Chapter 5: Conspiring

Greywater Watch, Lord Reed's solar

Lord Reed watched them enter his solar one by one: Benjen Stark, Ser Arthur, Ser Gerold, Lord Manderly, and Eddard Stark. Ned was the last one to sit down. His solemn friend looked content, relaxed, happy even. Ned had spent most of the day following Jon around and observing every part of his nephew's daily routine. He had closely observed the boy's interactions with his teachers but also with the servants and the noble visitors during mealtimes.

Howland had quickly realised that Lord Stark's purpose for coming here had not been the casual visit he had announced by a raven. Ned had expressed a desire to visit his dear sister's son, not using these exact words of course, since Jon existence was still Westeros' best-kept secret. But Howard had understood his friend's veiled words and knew that the high lord wished to see for himself whether the boy was happy here. His liege lord had taken a great interest not only in the progress of Jon's lessons, but he had also been assessing Jon's character and social skills. The solemn Warden of the North was more than satisfied with his findings.

The chairs were arranged in a small circle to encourage all participants to take an active part in the meeting. After filling everyone's cups, the servants quickly left and closed the heavy doors. Lord Reed as their host at Greywater Watch opened the meeting. "Let's begin, shall we? I believe we have a lot to discuss. First up is the situation in the North. Lord Stark, will you elaborate, please?"

Ned nodded his head. He turned to the two Kingsguards who were seated next to each other. "Can I count on you two to bring Ser Oswell up to speed? I consider it vital that he should also be informed of what we are discussing here. Can you please encourage him to let me know if there is something he wishes to bring to my attention? Also, see to it that he is present at our last meeting that will take place in two days. Perhaps Ser Arthur can take on guard duties then?" He looked at them, expecting a reply.

Ser Gerold spoke up, "That goes without saying, Lord Stark. We have no secrets between the three of us and Ser Oswell is assertive enough to voice his grievances in case he has any."

Ser Arthur merely smiled and nodded. "We will arrange it so," he confirmed. "I will guard our King during the final meeting.

Ned's small smile expressing his thanks concluded this small prelude. The high lord took a deep breath and started his report. "First, there is the shoring up of the Northern defenses. Our strategic strongholds have completed the renovations we ordered them to undertake. Most of them did so eagerly since we provided the coin. Our biggest challenge, rebuilding Moat Cailin and man it, is still in progress. I made a short stop on my way over here and can confirm the builder's report. They are indeed more than half done. Soon, we will be able to seal off that entrance to the North should the Crown declare war on us. At the moment, over five hundred men are camped out there, a mixture of builders, other craftsman and soldiers. We are encouraging smallfolk to settle there and start to farm the lands around the stronghold. The first families are set to arrive any day now."

"Our eastern and western coastlines have also strengthened their defenses. We have paid extra attention to the west coast, as promised. Still, I pray that with the Greyjoys soundly defeated, there will be a significant decrease in raiding partings."

"Hear, hear," Benjen Stark shouted, raising his cup with freshly brewed northern ale. The others raised theirs as well and took a healthy sip.

When the cups had been lowered again, Ned continued as if there had been no interruption. "The first shipments with Essosi glass have arrived so we can start expanding our glass gardens and grow more food. As discussed during previous meetings, it is necessary to prepare for the possibility that we could be cut off from the South for an extended period once we make our play. Should anyone have additional concerns, do not hesitate to voice them, either now or later." Eddard Stark paused and let his eyes wander over the men present. As no one spoke up, he resumed his briefing.

"I have been able to keep our real motive hidden from the Northern Lords so far, present company excepted of course." Howland saw Ned exchange a smile with Lord Manderly before looking him in the eye. Howland gave him a small nod which prompted Ned to continue.

 "But it has not been easy and it won't be long before we will have to reassess our decision to keep it from my vassals for another few years." He sighed. "I know I was the first to agree that secrecy is necessary to keep our Targaryen Prince safe, but we must also consider that the Lords of the North might react deeply insulted when they learn that they have been kept out of the loop for so long and refuse to support for our cause."

Benjen Stark wanted to protest but his elder brother silenced him with a look. "This is not the first time that I have warned you all that, although these lords are completely loyal to me, it is not a given that they will follow me blindly in supporting a half-Stark half-Targaryen boy's claim to the Iron Throne, especially if it could lead to war and bloodshed. But let's table this topic for now and focus on easier topics."

Lord Howland was keen to help his liege lord and longtime friend. "Then let us discuss the Wildling situation at the Wall. I believe Benjen Stark is best placed to tell us about the newest developments." All eyes turned expectantly to the younger Stark brother.

Benjen straightened himself. He mimicked his brother's serious manner and gave an account of his last visit at the wall. "Jeor Mormont expressed his thanks once more for our ongoing support. He relays the gratitude of the older recruits who have been at the Wall long enough to appreciate the improvement of their living conditions but mostly the quality of their food and drink. The Lord Commander has not found a mention of any of his predecessors of a monarch or Warden sending financial resources but more importantly enough recruits on a regular basis."

"They have enough funds to renovate Castle Black and will also try to make a few of the long-deserted castles along the Wall more habitable. The steady influx of recruits has reached the point that they can split their forces between more watch points. Also, during my last visit, I experienced first-hand that the quality of the food and drink has improved considerably. For the first time, the ale they served me tasted like ale. The men were dressed better and look cleaner." Benjen's paused for a moment since it appeared he no longer had his audience's attention as they were either exchanging small jokes or congratulating each other on a job well done. He waited a moment longer before he coughed and continued with the more serious news.

