Ned's choice
Chapter two – Settling
Ned
The rest of the trip to King's Landing Ned kept a close eye on the prince and both of his daughters. He noticed Arya was withdrawn after the death of the butcher's boy and it hurt his heart to see his daughter so unlike her usual boisterous self. Arya had always reminded him of his late sister, seeing her being so close to Jon had always made him smile, the boy deserved to have somebody who was close to him. It pained Ned that he could not be the influence in his son's life like he wished but he knew the consequences if anybody saw him take an unnatural interest in the 'bastards' life.
Ned had also noticed that Sansa was markedly different after the incident at the trident before she was simpering around the prince and looking to gather his attention. Afterwards she kept to the carriage and when she did appear, she skirted around the prince and lady kept close to her mistress's side. Ned knew that the boy was unpleasant although he hoped it was his upbringing with the Lady Lannister and not his nature, especially as he was betrothed to his oldest daughter. Sansa, he knew had dreamed of gallant knights and handsome princes for as long as she could read the story books in Winterfell's library. To have this dream snatched away from her in such a brutal way he hoped his daughter could recover the light that always shone from his daughter.
Ned had also observed the king, his once best friend who had let himself go beyond all realms of imagination. Gone was the muscled body and kind friend and in its wake was a gluttonous fool. As Ned walked into the tent that his friend resided in Ned knew that the conversation, he needed to have would not be a pleasant one but was a necessary one. "Your Grace."
"Ned, how many times. It's Robert." Robert pushed aside the serving girl that was on her knees before him, he stood up lacing his breeches as he went. Ned did not know where to look so averted his eyes as the serving girl, who looked eerily like his sister left the tent. "They all look like her. It's the closest I'll get." Robert shrugged and with a nod of his head he offered Ned some wine placed on his desk.
"No, thank you Robert you know I prefer ale."
"Ah Ned you don't know what you're missing. Arbour gold tastes as good as a Lannister cunt. Better even." With a belting laugh Robert finally sat and Ned came from his position at the tents entrance to meet him. "Robert. I need to talk to you not as your subject. Not as your friend. Not as your hand. But as a father."
Robert sat up and for the first time since they reunited in Winterfell had a look in his eyes that resembled the Robert Ned grew up with. "I have been observing your son. From what I have seen he is arrogant without cause. He is cruel to those he believes are below him, so everyone. And it does not help having his lapdog behind him all the time reaffirming that he is above reproach. I promised you I would make him into a king, and I am going to do that Robert for the love I bore you, but I cannot in good faith continue this betrothal with my daughter as he is now." Ned sat back breathing out a long breath that he finally explained what he wanted to say to the king.
Robert immediately went bright red and started blustering. "You don't think my son is good enough?! He is a prince! I am king! I want our houses joined by marriage as it should have been done all those years ago before that Targaryen bastard kidnapped and raped your sister." Ned looked down. "Lyanna was my love, everything would have been better if she was my wife rather than that stupid bitch I had to send back to her father."
"Would you want Lyanna married to Joffrey." Ned interrupted Robert's tirade knowing when he began speaking on Lyanna it would take an age for him to stop. This stopped Robert as he sat back in his chair and a thoughtful look passed over his bloated face. "Lyanna was mine."
"Yes, your grace, she was your betrothed and would you have ever spoken to her the way we witnessed Joffrey speak to Sansa?"
"Of course not, never." Understanding drew over the kings face then. "Ned I will cancel the betrothal between my son and your daughter on the understanding she is not betrothed to anyone else. I trust you will make my lad a man worthy of your daughter and if not, I have another son, she won't be queen, but our families will be joined."
Ned was relieved, his daughter would not have to marry the boy he had watched, and he had a chance to ensure everyone was happy. Ned accepted a mug of ale from Robert, and they sat in companiable silence for several minutes until the king spoke. "I kill him every night Ned, and every woman I'm with is her. My children would not be so ruined if she were the one to bear them. The world would be a better place if Lyanna had lived, if he had not taken her and raped her to death! I'm just thankful he didn't get a bastard upon her, not that I wouldn't have married her anyway but I'm sure she wouldn't have liked it when I had to kill the dragon spawn." Ned immediately stood up bowed to the king and left with barely a glance back.
He got back to his tent and began pacing back and forth, he knew keeping Jon's parentage would be a dangerous task, but he never quite felt the gravity until then. The image of Aegon's smashed skull popped into Ned's head and wouldn't leave until the sun reappeared in the sky. As it does Ned feels confident of his decision to allow Jon to join the night's watch, he's away from harm and Ned didn't have to choose between his loyalty to his sister and what was in every case but blood his brother. He got ready for the day slowly due to his exhaustion from staying awake all night, but his face brightened as the wolves came into his tent followed shortly by his daughters.
"Good morning, Father." Sansa said brightly.
"G'Mornin." Said Arya with a yawn.
"Good morning, Sansa. Good morning, Arya." Ned smiled at his daughters. "Sansa, I need to speak to you. I spoke to the King last night and he agreed to suspend your betrothal with Joffrey." He paused when he mistakenly thought he saw his daughters face fall. "Don't worry I am taking control of the prince's upbringing and if his behaviour improves, we can resume it."
