Viserys was mad, and when he was mad Daenerys tried her best to stay out of his way. Then were those times, far too many, when his anger was directed towards her, and then there was no hiding.

"How could you be so stupid?" He threw down the newspaper onto the table in front of her. The picture on the front was huge, and showed a horrible image of her. To the common person, it looked as if she was walking drunk out of the club, her friend Doreah clinging to her looking just as drunk. It seemed like a wild night out; most people probably assumed so, but only Dany knew the real story.

Viserys was waiting for an answer, but Dany couldn't bring herself to answer.

"What, you're too hung over to form sentences? Honestly Daenerys. . ." He brother raged. Dany managed to let out a squeak of an answer, almost too soft for her brother to hear.

"I'm not hung over."

"Oh you're not? I assumed that hangovers are what happen to people who get sloppy drunk the night before!"

Dany knew she should correct him, but when her brother was in this sort of mood it was impossible to string together an answer that would satisfy him. Viserys learned over the kitchen table, gripping the edges tightly.

"We do not need this kind of publicity. Not with the image our family has. If I am to be president someday, we need to clean off our family record and you are doing nothing to help it." Dany could only hang her head. This was a speech she'd heard many times.

"I don't want you hanging around Doreah anymore. Its time you started to associate yourself with the prominent young; future congress men, and the girls who will become the wives of those congress men. You have to think in terms of the future."

Dany wanted to ask him how she was supposed to do that when she was a recluse and had their family name, but she knew better than to argue. Besides, he had warned her off of Doreah and fiends like her many times. This time the threat surely wouldn't stick.

Viserys sighed and rubbed at his face.

"I don't have any more time for this. I have to be at work soon. With the new environmental upheaval laws alongside the business ones, I'm going to be busy. I need you to behave. And start listening to what I tell you to do."

Dany nodded her head. That was enough for Viserys apparently, and he began to collect his things from the small apartment the two of them shared. Although they were technically residents of Texas, Viserys worked so much in DC it was best for him to have his own place there. Dany had come to live with him once her father had died. Dany had never really liked him much. Cold and strict, he expected much of his family. She suspected that deep down somewhere, she was glad he had passed only a few years after being removed from office. Even so, she had only traded one controlling family member for another.

Viserys walked through the kitchen one last time, nodding at Dany once before exiting the apartment, closing the door firmly behind him.

She dropped her head into her hands. It could have gone worse she supposed, gone from bearable to worse in a matter of minutes like it had so many times before. Trying to distract herself from darker thoughts, Dany pushed away from the table and walked into her room, sitting down in front of the computer. Logging on, she pulled up one of the main websites she obtained her daily DC news from.

At the very top was a big article on the arrival of the Starks in DC. Skimming through it, all she could see was speculation after speculation as to why they were really there. No one was believing the story of an old pal come to visit the president, and maybe give some thoughts on environmental problems. Dany had seen some articles earlier in the week, more gossip column than factual news that spread the suspicion that Ned Stark's visit had to do with what went down years ago with the old president, Dany's father, and the repercussions today that had come from it. She had firmly avoided those articles.

She paused on a picture of the father and two daughters, the three of them exiting a private jet. Dany tilted her head to the side, wondering if these where the kinds of people Viserys wished her to be seen with. The older, auburn haired girl at least. She seemed put together, a future congressional wife. The other girl was off to the side, trying to hide from the commotion. Dany felt more of a connection to her.

Viserys was an extremely young senator, only 31, trying to move his way up the political ladder and erasing their family's mistakes as he went. Only he didn't see what Dany did, the people behind his back saying he was doing too much when he was going to achieve only a little. Their family name was almost good as dirt at this point, but Viserys tried to remove every stain. It's why he controlled her actions so carefully. She couldn't slip up either or it would reflect badly on him as well. It was exhausting, trying to keep up in a game of sly politics that she wasn't even a true part of. It's all about the image.

The ringing phone jolted her from her musings. Reaching over, Dany picked up her phone.

"Hello?"

"Dany! Wait, I called Dany right?"

It was Doreah, and from the sound of it very hung over. Dany sighed.

"Yeah Doreah, it's me."

"Oh good! Because your name in my phone is right above this guys that I definitely do not want to call, because, well you know what I mean. Anyway, did trouble happen?"

"Trouble on page one with a giant picture that Viserys very much saw."

"Shit. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. It was good that I came." Dany thought back to another phone call from Doreah that had come in the early morning. Doreah had been so wasted she could barely talk, but Dany managed to get a location out of her friend, and that's where Dany had gone. It had cost a reporter seeing them stumble out of the club, Dany barely keeping Doreah up. It was impossible for her to go anywhere without someone wanting a picture of the daughter of the old disgraced president. Dany took the consequence though; Doreah had clearly needed help last night, and it was better for her to have been driven home by Dany.

