The Rise Of A Dynasty
Winterfell – 300 A.C
One hour later...
Ned and Ashara took their seats next to Robert and Catelyn and poured drinks for themselves.
Looking out at the hall they saw it filling up with their guests most of whom had followed the King north.
Ned glanced across the table at Prince Edric Baratheon who had his gaze set firmly on someone in the hall.
Ned followed his gaze and frowned slightly.
He was watching Lyarra who was sat with Beth Cassel, Arya, Elia and Jeyne Poole at one of the tables in front of them.
Ned sighed as Lyarra glanced up at Edric Baratheon and smiled.
Ashara turned to Ned.
"What is it?" said Ashara.
Ned turned to her.
"I will tell you later… in private" whispered Ned gesturing his head in the direction of Robert.
Ashara fixed him with a steely gaze before nodding.
"Okay" said Ashara sternly before taking a sip of her wine.
Ned nodded and took a swig of his ale before looking out at the hall once again as Robbett and Sybelle Glover walked into the hall followed by their youngest children Gawen and Erena Glover.
He nodded to them.
Robbett Glover nodded in return before he and Sybelle guided their children over to one of the spare tables where Arthur, Oswell Whent, Jory Cassel, Ser Rodrik, Hullen, Farlan and Vayon Poole were sat together drinking.
Ashara stroked Ned's arm getting his attention.
"Speak to them after the food… along with Elia" said Ashara.
Ned nodded and returned to his food placing two venison steaks on his plate.
Meanwhile…
"My congratulations Princess, and to you as well My Prince" said Margaery courteously.
She and Jon were sat opposite Prince Quentyn, Minisa, Lyanna, Myrcella and Cassana Baratheon at one of the tables near the high table.
Prince Quentyn who had a bored look on his face stiffly nodded to her while Minisa smiled.
"Thank you Lady Stark" said Minisa softly.
"What are you hoping for Lady Stark?" said Lyanna Baratheon glancing at Margaery's stomach.
Margaery smiled.
"Either… whichever one the Gods bless us with" said Margaery politely.
"Maybe they will bless you with a Daughter… just like they have cursed me to watch that girl grow up in my home" said Myrcella Baratheon flatly.
Jon and Margaery sighed with the former doing his best to hold back his anger.
"I cannot believe that Boy has dishonoured you" said Minisa bitterly.
"Mother and Father will be furious with him for such a thing" said Lyanna Baratheon hotly.
"You met our Niece then?" said Margaery in a strained voice.
Myrcella Baratheon turned to her.
"He paraded her before my eyes without a word of warning and asked me to raise her as my own" said Myrcella Baratheon bitterly.
"He did not, surely?" said Lyanna Baratheon in disbelief.
Jon growled slightly.
"Something to say Stark?" said Prince Quentyn in a mocking voice.
Jon turned to Prince Quentyn.
"You are Guests in this castle, and here you sit insulting my Niece simply because she was born with the name Snow, I would choose my words more carefully if I were you" said Jon bitterly causing Lyanna Baratheon to recoil slightly.
"Jon" warned Margaery.
"Careful Stark… with those words one might think you are threatening the Princess" said Prince Quentyn sternly.
Jon scowled.
"My Husband is right Prince Quentyn… Leyla Snow has Stark blood in her veins, as such an attack on her, physical or verbal is an attack on House Stark" said Margaery sternly.
Prince Quentyn shrugged his shoulders.
"If you say so" said Prince Quentyn lazily.
Jon scowled.
"Leyla Snow is our Niece… and we do not take kindly to people who threaten or insult her" said Margaery sternly.
Minisa stiffly nodded.
"Where is your Brother Lord Stark?" said Minisa.
"With his Daughter presumably" said Jon lazily.
"He should have been here, perhaps you should go and look for him, and tell him to come to the feast, it is expected of him" said Minisa stiffly.
"What my Brother does during this feast is of no concern of mine… if he wishes to spend his time with his Daughter who am I to argue" said Jon lazily.
"Still… his absence has been noticed, he should be here, with my Sister" said Minisa stiffly
Jon sighed and gave Margaery a quick kiss before standing up and walking towards the doors.
He walked through the castle before coming to a halt at his Brother's chambers.
He took a deep breath before knocking on the door.
"Who is it?" said the voice of Beric from behind the door.
"Its me" said Jon.
Everything went silent for a few moments.
"Come in then" said Beric.
Jon opened the door and walked inside.
Beric was laid on his side on the bed with Leyla in front of him playfully grasping his fingers.
"Your absence has already been noticed" said Jon.
"Then let it be noticed further" said Beric with disinterest.
Jon sighed and sat down on the bed.
"Your betrothed is wondering where you are, as are her siblings" said Jon.
Beric snorted.
"It would be former betrothed if I had my way" said Beric bitterly.
Jon sighed.
"Try telling that to the King" said Jon flatly.
"I made her tell him, if she would do it anyway" said Beric with disinterest.
Jon rolled his eyes and stood up.
"Come on… you best get down to the feast, before Mother and Father notice your absence, if they have not done so already" said Jon sincerely.
Beric sighed and nodded before standing up and picking Leyla up.
