Chapter Text
Ned marched up the half rotted steps and firmly pounded his knuckles on the door. There was no response, as was typical. He pushed open the never locked door and stepped inside. Immediately, he gagged as an awful smell poured out, smelling of rancid meat and ink. Momentarily he lurched back, immediately recognizing the smell. Despite the heaving in his chest he pushed ahead, as was his duty.
Walking past the foyer, he came to the kitchen where he saw a fat balding man brewing a thick blue liquid with a mangled mass of tubes and bottles. He was brewing Shade of the Evening, Ned knew. The man looked up at Ned, seemingly confused why he was there, as if his purpose ever changed.
Ned did not hate him, but neither did he respect him. He was not responsible for the poor decisions of others but he was responsible for himself. To Ned's recollection he was unemployed, yet always had money for the chemistry to experiment with whatever street drug was making the rounds. All the wrong sorts of kids idealized him. Ned first heard him by the name "Mad Mage", which assumedly referenced his impressive if misused chemistry skills.
"Where is Howl?" Ned asked briskly.
"Just in the living room with the others." Marwin said before returning to his work.
Turning on his heel, Ned marched further into the house. When he reached the living room he saw Howland Reed, sprawled out on the couch. Ned despaired at the sight but he had expected nothing else. Souring Ned more than the stink, was the man next to Howland. A pale man with dark features and blue lips. Ned elected to ignore him, but unfortunately the man didn't agree with his decision.
"Good afternoon Stark, come to grace us with your righteous presence have you?" The man sneered at him, clearly amused by Ned's discomfort in this environment.
Euron openly mocked Ned whenever he was around, but he didn't take it to heart. Euron loved nothing more than his own voice and power he could hold over others. Ned had learned the best way to engage with him was to ignore him entirely.
"Euron." Ned said coolly, before moving to Howland's side and attempting to wake him.
"If you weren't so obsessed with appearances you may be able to put some passion in that cold blood of yours. We aren't as we are to offend your virtue, isn' t that right?" Euron turned to another boy in the corner of the room.
Ned hadn't seen him, he seemed to fuse right into the chair he was sitting on. His white skin, hair, and red eyes gave him a unique appearance yet he seemed to fade into the background all the same. He didn't acknowledge Euron. Ned had heard of him second hand, 'The Raven' was what he was often known as. Someone who knew everything and everyone to a preternatural degree.
"Brynden, aren't you going to say hello to our noble guest?" said Euron.
Brynden turned and stared for a moment, "What? No... I'm playing Xbox."
Euron sighed, discontent that no one else in the room wanted to play along with his japes. Howland was conscious enough to stand now and Ned hoisted him to his feet. He half dragged his friend from the building and pushed him into the backseat of his car.
As Ned drove, he reflected on how this had happened. It seemed like just yesterday they were in middle school. Howland had as much potential as any other child. But now his highest priority seemed to be drugging himself unconscious with "friends" who never cared once for his wellbeing. Ned wanted more than anything to help him, but he didn't know how. He had explained that what he was doing was wrong, even more so he explained the reasons why it was wrong. Howland didn't seem receptive to his talks.
Howland lulled awake as the car sped down the road. He looked around confused. After a couple minutes he seemed to have put together what had happened.
"It's not necessary for you to keep coming after me." Said Howland.
"It's my duty." Ned said stiffly.
"Not one I gave you. I've always been fine. That stuff's not as dangerous as you think. It's relaxing."
"You've only always been fine because I was there." Ned growled.
The car went silent. Ned was as worried as he was angry, and found he couldn't express one feeling without the other. Regardless of that, he spoke again.
"This doesn't just affect you. Have you ever thought about what how it would affect me if something happened to you? Your family? Ashara?"
Howland didn't speak. Ned knew his problem wasn't a lack of understanding, but Ned spoke nothing if not his mind.
"The school year starts tomorrow. Did you recall?" Ned continued. "Now thanks to you I'm going to be late."
"What's today?" Howland said. Ned glared back at him.
Howland's eyes shot open as he remembered "Oh! That's today? Oh no..."
Ned reached the Reed's home and quickly ushered Howland inside. He made him promise to not go back to Marwin's, and he did. Ned knew it made no difference, the promise would be forgotten soon. Howland seemed resigned to his fate, but Ned didn't have it in him to give up on him.
He sped off towards the wealthy end of town. He had made it faster than he thought possible but that still put him fifteen minutes behind as he approached his destination. He pulled up the front gate. It was a massive thing, laden in gold with two lion statues on top of the posts that held it. Ned found it to be a ridiculous opulence, even more so now as it cost him precious seconds.
As he pulled into the driveway he took a moment to compose himself before stepping out. He half-ran and half-walked to the massive front door and gave it a strong knock while not trying to appear too frantic. He was greeted by a mountain of a man that somehow filled the massive doorframe.
"Stark?" He growled.
Ned gulped and nodded, allowing the main to wave him inside. The interior was as absurd as the outside. The floor was cracked marble laced with gold, the bannisters of the central stairwell were gold, the room was lit with a crystaline chandelier that was, of course, also made of gold.
In the next room Ned saw two teenage boys sitting together watching the news. One feminine and golden-haired, Jaime he knew. And a second, short and silver-haired, that one he did not know. The TV's headline read "Mad Mayor Aerys Greenlights Bulldozing of Wetlands".
"Isn't he a cousin of yours?" Jaime asked the silver-haired boy.
"Fuck if I know. Second-cousin maybe? This town is infested with us." Replied the silver-haired boy.
