Content Warnings: Violence and misogyny.

Chapter 14: The King's Fury

"Finally! Took you long enough," Robert walked cheerfully towards the Mountain and gazed outside. "Fine job, my friend, fine job."

Ned tentatively passed the Mountain who glared down at him as still as his moniker. As soon as he smelled the putrid smell of corpses, Ned knew the Stormlander guards were dead. The guards' bodies, as well as several servants, laid zigzagged on the ground; all their arms and legs were broken in obtuse angles. Blood had spilled in large clumps across the floor.

He recalled similar needless bloodshed in the Red Keep right after the sack.

Did Robert really plan all this?

"Fine work it is, my love." Ned froze at Cersei's voice. How did she get free so fast?

"You can say that again," Robert laughed jovially, tapping his legs in a strange rhythm. "Glad you're here. We will need to gather your father's forces to defeat my brother and that nasty fraud. After all I've done for a base-born like him." He beckoned towards the room. "Come in, woman. Need to gather my shoes before we head off." He stomped back into the room.

Cersei laughed but abided by his words. She smirked at a still immobile Ned when she stood next to him right next to the room's door. "I am not sure what Lord Stark has told you," Cersei said as Robert put on his boots.

"Ned has told me some strange tales about Littlefinger and my brother." Robert said. He needed to wiggle his leg against the sturdy edges of the bed to get his left boot on. He turned, his eyes sparkling as they stared down at Cersei. "And you."

"My love, I…" Cersei began.

"Not to worry. I know Ned was rattled by the ordeal Littlefinger put him through." Robert snickered. "I know the truth from fiction." What was Robert getting at? Was Robert lying about believing him about Cersei and the Kingslayer earlier?

Cersei chuckled. "I'm glad you think that your brother and Lord Baelish are lying to pull your beard."

The Mountain moved to stand right behind Robert. Ned needed to do something before Clegane murdered him as he did the guards outside.

"I told you. She's the one who organized my kidnapping. She tried to disguise her children with the Kingslayer as your own." Ned snapped. "You need to move out of the way before Clegane strikes!"

Robert rolled his eyes, glancing sideways at Clegane. "He's a little rattled, my friend."

Clegane grabbed onto Robert's left shoulder.

Ned raced forward right as Clegane threw Robert towards the ground. Robert's nose cracked against the floor, and tiny splatters of blood splintered out. Despite yelping in pain, Robert started laughing wildly as he reached below the bed. To Ned's surprise, Robert pulled out a warhammer. How did he get that in the room?

Robert swung the warhammer against Clegane's chest, and Clegane came back at him, pushing Robert to the ground with the blade of his greatsword. Blood trickled from the cuts on Robert's face. Soon the two large men were pounding each other back and forth against the floor. A melody of cracking of bones, Clegane's greatsword and Robert's warhammer rustled within the room.

Suddenly, the fighting changed. Robert squirmed under the bed after one of his turns of slamming Clegane with his warhammer. The Mountain grabbed the ends of the bed and rose it over the floor. Ned knew Clegane had immense strength, but he never imagined him to be this strong. It was ungodly. Robert was surely a deadman.

Beside Ned, Cersei giggled as Clegane slammed the bed against the floor. "Why do you hate him this much?" Ned screamed at the woman. "He's going to kill your own husband."

Cersei's face reddened. "And by the Mother, that is going to be the greatest blessing in the world."

Robert stood up and leaned against the wall behind him, choking out blood. Clegane loomed over Robert as he stomped towards him. His feet clattered against the wood floor.

"Clegane," Robert bellowed. "You do not need to be the Lannisters' puppet anymore. You can join me and get rewarded with more gold than you ever had before. The Lannisters' strength is dwindling. No one will want to follow a family full of incest and dishonor. You are with the losing side."

Cersei chuckled. "The Cleganes have been my family's bannerman for years. You're a fool to think he'll join you."

"I only want to give him one last chance," Robert grinned at his faithless wife. "He did take down the dragonspawn for me."