"Very well… if I am to go down to that feast, then my Daughter can come with me" said Beric flatly as he walked towards the door.
Jon sighed and followed him.
Once they had left Beric's chambers the two stopped in the hallway where they noticed someone waiting for them.
Ashara.
"Mother" said Beric warily.
Ashara walked towards him.
"I expected you to be at the feast" said Ashara sternly.
Beric straightened up.
"I decided to spend it with Leyla instead" said Beric as Ashara came to a halt in front of him.
Ashara nodded and took Leyla from his arms.
"She can spend some time with her Grandmother tonight, while you sit with your betrothed, as is expected of you" said Ashara sternly.
Beric sighed and walked past her followed by Jon.
Ashara sighed and readjusted her hold on Leyla before following them down the hallway.
Jon led Beric over to the table where he immediately poured himself some ale and grabbed a few pieces of mutton.
"You certainly took your time coming down here" said Minisa stiffly.
Beric glanced up at her and bowed his head respectfully.
"I would have been down before now Princess… but I had other things to do first" said Beric humbly.
"Your Daughter?" said Minisa icily.
Beric nodded.
"I always make sure to spend a good hour or so with her before any feast Princess, since she is far too young to attend… though my mother has been kind enough take her for the night" said Beric glancing at the doors as Ashara walked in with Leyla in her arms.
"A man takes care of his bastards, good for you" said Prince Quentyn in a sarcastic voice.
Beric growled slightly.
"I heard your Uncle has 8 of his own Prince Quentyn" said Margaery quickly.
"He does Lady Stark, and all of them live at Sunspear with him, except for Sarella, she is at Kings Landing with us" said Prince Quentyn.
Margaery nodded.
"It is a shame your Uncle never married" said Lyanna Baratheon in a strained voice.
"He has a paramour, it is only her name that prevents him from marrying her, or he would have done so long before now" said Prince Quentyn.
"Fancy name for a mistress" said Jon sarcastically causing Beric to let out a small chuckle.
"It sounds more respectable than mistress" said Prince Quentyn lazily.
"I bet it does" said Jon sarcastically.
Meanwhile…
Ashara took her place next to Ned and sat Leyla in her lap.
"Do not tell me you had another child" said Robert gruffly.
"Our Granddaughter Your Grace… Leyla" said Ashara softly as Leyla grasped her finger.
"I thought you only had two Grandson's" said Robert gruffly.
"I told you Robert, I told you Myrcella was not lying" hissed Catelyn.
"It seems you were right for once… just like I told you she was being selfish and ridiculous, so what if the Boy has a bastard, Gods know how many I have other than Mya" said Robert bitterly.
Catelyn seethed.
"He dishonoured your Daughter, and you do not care?" snarled Catelyn causing Ned and Ashara to feel very uncomfortable.
Robert growled.
"I will dishonour you if you do not shut up" growled Robert.
"I thought you were man enough to do something to this boy for dishonouring your Daughter, perhaps I was wrong, maybe I should wear the armour… and you the gown" said Catelyn bitterly.
Robert went silent for a few moments before slapping her across the cheek causing Ashara to sigh and Ned to wince.
Catelyn stroked her cheek and glared at him.
"I will wear it as a badge of honour" said Catelyn bitterly.
"Be silent or I will honour you again" said Robert icily.
Catelyn seethed before picking her wine up and walking away from the table towards where her Daughters were sat with Jon, Margaery and Beric.
Robert sighed and took a large swig of his wine.
"I should not have hit her… that was not, that was not kingly" said Robert flatly.
Ned sighed.
"Your Daughter has a problem with our Granddaughter?" said Ashara.
Robert sighed.
"Wanted me and her Mother to do something about it… she said that your Son threatened to call off the betrothal since she would not accept that he has a bastard" said Robert with a chuckle.
Ned and Ashara were shocked.
"I am sure Beric did not mean it like that" said Ned quickly.
Robert laughed.
"It does not matter… they will be married in two years, Myrcella can learn to live with your boys bastard" said Robert.
"We will speak to our Son on the morrow Your Grace" said Ashara quickly.
"Do as you will… the betrothal still stands, as does the other offer I made to you Ned" said Robert amusedly.
"What other offer?" said Ashara quickly turning to Ned who sighed.
"We have not discussed that yet Robert" said Ned quickly.
Robert sighed.
"I want an answer very soon" said Robert flatly.
Ashara turned to Ned as Robert grabbed his goblet of wine and stood up.
"What offer Ned?" said Ashara with a bit of edginess to her voice.
"I will tell you later" said Ned.
Ashara scowled.
"You will tell me right now Eddard Stark" said Ashara hotly.
Ned sighed and glanced out to the hall where people were finishing their food.
"Come with me" said Ned quickly as he stood up.
Ashara glanced up at him in confusion before standing up.
She called Beth Cassel over to her and handed Leila to her.
"Look after her until I get back" said Ashara.
"Yes Lady Stark" said Beth Cassel gracefully bowing her head before walking back to her table.
Ned took her arm and led her out of the hall through the back door.
He led her along the hallway before coming to a halt near the stairs.
