I have decided to write an epilogue which will be the conclusion to this story.

It's almost over.

Slightlynerdy.

"You are the Lord of Winterfell, Warden of the North, and the Hand of the King. They shouldn't be allowed to do this to you."

She was perched on a rickety stool. The fire that she had brought with her danced around the walls, illuminating the shadows, and highlight the aging face of her father. He was drawn, his skin grey, his leg was not getting any better.

"I am their captor, I fear that there is nothing left for me to do," He hung his head, "I should have never of trusted Petyr Baelish."

"You can never trust anyone in this city." She wiped her hands on the front of her dress, "Father, what is going to happen to myself and Sansa?"

"You will be returned to Renly, perhaps as a ransom, Sansa…" He coughed, "Sansa will most likely remain here, wedded to either Joffrey or ransomed to Winterfell, to your mother."

"I will refuse to go if they order me back to Renly. I don't wish to leave Sansa alone."

"You may have to Tarynn. You cannot protect Sansa for the rest of her life just like I can no longer protect you. Soon you will have your own children who will need your attention more that your sister does. Life is fleeting. When the time comes that they do allow you to leave King's Landing to return to Renly you must go. Promise me. You must go. Renly is your husband he will protect you."

She looked at the ground, it was covered in a thin layer of straw, "I'm not sure if I can promise you that."

"Tarynn, Renly will be able to give you a sufficient life, if you remain in King's Landing then Cersei will use her like a pawn in her game."

"It is not Cersei who I worry about."

"What do you mean?" She didn't say anything and her father's gaze steeled, "What did you do."

"I have had… Had an affair with another."

Surprisingly her father did not erupt into a shower of curses and depletive language, he did however have a dispproving look on his face, "That Lannister boy who was killed during the tourney."

"Toby? No."

Her father looked surprised, "Really? He had taken a great interest in you, showed you a lot of attention, I had thought that…"

"No. I never did anything with Tobias Hill."

Her father coughed, "Do I truly wish to know about the amount of illicit affairs that you have been conducting."

"I have never kept secrets from you before father. I do not wish to start not with uncertainty looming so close before us."

His voice was harsh, "Tell me."

She stood up, brushing down the front of her dress, she went and kissed her father on the cheek, promising him that she would have someone bring him more water, bread and some milk of the poppy. She turned away from him and banged on the door. When Varys came to allow her to leave she turned back slightly and uttered one name, "Sandor Clegane."

XXX

"Was it wise telling your father, Lady Baratheon."

Varys held the door open for her as she passed through and into the dark courtyard, "If you think my father will attempt to ruin me, I assure you he won't, I did not think it right to keep the truth from him any longer. Even since I was a child I used to confess everything to him. I do not wish that to change."

"I will not question your judgement… You have enough medicine to prevent pregnancy etc."

"Yes, I take it after every… meeting."

"Good. An affair is one thing but illegitimate children are another. Especially when they are the mother's illegitimate children. Just look at our gracious queen regent."

"Please do not compare myself to Cersei."

"You are more alike than you realise. It probably contributes to why you dislike one another so heavily."

"I have not conducted incest with my own brother so I believe that we are very different."

When they reached her chambers Varys bid her good night, "I have been able to remove the guards from your door by telling Cersei that you writing to your dear husband about how they have you under lock and key may show bad blood, after all you are all family."

"Please, don't remind me, good night Varys."

"And you, Lady Baratheon."

She closed the door tightly, resting against it, she sighed. The situation that she was in seemed impossible. If her father was sent to the Wall, if she was given to Renly as a gesture of goodwill that would leave Sansa and Arya wherever she may be alone surrounded by the corruption that lived within these very walls. She went to the window, gazing out at the dark city beneath her, somewhere among the houses and stalls Arya was hiding, probably frightened. Tarynn slammed her hand against the wall, she should have gone to her sisters first on the day that the king had died, not her father, she should have found Arya and Sansa and put them under guard so that Arya didn't have the chance to go missing.

