Chapter Text
283 AC The Red Keep after the sack.
Eddard Stark stared in shock at the three crimson Lannister cloaks, smelling of blood. One contained a babe no older than two, his head smashed in, the second a little girl who had been stabbed 10 times in the stomach and the third a larger Dornish-looking woman, whose features were almost unrecognisable due to the mutilation they had suffered.
'Elia Martell and her children.'
Ned thought grimly, the lord of Winterfell couldn't believe what he was seeing as his cold, outraged gaze fell upon the calm face of the old lord of Casterly Rock, who, it is said, had barely smiled since the death of his beloved wife, Joanna Lannister, a woman it is said the old lion grieves for to this very day.
These were children, innocent children, butchered like animals purely because of their last name and to show the loyalty of the Lannisters to the new Baratheon king.
Though the absence of Sir Jaime Lannister and the mad king's corpse by the throne with a stab wound through his back and throat slit was the last thing the young Stark lord expected to see, and yet not at the same time, as the death of the mad king was hardly surprising after all the atrocities he had committed during his reign and his well-known madness. But the absence of Sir Jaime was as it did not strike Ned that Tywin would be the sort of person who would put his own beloved son in the black cells for kingslaying.
Not when it was his golden heir that would be rotting in that god-forsaken hellhole of a cell.
"WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS, LORD TYWIN? ARE YOU SO INCOMPETENT THAT YOU CANNOT CONTROL YOUR OWN BANNERMAN?"
Eddard roared, his hands shaking in barely contained anger because now any righteousness their cause used to have died with the corpses of the two butchered children and their violated mother. Behind him were some of his most loyal bannermen and friends, young Lord William Dustin, Lord Howland Reed, a man more loyal to Lyanna than anything else, Martyn Cassel, his faithful captain of the household guard, Ser Mark Ryswell, the gentle, skilled knight, and Theo Wull, ever loyal to the Starks each looked on mortified by the fates of Rhaegar's young children let alone the fate of his wife who was a Princess of Dorne and would have been key to bringing Dorne back into the fold, somewhat peacefully at least.
Not that they would have forgiven the death of Elia's children had she survived anyway.
There were also other northern lords more powerful than these, including the boisterous lord Jon Umber, a giant of a man who could rival the mountain in size and strength Lord Rickard Karstark a stern and vengeful man who looked on coldly, Lord Jorah Mormont, who had shown his valour at the Trident and finally Lord Roose Bolton, a man who set Eddard ill at ease even at the best of times.
He would have to watch the new lord of the Dreadfort closely, especially as he had now tied himself to the Ryswells, who also have ties to the Dustins, a worrying alliance if consolidated properly.
Luckily, with William and Mark alive, he didn't have to worry about their house's loyalty to him or House Stark, as both houses had come out in full force to support House Stark in this war, bringing large contingents of cavalry with them to help with the war effort.
Not yet, at least, but as this war has proven, the future is far from predictable, and it would only take one perceived slight or tragedy of Ned's own making to produce a threat to House Stark's dominion in the north.
Tywin Lannister's green eyes narrowing was the only indication that the northern lords insult had any effect whatsoever, as, despite him being a prideful and prickly man, nearly two decades as Hand of the King to a rather volatile monarch at the best of times and navigating the treacherous world of Westerosi politics had turned the old lion into a man who could easily hide his expression and discomfort.
But the great lion of Lannister merely raised an eyebrow, not stupid enough to claim that the death of the Targaryen children was his doing until Robert arrived to render his judgment, and even then, he would deny it if he ever wanted to be able to eat food without tasters with the rage the Dornish would have for him.
Ned imagined many assassination attempts on the lord of Casterly Rock in the near future after what he ordered or at least allowed to happen in The Red Keep under his watch; after all, the Dornish have never been the most forgiving of people at the best of times, let alone when beloved members of their house and their children were butchered with no so much as a trial.
Plausible deniability is so convenient at times like these, especially when one of the perpetrators is a mad dog not known for his subtlety.
"Surely, Lord Stark, your house of all, should raise the least objections to the unfortunate actions of my bannermen after the mockery of a trial that your father and brother faced in these very halls."
Lord Tywin said in his stern, emotionless voice, as if the death of two children was no different from buying cabbages from a market.
Not that the mighty Lord Tywin Lannister would ever lower himself to buy such trifles personally, as he had dogs and monsters aplenty under his command to do the dirty work for him.
But to insinuate that he, Lord Eddard Stark, a man brought up to be honourable and just by Jon Arryn despite the suspicions he now had of the man, would somehow take pleasure in the deaths of innocent children was the worst insult imaginable.
"I wanted justice for my family, not the butchery of innocent children!"
Ned said, struggling to keep his voice under control, but his clenched, shaking fists showed how badly he was taking the news.
"And in what form would your justice take, Lord Stark?"
"Robert claimed the iron throne at the Trident, Lord Stark, despite rumours that you argued against such a thing."
"Do you know what that means?"
"What would you do with the scions of a fallen royal house who could plunge the continent into another war should they so wish?"
"And please do not give me some drivel about mercy, their very presence is a threat to the peace of the realm and the Baratheon line Robert is likely to beget with all the bastards he already has running about throughout the Seven Kingdoms, after all, you went to war for your life and sister and the murder of your father and brother."
"What makes you think the surviving Targaryens won't go to war in the future for the death, exile or punishment of their own kin, which they deem to be unjust?"
At that, Ned was stumped at the cold calculation of Tywin Lannister because, to a certain degree, the old lion was right.
Before Robert claimed the iron throne, they could have maybe had a regency for the new king, whether it was Aegon or Viserys, once the mad king was dealt with and influenced them to be better than their forebears, but now, with Robert pressing his claim to the iron throne, that path was blocked, even if his best friend had not been crowned yet.
