The Stag and The Frog - (GendryxMeera GOT fanfic) Part 1: Alone

40: Walk away

"That's why you will walk away. For her," the king replied. "You will walk away. And you will give your armies to me. Because I know something about you. Something that if it came out could take everything from you. It could take that sweet wife of yours from you."

"What could you possibly know about me?"

The king looked over at Bronn for a moment and signaled to him to walk up to him with Lord Redwyne. Bronn left Lord Redwyne, who was still tied and gagged, next to the king and then walked away from them.

"I want your father-in-law to hear this too," the king said. "So he knows who he married off his only daughter to. That he married her to a bastard."

Robin looked at Bran in confusion. He had never heard anyone call him that before. Because his father was Jon Arryn, no one had ever questioned that. Robin was the Lord of the Vale, just like his father. The man he idolized and aspired to be like. Being Jon Arryn's son was everything he was.

"I'm not a bastard. My father is Jon Arryn."

"No, he's not. Your name shouldn't be Robin Arryn. You shouldn't have any claim to his lands or his title. Your name should be Robin Stone... or perhaps Robin Baelish."

Robin sunk to his knees on the sandy ground as he heard that name. The name of the man who had killed his mother, Lyssa Arryn. Lyssa had not been a good mother, but she had still been Robin's mother. He had still mourned her death as much as any child could. He still missed her sometimes.

"Because that's who your father is," the king continued. "Jon Arryn could never father a child so your mother turned to someone else, and she figured no one would ever know. But I do. And if you don't walk away the whole kingdom will know too. Everything will be taken from you."

Robin looked down on the ground and clasped his sword tightly in his hand. The sword that had belonged to his father Jon Arryn. He looked like a child again sitting there on the ground. A child who had had his favorite toy taken away from him.

"You can't..." he said. "You can't tell anyone. Jon Arryn is my father and will always be. You can't take that away from me. Even if it's true you can't prove it."

He looked over at his father-in-law in desperation, to get some clue on how Lord Redwyne was reacting to this secret. Paxter Redwyne had married his only daughter to a bastard. Would he try to take Desmera from him now that he knew?

"I already have the proof," the King continued. "Maester Tarly went through the old records of the castle and it turns out your father was in the capital for several months around the time you were conceived. You were so small when you were born that your mother convinced Jon Arryn that you were born too early, to make him believe you were his. But you weren't, and you're not his."

"So what will you do?"

"I will send ravens to all castles in the kingdom telling them your secret. Telling them that you are a bastard. If you don't walk away and leave your armies behind. They will all know. Your wife will know. And you will lose her Robin, her and that child she is carrying."

Robin looked up in surprise.

"What child?" he asked.

"Your child, Robin. Your wife is carrying your child. And if Desmera finds out she might take that child from you. Desmera will leave you, Robin. Because that child won't be an Arryn. You won't be able to give it your title, your castle, your last name."

With tears in his eyes, Robin looked over at his father-in-law again. Ashamed to have impregnated Lord Redwyne's daughter with a child he might be able to give nothing to. Ashamed to have him know what kind of acts Robin and his daughter had engaged in. Of course, they were married so that was what was expected of them, but Robin didn't want his wife's parents to know the details of it.

Paxter Redwyne nodded at him but Robin couldn't interpret what that meant. Hopefully, he wasn't enraged with him.

"And if I walk away," he asked. "What happens to Lord Redwyne and Highgarden?"

"I will give Lord Redwyne back to you, and your wife's family will get to keep Highgarden. I don't care about them. I care about your armies. I can't let you have them. I can't let you march on the capital like this. I can't let you have that much power."

"And no one will know? My wife won't know..."

"No one will know. Just walk away, Robin. And you will get to keep your wife and child."

He couldn't lose them. He just couldn't. So Robin walked away. He got up, turned around, and walked away. He left the capital and his armies behind. Because he loved his wife too much to have her find out the truth about who he was.

But as Robin walked away he heard the king calling his name. He turned around to face the capital again. And he saw Bronn once again standing next to Lord Redwyne, this time with a sword in his hand.

"Your secret will be safe, Robin," the king said. "No one will know. No one but me."

And before Robin could grasp what was happening Bronn used his sword to behead Paxter Redwyne. His body fell down on the field and Bronn was left standing there holding Lord Redwyne's head. Then he threw it towards Robin.

"There's your father-in-law for you, Robin," the king said. "I told you that you would get him back."

Robin was left standing there in shock as Desmera's father's head rolled towards him. Unsure of what to do. He still commanded his armies. He could attack the capital. He could avenge Lord Redwyne's death.

But he didn't.

Because it was too late. His wife had lost her father. And Robin knew Desmera would blame him for it. He couldn't have her find out the truth of who he was as well. He would lose her if she did, he knew he would. She would leave him and take their child with her, embarrassed to be married to a bastard. Robin couldn't let that happen, he just couldn't. He couldn't lose Desmera. He couldn't lose their unborn child.

So Robin continued to walk away. He left his armies behind. He went home the Eyrie to tell Desmera that her father was dead.