Ned's attention returned to the task at hand as his hand was seized. Ned jumped, but relaxed when he saw who it was.
"Cersei." He breathed.
"Come on! You've kept my father waiting!" She said shrilly as she dragged him off to the dining room.
She was a bit rough, but Ned was glad. He didn't know if he could go in there without the help. The two of them entered the dining room, laden with all manner of gold and delicacies. But Ned could hardly notice. His gaze was locked onto the bald man with a golden beard who's emerald eyes were threatening to bore right through his skull.
"You are late." Boomed Tywin Lannister.
His voice hit Ned like a warhammer and nearly buckled his legs under him. Tywin was not a man to deal with. He was not a man to disrespect, even if you never meant to. And he certainly wasn't someone who's daughter you would want to date. Yet that's what Ned was doing, and so here he was.
"I'm sorry sir, I had.. important matters... to attend." He stammered as he hastily took a seat.
"To be sure." Tywin growled.
Ned was sitting across from Cersei. That seemed a safe bet. Surely it would be unwise to even suggest any physical intimacy of any kind. But what if he thought this meant he didn't value her enough? Should he have sat closer him? He must prefer his own space. Three seats down seemed a safe distance. But did he want that? What sort of man could protect his daughter but not stand to sit within several feet of him?
The large man served Ned as all these thoughts surged through his head. Ned tried desperately to enjoy the food but he couldn't taste a thing, and felt his throat closing up no matter how much water he drank. He desperately tried to think of some words to blot out the deafening sound of silverware on porcelain. But any hope he had of directing the conversation was soon dispelled.
"Cersei tells me you are going to inherit your father's company." Said Tywin coldly, his voice refusing to betray what he thought of that fact.
"Yes." Ned responded instantly.
"The construction company. Brandon's BuildWork's. Yes."
Cersei side-eyed his clumsy delivery before turning her eyes to see what her father made of his confirmation. Running a construction company was an amazing prospect, but CEOs of gold mines are not known for being reasonable when it comes to wealth.
"Construction." Tywin paused as he forcefully chewed a bite of turkey.
"There is good money in construction."
Tension washed out of Ned, but it was not to last. A moment later Tywin volleyed a follow up.
"What do you plan to do with the company once you take over?"
Ned paled. What was he talking about? Ned was only 16, he didn't have the schooling to adequately answer a question like that. Were his expectations so high he thought Ned should have post-secondary education by now? Or did he know he was clueless?
"Well, I have ideas. But I wish to have my degree before finalizing any of them. A degree from... The Citadel!" Ned knew little about schools, but that seemed the most reasonable answer he could cobble together.
"I see." Said Tywin. Though whether he truly did Ned could not say.
The dinner progressed awkwardly for a few more minutes.
"How long have you been dating my daughter?"
Oh dear, Ned knew that question was coming.
"Three months." Ned said. It was a simple and truthful answer. But it felt as though every word was dragging him closer the the edge of some great cliff.
"Hmm, I was only informed a month ago." Tywin said coolly.
"Well that wasn't my choice... I told her to- I suggested she told you. She said she had- It seemed right. I sh- would have told you myself but it didn't seem like my business. It was. But- she's your family so I thought she should say and she said she said so..." He trailed off.
Tywin just looked an him. He looked towards Cersei for some reassurance but she just shrugged.
"I told him when it came up." She said.
The last bit of the dinner went by silently and painfully slowly. Afterwards Cersei dragged Ned off once more to her bedroom. Locking the door behind them, in spite of Ned's protests.
He sat sheepishly on the bed and fidgeted nervously.
"Do you think that went alright? The dinner?"
Cersei sat next to him. "Yeah, it was fine."
"I mean he clearly didn't love me."
"At best my father only loves two thirds of his own children, and even then I have my doubts. What chance did you think you had?"
Ned exhaled and buried his head into his hands. Cersei was right, he knew, but that didn't stop his heart from pounding. He replayed the night in his head, dwelling on what he could've done better. He snapped out of it when he realized Cersei had moved much closer to him and had begun softly gnawing on his neck.
"W-what are you doing?" Ned stared at her in shock.
"What the hell do you think?" She replied.
"Your dad is a couple rooms over. we can't be... that." Ned whispered.
Cersei rolled her eyes and flopped back onto the bed.
"I don't see the point in behaving if he's not going to like you either way. But fine, if that's your wish. I'm not going to force you, as much fun as that sounds."
Ned was now about as crimson as all the cloth in the manor.
"It's not that I don't want to. But like... it's a school night."
Cersei mumbled some agreeance, clearly she lost her interest in this conversation.
Ned awkwardly bid her farewell and retreated down the stairwell. His path to exiting the house was blocked by Jaime and the silver-haired boy he saw earlier. They were paying to attention to Ned and were instead clumsily putting on outdoor clothing and giggling to one another.
"You know if we're doing all this we may as well steal something bigger." He overheard Jaime saying.
"Nonono dude, that- that fucking hamster. It's funny, trust me. My dad's gonna be so pissed when we wreck the schoo-" Jaime clamped a hand over the silver-haired boy's mouth and motioned at Ned.
"He is listening, speak quiet, more quietlyer, quietly."
"Whagah?" Could he heard though Jaime's hand.
"Oh they're drunk." Ned thought. That would certainly explain things.
Before Ned had a chance to respond the two turned tail and ran off into the blackness of night. Ned yawned and made his own way to his car. He had a feeling tomorrow would be a long day.