Jared Baratheon took in a deep breath of the cold Northern air and let out a sigh. So far, the North was vastly different from King's Landing and Storm's End and Jared found that he greatly enjoyed this. Jared was the second son of Robert and Cersei and unlike his siblings he had the black hair of the Baratheon's along with his father's blue eyes. Whereas Joffrey was a lanky lad, Jared had inherited the Baratheon build that was both stocky and tall. There had been numerous whispers about his looks and the people had dubbed him the black stag, which was a rather grand nickname if he was honest with himself.

"Damn that infernal contraption!" King Robert shouted as once again the wheelhouse that was transporting the rest of his family broke down once again. Jared rolled his eyes in response to his father's blustering. He loved his father as any good son would do, but that did not mean he was blind to Robert's many faults. Jared had made a promise to himself long ago that he would remain faithful to whomever would become his wife and he would try to stay well away from wine and ale as his father got a little more violent when he partook of the spirits. "We should have been home already if we did not have that damn wheelhouse following us!"

"Are we close father?" Jared asked, trying to get the king's mind off of the slow progression.

"I'm not too sure Jared, it's been nine years too long since I've been in the North." Robert turned his head slowly to take in the surroundings, "Perhaps there is something nearby."

Jared looked around as well and spotted a hill not too far from their current location, "How about that hill father, we can make our way up there and see if there's anything that will tell you where we are at. I'll be waiting for you up there," Jared laughed as soon as his father nodded and pressed his horse at a race to the top. He heard his father's booming laugh behind him and soon heard the pounding horse hooves that signified his father was catching up to him. That was why Jared had started without warning as he knew that the old warhorse that his father rode was far larger than his own.

The king and the prince laughed loudly as they reached the crest of the hill, "You are becoming a fine rider my boy."

"Thank you father," Jared smiled at the king. He let his eyes wander and Jared let out a soft gasp as he noticed just what was in the not so distant horizon.

"Aye my boy," Robert spoke in a softer tone than Jared had ever remembered, "Winterfell has that effect on many people. While it isn't as grand as King's Landing, this citadel has something that makes it breathtaking. I think Tommen and Myrcella will be a bit too young to truly appreciate this sight, but I'm glad at least one of my children will enjoy this trip." It went unsaid that Joffrey would take after Cersei's view and would deride everything that was different about Winterfell. "Come on, it sounds like the wheelhouse is finally repaired and I ask that you get your brother on his blasted horse and enter Ned's place like a true prince should."

-Break-

"You've gotten fat!" The king cried as he greeted his old friend and Jared had to cover up his chortle with a cough that does nothing to actually hide his feelings. Lord Stark doesn't take offense to this however and stared pointedly at his father's own rather large gut. For a moment there was silence before the king and his lord each broke out in laughter and the tension that had been building within the courtyard was dispersed. "Nine years Ned, nine years! Where have you been?"

"Guarding the North your grace," Eddard bowed slightly, "The North is yours."

"Bah!" Robert waved away the protocols and niceties that came with dealing with nobility, "Jared, come and greet Lord Stark." The fact that the King had skipped over his heir that was currently looking around Winterfell as if he had stepped in something disgusting did not go unnoticed, but it also went unsaid since Cersei's carriage had yet to enter the courtyard.

"The king wasn't exactly as I expected, nor the prince," Robb Stark observed with his half-brother.

"True, from father's stories I had expected a giant of a man, not someone so fat. And Joffrey looks like a piece of shit and not at all like Prince Jared."

"Ah stop, you're going to make me blush," An amused voice said from behind them and the two older boys turned around with a horrified look. "A word of warning that you could probably pass on to your siblings, you need to watch what you say and make sure you know that you are alone if you want to talk bad about the royal family. The South has come North for a few days at least and they have brought the Game of Thrones with them."

Robb and Jon were both nervous as the prince spoke as he had not forgiven them of speaking about his family. They had forgotten that Winterfell was a little fuller than it had ever been to their knowledge and what they had said could see them in jail or worse. "I would be careful Robb Stark and Jon Snow, while I do not care if you insult my family, those that came North will not be so lenient." Without waiting for any acknowledgement, Jared Baratheon turned to continue his exploration of Winterfell. He knew that he could have done more to set the two at ease, but he wasn't that type of person. Robb Stark should know that as soon as he ascended to his father's place, every move he made would be measured to see if there was a way to exploit the young man.

"My prince," What appeared to be a simple maid stood before Jared with her head bowed low. It never failed to amuse Jared that the most dangerous woman in perhaps all of the Seven Kingdoms liked to dress up as the lowliest. "Your agents are in place."

"Thank you Natasha, but I don't think we will need as many as I first thought. Keep them all in place until we decide to leave and then we probably only need one or two. These Northerners seem to be even more honorable and straightforward than my uncle. Have we found his little birds yet?"

"It seems that the spider is less interested in the North than we are, at least as far as information goes."

"Fair enough," Jared nodded to his oldest friend and lightly brushed her bright red hair. While the Tully's and now the Stark's had red hair, Natasha's was much brighter and distinctive. Jared had heard that the Wildings called it being kissed by the fire and he thought it was rather appropriate for her. It was also the color of blood when it reflected the light of a fire, which was another thing that suited Natasha perfectly. Whereas other spy rings led by lords and ladies were purely interested in blackmail, Jared's partook in assassination and not the assassination of the character. "I have heard tales of the Dread Castle and the House of Bolton, tales that will not be permitted to last much longer. Other than the family that would be comfortable with Gregor, I think that is all that we need to take care of in the North."

