Chapter seven

The fall of the mockingbird

Joffrey

His Father was dead. The man who had always seemed so larger than life and so immoveable. Joffrey knew that he should be feeling sad, but the emotion just wasn't there. He didn't love the man who sired him as his father had never loved him either. Joffrey made all the right noises and appropriately bowed his head at the body, but his thoughts weren't on his recently deceased father but instead on the fact that he was now the king. Just half a year ago Joffrey would have been ecstatic and making decrees already but with the advice of Ned Stark ringing in his head he knew now that there were more responsibilities than perks to being the king.

As Ned Stark announced to the waiting small council outside the doors that the king had passed Joffrey was both pleased and somewhat shook when they all turned and bowed to him. Joffrey looked at Ned with a plea in his eyes, he didn't know what to do yet. He didn't know how to lead. Joffrey was relieved when Lord Stark dismissed them and lead Joffrey away.

"Your Grace, I know we have been working on your rule these past few months and we weren't expecting for it to be here so soon, but it is here, and I will help you however you need." Ned stark said.

"Why? Why would you help me? You don't know me, not really. I used to be mean. I used to bully my siblings and scream at and threaten servants." Joffrey confessed.

"The truth is I promised your father that I would make you a king to be proud of. He was as good as my brother. But its now more than that. I believe in you. I see that you can be spoilt and mean but it is all because you are unaware of being any different. I want to show you that there are other ways to be. Honourable ways." Ned confessed.

At first Joffrey wanted to snap that he wasn't spoiled he was entitled to things because he was the crown prince but as he took a breath, as Stark had taught him, he saw that what Ned had said was true. It wasn't his fault he was mean, that was father. It wasn't his fault he didn't know how to rule, that was father too. It wasn't his fault he was spoiled, that one was mother. He wanted to be known as the best king Westeros had ever seen and to do this, he would need help to get over his bad parenting.

They reached his quarters and he bid Lord Stark goodnight and stepped inside. He had grown up in these rooms, but he knew after the funeral and the coronation he would move into the King's rooms instead. With this he lay on his back on the silken sheets and the swan feather bed and stared at the canopy. His reign began tomorrow.

Ned

He walked into his rooms closed the door and slumped against it. He wasn't ready. For all that Robert had changed and wasn't the same man Ned had grown up with he was the last remaining link to his childhood. His father, his brother, his sister, and his foster father had all died, and Ben had gone to join the night's watch. Now Robert had gone and left the raising of his son, a king, to Ned. Joffrey was a troubled boy, but it was mainly because he didn't have anybody to teach him how to behave so the role had fallen to Ned. If Ned was honest, he still disliked the boy, he was very demanding and one wrong word he could switch and become the cruel boy Ned had heard about. He had to be careful.

Ned had his hands full with his own daughter. Arya had been very withdrawn since Robert had fallen ill. She hadn't been disappearing or arguing with anyone in fact she had pretty much been staying in her rooms or with him the whole time. He had tried to convince her to talk to him, that he could help, but with no success. His once vibrant and defiant child had become melancholy and quiet. Ned knew he was not the only person who was worried about Arya as Sansa had come to him about her worries too. It was this that had motivated Ned into organising a bravosi dancing master to teach his daughter some sword techniques. It was the only time he had seen in the last month his daughter smile, although she did mention needing to know how to fight to protect herself which worried him.

Ned gave up reminiscing and got himself ready for bed. He knew he had his work cut out for him and it began in the morning. It was time to kill a mockingbird. He had the papers organised, the testimonies of those he had bribed and the paper trails of where the money was now. With this delicious thought Ned fell into a deep sleep.

Arya

"Dead."

"Dead."

"Dead again."

Her dancing teacher, Syrio Forel, was the first sword of Bravos so Arya knew he was very good but all he seemed to do was poke her with a stick and say dead. It had been two weeks now and Arya hadn't learnt anything new in this time. He told her to trust her instincts but those didn't separate a man's head from his neck or get his body off of yours.

No. Arya wasn't going to think about that night again. It had consumed her thoughts for days at a time before her father had organised these lessons. It was a lifeline for Arya to learn to defend herself, and Sansa, she knew Sansa would never learn how to use a sword, so it was up to Arya. Even against a king Arya would protect herself and her sister.

"Dead."

Arya just jumped forward in a fury trying with all her might to hit the Bravosi sword. However, she didn't even come close.

"One who wields a blade in anger is swinging it blindly boy. A person who thinks and predicts where the blade will land will find it lands true." Syrio said with a small smile.

Arya took a moment to think and then took a deep breath before taking up a wide stance in front of Syrio. She struck forwards but watched closely and saw a break in his stance on his left leg. She took her time to ensure it was true before she dropped and hit her mark!

"Well done, boy! Now off you go you have that trial to attend, your Lord Father will be most upset if you are late." Syrio shooed her off and she headed out with her ever present guard.

As Arya walked to the throne room where the trial of Littlefinger was to take place she recalled with a smile the memory of when he was arrested. She had been looking out of her window, thinking again of Robert's raping, when she spotted the slimy man heading across the courtyard smiling to himself. All of a sudden two guards in gold cloaks were heading the opposite way and intercepted him hooking his arms beneath there, lifting the small man off his feet. The image of his feet dangling as he struggled still brought a smile to her face now. His shouts had carried all the way up to her tower.

"What do you think you are doing?! I am master of coin!" Littlefinger had wailed.

When she had asked her father why he had been arrested all she had been told is that the new king wanted to keep it quiet until the trial. Hence Arya heading there with some excitement, a rarity recently.

