AN- Hey guys, another chapter here. A lot of people wanted some more flashback stuff, so there is one in this chapter. Anyways, you guys know the routine, R&R, and I hope you enjoy!
Days Long Passed
King's Landing- Atticus and Jon stand outside Lord Eddard's chambers, both bastards on guard. Sansa and Arya are both inside. Ned had not waken up yet, but the injury was not life threatening. Atticus is broken out of his thoughts by the arrival of King Robert, and unfortunately Queen Cersei.
"Let me see him." Robert demands. Atticus and Jon nod, and move out of the way so he can go through. As Cersei tries to follow, Jon steps in her way.
"Your staying out here." He says. Cersei scowls at him
"Move aside, bastard." She says. Jon keeps staring her down.
"I will be damned if I let you near my father again." Jon says. Atticus would applaud, if it weren't for the Kingsguard members present.
"Woman, stay out here" Robert says. Cersei backs up from Jon, and turns on her heel and leaves. Atticus sighs.
"Jon, next time you get in my aunt's face like that, make sure that the Kingsguard to us ratio isn't three to one." Atticus jokes. Jon smiles sheepishly.
"Yeah, sorry Atticus." Jon says. Meanwhile on the inside of the building, Robert was looking at his best friend's unconscious form. He looks at the two Stark girls at their father's side, and sighs.
"How long has he been like this?" He asks, immediately regretting the stupid question.
"Since one your wife's men drove a sword through his leg." Arya responds angrily.
"Arya! Don't speak to the king that way." Sansa says, appalled by her sister's tone.
"It's alright girl." Robert says. In truth, Arya reminded him of Lyanna. So different than other ladies, so fierce and determined. And like Lyanna, she was a beauty, many might not see it, but they were fools. The drunk king is broken from his thoughts when Ned begins to stir, and opens his eyes.
"Where am I?" He asks, only for his daughter's to hug him tightly. Arya turns her head for him so she can shout.
"Jon! Atticus! Father is awake!" She yells. The two bastards run in, and Jon goes to his father's side.
"You fought well, son." Eddard says. Jon smiles at his father.
"Thank you father, how are you feeling?" Jon asks.
"Sore, but it could be worse." Ned replies. Robert clears his throat loudly.
"Ned, I can't have the Lannisters and Starks at each others throats. You will make peace with them, and take back your damn job back" He says, pulling the pin from his pocket and handing it to Ned.
"Give me one reason to take that pin back. Look where it has gotten me. Two of my children have been injured and I am lying in a bed after a sword went through my leg." Eddard says.
"You will take the damn pin because you swore an oath. And if you don't, Tywin Lannister will be my new hand." Robert says. Ned sighs, and hesitantly takes the pin back.
"Good, now I am going on a hunting trip with Renly, and when I am back I want you and the Lannisters at peace." Robert says, before standing up and leaving. Ned sighs and looks over at his children.
"Jon, take the girls back to their rooms, Atticus, stay here for a moment." He says. Jon nods and leads Arya and Sansa away.
"Well, it seems that my plan didn't work perfectly." Atticus says.
"I rather fight fifteen Lannister guards than forty. I have to ask a favor though." Ned says.
"What is it?" Atticus asks. Ned sighs and shakes his head sadly.
"If something happens to me, I want you to be here to protect Arya he says." He says. Atticus sighs and pulls out a letter.
"I got this while you were unconscious. My grandfather wants me to return to Casterly Rock and be acting Lord. I could always bring Jon and Arya." He replies.
"How would sending them to the seat of the Lannisters protect them from Lannisters?" Ned asks, a bit angrily.
"The same way that asking a Lannister to protect them from other Lannisters does. Do you remember what my aunt said be for her men attacked you?"Atticus responds.
"She told them to kill the my household, and take me alive." Ned says.
"Aye, and I know my aunt. She meant every northerner there except you. That includes Jon, and maybe Arya.." Atticus says.
"She wouldn't dare to do such a thing." Ned says. Atticus chuckles humorlessly.
