[King's Landing - Ned Stark's Chambers]

Ned had been sleeping after his injury. However, when he awoke, he was met by the sight of his friend, the King, and the Queen.

"Your pardon, your Grace. I would rise, but..."

"Do you know what your wife has done?" Cersei interrupted.

"She did nothing I did not command."

"Who'd have thought she had it in her?" Robert quipped.

"By what right dare you lay hands on my blood?" Cersei questioned.

"I am the King's Hand, charged with keeping the peace..."

"You were the King's Hand. You shall now be held accountable."

"Will both of you shut your mouths?! Catelyn will release Tyrion and you'll make your peace with Jaime."

"He butchered my men..."

"Lord Stark was returning drunk from a brоthеl when his men attacked Jaime." Cersei accused.

"Quiet, woman." Robert commanded.

"Jaime has fled the city. Give me leave to bring him back to justice."

Robert stared at Ned.

"I took you for a King."

"Hold your tongue."

"He's attacked one of my brothers and abducted the other. I should wear the armor and you the gown." Robert slapped her. "I shall wear this like a badge of honour."

"Wear it in silence or I'll honour you again."

Cersei looked at Ned, back at Robert, then left the room.

"See what she does to me?" He poured wine from a goblet into a cup. "My loving wife. I should not have hit her." He sat down on the bed, facing away from Ned. "That was not... That was not Kingly." He guzzled the wine.

"If we don't act, there will be a war."

"So tell your wife to return that little sh¡t of an Imp to King's Landing. She's had her fun, now put an end to it. You hear me? Send a raven and put an end to it."

"And what about Jaime Lannister?"

Robert grimaced. "What about Jaime?"

"I'm half a Kingdom in debt to his bloody father! I don't know what happened between you and those yellow-haired sh¡ts. I don't want to know. This is what matters... I can't rule the Kingdoms if the Starks and the Lannisters are at each other's throats. So enough."

"As you command, your Grace. With your leave, I will return to Winterfell and set matters straight."

"Piss on that. Send a raven. I want you to stay. I'm the King. I get what I want.... I nevr loved my brothers. A sad thing for a man to admit, but it's true. You were the brother I chose." Looking back at Ned, he stood up. "We'll talk when I return from the hunt." He threw the 'hand's badge' at him.

"The hunt? "

Robert started walking towards the door. "Killing things clears my head." He was now at the door. "You'll have to sit on the throne while I'm away. You'll hate it more than I do."

"The Targaryen girl..." Ned asked, hoping his friend had changed his mind.

Robert opened the door, preparing to leave. "Seven hells! don't start with her again. The girl will die and I'll hear no more of it. Put on the badge. And if you ever take it off again, I swear to the Mother I'll pin the damned thing on Jaime Lannister. " Robert exited, closing the door behind him.

Ned picked up the badge, looking over it. Was it truly worth it?

[King's Landing - Training Room]

Syrio closed the door and turned, with two wooden swords in hand, to walk up to Arya. He threw one at Arya, who caught it, and made a dancing stance, a foot away from her.

"I don't want to practice today."

Syrio got out of his stance. "No?"

"They killed Jory. My father is hurt. I don't care about stupid wooden swords."

Syrio walked towards her. "You are troubled."

"Yes."

He rattled his sword close to her face. "Good! Trouble is the perfect time for training. When you are dancing in the meadow with your dolls and kittens, this is not when fighting happens."

"I don't like dolls and k..." She was stopped as he swiped her arm with his sword.

"You're not here. You're with your trouble. If you are with your trouble when fighting happens..." He stepped back as she advance. She parried and he turned, around her swordm to be right in front of her, causing her to fall. "More trouble for you. Just so. How can you be quick as a snake..." She stood and they continued their fight. "Or as quiet as a shadow..." Their swords met again. Syrio disarmed her by taking her sword with his hand and quickly turns to place his, and her sword, at her neck. "When you are somewhere else?" He removed the swords and held them in one hand before placing his hand on her shoulder. "You are fearing for your father." She nodded. "That is right. Do you pray to the Gods?"

"The old and the new."

"There is only one God and his name is Death. And there is only one thing we say to Death." He lifted her head up with his finger on her chin. "Not today."

He steps back and makes a dancing stance, Arya taking a step back as he advanced.

[The Kingswood]

Robert, Lancel, Renly, and Selmy walked through the forest. Robert in front, holding a spear, "ancel just behind him, holding wine, Renly behind Lancel, also holding a spear, and Selmy behind Renly.

Lancel Lannister: (Walks up to Robert) More wine, your Grace?" They all stopped walking as Robert took the wineskin from Lancel, taking a chug. He gave it back and they resumed walking, Lancel stepping back to be between Renly and Selmy.

"Now, what was I saying?"

"A simpler time." Renly reminded.

"It was. It was. You're too young to remember. Wasn't it simpler, Selmy?"

"It was, your Grace."

"The enemy was right in the open, vicious as you like, all but sending you a bloody invitation. Nothing like today."

"It sounds exhilarating." Renly said.