Clegane grunted and raised his greatsword, preparing for the kill.

Robert sighed as he squatted to the ground and pulled a rope beneath a crack in the wooden floor. The wood beneath the Mountain crack and the large man fell into a deep hole.

Cersei immediately gasped and hastily turned towards the door. Ned rushed after her, faster than the woman thanks to his longer legs. He grabbed her chest tightly and pushed her against a wall painting. "You're not getting away again." Ned said darkly. "You will face justice for your crimes."

"Yes. She will." Robert hobbled over to them, blood continued to pour from his broken nose and the cuts in his face. He pushed Ned in the shoulder. "Get out of my way."

Ned deferred to his King's directive.

His mind blanked as Robert and Cersei shouted at each other. He froze in his spot as he watched Robert slap and beat Cersei against the bed.

He was back in the middle of the Greyjoy Rebellion. He could hear knights laughing as a woman shrieked in pain. He heard a slap. A bang. A blunt beating. The Stormlander knights always got so aggressive to defenseless servant girls after losing battles.

He wanted this to end. Please just end. He knew it was justice, but he just wanted it to end.

The Old Gods must have listed because Robert stopped, grinning beastly above the Lannister's woman's now broken body. He threw the bleeding woman in the pit.

Somehow, she was still awake and screaming at them. "You're dead. I'll get you for this. Just you wait."

Robert sneered. "I look forward to watching the executioner chop off your head and feed it to the hounds." He spit into the hole over her head. "Will be a bloody treat after the mess you started, you whore."

Ned heard an inaudible string of shrieking from Cersei.

"Let's go," Robert commanded gruffly, and he stomped out the room, swinging his warhammer all the while.

"Why did you have to hurt her like that? Ned asked Robert as he followed him down the hallway.

"She cuckolds me. She tried to place her bastards on the Baratheon throne. We didn't go through the rebellion to lose it to Lannisters of all families! And stop your yapping, you agreed to not interfere in how I punish my wife." Robert's eyes were ablaze.

"It's not just that." Ned stopped walking and stared at a stream of dead servants. "Don't get me wrong. I'm glad you had a plan to get out. But why didn't you tell me? Why did you allow Clegane to murder the guards and the servants?"

"Quiet." Robert fulminated. "We are surrounded by enemies, ungrateful fools and loose-lips, you idiot."

Robert's aggressiveness was grating on Ned's nerves. His best friend should have trusted him, and he could still see Cersei's bruised face. "You beat a woman right in front of me! You left me in the dark! You could have controlled your fury better. You could have whispered that you had a plan figured out."

Robert ignored Ned, choosing to speed on ahead. Ned barely kept up with Robert's constant change in directions around the castle.

It was hard to tell what dark hallway they ended up in. Robert knocked on a barren wall, causing leftover blood to taint it.

The barren wall swung open, and a doorknob appeared on the other side. A one-way door. The Red Keep was full of surprises.

Ned followed Robert into a shadowy room. Wishing he could be anywhere else, Ned stumbled sightless after Robert's footsteps. He used the walls to keep upright.

The invalid boy from Ned's dreams flashed in front of him. "Save him," the youth cried. "The world needs him. The night king is growing stronger. Faster than ever before."

Save who? Ned wondered and he returned to the empty darkness.

Ned could no longer hear Robert. Unsteadily, Ned headed forward, hoping he was going the correct direction.

Croak. Croak. Croak. Ned felt a little comfort from the sounds of ravens. Perhaps, he would find Robert in a nearby rookery. Croak. Croak. Croak.

"Let him go!" Ned heard someone scream. Another person was wailing.

Ned raced forward, hardly caring about the sharp pain he received from hitting his knees and elbows against the wall.

Ned felt momentarily relieved that he found Robert in a room lit by lanterns at the end of the dark hallway. The relief diminished when he saw Robert choking Benjen.

"Your Grace," Ned said deceptively calm. "Please unhand him."

"He let him go! He tricked me!" Robert snarled, squeezing tighter on Benjen's throat.

