The Throne Room was immense, capable of holding over a thousand people.
A long carpet stretched from the foot of the Iron Throne all the way to the great bronze and oak doors at the far end of the hall.
The hall faced south, with towering, narrow windows lining the east and west walls.
Once, the skulls of Targaryen dragons had adorned these walls, but King Robert had long since replaced them with tapestries and woven hangings.
When Arthur and Paxter Redwyne were summoned and stepped through the oak doors, the hall was already packed.
Save for the Royal Family and the members of the Small Council, everyone else stood or knelt in deference.
Knights, nobles, and ladies stood beneath the tapestries, while the common folk crowded the gallery above.
Fully armored guards, their cloaks gold or gray, stood tall and imposing.
As Arthur entered, his gaze was immediately drawn to the Iron Throne atop the high iron dais directly opposite the doors.
The throne was empty, allowing Arthur to see it in its entirety.
Truth be told, his first impression was somewhat disappointing. The Iron Throne looked like a twisted, ugly lump of metal, bristling with spikes, sharp edges, and contorted steel. Even the backrest was jagged with points.
To sit on that iron chair, one had to climb a narrow flight of iron steps.
Below the Iron Throne sat an oak table. Jon Arryn, dressed in a ceremonial tunic of blue and white emblazoned with the moon-and-falcon, sat in the center. The golden Hand of the King pin on his chest gleamed in the sunlight streaming through the windows.
Flanking the Hand were the two other judges: his uncle Eddard Stark, whose face was grim and cold, and Renly Baratheon, who wore a faint smile.
This was Arthur's first time seeing Renly in person. He wore a doublet of green velvet. His black hair fell to his shoulders, and his jaw was clean-shaven, giving him a handsome and polished appearance.
The inquiry and trial began with a prayer from the obese High Septon, calling upon the Father Above to guide them toward justice.
When the prayer concluded, Jon Arryn fixed his sharp gaze on Paxter Redwyne. "Lord Paxter, did you order the Arbor fleet to attack the Starfall domains?"
Paxter stepped forward. "I never ordered the Arbor fleet to attack Starfall's lands."
He pointed a finger at Arthur, his voice rising sharply. "These are all lies from Snow. Everyone knows bastards are born of lust and lies; deceiving others is second nature to them."
As soon as Paxter spoke, Arthur could hear the whispers and snickering from the surrounding crowd.
Prejudice against bastards was a mountain to climb in this world, especially in King's Landing, where nobles obsessed over status and birthright.
At that moment, Eddard stood up abruptly from his seat, his voice ringing out. "Arthur was raised by my own hand at Winterfell. He is of pure and good character. He wields the greatsword Dawn and bears the title 'Sword of the Morning.' Would such a man falsely accuse another?"
Murmurs of agreement rippled through the crowd, though they quickly quieted down.
Jon Arryn continued his questioning. "According to intelligence from Lord Varys, half the Arbor fleet left port days before the attack on Starfall, their destination unknown. Ser Desmond Redwyne also vanished during this time. How do you explain this?"
"They were on a routine patrol to escort merchant vessels." Paxter spread his hands, feigning innocence. "Pirate attacks on Starfall have nothing to do with the Arbor. Snow, however, insists on using this as a pretext to launch an invasion of the Reach."
"Lord Hand, ships are made for sailing. Their absence proves nothing; you cannot expect ships to sit in port and rust forever." Renly smiled slightly. "Ser Arthur, how do you respond to Lord Paxter's accusation that you invaded the Reach?"
Arthur shrugged. "By that Red-Haired Egghead's logic, wildlings invading the Reach has nothing to do with Starfall."
He paused deliberately, letting the term "Red-Haired Egghead" provoke a wave of suppressed laughter in the hall, before continuing.
"It is entirely Lord Quentyn Rogers' fault for failing to defend his lands, allowing wildlings to capture his castle. He, along with several nobles and knights from Oldtown, were taken captive by wildlings from the Red Mountains. Their fates remain unknown. Yet Paxter insists on using this as a pretext to blockade Starfall's port and send ships to raid our coast."
Paxter's face turned beet red instantly. "You lie, Snow!"
"You lied first." Arthur looked at Paxter with disgust. "According to the law, lying under inquiry is punishable by having one's hand nailed to the table."
He looked around, his voice clear and forceful. "Have you decided which hand you want nailed, Red-Haired Egghead?"
The snickering in the hall turned into open laughter.
Quentyn, Cletus, and the rest of Arthur's retinue laughed without restraint.
Arthur glanced at Paxter, who was glaring at him with murderous intent amidst the mockery.
If this old fool wants to drop titles and call me "Snow," he can't blame me for getting personal.
"Silence!" Jon Arryn slammed his hand on the table. "Lord Paxter, do not speak until a judge addresses you! And mind your tongues, both of you. This is the Throne Room!"
Renly, sharp as ever, caught a slip in Arthur's words. "Ser Arthur, you just told Lord Paxter, 'You lied first.' Does that imply that your previous answer to my question was untrue?"
"I admit that I led Starfall's forces across the Red Mountains and breached Ring Castle," Arthur said, ticking off items on his fingers as if reading a menu.
"I captured Ser Meryn Tyrell, Ser Garth Hightower, Lord Quentyn Rogers... along with a host of knights, landed gentry, and over seven hundred men of the Oldtown City Watch."
He turned to face the crowd, his gaze burning. "Everything I did was in retaliation against the men of the Arbor for burning my Peach Orchard and slaughtering the people on my land in cold blood."
"Before I organized the retaliation, I wrote to every major noble house in the South, including the Iron Throne and the High Septon, explaining the cause. Furthermore, I ordered my troops not to kill those who surrendered and not to harm the elderly, women, or children. Because we of Starfall and Dorne are warriors, not cowards who disguise ourselves as pirates to butcher civilians! The Gods know that Starfall's retaliation was just!"
As Arthur's voice faded, the hall fell into a dead silence.
The nobles of the Reach were shocked that he had admitted it so openly; all the evidence and witnesses they had prepared were now useless.
Nobles from other regions were stunned by Arthur's military achievements: crossing the Red Mountains, taking Ring Castle, and capturing so many high-ranking prisoners.
Any one of those feats would have been unthinkable for most, yet he had accomplished them all.
Some even began to doubt internally—could even the "Sword of the Morning" really achieve such exaggerated feats?
"Well said!" The silence was broken by Quentyn Martell's shout of support. "We Dornish warriors are not cowards who only dare to butcher civilians while dressed as pirates!"
Jon Arryn spoke again. "Lord Paxter, what do you say to Ser Arthur's accusation that you lied under inquiry and were responsible for the attack on the Peach Orchard?"
"Every word I spoke is true!" Paxter gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead.
Jon Arryn nodded, then looked at Arthur. "Ser Arthur, what evidence do you have to prove that the Arbor fleet was the culprit behind the attack?"
"My Lord, I need no evidence." A faint smile touched Arthur's lips.
"If he dares to swear a sacred oath before the Old Gods and the New that everything he just said under inquiry is true, then let the Gods judge whether he lies."
Eddard looked at his nephew with worry, but Arthur gave him a reassuring glance.
All eyes focused on Paxter.
The Lord of the Arbor's hands trembled involuntarily, and sweat dripped from his red hair onto his tunic embroidered with grapes.
The air in the hall seemed to solidify; even the sound of breathing was audible.