"Neo… can I trust you?"
Robert's sudden shift to dead-serious mode caught Leo off guard. For a second he had no idea where this was coming from.
Still, he answered with a straight face and steady voice. "Your Grace, I swore my loyalty to you the day I arrived. Of course you can trust me."
"Good." Robert's eyes lit up. "Come on. Forget Tommen for today. Follow me."
He led Leo and Varys through the winding corridors of the Red Keep until they reached a quiet chamber inside Maegor's Holdfast. Robert posted the Kingsguard outside with strict orders: no one comes in, no matter who.
"Sit." Robert poured two cups of wine—one for himself, one for Leo—then looked at the ever-silent Varys. "Tell him about the Targaryens."
Varys gave a small nod and laid it all out: the last two children of the Mad King, Viserys and Daenerys, had been spotted alive in the Free Cities across the Narrow Sea.
The second Leo heard it, he knew exactly why Robert had pulled him into this room.
He wants me to go kill them.
Sure enough, the moment Varys finished, Robert leaned forward, voice low and edged with steel.
"Neo, if you're truly loyal to me… then while you're in Essos, I need you to deal with those two. Dead or alive. Doesn't matter."
The easy-going drunk king was gone. This Robert was cold, dark, and deadly serious.
"And this stays between us. Some people think sending assassins after two runaway children is dishonorable." He snorted. "What a joke. Those two are a walking threat to the entire Seven Kingdoms. They could drag Westeros back into war and chaos."
"They only see 'honor.' They don't see how hard it's been to keep the peace these last fifteen years. They don't see how many smallfolk finally have roofs over their heads and food on the table. If those Targaryen brats grow up and start breeding more 'royal-blooded' heirs, it'll be the end of everything. I won't let that happen."
"Neo, from the first day you walked into King's Landing, I saw something in you. You're honest. You're brave. You understand the bigger picture. That's why I'm giving you this mission. You'll prove I wasn't wrong about you… won't you?"
For a moment Leo almost believed the speech. Robert sounded like a king who actually cared about his realm.
If Leo had been some wide-eyed loyalist, he might have swallowed every word and marched off ready to die for the greater good.
But Leo had watched the show. He knew how this story really ended.
Even if he murdered Viserys and Daenerys tomorrow, it wouldn't stop the war coming to Westeros. The real fuse had already been lit—by Robert himself.
Robert had started a rebellion because the woman he loved was taken from him. He ignored the wife he married for politics, drove her into her brother's bed, and never once realized that none of "his" children were actually his. Littlefinger was already pulling strings in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to blow the whole thing wide open and start the War of the Five Kings.
And Robert's own rebellion had taught every ambitious lord one very dangerous lesson: with no dragons left, anyone with enough swords and balls could seize the Iron Throne.
Killing two kids in Essos wouldn't fix any of that.
Still, when your king looks you in the eye and flat-out asks for this, you don't say no if you want to keep breathing.
So Leo kept his face perfectly serious and nodded. "As you command, Your Grace. I'll handle it."
Robert's whole face lit up like a kid who just got exactly what he wanted. He laughed, pulled Leo into a crushing bear hug, then gripped both his shoulders.
"By the Seven! When you come back I'll have a huge surprise waiting for you. You won't be disappointed."
Leo answered with a firm, knightly tone. "Serving you is my duty, Your Grace."
Robert grinned wide. "Good, good, good!" Then his voice dropped again. "Remember—once you walk out that door, I know nothing about this. Whatever you do is on your own. Understood?"
"Do it clean."
"I understand perfectly," Leo said.
Of course. You want the dirty work done, but you don't want the stain on your precious reputation.
Even a big, loud oaf like Robert had learned how to play the game after fifteen years on the Iron Throne.
As for the "huge surprise," Leo figured it was probably another chunk of land or a title. Whatever. He'd deal with it later.
"Varys!" Robert turned to the Spider, who had stayed quiet the whole time. "Your little birds in Essos will support Neo in secret. No mistakes."
"As you command, Your Grace." Varys bowed smoothly, then looked at Leo. "Lord Neo, you will have my full cooperation."
Robert clapped Leo on the shoulder one last time. "All right, I won't keep you. Go get ready. If you need anything, tell Varys. I'll make it happen."
"Yes, Your Grace."
Leo bowed and left the room with Varys right behind him. The heavy door clicked shut, sealing the secret inside.