Ned shifted Arya slightly against his shoulder only to find that she had drifted off. But the shifting had jolted her awake, making the girl's eyes widen and grip her father's tunic tightly.
"It's alright, you just fell asleep," Ned told her gently.
The girl nodded wiggling out of her father's arms to return to her seat.
Arya's eyes roamed the faces of those around her when she got to her feet. Her father was looking at her with a smile, but there was clear worry in his eyes. Her mother looked at her with a smile, equal parts worry and uncertainty in her eyes. Sansa was curious, Bran was smiling friendly and Robb and Jon were staring at her with nothing but worry. Her aunt was smiling at her, her uncle just staring. Her grandfather was calling her over with a wave of her hand.
Arya shifted on her feet slightly before walking over to the man.
Arya let out a yelp when her grandfather hoisted her up and deposited her on his knee.
"Your grandmother and I had travelled to White Harbour with your father and uncle when they were young, your father was possibly around your youngest brother's age then. On our way back we were set upon by bandits. I fought them off with the men that came with us, and when I looked back to your grandmother, she was standing protectively over your father and uncle and covered in blood. I expected the worst and rushed over. It was not your grandmother's blood. She had picked up a sword that one of our men had used until he was cut down by a bandit and used it to kill the man threatening her and our children. Naturally, your grandmother was devastated by what she had done. She was sobbing, calling herself a murderer over and over again in her shock."
"But she did it to protect father and uncle! How is she a murderer?!" Arya argued.
"I asked her the same thing" Rickard gave Arya a meaningful look. "Just like I'm asking you, how can you be a murderer if all you did was protect yourself?"
Arya stared up at him.
"In this world, you'll always meet men who do deplorable things. They are the monsters, not people who try to protect themselves from harm. Always remember, never curse yourself for protecting yourself no matter what happens."
Arya stared at him in silence for a while before slowly nodding.
"Is it alright if I sit with you?" she asked.
"Of course it is dear" Rickard smiled.
"Did you know about that?" Lyanna asked her brother, watching her niece sitting with her grandfather.
"No. But it wasn't a story for us to know I suppose" Brandon mumbled. "It might be why Mother was so lenient about you training with us."
"Maybe" Lyanna muttered, still staring at her father, who had a sad look in his eyes.
[At the King's Landing catacombs, Varys goes out to see Ned Stark.]
"Another visit? lt seems you're my last friend."
"No, no, many still love you. Sansa came to court this morning to plead for your life."
"On her knees begging for me. Hm! Did you laugh with the others?"
"Ned he's possibly the only friend you have in court right now. Don't bite his head off" Brandon the Elder chastized.
Ned grunted.
"You do me wrong, my lord. Your blood is the last thing l want."
"l don't know what you want. I've given up trying to guess."
"When l was still a boy - before they cut my balls off with a hot knife - l travelled with a group of actors through the free cities. They taught me that each man has a role to play. The same is true at court. l am the master of whisperers. My role is to be sly, obsequious and without scruples. I'm a good actor, my lord."
"That has been proven" Renly muttered, eyeing the Spider. He still doubted that the eunuch was truly loyal to the Realm instead of the Targaryens.
"Huh. Can you free me from this pit?"
"l could. But will l? No. As l said, I'm no hero."
"What do you want? Tell me. No riddles, no stories. Tell me, what do you want?"
"Peace. Did you know that your son is marching south with an army of Northmen? Loyal lad. Fighting for his father's freedom."
"Robb? He's just a boy."
"As were we when the rebellion broke out" Robert made the offhanded comment. "It would be foolish of us to think young Robb can't do something similar to what we did back then."
Ned sighed, running a hand over his face.
Robb felt a little pride build in him at the compliment from the King. But he did not show it since worry had taken over every part of him seeing his father in that condition.
"Boys have been conquerors before. But the man giving Cersei sleepless nights is the king's the late king's brother. Lord Stannis has the best claim to the throne. He is a proven battle commander and he is utterly without mercy."
"Something any good king should have" Stannis grunted.
"A good King should know when to show mercy" Renly argued.