Ned felt a catch in his throat as he listened to his brother wheeze. "I don't care what he's done. You're the King, not a Wildling. You treat your subjects with common decency and gather all the facts before passing judgment."

Robert continued to squeeze.

"Please, Robert," Ned said desperately. "He's my brother."

Robert heaved and pushed Benjen roughly against the ground.

"If only all brothers cared as much as you," Robert sighed.

"What happened?" Ned asked.

"I had the Lannister imp in my grasp. But your brother, that awful guardsman of yours, and a half-wit brute tricked me."

"How?" Ned was amazed.

"They said they were going to tie him up for me, but instead your brother attempted to murder me as the others ran off."

Ned highly doubted the honorable Benjen tried to murder him. Benjen probably misguided the Lannister dwarf as an ally and did what he could to save the ungrateful lion.

"You tried to kill Tyrion without giving him a chance to find out what you are angry with him about." Benjen rasped.

"His siblings betrayed me! He's more likely than not working with them." Robert shouted.

"You shouldn't believe the lies Lord Renly and Lord Baelish are spreading." Benjen said. "It's all an attempt to undermine you."

"It's true." Ned said quietly. "The incestuous Lannister twins tried to pass their spawn as Robert's. They betrayed us all far worse than Littlefinger and his allies."

Benjen gasped. "But Ser Jaime saved … I mean Jory said …"

Ignoring Benjen's pitiful babbling, Robert gnarled at Ned. "Where were you while all this was going on, anyways?"

"I…" Would Robert believe him? No. Ned did not even believe what he saw was real. "I got lost."

"You're just full of dimwitted decisions today." Robert shook his head and sighed. "I hope you're happy with the mess you allowed to happen."

"Robert." What could Ned say? It was improper to tell a King that he was partially to blame for this mess.

"It's not all on Ned," Benjen snapped. "King Robert, you chose to ignore the signs of unrest within your council."

"How would you know? You weren't here?" Robert growled.

"Ned's guardsman, Jory Cassel, was there. He told us the story of what happened in your throne room earlier." Benjen scratched at his reddened throat.

Robert groaned. "I was a fool. By the Warrior, why can't you be more like your brother, Ned? At least he has a spine."

"Do you want me to complain? Ridicule you?" Ned snapped, tired of ignoring his anger towards Robert. "You played some games with people's lives. You caused the Mountain to brutalize several Stormlanders and servants."

"I did what I had to," Robert yelled, causing Ned's ears to ache. "Ruling the Seven Kingdoms is all about games and tricks. I spent years preparing for a possible coup. I placed this very warhammer under that bed the night before my coronation. I complained about that very room we were imprisoned in to influence my enemies to put me there if they somehow won. I ensured that Clegane thought I was a fool who believed he was my ally. I was in control. We only escaped because of me. If I relied on you, our enemies would have won everything, and we would be dead in a few days' time." Robert turned to Benjen. "You wouldn't believe what your foolish brother refused to do. He had a chance to pretend to be Renly's Hand and take him down from the inside. But no, that's bad, Ned said. Well, guess what, Starks, you can only win a Kingdom if you have the guts to play underhanded. To play smart."

Ned was at a loss of words. He never imagined that Robert would someday look at him with so much fury.

"I understand." Benjen nodded; the glare in his eyes countering his words. "We all do what we have to. That's a bold plan. But if you start choking me again, I don't care that you're the King, I will treat you as I treat any unruly recruit of the Night's Watch."

Robert grinned. "Come on, let's find the dwarf and the others. I am smart. I promise to only hold the Lannisters and other enemies as my prisoners. You Northerners are my allies after all."

After hours of searching, Robert decided that they would sleep in a dark hallway. "No use looking when we're all almost falling asleep."

It took a long time for Ned to fall asleep. He almost wished he had remained awake because when he fell asleep, Ned dreamed of the long-dead former King Aerys Targaryen, his late Hand Lord Rossart, and the twice-damned Kingslayer.

