Chapter Text
Eddard Stark I
Robert knelt and bowed his head in respect, tears forming in his eyes. “She was more beautiful than a statue could ever be,” the king said after a minute of silence. “Did you really have to bury her here, in a place like this?” his voice full of grief. “She deserved so much more.”
“She was a Stark; this is where she belongs.”
The king touched her cheeks, “In my dreams I kill him every night. No matter how many times I kill him, it still feels like he won.” The tears were streaming down his face now, Ned didn’t know what to say.
After a few seconds he said, “We should go back, your Grace. Your queen will be waiting for you.”
“My queen,” he huffed sourly, “The others can take her.” He started walking, “And if I hear you calling me Your grace one more time, I will bring out my warhammer. We are closer than that”.
“Aye Robert,” he answered. “But can you even lift your Warhammer now?” he added with a little laugh.
“I may be fat, but there are still muscles under all the layers. I would trash you around the yard if I wanted to,” he said with a smile.
“So, tell me about Jon, what happened?” Ned asked.
Robert just shook his head, “What is there to say? One day he was healthy as always, and the next he couldn’t even leave his bed. Never seen a man sicken so quickly.” He stopped walking, “I really loved that man you know? Was like a father to me. Even if I did not always do as he wanted, I still loved the old man.”
“Aye, we both did,” Ned whispered back.
"I had planned to wait for a couple of days, but I see that there is no need. You must wonder why I finally moved my ass all the way up to Winterfell," Robert said with a glint in his eye.
"Can’t visiting your best friend be a reason enough?" Ned answered with a fake smile, knowing very well where this conversation was heading.
"I wish it were, old friend, but I’m afraid more serious business brings me here. These are difficult times, and I need good men around me. Men like Jon, people I can trust. In Kingslanding I am surrounded by flattering fools, people always trying to gain my favor. It's driving me mad Ned, most of them do not even dare telling me truth.” He shaked his head. “I need good men Ned, and you are the best of them all. Lord Stark I would name you hand of the king.”
Ned dropped to one knee; he knew the offer was coming but the reality still hit him when he heard those words. The hand is the second most powerful man in Westerose, he speaks for the king, leads his armies, drafts laws, runs the country. “Your Grace, I’m not worthy of the honor,” he answered.
Robert smiled and chuckled “Honor you? If I wanted to honor you I would leave you to live your life here in the north. I’m letting you run the kingdom while I drink myself to an early death,” He slapped Ned on the back, “You know the saying right?”
Ned did actually know the saying, “What the king dreams, the hand builds.”
Robert smiled, “That’s one version of it, I heard another one from the small folk. They say the king eats and the hand takes the shit.” He threw his head back letting his roaring laugh out, bouncing against the walls of the crypts. Ned was still on one knee looking at his king. “You could at least fake a smile, Ned,” he jested.
“And I thought you were tired of flattering fools,” Ned japed back, getting to his feet. The king grew serious again, “Aye, you helped me win this throne, now it's time for you to help me keep it. Now promise me one thing Ned, do not ever become one of those fools. Keep it real with me, please.” Ned nodded. “Now, me and Lyanna were meant to rule together,” Robert continued, “Rhaegar denied me that, but we could still join our houses. I have a boy and you have a girl, my Joff and your Sansa shall join our houses.”
Now this surprised Ned, “My Sansa? But she is just a young girl, only eleven.”
Robert waved him away, “Old enough for a betrothal, the wedding can wait till they get older.”
Ned hesitated, he wasn’t ready to betroth his children already, in his eyes they were still children, way too young to be deciding this. He remembered back to his childhood, to the tourney of Harrenhall, to the dance with Ashara. How he was forced to marry a stranger for an army. That would not happen to his children. “You honor me Robert, but this is all so unexpected. May I have some time to consider? I need to discuss it with my wife.”
“Of course Ned, go tell Catelyn and sleep on it. Just don’t take too long, I haven’t become any more patient with the years,” Robert said, thinking back. “The years in Eyrie with you were the best years of my life, you know? The two of us, all our adventures and turning Jon’s hair gray early. I miss those days.”
Ned nodded “Me too, my friend, me too.”
After they left the crypts Robert went towards the smithy, mumbling something about checking his armor. Ned himself went straight to his solar, sending a guard to fetch for his wife. He sat down heavily in the chair, pouring himself some wine. This was all too much for him, there was definitely something weird about Jon`s death. No way he died so quickly of natural causes, he knew Robert would offer him the position as hand, but betrothing Sansa was not something he saw coming. He took another sip of the wine, trying to distract himself from his thoughts. Finally someone knocked on the door “Come in.”
“You wanted to see me? You know we are having a feast tonight? There are many preparations to be made ,” Catelyn said fast before even sitting down.
The royal visit was stressing her out, so much to do, but right now he needed her advice. “Sit down, I have some important news we need to discuss.” She sat down impatiently, ready to get this done so she could focus on the guests again. “Our King offered us two things today, he offered me the position as hand of the king as we expected. He also wants to betroth Sansa to Joffrey.”
