State of Grace / Ned Stark

12. Darling, I'm a Nightmare

"Robert would never harm me or any of mine. We were closer than brothers. He loves me. If I refuse him, he will roar and curse and bluster, and in a week we will laugh about it together. I know the man!" Ned corrected but damn if he didnt want to go. To be that person that truly ruled. To escape the north and feel the sun on his face, to see Grace in the sun, in southern dresses, to take them off without worry of being interrupted. But Bran was injured. He was bed ridden and didnt know when he would wake, Ned couldnt leave. 

"You knew the man," Catelyn corrected. "The king is a stranger to you." Catelyn remembered when the boys came back they saw a dead direwolf and it in was the broken antler lodged deep in her throat. She had to make him see, believe it was a warning from the Gods themselves. Baratheons were stags, Starks wolves. It was a sign.

"Pride is everything to a king, my lord." Catelyn began, Ned knew that when she broke out the titles she was really wanting her way. "Robert came all this way to see you, to bring you these great honors, you cannot throw them back in his face."

"Honors?" Ned laughed bitterly.

"In his eyes, yes," she said.

"And in yours?"

"And in mine," she blazed, angry now. Why couldn't he see? "He offers his own son in marriage to our daughter, what else would you call that? Sansa might someday be queen. Her sons could rule from the Wall to the mountains of Dorne. What is so wrong with that?" Catelyn spat back.

"Gods, Catelyn, Sansa is only 13," Ned remarked. "And Joffrey ... Joffrey is ..."

"... crown prince, and heir to the Iron Throne." Catelyn finished for him. "And I was only twelve when my father promised me to your brother Brandon."

That brought a bitter taste to Ned's mouth.

"Brandon. Yes. Brandon would know what to do. He always did. It was all meant for Brandon. You, Winterfell, everything. He was born to be a King's Hand and a father to queens. I never asked for this cup to pass to me." Ned remarked.

Brandon the warrior, the good son, the fierce son. Catelyn was happy to marry Brandon, Ned was just a secondary thought. Well Brandon is dead I guess I take Ned was probably her father and her thoughts when his family burned. Catelyn had been smitten with Brandon. He dueled against Petyr, her own fathers ward because Petyr was in love. But Catelyn was head over heels in love with Brandon stark at first sight. She had to admit she never had that same feeling with Ned. She did love him but now he could be hand of the king and that was something to really be proud of. She wanted him here she wanted a nother baby, to rekindle their long dormant romance but this was more important... but then again, what if he came back with a bastard. 

''Better looking bitches than your used to uncle." Joffrey remarked snidely as he looked down at Tyrion laying in the kennels. Tyrion looked up to him with distaste as he brushed himself off. 'Mother was looking for you. We ride for Kings Landing today.' Joffrey told Tyrion, sandor told a dutiful servant behind Joffrey.

''Before you go you will call upon the Lord and Lady Stark and offer them your deepest sympathies' Tyrion told him.

''What good are my sympathies?' Joffrey sneered. Grace pinched his cheek and he swatted a hand at her. 

'None but it is expected of you, your absences already been noted.' Grace added. "Be my good boy Joff and not a little shit head." Joffrey snarled back at her.

'The boy means nothing to me and I can't stand the wailing of women-' tyrion slapped him across the face.

'One word and I hit you again' Tyrion threatened. Grace pursed her lips to keep from laughing, Joffrey needed a good slap every now and again. 

'I'm telling mother!' so Tyrion hit him again

'Go. Tell her, but first you will go to lady and lord stark fall upon your knees in front of them and tell them you are very sorry that you are at their service and all your prayers are with them. Do you understand?' Tyrion instructed.

'You can't!' Joffrey cried out and Tyrion slapped him again.

'Do you understand?' Joffrey looked to Grace, a big pout on his face and she gave him a hug giving his ass a light smack. 

"Go on." Grace agreed, Joffrey pouted up at her before he marched off.

'The prince is going to remember that little lord.' Sandor remarked.

'I hope he does, if he forgets remind him for me.' Tyrion mused.

"Sandor would never." Grace corrected. "He only dreams about it every night." 

"Lady Grace, you fill my dreams, Joffrey fills my nightmares." Sandor corrected and Tyrion never saw Sandor smile but he saw what could have been a ghost of a smile on his lips when he spoke with Grace. 

"Darling dont you know, I'm a nightmare, dressed like a daydream." Grace coed tossing her hair over her shoulder before spinning on her toes leaving them watching her strut away. 

"Brandon. Yes. Brandon would know what to do. He always did. It was all meant for Brandon. You, Winterfell, everything. He was born to be a King's Hand and a father to queens. I never asked for this cup to pass to me." Ned remarked.

"Perhaps not," Catelyn countered, "but Brandon is dead, and the cup has passed, and you must drink from it, like it or not." Ned turned away from her, back to the morning light. 

+

'I wish I could be here when you wake up.' Jon told a sleeping bran 'I'm going north with uncle Benjen I'm taking the black...' Catelyn looked up to him with teary eyes not for Jon but for her son. Jon knelt before Bran, 'I know we always talked about seeing the wall together but you will be able to come and visit me at Castle Black when you're better I'll know my way around by then I will be a sworn brother of the nights watch. We can go out walking beyond the wall if you're not afraid.' Jon added.

'I want you to leave.' Catelyn said through clenched teeth they both looked at the door to see Ned. Jon got up and pressed a kiss to Brans forehead before heading out Ned close the door behind Jon. Ned approached Catelyn's taking slow steps before sitting down next to her.

'17 years ago you rode off with Robert Baratheon, you came back a year later with another woman's son.' cat told him exasperatedly. "You won't do that again." 

"Goodbye Catelyn." Ned answered kissing Bran goodbye he ran a hand over head watching him sleep.