"Burn them all." The former King Aerys was laughing maniacally as he pulled at his long beard highlighted in gray and white. A loud fart blurted beneath him. Somehow Ned smelled the rancid stench of shit arose from beneath the former king. "Burn them all."

The Kingslayer stared at his soon-to-be victim, frozen in place as Lord Rossart nodded. "I am beyond excited to watch everyone shrivel into ash." Lord Rossart whispered as he passed the Kingslayer.

The youthful blond stabbed him quickly in the gut with his sword. The Kingslayer raced towards the screaming king.

"I'm a dragon. You will burn with all the others as I'm born again, stronger than before."

The Kingslayer attempted to strike Aerys in the front with his sword, but the old man twisted around and pushed the youth to the ground. Grinning wildly, Aerys turned and scurried to his throne. Despite knowing what happened next, Ned gasped as he watched the Kingslayer stab the defenseless king in the back.

Ned screamed as the Kingslayer smiled and sat on the throne.

"Ned. Ned. Wake up." Benjen's voice brought Ned great relief. He opened his eyes to find his brother's worried gaze.

Benjen nodded as Ned told him about his dreams the past few months.

"Your dreams. All those deserters and their warnings. They're all connected to something far more important than the coup against the King." Benjen stated when Ned finished.

"Benjen, the dreams are just dreams. Desertion is nothing new to the Night's Watch." Ned said sternly.

"No." Benjen shook his head. "I also … I mean." His brother's eyes fluttered in fear.

"Everything is going to be alright." Ned attempted to comfort his brother with a soft tap on his arm. "This is only a minor inconvenience while we figure out how to take back control from the usurpers."

His brother started trembling. "I know you told me to stop thinking about the deserters' warnings, but I couldn't," Benjen explained gruffly. "I think the dead are coming. The deserters saw them during their patrols. I read that dragonglass could harm Whitewalkers and some might be at Dragonstone. I was going to send a wandering crow with that information, but then I had a dream of you being beheaded at the Sept of Baelor. I needed to see you after that. Anything to show it was just a dream."

"It's just a dream. Our dreams are simply dreams." Ned was certain of that.

"No." Benjen shook his head. "I wish they were. I don't want you to die. But they are not. What Ser Jaime did to King Aerys must happened just like your dream. The dreams must be visions of the past and future."

That was an absurd conclusion. "Benjen," Ned began, but he was interrupted by Robert grunting and opening his eyes.

"Good. Looks like we are all well rested," Robert said, raising a fist. "Let's go find the imp."

Robert started laughing when they located Jory and a semi-familiar man Ned recognized as a member of the Night's Watch. The two Northerners were in the middle of drinking heavily near a door. Jory's companion was in the middle of telling a story; something to do with a squad of mounted warriors fighting a monster made of ice.

"Here, I thought you both would be long gone with your Lannister friend, but no, here you wait, as if you never betrayed the crown."

Jory and his companion bowed.

"Your Grace," the Night's Watch member said. "I apologize for our earlier scuffle. I have a soft spot for that little menace."

"I must apologize as well," Jory said softly. "I wish I could have let you take him, but I owe a debt to his brother."

"Jory." Ned started. "What do you mean? What happened between you and the Kingslayer?"

Jory glanced furtively at Ned. "Can we talk about this later." The words, 'Without the King nearby,' went unsaid.

"Look, I could care less about your reasons." Robert smirked. "All will be forgiven if you lead me to the imp and hopefully the Kingslayer."

"He shouldn't be far." The NIght's Watchman said.

"Yoren," Jory snapped. "He helped us. Tyrion is your friend."

"It doesn't matter. I have no interest in risking my neck for Lannisters. I just want to get back North as soon as I can. I had enough of this southerner bullshit." He beckoned Robert forward. "Follow me."

After Robert and Yoren left, Jory turned to Ned. "My Lord, I must apologize. I should have not let you go off in King's Landing without me. I am ashamed that you were trapped for days, and I tried so hard, but I could not figure out where you were. What happened? Who took you?"

