CHAPTER 77
Tower of the Hand.
Following Ned's orders, Stark soldiers patrolled outside without pause, the defenses kept tight and vigilant.
As soon as Ned entered the Tower of the Hand, the steward Vayon Poole stepped forward to greet him.
"My lord, Lord Baelish has arrived and is waiting for you in the reception hall."
Ned nodded and asked, "How are Arya and Rickon today?"
Vayon Poole smiled faintly. "Ever since you hired the Braavosi swordsman to teach Arya, she and Rickon finally have somewhere to vent their energy. The two of them practice swordsmanship every day."
Ned immediately felt somewhat relieved.
Still, for safety's sake, he added, "Do not let them leave the tower over the next few days. Keep a close watch on them."
Vayon Poole bowed respectfully. "Yes, my lord."
After a slight hesitation, he continued, "We are somewhat short-handed now. Should we reduce the patrol frequency?"
Just earlier, Ned had accepted the villagers' petition and ordered Beric Dondarrion and the others to ride into the Westerlands to capture Gregor Clegane.
Out of the two hundred Stark soldiers brought to King's Landing, only a little over a hundred remained, and part of them still had to guard both Ned and the children.
The shortage of manpower had already been expected.
Ned shook his head. "Have the men endure a few more difficult days. Once Tom returns, things will ease somewhat."
Vayon Poole nodded, then respectfully withdrew.
After watching the steward leave, Ned headed toward the reception hall.
A short while later, he stepped into the chamber. Littlefinger, who had clearly been waiting impatiently, finally let out a breath and stood up with a smile.
"Lord Hand, you've finally returned."
Ned gave a slight nod, walked over, and asked directly, "Lord Baelish, how goes your investigation into the Gold Cloaks?"
Seeing that the discussion had turned serious, Littlefinger's expression also became more solemn.
"There is only physical evidence, no living witnesses."
He tapped the tabletop, where several indictments had already been laid out.
Ned picked them up and carefully read through them while Littlefinger continued speaking.
"Previously, Lord Arryn also investigated Janos Slynt and even found two witnesses, but they later died mysteriously."
"Since then, no one has dared accuse Lord Janos again."
Ned lowered the documents, stared at Littlefinger, and said gravely, "These alone are hardly enough to convict Janos Slynt."
Littlefinger pretended to look troubled and spread his hands helplessly, indicating he had already done all he could.
Ned did not blame him. If their positions were reversed, he doubted he could have uncovered more himself.
He tossed the papers back onto the table and asked seriously, "If I forcibly remove Janos now, will the Gold Cloaks obey my orders?"
Littlefinger's eyes flickered as he instantly caught the hidden meaning behind the question.
"You fear that even if Janos is removed, the Gold Cloaks will still obey him and cause trouble at a critical moment?"
Ned nodded heavily.
Janos had been entrenched within the City Watch for many years, his influence deeply rooted. If he rashly arrested or removed him, there was no guarantee his men would not rebel.
Ned had no choice but to proceed cautiously.
Littlefinger pretended to think for a moment before speaking.
"My lord, forgive my bluntness."
"If you truly want the loyalty of the Gold Cloaks, then you should not remove Janos now."
"Without a suitable replacement, there is no way to fully control the City Watch, and at such a dangerous moment, an uncontrolled City Watch could erupt into chaos at any time."
"Dangerous moment?" Ned's heart stirred slightly as he stared at Littlefinger's face. "What do you know?"
Littlefinger shrugged exaggeratedly.
"My lord, who in King's Landing does not already know about your conflict with the Lannisters?"
"I heard Ser Jaime has already departed King's Landing and ridden to join Lord Tywin's army."
Ned froze momentarily, and an even stronger sense of urgency rose within him.
After a brief silence, he finally relented.
"If Janos remains, can you guarantee he will obey my commands?"
Littlefinger pointed meaningfully toward the indictment papers on the table.
"We possess evidence of his corruption. There is no need to fear he won't cooperate."
"Of course, if my lord is willing to reward him afterward and overlook his previous offenses, then I believe Janos Slynt would gladly pledge loyalty unto death."
The moment Ned heard those words, disgust flashed openly across his face.
"I have not executed him already only out of respect for the gods. How dare he bargain with me?"
"Tell him that after this matter is settled, the only reward he shall receive is being allowed to step down peacefully as Commander of the City Watch."
A ripple flashed deep within Littlefinger's eyes, and for a split second his expression darkened before quickly returning to normal.
His face once again filled with an insincere smile.
"I understand. If my lord has no other matters, I shall take my leave."
Only after Ned nodded did Littlefinger turn and depart from the hall.
A moment later, he stood outside the Tower of the Hand and glanced back toward it once more, sneering inwardly at Ned's naivety.
