Gray Skies (Prologue)

Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon stood overlooking the courtyard of Winterfell. The Welcome Feast was long over and it was late in the night but by some otherworldly miracle, Robert was not yet too drunk. Staring over the railing with his old friend at his side, Ned watched his children play in the yard below: Arya and Rickon were watching from the fence as Robb and Jon pracitced swordplay while Bran strung his bow and arrow.

"If my son were here," Robert began with a boisterous laugh "He'd be down there beating your sons to a pulp."

"I believe he's off with Sansa." Ned said. He'd noticed the glances between Prince Joffrey and his daughter and, according to Arya, Sansa hadn't shut up about the boy since his arrival. Though truth be told, there was something about him that Ned didn't quite care for, but he held his tongue, for now.

"No, not Joff, my other boy, Gendry; he favours the war hammer, you know." Robert said. "The boy takes after his father." He smiled. "He'd taken ill right before we left. He was disappointed he couldn't make the trip." Ned nodded,

He'd heard much of Robert's boasting of his son Gendry. The boy was to be the future King of the Realm, and though he'd never seen the boy he'd heard he resembled Robert in every way. "It's a shame he'll never get to meet Jon." Ned mused sadly. "They would've gotten along well, I think."

"Oh right, which one's the bastard again?" Robert asked. Ned sighed and pointed to Jon as he helped Bran string his bow. The young boy smiled up at his half-brother and Jon tousled his hair as he helped Bran to line up his shot. Robb stood by letting Rickon test the weight of the wooden play swords that hung on the wall.

Bran loosed the arrow and missed his shot causing Arya to laugh loudly. Jon patted Bran on the shoulder and prepared him for another shot then turned his attention back to Robb. The two began their duel again.

Ned watched as they fought, proud of both of his boys at the same time. He knew Jon would do well at the Wall, just as Robb would flourish as the future Lord of Winterfell. But he felt a pang of guilt at the fact that so much like he and Robert had been separated in their youth, now these two boys might never see each other again.

"He's off to the Wall within the month, they're so short on men up there and Catelyn wishes him to move along. Arya will miss him terribly..." Ned said sadly, but he was interrupted by his friend.

"I didn't come here to talk about the Wall, Ned." Robert said. He hated when Ned badgered him about sending more men up North.

"Why did you come here?" Ned asked. He added a "Your Grace." quickly at the end. Robert coughed and belched and straightened his stance.

"Because, Ned, it's time to do what we couldn't years ago."

"Which is?" Ned asked. Robert smirked at his friend,

"I have a son. You have a daughter. We'll join our houses." Ned stared at him.

"You have two sons." Ned said, for lack of a better answer.

Robert was surprised at his friend's response. "Well, yes I do." He said.

"So which one do you suggest marries my daughter?" Ned asked.

Robert seemed to paused for a moment, as if he hadn't truly considered his own question. "Well, my son Gendry of course." The reassurance in his voice grew as he spoke. By the end he was nodding as if it was his most brilliant plan. "Your Sansa will make him a fine queen and you and I can retire together as tired old men."

Ned sighed as Robert clapped him on the back and laughed heartily.

Down in the yard Arya grabbed a wooden sword and closed in on her younger brother. Robb and Jon talked in the corner of the yard, unaware of their siblings activities. Meanwhile, the hollow sound of clashing play swords echoed through the yard until Bran's back was firm against the stable's walls. Ned's eyes narrowed in on his children as he watched Bran struggle to meet her attacks. Arya's feet moved too quickly for her brother to keep up. She almost had Bran beat when Ned put an end to it.

"Robb!" Ned called down into the yard, his son who was now laughing at the fight in front of him stopped when his father called down to him. "Don't you suppose it's time your sister went off to bed?" Robb nodded and shot a look to Jon, the two of them snuck up behind Arya and grabbed her under her arms and legs and hauled her, kicking and howling, off to her room.

"Who was that one?" Robert asked, his belly bouncing as he laughed.

Ned sighed, "That's my younger daughter, Arya. You met her earlier." He watched as she continued to fight Jon as he carried her over his shoulder to her room. "She takes after Lyanna." He added sadly. Robert smiled at the girl.

"You don't say." He chuckled. "Tell you what Ned, I'll double my offer. I've got two sons. You've got two daughters. What do ya say?"

Still, Ned hesitated. It wasn't that he didn't like the idea. He'd heard good things about Prince Gendry. And Sansa had already taken a liking to Joffrey, though Ned felt uneasy about the boy. And he supposed it would be difficult to turn down the offer of his friend, and his king.

"Who do you suggest marries whom?" He asked, still mulling over the idea in his head.

Robert scratched his beard, then after a moment, waved Ned away. "That's years down the road. We'll let my sons decide. For now let's celebrate!" Robert said as he clasped his arm around Ned's shoulder. "The Starks and the Baratheons, just as it was always meant to be."