29 Chapter 29

He woke up with incredible pain. Grand maester Pycelle pushed a liquid to his throat. "No milk of the Poppy."

"You must drink my lord. You have lost a lot of blood." The older man wheezed and pushed the milk inside his mouth. He lost consciousness once more.

Eddard took in his surroundings once more. He was in his quarters. Robert in front of him, Gendry and Tommen were there too. "Your Grace." Ned said with a rasp. He was thirsty; he needed water.

"You need your rest." Robert sat down by the foot of the bed. "Let's forget this mess. We are fools. Call your son and the Lannisters off."

"They have my brother in law." Ned sounded weak to his own ears. Tommen gave him a cup of water.

"I shall hear no more of this nonsense. You will call the Kingslayer and your son off. Let Lysa have her trial. I assure she will not execute the Imp. He shall have a fair trial here in King's Landing. I want a reply from the Kingslayer and Robb when I return from my hunting trip." The king stood up and left. "Gendry, your foolish uncle must be waiting for us.

The prince looked at him. "My lord, I hope you feel better soon. I am most glad with your recovery." Ned nodded and the young man took his leave.

"Where are your sisters? Send for Jory. We will not stay in King's Landing for much more. We will wait until Robert comes back from his hunting trip." Ned asked when the royals left.

"Father, Jory is dead. He was killed by a knight." Jory was a good lad. Smart, reliable, a good young man and now he was gone. Eddard closed his eyes. He needed to make sure Joanna and Arya were protected. He needed a ship to get the girls North. He could not wait for Robert to come back from his trip. The girls needed to be safe and away from this chaos that was the capital. "Tommen, go to the Blackwater's bay and find a ship. Pay as much as you need to. I want you and your sisters gone by the morrow."

His boy nodded, "Father, there is something else." Ned sat up and drank more water. He felt much better now and took a look at his leg. It must have been more than five days because it was healing nicely and he did not feel as much pain.

"What is it Tommen?"

"Robb and uncle Jaime rode ahead to the Eyrie. They plan to rescue uncle Tyrion. Uncle Jaime has fifty men with him. Robb, I could not convince him to stay."

He remained quiet, "Robb says they hurt nuncle Tyrion." Tommen continued, as if trying to defend his oldest brother. Ned was angry, how dared Lannister take his son and start a conflict on the Vale?"

"Do as I say Tommen. Find a ship, do not tell your sisters until you have secured the ship."

"Go on son." He stood up with some effort and washed his face. He needed to write to Cersei and explain all of the happenings in the last few days. Perhaps Tommen had written but he needed to tell Cersei his own account.

He sought parchment inside his desk and looked at the book Jon Arryn had read before he died. "The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms." Ned had tried to read it weeks ago but Arya and Joanna fighting in silences and their constant complaints had distracted him.

He opened the pages and found a mark made by Jon Arryn in the Baratheon House. Orys Baratheon; black of hair, blue eyed. Steffon Baratheon; black of hair, blue eyed. Robert Baratheon; black of hair, blue eyed. Ned thought back to Gendry, blue eyed and his raven hair. He then pictured the princesses. They were all redheads but blue eyed. They had the Tully look. Not one of them had black hair or anything that resembled Robert come to think about it. Ned thought about all his children. Jon had his eyes, his hair, and most of his looks. He did not remember the woman who gave birth to the boy but the ears were not Starks. Robb resembled him, along with Arya but they had certain Lannister traits. Robb had Cersei's and Jaime's nose. Arya, her mother's cheekbones and her hands. Tommen looked Lannister enough but for the eyes and his hair was darker. Joanna, she was Cersei reborn. She had such beautiful green eyes but she had his smile and his mouth. Bran looked a lot like Benjen but for the lighter hair and the golden Lannister complexion. Could this be the reason why Jon Arryn was dead? Had he tried to uncover Catelyn's secret?

He had to speak with Catelyn. A long time ago she was to be his wife. They would have been married but he had wanted Cersei Lannister away from the crown. He watched as the sun set. He needed to understand Catelyn, speak with her. Offer her an alternative before he spoke with Robert. It would have to wait until the morrow.

Ned paced with some pain and then decided to write to his lady wife.

My dearest Lioness,

Tyrion has been abducted. Lannister and our son have taken arms against Lysa Arryn. Robert promises me a fair trial for Tyrion. I fear for the girls' safety. They will leave for Winterfell in the very morrow.

Ned.

Eddard send one of the servants with the letter. "Find me a handsome and fast raven. Make haste and send it immediately. Send for my daughters." He washed his face. Ned sat back on the bed and waited for his daughters to rush in.

