Kingslanding, Crownsland
It had been almost a week since they came here, and Ned was already missing home. Greatjon was even more restless. The man was growing more agitated with each passing day and had already caused a few fights. Surrounded by schemers and dishonest men, he was at his wits' end.
Ned had met the small council. Varys and Littlefinger were friendly—Littlefinger was Cat's friend, and they had a brief chat a few days ago. But Petyr's ever-present smile unsettled him. On the other hand, Varys seemed genuine in his words. Stannis was Stannis—always rigid, unbending. As many said, Stannis would break before he bent. He was strict and just, but others hated him for it. He served as the Master of Ships, yet Robert and Stannis did not see eye to eye. Perhaps Robert still could not forgive him for his delay in dealing with the Targaryens several years ago.
The Master of Laws, Renly Baratheon, was absent from the city, and its effects could be seen throughout King's Landing. As for Cersei, Ned had met her only a few times. Their meetings were curt, but he could easily see the disdain in her eyes.
Currently, Ned was walking through the market with Greatjon and a few Northern soldiers. He had been cooped up in the Red Keep for too long, so today, he decided to go out.
"What a fucking place, smelling of shit. Wintercity and Starkhaven are heaven compared to this shithole," Greatjon grumbled.
"Well, according to Aryan, this city was developed without considering future expansion or higher population—not even a proper sewage system. That is why this place smells so bad. We've learned from that mistake and developed our cities to overcome these problems," Ned explained.
"I hope your nephew arrives soon. I'm already tired of this place," Greatjon muttered as they walked.
As they moved through the streets, Ned noticed men dressed in rags, a seven-pointed star carved into their foreheads. They were watching him. Whenever he looked directly at them, they quickly turned away. A feeling of foreboding crept over him.
"Be alert," he told his men, trusting his instincts. "Let's return to the Red Keep."
The Northerners picked up their pace, but fate was against them. Ned was not familiar with the winding streets of King's Landing, and before they knew it, they had reached Baelor's Sept.
Suddenly, they were surrounded.
The followers of the Faith pressed in from all sides. Ned's soldiers quickly formed a shield around him.
"Who dares to attack us?" Greatjon roared, swinging his sword.
"Put your weapon down, Greatjon," Ned ordered. "We are outnumbered. These are fanatics who do not care about their own lives. I didn't know the Faith Militant was still active. Let's try to talk."
Reluctantly, Greatjon lowered his weapon.
Before Ned could say anything, a voice commanded, "Take the faithless Northern lords to the Sept."
The crowd erupted into cries of "False tree gods!" and "Burn the blasphemers!" The Northerners braced themselves as the mob pushed them toward Baelor's Sept.
Then, the same voice rang out again. "We only need the tree-worshiping lords. Kill the others."
The fanatics attacked.
His men resisted valiantly, but one by one, they fell. Soon, only Ned and Greatjon remained. They were dragged inside the Sept and thrown into a circular hall, surrounded by statues of the Father, the Mother, the Maiden, the Crone, the Warrior, the Smith, and the Stranger—the Seven.
Several men stood watch over them.
After a while, a figure emerged—a man dressed in white flowing robes, adorned with expensive jewelry. His flesh rippled beneath the fabric, his cheeks puffed, and his belly round.
The men bowed deeply to him. One of them spoke. "Your Holiness, the blasphemers. How shall we deal with them?"
"We will see about it later—after I speak with the lords," the High Septon replied.
"I didn't know the Faith Militant was active again," Ned said.
The High Septon's face darkened, but he quickly composed himself. "We are not the Faith Militant. We are the defenders of the Faith."
One of the guards kicked Ned from behind. "Address His Holiness with respect."
Ned clenched his jaw, glaring at the man who kicked him. The High Septon merely smiled.
"Why did you kill my men and capture me?" Ned asked through gritted teeth.
"You will be an example to others," the High Septon said. "You do not follow the true gods. You worship trees and pray to non-existent deities. Now you do not even allow the Faith of the Seven in the North. And worse, your pagan religion is spreading across Westeros." His voice rose with fury. "Unacceptable!"
"Anyone can practice any religion in the North as long as they coexist peacefully. Yours did not. The smallfolk follow the Old Gods of their own free will. We do not force them," Ned replied.
