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"I did not keep count More than one, for a certainty His squire would fetch him a fresh skin whenever he required it"

"Such a dutiful boy," said Varys, "to make certain His Grace did not lack for refreshment"

Ned had a bitter taste in his mouth He recalled the two fair-haired boys Robert had sent chasing after a breastplate stretcher The king had told everyone the tale that night at the feast, laughing until he shook "Which squire?"

"The elder," said Ser Barristan "Lancel"

"I know the lad well," said Varys "A stalwart boy, Ser Kevan Lannister’s son, nephew to Lord Tywin and cousin to the queen I hope the dear sweet lad does not blame himself Children are so vulnerable in the innocence of their youth, hoell do I re Ned doubted that he had ever been innocent "YouDaenerys Targaryen Whatever arrangements you made, I want unmade At once"

"Alas," said Varys "At once may be too late I fear those birds have flown But I shall do what I can, my lord With your leave" He bowed and vanished down the steps, his soft-soled slippers whispering against the stone as heNed across the bridge when Lord Renly eor’s Holdfast "Lord Eddard," he called after Ned, "a moment, if you would be so kind"

Ned stopped "As you wish"

Renly walked to his side "Send your e, the dry es of the spikes that lined its bed

Ned gestured Tomard and Cayn bowed their heads and backed away respectfully Lord Renly glanced warily at Ser Boros on the far end of the span, at Ser Preston in the doorway behind theency? Has my brother named you Protector?" He did not wait for a reply "My lord, I have thirty hts and lords Give me an hour, and I can put a hundred swords in your hand"

"And what should I do with a hundred swords, my lord?"

"Strike! Nohile the castle sleeps" Renly looked back at Ser Boros again and dropped his voice to an urgent whisper "We et Joffrey away from his mother and take hi holds the kingdom We should seize Myrcella and Tommen as well Once we have her children, Cersei will not dare oppose us The council will confirm you as Lord Protector and arded hiods may spare him If not, I shall convene the council to hear his final words and consider the matter of the succession, but I will not dishonor his last hours on earth by shedding blood in his halls and dragging frightened children from their beds"

Lord Renly took a step back, taut as a bowstring "Every ives Cersei another moment to prepare By the time Robert dies, it may be too latefor both of us"

"Then we should pray that Robert does not die"

"Small chance of that," said Renly

"Soods are merciful"

"The Lannisters are not" Lord Renly turned away and went back across the

By the time Ned returned to his chambers, he felt weary and heartsick, yet there was no question of his going back to sleep, not now When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die, Cersei Lannister had told hi if he had done the right thing by refusing Lord Renly’s offer He had no taste for these intrigues, and there was no honor in threatening children, and yetif Cersei elected to fight rather than flee, he ht well have need of Renly’s hundred swords, and er," he told Cayn "If he’s not in his chambers, take as many men as you need and search every winesink and whorehouse in King’s Landing until you find hi him to me before break of day" Cayn bowed and took his leave, and Ned turned to To tide Have you chosen the escort?"

"Ten men, with Porther in command"

"Twenty, and you will co He wanted sohters

"As you wish, m’lord," Tom said "Can’t say I’ll be sad to see the back of this place I onstone when you turn north I need you to deliver a letter for onstone, aryen had a sinister repute

"Tell Captain Qos to hoist ht of the island They may be wary of unexpected visitors If he is reluctant, offer hiive you a letter to place into the hand of Lord Stannis Baratheon No one else Not his steward, nor the captain of his guard, nor his lady wife, but only Lord Stannis himself"

"As you command, m’lord"

When To at the flame of the candle that burned beside hirief overwhelodswood, to kneel before the heart tree and pray for the life of Robert Baratheon, who had been more than a brother to him Men would whisper afterward that Eddard Stark had betrayed his king’s friendship and disinherited his sons; he could only hope that the gods would know better, and that Robert would learn the truth of it in the land beyond the grave

Ned took out the king’s last letter A roll of crisp white parcholden wax, a few short words and a smear of blood How small the difference between victory and defeat, between life and death

He drew out a fresh sheet of paper and dipped his quill in the inkpot To His Grace, Stannis of the House Baratheon, he wrote By the ti these past fifteen years, will be dead He was savaged by a boar whilst hunting in the kingswood

The letters seemed to writhe and twist on the paper as his hand trailed to a stop Lord Tywin and Ser Jaiht rather than flee No doubt Lord Stannis ary, after the murder of Jon Arryn, but it was i at once with all his power, before the Lannisters could march

Ned chose each ith care When he was done, he signed the letter Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell, Hand of the King, and Protector of the Real wax over the candle flaency would be a short one, he reflected as the wax softened The new king would choose his own Hand Ned would be free to go hoht a wan shter oncewith Robb, to watch Rickon at play He wanted to drift off to a dreaht around his lady, Catelyn

