Half of the fifteen-day deadline had already passed since Lord Eddard, in his capacity as Hand of the King, had summoned the Lord of the Westerlands, Tywin Lannister.
Yet Lord Tywin showed no sign of setting out.
After King Robert learned that Eddard had decided to put the Imp on public trial, he also understood that the plan to exchange Tyrion for ransom had fallen through.
As for that, Robert could only complain once, then continue hunting in the forest.
This king hated troublesome matters more than anything. If he could, he would have spent his whole life in the woods and never come out.
...
The council chamber.
Lord Eddard walked to the window and opened the heavy shutters, letting in the cool breeze to ease the stifling heat in the air.
This long summer had already lasted eight years, so long that all memories of winter and all caution toward it had gradually faded from people's hearts.
He sighed, then returned to his chair. On the table before him lay a thick, heavy book.
The full title of the book was The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms, written by Maester Malleon of the previous dynasty. Its contents were extremely dull.
After learning that Lord Arryn had been reading this book constantly in the period before his death, Lord Eddard had reason to believe that some important clue must be buried among these yellowed, brittle pages.
The question was whether he could uncover the deeper meaning hidden within.
But what exactly was it?
This book was over a hundred years old. When Maester Malleon compiled it, nearly everyone alive today had not even been born.
Lord Eddard once again turned to the section on House Lannister.
House Lannister had a long history, one that could be traced back to the Age of Heroes and the trickster, Lann the Clever.
Like Brandon the Builder, he was steeped in legend, though he was even more beloved by singers and bards.
In the legends, Lann had relied not on sword or blade, but on his wits alone to drive House Casterly out of Casterly Rock. He had even stolen gold from the sun to brighten his golden curls...
Knock, knock, knock!
Eddard's thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. The one who entered was his future son-in-law, Domeric Bolton.
Eddard trusted him as he would family.
"Domi, is something the matter?"
Domeric stepped forward, remained silent for a moment, then spoke in a solemn tone.
"Lord Eddard, do you trust me?"
Eddard's eyes shifted.
"Domi, do you remember? On the day before you and Sansa were betrothed, I spoke to you in the crypts. From that day onward, you became part of House Stark as well. The peace and honor of the North also rest upon your shoulders."
"In that case, Lord Eddard, there are certain things you must know."
Domeric let out a faint sigh and took from his robes several sheets of parchment that Varys had given him.
"You previously sent me to investigate the truth behind Lord Arryn's death. Now, there is already..."
"What is it? Have you found something?" Lord Eddard asked nervously. He was even a little afraid of hearing news he did not wish to hear.
"Yes. According to the results of my investigation, Lord Arryn died from a substance known as the Tears of Lys. It is an extremely rare poison. It can make the victim show symptoms of a sudden bowel sickness, while leaving no trace behind..."
"Who poisoned him?" Lord Eddard urgently wanted to know the truth.
"Who do you think, my lord? In all of King's Landing, who wished most for Lord Arryn to meet with misfortune?" Domeric paused slightly.
After a long while, Eddard was too shocked to speak.
"Could it be House Lannister?"
Domeric thought inwardly that Eddard was not that foolish after all. At least he had guessed the most likely suspect.
"The current evidence does indeed point toward them."
Domeric did not expose Littlefinger Petyr's plot.
The reason Domeric had accepted Varys's request was not because of his slight friendship with the Spider.
It was because Domeric himself also looked forward to the War of the Five Kings breaking out sooner, so that House Bolton could gain the greatest possible benefit from it.
For that, Domeric had already prepared for three full years.
"Why? Why? Why would they do this?"
Lord Eddard closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and gripped the book tightly. His knuckles turned white, and his fingertips trembled slightly.
"Lord Arryn had been Hand for fifteen years. What exactly did he do that forced the Lannisters to kill him?"
"Because Lord Arryn discovered a secret. A secret enough to overturn the political order of King's Landing. That is why Queen Cersei and the others struck first and murdered Lord Arryn," Domeric explained reasonably.
"What secret?" Eddard asked, startled and uncertain.
"Lord Eddard, the secret is inside this book."
Domeric pointed to the thick volume on the table, the kind of book that made a man sleepy just by looking at it.
In the original storyline, Lord Arryn had used this very book to find conclusive evidence that Queen Cersei's three children were not King Robert's blood.
All three children Queen Cersei had borne were, without exception, golden-haired. That was a feature of House Lannister.
Yet House Baratheon was entirely black-haired.
The reason no one had ever suspected this was because the golden hair of House Lannister was too famous.
This was a family with six thousand years of history, while House Baratheon had existed for only three hundred years. Although the stag now sat upon the Iron Throne, in the hearts of the people of Westeros, the lion was still the older and nobler bloodline.
Thus, everyone had taken it for granted that "the lion's gold had overwhelmed the stag's coal-black."
Therefore, there was nothing strange about all three children inheriting their mother's golden hair.
But this book happened to record several historical marriages between the lions of House Lannister and the stags of House Baratheon.
Because those marriages were so ancient, and because most involved distant branches, no one paid them any attention. Yet in those examples, every child born from the union of the two houses had black hair.
Without exception.
Contrary to what everyone believed, once the lion's gold met the stag's coal-black, it had no choice but to yield.
This proved that those three golden-haired princes and princesses had no Baratheon blood at all!
Lord Eddard frantically opened The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms and turned to the section on House Lannister.
In 206 AC, Lady Alyce of House Lannister married Ser Harys of House Baratheon. The following year, they had their only son: tall, hearty in appetite, and black of hair.
In 156 AC, Lady Wylla of House Baratheon married Ser Gordel of House Lannister. Over eight years, Lady Ryanna gave birth to three daughters and one son, all black-haired.
In 58 AC, Ser Damon of House Lannister married Lady Vivian of House Baratheon. Over three years, they had four children, all black-haired.
...
Dozens of consecutive cases. Every union between lion and stag had produced black-haired offspring. Without exception.
Lord Eddard closed the book. In his heart, he understood.
"Joffrey Baratheon and the other two royal children are not King Robert's blood. They are bastards born of Cersei and her brother Jaime's incest!"
Domeric's firm words struck hard against Lord Eddard's heart.
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🏰🩸 GAME OF THRONES: SECRETS BENEATH THE DREADFORT
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🚨 SOMETHING IS BURIED BENEATH THE DREADFORT...
And perhaps it was buried for a reason.
The North is a land of old blood, older grudges, and secrets hidden beneath snow and stone.
But few places inspire more fear than...
The Dreadfort.
30+ chapters ahead are already available.
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🩸 THE DREADFORT HIDES MORE THAN BONES
🏰 Dark northern secrets
⚔️ Political intrigue
🐺 Westerosi power struggles
🩸 Bloodlines & betrayal
❄️ The brutal North
👑 Ambition & survival
💀 Mysteries best left forgotten
The North remembers.
But the Dreadfort?
🩸 The Dreadfort hides.
🔥 30+ CHAPTERS AHEAD.
👉 Go beneath the Dreadfort before the public readers reach the door.
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⚠️ The more Power Stones this novel receives, the greater its release priority!
❄️ Winter may be coming. The secrets are already here.