บท 1: Chapter 1 - The Wolf In Stag's Clothing I
NOTE: These are my big chapters divided into smaller pieces. My chapters are usually 6k-10k words long. If I don't post daily(or multiple times a week), or a lot of chapters, Webnovel punishes me by drowning the book in the sea of rankings.
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All my life I have done my duty justly, and with honor.
"Traitor!"
"Coward!"
"Traitor!"
I gave my all to serve this realm. To honor Robert's last wish.
As the last of the chants died out, Eddard was brought to the stone platform meant for his execution. The Kingsguard stood there proudly, the gold cloaks crowding the vicinity while the boy King and his scheming mother stood with smirking faces, his daughter tearful.
"I am Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King." Eddard looked at Sansa once to remind himself that this was to save her and Arya's lives. "I come before you to confess my treason in the sight of gods and men. I betrayed the faith of my King and the trust of my friend Robert. I swore to protect and defend his children, but before his blood was cold I plotted to murder his son and seize the throne for myself."
"Traitor!"
Stones came hurling at him with the resuming chants. In Eddard's eyes, there was no hope of reversing this situation.
Catelyn was right. Wolves don't fare well in the South. Eddard remembered the events that had led to it. Of all the things he now firmly believed that showing mercy, honor, and pity to Cersei was the wrong thing to do.
"Let the High Septon and Baelor the blessed bear witness to what I say; Joffrey Baratheon is the one true heir to the Iron Throne by the grace of all the gods, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm."
Eddard finished speaking and gave himself up to his fate.
Right then, the filthy maester of a man, Pycelle, came forward to speak. "As we sin, so do we suffer. This man has confessed his crimes in sight of gods and men. The gods are just, but beloved Bealor taught us they can also be merciful. What is to be done with this traitor, your grace?"
"Kill him!"
"Kill him!"
They know not what evil they have invited into their lives. Eddard pitied the blind smallfolk. But again, he wondered if his pity was the root of all his and his family's misery now.
Joffrey smiled brightly and waved at the crowd, loving the attention from the people. The adoration that he had always desired. "My mother wishes me to let Lord Eddard join the night's watch. Stripped of all titles and powers, he would serve the realm in permanent exile. And my lady Sansa has begged mercy for her father… But they have the soft hearts of women. So long as I am your king, treason shall never go unpunished, Ser Ilyn! Bring me his head!"
"No! Stop!" Sansa cried.
Cersei made meaningless attempts to stop her savage son.
"Daddy!" Sansa cried harder.
"Traitor!"
"Traitor!"
Eddard accepted his fate, allowing the men to put him down on his knees. To his ears, neither Sansa's cries nor the crowd's chants reached. His thoughts were all to himself, wondering why this was happening.
Where did I go wrong? What could I have done differently?
Thud!
####
"Haaaaah!~"
A lone man's gasp echoed in a stormy castle's crypt. The space was tight, the air dense, and light absent. Eyes that should have remained shut now gazed again. A beating heart the body regained.
Cliffs met waves with thunder's might, forests dense in the stormy night. Far in the south, distant from the home of wolves, the roots of the Old Gods once again spread. Blessings to the brave, a second chance bestowed upon the dead.
Where am I?
Eddard Stark tried to sit up but only hit his face against something cold and hard. He tried to measure his surroundings and it felt narrow, like a coffin.
Is this the afterlife?
Grrr…!
Stones? He heard the noise, echoing in his ears as if someone was grinding heavy stones atop each other.
"...ou will be beheaded for this sin!"
"...stop this insanity!"
I don't remember these voices. He heard muffled talks amongst people and tried to free himself. He pushed up in that cramped space, trying to get out of wherever he was. Afterlife couldn't be just this… a dark box. Ugh… my body… I feel different… heavy…
"...Push, men! Push and see the miracle yourself."
"...not sully the crypt!"
Grrr~
Eddard gave it his all and tried to move whatever was above him. He could already feel it sliding to the side, making that stony grinding noise. He quickly realized the voices outside were aiding him. So he tried to push the stone in the same direction.
Grrr~
At last, he felt a fresh breath of air fill his lungs. Far more pleasant, cold, and smelling of life. But he could see nothing as a bright fiery light shrouded his view, leaving his eyes squeezed shut.
"Your Grace!" a man's roar resounded.
"H-How is this possible!"
"The Lord is mighty!"
"The King is alive!"
Eddard forced his eyes to open upon those words. This was clearly not the afterlife. But being called 'Grace' was new. "Errr… Who's there?"
"Your Grace, it's me! Cortnay Penrose! Lord Renley named me the Castellan of Storm's End!"
Storm's End? Eddard frowned and blinked frantically to adjust his eyes. Soon he noticed an old man, completely bald with a red, spade-shaped beard and a weathered face. What's happening?
"Ugh…" Eddard looked down, feeling heavy in his body. He raised his palms to look at them and he failed to recognize them. They looked bigger and portlier. But then he noticed it wasn't just his hands but everything. His belly was protruding out, everything felt heavy, dirty, and tall.
"Welcome back to the land of the living, Your Grace."
Eddard looked up at the other man. To his surprise, it wasn't a torch he was holding but rather a sword that was on fire. A tall, fat man in flapping red robes.
"Thoros of Myr at your service." Thoros voiced and saluted. "R'hllor commanded me to come here. The fire burns within you now."
I'm alive? Eddard realized. But it didn't make sense as he was now sure this wasn't his mortal body. Grace? Robert?
"Where… What happened?" Eddard grunted, unable to recognize his own voice.
