Ch. 12 A Walk to Remember

The Twenty-First Day of the Second Moon, of the year 298 A.C.

Stannis Baratheon sat in his private solar, reading over the same reports he's been reading for the past few hours. As the hour of the bat set in, Stannis gave up on trying to gather more information from the same stack of messages. The previous week has been vexing to the staunch man.

Jon Arryn and he had dedicated many long days to uncovering the queen's dark secret. Stannis began to allow himself a sliver of hope at being able to remove the Lannister influence from the Red Keep. Assuming the role of heir to the Iron Throne played little with his thoughts.

An insistent pounding on his chamber door rudely pulled Stannis' attention from his musings. With only a brief thought of who was on the other side of the door, Stannis stood up from his work area.

"Enter," Stannis irritably called towards the aged wooden door. The door immediately opens wide enough to allow a single person entry. A middle-aged man in House Baratheon's colors urgently made his way through the gap and stood before Stannis. Even after he identified the man as one of his own loyal house guards, Stannis' posture remained rigid.

"M'lord," the newly identified Edwin hurriedly greeted with a hasty bow. "Ser Lancel Lannister is requesting an audience, m'lord," the guard said as he raised up.

Before Stannis could fully register this piece of information, the chamber door swung the rest of the way open. Filling the doorway was the imposing figure of the presumed heir to Casterly Rock.

The Lord of Dragonstone scanned over the young knight with a critical eye. He took note of Lancel's face, clothing, and especially the sword strapped around his waist. Judging by the lion head pommel and the owner, Stannis believed this to be the Valyrian steel sword, Lionheart.

"Forgive the intrusion, Lord Stannis," Lancel began in a soothing tone, "An urgent matter has come up that requires your presence in the Tower of the Hand."

Suspicion instantly flooded into Stannis as he stared at the composed member of House Lannister. "And you took it upon yourself to deliver this message?" Stannis inquired of the young man. He scrutinized every visible inch of Lancel, looking for some tell that would reveal his intentions. Stannis failed to find anything and so fixed his gaze on the eyes of the Golden Lion.

"Actually," Lancel began as he shifts just on the inside of the room, "I hoped to speak with you on our way to see Lord Arryn." Through the open doorway, Stannis could see multiple Baratheon guards standing in the hallway. "I only brought two men with me. You are more than welcome to bring as many men as you require to feel safe, Lord Stannis. I mean you no harm," Lancel craftily stated.

The sound of grinding unexpected filled the room. Stannis' beard was in a constant state of shifting as his jaw clamped down. Despite the subtle barb, Stannis was unable to find any signs of deception on the younger man's face. However, this is also the same boy that assisted Cersei with finding a slew of false bastards to pose as Robert's baseborn children.

"Very well," Stannis finally said with a furrowed brow.

It took only a few moments before Stannis to don his own sword belt, and the Baratheon guards to assemble. After a few softly spoken commands, the guards began to cautiously make their way towards the Tower of the Hand. Stannis and Lancel walked in the center of the protective barrier, forcing the two Legionaries to walk behind the armed group.

With the two tallest warriors surrounded by guards, it almost seemed a prisoner escort. Stannis wasn't given much time to change the route his men were taking. Lancel didn't offer a direction to travel, but Stannis ordered his men to take a detour through the keep.

"Was Lady Lysa aware of the nature of your and Lord Arryn's investigation?" Lancel bluntly asked.

With a snap of his head, Stannis cast a withering look at Lancel. Stannis never expected the boy to brazenly broach such a topic where others could overhear. Despite the situation, Lancel was utterly unperturbed by the issue or intense glare being thrown at him.

It took a dozen steps before Stannis was able to get a grasp on his anger. Seeing no point in attempting to lie to someone that knows the truth, Stannis spoke honestly. "We thought it best to keep the investigation to ourselves," Stannis gritted out.

"Very wise," Lancel replied without a speck of sarcasm to be heard. "Do you believe it possible Lady Lysa came to suspect?" Lancel continued in that line of questioning.

