Winterfell 294 AC.
Ned.
He had tried once again to bury himself in his work, tried once again to get away from the thoughts in his head by keeping busy. But it was no use, visiting Wintertown to see the people who'd arrived, to make sure they were settling in and had what they needed wasn't enough of a distraction. Going over plans with Luwin, making sure their stocks were coping with the influx of people wasn't enough of distraction.
Even spending time with his children, taking part in one of their archery lessons, or watching as the Blackfish put both Arya and Bran through a training session wasn't enough of a distraction. The peace and solitude the Godswood always brought him to had become something of a distant memory lately. He would go there, sit with Ice and polish the Valyrian steel to a glimmering shine, yet where usually his mind would clear, now it never would.
He had read the letters more times than he could count, he had memorized every sentence, every word, and had tried to discern whether he was reading them wrong or whether he was misinterpreting them. But he knew he was not, he knew that this man had played on his wife's own fears, on her hatred for Jon, but even knowing that didn't stop the thoughts that lay at the back of his mind, Cat had felt that way too.
"Father, will you come with us today?" Arya said and he raised his head barely remembering where he was, so lost was he in his own thoughts.
"With you?" he asked.
"Elle is taking us to the Wolfswood, me, Bran and Nymeria and Summer, can you come too father, please." his daughter asked and he tried to get his brain to function, tried to remember had he been told of this.
It took him far longer than it should, something which was beginning to be a problem and beginning to be noticed, but thankfully he remembered what it was Arya was speaking about. Elle had suggested taking the children to the Wolfswood, not deep inside, and with a heavy guard, but she had said and he'd agreed that it was time the children knew more of the lands they lived in.
"I will see if I am able, if I am not too busy here then I'll come along." he said and while he had meant to back out when the time got closer for them to leave, he quickly began to think it wouldn't be a bad idea for him to go along with them, perhaps the day away would clear his head.
In the end, fate intervened yet again, a letter arrived from Highgarden and as he read it any thoughts of joining Elle and his children were forgotten.
Father,
I wished to write to you to explain what happened with mother when she came to visit, why she was asked to leave and to give you my side of things as I don't believe mother will speak the truth on this. Mother arrived just before we heard the news that we believed to be true about Jon, from the moment she arrived it was clear she disliked the Tyrell's for some reason, but it was my brother she expressed her true feelings over. Lady Margaery and I walked in on mother speaking with Lady Olenna, we were just in time to hear her call Jon a Bastard, to run him down in front of the lady, and unbeknownst to her, Lady Margaery and myself.
I was upset, embarrassed, and we didn't speak for some time, when we did she once again made it very clear how she felt about the Tyrell's, and about my fostering here before she then informed me of my betrothal to prince Joffrey. When I told her I had no wish to marry Prince Joffrey, that I had heard tales of his cruelty, heard tell of him beating his sister and brother, she told me it was all lies and that it was the Tyrell's trying to steal him for themselves.
She told me they had plans for me, that they were lying to me, that they and Jon were in on things together and that Jon planned to steal Winterfell from Robb, that he was a, no I'll not use the word again, but you know what she called him. This upset me greatly, yet it still was not the greatest hurt she caused me while here. When news arrived of Jon's death, when we believed it to be true, she was kind and sweet to me, she helped me and I was most grateful father, truly I was. But then that night when she thought me asleep, I overheard her speaking to Fang, overheard her speaking joyfully of Jon's death.
She wished Fang dead too father just like she did Jon, though once again she referred to him by that word. When she realized I was awake, she didn't apologize, father, she didn't look shamed for what she said, she looked guilty, upset she had been caught, just as she had when Lady Margaery and I walked in on her speaking to Lady Olenna. I was hurt badly father, I was upset, I believed my brother to have been killed, and my mother, my mother, I'm sorry father please forgive me.
I asked, no, I demanded Lady Olenna send her away and to my relief she did. When news came of the truth of Jon we rejoiced, and I was glad mother wasn't here for it as I fear she'd have upset me once again, by showing how she truly feels.
It has been hard to write this to you father, I've even thrown it away upon reading it myself, but I needed to tell you, to explain. Please, father, don't ask me to leave, I love it here, I'm learning so much and Margaery and I have become true friends. If I must marry Prince Joffrey then I will, but I beg you please father, let me stay at Highgarden until then.
Your loving daughter.
Sansa.
He reread it and couldn't believe what he was reading, that she had upset their daughter so, that she had spoken of Jon that way to a lady of a great house. Had it just been these two things he'd have been angry with her, that she seemed to take delight in Jon's passing though. He searched around his desk looking for Lady Olenna's raven scroll and quickly finding it. One phrase that was written in it came to mind, one line he had thought to be worded strangely now made sense.
I will not have a woman speak ill of Jon in my home, and to do so when we believe he had passed, was not something I'd expect from a godly woman.
The line made so much more sense now, it was so much clearer and as he shook his head and felt his anger rise, he almost forgot about the other thing the letter brought up. A betrothal? What did Sansa mean by a betrothal? He had agreed to no betrothal, he would agree to no betrothal, not with Jon's position, and certainly not with what Sansa said about Prince Joffrey. A boy who beats his siblings is a man who when grown will beat his wife, and no one, no man will ever lay a hand on his daughter.
He went looking for the Blackfish, they needed to talk, he needed to explain some things to him and so he grabbed the two letters. He would seek the man's reaction to these, see what he had to say, see if he could stop the feelings that threatened to burst free from him, the explosion which was threatening to erupt. As he got up from his desk, Lya walked over to him and he rubbed his hand in her fur and felt himself calm somewhat, he felt the fire turn to ice though he knew it only to be temporary.
Kings Landing.
Cersei .
News took time to reach her, far more than it ever had, though Pycelle claimed he did his best to keep her up to date. But without her family's coin, without her father's looming presence, even a toady like Pycelle it seemed grew some balls. So he didn't rush, he didn't bring it to her immediately and instead, she was often out of the loop, often left finding things out long after everyone else knew of them.
