"Some nights I stay up cashing in my bad luck. Some nights I call it a draw. Some nights I wish that my lips could build a castle. Some nights I wish they'd just fall off. But I still wake up, I still see your ghost, oh Lord I'm still not sure what I stand for. What do I stand for? What do I stand for? Most nights I don't know...anymore."-Some Nights, FUN

I. EDDARD
He should have known that Robert Baratheon would bring the subject up not long after visiting the crypt at Winterfell. It had come up during every one of Robert's now infrequent visits. Robert had arrived a day ago with a company of guards having left his wife, Cersei, and his usual parade of Lannisters behind. Ned Stark was lucky the subject had not come up before then. "You should tell them," Robert said and for the first time since they had begun having this conversation. Ned should have known something was different then, and perhaps he did in his heart, but he ignored the warning in his head.

"They are not yet ready," he said calmly.

"They are fifteen," Robert thundered. "The same age as your son Robb. How long are you going to delay before telling them the truth?"

"Until the time is right," Ned replied patiently, used to Robert's moods. Robert sighed, waning melancholy, and took a drink of his glass of wine, his first for the evening.

"When will the time be right?" Robert grumbled. Ned simply stared back at him until Robert thundered, "Damn it Ned! Why do you have to put me in such a hard position?"

"What do you mean?" Ned asked, reaching for his own glass of wine. He was having a feeling that he would need the drink as fortification for whatever Robert was about to say.

"Tywin Lannister has fallen gravely ill," Robert informed him. "The Maester tells me he shant live long. That means I've been forced to release Jaime from the Kingsguard."

"Why does this concern me?" Ned asked. "Jon Arryn is still the Hand, is he not? Tell this new trouble to him."

"I have," Robert said. "Jon advised me on this course of action." Then he eyed the untouched glass of wine in Ned's hand. "You had best drink that." This time Ned didn't hesitate to down the drink. He felt in his bones that Robert was right, he would need the drink to face the coming news. "Jon suggested that we arrange a marriage between Jaime Lannister and the Starks. He specifically suggested Lucia." For a moment Ned stared uncomprehendingly at his old friend as what Robert said sank in.

"But she's only fifteen," Ned protested finally, sounding almost as if he was being strangled. "And despite she and Jon being Lyanna's children they are still bastards because of Rhaegar Targaryan."

"Jon had a solution for that as well," Robert said, refilling Ned's glass and taking a gulp from his own glass. "He suggested that I name them the trueborn children and heirs of Rhaegar Targaryan and Lyanna Stark and allow them to take the Stark name."

"But why Lucia?" Ned asked hopelessly. "Why not Sansa?"

"Because Sansa will not be able to marry for three or four more years yet," Robert said. "I am sorry Ned." Lord Eddard Stark nodded and stood.

"I will inform Lucia of the arrangements tomorrow. I assume the Lannisters will come join you here," Ned said.

"Yes," Robert said. "I shall send a raven to them in the morning. I am truly sorry it had to come to this Ned." Eddard Stark nodded once, briskly but not unrespectfully, and silently left the room. Robert finished the wine before leaving to his room in the Stark residence. Ned, on the other hand, went to Winterfell's outer wall.

He had hoped one day that Lucia and Jon, twins born of Lyanna by Rhaegar Targaryan, would be named Starks but that was the only part of the conversation with Robert that he took any pleasure in. He had hoped to wed Lucia to Theon Greyjoy because Theon and Luce got along well enough. Now the only other option would be to betroth Sansa to Theon. Ned shook his head, scowl depening at the thought. Theon got along well with Lucia but he only tolerated Arya and he avoided Sansa's company if at all possible. No, an alliance with the Greyjoy's through a marriage of one of the Stark girls to Theon was no longer possible.

Lucia would become a Lannister, the Kingslayer's wife, and go south. That would leave Sansa and Arya to have arranged marriages in the north as well as Robb. Jon, quite possibly, would head south to join his twin or would move somewhere half way behind. Ned breathed out in a sigh as he found yet another difficulty. He would need to tell Catelyn the truth about Jon and Lucia's heritage along with the arranged match for Luce. He had a long night before him and Catelyn was the very least of his problems. The Lannisters were coming to Winterfell.