"Jon, may I speak with you?" Ned asked, keeping his tone light and above suspicious. But he still earned those looks, mostly from his family and Robert. Jon on the other hand looked at him knowingly, as if he had expected Ned to figure it out.
The two walked into the corridor and Jon led Ned to the chamber he had been occupying. It was the perfect copy of Jon's chambers at the Eyrie, Ned noted.
"How long have you known?" Ned asked.
"Lord Stannis and I have suspected for a while, especially after Robert's bastards started popping up."
"Like the one here with us?"
"Gendry, yes. He works with Tobho Mott as an apprentice armourer" the man smiled. "He's one of seven bastards of Robert's in Kings Landing. All of them with black hair and blue eyes."
"And that got you thinking" Ned hummed, "a probable reason for the Lannisters wanting you dead."
"Perhaps."
"When do you plan on telling Robert?"
"As soon as we can assure the safety of the children. They are innocents in all this, but I don't think Robert will see it like that."
Ned wanted to argue, give his friend the benefit of the doubt, but how could he when the image of the memory of Rhaenys and Aegon's bodies and how Robert reacted to them came to mind? It was the entire reason he had hidden his nephew from everything.
"Robert has no heirs now" Jon pointed out, blue eyes critically assessing Ned.
"He has two brothers, and by all law, Stannis will inherit the throne. You don't need to test me to find my loyalties, Jon" Ned rolled his eyes with a smile. "Who else knows? About the children?"
"I would guess that perhaps the Martels have figured it out. Doran Martel has a sharp enough mind to catch on, Oberyn possesses one as well. Gendry being here only helps them."
"And they hold no love for the Lannisters and Robert for what was done to them… they could be a problem."
"No doubt they're already plotting their advantage, if they haven't already."
Ned frowned deeply.
"Perhaps they're planning to make an alliance with you and push your nephew to the throne."
And just like that the wind was knocked out of Ned.
"Jon-"
"Don't try to play me for a fool, boy. Robert and the realm may believe it, but I do not. I have raised you and I know you well enough to know that you'd never bed another woman while you are committed to another. No, the only explanation for you besmirching yourself would be because Jon Snow is still your family. Lyanna's son."
Jon walked up to the man and patted him on the shoulder.
"I understand why you did what you did, and I will support you when Jon's identity comes out. And trust me it will come out."
Ned pursed his lips.
**Viewing Hall**
"I wonder what Lord Stark wished to speak with Lord Arryn" Rhaegar murmured so just his wife could hear.
"Possibly the bastardy of the King's children" Elia answered, rolling her eyes at the shocked look on Rhaegar's face. "Don't be so dense, the clues are right in front of us."
"Where?"
Elia sighed at her husband's lack of observation. "Look at the boy sitting next to Varys, and then look at Robert. Then look at Jaime and look at the King's supposed children."
Rhaegar did so, multiple times, then looked back a Elia with a frown.
"How are you certain?" he asked.
"Well according to Oberyn we missed the part where Jaime and Cersei fucked and Jaime threw Bran off the tower. And then Lord Arryn wants to read that specific book, the clues are right before us, Rhaegar. I'm just surprised you haven't connected the dots."
Rhaegar frowned at his wife, a little disappointed in himself as well. It all made perfect sense now that he thought about it.
"Perhaps Lord Arryn's death was not natural."
"Perhaps."
Husband and wife watched as Ned and Jon Arryn returned and retook their seats. Ned whispered something to Catelyn, who only nodded in reply.
[Scene changes to Jon on the wall, Sam joins Jon as his watch partner.]
"Jon isn't such a bad boy" Elia mused to her husband.
"Jon Arryn is hardly a boy, my love."
"I meant Jon Snow" Elia shook her head with a small smile.
Rhaegar frowned again. "Why bring him up suddenly?"
Elia shook her head with a smile.
"Just observing love."
"Hello. Ser Alliser said I'm to be your new watch partner. I should warn you, I don't see all that well."
"Come stand by the fire. It's warmer."
"No, that's all right. I'm fine."
"You're not. You're freezing."
"I don't like high places."
"You can't fight. You can't see. You're afraid of heights and almost everything else probably. What are you doing here, Sam?"