"Regardless, the Faith has watched in silence while our people were persecuted and paganism took root under our noses. No more. We are sworn to protect the Faith, and we will do so—starting with you."
The High Septon's smile turned crooked.
"And how do you plan to do that?" Ned asked.
"You will begin by denouncing your Old Gods and embracing the true gods—the Seven—before the people," the High Septon said.
"And?" Ned prompted.
"You will spread the Faith of the Seven in your Northern lands," the High Septon continued.
"And if I refuse?" Ned challenged.
"For your sake, I hope you don't," the High Septon said smoothly. "You have a wife and children. Don't you want to see them again?"
Ned's expression hardened. "First of all, I am a Northerner, and I will proudly follow the Old Gods to my death. Second, you will not get away with this."
"If you think His Grace Robert Baratheon will protect you, you are mistaken," the High Septon said smugly. "He is the Defender of the Faith, and we have ways of keeping him away from this."
Ned narrowed his eyes. "Actually, I was referring to my nephew."
The High Septon scoffed. "The so-called Bloody Wolf? He is just a boy. He will find that this is not a battle he can win easily."
Ned turned to Greatjon. "Now I think I know why Aryan likes only the Stranger among the Seven."
The High Septon frowned at the remark.
Looking back at him, Ned said firmly, "We have nothing more to talk about."
___________________________________________________________________
He hurried toward the Red Keep as fast as he could. His plan had worked so flawlessly. Eddard Cailstark and his bannerman were captured by the Faith—a situation that King Robert could not handle easily in his usual way, which was to smash everything with his hammer. Unless, of course, he wanted to be labeled the second coming of Maegor the Cruel.
If he played his cards right, perhaps Eddard Cailstark could die too, paving the way for conflict.
Petyr had learned from his mistakes, and that was why he was going to meet the King—to be the one to report the capture of his dear friend.
Soon, he reached the King's chambers. The Kingsguard, Ser Barristan Selmy and Ser Jaime Lannister, stood vigil outside. From within, shrieks and grunts echoed.
"Ser Barristan, I need to meet the King. It is a matter of utmost urgency," he told them.
Jaime smirked. "As you can hear from the sounds, His Grace is most busy."
Ser Barristan gave Jaime a disapproving look.
"His Grace would be very angry if he did not hear this," Petyr persisted. Seeing the uninterested expressions on both Kingsguard, he added, "It is a matter regarding Lord Eddard Cailstark and his current capture by the Faith."
That got their attention. Jaime raised his eyebrows while Barristan asked, "Explain?"
"I think it would be better if I explain to His Grace and you hear me there. That way, we can save time," Petyr said. He wanted to tell Robert before Varys did.
Sighing, Barristan knocked and opened the door, leading them inside. Jaime stayed near the entrance, no doubt wanting a view of both the inside and outside.
Seeing unexpected visitors, Robert roared as one of the whores bounced on his cock. "Can a man not even fuck in peace? Barristan, I told you not to let me be disturbed!"
"Forgive me, Your Grace. The Master of Coin brings grave news that I felt definitely needs your attention," Barristan said.
"What is it, Baelish?" Robert said, kneading the whore's breasts while attempting to sit up.
"Your Grace, Lord Eddard Cailstark and Lord Greatjon Umber have been captured, and their men were killed. The Faith has risen and taken them captive. They want them to renounce the Old Gods, follow the Seven, and ensure its spread through the North," Petyr said.
As expected, Robert Baratheon stilled, stunned by the news. Slowly, his eyes turned red, and he roared, "HOW DARE THEY?"
He shoved the whore aside and started dressing. "Kingslayer, get the horses ready!" he ordered Jaime. Jaime Lannister hurried away. Robert hefted his hammer from its stand and stormed outside. The fury in his face was evident, and whoever crossed his path quickly got out of the way.
At the entrance of the Red Keep, they met the rest of the Small Council along with the Queen.
"Robert, we just got news that—" Jon Arryn began.
"Ned and his men have been taken captive by the fucking Faith. I heard that. And I am going to deal with them," Robert declared.
Then, their attention turned to Robert's war hammer. Jon Arryn looked alarmed. "Robert, why are you carrying your hammer?"
"To deal with those fuckers and bring back Ned," Robert said.
"The Faith is taking too much power into their hands. They must be shown the error of their ways," Stannis gritted out.
