The Wizard of Fury Chapter 38 (Patreon)

Finding a place to meet was challenging to say the least. A tent out in the fields outside the walls of King’s Landing would’ve been ideal had Stannis believed that he could truly trust all of the guards that would be with them. While he knew that his own men’s loyalty was unquestionable, the same could not be said for those from Houses Tyrell and Stark. An overheard word could travel far very quickly, and if the wrong ear overheard it, then their plans would be finished before they even began.

There was nowhere within the city itself that Stannis trusted. From the salacious rumours that travelled through the court about various nobles who visited seedy establishments and who or what they went with, he doubted that it would be easy to find a trustworthy place in time.

That left the Red Keep as the last viable option, though even it didn’t fulfil Stannis’ rigid criteria. The walls had ears, it was said, and if cutthroats could make their way into his private chambers, then so could they on any meeting place he selected.

Yet, what other choice did they have without arousing suspicion? At least by hosting this meeting within the Red Keep, none of them would appear out of place. Ideally, few would even realise that this meeting had taken place.

And what place was more unassuming and private than the Tower of the Hand itself?

Now that Lord Eddard Stark had moved in, the guards who’d been protecting Jon Arryn’s chambers had left. Only those in the bailey would see anyone entering the Small Hall, which the Tower of the Hand was connected to. It was a large enough building that it wouldn’t be surprising for them to disappear for an hour.

Minor houses and their various retainers filled the Small Hall. The vaulted ceiling and large windows would’ve been impressive in any keep, had they not been right next to the Great Hall of the Red Keep. At this hour, plenty of lords and ladies were fluttering in for their meals, but Stannis bypassed them all. He slipped into one of the side chambers that ran around the circumference of the Small Hall and wound his way around to the back where the stairwell led up to the Tower of the Hand.

A couple of levels above the Small Hall was the chamber that Eddard had set aside for them. Ser Davos was already standing watch alongside a man named Jory Cassel, the head of Eddard’s household guard. Eddard insisted that he could be trusted above all others, and Stannis agreed to have him there if only to allow Eddard some peace. Besides, he could trust Davos to distract the man should he prove to be listening in too closely.

“Lord Stark is waiting for you inside,” Jory announced.

Stannis shot the man a stern look. “Keep your voice down,” he commanded him. “Or do you wish the endless servants scurrying about to know of this meeting?”

It was possible that some already did, but Stannis was determined to keep any information about it to a minimum.

To his credit, Jory’s cheeks didn’t redden, nor did he shy away from the rebuke. “My apologies, my lord.”

Giving Davos a nod of acknowledgement, Stannis passed between the two men and pushed open the door into the room beyond.

A curved wooden table sat within the oddly-shaped room. As they were within the tower itself, pressed against the outer wall, the room and the table both resembled a crescent moon in shape. Three large windows sat in the wall, overlooking the city of King’s Landing. Candles were lit atop the table with flagons of wine and cups placed on another small table off to the side along with some fresh fruit, nuts, and cheeses.

“I was expecting the Tyrells,” Eddard said from his standing position off to the side of the room where the walls began to narrow.

“I asked them to attend a moment later so that we might have a chance to speak in private,” Stannis informed him before delving right into the topic at hand. “It’s about your bastard boy.”

Eddard stiffened. “Yes?”

“My son says that he has a direwolf,” Stannis continued. “One with quite the clever mind and a nose that can sniff out treachery. My son also says that your bastard is a fair swordsman too.”

“His name is Jon,” Eddard informed Stannis coldly.

Jon… what an inauspicious name given the circumstances.

“Can he be trusted to work with us?” Stannis asked. “My son believes that he and his direwolf may be of some use in dealing with the troubles here in the city.”

Eddard took a long time to pause in thought. Unclear emotions crossed his face in a way that seemed dizzying and utterly unclear to Stannis. “He can be, but I’d rather him not be involved in all of this.”

“We’re talking about the murder of a Hand of the King, an attempt on my own life, and an indiscriminate series of attacks against lords and ladies from all throughout Westeros,” Stannis replied dryly, holding back his frustration from spilling out into his tone. “Does your desire to keep him coddled and safe outweigh your duty to the realm?”

“It is not his safety that worries me,” Eddard replied. “At least not in the way your words imply. Jon has never been taught the ways of interacting with lords and ladies beyond those of my house. He will rise up to taunts or anything he perceives as a slight with words that will not keep the peace between all of us. And there is the matter of—”

“These are weak excuses and you know it,” Stannis hissed at Eddard. “I understand that you are sceptical about the connections between these threats, but I can promise you that they are real and have far more dire implications that you can perceive at this very moment. If your bastard can offer us any slight amount of aid, then it will be worth it, even if he is killed before our duty is done.”

