Chapter 62

Eddard Stark. King's Landing.

The day of the tournament in my honor, held outside of the capital, had arrived, and it certainly did not bring me the same pleasure and merriment as the various lords and knights from across the realm who had arrived in King's Landing.

A total of three spectator boxes were set up. One was reserved for the royal family and was the highest; the second, close to the first, was for the nobles, the members of the Great Houses and the like, where I, Sansa, Renly, and so on sat; and the third, the lowest, was for those who had enough money and status. Ordinary people, on the other hand, stood on their own two feet, but that didn't make their interest and enthusiasm disappear.

Everywhere you could hear the clinking of coins in leather pouches, the singing of trumpets, the thunder of hooves and the noise of the crowd, steel, armor and armor glistened in the sun, banners of various houses fluttered in the wind, knights were not shy to show off in front of the royal family and noble ladies, and knights' shields were displayed above the door of every tent placed around.

Almost every citizen of the city wanted to watch the fights between the best of the best, but I knew how much gold dragons had gone into the organization and prizes. And every time I remembered the numbers, I got a headache, which was only made worse by the noise around me.

The tournament consisted of a knight's joust, a general bout, and an archery competition. Robert wanted to give the winners ninety thousand gold dragons alone, which could rightly be called extreme wastefulness. But I, with the help of Renly, Lord Baelish, and Ser Barristan, managed to temper his wishes by a quarter, which I was glad of.

Robert had always been stubborn, and he must have been to blame for the crown's debt, for Lord Baelish could not have behaved to the king as I did. If it were my will, I would not have held the tournament on principle, but Robert is still the king, and it is my duty to do his bidding.

As the tournament participants made their final preparations for the general battle, I shifted my gaze to Stannis and then to the royal box where Robert sat with Prince Joffrey and the queen.

I frowned inwardly, for the conversation with Stannis had kept me on my toes.

Stannis had never been a joker. He was strict and stern, and he valued dignity and honor. And he suspected that Robert's children were not his children at all, and that the queen had conceived all three Baratheons on the side, as I had thought in passing.

And it made sense, because when Stannis had come to my office, he'd brought the Baratheon family tree book with him, and every child with stag blood in his veins had black hair and blue eyes. Of course, there could be exceptions, as in the case of Sansa with red hair like Cat's, but for all three children to have traits of only their mother? That raised questions.

I have enough on my mind right now, as I have to sort through the backlog of cases that Jon left behind, but I MUST make time to research this issue. And if mine and Stannis' suspicions are true, then the Queen has sullied the honor of not only the Baratheons and Lannisters, but of royalty with an oath to the gods.

I made myself promise to look into the investigation beyond what I already had concerning Jon's murder and looked at Sansa. She was studying the nobles' box with her gaze and was definitely planning something, though I wasn't sure what.

I had some concerns about the safety of my girls, but she assured me that everything was fine, at least for now. That was rejoicing, however I was now concerned about another matter concerning my youngest daughter, which I decided to ask.

- Sansa?

- Yes, father?

- Where's Arya? I thought she would have wanted to see the general fight.

- She wanted to, but she decided to spend time with them," Sansa replied, to which I nodded briefly and thought for a moment.

At Arya's request, I started looking for a suitable swordsmanship teacher. She was a girl, and a young one at that, using a dagger rather than a sword, and for that reason only people from Dorne or Essos were suitable. The Knights of Westeros would not take the job for fear of hurting Arya or me, and mercenaries were not men of word, duty, or honor.

Eventually help came from a rather unexpected source. Arya had somehow befriended the illegitimate daughters of Oberyn Martell, who had arrived in King's Landing a little after their father. Obara Sand, Nymeria Sand, and Tyene Sand, who were called the Sand Snakes. And that nickname had a reason, for each of them were dangerous, judging by the rumors hovering around them.

Dorne and its traditions were very different from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms due to the history of the region. It was normal for their women to wield weapons and do all the things that men did, and Oberyn's daughters were no exception.

When Arya herself brought Lord Oberyn's three daughters to me in my office and stated that she wanted to train with them, I looked at it with extreme skepticism. However, after thinking about it for a bit, I allowed it, though, under the supervision of my men, for it was much safer that way than a mercenary sometime.

Plus, after talking to Lord Oberyn, he gave me his word that he wouldn't let Arya be harmed and would protect her no matter what happened, and his daughters and mistress fully supported him.

That was good to hear, and as far as I remembered, the Starks and Martells had no hard feelings towards each other, but I still felt like something was escaping my ears and eyes.

Of course, this was King's Landing, and things between the nobles had always followed the same script, but I suppose at this point I needed allies. And the Martells were a Great House, which fit my criteria quite well.

- "Them, Lord Stark?" - Lord Baelish asked suddenly.

- 'The daughters of Lord Oberyn, who is not present,' I replied. - 'It seems my daughter has made some new friends.

- "Sand Snakes, I believe?" - he inquired, to which he received a short nod. - I've heard they are as beautiful as they are dangerous and skilled in love. The eldest followed in her father's footsteps and wields a spear, the second prefers a whip, and the youngest a dagger. If I may, are you sure your daughter will be safe in such company?

- Would they hurt Arya? - Sansa spoke up, a concerned look on her face. - I've heard that Dorne is different, but they have sworn an oath to the King, haven't they?

- That is true, Lady Sansa, and I did not say they would harm your sister," Lord Baelish smiled. - But rumors are not born out of nothing. There is always a reason and a grain of truth in every rumor that goes around the world.

- I see.