"Now I will have to plead with someone to send a search party after her."

"That's a nominal idea Lady Baratheon."

She turned, her hand going to her chest, "Who are you? Show yourself now."

"It is only I." Petyr Baelish stepped out from the shadowed bathroom doorway, slowly Tarynn began inching towards her desk, there was a letter opener on it that could do serious damage should the need arise. Petyr however noticed her actions, "Come, come my Lady. I came only to talk with you. I hope you do not see me as a threat."

"You betrayed my father, of course I see you as a threat, I would be foolish not to. Now, please leave."

"I'm afraid that I cannot leave just yet," He smirked, moving over towards the bottle of wine, "Ah, wine from the Westerlands, Tyrell lands if I am not mistaken. Your husband has good taste." He took the goblets, pouring for both of them, "I come seeking your promise that the words I speak within these four walls," He gestured with his smallest finger before handing her the glass, "Never leave these four walls."

She took a sip, "You have my attention. Speak quickly and freely, no one will hear of this conversation, you have my word."

He smiled, "You are turning into your father more and more each day. I have no doubt that you will become a force to be feared. The queen regent will have to keep an eye on you."

"Is that what you came to talk to me about? That I shall become a threat to Cersei Lannister? I assure you that I already had plans on making the rest of her days difficult for her."

"No, it isn't, but how exactly are you going to make her life a misery?" He grinned, his eyes twinkling, "Cersei Lannister is a tough nut to crack, she is persistent and mad for power, you are but a young woman left behind by her husband with no connections and no support." He placed the goblet on the desk before moving closer to her, his face inches from her own, "Which is why you will need my help." He looked into her eyes, searching, and for a fraction of a second she thought he was going to kiss her. He didn't he smiled again and the pecked her on the cheek, "Think about it Lady Baratheon and let me know your answer."

He moved away from her heading towards the door, "You will benefit greatly from having allies in this city."

"Yes but what do you want from me."

He paused in opening the door, "I want nothing from you." He smiled suspiciously before letting himself out.

She went to the door and checked that it was shut properly before securing it with the lock. Now both Varys and Littlefinger had offered her help. And she couldn't trust either of them.

Days after she had seen her father and had revealed to him hers and Sandor's affair, Sandor arrived with a stack of letters, some addressed to her, and some were addressed to her father.

"Your father requested that you take over the affairs that he had in the city, meaning that you will be receiving the letters sent here. I assume that your brother will take over the affairs of Winterfell."

She accepted the letters, before moving towards the desk, "Yes. Robb will be Lord of Winterfell. Barely a man and already he will become the Warden of the North should my father be stripped of his titles and sent to the Wall."

"Aye. He will need your help."

She sighed, "It seems that everyone is needing my help. Sansa needs it, Renly will need it, my brother, mother…" She noticed that quite a few of the letters had Renly's seal on them, some were also from Winterfell. "How did you get these letters?"

"That ball-less twat, Varys, gave them to me. I think he knows of our…"

"Yes, I know he does, speaking of which so does my father."

"What?"

She moved to the looking glass, straightening her corset, "My father is going to be sent to the Wall, he will not wish to ruin me, and plus I have always shared my secrets with me father. More so then I did my mother. He deserved to know that I love you and not Renly." She turned to him, "Now he knows the truth."

Sandor folded his arms across his armoured chest, "I was debating wherever to ask for your father for your hand in marriage after I had won the Tourney. I could have bought a sizeable piece of land with the winnings."

"You would have been refused, and that would have shed more light on our relationship, which at the time benefitted from being kept in the dark."

"I know. That's why I let you marry that pompous dick and didn't cause a scene at the ceremony. Wouldn't want to embarrass you."

"I wouldn't have been embarrassed, shocked maybe, and worried for your safety should you have declared such a thing in front of Renly, the king may the Gods guide him and my father."

Sandor shrugged his shoulders, "I could have taken them."

She moved past him, "I'm sure."

