THE KING"S ROAD

ARYA

Arya Stark is as different from her sister as night is from day. She often reminds her father of her dead Aunt, Lyanna. Arya is considered wild by her mother and unladylike, which is why she agreed that Arya should go with Ned and Sansa down to King's Landing. Her hope was that Arya would learn to become a lady. Ned, along with Robb, Talisa, and Maester Luwin seriously doubted it.

Unlike her sister Arya does not look down her nose at those born of low estate. She quickly befriends the Butcher's boy who is traveling with the King. She helps Mycah with his chores and afterwards they play hide and seek. "Arya!" She roles her eyes upon hearing the sound of her sister's voice. "Where are you girl?"

She smiles, because Sansa was never any good at finding Arya. Then her arm is nuzzled by Sansa's wolf Lady. She howls revealing Arya's hiding place. "No fare using Lady."

"Here you are…Get dressed." Sansa commands.

"Why?" Arya asks frustrated with Sansa for interrupting her fun.

"The Queen wants to have lunch with us."

"Why do you want to eat with her anyway? She doesn't like us."

"How do you know?"

"I can tell by the way she turns her nose up while at Winterfell."

"You better not mess this up for me!"

"Then give the Queen my apologies…" Arya curtsies, "…and leave me alone."

While traveling to the Capital Arya does her best to avoid the Queen. "Did it take this long to North." Arya asks Mycah.

"No…we have more people going back than we did heading North."

"You wanna play knights?" Arya asks.

"Sure!"

The Royal entourage had stopped at the Crossroads Inn near the Ruby Ford. The two friends use sticks as swords to fight. As they play they are joined by Prince Joffrey and Sansa who are walking together. "Arya what are you doing?"

Sansa's question distracts Arya allowing Mycah to hit her. "Ouch!"

"Sorry."

"What are you doing here? Go away!"

"You're sister right."

Joffrey draws his sword, "So little boy. You want to be a Knight?"

"What are you doing?"

"We were just playing my Lord."

"Yeah…" He says sadistically, "Pick up your sword. Let's see how good you are."

"Leave him alone!" Arya shouts.

"Arya stay out of it!"

"It's not a sword my Lord. Just a stick."

"I'm not a Lord. I'm your Prince! And I command you to pick it up."
Arya had seen enough. She picks up her stick, "Arya no!" Sansa yells as Arya strikes Joffrey across the head with her stick. Mycah runs off.

"You little cunt…I'm gonna gut you like a fish!" He threatens swinging his sword at Arya. Because of Arya's quick reflexes she is able to dodge his fatal attacks.

"Stop it you're ruining everything!" Sansa screams.

Joffrey cuts Arya's stick and kicks her to her back. He raises his sword to finish her. "Die you little Bitch!"

"Joffrey no!" Sansa screams.

That is when Nymeria tackles Joffrey biting his arm, "Get it off me! Get it off!" He cries. Arya pulls Nymeria away. Then she picks up his sword and points it at him. He starts crying, "Please…please don't hurt me. I beg you."

Arya sneers and looks at Sansa, "You really want to marry this cowardly Prince." She throws his sword into the river and runs off.

Sansa shakes her head, "You are not the Prince I thought you were." She walks away leaving him there.

Arya hides with Nyneria. There are Stark, Lannister, and Baratheon men looking for her. She looks at Nymeria, "If they find you they'll kill you. Run!" The wolf licks Arya and leaves. Eventually Arya is found by Lannister men.

JOFFREY

"You really want to marry this cowardly Prince." Arya says looking at Joffrey. Then she throws his sword into the river and leaves.

As she walks away Joffrey looks up at Sansa. "You are not the Prince I thought you were." She says and walks away.

Joffrey gets to his feet, "Help! Someone help me!" He walks towards the Inn. "Help me!" He cries out again. Soon several Lannister men come running.

"The Prince is injured, fetch a healer…" A Guard yells.

"My mother! Take me to my mother!" Joffrey commands.

"Joffrey!"

"Mother!"
"What happened? Who did this to my son?"

"It was that crazy Stark girl mother, Arya and that damn wolf of hers. She and the butcher's boy attacked me when I was walking with Sansa."

"And where was Clegane?"

"Sansa Stark asked me to send him away. She fears him."

"My poor baby."

As Cersei cleans the wound, Jaime and Sandor show up. "Clegane! There you are! Where were you while my son was being savaged by a wild animal?"

"The Prince…"

"Never mind your excuses! Find that butcher's boy! Now!"

Later Joffrey is bought before his father. "Don't lie to me boy. Now tell me what happened?"

As Joffrey finishes his story they bring Arya before the King. A few minutes later Eddard shows up, "What is the meaning of this? Why wasn't my daughter bought to me?" He asks after hugging his daughter.

"You dare address your King like that."
"Silence woman!" He looks at Arya, "Come here girl. You know it's bad to lie to a King. Now tell me true. What happened?"

They all listen as Arya tells them her version. "LIAR!"

"You're the liar!"

"He tells me one thing and she another. What am I to do?"

Sansa is called and she to Arya's surprise tells the truth and repeats what she said about Joffrey at the River. Then Cersei demands that Sansa's wolf Lady be killed in place of Arya's wolf that ran away. One of the Lannister men speaks and reveals that the wolf broke it's chain and ran off into the wilds "How could she betray me like that?" Joffrey asks his mother when they are alone.

"She is not worthy of you my sweet. Unfit to be your Queen."

SANDOR

Tracking the boy was easy for Sandor. When he finds him he chases on his horse until Nymeria and Lady jump out at his horse. The horse rears on his legs knocking Sandor off. The two Wolves stand over him growling. "What the Fuck!" He says and then they run off sparing his life.

"Where is the boy?" Cersei asks when he returns.

"He escaped me your Grace. I could not find him."

She stares at Sandor, then she walks away without saying a word.

CERSEI

She was infuriated with Robert, Eddard Stark, and Sansa Stark. Her mind was racing on how to get revenge, when the wheel house stops after a mile. "Why have we stopped?" Cersei asks sticking her head out of the wheel house.

"Prince Joffrey has fallen from his horse your Grace." Set Meryn Trent says riding up.

"Joffrey." She whispers.

"Mother is everything alright?" Myrcella asks.

"Yes…stay here my child." Cersei exits the wheel house, "Stay with the children." She commands the handmaiden.

"Yes my Queen."

Cersei runs up and finds Joffrey on the ground, "Joffrey! My son! What happened?"

"He started coughing and then he just fell from his horse."

Jaime is standing nearby, "Your Grace we are not far from House Darry."

They ride hard for the castle and the Maester there. "Help him!" Cersei demands.

He examines Joffrey from head to toe, "His skin is cold and sweaty…The wound on his arm is healing. So whatever this is he did not get it from the wolf bite. Did you travel through the Marshlands?"

"Yes but we did not venture from the King's Road." Robert says.

"I know not what this is."
"He got this from that fucking wolf!" Cersei insists.

"As I said your Grace. The Wolf Bite is healing…The cause of this disease is unknown to me."

"Mother…" Joffrey weakly calls. "…Father." They both rush to his side.

"Mother is here my son." She says taking his hand.

"Am I dying?"

"No…You have the strength of a lion and a stag…You are strong like your father."

"I'm scared." He starts crying, "I don't want to die."

Robert grabs his arm, "Fear can be overcome son…Death is just another path we all must take."

He closes his eyes and breaths his last, "Joffrey! Joffrey! NOOO! Not my baby boy…not my baby!" She leans over his lifeless body and wales.