"Cersei Lannister had her men take me." Ned placed a hand on his guardsman's shoulder. "It's not your fault. She thought she could usurp Robert, but she failed. I only wish the Kingslayer had never messed around with you."

Jory shifted his eyes. "He didn't. He saved my life in the throne room. Lord Baelish and Lord Renly were spreading a lie about Ser Jaime and his sister. They were saying the royal children were actually the twins'."

"It's the truth." Ned said flatly. "The Lannister Twins committed incest."

"You're wrong. You must be." Jory shook his head.

"Cersei admitted it to me herself." Ned placed a hand on the wall. "I wish I never allowed the Kingslayer to influence either one of us. But all we can do is move forward from here and help Robert regain control of his kingdom."

"I don't believe it. I can't." Jory gazed away from Ned. "I'm sorry, my Lord, but I need to hear it from Ser Jaime himself before I believe a word. The South is too full of people who use half-truths to hide lies."

Ned nodded. "I understand."

Benjen spoke quietly behind them. Ned had not realized that he stayed with him and Jory. That was his brother; he always was the type to remain hidden in the background. "There's no point in speaking more now. We should get back to Robert and Yoren."

They hurried forward and found Robert and Yoren at the end of a tunnel. Ned could barely make out some sand, blood and broken glass splattered on the ground.

"Someone's out there," Yoren explained to Ned, Benjen, and Jory. "We are just deciding if we should go out or not."

"Just go out and check," Robert said snarkily. "You're more inconspicuous than me. If an enemy is waiting outside, you're more likely to sneak by."

Yoren sighed. "What will you give me in return? I've no interest in dying for someone else's fight."

"In return, I won't behead you!" Robert shouted.

Jory interrupted them. "I'll go. I don't mind." Jory pushed the tunnel door open and walked out.

The group waited for a terrible period before Jory returned. "There's no one there. Just a small beach out of Blackwater Bay. We should go somewhere else."

"No. That's perfect. It's time we get out of these tunnels." Robert grinned.

"No," Jory stood in Robert's way. "Please, I lied. It's not empty. It's dangerous for you to go out there."

"What are you trying to hide?" Robert brushed past Jory, pushing the guardsman against the tunnel wall.

Fear clouded Jory's eyes and Ned knew. "A Lannister is out there, right. You do know that anything the Kingslayer has done is for his own reasons. He will never help you as you just tried to do."

Jory glanced downward. "I know. I still had to try."

Ned nodded. "Come on, we should follow Robert and make sure he doesn't do something he'll regret when he calms down."

The group then raced forward onto the beach. It was sunny outside. Ned felt a slight calmness from the warm, salty air. He could see Robert running towards a boat in the distance.

Ned continued to run until the paralyzed boy from his dreams appeared before him yet again. The boy shouted, "Save him."

Ned glanced at his companions. Jory and Yoren had continued running after Robert; Benjen had frozen in his spot.

"Do you see…" Ned began to ask. No. Impossible.

"Did you hear a crippled lad say, 'Save him?" Benjen asked.

Ned gasped, staring at his brother with wide eyes. By the old Gods, how?

"You did," Benjen grinned. "I told you. The dreams mean something. We're not going insane."

"We are," Ned laughed hollowly. "How else could we see … hear someone who does not exist?"

"It must be connected to our dreams. I'm not sure why we see something, but not King Robert, but that is a question for another time. We need to make sure King Robert doesn't harm himself in his rage."

They found Yoren and Jory standing behind Robert near the water. Robert had fallen on his knees. He was calling out in a hollow voice, "Myrcella. No. No. No." Then his voice turned to rage. "Lion spawn."

Ned then saw the young girl's still body in the middle of a small rowboat. The Kingslayer and the Imp were shouting at each other in front of the boat.

Ned almost felt calm. At last Robert had the object of his rage; the Kingslayer was finally done for. Yet, fear rose within him when he noticed a strange green glow on the boat. Was that? It can't be? Why would the Kingslayer gather caches of wildfire on a tiny rowboat?

Was it to get rid of them, or something far worse?