She returned to the desk again, opening up one of the letters from Renly, "How is it that Joffrey allows you to visit me?"

"Ah. The boy believes that you and Sansa are frightened of me, a scare tactic I guess in order to make you more controllable. If you don't do what he wants then the Hound will make you do it. That's his motto."

"Well it has worked on Sansa. She is practically terrified of you. You must have made quite the impression on her."

"That little bird is scared of everyone and everything. She is living in a gilded cage. Good for nothing but singing and empty headed comments."

"Be careful what you say Sandor, she is still my sister."

"And obsessed with marrying the sadist that is Joffrey."

"Not anymore I think." She scanned the contents of the letter that Renly sent her. "He is worried for my safety. Wishes me to depart King's Landing at once and wonders if I am pregnant yet." She looked up at Sandor, "You know I don't think men quite understand how pregnancy works."

"Please don't talk about that twat in front of me. It makes me want to stab something."

"As long as you don't stab me we're fine."

There was a knock at the door, "Lady Baratheon. The king requests your presence."

Sandor looked at her, "Bathroom?"

"Bathroom."

She opened the door only to be greeted by a group of guards, among them was her sister, wearing a dark blue dress. Tarynn walked into the midst of them and took her sisters arm gripping it tightly she kept her sister close to her, "Have you heard any news of father?"

"No. He's still in the cells… Tarynn, I'm going to ask Joffrey for mercy on father's behalf."

"Sansa…"

"Please let me do it Tarynn, please, please. Joffrey will listen to me."

"Our gracious king," The words tasted bitter as they left her mouth, "Listens to no counsel, least of all yours Sansa but… But if it makes you feel better then you may request it."

"Thank you." A wave of determination washed over her younger sister, "He has to listen to me, he will," She looked up at her, "Won't he?"

"There is no harm in trying San."

They were guided towards the throne room, she had no idea what was in store for them and she was only partly aware of the fact that they were being half paraded in front of servants and nobles alike as the daughters of a traitor, the other part of her was concentrating on the fact that she knew her father would survive this ordeal, that his fate had already been sealed and that she was sure that Joffrey would accept Sansa's pleas partly because of saving face and the other to make her father's sentence to appear more feasible.

Once they reached the throne room Tarynn took Sansa's hand, the young girl gripped it tightly as they walked through the people gathered at Joffrey's behest. Their eyes were upon them, each one watching the two daughters of Eddard Stark with distaste and distrust. She looked up only to see Sandor standing beside his king, at his rightful place, to the right of him. He would have had to hurry to be there before them but he did know the ins and outs of the servant's tunnels since he was a servant himself. She approached the throne, standing to the left of it opposite the queen regent who smiled sadly at Sansa but ignored Tarynn completely.

Janos Slynt had just been named a Lord by the new king and granted Harrenhal as his seat. She eyed the man as he walked away.

"In the place of the traitor, Eddard Stark, it is the wish of his grace that Tywin Lannister Lord of Casterly Rock and Warden of the West be appointed Hand of the King." Maester Pycelle's shaking voice boomed out across the hall. "Lastly, in these times of treason and turmoil, it is the view of council that the life and safety of king Joffery be of paramount importance."

She resisted the urge to scoff and look away, instead she kept her face a mask of stone, catching sight of Petyr Baelish who looked at her with a mixture of pity and unbridled interest. The man was beginning to creep her out.

Cersei was the next to speak, "Ser Barristan Selmy." She stood and Ser Barristan, leader of the Kingsguard moved forward in order to stand in front of his king.

"Your grace, I am yours to command." He knelt.

"Rise Ser Barristan, you may take off your helm." He did this hesitantly, reaching up to grip the heavy metal before taking it off his head revealing his head of white hair, "You have served the realm long and faithfully every man and woman in the Seven Kingdoms owes you thanks but it is time to put aside your armour and your sword. It is time to rest and look back with pride on your many years of service."

