"What are you going to do?" Raya asked her Father the next day, he had said for them to sleep but she couldn't from what it looks like, neither could Ned.
"I'll confront the Queen," Ned answered.
"What!?" She asked as if he was the stupidest man that ever lived, "you can't! If you do that she'll know we're onto her, we have the upper hand, we'll take her and her children by surprise!" Raya urged.
"And let them be killed by Robert?" Ned asked turning to her, "I know the King, he will kill them out of anger! I will not have their blood on my hands."
Raya's brows furrowed, this is war, he doesn't understand. The Lannisters would gladly kill all the Starks, even the children, and have their blood on their hands because they don't care. They must act the same to win.
"Then let me have it on my hands," Raya said making him look at her, "I will tell King Robert and bring the proof, I'll have you back me up, but it would be me who told him not you, Father."
Ned sighed as looked down before placing his gaze on her again, "Raya, you don't understand, I can tell can't. The Targaryen children were killed for the same reason... The girl who was your sister's age and a baby boy; slaughtered. I will not have Princes Mycella and Prince Tommen killed for these actions." He told her.
Raya looked down, he was right, she knew was... "Father, I..." she shook her head, "if she decides to get rid of you before you can tell Robert... I can't handle that, I cannot do this without you," she said with tears stinging her eyes.
"Sweet girl," Ned sat down as he made her sit, he put his arm around her lovingly, "you have a kind heart, I know you do. But you are also strong and you have Wolf's Blood, you have the wildness of a wolf. My brother Brandon had it, Lyanna had a touch of it, we got it from our Father as some of your siblings got it from me. Like Arya, she has a bit more than a touch, so does Robb and Jon. But I can see more in you. That wildness brought Brandon and Lyanna quick graves, I do not want you to follow the same path."
"I don't want to die," Raya admitted and she saw something on her Father's face, "what's wrong?"
"Nothing... It's just... Lyanna said that right before..." He trailed off and Raya nodded understanding, "I want you to be smart, smarter than me and your mother. It will be the only way you'll survive the great war. I told you we have come to a dangerous place, and in the Winter, we must protect ourselves. No being lone wolves..."
"How do we do that if we're all split up?" Raya asked tilting her head.
"We'll figure it out, but I need you to listen to me, to really listen to me," his serious tone made Raya look at him, "when snow falls and white winds blow, the Lone Wolf dies but the Pack survives." He told her as he looked at her, "Winter Is Coming, Raya, you know this but before that danger arrives we will go through war, and you must treat it the same. Say it with me." He ordered.
"Winter Is Coming," Raya repeated.
Ned nodded as he spoke the words again:
"Winter Is Coming."
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Later that day, Raya sat with her Father, he told her that he can take care of himself but she just won't listen. Raya stared at him with worry as she noticed him rubbing his leg with a hurt expression. When, Raven nudged Raya's leg making her look and saw Queen Cersei walking over, seeing her made her think about what they found out.
"You're in pain," Cersei spoke up making Ned look at her.
Ned stood up making Raya do it at the same time, "I've had worse, My Lady," Ned responded easily.
"Perhaps it's time to go home," Cersei suggested, "the South doesn't seem to agree with you."
"I bet you'd like that," Raya spoke up making Cersei send a glare at her and Raya returned it back.
"Raya," Ned warned.
Raya just stayed silent after that, listening to her Father's command. But she will speak up if she has too.
"I know the truth Jon Arryn died for." Ned finally said making Raya clench her fist, she wished he hadn't said that...
"Do you, Lord Stark? Is that why you called me here, to pose me riddles?" Cersei asked tilting her head a bit.
"Has he done this before?" Ned asked gesturing back to when Robert hit her.
"Jaime would have killed him," Cersei smiled a bit, "my brother is worth a thousand of your friend."
"Your brother or your lover?"
"The Targaryens wed brothers and sisters to keep bloodlines pure," Cersei told them, "Jaime and I are more than brother and sister, we shared a woom."
"You say that but Robb and I shared a woom but you don't see us together," Raya said crossing her arms, "what you do with the Kingslayer is wrong."
