[Chapter Size: 3200 Words.]
Third Person POV.
Kingsland.
...
...
"Jon Snow..." Finally, that name came from the mouth of the council. As Ned finally spoke those words, it made everyone at least surprised to hear that name.
But the question was how. What would explain all the secrets uncovered, all the rumors, and how their own secrets were now being heard by everyone in the city? And how had he managed to do that to the King of Westeros? Moreover, how would they explain the roar and the appearance of the monster?
The Hand of the King was forced to name his primary suspect while telling the council everything he knew, hoping they would help him.
But not even Varys had truly heard of anyone in the city with purple eyes. After all, it was a unique color that no one else there would have. The only thing he knew was that his little birds were being taken down one by one within the secret passages.
The entire council simply wanted to catch this Jon Snow. After all, no one there had any love for him when Ned stated that he was the main suspect.
Now that they had the name of the mysterious man who was supposed to have been missing for over eight years and had returned causing chaos, he had drawn the wrath of everyone on the council by exposing all their secrets.
The Queen immediately wanted to say that Eddard Stark was involved, which could be understandable, but no one saw the Hand of the King as an enemy—not yet.
In the end, a large operation was unleashed upon the city, searching for any individual with black hair and purple eyes, claiming that the bastard of Winterfell had tortured the king.
"Go! Go! Go!!" Janos Slynt shouted orders as the men in red began to flood every street of the capital, searching for any suspicious person.
Hooded individuals were violently approached as their hoods were ripped off and they were thrown to the ground.
"Stop this!" A woman shouted, but the soldiers did not stop and entered her house by force, searching for any suspicious person inside the homes.
"You're scaring my baby!" She cried out as a soldier pushed another woman while they searched through the bedroom of another house, ignoring the sound of a child crying.
There was no more hesitation—the order was to search every house. The population was stunned by the abuse from the men, which would only make them more outraged.
"You have no right to enter here!" A common man exclaimed, trying to protect his family like anyone else on those streets.
"Get out of the way!" The guard shouted, pushing him aside.
As the guard was entering that house, a hooded man stood with his arms crossed atop a rooftop, watching everything and looking down with curiosity.
His gaze fell upon several houses along the city streets he could see from there, while the guards continued, and the people screamed, trying to stop them. They weren't just looking for Jon—they were also invading homes and rummaging through people's belongings, stealing anything valuable they found.
"Seems like they've made a rather reckless decision... Would be a shame if the whole city rose up against them long before any war could happen." Jon commented, shrugging it off. This was the path they had chosen to deal with him.
He set it aside and decided to handle this madness later. He simply jumped off the rooftop, falling more than 15 meters before landing on the ground with a small sound from the impact, and began walking as if what he had just done was normal.
A city guard was interrogating a man at that very moment in the street where Jon was passing by, seeking answers about whether he had seen a man with purple eyes.
"I haven't seen him, sir, I swear!" The man muttered.
"Don't lie to me!" The guard shouted, spitting in the face of the frightened man.
It was then that both of them finally noticed Jon's presence, walking nearby with his hood up. The guard immediately let go of the old man and pointed at Jon.
"You! Identify yourself, take off the hood!" he ordered, aiming at Jon.
But Jon simply moved his hand, unwilling to waste time, and the guard was violently thrown back. He slammed his head against the wall and collapsed, unconscious. The old man was terrified by what had just happened, but he had nowhere to run, trapped against the wall.
Jon didn't care and simply kept walking, passing by the old man and the chaos in the city as he made his way toward the Red Keep once again.
Lord Stark was looking out the window of the Hand's Tower at that moment, observing the city. It was clear that he did not approve of this type of operation, but the council had pressured him, and he had been forced to act this way.
"I hope we're doing the right thing..." he murmured, hearing the screams echoing throughout the city.
His gaze returned to the letter he had received from his nephew a week ago, a direct challenge to him. Jon was toying with them.
His thoughts were conflicted. A part of him refused to accept what Jon had become, but another part felt a deep sense of guilt. Perhaps he was one of the reasons behind Jon's wrath. Now, everyone was paying the price for whatever Jon had turned into over these past eight years.
He did not believe Jon could easily raise an army and simply march upon the Seven Kingdoms. But what he was doing here… yes, that was real. Even if he thought Jon was working with someone, the idea that he was acting alone frightened him even more.
What he did to Robert was unthinkable.
And fear began to take hold of him. He feared Jon. He hoped to find him and bring him to justice, but he knew it wouldn't be as simple as ordering men to raid every house and search every corner of the city.
All those strange events… the secrets spreading through the city… the slander against council members… everything pointed to Jon. Besides that, his mysterious appearance and the fact that he had left a letter for him—as if he could enter anyone's chambers unnoticed… or what he had done to Robert… The reports of the monster and the roar… everything was too strange.
Ned knew Jon had some kind of special power because of what had happened in Winterfell. But what he was witnessing now… it was far beyond anything he could have imagined.
A guard knocked on the door.