Jaime had similar questions. Whether the watch was a place to be proud of, it was no place for the weak. The boy could have been a maester if he was so good at reading.
"On the morning of my 16th nameday, my father came to me. "You're almost a man now," he said, "but you're not worthy of my land and title. Tomorrow, you're going to take the black, forsake all claim to your inheritance and start north. If you do not," he said, "then we'll have a hunt and somewhere in these woods your horse will stumble and you'll be thrown from your saddle to die. Or so I'll tell your mother. Nothing would please me more."
"How could he… his son" Lyanna stammered, eyes wide in shock.
"Randyl Tarly respects only strength and nothing more" Margaery droned.
"Perhaps we could help him somehow?" Myrcella asked, taken aback by the cruelty of the man.
"This is a family matter, and we should not intervene" Robert said as gently as he could.
"And you're the King. What you say is law, isn't it?"
Robert stared at the girl and the girl stared back at him.
"I'm not asking you to order him to treat his son better, I'm asking you to find some way to help Sam."
"Something to think over" Jon Arryn interrupted with a smile. "A learned boy like him, he would be of much use to us."
Myrcella smiled at the older man.
"Why give the kid false hope, Jon?" Robert whispered.
"Who says I am?" Jon asked with a smile.
Robert shook his head.
[Scene changes to Ned and Petyr walking through the gardens of King's Landing.]
"Do you know Ser Hugh of the Vale?"
"My squire?" Jon frowned. What did he have to do with anything? And how did he get knighted in just two years? Jon knew the boy well and not even in two years could that boy earn himself a knighthood.
[Ned shook his head.]
"Not surprising. Until recently, he was only a squire... Jon Arryn's squire. He was knighted almost immediately after his master's untimely death."
"Not suspicious at all" muttered Tyrion.
"Knighted for what? Why are you telling me this?"
"Because Ser Hugh has something to do with Lord Arryn's death" Daenerys said, biting her tongue almost immediately. She had been having an inner monologue all this time, noting everything happening. She had gotten excited and said her monologue out loud this time on accident. "I'm sorry!" she added quickly.
"For what? Being right?" Renly shook his head. "We're all adding things so you might as well join us."
"And it's not like any of us disagree" Margaery added kindly, "It is suspicious that Lord Arryn's squire became a knight so soon after his death."
"Maybe he is the one who poisoned him" Daenerys suggested.
"What makes you think he was poisoned?" Elia questioned.
"Lord Arryn died of a fever that ate him quickly, there was no mention of a wound. If this is a murder, poison can be the only way."
"Very likely," Oberyn said with a smile.
Daenerys beamed at her guess not being thrown aside. Usually, her ideas and thoughts were not taken into consideration.
"I promised Cat that I'd help you."
"Where is Ser Hugh? I'll speak to him."
"A singularly bad idea. Do you see that boy there? One of Varys's little birds. The Spider has taken a great interest in your comings and goings. Now look there. That one belongs to the Queen."
"A pit of vipers" Ned spat in disgust.
"You need eyes and ears everywhere, Lord Stark. Else you will be played a fool and brought to rui" Lady Olenna said with a sigh. These Norhterners…
"And do you see that Septa pretending to read her book?"
"Varys or the Queen?"
"No. She's one of mine. Is there someone in your service whom you trust completely?"
"Yes."
"The wiser answer was no, my Lord. Get a message to this paragon of yours... Discreetly. Send him to question Ser Hugh. After that, you might want him to visit a certain armourer in the city. He lives in a large house at the top of the street of Steel."
"Tobho?" Gendry perked up. He worked and lived there.
"Is he trying to send Lord Stark there to find out about the bastard?" Rhaear whispered.
"Perhaps the man wishes for Lord Stark to find out about the boy, so he might connect the dots" Elia suggested.
"Why?"
"I have my observers, as I said, and it's possible that they saw Lord Arryn visit this armourer several times in the weeks before his death."
Jon Arryn narrowed his eyes. First, the lie about the dagger and now this, what kind of a picture was Baelish trying to paint? Was he pitting the Starks and Lannisters against each other? For what?
[Scene changes to Ned and Jory riding on horseback through King's Landing.]
