Chapter 97: Eddard's Discovery
Evening fell over King's Landing.
Inside the Tower of the Hand, Eddard Stark was still working by candlelight. He held a thick volume in his hands, reading with deep focus. The title on its worn cover read "Genealogies and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms (Including Descriptions of Lords, Ladies, and Their Children)."
This was the very book that Jon Arryn had been studying before his death. Eddard couldn't help but wonder what secrets it contained—what had held the former Hand's attention so firmly, even in his final days. Perhaps somewhere within its dry, tedious pages lay a crucial clue to Jon Arryn's death.
Yet the book was maddeningly dull, its endless records and descriptions making it difficult to extract anything useful.
A sudden, urgent knock broke the silence.
"Enter," Eddard called.
Jory Cassel stepped inside.
Without looking up, Eddard spoke, "I've agreed to Janos Slynt's request. Assign twenty of our guards to the City Watch. You'll handle the selection. Ser Alyn will lead them until the tourney ends."
Jory bowed. "Yes, my lord."
Eddard finally glanced up. "Have you found the stable boy?"
Jory nodded, though his expression was uncertain. "My lord, most of what he said were trivial matters. The rest… sounded like nonsense."
"Nonsense?" Eddard frowned.
"Yes. He claimed that Lord Arryn once went to a brothel—with Stannis Baratheon."
"A brothel?" Eddard's disbelief was immediate. "Those two? Together?" He paused, then asked, "Do we know which one?"
Jory shook his head. "He doesn't know. He said Lord Arryn's guards would have known."
Eddard's expression darkened. "But those guards were taken back to the Eyrie by Lysa…"
Before he could finish, a sudden tapping sound came from the window, interrupting him.
The two men exchanged puzzled glances.
"Has the wind picked up?" Eddard asked.
Jory shook his head. "No, my lord. At least, not before I came in."
Eddard rose from his seat, moving toward the window.
"My lord, be careful."
Jory was quicker. He drew his sword and stepped in front of Eddard, shielding him.
"I'll check it first. Please stand back."
He approached cautiously and slowly pushed the window open.
Outside, perched calmly on the ledge, was a hawk. Its head tilted slightly as it observed the room with sharp, intelligent eyes.
"My lord, it's just a hawk," Jory said, lowering his sword. "It's probably lost."
"A hawk…" Eddard murmured, a flicker of realization crossing his face as he stepped forward.
The hawk showed no fear of the two men. It flapped its wings and flew straight into the room, landing calmly on the table.
Eddard's gaze immediately fell on its leg. As if realizing something, he stepped forward, removed the small bamboo tube tied there, and took out the letters inside.
The first letter was from Robb. It was brief, but after reading it, Eddard couldn't help but exclaim, "Gods… he's only fourteen!"
"My lord, what is it?" Jory asked from the side, already suspecting something as he looked at the hawk.
Eddard lowered the letter slightly. "It's from Robb. He says Roose Bolton has allowed his bastard to raid and slaughter across the North, even plotting to seize House Hornwood's lands."
"He's already sent a formal demand to Roose Bolton, and he's gathering the northern bannermen at Castle Edd."
"He also says there are already two to three thousand cavalry assembled at Moat Cailin, ready to march south to support us… This is madness."
Jory frowned slightly, confused. "My lord, if a bastard dares to seize a noble house's lands, isn't it only right for Robb to raise troops and punish him?"
"That's not what I'm blaming," Eddard replied. "As lord, it's his duty to protect his bannermen. But he should not be assembling cavalry at Moat Cailin. Any movement in the North can shake the balance of power in the realm."
With that, he unfolded the second letter.
Jory, however, shrugged slightly. "My lord, Robb is only concerned for your safety. After all, here in King's Landing, you have barely a few dozen guards—and now even some of them are being reassigned to maintain order."
"Gods above…"
Eddard finished reading and muttered under his breath, disbelief written all over his face. He quickly moved to the desk and began flipping through the book with renewed urgency.
Jory Cassel stood silently nearby, keeping watch.
After a long while, Eddard finally closed the book, his expression heavy with realization. Now he understood why Jon Arryn and Stannis Baratheon had gone to a brothel together.
"Jory, make preparations," Eddard said. "Tomorrow, we'll visit a brothel as well."
Jory stared at him in shock. "My lord… you—"
Eddard waved him off. "No questions. And bring a few more men. I'll cover all expenses."
Jory studied him for a moment, realizing he wasn't joking. A grin slowly spread across his face.
"My lord, what a difficult task…" he said, barely suppressing his amusement. "The others will surely be eager to help."
He bowed and turned to leave.
"Wait."
Eddard stopped him again, pointing at the hawk. "Take care of this bird. Feed it fresh meat and water. For now, it's our only reliable way to communicate with the North."
Jory glanced at the hawk, then nodded. "Understood, my lord. I'll see to it personally."
Cradling the bird, he exited the room. The chamber fell into dim silence, lit only by flickering candlelight, shadows dancing across Eddard's stern face.
…
Winterfell
Saelen lay with his eyes closed, his head resting on Val's slender thighs. She hummed softly while her delicate fingers gently massaged his temples.
It had been a long ordeal. Ever since he had possessed the hawk the previous night to deliver the letter, he hadn't rested for over a full day.
For reasons he couldn't fully explain, the farther south the hawk traveled beyond the Neck, the weaker his connection became. At one point, his consciousness nearly snapped back entirely. Only by expending five points had he managed to maintain control long enough to deliver the letter into Eddard Stark's hands.
From this, Saelen roughly understood the limits of his ability: controlling animals at short distances required no energy, but at long distances, it steadily drained his mental strength.
Fortunately, the effort wasn't wasted. The letter had been delivered, and the hawk now remained with Eddard—making future communication far more convenient.
Based on his knowledge of events, Saelen estimated that Eddard would soon uncover the truth hidden in "Genealogies and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms."
In his letter, Saelen had reminded Eddard to pay close attention to the physical traits of children born from marriages between House Lannister and House Baratheon, and to investigate King Robert's bastards in King's Landing.
He had also briefly mentioned Bran's assassination attempt and his own analysis, while warning Eddard not to trust Grand Maester Pycelle or the Master of Coin Petyr Baelish.
If the situation in King's Landing deteriorated, Eddard only needed to release the hawk—Saelen would immediately lead the cavalry stationed at Moat Cailin south to reinforce him.
Finally, Saelen had warned him that the Tower of the Hand was riddled with secret passages, advising him to check carefully before discussing sensitive matters, lest they be overheard.
He had done all he could. Whether Eddard would heed his warnings… was no longer something he could control.
The journey had taken more than a day. Though his mental energy had recovered, his body still felt drained.
Val, having not seen him all day, had come looking for him in concern. Taking advantage of the moment, Saelen shamelessly rested his head on her lap.
For now, he allowed himself a rare moment of peace.