"You offer no benefits at all, yet still expect others to risk their lives for you?"
"Do you truly think everyone in this world is as rigidly honorable as you are?"
"Power struggles are not knightly duels fought according to rules."
Littlefinger sneered coldly before immediately turning away.
"In that case, I can only cooperate with someone else."
He passed through the gates and headed toward the outer courtyard.
After walking for some time, he passed Maegor's Holdfast. A hurried maid brushed past him and whispered several words quietly into his ear.
Littlefinger nodded slightly without slowing his pace before turning into a nearby garden.
He descended the stone steps hidden deep within the garden and pushed open a concealed door at the end.
Looking back to confirm no one was nearby, he calmly entered the hidden passage before sealing the secret door once again.
Inside the dim corridor, Littlefinger walked straight ahead until torchlight appeared before him.
At that moment, a graceful and proud woman had already been waiting there for some time.
Using the torchlight, Littlefinger looked over and saw it was none other than Queen Cersei Lannister.
Hearing the footsteps, Cersei turned around and asked coolly, "Lord Baelish, how was your meeting with our dear Hand?"
Littlefinger shook his head helplessly and complained theatrically.
"The Lord Hand is truly far too stingy."
Cersei's beautiful eyes flickered as she sneered.
"Stark comes from the cold and impoverished North. Naturally he clings tightly to every coin."
"But we Lannisters are different. Surely Lord Baelish has heard the saying before?"
Littlefinger laughed softly and replied, "A Lannister always pays his debts."
After speaking, he looked at Cersei expectantly without saying anything further.
Cersei instantly caught the subtle greed hidden within his gaze.
The corners of her lips slowly curved upward as she pushed all her chips onto the table without hesitation.
"Lord Baelish, help me, and not only will you remain one of my son's trusted ministers…"
"I also heard that you and Lady Lysa were childhood sweethearts."
"Perhaps I could help advance that relationship further."
Littlefinger trembled inwardly as temptation instantly surged through him.
Compared to remaining a royal minister, what truly moved him was the Queen's promise regarding Lysa Arryn.
His title and status were still too low. Even if Lysa loved him deeply, he still lacked the qualifications to openly marry the former Hand's widow.
But with the Queen's support, such a thing might truly become possible.
And once he married Lysa Arryn, the Vale itself would effectively become his.
Something Ned Stark would never willingly give him.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Littlefinger revealed a sincere smile.
"My queen, what would you have me do?"
Cersei immediately smiled beautifully.
Under the flickering torchlight, the two clever schemers began quietly discussing the details of their cooperation.
While Littlefinger and Cersei finalized their agreement, Ned Stark remained completely unaware.
At that moment, he was still occupied with official business inside the Tower of the Hand, meeting Yoren of the Night's Watch.
And from him, Ned finally learned exactly what had happened at the Inn at the Crossroads.
"My lord, that was everything that happened."
"After Lady Catelyn declared she would bring Tyrion to Winterfell for trial, she departed overnight. I do not know where she went afterward."
Yoren sighed heavily with regret.
Earlier, Castle Black had sent him south with urgent instructions. The wildlings beyond the Wall had become increasingly active, and he was ordered to reach King's Landing as quickly as possible to seek support from the King and the Hand.
On his way south, he happened to meet Tyrion Lannister, who had just departed Castle Black and was traveling back toward the capital.
Thus, the two traveled together and witnessed the entire incident firsthand.
After listening to Yoren's account, Ned's brows immediately furrowed deeply.
He paced back and forth through the room for some time before finally remembering to address Yoren again.
"Remain at the Great Sept of Baelor for several days."
"I will prepare a group of criminals and supplies for the Watch. Once everything is ready, you can escort them back to Castle Black."
"As for the remaining shortages, after the King returns from hunting, I will urge him to provide additional support as quickly as possible."
Yoren nodded gratefully before withdrawing.
After he left, Ned looked toward the gradually darkening sky outside the window and murmured softly,
"I must quickly resolve the conflict with the Lannisters and gather supplies for Castle Black."
"Otherwise, if the wildlings truly attack, the Wall may not hold."
He thought again of Catelyn's situation and could not help sighing heavily.
"I wonder if Catelyn has already crossed Moat Cailin and safely returned to Winterfell."
"I only hope she does not act rashly and that she remains safe…"
But what Ned did not know was that his wife had not returned north at all.
Instead, after avoiding the main roads and traveling discreetly overnight, Catelyn had taken Tyrion directly toward the Vale.
By the time Ned confronted Queen Cersei in the godswood, Catelyn had already reached the Eyrie with the Imp in tow.
And what Ned knew even less was that because of a simple act of kindness, the King's original fate of dying beneath the tusks of a wild boar had already begun to change dramatically.