Winter's Promise

6th Month of 298 A.C. King's Landing

Lord Eddard Stark

His daughter was dead, by the gods old and new, his daughter was dead. He could not believe it, the words were not sinking in, they were just there staring at him, goading him into some form of anger or rage, but he did not know what to do. Ned felt as if a hole had formed in his heart, he felt as if he was bleeding out in more ways than one, Arya was dead and she was not coming back. The words were there on the page, writ in Cat's hand, the writing was shaky, and it seemed his wife had been crying, he wanted to cry, but he did not know how to anymore. He felt as if his whole world had fallen apart, his little girl was dead. He had had to tell Sansa and Bran that their sister was dead, Sansa had cried, and Bran, why Bran had merely looked at him and asked why. Ned had told them what their mother had written, hunters, bandits had taken Arya's life, what he did not say was that he knew just who it was that had done the deed. He had known from the moment he had read the letter, this was his punishment for killing the Dustins and the Ryswells, for killing Brandon's child, the gods had come to take their due from him, and he wanted to scream. Ned had done so many things, so many things to ensure that his family was safe, that Lyanna's child was kept safe, and that he did not know why the gods had decided to take Arya. He wanted to scream, he wanted to return north and destroy the fools who had dared hurt his girl, who had taken her from him, and yet he knew he could not. There was too much going on within King's Landing, there was too much happening, too much that needed his attention and he hated himself for that. Hated himself for having to remain here in this city of vipers, there was too much bearing down on him. That these fools had finally come out of the wood to begin their war, as he knew they would, it riled him, it angered him that they were coming back. He had thought he had dealt with them, but it seemed that the dark wolves were coming back, as he had known they would know. He had thought they would not, but now they were, and it worried him, by the gods it worried him. He cursed himself for ever finding that piece of paper written by Willam Stark, so many years ago, it seemed that there was too much darkness coming back into the world and there was not enough that he could do to stop it. And now, he needed to speak with the eunuch, a man he was half convinced that the man was trying to trick him into revealing more about his plans than he wanted to.

"So tell me my lord Varys, what precisely is it that you thought needed my attention so desperately, that we needed to meet here?" Ned asks, gesturing at the darkness of the tunnels.

The eunuch looks at him a moment and then says. "There are rumours going around the court that you have been looking into a certain bastard in the street of steel my lord hand."

Ned looks at the man and says. "You mean you have heard that I am looking into the bastard. Do not play coy with me Varys, we both know that none have been speaking about it. And if they have it is only because I wanted them to speak of it."

The eunuch chuckles then. "That is true my lord. Sometimes I forget that you are your father's son and not Jon Arryn's lap dog anymore."

Ned stiffens then. "Mind what you say Varys, Jon Arryn was a good man, he did what needed to be done to ensure that the kingdoms survived Robert's spending and Lannister greed."

The eunuch looks at him somewhat bemused. "My pardons my lord hand. I forget that the man was something to you. He was always just another lord playing the game when I knew him. So tell me, why are you looking into this bastard?"

Ned looks at the man, unsure of whether or not to tell him the complete truth, nothing, or a part truth. He knows that Varys would not completely believe him if he said a part truth, and truth be told he thinks that he has had enough of lurking in the shadows. And so he says. "I am looking into the bastard because there is something important about him, there would be no other reason as to why Jon Arryn and Stannis Baratheon would look into him so intently."

"I would be careful my lord hand. The bastard did cost Jon Arryn his life and forced Stannis Baratheon to flee back to Dragonstone." Varys says.

"So it was because of him then that Arryn died?" Ned enquires.

"I did not say any such thing." The eunuch responds.

"Yes you did, I am not hearing things Varys. Now tell me what you mean." Ned growls.

The eunuch titters nervously. "Well my lord, as I am sure you know, Lord Arryn ventured to the forge where the boy is, firstly on his own, after I told him where to look. He wanted to know why there was some sort of disparity between the king's children and his bastards."

"What sort of disparity?" Ned asks.

"Surely you have seen how the crown prince has black hair and green eyes, and yet the other two children have blond hair. That is not normal for the Baratheons, they have always had black hair and blue eyes." Varys responds.

"Other than the time when Gowen Baratheon's son was born with blond hair and blue eyes similar to what Prince Tommen and Princess Myrcella have Varys. So why did you point the former hand toward Gendry?" Ned asks.

