Rightfully Mine // Ned Stark

Just a dance

'Pardon me,' Ned said trying to get around Jaime.

'I hear we might be neighbors soon' Jaime said blocking his way. 'I hope it's true'

'Yes the king has honored me with the offer' Ned said still trying to get around him.

'I'm sure we'll have a tournament to celebrate your new title if you accept. It would be good to have you in the field the competition has been stale,' Jaime told him

'I don't fight in tournaments' Ned informed him

'No? Getting a little old for it?' Jaime teased

'I don't fight in tournaments when I fight a man for real, I don't want him to know what I can do.' Ned told him

'Well said.' Jaime told him grinning.

'Excuse me,' ned said again walking off. 'Princess,' Sasha turned around to greet him smile on her face. 'Have you considered my father's offer?'

'I have but...'

'Tyrion always told me to anything anyone ever says before the word but does not count,' Sasha told him

'But I am in Northman. I belong here in the north with my family.' Ned told her and she sighed, she knew he would say that.

'We won't steal you away, we won't take you if you really don't want to go.' Sasha informed him.

'The king takes what he wants that's why he's the king.' Ned reminded her.

'Well I would quite enjoy your company, we used to get along quite well if I am remembering correctly,' Sasha told him.

'We do get along quite well don't we?' ned agreed.

'Would you care to dance?' sasha questioned. Ned hesitated staring down at her outstretched hand

'It's just a dance,' she assured him

'I would...'

'Just a dance,' she repeated taking a step closer to him. 'Are you really going to say no to your princess? Because I assure you that would make me very sad.'

'Well we wouldn't want that would we?' Ned smiled at her softly, what would others think, it was not proper but who was he to deny the princess what she wanted and she wanted to dance with him.

'No you wouldn't,' she smiled cheekily at him. 'I'm much more fun when I have a smile on my face I assure you.' He took her hand and she led him out onto the dance floor. They talked, they danced and lady Stark did not even notice that her husband was dancing with another woman. Because she was not paying any attention to him whatsoever. And as soon as they were out there together their bodies pressed together, Ned forgot all about the rest of the world. All he could think about was Sasha.

It could've been minutes it could've been hours but with smiles on both their faces time seemed to stand still. They truly understood one another and it was strange. To find that in another person. And the thoughts running through Ned's head we're not thoughts he should be having about his best friend's daughter. Certainly not about the princess. Someone much younger than him but yet she looked at him like he was the only thing the only man in the world. There was something about the way she looked at him. Some thing about the way the black hair drifted down her back in waves. Something about the way she smiled and it was like that smile was reserved just for him. There was something about Sasha that was absolutely hypnotizing. And he knew that he had to go to Kings Landing. That he didn't want to be apart from this woman that he could not have for another nine years.

Last she had been down to the north she was a child and last he had went up to Kings Landing she was blossoming into the beautiful woman he saw today. But it did not matter what he thought and what he felt did not matter. Because she was the princess, she was his best friends daughter and although she was Robert's first daughter and 10 years older than Robert's younger child, 8 years older than Robb his own son... it would be highly inappropriate. Even though him and Robert were still in their teens when Robert got married and had Sasha. It was almost a 20 year age gap. But that really wasn't unheard of. It was quite common actually but she was a princess she deserved someone young and handsome with the world of offer her. he was married, he shouldn't even be considering this. He tried to push the thoughts away but that smile...

Sasha was being kind, she was being sweet, she was being a proper princess. The way she looked at him, talked to him, got closer when they danced could have meant nothing. but then again he hadn't seen her dance with anyone else. He hadn't seen her look in anyone else's direction but his. Perhaps that was just wishful thinking. Day dreaming. Of course the princess was loved by all, but that was because she was so wonderful. She held both power and grace, elegance and beauty and she was fierce. She was a combination of all the things a proper Northern woman should have. Ambition and pose, skill and knowledge, a fire burning within her. But he could never have her. Never. He didn't even know why he was entertaining the idea because he was absolutely ludicrous. But here he was dancing with her transfixed and hypnotized by this girl, this young woman. He couldn't help but hold her a little bit closer and he couldn't help but notice that she leaned into him.

But their peaceful moment of Tranquility and relaxation was interrupted when Catelyn came running in demanding she speak with Ned immediately.