Tarynn looked between the old knight and the queen regent, tension building up within the walls of the hall, there were varied murmurs resonating around.

"Your grace the Kingsguard is a sworn brotherhood of vows that have been taken for life, only death relieves us of them."

"Who's death, Ser Barristan? Yours or your king's?"

Joffrey spoke up, his voice filled with venom, "You let my father die. You're too old to protect anybody."

"Your grace-"

"The council has determined that Ser Jamie Lannister will take your place as Lord Commander of the Kingsguard."

Anger filled Ser Barristan's voice, "The man who profaned his blade with the blood of the king he was sworn to defend."

"Careful Ser."

"We have nothing but gratitude for your long service Ser," Varys spoke up, "You shall be given a stout keep beside the sea with servants to look after your every need."

"A hole to die in." Selmy looked back up at Cersei, "And men to bury me." He began to rip off his white cloak, "I am a knight." He took it off before throwing it on the ground, his helm also, "I shall die a knight." Tarynn felt for the man, to be dismissed simply because of his age, she knew full well that Ser Barristan was still a capable fighter.

"A naked knight apparently." Baelish's quip caused many to laugh, but she remained silent, as did Sansa.

Barristan drew his sword and the hall quietened, the Kingsguard, his former brothers pulled out theirs too, "Even now I could cut through the five of you like carving a cake! Here boy," He threw his sword down at Joffrey's feet, "Melt it down and add it to the others." He walked away, marching towards the doors at the end of the throne room, people parting before him.

The doors closed with an echoing bang. With nothing else on the agenda, Joffrey began to stand up. His Kingsguard moving accordingly. Sandor stood with his hand on the hilt of his blade watching the members of the court as they dispersed. She nudged Sansa forward, "It is now or never my darling. I am right behind you."

Sansa stood up straight and took a deep breath before walking forward, "Your grace." Her voice was clear and pure. Tarynn realised now more than ever that Sansa was growing up, already she was beginning to become more womanly. Her hips developing into curves. She was almost the same height as Tarynn too, it would not be long before she overtook her. Sansa had inherited their father's height, the same as Robb, Tarynn on the other hand owed her short stature to her mother's side.

"My Lady, Sansa." Joffrey walked down the steps towards her but his gaze was focused on Tarynn.

The queen regent also stopped, turning her attention to the two sisters who had approached the king.

"I wish to beg for mercy, on my father's behalf," Sansa lowered her gaze, "If you grace would allow it."

Joffrey smirked, "I am sure that some sort of arrangement can be prepared in accordance to your request, my Lady."

Cersei smiled, and Sansa curtseyed, "Thank you your grace."

"And what about you dear Aunt. Did you also come forward to beg for mercy to be given to your father? Or have you come to ask me to send you back to your husband?"

"I too wish mercy for my father and I hope you see the value that a merciful action has. I also wish to speak to Lord Baelish, should you permit it."

Joffrey scoffed. "I will take your advice into consideration…" He smirked, "and just talk to him for Gods sake woman. Go bother someone else with your petty requests…" He began to stalk out of the room but turned around at the last moment, holding up a finger, "Write to my uncle, tell him to swear fealty to me," He grinned maliciously, "Otherwise we may not be able to assure your safety." The boy king left as did his mother. Sandor nodded at her before falling into step with Joffrey.

"Return to your chambers Sansa." She turned to her sister and clasped her hands, "Entertain yourself for a short while." Her sister nodded, a mournful look in her eyes, she embraced her tightly, "Joffrey would be a fool to refuse your request."

Sansa's response was small, "I'm pretty sure he already is a fool."

The master of coin called to her, "Lady Tarynn, might we adjourn to the small council room?"

"Go. I will visit you soon."

Sansa left with the guards that had accompanied them, a couple of them stayed behind but she waved them away, when they didn't move she sighed, "My Lady we were told to remain by your…"

"I have no affiliation with House Stark now," The lie was a hard one to construct, "My loyalties lie with my husband and the House Baratheon, subsequently our gracious king's House. You may have noticed that my name is now Lady Baratheon and not Lady Stark."