It was why she had taken longer to find out that Jaime had put a babe in the northern whore's belly, a babe that should have been in hers, a babe that should have been theirs. It was why she had taken longer to find out that her evil little imp of a brother had traveled to Essos with the Red Viper of all people. Why she had taken longer to find out that one of his daughters, one of his bastard daughters, was staying at Casterly Rock.
She had been furious to hear that, it was bad enough the northern bastard and the northern whore were sullying her family home, but now it seemed her brother was turning it into a haven for other bastards too. At least when the Hand had heard of it, he too had been furious, for that she could at least respect Jon Arryn some. She knew had her father been alive, had he been still in this world, then Casterly Rock would have never seen a bastard stay there and so she found herself praying to him, asking him to rid the Rock of these undesirables.
" Please father I beg of you, I beg of you, cast them out, send them back to the dirt they belong in, send them from our home, send Jaime back to me, back where he belongs" she had prayed after a heavy night of drinking.
Her prayers, her hopes, her dreams, it seems were to be fulfilled, she rejoiced when news of the bastard's killing came and she practically danced around the castle in her joy. It wasn't that she cared that much about Jon Snow, other than him being where he shouldn't, other than him seeming to influence Jaime so badly. It was more this was a sign, her father hadn't forsaken her, he was there as he had always been, she was still his sweet little girl, still his proud lioness.
So she had been happy, joyful, she had made great effort to be with her children as she celebrated the bastard's demise, for family was ever so important to father and she knew now he was watching. She had taken interest in Myrcella's flowers, in Tommen's cats, and while she felt her two children were more kittens than lions, she knew her father would wish her to teach them to roar.
Something she didn't have to do with Joffrey, her son was as fierce as a lion, he already roared and she knew when he was king, when he sat the throne, the realm would be run right. But even lions need their mother and so she had been there for him too, she had told him of the future, of how his father wished him to marry a wolf, but how it needed to be a rose and he had listened and listened well.
Then just like that, just like all her dreams, all her hopes, her world came crashing down yet again and she realized once again she was alone. When news came of the bastard's survival she thought it a cruel joke, a lie, a plot to make her doubt herself, doubt her father. But it was no lie, no plot and in her fury, she left no one in doubt of how she felt, even her husband who did not take it well.
" Why should we care that the bastard lives, the world would be better off without him." she said loudly at dinner one night.
" Careful woman, you're speaking of Ned's boy."
" Ned's Bastard." she said taking another swallow of her wine.
" Ned's boy, enough, I'll not tell you again." Robert said his face so full of fury that it scared her enough to keep her quiet for the remainder of the evening.
So she had bit her tongue, swallowed her pride and while Robert celebrated the bastard's survival, she did not, she simmered in her hatred, she shared her disdain with the one person who one day would be in a position to do something about it.
"An up jumped bastard, a boy of no birth who thinks himself the same as a trueborn, imagine it, one day he may think himself the same as a prince, he may think himself like a king."
"He is a bastard mother, he would never dare think himself equal to a prince." Joffrey said as he ate his dinner and glared angrily at a servant.
"That's how they are my son, they covet what they do not have, desire to be what they cannot, to be true, to be noble and good, you must be wary of them, that one especially."
"You think I fear Jon Snow?" her son said dismissively.
"You are a lion, my love, you fear no one, it is they who cower when you roar." she said and saw her son smile "But be wary, be watchful, be ready."
She enjoyed her drink that night, when she got into bed she found herself almost giddy with excitement, it was a longer plan she would work on now, but when Joff came of age he would be king. She would see to it, make it so, and then the bastard and the northern whore would be well within her reach, then through her son, she could make them pay. She felt the wetness between her legs, felt the excitement build as her hand traveled down over her body, as her fingers found her core.
"Jaime, Jaime my love" she called out as she shuddered.
She woke up the next morning feeling completely refreshed, even her usual morning hangover wasn't present. She dressed and went to break her fast, finding to her surprise she was ravenous and so she ate far more than she usually did especially first thing. She spent her day with her ladies, listening to the gossip and finding the stories of who was sleeping with whom, who was unable to perform unless properly stimulated, to be for some reason more to her taste this morning.
She found her eyes drawn to one of the new guards, a handsome man, his dark hair and dark eyes reminding her of someone though she knew not who. He caught her staring at him and surprisingly didn't try to turn away, didn't try to hide his face in embarrassment or fear. She found this both annoyed and intrigued her, as did his smile, she tried to put it out of her mind, but later that day found herself thinking of dark hair and dark eyes more than once.
"News from Casterly Rock, your grace." Pycelle said as he handed the raven to Robert and she tried to look disinterested.
"Hah, a girl, well good for him." Robert said with a laugh.
"A girl father?" Myrcella asked and she was glad her daughter did so as she could not, her breathing had become difficult as she began to suspect what the news was.
She looked at Myrcella as Robert handed her the raven scroll, watched as her daughter's lips moved as she read it, and then waited for her to speak aloud the words she knew were coming.
"Lord Jaime Lannister and his wife Lady Dacey Lannister, do hereby announce the birth of their first child, Lady Joanna Lannister the heir to Casterly Rock."
Joanna, he had named her after their mother, named the whelp of a northern whore after their mother, he had no right, no right to do so, that was supposed to be their daughter's name. That was what she had always wished to call their daughter, Joanna, it was always supposed to be Joanna, not Myrcella, Why had she called her daughter Myrcella? It was always supposed to be Joanna, wasn't it?.
"Can a girl be an heir father?" Tommen asked though she barely heard him.
"Of course she can unless they have a boy, she'll be the Lady of the Rock, Lady Joanna Lannister." Robert said and she felt the bile in her mouth.
"Just like grandmother." Myrcella said happily.
That was it, that was all she heard, that was everything she heard before she fell to the floor before she lost consciousness and welcomed the darkness. She found herself back in the witch's house, back in the forest, once again standing beside Melara and once again looking at Maggy. She heard the shrill voice, the cackling of the woman's laughter, the sound of her own breathing, she could almost smell that wretched smell once again.
