Sarah-rose76646: Okay let's get this out of the way at first, first of all I love getting reviews, even ones of criticism because it shows that people care enough about my work to try and help me make it better, but for reviews like this one which seemed to be written just to insult my story I will not even bother to reply (except this one time) because I do this purely for fun and for you're guys entertainment, now if you want to criticize my story that's perfectly fine but only if it's with the intention to help me make it better.
jean d'arc: Hi Jean, good to hear from you again, you are becoming quite the regular around here. It wasn't actually my intention for Jamie to come across as friendly he was meant to be mocking, though looking back on the chapter I can see why you thought that so that's my bad, as for Robert he was absolutely hammered when he spoke to Mia so it was just drunk talk, he wouldn't even remember speaking to her. Also, I know many of them wouldn't speak to bastards but there wouldn't be much for me to write if I followed that, thanks for the review never be shy to tell me how I can make this story better.
White spent: you are a regular to my friend I'm glad I have kept you entertained, I hope you enjoy this latest chapter.
The Game Of Thrones
Mia Snow
The Red Keep….
Groaning Mia opened her eyes, someone was standing over her, her eyes adjusted enough to see the face of Talisa, her friend's eyes widen as she sees her wake "She's awake!" Talisa calls to someone across the room.
The boney figure of Septa Mordane steps into her view "Here child" she says pressing a cup to Mia's lips "Milk of the poppy"
Mia weakly flinches away from the cup, causing the Septa to sigh in frustration "You're in pain child, drink"
The old woman once again forces the cup to her lips and this time some liquid manages to pass through them, but Mia quickly turns her head and spits it out on the floor "Gods be good!" the Septa snaps "If you're going to be so stubborn, then at least take some water" she gestures to Talisa who grabs another cup and hands it to the Septa, this time Mia accepts it, her lips were cracked and dried, the water helped soothe her raw throat
"Father?" she croaks.
Talisa nods "He's fine," she says "He's hurt but he's alive" she takes Mia's hand in hers "The Goldcloaks found him cradling you in his arms and with a bloody spear in his leg"
Mia finally musters the strength to sit up in the bed "What about Jory?" she asks desperately
Talisa shakes her head sadly "I'm sorry" she says.
Mia nods, she knew the answer but the confirmation still hurt, she turns to Septa Mordane "You looked after me?" she asks.
"Someone had to" The Septa replies "Grand Maester wasn't going to"
Talisa sneers "That withered old shit refused to treat you," she says angrily "A Grand Maester Is above treating such people he said"
"I could care less about what Pycelle thinks of me" Mia responds "I want to see my father"
The Tower Of The Hand….
Mia makes her way to her father's quarters, she opens the door to see her father leaning on a cane and reading a letter, upon seeing her his eyes light up with relief "Mia!" he exclaims, he hobbles towards her and wraps his free arm tightly around her, she just stood there stunned, he never hugged her, not since she was seven years old"
He pulls away from her and stares at her face seethingly "The Lannisters will pay for this!"
Mia shakes her head "No they won't" she says "You know they won't, not while the king is married to one of them"
"Perhaps one day that will change," he says.
It was at that moment she noticed he was wearing a familiar badge "You're the hand of the king again?" she asks.
Ned nods "The king has gone on a hunt" he explains "I'm to sit the Iron throne while he's gone"
Mia smirks "Should I start calling you your grace?"
Ned shakes his head "This is serious Mia" he chides "My wife has taken Tyrion Lannister, we need to find evidence of Jon Arryn's murder now"
"We know that he was looking into the King's bastards," she says, "But I doubt they'd kill him just for that"
Ned sighs "Regardless this place has become too dangerous, I can't have Sansa and Arya here any longer," he says "I'm sending them back to Winterfell"
Mia tilts her head in confusion "But Sansa's betrothed to Joffrey"
Ned shakes his head "The betrothal was a mistake, I will not have her marry that boy"
"She won't like this" Mia says.
"She's young" he answers "She'll get over it"
The next day….
"You can't!" Arya exclaimed.
"Please father" Sansa sobbed, her eyes moist with tears.
Mia smirked as she stood behind her father with her arms crossed "Finally we've found something they agree on" she says.