Eddard had not forgotten that only the north, amongst the kingdoms that rebelled, stayed completely loyal to their liege lords, with many houses in the others that rebelled staying loyal to the Targaryens, especially in the Riverlands, which was split nearly in half, with some staying neutral until a winner was decided like the Freys or splitting and sending men to both factions such as the Whents, who were stuck between loyalty to the Targaryens and their kin in Riverrun.
How many of those houses would rise for Targaryens the moment Rhaegar's son came of age and called for them?
After all, many loyalists rose for Rhaegar, not the mad king. Despite the actions the silver prince had taken, he had inspired loyalty, and amongst the Targaryen loyalists he had spoken to, he was held in high regard by all of them, with many not believing the tales told about him by the rebels or the rumours that appeared shortly after Lyanna disappeared.
It would make the situation tense, to say the least, though Ned himself believed that mercy was not weakness; it was strength. Showing yourself to be better than the previous ruling dynasty could only grant you more legitimacy in the eyes of others.
"Mercy is not a weakness; it shows that you are better than what came before, Lord Tywin. Fear lasts for the reign of one man, but respect for a house that is able to give justice, prosperity and peace that boon lasts for generations.
"I expected a man who puts so much thought into his perfect legacy to understand this fact, though it would appear that I am wrong."
Eddard scoffed at the old lion as he turned away to leave the throne room, only for Ser Jaime Lannister to walk in, his face looking haggard as he silently walked towards his father, his look of disdain, horror and the clenching of fists indicating the internal turmoil he was facing, though his white Kingsguard plate armour was dyed with blood, showing that he had seen battle.
It appeared that the young Lannister Kingsguard had been quite busy while his father had unleashed his dogs upon the city, though he was looking at his father with eyes of disgust, which one could even argue bordered on hatred.
"May I ask what you were doing while your king and his family were being butchered?"
Ned coldly glared at the young man as the Stark lord suspected that he had stabbed Aerys in the back, though he could not be sure.
"Upholding my oaths, Lord Stark, oaths that care not for your hate, vitriol and accusations, my conscience is clear."
Ser Jaime Lannister said mockingly as he walked past, though Ned was surprised that the young knight appeared to mourn the deaths of Princess Elia and her children, if the few tears that Ned could see running down the golden-haired man's cheek were anything to go by.
But it was the start of his sentence that made both him and Tywin lock their brows in contemplation at the white lion's words.
Just how had he upheld his oaths?
283 AC The Tower of Joy.
'The world has gone to shit.'
Ned thought as he furiously rode with his six companions towards a lonely tower in the deserts of Dorne along the renowned Princes Pass, a location that he got from a letter personally delivered to him by messenger after being told it was only to him that it would be given and no one else.
It had come from someone he had least expected it to, only a few days after the terrible news from the Trident, giving him a direction, a purpose amongst the despair that threatened to swallow him up at the death of his best friend and the disgust at seeing what Tywin Lannister allowed to happen.
No, not allowed what Tywin Lannister had ordered to happen, for it could be no coincidence that the monster that rides and Ser Amory Lorch had managed to find Elia and her children so quickly or so effectively unless they had help from inside The Red Keep itself and ordered them to do it specifically.
It was an attempt to kill two of the strongest claimants to the iron throne so that Robert could sit his ass on it in peace as if the death of two children would be enough to protect his throne when there was still a claimant left on Dragonstone, the only thing it would do is make the Targaryens more likely to start a war to protect themselves just like Ned and Robert had to when the boy was old enough to claim the throne.
'Not that his gesture of loyalty to the new regime meant anything now that Robert was dead.'
Ned thought darkly, getting some satisfaction from this fact, as for him the last year had been nothing but an unending nightmare.
His father, Rickard Stark, dead, burned alive by a mad king, his elder brother strangling himself to death on some infernal Myrish device to reach for a sword to save him.
All while the court watched on as this travesty happened, though at least Ned had managed to destroy the hated Myrish device himself with Ice, the ancestral Valyrian Steel Sword of House Stark, not that it would bring back Brandon.
To say that Ned was shocked about what happened and the apparent nonchalance Jon Arryn had at the deaths of innocent children would be an understatement. This was the man who taught him about the importance of honour and duty, yet when he saw the bodies of two children butchered by monstrous men in Lannister cloaks, it was as if the old falcon who Ned saw as a father figure thought that it needed to be done, or at best was a regrettable tragedy that had unexpected benefits.
Many a man would have fought for the son of Rhaegar Targaryen, but not for the son of the mad king, especially if that son had learnt from the mad man's knee for a large part of his childhood.
Even Hoster Tully didn't seem to bat an eye at the sight, and it was only then that he began to really think about the rebellion and what caused it, and he was shocked to find that it appeared that only he, out of the great lords present, was outraged at what happened and demanded the death of Gregor Clegane as Amory Lorch had apparently been found one head less just outside the quarters of Rhaegar Targaryen in The Red Keep..
At least one of the children's murderers had been brought to justice, though no one knew yet who had killed him. Ned supposed it would have been a Targaryen loyalist outraged at the death of their silver prince's son and daughter, for while the Mountain was large, strong, and a skilled warrior, being one of the strongest knights under Tywin Lannister's command and potentially in the entirety of the seven kingdoms, Ser Amory Lorch was most certainly not.
Many in the South think Northerners are stupid savages who worship trees, but Ned is far from stupid. He was the quiet wolf, seemingly more docile than his siblings' honourable and harmless, but that was a façade.
A quiet wolf was just as dangerous as a wild one when provoked; however, instead of viciously and recklessly attacking his prey, he stalked it first, waiting for the right time to strike because he smelled a conspiracy as something was not right. It took till after the fall of King's Landing for him to truly think things through, so wrapped up was he in getting revenge against the mad king for the deaths of his father and elder brother and of finally saving his sister that he did not think about anything else until he finally walked into that throne room to see the mad king dead and not a king's guard in sight.
Not one of Aery's shining seven was there to protect him, it seemed, or Princess Elia and her children, for that matter, as Ser Jaime had been away 'upholding his oaths' whatever the hell that meant, only to return to the red keep shortly afterwards and begin a hunt of the mad king's pyromancers for some unknown reason, killing any he came across.
