Chapter 260: I Can Heal Your Son

"You stupid eunuch, I want information about the dragonspawn's bastard! Ned met with his wife—so what? They've done far more outrageous things than that! Where do you think their five children came from?" Robert roared, his anger directed at Varys.

Varys, unfazed by Robert's outburst, assured the king that he would intensify surveillance on Tyrosh. In reality, his network was already working tirelessly, gathering intelligence from every corner. When Varys had rushed to inform Robert about Ned's meeting with Catelyn, it was at the request of Viserys, relayed through Young Connington. Although Robert still trusted Ned, Varys had no qualms about planting seeds of doubt.

Meanwhile, in the room arranged by Littlefinger, Ned and Catelyn reunited.

"How could you arrest Tyrion at a time like this?" Ned asked, his voice strained.

Not long after Ned had arrived in King's Landing, Catelyn had sought out Littlefinger to confirm the ownership of a dagger. She returned to Winterfell just in time to encounter Tyrion and, as planned, arrested him to face trial. Soon after, she received Viserys's "Great Announcement," followed by Ned's order to summon the bannermen to defend the realm. Now, the North's army was marching south under Robb's command, and Catelyn had reached King's Landing ahead of them.

The news of Tyrion's capture hadn't yet reached the capital, and Jaime hadn't yet taken his "revenge" on Ned. But he couldn't act now—attacking the Hand of the King right now would be treason.

Ned and Robert had recently clashed over whether to send an assassin to kill Daenerys, resulting in Ned resigning as Hand of the King. With a major war looming, Ned knew he needed to take the initiative and clear the air with Jaime. Otherwise, their tensions could jeopardize the coming conflict.

The situation weighed heavily on Ned. Like Robert, he held a deep mistrust of the Lannisters. But what troubled him even more was the realization that his wife had been keeping another significant secret from him.

"You said Viserys's people came to you in private?"

Ned's reaction left Catelyn momentarily speechless, her own confusion mirroring his.

"Who else knows about this?" he pressed.

"Little... Petyr," Catelyn admitted weakly.

Despite the tension, Ned felt a small sense of relief. At least Littlefinger could still be 'trusted'—for now.

"What did Viserys's man want with you?" Ned asked.

"He claimed that Viserys has a way to heal Bran's wounds."

"How is that possible? Maester Luwin has tried everything and... " Ned trailed off, the weight of the situation hanging in the air.

A gust of wind swept through the room, filling the silence.

"Viserys's envoy said that Viserys healed Prince Doran's pain."

"Doran has already aligned himself with the Targaryens?" Ned asked, alarmed. But it seemed as if they were both missing the real point.

"Fine, what else did he say?" Ned asked, though he had already begun to accept that Dorne might not stand with the Iron Throne. After all, Elia had died at the hands of the Mountain. The Martells would never forget that. If Lyanna had suffered the same fate, how could Ned ever forgive?

But he couldn't condemn House Martell based solely on the word of an envoy.

"The envoy said that once Viserys retakes the Iron Throne, he won't harm a single Stark, as long as we return Winterfell."

"This is impossible. My lady, you know that Robert and I... This is impossible," Ned said, shaking his head. He had known, even before she approached him, that he could never agree to such terms.

"And, my lady, Bran is too gravely injured for anyone to... I mean, Viserys's envoy is lying."

"I think he can heal Bran," Catelyn insisted.

"The envoy showed me a red potion, and look—my hand has been healed by it."

Only then did Ned notice that the deep wound in Catelyn's palm, one that had cut down to the bone, had turned into a mere red mark. It looked as if not even a scar would remain.

"This..." Ned ran his thumb over Catelyn's palm, astonished. The intimacy of the moment made Littlefinger, standing in the doorway, visibly uncomfortable. He had no idea what had happened to Catelyn's hand, and she had not shown him the potion.

Catelyn had kept the potion a secret. Even after testing it on herself, she had saved the remaining potion for Robb.

Though her wound no longer needed bandaging, she continued to wear a bandage, hiding the potion's effects. When it came to her children, Catelyn was shrewd. She knew the potion must be of great value, so she kept it hidden.

As Ned marveled at the miracle before him, a deep conflict stirred within him. The solution to Bran's treatment was now within reach, but it may also be his own choices that lead his son to this fate of being bedridden for the rest of his life.

Ned realized another troubling possibility: Viserys might be far more powerful than they had anticipated. This offer from Viserys was undoubtedly an olive branch, but what should he do with it? Could he simply throw it away? How could he betray Robert—his king, his brother in arms, and the man who had entrusted him with his honor? The thought made his cheeks burn with shame.

Ned's mind was in turmoil, and Catelyn could see the hopelessness and pain in his eyes. She reached out, gently touching his face.

"Viserys's envoy also said that Sansa must be his consort," she whispered.

"Consort?" The word sounded foreign to Ned, unfamiliar in this context. But he pushed aside the request for a moment. "Did he say what he would do if we sided with Robert?"

Catelyn shook her head. "The envoy only mentioned that Viserys would be happy to see the future ruler of the North remain a Stark."

Ned's heart skipped a beat at the promise. If the Targaryens were not overthrown and Viserys took the throne, perhaps he could be a just ruler.

"Viserys also said that he doesn't want to see the Seven Kingdoms torn apart. He wouldn't lead his army against Robert unless it was absolutely necessary," Catelyn added.

But Ned was skeptical. 'If there's no war, how does he plan to reclaim the Iron Throne?' he wondered.

"Ned, we might be able to convince Robert to give the Iron Throne back to the Targaryens," Catelyn suggested, not realizing how absurd her words sounded. Even Littlefinger, eavesdropping outside, stifled a laugh.

The idea was impossible. Even if Robert himself considered giving up the throne, the loyal advisers and warriors who had fought alongside him would never allow it. Handing over the throne to Viserys would be like placing a sword at their own throats.

And besides, surrender was not in Robert's character. If he was going to die, it wouldn't be without a fight.