"Maybe you're the one that is wrong and I'm the one that is right, ever thought of that?" Cersei asked, "Jaime and I came into the world together as you and your brother did. We belong together."
"My son saw you with him," Ned accused making Raya look at him in shock, she was right, they did push Bran from that tower and when Cersei didn't deny it, anger boiled in Raya.
"You yell at us for putting hands on your blood when you tried to kill my brother!" Raya tried to stomp over to Cersei when Ned grabbed her arm pulling her back from her as the Queen smirked at her anger.
"You love your children?" Cersei asked him.
"With all my heart," Ned answered.
"No more than I love mine." Cersei nodded.
"And they're all Jaimes," Raya said before she could stop herself.
"Ah, thank the gods," Cersei smiled, "in the rare event that Robert leaves his whores for long enough to come into my bed, I finish him off in other ways. In the morning he doesn't remember."
"You've always hated him," Ned accused.
"Hated him?" Cersei shook her head, "I worshipped him, every girl in the Seven Kingdoms dreamed of him but he was mine by oath. And when I finally saw him on our wedding day in the Sept of Baelor... Lean and fierce and black-bearded, it was the happiest moment of my life. And that night he crawled ontop of me, stinking of wine and did what he did, what little he could do. And whispered in my ear: Lyanna." Cersei glanced at Raya, she hated her because she looked like Lyanna as if she was a reincarnation of her to make Robert forget again, "your sister was a corpse and I was a living girl and he loved her more than me."
"He was mourning," Raya responded.
"And he is still mourning and you are his reincarnation," Cersei noticed Raya look down, "you think I don't see him look at you? You are just like Lyanna Stark, only difference, your breathing. Lyanna Stark took Robert from me and now you try to take Jaime from me." she said and Raya looked over at Ned who gave her a confused look, she just looked down.
"When the King returns from his hunt, I'll tell him the truth, you must be gone by then," Ned spoke up, "you and your children. I will not have their blood on my hands, neither of us will. Go as far away as you can with as many men as you can. Because where you go, Robert's wrath will follow."
"And what of my wrath, Lord Stark? You should have taken the realm for yourself," Raya was confused by her words and Ned just persed his lips, "Jame told me about the day Kingslanding fell, he was sitting on the Iron Throne and you made him give it up... All you needed to do was climb the steps yourself. Such a sad mistake."
"I've made many mistakes in my life, but, that wasn't one of them." Ned told her.
"Oh, but it was," Cersei responded, "when you play the Game Of Thrones, you win or you die. There is no middle ground."
And with that, Cersei left them standing there.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
As Ned and Raya walked, they talked about what to do when Robert gets back, for some reason, she was giddy about it.
"NED!" Renly Baratheon's voice made them both turn, "its Robert! We were hunting and a boar..." he said as Raya saw the blood on his shirt, both Ned and Raya followed him.
They found Robert in his room, Raya refused to leave her Father's side even know. As she saw Cersei and Joffrey were in there, her stomach turned again at the thought of the truth. Joffrey held his Father's hand, he actually seemed sad about his death.
"I should have spent more time with you, shown you how to be a man," Robert told him, "I was never meant to be a Father," Robert noticed Ned and Raya, his gaze laid on Ned, "go on, you don't want to see this."
And with that, Joffrey left the room and Ned stepped towards Robert, Raya stayed where she was she didn't feel she had the authority to step up.
"My fault," Robert laughed, "too much wine, missed my thrust."
Ned pulled back the blankets a bit and saw the bandage it was bleeding through. Why haven't they patched it up yet? It seems patchable. Raya thought.
"It stinks, it stinks like death. Don't think I can't smell it?" He laughed again, at least he was in a good mood, "I paid the bastard back, Ned, I drove my knife right through his brain. You ask him if I did, ask him." he ordered.
Ned looked over to Sir Barristan and Renly who just stared at him.
"I want the funeral feast to be the biggest thing the Kingdom's ever saw. And I want everyone to taste the boar that got me," then he looked at everyone else, "now, leave us the lot of you, I need to talk to Ned and Raya." he ordered.
