Game of Thrones Imagines Book Two

What could have been - Part 5 - Ned x Robert x Reader

"Please. Who..........who am I?" (Y/n) asked again. The wraith not sure what else to say as she sat in the private chambers of the king. He and his Hand staring at her in disbelief.

In a normal situation, the king would already have called for the guards, and she would probably be finding herself dragged through the great keep, in irons, on her way to the dungeons. Or making her escape by jumping back out of the window and hoping not to fall to her death. But it was obvious that this was far from a normal situation for any of them. And (Y/n) wanted to know why. She wanted to know why the two most powerful men in the whole of the Seven Kingdoms were staring at her with tears pricking at their eyes. Seemingly as lost, confused and speechless as she was.

"Your name is (Y/n)? (Y/n) what?" The Hand softly asked her, as he cautiously took a seat across from the crying woman, that was desperately wiping away the tears that rolled down her cheeks, with her sleeve. (Y/n) sure that she hadn't cried like this since she was a very small child.

"Y-y-yes. (Y/n). Just (Y/n). I don't have another name. Not even a bastard's name. I never have had. I.........I was told I was named for my mother. But.......that's all I know." (Y/n) replied with a sniff. Watching as the king pulled up a chair alongside his old friend. The two looking between one another and (Y/n).

"Your.......your mother? Tell me about your mother." Ned enquired urgently. A strange feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. His mind continuing to race. Could the mad king really have taken pity on his child? Could Aerys have saved his heir when he had cut it from her mother's body? As Ned carried on looking at the beautiful woman in front of him, he was beginning to believe so. But why the dragon would not have killed the child there and then. The child of a traitor. Ned did not know.

"I don't know anything of my mother. The old woman that claimed to care for me when I was small, told me that my mother was dead. That she had been killed. And that all she had given me, other than life, was my name. I have nothing but that. No father. No House. No family. Just me. And when the old woman got tired of having me around, she threw me out to live in the gutters of the Free Cities. And I stayed there until I could escape their horrors. I have fought for everything in my life. If I wanted it, I had to take it. I battled for every morsal of food that passed my lips. For every sip of water, I took. For the gold in my purse, and especially my own life. I learnt everything I could, from whoever I could. I educated myself in the art of the sword, the knife and the bow. I taught myself to read. To take in any piece of knowledge I could find. And when I was ready, I learnt to use at that knowledge to my advantage." (Y/n) growled as she got to her feet and glared at the men. Tired of answering all these questions and getting nothing in return.

"Now tell me. WHO AM I?!" (Y/n) cried. Anger, fear, and uncertainty taking over every one of her senses. Not even when she was a child had she felt like this. So lost, so vulnerable. So........scared. Not when she had hidden from the guards as they tried to catch her for stealing fruit from the market stalls. Not when she had gone into hiding as the men that wanted to do far worse to her than lock her up, came looking for some pleasure. Not even when she had nearly been killed on numerous occasions, had she felt anything but control and certainty that she could outwit, outplay and out fight anyone that she came against. But here, here, with her life seemingly in complete and utter turmoil, she felt exposed, helpless. And she didn't like it.

Suddenly, Ned stood up and pulled (Y/n) into his arms. A small tentative smile pulling at the corner of his mouth as he felt no resistance from her. He had no need to ask any further questions of the woman. No need to believe that she was anything other than what he knew deep down in the pit of his soul, that she was. The Hand of the King thanking the gods for somehow making the Mad King have mercy on the child that he had brought into the world.

"You........you are (Y/n) Stark. My daughter. The issue of my marriage with Lady (Y/n) Baratheon. The sister of the king." Ned informed her. (Y/n) struggling from his arms and backing away.

"No. You are wed to Catelyn Tully. Your children are with her. I am not your child. Not the...........I am not a Baratheon either. I am........I am no one. A ghost." (Y/n) replied in disbelief. Backing up again as Robert pulled himself to his feet and placed his hand on his old friend's shoulder.

"You are right. Ned is indeed married to Catelyn Tully. But before the Mad King killed Brandon and your grandfather, Ned was wed to your mother. My sister. Lady (Y/n) Baratheon. A greater beauty, and sweeter soul not known anywhere in the whole of the Seven Kingdoms. Your mother was killed at the same time as Ned's brother and father. When he knew that he had lost your mother and you, that was when he married Catelyn." Robert added. (Y/n) turning pale and falling back into her chair.

Surely none of this could be true. It was impossible. Wasn't it? She, the wraith. A spy and thief. A woman that had been employed by various parties to spy and report on both the men before her, was actually the daughter of one, and niece of the other? It sounded insane. If she had been told this by anyone else, she would believe that they had lost their mind. Called them a liar. But she knew that neither of the men would lie about something like this. There was no need. It wasn't as if they knew what she was and were trying to weave this elaborate web of lies so that they could finally capture her. And she knew of Ned Stark's reputation as a good man. A family man. So, to claim that she was his daughter, and not mean it. Seemed to make no sense. Yet, if it was true, what was she to do now. Was she to stay in Kings Landing? Would the king want her to remain there? Was she to go to the north? Truly become part of the Stark family. No. Legitimate or not, surely Catelyn Stark would not accept her, like she didn't accept Ned's bastard son, Jon. So what? Even if Ned said that she was his daughter, Robert said that she was his niece. She would still be stuck between worlds. She was the wraith. A ghost. And she had to tell both men what she was before she did anything else. Because she knew if she didn't, Baelish would most certainly use it for his own ends. Blackmailing her, like he did, and had done, so many others.

"If that is all true. Then........then I have something to tell you both. And if you still want to know me after that, then maybe, maybe I could remain in Kings Landing for a while and learn who I should have been. Who my mother was."