5 | BETRAYAL

From one night to the next, tragedy fell over the Stark household once more. This time, the life of the heir to the Iron Throne was taken—Eddard was dead. Clearly, the family was being targeted and panic washed over the kingdom. The Stark children were presumably being picked off one by one after the passing of Reyanna. Karsi was now declared heir to the throne since her twin brother, eldest by five mere minutes, was now gone. Suddenly, she felt like the weight of the world was on her shoulders. She had just been courted and now she was going to be crowned as Queen of the Six Kingdoms once her father was ready to pass on the crown or die. Jon had already been planning to pass down the crown to Eddard after Karsi married, but, now, plans had changed.

Karsi weeped as she stared at her brother's dead body adorned in luxurious clothing and his eyes covered with painted rocks. She had grown past the stage of denial, now she was livid. Someone was trying to kill her family and she had a burning desire to end them before they could hurt anyone else. Suspicions rose in the household as the siblings began to turn on one another. "Enough!" Jon shouted over his fighting kin.

He stood up at the end of the long dining table, which felt quite empty now that three of his family members had passed. He slammed his hands against the wooden slate. His four remaining children quickly silenced themselves. "Karsi is now the heir to the Iron Throne. I was planning on coronating Eddard in a month, but, now, plans seemed to have changed. The coronation shall continue, but, with Karsi in his place. The knights will be on high guard from now on. Everyone must be in their quarters at 8 o'clock, no later. And, in the morning, everyone must report to me until Karsi is crowned Queen. Then she may proceed with her own security plan as she pleases." Jon announced to everyone with a very solemn and somber face. He then, left the dining hall.

From one week to then, Jon looked as if he had aged thirty years. He looked quite ill. The combination of stress and grief had finally divulged itself onto his physical appearance. He once strong and stood tall, but that was when he stood beside his queen—Reyanna—and the one true love of his life.

* * *

In the midst of the following night, Karsi awoke to see the lack of Cordin's presence in her bed. Cordin had been sleeping in the same bed as her since they were courted, they were to be married in only a short while, so, no one found it out of the ordinary for them to be openly sleeping in the same room—despite traditional convention.

Karsi, curious, creeped out of bed and poked her head out of her chambers. She heard faint whispers coming from her brother Tomas' room. She snuck over near his door, and hid behind a pillar in the corridor to listen in. She faintly recognized the voices of Tomas and Cordin. They seemed to be arguing. "You did it too soon! Now everyone knows." Cordin whisper-yelled at Tomas.

"I had to do it quickly, or else another Ashara incident would have occures." Tomas told.

"I really can't believe you poisoned the wrong sibling the first time. How much of an idiot do you have to be? I offer you to be the Lord of Casterly Rock in exchange for killing Eddard, and you manage to make it a sloppy scene!" Cordin scoffed at the boy.

"Why do you care? You still got what you wanted—for Karsi to inherit the Iron Throne so you could be king." Tomas yawned at the man.

Karsi gasped softly. Cordin and Tomas hear it and whip their heads around to scan the dark corridors around them. "Hello?" Cordin called out, but Karsi covered her mouth and remained still in her hiding spot.

"Must've been the wind. This palace makes a lot of noises at night." Tomas eased Cordin's worries.

"All I ask of you now it to keep your mouth shut. Then, when Karsi is crowned queen, I will reward you with Casterly Rock, as per our agreement." Cordin reminded Tomas of the plan.

Tomas nodded at him and disappeared back into his bedroom. Karsi hurried back to her quarters and slipped into bed before Cordin got back. Her heart was racing and broken all at once. She couldn't believe Cordin had used her like that! After all they had been through together. After all the times he had told her he loved her.

* * *

Karsi anxiously awaited her coronation to take place only a short month later. The ceremony was painfully boring, but as soon as the luxurious crown was placed upon her head, she stood up from the Iron Throne with a smile. "Father, I'm sorry I've kept this from you for so long, but I wanted to do this myself." Karsi spoke to her father, who sat beside her, before she turned to the enormous audience that attended her crowning. "People of Westeros, as you may all know, the Stark Family has been targeted by an unknown entity within these castle walls. My dear brother and sister have been murdered, and to this day, we are unsure of who had killed them. I come of many families. The Challinders. The Starks, of which I have inherited their name. Even the Targaryens. These are all families in which have killed to preserve their namesake. To preserve their power. And, although, the murdering of heirs isn't unfamiliar to Westeros' history, it is taboo to hear after this kingdom's streak of peace—brought upon by my mother and my hero, Queen Reyanna. Ladies and gentlemen, I regret to inform you that I have discovered the murderer of both my siblings to be someone of my own kin. Someone who claimed 'it wasn't me! we're family, remember that?' Someone who shares the same BLOOD with me and the two innocent souls taken from this world." Karsi shot daggers over at her brother Tomas.

"My first order as queen shall punish Tomas Stark for his crimes by decapitation." Karsi's voice boomed and echoed in the now silent hall. Gasps and screams sounded once Karsi announced her first order of business. Knights marched over to Tomas to detain him until it was time he met with the sword or guillotine.

"Wait!" Karsi shouted so that she could finish. "And my second order shall punish Cordin Lannister for conspiring with and organizing the crime for his own benefit." She gestures for the knights to take him away as well. Cordin's eyes shot wide and she tried to escape before the knights could grab him. But, his effort failed and the guards managed to capture him in no time.

Karsi walked straight up to him, her jaw clenched and her eyes fiery with rage. "Please, Karsi. I love you! You know that! I did this all for you." Cordin begged as the knights held his tightly before the queen.

"What a shame, the Lannister lineage ends here. You know, my mother really was fond of your father. Not so much your aunt...but, her fate ended much like yours will." Karsi sighed, then waved at the knights to take him away.