Joanna, his sweet kitten came in first. "Father." She cried and hugged him. Ned kissed her forehead. "I'm fine my sweet." She sat by his side while Arya looked from afar. She was so much like Cersei; you had to approach her slowly, carefully, lest she felt threatened.

"Come here wolfling." Ned permitted himself to use the moniker. He had not called her that to her face since she flowered more than a year ago. Arya sat down next to him.

"Robb and uncle Jaime went to rescue uncle Tyrion." Arya said as he kissed her forehead.

"Yes." Ned had wanted his daughters to be protected. The world was a harsher place for women, especially women of their station. They had fewer liberties, more restrictions and less of a right to decide if that was ever possible.

"The queen says uncle Tyrion murdered her brother in law and nephew. Is it true father?"

"Of course not. Nuncle Tyrion would never." Arya replied offended.

Joanna glared at her sister. "Shut up Arya."

Ned sighed, "Enough of this. I will not have you bicker again. We are not in Winterfell. This is King's Landing and we need to count in each other." He said firmly.

"Your mother advised me to give you space but enough is enough. Joanna, I will find you a worthy match. This is not your sister's fault. It is time you saw each other eye to eye in this matter."

Joanna looked at her sister. "Do you love him?" She asked. Arya blushed. "I will leave you now." Lord Stark did not feel comfortable discussing those matters with her daughters. Cersei was supposed to smooth things with the girl. Cersei, Ned walked out and into the hall of his abode.

He waited for Tommen and grew a little worried when his boy did not arrive after a few hours. Arya and Joanna left his rooms both with somber expressions but Joanna smiled when she saw him.

"Father, I wish to return to Winterfell." The girl said with a small smile.

"I do not think court is a good place for me. I do not like the people. I would prefer to go to Casterly Rock or go home. Maybe I could visit grandfather." Joanna babbled a little.

"Father, Joanna does not wish to stay in King's Landing because of all the rumors about our family, the Lannister side." Arya said with a straight face.

"They say so many horrible things about grandfather, uncle Tyrion and Jaime. They even say mother is a whore." Joanna said harshly.

Ned ground his teeth. "Your mother is nothing of the sort. Who dared speak in such a way about my wife."

Arya looked at him with big grey eyes, "The queen. She's been saying things about mother. Filthy lies about her, grandfather and uncle Tyrion."

"Do concern yourself with lies children." Ned said and sent them back to their quarters. "Do not open doors to anyone but me or Tommen." He kissed them goodnight and waited for his son. Maybe he was taking too many precautions but he promised Cersei to be careful and protect the children. He had failed Bran. Ned would not forgive himself if something happened to his other children.

Tommen arrived almost by dawn. "The ship leaves in two days father. I could not find anything earlier. The ships left today in the morning and by royal decree no ships can abandon Blackwater Bay." This news complicated his plans to have the girls away from here once Robert learned the truth.

He sent Tommen to his quarters and retired to sleep. Try as he might he couldn't find sleep. He thought about Cersei and her smaller frame by him. Her smile, her laughter and those bright green eyes, in the past few months he closed his eyes and pictured her before going to sleep. It helped him sleep.

Ned woke up an hour later. "Lord Hand. The king, he's been wounded." The Lord of Winterfell dressed quickly and found his oldest friend in his chambers with Grand Maester Pycelle, Gendry, the queen and Renly.

Renly was incoherent, "There's so much blood. So much blood." The Lord of Storm's End heaved and puked all over the floors. "Get him out of here. The boy could never properly stand the sight of blood." Robert was pale and his belly was open in two. It was the end for him

"This is it Ned." He said blinking. "Everyone leave." He roared with little strength he had left.

Catelyn protested. "My love, surely you want to see your daughters…"

"Leave I said." Eddard looked at Catelyn and saw the disgust in her face.

One by one they left. Gendry too. "Not you son. Not you." Robert said anxiously.

"Forgive me, for not being a better father, a better king." The man said and then looked at Ned. "Teach him Ned. Teach him to be a better king, a better man than I ever was. Send for Stannis and Renly. They will help my boy too." Robert sweated and a fever took over his body.

"Father I." Gendry said overcome with some emotion. The young man clasped the dying man's hands.

"Ned, you are my brother of choice. I have loved you like a brother, more than my own blood." He said with a smile.

"I don't want mourning. I want everyone to taste the boar that got me. Quickly Ned, write."