This made him wonder where the other members of the Kingsguard were, for 3 had not been seen since the start of the rebellion in any of the major or minor battles fought, and amongst those three was Ser Arthur Dayne, The Sword of the Morning, and recognised as the most skilled knight alive, but these thoughts were quickly removed from the forefront of his mind.
Because only a few days after the sack of King's Landing, the rebels received the terrible news from the Kingsroad, news that threatened to plunge the continent into war once again.
Robert Baratheon, the man everyone had supported as king, was dead after succumbing to the wounds that he had suffered at the hand of Prince Rhaegar at the Trident, meaning that now the realm was in flux with no king or clear ruler with enough support to secure The Iron Throne, only claimants.
Ser Barristan Selmy, whom Robert had spared at the Trident but who hadn't yet forsaken his Kingsguard vows to House Targaryen, quickly escaped from the rebels' encampment after hearing the fates of Aegon and Rhaenys and the death of Robert, with his whereabouts unknown, though Ned suspected that he was going to the side of Queen Rhealla to protect her and Viserys, who was now the sole surviving male Targaryen claimant alive.
Stannis was stuck at Storms End under siege from the Tyrells' army, and an argument had already begun within the red keep on what to do next.
Jon Arryn, Hoster Tully and a few storm lords and knights loyal to the Baratheon's who had survived the rebellion led by Lord Estermont wanted to march to rescue Stannis, as he was Lord of Storm's End and the lord paramount of the Stormlands now that Robert was dead and in theory, their new king, but they didn't have the men to defeat the large Tyrell host of 40,000 men at Storm's End alone after the casualties they're kingdoms had taken during the rebellion.
The Vale was down to only 5,000 men after the Trident, having taken many casualties during the rebellion, with the most being lost in the taking of Gulltown, where nearly just over 10,000 men died before the city walls, and only the death of Lord Marq Grafton at Robert Baratheon's hands led to the fall of the city and surrender of the garrison.
The Graftons could raise 5000 men, who were holed up in Gulltown alongside a few hundred other Targaryen loyalists and the Corbrays. Jon Arryn did not want to storm the city, especially one so well garrisoned, as it would mean he would lose a large portion of his men. But the old falcon had little choice; otherwise, his control over the vale would never be secure, and without Robert back in Storms End to raise the Stormlords to war, he would likely have been quickly defeated by the Targaryens and their loyalists.
After such devastating casualties, the old falcon marched out of the bloody gate with 10,000 men, leaving enough men behind to garrison the vale from attacks by the mountain clans and any other Targaryen loyalists, losing 5,000 men combined in the battle of the bells and trident.
The Riverlands were in a similar state, though House Tully did not have to take a city by storm because of how the kingdom was split almost in half. They had nearly 7,000 loyal Riverlanders left, and only because 2000 of those were from the Freys, the rest of the late lords' men were quickly recalled to the twins to garrison and help defend the Freys' lands from a resurgence of royalist forces.
As for the men from the Stormlands, only 1500 men remain after the many battles fought so far.
Not only did House Connington, a major house in the Stormlands, declare for the crown, but Robert had to fight 3 battles in a day, fighting his own bannermen before being defeated by Randyll Tarly at Ashford.
Despite retreating in good order, Robert had to hide in the stoney sept while the royalists went looking for him, rallying what little men he could afterwards before marching to the trident.
And this did not include the countless smaller battles and skirmishes that took place from the Vale of Arryn to the Dornish marches.
The north, by comparison, came out in its entirety. 23,000 Northmen marched south with every single house answering the call once it was made from the Umbers of last hearth to the Reeds of the neck.
Even the Boltons, the ancient enemy of the Starks, answered the call.
6000 Northmen died between the battles of the bells and Trident, giving Eddard 17,000 battle-hardened northerners stationed in the south.
It gave him the single largest army amongst the rebels, larger than the Lannisters, who had brought a host of 12,000 to King's Landing, though a few hundred to a thousand died in the fighting to take the city from the men loyal to House Targaryen after the gates were opened, so by now it would be down to around 10,000 men.
But the politics of the realm had to be put to one side for now.
Because he had just reached the tower where his sister was supposedly being held.
At the foot of the tower stood 5 men, three in the white enamelled plate of the Kingsguard and two in what looked like a knight's chainmail and plate, though no obvious sigils could be seen.
It appeared that he had found the missing Kingsguard Ser Gerold Hightower, the White Bull, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Arthur Dayne, the sword of the morning and Ser Oswell Whent, the Black Bat. Each was a formidable fighter, more than a match for ten men-at-arms, though Eddard had no idea who the other two knights were.
Eddard dismounted when he was near enough to them to speak. His small contingent of loyal northmen waited a respectful distance away, as he didn't want to have to fight the 5 men, not when it was likely that he could not win.
"I looked for you at the Trident." Eddard began in his Northern brogue.
"We were not there." The lord commander answered
"Woe to the usurper if we had been."
Ser Oswell added darkly.
"When Kings Landing fell, I suspect Ser Jaime Lannister ran your king through with his golden pommelled sword, and I wondered again where you were."
Eddard pressed.
"Far away. Where our prince wanted us to be, we follow his designs for good or ill, otherwise…. our false brother might not have succeeded."
Seeing that he was getting nowhere, Eddard decided to give them information they might not yet have, given their relative isolation in the Dornish Mountains up until now.
"Robert Baratheon is dead. The sword of your silver prince wounded him so deeply that he died around the time of the sack."
The knights looked at each other then, in shock at what they heard, because with this news, the game had irrevocably changed.
But it was the Kingsguard that Eddard had his eyes on, not the other two knights who were muttering thanks to the seven as the three white cloaks seemed to be having a silent conversation amongst themselves with their eyes, as Arthur gestured towards him with his head, to which Ser Gerold then turned to him, his eyes closing momentarily as if lost in thought.