The dark grey eyes of Eddard were often said to resemble the weather. From a deep fog to a raging storm cloud, they were far more animated than his other facial expressions ever were. And Stannis could see them turning darker at the mere mention of his bastard son’s death.

“I will not command Jon to do anything that he does not want to do,” Eddard informed Stannis. “But… I will allow him the chance to offer his services to us.”

“Then send for him,” Stannis said. “The Tyrells and my son will be here soon.”

Coldly, Eddard stood up from the table and made for the door. He cracked it open a hair and whispered something to Jory that Stannis couldn’t hear before closing the door back up.

Neither of the men had much use for words as they waited. It was something that Stannis appreciated about Eddard. They were both ready to get on with what needed to be done first before they would bother with pleasantries as so many southern lords did.

It was only a few minutes later that the door opened back up and a young man stepped inside. Immediately, Stannis was struck by how similar he resembled Eddard. He had the same brown hair and dark grey eyes, though he was a bit leaner than Stannis had expected. His eyes flickered over to Stannis for a moment before they returned to his father.

“Jory said that you called for me, Lord Stark,” Jon said respectfully.

“Close the door, Jon,” Eddard said with a sudden weariness to his voice.

Suspicion covered Jon’s face as he closed the door. It seemed that he didn’t have his father’s talent for having unreadable expressions. “What is this about?”

“The attack on the tourney ground from the Kingswood and so much more,” Stannis began.

“I’ll explain it to him,” Eddard interjected sharply.

Stannis narrowed his eyes slightly but waved Eddard forward to get on with it.

“There have been a number of attacks and unfortunate circumstances here in the capitol before and since we’ve arrived here,” Eddard told Jon. “It is Lord Stannis Baratheon’s belief that these isolated events may be connected in some way.”

Jon nodded slowly, understanding the words but not the meaning. Stannis held his tongue, wishing to simply explain things clearly as he did but also respecting Eddard’s rule over his own son.

“You met his son, Harry, during the attack,” Eddard continued. “And he had fine things to say about the way you conducted yourself as a swordsman and how useful Ghost was. Lord Stannis here wishes to extend an invitation to allow you to prove yourself once again by aiding us in the future, should we call upon you.”

Eagerness flooded Jon’s features. It was clear to Stannis that he was the type of man who wanted to prove himself. That was a trait that many highborn bastards had in common.

“I’d be honoured to join—” Jon began.

“Think about this first, Jon,” Eddard said firmly. “If Lord Stannis’ beliefs are true, then this means that there is an organised effort to harm some of the most powerful men and women in Westeros. They would not hesitate trying to kill you should you interfere in their plans.”

“I understand what it means to put my life on the line,” Jon insisted.

“Do you?” Eddard asked, his voice quieting for a moment.

And yet Eddard’s words seemed to have little effect upon Jon. Stannis could see that the resolution had already been decided the moment that Eddard first began to explain things to him.

“Of course I do. I’ve seen men die before—you’ve taken me to their executions. If Ghost and I can help in any way, then we’ll do it.”

No doubt he was hoping to gain something for himself in exchange for this. Honour and glory, as so many young men desired, could lead to a knighthood, an esteemed position as a chief guard, or even as the ruler of a minor holdfast. There were plenty of the latter in the north to choose from. Eddard should be pleased to have a son so eager to do his duty to the realm, regardless of what he expected to get out of it.

And yet Eddard seemed as still as stone.

“Excellent,” Stannis said, breaking the moment of silence that followed Jon’s declaration. “Then you’ll stay here for our meeting. Where is your direwolf anyway?”

“Out,” Jon shrugged. “He doesn’t like being cooped up in the castle, and the servants seem way around him. He’s been out in the fields beyond the city, but he always comes back.”

“Be sure to bring him back to the castle the next time you see him then,” Stannis told him. “We’ll have need of his talents sooner rather than later I fear.”

“Ghost will do well, my lord. He’s—”

Jon held his voice as the door opened once more. It was the final guests arriving for the evening.

Lord Mace Tyrell, the bumbling oaf, stumbled in after clearly having had a bit too much wine to drink during the festivities throughout the day. His wife, Alerie, came in close behind him with a weak smile on her lips. Stannis paid them no mind. It was the others he was interested in.

