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It was the king’s voice that put an end to itthe king’s voice and twenty swords Jon Arryn had told theood battlefield voice, and Robert had proved the truth of that on the Trident He used that voice now "STOP THIS MADNESS," he boomed, "IN THE NAME OF YOUR KING!"

The Hound went to one knee Ser Gregor’s blow cut air, and at last he calared at Robert, surrounded by his Kingsguard and a dozen other knights and guards past Barristan Selo," Robert said, and as quickly as that, it was over

"Is the Hound the champion now?" Sansa asked Ned

"No," he told her "There will be one final joust, between the Hound and the Knight of Flowers"

But Sansa had the right of it after all A few moments later Ser Loras Tyrell walked back onto the field in a siane, "I owe you my life The day is yours, ser"

"I am no ser," the Hound replied, but he took the victory, and the champion’s purse, and, for perhaps the first time in his life, the love of the commons They cheered him as he left the lists to return to his pavilion

As Ned walked with Sansa to the archery field, Littlefinger and Lord Renly and some of the others fell in with theer was saying "I swear the boy planned the whole thing Gregor has always favored huge, ill-tempered stallions with more spirit than sense" The notion seemed to amuse him

It did not amuse Ser Barristan Selmy "There is small honor in tricks," the old man said stiffly

"Solds" Lord Renly suy, an unheralded commoner from the Dornish Marches, won the archery co Ser Balon Swann and Jalabhar Xho at a hundred paces after all the other bowmen had been eliminated at the shorter distances Ned sent Alyn to seek hiuard, but the boy was flush ine and victory and riches undreamed of, and he refused

The melee went on for three hours Near forty hts and new-ht with blunted weapons in a chaos ofon each other as alliances for The victor was the red priest, Thoros of Myr, asword He had won htened the htened Thoros The final tally was three broken liers, two horses that had to be put down, and more cuts, sprains, and bruises than anyone cared to count Ned was desperately pleased that Robert had not taken part

That night at the feast, Eddard Stark was reat while Robert was in high good huhters were behaving Jory brought Arya down to join them, and Sansa spoke to her sister pleasantly "The tournahed "You should have co?"

"I’ a huge purple bruise on her leg

"You must be a terrible dancer," Sansa said doubtfully

Later, while Sansa was off listening to a troupe of singers perform the complex round of interwoven ballads called the "Dance of the Dragons," Ned inspected the bruise hi too hard on you," he said

Arya stood on one leg She was getting much better at that of late "Syrio says that every hurt is a lesson, and every lesson makes you better"

Ned frowned The man Syrio Forel had come with an excellent reputation, and his flamboyant Braavosi style ell suited to Arya’s slender blade, yet stilla few days ago, she had been wandering around with a swatch of black silk tied over her eyes Syrio was teaching her to see with her ears and her nose and her skin, she told hi spins and back flips "Arya, are you certain you want to persist in this?"

She nodded "To to catch cats"

"Cats" Ned sighed "Perhaps it was a mistake to hire this Braavosi If you like, I will ask Jory to take over your lessons Or I ht have a quiet ith Ser Barristan He was the finest sword in the Seven Kingdoms in his youth"

"I don’t want theers through his hair Any decent ive Arya the rudiments of slash-and-parry without this nonsense of blindfolds, cartwheels, and hopping about on one leg, but he knew his youngest daughter well enough to know there was no arguing with that stubborn jut of jaw "As you wish," he said Surely she would grow tired of this soon "Try to be careful"

"I will," she pro to her left

Much later, after he had taken the girls back through the city and seen them both safe in bed, Sansa with her dreams and Arya with her bruises, Ned ascended to his own chambers atop the Tower of the Hand The day had been warm and the room was close and stuffy Ned went to theand unfastened the heavy shutters to let in the cool night air Across the Great Yard, he noticed the flickering glow of candlelight froht Down by the river, the revels were only now beginning to dwindle and die

He took out the dagger and studied it Littlefinger’s blade, won by Tyrion Lannister in a tourney wager, sent to slay Bran in his sleep Why? Why would the dant Bran dead? Why would anyone want Bran dead?

The dagger, Bran’s fall, all of it was linked sout, but the truth of Jon’s death remained as clouded to him as when he had started Lord Stannis had not returned to King’s Landing for the tourney Lysa Arryn held her silence behind the high walls of the Eyrie The squire was dead, and Jory was still searching the whorehouses What did he have but Robert’s bastard?

That the ar’s son, Ned had no doubt The Baratheon look was stamped on his face, in his jaw, his eyes, that black hair Renly was too young to have fathered a boy of that age, Stannis too cold and proud in his honor Gendry had to be Robert’s

Yet knowing all that, what had he learned? The king had other baseborn children scattered throughout the Seven Kingdoed one of his bastards, a boy of Bran’s age whosefostered by Lord Renly’s castellan at Storm’s End

Ned rehter born in the Vale when Robert was scarcelylord of Storm’s End had doted on her He used toafter he had lost interest in thefor coirl would be seventeen or eighteen now, he realized; older than Robert had been when he fathered her A strange thought

Cersei could not have been pleased by her lord husband’s by-blows, yet in the end ithad one bastard or a hundred Law and custoirl in the Vale, the boy at Storm’s End, none of them could threaten Robert’s trueborn children

His s were ended by a soft rap on his door "A ive his na

The visitor was a stout man in cracked, hspun, his features hidden by a cowl, his hands drawn up into voluminous sleeves

"Who are you?" Ned asked

"A friend," the cowled e, low voice "We must speak alone, Lord Stark"

Curiosity was stronger than caution "Harwin, leave us," he commanded Not until they were alone behind closed doors did his visitor draw back his cowl

"Lord Varys?" Ned said in astonish hiht trouble you for a drink?"