"So what happens now, Lord Stark?"
"Who will be king?"
"Would you butcher a woman and child like Tywin Lannister?"
Ser Gerold said, spitting out the name of the lord of Casterly Rock with hatred and scorn.
"What! No! I would never hurt a child! They are innocent! As for who will be king, well, that is still to be decided, as both sides of the rebellion have lost their candidate for king."
Eddard said, horror-stricken, that they would even consider that he was capable of committing such an act.
It was then that a handmaid came down from the tower.
"Her grace wishes to see her brother no harm is to come to him or his men."
The handmaid said demurely before leaving.
"Her grace?"
Eddard asked as the five knights relaxed the tension in their shoulders and moved their hands away from their sword hilts.
It seemed that no one was to die here today.
"Her grace, Princess Lyanna, the second wife of Prince Rhaegar."
Ser Arthur said as they made their way to the tower's entrance.
"They married?"
Eddard asked, surprised, following the Kingsguard to the entrance of The Tower of Joy.
"Yes, Lord Stark, they did before the old gods and the new with Elia's blessing. Your sword?"
The Dornish Kingsguard confirmed before holding his hand out, asking Eddard to hand his weapon over.
The lord of Winterfell did so reluctantly as a show of trust before entering the tower silently. It was clear that even with his sister's orders, the Kingsguard and the other two knights loyal to House Targaryen were still on edge.
Trust would have to be built slowly, it would seem.
Eddard was surprised to hear what sounded like a child playing in one of the rooms, but quickly turned his attention back to his sister when he heard her pained scream, leading him and Ser Arthur to quickly rush into her room.
Eddard never saw how Ser Oswell and another knight who had followed them quietly took up guard on either side of the door leading to the room where the child was playing.
The door slammed open as Eddard ran to the side of his sister, who was lying in a bed of blood, the metallic smell so pungent that even the open window did little to drive away the stench of death.
It was then that Eddard realised that his sister was suffering from a birthing fever.
His sister was so small and weak under the covers of the bed that she could barely keep herself conscious, her voice was so weak that it broke the young lord of Winterfell's heart to see his little sister once so full of life, barely able to speak louder than a whisper.
"Ned? Ned, is that you?"
"I'm here, Lya. I'm here."
Eddard said, taking her hand in his as her eyes seemed to gain clarity before Lyanna replied weakly.
"You never did that before, never once in the times that I have believed you to be here."
"That's because ghosts make for poor bedfellows, Lya."
She smiled a small smile; it was clear that over the past few months, she had had little to smile about, and Eddard couldn't blame her for that.
"You must protect them, Ned. Promise me."
Lyanna implored her brother as shuffling came from behind him and a small bundle was pressed into his hands, which Eddard took gently.
"Them?"
Eddard asked in confusion.
"My son and little Rhaenys, I thank the gods every day for her survival. Ned, you must protect them from Robert; he will try to kill them as he did Aegon and Elia. Protect them, please, Ned, protect them."
Lyanna implored again, desperation clinging to her voice as Ser Arthur leaned against the open door of the room, silently watching the interaction.
"Don't worry, Lya, I'll protect them, I promise. Robert died of his wounds; he won't be able to hurt them anymore."
Eddard said, gently reassuring his sister, who moved a weak hand to brush over her son's small black tufts of hair, her eyes full of love when she looked at her son as she strained to keep her voice above a whisper.
"My pride and joy, my little Aemon, he will be honourable and good just like the dragon knight and Baelor Breakspear."
Lyanna let go, her hand falling on the blood-stained covers, having lost all strength after having gotten the promise from her brother.
"I'm tired, Ned."
Lyanna whispered as she closed her eyes for the last time.
No. Ned thought in panic.
"Lyanna, don't go to sleep! Lyanna, listen to me, stay strong! For your son, for your future together!"
Eddard almost shouted, grief beginning to rush over him like a tide.
'I can't lose you, too!'
Eddard said inwardly, almost shouting the words in his mind as silence filled the room, it was only when Lyanna died and went cold that the babe in his arms cried out, seemingly in grief over losing his mother.
Just as Eddard himself was.
….
Minutes passed in silence as Eddard gently rocked Aemon back and forth as he headed out of Lyanna's birthing chamber and down the stairs.
He gave Ser Arthur a hard look when he looked at him with suspicion before heading down the steps of the tower, now noticing the other room at the bottom that was closed, guarded by Ser Oswell and one of the other two knights whose name he didn't know.
Ned had questions, so many questions, but he would only ask the most important ones before they were somewhere safer, after all, the main force of the Reach was still sieging Stannis at Storms End, and it was unknown who they could trust.
Ned had not gone to lift the siege with an army; instead, he had gone straight for his sister when he received the letter telling him of her location. After all, that was what he had fought a war for, for the survival of his family, not a chair of swords that drew rats and vipers like moths to a flame
"I suppose that room is where Rhaenys is. How did she survive the sack?"
Ned gestured with his head over at the guarded door.
"Ser Jaime Lannister got her out. He was too late to save Aegon and Elia, the mountain had already smashed Aegon's head against a wall and was…. Defiling Elia by the time he got there, but he managed to kill Amory Lorch just before the man would have found Rhaenys under her father's bed. He then used his knowledge of the Red Keep and the secret passages to escape into the city, avoiding Lannister patrols that were still fighting with the household guard loyal to the Targaryens. He soon found Ser Alliser Thorne and Ser Jeremy Rykker in the streets of the city fighting against Lannister men with some other loyal men-at-arms and members of the city watch, and after helping them win the skirmish against the Lannister's, charged the two loyal knights with protecting Princess Rhaenys and taking her to Dorne, where she would be safe instead of being captured when the city fell to his father and facing his wrath for their loyalty."
"When Oswell went out to buy supplies, he found them by luck at a tavern passing through and so brought Ser Alliser and Ser Jeremy here."
"At least that is what he has gathered from the two knights and the princess herself."
