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Eddard

It’s the hand’s tourney that’s the cause of all the trouble, my lords," the co’s council

"The king’s tourney," Ned corrected, wincing "I assure you, the Hand wants no part of it"

"Call it what you will,froet two freeriders, three craftsmen, six men-at-arms, a dozen uess This cursed heat had half the city in a fever to start, and noith all these visitorslast night we had a drowning, a tavern riot, three knife fights, a rape, two fires, robberies beyond count, and a drunken horse race down the Street of the Sisters The night before a wo in the rainbow pool No one sees to"

"How dreadful," Varys said with a shudder

Lord Renly Baratheon was less sy’s peace, Janos, perhaps the City Watch should be commanded by someone who can"

Stout, jowly Janos Slynt puffed hion the Dragon himself could not keep the peace, Lord Renly I needforward As ever, Robert had not troubled himself to attend the council session, so it fell to his Hand to speak for hiotten, Lord Hand"

"Hire fifty new et the coin"

"I will?" Littlefinger said

"You will You found forty thousand golden dragons for a chaether a few coppers to keep the king’s peace" Ned turned back to Janos Slynt "I will also give you twenty good swords frouard, to serve with the Watch until the crowds have left"

"All thanks, Lord Hand," Slynt said, bowing "I proood use"

When the Commander had taken his leave, Eddard Stark turned to the rest of the council "The sooner this folly is done with, the better I shall like it" As if the expense and trouble were not irkso Ned’s wound by calling it "the Hand’s tourney," as if he were the cause of it And Robert honestly seemed to think he should feel honored!

"The realm prospers from such events, reat the chance of glory, and the lowly a respite from their woes"

"And put coins in er added "Every inn in the city is full, and the whores are walking bowlegged and jingling with each step"

Lord Renly laughed "We’re fortunate my brother Stannis is not with us Re asked hi, and breathing while he was at it If truth be told, I ofttihter of his He goes to his rim look in his eyes and a determination to do his duty"

Ned had not joined the laughter "I wonder about your brother Stannis as well I wonder when he intends to end his visit to Dragonstone and resume his seat on this council"

"No doubt as soon as we’ve scourged all those whores into the sea," Littlefinger replied, provoking h about whores for one day," Ned said, rising "Until the morrow"

Harwin had the door when Ned returned to the Tower of the Hand "Summon Jory to my chambers and tell your father to saddle my horse," Ned told him, too brusquely

"As you say, my lord"

The Red Keep and the "Hand’s tourney" were chafing him raw, Ned reflected as he climbed He yearned for the comfort of Catelyn’s ar swords in the practice yard, for the cool days and cold nights of the north

In his chambers he stripped off his council silks and sat for a moment with the book while he waited for Jory to arrive The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoh Lords and Noble Ladies and Their Children, by Grand Maester Malleon Pycelle had spoken truly; itYet Jon Arryn had asked for it, and Ned felt certain he had reasons There was soes, if only he could see it But what? The tome was over a century old Scarcely a man now alive had yet been born when Malleon had cos, births, and deaths

He opened to the section on House Lannister once ainst hope that so would leap out at hi their descent back to Lann the Clever, a trickster froendary as Bran the Builder, though far s, Lann was the felloinkled the Casterlys out of Casterly Rock with no weapon but his wits, and stole gold frohten his curly hair Ned wished he were here now, to winkle the truth out of this damnable book

A sharp rap on the door heralded Jory Cassel Ned closed Malleon’s tome and bid hiuard until the tourney is done," he told him "I rely on you to make the choice Give Alyn the command, and make certain the hts, not start theht linen undertunic "Did you find the stableboy?"

"The watchman, my lord," Jory said "He vows he’ll never touch another horse"

"What did he have to say?"

"He claims he knew Lord Arryn well Fast friends, they were" Jory snorted "The Hand always gave the lads a copper on their name days, he says Had a ith horses Never rode his ht them carrots and apples, so they were always pleased to see him"

"Carrots and apples," Ned repeated It sounded as if this boy would be even less use than the others And he was the last of the four Littlefinger had turned up Jory had spoken to each of theh had been brusque and uninforht can be If the Hand wished to talk to him, he should be pleased to receive hiuardseven if said captain was ten years older and a hundred tiirl had at least been pleasant She said Lord Jon had been reading ood for hi son’s frailty, and gruff with his lady wife The potboy, now cordwainer, had never exchanged so much as a ith Lord Jon, but he was full of odd with the king, the lord only picked at his food, the lord was sending his boy to be fostered on Dragonstone, the lord had taken a great interest in the breeding of hunting hounds, the lord had visited a ht all in pale silver with a blue jasper falcon and a ’s own brother had gone with hin, the potboy said No, not Lord Renly, the other one, Lord Stannis

"Did our watch else of note?"

"The lad swears Lord Jon was as strong as awith Lord Stannis, he says"

Stannis again, Ned thought He found that curious Jon Arryn and he had been cordial, but never friendly And while Robert had been riding north to Winterfell, Stannis had rearyen island fastness he had conquered in his brother’s naht return "Where did they go on these rides?" Ned asked

"The boy says that they visited a brothel"

"A brothel?" Ned said "The Lord of the Eyrie and Hand of the King visited a brothel with Stannis Baratheon?" He shook his head, incredulous, wondering what Lord Renly would make of this tidbit Robert’s lusts were the subject of ribald drinking songs throughout the realer than the king, yet utterly unlike hirim in his sense of duty

"The boy insists it’s true The Hand took three guards of it when he took their horses afterward"

"Which brothel?" Ned asked

"The boy did not know The guards would"

"A pity Lysa carried the their best to vex us Lady Lysa, Maester Coleht actually know the truth of what happened to Jon Arryn is a thousand leagues away"

"Will you suonstone?"

"Not yet," Ned said "Not until I have a better notion of what this is all about and where he stands" The ed at him Why did Stannis leave? Had he played some part in Jon Arryn’s ine what could frighten Stannis Baratheon, who had once held Stor on rats and boot leather while the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne sat outside with their hosts, banqueting in sight of his walls

"Bring il I want this ar"

Jory went to the wardrobe "Lord Renly is brother to Lord Stannis as well as the king"

"Yet it seems that he was not invited on these rides" Ned was not sure what to make of Renly, with all his friendly ways and easy smiles A few days past, he had taken Ned aside to show hiold locklet Inside was agirl with doe’s eyes and a cascade of soft brown hair Renly had seeirl re, he had seeaery, he’d confessed, but there were those who said she looked like Lyanna "No," Ned had told him, be Robert, had conceived a passion for a girl he fancied to be a young Lyanna? That struck hi queer

Jory held out the doublet, and Ned slid his hands through the armholes "Perhaps Lord Stannis will return for Robert’s tourney," he said as Jory laced the garment up the back