" Aye. Queen you shall be… until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast you down and take all that you hold dear."
She woke up in a sweat, Pycelle and her daughter by her bed, the wrinkled old Maester seemed surprised by her waking while Myrcella looked happy.
"Mother, mother you are well? You feel well?" her sweet little girl asked her voice full of concern.
"I am well sweetling." she said kissing her daughter's cheek "What happened?"
"I believe you fainted your grace, the shock of the news seemed to upset you greatly."
"Was that it mother? Was it the news?" Myrcella asked and she nodded her head.
"It was sweetling, it was hearing my mother's name." she said and while she wasn't exactly lying, she certainly wasn't telling the full truth.
After Pycelle told her she wasn't ill and gave her some Dreamwine which she drank eagerly, she felt herself begin to drift off as he left. The prophecy though plagued her mind still as she fell to sleep, Younger and more Beautiful, All you hold Dear. She had always taken it to mean her crown, to mean a new queen, but what did she hold dearer than her home, than Casterly Rock, then her brother's affections, what did she hold dearer than that? and who was younger and more beautiful than a babe?.
Kings Landing 294 AC.
Jon Arryn.
He found he hated even hearing the name, Jon Snow, even the merest mention of the boy, the merest suggestion of him had his blood rising. In five years Jon Snow had gone from being someone he had never given a thought to, to someone who every time he did think of him he felt his ire rise. He had welcomed the news of the boy's passing, had reveled in it and even though he felt himself a true man of faith, he had welcomed the death of a child.
He had told himself that he was a bastard, a child born of lust and sin, a child who didn't deserve to live, who shouldn't have lived. He had told himself that he was a heathen, a savage, a child of no faith who had shown no compunction to learn of the true gods and so he deserved to die. But the truth of it was that because of Jon Snow his plans had been foiled time and time again, because of Jon Snow he had been humiliated and so, in the end, he had welcomed his death for that.
To then find that he didn't die, that he had survived, that the assassin who had been sent to kill him had been captured, the only people who took it harder than him where Petyr and the queen. Which had led him to suspect one of them being involved, the queen he ruled out due to lack of coin, Petyr had denied it and so despite himself, he had tasked Rosby to find the truth of things.
"His grace wishes to know if this was a lone man or a paid assassin, if it was the latter then his grace wishes to know who paid him."
"I shall get onto it immediately Lord Hand." Rosby said before coughing as he left.
He really didn't care what Robert wished to know and he was beginning to doubt if Rosby was even clever enough to find out the basic answers abut what had happened in Lannisport, the man was ill-suited for his job and would need to be replaced. But despite his own feelings, despite his own wishes that Jon Snow be gone from this world, it bothered him that he didn't know who was responsible.
"Besides I'd like to buy them a drink." he said laughing as he got up from his desk.
He was standing at the window when the knock came, Petyr entering with a tall dark-skinned man, a smile on Petyr's face as he introduced him.
"Lord Hand, may I introduce Jarlas Kalpax, the representative from Pentos I told you about."
"Well met Jarlas." he said not understanding the title structure of Pentos or even if there was one.
"A pleasure my lord." Jarlas said as both he and Petyr took a seat.
Jon ordered some wine and refreshments brought and the man gracefully accepted both, before Petyr began speaking.
"Jarlas represents a very important Magister from Pentos, the most important if I'm not too forward in saying." Petyr said looking to Jarlas who nodded "We've done some work with Jarlas and the Magister as they expand into Westeros but it seems the Magister may have an even more interesting proposal for us, is that not so Jarlas?"
"It is Lord Baelish, my Lord Hand may I be blunt?"
"Of course, I'd prefer it if you were."
"We are aware of the Crown's perilous financial state, our friends in the Iron Bank while not divulging details did warn my employer about getting involved in Westeros."
"The Crown always pays its debts." he said indignantly.
"I think you're mistaken yourselves with the Lannister's my lord." Jarlas said and when he saw the look he gave him, he raised his hand "Forgive me my lord, a poor jape."
"Very well, why is this of interest to you?"
"It is not my lord, but my employer is a wealthy man, very wealthy, while his primary business is cheese he did not gain his wealth exclusively that way. He has a knack for seeing opportunities, for making coin where others don't see the potential and he sees potential in an alliance with the crown."
"Potential?" he asked and the man nodded.
"For us both my lord, my employer is willing to discuss funding for a price of course, but one I believe you'll not find better, in lieu of course of other considerations."
"Other considerations?"
"Certain guarantees my lord, but I'm sure they'll prove to be very reasonable."
"This funding, how extensive would it be?" he asked seeing the solution that Petyr had suggested.
"Very, my lord."
"I'm sure we can come to some arrangement."
"I'm afraid my lord we can not, my employer himself would need to speak to you, to his grace also. To that end and with your permission we'd be willing to underwrite a feast held in the Red Keep, a feast where my employer would be guest of honor. One to solidify our new partnership."
"How large a feast?"
"My employer has authorized me to spend 10,000 gold dragons on this my lord."
He looked at the man dumbfounded, 10,000 gold dragons for a feast, for a damn feast, just how much coin did this man have, the wheels began to turn in his head and he smiled.
"I'm sure Jarlas we can arrange that, do you have any idea of when your employer will arrive?"
"He has already left my lord, he should be here within the next two weeks."
"Then I look forward to seeing him."
"As he does you my lord, Lord Hand, Lord Baelish." Jarlas said as he got up to leave.
He waited until he knew the man was gone, until he was sure he was out of earshot and he looked to Petyr who was staring back at him, a smile on his face still.
"What have you found out about this man Petyr?"
"Illyrio Mopatis my lord, as Jarlas said an incredibly wealthy man, more than capable of providing us the funds we need and of making the Lions and the Roses less important."
"What does he want?"
"I believe he sees himself as the next Iron Bank my lord, but having him here, seeing him in the flesh so to speak, we'll be able to judge him better."