"Ser Hugh says he'd be glad to talk to the Hand himself. He's a knight, you see."
"Arrogant toe rag" Lyanna muttered softly.
"Wonder how he'd hold up against someone who comes at him with the intent to kill" Oberyn muttered, eyes flashing from annoyance. He'd met many who thought they were big and mighty because of some title, none of them stood up long against him.
"A knight. They strut around like roosters down here. Even the ones who've never seen an arrow coming their way."
"You shouldn't be out here, my Lord. There's no telling who has eyes where."
"Let them look."
"Ned" Jon Arryn sighed, "it seems I have to brush you up on your politics if you've become this brazen in enemy territory."
"He's in my territory Jon, nothing will happen to him" Robert assured the man. But even he wasn't entirely sure about his own claim. Jon died under his rule, another person he cared about that he failed to protect.
"Exercising caution is important, Robert. Even by the King" Jon Arryn added with a side look.
[Tobho Mott walks out from the back room.]
"The former Hand did call on me, my Lord, several times. I regret to say he did not honour me with his patronage."
"What did Lord Arryn want?"
"He always came to see the boy."
"I'd like to see him as well."
"As you wish, my Lord. Gendry! Here he is. Strong for his age. He works hard. Show the Hand the helmet you made, lad."
"This is fine work."
"It's not for sale."
"Boy, this is the King's Hand! If his lordship wants the helmet..."
"I made it for me."
Ned couldn't help it, he broke out laughing. Robert snorted before he too was laughing. Jon Arryn joined in not long after.
"Robert was the same at his age" Ned explained to his inquiring wife.
"Hard-headed and stubborn" Jon Arryn shook his head.
"Forgive him, my Lord."
"There's nothing to forgive. When Lord Arryn came to visit you, what would you talk about?"
"He just asked me questions is all, my Lord."
"What kind of questions?"
"About my work at first, if I was being treated well and if I liked it here. But then he started asking me about my mother."
Gendry frowned. He'd not worked at Tobho's long, and so far the Hand had not come to visit him much. But from the sounds of it. He would do it often in the future. But why? Gendry could not think of a reason, especially because he was fuming internally when the Hand, the King and the Warden laughed at the him on the wall. There was nothing funny for them to laugh at.
"Your mother?"
"Who she was, what she looked like."
"What did you tell him?"
"She died when I was little. She had yellow hair. She'd sing to me sometimes."
"Odd choice of whore, brother. Your white had golden hair" Renly pointed out.
"Probably chose her just to spite Cersei" Tyrion sniggered, earning a light smack on the back of his head from his mother.
"Look at me. Get back to work, lad."
[Gendry walked back in. Ned turns to Tobho.]
"If the day ever comes when that boy'd rather wield a sword than forge one, you send him to me."
[Ned exits the armoury.]
"Find anything?"
"King Robert's bastard son."
"What?!" Gendry's eyes popped out of his skull, figuratively.
"Well, isn't it obvious? You look like him at your age" Varys said with an amused smile.
Everyone had a similar expression, even the King who almost looked at him fondly.
"No- No there has to be a mistake! Your Grace, I'm just a nobody from the street of silk who works at the street of steel now."
"No" Robert grunted. "You're definitely my son. You have my eyes and my hair. And apparently my thickheadedness and stubbornness as well. There's no denying it."
Gendry sat in shock and digested what he just learned, while most looked at the boy curiously and focused on what the King said.
[In the mess hall at Castle Black. Jon walks in and joins Grenn, Pyp and Rast.]
"Where have you been?
"Watch duty. With Sam."
"Prince Porkchop. Where is he?"
"He wasn't hungry."
"Impossible!"
"That's enough. Sam's no different from the rest of us. There was no place for him in the world, so he's come here. We're not going to hurt him in the training yard anymore. Never again, no matter what Thorne says. He's our brother now and we're going to protect him."
"He's got a good head on him and a kind heart too. He's been raised right and he's growing into a fine man" Elia whispered to Rhaegar.
"Ned Stark is his father, of course, he'd become a fine man" Rhaegar muttered back.
Elia inhaled deeply before sighing. She looked then to Lyanna, sitting some ways ahead of her. The woman was watching Jon on the wall with an almost hungry look in her eyes.
