The weather in King's Landing was so hot, the air oppressive and humid. The poor fled their stifling homes, seeking a spot by the Blackwater Rush to rest.
Eddard was unaccustomed to such a climate; it was truly too hot, perhaps Starks were all forged from ice. But Eddard still steadied his mind. Grand Maester Pycelle was the one he had to question, to track down clues about Jon Arryn's death.
"Lord Eddard, Lord Arryn's death is a heavy blow to us. I am happy to inform you of the circumstances of his passing," Maester Pycelle said. After Eddard's consent, Pycelle had an Attendant bring them each a glass of iced milk, with extra honey.
"The common folk say the last year of summer is the hottest, and it seems to be true. When I was at The Citadel back then..." The Old Maester babbled on, then drifted into a rambling whisper, as if about to fall asleep. The Old Maester reminisced about past climates to Eddard, recalling a long summer during King Maekar's reign, a seven-year long summer that made people mistake it for an eternal summer.
"Where were we? You asked about Lord Arryn." The Old Maester scrutinized Eddard, looking genuinely confused.
"Yes," Eddard replied. He didn't know if the Old Maester was truly confused or pretending.
"To be honest, the former Lord Hand often seemed troubled," the Old Maester said. "I worked with him for many years, what is there I wouldn't know? Lord Arryn had long borne the heavy responsibilities of the realm in silence; his shoulders were weighed down by state affairs and worries. Especially with his Child's frail health, his wife was deeply concerned, hardly daring to let the Child out of her sight. Such pressure is difficult even for the strong, let alone Lord Arryn, who was no longer young."
Eddard keenly analyzed the Old Maester's words. Many things were common knowledge, but these were far from enough. Eddard decided to ask the most crucial question. "What exactly was his illness?"
The Old Maester's face was etched with sorrow as he continued to recount what he knew. One day, Lord Arryn asked the Old Maester for a book. At that time, his body was still robust, but the Old Maester knew what Lord Arryn was worried about. The next morning, he was in pain all over, unable to get out of bed. Lord Arryn's personal Maester believed the Lord had caught a chill in his stomach, but Lord Arryn's condition worsened, and finally, the Old Maester intervened personally.
"I heard you dismissed Maester Colemon at the time?" Eddard looked at the Old Maester and continued to ask.
The young Maester Colemon served House Arryn. During Lord Arryn's time in King's Landing as hand of the king, Maester Colemon served as his personal Maester. When Lord Arryn fell seriously ill, Grand Maester Pycelle dismissed him from Lord Arryn's side, citing his youth and inexperience. Eddard was very concerned about this point.
But the Old Maester remained calm in his reply. The Old Maester believed Maester Colemon's treatment method was problematic; elderly people who were too weak could not endure too much. Maester Colemon wanted Lord Arryn to drink a purgative and pepper liquid, hoping to make the Lord vomit out toxins, but the Old Maester believed it was wrong.
"What did Lord Arryn say to you when he was gravely ill?" Eddard continued to ask. He felt he was tracking down some meaningful clues and had to get a clear answer.
The Old Maester frowned, "In the final stages of his feverish delirium, Lord Arryn repeatedly called out the name 'Robert.' I'm not sure if he was calling his beloved Child or His Majesty the King. Lady Lysa did not allow the Child into the sickroom, fearing infection. His Majesty the King did visit, sitting by the bedside for a long time, talking with Lord Jon about past good times, hoping to lift his spirits. His Majesty's reverence for the former Lord Hand was very evident."
"Nothing else? No last words?" Eddard pressed on.
"Seeing that Lord Hand had no hope of recovery, I gave him milk of the poppy to ease his suffering. Before he closed his eyes, he said a prayer for his beloved Child to his wife and His Majesty the King. He said, 'The seed is strong.' In the end, his words were already slurred and unintelligible. Although he passed away the next morning, Lord Jon had calmed down after that and did not speak again."
Eddard looked at the Old Maester and drank another glass of milk. He didn't know if he needed to continue asking, but coming here had already exposed some things. Since that was the case, it was better to get a clear answer.
"In your opinion, was there anything suspicious about Lord Arryn's death?" Eddard asked the Old Maester directly.
The Old Maester, hearing this, repeatedly denied it, stating that Lord Arryn's death was not accidental but a natural passing.
Eddard continued to ask the Old Maester if such a rapid illness had any precedent. The Old Maester shook his head repeatedly, finding everything normal.
Eddard looked at Pycelle, "His wife doesn't think so."