"Indeed, I had better go get Robert to play nice, keep digging Petyr we may need the coin but we shouldn't be too hasty."
"Of course my lord."
He found himself pouring himself yet another glass of wine, his third today and he knew that having one drunk running the realm was bad enough, still, it was a celebration he thought as he swallowed it down.
The ship that the Magister arrived in was large and luxurious, yet compared to the Pinnacle ships it too seemed poorly built. He looked on as the unsullied disembarked and took up position, as Ser Barristan and the rest of the Kingsguard took up theirs. Given how important this man could be to them, he had convinced Robert and the entire royal family to welcome him.
When the Magister himself walked down the gangplank he half expected it to break under his weight such was the man's girth. Robert looked small in comparison to the man which wasn't something he said often about his foster son these days. He saw both the brief look of disgust on the king's face and then the look of lust at the women who followed behind the Magister and he sighed, praying that Robert didn't fuck this up before it got started.
"Welcome to Kings Landing Magister." Robert said his voice booming.
"Your Grace, you honor me by your presence." the Magister said and Jon smiled, so far so good he thought as they made their way back to the Red Keep.
Taking to his bed that night he found his wife already asleep, not that he particularly cared. He had found his lust for her young body had diminished over the years they were wed, her firm teats no longer there and her shrill voice enough to diminish his libido. Still, he went to sleep happy, Robert and the Magister had gotten on far better than he could have dared to hope.
Illyrio having been a warrior in his younger days had meant that Robert had found his stories interesting, he even shared some of his own and they shared other appetites too it seemed. Illyrio could drink as much as Robert, eat even more, and both men lusted after younger women. When the Magister had told the king his servants were his to do with as he pleased, he had thought Robert would knight the man on the spot.
For one of the very few times since his foster son had become king, Jon had actually been glad of the man he became, Robert perhaps even more so than he or even Petyr had charmed the Magister. Knowing that and knowing the crown's finances would soon be seeing an influx of coin, Jon rested far more comfortably than he had for a long time.
Casterly Rock 294 AC.
Gerion.
When he had spoken with Tyrion he had expected him to be far more broken than he was, he had been worried he would be far more broken. Whether they had learned the lessons with Jon or whether it was that Tyrion was older and less likely to shut himself off, he had been surprised to find he was not. He was still having difficulty dealing with things, but he was dealing with things and Gerion in the end just told him he was always there for him.
" Should you need to talk nephew, need to get things off your chest, even should you just want someone to get drunk with." he said and Tyrion laughed "I'm here for you, you know that right."
" I know uncle."
" You are my blood Tyrion, you will always be my blood."
He waited around another day or so, just to make sure he wasn't needed and then after speaking to Genna and telling her it was time for him to go back to Castamere, after telling her to send for him when Kevan returned, he prepared to go home. He and his sister had decided they would need to tell Kevan together, they had gotten Jaime to agree and Jon had deferred to them and so he would return when his brother did.
But now he had an even more important task, he had to go and tell Joy he was leaving, go and say goodbye to Ashara, two things he wasn't looking forward to. Ever since she had comforted him Gerion had found himself even more drawn to the woman. Her beauty caught the eye immediately, but it was how she'd been with him, how she was with Joy, with her own son, that drew him towards her most.
He had perhaps spoken more to Ashara than any woman other than Genna, even with Briony he had never told her the things he told Ashara. She too had spoken to him of thing he doubted she'd told anyone of, of Brandon, of Harrenhal, of their marriage and his death. Both of them confiding and taken comfort in each other's understanding of their losses.
"Are you leaving us so soon my lord" he heard Jon say as he walked from the room where Joy took her lessons.
"Aye it's time, he seems to be taking it well."
"He is, for now, my lord, but it'll come and go, at times it'll hurt more than others." Jon said and he knew the boy was speaking from experience."
"You'll be there for him won't you?" he asked though he already knew the answer.
"Aye, you going to say goodbye to her?"
"I am, how is she?"
"She's good, my lord, why not take her with you?" Jon said catching him by surprise.
"You think she's ready?"
"Not permanently my lord" Jon said and he almost laughed at the forlorn look on his face "I mean to visit, why not take her to visit?."
"Her lessons?"
"You could ask Lyarra to come too."
"Jon?."
"Why not, Cregan too, I'm sure they'd enjoy the visit, Joy would think it a Yenture, you'd have to bring Apples of course, but would it not be nice to spend more time with her?"
"It would, it would." he said thinking aloud "You think she'd think it a Yenture?" he said chuckling as he said the word.
"Put it to her like that my lord."
He did as Jon suggested and found to his delight that Jon was right, Joy was excited about the Yenture, and when he asked Ashara he was surprised and happy she said yes and Joy soon was even happier that Cregan was coming with them also. Though she was disappointed that Jon was not, still they readied their things, organized the carriage and the guards and lined up to say their goodbyes.
Jon had been right about Apples too, Joy insisting she would ride all the way there, Cregan and Dusk riding alongside her. Though it soon became clear that as good a horsewoman as Joy was long journeys were not her thing and she ended up in the carriage an hour or so later. Each night they camped out and Joy enjoyed this, even more, cuddling up to him by the fire and having him and Ashara alternate in telling stories.
"Jon tells them better." she said one night to laughs from Cregan.
"He does, I don't know how he does it, but he really does." Cregan said as he and Ashara shook their heads.
His daughter would curl up against him at night, sleeping beside him, kissing his cheek and saying "Night Night Papa" as she dozed off and he loved every single moment of it. When they reached Castamere, Ashara and Cregan were stunned by what the keep and the small village had grown into. Most of the main tower had been done, they had a guard's room, a feasting hall, his own quarters, some guest quarters and rooms for most of his staff.
Within a year it'd be finished and then the other buildings could be worked even more on, as it was structurally the keep was sound, they just needed the granary, the stores, the armory and outbuildings to be finished off. Joy looked eager to explore as did Cregan and Dusk, so after they dismounted, after he showed them their rooms, he allowed them to run around to their heart's content.