"What are you hiding from me Eddard Stark?" said Ashara hotly
Ned sighed.
"Robert has made an offer for a betrothal… for the Prince… and Lyarra" said Ned solemnly.
"He what?" said Ashara in shock.
"He asked for a betrothal between the two of them… he was rather keen about it actually, says it is what his Son wants" said Ned.
"Why?" said Ashara with a sigh.
"He did not get the chance to marry Lyanna… I guess he wants to give his Son the chance to marry who he wants" said Ned solemnly.
"I should have known… his Son was always rather keen on her ever since they have met, a little too keen if you ask me" said Ashara.
Ned sighed and took her hand in his.
"He said he will have her legitimized… that she will be known as Lyarra Stark, Daughter of Brandon Stark" said Ned.
Ashara sighed.
"She will not like it" said Ashara sternly.
Ned nodded.
"Do you think she knows?" said Ned solemnly.
"She knows… she would not have been here right now if she did not know of this" said Ashara quickly.
Ned sighed and leaned against the wall on the stairs.
"The King is expecting me to say yes, for the benefit of his Son at least" said Ned solemnly.
"She will not like it Ned" said Ashara sternly.
"No… she will not, but with her being here right now I fear what she will do when we confirm her suspicions" said Ned solemnly.
Ashara sighed.
"And what about Beric?" said Ashara.
"I should have spotted the signs last year… when his Daughter arrived at Winterfell, I should have realised then that something was wrong" said Ned solemnly.
Ashara sighed.
"I know he never visited the brothels or tried to seduce Daughters of your Lords, not once, he is just as honourable as you" said Ashara solemnly.
Ned nodded.
"I kept putting it down to a drunken mistake, and I let him know that I was disappointed with him for it… curse me for not realising the truth when it was right in front of my eyes" said Ned sadly.
Ashara slowly took his hand.
"What happens now?" said Ashara.
Ned sighed.
"After the situation with Lyarra is resolved… I will speak to Robert about cancelling the betrothal" said Ned.
"That will only anger him Ned" warned Ashara.
"Many things anger him… what damage will one more thing do?" said Ned.
He stood up straight from the wall and started leading her back to the hall.
Two hours later…
"I heard you had a little business with the Frey's?" said Theon amusedly as he sat drinking his ale before pulling one of the serving girls into his lap.
He was sat at one of the tables with Jon, Robb and Beric.
"You could say that" said Robb sarcastically.
"What happened?" said Jon taking a swig of his ale.
Robb smirked and took a swig of his ale.
"I got a raven off of the old man offering one of his future granddaughters or great granddaughters as a wife to Rickard… when he is older of course" said Robb.
"And?" said Beric.
"It helped keep the fire going, as did the last three" said Robb.
Jon and the others chuckled.
"I have had five off of him already… they too made for good kindling" said Jon amusedly.
"How the hell is that old goat still alive?" said Theon.
"Some men live longer than others I suppose… I heard his new wife is younger than me, poor girl, marrying that old fucker" said Beric.
Theon snorted.
"Who knows… he might drop dead on top of her, that Royce girl I fucked at Jon's wedding at Highgarden said her husband did just that, his heart stopped as he finished" said Theon snarkily.
"Myranda Royce?" said Robb in shock and amusement.
"Aye, she knows her way around a man, not surprising really with teats like hers" said Theon amusedly.
Jon and the others laughed.
"Liked her teats did you?" said Jon teasingly.
Theon smirked.
"Biggest you ever saw… I would give anything just to play with those every night" said Theon amusedly.
Jon chuckled before glancing towards the opposite table where Margaery was still sat with the Princesses and Prince Quentyn.
To his amusement she was looking right into his eyes with a slightly hungry look.
Jon sighed and stood up.
"Leaving so soon Stark?" said Theon teasingly.
Jon chuckled and finished his ale.
"I'm off to fuck the wife instead, I will see you in the morning" said Jon sarcastically.
He turned and walked towards Margaery without another word.
Half an hour later…
(Smut begins)
"Thank the Gods you came to your senses and got me when you did… Prince Quentyn certainly knows how to be an embarrassment, to himself and to his Wife" said Margaery moaning as Jon kissed and licked the back of her thighs below her arse cheeks.
She was lying on her chest on top of a pillow completely naked while an equally naked Jon was sat behind her.
"And what exactly did he do to embarrass himself?" said Jon amusedly before tracing his tongue on her arse cheek.
Margaery sighed and parted her legs for him.
"He dropped a few subtle hints… that I should join him and his Wife in their chambers… if you know what I mean" moaned Margaery.
Jon sighed and slowly slid two fingers into her womanhood which slowly turned moist with her desire.
"He wanted you, typical… men tend to want what they cannot have" said Jon huskily as he slowly slid his fingers in and out of her.
Margaery moaned and squirmed slightly.
"His Wife was furious when he said it… and then thankfully you turned your head to me, so you would know that I wanted you to take me to bed, and fuck all of this stress out of me" moaned Margaery.
Jon chuckled and slowly pulled his slick fingers out of her.
"I'm glad you asked… now look at me" said Jon huskily.