Catelyn wasn’t surprised about the first offer, why else would the king travel all the way to Winterfell, but Sansa marrying Joffrey was another thing. “So you could become the hand of the king and our daughter the future queen? What did you tell him?” she asked.
“I told him that I would have to discuss this with you and I would give him an answer in a few days. I do not wish to become the hand, my place is in the north, it's my duty to lead the people through the winter and winter is coming.”
“You cannot refuse him my love. He is king now, he won’t understand. If you refuse him, he will start to wonder why, and this thought would in time grow to fears of you opposing him. You would put your whole family at risk. No, you can’t refuse him.”
“We are closer than brothers, Robert would never touch any of my family. He will get angry, scream and shout, but in a month all will be forgotten.”
“You knew the man once, but is he the same now? Kings are not like other men. Their pride is more important than anything. Robert traveled all this way with his family and you throw this in his face. You could be hand and our daughter would be queen. You can't just refuse those honors.” Her voice was rising now.
“Honors?” he huffed back. “You call that honors?”
“You would be the second most powerful man, and our daughter's son would rule the land from the wall to Dorne. Can't you see how this will benefit the whole north?” She was annoyed now, why couldn’t he understand.
“Sansa is only eleven Cat, she is too young.”
“I was twelve when I was betrothed to Brandon.” She could see a flash of pain in his eyes, that was a sore spot.
“I will not force my children to marry a stranger, I will let them get to know each other, and I will get to know him. Maybe in a year they can get betrothed, but not now.” His voice was hard, leaving no room for discussion.
“And what about the position as hand, will you get to know that as well before you decide?” She said mockingly.
Ned gritted his teeth, he was thinking hard, but couldn’t find a way out of it. There was no way to refuse, “No, I will accept. But I will be hand on my terms.”
“And what if he doesn’t agree to your terms?”
“Then he will have to find himself another hand!”
Catelyn Stark I
“Then let's hope he agrees to your terms then. What will your terms be?” Catelyn asked.
“I haven’t decided yet, but I have some plans.”
She was getting tired, she had no time for her husband's wasting of time. She had so much to prepare for the feast and the rest of their stay. She was sure Sansa would love to marry the crown prince and couldn’t fathom why Ned wouldn’t accept it. Maybe it was time to think about betrothals for the rest of the children as well. She would have to send a raven to her father later, asking about potential matches for her children. “So, Sansa will leave with you to get to know the prince? What about the rest of our children?”
“Rickon is too young to travel so he will stay here, Robb is the future Lord of Winterfell, this will be good for him to see how it is to rule the land. You will stay here with them. You and Maester Luwin will have to counsel him. Arya and Bran will join me in Kingslanding.”
He was taking Bran, her Bran. Sansa needed to get to know the crown prince and the gods knew Arya had a lot to learn from the southron ladies, but Bran was only a boy of seven. “I can't bare it. Must you take Bran? He is only seven, it’s to early for him to leave Winterfell.”
“I was only eight when I left to be fostered in the Eyrie,” He answered. “Maybe I can talk to Ser Barristan to take him as a squire.”
Catelyn could feel her tears coming. She could not cry now, she had to be strong. She took a deep breath and steeled herself. “What about Snow, what are you planning to do with him? He can't stay here.”
His gray eyes stared at her, “He is close with Robb,” he tried to argue.
“I won't have him here, he is your son, not mine.”
“Please Cat, the court is no place for him."
“He can go to the wall,” she suggested.
“I will not force my son to take the black,” he declared, anger in his voice.
“Well, he can't stay here. I have to go and prepare for the feast, you should take a bath and get ready yourself my Lord,” she got to her feet and left for the door.
She thought of the three children she would lose. Her tears were pressing, but crying was not an option. She was furious about the bastard, how did Ned dare to try making her feel guilty for not letting him stay. She had endured more than most ladies had to. The king had several bastards, and not one of them had ever appeared at court. But Ned took him home, called him son and raised him in Winterfell. He refused to listen to her suggestions about fostering, and the one time she asked him about the mother he told her to never speak of her again. He was not her son, and not her responsibility.
She was watching the feast unfold, Sansa talking to her friends. Arya pouting, playing with her food. Bran watching the kingsguard, probably dying to ask them all sorts of questions. Robb, sitting with his back straight, trying to act older than his 14 years. She was proud of them all in their own way. Soon only Robb and Rickon would be left, but this was not the time to think such thoughts. She had tried to converse with the queen, but it was like talking to a statue. Always answering with a fake smile, never more than a few words. The queen spent most of the night looking with disdain at the people on the lower benches and trying to ignore the fact that the king was openly flirting and touching the serving girls. She noted to herself to make sure that all of the girls got some moon tea to avoid a royal bastard being born in Winterfell in nine moons.