Sansa gives her a loathing look and Ned gives a weary sigh "Please Mia not now'
"I didn't do anything wrong," Sansa pleaded with him "I don't want to go back father I'll be good, you'll see, just let me stay and I promise to be as fine and noble and courteous as the queen I swear it"
Ned sighs Sansa, I'm not sending you away for fighting, I want you back in Winterfell for your own safety, three of my men were cut down like dogs, You're sister was nearly killed.
"Why can't you send her back?" Sansa demands pointing a shaking finger at Mia "She's the problem, her and Arya, they've caused trouble since we left!"
"Enough Sansa!" Ned snaps, causing the girl to freeze.
Arya bites her lip "Can we take Syrio with us?"
"Who cares about your stupid dancing master?" Sansa screams, before turning back to Ned "Father I can't go away, I'm to marry Prince Joffrey, I love him father, I truly do"
Mia's cocky smile softened at her half-sister's naive innocence, "Sweet one" their father said gently, "listen to me. When you're old enough, I will make you a match with a high lord who's worthy of you, someone brave and gentle and strong, this match with Joffrey was a terrible mistake"
"But it wasn't!" Sansa insists "I don't want someone brave and gentle, I want him we'll be so happy just like in the songs, you'll see, I'll give him babies, lions with beautiful golden hair,
Arya contorts her face in disgust "Joffrey is a stag, not a lion"
"He's not! Sansa snaps "He's not at all like that drunken old king!"
Mia freezes No he's not she thought to herself, her eyes widen in realization, suddenly it all made sense, Why Jon Arryn was looking into Robert's bastards and why the Lannisters had poisoned him over it.
She turns to her father and the look on his face tells her that he's realized too, Ned turns to Septa Mordane, "Take the girls and help them pack" he says "They leave as soon as possible"
Mia follows her father as he hobbles down the hall towards his quarters "We've been searching for this for months" She says "And Sansa was the one to find the truth"
"I'll not call it truth until I'm sure" Ned replies.
When they finally make it to his room, the sun had set, they enter and ned seats himself on his chair and gestures to the shelf "Bring me the book" he says "The lineages and histories of the great houses of the seven kingdoms"
Mia does as commanded and hands him the bulky book, he flips through the pages until he gets to House Baratheon "Lord Orys Baratheon, black of hair" he reads "Axel Baratheon, black of hair, Lyonel Baratheon, black of hair, Steffon Baratheon, black of hair, Robert Baratheon, black of hair, Joffrey Baratheon" he looks up a Mia "Golden-haired"
Mia turns away and takes a deep breath "He saw them" she says "Bran, he saw them together, the queen and her lover that's why they tried to kill him"
Ned nods in agreement "Jamie" he says "It's Jamie, It has to be"
"Her own brother," Mia says with a shake of her head "You need to tell the king when he gets back"
A grave look passes on Ned's face "Oh I intend to" he says.
Eddard Stark
The Next Week….
Ned sat in the gardens, his leg throbbing painfully "Why here?" Cersei Lannister asked as she stood over him.
Ned looks up at her "So the gods can see" he answers "I know the truth Jon Arryn died for"
"Do you?" The queen asked. "Is that why you called me here Lord Stark?"
Ned ignored her question and touched her bruised cheek gently "Has he done this before?"
"Jaime would have killed him," Cersi says with a smirk "My brother is worth a hundred of your friend"
"Your brother?" Ned asks "Or your lover?"
"Both." she answered bluntly "And why not? the Targaryens wed brother to sister for three hundred years, to keep the bloodlines pure, Jaime and I are more than brother and sister we shared a womb together, we belong together
"My son saw you with him?" Ned asks
Cersi stares him in the eye You love your children, do you not?"
Ned nods "With all my heart."
"No less do I love mine"
"All three are Jaime's," he said. It was not a question.
"Thank the gods," she says "In the rare event Robert stumbles from his whores long enough to crawl into my bed….I finish him in other ways, in the morning he doesn't remember anything
Ned shakes his head "What did he do to make you hate him so?"