"She was willing to attack the Hand of the King in the streets. In her mind, killing a bastard and a second born daughter might just be sending a message. She was raised by Tywin Lannister, a man who has a song about his ruthlessness." He says. Ned sits up slowly.
"What about me and Sansa?" He asks.
"The lord of the house and his firstborn daughter are prime bargaining material." Atticus says. Ned sighs
"And how do you know this?" Ned questions.
"I spent three years fostered under my grandfather, he was my teacher for that entire time." Atticus says.
"What was that like?" Eddard asks. Atticus smirks at his good-father.
"Well, it was odd, to say the least." He says.
Flashback, 6 years ago- A young Atticus was as nervous as can be. He was soon to arrive at Casterly Rock, and would meet his grandfather for the first time. The old lion had insisted that he have the boy to himself, without Jaime being involved. Luckily, Tyrion was coming as well, and would be keeping Atticus in as high of spirits as possible. Atticus arrived at the gates and gasped at the size of the castle. The Rock was much larger than the Red Keep, and the gate was in the shape of a lion with it's mouth open. Sensing his nephew's nervousness, Tyrion rides over to Atticus's side.
"It's okay Atticus, just make sure to not mention your grandmother, and you will be fine." Tyrion says. Atticus doesn't believe him and gulps as he enters the gates. He climbs off his horse, and surveys the scene. The first thing he notices is an old man, with a hard cold expression, looking at him. Atticus thinks he looks like one of the many lion statues that he has seen, and walks up to the man, almost shaking from nervousness.
"Are you my grandfather?" He asks. The man nods his head.
"Yes, I am Tywin Lannister, Lord of Casterly Rock, and Warden of the West." He says. Atticus resists the urge to immediately ask about his grandmother, and surprises Tywin by sticking his hand out.
"Nice to meet you, My Lord. My name is Atticus Hill." He says. Tywin slowly reaches out and grasps his grandson's hand, and shakes it hardily. Both are surprised by the force in the shake, being that it comes from an almost sixty year old man and a seven year old boy.
"My servants will take your belongings to your room. We start your lessons tomorrow at dawn. You can look around the keep until then." Tywin says. Atticus nods and wanders off. Tyrion walks up to his father with a smirk.
"What do you think about him, father?" Tyrion asks. Tywin looks down at his youngest son.
"He knows his curtsies, it's a start." Tywin says, and walks away. Tyrion just sighs and goes off towards the brothel.
Flashback end- Ned looked at Atticus, and couldn't resist chuckling. Atticus joined in as well, and their laughter grew louder and stronger.
"So, the first thing you do when you met Tywin Lannister was shook his hand, and he shook it right back?" Eddard says. Atticus nods.
"Yeah, what of it?" He asks.
"Is there anyone who doesn't like you?" Ned says. Atticus sighs before speaking.
"Well, Joffrey, my aunt, and most of House Tyrell." He responds. Eddard looks at him confused.
"Why House Tyrell?" He asks, but Atticus just waves him off.
"A story for another time. More importantly, will you consider my offer?" Atticus questions.
"Aye, I will. Can you stick around for a little while?" Ned says. Atticus nods and stands up.
"I can stay for about a week. Well, I'll let you rest for now." He says and leaves.
Red Keep-It was late at night,andArya was in her room, practicing her water dancing with Needle. She was stabbing at imaginary enemies, when she heard a knock at the door. She hid Needle underneath her bed before she spoke.
"Who is it, Jon?" She asks. Jon, who was stationed outside her door along with another guard, while Jory was guarding Sansa, sighed.
"It is the Queen, she wants to speak to you." He says. Arya's eyes widen at this.
"Just a moment, I'm not...decent." She says. It wasn't a complete lie, as all she was wearing was her shift. She quickly throws on a nightshirt, and ruffles her bed up as if she had been sleeping in it. She makes her way over to the door and opens it. Sure enough, Cersei is at the door, giving her a fake smile.
"Hello Arya, may I come in?" The queen asks. Arya has to resist the urge to slam the door in her face.
"Of course, your grace." She says. Cersei steps in, and looks around the room.
