Wonderland // Ned Stark // Petyr Baelish (1)

19. Handsome Like Daddy

'I'm late I'm late for a very important date.'' he kept repeating alice struggled to keep up with him.

''Late for what! What's a watch?'' Alice called she couldnt see where she was going she tripped on a tree root and smacked down on the ground. Stars in her eyes she rolled over dazed and staring up at the sky

''Oh no. Oh no,'' the rabbit declared standing over her. Alice slowly reached a hand up and touched the rabbit. Soft like velvet. Her hand dropped back down to the ground and her eyes fluttered shut.

''Lady baelish? Lady Baelish?'' She was being shaken. Her eyes opened and her head hurt. 'Lady Baelish?''

''Ser Jaime?' Alice questioned confused

'Are you alright?''

''Wheres the rabbit?''

''What?' Jaime questioned helping her up.

''The white rabbit. The impeccably dressed rabbit.'' She clarified her head still spinning.

''I think you bumped your head.'' Jaime remarked. ''We are heading off another day or two before Winterfell,' jaime informed her. He wrapped his cloak around her she was freezing. He didnt know how long she had been this far away from the others from the fire.

''The rabbit-''

''Lets get you warm.' Jaime suggested wrapping an arm around her. She turned around but didnt see any tracks in the snow.

+

'Why is your mother dead set on us looking pretty for the King?' Jon asked as their faces were shaved clean their hair cut nicely.

'It's for the queen I bet.' Theon said

'I hear the prince is a right royal prick.' Robb added with a smirk.

"Do you think Aunt Alice is coming?" Jon asked hopefully.

"I hope so, its been years!" Robb declared.

"Lord Stark would have told us if Alice was coming." Theon countered.

"True..." Robb agreed solemnly.

+

'I see them coming, the riders!' Bran announced.

'How?' Catelyn questioned hands rooted on her hips, Bran looked up at her sheepishly. 'You were climbing, you said you wouldnt climb anymore.' Catelyn reminded him.

'I wont do it again.' Bran lied looking to his feet. Catelyn took a gentle hand and brought it to his chin.

'You know every time you look down I know you are lying.' Catelyn countered. 'Go on, line up.'

'Where is arya?' Ned questioned looking back to Jon and Theon stood in the second row. Jon shrugged, Ned's eyes drifted around looking for her when arya came running up with a guards helmet on her head.

'What are you doing?' Ned questioned, "where did you get that?' he pulled the helmet from arya's head and flattened her hair down. 'Go.' He told her pointing down the row of starks as the royal family approached.

Robert heartily hopped down from his horse Ned Stark and his family bowed before him on their knees as Robert approached. Robert motion for Ned to stand, Ned rose as did the rest of his family.

'Your Grace,' Ned said tipping his head to Robert.

'You got fat,' Robert noted but Ned looked down to Roberts stomach both men started laughing before they hugged joyously.

'Cat' He said happily hugging her before fussing with rickon's hair.

'Nine years it has been nine long years, I have not seen you where have you been?' Robert asked

'I've been here guarding the for north for you, your grace.' Ned said obediently. Jon and Theon stood like statues behind the starks.

Robert went down the row of stark children greeting them happily. Cersei cleared her throat waiting to be announced but in all honestly Robert had forgotten she was even there, he didn't care for his wife or his children, he wasn't a kid person considering the amount of bastards he had running around kings landing.

'Right, right, Cersei, Joffrey, Tommen, Marcella,' he said rushed.

'It is an honor to have you, your grace.' Catelyn said curtsying before cersei.

Sandor hopped down from stranger's back and brought his hands up helping alice down. As soon as her feet hit the ground she took off.

''Alice!'' Ned exclaimed hugging her, her legs lifted off the ground as he spun her around. ''I didnt know you were coming.'' Ned remarked kissing her cheek.

''I wanted to surprise you.'' Alice told him already blushing with his hands still on her.

''Take me to the crypts Ned.'' Robert demanded

''Just a moment robert.'' Ned said and Robert raised a brow

''Go Ned I will speak to the children. I'm not going anywhere.'' Alice assured pressing a kiss to his cheek.

''Crypts, Ned I want to pay my respects.'' Robert barked.

''Hello Catelyn.'' Alice said but catelyns focus was on the queen. Alice shrugged as she moved quickly to the kids.

''Robb! Jon! Theon! Oh look at you all young men you are!'' Alice declared hugging them tight. ''So handsome. Heart breakers no doubt.'' Alice mused kissing robb and jons cheeks.

''Auntie alice!". The boys chorused.

''Aunt alice?'' Bran questioned as she let go of jon.

''Oh my goodness. You must be Bran. I'm Alice.'' She said kneeling before them and bran hugged her tight as though he had known her his whole life. ''Hi honey. I'm so glad I could meet you finally.'' Rickon stared over at her. ''And you must be rickon.'' He nodded. ''So handsome like your daddy already.'' Alice told him as she moved to her a sheepish smile on his little face. She looked down the line as the starks gathered around her. ''Sansa look at you so grown and beautiful you are. And Arya your father told me you have gotten quite good at the bow.''

''I have.'' Arya agreed. Bran hugged her still. Catelyn was never very motherly and bran wanted alice to tell him stories and sing him songs like robb and jon had told him about.

'It's so nice to meet you all finally.'' Alice told them and she was on the brink of tears as rickon kissed her cheek.

Family. She was with her family again. She missed petyr. The journey was long and she missed him but seeing ned and the kids made her heart feel full.

'I heard about John Aryn.' Ned said once they were in the crypts.

'One minute he was fine. And then right through him... whatever it was. I liked that man,' Robert remarked.

'We both did ,' ned agreed, Alice had gotten to know Jon well, he was her brother in law as well. He wanted to catch up with Alice not down here in the crypts with Robert.

'Never had to teach you much,' Robert noted 'but do you remember me at 16? all I wanted to do was crack skulls and fuck girls.'

'I recall.' Ned admitted.

'But you always knew what was what.' Robert reminded Ned and he stared back at Robert a knowing look in his eye. 'Don't look at me like that,' Robert told Ned 'it's not his fault I didn't listen. I need you down in Kings Landing Ned. Not up here where you're no good to anybody,' Robert told him. 'Lord Eddard stark I would name you the hand of the King.' Robert declared. Ned got down to one knee.

'I'm not worthy of the honor.' He told Robert.

'I'm not trying to honor you I'm trying to get you to run my kingdom will I eat drinking whore my way to an early grave,' Robert informed him. 'Come on Ned, stand up,' he said patting his shoulder 'you helped me win the iron throne now let me help me keep the damn thing. We were meant to rule together. If your sister had lived we would've been bound by blood but it's not too late,' Robert told him. 'I have a son you have a daughter we will join our houses.' He said walking off.

The capital. With Alice. How could Ned refuse?