Margaery sighed and turned to face him.
"Fuck Jon… you know how much that turns me on" groaned Margaery as Jon smirked and licked his fingers.
"Turn over" said Jon cheekily.
Margaery smirked and turned over before pulling him up by his hair and kissing him.
"Are you going to remove all of this stress from my body?" said Margaery teasingly.
Jon smirked and kissed her.
"The stress will be gone before long, and you will be a very satisfied woman" said Jon huskily as he moved down to her breasts and kissed her nipples.
"Good" moaned Margaery dropping her head onto the pillows and fisting her hand into his hair as he kissed her stomach.
Jon smirked and lowered himself to her hips shouldering her thighs apart before softly kissing her womanhood and slowly licking it with his tongue.
Margaery moaned and raised her head to look down at him.
"Unlucky for him… he will never get anywhere near this, he will never know what you taste like, he will never know what it feels like to be inside you, nor look into your eyes as you come undone" said Jon huskily as he continued to slowly trace his tongue over her womanhood.
Margaery groaned and pulled his head further into her.
"Come on Husband… push me over the edge, give me the pleasure I deserve" groaned Margaery.
Jon chuckled and closed his mouth over her womanhood pushing his tongue into her.
Margaery groaned and dropped her head back to the pillows as Jon gave her what she desired.
She let out a loud moan as she came undone barely two minutes later.
Jon chuckled and moved up to her face before wiping his own.
"You usually last longer than that… you must have been desperate" said Jon teasingly as he lined himself up with her.
"Shut up" groaned Margaery leaning up and kissing him as she felt him enter her.
Jon chuckled and buried himself to the hilt inside of her before she wrapped her arms and legs around him.
"You know… we will have to step up if my Mother and Father go south" said Jon huskily as he started to slowly slide in and out of her.
"Then we best do them proud, be the Lord and Lady Of Winterfell they want us to be" moaned Margaery as she started to move her hips to match his.
Jon groaned and kissed her.
"Being the Lord Of Winterfell can be a stressful job… I will need you to help me with the stress" said Jon huskily.
Margaery smirked and kissed him before biting his lower lip.
"I would be happy too… in any way I can" said Margaery in a sultry voice as she clenched her walls around him.
Jon growled and kissed her.
"Good" said Jon as he steadily started to increase his speed.
Margaery looked up at him with a lust filled gaze.
"Mmmm… never leave me Jon, my cunt feels very empty when you are not filling it up" moaned Margaery.
Jon chuckled and kissed her.
"Imagine if your family could see you right now… begging your Husband not to leave you without his cock" said Jon huskily.
"You think your funny?" said Margaery teasingly.
Jon smirked.
"I know I am funny… and you love it, you love it when I behave like this, your getting even wetter with each word" said Jon teasingly.
"That's because my Husbands cock is doing what it does best" said Margaery in a sultry voice.
Jon chuckled.
"And what is that?" said Jon cheekily.
"Fucking me" said Margaery in a sultry voice as she scraped her nails across his shoulder blades causing Jon to groan.
"Shame though… that in a moon or so I will be told that you cannot be fucked since you will be too far along" said Jon cheekily.
Margaery smirked.
"Whatever will you do My Lord… when you cannot fuck me with this lovely big cock" said Margaery cheekily as she clenched around his manhood.
Jon smirked.
"Your mouth will do just fine… and I know you will not refuse" said Jon teasingly.
Margaery kissed him.
"We shall see" said Margaery teasingly.
Jon kissed her and pressed her into the bed slightly.
"Now finish me Jon" said Margaery in a sultry voice.
Jon chuckled and wrapped his hands around her arse spreading her cheeks.
"Finish you… oh no, we are just getting started" said Jon amusedly as he felt his peak approaching.
Margaery smirked.
"Oh but your so close… give in now, I want you to drain these into me, make a mess inside me" said Margaery jokingly as she reached down and stroked his balls.
Jon smirked before groaning.
"As you wish" said Jon.
He gave her one last hard thrust before groaning again as he peaked inside her.
Margaery moaned and came undone right then and there as his seed flooded into her womb.
"There's no better feeling in the world… than feeling you drain that strong Stark seed into me" groaned Margaery.
Jon smiled and kissed her.
"I will be sure to put plenty more in you then… if only to give you that feeling over and over again" said Jon teasingly.
Margaery chuckled before Jon pulled her upright.
"Again?" said Margaery with a smirk as Jon dropped onto his back with her on top of him and her knees either side of him.
"Again" said Jon placing his hands on her hips and guiding her up before pulling her down.
Margaery smirked before leaning down and kissing him as she rode him.
"I love you" groaned Jon as he reached up to fondle her breasts.
"I love you too Jon… now show me how much you love me" moaned Margaery as he tweaked both of her nipples.
"With pleasure" groaned Jon.
(Smut ends)
Meanwhile…
Lyarra opened the door to her chambers before she felt an arm encircle her waist.
She let out a small smile as she was turned around and kissed by Prince Edric Baratheon.
She brought her hands up to his cheeks and returned the kiss.
Edric Baratheon stroked her cheek as they broke this kiss.