Ned filled two cups with suht have passed within a foot of you and never recognized you," he said, incredulous He had never seen the eunuch dress in anything but silk and velvet and the richest damasks, and this man smelled of sweat instead of lilacs

"That was my dearest hope," Varys said "It would not do if certain people learned that we had spoken in private The queen watches you closely This wine is very choice Thank you"

"How did you get past uards?" Ned asked Porther and Cayn had been posted outside the tower, and Alyn on the stairs

"The Red Keep has ways known only to ghosts and spiders" Varys s, ’s Hand, and the king is a fool" The eunuch’s cloying tones were gone; now his voice was thin and sharp as a whip "Your friend, I know, yet a fool nonethelessand doo They had hoped to kill hi the melee"

For a moment Ned was speechless with shock "Who?"

Varys sipped his wine "If I truly need to tell you that, you are a bigger fool than Robert and I a side"

"The Lannisters," Ned said "The queenno, I will not believe that, not even of Cersei She asked hiht, in front of his brother, his knights, and half the court TellRobert into thein his gut The eunuch had hit upon a truth; tell Robert Baratheon he could not, should not, or ood as done "Even if he’d fought, ould have dared to strike the king?"

Varys shrugged "There were forty riders in the melee The Lannisters haveand bones breaking and Thoros of Myr waving that absurd firesword of his, who could name it murder if soon and refilled his cup "After the deed was done, the slayer would be beside hi So sad Yet no doubt the gracious and compassionate ould take pity, lift the poor unfortunate to his feet, and bless hi Joffrey would have no choice but to pardon him" The eunuch stroked his cheek "Or perhaps Cersei would let Ser Ilyn strike off his head Less risk for the Lannisters that way, though quite an unpleasant surprise for their little friend"

Ned felt his anger rise "You knew of this plot, and yet you did nothing"

"I coht have come to me earlier"

"Oh, yes, I confess it And you would have rushed straight to the king, yes? And when Robert heard of his peril, ould he have done? I wonder"

Ned considered that "He would have daht anyway, to show he did not fear them"

Varys spread his hands "I will make another confession, Lord Eddard I was curious to see what you would do Why not come to me? you ask, and I must answer, Why, because I did not trust you, my lord"

"You did not trust me?" Ned was frankly astonished

"The Red Keep shelters two sorts of people, Lord Eddard," Varys said "Those who are loyal to the realm, and those who are loyal only to theht beso I waited to seeand now I know, for a certainty" He sht little smile, and for a in to comprehend why the queen fears you so ht to fear," Ned said

"No I a makes use of me, but it shames him A most puissant warrior is our Robert, and such a manly man has little love for sneaks and spies and eunuchs If a day should come when Cersei whispers, ‘Kill that , and ill s for spiders" He reached out and touched Ned with a soft hand "But you, Lord StarkI thinkno, I knowhe would not kill you, not even for his queen, and there may lie our salvation"

It was all tooso much as to return to Winterfell, to the clean simplicity of the north, where the enes beyond the Wall "Surely Robert has other loyal friends," he protested "His brothers, his--"

"--wife?" Varys finished, with a sh, but hating the queen and loving the king are not quite the sa, are they? Ser Barristan loves his honor, Grand Maester Pycelle loves his office, and Littlefinger loves Littlefinger"

"The Kingsguard--"

"A paper shield," the eunuch said "Try not to look so shocked, Lord Stark Jaime Lannister is himself a Sworn Brother of the White Swords, and we all knohat his oath is worth The days when ht wore the white cloak are gone to dust and song Of these seven, only Ser Barristan Selmy is made of the true steel, and Selmy is old Ser Boros and Ser Meryn are the queen’s creatures to the bone, and I have deep suspicions of the others No, my lord, when the swords come out in earnest, you will be the only true friend Robert Baratheon will have"

"Robert must be told," Ned said "If what you say is true, if even a part of it is true, the king must hear it for himself"

"And what proof shall we lay before hiainst the queen and the Kingslayer, against his brothers and his council, against the Wardens of East and West, against all the ht of Casterly Rock? Pray, send for Ser Ilyn directly, it will save us all some time I knohere that road ends"

"Yet if what you say is true, they will only bide their time and make another attempt"

"Indeed they will," said Varys, "and sooner rather than later, I do fear You arethem most anxious, Lord Eddard But ether we may be able to forestall them, you and I" He rose and pulled up his cowl so his face was hidden once ain When you see me next at council, be certain to treat me with your accustomed contempt You should not find it difficult"

He was at the door when Ned called, "Varys" The eunuch turned back "How did Jon Arryn die?"

"I wondered when you would get around to that"

"Tell me"

"The tears of Lys, they call it A rare and costly thing, clear and sweet as water, and it leaves no trace I begged Lord Arryn to use a taster, in this very rooed him, but he would not hear of it Only one as less than a , he told ave him the poison?"

"Some dear sweet friend who often shared meat and mead with him, no doubt Oh, but which one? There werehed "There was one boy All he was, he owed Jon Arryn, but when thefled to the Eyrie with her household, he stayed in King’s Landing and prospered It always gladdensrise in the world" The as in his voice again, every word a stroke "He ht new armor, with those crescent moons on his cloak A pity he died so untimely, before you could talk to him"

Ned felt half-poisoned hih" Wheels within wheels within wheels Ned’s head was pounding "Why? Why now? Jon Arryn had been Hand for fourteen years What was he doing that they had to kill hi out the door