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A few days later, Raenera came in from the gardens with Starlight at her side. She passed through the throne room. She saw Lord Varys talking to a rider. She tilted her head Lord Varys caught her eyes as made her way out of the room.
Jon Snow walked heading over a horse with a saddle over his left shoulder. They were preparing to leave. Ned and girls were leaving to head to kings landing with the royal party. Jon was heading to the wall to take his vows. Robb came over to Jon as he walked.
"You've said goodbye to Bran?" Robb asked looking over to Jon. Jon had just come from doing so. He nodded his head. "He's not going to die. I know it" Robb stated.
"You Starks are hard to kill," Jon said.
"My mother?" Robb asked.
"She was very kind" Jon answered.
"Good," Robb said.
Jon placed the saddle on the horse. He turned and looked at Robb.
"Next time I see you, you'll be all in black" Robb commented.
"It was always my color" Jon joked.
"Farewell, Snow," Robb said
"And you, Stark," Jon said.
They both looked at each other for a moment. Before, they both embrace. They had grown up together and this was goodbye for them. They let go of each other. Robb turned and walked away. Jon turned to tighten the saddle.
Raenera was sitting reading a book when a knock sounded at her door. She looked up from her book that Maester had given her. She placed the book down as Starlight looked up from her favorite spot by the fire. She moved to the door opening it. Lord Varys stood at her door. She motioned him into her room. He came into the chambers moving to the table in the room. Starlight eyes followed him not really trusting him. Raenera came over to him offering him a glass of wine.
"What brings you here Lord Varys, " Raenera asked pouring herself a glass of wine.
"News from the east; your half sister married a Dothraki horse lord."
"My sister is married. Lord Varys have you heard any news on my marriage?"
Varys looked at her fo a moment. She knew in that moment that things would go as planned.
"Lord Eddard Stark has agreed to be the hand of the king…" Lord Varys started. Raenera nodded her head. She had figured that was to come. One cannot really say no to a king. She took a sip of the wine. Starlight feeling mistress discomfort came over rest her head on Raena's lap. "They have agreed that Lady Sansa is to marry Prince Joffery when she becomes of age."
Raenera nearly laughed at that. That girl was in a world of hurt. Joffery was anything but kind. He loved to make her cry as a child. If it was not for her father intervening at some points she would have scars on her body from him.
"I'm sorry my lady, Lord Stark has not agreed to match."
Raenera nodded her head. She kept all her emotions in check as Lord Varys got up to leave. He placed his hand in hers trying to comfort her.
"The whispers to say he wants to meet you before he decides."
"Thank you, Lord Varys."
Lord Varys left Raena to her own thoughts. A moment after the door shut Raenera broke down. All years of being perfect crumbled away in that second. Tears poured from her eyes. All she wanted was to be free of the red keep and this horrid game. There was a brief moment she thought of packing her belongings and disappearing into the dark. Using what little money she had to barter passage across the narrow seas. Starlight whined at her mistress distress.
It will be alright it will be alright. It was not completely hopeless. He wants to see her before he decides.
Raenera knew that she was lying to herself. She rose from the chair motion for Starlight to follow her making for the other place that she felt free the woods outside Kings Landing. Once she was outside she made her way to her homemade bow and few handmade arrows. Starlight was taking in many scents that she rare smelled. Raenera smiled as she watched Starlight puppy like antics. She slowly became one with the world around her. This was the place Jon Arryn taught her to shoot a bow and arrow; after Joffery nearly pushed her down a stairwell in Red Keep a child.
A six-year-old Raena stood near her father with a bowed head. Her dark curls hiding her face. Maester Pycelle was looking her over for injuries after she nearly fallen down a stairwell. Jon Arryn stood near her looking at her. She had yet to tell them what had happened. She was brought into Maester Pycelle chambers by Jamie Lannister.
"The gods were on your side child. Not a broken bone to be found. You were quite lucky." Maester Pycelle stated.
"Thank you Pycelle, " Jon Arryn said.
Jon Arryn and Raenera walked back toward the tower o the hand of the king. They did not stop until they were back in her room. She sat on the large bed looking very somber expression on her small face.
"What happened Rae?"
Raenera looked up at her father for a moment before averting her purple-blue eyes. He sat next to her on the bed after shutting the door. He placed his hand on the back of her small head. He stroked her mass of dark curls.
"You can tell me, Rae"
Her eyes met his brown eyes. She gave a weak smile. Before, tears nearly fell down her delicate-featured face.
"I hate it here. The prince tried to kill me. If was not for Ser Jamie's quick action I would have been seriously hurt. I don't belong here"
"Raena yes you do. You belong here more than they do. Come with me." Jon Arryn said.