"However, scouts keep reporting large Wildling tribes migrating from the higher North to settlements closer to the Wall. Mormont is monitoring the situation closely. A little bit over two moons ago, a party of twelve Wildlings made it across the Wall and created a lot of havoc before they were captured. I can assure you, it takes a lot of balls to climb an ice structure of 700 feet tall. I can't fathom how stealing a few pieces of cattle and harassing our people is enough of a motivation to endanger their lives like that. It raises questions."

"I suggested sending someone beyond the Wall to infiltrate the Wildings and live amongst them for a time to find out whatever motivates this sudden migration. However, the Lord Commander rejected my idea. He argued that it is too dangerous and that the situation is not dire enough to order a valuable ranger into such a life-threatening situation." Benjen took a breath and fixated his brother. "He raised a good point, I have to admit. But since he is the one calling the shots, all we can do is keep offering our support?"

"That is right." His brother confirmed. "The Wildlings beyond the Wall are the responsibility of the Night's Watch. However", his voice took on authority. "If the Lord Commander cannot keep them contained and they reach our lands, then it is our North and my subjects that will be in danger. The people of the North are my responsibility. And if the Wildlings continue to scale the Wall, I will be obligated to interfere and Jeor Mormont will have to relent and coordinate with us." He looked at everyone present to gauge their reaction before continuing.

"That's why I propose to keep sending my brother, Benjen Stark to the Night's Watch. We need to keep a close eye on the situation. Besides, these visits give us access to Maester Aemon. He has already been instrumental in guiding Jon and the boy will need his counsel even more in the future. Maester Aemon still keeps some 'Targaryen secrets' he can only divulge to an heir of House Targaryen."

Howland, detecting a hint of frustration in Ned's tone, intervened. "I believe we can all agree that the only action we can take for now is indeed sending an emissary to Castle Black regularly. Perhaps we can now discuss how far along we are with the building of a naval fleet for our future king? Lord Manderly?" Howland redirected everyone's attention to the Northern Lord who had been a silent participant so far. "Would you be willing to give a status report, please?"

Lord Manderly seemed to grow in size. He cleared his throat and looked around making sure he had everyone's attention. "As you all know, what will become our future royal fleet is being built at separate locations to avoid detection. At White Harbour a hundred new ships are ready and twenty more are under construction. Our most pressing problem is finding adequate crewmen. The North has never had much of a fleet and sailing is not in our blood. So any input you have to solve this issue is welcome. But first, allow me to tell you what has been happening at the other locations."

"The Skagosi have been surprisingly accommodating. That small community has almost finished building fifty ships. Bear Island, as predicted was most adamant to help. They have twenty ships to lend to our cause and five more under construction. Word from Riverrun arrived. They have pledged to support House Stark and the North by donating fifty ships, complete with crew on the sole condition that the North bears the cost of the crew's wages. I guess we have to thank Lady Catelyn for her influence there." Lord Manderly smiled at his liege lord. "There is however the practical problem of sailing them out of Seagard without alerting the Ironborn."

Ser Gerold held up his hand. "If I may speak?"

Lord Manderly nodded his assent.

"It would be a strategic advantage to have some of our ships located there. At some point, it will become our responsibility to defend that part of the Seven Kingdoms as well. The Ironborn are still a threat. Not our biggest one, but small raids can create enough of a nuisance. I would suggest taking command of these vessels but leaving them stationed there, at least for the time being. It is still unclear how and where our forces will best be deployed when our King stakes his claim. It will also help persuade the smallfolk that the True King has been protecting their shores for some time and that he already cares for all his potential subjects when he finally comes forward" Ser Gerold stopped, clearly expecting the others to support his suggestion.

Lord Manderly was the first to react. "I believe we can agree to leave them there for the time being at least." When no one objected, Lord Manderly finished the rest of his report, "Let me just add that at the Driftmark, another part of the fleet is being built. If all goes as planned, by the end of the year they will have 50 ships with crew! All of them financed by Lord Stark's mysterious war fund. To sum it all up, we will have almost three hundred ships at our command by the end of the year. Not a small feat to accomplish, us being Northerners!" He smiled proudly. "Should we need more vessels in the immediate future, we might consider buying some in Essos. We could keep them docked over there until we require them, so as not to arouse too much suspicion. For the time being our ships are mostly anchored in secluded parts of the harbours. As far as I have been able to ascertain, nobody has voiced any suspicions yet and in the North, the smallfolk are grateful to find work more easily. The only speculation overheard in the taverns of White Harbour concerning the increased number of ships in the taverns, are theories on how these will surely be used to increase trade with the Reach and Essos before the seasons turn, because winter is coming." He smiled at Lord Stark.

This time is was Ser Arthur who asked for permission to speak. "I have a suggestion to remedy your lack of seamen. We could recruit on Dragonstone. I know for a fact that there are a lot of former sailors now living as smallfolk on that island that are unhappy with their current circumstances and would be most willing to take up their old profession, even more so once they eventually learn that they will be sailing under the flag with the three-headed dragon in the foreseeable future. But you cannot send one of us. We would be recognized immediately. We should send someone else." Ser Arthur finished.