"Marry me?" said Edric Baratheon softly.
Lyarra was taken aback.
Edric Baratheon smiled.
"My Father approves of the match… he said he will legitimize you and have our wedding a year from now" said Edric Baratheon.
Lyarra locked eyes with him breathing heavily.
"Say something" said Edric Baratheon.
Lyarra smiled and nodded.
"Yes" whispered Lyarra.
"Yes?" said Edric Baratheon in slight disbelief.
Lyarra nodded and kissed him.
"Yes… I will marry you, if my Uncle sanctions the betrothal" said Lyarra softly.
Edric Baratheon took her hands in his.
"I am glad… that you said yes" said Edric Baratheon softly.
Lyarra smiled and blushed slightly.
"I am rather glad your Father allowed this… given that I am not a Stark" said Lyarra.
"I was not a Baratheon until my Father made me one, he said that he will make you a Stark… and between you and me, he will be relieved that I have a Stark bride, as opposed to some of these other Southern houses" said Edric Baratheon.
Lyarra sighed.
"It matters not… if your Father and my Uncle agree on this match none of that will matter" said Lyarra softly.
Edric Baratheon nodded and gave her a kiss.
"Goodnight Your Grace" said Lyarra softly.
"Goodnight… My Lady" said Edric Baratheon.
Lyarra gave him a final kiss before stepping away from him into her chambers.
"I will speak to my Uncle tomorrow" said Lyarra softly before she shut the door.
The next morning…
Ashara opened the door to Ned's Solar and led Elia inside.
Ned was sat at his desk with Sybelle and Gawen Glover sat across from him while Robbett Glover stood next to his Wife.
Gawen Glover turned to Elia as Ashara closed the door.
"Please My Lady… sit" said Gawen Glover politely.
Elia slowly nodded before taking the seat.
"Thank you" said Elia warily.
She straightened up and turned to face Ned.
"Elia… as you are 12 now, your Mother and I have decided that it is time we started arranging your future marriage" said Ned.
Elia nodded and glanced at Gawen Glover who sent her a nervous smile.
"But I do not know Gawen Glover Father… sorry" said Elia causing Gawen Glover to bow his head in slight embarrassment.
Ashara walked towards her.
"Lord Glover's proposal is quite generous… there is a new harbour being built on the Stony Shore, his Son will be given a position of importance when the two of you would be wed, it would be a good match for you" said Ashara.
Elia slowly nodded before standing up and looking at her Father.
"Maybe it would be a good idea if Lord Glover and I were to talk amongst ourselves… while you discuss the arrangements in greater detail" said Elia softly.
Ned nodded.
"Go on then" said Ned.
Sybelle Glover gave her Son a gentle push towards Elia.
"You heard the girl, take her for a walk Boy" said Robbett Glover gruffly.
Gawen Glover held his arm out to Elia who took it.
Ashara moved around the desk to stand next to Ned as Gawen Glover and Elia walked out of the Solar.
"A generous offer… to give them a Lordship of sorts in that new harbour" said Ned.
"Fishermen need a Lord to rule over them as well Lord Stark, and a small holdfast is being built along with a small town around the harbour" said Sybelle Glover.
Ned nodded.
"Where did you get the gold for this?" said Ned sternly.
"We did not need any gold, Lord Forrester gave us plenty of Ironwood, your Sister has given us two of her fishing ships, Lord Karstark let us mine his quarries for the stone, and Lord Umber sent his best builders… now we just need to finish building the port" said Robbett Glover.
"We will write to Lord Manderly asking him to send his chief builders to aid you, along with enough gold to ensure that the castle and harbour are constructed properly for the currents and the winter" said Ashara.
Robbett Glover nodded.
"Very well… is there anything else?" said Robbett Glover.
"Not right now… come and see me before the feast tonight so we can finalise the arrangements for the betrothal" said Ned.
Robbett Glover bowed his head before he and Sybelle Glover left the room.
Two hours later…
"Gods Ned... do you ever long for the good old days, when we were young and stupid, when it was just you, me and Elbert at The Eyrie, drinking, fighting, hunting, climbing the Giants Lance, do you miss those days?" said Robert solemnly.
He and Ned were sat in Ned's Solar with drinks in their hands while Jamie Lannister stood by the door.
Ned managed a small smile as he drank his ale.
"That was a long time ago Robert, a lot of things have happened since then" said Ned in a slightly remorseful voice.
Robert sighed and nodded.
"True... back then the three of us did not have a care in the world, gods I miss that fool Elbert, used to spend all of his coin on the whores, he even gave his favourite one that necklace remember… he probably thought she would marry him" said Robert fondly.
"I remember… she was one of your favourites as well I seem to recall" said Ned amusedly.
Robert chuckled.
"Gods I do miss him… I kept telling myself that if I ever had Son's I would have named them Ned and Elbert, and I never even got the chance, hopefully Edric will be blessed with some Sons of his own" said Robert with a sigh.
"Elbert would have been a better Hand Of The King than I will be" said Ned solemnly.
"Bah, even if he was here with us with a wife boring him to death and children annoying him as all children do... I would not have made him Hand, I always wanted you to run the realm for me if anything happened to Jon" said Robert.