Cortnay quickly approached Eddard and gave his shoulder for support. "Please come with me, Your Grace. I'll have the Maester see to your health. I shall send ravens to Lord Stannis and Lord Renly immediately."
This is Robert's body! Eddard was almost certain now. What is happening? Wh… My head.
"Your Grace!"
Eddard didn't know what happened next as he felt his eyelids lose all their strength and close once again. His legs gave away and fell forward, his entire body like a lifeless doll. His thoughts faded away too fast, leaving him empty-headed in slumber.
How is this possible?
Questions upon questions, that was all Eddard could afford.
####
Unknown how much time had passed, Eddard opened his eyes again. A pulsating headache agonized him the entire time, leaving him gripping his face.
He looked down at himself lying on the bed, grateful to the moonlight seeping through the window. He could feel his bloated belly, his enormous body, and his messy beard. It felt lethargic, as if even the tiniest movement was a chore. But it didn't seem to be because of exhaustion, it was the normal state of this body.
As much as you failed this realm, you failed yourself, Robert. Eddard sighed while sitting up against the pillows. He glanced towards the window at the edge of the room and saw the distant stormy sea. This is all real.
"Cortnay!" Eddard called for the Castellan. It felt wrong to be using that voice, unnatural somehow. "Cortnay!"
"Your Grace!" The door opened and the bald Castellan came running into the room alone. "Are you alright? Should I call the Maester?"
Eddard shook his head. "What happened?"
"Y-Your Grace! That man broke into the crypt secretly. I found him in time and tried to stop him. But he… He said you are still alive and can be saved. I didn't know he was telling the truth, I shouldn't have stopped them." Cortnay explained everything.
"You were doing your duty. How long was I in there? What happened in my absence?" Asked Eddard, trying to make some sense of where and when he was. "Do you know what's happening in King's Landing?"
Cortnay nodded strongly and quickly returned to shut the door first before approaching the bed again.
"Madness, Your Grace! They took Lord Eddard Stark's head, on the orders of the new King, they did. Said he was a traitor, aiming to usurp the throne for himself. Lies, Your Grace! Can't see a man like Lord Stark doing such a thing. Yet he confessed, right there before the smallfolk… Now, King Joffrey's on the throne, and Queen Cersei's lurking in the shadows, pulling the strings."
Eddard breathed deeply, trying to control his anger from rising. In this new body, it felt harder to keep his emotions in check. The unhealthy life that Robert had lived made it easy for the heart to tremble quicker. "What of my brothers?"
"They prepare for war, Your Grace. Lord Stannis and Lord Renly both lay a claim to the Iron Throne. The Reach, they're backing Lord Renly, but folks whisper that Stannis is using dark magic from a Red Priestess. Up North, young Robb Stark has called for his banners and is trying to march south. The Riverlands, they'll likely follow him. Meanwhile, the Lannisters, they've taken over King's Landing and are readying for battle as we speak.
"They have even discarded Ser Barristan Selmy from Kingsguard." Cortnay finished explaining. Although not much time had passed, merely a few weeks since Robert's death, much had changed across the realm.
Eddard felt all those words sharper than arrows. He knew Cersei was a whore and all the golden-haired children were bastards. Yet, somehow the bastards had taken the throne and now pursued the ruin of the realm. His own son was thrust into a war.
Tiredly, he tried to get out of bed. Getting used to this new body was not easy. But somewhere deep in his heart, he had already made a decision. "Cortnay, see to it that the castle halls are emptied. The Maester and those who know of my survival—escort them to the dungeon, but treat them with respect and care. Until I stand once more in King's Landing, this must remain a secret."
Cortnay agreed immediately. "As you command, Your Grace."
"Ready a few men. I shall pen a missive to Ser Barristan Selmy. He must not depart these shores; his pledge binds him to my service." Eddard's voice held the weight of command, though it lacked Robert's bluster. But Cortnay didn't mind. "Arrange a nourishing meal three times a day, and fetch my full armor and warhammer. I can't abide in this condition any longer."
Seeing that the King had nothing more to say, Cortnay left quickly to fulfill the command.
Finally, alone in the large room, Eddard walked around to get used to the body. But eventually, he found himself standing before a large mirror. It shook him, unable to see the face he was used to in it, instead, there was Robert's form.
Eddard touched his face and felt the beard. Any illusion left that this was a dream completely shattered. This was his reality now, as absurd as it may be. But when he looked down he couldn't help but feel disgusted.
He quickly discarded his oversized tunic. Hairy chest, a massive bloated belly. He could feel there were muscles beneath all that fat. The body had seen better days, no doubt. But right now, he doubted he could even see his cock below without bending forward.
"Forgive me for this, my old friend." Eddard felt somewhat guilty about using this body. "I didn't want this."
Eddard reminisced about the old days. From the time he fostered at the Vale with Robert. The banters, the friendly spars, their discussions about women.
"I am…" Eddard looked into the mirror, finding those blue eyes sparkling. If not for the old memories of Lord Stark, he would have forgotten himself and accepted himself as Robert as he gained the King's memories too. "You fool… Still obsessed with Lyanna."
He could see what sort of life Robert lived in the memories. It lacked honor or any semblance of nobleness. A crass, heavy drinker, and an addiction to whores. Married life a mess, a wife who avoided sharing the bed.
Eddard sighed and shut his eyes for a moment. Oh Catelyn, forgive me. But I must do this. Robb is too emotional to win this war. Sansa and Arya need me.
Once he opened his eyes again, they no longer held any doubts or confusion. No longer did he search for any semblance of Eddard Stark in the mirror.
"I am Robert Baratheon, King of the Seven Kingdoms!"
But then he looked down out of discomfort and grunted.
"I'm fat…"
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