Loki: Game of Thrones

Chapter 25 - Precarious Positions

Loki remained in Ned's chamber the entire time Grand Maester Pycelle was there taking care of him. The maester seemed very concerned at having the deadly sells-sword looking over his shoulder, but Loki was making sure that Pycelle did not give Ned poison while he was unconscious. Loki was very well aware that he was in Cersei's back pocket, and at present, anyone with ties to her was a high suspect on his list. Pycelle was shaking more than usual as he put the medicines on Ned's leg wound, stitched it up, and placed the bandages on it. When he turned around, he looked at Loki, standing there with his arms across his chest. "Must you feel the need to be there?" Pycelle asked.

"Only if you might feel the need to put something in his medicine," Loki countered. Pycelle began to splutter, and Loki held his finger up. "Keep blathering, old man. My patience is wearing thin," Loki told him. The way Pycelle closed his mouth reminded Loki of a clam. The maester quickly gathered his things, and left the chamber. Loki waited for him to be safely away, and he walked around the bed. He glanced over at the unconscious Ned, before his one hand hovered over his injury. Incanting in Norse, he began to heal the wound. Loki was halfway through with the process, when he heard the bolt being drawn on the door. Leaping away from the bed, Loki turned to face the door as it opened. King Robert entered, followed by Queen Cersei. Loki gave them a slight bow, before returning to his original position on the other side of the bed.

"Somebody might think you were his sells-sword instead of mine," Robert commented. Loki smirked slightly, and tilted his head.

"He needed my help. I provided it," Loki answered.

"Did your help also involve attempting to kill my brother?" Cersei asked. Loki raised his eyebrow at her, and grinned slightly.

"Actually, he was the one who told his men if they killed me, he would reward them handsomely," Loki said.

"Lies!" Cersei snapped, and the noise began to rouse Ned Stark. He opened his eyes, and glanced around the room. His brow furrowed slightly when he saw Loki, but upon catching a glimpse of his king, Ned focused on him.

"Your pardon your grace," he begged, "I would rise, but-"

"Do you know that your wife has done?" Cersei asked, cutting him off.

"She did nothing I did not command," Ned answered, trying to make himself more comfortable in the bed.

"Who'd a thought she had it in her," Robert said, butting in.

"By what right dare you lay hands on my blood?" Cersei asked, and Loki snorted, knowing full well she despised Tyrion. She glared at him, but Robert and Ned seemed to ignore him.

"I am the King's Hand!" Ned responded.

"You were the King's Hand," Cersei stated, and they continued to babble over each other, until Robert had enough.

"Will both of you shut your mouths!" he ordered, and they became silent. Loki just watched with a dead panned expression on his face, his eyes shifting between the three actors in this interesting play. "Catelyn will release Tyrion, and you'll make your peace with Jaime!" Robert bellowed, using his kingly authority.

"He butchered my men," Ned said between clenched teeth, and Loki remembered the scene well.

"Lord Stark was returning drunk from a brothel-" Cersei was saying, until Loki subtly intervened.

"Lies!" he coughed into his hand. She shot him a deathly glare, and he simply grinned. This caused Robert to look at him, and his sells-sword put both his hands behind his back.

"You were there?" he queried. Loki nodded his head, before taking a step towards the bed.

"I was. It was I who stopped Lord Jaime from kidnapping Ned Stark in retaliation. Which is what he would have done if I had not been there," Loki pointed out.

"Jaime has fled the city. Give me leave to bring him back to justice," Ned said, continuing with the argument like Loki was not there. The sells-sword shrugged his shoulders.

"I should be king," Cersei suddenly said when Robert made no move to be on her side.

"Quiet," he growled to her.

"This man tried to kill one of my brothers, and abducted the other. I should wear the armor, and you the gown," she told Robert, and he turned quickly to look at her.

"Oh! Mommy just slapped Daddy at the dinner table!" Loki whispered with a grin on his face. King Robert took one step towards her, and struck her across the face. Ned Stark blinked at this, while Loki just continued to observe. Cersei put her hand to her cheek, and looked back at her husband.

"I shall wear this like a badge of honor," Cersei said, determined not to show any weakness. Robert simply looked at her.

"Wear it in silence, or I'll honor you again," he told her firmly. Cersei's eyes traveled from Robert, to Ned, and finally to Loki. She stalked out of the room a second later. King Robert turned back to Ned and Loki.

"What about Jaime?" Ned asked when the door was closed. Loki could not restrain himself, and he rolled his eyes.

"I'm half a kingdom in debt to his bloody father! I don't know what happened between you and those yellow-haired shits, and I don't want to know! This is how it goes: I can't rule the kingdom with the Starks and the Lannisters at each other's throats, so, enough!" Robert took a drink from the wine tumbler, and Loki just stood there. He was invisible to them, but that was how he liked it.

"As you command, your grace. With your leave, I will return to Winterfell and set matters straight," Ned offered, but Robert shook his head.

"Piss on that! Send a raven! I want you to stay! I'm the king, I get what I want," Robert insisted. After finishing the wine, he sighed. "I never loved my brothers. Sad thing for a man to admit, but it's true." Glancing over his shoulder at Ned, he finished with, "You were the brother I chose." Ned looked touched, while Loki chewed on the inside of his mouth. He was, of course, thinking the golden haired idiot whom he had called brother for several centuries. Clicking his heels together, he drew the attention of the two high lords.

"Excuse me, my lords, but I will take my leave," Loki said. King Robert waved his hand, and Loki began to leave.

"Ser Loki!" Ned said, and Loki turned back to face him. Ned Stark propped himself up more, and Loki could see the sweat trickling off his skin. "Thank you. For my life." Loki held his smirk back, and instead bowed to him.

"Glad I could be of assistance," Loki told him. With that, Loki left the chamber, the doors booming shut behind him.