A Gentle Breeze | Jon Snow | Game of Thrones

Chapter Seven

||Cripples, Bastards and Broken Things||

Zephyr Baratheon arrived to the Council Meeting late that afternoon and before she entered she heard a man say "It's the Hand's Tournament that's causing all this trouble, my Lords."

Zephyr wore a slight frown as she entered quite dramatically as she usually did, "The King's Tournament. I assure you, the Hand wants no part of it my Lords." She spoke loud and clearly, managing to startle the men which made a smile rise to her face.

"My apologies, I'm late. Mother wouldn't stop the nagging this time." Zephyr briefly explained as she sat next to Ned Stark who was quite confused as to why she was here in the first place.

And as if the young Princess read his mind, "Questions later my Lord, I'm sure you have quite a lot of them." to which Lord Stark nodded.

The man announcing the problem earlier sighed, "Call it what you will my Princess, Lord Stark ser, the city is packed with people and more flooding in every day." He explained, "Last night we had a tavern riot, a brothel fire, three stabbings and a drunken horse race down the Street of Sisters."

"Dreadful" Lord Varys commented. "If you can't keep the King's peace, perhaps the City Watch should be commanded by someone who can." Her uncle, Renly had told the man.

"I need more men." The man said desperately.

"You'll get 50." Ned Stark answered. "Lord Baelish will see it paid for."

"I will?" Baelish asked.

"You found money for a champion's purse, you can find money to keep the peace." The Hand of the King shot back without hesitation. If  Zephyr hadn't known any better, she'd say the two men were having a lovers quarrel.

"I'll also give you 20 of my Household guards till the crowds have left." Ned told the man, "Thank you, my Lord Hand, ser. They will be put to good use."

Then the man bowed and left, getting the answer he wanted.

"The sooner this is over, the better." Zephyr had told them.

"The realm prospers with such events, my Princess." Varys told her, "Of course I know that, they give the great a chance of glory and the lowly a respite from the woes." The princess stood up glancing at Lord Varys. "I've lost count the many other times you've told me this, and it was fine as any other semi brutal event."

"And every Inn in the City is full, and the whores are walking bow-legged" Baelish said smirking which caused Zephyr to roll her eyes and sigh as she played with a strand of her hair walking over to one of the many windows, glancing out into the city.

"I'm sure the tourney puts coins in many a pocket." Ned stated making Littlefinger hum in response.

"Now.. If there's nothing else my Lords, and my Princess?" Ned asked, standing up.

When no one had said anything and left, Ned kept the Grand Maester a little busy, "I've been hoping to talk to you about Jon Arryn."

"Lord Arryn?" The Maester asked, startled.

"Yes, come to think of it, I was investigating the matter myself. Curious case, his death. Some would say it was murder by how suddenly he died." Zephyr stated, turning to face both men.

"Oh, his death was a great sadness to all of us." The Maester said, "I took personal charge of his care, but I could not save him."

Zephyr narrowed her eyes and took a mental note of this. If he took personal charge of Jon Arryn's care, surely he would have survived. Unless the Grand Maester was a pawn in a much bigger plan.