Leia and Han walked to the Small council room, in the east tower of the palace. In the middle of the room was a long wooden table that displayed an entire map of Westeros. Every territory, every noble house that ruled there.
 
    The others were already there. The hand of the queen, Lord Kevan Lannister, old Maester Pylos, the two Commanders of the Red and Golden Company and, Lord Mace Tyrell, the master of Coin and many other people.

   The queen and the king took their seats at the end of the table and demanded the others to ask any question they had. Leia knew a way of increasing their chances against Snoke's.

   And the first to talk was Lady Alysanne of house Velarion. "I think everyone knows what's best to do with the man who turned against us and, most importantly, his family. It is already clear."

   "I agree." Lord Kevan said. "Such monster can only be sentenced to death! He deserves to pay for all he did."

   "But there are the second chances, too." Leia said. "And I believe that, with the best guidance, he could be redeemed."
 
   "With all my respect, Your Grace, but have you ever thought that he might be pretending? Have you ever thought about this?"

   But Han gave him a harsh look. "We believe in our son. Whether you do or not."

   And the next to speak was the Hand. "Then we would like to hear him in person."
 
   Leia beckoned the two knights to bring him up there. And after a while, there he was. And Ben had just realized the harsh glares they all threw at him as he rose his eyes to them. And they were right. For some reason, he was afraid. He did not want to die. Not now when he knew he could finally make things right.

   "I regret everything I've done." he began. He owe them that. "I know everything I did. And I know how much I've wronged every person in the realm. And I'm not asking for your forgiveness. I don't deserve it."

   "You're damn right!" Mace Tyrell said loudly.

   "I never wanted to leave, but I had to. And I wish you could understand."

   "Maybe he's speaking the truth." the Grand Maester said. He looked troubled, like he would have expected the prisoner to be exactly the opposite of calm.

   But then he saw his mother standing up. "Many mistakes great men have made along the years. And some of them have been forgiven, have been gived second chances. Like Jaime Lannister a century ago. He has slayed the king he was sworn to, yet he was forgiven and accepted again in the Kingsguard. And Theon Greyjoy. He had slaughtered the family he had lived with, yet the remaining members have given him another chance for his actions."

   " And, believe me, escaping Snoke is far from easy, from what I know. " one of the knights spoke. And Ben was surprised to see someone else than his parents defending him.

   " We believe, " the king began." that our son deserves a chance to weigh everything he'd done. As any of you would have liked if you were in his place."

    And then many of them agreed, except Lord Tywin and his wife and a few attendants.

    "He shall stay in a cell until tomorrow." Han began, but the Hand cut him off.
  
    "We deserve a good explanation for his crimes!" he stood up abruptly and almost yelled with anger. "I will not stand such injustice! I say he be sentenced to death!"
 
    And to Leia's horror, many of them nodded their approval, and showed their dismal at the king's words.

    "But does it not seem odd his change of behavior?" the Master of Coin asked.

    "We shall find out soon enough." The Commander of the Red Company answered. "But for now, let's stick to this. " and he threw Han a hard glance.

    "I swear I will never fail you again." Ben finally found the will to say. "I swear it on my honor as a Skywalker."
   
   "You? Honor?!" Lord Kevan asked mockingly.

    But Ben held his ground. "Yes. I promise."

    "The fact that you're sorry does not erase the atrocities you did in your past!"

    Ben nodded. The man was right. He did not deserve to live after all he did. No one wanted to be around him.

    He let his eyes fall to the ground and nodded. Leia looked at him sadly, as if she were sorry.

   " There will be a trial by combat." She declared, clear and strong.

   And displeased murmurs rose from the table. Ben's head jerked up, surprise reading all over his face.

    "I won't stand!" the master of Coin said loudly as he slammed his fist on the table.

    "Then let the gods decide. They know what is right and what's not." Han said back.

    When the meeting ended, a troop formed from five whitecloaks escorted Ben back to his cell. A small and wet cage dug into the stone, under the tower of the Hand.
   
    He was thankful. His mother literally saved him. But who will want to risk his life for him, given all the hatred he received? No one deserved to die for him.

    He slumped down in a corner, and rested his chin on his knees. The cell was too narrow to stretch, too low to stand up. Sleep began to daze him, when he heard two pairs of footsteps climbing down the spiraled stone staircase.

    His head tilted to one side. Who would come to visit him at that late hour?
   
    And as the two men approached, he could make out Ser Ilyn Marbrand and a man he could not recognize yet.
  
    He stood up, his head almost hitting the ceiling. And as the two made their approach, he glimpsed a part of the unknown man's face. Could he possibly be him? Ben frowned. And peered at the dim lit corridor.
   
    When the two reached the bars of his cell, Ser Ilyn nodded at the other man and took his leave. Ben's eyes followed him in his wake. Then his eyes widened as he remembered the man who now stood in front of him, on the other side of the bars.

   "Master Eddard?" his voice was barely a whisper. Was the man not afraid of him? Ned had been his master-at-arms before his parents had sent him to Luke.
  
   "Good to see you too, Ben." he said and smiled bitterly. "Never would I have believed we would meet again."

   Ben gulped down the lump of guilt that had settled in his throat. He couldn't look into the man's eyes, he didn't dare. But he wanted to know something. "Why... Why are you here?"
  
   Eddard gave a snort of a laugh, and, for a moment, Ben thought he was mocking him.

   "I want to be your champion."

   Was he making a mock of him? Ben stared as if he didn't really hear what the man had just said.

   "I will fight for you in the tourney." Ned insisted.

   "No, you can't... It's... I'm..." but the words got stuck in his throat.

   "It's alright, kid." he reached a hand through the bars and patted his shoulder. "I know you're not innocent... Oh, I know it too well, but... If there was someone that could have guided you, that should have been me. So... I must finish my work as your mentor, be it if I die tomorrow or not."

   "No one deserves to die for me." Ben insisted.

   But his master rose his eyes to him. "We'll see." he said, casually, and turned to go. But before leaving, he added, "On the morrow."

   He glanced one more time over his back to Ben and made to leave.

   "Thank you." Ben said after him, not too loud, as if afraid to spoil the silence of the prison.

    But this time, the man did not turn, only nodded and said a furtive "You have nothing to thank me for. Thank your mother."

   By the time the man was gone, he remained alone again. And the torches that were burning low, would soon leave him in darkness. A darkness he was trying so hard to stay away from. But there was no light for him, no spark to reach and lead him away from that black pit.
  
   *This is only the third chapter, but things more interesting are coming ahead!
    I'm thinking about putting dragons in it. * Thanks for reading!!