"Robert," Ned spoke, before correcting himself. "Your Grace. I wish to speak with you alone." The small council disappeared, Pycelle hobbling out as slowly as he could whilst the others drifted away quickly. Ned took a deep breath. "How could you do this without speaking with me first?" He asked, his voice quiet.

"Like I said, you weren't here. The problem needed to be dealt with so I did it. I am the King damn it! If I want a threat to my throne exterminated then I will do it! I do not need your permission like some stupid child!" Robert was growing steadily angrier at being questioned like this, standing up and walking over to Ned. The King leaned close to Ned, and spoke quietly, rage coating every word. "You might be the one with all the brains, Ned, but you are not in charge. You'd do well to remember it."

"You asked me to be your Hand! As your Hand I am required to give you advice when-"

"When I ask for it! When I ask you for your council, you will give it. Did I ask you? No. I made my choice, and it was done! Now, if you could tell me what possible problem you see with the death of the last people that threaten my seat, I would gladly hear it."

"You murdered a defenseless child and a boy with no chance of ever coming here!"

"No! I killed the last two threats to my rule! The Targareyan's didn't care when they killed your father, your brother or your sister. Yet you stand here telling me they were defenseless. That girl would have spread her legs for the Dothraki, her son would be a Khal and second in line to the throne after that sniveling boy Viserys. You can be on your moral high horse all you want Ned, but I stand by what happened. You would be niave to believe that there weren't men trying to bring that boy back to his supposed rightful place. If you think differently perhaps it was a mistake appointing you my Hand. Being a father has made you soft."

"Being a father has made me a man who can see beyond bloodshed and the needless death of a young girl. I will not apologise for that." Viserys was a threat, Ned accepted that, but the thought of the violent death of a girl barely older than Sansa disturbed him. "You are a father yourself. How would you feel if somebody treated Myrcella's head as nothing more than a trophy?"

"Leave my children out of this. There are winners and losers in every war, Ned. We won. They lost. You helped me to win, you claimed the throne in my name. This is what you fought for."

"I fought for an end to madness!"

"Madness? You call me mad? Careful, Ned. Very careful. Any sane man would do what I have done. You are the fool if you think otherwise." Robert stood in the middle of the room, his fat belly heaving with rage. Ned said nothing, only stared at him. Robert struggled to compose himself, and said in a strained voice "You are more brother to me than Stannis or Renly, but do not think that you are free to say whatever you wish to me. You are welcome here, Ned, and I value your judgement. I value you enough to give you a warning. Do not question me. Is there anything else you wish to discuss?"

"Joffrey and Sansa." Ned took his chance, wanting to end any suggestion that his daughter would marry the boy who stuck a blade in his son. "I want to confirm that there will be no betrothal. I do not wish Sansa to marry him."

"Our houses will be joined." Robert said firmly, though he reminded Ned of a sulking child. "We have already agreed."

"It is not fair to expect me to give her to him now, not after all that happened with Jon. I would offer Robb to Myrcella instead." Robert paused to think about it, and nodded.

"There's a fair few years between them, mind." Robb was seventeen, Myrcella not yet nine and still very much a child.

"No more than any other marriage. Robb is a good lad, he'll care for her when she is of age. I hope their marriage will be as happy as mine has been." Robert chuckled at that.

"I would not wish my marriage upon her. Perhaps I should send her to Winterfell, Cat would be a good influence on her." Ned doubted Cersei would approve of another woman raising her precious daughter, but he nodded along now that Robert seemed to be in a more agreeable mood.

"I will discuss arrangements with Cersei. Write to your son and let him know I've approved the match."

"You would send my only daughter to the wolves?!" Cersei screamed, all restraint gone. "I will not let her go! If they do not want Joffrey, give them nothing! They will not have her! She is a princess, the only princess we have and she deserves someone better than Robb Stark!"

"I think it will be a great match, and I have already approved it. Robb Stark is a good lad, give him time and he will be great just like his father."

"Your romance with Ned Stark is touching, but I will not give her to them to satisfy your longing to be one of them. You are not his brother, you never will be. He wants the best for his family, can't you see how he uses you?!"

"Uses me?! That man has saved my life more times than I can count, he's served us quietly and loyally with no desire to grab all the gold he can. I trust Ned over any man. If you were wise, you would keep your mouth shut and know that Myrcella would be better off with Robb than she would be listening to Lannister poison. Now silence, or I'll send away Tommen and all you'll be left with is that sick son that you cling to. Count yourself lucky we aren't at war with the Starks, no thanks to that little shit. You are so precious about raising your children, look at Joffrey! Look at what you raised."

"Perhaps if his father had been around more, he would not need to act out for attention." Cersei spat, standing close to Robert. Venom coursed through her veins, the loathing she felt for her husband setting fire to her insides. Her children were the only precious thing she had, the only thing that mattered besides Jaime. To lose them would be to lose herself.

"The day I saw him holding those dead kittens he cut out of the kitchen cat, I knew he was wrong. My kingdom will go to hell in his hands, mark my words."

"The Kingdom will have a leader who values more than whores and wine!" Cersei shot back, her fists balled in rage. "You stand there, probably still drunk from yesterday, and dare criticize him. If I put your children in a room full of others I doubt you would be able to name them. I will not allow you to tell me how to raise them! You are a pathetic pig of a man, under the thumb of the Starks."

Robert lifted his hand and brought it down upon her cheek, the force of it knocking her backwards. She staggered, clutching her cheek and wiping blood from her nose.

"Silence. Silence, for once! Keep your words to yourself, they are of no interest to me!" The King roared, as he stormed out of Cersei's chamber.

A/N: Hello again! Thanks so much for the continued support on this story, I've had a chapter in progress for ages but it didn't feel right so I just whacked this out in an hour. The next chapter is nearly done so should be up this week. Please review if you would like! The next chapter will be longer but I just needed to get back in the groove of writing.