Lord Stark looked over to Howland Reed and saw him nod. "Thank you, Ser Arthur. That is a most excellent suggestion. It also happens to stress my next issue: manpower. I am of the opinion that we ought to consider expanding our little circle. We are stretched too thin as it is and there is still a lot to be accomplished. We are not yet halfway through the items that need to be discussed and I am certain more actions will be decided upon over the next few days that will require one of us to take an active part."

"I know that we need to tread carefully and I am well aware that I am the one who is always arguing that it is unfair to have more people know of our future King's secret while he himself remains in the dark of his true parentage. However, it cannot be helped. We need more helping hands. And there are things we can't ask of people without giving them proper motivation. The best example is sitting here right in front of us." Lord Stark pointed at Lord Manderly. "I couldn't possibly have made him the admiral of three hundred ships without explaining our purpose."

"Every potential candidate will be discussed first and we will move forward only when we are unanimous in our decision. I'm going to name some possibilities and we can take our time deciding. We do not need to reach a consensus today. And if you have other suggestions, you can mention them up during one of our next meetings." Ned coughed. All this talking was made him thirsty. He took a few sips before revealing the name of his first candidate.

"I propose we consider bringing Davos Seaworth into the fold. If you recall, he was the captain of the ship that initially brought Jon from Dorne to the Driftmark nine years ago. He is a wise and loyal man. His wife is related to Lord Reed's wife. If we can persuade him to join us, he will be a great asset to recruit competent captains and sailors. We could send him to Dragonstone. Furthermore, his smuggling skills will come in handy. I am sure that Lord Reed will vouch for him."

All eyes turned to Lord Reed who simply nodded his head.

"Next, I think we could buy the services of Sandor Clegane." Ned paused expecting the startled looks. "Please let me explain my motivations," he pleaded. "We need someone with his skills. I know he has the appearance of a rough uncouth guy. I have reason to believe that he is a seasoned fighter not afraid to kill if necessary, but one with his heart in the right place and fiercely protective of the weak. I am convinced that he can be persuaded to help the younger half-brother of the murdered royal children. He still is one of the few who openly objects when the subject is discussed, a fact which endears him to me for obvious reasons. I am confident that with the right approach we can get him to swear his sword to our cause. And once he does that, we can be assured of his unwavering loyalty. That's the kind of man Sandor Clegane really is!"

"My third candidate is Ser Barristan Selmy. This will require an even subtler approach. If he knew that Prince Rhaegar's son lived, he would want to protect him. I am convinced that if he had known of the boy's existence from the start he would never have sworn his oath to Robert Baratheon. However, as matters stand now, he would need to break this oath to come over to our side. Knowing Ser Barristan, he will not find a way to out, not without compromising his honour. I fear that he will not be able to find a satisfying solution on his own. Here I would like your input." Eddard Stark addressed Ser Gerold and Ser Arthur. "You were his brothers and know him better than me. What do you think of my suggestion to ease him into it? He would not need to leave Robert Baratheon's service immediately. He could be our eyes and ears in King's Landing at first. That way, he would need not cause any direct harm to the Baratheon reign. Just bring us some information. Do you think one of you could get him to agree to that?"

Ser Arthur was deep in thought. He looked over to Ser Gerold and suggested hesitantly. "I would start with cryptic messages waking his conscience. Then one of us could meet him incognito in a tavern he sometimes frequents in Fleabottom. At which opportunity, we can assess his reaction to knowing one of us is alive for a few days to see whether he will leak that information to the small council. It will give us a clue on how best to proceed next. My guess is", Ser Arthur exchanged another look with Ser Gerold before continuing, "I guess that he will need some time to come to terms with the situation. He will lament that he was the one being stuck on the Trident and will deeply regret swearing an oath to King Robert on the spot. But in the end, I am confident that he will decide to support Rhaegar's son. He cannot hold King Robert in high esteem." Ser Arthur and Ser Gerold agreed on that last part. Howland saw them exchange reassuring glances.

Lord Reed interrupted. "Lord Stark, have you considered Varys as a potential spy for us in King's Landing? I have told you before that my premonitions favour him. They tell me that convincing him that our King will be a much better ruler for the realm, and a true protector of the weak would get him on board. This could free up Ser Barristan. He could disappear from King's Landing and either join us or travel to Essos to oversee Daenerys Targaryen's protection. The man would be a vast deal happier."

Lord Stark seemed to mull this over. The others also were unsure whether it was safe to trust Lord Varys. Lord Reed gave in for now. "Just consider it a possibility and we can talk about it again some time." He addressed Lord Stark. "Did you have any more candidates?"

Ned looked relieved he needn't discuss Lord Varys further and moved this ultimate candidates.

"Lastly", he raised his voice, "and this will be my weirdest suggestion to date, we should consider contacting Prince Oberyn of House Martell."

Everyone stared at Lord Stark, not believing their ears. Even Howland Reed had not seen this coming.

"Are you serious, Lord Stark?" He was the first one to find his speech. The others were still staring at the Warden of the North with their mouths wide open. "Jon is proof of Prince Rhaegar casting aside his sister Elia and as such the boy is a living reminder of the insult to house Martell. I thought our scheme to hand the Mountain over to them and to neutralise Tywin Lannister was to buy their neutrality in the coming power struggle but to reveal our secret to them? That's taking an unacceptable risk!" He exclaimed, still a bit chafed that Ned had not supported his suggestion, knowing that his premonitions had been a great asset so far.