Raena looked at him oddly for a moment before taking her father hand. He led her through many passageways until they came to the Old Gate. He nodded to one of city watch to open the gate.
They head into the forest near there. This was the first time that she had been outside of Kings Landing. He stood next to her for a moment taking out an old bow. He placed it in her small hands. She looked at him questioningly.
"I may not be able to teach you to swing a sword but a bow Rae is much more manageable. But you must promise me you will never use it to hurt a person. Promise me Raenera"
I promise" Raenera whispered coming out of her memories.
She had taken up spot she used to practice shoot with her father at. She let a few arrows fly. Most hit the nearly dead center of the target. She by no means was expert markswoman but she was good. If she had to she could hunt to survive. Raenera walked over retrieving the arrows from the wood. Starlight looked at with cocked head. She nodded to head deeper into the woods.
Ned and the Royal party had stopped to the midday meal. Ned sat at a table. King Robert was relieving himself on a tree. Before, he headed back toward the table.
"Gods this is country!" King Robert started heading back over to the table. He sat down across from Ned. They were surrounded by guards with food on the table. "I've half a mind to leave them all behind and keep going." King Robert stated.
"I've half a mind to go with you,"Ned said.
"What do you say, just you and me on the kings road, sword at our sides. A couple of tavern wenches to warm our beds tonight?" King Robert asked.
"You should have asked me twenty years ago" Ned commented.
"There were wars to fight, woman to marry. We never had a chance to be young." King Robert stated.
"I recalled a few chances" Ned laughed.
King Robert and Ned both laughed. They ate.
"There was that one… Oh, what was her name? That common girl of yours? Becca with the great big tits you could bury your face in." King Robert reminisced.
"Bessie; She was one of yours" Ned commented.
"Bessie! Thanks the gods for Bessie and her tits" King Robert started. He looked at Ned for a moment as they remembered the past. Ned looked off. "Yours was Aleena? No. You told me once. Meryl? Your bastard's mother?" King Robert finished.
"Wylla," Ned said gravely.
"That's it. She must have been a rare wench to make Lord Eddard Stark forget his honor. You never told me what she looked like" King Robert commented.
"Nor will I" Ned stated.
"We were at war. None of us knew if we were gonna go back home again. You're too hard on yourself. You always have been. I swear if I weren't your king, you'd have hit me already" Robert said.
"The worst thing about your coronation…I'll never get to hit you again." Ned laughed.
"Trust me that's not the worst thing. There was a rider in the night" Robert said pulling out a piece of paper. He handed it, Ned. Ned read the piece of paper.
"Daenerys Targaryen has wed some Dothraki horse Lord. What of it? Do we send her a wedding gift?" Ned said irritated.
"A knife perhaps, a good sharp one, and a bold man to weld it" King Robert commented.
"She's little more than a child," Ned said.
"Soon enough that child will spread her legs and start breeding." Robert started.
"Tell me we're not speaking of this," Ned stated horrified that they were talking killing child half a world away because of who her family was.
"Oh, it's unspeakable to you? What her father did to your family; and Lord Umber's sister that was unspeakable. What Rhaegar Targaryen did to your sister the woman I loved? I'll kill every Targaryen I get my hands on." King Robert said venom fully.
"But you can't get your hands on this one, can you?" Ned stated.
"This Khal Drogo, it's said he has 100,000 men in his horde," Robert said.
"Even a million Dothraki are no threat to the realm, as long as they remain on the other side of the narrow sea. They have no ships, Robert." Ned yelled.
"There are still those in the seven kingdoms who call me usurper. If the Targaryen boy crosses with a Dothraki horde at his back, the scum will join him."King Robert yelled.
"He will not cross. And if by chance he does we'll throw him back into the sea" Ned stated.
"There's a war coming, Ned. I don't know when I don't know who we'll be fighting. But it's coming" Robert said.
Raenera later close to dusk came back through the old gate a couple rabbit and gooses tied up of a stick that she and Starlight had hunted. She nodded to the guard at the gate. She made her way back down to flea bottom. She came to the orphanage she knocked on the door. One of the caretakers opened the door. She looked shocked to see Raena there. She smiled at the caretaker and the caretaker at her. Raena present her killed to a caretaker. She looked shocked it was more food than the needed. The caretaker shook her head.
"Take it keep them healthy and fed and yourselves. I don't need it" Raena said.
"Thank you Lady Arryn may the Gods smile on you always, " The caretaker said.
"And you" Raena replied.
Raenera turned heading back to the red keep with Starlight at her side. She paused once she reached the gardens the sun was setting her eyes locked on the sea; where across the sea her sister was married. Raenera could feel it something had changed and not for the better a war was coming she could also feel it.