Chapter 448

"When I forced Stark, the Hand of the King, to appoint me Captain of the Iron Gate..."

"In the end, I never expected Lady Sansa to be secretly taken under Lannister control before us..."

"That day, had no unexpected riot occurred, with the strength I possessed at the time, it would have been very difficult to rescue Lord Ned safely..."

"Lady Catelyn told me that Petyr had pushed Lady Lysa through the Moon Door..."

"That was at the Gates of the Moon. My guards captured Petyr, and Lady Catelyn personally avenged her sister..."

"Lord Tywin deliberately spared Robert Arryn to restrain me, but neither he nor I—or rather, the vast majority of people—expected the teenage Joffrey to be a second Mad King..."

The candlelight flickered.

After dinner, Brynden chatted with Gryn in the study at Gryn's invitation.

As Gryn recounted those secrets, complex emotions lay beneath Brynden's resolute face. Before he had sworn his allegiance, all he had seen was Marigold's ruthlessness. Afterward... there had been nothing but boundless mercy.

By the end, he could not help but admire the young duke before him. A boy from Crackclaw Point who had only just arrived in King's Landing had, beneath the Lannisters' very noses... one could say, saved House Stark.

At that moment, Ser Blackfish felt deeply ashamed for having previously questioned Duke Gryn's honor.

Brynden rose and solemnly bowed to his liege lord. "Lord Gryn, House Tully will forever remember your kindness."

Gryn smiled. He gestured for Brynden to sit, saying, "Lord Ned's character is worthy of respect. Crabb Remembers."

Then he rubbed his head and added, "I want to tell you another piece of not-so-good news. Stannis is now at The Wall, and in the name of the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms, he awaits Lord Ned's audience."