The Old Maester continued to babble explanations, and Eddard only remembered his warning. "Lady Lysa has been paranoid since her last miscarriage, always thinking someone is against her. The Lord Hand's death broke her heart."
Their words intertwined. No matter how Eddard questioned him, the Old Maester continued to state his view: Lord Arryn's death was a natural event, not poison, and not suspicious.
"I've heard that poison is a woman's weapon," Eddard said.
"There is such a saying: women, cowards… and eunuchs. My Lord, do you know that Varys was originally a slave from Lys? My Lord, you must never trust The Spider."
Eddard thanked the Old Maester for his enthusiasm. Varys, he certainly wouldn't trust. But the Old Maester, Eddard didn't know if he could trust him either. He had said enough, and Eddard felt that his interrogations might also reach other ears.
"That book Jon borrowed from you before he fell ill, I'm very curious about it. May I have a look?"
"It's just a large tome, it describes the genealogies of various noble houses."
"No matter, I just want to see it."
Eddard was very interested in this book. Arryn wouldn't borrow a boring book for no reason. Stannis's letter implicitly mentioned these things; Arryn had learned some terrible secret, which led to his own misfortune. But Stannis refused to say too much, only describing the possible scandal of the Lannister siblings.
Lannister, what scandal could the Lannister family have that was more shocking than sibling incest?
Eddard grew increasingly suspicious of the Old Maester's integrity. He seemed to be covering something up. All of Eddard's suspicions were dismissed as natural by the Old Maester, and Lady Lysa's accusations were attributed to the fantasies of a sickly woman.
And the most crucial question: the answer Eddard received had nothing to do with the Lannister family. When Lord Arryn fell ill, the Queen was taking the Prince and Princess to Casterly Rock with Lord Tywin.
Eddard walked out of the Old Maester's room with a heavy heart. Jon and his Attendants were already waiting outside.
Eddard considered the clues in his hand: Lysa's letter, the book the Old Maester mentioned, and the Lannister scandal Stannis had once brought up. Faintly, Eddard felt he was on the verge of uncovering the truth. But at this moment, it was also perhaps the most dangerous time. How to break the deadlock and get the King on his side was fraught with peril.
"Someone is watching us," Jon handed a note to Eddard.
"Damn it, let them," Eddard cursed. He hated King's Landing, feeling like he was caught in a tangled web of traps.
"My Lord, there's something about the Old Maester, I don't know if I should say it..." Jon whispered.
"Oh?" Eddard glanced at Jon.
Jon slipped another note to Eddard without saying anything more.
Eddard opened the note and was startled. "Mikke heard a scandal from the back kitchen: Grand Maester Pycelle is a bit too fond of his young maidservants."
Eddard clutched the note, his spirits sinking to rock bottom. Was the Old Maester feigning confusion in front of him? Then who would he be smiling for? The Lannister family? If so, then the Lannister family would surely move faster to deal with him.
"Well done," Eddard said. Then a thought flashed through his mind: even these low-status people, those others don't notice, often know some clues, and these people's mouths are usually not tight, they'll babble a lot of miscellaneous things. If so, then Lord Jon's former servants might also know something.
"We came to the wrong place," Eddard sighed inwardly. The best tactic for Northerners should be to stay in the North, not to wander aimlessly in the vast King's Landing. There were too many people here, too mixed, and not many could be trusted.
"Jon, this place is more complex than we thought," Eddard instructed Jon.
A multitude of faces floated before Eddard's eyes: Renly, Littlefinger, The Spider, Catelyn, Robert, the Queen, Grand Maester Pycelle, Bran. Some were smiling, some arrogant, but most were untrustworthy. Eddard wished Robert still possessed the martial wisdom of his youth, rather than being completely senile.
"Yes, My Lord," Jon nodded. Back in Winterfell, apart from Lady Catelyn and Theon, everyone was usually kind to him. But this was King's Landing, not Winterfell, where he grew up.
Eddard, Jon, and their party returned to the Tower of the Hand to see Arya standing on the spiral staircase, waving her hands constantly to maintain balance. The rough stone floor had chafed her feet. Arya had finally found her calling; Syrio Forel was teaching her the art of Water Dancers.
"Little sister, what is this?" Jon deliberately asked her.
"This is the Water Dance. What you like is the Steel Dance, the Knight's Dance, the hacking and slashing of Westeros combat. But the Water Dancers of Braavos, they learn the Water Dance, the Assassin's Dance, quick and unexpected," Arya replied proudly.
"Quick and unexpected." Eddard silently listened to these words.
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