Ned left the council chamber with a heavy heart and made his way toward the Hand's Tower.
Along the road, carriages and mounted knights continued to pour in through the castle gates, leaving the courtyards in utter chaos.
Watching the shouting crowds, Ned felt an overwhelming longing for Winterfell for the first time.
"Damn Robert. Damn the treasury."
He cursed under his breath as he walked, once again turning his thoughts to the thorny problem of the realm's finances.
But—
"More than six million in debt…"
"Old gods, you might as well hand me over to the Others."
Ned sighed helplessly as he walked on.
He would rather ride beyond the Wall and fight giants than stay in King's Landing, haggling over every last coin.
"Damn Robert."
In the end, the Hand could only curse the spendthrift king once more.
He glanced toward the outer yard and followed the familiar path back to the Hand's Tower.
But just as Ned passed through the gate and entered the inner courtyard, Littlefinger suddenly appeared in front of him.
"Lord Stark, you're going the wrong way. Come with me."
Without waiting for an answer, Petyr turned and headed off in another direction, clearly unconcerned about whether Ned would follow.
And indeed, Ned did.
Uncertain of what Littlefinger was plotting, Ned hesitated only briefly before following him to see what this was about.
Littlefinger led him into a tower and down a winding staircase.
They passed through a sunken courtyard and walked along an abandoned gallery.
On both sides, unused suits of armor stood like silent guards.
These were relics left behind by House Targaryen.
After walking for a while longer, Ned frowned at the dust-covered armor lining the walls and said, "This is not the way to my chambers."
"Did I say it was?" Littlefinger replied without turning around, his tone mocking. "I was planning to lead you to the dungeons, slit your throat, and seal your body into the walls."
He paused, then added, "Lord Stark, we don't have time for nonsense. Lady Catelyn is waiting for you."
At the mention of Catelyn, Ned stopped short.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
"My wife is in the North, in Winterfell, thousands of miles from here!"
Petyr stopped and turned back, studying Ned's face with interest. "Oh? Then I suppose the person waiting to see you is an impostor?"
He looked at Ned for a moment longer, then turned away again.
"I'll say it one last time. Either you come with me, or I'll claim her for myself." With that, Littlefinger strode down the stairs.
Left with no choice, Ned followed, full of suspicion.
They walked on until they reached a cliffside.
Looking at the sky in the fading light of dusk, Ned realized they were already outside the castle walls, and his curiosity only deepened.
When night finally settled in, they reached their destination.
Standing before a rickety three-story wooden building, Ned heard music and laughter drifting from the lighted windows and instantly felt a surge of anger.
"This is a brothel?"
"You drag me all this way just to bring me to a brothel?"
Littlefinger shrugged, completely serious. "Your wife is inside."
Ned could not restrain his fury. He lunged forward, seized Petyr by the collar, and slammed him against the wall.
"Brandon was far too merciful with you!"
At that moment, a familiar voice spoke up. "My lord, please stop. He's telling the truth."
Ned turned, and an unexpected figure came into view.
"Ser Rodrik? What are you doing in King's Landing?"
Ser Rodrik gave a bitter smile and shook his head. "It's a long story, my lord. The lady is waiting for you upstairs."
His words only deepened Ned's confusion. "Catelyn is really here?"
Ser Rodrik nodded firmly.
"My lord, come with me."
With a mind full of questions, Ned followed Ser Rodrik inside. They pushed through the crowded hall and climbed to the third floor.
At the door, Ser Rodrik said, "My lord, I'll wait downstairs. Call if you need me."
Ned nodded and watched him leave.
Then he gently pushed the door open and stepped inside. The moment he entered, he saw Catelyn.
"Ned…"
Without any regard for Littlefinger still standing by the door, Catelyn rushed forward and threw her arms around him.
"Cat?"
Feeling his wife's familiar embrace, Ned said in astonishment, "Why are you in King's Landing? And why are you hiding in a brothel?"
Watching the couple embrace, Littlefinger's smile faltered slightly. He reached out and closed the door.
Catelyn released Ned, glanced at Petyr, and explained, "I needed to see you about something very important."
"As for hiding in a brothel…"
Standing by the door, Littlefinger took over the explanation.
"King's Landing is crawling with eyes and ears."
"Before the council meeting, I received word that Lady Catelyn had arrived."
"With time short and for the sake of secrecy, I had no choice but to hide her here. Otherwise, she would surely have been discovered."
