The important figures gathered in the King's council chamber, filling the inn's rooms to capacity.
"That's how it happened." Jon's face had been treated, and his shoulder was heavily bandaged. Arya stood beside him, still sobbing.
The Butcher's boy who had run back with the message also stood in the hall, seeing so many important figures for the first time. But the Child was as if dumbfounded, not daring to speak.
"Get my son and daughter something to eat; they're terrified." Eddard didn't want to hear any more. To continue speaking would only cause greater damage to the fragile alliance between House Stark and House Lannister.
Lord Eddard looked at the people in the hall; apart from his own retainers, the other faces were not friendly. Lord Renly wore a half-smile, and no one could tell what he was thinking, while Ser Barristan looked grave. The rest were Lannister men, naturally full of hostility. However, Ser Jaime and The Hound seemed less cold, which surprised Eddard.
Jon's face was solemn. The South was indeed no good place; the Lannister enemies seemed to be surrounding them. He was somewhat worried about his father's fate.
"I think we should leave this matter here for now. I'll take the Children to eat something first," Eddard repeated to His Majesty the King.
Cersei's lips curled up as she looked at Jon and Eddard with disdain. "Presumptuous! How dare you speak to His Majesty the King in such a tone!"
His Majesty the King stirred, then frowned deeply. "Eddard, I don't intend to delve deeper into this. It's better to resolve this matter quickly."
"I have already made the matter you spoke of very clear," Eddard replied helplessly, his tone as cold as ice.
The Queen roared, "Your Bastard son and wild girl ganged up on my son, and your daughter threw rocks at my son, even trying to set a Direwolf on him."
"He has a name. My son is Jon," Eddard shouted. "Please show some respect."
"Hmph, a Bastard is a Bastard, Lord Eddard," the Queen repeated disdainfully.
"That's not true," Arya said loudly. "My Direwolf didn't bite anyone. Joffrey hurt my brother, and my rock only hit the horse, and that was because Joffrey bullied Jon first."
"Joffrey has told us everything that happened," the Queen said. "You and your family's Bastard were hitting him with sticks and letting a Direwolf bite him."
"That's not how it happened," Arya's tears were about to fall again. Eddard quickly reached out and patted her shoulder.
"It absolutely was!" Prince Joffrey insisted. "They ganged up on me. That Bastard took my sword, and that wild girl wanted to set a Direwolf on me!"
Eddard noticed that Joffrey didn't look Arya or Jon in the eye when he spoke, which might have been a performance of guilt.
"You're lying!" Arya screamed.
"Shut up!" the Prince yelled back.
"Enough!" His Majesty the King roared, standing up from his chair, his voice full of anger. Silence immediately fell. With a furious glare, he said to Mikke and Arya, "Child, tell me what happened now, tell me everything, truthfully. Know that lying to His Majesty the King is a heinous crime."
Then His Majesty the King turned to his son, "It will be your turn after they finish. Until then, you will keep your mouth shut."
Mikke stammered as he began to recount the story, and His Majesty the King's expression grew worse. But Barristan and Renly looked at Jon. The young man's mind was very meticulous; after all, the Butcher's boy didn't have a Hand of the King as a father, and Jon had saved his life.
When Arya began her account, everyone listened very carefully. Arya's story was even more detailed than Jon's, even including the scene where Joffrey, frightened, called for his mother.
Renly Baratheon couldn't help but burst into laughter. His Majesty the King, however, was furious. "Ser Barristan, please escort my brother out before he laughs himself into a fit."
Lord Renly stopped laughing. "My brother is truly too thoughtful. I can find my own way."
Renly bowed to Joffrey. "Perhaps later you can tell me how someone managed to knock your weapon out of your hand with a broomstick, and then made you cry for your mother." As the door closed, Eddard still heard him say, "What a 'Lion's Tooth' indeed," followed by more hearty laughter.
Then Joffrey told a completely different version, his face very pale.