They held a welcoming feast that night, a feast to honor the future Lady of Castamere and he watched as Joy first looked nervous and then seemed to welcome the attention. His little girl charming guards with tales of the Rock and the Yentures she and Jon got up to, the rides she and Apples took, the lessons she had with Lyarra, all of it and as she spoke he wondered if she had picked up Jon's talent for telling stories.
Daven was enraptured by her that much was clear, his castellan missing his own sisters or perhaps it was his own daughter he compared her too. Either way, it was a good thing, one day he'd be Joy's castellan perhaps, it would be good that they got along. Early on he had ensured that none of his men would ever deign to say the word bastard, would ever think less of someone because of their birth, those who could not were soon let go and word quickly spread.
"You've done a great job here Gerion." Ashara said and he smiled, he knew he had and cared not for praise, and yet he welcomed it from her.
"I thank you, it's all for her." he said motioning to Joy who was speaking to some guards, his Maester, Steward and some of the servants, all of them laughing at something she said.
"You've done a great job with her too."
"I can't take all the credit, Genna, you, Jon, especially Jon." he said.
"Why especially Jon?" she asked curiously.
"You've seen him with her, her with him, gods me and Genna weren't that close growing up." he said and she laughed "Before he came, I was failing her, he showed me that. Do you know what he did the first time he met her?"
"No." she said.
"I had left her with a maid who had left her alone, Jon found her upset, you have to remember he was Jaime's squire, was taking extensive lessons, was sparring daily, yet he found her upset and alone. He stayed with her, played with her, brought her for her meal, that night he read her a story, he actually sat with her and read her a story." Gerion said a soft smile on his face as he remembered that first night.
"How does that mean you failed?"
"I hadn't seen it, I didn't know she was so alone, so upset, he did though, he asked me if he could see her again, come visit her again. I didn't think much of it so I agreed, every night he read her a story Lyarra, every night, he took her outside, he showed her the Rock, he made an adventure of it."
"A Yenture." Ashara said with a smile.
"Aye, he showed me and I swore to be better."
"You have been, I feel the same Gerion, with Cregan, I worry I've not given him all he needs, all I could, but look at him, tell me does he look unhappy?" she asked and he looked seeing Cregan laugh and Joy glare at him.
"No."
"We do our best, we make mistakes, as long as we learn from them, we're doing fine."
"Are we?" he asked and she nodded.
When the feast slowed down he took Joy to what would be her room, she settled in far quicker than he had thought, he tried his best to read her a story, but thankfully she was tired anyway and she slept. He ended up back at the feast and then when Ashara yawned, he escorted her back to her room. The two of them walked laughing and japing with each other and when he reached the room he turned to bid her goodnight.
"Thank you for coming with us." he said and she nodded and leaned forward to kiss his cheek.
"I'm glad I did." she said and he looked into her violet eyes.
"Ash I." he said leaning forward to kiss her lips.
"Gerion, I'm not, I'm not ready." she said and he nodded.
"We have time." he said hopefully.
"We do." she said and smiled as she walked into her room.
Winterfell 294 AC.
The Blackfish.
When Ned didn't go to the Wolfswood he decided he would, he had found spending time with his grandniece and nephew to be far more enjoyable than he had hoped. Bran was exactly how he'd prayed he would be, the young lad was sweet, kind, eager to learn, he would make a fine knight one day. Arya, gods if the world was not so damn blind they'd realize just how fierce women could be, his niece being the perfect example of that.
He had heard of Jaime Lannister's wife competing in the tourney at Kings Landing, and over an ale one night Ned had told him of his plan to send Arya to Bear Island to foster. He could honestly say never had a plan seemed more apt than this one to him, his niece was no lady, she would never be. She was born to be far more than just someone's wife or a mother who was there simply to breed heirs, and the gods wouldn't be able to save the man who tried to make her either.
"Uncle Blackfish can we spar by the river?" Bran asked as they passed the small stream.
"it's a stream, not a river stupid." Arya said.
"Arya." Lady Cerwyn said.
"Sorry Elle, sorry Bran." Arya said and he chuckled, fierce though she was the lady governess had her on a tight leash.
"We'll spar later nephew, we're here to learn remember." he said and Bran sighed loudly "A knight needs knowledge too young Bran." he said and his nephew sat up straighter in his saddle.
He had been surprised they'd be riding here, that the lady and the children would all ride, he had expected a cart of some sort, but seeing Arya and Bran in the saddle, seeing Lady Cerwyn it was soon clear one was not needed. They spent a few hours in the Wolfswood itself, ate their lunch there which he enjoyed immensely, and he even found himself listening eagerly to the lady as she spoke of the North.
"Every Northman and Woman." Lady Cerywn said when Arya looked to her "Needs to know of the Wall and the Wolfswood, of the Barrows of the First Men and the Old Gods, this is who we are, this is our history, our culture, it is in our blood."
Riding back with the children later, he could honestly say he'd never had a lesson more enjoyable and he could see why the children had taken to the lady. Arriving back at the keep, he took them for their archery lesson, and then for a quick spar. Bran had come on some in archery, but Arya had him beat, he was closer in sparring, but she had the edge there too.
"Don't worry lad, you think I was good when I first started out, I'll make a knight out of ya, I promise." he said mussing the boy's hair before he and the wolf ran off.
At dinner, that night it was clear Ned was distracted and so after the children went to bed, once the hall cleared some he asked what was on the man's mind.
"You have the face of a man with all the troubles of the world on his shoulders Ned, care to share them?".
"I don't know if I can Brynden."
"A worry shared is a worry halved my old Maester used to say, man was a fool mind you." he said and got a weary laugh in return."
"It's Cat, Brynden, are you sure you want to hear more?".
"Aye, if it's my niece I had better don't you think."
Ned nodded at him and then bid him follow taking him to his solar, he had fresh ale poured and then handed him a scroll with the seal of House Tyrell on it. He felt his anger rise as he read it, how dare they treat his niece so, but the last few words gave him pause, Sansa had been upset, Cat had spoken ill of Jon Snow's death, what did she mean by that?.