"Because the answers to what the former hand of the king wanted were there with the bastard and his master. Whether they are still there I am not sure, but it was there at the time. And as such I felt that the former hand needed to know about it." the eunuch responds.

"And what precisely was this thing that Lord Arryn wanted to know so desperately. I do not think he would have looked askance at the royal children considering his own son does not look quite like him, despite the Arryn traits. I think there is more to this, so why not merely tell me, instead of playing the games you so like to play." Ned says calmly.

The eunuch titters then. "Oh but that would not be half as fun my lord hand. Surely as an expert of this game, you can appreciate why I must do what I do. If I give the game away now, where would the fun be?"

Ned can feel his patience beginning to wear, can feel his anger that he has been fighting to keep at bay ever since learning of Arya's death growing. "Do not test my patience Lord Varys. Either tell me of your own free will, or I will make you tell me." he growls.

The eunuch titters. "Oh come now my lord hand that would not be honourable. And we both know that no matter how hard you play the game, you cling to honour, like you are a fish out of water."

That is an old taunt, one that Brandon used to use against him, he is not surprised that the eunuch knows about it, but he does not like the feeling that that is dredging up. He moves closer toward the eunuch and growls. "Do not test my patience Varys. Tell me what it was that truly interesting to the former hand about the bastard, or I will make you wish that you had."

The eunuch looks at him and something must show in his face for the eunuch's face appears scared. "I… very well then my lord hand, I shall tell you. For there is no point in hiding it now. Not when you are clearly coming so close to finding out the truth for yourself."

"Do not speak in riddles man, tell me the truth now." Ned growls.

The eunuch sighs. "Very well then, I shall, but I do not know if you will approve of what I am about to tell you."

"Try me and see." Ned growls.

"As I am sure you are aware, King Robert is the blacksmith's apprentice's father. What you do not know, or might know is that, Delora Hill is the mother." the eunuch says.

"What? The king's mistress is the boy's mother? Then why is the boy not at court like the other children these two have had?" Ned asks.

"No, not her, there was another Delora Hill, except her name was not that then." the eunuch responds.

"What was her name then?" Ned asks.

"Margot Lannister." the eunuch says.

"The wife of Titus Peake?" Ned asks surprised.

"The one and the same." Varys says.

"Then, why has Robert never claimed the child as he did with Edric Storm?" Ned asks.

"Because he never knew about him. As far as he was aware, Margot Lannister never gave birth to a child, and later when it came time for his marriage to the Queen he went about it all in fun. Forgetting about the events that had led up to the boy's birth." the eunuch responds.

"What do you mean by that?" Ned asks.

"Margot Lannister comes from a branch of House Lannister that is senior to the Queen's branch, and yet it was reduced to nothingness when Lord Damon Lannister came to the throne of the Rock. As such, any relationship with her would mean King Robert would need to agree to a binding of some sort to ensure that he did not abandon her should she have a child." the eunuch says.

With a sense of growing dread, Ned thinks he knows where this is going. "So, he agreed to this binding, knowing he was going to get married to the Queen?" Ned asks feeling sick.

"No, this was during the war, when Margot's father came to fight alongside him during the war." the eunuch says.

"Tywald Lannett." Ned says remembering. "He was a man who would not take no for an answer. So Robert got involved with this woman, whilst fighting to get Lyanna back. All for what?"

"Information and sex I presume my lord hand. Your friend is not the good soul he pretends to be. He could have been a good king, but I do believe he loved your sister." the eunuch responds.

Ned snorts. "He has a strange way of showing it."

"Regardless, a child was born, and then Margot Lannister's brother gave the child to my caring and then I had to make sure it was safe for the child to disappear. Robert Baratheon never knew of the child, and the child only barely remembers his mother." the eunuch says.

"How do you know that?" Ned asks.

The eunuch smiles sadly then. "There are some things that even you should not know my lord hand. Regardless, Lord Arryn no doubt died because of what he had discovered, the Queen found out some time ago, and has made sure that the boy never learned of anything. Her father does not know, but I think now you have been looking into him soon enough he will."

Ned exhales, feeling a deep sense of weight on his shoulders. "So the boy is the Baratheon heir to the throne, if one follows this binding, which the faith would do, if they were made aware of it."