"You are in love, Lord Snow. You girls can do as you please. But if Thorne puts me up against Lady Piggy, I'm gonna slice me off a side of bacon."
"Suck up!" Arya booed, earning laughs from many and a scandalized look from her mother.
[All of the new recruits are sleeping. Jon, Ghost, Pyp and Grenn ambush and gag Rast as he sleeps. Jon threatens him.]
"No one touches Sam."
As fun as it was to watch some suck up, as Arya put it, get ganged up on, Ned couldn't help but frown. The Wall was not a place to coddle someone like these boys were. Soon they'd be fighting Wildlings, and things like this will only work against them. He'd need to have a talk with Jon about this.
[After their bath, Viserys drags Doreah by her hair through the camp and into Daenerys' tent.]
"Not him again" Sansa muttered. Her mood was doing so well till now. She looked back to Daenerys, who had her head lowered and was staring down. She clicked her tongue and frowned. Maybe she could ask her father to help her in secret.
"You send this whore to give me commands? I should have sent you back her head!"
"Forgive me, Khaleesi. I did as you asked."
"Hush now. It's all right. Irri, take her and leave us."
"Yes, Khaleesi."
[Irri and Doreah walk out.]
"Why did you hit her?!"
"How many times do I have to tell you? You do not command me."
"I wasn't commanding you. I just wanted to invite you to supper."
"That's it? That's all the reason he had for hitting her?" Shireen whispered scandalized. She turned to Daenerys and waved her hand to get her attention. "Your brother is mean and needs to learn what being nice is" she said once Daenerys had caught her eye.
He used to be nice, Daenerys thought.
"What's this?"
"It's a gift. I had it made for you."
"Dothraki rags? Are you going to dress me now?"
"Please."
"This stinks of manure. All of it."
"Shocking! I wonder why it does" Yara drawled sarcastically. She wanted to throttle this 'prince' with her bare hands.
[He throws it on the ground and stomps on it.]
"Stop - stop it."
"You would turn me into one of them, wouldn't you? Next, you'll want to braid my hair."
"You've no right to a braid. You've won no victories yet."
"You do not talk back to me!"
[Viserys hit Daenerys, as he mounts her to keep hitting her, she fends him off with a chain.]
"You are a horselord's slut. And now you've woken the dragon..."
"I am a Khaleesi of the Dothraki! I am the wife of the great Khal and I carry his son inside me. The next time you raise a hand to me will be the last time you have hands."
They all cheered for her, or the version of her they were watching. Daenerys felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up to see Rhaegar looking angry.
Had she displeased him by fighting back?
"Men like Viserys who try to hurt others don't know how to act when people fight back. Next time he tries to hit you, you hit back. Understood?"
"I-"
"He will deserve it and it might teach him a thing or two about reality."
Daenerys nodded her head, lowering it right after with a frown. She felt a hand on her head not long after and a ruffle of her hair.
"I'm proud of you for standing up, you know. You're no one's slut, you're the blood of the dragon. Remind him of it, remind them all of it."
Daenerys nodded her head with a small smile.
[Scene changes to a jousting. The first pass takes its course with no contact. On the second pass, the Mountain's joust strikes Ser Hugh in the neck, causing a massive splinter, and his blood gushing out. This occurs directly in front of where Sansa is sitting.]
There was a round of gasping from the people gathered, mostly those who were not used to or had never been to a joust before. The younger ones looked mortified.
"Such things happen in jousts all the time" Catelyn tried telling a very panicked Bran and Sansa. She goes on trying to console them, but Ned is having none of it. It couldn't be a coincidence that Ser Hugh just ended up dead after Ned tried to speak to him. No, he was silenced and Ned would bet his life on it.
[In Eddard's quarters, Cersei enters.]
"My Lord, Her Grace the Queen."
"Your Grace."
"You're missing your tournament."
"How proper of our sister to go and invite the Hand to the festivities" Tyrion said playfully to Jaime.
"We both know she's probing around to test Lord Stark" Jaime rolled his eyes.
"Test?" Joanna questioned.
"To see whether she can use him or not" Tyrion clarified. "Our sister tends to do that with any new instalments in the castle or the council."
