Joanna 1.

Gleaming sunlight shone through the crimson curtains and decorated the room with light. The sunlight reflected off the numerous gold objects and cast an ethereal glow across the occupants of the large bed.

A golden mane was strewn across the pillows, blonde curls the same colour as the other occupants. The growing light stirred her from her sleep.

The young girl lifted her head slightly before letting it fall back down in the crook of the neck of the other sleeping figure. A hand emerged from beneath the covers and stroked a lock of hair from Joanna's face.

"Must we awaken?" She mumbled, sitting up, resting her head against the headboard.

"So what do you plan on telling father when we're not ready to leave?" The boy chuckled and interlocked his fingers with hers.

"I'll tell him that I have no wish to travel a thousand miles north to visit a dreary Lord who he hasn't seen for years." Joanna laughed, rising from the bed and making her way to the door. "Well if we must go then I must return to my chambers."

"No!" Her twin jumped from the bed and grabbed her arm. "Stay please, we're not doing anything wrong."

Removing his hand she took a step back. "I know that. But that does not mean I want to give the servants anything else to whisper about. They dare not say anything in front of us."

"When I'm King I will behead anyone who accuses us of anything inappropriate and-"

"As long as nothing occurs due to our affection then we have nothing to worry about." Joanna interrupted, "besides this...thing... we have isn't going to progress beyond sharing a bed. We wouldn't want to insult the Gods."

The young Baratheon opened the door and stepped into the hallway.

"I love you Joanna." The golden boy called out.

"I love you too Joffrey."

Cersei 1.

Cersei quickly dressed herself as she prepared to leave her brothers chambers. She knew it would be the last time she could be intimate with her twin until the King decided they could return from the frozen wasteland his best friend called home.

"I hear Robert's planning to marry one of the Stark children to one of yours." Jaime queried, passing Cersei her dress.

"Our children. Not mine, ours. Our four beautiful children that don't deserve to be raised by my disgrace of a husband."

Jaime chuckled, "well if her decides to marry Joanna to the Stark heir then it'll be only 3 to look after."

"No," She snapped, "I will not let him send my eldest daughter to live in that cold wasteland. She deserves to be happy, to be a Queen. I haven't pretended to be faithful to Robert for all these years just so he can have a Baratheon and Stark marry. I won't let him live his tragic love story through a child that isn't even his!" The anger practically glowed in her emerald eyes, her mouth curving into a sneer.

"Would you rather Joffrey marry one of the Stark daughters? A feeble naive girl won't last long married to him. Joanna is the only person who keeps his attention long enough that he forgets he likes causing pain." Jaime wrapped his arm round his twin and lover.

"You shouldn't speak ill of your son. He has a good heart."

"I just want you to be happy."

Catelyn 1.

"Jon . . . " he said. "Is this news certain?"

"It was the king's seal, and the letter is in Robert's own hand. I saved it for you. He said Lord Arryn was taken quickly. Even Maester Pycelle was helpless, but he brought the milk of the poppy, so Jon did not linger long in pain."

"That is some small mercy, I suppose," he said. She could see the grief on his face, but even then he thought first of her. "Your sister," he said. "And Jon's boy. What word of them?"

"The message said only that they were well, and had returned to the Eyrie," Catelyn said. "I wish they had gone to Riverrun instead. The Eyrie is high and lonely, and it was ever her husband's place, not hers. Lord Jon's memory will haunt each stone. I know my sister. She needs the comfort of family and friends around her."

"Your uncle waits in the Vale, does he not? Jon named him Knight of the Gate, I'd heard."

Catelyn nodded. "Brynden will do what he can for her, and for the boy. That is some comfort, but still . . . "

"Go to her," Ned urged. "Take the children. Fill her halls with noise and shouts and laughter. That boy of hers needs other children about him, and Lysa should not be alone in her grief."

"Would that I could," Catelyn said. "The letter had other tidings. The king is riding to Winterfell to seek you out."

It took Ned a moment to comprehend her words, but when the understanding came, the darkness left his eyes. "Robert is coming here?" When she nodded, a smile broke across his face.

Catelyn wished she could share his joy. But she had heard the talk in the yards; a direwolf dead in the snow, a broken antler in its throat. Dread coiled within her like a snake, but she forced herself to smile at this man she loved, this man who put no faith in signs. "I knew that would please you," she said. "We should send word to your brother on the Wall."

"Yes, of course," he agreed. "Ben will want to be here. I shall tell Maester Luwin to send his swiftest bird." Ned rose and pulled her to her feet. "Damnation, how many years has it been? And he gives us no more notice than this? How many in his party, did the message say?"

"I should think a hundred knights, at the least, with all their retainers, and half again as many freeriders. Cersei and the children travel with them."

"Robert will keep an easy pace for their sakes," he said. "It is just as well. That will give us more time to prepare."

"The queen's brothers are also in the party," she told him.

Ned grimaced at that. There was small love between him and the queen's family, Catelyn knew. The Lannisters of Casterly Rock had come late to Robert's cause, when victory was all but certain, and he had never forgiven them. "Well, if the price for Robert's company is an infestation of Lannisters, so be it. It sounds as though Robert is bringing half his court."

"Where the king goes, the realm follows," she said.

"It will be good to see the children. The youngest was still sucking at the Lannister woman's teat the last time I saw him. He must be, what, five by now?"

"Prince Tommen is seven," she told him. "The same age as Bran. Please, Ned, guard your tongue. The Lannister woman is our queen, and her pride is said to grow with every passing year. Prince Joffrey and his sister are said to be as close as siblings can be. When we last saw them he wouldn't let anyone near the princess. When Robb tried to kiss her hand I thought the prince was going to challenge him to a duel right then and there."

Ned squeezed her hand. "There must be a feast, of course, with singers, and Robert will want to hunt. I shall send Jory south with an honor guard to meet them on the kingsroad and escort them back. Gods, how are we going to feed them all? On his way already, you said? Damn the man. Damn his royal hide."