A/N: Well, since FanFiction took down my last thing of challenges, let's try something new. One challenge will be at the end of the prologue, and you must read the story to understand the challenge. For the other challenge, write a romance between Tyrion and Sansa, starting at Winterfell, and continuing through the rest of the series. Drop or keep Shae as you like, but the main couple must be Tyrion/Sansa. Oh, and I own nothing in this story, everyone and everything is a creation of the mad genius, George RR Martin.
The Game Stays the Same
Prologue: Fall of the Stag
The Trident, Red Fork, Riverlands-Year 280 A.L.-Rhaegar
Six months and five battles into Robert Baratheon's rebellion, and three months since Prince Rhaegar Targaryen had seen his beloved, pregnant wife, Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar with 40,000 men was now facing the most dangerous man in the rebellion: Robert, Lyanna's former betrothed and best friend to her middle brother, Lord Eddard 'Ned' Stark and their 35,000 strong battle-hardened army. His squire, one Daemon Sand reached for his ceremonial armour, but Rhaegar shook his head. "No Daemon, not that one. This is one battle where I will need every bit of speed I can get, and that one will not help with speed. It has rubies embedded in it for the Warrior's sake! Get me the one from Tobho Mott." Obeying his master, Daemon reached for the lighter but stronger armour from King's Landing. Once fully armoured, Rhaegar headed out to face the rebel forces.
When Baratheon laid eyes on him, he roared out "Targaryen!" and charged him. After a duel that seemed like it took hours, but was in reality only 15 minutes, Rhaegar dodged the dangerous war hammer that the young stag wielded, and quick as a snake, thrust his sword through the joints of his armour into the flesh of Baratheon's right arm. The other man gasped in pain, allowing Rhaegar to strike again, this time at the man's left leg.
Rhaegar expected another reaction to the pain, but Baratheon was lost to the berserker rage and swung at him. The last dragon quickly rolled away, and sliced off Robert's right arm as he moved. "Yield, Baratheon," he demanded.
"NEVER! For Lyanna!" he screamed as he tried to lift his hammer. Rhaegar sighed and with a single blow, took the other man's head. Turning to his squire and Ser Barristan Selmy of the Kingsguard, he ordered a quick retreat. The Battle of the Trident was over. Now, the real work began so that the Seven Kingdoms could heal from the rebellion.
The next day, Rhaegar, Daemon and Ser Barristan approached the rebel army under a flag of truce. The remaining leaders of the rebellion: Lord Hoster Tully of the Riverlands, Lord Jon Arryn of the Vale of Arryn, and Lord Eddard 'Ned' Stark of the North were very curious, especially as they did not expect such a reaction to the Battle of the Trident, very unlike a Targaryen. So, the three men met with the prince and his companions, while ordering their cooks to prepare a noon-meal worthy of their counterparts. When the six had sat down, it was Rhaegar who spoke first. "Lord Stark, Lord Arryn, Lord Tully, thank you for meeting with me."
"Why did you come here, dragon prince?" Jon asked.
"Because I want one thing, Lord Arryn: peace. And with Robert dead, I doubt that the rest of you are quite as . . . determined to continue the rebellion. Speaking of which, why was Robert so determined to kill me?"
"Because you kidnapped Lyanna Stark, his betrothed!" Hoster Tully answered.
Rhaegar stared at the Lord of Riverrun and, to everyone's surprise, burst into the most sincere laughter that the three men had heard. When he finally stopped laughing for lack of breathe, he explained "I'm sorry my lords, but the very idea that I could force Lyanna to do anything is absurd! Don't you agree, Ned?" he asked the Lord of Winterfell.
While Ned Stark was upset that the prince used his nickname, he also chuckled at the idea of anyone forcing his sister to do anything. "You're right, Rhaegar. If someone tried to get my sister to do anything she hated, she'd hate it all the more. If someone tried to stop her from doing something, she'd want to do it all the more! So, I'm guessing that she went with you of her own volition?"
"Actually, she came to me! She told me that she wanted to escape her betrothal to Robert. Now, is there anything else we need to discuss in order to end this war?"
"Your father," all three answered. Hoster, as the oldest, decided to expound on that point. "Your father has gone completely insane since the Defiance of Duskendale, and nearly all of our families have suffered as a result. Something must be done about Aerys, or this rebellion will only be the prelude to something worse."
"I was already planning on making some changes, but since you insist, I will remove my father from power." Ser Barristan was about to object, but Rhaegar cut him off. "I'm not talking about killing him, my friend. The gods hate a kinslayer, I am talking about what an old acquaintance called a coup d'etat. I will send my father to a quiet holdfast with men to serve him."
"A hall to die in and men to bury him, you mean," Ser Barristan replied.
"It's better than he'd give any of us, and you know that. It's not for no reason people call him the Mad King." The rebel lords, and his loyalist companions looked at the prince in shock. "What? I know my father better than any man alive, did you really expect me to miss the fact that he's insane? But right now, let's talk about what happens after the coup. In order to build the friendships between our houses, I suggest that the three of you each foster one of my children."
"And who will be left out, Rhaegar? You only have the two children," Hoster pointed out.
"Two, at the moment. I'm expecting word from the Tower of Joy any day announcing the birth of my third child. Lyanna's convinced she's having a boy."
"Lyanna's pregnant?" Ned exclaimed.
