heavily. And when he does sometimes, he says things that do not make sense."

"Such as?" Father asked.

"Well, today for instance, he was speaking about Aunt Lyanna and Prince Rhaegar." Jon said.

Father's eyes narrowed. "And?"

"He was saying how Prince Rhaegar couldn't stand that he had something that the Prince wanted and that's why he took her. He was also saying that after he learned Aunt Lyanna died, he didn't want to become King. But that Lord Arryn told him it was necessary." Jon said.

Father frowned.

"I thought the King became King the moment he entered King's Landing?" Jon asked.

"He was recognised as King after the Trident." Father said.

"So, why did he claim otherwise?" Jon asked.

"I do not know." Father said. "Did he say anything else?"

"Yes. He said that that was why he married the Queen. He didn't want to marry her but did so out of a sense of duty. He then said they had two children, Myrcella and Prince Joffrey. And then after that they agreed that they would not have any more children and that they would take lovers." Jon said.

Father's eyes widened.

"I wasn't sure if it was because he was drunk that he said that, but the King and Queen have three children. Prince Tommen is there." Jon pointed out.

"Of course." Father murmured.

"Why do you think he said that?" Jon asked.

"I do not know." Father admitted. "But I am going to go and talk to him about it now."

"N…now?" Jon stammered.

"Yes." Father replied. "I need you to go and find your sisters and brother." With that father walked passed him and left the room.

Jon was left standing there wondering what had just happened.

Robert rolled his neck back and forth, trying to nullify the pain.

"Your Grace?" A voice said.

Robert looked up and saw Ser Meryn Trant standing there. "What?" He barked.

"Lord Stark is here to speak with you. He says that it is urgent." Ser Meryn said.

"Show him in." Robert replied. The moment had come. It was time to get this over and done with.

Ser Meryn disappeared and then a moment later Ned appeared. "You look like shit." Robert said to his friend, the man's hair was wild, his eyes looked haggard.

Ned looked at him and smiled. Robert laughed.

"What can I do for you?" he asked.

"I have a lot of things to talk to you about." Ned said.

"Well, get to it then." Robert commanded.

"First things first, Varys told me that Daenerys Targaryen is with child." Ned said.

Robert felt a flash of anger at the thought of there being more Targaryens in the world but pushed that to the side. "When did he get the news?"

"Today." Ned said.

"Which means that it's likely a few months old. Which means the girl is likely close to giving birth now." Robert said.

"What do you want to do?" Ned asked.

"Nothing." Robert replied. He was going to be dead within a month, there was no point in him focusing on this.

"Nothing?" Ned replied sounding shocked.

"She is a child on the other side of the sea with a people who do not like the water. She is no threat to the throne." Robert said simply.

Ned nodded. "Varys also told me that Viserys Targaryen is missing."

Robert laughed. Varys truly was being the bearer of good news today. "Why?" he asked.

"It seems he had an argument with his sister and her husband and left." Ned said.

Robert nodded. "What else?"

Ned raised an eyebrow. "There are tensions between the border of the Westerlands and the Riverlands. It seems some dispute dating back to Lord Tytos reign has re-emerged."

Robert groaned. "Summon them here."

Ned nodded and then said something that Robert had been dreading. "I want to end the betrothal between my daughter and your son."

"Very well." Robert replied, he didn't need to ask why, he knew why. He had always known that this moment would come. He had just hoped that Ned would be the one to do it.

Ned frowned. "You don't want to know why?"

Robert sighed. "I know why."

"You do?" Ned asked.

"Yes, I know my son. He is a monster and an idiot. He should have died in the cradle." Robert replied. "Maybe it's my fault for not doing more to shape his personality and leaving him with his mother but the deed is done."

"Why did you want to betroth my daughter to your son if you knew what he was like?" Ned asked.

"I hoped you would say no." Robert replied looking right at his friend. "I forgot that I was not your friend but the King."

Ned nodded. "I will be sending the girls and my son back to Winterfell."

"Good." Robert replied. "I will knight Jon and allow him to return north as well."

"Has he done something wrong?" Ned asked, an eyebrow raised.

"No, but it will be better that he is not here when what happens next happens." Robert replied.

"What do you mean?" Ned asked.

Robert took a deep breath, preparing himself to say the words he'd been ignoring all day. "I am dying, and I intend to name Myrcella as my heir instead of Joffrey."

Ned stared at him as if he'd gone mad.

"Joffrey is not fit to rule, but Myrcella is. She will make a great Queen especially with your boy at her side, and with you there to guide her." Robert continued. "Barristan."

The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard appeared.

"Give Ned the paper and quill." He commanded, the Lord Commander did as he was bid. Ned looked at the paper and quill and then at Robert as if in a daze.

"Write this down." Robert commanded.

Ned put the paper down on a table and put quill to the paper.

"I, Robert Baratheon, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Protector of the Realm and Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, being of sound mind and body do hereby state that this is my last will and testament."

He took a breath, saying it made it real.

"I do hereby disinherit my son and heir Joffrey Baratheon; he is unfit for the crown and the responsibility it brings. Instead, I name my daughter Myrcella Stark nee Baratheon as my heir and confirm that she possesses the qualities needed to be Queen. I ask that she rule alongside her husband Robb Stark, heir of Lord Eddard Stark."

"Finally, as my daughter is underage, I do hereby name Lord Eddard Stark as Regent and Protector of the Realm until my daughter and his son should reach sixteen summers. I entrust the Kingdom and their future to his safety."

Ned finished writing and Robert extended a hand, Ned placed the paper into his hand. Robert took out his seal and affixed it to the document then handed it back to Ned. He looked between his friend and Ser Barristan.

"There it is done. Now you are both bound by it."