Chapter 11: Chapter 10

Leading the three into the tower I locked the door behind them and turned only to find them pointing their swords at my neck.

[Told you.]

Shutty. I have it handled.

"I could kill you right here and end this farce right this moment. No one would believe the rumors of an upstart like you. These are my lands, my laws. I could have you executed for conspiring with a deserter and attacking my men." Ned Stark said, giving me an intimidating look.

"Yet you haven't." I said, looking him in the eye as I walked into the swords, letting them cut into my neck without flinching the slightest bit.

"Because you know as well as I do, that what I said out there was too accurate, too secret for anyone to know. Anyone but yourself." I smiled serenely, "And you want to know who else is aware of it."

"Howland Reed could have-"

"Do you take Howland Reed to be a traitor, Lord Stark?" I cut him off.

He narrowed his eyes at me.

"Then you would best tell us now and afford yourself a quick death." 

"And why would I do that?" I asked, looking down, as the hammer of my revolver cocked, "When I can take down your heir apparent with me?"

Jon immediately reached for my gun but I stopped him with a cold gaze.

"Try it Jon, and I assure you, Robb will die, and his blood will be on your hands. Lady Catelyn won't forgive you for it. Hell, she hasn't even forgiven you for the sin of being born." 

He stopped at that, startled and took back his hand.

"Good boy." I said, scanning their eyes as I pushed their swords aside gently, wiping the tiny droplets of blood from my neck.

"Now down with your swords, and we can talk like sane, civilized adults. How about that?" Ned Stark glared at me and tried to think his way out of it but thinking has never been his strong suit. Still, I honeyed the pot.

"Besides, there are three of you and one of me. If by the end of this conversation you still feel unsatisfied, you will have all the power here. So what do you lose by listening to me?" I pointed out.

"Fine. But the moment you make the wrong move-"

"Yes, yes, I know. Consider me very scared. I'm shivering in my boots, in fact." I smirked.

[Dodge! Back!] The ring cried out in alarm and I immediately stepped back, just in time to avoid Ned Stark's backhanded fist, inches from my face.

Thanks. 

[You're welcome.]

I looked back at Ned Stark and maintained a poker face.

A method to instill fear in me? Amateur.

He on the other hand looked surprised and taken aback, his confidence flickering slightly.

Of course, I was ready to capitalise on the opportunity myself. He had clearly lost his chance in this battle of dominance and it was my turn.

Putting on an air of experience, I gave him a deadpan look and scoffed.

"Are you done with your childish games of dominance? Or is the Stark honour for naught, that you would go back on your word?"

That stung him to his core and he curtailed his anger.

"Speak. Make your case and rest your plea." He growled, "But I will be the one to make the final judgement." 

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I replied confidently as I walked around them and took a seat on the sole chair in the room, putting on a dignified look.

A power move. One Stark had failed to make.

"The chair is for the lord. Do you not even know such basic courtesies?" Robb scathed with indignation. 

"Then perhaps the Lord should have paid attention to courtesy." I snapped back, shutting him up.

I knew I may come off as narcissistic and unearnedly arrogant but it was necessary for me to act this way. 

I was outnumbered here. They had the upper hand. But I cannot let them feel that no matter how true it may be. The moment they sense weakness, they will pounce, honorable or not. It is human nature and the Starks are not immune to it. It is the same instinct that makes bullies target the lowest status member of a group rather than someone in the middle. It's just human nature.

"Leave him be." Ned Stark said with reluctance, raising a hand to stop Robb from doing something unseemly, "It matters not. He won't be long."

I nodded at him with acknowledgement and he continued.

"Now speak." Ned Stark ordered.

"Very well." I cleared my throat, and leaned forward onto the rickety table in the center of the room.

"Do you believe in the old gods, Lord Stark? Keep to the old ways?" I asked.

[Ah, I see where you're going with this now.]

I smiled.

"I gave you time to make your case, not question my faith." Ned Stark replied.

"I am not questioning your faith Lord Stark, I am denying it's existence altogether." I replied coldly.

"You dare-!" Robb fumed, "My father is the most devout man in the kingdom! He is the keeper of the old ways, a true Stark! You will not besmirch his hono-"

I slammed my hands onto the table as I rose up to match his rage filled eyes.

"Then where are the direwolves? Where are the weirwood trees? The heart trees? The sacrifices? The faith? Tell me Lord Stark. Where are they?"

That confused the man thoroughly, causing him to cock a curious eyebrow, surpassing even his anger.

But I didn't give him the chance to dwell on it.

"The old gods are displeased with you, Lord Stark. Very displeased. Year by year the number of weirwood trees decrease. Year by year the faith dwindles. And you sit atop it all, mute and mum. Ask yourself this lord Stark, are you truly fulfilling your duties to the old gods? Because the old gods certainly disagree."

"What are you saying?" He frowned.

"He is a charlatan, father. Nothing else." Robb stepped in but Ned interjected.

"Stay in your place, Robb." 

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I smiled.