"Hate him?" Cersi laughs "I worshiped him, every girl in the realm wanted him but he was mine by right, that day in the great sept when I stood next to him, black-bearded and strong it was the happiest moment of my life and then the night of our wedding feast, He crawled on top of me stinking of wine and he whispered Lyanna."
Ned sighs sadly "You know what I must do," he says "There will be no bastards on the throne"
"Bastards" the queen echoed, "You say that like some terrible thing but you have two bastards yourself, you even brought one with you, tell me Lord Stark do you love her? As much as your other children?"
Ned doesn't answer her, because he doesn't know how to, in some ways he loved Mia more, she was the child who had made him a father, she was the first person to give him such overwhelming pride when he held her for the first time at Starfall, watching her grow had been one of the greatest experiences of his life.
Ned sighs "When the king returns from his hunt, I intend to tell him the truth," he says "You and your children must be gone by then, take as many men and go as far as you can because where ever you flee, Roberts wrath will follow
"And what of my wrath, Lord Stark?" she asked softly. Her eyes searched his face. "You should have taken the realm for yourself. It was there for the taking. Jaime told me how you found him on the Iron Throne the day King's Landing fell and made him give it up, that was your moment all you needed to do was climb those steps, and sit such a sad mistake."
"I have made more mistakes than you can possibly imagine," Ned said, "But that was not one of them."
"Oh, but it was " Cersei insisted "When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die, there is no middle ground."
Mia Snow
The Next Mourning….
Mia rounds a corner, finally making it to the corridor in front of the king's quarters, the whole morning had been in chaos, Lannister guards and goldcloaks ran across the corridors, ladies and lords gossiped about what might have been going on, all Mia knew is that she had to speak to her father.
Standing outside the door was all the king's councilors Varys the spider, Grand Maester Pycelle, Lord Renly and Littlefinger "I need to speak with my father?" she told them.
Pycelle seems offended by her audacity to speak to them "Lord Stark is speaking to the king" the old Maester replied "You should have the courtesy to wait"
Mia stares daggers at the man "I am the Hand of the king's daughter" she flared.
"His bastard daughter" Littlefinger corrected.
Mia gave a sigh "Then at least tell me what's going"
"You have no authority to ask us anything" Pycelle grumbled.
Mia feels her temper burn up, she takes a threating step towards the old man, but Varys steps forward "My dear please" the spider says "On behalf of my misspoken colleague, I humbly apologize"
"I don't need your apologies Lord Varys!" Mia snaps "I need someone to tell me what the fuck is going on!"
Lord Renly lets out an amused chuckle "You dare not refuse her Varys" he says.
The euench nods "Very well" he says "It would seem that the king had an accident on the hunt"
"He was drunk" Renly explained "Missed his thrust, that boar tore right through him"
"Will he be okay?" Mia asks.
"There was little I could do," Pycelle says "Even if it had happened right here I could not save him"
At that moment, her father emerged from the king's quarters, holding a sealed document, a grave look on his face "Give him milk of the poppy" he commands the Grand Maester before walking away.
Mia follows him "What did say?" she asks
Ned looks to be in another world "He named me Protector Of The Realm" he says quietly, he stops walking then and looks his daughter in the eye "He asked me to help his son….I could not tell him Mia I…."
Mia had always known her father to be brave, stoic and strong, The king was a drunken fool, but he was her father's best friend and to see him like this broke her heart, without thinking she wraps her arms around him "I'm sorry" she whispers into his ear.
He stands stiff at first but eventually, he returns her embrace, as they break away someone calls "Lord Stark!"
They both turn to see Renly Baratheon walking towards them "A moment, alone if you will
Ned looks at Mia and considers for a moment before turning back to Renly "My daughter is trustworthy
Mia smiles, unable to contain her joy, Renly hesitates but nods "Very well" he says "He named you the protector of the realm?"
Ned nods "He did"
"Cersi won't care," Renly tells him "Give me an hour and I can but a hundred swords at your command"
"And what should I do with a hundred swords?" Ned asks.
Renly scoffs "Strike!" he says "Now why the castle sleeps, we must get Joffrey away from his mother and into our custody, Protector Of The Realm or not, he who holds the king holds the kingdoms, every moment you delay give Cersi a moment to prepare, when my brother dies it will be too late"
"What about Stannis?" Ned asks.
