In King's Landing, Petyr Baelish finally stood in front of the woman who had owned his heart since they were children.
"Cat," he breathed.
Catelyn Stark looked at him with calm, steady eyes. The girl he rembered was long gone, replaced by the Hand's wife—cool, collected, and carrying the weight of the North.
"Littlefinger," she said. "If this is about Eddard, I'm listening. But I don't have ti for gas."
He forced a smile. "You're like a sister to . Of course I ca the mont I heard you were in the city."
Catelyn didn't smile back. Ten years ruling beside Ned had taught her to keep her guard up, especially in this snake pit.
"Say what you ca to say."
Littlefinger stepped closer, voice dropping. "Jon Arryn's death was no accident. I believe the Lannisters helped it along."
Catelyn's expression didn't change, but sothing shifted behind her eyes. She had already received a raven from her sister Lysa in the Vale. "The long night is coming, and danger hides in every shadow," Lysa had written. It was the real reason Catelyn had left the capital so fast.
"I'll watch them," she said quietly. "Thank you for the warning."
---
The ride south from the Wall took weeks. Snow turned to rain, then back to snow again. By the ti Tony, Jai, and Tyrion reached Winterfell, even the Lannisters were cursing the cold.
Tony didn't care. He wanted the hot springs.
"Tony!" Robb t him in the courtyard like a man who had been waiting too long. Black cloak, steel at his hip, he already moved like the lord he was pretending to be.
Tony pulled him into a rough hug. "Look at you. Acting Lord of Winterfell and not even complaining. Eddard raised you right."
Robb grinned, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Since you're here… there's a mountain of decisions waiting. Disputes, supplies, the usual ss. I could use your brain for a few days."
Tony shook his head. "No. This is your test, Robb. Sink or swim. You'll learn faster if you carry it yourself. Listen to Maester Luwin. He's forgotten more than most lords will ever know."
He clapped Robb on the shoulder. "I've got business waiting in King's Landing anyway. Right now all I want is to soak the road out of my bones."
He left Robb standing there and headed straight for the private baths. Diana was already inside, steam curling around her like smoke. She smiled when she saw him.
"Master. Let help you."
Tony stripped without ceremony and sank into the scalding water with a low groan. Snow whispered against the windows. Heat wrapped around him like a lover.
"Fuck, I missed this," he muttered. "Outside it's freezing, in here it's paradise. Brandon the Builder knew what he was doing."
Diana knelt behind him, strong hands sliding over his shoulders, working out knots the road had put there.
"Master, Coben sent more letters," she said as she rubbed. "He's stabilized the greyscale. The stone n won't spread it anymore. They keep their strength and they don't turn all the way to stone."
Tony's eyes stayed closed. "Good. That crazy bastard actually pulled it off."
Diana's hands slowed. "But why, Master? Stone n are dangerous. One wrong touch and it spreads. How can you use them as guards?"
Tony leaned back into her touch. "Because we're going to need weapons the Others can't ignore. These n are blade-proof, stronger than normal, and they follow orders. We gave them their lives back. Now they'll fight for us when the dead co."
---
Far south in Oldtown, in a hidden cellar beside the Citadel, Coben stood among his creations.
The room slled of damp stone and old smoke. On narrow beds lay n with skin like gray rock, chests rising and falling slow and steady. They looked like statues that still breathed.
Coben ran a hand along one hardened arm and smiled.
"This is what you asked for, Tony," he whispered. "Knife-proof. Terrifying. Put them on a battlefield and every sane man will piss himself before they even swing. Except the dead. The dead won't care."
He laughed softly, the sound bouncing off the walls. "But we need more bodies. Volantis doesn't want their stone n. If we could bring them all north we'd have a real army. Too bad that takes ships and steel we don't have yet."
---
Bran ca bursting through the gates with a string of rabbits over his shoulder, Ghost's littermate Sumr loping at his heels. Theon Greyjoy followed, Tony's gift bow slung across his back.
"Shooting rabbits with this thing feels like using a warhamr to crack nuts," Theon grumbled. "But if Tony's back, I'm showing him how good I've gotten."
Bran was already running. "Tony! Tony's here!"
---
In King's Landing, Sansa and Arya's confinent had one day left.
The door to their room clicked open. Myrcella slipped inside, golden hair bright even in the low light. She held up a stolen key and grinned.
Before either Stark girl could speak, two direwolves bounded past her legs.
"Lady!" Sansa dropped to her knees. The white wolf pushed into her arms like she had been waiting for this mont.
Arya hauled Nyria onto the table with both hands, laughing as the dark wolf licked her face.
Myrcella watched them, eyes wide and hungry.
"The tourney starts tomorrow," she said. "We should all watch it together."
Arya gave her a suspicious look. "Why sneak in here? You've got a hundred highborn girls to sit with."
Myrcella shifted from foot to foot, suddenly shy.
"Because you have wolves," she said softly. "I want one too. But there aren't any left for ."
She looked at Lady and Nyria with open, aching want.
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