Ser Arthur recounted pausing slightly when he got to Elia, his eyes never leaving Eddard's face and glancing every now and then to the bundle he held in his arms, his voice cold yet laced with a fiery anger.
"Ser Jaime protected the princess and got her out of The Red Keep?"
Eddard asked, surprised, so that was what Ser Jaime meant when he talked about upholding his oaths. He had saved Princess Rhaenys from the sack.
"Yes, this came from the princess herself. We have no reason to believe she lied. Ser Alliser and Ser Jeremy also confirm that it was Ser Jaime who brought the princess to them and charged them with taking her to Dorne."
Arthur confirmed.
"May we enter? I believe the princess would like to meet her little brother." Eddard asked the two knights at the door. Ser Oswell looked at Ser Gerold, who was standing at the tower's entrance, asking him with his eyes whether he should or not.
The loyal Lord Commander of the Kingsguard gave a slight nod, indicating his assent, while his gaze began to become vacant as if lost in thought. Lord Stark had made no hostile moves since meeting them and even argued with the other lords over the murder of Aegon and Elia, so there was no threat to the little princess when she was Eddard's nephews' only family from his father's side at the tower.
"Of course, Lord Stark Ser Arthur will follow you inside."
Ser Oswell said, opening the door for them.
The three-year-old Princess Rhaenys had toys scattered on the floor of the room, and a poorly made stuffed dragon toy was clutched in her hand, which she was moving about in the air when Eddard entered.
Eddard would recognise the terrible stitching on the dragon toy anywhere; it was Lyanna's. Lyanna had made the dragon toy for the Princess personally, likely having played with and consoled the 3-year-old princess after all the hardship and trauma she had suffered since the sack.
As he and Arthur entered the room, Rhaenys looked at them.
"Artie!"
The princess said in a delighted tone as her gaze fell on the Dornish Kingsguard.
"Has Muna Lya given birth? Do I have a new sibling?"
Rhaenys said excitedly, Ned never expected that the young princess would hold Lyanna in such high regard or that she would be looking forward to having a new sibling as if it were the one light in the darkness keeping her going.
The little princess then turned to Ned Stark, tilting her head adorably to the side.
"Who are you?" The three-year-old Targaryen princess said bluntly before noticing that Ned looked a lot like Lyanna.
"Why do you look so much like Muna Lya? Are you her family?"
Rhaenys asked sweetly how anyone could have contemplated killing such a sweet girl, Ned didn't know. But the soft smile of doting on the face of Ser Arthur showed that she already had the Kingsguard wrapped around her little fingers.
He imagined no one in the Red Keep would have been immune to her charm.
"Yes, princess, I am the brother of Lyanna, Eddard Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. I am glad to see you are safe."
Ned said with a forced smile, unfortunately, the news of Lyanna's death could not be kept from the sweet and intelligent princess, but at least she would have a newborn brother to distract her from her grief.
Rhaenys nodded before noticing something wrong.
"Where is Muna Lya? Why is she not here?"
The princess said with worry, heading towards the exit of the room in a hurry.
"I'm sorry, princess, but Lyanna is…"
Ned had to take a moment to compose himself, as the grief was still too raw for him, his eyes going slightly red.
"In the arms of the stranger now."
Ned finished sadly, but before Rhaenys could break out in sobs, he held out the little bundle in his arms, hoping to distract the young girl who had lost everything in the last month or so.
"But she left you one last gift. Would you like to meet him, your little brother?"
Rhaenys, who was about to break into sobs, suddenly snapped her head to the little bundle in Eddard's arms as if it were the most precious thing in the world, breaking his heart for the thousandth time.
Which, for the little 3-year-old princess, was most likely true
'How badly had the realm misunderstood what was happening between Rhaegar, Elia, and Lyanna?'
Eddard wondered, as he looked at a painting hung on the wall of Rhaegar, Elia, Lyanna and a small girl, which was unmistakably Rhaenys, it was clear to him that there was no kidnapping or rape but a much darker truth.
A truth that Eddard didn't know if he wanted to find out, as it was clear that there was a massive conspiracy or maybe even multiple conspiracies behind the events of the Rebellion, as it was far too chaotic for it to be the scheme of one man alone.
Rhaenys was busy doting on her new little brother, one of the last pieces of her family left in the world. Eddard decided to leave the princess with her little brother, watched over by Sir Oswell, while he went to discuss what would happen next with everyone.
It was then that Eddard felt that it was much hotter in the room than he had expected, and when he looked over at the fireplace, he was stunned.
Because resting in the roaring fireplace were two large eggs.
But not just any eggs, dragon eggs.
One was white and red, the other orange and black, and for one not in the know would look like nothing more than beautiful stones.
He wondered whether they would hatch and whether that would be a blessing or curse for the realm, for old gods save them all should the mad king have had a dragon under his command
Eddard left Rhaenys room in a daze to find Ser Gerold and Ser Arthur in a whispered conversation off to the side, either Ser Alliser Thorne or Ser Jeremy Rykker leaning against the tower's entrance, Ned didn't know which, as neither knight had any livery or coat of arms present on them due to needing to travel incognito with the little princess.
Eddard's own companions, Lord Howland Reed, Lord William Dustin, Ser Mark Ryswell, Martyn Cassel, Ethan Glover and Theo Wull were in their own little group outside, sweating in the Dornish sun, seemingly discussing what they had found out.
"The king?"
Ser Gerold asked Eddard, who winced slightly at the title as he realised that from the perspective of the Kingsguard and most likely House Targaryen, his newly born nephew was the rightful king.
A king from birth, the youngest king in the history of the seven kingdoms and who will likely be the youngest king and ruler in the history of the world should he take the throne.
Eddard didn't want to think for even a minute about the politics and scheming that such a young ruler would bring forth from the lords of the realm if the last regency for an underage Targaryen king was anything to go by.
"With his sister, Oswell is watching over them."
Eddard said his eyes were still red from crying.
