Shashank_bhatt
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Chapter 61
🕑 Added 2025-10-24 14:51:47 +0000 UTCArya's eyes widened as she saw the stable boy die, the hole in his belly freely leaking blood. A hole caused by her sword, her Needle. She killed a stable boy, she killed a man.
Her hands shook violently as she came to that realization.
She killed a man.
She took a life.
She was a killer.
A murderer.
She was-
"Arya!"
Her father was kneeling before her.
His strong giant hands grasped hers.
His voice shook her out of her spiralling thoughts.
"I killed him" Arya whispered. Her voice was as shaky as her hands.
"You did it to protect yourself Ned said fiercely. "You did it because you had to, otherwise he would have hurt you."
But the words did not affect Arya. She shook, her eyes teared up and her lip wobbled.
Ned picked her up and returned to his seat. He held her in his arms and Arya had her face buried in his neck.
"Who would have thought Arya would be the one to have a first kill before us" Robb whispered to Jon.
Jon turned to chastize Robb about how this was not the time for jokes. But he found Robb pale, shaking slightly himself and trying to keep a smile on his face.
He was just as freaked out as Ned felt unfortunately Jon Snow wasn't that much shocked as he knew everything so he could only comfort Robb
"She was always a fighter" Jon grasped his brother's hand.
Robb held Jon's hand tightly.
[In the dark dungeon cells of Kings Landing we see Ned Stark. He sees a little light approaching him. After a short while it is clear that it's Varys, who is holding a torch.]
"Lord Stark, you must be thirsty."
"Varys."
"I promise you it isn't poisoned. Why is it that no one ever trusts the eunuch? Not so much, My Lord. I would save the rest if I were you. Hide it. Men have been known to die of thirst in these cells."
"Thank you, Lord Varys. For showing my brother the kindness nobody else showed, even supposed friends" Lyanna said kindly.
"Your brother is a rare breed, my Lady. An honourable man being treated like that... a shame truly" Varys lowered his head.
"What about my daughters?"
"The younger one seems to have escaped the castle. Even my little birds cannot find her."
"And Sansa?"
"Still engaged to Joffrey. Cersei will keep her close. The rest of your household though, all dead, it grieves me to say. I do so hate the sight of blood."
"You watched my men being slaughtered and did nothing."
"What would he have done, Ned? Everyone is busy sucking up to the Queen or the new King. Anyone standing in defiance would be outnumbered and slaughtered" Brandon the Elder hissed to his brother.
"I am worried for my daughters. Clearly, I am not in the right place in my head" Ned snapped back softly, but his eyes were sharp enough to make Brandon back off. He then gave Varys an apologetic look.
Varys smiled and bowed his head.
"And would again, My Lord. I was unarmed, unarmored and surrounded by Lannister swords. When you look at me do you see a hero? What madness led you to tell the Queen you had learned the truth about Joffrey's birth?"
"Honour" Rickard Stark muttered with a sigh. Honour was not something foreign in the North, but for a Northman, self-preservation always played a big hand before Honour. Even if his sons did not show it as often as he would have liked for them.
"The madness of mercy. That she might save her children."
"Ah, the children. It is always the innocents who suffer. It wasn't the wine that killed Robert, nor the boar. The wine slowed him down and the boar ripped him open, but it was your mercy that killed the King. I trust you know you are a dead man, Lord Eddard?"
"The Queen can't kill me. Cat holds her brother."
"The wrong one sadly" Tyrion smiled.
"The wrong brother sadly."
"Great minds think alike, Lord Tyion" Varys smiled.
Tyrion returned the smile with a roll of his eyes.
"And lost to her. Your wife has let the Imp slip through her fingers."
"If that's true, then slit my throat and be done with it."
"Not today, My Lord."
[Varys is about to walk away while being stopped by Ned one last time.]
"Tell me something, Varys. Who do you truly serve?"
"The Realm, My Lord. Someone must."
"The Realm... you talk big for someone who lives in luxury and knows nothing about how the little folk suffer" Gendry whispered to the Spider.
"Trust me, my boy, I know it well."
"Then you sit back and let it happen. What realm service is that?" Gendry asked but when Mya grabbed Gendry's hand he stopped.
Varys sighed at the boy. The child simply did not understand.
[At Castle Black a corpses are being carried inside. Some of the Night's brothers are inspecting the two bodies.]
"It's Othor, without a doubt."
"The other one is Jafer Flowers, My Lord, less the hand the wolf tore off."
"Any sign of Benjen or the rest of his party?"
"Just these two, My Lord. Been dead awhile, I'd say."
Rickard sat straighter at the mention of his third son, as did the other Starks. If these were Benjen's ranging partners...
"The smell."
"What smell?"
"There is none. If they'd be dead for a long time, wouldn't there be rot?"
"The snow and freeze could have slowed it down. Preserved them perhaps" Tyrion suggested
"Or perhaps they'll rise as walkers and attack them" Shireen suggested, speaking after a while.
Her suggestions were no longer outlandish, and it made the rest uneasy.
"Let us pray that is not the case" her father muttered, keeping Shireen close to him.
"We should burn them."
"Snow's not wrong, My Lord. Fire will do for them. The Wildling way."
"I want Maester Aemon to examine them first. You may be a coward, Tarly, but you're not stupid. Get them inside."
"You heard him."
"Lord Commander, Maester Aemon awaits you in his chambers. A raven from King's Landing."
"Come on, move 'em out."
[Jon Snow is summoned to Jeor Mormont's chambers. While entering the room, a conversation starts.]
"Bring me a horn of ale, Snow, and pour one for yourself. The King is dead."
"Is there any word of my father?
"Sit. Lord Stark has been charged with treason. They say he conspired with Robert's brothers to deny the throne to Prince Joffrey."
[Jon points to the letter, as he wants to read it. Jeor Mormont hands it over. When reading the letter, Jon stands up and wants to walk away.]
"I hope you're not thinking of doing anything stupid. Your duty lies here now."
"You've taken your oath, Jon. There is nothing you can do now" Ned warned his son.
But Jon did not pay heed to the warning. Anyways it's not him who was an idiot.
"My sisters were in King's Landing too."
Sansa stole a glance at Jon before looking away. He always did care about Arya... but he had said sisters... he meant her as well.
"I'm sure they'll be treated gently."
Robb scoffs.
Comments
Aeden Emrys
Thanks for the chapters! I hope to be reading much more of this greatly interesting story!
SHASHANK BHATT
No thanks for pointing it out. I was supposed to unlock both of them but I only did one.
Hubert Ciołak
Hey sorry to point it out but instead of chapter 60 you unlocked chapter 61
