The Shopkeeper of Konoha

The Queen didn't reply; she simply looked behind and to the sides to see if anyone was nearby. Ned could see that the Queen was in her nightgown, and if it were any other time, Ned would have thought that this woman had come to his place to seduce him.

The gown was flimsy, touching her body in all the right places. Without replying, she forced herself in and locked the door immediately. Ned still had the dagger in her left hand, hidden, somewhat Assassin's Creed style.

After Cersei came in, there was pin-drop silence, and Ned was just waiting for her to reply. He wasn't scared of her or anything like that, not even of any allegations she might make to the king.

The black finger on her hand was the guarantee that she would never cross the line. After the initial silence, her eyes welled up with tears as she looked at Ned. She had been holding herself together for quite some time, but now she felt like breaking apart.

What power? What fame? Everything had gone down the drain.

"I... I am sorry for my father's attack on the Bronzegate... I... I... I didn't know that my stupid father would go and attack your men," Cersei said. "Please... Please... Please don't kill my father... I am begging you... Please... Jaime and I will leave the capital if you want. Just, please, don't hurt my father."

Ned was impressed that Cersei knew what was going on, maybe because her own father had contacted her to find out about me, thus spilling the beans. She must have freaked out knowing what her father had tried to do.

Shikuro had come a few days ago and went to their House to spy and find out what was going on. It was revealed that Tywin was pretty confused about how his men had vanished into thin air one night and had even sent multiple spies to see where the soldiers went or even their bodies. After the revelation, Shikuro wasn't done with it and sabotaged many logistics of their army, like the weapon storage place and many other things, which harmed the Lannisters financially.

Tywin felt like something was wrong and thus asked Cersei to help Ned and find out more info. This was the reason Cersei was here, and she didn't bother to reply to her father, as she thought he wouldn't meddle with the Bronzegate incident.

But it seemed like her own anxiety had made her lose focus on the things happening around her and thus didn't see the potential for the Bronzegate problem to blow up in this way.

"My Queen, I have no idea what you are talking about," Ned said, lying right to her face. Cersei's eyes welled with more tears as she looked at Ned. She knew that Ned was lying, and there was no way this person didn't know. She went down on her knees and joined her hands in prayer.

"Please, Ser Ned Stark, I beg you. Please, don't hurt my father," Cersei said. Ned, looking at her, caught her by her shoulders and brought her up to her feet.

"My Queen, I will be honest. I really don't know what is happening with your father, but I will ask my men to back off from him if you think they are attacking House Lannister. That is the only thing I can do. I don't control the other houses," Ned said. Those words came as some kind of divine message for Cersei as she started crying now.

Ned was a bit scared seeing her cry and didn't know what to say. Though this person disgusted him a lot, he just couldn't feel zero emotions for this woman.

"My Queen, it's not very appealing for you to cry in my chambers. If His Grace gets an inkling about it, both of our heads will be chopped off," Ned said. This made Cersei stiffen, and it almost instantly dried her tears.

She nodded her head in acceptance and cracked a small, sheepish smile. She got the assurance, and she knew now that Ned wouldn't go after her father. The pain in her hands, which had now transferred to her finger, was the torture she was reminded of every day.

"And please don't leave King's Landing. What my children are going to do after, that is not under my control," Ned said. This made Cersei nod her head and accept it. After a few more seconds of awkwardness, she left after saying a small goodbye.

After she left, Ned sighed and got back to his bed. He needed to finish reading the book, and honestly, he loved the smell of the book too, as things like this were never available here. Hopefully, her children would start selling books like these.

After the confrontation with the Lannisters, Fugaku Uchiha realized the importance of understanding the customs and dynamics of the land they now called home. Though it was temporary, Aoto did hint that one day he and his fellow men would have to fight a common enemy.

These scouts ventured far and wide, from the bustling cities of King's Landing to the remote villages nestled in the shadow of the Wall. Unlike the locals, these scouts were fast and efficient. Aoto had helped him with accessories taken from an advanced civilization that would help to create a general topographical map of the whole kingdom.

The scouts were given as much time as possible. They observed the noble houses vying for power and influence at court, studying their alliances and rivalries with a discerning eye. Venturing northward, they encountered the rugged terrain and harsh climate of the North, where the looming presence of the Wall cast a shadow over the land. The Wall was what really surprised them.

The more they heard about the Wall, the more they thought that whatever was beyond was not to be trifled with.