The Birth of Dragons

Benjen Stark

The streets were empty, this late at night no one but the cutthroats and the hagglers were left awake in King's Landing. Benjen had found long ago that he preferred operating during this time. He could do anything, say anything, and none would dare to look for the bodies come morning, they would not know where to look. His contact lived within one of the hovels in this street, and yet she heard everything that happened, for soldiers talked to her, as always. Benjen looks at Lynara and smiles. "You look beautiful as always, my lady." She did as well, with her long brown hair, heart shaped face and green eyes.

Lynara smiles. "And you look as if you need to have shave, my lord. Now enough of these courtesies, you have come for the information I have to offer you, have you not?"

Benjen nods. "As always my lady you are right." He pauses, allowing himself time to drink in her curves and her face, they had been lovers once, he had thought to marry her once upon a time, but something had changed, and now they were friends and confidants. "So tell me, what have you heard?" he eventually asks.

Lynara looks around the hallway, before beckoning him to her room, behind shelves and many other things, once they sit in her room, she speaks. "The Lannisters are arming their men to the teeth."

"The Lannisters, always prepare their men for military matters. This is nothing new." Benjen says dismissively, he should know better by now.

"No, you do not understand Benjen. They are arming them with crossbows, daggers, and swords. It is almost as if they are preparing for some sort of coup." Lynara responds.

That does get his attention, and he fixes Lynara with a level gaze. "How many weapons are they arming themselves with?"

Lynara goes quiet for a moment, a she thinks through what she has heard, and then she responds. "Roughly around three hundred, which is twice as many as they are allowed during peace time."

Benjen snorts. "When have the Lannisters ever cared about that? They make their own laws." He pauses, thinking over this information, wondering exactly how he can convince Ned to act on this without giving things away. "Do you know who is ordering this?"

"The only person who would be mad enough to try and do such a thing. The Queen." Lynara responds, scorn in her voice, she had never liked the Queen, not since that day in the ball room.

Benjen sighs. "Of course. No doubt she thinks that with Ned poking around into Jon Arryn's death, he will discover something or the other that she does not want him to."

"I had thought you'd warned your brother about poking around too openly." Lynara asks.

"I have." Benjen responds, his frustration coming through. "But my brother is of the opinion that he is only doing honest work. He has yet to figure out that such a thing does not exist in King's Landing."

"What will you do, Benjen?" Lynara asks, and Benjen can hear the fear within her voice, he takes her hand.

"I will do what I need to do to ensure my fool of a brother does not get himself killed. But first I must know, what else are the lions doing?" Benjen responds, the thought of any of those golden haired shits trying to lay hand on Lynara drawing anger from him.

As if she can sense his anger, Lynara places their joined hands on her cheek and whispers. "The Queen intends to use Lancel Lannister to remove the King."

"She wants to use one of his own squires against him? How?" Benjen asks, not for the first time, marvelling at the audacity of the lions.

"I am not sure yet, but I know it is going to happen very soon. The Queen is getting nervous." Lynara responds.

Benjen nods. "Rightly so, she has done far too much damage to herself and her family to last long once Robert is gone." He thinks of another boy he knows, and how that child is fairing, he hopes it will not come to war once Robert dies, but he does not know if Cersei will willingly give up power even if meant protecting her children.

"Baelish has been moving." Lynara says, breaking the silence.

Benjen looks at her and asks. "Where has he been going?"

"To his brothels mostly, but also to the parts of the city that not even you would want to venture to. It seems your conversation with Lady Catelyn was a spanner in his plans." Lynara says.

"What was he intending?" Benjen asks.

"That she meet Lord Tyrion in an inn, and take him from there to the Eyrie it seems." Lynara responds. "And as you know, Lord Tyrion arrived back in King's Landing two days ago."

Benjen swears. "The bastard wants war. Does he truly hate my family as much as that?"

Lynara moves closer to him and whispers. "I think it is more that he wants Lady Catelyn to himself. Or if not her, then the Lady Sansa."

Benjen pulls his hand from Lynara's and curls it into a fist. "I should gut the man for the pig he is."

Lynara rests her hand over his then and pulls it close. "But you cannot. He is protected by the Queen, even if she does not like him. Make a move on him now, and you will bring war. That is not what you want now, is it?"

Benjen kisses her hand. "No you are right. I just wish I knew why the man was doing what he was doing, and how he goes about his work without someone figuring this out?"

Lynara nods. "I know Benjen, and I think I know someone who could help you with that."

Benjen looks at her curiously. "If he wanted to, he'd have done so already."

"Ah, but now that I have asked him, he will." Lynara responds, and Benjen sighs, he supposes it is not a bad thing.