"You should drink," she told him.

"I'm not thirsty," Tristan replied, shoving the pillow up a little to get more comfortable on the feather bed, keeping his eyes closed.

"Please, prince, you haven't had a drink all day." He felt the cold pewter of the cup brushing against his fingers and he took it. If she was going to pour it for him. He drained the cup and the cold water was pleasant on his throat. She took the cup and he heard her fill it again from the jug on the mantle before passing it back to him. This time he sipped and the bed sagged as she sat back down with him. He could almost see her leaning in through his closed eyelids. There had been many times throughout the day that he had questioned himself for seeking her out, but every kiss and teasing touch chased away his doubts. He wrapped his left arm around her and pulled her in close and her hands went to his body. "Is that better?"

"Yes," he admitted.

Lucille giggled as she stroked his cheek. "Aren't you the stubborn one. Consider it a favour to me, if you died in my company the gold cloaks would have my head."

"And that would be a pity," he said. She wasn't right of course, the wolf in the corner of the room would kill her before the Gold Cloaks could be summoned. He had wanted to leave Shield in the Red Keep with Sansa and Jeyne, but when he'd refused to take an escort into the city his sister had insisted that Shield come with him at least. He would just have to trust that Lady would protect his sister and forget that he had forsaken her to buy the pleasure of Lucille.

"A very great pity, I quite like my head," Lucille pushed him back down, straddling him.

"And so do I."

"But I think you like it down here, no?" She moved down his body and soon had him moaning again.

She curled up against him after they were done. "When will you be leaving?"

"I do not know. When kings die all itineraries change."

"There are those who think you rid us of the tyrant."

"They're wrong," Tristan said. He hadn't heard the whispers, but the look of the men of the court was enough to tell him that many thought him the assassin. Not that he would blame them. Were Joffrey a guest at his brother's wedding and Robb to be found dead, Tristan would not have waited for a trial to determine Joffrey's guilt.

"A pity, if you were the man, I might offer you more than just a discount."

Perhaps I should claim the kill, see what Lucille will do for that. But his mother had warned him before he came that anyone he didn't know was likely an ear for another.

Before he could answer there was a hammering on the door and before he could call out to ask who was there it burst open and seven men entered, four gold cloaks, two men in Lannister scarlet led by a knight with shoulder length copper hair. "Prince Tristan Stark."

Lucille dived under the covers, Shield leapt onto the bed, fangs bared. Tristan's arm twitched but his sword was against the wall out of reach. So instead he nodded. "Who asks?"

"I am ser Addam Marbrand. Ser Kevan Lannister Master of Laws requests your immediate presence in the Red Keep."

"For what purpose? And how did you know where to find me?"

"One of your northmen has been called as a witness for the day of King Joffrey's murder and an indiscretion has come to light. I know nothing more than that. But you have been summoned. As to how we found you, when we couldn't find you in the keep Lord Varys told us where you would be."

The master of whisperers, how had he known, Tristan had just picked an inn at random? Tristan paid Lucille, who emerged from under the covers, clothed herself and left, not making eye contact with any of them. The men left Tristan to clothe himself and then escorted him to the Red Keep. Shield kept close to him at all times and Tristan prayed that whatever had happened was fixable. There shouldn't have been any problems. They should have gone by now.

They led him to ser Kevan's chambers where ser Kevan sat at his desk and Cley stood rigidly opposed to him and Tristan knew exactly what this was about. "Prince Tristan. Thank you for coming."

"It is no trouble, my lord. I am told that something has happened? Does it concern lord Cerwyn?"

"It does." He explained that he had been interrogating the guests at the wedding feast. "It seems that Daenerys Targaryen left the feast early, as many can attest to. But when I interrogated her she insisted that she was in her chambers and that Lord Cerwyn joined her." Tristan didn't reply, not knowing what Cley had said about how much Tristan knew. "The servants who came to wake Daenerys Targaryen the next day confirm that he was with her, and your sister Sansa has confirmed that she brought Cley to Daenerys' rooms after you had finished eating in the great hall, although she denies knowing what was going to take place there." Kevan fixed Tristan with a stern eye. "Daenerys Targaryen is a ward of the crown. Coupling with her is a crime against the king."

"Oh come now ser Kevan, they are both young and a lot of wine was consumed at the wedding feast. Has Daenerys Targaryen claimed rape?"

"She has not. She has confessed to seeking the coupling."

"Then is there any need to make more of this than an indiscretion. Which I will ensure will not be repeated," he fixed Cley with a stern glare. He could hardly blame Cley, he was much like him. But this situation was thinner than frost ice and he needed to tread very carefully.

"You will ensure it?"

"On my word."

