"What in the Seven Hells is going on?" the King roared. "Such a thing happening in my own yard!"
"You, you, you, and the rest of you, leave. Too many people aren't needed here." The King pointed at the others in the room, and the guards all departed, leaving only a handful of people.
King Robert, Ser Barristan, the White Knight captain, Lord Renly, the master of laws, Eddard, and Littlefinger. The study was suddenly left with only five people.
"What's wrong with that Child of yours, Eddard? I don't recall him being such an impulsive person." The King looked at Eddard.
"I accuse Lord Petyr's past words of damaging my honor. I demand strict punishment by law," Eddard said with righteous indignation. "Furthermore, I beg Your Majesty's forgiveness for Jon's impetuosity."
"Is that so?" The King frowned. He remembered Littlefinger as a jester, and such a harmless character might indeed be prone to loose talk.
"My royal brother, I am often on the Small Council, and if I am not mistaken, I recall Lord Petyr often boasting in this manner, claiming he took the virginity of two Tully ladies. Of course, these words were never spoken in front of Lord Jon, but many in The Red Keep must have heard them. Strictly speaking, this is indeed an offense." Lord Renly suddenly stepped forward and said.
Littlefinger was startled. In the past, Lord Renly often echoed his sentiments at court, but he never expected Lord Renly to be the first to stab him in the back at this moment. This was normal; in Lord Renly's eyes, a Duke's value was far greater than a master of coin.
Ser Barristan remained silent. This matter was indeed peculiar, but politics, sometimes, truly did not require logic.
"Is that true, Lord Petyr?" The King looked at Littlefinger coldly, like an enraged bull.
"Please forgive me, please forgive me." Littlefinger knelt on the ground and stopped arguing. Littlefinger first kowtowed to Eddard, then to the King.
Littlefinger was terrified. He suddenly sensed a crisis. The money and power he relied on were themselves dependent on other powers.
Strength was strength; it could suppress everything. The Eddard of the past had fallen into his own trap, but once Eddard escaped this mental snare, he would not consider too much.
Blood flowed from Littlefinger's head where he had kowtowed. King's Landing was not his foundation; The Eyrie was safer. Lysa, that foolish woman.
"Petyr, you really should control your mouth. Lord Jon's magnanimity is his character, and Lord Eddard also has the right to be angry. Lady Catelyn is Lord Eddard's wife, and also Little Jory's fiancée's mother. Lady Lysa is Lord Jon's widow. Neither of them are people you can criticize, much less spread rumors about." The King looked at Littlefinger, then abruptly dragged Littlefinger's body up.
The King's massive body and Littlefinger's slender body contrasted like the sun and stars.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!" The King slapped Littlefinger's cheek several times. Although the King was now bloated and fat, the short burst of strength was still immense.
Littlefinger felt a kaleidoscope of colors explode and saw various symbols dancing in the sky.
"I was spreading rumors, Your Majesty." Littlefinger cried, awaiting the judgment of fate.
"We are friends, Lord Eddard, for old times' sake." After catching his breath, Littlefinger began to apologize to Eddard again. But Eddard remained silent.
"Renly, how should this situation be handled?" The King asked Lord Renly.
"Spreading rumors and slandering the reputation of a high official, if it were an ordinary citizen, their tongue should be cut out. But Lord Petyr is also a high official, so it's better for Your Majesty to decide." Lord Renly pondered deeply and finally gave an ambiguous answer.
"Then I will speak. For today's matter, I think you, Eddard, can also be satisfied. Eddard, control your son and don't let him be so impetuous. As for Littlefinger, you will keep the position of master of coin, but you don't need to return to the master of coin's mansion for now. There's a place more suitable for you: The Red Keep's dungeon. When you learn to control your mouth, then you can come out." Robert announced the final decision.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." Littlefinger felt as if he had received a great pardon. As long as he kept himself and his tongue, there would be a time for him to rise again. He saw the hesitation in Eddard's heart, wavering between leaving and staying. If the King again kindly offered to mediate, Eddard would surely choose to stay in King's Landing.
"As long as you stay, that will be your death, Stark." Littlefinger thought fiercely.
"Thank you for Your Majesty's wisdom." Eddard mused. He hated himself, hated that he lacked that relentless wildness. His honor still constrained him, and precisely because of this, he chose to compromise again.
