a wolf and a stag // r.stark 1.

1.13 Death

A day passed, Robert still being hunting. Ned and Arabella were both scared for his well-being. "He'll be okay, Princess. Ser Barristan will look after him" Ned tried to comfort her, but she was still pacing from one side to other.

She was waiting for her father to come back with a boar in his hands. "One thing he likes that is not drinking or whores is hunting" she sighed and sat down. Ned was writing a letter so she glanced at him. "Is it for your wife?"

"No. It's for my sons" he answered.

"I wish I could live in Winterfell. What was life like there?" she asked with a small smile on her lips.

"It was much dryer and colder" he looked up at her. "Sometimes I miss it"

"Sansa came to me the other day and asked me to talk to father. She didn't want to go back home" she told him and watched his reaction.

"I know" Ned nodded. "Arya doesn't mind going home. Sansa, unfortunately, is another story. She claims that she loves your brother"

"She is just a little girl. She doesn't understand love" Arabella told him. "Neither do I"

Then two men ran into the Hands room. Arabella quickly stood up and watched them with terrified look on her face. "Princess, it's the King..."

<...>

Joffrey was holding Robert's hand as he was lying in bed dying from the injuries that the boar made.

Arabella ran in crying. Joffrey rolled his eyes. "I should've been a better father to you" he said to Joffrey. Arabella saw Cersei and Maester Pycelle standing by his bed.

Robert looked at Arabella, who sobbed. Then Ned walked in. "Leave us alone with my daughter and, Ned, stay too" he said weakly. Joffrey raised up, shot Arabella a hateful look and everyone left.

Arabella slowly approached Robert and bent down before crying again. "The only girl who truly appreciates me" he mumbled stroking her watery cheeks. Arabella started to cry even more. "Hey, I killed that boar"

She laughed through cries and took his hand in hers. Robert smiled and looked at Ned. "Ned, take a paper and write" he coughed up blood and Arabella cleaned his mouth with a napkin. "I, Robert Baratheon, The King of Andals, first of his name... For fucks sake you know these things. I command to make Arabella Baratheon a rightful Queen when she gets to age. Until then, the King regent will be Eddard Stark"

Arabella starred at her father a mix of emotions in her face. "But... Joffrey?" she mumbled.

"He is not worth it. You will be a better Queen, child" he told her as tears kept flowing down her face. "You and Ned's boy" he coughed again. "I love you, daughter. Never forget that" Robert began to close his eyes.

"Father" she touched his cheek and nodded. "I love you. Sleep well" she said softly and Robert became lifeless. She began to sob into the bed after the loss of her loving Father as Ned watched her with a grief face.

The next day Arabella was wearing a black gown. She and Ned walked in and saw Joffrey sitting on the Throne. "What's the meaning of this?" Arabella spoke.

"I am a King. That is what is going" Joffrey answered.

Arabella saw Cersei, who watched her with a small smile. The Princess turned back to Joffrey. "Father died yesterday and you spend no time by sitting on the Throne?" she sneered making people whisper. Joffrey wasn't pleased.

"I have a paper" Ned then spoke up. Lord Varys took it and gave it to Cersei. She read it and laughed.

"Do you think it means something? Some words on a paper with what appears to be a bad copy of Robert's signature?" Cersei said as she ripped the paper in half. Arabella stood there so broken seeing her mother side with Joffrey. "You are a traitor, Lord Stark. Your dear friend died and you want to take his place? And you, Arabella? You, a Queen?"

She began to cry and looked down. All she wished she had told father about Cersei before he went hunting. "Arabella is not in this. I wrote it" Ned said. Arabella softened her look towards the man she'd grown to love. He nodded her way. "Take Cersei and her kids! Capture them! She is guilty for Robert's death!"
he ordered his men, but none of them moved. Instead they surrounded their lord.

Arabella felt hands on her and saw Sandor Clegane taking her out of the hall. "Let me go!" she yelled.

They captured Ned. "Lord Eddard Stark, you are a traitor who betrayed his new King" Cersei told him as he was being taken away. Cersei turned to Arabella, who was still trying to get free of the Hounds hands. "And you, daughter. You need to make and apology for your brother"

"You know what? Fine" she smiled fakely as tears couldn't stop flowing. "I'm sorry" she told him and Joffrey furrowed his eyebrows confused. "I apologize you were born this tyron, shitty boy, who always cried in his mothers lap! Who liked killing kittens just for fun! I hate you, Joffrey!" Sandor began to drag her out as she yelled bewildered. "You are a shit! You are not my King!"

"Let me go!" she spat at Sandor and he threw her into her room. She reached the ground and breathed heavily as he closed the door. Arabella began to sob from all the emotions and how quickly her life changed.

Vote, read, comment.