"I am glad you agree with me, brother," Robert grunted, nodding at Stannis.
"And how do you plan to do that?" Jon asked, looking worried.
"My usual way. I am going to smash them," Robert yelled.
"Robert, you are a king. You need to restrain yourself. Besides, this is not some enemy you can just kill. This is the Faith of the Seven," Jon advised.
"Yes, Robert. You are the Defender of the Faith. If you go against them, you and your legacy—our children—will be cursed by the Seven. You can't just turn your back on the Faith," Cersei argued passionately.
"The King is also the Protector of the Realm. He has a duty to protect his people, even from the Faith," Stannis said. This earned him a dirty look from Cersei and a nod from Robert.
"Robert..." Jon tried again.
Robert stilled and looked at Jon pointedly. "Can you hear yourself, Jon? My best friend Ned—whom you, too, love very much—is at this moment held captive, and you're telling me to stay here and do nothing?"
"No, Robert. I am not saying that. I will negotiate with them. I am sure we can have him back in no time," Jon said encouragingly.
"Then get out of my sight and tell those shits to release him your way. Or I will come and do it my way, even if it earns me the name Robert 'The Cruel'," Robert Baratheon said angrily. Then he walked back inside, saying, "Baelish, bring me wine and whores."
Jon Arryn sighed and turned to the others. "I will go talk with the High Septon. Come with me, Lord Varys."
Varys nodded.
"I will accompany you. The presence of royalty will perhaps do some good," Cersei announced. The unspoken meaning was clear—Jaime Lannister would also accompany them.
"If you would allow me to join you, I believe I could be useful as well," Littlefinger said with his usual smile.
Before Jon Arryn could respond, Cersei replied with a fake smile, "I believe Robert gave you an important task right now. It would be prudent to fulfill it, especially given his current state of mind."
There was a brief flicker in Petyr's smile. Still, he nodded and went away.
The negotiators, meanwhile, proceeded to the Great Sept of Baelor.
____________________________________________________________________
Aryan was awakened from his blissful sleep by a horrible smell. Blearily wiping his eyes, he concluded, We must be nearing King's Landing.
He proceeded with his morning rituals and, after dressing in fresh clothes, went above deck. Lord Manderly and Marwyn were already there. Wyman Manderly seemed to have lost half his weight following Marwyn's advice, as well as due to the tiring journey. But he seemed quite pleased with the results.
"King's Landing is very unique. Unlike other cities, it is the smell of shit that welcomes visitors," Aryan announced his presence.
Everyone on the deck bowed.
"I am quite happy to be back in Westeros. I have missed home," Wyman said.
"You and everyone else too, Lord Manderly," Aryan agreed. "Once I swear fealty to King Robert, we will go back to the North."
"How do you feel about formally taking over your position as the Warden of the North?" Marwyn asked.
"It will give me more freedom. Other than that, nothing else. I have been handling things for many years," Aryan replied.
They continued to talk as the docks came near. Aryan noticed the presence of many troops along the docks.
"Is that normal?" he asked Marwyn.
"We are at the capital. It is normal to have guards around. But I agree—not this much," Marwyn replied.
As soon as the ship anchored, Aryan descended. He felt something was wrong. They were approached by a group of guards led by a tall man with blue eyes and balding black hair.
"That is Prince Stannis," Marwyn whispered.
"Lord Stark. Welcome to King's Landing," Stannis said as he arrived.
Aryan nodded and replied, "Prince Stannis, it is an honor. I am pleased to meet you."
"I wish we could have met under better circumstances," Stannis said.
"I see an unusual number of troops here. Is there something wrong? And where is my uncle? I thought he would be here to greet me," Aryan said.
"Well, that is the problem. I will not waste your time. Lord Eddard Cailstark was yesterday taken captive by the Faith," Stannis said gravely.
"What? The Faith took him and is holding him? Why?" Aryan asked.
"It is not clear. But we believe it is because of the sudden increase in the popularity of the Old Gods south of the Neck, as well as the decrease of faith in the North," Stannis said.
Aryan tried to process the information. The Faith could not have made this decision on their own. The High Septon is a coward from what I know. Somebody played his move.
Lord Manderly asked the question that Aryan had in mind. "And the crown did nothing to rescue Lord Cailstark?"