The others looked uneasy but Lord Stark remained unperturbed. "I am not talking about informing Dorne or Prince Doran. I only meant the Red Viper. We all know he is a rebel at heart and a free spirit. Chances are that he will love being in on something this huge and keep it a secret from Prince Doran. I also know that he resents the passive approach Doran Martell always chooses. Prince Oberyn loves to act, to stir things up. My guess is that he will relish the opportunity to prove to his brother that being impetuous can at times harvest great results. Of course, we will only allow him to inform Doran Martell when everything is about to be brought out in the open.

As for his possible animosity towards a child of Rhaegar with Lyanna, I trust Jon to solve that problem. He will charm Oberyn into becoming friends with him. The Red Viper will not know what hit him. Besides, I also put my trust in the fact that he is a sucker for lost causes. To aid another possible victim of the King that condoned butchering his kin, could have some appeal to him. Jon can't help who his mother is and he would have been a half-brother to Oberyn's niece and nephew."

Ned took a deep breath before sharing his final arguments. "Over the past few years, Benjen has been informing us of Prince Oberyn's travels. Dorne desperately wants to find out what happened to Tywin Lannister and they still do not know who sent the Mountain to them. Perhaps they are starting to suspect the North, but they are still none the wiser as to our motives. I believe Prince Oberyn will be relieved to finally find a clue and will be amenable to keep things from his brother for now. Still, I suggest we get him to visit either here or at the Driftmark and let Jon cross his path."

Lord Stark paused. Howland surmised that his liege lord had just come up with a new idea and was considering it. When Ned resumed it looked like he was thinking out loud. "The Driftmark might be better. That would arouse less suspicion or at least not implicate the North directly. Perhaps we should plan to send Jon back there for an extended stay. The Celtigar widow will be glad to see her foster-grandchild again."

Ned glanced in the direction of the two knights. "What do you think about organising a visit to the Driftmark for Jon? My brother Benjen could accompany you as well." He didn't wait for a response. "We will arrange an accidental meeting between Prince Oberyn and Jon. Let the boy work his magic. Afterwards, someone can start throwing bones at the Red Viper, remain subtle at first and scrutinize his reaction. Before we tell him anything vital, we will ask for his word of honour. If we still have doubts, we can delay a few moons to see if he tells anyone the few things he learned. Only if we deem his behaviour encouraging enough, will we proceed with our plan to reveal who Jon really is. At least that is my proposal."

Lord Manderly broke the silence that had followed Lord Stark's words. "We all know Prince Oberyn is fiercely loyal to Dorne. Dorne can hardly be called a part of the Seven Kingdoms. Why would he pick our side and not prefer to keep the status quo?"

"We wouldn't ask him to." Eddard Stark immediately retorted. "We would guarantee him a political status quo for Dorne."

Ser Gerold immediately protested. "Are we entitled to make promises of such political importance? Isn't that for our King to decide? Shouldn't we try and postpone such negotiations until he can be part of them? He should have a chance to offer or refuse such an important commitment himself!" Ser Gerold voice had grown louder at the end. He was rather passionate about this.

Benjen Starke spoke up. "He has a point there, brother. How about we all sleep on it and revisit this issue after we have considered the pros and cons. It is only fair, Ned. You probably have been sitting on this for months. Let us first wrap our heads around this before we put it to a vote." He offered his brother a hesitant smile, a silent apology for not choosing his side automatically. "Allow us at least a little time to do the same," he concluded.

Howland saw Ned slumping back into his chair and sipping from his ale in silence after everyone had nodded their agreement with Benjen Stark's proposal. The crannogman decided to intervene. "Perhaps it is time to take a short break and get some fresh air. We could reconvene here afterwards."

That suggestion was met with enthusiasm and everyone moved outdoors.

***

Howland Reed followed Lord Stark in silence for a while. When they were completely alone, he walked over to a fallen tree in a small clearing. The trunk offered the only opportunity to sit without dirtying their clothes. The two friends sat down, leaving some space between them.

"How are the children, Ned?" Howland asked looking sideways at Ned. It was the first subject he could come up with that was likely to get his friend to relax.

"They are all doing fine and getting along. Robb likes to train more than to study. But then, he is a boy." Ned smiled, images of his children popping up in his head. "Sansa is a miniature lady. Only five and she copies everything Cat does. She makes this perfect little curtsy when she greets people. I already told you she used to playact being Arya's mother instead of using a doll? Well, lately Arya has started to rebel against that. Mind you, she's just turned three. I look at Arya and I am reminded of Lyanna. That little girl is the first of my children that has the Stark look. Now that I come to think of it, she resembles Jon. They both have Lyanna's look. Sometimes witnessing my youngest daughter's antics makes me melancholic."

Howland noticed Ned making an effort to pull himself together. Once again he attempted to redirect Ned's thoughts. "And your youngest, Brandon you called him if I recall correctly?"

The mention of his youngest son put a smile on Ned's face. "He's doing great! He's growing up so fast! He is already taller than Arya despite her being a year older than him. His wet nurse constantly complains that she needs eyes on her back to keep him safe. He is always climbing things. He's very inventive. He climbs up on a chair, moves onto the table and then searches for an opportunity to scamper even higher in an attempt to reach some shelves that are positioned at a dangerous height for a two-year-old because something shiny has caught his eye. He has already had some close calls but is still too young to understand us when we forbid him to do it again. Or perhaps he just doesn't want to listen? "

Ned looked up at Howland. "Never mind my children, how are yours? Meera must be six by now and Jojen, I guess he must almost be three?"

