Robert had never been more pleased with himself in his entire life. Not even when he first sat on the Iron Throne and relished in his new kingdom. His victory on the Iron Isles was the first taste of his victory...but here was the real prize. He'd stormed the great fortress known as Elderbridge, a castle un-taken for all the time that the seven kingdoms could remember, and won. Now here he stood with the great lord Alavane Thorne, his wife Lucine of House Dane, the only survivor of his six children; a young girl barely old enough to wear a gown. On the floor before him lay the bodies of his three sons, all of who had been slain honorably in battle with the exception of his youngest son. Edwin Thorne had reacted violently to hearing of his father's defeat. When Eddard Stark's men had found him, he had just finished dragging the dagger through the throat of his elder sister and was just about to start on the little one that remained. Ned had thought to spare the man the sight of his poor girls. Cassandra and Livia had been carried out to the silent sisters who were waiting below.

"You have my castle" Alavane snapped angrily. "You've seen my sons killed and Edwin, the mad fool, has done you the favor of murdering my daughters of marrying age. The only child I have left won't be ready for years, Robert. What game are you playing?"

"We're playing no game Lord Alavane." Ned said grimly. "You've committed high treason against the crown. You know the price for that..." Lady Lucine sobbed

"You let Greyjoy bend the knee to the crown. You'll let me do the same" Alavane challenged. It was clear the old man was far from surrendering to them.

"And you will" Ned agreed. "Right after we send Lady Lucine back to the Dane's with a marriage pardon from the King"

It was times lie these Robert counted himself lucky the warden of the north was his friend. Ned Stark played his part perfectly, ever the kind and honorable Lord he swore to be. Though Robert knew this was his other side. This was the blood of winter speaking to a frightened Lady and her prideful Lord.

"Lucine and I have been married nearly twenty years" Alavane scoffed. "To part us now would be to offend the House of Dane"

"As I remember, they first offered her to the Lannisters." Robert spoke his part. "I'm sure I can find one of Cersei's dear cousins to wed her too. They will not be offended for long."

Alavane balked at that, his face paling. "You mean to send away my wife...but...what of our daughter?" Lady Lucine sobbed harder at the mention of the child.

Robert took his first good look at the youngest child of Elderbridge. The girl was a slight little thing, with all the looks of the Thornes of Elderbridge. Her hair was white gold with eyes as bright blue as the waters surrounding the Sapphire Isle. As far as he could see she was the only one who resembled her father. The others shared Lucine's dark hair and green eyes (though he couldn't speak for Alavane's older daughters. Their hair had been soaked in so much blood as to hide its color). She didn't stare blankly ahead as Greyjoy's children had when they stormed Pyke. Instead her eyes flitted curiously around, even landing on the bodies of her brothers momentarily. Mostly they rested on Robert's own banner, as if she was mesmerized by the crowned stag. She would be a valuable prize to some highborn lord looking for a claim this far south. Highgarden would seek her hand to secure their hold on the Thornes' now that Lady Lucine was being sent back to her family.

"Ned" Robert interrupted. "You've taken in the Greyjoy boy. Certainly your lady wouldn't begrudge another ward?"

Ned blinked at him in hesitation. It had taken much convincing to pull the ever stubborn Catelyn Stark to accepting Theon Greyjoy as a ward. It would take a great miracle to convince her to foster the daughter of a man dubbed a traitor not only under the Baratheon reign but under The Mad King as well. Many suspected Alavane had been one of those guilty of plotting to cook Rickard Stark in his armor and allow his son Brandon to strangle himself in a panic to save his father. Tullys' were unforgiving as it was. The North had surely made Catelyn colder.

"Catelyn?" Lucine's voice was ragged as she stumbled forward. Several knights drew their swords as she clutched Ned's arm. "Catelyn...T-Tully?"

"Sheath your swords" Robert warned them. "Would you harm a grieving woman?"

"Catelyn Tully married me to become Catelyn Stark" Ned said to the woman, grasping her forearm as if to study her.

"Catelyn...friends...Riverrun" The woman collapsed into sobs again. One of her own household knights dragged her off of the northern lord and set her next to her husband. The daughter's eyes went to her mother.

"Mo...ther?" The little girl tugged at her mother's dress.

Robert frowned when Lucine swatted her daughter away with a harsh hand. It was clear this little girl was not Lady Lucine's favored daughter. He had no doubt that honor had belonged to her oldest. Livia. A sweet girl betrothed so some Frey child. The child stumbled back, her eyes wide and hurt.

"I'll take the girl to Winterfell with me..." Ned said quietly. He looked to Alavane. "She'll be well cared for there. Raised along side my own children. And if it is not seen fit to return her to you...I'll see her married well"

Alavane looked as if he was going to spit at the man in front of him. But Robert beat him to it.

"What's the girl's name?" He asked, ignoring the glare Alavane sent him.

The old man kept his tongue lodged in his mouth, refusing to even spare a glance at his young daughter.

"If I have to ask her I'll make sure Edwin's madness will spread across the kingdoms. What a tale it will be. A highborn knight of Elderbridge slaughters two of his sisters, only to have the youngest saved when a brave Direwolf came to the rescue. How they'll like that. The Elderoak bested by the Direwolf. The heir no less. " Robert warned, gesturing to the body of Alavane's eldest son. The boy was just barely into his twenties. Far too young to have descended to such dishonor. "Tell me everything I want to know and I'll see Edwin Thorne buried honorably and tell tales of how he fought bravely alongside his brothers until the very end. We'll say some servants were anxious when they saw us breach the wall and held the two ladies hostage. They slit their throats as they were shot down by archers" If there was anything Robert was good at it was spinning tales. Maybe not as illustriously as his brother Renly and Lord Varys, but they were pretty tales all the same.

"Elyssia." Alavane answered, a scowl on her face.

"Named for princess Elia I presume? I hear your uncle was fond of her before she was married" Robert silenced the lesser knight that had spoken simply by raising his fist.

"A lovely name" Robert said. He looked to Ned, gesturing toward the girl. "If you would, Ned?"

"Come with me, child" Ned Stark held out a hand to the young girl in front of him. The knights surrounding him snickered, thinking Ned a fool for believing a daughter of Thorne would ever willingly follow a Stark from her halls.

But the girl took his hand. And followed him without looking back.