Ser Gerold nodded, the lord commander of the Kingsguard did not need to be told whether Lyanna was still alive, one look at Lord Stark and knowledge of her condition after giving birth to her son was all he needed to put the pieces together as Ser Gerold was a very observant man, even for a Kingsguard, though even if he would not open that wound, others would that was less informed.
But Ned appreciated the lord commander's tact nonetheless.
The conversations died down as Ned and Ser Gerold walked towards a jagged rock with a beautiful view of the Red Mountains, the kingsguards white cloak bellowing in the wind, a short silence descending on the tower's entrance as men approached with caution.
No one wanted to be the man who started bloodshed, not when an uneasy peace had fallen upon the Northmen, Kingsguard, and Crownlanders.
"Lyanna?"
Lord Howland Reed asked in a small voice, his eyes going from Eddard to Ser Gerold.
"Died giving birth to her son."
Ned replied in a slightly choked voice with his back turned to his men, closing his eyes to calm himself down and so that more tears would not fall for his dead sister.
Ned couldn't afford to be weak in front of his bannermen, even if they were his most trusted men and companions.
He couldn't afford to be weak in front of anyone anymore.
Not when he had to protect a child who would attract vultures the moment they learnt of his existence.
"Her son?"
Lord Willium Dustin asked, his eyes confused alongside the other Northmen, though each with a restrained anger, Ned knew why, so he needed to nip their suspicions in the bud, well, some of them at least.
"Yes, her son Aemon Targaryen, Lyanna and Rhaegar married; there was no kidnapping, no rape. We will get the how and why later when we are on the road to somewhere safer. Princess Rhaenys is also here, currently doting on her little brother as if he were her most precious treasure in the world."
Eddard said, a small smile coming to his face when he thought of the kind-hearted young Targaryen princess, making it clear that Lyanna's son was loved by his half-sister.
His words silenced any protests from the Northmen, as all were aware that they were less than safe where they were, should someone be lucky enough to find out about Lyanna's last location, as there were only 12 men, a few maids and a wetnurse to protect two children who the wrong people would hunt down and kill for possessing the wrong last name.
"So what happens now?"
The gentle Ser Mark Ryswell asked.
"We find somewhere safe to stay and figure out what to do next now that Rhaegar, the mad king and Robert are dead and Stannis is under siege at Storms End."
Ned replied to nods from everyone present.
They needed a nearby safe keep to head to.
A keep belonging to a house that would not try to kill either the Kingsguard or the northmen and could be trusted to keep Rhaenys and Aemon out of harm's way and away from grasping power-hungry fools who would try to use or kill them for their own ends.
Which deep in the Red Mountains along the Princes Pass was a short list.
A very short list.
But there was one keep that met this strict criteria in Ned's mind, and it was close enough to reach relatively quickly without needing to make stops anywhere else.
Starfall.
The keep belonging to House Dayne, one of the oldest and most powerful houses in Dorne, even if to reach it they would have to skirt around High Hermatige and other houses in the Dornish Marches.
The keep where Ashara Dayne, his love, the woman he wanted to marry before duty got in the way, an old friend of Elia's and the person who sent him a letter telling him of Lyanna's location, was currently staying.
Eddard did not know how she knew, but she did.
And if what he saw in the painting depicting Rhaegar, Elia, Lyanna and Rhaenys was true, then there was no better person to trust with Lyanna's location than the Kingsguard and Ashara Dayne.
It was Ser Arthur who made the suggestion that came to his mind, not surprising as he was Ashara's brother.
"We should head to Starfall. Ashara is there as Ulric is away, leading House Daynes' contingent of the Dornish army sent to aid the crown, so she is the ruling lady in his absence. Unlike other lords, there is no chance that she would use Rhaenys or Aemon as tools for her own ambition, misplaced loyalty or vengeance."
"We can make a better plan once we are there and safe because Dorne did not send its entire army, so there will be more than enough men to hold a strong castle such as Starfall."
Arthur said getting agreement from everyone.
"As long as we can get out of this bloody heat, a cave would be acceptable."
Martyn Cassel said, irritated, wiping errant sweat from his brow and removing his armour now that it was not needed, as the Northman had long removed most of their warmer clothes so as not to die of heatstroke in the sands of Dorne.
At his words, a chorus of ayes came from the Northmen, who were clearly not enjoying the hot Dornish weather, never imagining that there could be a place so hot in Westeros.
Ser Arthur's mouth upturned slightly at the Northman's complaints about the weather, but he made no comment, merely going to get Rhaenys ready for the journey.
When the little 3-year-old Targaryen Princess heard that they were going to go to 'aunt Ashara,' as she called her, Rhaenys was delighted but still demanded to be able to hold and ride with Aemon on their journey.
She talked with the babe, showing him all the sights there were to see from the Red Mountains to all the animals and foliage of the Dornish Marches, even if he spent most of the time asleep without a care in the world.
While Rhaenys sat with her brother in front of Ser Arthur on his large warhorse, the adults used the week and a half or so until Starfall to talk about events from their perspectives on the Rebellion, trying to piece together what exactly had happened and how things had become so chaotic.
"How the hell did Rhaegar get the High Septon to accept a second marriage?"
Eddard asked one day after being told by Ser Arthur that Rhaegar and Lyanna met because Rhaegar had found out that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree, and that it was not just Rhaegar who was taken with Lyanna, but Elia as well, when they finally met shortly after Lyanna was declared queen of love and beauty at the tourney of Harrenhal.
Ned didn't even know about this, as neither Benjen, who had helped to put the set of knights' armour together, nor Lyanna herself had ever told him about this!
It was Ser Oswell riding just a few paces behind him that answered with a chuckle.
"With a big ol chest of gold coins of course, Lord Stark, and it was bloody heavy too as I was one of the people who had to haul it before his high holiness on Dragonstone. Who, upon seeing the glittering gold, very quickly agreed that the Crone in her wisdom could not bear to part a loving couple just because she could no longer have children.