"That's right. They are doing fine as well. I think Meera has a little crush on Jon. It is so cute to see her trying to get his attention at meals or in between lessons. Jojen on the other hand is a dreamer and keeps mostly to himself which is strange in one so young. But I suppose each child has its personality and we parents need to find the best way to direct them towards a valiant path in life."

Ned nodded in response. "I have four children every one of them is unique. I guess if the Gods are willing to grant me another, it will turn out to be substantially different from its siblings as well."

"Do you believe it is time to head back inside?" Howland inquired, pointing out to Ned that they had been outside for some time. "Look at us, two proud fathers losing track of time, bragging about our children's exploits. Our women should see us." Howland chuckled.

"I better head back. We will probably encounter the others before we reach Greywater Watch. But before we do, I would like to ask you to meet Benjen and me in private. Perhaps we could break our fast tomorrow in your solar? I would like your input on some issues I would rather not discuss with this group before I am closer to a solution. I also want to hear whether you think we should bring these topics out in the open or keep our fellow conspirators in the dark a bit longer, going against our initial promise of keeping everyone informed."

Howland had a good idea of what Ned was struggling with. "Of course, Ned, I will make the arrangements. I leave it to you to invite your brother."

Both men rose and walked towards the castle in companionable silence.

***

Some time later, in the solar.

"You have all been able to see that the boy is doing well in his swords lessons." Howland Reed was discussing Jon now.

"Indeed," Ser Arthur took over, "Jon knows the basic moves well enough. I admit that he often complains about the lack of a 'real' adversary and is only allowed to swing in the air and hack at straw puppets. But taking the time to teach him the basics is paying off. I can state with absolute certainty that he will have a strong stance and in time will be able to move on instinct so he can concentrate entirely on his opponent in a real fight. Normally I am reluctant to say this of a boy this young, but in my opinion, our King has the potential to become far better than the average sword fighter. He is light on his feet and shows an aptitude to guess the next move of his opponent. I am more than satisfied with his progress. I believe that our young King will amaze us all in later years."

"I think we all agree after seeing him train this morning." Lord Stark agreed readily. Everyone nodded. Benjen looked the proudest of them all.

"Are there any other aspects of his education that we need to discuss today?" Benjen asked.

Ned shook his head. "As far as I can tell, he is doing well on all topics. The Maester finds him a most diligent pupil. He shows interest in politics and already picks up on the nuances of the intricate relationships between the houses. The Maester claims that he never tutored a boy that took to High Valerian with such ease. He is most impressed. I admit now that it was indeed an excellent idea to teach him both languages as soon as he started to speak. The Celtigars did right by him. Another visit there would benefit the community at the Driftmark as well. They will all be happy to see him again."

Ser Gerold was quick to offer his support. "We'll discuss the logistics of a trip to the island between the three of us. I wouldn't take much time to arrange it. I suggest travelling in larger company just to be on the safe side. And Jon will want to bring his dog along as well." Howland, Ned and Benjen shared meaningful looks at the mention of the dog.

"So, we can safely conclude that his education is going better than expected and we can move our meeting along. " They had been talking for the better part of the afternoon and Howland was growing tired.

"We still need to discuss how to handle the other Kingdoms and how best to make contact with Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys in the free cities again. We need to make sure that they have enough funds for the coming moons and remain safe." Ned replied.

Howland relented. "Let us start with the Reach, shall we? When we're done with that region, it might be close to suppertime. We will all be here for another day at the very least."

Lord Manderly readily started to list his contacts in that Kingdom and the meeting continued for a little while longer.

***

Breakfast was a large spread consisting mostly of bread and vegetables. 'These crannogmen take their connection to nature really to all levels of their life.' Benjen scanned the various choices and made his selection. Ned and Howland Reed were already seated at the table of a secluded chamber in the far east corner of the keep. The morning sun had finally broken through the fog, its light making the small space more inviting.

"Well, Ned", Howland always addressed his liege lord less formal when in private. They had been through so much together already and were only liege lord and vassal when others were present. "Let's hear it. What did you wish to discuss this morning."

Ned turned towards him with a serious look in his eyes. "Several decisions I am struggling with actually. I've been over them with Benjen a few times but we do not think entirely alike. Let me start with the easier one. Benjen suggests fostering Robb for a few moons, mayhap even as long as a year at Greywater Watch with Jon. Let's say after Jon's visit to the Driftmark. He thinks it would be a good idea to cultivate a close bond between the two of them."

"A friendship between the two of them would secure good relations between a re-established royal dynasty and the North. Sort of what used to be the case between King Robert and Ned in previous years, before they fell out." Benjen elaborated.

"As far as King Robert and the rest of the Seven Kingdoms are concerned. We have reconciled." Ned intervened. "Everyone saw us fight side by side during the Greyjoy Rebellion. I have also promised him that I would not let too much time pass before paying him a visit in King's Landing. Things get more convoluted all the time. I am not proud of my duplicity with Robert." Ned sighed

Benjen thought it wise to get the conversation back on track. "How about fostering Robb, Howland? Only if you and your wife are amenable to taking on the care of another boy for a short time, of course," he added politely.