"Let's go, Lord Petyr." Renly looked at Littlefinger. Someone would take him to where he belonged.
"Then I thank you." Littlefinger had escaped, and now he finally had a bit of spirit.
"Think carefully, Stark." The King looked at Eddard. Although his anger had not completely subsided, his attitude had softened.
A moment later, the King and his entourage left, and the farce came to an end.
"My Lord, the ships we need." Jon looked at Eddard.
"This matter, for now, let's put it aside. That Brothel, if I didn't have a lead, I wouldn't want to go, but Littlefinger gave me a lead, so I think it's best if I go." Eddard sighed.
"But, but if you go again, then we will be delayed..."
"Jon, you are very right, but, but there are some things I cannot let go of." Eddard looked at Jon, suddenly feeling weary from within. His entire life had been one of bearing responsibility. If he simply left, he would truly be letting down his dearest friend... Tonight, King's Landing had rain, a pure blackness covering the land.
The Brothel Littlefinger hinted at was very easy to find, but Eddard had never found it before.
This was a high-class establishment, frequented by princes and nobles. The owner came from the Summer Isles, a tall, elegant lady, as black as ink, dressed in a feathered gown.
Eddard quickly found the 'prey' he was looking for. The girl was indeed not very old, nor was she particularly beautiful.
When it came to women, the King wasn't particularly discerning. Sleeping with women was like eating and sleeping. Beautiful women were certainly welcome, but the King didn't pass up ordinary ones either: tavern maids, servants, women in Brothels.
Eddard looked at the woman. She was, without a doubt, a maiden. In a slightly higher-class Brothel, if one's purse was fat enough, one could always find such a commodity. She had light red hair and a few freckles on either side of her nose. When she unbuttoned her dress to feed the baby, he noticed she also had freckles on her breasts.
"I named her Barra," she said as the Child sucked, "My Lord, she looks so much like him, doesn't she? She has his nose, and his hair..."
"Indeed, very much alike." Eddard had already touched the infant's soft, dark hair, strands like black silk gliding over his fingers. He vaguely remembered that Robert's first Child also had the same fine black hair. That girl had grown up in The Eyrie, and Robert used to play with her often then.
Are all Robert's Children like this? Eddard thought. At least, all the bastards he knew of openly were. Stannis and Lord Arryn were so concerned about these Children, once traversing the streets and alleys of King's Landing.
"My Lord, when you see him, if you are pleased... please tell him, tell him how beautiful she is." The girl's mother pleaded with Eddard, her eyes filled with hope and warmth.
"I will." Eddard promised her, but Eddard felt very troubled. This was his fate. Robert could swear eternal love and forget it all before nightfall, yet a Stark kept his promises. He remembered the promise he made to Lyanna on her deathbed, and the many costs he paid to keep that vow.
"Robert, he is paying the price for his folly." Eddard sighed in his heart. King's Landing was about to be sold to House Lannister, and that Child, the distant bastard, might be sharpening his knives, perhaps no longer craving a normal order of rule, but instead directly leading the Targaryen remnants to start anew.
A son killing his father was a greater tragedy than sibling rivalry. Eddard's heart couldn't help but pound. He knew the story of Winterfell, where a Lord Stark killed his own father, Bael the Bard, and was eventually flayed by House Bolton. No matter what the King did, Eddard could not let kinslaying happen.
"Please tell him I haven't been with anyone else, My Lord. I swear by the New Gods and the old gods. Sarella said I could wait half a year, care for the Child, and see if he would return. So please tell him I'm waiting for him, alright? I don't want gold or jewels, I just want him. He's always been very good to me, truly."
"Good to you," Eddard's thoughts were so empty, but that was only before waking. "Child, I will tell him. I promise you, Barra will never want for food or clothing."
Hearing this, she smiled, a scared yet sweet smile that pierced Eddard's heart.
Riding through the rainy night, Eddard saw Jon Snow following behind, almost a younger version of himself. If the gods so despised bastards, he thought gloomily, then why did they fill men with desire?
"How many is this, Jon?" Eddard asked softly.
"The fourth, My Lord." Jon replied. Eddard was well aware of these Children: one in Storm's End, one Across the Narrow Sea, one in King's Landing, and one in The Eyrie.
"This should be far from all." Eddard thought. From his understanding of Robert, there were so many openly, and probably even more secretly. Arryn and Stannis were so interested in these bastards, which made Eddard ponder carefully.
