State of Grace / Ned Stark

1. Live With The Pain

Grace Lannister was newly married and newly divorced. His name was Lord Thomas Shelby and her father hated him. She went happily in love to her father finding out and now she was on her way to winterfell in the opposite direction of lord Shelby.

"We learn to live with the pain."

Grace looked up from the book she wasnt reading so see her elder sister staring back at her.

"Of heartbreak." Cersei clarified.

"There wont be another man like Tommy Shelby." Grace remarked softly her shoulders slumped as she huffed out a pained breath. "Whoever father matches me with will be awful. Like robert."

"No one is as bad as robert." Cersei corrected.

"True." Grace agreed with another sigh. "Is it because mothers dead and he doesnt want us to be happy?" Grace pondered.

"Possibly." Cersei agreed. She glanced out the carriage window as they headed on their way to the frozen fucking north.

"Maybe I find a handsome northman and marry them. Or better just fuck them. Father will be so proud when I return with a bastard in my belly." Grace gave her very best wicked laugh.

"The horror." Cersei agreed. But noticed Graces hand on her stomach. "Oh my Gods!" Cersei declared. "You are! You are! Right now you are pre-"

"Shhh!" Grace shouted. "This baby is not a bastard. I was married to Tom when I had conceived him. Or before... either way not a bastard since we were wed."

"Seven hells and you allowed-"

"Thats why I need to baby trap a man in the north and father can be mad at them-"

"And force you to marry him." Cersei cut in.

"Then I best choose wisely." Grace murmured.

"You cant be serious..."

"Im late." Grace countered softly.

"Gracie-" cersei crooned.

"Dont baby me." Grace hissed.

"You might be having a -"

"Shhh!" Grace growled.

"Gracie!"

"Cersei!"

"We are stopping for the night, why are you two yelling?" Jaime questioned peering into the carriage.

"You know Jaime I have suddenly come down with a case of none of your business." Grace remarked as she jumped out.

"Okay miss Fiesty." Jaime agreed offering her a hand.

"I will tell you later." Cersei whispered.

"Sister confidentiality!" Grace corrected. "I mean it cersei!"

"Fine fine but he will find out eventually." Cersei remarked.

"How? How would he?" Grace countered.

"Time will reveal your secrets." Cersei offered and when jaime turned his back cersei held her arms out over her stomach. Grace swatted a hand at her.

+

"The king is riding to Winterfell to seek you out." Catelyn remarked. It took Ned a moment to comprehend her words, but when the understanding came, Ned brightened it had been years since he last saw his old friend.

"Robert is coming here?" Ned questioned in disbelief. When she nodded, a smile broke across his face. Catelyn wished she could share his joy. But she had heard the talk in the yards; a direwolf dead in the snow, a broken antler in its throat. Then they had the nerve to bring back the pups to run a muck in her home.

"I knew that would please you," catelyn said forcing a smile. "We should send word to your brother on the Wall."

"Yes, of course," Ned agreed. "Benjen will want to be here. I shall tell Maester Luwin to send his swiftest bird." Ned looked down at the kids in the courtyard. "Damnation, how many years has it been? And he gives us no more notice than this? How many in his party, did the message say?"

"I should think a hundred knights, at the least, with all their retainers, and half again as many free riders. Cersei and the children travel with them." Catelyn pondered.

"Robert will keep an easy pace for their sakes," he remarked. "It is just as well. That will give us more time to prepare."

"The queen's brothers and sister are also in the party," Catelyn told him. Ned grimaced at that. There was small love between him and the queen's family, Catelyn knew. The Lannisters of Casterly Rock had come late to Robert's cause, when victory was all but certain, and he had never forgiven them. He supposed the younger siblings werent to blame Grace wasn't a fighter and he knew the imp wouldnt be winning any wars but still the Lannister name held a bitterness on his tongue.

"Well, if the price for Robert's company is an infestation of Lannisters, so be it. It sounds as though Robert is bringing half his court."

"Where the king goes, the realm follows," she agreed.

+

"Grace whats wrong?" Tyrion questioned as she lay beside him. He reached out a hand and stroked her hair.

"Moons bleeding came." She mumbled.

"Gross. Sorry." Tyrion offered. "You seem... more distraught then usual about a bleeding." He realized.

"I thought I was pregnant." Grace admitted softly.

"Oh then what glorious news- but you... oh Grace." Tyrion sighed. "You wanted a baby..."

"I got a raven from Tommys brothers... Tommy died. I wanted something to hold onto him." Grace whispered.

"You really loved him."

"I did." Grace agreed. "I... can we just not talk about it." Grace countered. It had been almost two moons and Grace had to move on, she needed someone to get her mind off the Shelbys.

"Yes of course." Tyrion agreed.

"Grace what are you doing with Tyrion?" Cersei groaned out. "You look a bit pale... oh Gracie..."

"Moons bleeding." Grace agreed softly.

"Oh honey... it's probably for the best though-"

"Tommys dead." Grace corrected.

"Oh Grace..."

"Say something helpful or shut up about it." Grace demanded. Her siblings remained quiet. "Thought so."