Charlotte was born a royal, a princess. A Lannister. Through the acts of thievery, she ends up in Winterfell, being raised by Lord and Lady Stark. As Jon Arryn's death has come to pass, King Robert needs a new Hand. Who other than her father, Eddard...
"A craven can be brave as any man, when there is nothing to fear. How easy it seems then, to walk the path of honor. But sooner of later, in every man's life, there comes a day when it is not easy; A day when he must choose."
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Duty, my friend, is simply defined as something that one is expected or required to do by moral or legal obligation. Morals, on the other hand, describe being concerned with the principles or rules of right conduct or the distinction between right and wrong.
This only leaves honor left.... honesty, fairness, or integrity in one's beliefs and actions.
But when compared to love... Love dominates over all. It is the death of honor and duty, leaving morals strangled together in the conscience of someone who will not listen to the little voice in their head.
The intentions of mothers protecting their children follow the guidelines of all... Including love. There is no greater warrior than a mother protecting her child.
So I ask.... Which would you rather fight?
A raging lion
Or
A protective mother.
In my opinion, stick with the lion. Their thoughts stay silent.
*~*
The thief travels three weeks in hopes of reaching Winterfell before the child was dead. He came across a widowed whore who was able to feed her from time to time. Charlotte, however, was almost frozen to death as she arrived in Winterfell, under the cloak of her kidnapper.
He walks into the hold of Winterfell and requests the presence of Lord Stark, who joins him in the courtyard minutes later. Lord Stark approaches the young man, "What do you have that requires my presence southerner?"
"A Lannister baby, My Lord. She was taken from the castle of Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister." He tags a lie to the end of his response, hoping for it to be believable. "They were going to kill the child."
Lord Stark glances at the pale child in the man's arms, noticing the mixed colors of red, gold, yellow, and black. He immediately questions, "She's adorned in the colors of both the houses Lannister and Baratheon. Is she their child?"
The man shrugs his shoulders. "I don't know My Lord, I took her in thoughts of saving her life. She's a worthy child that can be used as leverage or a trading device with future issues involving the Lannister family."
Lord Stark shakes his head back and forth. "A baby is not something to be toyed with. " He reaches into his pocket, pulling out a substantial amount of coins. He throws them down on the ground for the man to pick up. "I'll take the child." He pulls the barely breathing newborn from the man's arms and takes her to his wife Catelyn Stark.
*~*
"She's of royal blood to have association with the sigils of both families. The man inquired that her life was in harm's way, the cause for the kidnapping." Lord Stark was rocking the baby back and forth, trying to get her warm.
His wife, sitting in bewilderment across their bedchamber, replies, "Ned, we cannot care for another child. We already have Robb... And Jon. She belongs where she came from, King's Landing. " A thought immediately struck her head. "The Queen has just recently given birth. But why would Robert want to take the life of his own child..."
Lord Stark nods. "Robert would never do such a thing. However, his wife's integrity can be questionable. "
As Lord Stark took in the fullness of the child, he couldn't deny the resemblance that the child shared to the Queen... Or at least from the time he saw her at Robert's wedding. He turns to his wife. "We have to care for her. She could be Robert's daughter."
Lady Catelyn replies, looking down at the shivering child. "She needs to be fed and clothed properly if she's ever to survive in Winterfell." She takes the child from her husband's hands. "Did the man speak of her name?"
Her question was answered when she looks down at the blanket the child was wrapped in. Written on the lower part of the blanket was a name spelled out...
Charlotte
Who was now to be known as Charlotte Stark, the eldest daughter of Eddard and Catelyn Stark.
*~* Back in King's Landing *~*
Cersei had taken up to watching Joffrey day in and day out, not allowing his fate to be the same as Charlotte's. She held hope in her aching heart, that one day her daughter would be returned to her.
This tiny thread of hope is what kept her sane as she took care of her son. Sometimes she would catch her thoughts wondering back to the happy moments of being Charlotte's mother. Her first toothless smile. Her happiness of being held in the late hours of the night. The giggles she would make whenever Robert was around. Charlotte had been the easier baby, compared to her brother.
Robert turned into a distant man, drinking his way into bed every night. He barely spoke to anyone, never showing his face at any of the council meetings. He thought himself an insolent King, not even having the power to protect his daughter. She may have not been his heir, but she held a special place in his heart.
Cersei found it harder and harder to even be around him. The small love they had towards each other, turning bare. She would soon learn that love was the destroyer of everything, something she would have to overcome to stay Queen.