"Enough!" His Majesty the King stood up heavily, having understood the general situation. "Joffrey's is one version, Arya's is another. I think that's enough. I'll send a Maester to treat Jon properly."
"That won't do," Cersei said, unrelenting.
Ser Jaime stepped forward and spoke a few words to his sister, but the Queen's expression remained displeased.
"There was another person present at the time," the Queen said, pointing at Sansa.
"Enough, woman, do you want us to lose all face?" Robert roared, his face livid, startling everyone.
Sansa felt as if she had received a great pardon, relieved not to have to face such a difficult situation. She wore a blue velvet dress with white embroidery, a silver chain around her neck, and her fluffy auburn hair was brushed to a shine. She winked at her sister and Jon, then looked at the Prince.
"Thank you, Your Majesty. It happened very quickly, I don't remember. I only saw Jon and Joffrey confronting each other." Sansa feigned forgetfulness.
"Forgot?" His Majesty the King thought for a moment. "It's good to forget. All of you, including Joffrey, Jon, and Arya, forget about this matter with me."
"You rotten slut!" Arya shrieked. She lunged at her sister like an arrow, knocking Sansa to the floor and punching and kicking her with all her might. "Liar, liar, liar, liar."
"Arya, stop!" Jon quickly shouted. As Jon and Jory pulled her off her sister, her feet were still kicking relentlessly.
Eddard came over and helped Sansa up. She was pale and trembling. "Are you hurt?" he asked. But she just stared blankly at Arya, as if she hadn't heard him.
"What do we do now?" His Majesty the King frowned, troubled.
"That girl is as wild as her dirty Direwolf," Cersei Lannister said. "Robert, she and that Bastard must be punished."
"Your Majesty, it was your son who cut Jon, disfigured him, and nearly ruined his sword-hand," Eddard said, unable to restrain himself, looking angrily at Cersei.
"Seven Hells, spare your King!" Robert wailed. "What do you want me to do, drag Arya out and whip her through the streets? Or make Joffrey bow his head and kneel before you? It was just a Child's fight, and it's over now."
The Queen still wanted to argue, but Ser Jaime stopped her.
Eddard remained silent, looking back at the wounds on Jon's body, as if in silent protest.
"Let Joffrey apologize to the Child!" Robert looked at Cersei, but Cersei ignored him. "I will find him the best doctors, give him the most gold dragons, but don't expect Joffrey to bow to this Bastard. How about three hundred gold dragons? Is that the ransom for a noble knight?"
"Gold, gold, always gold." Robert sighed, "Look what you've turned Joffrey into."
Robert walked over to Jon and patted his uninjured shoulder. "Good lad, you're a brave one. When you're better, you can hunt with me. My son is too absurd, I'm truly sorry for you."
Robert then looked at his eldest son. "Idiot, next time don't call me for such an embarrassing display. Eddard, discipline your daughter and son well, and I will discipline my son well too."
Upon hearing the rebuke, Joffrey looked at the House Stark family with resentment. Jon realized it wasn't his imagination.
"His Majesty the King, I would be delighted," Eddard said, relieved.
Robert was about to leave, but the Queen was not yet finished.
"What about the Direwolf?" she called out to him. "What about the beast that terrorized your son?"
Arya immediately tensed up at these words, even though Nymeria had already run far away.
"Shut up, woman. Your son isn't disfigured, Eddard's son is about to be," Robert roared. "This matter is closed."
"That Butcher's boy, don't follow the cook anymore. Serve Lord Jon instead," His Majesty the King said on a whim.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," Jon and Mikke both thanked him. A bastard's Attendants never came from noble houses.
"Hmph. Lord Eddard, you had better keep a close eye on your family's Direwolf," Cersei said indignantly. "After all, a Direwolf pelt is worth many gold dragons."
Jon kept his mouth shut. He had already understood this outcome, but it was at least an acceptable range.
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