"What about Stannis or Renly, surely they would be a better choice" said Ned.
Robert let out a small scoff.
"Stannis would bore us all to death in weeks if he were my Hand, and Renly is Master Of Laws… no, I need you by my side, you helped me win my throne, now help me keep the damn thing, run the realm for me so I can eat, drink and spend my days with the whores" said Robert.
Ned sighed.
"I will think about it Your Grace" said Ned solemnly.
Robert sighed and nodded before reaching into his pocket.
"There is something else... a rider this morning" said Robert gruffly as he pulled an unsealed scroll from his pocket.
Robert turned to Jamie Lannister.
"Out" said Robert gruffly.
"Of course Your Grace" said Jamie Lannister bowing his head before he turned and left the Solar closing the door behind him.
"Read it" said Robert sternly as he handed the scroll to Ned.
Ned unrolled it and sighed.
"Daenerys Targaryan... has wed some Dothraki horse lord, what of it... shall we send her a wedding gift?" said Ned flatly.
"Aye, a knife, a good sharp one... and a bold man to wield it" said Robert bitterly.
"She is little more than a child" said Ned flatly.
Robert took a large swig of his wine and nodded.
"Aye, but how long until she spreads her legs and starts breeding" said Robert sternly
"She is no threat to you" said Ned in a slightly frustrated voice.
"No threat to me... this Khal Drogo is said to have a hundred thousand in his horde, I would say that is a very big threat Ned!" shouted Robert banging his fist on the table.
"Even a million Dothraki are no threat to the realm, they have no ships and hate the sea Robert" said Ned in a frustrated voice.
"And what happens when this Khal Drogo realises how much of Westeros he can conquer, when the Targaryans convince him to conquer Westeros, what Dothraki would pass up such a chance?" shouted Robert.
"He will not cross the Narrow Sea, and if by some chance he does, we will throw him back into the sea, along with the Targaryans" said Ned.
Robert growled.
"Fine... but if I get even a whisper of a possible invasion, I will have them all killed damn you" said Robert bitterly.
Ned sighed.
"Fine... but I will have no part of it, Hand Of The King or not" said Ned flatly.
Robert growled.
"We shall see" said Robert bitterly.
Ned nodded.
"You should bring the Wife with you, your Son's as well, the twin one will be marrying my Daughter in two years, its high time he got to know her, especially after that unfortunate business yesterday" said Robert.
"Of course Your Grace" said Ned solemnly.
"Your Daughter is often at court with your Niece, it appears she is enjoying life in Kings Landing" said Robert gruffly.
Ned sighed.
"This is the first time we have seen her for nearly two years... she would write every few moons but it is not the same" said Ned sadly.
Robert sighed.
"Its a hard thing... not seeing your child for so long, I had Mya brought to the Capital a few years ago, its hard to believe she is now a young woman almost, and within a week Catelyn had tried to throw her to the streets before I put a stop to it... Jon Arryn sent her back to the Eyrie before further harm could come to her" said Robert sadly.
Ned remained silent unsure of what to say.
Robert finished his wine.
"Will you come to Kings Landing with me or not?" said Robert sternly.
Ned sighed and nodded.
"I will" said Ned.
"Good, that is how it should be, me on the throne with you by my side" said Robert gruffly.
"Of course Your Grace" said Ned dutifully.
Robert laughed.
"Fuck this Your Grace bullshit Ned… do not use it when it concerns me" said Robert amusedly.
Ned sighed before he and Robert stood up.
"Come on… sitting around in a castle all day is boring, lets have a hunt, just like the old times" said Robert as the two walked over to the door.
Ned sighed.
"Very well… I shall have the Guards ready the horses" said Ned.
"Good" said Robert gruffly as the two walked out of the Solar while Jamie Lannister followed them.
One hour later…
"And you said yes?" said Lyanna in a strained voice.
Lyarra straightened up.
"I did yes" said Lyarra confidently.
The two were sat at the table in Lyanna's chambers while Arthur stood watch outside.
Lyanna sighed.
"Do you know what this means, do you?" said Lyanna.
"Yes I know" said Lyarra.
"That you will have to lie to the boy, and live with that lie for the rest of your life" said Lyanna flatly.
Lyarra sighed.
"I have been lying to the world for nearly 18 years Mother, and it has got to the point where that lie feels like the truth" said Lyarra in a slightly edgy voice.
Lyanna was a little stunned at her Daughters words.
"Visenya Targaryan is gone Mother… my name is Lyarra Snow, one day it will be Lyarra of Houses Baratheon and Stark" said Lyarra flatly.
"If you truly love this boy… then why are you prepared to lie to him, do you think your Father and I lied to each other?" said Lyanna hotly.
"Because it is for the best" said Lyarra quickly.
Lyanna sighed.
"You married Father for love… why do you want to deny me the chance to marry for love?" said Lyarra bitterly.
"And look what happened when me and your Father married for love… our actions plunged the Seven Kingdoms into a war that destroyed a dynasty that stood strong for nearly 300 years" said Lyanna hotly.
"And what… you think that will happen again?" said Lyarra.
