A Game of Thrones (+)-Edard

"They ' ve found her, my lord."

Ned rose quickly. "Our men or Lannister '?"

"It was Jory," he steward Vayon Poole replied. "She ' s not been harmed."

"Thank The Gods," Ned said. His men had been searching for Arya in four days now, but the Queen's men had been off hunting as well. "Where is she?" Tell Jory to bring she's here at once. "

"I am sorry, my lord," Poole told him. "The guards on the gate were Lannister men, and they informed the Queen when Jory brought she in. She ' s being taken directly before the king ... "

"Damn that woman!" Ned said, striding to the door. "Find Sansa and bring her to the audience chamber. Her voice could be needed. " He descended the tower steps in a red rage. He had led searches himself for the first three days, and had scarcely slept an hour since Arya had disappeared. This morning he had been so heartsick and weary he could scarcely stand, but now his fury is on him, filling him with Str Ength.

Men called out to him as he crossed the castle yard, but Ned ignored them in his haste. He would has run, but he is still the King's Hand, and a Hand must keep his dignity. He is aware of the eyes that followed him, the of the muttered voices wondering what he would do.

The castle is a modest holding a half day's ride south of the Trident. The royal party had made themselves the uninvited guests of it, Ser Raymun Darry, while the hunt for Arya and the BU Tcher's boy is conducted on both sides of the river. They were not welcome visitors. Ser Raymun lived under the King ' s peace, but he family had fought beneath Rhaegar ' s dragon banners at the Trident, and hi S three older had died there, a truth neither Robert nor Ser Raymun had forgotten. With King's men, the Darry men, the Lannister men, and the Stark men all crammed to a castle far too small for them, tensions burned Hot and heavy.

The king had appropriated Ser Raymun ' s audience chamber, and that is where Ned found them. The crowded when he burst in. Too crowded, he thought; Left alone, he and Robert might had been able to settle the matter amicably.

Robert was slumped in Darry's high seat at the far end of the "the", his face closed and sullen. Cersei Lannister and her son stood beside him. The Queen had her hand on Joffrey ' s shoulder. Thick Silken bandages still covered the boy ' s arm.

Arya stood in the center of the "the", alone but for Jory Cassel, every eye upon. "Arya," Ned called loudly. He went to hers, his boots ringing on the stone floor. When she saw the him, she cried out and began to sob.

Ned went to one knee and took she in his arms. She was shaking. "I ' m sorry," she sobbed, "I ' m sorry, I ' m sorry."

"I know," he said. She felt so tiny-arms, nothing but a scrawny little girl. It was a hard-to-see how she had caused so much trouble. "Is You hurt?"

"No." She is dirty, she tears left pink tracks down to her cheeks. "Hungry some. I ate some berries, but there is nothing else. "

"We ll feed you soon enough," Ned promised. He rose to face the king. "What's the meaning of this?" His eyes swept the same, searching for friendly faces. But the own men, they were few enough. Ser Raymun Darry guarded. Lord Renly wore a half smile the might mean anything, and old Ser Barristan was grave; The rest were Lannister men, and hostile. Their only good fortune is that both Jaime Lannister and Sandor Clegane were missing, leading searches north of the Tride NT. "Why is I not told that my daughter had been found?" Ned demanded, his voice ringing. "Why is she not brought-me at once?"

He spoke to Robert, but it is Cersei Lannister who answered. "How dare -speak to your king in that manner!"

At that, the king stirred. "Quiet, woman," he snapped. He straightened in his seat. "I am sorry, Ned. I never meant to frighten the girl. It seemed best to bring hers here and get the business do with quickly. "

"And what are you?" Ned put ice in his voice.

The Queen stepped forward. "You are know full well, Stark. This girl of yours attacked my son. She and her butcher's boy. That's animal of hers tried to tear his arm off. "

"That's not true," Arya said loudly. "She just bit him a little. He was hurting Mycah. "

"Joff told us what happened," the Queen said. "You and the butcher boy beat him with clubs while you set your wolf on him."