The clacking of a cane signalled the heir to Highgarden’s arrival: Willas Tyrell.

Stannis had only met the man a few times and, he had to admit to himself, had a rather negative view towards any and all members of House Tyrell, so he’d thought little of Willas. But it was clear that many others found him highly intelligent and a good man at heart. He, rather than Mace, was the dominant man within the family in terms of decision making. And the dominant woman was…

“Such a stuffy room,” Olenna Tyrell sneezed as she came into view. “We would’ve been better served meeting in the Great Hall over some food.”

“And has anyone listened in on our conversation?” Stannis asked sarcastically.

“If you do not believe that the walls here have ears, then you haven’t been paying attention,” she replied.

Of course he knew that, but there were far fewer ears here than elsewhere.

“Enough, please, grandmother,” Margaery Tyrell as she entered behind her grandmother, her arm interlaced with his son, Harry’s. “This is important, and the Hand’s chambers are more private than elsewhere.”

“Private enough for a few servants to notice our passage into them, I suspect,” Olenna replied sarcastically. “Oh well. What’s done is done. Mace, pull out my chair.”

It wasn’t hard to see why Stannis chose to sit on the opposite side of the table from the Tyrells. He sat at what could be called the head of the table, directly at the apex of the curve, while Eddard took the seat to his left. Jon Snow sat next to his father, and Harry and Margaery came around to sit beside Stannis. The four remaining Tyrells sat opposite them.

Stannis didn’t waste any time before launching into his speech. “You’re all aware of why we are here. The attacks upon the lords and ladies of King’s Landing, the attempt on my life, and the murder of Jon Arryn are all connected. While it is not so obvious to see on the surface, each set of circumstances is so unusual that a pattern must be drawn between them.

“The cutthroats and bandits who’ve been attacking those travelling to the capital are a diverse group, and those we’ve managed to capture have been able to offer us nothing of use. The King knows that someone is behind these attacks, orchestrating them from the shadows, but none of the men seem to know exactly who is doing this. Then there is the matter of Jon Arryn.

“When I first arrived at King’s Landing, I found the matter of his sudden demise to be suspect. Grand Maester Pycelle offered up lies, misdirection, and untrustworthiness at my questions directed at him, and my investigation found that Jon Arryn’s chambers had been tampered with. The man had been poisoned with the tears of Lys, something that only someone in close proximity to him could’ve given.

“As I continued my investigation, an attempt on my life was made. My investigation was no secret, so it is only logical to conclude that someone intended for my investigation to end before I could find out the truth of Jon Arryn’s death.”

Olenna cleared her throat loudly. “You’ve done a fine job of proving your point about two of these events, but how are the bandits on the roads connected to the attack upon your life?”

“Because they tried to make me look the fool,” Stannis explained. “They had one good attempt on my life, and then my household kept me as safe as possible. Instead of coming after me directly, they decided to make me look incompetent while I ruled in Robert’s stead.”

Olenna snorted loudly. “A tad bit egotistical of an analysis. What would they have to gain from ruining your reputation?”

“Getting me sent out of the capital before I could finish my examination in Jon Arryn’s death.”

“Robert can be brash,” Eddard admitted, looking gloomy that he had to say such a thing about one of his closest friends in the world. “But surely he wouldn’t banish one of his own brothers.”

“He may see you as a brother, Stark, but he’s never seen me as such,” Stannis retorted sharply. “He denied me my rightful inheritance of Storm’s End and left Dragonstone to me out of pettiness. Banishment would be a simple matter for him.”

“I agree with my father,” Harry said, suddenly standing up to address the room. “These attacks have been too organised to be random. We also believe that these attacks may have other implications as well.”

“Indeed,” Stannis nodded approvingly. “These attacks make my brother look like a weak king who can’t defend his own subjects. It is bound to sow discord and strife amongst the lords and ladies within Westeros. We have yet to see a full generation of a Baratheon upon the iron throne, and there are those looking to usurp my brother’s position. Regardless of their ultimate goals though, what is clear is that they are interfering with the operations of Westeros and are seeking to kill any who stand in their way.”

“That is why we must continue our investigations into the matter,” Harry continued. “The men loyal to our family have been scouring the city for any information they could find, and they should continue to do so. They would make for a fine distraction while the rest of you examine the subtleties at court.”

Olenna seemed amused more than anything else by Harry’s words, but it was Willas who seemed to take them more seriously.