"Robert, my sweet-" Cersei tried.
"Out all of you!" He ordered again raising his voice making him cough, they listened and left, Cersei gave one last glance at her husband before leaving, she pushed past Raya harshly as she left.
Ned sat next to him as Raya just held her hands frowning, she felt sadness and pity, she didn't know Robert very well but he was her Father's best friend.
"You damned fool," Ned told him.
"Paper and Ink on the table, write down what I say," Robert ordered and Ned got it, "in the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, first of... You know how it goes, fill in the damn titles. I hereby command Eddard of House Stark titles, titles to serve as Lord Regent and Protector of the realm upon my death. To rule in my stead until my son Joffrey comes of age." Raya looked up feeling anxious about that and wondered if he would tell him now, she noticed her Father write down 'rightful heir' instead of Joffrey. "Give it over." Ned handed it to him and Robert signed it, "give it to the council after I'm dead, at least they'll say I did this right, this one thing. You'll rule now, you'll hate it worse than I did, but you'll do it well."
Raya smiled sadly as Ned looked down before Robert spoke again, "the girl; Daenerys. You were right. Varys, Littlefinger, my Brother; worthless, no one told me no but you, only you. Stop it if it's not too late." he told him.
"I will," Ned nodded.
"And my son, help him, Ned. Make him better than me," Robert pleaded.
"I'll..." Ned hesitated, "I'll do everything I can to honor your memory."
"My memory," Robert laughed, "King Robert Baratheon murdered by a pig," he then placed his eyes on Raya, "come here, Raya." he ordered.
Raya sighed as she came over with the confirmation she wanted, "yes, your..." She trailed off about to say the official name for him but she knew he didn't want that, "yes, Robert?" she asked.
"Raya Stark, the best archer in the Seven Kingdoms and the girl who is just as honorable as her Father," Robert glanced at Ned before looking back at Raya, "I loved Lyanna Stark... She didn't love me, she didn't want to marry me. And because of my disgression, she was died by another man's love." he frowned as he stared at her, "don't let that be your destiny, don't be forced into marriage, marry for love and do it well. You'll be a good mother as well a soldier. Gods be good, you'd be good Queen but Ned here decided to let me have the Throne." Robert laughed coughing a bit. "You may act like Lyanna but you're not her, I know that. Your Raya Stark."
Raya smiled sadly as she took his hand comfortingly, she sat next to him, "you'll see her again and everyone you lost. You'll be at peace." she told him.
Robert smiled and laughed a bit as he pulled his hand from her, she felt the tears start to fold into her eyes but she wiped them away.
"Give me something for the pain," Robert ordered them, "and let me go in my sleep. I'd hate to die in pain."
Ned stood up, he gave Robert one last smile before taking Raya out of the room, he looked at Grand Maester Pycelle, "give him, Milk Of The Poppy." he ordered and Pycelle went into the room with Renly...
"He was reeling from the wine," Sir Barristan spoke up, "he commanded us to step aside, but... I failed him."
Raya's felt her heart drop at his voice, he sounded heartbroken. "It wasn't your fault," she assured him.
"No man could have protected from himself," Ned agreed.
"I wonder," all three of them looked at Varys when he spoke up, "who gave the King this wine?" he asked.
"His Squire, from the King's own skin," Barristan answered.
"Who's his squire?" Raya asked.
"The Lannister boy," Ned said and Barristan nodded.
"Such a dutiful boy to make sure His Grace did not lack refreshments, I do hope the poor lad does not blame himself." Varys said.
Barristan, Ned, and Raya all looked at each other, it wasn't that hard to figure out what he meant... The Lannister boy did this and Maester Pycelle is a servant of House Lannister, he could not have saved the King on purpose.
"His Grace has had a change of heart concerning Daenerys Targaryen, whatever arrangements you made, unmake them." Ned ordered.
"I'm afraid those birds have flown," Varys said, "the girl is likely dead already."
Raya sighed looking down as Ned begun walking away, Raya followed him and they left Varys and Barristan standing there...