"Unfortunately, I am not the King. Robert was ready to smash them apart. But the Hand and the Queen disagree. As we speak, they are negotiating with the Faith to release Lord Eddard," Stannis said.
"Do you believe they will succeed?" Aryan asked.
"Religious fanatics are difficult to deal with," Stannis said, grinding his teeth.
"I agree," Aryan said.
He then ordered all his men to wear armor and weapons. Aryan also wore his armor and strapped Frostbite. Keeping fifty men in charge of Lord Manderly to guard the ship in case of emergency, they then proceeded to go with Stannis.
The large party quickly made their way inside. Stannis led them toward the Great Sept.
"I thought we would be going toward the Red Keep to meet the King," Aryan asked Stannis as he saw their route.
"It was His Grace who asked me to take you to the Great Sept. He will be waiting there," Stannis said without turning back.
As they neared the Sept, Aryan saw a large group of men on the steps holding crude weapons. They had the seven-pointed star carved on their foreheads. A large crowd was assembled nearby to watch the proceedings. In the courtyard, King Robert sat in a chair with Ser Barristan and another Kingsguard behind him.
Stannis approached Robert. "Robert, Lord Stark is here."
Robert got up from his seat and immediately hugged Aryan. He said, "I am truly sorry, Aryan. I could not do anything more for Ned. It seems my hands are tied, being the Defender of Faith."
"I understand, Your Grace. Even I agree that this must have been a surprise. The Faith's sudden move has indeed surprised all of us," Aryan told them. He did not share his suspicion with him.
"I am waiting for Jon and Cersei to come back. Let us hope they succeed," Robert said.
"The Faith should not take law into their own hands. If the Master of Laws had been competent, this situation could have been avoided," Stannis added, gritting his teeth.
"Not now, Stannis," Robert said.
"Prince Renly is not here?" Aryan asked.
"He is somewhere in the Reach, playing with his sword," Stannis said.
"Interesting," Aryan replied as he followed Stannis' gaze to the negotiators returning.
As soon as Jon Arryn and Cersei, followed by Petyr, Varys and Jaime, arrived, Robert immediately asked them, "Where is Ned?"
"Calm down, Robert. There have been some complications. But we will get him back soon," Jon tried to assure them.
Aryan's eyes narrowed at that. "You do not seem quite sure, Lord Hand. What is their demand?"
"They want the Faith of Seven to be propagated through the North, as well as for us to abandon the Old Gods. Eddard Cailstark must forsake the Old Gods and embrace the Seven publicly here in King's Landing," Jaime said.
Aryan felt his temper rising. He closed his eyes to calm himself. Then he asked, "Is Uncle Ned alright?"
"He is unharmed. Though I must say, he had some bruises," Jaime said.
"Then I am going to deal with those cunts," Robert bellowed.
Immediately, Jon blocked his path. "Robert, calm down. We will meet with them again tomorrow. I am sure Ned will be alright. You are the Defender of Faith. If you go against the Faith, it will create a bad precedent."
"As much as I like to teach the High Priest his place, I would have to agree with Lord Jon Arryn. You cannot deal with them your way, Robert. It will create problems down the line. When sweet Joffrey ascends the throne, he will have a hard time," Cersei said.
They continued to argue back and forth for some time. Jon Arryn noticed Aryan standing in the sidelines, busy in thought.
"Lord Stark, I am sure you would be tired from your journey. You can rest inside," Jon offered.
Aryan ignored that and asked back, "So you cannot do anything to free my uncle?"
"You must understand, Lord Stark, this is politics. We must reach a peaceful solution. Until then, we cannot do anything," Petyr said.
"I did not ask your opinion, Littlefinger," Aryan told Petyr angrily. He then asked Jon again, "So you cannot do anything from your side to save my uncle?"
"I am sorry, Aryan. This situation will take some time to resolve. Until then, we cannot do anything," Jon said.
"No. You choose not to do anything," Aryan said. "But not me."
Aryan then turned to Robert and knelt before him to take his fealty.
"Your Grace, I, Aryan of House Stark, here swear my fealty to His Grace Robert of House Baratheon, First of his name, Protector of the Realm, Lord of the Andals, First Men, and the Rhoynars. I pledge my undying loyalty to you till my last breath."
