"You truly have nine lives," Varys said with a grin. "But I also admire your stubbornness. If you had truly surrendered as I advised, your head would be gone."
"What?" Eddard asked in confusion.
"It's a long story," Varys replied. "You refused to bow, but the Queen Mother and the King needed a Lord Eddard who would bow and confess, so..."
"So you found someone to replace me?"
"Yes," Varys nodded. "A Northman who was stealing in King's Landing, without family or kin, and quite similar to you. We only needed to make a few adjustments, and as long as he didn't speak, he would be the perfect Stark. After all, the scene was chaotic, there were many guards on the platform, and you hadn't been to King's Landing many times. As long as he was willing to cooperate with our performance, I would reward him with a flask of golden wine afterwards. This boy had never tasted golden wine. Poor people are always like this, willing to give up their sons or their lives for wine. Anyway, it was just to repent a few words on the platform, what could be wrong with that? He was also a criminal; going to the North, to King's Landing, or across the sea was all the same. Unfortunately, he won't get to drink it. His head was ordered to be cut off by the King, and so Lord 'Eddard' died, died of treason."
Eddard was silent. His resistance had saved his life. Was this good or bad?
"So I'm dead, then?" Eddard said hoarsely. He was still alive, but in front of hundreds of thousands of people in King's Landing, he was dead.
"You can't say that. The Queen finally understood Joffrey's madness, and you are safe now. This plan was originally flawless: Lord 'Eddard' would publicly confess in the Great Sept of Baelor, declare that the King's will was your fabrication, declare that you, the Lord Hand, were a traitor, and declare that you coveted the regency and colluded with The Boy Blacksmith. Then Joffrey would make you take the black, the lion and the wolf would reconcile, and we would send you back on a chosen day, as long as your son was willing to pledge allegiance to the Iron Throne. You could return to Winterfell at any time; vows cannot be broken again and again. Who would have thought that the King's crown would turn a man into a madman? Moreover, Joffrey has always been arrogant. He publicly chopped off a wolf's head. In past history, I have never heard of such a bloody King. This not only offended the Northmen but also the Faith."
Eddard was somewhat at a loss, "But I'm still alive! Yet, once this news gets out, Robb and Catelyn will surely raise an army."
"That's what I wanted to tell you, good Lord," Varys looked at Eddard. "War has already broken out everywhere, more swiftly than you imagine. So your value has not diminished; in fact, it is rising."
"Is it Robb? Has Robb attacked?" A glimmer of hope ignited in Eddard's heart.
"You are too optimistic, Lord. If your noble son were truly at the gates of King's Landing, you would have been sent away long ago," Varys replied.
"Gendry and Robb are just children."
"In this era, children also have to go to war."
"However, although it's not Robb, it's somewhat related to you. It's Robert's eldest son. The Lannister call him the ambitious Gendry and the black-hearted Gendry, but this The Boy Blacksmith is indeed unstoppable in battle. Some are already calling him the triumphant storm. He is making a big splash right now. He has already lifted the siege of Riverrun, cut off the Kingslayer's hand, and incidentally killed the old weasel. He might now be heading south with your son to fight Lord Tywin to the death."
"Then can you help me send a letter?" A little hope Rose in Eddard's heart. Would the Lannister soon be finished? Although he detested the Kingslayer, he also knew that this man had the right to be arrogant, being one of the greatest swordsmen of his time. If Gendry could defeat Jaime, then he would have the power to make House Lannister fear.
"That's not very likely," Varys said. "It depends on the content of the letter. I will read it after you write it, and whether it gets sent depends on me personally. And I came to warn you about something else."
"What?"
"Peace, Lord Eddard. If there is anyone in King's Landing who still loves peace, it is certainly I. Only my soul truly and sincerely desires peace to come. I have many times prevented King Robert from being harmed by enemies. Now? I demand peace for the realm."
"You're truly benevolent," Eddard scoffed. If there was one honest person in King's Landing, it would not be Varys.
"Never mind. I came to advise you to think carefully. If you are willing to truly repent, leaving will only be a matter of a short while, as long as you admit the will is false, as long as you make the North cease hostilities."
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