She quickly entered and was pulled into a pew near the front with Sansa and the other Baratheon children and her guard took up the end spot. She saw her father stood one step down next to the Iron Throne and gave him a wave and a small smile. Arya's heart started racing looking around at all the people huddled close together, but she fingered the knife hidden in her pocket and pressed closer to her guard.

"All hail King Joffrey, first of his name, king of the Andal's." Her father proclaimed.

Joffrey walked in with that awful annoying smirk on his face which made Arya want to punch it off, her father told her to be nice and she was trying but he was still a worm.

"My Lords and Ladies, I come in front of you to address a most grievous crime." He paused for effect and Arya saw it was working as people were on the edges of their seats and hanging on his every word. "My Lord Hand, Eddard Stark, handed to me the day after my father's untimely death a stack of papers mounting to treason."

Load gasps emerged from the crowd and Arya couldn't help but roll her eyes at the fun the boy king seemed to be having with this.

"My father's Master of Coin was stealing from the treasury. From my father, from me and from you too. This money would have gone to improving the kingdom if it wasn't for this man. Of course, we investigated and found it went much deeper than it was thought at first. He was not only stealing from us but also taking loans from all the lord paramounts and the iron bank in the crowns name."

Joffrey waited with a look that Arya thought was meant to be regal and commiserating but looked like he was having too much fun.

"Lord Baelish also was bribing some of the gold cloaks to look the other way to his business dealings in the city. He told lies about the Royal family, me included. It is with this knowledge and testimonies of various people that we arrested the traitor. As is customary he will be brought in and asked for his version, but I warn you all that he is a liar and a master manipulator." Joffrey then sat down on the chair and flinched as it nicked at his robes.

"Bring in the prisoner." Her father bellowed. The court was quiet as Baelish was lead passed looking like a trapped rat. He was clearly unwashed, and his hair was ungroomed. His eyes were darting widely around looking for any opportunity to escape but must have not found any as he lowered his head as he came to the front of the hall where he was deposited in a heap.

"Lord Baelish. You are accused of stealing from the crown, telling scandalous lies about the royal family and treason against the king and the kingdom. How do you plead?" Joffrey asked.

"Not guilty. All lies from my enemies." Baelish said.

"We have your accounts. Not the fake ones you gave the crown, the real ones behind the fake panel in your office. Along with testimonies from several servants and gold cloaks who you had bribed." Joffrey said with a slimy smile.

"Lies." Baelish spat looking white.

"We have evidence that you have been spreading lies about the Royal family including myself. You told people I liked to torture the servants of which I have signed statements from every servant in the red keep that I have never." Joffrey sat back but quickly sat forward with a flinch.

"I have friends in the Lords. You'll never be able to kill me, boy. My foster father- "

"Has declared you guilty when he was told of the lies you spread about deflowering his daughters." Ned cut in.

"Lady Arryn-" Baelish tried.

"Is not a credible witness as her ties to you are known." Joffrey smirked. "Plus, she is only the mother of the current Lord not the Lady. We have decided to appoint Lord Royce as regent for Lord Arryn due to his mother's sensitive nature."

Baelish turned grey and started sweating. It was several seconds before he looked up at the king on the throne. "I demand a trial by combat."

Joffrey's eyes lit up with glee. "Granted and I'll fight you myself."

Whispers broke out and Arya saw her father turn his head to Joffrey and speak but was too far away to hear what had been said. It was several minutes of furious whispers before Joffrey stood and the room quietened down.

"My Lord Hand has informed me that although I would of course prevail being that he is guilty the threat upon my person is too great. Therefore, he will instead champion me, and I know he will do so as if it was me swinging the sword." Joffrey sat and Arya knew it had taken her father a lot of convincing and pandering to get this compromise. She was, however, still scared as she had never seen her father fight. Sansa grabbed her hand and Arya gripped it back just as tight.

Baelish was handed a sword as her father headed down the stairs and headed over to them. "Don't worry girls, your father may be old, but I am still ten times the sword than that man."

Ned and Baelish faced off and studied each other until Baelish attacked first. Arya knew straight away that Baelish would lose. He was angry. He wasn't thinking where his sword would land.

"My brother started this all those years ago Baelish. It is thanks to my wife that you survived that encounter but no more. She isn't here to save you now and even if she was, she wouldn't bother." Her father goaded him. It worked as his footwork became, if possible, sloppier and he roared and put more power behind his swings. It was no use as her father just sidestepped each swing not even needing to parry.

"She loved me!" Baelish shouted.

"She pitied you." Her father replied.

"She gave me her maidenhead." Baelish said.

"Our wedding sheets were wet with blood. She was a maiden." Father said tonelessly.

"Lies!"

"The only liar is you. You stole from the king. From the realm. You only cared to line your own pockets." Father spat. "Your actions have effected the life of everyone from the smallfolk to the king." He then stepped forward and raised his sword.

"Chaos is a –" Baelish couldn't continue as father had joined the fight at last. Father was pressing his attack and Baelish's arms were shaking pushing the sword away.

"Yield." Father said. But Baelish said nothing.

"Yield." Baelish sank to the floor and father stood above with his sword poised at his neck.

"I yield." Baelish whispered and Father satisfied moved the sword and stepped to the side. Before anyone could say anything, Ned fell. Arya heard Sansa scream, but Arya couldn't tear her eyes from the form of her father and the blood pooling underneath him.

Arya stood without thinking and made it there before anyone else could she reached down and held her knife to Baelish's throat. She didn't even hesitate as she drew it across. A spray of blood and the man was no more.

A day late! I wasn't happy with this chapter yesterday so I spent today trying to fix it. I'm not 100% on it but it's as close as I'm going to get. I know Arya went straight to violence but remember she is traumatised.

Also no chapter next week as I am on holiday so see you in two weeks.

xxxcrazyxladyxxx