"Yeah well, my family's going to be pissed. I already had that screw up with the Italian earlier this month. This will be icing on their morning scones." Doreah groaned. "I have to go. I feel sick and your voice is too loud. If I live I'll contact you soon, bye." Doreah hung up quickly.

Dany sat there with her phone pressed to her ear until she heard the tone. Putting down the phone, she looked back at the picture of the Starks once again. She bet the girls of rich families with prestigious names and living fathers didn't have these problems. Dany used to be one of them, until everything around her family collapsed and crumbled. Now she was stuck in a cycle of trying too hard to keep up an appearance that was long gone.

Dany wondered if she would ever be one of them again.

The chauffeur opened the car door, allowing Sansa to place one spindly leg after another on the ground and exit the car delicately. The air in DC was just as cold as it was in Alaska, but Sansa thought there was a grander feel to it all, perhaps because she was finally in the capital of the nation. Or perhaps it had to do with the fact that she was now standing in front of the White House. She tilted her head up to look up at the building, feeling like everything was going perfect.

"Hey move it Sansa, we still have to get out of the car!"

Everything but that. Sansa stepped away from the car to allow Arya to climb out of the car, followed by their father.

"What do you think girls?" Ned asked them as the car pulled away.

"Magical" gushed Sansa.

"Intimidating show of security" was Arya's answer, pointing out the secret service that had surrounded them. Sansa rolled her eyes. Of course Arya wouldn't be able to just enjoy it.

"If that's what it takes to keep the family safe, then so be it." Ned nodded at the nearest agent. "Where to now?"

"If you folks will follow me. We'll check you in and run you through security before anything else." The tall service agent motioned for them to follow him, and guided them to an entrance. As Sansa entered into the building, she was grateful for the rush of warm air. Her dress may have been at the height of fashion, but it did little for warmth.

The agents guided them to a small room where all three of them were checked in. A metal detector and several other precautionary measures later, they were finally being escorted through the white house. Sansa gazed around, taking it all in. In her 17 years of life she had never been outside of Alaska. This was the trip of a lifetime and she wasn't going to waste a minute of it. Sansa looked at Arya, whose arms were crossed, a bored look on her face. Sansa nudged her.

"Hey, try to look a little happier. I mean we were personally invited by the president himself to come to this dinner. Behave."

"I did try to turn this offer down. Wouldn't you have liked that" Arya replied. "You could have gone on this trip all by yourself and wooed some important political figure and had it all planned out, yet here I am to ruin everything."

"I won't be wooing anyone. They're all too old" Sansa said, thinking of the old and graying members of congress.

"I heard Joffery is just your age and type. Woo him." And with that arya hurried to catch up with their father, leaving Sansa to walk behind them, and alone with her thoughts. It was true Joffery was 18, only a year older than Sansa, and she always thought he had been handsome.

Shaking her head Sansa shut the thought down before it could get too far. There was going to be nothing there. Ever. It was only a nice fantasy to think about, and while she was too busy imagining being the first-daughter-in-law, she didn't notice they had come to a dining room. Snapping out of it, Sansa took the necessary steps to come to stand in line with her sister and father. In the middle of the room sat a long dining table with multiple people around it. The conversations fell silent as the Starks entered the room.

A man, quite large in fact, stood up from the head of the table and came to stand in front of them.

"Mr. President" Her father said formally. The man just laughed.

"Ned, is that any way to greet and old friend?" Sansa saw her father smile.

"I suppose not. It's good to see you Robert." The two men embraced, and when they separated, Robert, or no, the president Sansa thought, put an arm around her father and guided him to the table.

"Here, sit next to me Ned. Your daughters can take any seat they wish."

Arya took a seat at the far end of the table while Sansa took a seat next to an older man who smelled quite a bit like alcohol. Robert began a new conversation.

"It's good to see you Ned. I haven't really seen you in what? 20 years?"

"Just about."

"My god, those were some rough years." Robert shook his head while Ned grimaced, clearly remembering things that should stay buried. Sansa wondered what he was remembering. She had heard a little about the rise of President Baratheon; actually very little but enough to know it was muddied with political deceit. Or so the news claimed.

"But look at us now!" Robert tried to bring some cheer back. "Wives, families, I got the presidency not but a few years ago, and you got your oil company going along smoothly…"

"You seem to forget I still have backlash from the takeover." Ned reminded him.

"Bah" Robert waved it away. "Old news. How about I introduce you to my family?" Robert began the introductions of the people around the table who had been silent during the men's conversation.

"You know my wife Cersei." Sansa thought she looked a cold sort of woman, who only gave a small smile.

