chapter 150 part 1
Chapter 150: Black News (Part 2)
"Arya!"
Seeing his sister crying uncontrollably, Jon Snow's heart sank. He ignored his injuries, his lips pressed tightly together, and with trembling arms, he used all his strength to get out of bed.
His injured leg trembled involuntarily, and Jon sucked in a sharp breath of pain.
Monton Waters had intended to help him, but on second thought, he walked over, picked up the little girl standing at the door, and placed her directly in front of Jon.
Then, Monton glanced at Jon, scratched his head, and left the room without a word, closing the door behind him.
"Brother, Bran... he fell from the watchtower! Sob!"
*Thump.*
How could that be possible? Bran was so agile. He had climbed almost every climbable surface in Winterfell and had never once lost his footing.
Could it be... Jon secretly shook his head. No one in Winterfell would harm a member of House Stark.
So, was it really an accident?
Jon didn't know when tears had started streaming down his own face. He forced himself to calm down. "Arya, tell me, how is Bran now?"
Arya's small shoulders ached from Jon's grip, but she didn't cry out in pain. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "Father said... he hasn't woken up... I overheard it... so I came to find you..."
Jon hugged his sister tightly, comforting her. "Arya, Lady Catelyn will surely take good care of Bran. Trust me, Bran will definitely be fine!"
…
…
The atmosphere in the Hand of the King's study was heavy. Lord Eddard's stern and tense face concealed the grief in his eyes.
Glyn's eyes shifted slightly as he glanced at Varys, who stood beside him. He asked with concern, "Lord Eddard, do you need to rest for a while?"
Varys chimed in, "Lord Eddard, I believe they will all behave themselves for the time being. You can deal with this tomorrow."
Lord Eddard merely shook his head slightly, not opening his mouth.
Glyn and Varys exchanged a look and said no more, standing quietly to the side.
After a long while, Lord Eddard let out a soft breath.
He spoke, "My apologies for keeping you waiting."
As Lord Eddard's voice fell, Varys immediately took a step forward and said respectfully, "My Lord Hand, Varys is at your disposal at any time."
Lord Eddard gave a slight nod. "Is it certain that Garlan Tyrell's arm cannot be healed?"
Varys's tone was tinged with regret. "Yes, Lord Hand."
He added, "During this tourney, Lord Mace's sorrow is inconsolable. It is truly heartbreaking."
Lord Eddard had also just received the news of his son Bran's fall and subsequent coma. He could empathize with Lord Mace's feelings.
Lord Eddard furrowed his brow and thought for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Where is Renly?"
"Most people are in the sept. Lord Renly is there as well."
Lord Eddard: "..."
Killing The Mountain, and Lord Mace's second son losing an arm... Lord Eddard's heart was troubled. As the Master of Laws, Lord Renly had not waited for the King's judgment. He had taken matters into his own hands, joining forces with the Golden Rose to publicly execute Lord Tywin's vassal... an act that had escalated the conflict.
And on top of that, Lord Tywin's son was injured... Dammit!
Lord Eddard's gaze turned sharp. "Varys, can you be certain that Tyrion Lannister's incident was an accident?"
Varys wrung his hands, shook his head slightly, and sighed. "There were hundreds of people present. Any one of them could be the culprit, or it could genuinely have been an accident. It is very difficult for us to prove."
Glyn spoke up, "Lord Eddard, once Tyrion wakes up, it will be easier for us to confirm. If it wasn't an accident, perhaps he knows who the culprit is."
"Mm, then we shall wait for him to wake..."
Lord Eddard looked at Varys and continued, "You've worked hard, Varys. You may go back for now. If there's... no, I will not let this bunch of bastards continue their rabble-rousing."
Varys bowed his head and took his leave. When he reached the doorway, he suddenly turned back.
He said apologetically, "Lord Hand, it was my oversight. I forgot something important."
Lord Eddard looked at Varys.
"Petyr Baelish is a member of the Small Council, after all. Now that he has been thrown into the black cells, some people in the Red Keep are anxious. I worry that if this drags on, malicious rumors will begin to spread."
Lord Eddard frowned. "...Can't they be quiet for a few days?"
Varys said helplessly, "My suggestion is to deal with it as quickly as possible. There are still many from the Vale Nobility in the Red Keep. After Lord Jon Arryn passed away, most of the Vale lords sided with Littlefinger. It's normal for them to have all sorts of speculations... but if this drags on, the truth might turn into slander."
Eddard considered this for a moment before speaking. "Varys, you are the Master of Whisperers. You can explain it to them directly..."
As he spoke, Lord Eddard closed his eyes in pain.
After a pause, he said wearily, "Let's wait a little longer."
Varys hesitated. "Lord Hand, are you worried it will affect..."
Lord Eddard cut Varys off with a wave of his hand. He certainly knew what Varys was going to say, but it wasn't about avoiding suspicion or anything of the sort.
Lysa Tully was undeniably guilty, and he wouldn't dare leave Jon's only heir by that madwoman's side. Therefore, Lysa Tully must leave the Eyrie and face trial in King's Landing.
Lord Eddard said in a deep voice, "Varys, I will first use my authority as Hand of the King to contact the Vale nobles loyal to Jon and explain the truth to them directly. I need them to guarantee Robert Arryn's safety."
Varys had a sudden realization. "Lord Hand, I understand. I will guard the secret well."
After discussing a few more details, Varys left the Hand of the King's study.
…
Glyn picked up the wine flagon and poured a cup for Lord Eddard.
"Lord Eddard, I didn't expect so many things to happen recently."
"Everything's happening at once..."
Lord Eddard took the cup, leaned his broad back against the chair, propped his large feet up on the desk, and cursed under his breath, "Dammit!"
Glyn smiled, poured himself a cup as well, and took a sip.
"Lord Eddard, Tyrion's injury is no small matter. You should know the Lannister's style—or rather, Lord Tywin's style—better than I do."
Lord Eddard frowned for a moment and said, "Glyn, who do you think he will retaliate against?"
Glyn shrugged. "Although Lord Renly was also present at the time, I think their target for revenge will be Highgarden. The Mountain was a Lannister hound. The hound that caused the trouble is dead, but Lord Tywin's son nearly lost his life. That reason is enough."
He added, "Lord Eddard, forgive my bluntness, but it's sometimes very difficult to reason with the Lannisters."
…
…
After Glyn left, Lord Eddard once again took out that boring book, *The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms*, and flipped through it casually.
Although the result was hard to accept, he had finally investigated the truth of Jon's death. But... he felt the book concealed another secret, unrelated to Jon's death, yet one that couldn't be ignored... Why would Jon, despite his illness, personally investigate Robert's bastards?
He felt like he had grasped something, but it quickly dissipated... Lord Eddard closed the book. "What a boring book."
Lord Eddard felt he couldn't let himself be idle. He was very worried about his son's injury and wished he could fly back to Winterfell immediately.