"An able King knows when to show mercy and when to be merciful" Stannis threw back.
"Enough!" Robert glared both his brothers into silence.
"Stannis Baratheon is Robert's true heir. The throne is his by rights."
"Sansa pleaded so sweetly for your life. It would be a shame to throw it away. Cersei is no fool. She knows a tame wolf is more use to her than a dead one."
"You want me to serve the woman who murdered my king, who butchered my men, who crippled my son?"
"We need you to be smart" Lyanna cut in. "Your daughters are in the capital, and one of them is in enemy hands. You need to think about them and not about your honour right now."
"I know" Ned muttered under his breath. "As you can tell, both I and my future self are learning many things."
Lyanna sighed and smiled apologetically at her older brother.
"l want you to serve the realm! Tell the queen you will confess your vile treason, tell your son to lay down his sword and proclaim Joffrey as the true heir. Cersei knows you as a man of honour. lf you give her the peace she needs, and promise to carry her secret to your grave, l believe she will allow you to take the black and live out your days on the Wall with your brother and your bastard son."
"You think my life is some precious thing to me? That l would trade my honour for a few more years of... of what? You grew up with actors. You learned their craft and you learnt it well. But l grew up with soldiers. l learned how to die a long time ago."
"Pity. Such a pity. What of your daughter's life, my lord? ls that a precious thing to you?"
Ned closed his eyes for a moment before opening them once more, biting the inside of his cheek and rolling his tongue over his teeth.
[At Castle Black, Jon Snow and Commander Mormont are having a chat.]
"When does Aemon think you'll be able to use that hand?"
"Soon, he says."
"Good. You'll be ready for this, then. l thought a wolf was more appropriate for you than a bear so l had a new pommel made. It's called Longclaw. Works as well for a wolf as a bear, l think."
"That's the Mormont family blade if I'm not wrong" Renly stated calmly.
"It is" Brandon the Elder nodded. "For Jeor to hand it to you, you have earned his respect and his trust, Jon."
Jon Snow nodded at his uncle's words, a sense of happiness swelling inside of him. For long he had told himself that he would get nothing of value. Ice would fall to Robb and whatever else there was of value would go to Bran and Rickon. He was a bastard after all, what could he get?
So to see him getting a Valyrian Steel of all blades made him happy and excited.
Only for his next thoughts to extinguish it all.
With all the changes, would he still get the sword? The answer was a simple no.
"This is Valyrian steel."
"It was my father's sword, his father before him. The Mormonts have carried it for five centuries. it was meant for my son Jorah. He brought dishonour to our House, but he had the grace to leave the sword before he fled from Westeros."
"My lord, you honour me, but l can't –"
"Oh, you can. And you will. l wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for you and your beast. A bloody dead man tried to kill me, so you'll take it. I'll hear no more about it. ls that understood?"
"Yes, my lord."
"Right. Now, don't think this means l approve of this nonsense with you and Alliser Thorne. That's a man's sword. It'll take a man to wield it."
"I'll apologize to Ser Alliser tonight."
"No, you won't. l sent him to King's Landing yesterday. The hand that your wolf tore off that thing's wrist – I've ordered Thorne to lay it at the feet of this boy king. That should get young Joffrey's attention. And it, uh, puts a thousand leagues between you and Thorne. Now go and put your sword somewhere safe and bring me my supper."
"Guess the dislike for Ser Alliser isn't just a you thing" Robb smirked, elbowing his brother gently.
"He isn't a likeable guy" Jon shrugged with a small smile.
[At the Crossing, Catelyn returns from her conversation with Walder Frey at the Twins, and finds Robb and the others having a meeting in his tent.]
"Well? What did he say?"
"Lord Walder has granted your crossing. His men are yours, as well. Less than the 400 he will keep here to hold the crossing against any who would pursue you."
"Cat… what did you promise him in return?" Ned muttered softly. Wars forged alliances in only one way. He dared to not sneak a glance at Arya or Bran, praying he was wrong.
"What does he want in return?"