"What are you getting at?" Stannis commanded as he stopped to face the young knight. His patience for the Lannister boy had run out.

Lancel simply met Stannis' cold eyes with a notable lack of concern. The Baratheon men and several servants further down the hall keenly observed the two highborn men. An older maid swiftly moved out of the hall as the tension began to mount. Of course, several of the keep servants began to ease closer to the group so that they may listen to what was being said.

Without a care for the tense atmosphere, Lancel began to speak in a crisp voice. "Just after sunset, a small band of twenty individuals wearing House Arryn colors left King's Landing," Lancel announced loud enough for the servants to hear.

"Shortly thereafter, Lord Arryn was discovered sitting at his dinner table unresponsive but alive. The Grand Maester and Maester Colemon are currently attending to Lord Arryn."

Dread instantly filled Stannis' stomach. He refused to jump to conclusions, but there was little doubt as to the cause of Jon's current state.

"The interesting thing," Lancel said with a hitch in his voice, "is what was found after the Hand was discovered. After an extensive sweep of the grounds, Lady Lysa, Robin Arryn, Lord Arryn's squire, and a handful of servants and guards are unaccounted for," Lancel revealed.

Stannis' wooden face slowly morphed into an expression of disbelief and doubt. This is something that neither he nor Jon anticipated. Did Jon's lady wife orchestrate his murder?

"The Queen has ordered the arrest of Lysa Tully for the attempted murder of the Hand of the King, Lord Jon Arryn," Lancel announced in a boisterous voice.

Stannis looked away from the blond-haired knight in an attempt to regain his composure. Looking down the hall, Stannis spotted several wide-eyed faces observing his group. If it wasn't for the fact that Cersei was already involved, Stannis would suspect Lancel of attempting to spread rumors. But the queen would have already deployed an army of toadies to proclaim this to all Seven Kingdoms.

"This is rather convenient for your house," Stannis softly stated.

"Convenient," Lancel sneered. "Let us look at some convenient facts," the Golden Lion said with a bit of an edge in his voice. "At the age of seventy, Lord Arryn and his third wife finally have a child. Conveniently after Lady Lysa's first lover assumes a post here in the Red Keep. A post that Lady Lysa was conveniently able to convince Lord Arryn to give said lover," Lancel contemptuously stated.

"However," Lancel started in a more subdued tone, "it is rather inconvenient that Lord Arryn's son looks like his lady wife's first love. It is even further inconvenient that Lady Lysa would flee the Red Keep after learning Lord Arryn was investigating bastards." Lancel finished with a contemplative look on his refined features.

"Enough!" Stannis ordered in a battle-hardened shout.

"Despite what you believe, Lord Stannis," Lancel continued unafraid, "my house benefits more by you and the Hand being alive."

"Because of your little house of bastards?" Stannis scathingly asked.

Stannis watched as Lancel's carefree expression change in an instant. Stannis felt no joy at having, finally shaken the seemingly unshakable knight. It was Lancel's contemplative look that made him feel uneasy. All too soon, Lancel's eyes became intently focused on the ice blue eyes of Stannis.

"Varys," Lancel quietly said. "Varys told you about the bastards," Lancel said with conviction before his eyes narrowed, and he sneered. "That son of a bitch told Cersei about you and Jon Arryn looking at Robert's bastards!"

Realization dawned on Stannis at that moment. "That despicable slim has been whispering in both our ears," Stannis said in disbelieving anger. "Robert should have never pardoned the traitor," Stannis growled.

"Could he have been speaking with Lysa as well?" Lancel carefully said, but his eyes already told Stannis the answer.

"Lockdown the keep!" Stannis bellowed as he turned towards the Baratheon men standing by. "Gathering all available men! Search every room! I want Varys brought to me immediately," Stannis commanded as he stormed down the halls with his personal guard.

Stannis was so caught up with organizing the search for the Master of Whispers that he never saw the smile spreading across Lancel's face.