"Not quite my lord," Natasha said before she whipped a knife out from under her skirt and sent it flying into a nearby shadow before anyone would have been able to react. The dead body of a Lannister squire soon thudded to the ground, her knife firmly embedded. Jared's spy ring was also the most well-kept secret as anyone who got close were instantly ended.

"Whose do you think this is?" Jared asked as he made sure to avoid the pooling blood. "It doesn't matter, I'm sure you can dispose of the body?"

"Depends on how you want me to take care of him," She answered blandly.

"Hide him near a wall, but not too well that he won't be discovered before we leave. Incriminate whoever you want and we shall see who he belongs too or if he was just in the wrong place." There was little hope for this as everyone seemed to be a part of the great game, but it did happen occasionally. "These Northerners seem to need a little excitement."

Natasha grinned at her prince, "Yes my lord," And while she made no motions, two figures approached and hefted the body to move with a simple nod to the prince. Jared had long ago given up trying to figure out how Natasha controlled her organization and had admitted defeat not long after he first met her. Jared had sailed to Bravosi in search of a sword trainer as the Westori style of fighting had never felt comfortable for the spare heir. He returned with a teacher, but also a new servant in the form of a young woman. Robert thought it was something that he would have done as well and proclaimed his, then thirteen-year-old, son a man. This was three years ago of course. His mother despised the girl and made her distaste well known.

Leaving his servants, and idly Jared thought that the group should have a name, the prince made his way back to Winterfell Keep and towards the crowds. It wasn't that he thought that they would get caught, but he had learned that plausible deniability was a thing of beauty. Besides, he had to prepare for the feast that was being held in his family's honor.

Later that night, Jared Baratheon had discovered one thing, Northern women were as straightforward as their men and yet he found it oddly refreshing. A double standard he knew, but such was the state of the Westeros. He wished there were women in the world that reflected those like Nymeria and Viseyna and other warrior queens of old, but straightforwardness seemed to be as close as he was going to get. There was a certain innocence that the ladies of the South seemed to lose early on as they learned to manipulate. Both Stark women were pretty and each had his attention through various times in the feast.

"So, I've heard each of the Stark children have a direwolf pup," Jared said to Arya as the young lady picked at her food, "Have they been easy to train?"

"They have my prince," Sansa butted in as Joffrey had withdrawn to eat more with his thin mask in place. "At least my Lady has, though Arya's seems to have taken after her mistress in her wild nature."

Jared raised an eyebrow at this new revelation. From what he had seen, the Starks were a close family, at least closer than his own. It seemed there was still some tension between siblings, though they were closer to their half sibling than he would ever be to his. He was well aware that his mother was a bitch to all but Joffrey and Myrcella. Even Tommen got the short end of the stick for their mother's attention as he was not a girl and he was rather far down on the list of inheritance. The Queen would barely look at Jared however and when she did, she seemed to be of two conflicting emotions. As if his thoughts summoned her, Cersei looked up at the same time Jared's eyes fell on her and for a moment he thought that love might have won out this night. Unfortunately, his mother's eyes found his father's form and when she looked back to him, those eyes that had briefly looked at him with love now looked at him with disdain.

He abruptly stood up and surprised to the two Stark ladies, "Excuse me, I'm in a sudden need for a bit of fresh air! I will try to hurry my way back, but if not I bid you ladies a fond goodnight and I shall see you in the morning." Most of the Stark children watched the second prince as he made his way out of the hall, all wondering why he had made his abrupt departure.

-POI (Person of Interest) Change-

Cersei watched as her second son made his way out of the great hall and for a moment she wanted to call out to the boy and ask his forgiveness before she clamped down on that idea. A lion was never one to apologize. Jared was the only trueborn son between her and Robert and if she had had it her way then he would have never been born. Despite all of her precautions though, he was still born and had taken after the father in the looks department. She had had little to do with the boy in the last fifteen years and had made sure to make her distaste known to him. Despite it all however, Jared was still her son and she hated the way she acted towards him. Perhaps it was time for her to make a connection with her second son. Surely he was desperate for her attention?

-POI Change-

"You are so eager to join the Night Watch," Jared spoke up as he passed his uncle, hearing every word that they had spoken to one another, "But I wonder how much you actually know of the Watch. Has your family done another disservice to you bastard?" He saw that Jon Snow took the words at least a little better and he knew that Tyrion's words had stuck with him. "We've all heard the tales of the Night Watch, but it has fallen far from what you have in your head. There are some good men on the Wall, but the majority are prisoners that had the option of execution or taking the black. I hope that you do take the black as we need honorable and trained swords, but it would be a disservice to let you join without a true idea of what you were doing."

"Would you not join the Night Watch my prince?" Jon couldn't help but to ask, though he did feel foolish after the question left his lips.

Jared laughed quietly, "I am not an honorable man Snow. Besides, I am a prince."

A/N: There are plenty of trueborn heir stories that I wanted to go a different way. He may be better than Jofferey and have people that he cares about, but he looks out for number one and has no interest in ruling. If I continue this, I'd probably have him ally himself with Dany and just completely change the series after the mid-second book.