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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? It 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 I want."
"I don't know what you want. I've given up trying to guess."
"When I was still a boy - before they cut my balls off with a hot knife -I 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. I 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?"
"I could. But will l? No. As I 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.
"I 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. If you give her the peace she needs, and promise to carry her secret to your grave, I 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 I 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 I grew up with soldiers. I learned how to die a long time ago."
"Pity. Such a pity. What of your daughter's life, my lord? Is 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. I thought a wolf was more appropriate for you than a bear so I had a new pommel made. It's called Longclaw. Works as well for a wolf as a bear, I 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."