Lyanna sighed before standing up and walking towards the entrance to the balcony.
"We might have been in love, but how we acted on that love was stupid… he was stupid enough to ignore the consequences of spiriting me away from Winterfell, and I was stupid enough to believe that there would be no consequences to our actions… and look what it did" said Lyanna solemnly.
Lyarra stood up and walked over to her.
"Your Grandfather and Uncle Brandon died believing that your Father had kidnapped me, Elia Martell and your Brother died in Kings Landing because your Father left them there at the mercy of his own Father, your Uncle fled Dragonstone with your Aunt to avoid execution at the hands of the King… we caused all of those actions when we ran away together" said Lyanna solemnly.
Lyarra sighed.
"And now the same man who called your dead Brother Dragonspawn, who seeks to end the Targaryan bloodline… wants you to marry his Son and Heir" said Lyanna bitterly.
"Edric is not his Father" said Lyarra.
Lyanna nodded.
"If the King truly wants you to marry his Son… then he will learn the truth about you, and who his future Good Daughter really is" said Lyanna icily.
Lyarra's eyes went wide.
"He will kill you" said Lyarra in a slightly fearful voice.
Lyanna laughed.
"I would like to see him try… not to mention Arthur would cut him in half if he so much as looked at me in the wrong way" said Lyanna harshly.
"I do not know about this Mother" said Lyarra warily.
Lyanna turned to face her Daughter.
"You will have my blessing and permission on this match… after I speak with the King" said Lyanna sternly.
Lyarra sighed and nodded.
"Fine" said Lyarra.
Lyanna nodded before placing her hands around Lyarra's shoulders and guiding her back to the table.
Later that evening…
"Its good that you finally came to your senses and agreed to this Ned" said Robert gruffly.
He and Ned were walking along the hallway towards Ned's Solar.
Thankfully for Ned, Robert was not in the company of any member of the Kingsguard tonight.
"We should discuss this further in private Robert" said Ned ashamed as they approached his Solar.
"If you wish" said Robert gruffly as they came to a halt outside Ned's Solar.
Ned sighed and opened the door before leading Robert inside.
Arthur and Oswell Whent were stood next to each other behind Ned's empty chair while Lyanna was stood behind the two men shielded from view.
Robert glanced at the two men in confusion before sharply turning back to Ned as he shut and bolted the door.
"What is this Ned?" said Robert bitterly.
Ned sighed and bowed his head in slight shame.
"Forgive me Robert… for I have lied to you for the last 18 years" said Ned solemnly.
"Lied about what?" said Robert bitterly.
"About me" said Lyanna icily causing Robert to freeze up.
He slowly turned his head back to Arthur and Oswell Whent as they stepped aside allowing Lyanna to walk towards the desk.
She fixed Robert with a hateful glare as said man spluttered in disbelief.
"What is this madness?" said Robert in shock.
Lyanna growled slightly.
"I was hoping that I would never have to see you again… but you have forced my hand after all of these years" said Lyanna angrily.
Robert spluttered.
"Its really you, you are alive… why did you lie to me Ned?" growled Robert.
Ned sighed.
"Because I wanted him to lie, to protect me and my Daughter from the likes of you and Tywin Lannister" said Lyanna angrily.
"Your Daughter?" said Robert in disbelief.
"Aye my Daughter, whom I bore to my Husband" said Lyanna bitterly.
"No… no that's not possible… we were meant to be together, we should have been man and wife" said Robert in disbelief.
Lyanna let out a harsh laugh.
"Man and wife… I already had a Husband, and you took him from me" growled Lyanna.
"No, no… that incest born fucker kidnapped you, he raped you, you would never have-" said Robert in disbelief.
"Never have what… married him, laid with him… loved him?" said Lyanna swiftly cutting him off.
Robert shook his head.
"No, no, you never loved him, you never married him, he raped you over and over again" said Robert bitterly.
Ned sighed.
"Robert… my Sister speaks the truth" said Ned solemnly.
Robert ignored him.
"He never kidnapped me… I ran away with him, he married me before the High Septon on the Isle Of Faces, I laid with him so many times, eventually I gave him a beautiful Daughter, he promised to make me a Queen when he disposed of his Father… and you took him from me before he could do so" said Lyanna bitterly.
Robert scowled before collapsing in the chair behind him.
"You should have been my wife and Queen" said Robert bitterly as he poured himself some wine from the pitcher of Arbor Gold on the desk.
Lyanna scowled.
"I never wanted to be your wife or Queen… I wanted Rhaegar and you took him away from me, you did not care when Tywin Lannister showed you the dead bodies of my Sister Wife and her Son, instead you called them dragonspawn and said they deserved what they got, you sent your Brother to kill a little boy and his baby Sister, how could you even think that I would have wanted anything to do with you after that?" said Lyanna bitterly.
Robert sighed and downed his wine.
"And now you want your Daughter to marry my Son, to have him married to Dragonspawn" said Robert bitterly.
Arthur scowled and partially unsheathed Dawn before Lyanna placed her hand on his arm stopping him.