"I heard there were others. Three years ago, when the King went to the Westerlands for Lord Tywin's Tourney, he had twins with a serving girl from Casterly Rock. Cersei sent people to kill the Children, and their mother was sold to passing slavers. House Lannister couldn't tolerate such a thing happening in their own backyard." Jon stepped forward and said.
Eddard was silent and gloomy. It was truly that one chair that had completely changed everything.
The rain intensified, and Eddard felt a chill enter his body. The heavy rain stung his eyes and pounded on the ground. Black torrents poured down from the hills. At this moment, Jon shouted, "My Lord!" Jon's voice was alert. In an instant, the street was full of soldiers.
"It's the lions!" Jon saw the soldiers, and the situation looked grim.
Jon saw them in ring mail over leather, gauntlets and greaves, steel helmets adorned with golden lions, and cloaks soaked by the rain clinging to their backs. He had no time to count, but there were at least ten, lined up, blocking the way on foot, armed with longswords and Longspears.
Jon turned his horse around. The situation behind them was also dire; there were even more people blocking the way.
Jory's sword clanged as it left its scabbard. "Those who block the way die!"
Jon also gripped his weapon. He felt worried. He wasn't wearing proper armor, and their stamina wouldn't be enough to break through the current danger.
"The wolves are howling." The leader of the opposing group said. Eddard could see the rain running down his face. "Too bad it's just a small pack."
"You are blocking Lord Stark's way." Jon shouted.
"Lord Stark, unfortunately, this is not King's Landing, and Stark is now merely the King's former Hand." The Kingslayer's figure emerged from the crowd. The Kingslayer, in golden helmet and armor, rode a red steed, and the Red Cloaks automatically parted into two rows.
Jaime looked at Eddard, "My Lord, you should know what I'm here to do? Lord Stark, you remember my brother, don't you? He was with us when we went to Winterfell. Golden hair, mismatched eyes, sharp tongue, short stature."
Eddard nodded, "I am very clear. I permitted that matter."
Jaime sneered, "Then I am relieved."
Jaime spurred his horse forward. Jaime drew his gilded longsword and brandished it before Eddard, even wanting to thrust it directly into Eddard's chest, but he didn't.
"Fortunately, my brother is not troubled, but that is not a reason for me to let you go, Lord Stark."
"My brother is back, but I still plan to give you a little surprise." Jaime laughed wildly in the heavy rain, "Kill their horses, kill that attendant. And there's a Child, oh, I remember you, you're Lord Eddard's bastard, and you have a good relationship with my brother. Lad, you have no connection to these matters, get out of here quickly."
Jon remained on his horse, even wanting to charge forward.
"No!" Eddard shouted loudly.
Jon spurred his horse forward. The Kingslayer smiled disdainfully. The Red Cloaks' Longspear suddenly lashed out, directly piercing the warhorse's abdomen. Jon rolled agilely, falling into the mud, fortunately without breaking any bones.
"My Lord, dismount quickly." Jon shouted, holding his weapon, walking towards Eddard. Before this group of Red Cloaks, the warhorses could fall at any moment.
Jory also entered the fray, his steed stomping, but this place was not very suitable for cavalry. Jory only wounded one Red Cloak, and the others surrounded him again.
Eddard rode his warhorse forward, swinging his longsword. He struck at a Red Cloak's helmet, but the impact made him feel uncomfortable. After all, on this day, he had never imagined King's Landing would become a battlefield. Eddard saw the Red Cloaks like ghosts, stabbing with spears and longswords. The Kingslayer didn't even lift a finger himself.
Eddard also noticed the danger. The Red Cloaks didn't seem to want to harm him. His steed was frightened by the spear formation. It was difficult to escape in the muddy ground, and the situation was indeed a bloody storm.
Eddard saw the bright spear formation and quickly dismounted. He even fell into the mud, his body covered in it. Some panicked warhorses fell into the mud. Eddard even saw a horse fall, with a loud thud, and Eddard felt a pang of fear.
"Jory, go!" Eddard shouted loudly. The Red Cloaks swarmed him, first cutting off the horse's legs, then swinging their longswords. Jory died instantly.
Eddard walked over, forlornly holding Jory's body.
"What a poor Stark." Jaime laughed heartily, as the rain continued to fall.
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