State of Grace / Ned Stark

24. Ghost of You

"I'm sorry your marriage to Ned Stark didn't work out. You seemed so good together." Cersei mused as she came into Roberts chambers.

"I'm glad I could do something to make you happy." Robert agreed.

"Without a Hand, everything will fall to pieces."

"I suppose this is where you tell me to give the job to your brother Jaime." Robert mused.

"No. He's not serious enough. I'll say this for Ned Stark - he's serious enough. Was it really worth it? Losing him this way?" Cersei pondered. Cersei knew that Grace liked him might have even loved him, had hearts in her eyes when she looked at him but that changed and changed again now she wanted him to burn. Her sweet little Grace looked nothing less than vicious when she found out Tyrion was taken. 

"I don't know. But I do know this, if the Targaryen girl convinces her horse-lord husband to invade and the Dothraki horde crosses The Narrow Sea... We won't be able to stop them." Robert corrected as Grace pushed open the door. 

"Where is Jaime?'' Grace demanded. 

"Not here." Robert gestured around. "Come, join us."

" The Dothraki don't sail. Every child knows that. They don't have discipline. They don't have armor. They don't have siege weapons." Cersei corrected. Grace knew what they were talking about, the Targaryen. 

"It's a neat little trick you do, you move your lips and your father's voice comes out." Robert informed her, Grace smirked looking to Cersei.

"Is our father wrong?" Grace countered. 

" Let's say Viserys Targaryen lands with forty thousand Dothraki screamers at his back. We hole up in our castles, a wise move. Only a fool would meet the Dothraki in an open field. They leave us in our castles. They go from town to town, looting and burning, killing every man who can't hide behind a stone wall, stealing all our crops and livestock, enslaving all our women and children. How long do the people of the Seven Kingdoms stand behind their absentee King, their cowardly King hiding behind high walls? When do the people decide that Viserys Targaryen is the rightful monarch after all." Robert pondered. He had a point but what about being the damned fool and taking down the dothraki, trying, risking it for a chance to be free of this burden Robert was carrying around. 

"We still outnumber them." Cersei remarked.

"Which is the bigger number -- five or one?" Robert questioned.

" Five." Cersei agreed confused.

"Five... one. One army, a real army, united behind one leader with one purpose. Our purpose died with the Mad King. Now we've got as many armies as there are men with gold in their purse. And everybody wants something different. Your father wants to own the world. Ned Stark wants to run away and bury his head in the snow." Robert informed her.

"He's leaving?" Grace questioned and she didnt know why she felt upset about that, she should have been happy he was leaving, good riddance but she felt sick, nausea filled her, she didnt want him to leave, she wanted him to fight for her. To make her forgive him for being an ass. 

"Aye, probably already tucked tail and ran." Robert agreed. Grace gave a single nod swallowing the bile rising in her throat. 

" What do you want?" Cersei questioned. 

"We haven't had a real fight in nine years. Back-stabbing doesn't prepare you for a fight. And that's all the realm is now, back-stabbing and scheming and arse-licking and money-grubbing. Sometimes I don't know what holds it together."