"You will be taking on his son Olyvar as your personal squire. He expects a knighthood in good time."
"Not a bad trade" Brandon the Elder muttered.
"Fine, fine. And?"
"And Arya will marry his son Waldron when they both come of age."
"I don't want to marry the son of some craven Lord!" Arya exploded.
"You must! It is to save your father and help your brother" Catelyn explained calmly.
"Bullshit! You could have offered him Bran or Rickon too! He'd have jumped at those offers too!" Arya glared at her mother.
"It is necessary for the war. Your father and I got married in similar circumstances."
"You can't compare father to Late Lord Frey's son!"
"You don't know how good he could be" Ned intervened in support of his wife.
"With how mother talks about the man, how can his son be any better?" Arya scoffed. "She wouldn't have done it if it was Sansa instead of me. A prince for Sansa while a Late Lord's son for me."
"Arya!"
Arya did not look back at her mother, refusing to even acknowledge when her mother called for her.
Ned grabbed her hand when Catelyn went to stand.
"Give her some time to go understand what's at stake here for everyone and she will come around."
Catelyn nodded and relaxed in her seat.
"She won't be happy about that. And?"
"And when the fighting is done you will marry one of his daughters. Whichever you prefer. He has a number he thinks will be suitable."
"l see. Did you get a look at his daughters?"
"l did."
"And?"
"One was – Do you consent?"
"Can l refuse?"
"Not if you want to cross."
"Then l consent."
"Walder Frey played a nice little game here to earn himself some valuable connections" Oberyn chuckled. "All the Riverlands Lords must be on the same thought process."
"What exactly do you mean by that?" Catelyn asked, puffing up in outrage.
"Didn't your father promise his men only if Lord Stark marries you, and Lord Arryn marries your sister?"
"It is not the same!"
"I suppose for you it was not, since you were betrothed to Brandon Stark before Eddard Stark. But you can't argue that it is the case for your sister. Married to a man so much older than she is. But what is a daughter to the ambitions of a father, no?"
"Don't speak as if you wouldn't do the same" Catelyn snapped.
"Things are a little different in Dorne. If my daughters don't approve of it, I won't be marrying them off. It was the same for Elia. Otherwise, she'd be married to a Hightower instead of the Prince."
"Perhaps she'd have lived if she had married that Hightower" Catelyn said, cooly.
"And perhaps your sister would have been kinder to you had you or anyone presumed to ask her about what man she wished to marry" Oberyn cut back, his tone so cold it made many flinch.
Not Catelyn though, she kept her head high and matched his gaze until Ned made her look away.
Oberyn though kept his gaze on the woman.
[Back at Castle Black. Jon goes to see Maester Aemon, finding him cutting meat to serve to the ravens.]
"Sam said you wanted to see me?"
"l did indeed. Perhaps you would be kind enough to assist me. Tell me, did you ever wonder why the men of the Night's Watch take no wives and father no children?"
"No."
"So they will not love. Love is the death of duty. lf the day should ever come when your lord father was forced to choose between honour on the one hand and those he loves on the other, what would he do?"
"He would do whatever was right, no matter what."
Would I? Ned thought. He had already done so, but there was a threat to his daughters' lives now. Would he still hold his honour strong and push on? Consequences be damned?
"Then Lord Stark is one man in 10,000. Most of us are not so strong. What is honour compared to a woman's love? And what is duty against the feel of a newborn son in your arms? Or a brother's smile?"
Jon deflated slightly. A bastard like him, he never thought about marriage and all that. Who would want to marry a bastard after all? And he swore to never fuck a whore or another woman. He didn't want them to get pregnant so one day the child would have to face the life he had.
No, that life he had never thought about because it was simply not for him.
But he did wonder now… what if…
"Sam told you."
"We're all human. Oh, we all do our duty when there's no cost to it. The honour comes easy then. Yet sooner or later in every man's life, there comes a day when it is not easy. A day when he must choose."
"And this is my day? Is that what you're saying?"
"Oh, it hurts, boy. Oh, yes. l know."
"You do not know. No one knows. l may be a bastard, but he is my father and Robb is my brother."