The men hesitated but eventually they departed, following Lady Sansa out of the throne room. She turned to Petyr Baelish. "The small council chamber will suffice."

XXX

"You are playing a dangerous game now. I do hope you realise this."

She looked at the map of the Seven Kingdoms, her finger tips idly circling Winterfell, "I am the aunt of the king. If Joffrey so much as touches me Renly will hear of it and Renly will march against him. I know full well that Cersei does not wish to start a war which is why it was her initiative to spare my father in the first place. Exile will be less condemning then death."

"You must keep control of your actions however."

"And you must control yours also."

Littlefinger smirked, "I have nothing but the utmost respect for you Lady Baratheon. I am pretty sure I called you an investment just last night." He said it in a tone that suggested that they were in some sort of sexual relationship together. "But you may wish to refrain from calling me out in front of the king and the queen regent. Would not want people to think that our relationship was anything more than platonic."

She ignored his comment, "You loved my mother did you not?" He shrank back a little, his eyes narrowing with suspicion. "You commented on my resemblance to her once."

"Yes. You have the same eyes."

"Then I request your help. As the daughter of the woman that you loved. I need your help to save my sister from Joffrey's clutches."

XXX

Tarynn,

The news from the south is troubling. I heard many times, from numerous sources, that father has been arrested. That you, Sansa and Arya have been imprisoned within the keep as hostages. I wish to march to King's Landing, take the city by force, and rescue father, you, Sansa and Arya from Joffrey. I do not believe, I will not believe that father is a traitor.

I am coming.

Robb Stark, standing Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North.

Tarynn folded the letter up and put it on the desk. She had numerous letters to go through, stacks of them, some addressed to her father others were addressed to her. How Varys procured them she did not know.

There was a knock at the door, the sound of metal against wood, "Come in."

The door opened with a creak and in came Sandor, hulking and massive, with a silver tray balanced on one hand. "I had to pay one silver to the serving girl to take this from her just so I could have a reason as to why I was coming to your chambers." He dumped the tray next to her on her desk and removed the lid, uncovering its contents, "You may be prisoner but you sure do eat well."

Honey glazed pork rested on a bed of asparagus and carrots, mashed sweet potato resided beside it and a pot of gravy and some mustard was also present. "If you want it, have it, I have lost my appetite."

"If you insist I won't say no." He tore off his gauntlets and sat down on one of the chairs, before stabbing into the food like he would a human.

She opened the next letter, ignoring the appreciative noises that Sandor was emitting.

My darling,

I have received a letter from the 'king' stating that you will be kept within the city until I have sworn fealty to him as the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms. You should have come with me when you had the chance. At the very least we would have continued trying to conceive a child, my heir, if you fall pregnant and we have not yet been reunited you must write to me immediately.

I cannot disclose my plans within this letter, for fear that it may be read by another, just know that I am thinking of you constantly and I wish for us to be reunited swiftly and before the end of the year. I will try my utmost hardest to ensure that this will happen.

Yours, Renly Baratheon, Lord of Storm End.

She dropped the letter back onto the grainy wooden surface. Sighing she turned to face Sandor who was still ravishing the food that had been intended for her, "Do you ever stop eating?"

"I'm a big man if you haven't noticed which means a big appetite."

"And an even bigger temper." She pulled her hair out of its braid, running her fingers through the knots, "They sentence my father tomorrow."

Sandor placed the tray down. "I know."

"Gods. What am I going to do!?"

"Nothing. You don't need to do anything."

"My father is going to be stripped of his titles and exiled, meaning that my brother will becoming the Lord of Winterfell. He is barely a man. Arya is missing. Sansa will be wedded to a sadist and masochist. I have plenty of things that I need to do. My family is being torn apart and I am going to try my utmost hardest to keep us together."