In addition, as Rhaegar is a Targaryen under the doctrine of exceptionalism, a second marriage under these circumstances to ensure the continuation of the crown's line was most acceptable, especially when the crown prince had shown such piety through his donation to the faith in recognition of the good work they do in helping the smallfolk.
"We even got his high holiness's acceptance in writing, not that it will stop some in the faith and the lord's most adherent to the seven from grumbling, but it does give us a modicum of legitimacy."
Ser Oswell said with a chuckle.
"More like a donation to the fat High Septons' drinking fund."
Ser Arthur added snarkily, obviously having picked up a bit of his sworn brother's dark humour, while Ser Gerold listened but only raised an eyebrow while taking a swig from his waterskin.
"You're telling me all it took to get the faith to legitimise a second marriage was a large bribe and Targaryen blood!"
Ned cried out in surprise.
"Well, Ser Gerold also helped." The Black Bat said while nodding in Ser Gerold's direction, who shrugged his shoulders, indicating that, in the Lord Commander's opinion, his contribution was little in this matter. "He's a Hightower, you see, and they have much sway amongst the faith. He also happens to have a good relationship with his nephew Lord Layton Hightower, so yes, a large chest of gold, Targaryen blood, a somewhat open interpretation of the Seven-Pointed Star from the sevens representative in this world, a bit of blackmail, and the support of Lord Hightower sealed the deal."
Ser Oswell clarified with a shrug as if the matter was natural. Apparently, anyone with any intelligence in Kings Landing knew that the Faith of the Seven, especially those amongst the most devout and in the highest of offices, were thoroughly fat, corrupt and debauched with donations going more into the pockets of the septons than anywhere else for them to spend on the luxuries of life.
"Blackmail?"
Ned questioned, still shocked, as while he may have lived through a war, the schemes and plots of the South were still new to him.
"It appears good old Maynard has been a very naughty boy indeed, though I am sure if he prays enough, his sins will be forgiven as long as they don't get revealed to the realm that is."
Oswell replied cryptically, leaving it at that with a slight smile.
Over the last few days, everyone had been on the receiving end of Ser Oswell's dark humour, giving the unlikely group of allies respite from the sore subject of Roberts Rebellion and helping to diffuse any tensions that may arise from amongst the group.
Because what they found was that there was more than one conspiracy behind it.
"You're telling me Hoster Tully, Jon Arryn and my father were plotting against the crown!"
Eddard asked, a look of outrage appearing on his face.
"Yes, at least Jon Arryn and Hoster Tully were; your father, however, seemed to be manipulated more behind the scenes or an unknowing participant at best if what Lyanna said about Maester Walys was anything to go by. Aerys merely gave them a justification to put their plot into action with his farce of a trial."
Ser Gerold said as Ser Arthur nodded.
"How the hell did you come to this conclusion?"
Ned roared, and it was not just him who was angered at the lord commander's words, but the Northmen as well, who all began to protest before quieting down as Ser Gerold's voice boomed through the air.
Were the accusations of treason against the crown truly unfounded?
Did the mad king somehow find evidence? If he did, then it was likely through Varys, who apparently had little trust amongst the Kingsguard, despite being a loyal servant of Aerys.
Though if the indication from the Kingsguard was anything to go by, then loyalty to Aerys was not the same as loyalty to House Targaryen, despite the mad king being the head of the house for the past decade or so.
"Tell me, Lord Stark, did not how quickly the marriage alliances between the rebels form not give you cause to doubt their intentions or at least the marriage alliances the great lords were planning not seem in the slightest bit suspicious? Don't just lash out in anger, think for a second."
"For years, lord paramounts, especially those like House Tully who have a tenuous hold over their bannermen at best, had mostly married within their own kingdoms to ensure the loyalty of their bannermen for nearly 300 years since the conquest, with a few houses getting royal marriages."
"But now, suddenly, Catelyn Tully is betrothed to Brandon Stark, Lyanna Stark to Robert Baratheon, hell, it is said that Hoster even tried to marry his brother to a Redwyne and Lysa to Jaime Lannister before The White Lion put on a white cloak and the Blackfish blatantly refused marriage and swam away to god knows where until the war forced him to come back to protect his house."
"And on top of that, Lord Jon Arryn, Lord of the Eyrie and Warden of the East, is the foster father and figure to both you and Robert Baratheon, evidently also holding the trust of Rickard Stark as well.
"Tell me what that looks like, Lord Stark?"
"The North, Riverlands, Stormlands, West and Vale all seemingly bound together in an alliance with close marriage ties or relationships as strong as marriage ties or attempting to at the very least as Aerys removed the West from the potential alliance by giving Ser Jaime a white cloak."
"What does the formation of such an alliance of powerful lords look like from the perspective of the crown, Lord Stark?"
The Lord Commander of the Kingsguard, Ser Gerold Hightower, said in a cold tone. Hearing this, Ned was stunned for a second, not knowing what to say, as he took in Ser Gerold's words. Even the northmen had pensive expressions, each deep in thought, though it was lords like Howland Reed and William Dustin whose expressions were the worst.
As lords themselves, they knew exactly what such ties looked like.
It looked like an alliance that, if not created for rebellion against the crown, at least was designed to challenge it and its authority.
Otherwise, there was no need to make such a strong alliance between some of the strongest houses in Westeros.
He remembered Jon Arryn justifying the alliance by saying that they were merely trying to create a strong block to defend themselves if needed and to improve the relationships between regions within the Seven Kingdoms to help prevent conflicts from breaking out, though now the words seemed to ring false and hollow or were a half-truth at best.
In other words, these lords were preparing to make a move on the crown, whether Lyanna was supposedly kidnapped and Rickard and Brandon died or not.
This changed Ned's perspective on the rebellion completely, making him frown.
No matter what, a war was coming to Westeros, and his family was used as a reason to start it, especially as the mad king was still on the throne at the time, who decided to literally and figuratively blow up the situation with wildfire, only making it worse by ordering the arrest of two lord paramounts.