The vow was given in front of the whole people of King's Landing.
Cersei said, "I think you did not say the oath correctly, Lord Stark. You must say you will serve Robert and his descendants in perpetuity."
Robert ignored her and lifted Aryan by his shoulders. "I accept your fealty. I hereby formally appoint you, Aryan of House Stark, as Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North."
Cersei scowled behind them. Aryan ignored her and told Robert, "Your Grace, I would like to take care of this problem and save my uncle." He also used confundus charm for added measure.
"I would advise against that. The Faith must be dealt with in a more peaceful manner. Or it will create problems for the King," Petyr added.
"I am not talking to you, Littlefinger. Do not enter your name in my list," Aryan warned him. Since the moment he met Petyr, Aryan's instincts had made him alert. Petyr was more dangerous than he thought. He would have his people look more into him.
"Your Grace, while your hands are tied since you are the Defender of Faith, mine are not. We Northerners do not follow this religion. Please allow me to rescue my uncle. I am ready to take all the blame. This way, you will not have much trouble," Aryan told Robert.
"Now look here, Lord Stark, there is no need for that. Robert, don't do anything stupid," Jon Arryn said, looking worried.
"Go rescue Ned, Aryan. And leave this place for now," Robert said.
"Thank you, Your Grace. I hope we meet again under better circumstances," Aryan told Robert.
Robert Baratheon started to walk back into the Red Keep with Jon Arryn running behind his back to convince him. Cersei too scowled at Aryan and proceeded to follow Robert. Jaime nodded at him and accompanied his sister. Stannis, instead, stayed behind and made the soldiers control the crowd.
The fully armored Northern soldiers assembled behind Aryan. Aryan drew Frostbite from its sheath. All the soldiers behind him did the same. Suddenly, the Faith Militants did not seem sure of themselves and started to shuffle on their feet.
"Did you forget who I am? Did you forget what I did on the Iron Islands and Skagos? I will give you one chance. Step aside. Go home. Let me take my uncle and go back. There is no need to fight. Else, I will not be responsible for your missing limbs, missing heads, or missing souls."
The assembled followers started to look at each other. But a voice from behind, near the doors, shouted, "Followers of Faith, the Warrior will give you the strength. Fight with all your strength. Show these heathens the error of their ways and send them to the Stranger."
This encouraged them a bit, and they started to cheer.
"So be it," Aryan said. He then went into his men's lockstep formation and started to proceed forward. The Northern soldiers moved with precision and calculation, tearing through the Faith Militants easily. Each and every one was killed brutally. The steps leading to the Sept were soaked in blood as the Northern soldiers secured it. Aryan calmly went up and inside the doors. He saw a few of the Septas huddled in a corner and whimpered when his gaze fell on them. Aryan decided to spare them. After all, someone must be left to tell the tale.
By the time he went inside, his men had freed Eddard and Greatjon. He went near them.
"Uncle, I am sorry this happened."
Ned hugged his nephew and replied, "Me too. I did not expect your swearing-in ceremony would lead to this. I wanted to surprise you."
"Well, you did certainly surprise me. But not the way you wanted," Aryan told him jokingly. Then he looked to his men and said, "Take them both to the ship. I will be back soon."
"Words cannot describe how happy I am to see you, Lord Stark. I must truthfully say, for a moment, I was afraid I would be gone," Greatjon said, coming near them.
"I am too glad to see you, Greatjon. Lord Manderly will be at the ship. Go with my men. I will join you soon," Aryan told him.
He watched as both Ned and Greatjon went away. By then, his men had dragged in a kicking and wailing High Septon to him.
"My Lord, we caught him trying to escape through the doors."
"Curse you, savage. The Seven will curse you. May you rot and burn in the seven hells," the High Septon cursed him.
As there was no one to disturb him, Aryan started to access High Septon's mind while he cursed him. The High Septon was very corrupt, having amassed many riches. He was also indulging in sex whenever he could. He preferred young boys most. Since young children were abundant in King's Landing, he could easily get them and use them. But what was more interesting was that the High Septon was a pawn. It was Petyr Baelish who convinced him to capture Eddard. His name is now on Aryan's list.
Getting the information he required, he told him, "Look at you. A High Septon who must be an example to his people, but you are looting their money in the name of religion and fucking young boys. And you attacked my uncle and his men. The last time someone touched one of my family members, their fate was very painful. Such will be yours too."