“You intend for us to investigate our fellow highborn lords and ladies at court over this matter?” Willas raised an eyebrow. “For any of them to have organised something like this… it would have taken a tremendous amount of gold.”

“Exactly,” Harry said eagerly. “Finding any families who dipped deeply into their coffers should be easy to identify. My father and I were hoping that your family could lead such investigations while Lord Stark acted as another decoy within the court.”

Eddard barely reacted to Harry’s words. “You intend for us to become the first victims to any reprisals?”

“Our family is operating at the forefront, just as yours will be,” Stannis reminded him. “But what is needed are distractions. Whoever is behind these attacks is beyond clever. The more trouble we can cause them by having our men clatter about in search of this mysterious foe the better. It is the Tyrells who will go unnoticed and find the true answers.”

“But won’t we be under as much suspicion given my sister’s engagement to your son?” Willas pointed out.

Stannis stood up straight and eyed everyone in the room. “I am aware of how most people view me. They wouldn’t need much evidence to believe that I still do not approve of my son’s marriage to Margaery, nor of House Tyrell’s influence in the capital.”

Olenna snorted loudly at that. “A fair assessment.”

Willas’ eyes darted back and forth between Margaery and Stannis. If his soon-to-be daughter-in-law had done her duty, then she would’ve made it plain to her family the level of import that this investigation held. But even still, it was hard for anyone to believe something without seeing it with their own eyes. There was a cautiousness to Willas, something that Stannis begrudgingly admired.

“If all of this is truthful, it would require quite the investment from House Tyrell to see it through,” Willas pointed out.

“The king is an overly generous man,” Stannis countered. “Should we bring him evidence of the plot and the mastermind, he will not hesitate to repay the debt the crown owes you threefold.”

“And if we find nothing?” Willas asked.

“Then you will have ensured your sister’s temporary safety,” Stannis said bluntly. “Make no mistake, these villains behind this plot will continue to come after me and my family so long as I remain involved in the investigation. And I will remain involved until the threat to the realm has been swiftly dealt with. So long as Margaery is connected to my son, she will also be a target.”

Stannis didn’t use these words in an attempt to intimidate the Tyrells into working with him; he used them as a pure statement of fact. If Margaery and his son were together, then they would both be in danger so long as he was too.

As the words sunk in, he could see the concern flash across Mace and Alerie’s faces. Still, Margaery offered them a reassuring smile.

“I will be alright, mother, father,” she said to each of them in turn. “I trust Harry to keep me safe, and the sooner we deal with this issue, the fewer threats we’ll have to deal with.”

“There is one other matter,” Harry suddenly spoke up.

Stannis sat down comfortably. He’d received Harry’s sealed note earlier. He didn’t need to intervene any further. The only reason that he’d held back the information about this before was because he was uncertain if Eddard would allow his bastard to join Stannis’ son.

“Ser Barristan has been investigating the incursion into the Red Keep that led to the attack upon my father’s life,” Harry began. “His men uncovered a copy of the king’s formal seal within the tunnels beneath the Red Keep.”

There was a sharp intake of breath from Mace. “But only the king and the small council have access to that seal.”

“Which is why it is so concerning to find an additional copy of it,” Harry nodded. “Ser Barristan fears that either one of the Kingsguard, a member of his small council, or one of the queen or her children happened to create this copy, as they are the few individuals who would have access to it.”

“Some would call investigating the royal family without the king’s blessing to be treason,” Olenna rightly pointed out.

“Indeed,” Stannis agreed. “Which is why we must be careful about whom we accuse. To begin with, my son and Lord Stark’s bastard son, along with his direwolf, will begin by investigating the tunnels beneath the castle. The direwolf may be able to pick up a scent that we are unable to find ourselves.”

“A sound idea,” Margaery chimed in pleasantly. She was looking at her family, urging them to agree.

“Indeed,” Mace agreed readily upon seeing his daughter’s smile. “I will have our men begin investigating the court at once and—”

“Why not let your son handle this matter, Mace?” Olenna interjected. “After all, you have so many important meetings to attend to with other houses.”

“I do, but…” Mace trailed off at seeing his mother’s withering glare. “Of course. Willas can handle this.”

“Good,” Olenna replied curtly before swiftly turning her head towards Stannis and Eddard. “Then the two of you had best keep us well informed about your work as you undertake it. We will not be staying long past the end of the tourney. If the matter is not settled by then, we will be of little help going forward.”

“Believe me, my lady,” Stannis said with a slight bow. “If this matter is not dealt with by then, then I fear that I will already be dead.”