Kevan nodded. "Then there is one other matter. Only hours after the coronation of King Tommen you ordered a rider to leave the city. Why?"

"I felt it was imperative to inform my brother what has happened, and so I sent my best rider on my fastest horse to find and inform him."

"Some might find it suspicious that you send one of your people out of the city the day after the king is murdered."

"Ser Kevan, if King Joffrey died on my order then I am just as guilty as he who swung the blade, yet here I am, still in your power."

Ser Kevan examined him for longer than was comfortable. Did he believe that Tristan had ordered Joffrey's death? But then he shook his head. "Very well, Prince Tristan. For the discretion of Lord Cerwyn recompense will be needed."

"What form of recompense?" Would he demand a pound of flesh?

But it was gold he demanded instead, one thousand gold dragons. In the end Tristan was able to negotiate down to five hundred on the grounds that he could pay five hundred dragons while he was still in the city for any more he would need to send it and it wasn't worth risking a dispute by prolonging this. "And Lord Cley is not to touch Daenerys Targaryen again."

"I understand," Cley said. "What if there are consequences?"

"Pray that there aren't." Kevan warned and nothing more was said of it. Instead he asked "do you know when you intend to leave?"

"I was meant to be gone already. I will wait for my brother to give his orders, by your leave. But if King Tommen wishes us to depart sooner we will do so."

"We still have questions for your party regarding the wedding, but for now you may return to your rooms."

"Then by your leave we shall go to the godswood and I shall reprimand both lord Cerwyn and my sister for their indiscretions."

In the godswood, the three of them knelt before the heart tree of old oak. It was empty, as was expected, but as they were kneeling, Tristan warged into Shield and used his senses to confirm that there was no one nearby before returning to his body, standing and turning to the pair of them, who had the good grace to look guilty. "I want an explanation." When they both opened their mouths to speak he held up his hand. "I do not blame you for bedding the girl, Cley, Daenerys is beautiful and lovely, I want to know why you both lied to ser Kevan. You did not go to Daenerys' room after eating in the great hall, we spent some considerable time in our rooms first."

"I asked him to say that," Sansa said. Lady stood protectively beside her. She glanced around again. "I asked him to, Tristan."

"Why?"

"Because Daenerys is a wonderful person, but the court hates and fears her family name. I couldn't let them pin this on her as an excuse for her murder, so I asked Cley to say we went straight there."

"You think that is likely?"

"You do not know Cersei like I do brother. I think it is beyond likely that she would use her son's death to have Daenerys hanged. If I were still in her grip I think I would hang beside her."

"Would Cersei truly use her own son's death to take revenge on those she hates?"

"To her mind those she hates are responsible for all her ills. It would not be a cold political opportunity to remove her rivals but fire to burn away those she holds responsible."

"And Daenerys is not responsible?"

"No."

Tristan turned to Cley. "And you did attest to Daenerys' story?" He asked Cley.

"I did."

"And you bedded her?"

Cley flushed scarlet and nodded.

Tristan smiled despite the severity of the crime. "You understand we can't take her with us, she is a ward of the southern crown." They both accepted that. "Then until we leave I think it best that you don't speak to her again, certainly not alone. And Sansa, best you remind Daenerys that she will not be able to come with us."

"Daenerys knows that."

"Do you? Sansa, Robb has sent the army home, he needs peace to secure his new regime, all of the Lannister and Tyrell soldiers we took in the war have been released. We are not in a position to fight another war and we cannot give the Lannisters cause by bringing Daenerys to the North, her claim on the Iron Throne makes her a threat that they will not be able to ignore."

"I understand," Sansa said regretfully. The silence that hung in the air around them was heavy. "When are we going home?"

"We have enough gold on hand to support us for another two weeks. If we hear nothing until the fortnight has passed, then we leave, but if Robb commands us to return before then or the Lannisters command our departure then we will go before."

The only possible benefit from this whole affair was that it might give Robb some more time to settle his affairs before Tristan returned with the more vocal lords to add their voices to his woes.

"What was that?" Cley asked?

"What?"

"I heard something."

Tristan dropped to his knees and warged into Shield. He sniffed the air and listened closely, but there was nothing else here, only the smell of the trees and the flowers and the sounds of birds in the sky. One bird landed on the lowest branch of the heart tree. It was a crow, unnaturally black and staring at him. Tristan padded around the clearing but he could feel Shield in his mind hackles raised at the sight of the crow. No matter where he came to rest, the crow was looking at him. Staring.

"Tristan?" Cley called.

He pulled back into his body. "There's nothing here," he said, glancing up at the tree branch to see that the crow was gone, but Shield was still staring where it had been, fangs bared. Tristan hadn't seen Shield act like that since he had arrived in King's Landing and it made him shiver.