Author's Note: Hello everyone! First things first, I want say that I'm still pretty new to the Game of Thrones fandom. That being said, I don't know a whole lot, and took on this story because I wanted to change what has been spoiled for me up to this point. This story is going to be largely AU, and I'm going to be trying to implement both the books and TV show into it. That being said, some events may not take place at all, and some events may be moved forward or back. Likewise, some ages may be changed to better fit how I want the story to go. Read on!

This story is currently undergoing a rewrite! Any chapter that has been re-written or edited will have "Edited on (date)" at the bottom, and that starts with the prologue!

Also, I suppose I haven't been entirely clear on the pairings for this story. While it will be Robb/OC and Jon/OC, both characters will have a different love interest. I apologize for any confusion on the matter.

Disclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones, yada yada~

Negotiating Release

"You're being remarkably foolish," a voice spoke behind Joffrey.

He whipped around, shocked, to find his young aunt, barely two years his senior, standing in the shadows of his chambers. He wasn't quite sure how she had gotten past his guards, especially with the large amount roaming the halls at night. "Aunt Emmeline, to what do I owe this visit," he questioned, trying to act as though he had not been surprised.

His aunt moved forward, her blonde hair shining brightly in the candlelight. She took in the lavish decor of his room, her eyes trailing over the silken drapes hanging over the windows. Joffrey could see that she was favoring her left side, the limp barely noticeable as she walked toward him. "I have just come from your grandfather. Needless to say, he is quite unhappy with your actions involving Lord Stark and his children."

Joffrey frowned, thinking back to his first day on the throne. His mother had begun whispering in his ear the moment his father had returned, injured from his hunt. She insisted that Lord Stark had a hand in his father's injury, and later death, and that he would only look to take Joffrey's life in order to gain the throne for himself. "Lord Stark intended to have me killed," he began before his aunt cut him off.

"Lord Stark was only following the words of Jon Arryn and your uncle, Stannis. He was led to believe everything he said. Tricked, if you will. But he, in no way, wants your death. Lord Stark is an honorable man, Joff. He doesn't condone the killing of children."

He knew he could listen to his aunt, though his face soured at her condescending tone. She was fighting in a war that had started from his actions, and he knew that she just wanted the fighting to be over. Regardless of that, Joffrey knew she wouldn't lie to him. Joffrey just couldn't understand why his mother would want Lord Stark imprisoned, if not for him plotting to take the throne. The man had seemed perfectly harmless, aside from his evident snooping, and had even housed them within his own walls for over a month.

"Then why," he asked, confusion evident in his tone.

Emmeline sighed, sitting on his bed and patting the covers next to her for him to join her. He did so, waiting patiently for her answer. "Surely you have seen Robert's bastards, at least some of them?"

Joffrey nodded, a sour look on his face, remembering his brief meeting with Gendry, the blacksmith's apprentice. He had commissioned a new sword for his uncle, Jaime, after a spar in the tiltyard had damaged his old one. He had been unreasonably rude to the boy, only seeing his father's infidelity rather than a skilled apprentice.

"One thing that everyone forgets is that although Baratheons have all had black hair, Lannisters have always had blonde hair and green eyes. While it is possible that what Lord Stark said is true, it is equally possible that what he said is a complete fabrication."

He looked into her jade eyes then, seeing the truth in what she was saying, but also understanding her unspoken words. All of his father's bastards had Baratheon features, he heard. All of them. And he was a picture perfect Lannister.

"Your mother, while I can't explain her actions, surely has some reason for telling you what she has. The Starks, however, are innocent. Send Lord Stark and his daughters—" he opened his mouth to object, but Emmeline silenced him with a look "—back to Winterfell. Forget your betrothal to Lady Sansa, and let them return to their frigid home."

Joffrey thought over her words, his mind spinning. "My mother will not be happy with this decision," he stated eventually, already looking for ways that this plan could work. Should his mother discover his plans, helping the Starks escape would be pointless. She would call for their heads on spikes, right next to his aunt's.

He knew, more than others, how much his mother disliked her young sister, though he couldn't imagine any reason why. Emmeline was the perfect lady, yes, but she wasn't a queen, nor was she Queen Regent. Despite that, he could sense the jealousy his mother felt when Emmeline was nearby. His mother demanding for Emmeline's execution wouldn't surprise him in the slightest.

Emmeline seemed to have already thought the entire plan through, if the small, secretive smile playing on her lips was anything to go by. "She doesn't have to know," she replied, her voice strangely diplomatic. His aunt had never been one for politics; she preferred to play with her swords or sit quietly in her fancy dresses. "Lord Stark died in his cell from a fever, after his wound festered. Lady Sansa, overcome with grief, and not wanting to be imprisoned in King's Landing, threw herself from the battlements. Lady Arya, the she-wolf, attacked you in your chambers, believing you to be the cause of her father's death, and was killed by a guard in your defense."

Joffrey had to admire his aunt. She could surely make up the most believable stories when prompted to. "And how would they escape? I can hardly see any of mother's swords allowing them to leave with their heads."

Her answer was a simple smirk. "I know of many ways out of King's Landing. Allow me to see to their safe return to Robb Stark, and I will then see to Jaime's swift release."

He remained silent, for a time, thinking of the war already raging around them. "How are we to be sure that they will return to the North once they have what they want? What if they take you hostage as well?"

Her answer was simple enough, though he could see that she was touched by his concern. "Robb Stark only wants his family back, safely where they belong. We can't guarantee the North following you as King, however. Would it not be easier to allow them their North, and rule over the six remaining kingdoms? They had their own king, once, and the Northerners are their own people. Their customs are much different than ours. Having their own king would benefit both them and us."

"If I do this, I want you in the north as an ambassador, not just to deliver his family to him." Joffrey always knew how to shock Emmeline, that was for sure. "I would have you marry the Stark boy, but he's no doubt already betrothed himself to Walder Frey's many daughters, if what you've told me in your letters is correct. He made a deal with Frey to cross the bridge, yes?"

Emmeline sent him a smirk, leaning back on her hands and nodding as her answer. "If they continue moving at the pace they have been, they will have already named him King in the North, even before your raven has a chance to reach him. Prepare yourself, nephew. We have a letter to write."

Note on pairings added to beginning author's note on 9/14/16

Author's Note:I managed to add another two hundred or so words to this chapter during the rewrite. Much of it is the same, but anyone who has read the original prologue should see some differences.