The royal family arrived three days after the Stark family, a week before the tournament began. Lannisport was becoming even more bustling. Lord Stark was grateful to see a little more color than golden heads.
"And you will accept, Ned?" asked Greatjon Umber at his side. He was someone who had earned the right to call him Ned.
Ned had told him about the prince's plans, about his offer. He would have consulted with other men from the North, but not many had come south. Only Lord Manderly had agreed to come, but he would probably arrive shortly before the tournament; the others were busy preparing for winter.
"If what he says is true, the North will not suffer so much." Eddard could not consider only Sansa's happiness; after all, he was more than a father, he was the lord of the largest kingdom in all of Westeros.
"It's true, Ned," said Greatjon. "The boy may be shameless, but he's not a liar," he finished bitterly.
"I thought you disliked him," Ned inquired.
"I do dislike him, but it's more because of the color of his eyes and hair," Lord Umber admitted. "He's sincere. He once promised he could leave me with my face buried in the snow and my ass exposed for all to see. A braggart, I thought. But he did it, Ned, he did it. If he says he can increase the harvests in the north, I believe him." Umber was a simple man. It was enough for him to see a person's actions to judge them.
Ned closed his eyes and thought. He could wait until he reached the north to make a decision, but Sansa's fate depended on that decision. If he accepted, she would leave with the prince for ArgentStone and probably never have a husband.
Sansa had been raised as a lady. She wanted a large family, many strong sons, and perfect daughters who would be the envy of princesses and queens. Going to Argentstone would take that dream away from her.
On the other hand, since the prince had become more involved in the baby's life, Sansa seemed radiant. She had lost some of her sparkle when Jaehaerys left Winterfell, but she quickly regained it when he was near.
"Lord Stark," he heard a voice behind him. The voice sounded older and worn, but he would never forget the voice of a man like Ser Arthur Dayne. "The king requests your presence," said the white cloak.
Ned looked at him. Ser Arthur's face looked tired and fragile, like that of an old man tired of living. That surprised him; he had once been a man who exuded chivalry from every pore of his skin. What had happened to him?
"I assume the King resides at Casterly Rock, Ser Arthur?" he asked, not knowing the whereabouts of the royal family.
"Yes, I was sent to escort you there," said the knight.
"Too much steel for a short trip," GreatJon interjected, looking at the scabbard at Arthur's waist. Dawn was sheathed.
Arthur didn't even look at the giant man.
"Lead the way, Arthur," Ned gave Jon a warning look as he began to follow him. "Don't start any trouble," he said with his eyes.
As unpleasant as it was to look at the prince. No, not Prince, but King Rhaegar, he had to do it. He had already sworn his allegiance to the man, and he was not a man who broke his oaths.
Eddard was annoyed at having to move from Lannisport to the damn maze that was Casterly Rock. Many applauded the beautiful views, but for him, it was just a nightmare. A golden nightmare.
He was taken to a different room than Tywin's Keep. He recognized it simply because the door was simpler.
Rhaegar was there, sitting, with that melancholy look that drove maidens mad years ago. The same look that Lyanna fell for.
Ned had spent a lot of time thinking about his sister. A girl who fell in love and made the kingdom bleed. His father and brother were victims of that love. He didn't know if the price was worth it.
Eddard could never hate his sister; she was his blood. But he couldn't forgive her for what she did either.
"Lord Stark, I am glad you answered my call," said the king. They were alone; only Arthur and Jon had entered with Ned.
"It was the king's call," Ned said. If it hadn't been a royal command, he wouldn't have cared at all.
"Yes... I hear Catelyn is pregnant again. Will it be the fifth?" The king tried to make small talk.
"Sixth," Eddard said brusquely.
He didn't care that Rhaegar didn't know the family tree of one of the Guardians of Westeros; he didn't want to waste time on useless conversation.
"It has always embittered my heart that the relationship between the north and the south is so... broken," said the king.
"Much blood has been spilled, and wounds take time to heal," Eddard said.
Saying that wounds take time did not mean that Rhaegar could heal them. Lord Stark meant that one of the king's descendants might have a good relationship with the North decades later, when the hatred was not so fresh in everyone's memory. He only thinks that because of Jaehaerys.
"That is why I want to bring my vassals closer together," began the king, looking Eddard straight in the eye. "Jaime is the father of the future queen of Westeros. His hand is envied by many maidens in Westeros," the king began.
"I'm sure the tournament will help him find a good wife," Ned said. He didn't consider Jaime an evil man. He had known him when he was young. He was torn between his vows to protect the king and his desire to kill him.
Jaime couldn't choose. Rhaegar dethroned his father and sent him to the Wall, where he remains to this day.
"Sansa is a beautiful... woman," the king did not say maiden intentionally; after all, having a daughter proved that she was not. "Jaime is a widower. Willing to give a bastard a proper upbringing," Rhaegar sold the man as an excellent prospect.
Eddard began to feel disgust for Jaime just for that.
"Sansa's fate is not decided. Jaime is one option, but not the only one," Ned looked into the king's eyes.
"What other option?" asked the king.
"Jaehaerys has requested an agreement to take Sansa with him. So far, I am inclined to accept," he told the king.
"I see. I shouldn't be surprised. If there is anything that can surpass a Lannister's offer, it must be dragons," Rhaegar said, his gaze unfocused.
"It has nothing to do with dragons," Eddard had not even asked about them. He did not plan to go to war anytime soon.
"I am sure, Lord Stark," the king said dryly. "I will not waste any more of your time," he dismissed him.
Eddard took the opportunity to leave with GreatJon.
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"Arthur... do you think you can kill Jaehaerys?" the king asked his loyal white cloak.
Arthur looked at a cup on the table. The gold looked worn, and he was surprised to find such a cup among the king's belongings.
"No. I think I'll die if I fight him," admitted the knight. "Do you want me to try, my king?" he asked, perhaps a hint of longing in his words.
"Eventually... my brother has committed crimes... like bringing slaves to Westeros. I think he needs to pay for them, don't you think?" said the king.
Rhaegar hoped to see Jaehaerys participate in the tournament. Then he could kill him. After all, no man could guarantee survival in there, no matter how skilled he was.
But his younger brother had expressed no desire to participate. It seemed he wanted to agree with Lord Stark.
Rhaegar could not allow such a thing. His brother was not in his castle; he was in a foreign place, without all his men, without his dragons. It was a moment like no other to strike hard.
"Everyone must answer to the king," said Arthur, and Rhaegar nodded.
Rhaegar could not act on his own, after all, he denied his brother bringing slaves as a crime; it was best to have a third party accuse Jaehaerys. Better than one lord, it would be several of them. He had heard that Lord Lydden had arrived at Casterly Rock, saying that the prince had defeated a group of bandits who now resided in Deep Den Castle.
'I have a few pieces... I had better use them well.'