"Enough Arthur… and no Robert, I would rather she did not marry your Son… but despite what you did to her Father and the hatred you have for his family she still wishes to marry your Son, and I do not wish to stop her provided we come to an arrangement" said Lyanna icily.
Robert remained still for a few moments before curtly nodding.
"Fine… but we will discuss this in private" said Robert gruffly.
"No chance" said Arthur bitterly.
"Its all right Arthur… I will speak to him alone" said Lyanna sternly.
Arthur opened his mouth to protest before sighing and nodding under Lyanna's stern glare.
"Fine" said Arthur icily.
Lyanna nodded before turning to Oswell Whent and then to Ned nodding her head to each of them in turn.
Ned sighed and unlocked the door before leaving followed by Oswell Whent and a reluctant Arthur.
Once the door was shut Lyanna poured herself a glass of wine.
The two of them sat in silence for several moments before Robert cleared his throat.
"And what arrangement did you have in mind?" said Robert icily.
Lyanna glared at him as she took a sip of his wine.
"You will uphold the promise you made to my Brother… and make Lyarra the recognised Daughter of Brandon Stark" said Lyanna icily.
Robert stiffly nodded to her.
"Fine" said Robert icily.
Lyanna nodded.
"Good… the second is that what was said in this room is never repeated to anyone, not even your Son" said Lyanna icily.
Robert growled.
"You would have me lie to my Son about your Daughter?" said Robert bitterly.
"What you did to the Targaryan's forced me to lie to my Daughter for the first 12 years of her life, it is only fitting that you do the same to your Son" said Lyanna angrily.
Robert scowled before nodding.
"Fine" said Robert bitterly.
Lyanna finished her wine.
"And lastly… you and I will never see each other again, ever" said Lyanna bitterly.
Robert sighed and nodded.
"Fine" said Robert.
Lyanna nodded.
"Good… so it is settled then, your Son will marry my Daughter a year from now, she will also accompany you to Kings Landing… along with my Husband" said Lyanna flatly.
"Your Husband… of course, Arthur Fucking Dayne, I should have guessed with how protective he was of you" said Robert bitterly.
Lyanna sighed and refilled her wine.
The two of them drank in silence for a good minute before Robert sighed.
"Was there ever any chance… for us?" said Robert with a hint of sadness.
Lyanna sighed.
"I liked you, but that was it, that is all there ever was, you were just Ned's friend" said Lyanna flatly.
Robert took a big gulp of wine.
"You never wanted to marry me did you?" said Robert in realisation.
Lyanna sighed.
"No" said Lyanna bitterly.
Robert downed his wine.
"You know… I really did love you, truly I did" said Robert sadly.
Lyanna took a big gulp of her wine.
"Did you?" said Lyanna curtly.
Robert sighed and refilled his wine.
"I did, from the moment I laid eyes on you, there was just something about you that made me love you, and I did not truly appreciate it until I found out you were gone" said Robert in a slightly sad voice.
Lyanna scoffed slightly.
"Yet you bedded women wherever you went… how could you say you loved me when you would have dishonoured me many times over" said Lyanna icily.
Robert frowned.
"I would have given all of that up for you, during the war I made a vow to myself that I would never stray from your bed when we were married… because I loved you, more than anything" said Robert.
"Do not kid yourself Robert… we both know you would not have given up your ways with the women" said Lyanna flatly.
Robert turned away from her.
"Was I really that bad when we were younger?" said Robert.
"What do you think?" said Lyanna icily.
Robert sighed and had another big drink of his wine.
"I am sorry… that I was not a better man to you, maybe then you might have looked at me in a different light" said Robert flatly.
Lyanna sighed.
"What's done is done… we cannot change the past" said Lyanna flatly.
Robert nodded before pulling a single hawk feather out of his tunic.
He held it in both hands looking down at it before holding it out towards Lyanna.
"I was going to place it on your statue before I returned to Kings Landing… but as you are not down there you should have it now" said Robert flatly.
Lyanna sighed before slowly taking the feather from him.
"I will be leaving on the morrow" said Lyanna flatly.
Robert nodded.
"I guess this is it then… one final goodbye" said Robert with a hint of regret.
Lyanna nodded and stood up.
"It is" said Lyanna.
Robert stood up and turned around to leave without another word.
"Robert" said Lyanna flatly.
Robert turned to look at her.
Lyanna slowly walked towards him before placing a gentle kiss just above his beard on his cheek.
"Do not be angry at Ned for what he did… he only did it to protect me and Lyarra" said Lyanna.
Robert gruffly nodded.
"I always found it difficult to say no to you" said Robert gruffly.
Lyanna sighed.
"Farewell" said Lyanna.
She walked past him and opened the door.
Robert did not reply and walked past her through the door.
Lyanna sighed before walking out into the hallway where Arthur took her in his arms while Ned and Oswell Whent left them.
"Is it done?" said Arthur.
Lyanna nodded and gave him a quick kiss.
"It is… we can go back now" said Lyanna.
Arthur nodded and placed his arm around her waist.
"I will have food sent to our chambers" said Arthur.
Lyanna smiled and placed her hand on his chest.
"Good" said Lyanna softly as the two set off back towards their chambers.