"That's not what it was," said Arya said, close to tears again. Ned put a hand on her shoulder.

"Yes It is!" Prince Joffrey insisted. "They all attacked me, and she threw Lion's tooth in the river!" Ned noticed that he did not have much as glance at Arya as he spoke.

"Liar!" Arya yelled.

"Shut up!" the Prince yelled back.

"enough!" The king roared, rising from he seat, his voice thick with irritation. Silence fell. He glowered at Arya through He thick beard. "Now, child, you'll tell me what happened." Tell it all, and tell it true. It's a great crime to lie to a king. " Then he looked over at his son. "When she's done, you'll have your turn. Until then, hold your tongue. "

As Arya began her story, Ned heard the door open behind him. He glanced back and saw Vayon Poole enter with Sansa. They stood quietly at the back of the hall as Arya spoke. When she got to the part where she threw Joffrey's sword into the middle of the Trident, Renly Baratheon began to laugh. The king bristled. "Ser Barristan, escort my brother from the hall before he chokes."

Lord Renly stifled his laughter. "My brother is too kind. I can find the door myself. " He bowed to Joffrey. "Perchance later you'll tell me how a nine-year-old girl the size of a wet rats managed to disarm you with a broom handle a nd Throw your sword in the river. As the door swung shut behind him, Ned heard him say, "Lion ' s Tooth," and guffaw once more.

Prince Joffrey was pale as he began his very different version of events. When he son was doing talking, the king rose heavily from he seat, looking like a man who wanted to is anywhere but here. What is the seven Hells am I supposed to do of this? He says one thing, she says another. "

"They were isn't the only ones present," Ned said. "Sansa, come here." Ned had heard her version of the story the Night Arya had vanished. He knew the truth. "Tell us what happened."

His eldest daughter stepped forward hesitantly. She is dressed in blue velvets trimmed with white, a silver chain around her neck. Her thick auburn hair had been brushed until it shone. She blinked at her sister and then at the young prince. "I don ' t know," she said tearfully, looking as though she wanted to bolt. "I don ' t remember. Everything happened so fast, I-didn ' t see ... "

"Yourotten!" Arya shrieked. She flew at his sister like a arrow, knocking Sansa down to the ground and pummeling her. "Liar, Liar, Liar, Liar."

"Arya, stop It!" Ned shouted. Jory pulled she off her sister, kicking. Sansa was pale and shaking as Ned lifted she back to her feet. "Is you hurt?" he asked, but she is staring at Arya, and she does not seem to hear.

"The girl is as wild as and that filthy animal of hers," Cersei Lannister said. "Robert, I want her punished."

"Seven hells," Robert swore. "Cersei, look at her." She ' s a child. What would are you having me do, whip her through the streets? Damn it, children fight. It ' s over. No lasting harm was done. "

The Queen was furious. "Joff would carry those scars for the rest of his life."

Robert Baratheon looked at his eldest son. "So he would." Perhaps they would teach him a lesson. Ned, see this your daughter is disciplined. I'll do the same with my son. "

"Gladly, Your Grace," Ned said with vast relief.

Robert started to walk away, and the Queen was wasn't done. "And what's the Direwolf?" she called after him. "What's the beast that savaged your son?"

The king stopped, turned back, frowned. "I ' d forgotten about the Damned wolf."

Ned could see Arya tense in Jory ' s arms. Jory spoke up quickly. "We found no trace of the direwolf, Your Grace."

Robert did not look unhappy. "No?" So is it. "

The Queen raised her voice. "A hundred Golden Dragons to the Mans brings me its skin!"

"A costly pelt," Robert grumbled. "I want no part of this, woman. You can damn well buy your furs with Lannister gold. "

The Queen regarded him coolly. "I had not thought your so niggardly. The King I ' d thought to wed would has laid a wolfskin across my bed before the sun went down. "

Robert ' s face darkened with anger. "That's would be a fine trick, without a wolf."