"Jamie her brother. You remember him Ned?" A man who looked exactly liked Cersei. Sansa knew him; he was one of California's Senators.

"And our children: Myrcella, Joffery, and Tomen." Myrcella gave a little wave while Tomen was too preoccupied by the food in front of him. Sansa saw where Joffery was sitting, right next to Arya. Arya didn't seem to care in the least, following Tomen's example of being fascinated by her food. Sansa made eye contact with Joffery and he smiled at her, making her stomach swirl. Sansa looked down at her food, feeling silly for being so wishy-washy over a smile.

"Ah dear President, I do believe I'm missing my introduction." It was the older man who sat next to her, and it wasn't Robert who answered, but Cersei.

"My brother Tyrion, who somehow graced us with is presence this evening." There was little warmth in her voice, but Tyrion merely grinned largely and raised his glass of wine in a toast towards her, and drank from it. There was a tense moment of silence before Ned broke it.

"It's so good to meet you all. These are my daughters, Arya and Sansa." Sansa sat up a little straighter as everyone turned to look at her, while Arya merely slumped further in her seat.

"Such lovely daughters you have" Cersei commented. Sansa felt like she was being examined for her worth under Cersei' scrutiny. Robert ignored his wife's comment and turned towards Ned.

"I'm glad you're here. Things are going to have to move quite quickly. Mace Tyrell is flying in tomorrow and as soon as he lands we're going to start the planning. . ."

Sansa tuned out her father's business conversation. It was all boring numbers and long meetings. That's what is always is. A voice spoke up from beside her.

"Are you enjoying the white house so far Ms. Stark?" It was Tyrion.

"Oh yes. It's such an honor to be invited here." Sansa was still in awe of the whole situation but she would be lying if she said the first family had held up her expectations of them. Still, that wasn't something she could exactly say to a member of the first family.

"Oh, an honor?" Tyrion asked a smirk on his lips. "That's one way of putting it. Your sister there seems to have a good idea" He nodded towards Arya. "Keep low and ignore us all. Smart."

Sansa thought it was more so rude than smart, but she didn't try to argue. Tyrion fell silent next to her, and Sansa was left all to herself. She looked towards Arya. Joffery was saying something to her, making Arya reply sharply. Sansa wished she was closer so she could hear them, but there were talking softly and all she caught was a few words here and there.

Joffery looked away from Arya, his face drawn. He caught gazes with Sansa once more, and she tried to pass a smile that could somehow portray "Sorry my sister's such an idiot." Joffery looked away from her too, focusing on his family. Sansa felt a slight hollow of disappointment in her stomach against her wishes. Leave it to Arya to mess everything up. Sansa glared at Arya, but Arya only shrugged and went back to shutting out the world.

Sansa slumped in her seat, fed up already. This evening was not going in the direction she wanted it to. As she pushed her food around her plate, she fantasized about this trip, a better experience where she wooed the entire first family and they asked her to stay there indefinitely. It was an Arya free version, and it was wonderful.

Cersei closed the door to Tomen's room, making sure to make no noise, and began to walk to her room. It was several hours after that dinner with the Starks, and Cersei was displeased. She didn't like that family being anywhere near hers. The last time Ned had been within 5 feet of Robert, a president had fallen out of office and a family line had nearly been ended. She didn't need that happening again. Cersei may hate Robert, but he was key to her influence. Without him it all fell through.

Entering her room, Cersei thought. She needed to contain the Starks. The oldest girl, Sansa, would be easy. From what she saw at dinner, Sansa would do anything to get the approval from Cersei's family. Maybe she would have a conversation with Joffery about paying some attention to her. As for Ned, Cersei knew just who she was going to ask to keep him in line. It was the youngest girl she was worried about. Arya. She was a wild card. Sullen and withdrawn, Cersei had no idea what that girl was going to do. Doubtfully much, but Cersei couldn't have any blindsides down the road.

In fact, Cersei thought she may have to broaden her focus of Starks. There was still a motley crew of them up in Alaska. One word from the wolves here and the ones up there would respond.

Cersei picked up a nearby hairbrush and threw it hard. A loud shattering sounded thought the room. The brush had hit the mirror over her dresser. Large cracks spiraled out from the impact and several pieces had fallen out. She walked over to it and saw herself in the mirror, repeated several times due to the breaks.

Everything she was constructing here could fall apart if Eddard Stark tried too hard. There was too much honor in that man, and in his path for doing right he would bring down all the wrongs that held up this presidency.

The Starks were dangerous.

Something had to be done, and soon.

Hola

As for the characters I will be focusing on, I will be staying primarily with the main characters found in the books/show, but should a characters' POV be needed for the narrative, then we will be seeing from them.

{More age references: Viserys-31, Daenerys-21, Joffery-18, Myrcella-12, and Tomen-9}