Catlyn

She had wanted to imprison the imp when she saw him but then had remembered that her husband and daughters were still in the Red Keep surrounded by Lannister men. She will never be able to forgive herself if her actions led to her children being harmed.

She had pulled up her hood to hide her face and left the Inn before the Imp could spot her.

She had to reach Winterfel, station 200 men at Moat Cailin, and prepare the castles and houses of the north for war as Ned had asked her to do.

Tyrion

Tyrion did not even have the chance to change his clothes before he was accused of murder by Lord Stark. The winter Lord proceeded to escort him with 3 of his guards to the small council chamber to await the King's justice.

Tyrion went quietly as the Lannister men saw Lord Eddard take him. Lord Stark was known as a just and honorable man and Tyrion doubted that he could prove him guilty for a crime he did not commit.

At the table of the small council chamber sat 5 men, Littlefinger, Pycelle, Varys, Robert's brother Renly, and the King who sat at the head of the table.

"Why did you bring Tyrion into this room?" the King asked his hand.

"He has been accused by my wife of conspiring to murder my son Brandon."

"This is an outrageous accusation my Lord." grandmaster Pycelle croaked.

"Tyrion is many things but I do not know him to be a man who would hire assassins to kill children," Tyrion gave Renly a grateful smile as a wordless thanks to Renly for defending him.

"Do you have any proof Lord Eddard?" Ser Barristan asked in his deep booming voice.

"Aye, I have the dagger the assassin used but as I am not allowed to bear arms in the presence of the King I left it with the captain of my guard outside the small council chamber. With your permission your grace, I would like to bring the dagger inside to present the evidence to you."

"You may bring the captain of the guard into this room with this dagger." The King said.

"Thank you your Grace."Lord Stark turned to ser Barristan.

"Lord Commander, please escort Jorey Cassel into the small council chamber."

"As you say my Lord." Ser Barristan repled

Ser Barristan left the room and returned with a man who was about as tall as Lord Stark. His chiseled face looked as if it were carved from stone. He unsheathed the dagger; it was black steel with red rippled patterns created when the metal was folded with the aid of ancient sorcery. The dark blade was in stark contrast to its white dragon bone hilt. The dagger must have cost a fortune; whoever gave it to the assassin must have been the dumbest person alive, Tyrion thought.

"This was the blade that was used to kill my son and Lord Baelish has told me the dagger belongs to Tyrion Lannister." Tyrion was outraged that Lord Eddard would think him stupid enough to give that expensive dagger to a catspaw. The Lannisters had gold not valyrian steel.

"That is preposterous! The dagger does not belong to me and even if it did I would never give it to an assassin. Maybe the Starks have forgotten how rare valyrian steel is but in the real world that dagger is worth a fortune." Tyrion said defending himself.

"I'm uncertain whether or not you sent the assassin but if you deny that you owned this dagger you are calling into question the integrity of Lord Petyr Baelish. I would remind you that lying to the King and the King's hand is a crime punishable by death.'

Littlefinger cracked his neck, nervous. He had lied and he knows it Tyrion thought. Tyrion thought back on his history lessons on the dance of the dragons. The Starks were known to be rather fond of using their Valyrian steel greatsword to behead people. Tyrion wondered if Lord Eddard practiced more restraint than his ancestor or if Varys and Pycelle would be dead if Lord Stark was King.

"So do you Tyrion of house Lannister solemnly swear by your Gods and King Robert of house Baratheon to tell the truth."

"I swear-"

Jaimie barged into the small council chamber. The fool! Tyrion thought. He is going to get himself killed.

"Why has Lord Stark abducted my brother?" Jaimie demanded.

Lord Barristan stood, his irritated face showed no signs of discomfort in using his old legs.

"Why have you left your station without my leave!" the Lord Commander asked Jaimie.

"My apologies your grace, I came here on the Queen's orders." Jaimie lied

"You are only to obey the King and your Lord Commander not the Queen." Lord Stark's eyes looked like grey ice as he stared at Jaimie.

"Silence we have accused his brother of murder let him have his say in the matter." The King saved Jaimie's life with those words as he was sure Lord Stark was about to have Ser Barriston execute him for disobedience. Ser Barriston sat down.

"As you say your grace." Lord Eddard did not look too happy as he said that. He turned toward Tyrion

"Swear it by the seven that the words you speak are true." Lord Eddard ordered him. Tyrion thought the question was pointless; who would ever refuse to swear by the seven and profess feigned honesty?

"I swear it by the seven that I speak only the truth. That dagger does not belong to me and I did not send an assassin to kill your son. I am in fact, very fond of your son and wish nothing but the best for him." Tyrion spoke truthfully but he had no reason to believe that Lord Eddard knew he was honest.

Brandon Stark had also saved his life in Winterfel but he wondered if Lord Stark would take the dire wolf attack as divine verification of Tyrion's guilt.

"By denying ownership of the dagger Tyrion lannister is calling into question the integrity of Petyr Baelish a member of the small council-"

"I know who that dagger belongs to."Jaimie spoke up interrupting Lord Stark

"It belongs to Robert of house Baratheon King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the first men!." Lord Stark turned to the King when Jaimie finished.

"This is an outrageous accusation!"Pycelle exclaimed.

Littlefinger remained silent. Surely he knew whose dagger it was all along. Ser Barriston looked to the King for a response and was hoping for the order to take Jaime's head.

