The Young Wolf and the Lion Princess

Chapter 1 - Family Interests

Jaime

"Our beloved King Robert needs a new Hand", Jaime said, while looking at dead Jon Arryn on the altar in the middle of the Sept of Baelor. Jaime was relieved. Certainly the old man had found out something but now, no one would ever know. It was probably Cersei who had him poisoned.

"He should name you", Cersei said.

"Better not, their days are too long, their lives are too short", Jaime answered, nodding to Jon Arryn's corpse. "And you already know, who will be named Hand of the King."

"Yes, of course I do", Cersei spoke,"The honourable Ned Stark."

"He was the first person calling me Kingslayer", Jaime said.

"A lion doesn't concern himself with the opinion of the sheep, father used to say, remember that", Cersei said to her brother, imitating their father's voice.

"I am not concerned, when they are calling me the Kingslayer", Jaime said angry.

"You are," Cersei responded, "I know you better than anyone else, I know you since we came out of the belly of our mother together. And now enough of this. If my drunk husband intends to name Lord Stark Hand of the King, he will ride north to this frozen wasteland where the Starks are living and we have to go with him and our children as well."

"I always wanted to see the North, I can't think about anything more exciting", Jaime answered sarcastically.

"And one more thing", Cersei spoke, "In his usual drunkenness last night, Robert babbled something about finally uniting the stag and the direwolf after it didn't work the last time, remember Lyanna. He wants to arrange a marriage between Lord Stark's eldest daughter Sansa and Joffrey. Sansa is said to be a great beauty, graceful and a true lady. No one deserves such a sweet girl more than our perfect Joffrey."

Jaime couldn't do anything, but nodding weakly. Cersei was as blinded as always about Joffrey. She still believed him to be the best child ever born. Jaime shivered. He knew exactly what Joffrey was. A spoiled little brat, who enjoyed bullying Myrcella and Tommen and torturing animals. Perhaps this was the punishment for their relationship. He remembered the story about Tommen's kittens and he totally believed it.

Poor Sansa, you will be the plaything of an evil lunatic and poor Robert, "your" children are lions, not stags, he said to himself while walking away.

Myrcella

Myrcella was very excited after hearing the news. She had never left King's Landing before and the North was said to be a wild and mysterious place. She loved the stories about the Children of the Forest, the arrival of the First Man, the Wall and the brave man of the Night's Watch. And the possibility of a royal wedding between her brother and Sansa Stark thrilled her even more.

But she felt a little bit sorry for the Stark girl. Her eldest brother was evil and cruel. He used to strike her and poor little Tommen if they didn't immediately follow his wishes.

Three years ago she had tried to protect Tommen and called Joffrey a monster. His reaction was nothing but pure madness. He had called her a dumb whore, she didn't even know what a whore was, ripped apart her dress, letting her partially naked and struck her with his belt directly on her back. But that hadn't been enough to please her crazy brother. He had tried to do things far more sinister to her, things she wasn't able to understand at the age of eleven. She had fought him with all the strength a little girl could have, but Joffrey was older and stronger.

She had been saved from her insane brother by the most unlikely person she could imagine. Sandor Clegane, only called the Hound by everyone, Joffrey's personal bodyguard, forced her brother to stop. He simply threatened Joffrey to tell Robert and that worked. After that Myrcella promptly run to mother, but she didn't believe her, even after seeing the bruises.

She only said: "A princess mustn't cry."

It was the last time she had trusted mother. Only uncle Jaime was there to comfort her.

However, she was still enthusiastic now. She started to think more about the Stark family, especially about the boys. Her mother always kept her away from boys, she didn't know any boys except her brothers and the first was a monster and the second still half a baby. Robb Stark was said to be very handsome, with thick, curly, auburn Tully hair. Maybe she could catch a glimpse of him. Mother wouldn't allow anything more, she told herself sadly.

Sometimes she day-dreamed about a brave knight, riding away with her, away from her cruel brother, her jealous mother and her drunk father. But this would never happen, she said to herself. Such things are only fairy tells and most of the knights she knew were anything but chivalrous.

She started to pack her stuff for the long journey north.

I will need warm cloths if the north is as cold and harsh as in the stories, she said to herself.

So she tried to choose some dresses. It was a difficult choice either way. There weren't many warm dresses suitable for the northern climate in her cabinet. Only those silly silk dresses with the long sleeves, coloured in an aggressive Lannister red and the armour like jewellery, her mother had given to her.

She remembered her last name day. Lord and Lady Tyrell had been visiting the court and they donated her a fine and very beautiful dress in the Reach style, with small flowers embroidered. Mother instantly took it away from her.

"This dress is too revealing, it only fits a whore. But you are a Lannister. Lannisters don't dress like whores", her mother had told her.

She still hadn't been aware of what a whore was.

Mother wants me to be like her, but I'm nothing like her, Myrcella told herself. I'm not cunning, I'm not cruel, I'm only a little girl who wants to have a normal family and some day a nice and gentle husband. But mother won't let that happen, she controls my entire life and father is just a drunk, only uncle Jaime is kind.

Eddard

"A raven from the capital", Catelyn told him and handed the small scroll to him. "I'm so sorry, I know this man was like a second father to you. Jon Arryn is dead."

Grief swept through him and he started to read the letter.

"The king is riding north, with the queen, the royal children and half of the court" Eddard told his wife."

"That only can mean one thing, Ned. The King plans to name you Hand of the King. Otherwise he wouldn't go so far north. This won't be a simple courtesy visit. Ned, you don't have to accept. Your place is here, at Winterfell. There are many other good men in the realm Robert can ask", Cat answered.

"I must. I am his closest friend and friends help each other", Ned said to his wife. "And there is on more thing. He intends to arrange a betrothal between Sansa and crown prince Joffrey."

"This is impossible", Cat responded, "Sansa is already betrothed to Domeric Bolton."

"Exactly", Ned spoke, "I made an holy vow, that my first daughter will marry Roose Bolton's son and heir. Lord Bolton will be outraged, if I break the betrothal in favour of a southern boy. Even if it's the crown prince. This betrothal is also a good chance to improve our relationship with one of our most important vassals. I won't risk to anger the Boltons. In the past our relationship was tense, expressed polite and I won't give the Boltons a new reason to remember history. Probably the news of the betrothal didn't reach King's Landing."

"But Ned", Cat said, "Robert is your King."

"He is also my closest friend, certainly we will find an agreement. I already have an idea. Please, my love, send for Maester Luwin. I'm going to write a letter to Robert", Ned said.

"And what kind of idea would that be?", Cat asked.

"The king doesn't only have sons, he also has a daughter, a very beautiful and nice one, they say. Robb still isn't betrothed and he is almost a man grown. It is time. So I am going to ask King Robert for princess Myrcella to be betrothed to Robb, the heir to Winterfell and to be fostered as a ward of House Stark.