"She likes to run the ship," Jaime said with a tight smile.
"Putting my name on it doesn't make it mine."
"I thought we might put what happened on the Kingsroad behind us – the ugliness with the wolves. And forcing you to kill the beast was extreme. Though sometimes we go to extremes where our children are concerned. How is Sansa?"
"She likes it here."
"The only Stark who does. Favours her mother, not much of the north in her."
"There's enough of the North in her. It will show in time" Lyanna smiled at her niece.
Sansa smiled back, but she wasn't sure whether having the North in her was such a nice thing. She preferred the way she was, perfect and beautiful. The North was… not that in her eyes.
"What are you doing here?"
"I might ask the same of you. What is it you hope to accomplish?"
"The King called on me to serve him and the realm, and that's what I'll do until he tells me otherwise."
"You can't change him. You can't help him. He'll do what he wants, which is all he's ever done. You'll try your best to pick up the pieces."
Robert grunted in displeasure, but he did not dispute it. Not even he thought he could be saved or changed at this point.
"If that's my job, then so be it."
"You're just a soldier, aren't you? You take your orders and you carry on. I suppose it makes sense. Your older brother was trained to lead and you were trained to follow."
"No, I taught him all he needed to learn to lead if the need ever arises. Which it did. And he has done so admirably." Jon Arryn said with conviction.
Ned smiled at his foster father, while Rickard frowned at his friend. Perhaps he had to thank his friend for that.
"I was also trained to kill my enemies, Your Grace."
"Not well enough apparently" Olenna barked a laugh while Jon Arryn clicked his tongue.
Ned simply sighed.
"As was I."
[Scene changes to an inn along the King's Road. Catelyn is heading back towards Winterfell.]
"I have a feeling things are about to get interesting" Yara whispered to Theon, who frowned at her.
"How?"
"Watch. I can feel it."
"Seven blessings to you, goodfolk!"
"And to you."
"Boy! Bread, meat and beer, quickly."
"Good idea, grandfather. I'm starving. A song while we wait or?"
"Grandfather" Ned snorted. Oh, how Ser Rodrick hated being called old.
"I'd rather throw myself down a well."
"Grandfather may be your last chance if you're heading north. The only music the northerners know is the howling of wolves!"
[Tyrion and Yoren of the Night's Watch enter the inn. Catelyn attempts to hide herself.]
Ned straightened in alarm. If he knew his wife… this was not going to end well.
"I'm sorry, my Lord, we're full up. Every room."
"My men can sleep in the stable. As for myself, I don't require a large room."
"Truly, my lord, we have nothing."
"Is there nothing I can do... to remedy this?"
"You can have my room."
"There's a clever man. You can manage food, I trust? Yoren, dine with me."
"Aye, my Lord."
"My Lord of Lannister! Might I entertain you while you eat? I can sing of your father's victory at King's Landing!"
"Nothing would more likely ruin my supper. Lady Stark! What an unexpected pleasure. I was sorry to have missed you at Winterfell."
"Oh no," Lyanna mumbled.
"Lady Stark."
"I was still Catelyn Tully the last time I stayed here. You, Ser... Is that the black bat of Harrenhal I see embroidered on your coat?"
"It is, my Lady."
"And is Lady Whent a true and honest friend to my father... Lord Hoster Tully of Riverrun?"
"Cat…"
"I'm sorry" Catelyn sunk into herself. Even she knew what she was going to do.
"She is."
"The red stallion was always a welcome sight at Riverrun. My father counts Jonas Bracken amongst his oldest and most loyal bannermen."
"Our lord is honoured by his trust."
"I envy your father all his fine friends, but I don't quite see the purpose of this."
"I do" Tyrion in the hall muttered. Just his luck.
"Ser Frey, how fares Lord Walder?"
"Lord Walder is well, my Lady. He has asked your father for the honour of his presence on his 90th nameday. He plans to take another wife."
"Another at 90?" muttered Daenerys.
"This man... Came into my house as a guest and there conspired to murder my son, a boy of 10. In the name of King Robert and the good Lords you serve, I call upon you to seize him and help me return him to Winterfell to await the king's justice."
[All of the knights draw their swords towards Tyrion.]