The High Septon knew what was the Bloody Wolf talking about. The fate of Rodrik Greyjoy.
"I beg you to spare my life. I will take the black. I will leave Westeros." High Septon begged.
He ignored the High Septon's ramblings and told his men, "Rip his tongue out. Crush his hands and legs beyond healing. Pluck out his eyes. Cut his nose and ears. Crush his manhood. But make sure he lives." Then he went out. He went outside. His men had brought all the riches and money from inside the Sept of Baelor. Aryan gathered all the Septas and told them to distribute the money. He also cast a confundus charm on all the Septas so that they would spread how corrupt the High Septon was.
He went outside and, in front of all the assembled people, spoke.
"People of King's Landing. This is not the way I wanted to meet you all when I came here. But the circumstances forced my hand. My uncle was taken captive, and I had to rescue him. I also found that the High Septon was a corrupt person who not only stole your hard-earned money in the name of God, but was also a pedophile."
"Lies!" he heard shouts from the crowd.
"Now, I do not have time to convince you. So I will be giving you all the money in the Sept." He then pointed to the Septas who were coming down with many boxes. "All those boxes contain money that we found hidden inside the Sept. The Septas will distribute the stolen money to you."
He then proceeded to walk toward the ship with his men following him. Thankfully, it seemed that his words had an effect on the crowd. They did not become violent.
_____________________________________________________________________
It had been a few days after they left Kingslanding. After traveling through the Blackwater Bay they had just passed Dragonstone. Currently the Northern Lords were sitting insdie the Aryan's office in the ship.
"While Robert is the same Jon has changed certainly." Ned said nursing a mug of ale.
"Time has an effect on people Uncle." Aryan told him.
"The city has not changed. It smells like shit and is also full of shit." Greatjon mumbled. Everyone laughed.
"Let us leave that topic. How was your journey." Ned asked.
"It had been tiresome but very productive." Aryan said. He then started to give them a brief recounting of his journey.
Aryan showed him the reforged Frostbite. "How is this Uncle?"
Taking the sword into his hands Ned examined the weapon for sometime and passed it to the others. "It is beautiful nephew but still sharp. But where did you get it done."
"I made a detour to Qohor and Pentos." He then told them an altered version of the story. "Now I also got our own blacksmith who knows how to forge Valyrian steel."
"Other than this trade and money matters did you meet any girls there. I heard that most of the women there have Valyrian features. Even whores look more beautiful than our Queen." Greatjon asked.
Aryan decided to change the topic for now "Let us leave that topic for now. Let us drink some more. Cheers." And gulped down some more ale. They continued to talk for sometime after which the others left leaving Ned alone with Aryan.
As the door closed behind Ser Rodrick Cassel, Aryan told Ned, "You know Uncle it seems Kingslanding is very dangerous for us Starks. First grandfather and my father, and now to an extent you too suffered here."
"I understand. Even if I hate to accept that it is the truth." Ned agreed.
"At the same time we cannot just avoid this by never coming to Kingslanding." Aryan said in a grave tone. "We must make sure that we are not caught unaware."
"What do you suggest?" Ned asked curiously.
"Like it or not even though we are wolves, we are alone here far from safety of our home in treacherous grounds. We must make sure that we come at top next time. So we must have enough resources in Kingslanding right beneath everyone's noses. I will come up with something soon." Aryan said.
"This place is full of spies. Not only Varys but several other people also have spies here. Petyr Baelish showed me some of them. So whatever must be done will have to be done skillfully." Ned said.
I will collect the debt that Petyr owes. But there is no need to tell Uncle about Petyr's involvement in this incident. At least not yet. Aryan decided. "Petyr Baelish, the Master of Coin? You know him?"
"Well. Petyr was once a ward with Lord Tully and was friends with your Aunt Catelyn and her sister Lysa. When my father engaged Brandon to Catelyn, mind you Brandon never told us about his marriage with your mother Ashara, Petyr had challenged Brandon for Cat's hand. Your father defeated him soundly." Ned explained.
A potential vengeful enemy. So Petyr Baelish has a reason to hate Starks. Why do I get the feeling that he is connected to father's murder. Petyr is now a priority case. Aryan concluded.