"Yes, quite the problem for you now isn't it my lord hand." the eunuch says.

Ned feels shocked then. "I do not know what you are speaking of my lord."

The eunuch laughs, a deeper sound. "Oh come now my lord hand, do not insult my intelligence. I am not a fool, I know you did not come back empty handed from Dorne. That there was a babe who came with you. Prince Rhaegar and your sister were gone for a long time, long enough for a child to be born. Especially, if the prince did not have a son from his first wife."

Ned says nothing he merely stares at the man, and so the eunuch continues. "There was a lot going on than my lord hand. And I credit you for taking out so many of my little birds within the north, but you did not get them soon enough. I know all too well about little Jon, or Prince Aegon as it were. And furthermore I know all about the issues that you had with your brother's bastard."

"I do not know what you speaking of my lord." Ned says, making to head out of the chamber, but the eunuch's voice stops him.

"Do not lie my lord hand. We both know that despite your years spent practising it, you are not as good at it as you would like to be. And certainly, not as good as your father or brother was." the eunuch says.

Ned turns back and looks at the eunuch. "What do you want?" he barks.

The eunuch looks at him innocently and merely says. "I want the true king restored to the throne. I do not want the Baratheons to continue sitting where they should not sit. The question I have, is can you stomach it. Killing your friend and his children? Can you deny the rule of law in this case?"

Ned feels something akin to horror run through him then, all his hard work, everything, could it be brought down by this cockless man? He would not like to think so, but then the treacherous voices that had so often plagued him as a child come crawling back, Brandon telling him he is too honourable for his own good, that he would never survive in their world. He pushes that voice away and looks at the eunuch. "I will do what is necessary. Robert was not recognised as king by many. He took the throne by force not by right."

"And you helped him do that. You helped him on the throne my lord hand. Do not forget that." the eunuch says.

"I did not. I did not think he would take the throne, he never discussed it until after the sack." Ned says defensively.

"Oh the lie, the lie is there. We both know that is not true my lord hand, so how will you go about bringing your nephew back from the shadows?" the eunuch asks. "Will you see him kill the ones your friend calls his children? Or what will you do?"

Ned stares at the man, anger growing within him. "I will do what needs to be done my lord Varys. And I suggest that you do the same."

"Well, make sure that you make the right choice my lord hand. We would not want something bad to happen to you." the eunuch responds.

Ned snorts, then turns and walks out of the tunnels, taking a deep breath when he comes to the light, the eunuch's words haunting him. He walks as if in a trance back to the tower of the hand, his mind awhirl with all kinds of possibilities. He worries, he worries and he worries. Things are going well, but the revelation of Gendry's parentage, who his mother is, that is something that is really worrying. He does not know what to do, there is a part of him that is urging himself onto to tell Robert, to make him aware of this, the larger part of him is warning himself against that, saying rightly so, that that would do no good. Gendry would be slain almost immediately from the get go if he told anyone. He walks back to the tower of the hand, seeing Bran and Summer playing with one another, he smiles briefly, and then remembers that he will need to make sure his men and the city watch are ready for what needs to happen. He must see Robert slain, he must, but it will not be easy for him. He closes his eyes and stops, breathing in the air, gods what has become of him? How has he fallen so far? He does not know, and he thinks that he does not want to know the answer. He opens his eyes and enters the tower, the prison he has made for himself. He walks up the stairs to his solar, and sits down. It does not take long before there is a knock on the door, he calls for whoever it is to enter, and finds himself looking at Jory. "What is it Jory?" he asks.

"There was a letter from Lord Baelish my lord." the man says walking over to him and handing the letter over. Ned takes it and reads it.

He groans once he is done. "So the man wants to make the bid now then does he? Well tell him no. And tell him if he ever dares make this bid again I shall speak to the king. In fact, I might just go and speak with the king now." Ned goes to stand, but stops when Jory speaks.

"I do not think that would achieve much my lord. The king left for a hunt not one hour ago. It seems he has had an argument with the Queen." Jory says.

Ned looks at Jory and feels something like led sinking into his stomach. He knows what that means, had been planning on something like this himself for some time. "Where are the royal children?" he asks.

"With the Queen." the man responds.

"Get my children here, and make sure the men are ready." Ned says.