Rare / Robert Baratheon / Rieka Stark

11. My Lady

"It's been a long time. But I still remember every face. You remember your first?" Robert questioned.

"Of course, your Grace." Barristan answered.

"Who was it?" Robert questioned.

"A Tyroshi. Never learned the name."

"How'd you do it?" Robert pondered. Barristan looked to rieka sitting at the piano. He didnt know why robert insisted on being so close to rieka stark.

"Lance through the heart." Barristan answered pulling his gaze from rieka as her fingers trilled the keys.

"Quick one. Lucky for you. Mine was some Tarly boy at the Battle of Summerhall. My horse took an arrow so I was on foot, slogging through the mud. He came running at me, this dumb high-born lad, thinking he could end the rebellion with the single swing of his sword. I knocked him down with the hammer. Gods, I was strong then." Robert declared "rieka. I was so damn strong that I Caved in his breastplate. Probably shattered every rib he had." Rieka glanced back at him from the piano bench. She gave him a little golf clap before turning back to her piano. "Thank you." Robert agreed. "I Stood over him, hammer in the air. Right before I brought it down he shouted, "Wait! Wait!"... They never tell you how they all shit themselves. They don't put that part in the songs. Stupid boy. Now the Tarlys bend the knee like everyone else." Robert smiled back at rieka as her spine moved slightly as she swayed to the music she was making. "Would you bend the knee for me rieka?"

"You want me on my knees?" Rieka purred. Robert liked her brazen nature. She was surrounded by men and yet she spoke and acted like it was only the two of them in the room.

"He could have lingered on the edge of the battle with the smart boys and today his wife would be making him miserable, his sons would be ingrates, and he'd be waking three times in the night to piss into a bowl. Wine! Lancel. Gods, what a stupid name. Lancel Lannister. Who named you? Some halfwit with a stutter? And fill riekas cup. She is far to sober. What are you doing?" Robert barked.

"It's empty, your Grace." Lancel offered.

"What do you mean it's empty?" Robert shouted. "You hear this idiot? Empty." Rieka rolled her eyes. 

"There's no more wine." Lancel stuttered out.

"Is that what empty means?" Rieka mumbled under her breath robert choked out a laugh.

"So get more." He demanded. "Tell your cousin to get in here. Kingslayer! Get in here. Surrounded by Lannisters." Robert huffed out. "I need more starks and less lannisters." He added moving to sit on the bench beside rieka.  "Every time I close my eyes I see their blond hair and their smug, satisfied faces. Its horrible."

"I bet." Rieka agreed as jaime came in.

"It must wound your pride, huh? Standing out there like a glorified sentry. Jaime Lannister, son of the mighty Tywin... Forced to mind the door while your King eats and drinks and shits and fucks." Robert added.

"Today i get the pleasure of hearing lovely music not just grunts of displeasure." Jaime countered honestly.

"Lovely." Rieka agreed. Robert snarled back at jaime.

"So come on. We're telling war stories. Who was your first kill, not counting old men?" Robert questioned.

" One of the outlaws in the Brotherhood." Jaime offered.

"I was there that day. You were only a squire, 16 years old." Barristan recalled.

"You killed Simon Toyne with a counter riposte. Best move I ever saw." Jaime agreed, Robert looked between them with distaste.

"I would love to see you fight ser barristan. My father speaks highly of you." Rieka added

"Thank you lady rieka and A good fighter, Toyne was, but he lacked stamina." Barristan agreed.

" Your outlaw... Any last words?" Robert pondered turning around his fingers trilling over the keys.

" I cut his head off, so no." Jaime corrected. Robert nodded glancing to rieka their fingers grazing as she played.

" What about Aerys Targaryen? What did the Mad King say when you stabbed him in the back? I never asked. Did he call you a traitor? Did he plead for a reprieve?" Robert sneered. Rieka stopped playing and grabbed his hand the keys sunk down making an unpleasant sound.

"He said the same thing he'd been saying for hours... "Burn them all." Jaime declared. "If that's all, your Grace..." Jaime remarked wanting to leave.

"Bye jaime." Rieka agreed. "Hey do me a favor walk me to the west wing-"

"I will do it." Robert corrected

"Im sure you are busy being the king and all." Rieka purred

"I will make time for my favorite stark." Robert corrected

"You are late, boy. Tomorrow you will be here at midday." Syrio Forel declared.

"Who are you?" Arya questioned.

"Your dancing master, Syrio Forel." Syrio threw a wooden sword to Arya, she did not catch it, but dropped it. "Tomorrow you will catch it. Now pick it up. That is not the way, boy. This is not a great sword that is needing two hands to swing it." Syrio declared.

"It's too heavy." Arya corrected.

"Where are we going?" Robert questioned

"My sister has dancing lessons and she is anything but graceful." Rieka answered

"You want to make fun of her?"

"Tis my big sister duty to both cheer her on and laugh at her failures." Rieka agreed. "Are you close with your brothers?"

"No. I cant stand them honestly. I wish i had a relationship with them like you do with yours." Robert admitted.

"They are wonderful."

"You miss your twin?"

"I do." Rieka agreed. "Hes part of me."

"It is heavy as it needs to be to make you strong. Just so. One hand is all that is needed. Now you are standing all wrong. Turn your body side-face. So. You are skinny. That is good. The target is smaller. Now the grip... Let me see. The grip must be delicate." Syrio corrected.

"What if I drop it?" Arya countered.

" The steel must be part of your arm. Can you drop part of your arm? No. Nine years Syrio Forel was first sword to the Sealord of Braavos. He knows these things. You must listen to me, boy." Syrio demanded.

"I'm a girl." Arya declared.

"We are lost. Have long have you lived here?"

"You didnt give me details." Robert countered. "Technically we are in the west wing."

"And technically i dont see arya unless her dancing master told her how to turn invisible." Rieka countered.

"I wanna kiss that sassy mouth of yours." Robert admitted bluntly and rieka stood speechless a blush rising in her cheeks.

"Sorry that was highly inappropriate ." Robert agreed bringing his face low to riekas. "I want to kiss that sassy mouth, my lady."

" Boy, girl... You are a sword, that is all. That is the grip. You are not holding a battle-axe. You are holding..." Syrio corrected indifferent.

"A needle."