It turned out that after fleeing back to the Vale, Robert Arryn fell ill again, bedridden due to the long journey and his frail constitution.
Even though the maesters of the Eyrie brewed numerous potions for him, the sickly child showed no signs of recovery.
However, even among maesters, skill levels vary.
Among them, Grand Maester Pycelle was highly regarded by both the Mad King and the Usurper for his exquisite medical skills.
So, when the maester of the Vale consulted Pycelle about the young lord's condition, Pycelle offered clear advice. Yet, even after the potions were brewed according to his instructions, the results were unsatisfactory.
The implication was clear: if this medical issue could be resolved, then—based on the Hand's honor and the protection he offered—Lady Lysa was willing to come to King's Landing to seek justice for her late husband.
However, Jon deduced a different truth from this diplomatic excuse. After successfully murdering her husband, the "Venomous Fish" had returned to the Vale according to plan, but she couldn't bear the separation from Littlefinger. She was terrified that her beloved Petyr would be snatched away by another woman.
But having left in such a hurry, she needed a solid reason to return.
The excuse of seeking medical treatment for her child was certainly convincing enough.
Knowing this, Jon figured out Littlefinger's game.
He was using this opportunity to push a proposal through the Small Council. Whether it was sending Grand Maester Pycelle to the Vale or bringing little Robert Arryn to King's Landing, achieving either would strengthen Littlefinger's voice in the Council.
This, perhaps, was the Master of Coin's true objective for this trip!
Having figured this out, Jon realized that for now, his interests aligned with Littlefinger's.
So, after seeing Littlefinger off with smiles and jokes, Jon returned to his bed and slept soundly. Although he had no beauty to keep him company, the Baron felt satisfied with the night's harvest.
What the Baron didn't know was that after leaving the cliffside manor, the Master of Coin went to visit another location nearby.
However, this time, the doors of the hidden convent remained shut to him.
After hitting a wall, Littlefinger didn't waste any more time. He took his guards and returned to King's Landing overnight.
The reason for his hasty arrival and swift departure was, naturally, the changing situation in the capital.
Littlefinger hadn't told Jon the whole truth. He was content to sit back and watch Ned Stark continue to stir up trouble.
Lately, as his leg healed, the Hand of the King had restarted his investigation, visiting various places in the city.
After meeting with a master blacksmith, the Hand used his imposing presence to force the man to reveal a secret.
Littlefinger hadn't lied; there had been a special apprentice in the shop. But the boy had been taken away before the Hand's Tourney for "offending a noble."
When Ned Stark learned the apprentice's physical traits, the pieces finally clicked. He realized he had been led on a wild goose chase.
From there, Ned found a vague direction and began tracking down Robert's bastards.
Although he didn't quite understand why his foster father, Jon Arryn, had been investigating such trivial matters, he was sure it was linked to the former Hand's death.
His actions, however, provoked fear and suspicion from the Lannisters, especially Queen Cersei.
Pregnant women are naturally sensitive, and learning of Ned's progress reignited her anxiety about certain secrets.
But Cersei had more to worry about than just bastards.
Compared to the subtle threat of illegitimate children, her growing belly was a fact she couldn't hide forever.
Now, Cersei began to regret not following Jaime's advice to return to Casterly Rock.
But she quickly pushed that weakness aside, focusing on the immediate crisis.
The failed plot in the Kingswood kept the Queen awake at night.
She couldn't understand how such a simple task had been botched by her incredibly handsome but utterly brainless cousin, Lancel. He was truly a useless fool.
Since Robert hadn't died in the hunting "accident," it meant all the Lannisters had to act fast.
The Lioness forced herself to summon a red-cloaked guardsman, whispering urgent instructions into his ear.
Shortly after, a messenger bearing her word galloped out of King's Landing, heading straight for Casterly Rock.
Aside from these power struggles among the highborn, Westeros was beginning to sink into chaos.
The common people, the foundation of this world, were being dragged into an irreversible nightmare by the conflict between two great houses.
With Tywin Lannister's tacit approval, the brigands led by Ser Gregor Clegane—the Mountain—had turned the once-populous Riverlands into a living hell.
Although neither house had officially declared war, the fighting had been going on for a long time.
The refugees displaced by this conflict were numerous. The Mountain's scorched-earth tactics—burning, killing, and looting—destroyed the livelihoods of countless peasants.
So today, not only were refugees appearing in Tampa, but even the prosperous capital of the Seven Kingdoms was filling up with beggars and displaced commoners.
To deal with this "eyesore," the Gold Cloaks were out in full force, guarding the city gates.
But these desperate people were like fleas; they always found a crack to squeeze through. Even if they were driven out, they'd be back within a day.
Janos Slynt, the Commander of the City Watch, had his own methods.
This scum, born a butcher's son, showed no mercy to the poor people who shared his own background.
He repeatedly ordered his men to throw beggars into the gutters and even hanged some "stubborn elements" to thin the crowd.
But even brutal slaughter couldn't extinguish the will to survive. The next morning, beggars would crawl out of the sewers again, turning King's Landing into a stinking mess.
eventually, the number of beggars did seem to decrease under the threat of spears.
However, what people didn't know was that the number of desperate survivors hadn't decreased—the number of people helping them had increased.
While the Gold Cloaks were busy suppressing the poor, deep in the shadows of Flea Bottom, something new was quietly taking shape.