"This came from Sansa." Ned said handing him a much longer letter.
He read the letter shocked by what Sansa had written, that Cat had upset her daughter so he couldn't understand, that she had taken pleasure in Jon Snow's death though was no surprise, he knew how she and Edmure felt, but that she had upset her daughter this much. The same ridiculous claims she'd made to him years earlier, to Hoster, the ones he'd thought her clear of, were still as prevalent as ever.
"There are other letters, from a man in King's Landing, Petyr Baelish. I'll not speak of the content until I speak to her, but what am I to do? How am I to fix this?"
"You need to be firm with her Ned, to be firm and tell her the way of things."
"I've done so. That she dislikes Jon so, I can understand, that she hates him, that she wishes him harm, that she may have been in some way responsible, that I cannot."
"You think she played a role in the attack?"
"I don't want my mind to go there Brynden, but how can it not, he was attacked in the Riverlands after she sent a raven, she leaves just after he does, to go and see her father is what she told me. Yet I now find she's gone to King's Landing, to Highgarden, even to White Harbor, she's been gone for over six moons and in that time he's been attacked again and she's practically danced over his grave, what am I to think?".
"She's in White Harbor?"
"She's left, she's on her way back, I sent out an honor guard for her."
"Speak to her when she comes back, clear this up between you both."
"And if I cannot?"
"I don't know Ned, I don't know."
He didn't sleep that night, instead, he paced the room, it was clear to him now, Cat and Edmure had tried to kill Jon Snow twice, he had come so close to telling Ned his own fears, his own doubts. In the end, it was worry for his niece that had stopped him, it was concern for her safety, he didn't think Ned a violent man, but this was his son, his boy, what would he do if in the same situation?.
He broke his fast alone that morning and went and trained alone as he needed to clear his mind. Cat and Edmure were traveling a perilous road, should Jaime Lannister find out, should Robert find out they could both lose their heads. As it was they would be lucky to keep Riverrun, he didn't know what to do, which way to turn. So he focussed on what he did know.
Edmure was a lost cause, Cat unless she had some answers he knew not about may very well be a lost cause also, Bran was not, his nephew was not, he needed Ned to give him the go-ahead to train him, to knight him. As he turned to walk back to the keep he stopped, realization dawning upon him, the boy, Jon, Jon Snow, he had known, somehow he had known they had tried to kill them, and he had set them up, how? Why? What the hell was so special about Jon Snow?.
Casterly Rock 294 AC.
Jon.
With Joy gone, with Cregan gone, he found he had more time to spend with both Satin and Brienne, something he was glad of. Satin was feeling left out a little since Tyrion's return, he had expected to become his squire, to be part of his service and yet Tyrion had barely spoken to him. Jon, of course, knew the true reason, but Satin had taken it badly and so he and Loras had done their best to cheer him up.
"Maybe it's because you're a terrible squire." Jon said and Loras looked angrily at him.
"Jon." Loras said admonishingly.
"Or maybe it's because you have a silly name."
"Jon." Brienne said this time.
"Or maybe it has nothing to do with you at all." he said and Satin looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean he's going through some personal things, give him some time." he said and Satin nodded "Also what kind of a silly name is Satin anyway?" he said with a chuckle.
"Better than Snow." Satin said.
"Or Brienne." Jon said.
"Or Loras." Brienne said before all four of them started laughing.
They were sparring today, they had been doing more jousting lately, but today it was sparring, today's lesson being taught by Bronn which meant bruises and Brienne blushing. For some reason, Bronn's crudeness made Brienne blush, as he taught her he always seemed to know just what to say to make her go red, and then he'd knock her to the ground just to prove his point.
He had tried it with each of them, Satin was hard to rile and Loras easier, he had learned to internalize his anger more, so the more he was provoked the harder he became to beat. Ghost had shown him the way, how to focus it, how to use it to your advantage, at times he could still be a dragon but he found focused rage worked far better.
"How do you keep falling for it all the damn time?" Bronn said as he helped Brienne up.
"You got lucky."
"Did I, you know lucky people have one advantage over unlucky ones don't you?"
"What luck?" she said angrily.
"No, they usually stay alive." Bronn said taking her down once again.
When sparring was over the others went to their lessons, he however took the lift down to the Vaults and wished to spend some time with Rhaenix. He had almost finished her new room, the doors were far larger, and they had begun to work on a cave for her as soon she'd be far too big to be inside at all. As he reached his room he heard the sound of laughing from outside on the beach and so he walked out to find Tyrion and Sarella watching the two dragons fly.
"Enjoying yourself uncle." he asked as Tyrion looked to the sky a large smile on his face.
"How do you not spend all your day just down here watching and listening to them?"
"I've had them in my head a lot longer uncle, sometimes I need a break from their bickering."
"Do you still hear them both?"
"Lygaron lets me hear when he wishes, sometimes he doesn't, but Rhaenix I hear all the time."
"Is it different Jon? Me being his rider, does that make him different to you?"
"He is my son, he'll always be my son and so we'll always be connected, just not like Rhaenix and I will." he said and Tyrion nodded.
"Sarella was telling me they need Valyrian words to make them do as we ask, that I need to learn more of the words."
"You can read the words though can you not?"
"Aye, saying them is harder, Dracarys." he said as softly as he could.
"I can teach you if you like?" Jon said and Tyrion chuckled.
"When you came here it was me trying to teach you."
"Well, for now, we're the only two people in the world with dragons so we'll teach each other."
"What of Daenerys, Viserys?"
"How do you think of them uncle?"
"They are our kin Jon."
"Then speak to Richard, tell him more of what you know, between you, he and Oberyn I am sure you can come up with some plans."
"You trust me with this?"
"I've no reason not to trust you, as I said Tyrion, I thought of you as kin before this."
"Lets go talk to our dragons nephew." Tyrion said as both of them walked closer to the water.
Winterfell 294 AC.
Cat.