"The gods were cruel when they saw fit to test my vows. They waited till l was old. What could l do when the ravens brought the news from the South: the ruin of my House, the death of my family? l was helpless, blind, frail. But when l heard they had killed my brother's son and his poor son and the children! Even the little children."
Most eyes lowered at the reminder.
"Who are you?"
"My father was Maekar, the first of his name. My brother Aegon reigned after him when l had refused the throne. And he was followed by his son Aerys whom they called the Mad King."
"You're Aemon Targaryen."
"Many forget that because of how long he'd been separated from the rest of his family" Rhaegar smiled sadly.
"I'm a maester of the Citadel, bound in service to Castle Black and the Night's Watch. l will not tell you to stay or go. You must make that choice yourself and live with it for the rest of your days. As l have."
[Across the Narrow Sea, the Dothraki are on the move. Drogo leads them but seems to have fainted. Daenerys rides right behind him.]
"He does not look so good" Jaime pointed out.
[Drogo falls off his horse.]
"And that is worse" Tyrion added.
"He fell from his horse. A Khal who cannot ride is no Khal."
"He's tired, that's all. He needs to rest. We've ridden far enough today. We'll camp here."
"This is no place to camp. A woman does not give us orders. Not even a Khaleesi."
"We'll camp here. Tell them Khal Drogo commanded it."
"You do not command me, Khaleesi."
"This is bad" Rhaegar muttered. Those were clear signs of a conflict about to break out.
"Find Mirri Maz Duur. Bring her to me."
"The witch? I'll bring you her head, Khaleesi."
"Bring her to me unharmed or Khal Drogo will hear why you denied me."
"Perhaps it was the Witch who did it" Varys leaned forward with a friendly smile. "Never trust a Witch's word, Princess. Hardly will they speak true."
"I remember you saying it the first time" Daenerys murmured.
Varys lowered his head. Somehow he had heard it.
[At the Lannister camp, Tywin is presiding over lunch/war meeting.
"Oh, do continue. Didn't mean to interrupt."
"l do hope your savages are going to be of some use, otherwise we've wasted good steel on them."
"The great hairy one insisted he must have two battleaxes. Heavy black steel, double-sided."
"Shagga likes axes."
"When the battle commences, you and your wildlings will be in the vanguard."
Jaime stumbled forward in his seat, his jaw gaping.
"The Vanguard?! Is Father trying to get you killed?!"
"The possibility of that being the case is high" Tyrion bemused with a cup of wine in hand.
"Your father puts some trust in you, act on it and show him your worth" Joanna muttered and rolled her eyes.
"Do I look like someone who can fight to you, Mother?" Tyrion rolled his eyes.
"Then use that head of yours and make sure you survive the fight and bring glory to your name" Joanna snapped, "instead of complaining you should be thinking about how you can use that head of yours, which I am told is as sharp as any. Do you want your father's approval? Do that and he will acknowledge you."
"Acknowledgement! I don't need that from that man!" Tyrion snorted, emptying his cup twice after.
"The vanguard? Me and the tribesmen on the front lines?"
"They do seem rather ferocious."
"Ferocious? Last night a Moon Brother stabbed a Stone Crow over a sausage. Three Stone Crows seized the Moon Brother and opened his throat. Bronn managed to keep Shagga from chopping off the dead man's cock, which was fortunate, but even still, Ulf is demanding blood money, which Shagga and Gunthor refuse to pay."
"Ferocious" Jaime parroted his uncle Kevan's words. "Indisciplined but ferocious. Mother is right, Father is testing you."
"He wouldn't test you like that."
"He would. He has many times" Jaime smiled. "I'm simply a good sword to not die in them."
"And I am half a knife!"
"Use your head Tyrion. Mother isn't wrong about that either."
Tyrion emptied his cup twice more.
"When soldiers lack discipline, the fault lies with their commander."
"Surely there are ways to have me killed that would be less detrimental to the war effort."
"There'll be no more discussion on the matter."
"lt appears I'm not hungry after all. Excuse me, my lords."