After hearing this, Ned felt even heavier in his heart, a vague sense of dread rising within him.
"What is so important that you had to see me in person?"
Catelyn did not answer immediately. Instead, she looked at Littlefinger and said, "Petyr, I need some time alone with Ned."
Petyr's eyes flickered. He turned and opened the door again. "Don't take too long. The Hand and I need to return soon, or others may grow suspicious."
Catelyn smiled gratefully at him. "I will never forget your help."
Petyr smiled back and nodded. "I'll be waiting downstairs."
With that, he closed the door and went down to the second floor, slipping into another room.
Moving with practiced ease, Petyr crossed to the right side of the room and opened another door, revealing a wooden staircase.
A strange smile curved his lips as he climbed back up to the third floor. The room next to him was where Catelyn and Ned were.
The wooden walls did little to block sound.
Petyr stood quietly, listening as Catelyn explained to Ned why she had traveled so far to King's Landing.
"Ned, I came to tell you about Bran."
"Bran?"
"Listen to me first. Besides Theon, the one who tried to kill Bran was Joffrey. The man called Joel was sent by Joffrey!"
Hearing this, Ned's body trembled. "That's absurd!"
Catelyn had expected his disbelief.
She recounted everything Galon had uncovered, from beginning to end, and then produced the coin purse Roger had delivered.
In an instant, as Ned held the purse embroidered with the crowned stag, his mind roared like crashing waves.
"How could this be?"
"Why would the prince want to assassinate Bran?"
Catelyn said bitterly, "Why else? It must be because of the trial by combat. Winterfell made Joffrey lose face, so he sought revenge at the first chance."
During her long journey from White Harbor to King's Landing, she had pondered again and again why Joffrey would choose to kill Bran.
This was the only explanation she could think of.
But Ned shook his head. "It doesn't add up. That can't be the real reason."
His face was heavy with worry as information churned in his mind. Suddenly, Galon's words echoed again.
"Anyone capable of plotting against the Hand must wield enormous influence over the king. The king himself may even be deeply entangled."
Ned murmured, "In King's Landing, who could have such influence?"
At once, the answer escaped his lips. "The Lannisters…"
He paused, thinking of the council meeting earlier that day. Though no Lannisters had been present, the meeting had revolved entirely around Lannister gold.
He said firmly, "It's the Lannisters."
Catelyn immediately understood. "You mean the queen and the Kingslayer ordered Prince Joffrey to do it?"
Ned drew a deep breath and spoke gravely. "That seems to be the only possibility."
"Before he died, Theon hinted that he had made a deal with the Kingslayer. I suspect they were plotting something that Bran discovered, and that's why they tried to silence him."
"And now, even with Bran in a coma, they still won't let him live."
Catelyn stared at Ned in fear. "Then if you stay in King's Landing, aren't you in great danger?"
"No. Now that I know the truth, the danger is no longer mine. It's theirs."
Ned comforted her and revealed Galon's advice. "Back in Winterfell, Galon suggested that I take control of the City Watch and secure the armed forces of King's Landing."
"As long as I have enough troops to keep the city under control, the queen and the Kingslayer won't be able to stir up much trouble."
"…"
"When you return, write to Heman Tallhart in my name and have him send one hundred archers to join Galon's hundred."
"With two hundred archers stationed at Moat Cailin, no army will be able to march north."
Listening to Ned's plans, Catelyn felt somewhat reassured.
Meanwhile, Littlefinger's smile grew ever wider. 'So you intend to control the City Watch. It seems I'll have to lend you a hand.'
Petyr lingered a little longer. When the two began speaking softly to each other, he quietly left the room.
He made a circuit of the first floor, then returned to the third floor once enough time had passed.
Petyr knocked gently on the door. "Lord Stark, it's about time. We should leave soon."
Catelyn opened the door at the sound and reluctantly said goodbye to Ned.
Before leaving, she turned to Petyr and said, "Petyr, thank you for your help. Please help Ned as you helped me. I will always think of you as a dear younger brother."
Littlefinger nodded, his tone meaningful. "I will."
He looked at Ned. "I only hope Lord Stark won't dislike me anymore."
Ned forced an apologetic smile.
"Well then, my Hand of the King, if you need anything, for the lady's sake, I'll do my best to help."
"Now, we should go."
In high spirits, Petyr turned and led Ned out of the attic.
That very night, accompanied by Ser Rodrik, Catelyn slipped out of King's Landing and began her journey back to Winterfell.
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