Would've, Could've, Should've // Ned Stark // Hayley Marshall

11. Stranger

"I miss cars. Airplanes. Taxi. Uber. Lyft." Hayley offered. Sandor stared back at her as Tommen smiled happily from her lap. "I know what the hell am I talking about? I make no sense but traveling for a month is awful." Hayley declared.

"Month?"

"Moon. Lunar cycle. Moons fucking moons." Hayley hissed.

"Gramma said a bad word." Tommen declared and she peppered his face with kisses.

"Did not." Hayley countered. "You dont know what you are talking about." Tommen giggled out as Renly rode up beside them.

"Im glad you came." Hayley remarked as she reached out for him. "My sweet boy,"

"Real good reputation as mamas sweet boy." Loras teased.

"You wish I called you my sweet boy." Hayley corrected and loras chuckled. "Hes a cutie though."

"Mum!"

"Its so easy to embarrass you," hayley remarked.

"Almost there. Get in formation!"

"Whats going on?" Hayley countered as they stopped their awfully long journey yet so close to their destination.

"Tommen needs to get in the carriage you as well," robert declared

"Why?" Hayley countered.

"Because women and children-"

"Rethink those words very carefully." Hayley countered. Robert opened and closed his mouth before looking to Renly for help. But renly rose his hands in surrender. Robert was digging that grave on his own.

"You are ride if you prefer."

"Good choice." Hayley agreed as she clicked her heels and they headed off again.

+

'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 promised you would not to climb anymore.' She reminded him.

'I wont do it again.' Bran lied looking to his feet. Catelyn brought a harsh grip to his chin.

'You know every time you look down I know you are lying.' Catelyn remarked. "Go on, line up.' She demanded shooing him off.

'Where is arya?' Ned questioned looking back to Jon and Theon stood in the second row. Jon shrugged, Ned's eyes drifted to the row behind Jon expecting to see Arya lurking. Arya was trouble but she loved Jon. Catelyn didn't like Jon fraternizing with her children. But 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.

Ned knew many of the riders. There came Ser Jaime Lannister with hair as golden as the sun, and Sandor Clegane with his burned face. The tall boy beside him could only be the crown prince, Joffrey. 

"That is the Kingslayer" Arya said in awe.

"Shut up"  Sansa hissed.

Yet the huge man at the head of the column, flanked by two knights in the snow-white cloaks of the Kingsguard, seemed almost a stranger to Ned ... until he vaulted off the back of his warhorse with a familiar roar. Robert.

"Where is the imp?" Arya pondered. 

"Shut up!" Sansa demanded. 

 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. But Neds gaze stuck on Hayley.