"I came to apologize for what has happened to you." The queen says, sitting down at a small table. Arya looks at her, surprised by the response, and sits down in front of her.
"Apologize for what?" She asks. Cersei smiles and snaps her fingers. A servant brings in a couple of cups and a flagon of wine.
"For everything that has happened to you. The inn, that nasty business in the street, you must be scared to death of my family." Cersei says. As much as Arya wants to scream that she wasn't scared, it would be both a lie, and dumb to do. Besides that, even though the wound had healed visibly, she still had a little pain when moving her shoulder sometimes.
"Well, thank you for the apology." She says. Cersei smiles and pours some wine into their cups.
"That is good, you are to be a Lannister, we should not fight among ourselves." Cersei says, taking a sip of wine. She looks at Arya, who hesitantly takes a sip herself. She barely manages to keep herself from spitting it out, and Cersei laughs at her face.
"Don't worry, I was the same when I first started drinking wine." She says, taking another sip. Arya takes another sip as well, but still does not like the burning in her throat.
"How did you get used to it?" She asks. Cersei smirks as she finishes the cup. Arya, not wanting to burn her throat or feel the wrath of the queen, finishes her cup in another gulp.
"Simple, by practicing." Cersei says, pouring more wine for the both of them. The two continue to drink another three cups, with Arya downing the wine quickly so she won't have to taste it, and Cersei slowly sipping.
"So, what is being a lady like?" Arya asks, obviously drunk. Cersei laughs at the young girl.
"Well, it is quite the experience, and you got lucky with Atticus as your husband." The queen says, pouring another glass for Arya.
"Yeah, he is really nice." Arya says, almost at the point where she is slurring her words. Cersei's face turns sour at this.
"I mean that you are to become the Lady of Casterly Rock, doesn't that matter to you?" She questions. Arya shakes her head vigorously.
"No, if he was a fisherman I would want to marry him." She answers. Cersei lunges from her sitting position and wraps one hand around Arya's neck, and pulls a small dagger out with the other,
"Don't you lie, you norther whore! And don't call for help, or I will have my guards hang your bastard brother from the walls of the keep." She says. Arya nods, as she feels the queen tighten her grip.
"What do you want?" She asks. Cersei brings the dagger to Arya's face, and points it at her eye.
"I spent my entire life helping House Lannister gain power. I refuse to let some little wolf from the north be known as Lady Lannister." Cersei says. Arya struggles and tries to pull away, but do to her drunkenness she only manages to get part of her shirt ripped, exposing her right shoulder.
"Why are you doing this?" Arya asks.
"Lyanna Stark already took any chance I had with my husband away. I won't have her niece take the name that I deserve away from me. Perhaps Atticus would be less willing to marry you when he finds this scar." She says pointing the knife at the jagged scar that runs down from Arya's collarbone to underneath her shift.
"He won't care!" She says defiantly.
"No, I guess he wouldn't. Perhaps if you didn't have a nose then." Cersei says, pressing the dull side of the blade against Arya's nose.
"Please, stop it" Arya says. Cersei smirks and grabs Arya by the hair, and with one quick slash, lobs off most of her hair. She then continues cutting Arya's hair, leaving it her hair sitting at her cheeks.
"Now I am done, now stay here and be a good girl." Cersei says, throwing down a fistful of hair at a crying Arya. She walks out of the room, and closes the door behind her before anyone can see inside. She smirks as she sees her ten guards restraining Jon and the other Stark guard.
"What did you do in there?" Jon questions. Cersei smiles at him, and gives him a pat on the cheek.
"Just girl things. We drank a bit, talked about boys, and did each others hair. Well, I did her hair mostly." Cersei says, and walks away. Her guards release Jon and the other guard and follow her. As soon as they are out of sight, Jon bolt's into Arya's room.
AN- Hey guys, another chapter done. I know a lot of people hate cliff hangers, but I want to save what happens next for another chapter. Also, in this story, Jory survives the fight with the Lannister men, since he didn't fight Jaime. Anyways, please R&R, and I hope you enjoyed!