- You are clever, my lady," he praised her, then turned his gaze to me. - I heard from the Red Castle guards that your daughter wanted a swordsmanship teacher. If you wish, I can provide you with a good man. He is excellent with a blade, he just prefers solitude and peace. In my opinion, he would be safer, no offense to Lord Oberyn and his daughters.

- I've already given Arya my consent, Lord Baelish. And I will not go back on my word," I shook my head. - I apologize.

- It's all right, you don't need to apologize, Lord Hand," Lord Baelish said politely. - But if there's anything you need, I'll be glad to lend a hand. Lady Stark and I have known each other since childhood, as you know, and I value that friendship.

- Of course, Lord Baelish. I'll keep him in mind," I thanked him and looked at the arena.

I understood what he was implying, but I also realized that he could be trusted, at least for now. The letter to Kat that I had received through my men, rather than directly, made it clear that Lord Baelish was still deeply in love with her, and so would be willing to assist me.

His story was a sad one, but so be it. She is now my spouse and the mother of my children, and as such, I must protect them at all costs.

-0-

Oberyn Martell. King's Landing.

I sat in one of the Red Castle's partially covered courtyards, surrounded by walls that could be used as a training ground, and watched as Obara, Nym, and Tyene taught Arya Stark how to wield a dagger. Sarella had originally planned to come as well, but she had decided to stay in Dorne.

- 'You are too restrained, my lady,' Nym said with a teasing smile on her face as she held the dagger in its scabbard in her hand and looked at Arya Stark's fallen buttocks, then walked over to her and held out her hand. - In order for your dagger to reach your enemy, you need to be fast, agile, and unpredictable. Are you sure that's the weapon you prefer?

- I'm not a lady! - The girl immediately exclaimed, but then smiled and took Nym's hand, letting her help her stand up. - You're just too tall, Nym.

- Of course I am. If you think so, Lady Arya," Nym let out a chuckle.

- One day I'll get my revenge on you," Arya said vindictively and with a touch of jest, which only amused Nym, and shifted her gaze to Tyene. - 'You will help me, won't you, Tyene?

- I wouldn't help you in avenging my own sister, Arya,' replied her gentle and pleasant voice, and then smiled at Tyene. - 'It is very cruel and treacherous.

- It's just right for you," Obara spoke up.

- Why are you so prickly, sister? - Tyene asked innocently. - Arya doesn't care about your broad bones and calloused hands. So why don't you show a little gentleness?

- What are you implying?!

- Come on, girls," a cheerful Ellaria intervened. - We have a guest and you're fighting with each other like children.

Nym let out a chuckle at her words, Tyene smiled, and Obara quickly cooled down and went back to drinking her wine. I, on the other hand, found the whole thing amusing and definitely considered it a good sign.

I must say, Arya Stark found common ground with the snakes very quickly, even if it was me who asked them to do it to fulfill a promise to Solomon. But the closest the girl was with Nym, my second oldest daughter, which was expected, since the favorite weapon of both was a dagger. Also, the Stark daughter had named her wolf, sleeping off to the side, by the same name. And that definitely added a couple points to her score.

A little while later, everyone went back to their business. They were the only ones in the middle of the courtyard, while Obara drank wine boredly and Tyene talked to Ellaria about our visit to Braavos. But at some point, my premonition told me something was wrong.

And before I could look around or prepare myself for anything, a hand appeared on my shoulder. A familiar hand. My gaze traveled to the side, where I was met by the golden eyes of Solomon, who had appeared out of nowhere. But for some reason, no one present paid him any attention, not even Arya's direwolf.

- My thanks, Oberyn," he said, removing his hand and glancing around the courtyard. - I didn't think you'd choose this method, but I'm certainly pleased with it.

- Thank you," I smiled. - Wine?

- No," Solomon shook his head. - I won't be with you long.

- Suit yourself," I said. - Ellaria and the others don't notice our conversation because of your magic?

- Yes.

- Very convenient. I wish I had the same powers," I grinned. - You came to me for a reason, didn't you?

- You're right," he nodded, and he was silent for a moment. - It's a good move. If war breaks out, the Starks and the Martells will be allies. Which means that whoever the enemies are, they'll have to divide their forces and fight on two opposing fronts.

- You make it sound like there will be a war," I said cheerfully, but when I heard his silence, I froze and became serious. - So...

- Yes, there will be a war," he confirmed calmly, almost indifferently. - And the Martells will be part of it. That is the reason I came. To warn you.

- More of your magic, eh? - I asked. - A vision of the future?

- You could say that," Solomon said in the same tone. - And the question is whether YOU will participate in this war.

I froze at those words, quickly realizing what he was implying. There was only one reason, and if so, then.....

- How?

- Carelessness," Solomon answered.

- What? I didn't understand. - Could I have details? Any clues as to how it would happen? Anything at all?

He shook his head.

I lived in Essos, and I knew about predicting the future. Yes, there were some in Westeros as well. But every prediction was extremely vague and obscure, described in generalities without any details, just like this one. And yet there must be something, for if I should die soon, have I succeeded in my goal?

- I know what you're thinking," Solomon suddenly began, drawing my attention to himself. - However, the question is whether you have the patience.

- I don't understand what you're getting at.

- Your actions have changed your fate a bit," he said and pointed to the courtyard. - And so I can still tell you something.

- I'm listening.

- When the moment comes, choose the blood. It will keep you alive and open the way for you to exact your revenge.

- "Blood"?

The answer to my question was silence, and then, after a few moments, he disappeared as suddenly as he had appeared. I drained my glass in a volley and thought about his words, or rather about the single clue Solomon had left behind.

What did he mean?

-0-

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