"I know you care deeply for your family. What do you think will happen when word of your imprisonment reaches your son?"
"Will he accept it and stay north like a good little wolf, or will he call his bannermen and march south in the name of revenge?"
"Robb is but a boy." says Ned
"Yes, but boys have always fought wars. He will march south, and he will die."
"What is it you want?" he asks, looking at Aegon.
"Hahahaha, many things, but at this very moment I want your loyalty, your backing, and your army." says Aegon, looking at the complicated facial expressions that kept appearing on Ned's face.
He knew what his plan was, but he still wanted to try to get him the pledge himself now. However, from the looks of things, that seemed impossible.
Then it hit him.
'If he agrees to my plan and still decides to support Stannis, as it seems, then I still have a chance to get him on my side, after all, Stannis will die by a red priestess, I just don't know how soon.'
'And after Stannis's death, Ned will have no one to support to the throne but me, but I'm not exactly known for giving second chances.... anyways I'm still far from that time, when it arrives I'll make my decision if he's still useful by then that is.'
"I....." Ned started speaking only to be cut off.
"Fret not, I know you wouldn't go for that, so here is the second option."
"A letter."
"A letter?" Ned asked.
"Yes, a letter. Written in your hand, bearing your seal. A letter to every lord in Westeros, you will tell them who I am, the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. You will tell them I was raised under your roof, your name will give my claim truth." Says Aegon.
Ned's silence was heavy, his gaze unreadable.
"And if I refuse?"
Aegon's expression hardened.
"Then I leave you, Arya and Sansa, to your fates. You die in chains, your daughters scattered at best, raped and killed at worst. Your bones rotting in the south and your son marching to his death."
"You would die as a traitor, with everyone thinking you broke your oaths and that you had no honor, but if you accept .... you will live. Your daughters will live, and you can stop your son from marching south."
"Best of all, you get to out Cersei's children as the bastards they really are, and you can go support Stannis in his claim to the throne."
"The fact that you broke the news that Cersei's children are bastards should ease any rage or ill feelings Stannis would have because of the letter you would be sending out for me." says Aegon as a big smile appears on his face.
Ned's lips pressed into a thin line.
"You seek to use me as a pawn."
"And you sought to have me pledge the black." Aegon retorted.
" We are all pawns, Lord Stark. I am a pawn on my own board; it all comes down to who you decide to play for." says Aegon.
"So, survival or death, you chose."
The silence in the black cells stretched long after Aegon's words faded.
Lord Stark sat motionless, the torchlight flickering across his tired, weathered face. His eyes, tough rimmed with exhaustion, held a flicker of an iron-strong will.
He sat there, and for a long time, he said nothing.
"You speak the truth." Ned said his voice was steady.
"But truth born of coercion is no truth at all."
Aegon smiled.
"You are mistaking the option of survival as coercion? I am not asking you to lie. You know who I am. I'm sure you knew from the moment in stepped into this place and you saw my face, even though I've changed a bit."
Ned's gaze hardened.
"Even if I send out the letters, the realm will not accept it. They will call you a pretender. The smallfolk know only what the crown tells them." Says Ned.
" I don't expect your letter to suddenly bring the lords to my side. I am marrying Daenerys Targaryen soon. Every lord knows she has a claim to the throne, and with your letter, even if they don't believe your words, the smart ones will act on them as if true because they want to give themselves more options, especially when word of my marriage reaches Westeros when it's done."
Ned's eyes dimmed.
"Then what? War? More blood? Man, woman, and child burned by your dragon's fire?"
"War is already coming, whether by my hand or another's, you can't stop it and you know it."
Ned turned and looked at him.
"You've changed."
"I've become what I needed to be to survive."
Silence came again.
Then, finally, Ned exhaled and lowered his head.
"If I do this, can you get my daughters out of the city safely?" Ned asked.
"My men are already by their sides waiting for my order to take them out of the city."
He closed his eyes, the weight of his honor pressing against the weight of his love for his family, the two forces warred within him, but unlike the show love in the end triumphed.
Ned's eyes became firm, and then with a slow nod, he said.
"I'll write your letter."
"Wise choice." Aegon says as a victorious smile appeared on his face.
He lifted his hand, and the air heated up, as a line of searing flames appeared, engulfing Ned's wrist and ankle chains.
The metal glowed red, then white. In seconds, it melted away like wax, dripping molten steel onto the stone floor.
Ned stared in astonishment, the broken chains falling from his wrists with a dull clang.
"Seven hells." He murmured, flexing his stiff arms.
Aegon looked at him, and his eyes shone as he sent out three signals, one to each of his bloodriders and another to his dragons.
"It's time to leave this stink and rotten city. Come on, it won't be long before guards sound the alarm after they spot my men rushing to escape the Red Keep with your daughters."