"Lord Stark, the king has awakened," the voice said from the other side.
Lord Stark, lost in his dark thoughts, nodded quickly, eager to leave that room and rid himself of the worries that haunted him. Without delay, he left the Hand's Tower and made his way toward the main building, where Robert was being treated.
"He's inside. I will leave you alone with him," Barristan Selmy commented as Ned entered the room, knowing that the king would be safe with Lord Stark.
Unsurprisingly, he found his old friend, Robert Baratheon, staring blankly at the ceiling. Occasionally, he moved, but without a tongue, he could only mutter incomprehensible sounds.
"Robert..." Ned stepped closer.
Robert seemed to recognize his voice but still kept his gaze fixed upward. Ned sat beside him, finding the whole situation unsettling and growing even more concerned about his friend's condition.
"I heard that you're doing well, according to Maester Pycelle… after receiving treatment. When you arrived here, you were in a terrible state, but… you already knew that. Robert… and I am sorry."
Ned murmured, while Robert continued looking upward.
"I think this is all my fault... My son... Jon Snow... it was him who did this to you, wasn't it?" Ned said carefully.
Robert seemed fearful in his eyes for an instant.
"We will bring him to justice, don't worry, Robert. Even though he is the child I raised... I did not teach him to act like this. Whatever he has become now..." Ned spoke, ending with a heavy tone.
It was then that Robert finally looked at him. Ned met his gaze... and was left speechless.
Robert's eyes were not the same. There was no longer that warm, friendly look. There was hatred. He looked at Ned as if he were seeing an enemy.
Ned froze, unable to understand what that meant... but if there was anything he could guess at that moment, it was that Robert wanted to kill him.
He could no longer bear to stay there. He left the room a few minutes later, feeling the weight of that gaze.
'Jon told him...' he concluded after everything.
Ned simply turned his head back before leaving, staring at Robert once more, hoping to see a different expression... something that would bring him answers. But no. Robert was still looking at him... the same way.
Upon leaving, a royal guard approached Ned.
"Lord Stark, the Queen wishes to speak with you." Ned frowned, feeling a bit lost, but soon nodded.
"Very well." He followed the guard to the castle gardens along with his personal guard, where he found Queen Cersei, accompanied by another member of the Kingsguard, in a more secluded spot in the middle of the garden.
"You may leave. I wish to speak with Lord Stark alone," she said.
The royal guard bowed and began to walk away. Jory Cassel, who was also there as Lord Stark's guard, withdrew along with the two royal guards, leaving only the two of them.
Ned looked at the queen with a certain suspicion.
"What can I do for you, my queen?" he asked.
"You know, even though your bastard is out there, causing chaos and slandering every member of the council..." she said with a cold voice.
"...You must believe some of his words, don't you?" She threw that into the air, staring at Ned.
"..." He narrowed his eyes but did not reply. He had already expected this kind of provocation.
"I've been wanting to have this conversation with you for some time, Lord Stark... I heard about your searches throughout the city... after Robert's bastards..." she continued, with venom in her voice.
"Those damned children... that he spawned everywhere as if he were some kind of animal," she said.
"..." Ned remained silent.
"Tell me, Lord Stark, what do you know about this?" She looked at him with a cold gaze, seeing only his silence, which irritated her.
"I know your children are not Robert's," Ned simply said.
"And yet, you haven't spoken until now... Curious." She said. She did not seem as desperate as Lord Stark had imagined she would be when confronted with the truth.
"Because we are in the middle of a crisis. The king is bedridden, without a tongue... We are in a crisis, and I cannot simply ignore that and seek even more problems," he said.
After all, he could not imagine a scenario with two crises at the same time, while Jon was still loose causing even more problems for them. That's why he wanted to catch him first and bring him to justice.
"Hahahahaha!" The queen began to laugh.
"Well, this is a bit unexpected... for the famous and honorable Lord Stark," she mocked.
"But tell me... What do you plan to do? After all, the king is dying, and someone must take his place," she asked after stopping her laughter.
This made Ned frown immediately.
"The king is not dying," he retorted.
"Because Pycelle did not give you the right diagnosis. But I tell you... He is dying," she said, with a smile spreading across her face.
Ned watched her, his expression darkening. She seemed to be planning something.
"If that happens, I will stand as Regent of the Realm until Joffrey comes of age," he said firmly.
The Queen's smile grew even wider.
"Yes... I imagine you will," she replied, keeping her thoughts to herself before continuing.
"Anyway, I am leaving. Thank you for today's conversation, Stark," she said simply, walking past him toward the royal guard. She left the garden while Ned stood there, motionless, with Jory approaching him, concerned.
Ned appeared deep in thought, sensing that something terrible was about to happen. He returned to the Hand's Tower with his guards, preparing to send his daughters back North and ready himself for the worst.
The Queen, on the other hand, went straight to Robert's chamber. Upon arriving, she dismissed all the Kingsguard, leaving herself alone with him. She approached the bed, and her eyes met his.