"Why?" Arya said. "The prince is an idiot and cruel, he got Mycah killed. I know stupid Sansa wants to marry that boy, but I promise you he will never improve. In fact, I bet Sansa wishes I hadn't come back so her precious betrothal wouldn't be in jeopardy."
Before Ned could respond to berate Arya Sansa jumped up. "You stupid girl! I was worried all night about you and I told the truth! The queen told me to lie, and I didn't, and I knew it would mean not marrying him and not being the queen one day, but you are my sister! My only sister. We are pack. I don't want to marry him after seeing what he can be like, I want to be happy and to have a husband who wouldn't threaten me." Sansa finished with her face flushed and her chest heaving.
There were two beats of silence before Arya threw herself at Sansa and wrapped her arms around her. Ned was shocked he had never seen his daughters embrace. He stood in silence until they both parted wiping there wet faces: Sansa on an embroidered handkerchief and Arya on the back of her sleeves. "Sansa, I promise I would not consider reinstating your betrothal with Prince Joffrey if I do not think he would be a kind and fair husband to you. The King agreed that his wish is that our houses are joined in marriage and if I do not think Joffrey is the kind of husband you deserve then it will be Prince Tommen who you will be we to." Sansa nodded happy in the prospect her father had her best interests at heart.
The girls then walked out of the tent to go to the carriage that was waiting for them to continue the journey towards to capital, they were excited to arrive after weeks of travel. Ned stood there a second longer as his daughters words sunk in. Joffrey had threatened Sansa. The Queen had tried to make her lie in front of the King, himself and the court. Ned was not stupid; he knew what the punishment Arya would have faced if Sansa had decided it was more important to be a part of the royal family. He had tried his best to instil the mentality of pack with his children but if he was honest with himself the one child, he worried about more than the rest, in this regard at least, was Sansa. Ned was gladdened to see that his fears were ungrounded, and his daughter's priorities were still her family. Usually, Ned would have gone straight to Robert to tell him of his wife's attempted manipulation, but he thought he was on thin ice enough walking out on him last night and he didn't need to scrutiny when he was hiding the truth behind Lyanna's 'abduction' and Jon's birth.
He vowed to keep this information in the back of his head when dealing with both the queen and the prince who was his responsibility. He exited his tent and headed towards the start of the long trail of horses, carts and carriages where his horse was waiting.
"Ned! Sleep in did you?" Robert laughed. "Let's go, I can't wait to get back to my castle and get some proper food! If we make good time, we should arrive tomorrow." And with this pronouncement they set off.
Mid – morning Robert called a halt to the procession in order to make camp for lunch, Ned didn't know how the King ate at the capital but if this wasn't proper food he didn't know if he had ever seen such. The King ate two loaves of bread, a whole chicken, 5 pieces of bacon, some salted fish and 3 jugs full of wine. It was as the King lay lounging that he called his son over.
"Joffrey. Me and Ned spoke yesterday, and I decided that your betrothal will be called off until you can prove your man enough to have that beauty. You are the crown prince, and you act like a spoiled brat. Ned taught me how to be a man. How to be a King! It was him and his friendship that made me strong and determined to overthrow the dragons. There is no one I trust more than my should have been brother to make you someone people will love."
"Love?! People don't love a lion they fear it!" Joffrey screamed. "I will have that little bitch as my wife, and she will obey me as is my right as King and a Lannister. I deserve her. I deserve everything I get. You are old and fat and nobody fears you anymore but me?! I will be the most feared ruler of Westeros."
Ned spoke up before Robert could stand up. "But you're not a Lannister, you are a Baratheon. You are Roberts first son and by our laws that means you will be King. But that does not mean that you will have my daughter as you need my permission for that. The Targaryen's were feared and look at them now. You are my ward and that means your life is now mine. Your education is mine. Your free time is mine and your punishment is mine. Your birth makes you a king one day, but I will make you a legendary one. The people will thank the gods for you. They will shout your name as you walk through the streets, and they will name their children after you. This is my goal for the love I have for your father. Now, go and get yourself ready to go we will be leaving shortly."
Joffrey stood there for a moment looking confused until Ned raised his eyebrow and then he stormed off. Robert however just laughed as he smacked his heavy hand onto Ned's shoulder. "Good luck with that one Ned. I don't envy you."
Ned spent a lovely afternoon riding beside his daughters listening to them bicker, some things never change, but as they topped a hill as the sun was just touching the horizon Sansa's nose wrinkled and she asked him. "What's that awful smell father?"
"That's Kings Landing."
First of all wow! So many people have read this already and it's made me so happy. Secondly, I had a guest review asking about finding out the parentage of the Lannister children so I thought I would address it. The main plot points are essentially the same white walkers, Jon is a Targaryen etc. But there is twists and turns of how it is dealt with. Also thanks for your review it seriously made me so happy that you took time to do that.
I had other reviews too so thank you to everyone for reaching out. I had such a fun week waking up to them. Enjoy chapter two.
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