"I would be very eager." Howland smiled. I would love to get to know Robb better and I am sure that my wife, Meera, Jojen and last but not least Jon will be elated to have such a nice addition to our little family for a while. I also agree that it is vital to develop a sound relationship between the future King and the future Warden of the North. What else is on your mind, Ned? I do not want to pressure you but our time this morning is limited." Howland knew full well that the most difficult topic had yet to be raised.

"Well," Ned hesitated.

Benjen chimed in. "It is to do with the magic, warging and dragons. But most of all, Ned and I disagree on keeping Jon in the dark. Maester Aemon and I have discussed this. We are of a mind that Jon needs to know at the beginning of next year at the very latest. If there is a possibility that he can hatch a dragon, he needs to do it soon, so the dragon or dragons have time to grow. Small dragons will not make any impact. And more importantly, Maester Aemon is adamant that the younger Jon is when he bonds with a dragon, the better his chance to control it. But we can't give him the dragon eggs to hatch if he doesn't know who he is!" Benjen finished emphatically. He was determined to get Howland on his side. His older brother had forced him to remain silent on this subject for too long. Howland Reed would be an invaluable ally. He was a greenseer after all and not as wary of magic as Ned was.

"But what if the eggs are just what they seem to be? What if they are just three beautiful stones?" Ned argued. "Then we will have told Jon much too soon and he will be deprived of his youth. You know him. He will not take this lightly. He has a tendency to brood and he is much too young for all of this." Ned pleaded.

"I humbly disagree," Howland reacted. "He has all of us to guide him. We will help him carry this burden. He will not be alone. And it will give him the time to grow into his role. What do you propose to do? Wait until he celebrates his sixteenth nameday and announce: It is time, Jon you are the rightful King, now dress as a Targaryen and go claim your throne." Howland wasn't mincing his words. "We have no right to take his birthright away from him. Controlling Dragons is in his blood. If we keep him away from the eggs for much longer and he hatches them when he comes of age, what would happen if he cannot develop his bond with them sufficiently and learns it is all our fault, that we could have prevented this? He will blame us and we will have to admit we made a mistake. Do not forget that in a few years we will be subservient to him, and I mean this literally!"

Benjen nodded. "Besides, if Maester Aemon tells true, it will be easy to learn whether Jon has the ability to hatch the eggs. According to him, Jon will just have to hold them. His reaction, or better how the eggs will respond to him, will leave us without a doubt. If he is destined to hatch the eggs, he will experience something unique. Maester Aemon didn't want to explain further, this probably is one of the 'for-Targaryen-eyes-only things' a phrase he uses too often to my liking." Benjen added with a frustrating sigh.

"What's keeping us from just letting Jon admire three beautiful stones and get him to hold them between his hands? We could try that and wait to say how it plays out." Howland offered.

"Well for one, the eggs are at the Wall for now." Ned stalled.

"Maester Aemon won't live forever." Benjen countered. He had another argument for his brother. "You were against that warging business as well. Look how that has turned out. He is in total control of several smaller animals already but doesn't mistreat them and has never been caught using this power for the wrong reasons, except for a few small harmless pranks at the beginning.However, I agree with Lord Reed's suggestion. Let us see how he reacts to holding 'three beautiful stones' and go from there." He looked over to his brother not willing to give in.

"I suppose we could try that," Ned reluctantly agreed. But I suggest we wait until Robb returns from his stay at Greywater Watch. Jon can come north with us and travel first to Winterfell for a long overdue visit, then continue his journey to Castle Black where he can meet Maester Aemon and touch those cursed eggs." He watched for the reaction of the other men and was satisfied when it looked that they would agree. 'That will buy me another year at least. Jon first has to visit the Driftmark and then he will spend almost a year with Rob at Greywater Watch. The boy will be a bit older and hopefully be a bit more mature before we dump this burden on him.'

Out loud he added. "Meanwhile, let us be careful when we speak with Jon. He already suspects we are hiding something from him. He has noticed Jojen isn't being followed around by a knight every single moment as he is. I once caught him trying to figure it out what was going on but doing his utmost not to betray that he suspects something so we would grow even more careful around him."

"Well, there is a positive side to that as well, Ned." Howland tried to ease Ned's worry. "You only dwell on all the negatives of a situation. This also proves that Jon has good instincts if he picked up on it despite trusting us implicitly. He can think for himself. He will make a good king." Benjen nodded enthusiastically.

"Someone has to look at all the angels." Ned insisted. "But you have a point. Jon will be a much better King for the Seven Kingdoms than the two I have known." A small smile appeared on his face.

***

Several days later, Howland watched as his fellow conspirators left Greywater Watch in a single line. They had said lengthy goodbyes to Jon in the courtyard earlier. Jon had struggled to keep his emotions in check not wanting to be perceived as a little boy any longer. However, he had hugged his uncle Benjen desperately. Benjen had been obliged to carefully separate himself from Jon by untangling his little arms. After that, his Kingsguard had distracted the boy by promising to fight a few bouts with him if he returned to the courtyard.

The last figures navigated a curve in the path and disappeared from view behind the bushes. Howland returned inside. Much had been accomplished these last few days. Much more needed to be agreed upon still. He wondered how things would play out in the next few years. He would pray each day in the Godswood to be granted more green dreams. They needed the help of the Old Gods to detect in a timely manner, the potential harm that their newly cemented decisions might cause. He would focus first on the potential allies, Davos Seaworth, Sandor Clegane, Ser Barristan Selmy and Prince Oberyn, perhaps also Lord Varys. It would not be the first time that Howland had prevented detection using his 'sight'.