"We have a wolf," Cersei Lannister said. Her voice is very quiet, but she green eyes shone with triumph.

It took them all a moment to comprehend she words, but when they did, the King shrugged irritably. "As you'll." Has Ser Ilyn see to it. "

"Robert, you cannot mean this," Ned protested.

The king is in no mood for more argument. "Enough, Ned, I'll hear no more. A direwolf is a savage beast. Sooner or later it would has turned on your girl the same The and the other does on my son. Get her a dog, she'll be happier for it. "

That is when the Sansa finally seemed to comprehend. She eyes were frightened as they went to her father. "He doesn ' t mean Lady, does he?" She saw the truth on its face. "No," she said. "No, not lady, Lady didn ' t bite anybody, she ' s good ..."

"Lady wasn ' t there," Arya shouted angrily. "You leave her alone!"

"Stop them," Sansa pleaded, "Don t let them does it, please, please, it wasn ' t Lady, it is Nymeria, Arya did it, you can ' t, It wasn ' t lady, don ' t let them hurt lady, I'll make she be good, I promise, I promise ... " She started to cry.

All Ned could does was to take her in he arms and hold her while she wept. He looked across the "the" at Robert. His and friend, closer than any brother. "Please, Robert." For the love your bear me. For the love you bore my sister. Please. "

The king looked at them for a long moment and then turned he eyes on his wife. "Damn You, Cersei," he said with loathing.

Ned stood, gently disengaging himself from Sansa ' s grasp. All the weariness of the past four days had returned to him. "Do it yourself then, Robert," he said in a voice cold and sharp as steel. "At least has the courage to do it yourself."

Robert looked at Ned with flat, dead eyes and left without a word, he footsteps heavy as lead. Silence filled the hall.

"Where is the Direwolf?" Cersei Lannister asked when she husband was gone. Beside her, Prince Joffrey was smiling.

"The beast is chained up outside the gatehouse, Your Grace," Ser Barristan Selmy answered reluctantly.

"Send for Ilyn Payne."

"No," Ned said. "Jory, take the girls back to their rooms and bring me Ice." The words tasted of bile in its throat, but he forced them out. "If It must is done, I'll do it."

Cersei Lannister regarded him suspiciously. "You, Stark?" Is this some trick? Why would do such a thing? "

They were all staring at him, but it is Sansa ' s look for that cut. "She's the north. She deserves better than a butcher. "

He left the eyes burning and his daughter's wails echoing in his ears, and found the direwolf pup where they Chained her. Ned sat beside her to a while. "Lady," he said, tasting the name. He had never paid much attention to the names the children had picked, but looking at she now, he knew that Sansa had chos En well. She is the smallest of the litter, the prettiest, the most gentle and trusting. She looked at him with bright golden eyes, and he ruffled her thick grey fur.

Shortly, Jory brought him Ice.

When it is over, he said, "Choose four men and has them take the body north. Bury her at Winterfell. "

"All that?" Jory said, astonished.

"All that," Ned affirmed. "The Lannister woman shall never has this skin."

He is walking back to the tower to give himself up to sleep at last when Sandor Clegane and his riders came pounding thro Ugh the castle gate, back from their hunt.

There was something slung over the back of the He destrier, a heavy shape wrapped in a bloody cloak. "No Sign of your daughter, Hand," The Hound rasped down, "but the day is not wholly wasted. We got her little pet. " He reached back and shoved the burden off, and it fell with a thump in front of Ned.

Bending, Ned pulled back the cloak, dreading the words he would has to find for Arya, but it is not nymeria after all. It was the butcher's boy, Mycah, he body covered in dried blood. He had been cut almost in half from shoulder to waist by some terrible blow struck from above.

"You rode him," Ned said.

The Hound ' s eyes seemed to glitter through the steel of that hideous dog ' S-head helm. "He ran." He looked at Ned's face and laughed. "But not very fast."

A Game of Thrones (+)-Edard