Game of Thrones: Imagines and one shots. Book four

Better days - Robert x Reader

"You wished to see me, your grace..........." Robert looking over at the sound of her voice. His heart beating at a pace, as he turned to look at her.

(Y/n) Stark, eldest daughter of his old friend and a young woman that appeared every inch like her aunt. Every inch like the woman that he had lost and still loved, even after all the years that had passed. As soon as he had seen her, stood next to her older brother, Robb; Robert's breath had left his body. A part of him had thought that his eyes were deceiving him; that he was having wild hallucinations and seeing things that could possibly never be there. That perhaps he was even seeing a ghost. But no, she was there....real, beautiful, perfect. The king reaching out and taking her hand, as her father introduced her. (Y/n) curtsying respectfully, as Robert carefully kissed her knuckles. He sure that Ned knew what he was thinking; sure, that his old friend would know what he was feeling. Their trip to Lyanna's tomb, giving them both not only the time to grieve for the sister, the love that they had lost; but for Robert to learn more about (Y/n). Ned answering, sometimes a little reluctantly, all the questions that the king had asked about his child.

Just looking at her reminded Robert of better days; days when he and Ned had been young. Days when he was strong, handsome, the desire of every woman in the Seven Kingdoms. But most of all, she reminded him of being happy; something he hadn't been in a very long time. Something he hadn't been since Lyanna's death and his marriage to Cersei. Wine, whores and hunting, the only things that could bring a smile to his lips. Yet since laying eyes on (Y/n), he had done nothing but smile, nothing but laugh, nothing but be happy; and he wanted more of that, he wanted to keep her with him. To always be able to see those better days when he looked into her eyes; and he had come up with a plan, a plan to make sure that if he could not have Lyanna in his life, he could still have (Y/n) close to him.

Most days he would order the Hound to go and find the lady, so that he could ask her to walk with him. He wondering if this was what his life might have been like, if he had not lost the love of his life because of that bastard Targaryen. Wondering if he would have been this content, as he sat beneath the weirwood tree and listened to Ned's daughter sing for him.

He of course knew that Cersei hated the time that he would spend with (Y/n); that the attention he lavished on Ned's oldest daughter, would be humiliating to the queen; but what did he care, she should be used to being humiliated by him, by now, and anyway, he was the king, and he would spend his time with whomsoever he damn well pleased. And he would rather look upon (Y/n) than the woman that he had never loved. Cersei, although beautiful, never able to hold a candle to Lyanna, and neither could she to (Y/n).

He of course had heard the rumours that were already making their way around Winterfell, that (Y/n) was the kings lover; and even though they were always followed by Sandor, even though the Hound never left his masters side, the gossip would persist. But as much as Robert wanted it to be true, as much as he would love to have her in his bed, he would not take her; he would not sully her in that way. He would not hurt her or scare her; he would not ruin his relationship with Ned, by dishonouring his daughter. For whores were for fucking, and even though he had to admit that he had imagined he was with (Y/n) when he had been balls deep in some willing woman from the villages around the great northern castle, he would not touch the real (Y/n), no, she was too pure, too beautiful to be treated in such a way. Robert needing her for something more, something he needed, wanted more than whores and wine.........peace, and the memory of those better days.

"Do you wish to walk in the Godswood, Sire......?" (Y/n) asked, as Robert made his way over to her.

"No my dear child.........I wish to speak to you about something........" The king replied, giving Sandor a look that told him to leave them, before he took (Y/n)'s hand and led her to a chair.

"You know that ya father has agreed to be my Hand; that ya sister Sansa, is betrothed to my son, Joffrey..........?"

"Yes, Sire.........."

"Then I wish to ask you before ya father say's anything; I want ya to join ya father and sister's when they come to Kings Landing..........." Robert told her. He carefully placing his hand under her chin and raising her head to look at him, when she dropped her eyes to her lap.

"Ya father tells me that ya quite the horsewoman; that ya quite the archer and ya train with ya brothers every day, with the sword. Come to Kings Landing, and I will make sure that you receive only the best training. That I will have my Kingsguards, even my dog, himself, train you if that is what you want. That maybe I will even change tradition and allow a woman to become a Kingsguard if that's what you wish........." A smile coming to Robert's lips, as he saw her eyes widen. The king aware that (Y/n) wanted nothing more than to prove that she was as good as her brothers; that she wanted more than to be married off. And he was giving her the opportunity to have just what she wanted.

"If that is my king's order, I will of course return to Kings Landing with you and my family........"

"It is no order, child. It is a request from a man to a young woman he has come to care for......." Robert told her. Lossing himself in her beautiful eyes and thoughts of what could have been.

"Then yes......of course I will come............" Her answer making Robert's smile grow larger.

"Then go and tell ya father, and pack ya things. We will be leaving for the capital in two days' time............" (Y/n) quickly getting to her feet, and placing a kiss to his cheek, before running out of his rooms. Robert reaching up and settling his hand on his face.

One way or another, he would keep her close. He would break centuries of tradition and make her a white cloak so that no other man could take her away. Robert knowing that he may have lost Lyanna, but he would not do the same with (Y/n). That he would keep the memory of better days, right by his side.