Cayn returned as he was pressing the direwolf seal down into the soft white wax Deser Ned thanked his guards and sent them away

Lord Petyr was clad in a blue velvet tunic with puffed sleeves, his silvery cape patterned with ratulations are in order," he said as he seated hi lies wounded and near to death"

"I know," Littlefinger said "I also know that Robert has named you Protector of the Real’s letter on the table beside him, its seal unbroken "And how is it you know that, er said, "and you have just confirer "Damn Varys and his little birds Catelyn spoke truly, the man has some black art I do not trust hier leaned forward "Yet I’ll wager you did not drag ht to discuss the eunuch"

"No," Ned admitted "I know the secret Jon Arryn was murdered to protect Robert will leave no trueborn son behind him Joffrey and Tommen are Jaime Lannister’s bastards, born of his incestuous union with the queen"

Littlefinger lifted an eyebrow "Shocking," he said in a tone that suggested he was not shocked at all "The girl as well? No doubt So when the king dies"

"The throne by rights passes to Lord Stannis, the elder of Robert’s two brothers"

Lord Petyr stroked his pointed beard as he considered the matter "So it would seem Unless"

"Unless,to this Stannis is the heir Nothing can change that"

"Stannis cannot take the throne without your help If you’re wise, you’ll ave him a stony stare "Have you no shred of honor?"

"Oh, a shred, surely," Littlefinger replied negligently "Hear me out Stannis is no friend of yours, nor of mine Even his brothers can scarcely stoive us a new Hand and a new council, for a certainty No doubt he’ll thank you for handing him the crown, but he won’t love you for it And his ascent will mean war Stannis cannot rest easy on the throne until Cersei and her bastards are dead Do you think Lord Tyill sit idly while his daughter’s head is measured for a spike? Casterly Rock will rise, and not alone Robert found it in hi as they did hiotten the siege of Storm’s End, and the Lords Tyrell and Redwyne dare not Every on banner or rose with Balon Greyjoy will have good cause to fear Seat Stannis on the Iron Throne and I promise you, the realm will bleed

"Now look at the other side of the coin Joffrey is but twelve, and Robert gave you the regency,and Protector of the Realm The power is yours, Lord Stark All you need do is reach out and take it Make your peace with the Lannisters Release the Iirl to Prince Tommen, and your heir to Myrcella It will be four years before Joffrey coe By then he will look to you as a second father, and if not, wellfour years is a good long while, h to dispose of Lord Stannis Then, should Joffrey prove troublesome, we can reveal his little secret and put Lord Renly on the throne"

"We?" Ned repeated

Littlefinger gave a shrug "You’ll need someone to share your burdens I assure you, my price would be modest"

"Your price" Ned’s voice was ice "Lord Baelish, what you suggest is treason"

"Only if we lose"

"You forget," Ned told hiet this" He drew the dagger and laid it on the table between theonbone and Valyrian steel, as sharp as the difference between right and wrong, between true and false, between life and death "They sent a man to cut er sighed "I fear I did forget, iveto a Stark" His mouth quirked "So it will be Stannis, and war?"

"It is not a choice Stannis is the heir"

"Far be it from me to dispute the Lord Protector What would you have of me, then? Not my wisdoet yourwisdom," Ned said with distaste "I called you here to ask for the help you promised Catelyn This is a perilous hour for all of us Robert has nah, but in the eyes of the world, Joffrey is still his son and heir The queen has a dozen knights and a hundred h to overwheluard And for all I know, her brother Jai even as we speak, with a Lannister host at his back"

"And you without an ar it sloith a finger "There is small love lost between Lord Renly and the Lannisters Bronze Yohn Royce, Ser Balon Swann, Ser Loras, Lady Tanda, the Redwyne twinseach of thehts and sworn swords here at court"

"Renly has thirty uard, the rest even fewer It is not enough, even if I could be certain that all of theold cloaks The City Watch is two thousand strong, sworn to defend the castle, the city, and the king’s peace"

"Ah, but when the queen proclai and the Hand another, whose peace do they protect?" Lord Petyr flicked at the dagger with his finger, setting it spinning in place Round and round it went, wobbling as it turned When at last it slowed to a stop, the blade pointed at Littlefinger "Why, there’s your answer," he said, s "They follow the man who pays thereen eyes bright with mockery "You wear your honor like a suit of armor, Stark You think it keeps you safe, but all it does is weigh you down and make it hard for you to move Look at you now You knohy you summoned me here You knohat you want to ask me to do You know it has to be donebut it’s not honorable, so the words stick in your throat"

Ned’s neck was rigid with tension For a ry that he did not trust hiht to make you say it, but that would be cruelso have no fear, ood lord For the sake of the love I bear for Catelyn, I will go to Janos Slynt this very hour and old pieces should do it A third for the Coht be able to buy them for half that , he plucked up the dagger and offered it to Ned, hilt first