Of Legacy and Letters
First Day of the Fourth Month 294 AC
"Were this visit for a less grave matter, I would rather let you grieve in peace, my lord," you begin in all honesty. The last person you grieved as dead was Ser Willem Darry and even he did not lie forever in the embrace of death. You have no such hopes for Robb Stark. You have no quick answers nor spells to mend a broken heart.
You once more over father and son, for in all the things that matter Eddard Stark is Jon's son rather than Rhaegar who sired him. You could have chosen to leave your nephew out of this, but you hope that by involving him in matters of the realm, of politics and power, you will make him more likely to heed your word if...
when he overreaches.
"Of what would you speak?" the Lord of Winterfell asks wearily, the tone making it clear he can make a good guess.
"Robert Baratheon is dead by Winter's touch at the hands of the woman who will now seek to take the throne in the name of her children. Her children and not his. Joffrey Waters, Tommen Waters, and Myrecella Waters are no children of Robert Baratheon, but born of the union of Cersei Lannister and her brother, Ser Jaimie Lannister." One could hear every creak and groan of the ancient keep in the silence that followed. You allow yourself the faintest shadow of a smile. "I am hardly one to cast aspersions on that joining for the closeness of their kinship, though there is the matter of her marriage vows to consider."
"On what grounds do you claim this, Your Grace?" Maester Luwin asks. The title was not a slip of the tongue.
Is he trying to push Lord Stark into accepting your claim to the throne? you wonder.
"Sorcery in part, ask it of the Old Gods, or the New, of the World Serpent born before the age of man and they shall answer true, for gods see the past the present and the future with the same eyes. But if that is not proof enough for you, consider that though Robert Baratheon has no trueborn sons and daughters of his body he has plenty born out of wedlock." You speak without passion and without rancor, imagining yourself in some magistrate's hall making the case against Cersei Lannister, for all her execution has already been set. "I've met two of them, Mya Stone from the Vale where she used to tend donkeys and Gendry Waters from the Crownland, a smith's apprentice, his fees paid by Jon Aryn. Both are black of hair and blue of eye, like Robert, like his brother Stannis, even like the woman sired by one of
Ormund Baratheon's, bastards also in my service. The blood runs strong."
"That isn't proof itself, children can favor their mother as much as their father," Eddard Stark answers, sounding more numb than shaken, still trying to preserve Baratheon's legacy perhaps.
"My lord, there are spells I have learned in Quarth that match blood to blood and find kinship," Ser Halys interrupted. "Doubtless such magics have been sought and found in other places also..." He hesitates a moment. "It would be a very foolish lie for His Grace to tell, which would be so easily disproved, and I do not believe he is a fool."
Jon actually gives a nervous laugh, startling himself, then looking stricken as though he feels he aught not be allowed amusement. Dany shoots him a concerned look.
"Thank you for the vote of confidence, Ser, I shall do my best to live up to it," you reply dryly, not taking your eyes of Eddard Stark.
"Then Stannis is Robert's heir," he says, almost too soft to hear, even for you. You can read the struggle behind storm grey eyes. Should he fight and die for Stannis' claim, for Baratheon's legacy, or bend the knee here and now. Were you to make a wager, it would be weighted towards the latter over the former. Heavy as the memory of his foster brother may weigh, the well-being of his family and his people weigh more.
But in this at least you can spare him grief. "Stannis Baratheon has already acknowledged that I am king and in turn I have acknowledged his right to the Stormlands for House Baratheon."
"When? How" Unlike last time, Maester Luwin's question sounds not the least bit calculated, but simply baffled.
Reliable, loyal Stannis, that's the one... It's a wonder how the man makes it through the day with so many assigning him less agency than a loyal dog.
You briefly consider hedging the first question, making it seem that he had only just made his pledge, then realize Stannis would not be the one to prop up complex lies. "The first question is not one that will be of much use here. As for the second, consider what you learned today and what the Lannisters did to him in his absence."
"Luwin, send a raven to Storm's End to confirm this," Lord Stark says at last. Turning back to you, he adds, "I believe that what you say is true, but this is too grave a matter not to confirm by my own means."
"Of course," you reply graciously. Were this another lord or another time you might have simply offered to take him to Storm's End to speak to Stannis in person, but after all that had happened today, you understand the need to regain a sense of control over his own fate. Time may be precious, but you can spare a few hours.
It will give you a chance to speak to Jon about what happened today and the offer to go to Sorcerer's Deep if he so chooses.
How do you approach Jon?
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OOC: Break point here partly for length and partly because Ned's oath should not come crammed into the last few lines of an update. Not yet edited.