Cersei could not hold back a broad smile upon seeing him in that state.
"Look at you... The great demon of the Trident... Reduced to a man without a tongue, unable to wield your hammer. You will die a failed king," she said with disdain.
Robert immediately lifted his gaze. He looked at her, and hearing those words made him recall Jon mocking him in the middle of the forest. He immediately seemed to want to rise and strike her, but he could not, due to his weakened state.
"Hahaha... You can't even get out of bed anymore... Oh, how wonderful it is to see you like this!" She laughed, full of rancor, before continuing, finding amusement in being there with him in this condition.
"I have always hated you, Robert... Since the day you spoke that northern whore's name when we first lay together. You scorned me. I told myself that I would hate you from that day on and never give you a child," she said, while Robert could do nothing but listen.
"But now... Now I can say all these things. I want you to die hearing this. After all, soon you will die... and you won't be able to say anything."
She smiled as she saw the fear beginning to appear in Robert's eyes, his mind clouded by her words.
"You know... those rumors that Joffrey, Tommen, and Myrcella are not your children?" she said, leaning in a bit closer.
"Well... They're true. They are truly my children... and Jaime's. After all, I always made sure never to conceive a child of yours. I preferred to have children by my own brother..." she confessed, admitting the incest.
Robert trembled even more upon hearing that. It was one thing to suspect... Or for Jon to claim it before cutting out his tongue... But now hearing it from his own wife...
Robert Baratheon had never felt such disgrace.
"I just wanted you to know that I always took care to never bear your seed, and I even drank moon tea a few times to kill any fetus I suspected was yours. Meanwhile, I bore my children as true Lannisters... Strong and pure little lions. Soon, Joffrey will take your place on the throne. So, goodbye, Robert. I hope you die knowing all of this."
She said simply, making Robert groan in rage, seeming to go mad as his face turned red and his eyes trembled with the desire to kill Cersei, but he lay there, unable to rise.
Seeing this, she retrieved something from within her dress – a small vial. She took advantage of Robert's groaning, his mouth open, and poured the contents inside, wearing a satisfied smile, as if she were doing the most pleasurable thing in the world.
Robert immediately began choking on the liquid, his strength fading as he lay there, still conscious. Cersei gave him one last look before turning and walking away, her dress swaying as if she were leaving the scene of a great victory.
Now, all she needed was to get rid of Lord Stark, place Joffrey on the throne, and deal with that Jon Snow causing havoc in the forest once and for all—though she would say in a much more radical manner. Even so, she was quite pleased that the bastard had left Robert in that state.
Meanwhile, Robert could not move, but he was there... beginning to die. His eyes trembled with rage, hatred, and fear. He was in complete despair.
He had never thought his life would end this way.
"I can't imagine how you must be feeling right now." Suddenly, a new voice emerged from within the room.
Robert's eyes shifted, trying to find the source of the sound, but his head could not turn. That was when he saw... A figure approaching, entering from somewhere other than the door.
His anger and fear surged even more when he recognized who it was.
It was none other than Jon.
"You know... With a wife like the one you had, I wouldn't even have needed to do anything to see you die," Jon said, briefly glancing at the door. Then, he returned his gaze to Robert, staring at him.
"I told you, didn't I? I told you that you were being deceived all along... That the very people you trusted would be the ones to kill you." Jon mocked him, giving a small, sarcastic smile.
"Isn't it fun to see you dying this way?" He stepped a little closer.
"Anyway, I delayed your fate until this point because I didn't want you to die at her hands without knowing who I was... And why I was here," he said, his voice calm, though he seemed to be enjoying himself.
"Now you know the truth. You'll die knowing that bastards will try to usurp my family's throne after you. At the same time, you will die betrayed on all sides. I heard your younger brother left the city just now... Seems like he's running away. And you're here... Alone. You can't trust anyone.
I think that's the best punishment anyone could ever receive." Jon paused and let out a soft sigh.
"It's a shame I couldn't kill Jon Arryn... Since he was involved in the schemes to bring down the Targaryens as well." He shook his head with mild frustration but soon turned his gaze back to Robert.
"Anyway, King Robert Baratheon, First of His Name... This will be the last time we see each other. Good luck... and safe journey to the world of the dead." Jon spoke, and then he stepped away.
He could have been more cruel. He could have ripped Robert's soul apart if he wanted to, but he acknowledged that the king had only fought his battles. Robert had not personally killed any of Jon's siblings. He had mocked his family and paid for it in the forest, so now Jon would let the King of Westeros die there.
Robert did not deserve to have his soul tortured or to be denied an afterlife. Jon knew that. That's why he simply left the room while Robert began to die.
From that moment on, his fate was sealed.
-------------Nexts Chapters ----------------
Chapter 89 - The Despair of Cersei Lannister.
Chapter 94 - Dealing with Cersei Lannister.
Chapter 104 - Discussions at Tully Castle.
Chapter 113 - You Must Take me as Your.
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