Renly shakes his head "Saving the seven kingdoms from Cersi and giving them to Stannis? you have odd notions on protecting the realm"
"Stannis is your older brother" Ned counters.
"Yes, he's a good soldier" Renly snaps "So was Robert, tell me my lord do you still think good soldiers make good kings, we all know what Stannis is he inspires no love or loyalty, he's not a king….I am
Ned shakes his head in disbelief "I will not dishonor Robert's last hours by spilling blood in his halls and dragging frightened children from their beds.
Ned walks past the Lord of Storm's end, Mia gives him a nod of goodbye and follows her father, they make to the hand's office and Ned takes an exhausted breath "What are we going to do?" Mia asks.
"I have a plan," Ned says "But if it's going to work I need to know you and your sisters are safe...You are going back to Winterfell tonight"
"But I can help" Mia protests.
Ned gives her a sad smile "I know better than to question your bravery" he tells her "But your judgment has never been your strongest trait" he takes a step towards her and places a gentle hand on her shoulder, "I need you to take the girls back to Winterfell, they can't be here when I….when I stop the Lannisters"
Mia nods in grim understanding "I'll do as you say father" she says "Always:
Ned nods at her, as she goes to leave he calls her back "Mia!" she turns "You look so much like your mother" he says "She would be proud of the woman you have become….as I am"
Later that night….
"Are you ready?" Mia asks Sansa, her younger sister was not happy about this turn of events and she made no effort to hide it.
"This is not fair!" Sansa complains "Why should we go back to Winterfell it's so much lovlier here, I want to stay with the prince"
Mia glares at her "Men from your prince's house corner father and I in the street they killed slaughtered Heward and Wyl, murdered Jory and put a spear through father's leg"
Sansa shakes her head "That was the Kingslayer" she says "Joff would never do that, he's kind and noble"
Mia shows Sansa her mutilated hand, was he kind when this happened?"
"That was your fault" she counters "You hurt him"
Mia opens her mouth to argue but instead sighs she turns to Septa Mordane "Where's Arya?"
Before the boney woman can answer Sansa says "She's with her dancing master, she's with him every morning"
"Damn!" Mia shouts "She knew we were leaving today!" she takes a deep breath "Septa take Sansa, I'll find Arya and meet you"
She runs down the hall to where Arya and the braavosi were training "Arya what are you doing?"
The young girl looks at her in confusion "What?"
"We are leaving today!' Mia snaps before grabbing her arm "We have to go now."
"Arya Stark!" a voice calls, the room fills with Lannister soldiers the Kingsguard Ser Meryn Trant was leading them "Come with us," the knight says "Your father wants to see you"
Mia regards them suspiciously, her hand placed on her sheathed sword "I'm her sister" she says "I can take her"
"This is not any of your concern bastard" Trant spits.
"I disagree Ser" Mia replies "I know that my lord father is preoccupied and I know that he wouldn't send Lannister men instead of his own"
"I don't have to go with you if I don't want" Arya snaps.
Ser Meryn laughs "Take her" he orders his men.
Syrio steps in front of them "Are you men or snakes that you would threaten a child?"
"Get out of my way little man," a Lannister says.
"I am Syrio Forel," the braavosi says, the Lannister draws his sword, but Syrio knocks it from his hand and then cracks his wooden sword over the Lannister's head knocking him unconscious, "And you will be speaking to me with more respect"
"Kill the braavosi" Trant orders "Bring the girl"
"Arya child we are done with dancing for the day," Syrio says "Go with your sister"
One by one the Lannister men charged the water dancer and one by one they fell to his wooden sword.
Eventually, only Meryn Trant remained "Begone now Arya," Syrio says.
"Come with us" Arya pleads "Run"
"The first sword of Braavos does not run" Syrio replies, he engages in a battle with the Kingsguard and continues even when the knight breaks his wooden sword "What do we say to the god of death?"
"Not today" Arya replies sadly.
"We have to go," Mia says as she ushers Arya away, clearly something had gone horribly wrong with her father's plan and now she would have to make a new one.
"Not today" Arya repeated as the rushed down the stairs "Not today, Not today"