"You wanted to know how I know those secrets? Things no man should know? It is the same reason I know what Lyanna told you when she handed her son to you. What you promised her. Why you kept the true heir to the iron throne by your side all these years, despite the great shame it brought to your name and honour." I pointed at Jon and Ned Stark's eyes widened as did Jon's.

"Is this-"

"Not now, Jon. And you, not one more...." Ned shut him down, looking over to me, debating whether he should ask me to stop. 

I just smiled and cast a glance at the other two as he realized it too.

He looked back at Jon and Robb and let out a sigh. He knew it was too late already. Too late to stop me. The cat was out of the bag.

"And it is how I know that at that ball years ago, when you first met Ashara Dayne, you wished so desperately to summon up the courage to ask her to a dance, but you couldn't bring yourself to. You could only watch as your brother Brandon made the first move you wished you could make even in your dreams. It is how I know the Knight of the Weirwood was Lyanna Stark. It is how I know she wasn't taken by Prince Rhaegar, she went willingly with him, willingly wed him under a weirwood tree in secret.

Because I saw it. Because the old gods gave me the vision." I leveled a cold gaze at them all, "Because I am the herald of the old gods, sent back into the realm of the living to remind you of your duties, to warn you of the danger to come and prepare you to face the calamity at the doorstep that theeatens to end the light of life across the world!"

I finished and took in the shocked looks of disbelief across the room.

"You don't mean..." Jon muttered.

"Yes. The white walkers have returned." I replied.

Wyllard, the deserter, who had been standing mute in the corner all this time chimed in as well. 

"Yes, m'lord. I saw them. White Walkers. I saw them with me own eyes!" 

"Utter nonsense." Ned Stark shook his head, "If all you wanted to do is stall your death you need not have bothered."  

"If you don't believe me, just as well. You will know soon enough." I said with a mysterious, knowing look.

Ned Stark raised an eyebrow.

"You speak as if you have proof."

"I do. The old gods are displeased with you, Lord Stark, but they have not abandoned you yet. They have decided to grant you one final boon.

On the way to Winterfell, across a stream, you will find a prophecy and a fortune. A dead stag and direwolf. And six cubs, one for each of your children. A sign for you to prove your faith."

Jon looked at me with disappointment and Ned Stark shook his head. 

"There are no direwolves south of the wall." He said with certainty.

"There is but one stream on the way to Winterfell and we just passed it. There were no direwolves or stags across it. If you wanted to beg for mercy, you should have picked a better lie." Robb scoffed.

"If you believe it so, then it should be no matter for you to take us to Winterfell before you render judgement, should it not? Just know this, should you disregard my advice, disregard the final boon of the old gods, you and your wife along with all the Starks will lose their lives within the year."

"You are in no position to be making threats." Ned Stark said, a bit shaken but still skeptical.

"It is a prophecy, not a threat Lord Stark. Turn a deaf ear to it at your own peril." I warned.

Ned Stark thought for a moment and considered it all. And I knew what he was thinking. He had already fallen into my trap. 

This was the opportunity Hedge had made for me after all.

The easiest way to earn the trust of the Starks and gain a foothold into a position of power the easiest way one can in a medieval world - via religion.

Right here, right now in the timeline, I had three cards up my sleeve that I cpuld use to cement my position in their hearts and minds. Three cards I would lose if I had gone to Winterfell and requested an audience. Three cards I would never let go to waste.

I had already played the first card. Now I just had to wait and watch what hand Ned Stark chose to play.

I grinned inside as I scouted Ned Stark's expression for a hint of what was to come.

"Even if what you say is true, you will not escape judgement. I am the lord of this land. I am the keeper of the old ways and it's laws. The deserter will die, because whether he saw the white walkers or not, he still broke his oath. He will not recieve pardon, no matter what."

"Very well, but I ask that you only do so after you reach Winterfell. Not a moment before. Consider it a final indulgence for a dead man. Besides, it will grant you the advantage in numbers in case I try something."

He looked at me as if watching for signs of fear and finally gave in.

"It matters not if he faces judgement here or in Winterfell. If anything it will grant us an easier funeral." He nodded, "It shall be done. And once we reach Winterfell, if what you say does not hold true, you will face the same judgement. Until then, you are detained."

I just shrugged.

"That is acceptable. But I will keep my effects with me till the judgement is rendered. That is not negotiable, lest you ask for a bloodbath."

"You cannot win against twenty men." 

"All the more reason you should have nothing to fear." I said, and he agreed.

"But you will not raise your weapon again. You will follow us, obediently. Or I will kill you, herald or not."

"I wouldn't have it any other way." I nodded, gesturing at the door, as I holstered the gun in full view of their eyes.

The three men nodded and I grabbed Wyllard, dragging him along with me.

Time to face the music. And reap the benefits.

___________________

And that's the chapter!

Tell me what you think?

MC played his cards and got jailed. The deserter played his part and got strategically sacrificed by the MC at the right time for the right price - a rudimentary feeling of trust from Ned Stark.

Ned Stark was also in character, enforcing the laws despite whatever he learnt.

Hope this satisfied some of the viewers who, rightfully, pointed out the problems in the last chapter.

If not, any ideas to improve it?

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