"Exhilarating, yes. Not as exhilarating as those balls and masquerades you like to throw." He teased his younger brother, letting out a hearty laugh as Renly swallowed his irritation. They continued to walk deeper in the woods. "You ever fսck a Riverlands girl?"

"Once. I think." Renly replied.

"You think? I think you'd remember. Back in our day, you weren't a real man until you'd fսckеd one girl from each of the Seven Kingdoms and the Riverlands. We used to call it "making the eight."

Ser Selmy moved up to be in front of Lancel.

"Those were some lucky girls."

"You ever make the eight, Barristan?"

"I don't believe so, your Grace."

"Those were the days." Robert reminisced.

"Which days, exactly?" Renly stopped walking and Robert turned to him. "The ones where half of Westeros fought the other half and millions died?" The rest of the party stopped as well. "Or before that, when the Mad King slaughtered women and babies because the voices in his head told him they deserved it? Or way before that, when dragons burned whole cities to the ground?!"

"Easy, boy. You might be my brother, but you're speaking to the King."

"I suppose it was all rather heroic... If you were drunk enough and had some poor Riverlands whοre to shove your prick inside and make the eight." He slapped his spear to his other hand and walking off in anger, Robert looking after him.

Lancel walked up to Robert. "More wine, your Grace?"

Robert grabs the wine and took a long swig from it. He shoved it at Lancel's chest and walked away. Lancel looked back at Selmy before following after Robert. Selmy looked on at Lancel as he resumed walking.

[King's Landing - Throne Room]

Ned Stark was seated on the Iron Chair, with grand maester Pycelle seated on a chair to his left and Petyr Baelish to his right, sitting on a chair with a feather and papers on his lap.

He was currently listening to the report of a farmer.

"They burned most everything in the Riverlands. Our fields, our granaries." Some farmers behind him look down, sullenly. "Our homes. They took our women, then they took 'em again. When they was done, they butchered them as if they was animals. They covered our children in pitch, and lit them on fire " His voice croaked as he tries not to cry.

"Brigands, most likely." Pycelle suggested.

"They weren't thieves. They didn't steal nothing." One of the other farmers shook his head. "They even left something behind, your Grace."

"It's the King's Hand you're addressing," Pycelle said, causing Ned to look at him. "Not the King. The King is hunting."

The farmer threw a sack to the floor and lifted it from the bottom side, fish falling out onto the floor. People at court murmured and exclaimed, appalled at the sight.

This was clearly a direct response to his wife and her house in response to her abduction of Tyrion Lannister.

"Fish. The Sigil of House Tully." Baelish asked as he leant his head towards Ned Stark and whispered, "Isn't that your wife's house... Tully, my Lord Hand?"

"These men, were they flying a Sigil? A banner?"

"None, your... Hand. The one who was leading them... Taller by a foot than any man I've ever met, saw him cut the blacksmith in two, saw him take the head off a horse with a single swing of his sword."

Baelish, still leaning, said, "That sounds like someone we know. The Mountain."

"You're describing Ser Gregor Clegane." Ned told the man.

"Why should Ser Gregor turn brigand? The man is an anointed knight."

"I've heard him called Tywin Lannister's mad dog. I'm sure you have as well." Baelish told Pycelle before turning to Ned, lowering his voice. "Can you think of any reason the Lannisters might possibly have for being angry with your wife?" He stared at Ned, who stared before returning his attention to the farmer.

"If the Lannisters were to order attacks on villages under the King's protection, it would be..." Pycelle began.

"That would be almost as brazen as attacking the Hand of the King in the streets of the capital." Baelish commented.

Pycelle mumbled to himself. Petyr and Ned exchange stares before Ned turned to the farmer.

"I cannot give you back your homes or restore your dead to life, but perhaps I can give you justice, in the name of our King, Robert. Lord Beric Dondarrion." Berric stepped forward from the crowd. "You shall have the command. Assemble 100 men and ride to Ser Gregor's keep."

"As you command."

Ned stood with his stick, slightly struggling. "In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, the first of his name, King of the Andals and the first men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm, I charge you to bring the King's justice to the false knight Gregor Clegane and all those who shared in his crimes. I denounce him and attaint him." Gasps, murmurs, and voices of outrage sounded amongst court. "I strip him of all ranks and titles, of all lands and holdings, and sentence him to death."

Maester Pycelle stood, outraged "My Lord. This is a drastic action. It would be better to wait for King Robert's return."

"Grand Maester Pycelle."

"My Lord."

"Send a raven to Casterly Rock. Inform Tywin Lannister that he has been summoned to Court to answer for the crimes of his bannermen. He will arrive within the fortnight or be branded an enemy of the crown and a traitor to the realm."

Ned left Pycelle standing. Petyr put the quill in his book, left them on the chair, and followed Ned. He walks with Ned, who was taking steps down from the Throne Stand.

Petyr Baelish spoke to Ned, voice lowered. "A bold move, my Lord, and admirable. But is it wise to yank the lion's tail? Tywin Lannister is the richest man in all the Seven Kingdoms." He stopped walking and raised his voice. "Gold wins wars, not soldiers."

Ned was now on the Throne Room floor. "Then how come Robert is King and not Tywin Lannister?" He walked away.