Seeing the walls in front of her she felt both a sense of relief and of apprehension, she had been gone far longer than she had expected to be, had traveled far further than she had planned. But like the men with her, she was glad to be home, glad to see Winterfell again. Riding through the streets of Wintertown she was surprised to see it seemed to be far busier than usual.
She had been relieved when the escort met her, though how they had known she was arriving was something she worried about, had Lord Manderly sent a raven? If so, why?. Her trip to White Harbor hadn't gone how she'd hoped, Robb it seemed was just as lost as Sansa, something which she knew for certain was the bastard's fault. He had manipulated her son, had torn him down only to appear to build him back up, to make him indebted to him, all to lull him into a false sense of security.
She had told Robb so, had explained it to him, but be it that he did feel indebted or be it that he seemed to be developing feelings for Lord Manderly's daughter, or that Lord Manderly himself was clearly under the boy's spell, all of it had fell on deaf ears. In the end just like with her daughter, just like with her precious girl, the bastard had turned her son against her.
"My lady." Jory said and she looked up from the carriage to see her husband, her children, the filthy beasts and to her shock her uncle all standing ready to greet her.
As the carriage stopped and she got out she looked to see Lady Cerwyn standing there too and was surprised to see her here, but it was to her children's smiling faces she was drawn, her own smile coming soon after. Though it left her face when she saw her uncle look at her and it was replaced with a worried look when she saw Ned's expression. What had her uncle told him? What did he know?.
"My lady welcome back." Ned said stiffly as he kissed her hand instead of her cheek.
"My lord it's good to be home." she said and noticed Ned didn't smile or look her in the eye.
"Cat." her uncle said.
"Uncle, I didn't expect to see you here?."
"I came to see my grandniece and nephew." he said and she smiled relieved at that.
"Bran, Arya." she said as both her children hugged her, just feeling them in her arms calmed her and made her feel more welcome than she had felt so far, though soon the noises in the yard did the opposite.
To hear one of the wolves growls was worrisome, to hear three, one which she noticed was standing beside Ned almost made her panic. But it was the look on her children's faces, on Ned's which concerned her most, as they looked from the wolves to her and back.
"My lady, I'm sure you're tired after your journey, Lady Jonelle has seen to a warm bath and that a fire is lit in your chambers." Ned said and without another word, he was gone, her uncle and the large wolf following after him.
She walked with her children and Lady Jonelle towards the keep, the two wolves silent but watchful all the way, turning to her children she was about to tell them of her journeys when Lady Jonelle spoke.
"Children why don't you run along and allow your mother to refresh herself, I'm sure you'll all have much to speak on later."
"Can we go do our archery Elle?" Arya said and Bran nodded obviously wishing to do so too.
"Aye you can, now bid your mother goodbye." she said and both children kissed her cheek before running off.
"Archery?" she said as soon as they were gone.
"Lord Stark has decided they can both study archery my lady, among their other lessons."
"Other lessons?" she asked perturbed.
"I've been teaching them of the North my lady, along with their sums, their letters, politics, and other things children of their age should know."
"You've been teaching them?"
"I have my lady, Lord Stark asked me to be their governess." Lady Cerwyn said as they reached her rooms. "I'll send the servants to your room my lady, it's good to see you home."
As she lay in the bath, as she washed the grime off and later when she brushed her hair in front of the looking glass, she grew more and more concerned. He had hired a governess, a noble lady, for that she'd normally be grateful, but he had picked a northerner, a woman to teach them of the North, was he neglecting their education in other matters? Had they been neglecting the faith?.
When she was dressed, before she went to visit her children or to speak to Ned she made her way to the Sept to speak to Septon Chayle. The man was happy to see her, though she found her fears not only to be correct, but even worse than she had thought. It was bad enough they'd not been coming to the Sept but she also found out they were regularly going to the Godswood.
"How long has this being going on Septon?"
"Ever since Lady Cerwyn arrived my lady."
She would need to fix this, among the many things she needed to fix, she would need to fix this too. She went looking for her children and found them, her uncle, and Lady Cerwyn in the archery range, Arya firing a bow at a target and being cheered on by the others.
"Mother, look, I hit it, mother, the bull I hit the bull."
"That's very good sweetling." she said with no conviction whatsoever which the frown on Arya's face showed she'd noticed.
She looked on as Bran too hit the target though not the bull and saw his disappointed look, moving to speak to him she stopped when her uncle did so instead and seeing the two of them together, she knew she should speak to him and Ned on Bran's future. Despite the fact that Arya was doing something unladylike, she found she enjoyed watching her children laugh and smile, though all too soon they were called for dinner.
She had expected more of a feast, a celebration, more of an acknowledgment of her return. Instead, it was an almost quiet dinner, one where Ned barely spoke to her or anyone, where her uncle kept looking at her, where her children tried to be friendly to her but seemed more so to Lady Cerwyn. She felt a stranger in her own home, she felt an intruder, an unwanted visitor and it discomforted her all the more.
"My lord may we speak?" she said to Ned as he walked from the hall.
"No." he said shocking her.
"My lord?"
"I have not yet decided what to say Cat, I've not even begun to think of what I've to say, so no, we may not speak, for I fear what I may say to you should we do so."
"Ned, I don't understand, what happened? What's wrong?"
"Many things, some of them I've been blind to, but no more, I found your letters Cat, the letters from your dearest friend."
"Petyr?"
"Aye, Petyr, I found them Cat, do you have any idea how angry I am right now?"
"You searched through my things, you looked in my room?" she said aghast.
"Your room in my keep my lady, my keep, remember that."
"Ned I… I..can explain."
"Can you? You have much to explain, but not now, not tonight." he said walking away from her.
She almost raced to her room, she tore the clothing out looking through the wardrobe and found them all gone, every letter, years worth of correspondence, Why had she kept them? Why had she not destroyed them? By the seven what had she done.
Winterfell 294 AC.
Ned.