"Tarynn…"

"Don't Tarynn me Sandor. Family always comes first… Family… It's my duty to…" Suddenly the tears began to freely flow, she wiped them away furiously as Sandor moved to console her, "Don't. Just… Don't."

"Tarynn I don't know what you expect me to do."

"I… Just how can you stand by while a child born of incest takes over the throne? How can you still stand by his right side?"

"Do you want to be subjected to Joffrey's sadistic tendencies, do you want your sister to be tortured and tormented during her impending marriage to that little bastard because that is what is going to happen if I don't continue being in that shit's pocket. Who's going to protect you if my head rolls down the Keep's steps? Littlefinger? That eunuch prick? They don't even know which end of a sword you stab with."

"Sometimes intrigue and intelligence provides more protection than weapons and violence."

"I cannot stop the bastard from going too far if I walk away from him."

"And how exactly do you hope to stop him from going far?"

"I helped raise him. I am the closest thing to a father figure he has."

"That explains why he enjoys violence and tormenting people." She brushed past him, intending on changing into her nightclothes in the bathroom but Sandor gripped her arm, forcing her to look at him.

"I do what is necessary. You go out and ask all the men who claim to be soldiers. You ask them, each and every one, whether or not they enjoy slicing a man open in half. I can tell you now that their answers will be the same as mine."

She shook his hand off her arm. "You're a monster."

"I never claimed to be anything else. But what does that make you since you fell in love with me." She looked away from him, "I love you and I would never purposefully do anything to harm you but I am a killer Wolf. That's what I do, what I am good at, and if anyone so much as looks at you the wrong way I will have no qualms about splitting their skull open."

She looked up, "I'm just having difficulty grasping the situation that I'm in Sandor."

"I know," He caressed her cheek with his thumb, "Let me take your worries away."

Sandor was asleep next to her, a risky move considering that at any moment someone could just walk right in and catch them together. But despite the risk she relished having Sandor lying in bed with her, his arm over her stomach, for a fraction of a second she imagined that they were married. That they would be able to do this, just lie in bed together, forever. She sighed, soon she would have to wake him up so that he could return to his own room and hopefully no one would see him leaving her quarters.

Her mind began to wander. Today was the day that the fate of her father would be determined. He will be sent to the Wall to live out the rest of the years protecting the realm from the threat that the denizens beyond the Wall posed. Tarynn doubted that she would ever see him again once he had been banished to the northern most region. At least he will be with Jon. She thought then of her half-brother. Her mother had hated him, hated the fact that he was proof that her husband had been unfaithful to her, and she had taken on this view for most of her life having listened to her mother's insistent remarks that Jon be kept away from any social matters and family time where she might be present. Yet Jon had no deserved it. It was not his fault that he had been born to parents who were not married.

She wondered what her life may have been like if she had been the bastard child instead of Jon. At least if she had been she would have been allowed to do whatever she wanted and marry whomever she wished.

Turning on her side she gently kissed Sandor on the forehead before shaking him lightly, he wok with a start.

"You have to leave, before someone catches you warming my bed."

He gave her a sleepy half-grin, "Let them. Or are you ashamed of having a Hound in your bed." She kicked him and he rolled onto her, kissing her, "I love you."

"I love you too."

He got up, collecting his various clothing items before donning them, he left quickly and quietly. Leaving no trace that he had been there at all.

She reached over to her sleep draught, downing it quickly before settling back amongst her pillows, the bed now cold due to the lack of heat that had been supplied by Sandor.

Slowly she drifted into sleep, a small piece of her mind still worrying about what was to come.

The crowd roared with deafening noise as the bells tolled. It seemed that every man, woman and child had turned up to see the sentencing of her father, the supposed traitor, who had only wanted to save the Seven Kingdoms and its inhabitants from the life that they will experience under a tyrant. She stood between her sister and the Cersei, her face betraying no emotions, she stood as still as a stone.

"People enjoy a show of justice," The queen regent's voice was hushed, "Your father should not have spoken so outrageously against his king, he should have sworn fealty and taken my offer of leaving out his days in your frozen homeland."