"I Robert, First of his name, fill in the tittles. Declare Eddard Stark of Winterfell as Lord Hand regent until my son Gendry Baratheon heir to the Iron Throne comes of age. You'll be lord regent. Join our houses, it should have been Lyanna and me, married, ruling the Seven Kingdoms together. Gendry and Arya will rule alongside. Lyanna and Alayne make sure they are safe. Cassana, I want my little girl to marry your Jon. She will do well in the North. She reminds me of Myrcella, such beautiful eyes. She had my mother's blue eyes, my eyes…" Robert started rambling then, stringing coherent and incoherent thoughts together. "Fetch me Grand Maester Pycelle." Gendry left immediately.

He sat with his oldest friend as he finished his will and rambled some more. He did not speak about Catelyn and his suspicions. It would not do well.

Catelyn came into the room once more. "Robert, my love, the girls. They would like to see you." She said somberly.

"No." He said. The maester and Gendry entered behind her. "Gendry come here."

"Robert your daughters…" The queen insisted.

"I said no. I want to be alone with my son now." Catelyn face was a picture of anger and resentment. Ned escorted her out of the chambers.

The Lord Hand did not mean to approach the queen in such a way but he had to. He had to give her the opportunity to leave court with her daughters. He would make sure the girls were provided for. There would not be a need for Westeros to know about Catelyn's deeds.

"My queen, I wish to speak with you about the princesses." He spoke. Catelyn stiffened a little.

"What about my daughters?"

"You will leave King's Landing, it will be best if you stayed in the Riverlands. The princesses will be provided for. I shall find good matches. Alayne or Cassana will do well in Winterfell.

Catelyn let out a very derisive laugh. "I do not understand your words Lord Stark. Why would I leave my home?"

Eddard Stark stopped. "They are not his daughters."

The queen looked blankly at him. The Catelyn that was to be his sister and law and for a brief time his lady wife was gone. This woman as Cersei had described was resentful and angry.

"You do not deny it." He expected Catelyn to give him some explanation.

"Myrcella was Robert's but she is gone now." Catelyn spoke lightly.

"Do not dare judge me Ned. I have suffered through bastards, infidelities, shame and abuse. Robert did not love me. He's always been in love with your sister. I thought he would be a good husband. I was dazzled by the tales of his love for Lyanna Stark, when father told me I was to marry him instead of you my first thought was that a man who could love a woman to the point to start a war would certainly love me. How wrong I was. I was more beautiful, better bred but Robert Baratheon did not care. All he cared about was a dead woman." Catelyn spat angrily.

"I am not sorry Lord Stark. Nor will I leave my castle. I have prayed every single night for the last five and ten years. Every night, I prayed to the Seven for my husband's death. The time has finally come Lord Stark. I suggest you pack and leave. Take care of the North. King's Landing is not a place for you." The queen said plainly. There were no more revelations. She left him there unsettled.

"He's dead." Renly said. Ned looked back and saw the young lord looking at him. "This is our time to strike. You are lord regent. I can have the Tyrells' armies in an instant. I am to marry Mace's daughter Margaery."

"Renly what are you thinking?" Ned asked a little annoyed by the lad.

"The crown. I love my nephew but he is baseborn. He will never be king. He was not born for this. Gendry does not want the crown. I will protect him; he will still be in court. I will give him Storm's End. Gendry has a lot of courtesies to learn. I told Robert it was a mistake. He could have chosen little Edric Storm but no Robert wanted to insult the realm. He wanted the Seven Kingdoms to know who was king. All the great houses of Westeros are outraged. Robert was clearly out of his mind. I am the rightful heir. They will rebel, a baseborn bastard king, an insult to all of us." Renly tried to sound reasonable.

Ned felt disgust rise. "You forget your brother Stannis. If Gendry were to be overthrown which he will not Stannis would be the rightful heir."

Renly laughed mirthlessly. "The people do no love Stannis. They love me. They want me as their king."

"You are tired Renly." Ned held his arms. "I will send for Stannis. He should be here for Robert's funeral."

He walked ahead to check on his children. Now more than ever they needed to be out of King's Landing. Mayhaps it was the lack of Cersei. She would have mediated these people better. His lady wife had the tools and mind he lacked for these games. Joanna was asleep as was Arya.

Tommen was not. He was looking out the window petting Shaggydog. "The king is dead." Ned said, thinking his son might not know the meaning of the bells.

"We should have stayed North. When Bran fell, that was a sign we should have gone back. This is not a place for us father. Mother did not want us here." Tommen said still looking outside the window.

Eddard did not have words to refute his son's assertion. "I will not be able to travel with you. I have to stay and help Gendry now that his father is dead."

"Mother will not be happy." Tommen said. Ned smiled. He loved all his children equally but this boy was the one he never worried about. Out of all his sons, this one was like him. Quiet, reserved, Tommen always understood him; their nature was too alike