Seeing her, speaking to her and hearing her voice, he felt so close to lashing out, so close to doing something, saying something he may regret. After speaking to her he grabbed Ice and walked to the Godswood, sitting on the trunk he tried to find that calm, tried to find that feeling. He felt the wolf as it came up beside him and dropping the sword down, he leaned his head against her chest feeling the warm fur on his face.
He found himself standing alone in front of her statue later on that night, the coldness of the crypt keeping him awake. He looked to her and begged for forgiveness yet again, begged her to help him see what he needed to do. But once again he found no comfort this night and so he turned to walk to his rooms, walking across the courtyard he saw Elle and wondered why she was out here, why she was up so late.
"My lady?" he said as he saw Lya beside her.
"My lord, Lya came to my door, she seemed upset, is there something wrong, is there anything I can help you with?" she asked her voice full of concern.
"No my lady, it's nothing, I think Lya must have had a bad night." he said and she nodded.
"I am here for you my Lord, should you need to speak, I am here." she said and he nodded.
"I thank you my lady, I thank you Elle." he said and she smiled as Lya walked back inside with her and looked back at him a strange look on the wolf's face.
He ended up sitting up in his solar, reading the letters once more and trying to come to terms with the decision he knew he must make. He broke his fast early and alone, watched as Cat broke hers with the children, as the conversation seemed less free than usual and he sighed. It was less than an hour later when she came into his solar, as she sat down he knew what was about to happen wouldn't be pleasant, but it was necessary.
"Why did you go to King's Landing Cat?" he asked and she looked at him shocked he knew.
"I had to go with Edmure to see him named."
"Why? Why did you have to go?"
"He is my brother Ned."
"And he is more important than your husband, your children?.
"No, but he needed me."
"Did he, why?"
She didn't answer instead sitting there fidgeting without looking at him.
"Did you speak to Petyr Baelish in Kings Landing?"
"Ned, Petyr's he's a friend, that's all."
"Did you speak to him?" he said his voice louder.
"Ned I."
"Did you speak to him?." he said his hand smacking down on the table.
"Yes." she said softly.
"Once?"
"More than once."
"How Many times Cat?"
"I don't know Ned, I didn't count, Petyr's a friend, he's always been a friend."
"Aye, I can see that clearly now." he said taking the letters from his drawer "This one here was written before I arrived home after the rebellion" he picked up a letter "This one on Jon's first Nameday" he picked up another and saw the grimace at Jon's name "And theses while I was off fighting a fucking war" he said and threw a group of them on the table.
"Ned."
"No, All our married life, for all of it, from before I had even arrived back in my own home my wife has been exchanging letters with another man, a man she spent time with while she was supposed to be in her family home, do you have any idea how this looks?"
"Ned I would never, I have never, not like.."
"Not like me, at least have the damn courage to say the words Cat, you've not been with someone else like I have, you think that makes a damn difference?"
"You brought a bastard back with home with you." she said angrily.
"Aye I did, but you were exchanging letters with him before you knew of Jon, why Cat?."
"He is my friend."
"Is he, I may not be clever like some but I can read between the lines Cat, the man wishes to bed you, which makes me wonder what have you written in your letters back to him?"
"I've never, I would never."
"How am I to believe you, how am I know to know what's in your heart, when I knew not of these? And were it just letters alone, were it just the visit alone, I could understand, but the things he says Cat, the things he says of Jon, they can only have come from you. How can I have been so blind not to see your hatred of a child was so deep?"
"He is your bastard, you cannot expect me to love him?" she said a tear falling down her cheek.
"I do not, I never have. I did not and never would have expected you to mean him harm though, to wish him harm, to wish him dead."
"I.."
"What happened in Highgarden?" he asked and she looked at him the look of fear and shock in her face enough to tell him the truth of things.
"The Tyrell's they, they and the boy, they and the Bastard, you can't believe them Ned, whatever they said, you can't believe them."
"And our daughter? Should I not believe her too?"
"Sansa, what of Sansa?"
"Lady Olenna sent me a raven to explain what happened, how Sansa had begged her to make you leave, and then Sansa sent me a letter, do you wish to read it? Would you like me to read it to you?"
She shook her head, her tears falling freer now.
"Not only did you call Jon a Bastard to Lady Olenna's face, not only did you do so in front of Sansa and Lady Margaery but you then gloated over the corpse of a boy you thought dead, why Cat? What has he ever done to you? To our family? All he's done is for the betterment of his brothers and sisters? For the north? Are you that blind you can't see it?"
"It's a plan, a trick, he means to take Winterfell from Robb?" she shouted her voice high pitched.
"Have you lost your senses, you think him like that, you think I would allow it, that the North would stand for it?"
"He's fooling you all, can you not see?" she said and he shook his head.
"I could get Jon to sign any rights to Winterfell away, I could get a decree from the king himself, from Robert's own hand and still you'd think him a threat, is your hate for him that strong? Does your faith not preach forgiveness, compassion, the innocence of children?"
"What would you know of faith Ned, you're letting that woman corrupt our children, teaching her of heathen gods." she shouted and he slammed his hands hard on the table.
"My gods Cat, my gods, the gods of my father, of his father before him, the gods of the North, the land they hope to rule one day. You forget the Andals never conquered the North and until I came along the faith didn't have a foothold here, well it ends now."
"Ned please."
"No, I can't trust you, I can barely look at you, the things I think of you, the thoughts I have of you in my head, no man should think that of his wife, no man. It's over Cat, it's over."
"You're setting me aside?" she said shocked and almost silently.
"What choice do I have, you have no respect for my ways, for the ways of the North, you've spent the entirety of our marriage in constant communication with another man. Your hatred for Jon blinds you to everything, so much so that I don't even know if you did more than just wish for his death. You even agreed to a betrothal without my permission, what kind of a wife does that?".
"I love you Ned." she said her tears falling.
"I don't believe you do Cat, I wonder now if you ever did. I'll give you time to say your goodbyes to the children, time to prepare to leave, goodbye Cat" he said and walked to the door and called for his guards "Escort lady Catelyn back to her room."