For once Tarynn agreed with the Lannister bitch, "If only we could reverse the hands of time."

The thundering shouts of the crowd grew ever louder as her father was led out cuffed by two soldiers in gold armour. The people waved their fist, shouting derogative words at the former Hand of the King. She felt Sansa grip her arm. He was pushed through the swarm of people, 'traitor' was screamed at him as the guards guided him through the masses. Petyr Baelish looked up at her briefly from where he stood below her. His eyes baring no sympathy, his trademark smirk on his face. When her father was led past them she smiled, hoping that I was reassuring, but all she could see in her father's eyes was worry. He was moved to stand in front of the crowd, his voice shaky when he addressed the people who saw him as a traitor.

They don't know the truth.

"I am Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Hand of the King," He paused and looked up to where she and Sansa stood, Sansa nodded encouragingly and she mouthed the words 'go on' smiling sadly, if her father admitted that he was attempting to take the throne from Joffrey then the punishment for him would be exile to the Wall which was better than death. "I come before you to confess my treason in the sight of Gods and men. I betrayed the faith of my king and the trust of my friend Robert, I swore to protect and defend his children, but before his blood was cold I plotted to murder his son…"

Tarynn looked away from her father's figure, resisting the urge to scream out and denounce all that her father was saying as lies, that he did not plan to kill Joffrey and that his main motive was to remove a boy who had no right to rule from the seat of power.

"…and seize the throne for myself."

There were cries of outrage from the crowd. Someone threw a rock at her father, hitting him on the head. Sansa gasped and she took a step forward but Sandor righted him gently, catching Tarynn's eye as he did so, she nodded her thanks. His eyes showed his sympathy.

"Let the High Septon and Baelor the Blessed bear witness to what I say…" There was brief pause, "Joffrey Baratheon, is the one true air to the Iron Throne…" Joffrey turned to look at his mother, a smirk on his face, "By the grace of all the Gods, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm."

The crowd erupted again as Maester Pycelle stepped forward to make his speech. She looked across the sea of faces, her eyes catching sight of a dirty boy standing on one of the statues in the plaza, before quickly returning her gaze to the sight of her father's slouched frame.

"As we sin so do we suffer, this man has confessed his crimes, in sight of Gods and men. The Gods are just! But beloved Baelor taught us they can also be merciful." Pycelle turned to face Joffrey, "What is to be done with this traitor, your grace?"

Joffrey raised his hand to quiet the crown, "My mother wishes me to let Lord Eddard join the Night's Watch, stripped of all titles and power, so that he would serve the realm in permanent exile… And my Lady Sansa," Joffrey turned to face them, "and Aunt, Lady Tarynn Baratheon, have begged mercy for their father…" He looked down before returning his gaze to the crowd, "But they have the soft hearts of women! So long as I am your king, treason shall never go unpunished." Tarynn's throat turned dry and she felt Sansa grip her arm even tighter, "Ser Ilyn bring me his head!"

Sansa began to sob, screaming, "No. Stop!"

Tarynn pushed past the queen, walking right up to her father, tears flowing down her face as she started to cry, "They can't do this, father…They can't." She hugged her father tightly, crying hysterically, "Please. Please don't kill him!" She screamed, her own voice mashing with Sansa's as wails of the stricken.

She felt someone rip her away from him, her father's eyes were filled with disbelief and grief, "Keep her safe."

Sandor's voice was gruff and hoarse, "I will."

"No." She battled against the strong grip that Sandor had on her, Ilyn Payne walked forward, unsheathing his sword, "No. No, no, no. Stop him. Someone stop him," She started sobbing, "They can't… Daddy… I… Please…"

Sansa was screaming, "Stop him, stop!"

Lord Eddard looked at her as he was forced to his knees, "Be brave."

Tarynn reached out to her father as the sword was swung down, severing her father's head from his shoulders.

She let out an almighty wail as the light died in her father's eyes as his head rolled onto the floor.