POV Eddard Stark

Enough of Ashara Dayne, there's Rhaegar coming towards me, get your head in the game, after establishing a semblance of control over himself Ned directed Roberts attention towards Rhaegar and stood to wait for Rhaegars approach.

" Your Highness", Ned greeted with a bow pleasantly and Robert followed suit stiffly.

" Cousin Robert, Lord Eddard, take a seat with me, no more formalties for the rest of the evening please, Cousin Robert is family and you Ned are a dear friend", Rhaegar replied taking a seat while smiling pleasantly.

" Very well ", Robert grumbled with vague disapproval and asked, " So how is my Lord Father? i didn't see my old man in years "

" Lord Steffon, Lady Cassana and little Renly are in good health. I meet with your Lord Father in council chambers daily and your family and mine own dine with each other often enough. Renly and Viserys are raising seven hells in Red Keep and giving their mothers white hair, together ", Rhaegar replied with a fond smile.

" Ah, Renly, the little tyke, he was wee little baby last I saw. I commissioned a wooden practice sword for him when I was in the North, but forgot about sending it, it's in my luggage somewhere, you will take it with when you return and give it to him won't you, cousin? " Robert asked softening a little

" Of course I will, cousin. So what is this I hear about Cousin Stannis getting married ?" Rhaegar asked.

" You heard right, I have signed the contract last night as my father's representative with Mace Tyrell, for his sister's hand for my brother, marriage will be in six months", Robert replied.

Conversation meandered in the same vein before clearing of a throat drew their attention towards Ser Arthur and Ashara Dayne. One he had their attention Ser Arthur bowed his head slightly and said to Robert and Ned, " My Lords, allow me introduce my sister, Lady Ashara Dayne "

At which the lady gave an elegant curtsy, to which Ned and Robert and gave a bow in turn, while Ned scrambled for words, Robert smoothly took a step forward with his roughish grin and said, " My Lady, let me introduce myself and my friend, I am Robert Baratheon, Heir to Storm's End and this is my friend and brother in all but blood, Lord Eddard Stark and future Lord of Moat Cailin. And you, my lady are undoubtedly gift from Gods for all of Westeros "

At that pronouncement there was another throat clearing, this one somehow managed to convey disapproval and a lethal edge, at that Robert and Ned turned to Ser Arthur, and iy took a second for Robert to remember who exactly Ashara Dyanes brother was, Sword of the Morning and perhaps the greatest fighter and swordsman of their age, Robert almost seemed to shrink a bit, before regaining his cocky smile and said enthusiastically, " Ser Arthur, we should spar sometime, your skills are stuff of legends, I would very much like to see how I stack up"

With a predatory smile Ser Arthur replied, " That can be arranged"

At that Lady Ashara let loose a tinkling laugh and swatted her brothers arm playfully and chided gently, " Brother!"

Robert took the opening for what it was and asked the lady for a dance, which she graciously accepted.

Once the pair was out of hearing distance, Rhaegar let loose a sigh and signaled something to Arthur, the man stepped back a little and Rhaegar asked lowly, " Arthur will make sure there are no eavesdroppers, the revelry has gone on long enough that most are thoroughly drunk and the crowd is loud enough for our words to get lost. So the match? Your idea I suppose, eh Ned ?"

At same volume Ned replied, " Aye, seemed appropriate. Tyrells were consolidating their power base, they don't have iron grip on their bannermen as Starks do, they probably never will, but in a decade or two they will have more leverage than ever, then a hand of a Tyrell daughter may well cost a Crown, felt it was better to nip that particular rosebud before it ever flowered. Politics were not all there is to it either, Janna Tyrell has her mother's wit but not her barbed tongue or spiteful nature. She would be good for Stannis, Stannis is not so rigidly set that he can't be softened a little before he became too brittle, the girl has enough wit for that, they will hopefully be happy. "

" You should named Eddard the Matchmaker, my friend. So any plans for Lions and the Fish ? I was thinking of bringing Lord Tywins children to court, you know, as a show of support and for their own protection, in case any of their uncles or their bannermen get any ideas, " Rhaegar said with amusement.

" Not a bad idea, but only the boys though, there is something off about the Lannister girl, obsessive, too prideful, too spiteful even accounting for Noble entitlement. The girl hates her dwarf brother with a passion, even though he is all of five, blames her dwarf brother for her mother's death, somehow even her father's death. And she loves her twin, if you know what I mean, " we are two halves of a whole, Jaime ", her words verbatim. Keep an eye out for that. I don't know whether separation will be enough, but those boys need to be away from her influence. The dwarf boy is exceptionally smart for his age. Jaime, is a bit of a dreamer, head filled with glorious knights, honour and chivalry. Do what you will with the information. Their uncles are no threat to them, though other Westerlords I don't know. It would be for the best if Jaime married one of the Tully daughters and I married another, that will bind all of Seven Kingdoms together. I, myself would prefer to marry the elder daughter, she is better educated of the two and more intelligent. I don't know whether Lord Hoster will settle for a second son for his elder daughter though. Elbert Arryn is still unmarried, if he wants Elbert and Jaime for his daughters, then that's good too, it serves the same purpose, but I am a bit uneasy with a Lannister-Tully-Arryn alliance, it's the Northener in me, I suppose, such an alliance can stop any army from North trying to reach Crownlands dead in its tracks, either via land or sea and vice versa", Ned finished with a hum.

Rhaegar laughed uneasily at the last bit and breathed, " Fuck, I didn't think of that. You know, for a man who repeatedly insists of having no mind for scheming and the Game of Thrones, you are surprisingly good at it. "

" This isn't scheming Rhaegar, just common sense. And I am no player of the ' Great Game' ", Ned insisted a touch bitterly.

" Fine, Fine have it your way, I will see what I can do to make Lannister and Tully situation work for us, Lannister twins situation though is something I didn't expect, that situation might seem simple and stupid, but stupidity started more wars and killed more men than any other reason. Ah, my cousin is returning with the good lady Ashara. I will arrange for us to have another private talk soon, now let's talk of something innocuous", Rhaegar replied and switched topics to their project of reinforcing the Wall.

And in another hour or two the night drew close and the revelers retired to their beds, Ned among them.