Note: Okay, I just noticed that in the last chapter, I put Jaime there when in the show, he'd already left for battle SO my bad lol XD BUT I did fix that in this chapter :)

Those words kept repeating in my mind as I stood on the balcony in my room. The cool breeze blew my hair away from my face and I closed my eyes, breathing it in. My sisters and I were awaiting the news of the King's death. He had come back from a hunting trip sooner than expected...and fatally wounded. The physicians said he wouldn't last the night.

"Poor Joffrey. Having to lose his father like this." Sansa spoke up suddenly, melancholy evident in her voice.

I tried to hold back a scoff as I turned around and looked back at her. Her long red hair was draped over one shoulder, the rest of it piled high atop her head in King's Landing fashion. Ever since she had found out she was to wed Joffrey, all she focused on was being the best "future Queen" she could be. So of course, all she ever was worried about anymore was Joffrey's welfare. I rolled my eyes at her stupidity and turned back around to face the view overlooking the city. My mind went to Jaime then. He had been sent to fight by his father, Tywin Lannister.

I hated seeing him go, watching him leave with the rest of the troops. For a split second, I had wished I could have gone with him. Be away from all of the drama that came with having to live here at the palace. But that thought was gone in a flash as my mind returned to those terrible words I had heard Cersei utter - we belong together. I still couldn't wrap my head around it - how he could have a relationship with his own twin sister. And what's more, how he could act the way he did towards me and still have feelings for her.

But what was I to him? What could I ever be to him? I was twenty years his junior and the daughter of a Stark. But did that matter? Did that truly matter? Especially in the wake of this news?

"When will the king die, then?" Arya piped up as she climbed onto my canopy bed.

"Arya! How can you be so insensitive? This is a stressful time for the Royal Family!" Sansa chided her.

Arya rolled her eyes and blew a strand of brown her out of her face. Walking over to Arya, I sat down beside her, wrapping my arms around her tiny frame. As I placed my chin on top of her head, she snuggled closer to me.

"Don't be so hard on her, Sansa. We're all under a bit of stress, lately," I scolded my older sister.

She huffed, getting up from her perch on my bed.

"What do you have to be stressed about? I'm the one who should be stressed! I'm about to be Queen soon!" she complained, pacing the room.

Shaking my head at her behavior, I released Arya and she flopped onto her back childishly, laughing. I joined in, her laughter contagious and walked over to Sansa.

"Oh, lighten up, big sister!" I joked, coming to stand beside her, "All will turn okay. I know it will."

The anger on her face drained away and was replaced by a smile.

"I know." she nodded.

Suddenly, a loud knock at my door made us all look up. Walking over to it, I pulled on the handle and yanked it open. Our father stood in front of, exhausted and weary. A sad smile graced his face as I ushered him into my quarters. Arya hopped off of my bed and raced over to him.

"Father! What happened?" she asked, looking up to him.

He pulled her into him and his dark gray eyes met mine. And I knew in that moment, that the King, my father's dear friend, had passed.

"Father, I'm so sorry." I said quietly as I embraced him.

Sansa walked over and father pulled her into a hug as well.

"I know how much you loved him, father," Sansa whispered into his shirt as we all huddled together.

"I did. He was a close friend, just like a brother to me..." he trailed off, sadness tinging every word.

As father let us go, I looked up into his eyes once more.

"What will happen now?" I asked softly.

"We need to leave this place," he said abruptly, surprising us all, "You need to pack your bags and we need to leave. There's a few things I need to take care of first but then we need to go."

Sansa started to protest but father hushed her.

"It's for the best, Sansa. I'm doing this to protect you. All of you." he said, leaving no room for discussion.

We nodded in response, Sansa a bit forlornly, as father stalked out of the room. With a sigh, I retrieved my empty bag that had been set by the door.

"I guess we should start then..." I said, frowning as I began to pack up my belongings.

As I put everything away, I began to wonder if any of this had to do with the conversation I had overheard. But what would that have to do with leaving? Why would the Queen being with her brother, reason to leave?