Interlude 4: Little birds

The Red Keep, some years into King Robert's reign

Varys suffered a headache. The small council had been a waste of time once more. What more could you expect from that bunch of sycophants constantly striving for the King's favour? He could hardly stand Petyr Baelish. How had that conniving whoremonger wormed its way into the small council? He was no more than an insignificant little lord of a nothing patch of land in the Fingers. Not to mention the elderly Grand Maester Pycelle who hardly contributed anything substantial but was always ready to agree with anything the King or Lord Arryn brought forward.

The agenda of each meeting was the same. They needed more coin, for another feast; another acquisition; more renovations to the Red Keep, ... The King and the Queen seemed to be involved in a competition to spend the most coin in the shortest amount of time.

Only Stannis Baratheon, the Master of Ships, when he deigned to speak, was known to bring a bit of sense to these ridiculous gatherings. Renly Baratheon, the Master of Laws was more absent than present and Lord Mace of House Tyrell was just another empty-headed puppet only here because the Crown needed easy access to the vast food resources of the Reach. To grant a seat on the small council to house Tyrell had been the surest way to get all the food they needed for a ridiculously low price.

Several years into King Robert's reign, the Crown had already spent millions of gold stags. Gold happily provided by Tywin Lannister until recently. Lord Lannister had been absent for some time now, allegedly taking a trip to Essos. Littlefinger had been charged to find the funds for the upcoming tournament that King Robert wanted to organise. The Master of Coin had just smirked and acquiesced.

The tournament was probably another attempt to lure Lord Eddard Stark to the capital. Not that it would work. King Robert didn't know his best friend all that well. A tournament to most people of the North was just frivolous entertainment, little knights playing at war. The North didn't knight people. Valour was proven in deeds, not with empty titles. What was more, Varys knew that Lord Stark even if he chose to attend, would never participate in the tournament. No matter what prize was dangled in front of the would-be-champions. No, Eddard Stark kept his prowess with his sword close to his chest. He was not keen to give his enemies any insight on how to beat him. But Varys knew better. He was certain that Lord Stark was one of the most underrated warriors of Westeros. King Robert would have to find another way to reconnect with his former foster brother.

Once more Varys mentally went over all the new songs his little birds had sung. It was truly frustrating. Something was stirring in the Seven Kingdoms and Varys couldn't get a handle on it. Either there were no rumours to explain a disappearance or there were too many conflicting rumours. Varys had started to notice this a year after the Rebellion. Before, he had been able to trust the information that reached him, every rumour bore at least some spark of truth and hardly needed verifying. These last few years, however, there were so many contradictions in the information his little birds brought him, that it was highly likely that his web was compromised. What was worse, lately it had become clear that someone was deliberately provoking him. They rubbed his nose in it. They wanted him to know that they were able to identify his little birds and feed them whatever false information they wanted. They were toying with him, something that Lord Baelish would do. But no, he was sure it was not Baelish. His birds entered places that Litllefinger's whores had no access to.

This was the first time in his career as a spymaster that Varys was at a loss. He had tried everything: doubling the number of his minions, never sending his birds to the same place more than twice, nothing helped. Sometimes he feared that some kind of magic was involved; something akin to the visions the Lord of Light showed his disciples in the fire?

There were three issues where the sabotage was most prominent, three issues he had yet to resolve.

He had all but given up on the first one. The disappearance almost four years ago of three great knights of Westeros: the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Gerold Hightower, the Sword of the Morning, Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Oswell Whent, prominent member of the Kingsguard. No official report could deny or confirm whether they were at the Trident that fateful day. Their bodies were never found. The greatsword Dawn had disappeared without a trace. A delegation of house Dayne had repeatedly petitioned the King to return the famous sword to their house, believing that the King's forces had confiscated the famous sword after the battle. King Robert had ordered Varys to find the sword but after all this time not the slightest whisper had reached his ears. The renowned sword remained lost.

His birds had sung him several possible scenarios with the kind of details that would have you believe each one of them. Varys suspected none of them was true. Varys had his theory of course. Most likely the three former Kingsguard had fled to Essos when all hope was lost after they had seen their Prince's corpse floating in the Trident. The smallfolk and most nobles didn't believe this theory. They couldn't rhyme such dishonourable behaviour with these knights. The three former Kingsguards were still revered as heroes in Westeros alongside Ser Barristan Selmy. Varys, however, saw no dishonour in going into exile to protect the two remaining siblings of Prince Rhaegar in the free cities. If the missing knights were still alive and were indeed protecting the two remaining Targaryens, they had not forsaken their oath. But if that had been the case, finding them should have been easy. He only had to wait until they showed up at the hiding place of the prince and princess. It had all come to nothing. Nobody resembling their description had tried to contact the royal children or their entourage after all this time. Varys was sure of it. He had a lot of eyes in the free cities but still nothing to show for it.

Varys contemplated the plight of Ser Barristan once more. He often reminisced with the present Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and had concluded that the knight knew nothing of the whereabouts of his three former brothers. The man was clearly miserable and not at all happy with the new additions King Robert had appointed to his Kingsguard. Ser Barristan also seemed wary of Ser Jaime, the so-called kingslayer. No, Ser Barristan was a dead end as far as his investigation into the disappearance of the three Kingsguard was concerned.