"Yeah that bloody dagger belongs to me. I took it from Littlefinger when he bet that Jaime Lannister will unhorse Loras Tyrell in the tourney. I told Jaimie that was the first time in my life that I was happy to have such a shit warrior in the King's guard." Lord Stark was shaken by the revelation. A storm of rage brewed behind his stoic face.

"I know you didn't do it your grace." Lord Stark with a foolish confidence considering how different the man he fought beside and the King he sits beside were. But Tyrion could not think of a reason why Robert would want Brandon dead.

The King stood up and so did everyone in the small council."Of course I did not send anyone to kill him!"

The King walked over to Lord Stark and grabbed his shoulders."You are my brother and your son is my nephew. I would never want him to come to harm."

Lord Eddard did not look reassured.

"I believe you your grace." he said Looking into the King's eyes.

His gaze then turned to Littlefinger. "You lied to me."

Tyrion wondered why Littlefinger let him walk into the city when he surely knew this would be the result of this trial.

Jaimie

Not for the first time in his life Jaimie Lannister was glad Eddard Stark wasn't his King. Robert and Lord Stark were so unlike each other that it was hard to believe they were brought up by the same man.

When the King's hand had called for Littlefinger's head, Robert had refused him saying he would never kill a man for defending the King's honour. The King's hand was glaring at the King incredulously when Ser Barristan ordered Jaimie to leave. Lord Stark was top dog in Winterfel but in King's landing he was just another member of the pack and he wasn't used to people questioning his judgment.

"Why do you think he did it?" Tyrion asked Jaimie as he waddled beside him.

"Maybe he thought Lord Stark would not believe him if he told the truth."

"But why did my name come out of his mouth?"

Yes, that could have put Tyrion's life in danger. Jaimie might have even helped the King's hand behead Littlefinger for that lie but he knew the person who sent the catspaw. There was no other likely culprit, the assassin was armed with Robert's dagger and other than Jaimie himself no other person wanted Bran dead and soon enough, sooner than Jaimie liked, Lord Stark would know the truth. And Jaimie would have to kill him.

"Maybe he thought Lord Stark would be too afraid to punish a man from such a powerful house." It was the best explanation Jaimie could think of.

Tyrion laughed before replying.

" House Westerling might be afraid of the Lannisters but the Starks are more likely spit in our faces. We have gold yes but the mines of Casterly Rock will run dry before we breach the walls of Moat Cailin and marching through the Crannog man's swamp is suicide. Stark allies surround all but our southern borders. What I'm saying is I think Littlefinger wants to start a war and he probably sent the assassin."

"But if he wanted to start a war between Starks and Lannisters why did he use a valyrian steel dagger instead of a dagger with the golden head of a lion as it's pommel?"

Tyrion stopped in his tracks, stumped by the question. Jaimie knew he would find out soon who really sent the catspaw and he hoped Tyrion won't betray him.

"Well, tell our sweet sister that I am glad she sent you, I'm going back to my apartment." Tyrion turned and left.

Cercei had, of course, not sent Jaimie to Tyrion's rescue. Jaimie had to lie in order to avoid Ser Barristan's wrath. Cercei hated their little brother and blames him for taking the life of their mother.

When he reached the King's chamber he entered to find Cercei, Looking out over the balcony at the garden, wearing a fine silken dress that did not hide much.

"Cercei," he called out. He did not want people in the garden to see him talking with his sister in her room.

"Can you believe the Starks worship these trees?"

"I will cut down the trees if they are bothering you." Cercei shook her head in order to say no as she walked into the room.

"What happened to our sweet brother?" Cercei inquired out of obligation but not love.

"It would seem he was caught for your crime." Cercei blinked Looking confused when Jaimie said that.

"My crime?" Her voice had all the innocence of a maid.

"Someone sent a man to kill the boy. It wasn't me, so it must be you." She slapped him.

"I never wanted to harm the boy; you are the one who has his blood on your hands not me."

"Are you sure you never wanted to harm the boy? What if the boy told Lord Stark what he saw?"

"The poor child probably didn't know what he saw. We could have told him it was just a game or we could have scared him or we could have bribed him with candy." She was irritated by his actions that day but had no concern about the child when she talked.

Jaimie grabbed her hand and pulled her close.

"I'm afraid it's too late to think about what could have been." he said as he stripped the clothes from his sister's body. Cercei rolled onto her bed with her pink nipples stiffening and a thin smile on her lips and waited for Jaimie to get out of his armour.

Robert returned later in the afternoon in a black rage escorted by Ser Barristan Selmy and Ser Aerys Oakheart. As he walked towards Cercei's chamber Jaimie wondered if Robert knew all along and whether he had pushed Bran off the tower for no reason.

He thought back on how high the tower Bran climbed was and how he had beaten the shit out of heavily padded Tommen. He would have made a good knight if he hadn't climbed that day.

Robert walked past Cercei's Chamber, his face red from rage and wine. Robert walked to Joffrey's room and from within that room came silence. Meryn trant and the hound stood outside the prince's Chambers alongside Ser Barristan Selmy and Ser Aerys Oakheart. The silence was broken by Joffrey's shouting which was ineligible to Jaimie's ear. Then the lashing of a whip and Joffrey screamed. Cercei ran out of her chamber and into Joffrey's chamber. Jaimie wanted to follow, he wanted to slay the fat King, but he was stopped from entering the room by Ser Barristan.