Seeing this, Ser Arthur then decided to put it into a perspective that would hit home more with Eddard in the hope that when they reached Starfall, the young lord paramount of the north would support his nephew's claim to the Iron Throne regardless of whether Stannis presses his or not.
"Let's put it this way, Lord Stark, imagine if the Karstarks, Umbers, Boltons, Manderleys, and either the Dustins, Ryswells or Glovers all suddenly began to make marriage alliances and turn into a power block to potentially ally together to push their interests or rebel. How would that make House Stark view them if they had a virtuous heir and a mad lord?"
Arthur Dayne asked, making the young warden of the north shudder.
While Eddard knew that such an alliance would be almost impossible to come about, if such an alliance did appear, then even he would think those houses were up to no good, as they would have the military power to take on most of the other northern houses combined.
"And then there was the stupidity of going to a madman and asking for his heir to 'come out and die' all because of some unverified rumours likely started by a schemer behind the scenes wanting to push their own agenda, though Aerys, in his madness, obviously turned the trial into a farce."
Arthur said in a neutral tone.
"The mad king ordered my and Robert's heads for no reason whatsoever!"
Eddard almost shouted, though, when he saw the distressed look on Rhaenys' face at his tone, he quickly calmed down.
"That is true, Lord Stark. Let's discuss this another time. It appears tempers are frayed, and it would do no good to upset the little ones. We can discuss this at length when we get to Starfall."
Arthur said in a placating manner as they stopped for the night by the Torrentine River, only half a day after they had passed through the first few villages connected to Starfall, the cart holding the body of Lyanna Stark rumbling behind them, came to a stop.
After they set up camp, Princess Rhaenys quickly decided that after nearly two weeks of travel, it was time to wash 'little Aems' as she now called her little brother in the river while the Northmen all eagerly went to fill up waterskins and bathe in the cool water, almost running to the river as all sweat buckets in the Dornish sun.
"I swear to the gods old and new, once I have left this fucking desert, I'm never returning. I drank an entire waterskin before filling it up again."
Theo Wull, the mountain clansmen complained as he returned to the group, holding his wet waterskin.
"What's wrong, Wull? Finally gotten warm for once in your life, has the weather finally melted the ice hanging from the balls of you Northmen?"
Ser Oswell japed with a smile, looking at the man's sweat-stained clothes.
"Kings Landing is warm, this must be one of your seven hells, it's bloody hot enough to burn people in, look at my face, it's all sunburned! Thank the old gods, I'm not one of you white cloaks, otherwise I would melt in all that armour you wear in this accursed sand-filled land."
The mountain clansmen retorted before grumpily sitting around the campfire to cook some fish he had caught in the river, muttering curses to himself as he did so.
Ser Arthur's violet eyes looked on with amusement at the complaining Northmen, though when they noticed the dripping wet three-year-old princess returning from the river with a smiling Aemon, a lord commander who was trying but failing to maintain a stern expression and a handmaiden who could barely suppress her laughter, all their attention turned to her.
And for the first time, they all laughed.
The three-year-old princesses' hair was sticking out in all directions, her Dornish olive skin dripping with clear water from the mischief her brother had caused while he was bathed.
If the baby-like giggles and the princesses' very large, colourful repertoire of words that the party had heard, even from their camp, was anything to go by, then Lyanna's boy had the time of his life, bathing in the river.
"I didn't realise you were getting a bath too, princess."
Eddard said with a chuckle, taking in the princess's wet, dripping form. The scowl on her face could make snow fall in Dorne.
"I wasn't until this little devil thought I needed one too."
The princess's glare towards him and her little brother was quite menacing for one so young, though the babe didn't seem to care, having gone back to sleep after having his fun in the river. When Rhaenys got older, Eddard was sure it would intimidate and send shivers down the spine of even the bravest of men, but right now, all it did was add to the amusement of the party, who chuckled good-naturedly at the Princess's misfortune.
Aemon was going to be a little terror when he was older, of that Eddard was certain. He already pitied his future caretakers because if Aemon were anything like Lyanna, then there would be many gaining early grey hair due to his antics.
Even as a babe, he knows how to annoy his sister.
Rhaenys quickly marched over to give him Aemon before still muttering to herself even as she opened the flap to her tent, followed quickly by her handmaid, who would likely spend a good portion of the evening trying to calm her youthful anger.
Eddard's nephew looked ever so peaceful and innocent while asleep.
It took only 2 days to reach Starfall after they set off the morning after, marching over the paved stone bridge leading to the island fortress, its white and sandstone towers overlooking the only entrance that does not require a boat or at least a swim.
The castle had its own port; even now, he could see a few warships, fishing ships and trading ships skimming on the Torrentines rivers surface as the river poured into the Sunset Sea near Starfall, so the Daynes have a thriving fishing and salt industry, and it is a regular stop for trading vessels travelling from Oldtown and the Arbour along the southern coast of Dorne towards Sunspear and Essos.
It reminded him somewhat of Riverrun. However, instead of a drawbridge, there was a permanent one of stone leading to the castle and no winches to fill the moat and turn the castle into an island.
Taking Starfall would require a large army and a lot of patience. Eddard could see why it was one of the largest and most formidable castles in the Seven Kingdoms, as towers created a crossfire on the only bridge to the castle, guarded by formidable gates, the purple banners of House Dayne fluttering in the wind from the towers.
Half a day's ride to the castle, they came across a small patrol of Dayne men-at-arms who, after recognising Ser Arthur, quickly led them to the castle. A rider had been sent ahead to inform Ashara, the acting ruler of the castle, while her older brother was away at war, so that she would be ready to meet their party when they arrived.
When they entered, it took Eddard but a moment to find the woman that he loved, and if the world were a better, more just place, he would have happily married.
Ashara Dayne.
Whose haunting violet eyes still drew out the tingling feeling of love from him every time their gaze fell on him.
There was much to do.
Much to do indeed.