Another unsolved mystery concerned Ser Gregor Clegane. Everybody knew of his trial in Dorne and the barbaric way in which the man was eventually executed. The entire realm had talked of it for moons on end. Most were secretly glad that that monster finally got his due. Very few agreed with the brutal killing of the innocent royal children but even fewer had dared to speak up. Now in the taverns of Fleabottom songs were sung about the downfall of the "baby slayer".

Nobody knew why Ser Gregor Clegane had ventured so close to Dorne. It had been a stupid thing to do. He should have known how fiercely the Dornish hated him. Varys wouldn't shed a tear for Ser Gregor but he worried about what it all could mean. His little birds had brought him too many opposing theories featuring the tall man's fate. Varys was sure that someone had made a calculated move. Someone had handed Ser Gregor Clegane to the Dornish to get Dorne to owe them a favour. But who and whatever for? Varys was still no closer to solving this riddle. He suspected the North to be involved based on the testimony of a few people that had visited Dorne around the time of The Mountain's trial but couldn't fathom why. Besides, how could Lord Stark be involved in something underhanded? It was unthinkable.

When the third mystery struck Westeros, Varys had almost lost it. His pride would have been hurt if even one major issue could not be solved. But these were three major happenings that had the potential to influence the game of thrones to the detriment of the ruling house. How was he to explain the continued absence of Lord Tywin Lannister?

The Warden of the West was a player. He had played the Game of Thrones impeccably until recently. He had power, he was rich, he commanded a large army and curried favour with the King since he all but paid for the King's expenses single handedly and was the King's good-father for crying out loud. So to just disappear, and leave the Crown vulnerable to its enemies, it made no sense.

And what really worried Varys was that in this case, he had been played by someone or a group of someones more likely and that even before he had known that Lord Lannister went missing. His little birds had never sung as loud. Uncountable sources stated that the Warden had gone on a trading mission to Essos and would soon be back. Several others had overheard that Tywin Lannister had gone on a pilgrimage to find his missing relative Gerion Lannister and had probably been captured by pirates. A theory too ridiculous to entertain, but then again, his birds only reported back what they heard. Someone had deliberately spread that particular rumour.

A third theory that had popped up in Lannisport was that Tywin had contracted "the old man's disease" and that his mind was gone. He couldn't recognise his own family any longer and was a virtual prisoner at Casterly Rock since the Lannisters didn't want the realm to know that their blood was contaminated with this hereditary disease. Another theory closely resembled the previous one but spoke of the "whore's disease".

Then there were the version of a kidnapping gone wrong. The kidnappers had been too rough during their interrogation. Allegedly, Lord Lannister had died of his wounds before the kidnappers had extracted the necessary information from him to gain entrance to the famed Lannister goldmines. This theory was the most probable in Varys' eyes. It did make sense to kidnap a very rich lord but shouldn't such an action leave some kind of trace for Varys to unearth?

But no matter what he had tried, not a sliver of proof could be found to lend credit to this theory so it was more than likely yet another false tale. A few other theories were going around but they were too ridiculous to warrant a second thought. The point of the matter was that nothing actually explained Lord Tywin's continued absence in King's Landing.

Strange as it was, nobody in King's Landing seemed to lose sleep over it. King Robert had never once asked Varys to investigate Lord Lannister's whereabouts. Perhaps it was not that strange, seeing that King Robert still had enough gold to whore, drink and feast as much as he pleased. But why was there no reaction from the Lannister Queen or her brother, the Kingslayer? During the last small council session, nobody had mentioned Lord Tywin's name. Everybody seemed happy not to have to deal with the interference of the power-hungry Warden of the West.

The only Lannister that had taken some action was Tyrion, the imp. But Tyrion played it close to his vest and didn't confide in the Master of Whisperers. It had been up to Varys' little birds to find traces of the investigation that Tyrion had conducted. Tyrion suspected foul play but couldn't find anything either. At least that made it probable that the Lannisters did not have a hand themselves in Tywin Lannister's disappearance.

Varys had considered swallowing his pride and ask Petyr Baelish, but in the end, he couldn't humiliate himself, not even as a last resort. Littlefinger probably would have heard only half of the theories that Varys himself had ferreted out with his vastlh superior network anyway.

Better to focus on other matters for now. There was all that movement in the North, ships, glasshouses, Moat Cailin's restauration, Benjen Stark's constant travels for the Night's Watch. Then there was Dorne's restlessness. Prince Oberyn of House Martell had been poking around King's Landing a few times and even exchanged bits of information with Varys. Only nothing had come up that had helped shed a light on his most pressing issues. And last but not least, there was the issue of the new location of the Targaryen children in Essos. If Varys could trust his little birds, the North was involved somehow.

It seemed the North had some vague, unconfirmed connection to all of his open issues. No matter how unlikely each theory was separate, Varys didn't believe in coincidences. He made the mental note to intercept Benjen Stark when the man next visited the capital on official Night's Watch business. He would also reach out to Prince Oberyn. The Prince had mentioned an encounter with the younger Stark sibling.

Varys would bide his time. Patience was his strong suit. In due time, his birds would sing the correct songs or he would get his information from other sources, be it Benjen Stark, Prince Oberyn Martell or if the Gods willed it, another idea might strike him soon. Varys felt a little better and decided to start with tracking Benjen Stark's movements.