"Yes, and I insist that you foster the child. I'm sure that my son would love to get to know his uncle, and it will give Lyanna more excuses to visit Winterfell."
"Visit?" Jon asked.
"Lyanna insisted that as we are married, that we act like it, and as such, she's going to be living with me and Elia in King's Landing. But she is a Stark, and I always knew that she'd be returning to Winterfell every once in a while if only to visit her favourite brother. But if you foster our son, Ned, I'm certain she'd visit at least once a year."
"My king, I would be honoured to foster my nephew in Winterfell."
Rhaegar smiled at the man he believed could become a good friend, given time. "Good, now we only need to decide which of you is going to foster Aegon, and which will foster Rhaenys."
"I would like the chance to raise another daughter, my liege," Hoster answered. "I never got much of a chance to spoil Cat or Lysa, and the gardens of Riverrun are the one of the most beautiful in the Seven Kingdoms."
"After fostering Ned and Robert, I think I can handle young Aegon," Jon said. "After all, those two were extremes when it comes to young men. How hard could someone falling between them be?"
"Then it's settled! Peace at last. Now all we need to do is end the siege at Storm's End and dethrone my father. Ned, I'd like you to take a century and head south to Storm's End and convince the Tyrells to end the siege. After that, go down to the Tower of Joy and visit with your sister."
"Gladly, Your Grace, but what about Stannis?"
"Stannis Baratheon did nothing worth punishment. He held Storm's End, nothing more. He is to keep his lands and title so long as he swears loyalty to me. If he's knighted anyone, then back him up, especially if you agree."
"As you wish, Your Grace."
King's Landing, the Crownlands-Jaime
Ser Jaime Lannister, youngest member of the Kingsguard in history, looked out one of the windows in the Red Keep at the approaching Lannister army, and he knew what it meant: the rebels had won and now his father was going to sack the city. And worse, now he would be expected to turn against his oath as a member of the Kingsguard, and kill the man he was sworn to protect. Jaime wasn't too upset about killing Aerys, he was completely insane, the problem was the fact that he had sworn a vow to protect the man with his own life. He slowly wandered the castle, pondering his dilemma when he ran across Queen Rhaella and Princess Elia. The queen gave him a look and asked outright "Are you here to kill us, Lannister?"
Right then, Jaime made his choice about where his loyalty lay. "No, I'm not, my queen. I'm here to tell you to get out of King's Landing, now, and take your children. Run to Dragonstone to have your child, my queen, then both of you need to escape to the Free Cities. Robert won't stop hunting you until all of you are as dead as Rhaegar is."
"NO! I told Rhaegar that marrying that Stark girl would be trouble, but he wouldn't listen, and now he's dead!" Elia simply broke down after that. As she did, an enormous explosion rocked the city.
Jaime looked up and quickly spotted the reason: green fire rose from the Dragon Pit that lay northwest of the castle. "And I thought Aerys was mad before. Listen, you need to get out of here, now! Aerys is setting off stashes of wildfire in the city! Get out, before it's too late!" Jaime then turned towards the throne room, where he knew he'd find the madman responsible for this.
As he marched towards his appointment with destiny, Jaime could clearly hear the Lannister soldiers rushing through the castle and could only hope that the women and children escaped. When he reached the throne room, he found Ser Gregor Clegane, one of his father's bannermen at the foot of the enormous throne. "Lannister! Kill the traitor, let him burn!" Aerys commanded.
"Are you really going to listen to that madman?" the Mountain asked.
"No, I'm not going to stop you," Jaime replied. And with that, the Mountain charged up the iron stairs to the old king and stabbed him through the heart. But unbeknownst to the giant, Jaime followed him, and before he could pull his sword out, Jaime stabbed him in the back. "I said I wouldn't stop you, Clegane. I never said anything about avenging him. I am a member of the Kingsguard, and I shall die a member of the Kingsguard." With that, Jaime pulled his sword out, and let both men fall down the steps to the pavilion at the base of the throne. He then turned around and sat on the Iron Throne. "Hmm, the legends are right, this thing is really uncomfortable." As he sat on the throne made from 1,000 swords, he heard the sound of a storm of swords clashing in the city beyond, and the rush of a second explosion as Flea Bottom was destroyed in a matter of seconds.
Storm's End, Stormlands-Stannis
Stannis was just finishing his share of the salt beef and onions when the newly-knighted Ser Davos Seaworth came in proclaiming "Milord, there's a small group of men coming, they're flying Stark banners."
"Stark, eh? So he finally remembered us. How many men does he have? I wouldn't have thought the North had enough men to defeat Tyrell's men."
"Sir, I doubt he has more than a hundred men with him, assuming the man I saw is Lord Stark."
"What?! Stark expects to break the strength of the Reach with only a hundred men? Is he mad? I have to see this." And with that, Stannis Baratheon ran for the parapets, with Davos right behind him. To their combined shock, Ned Stark had been shown straight to Mace Tyrell, and half an hour later, he and his men were allowed through the Tyrell lines, while the Tyrells prepared to break camp. When Ned came up to Storm's End, Stannis called down "So, Stark, finally remembered us? And what's going on? Have you turned traitor, or did the Tyrells join us?"
"Neither, the war is over, Stannis, and I came as soon as I could. Before you start blaming me for the siege, try to remember that the North is the size of the other six kingdoms combined, and it takes time to gather and organize my bannermen, especially as we have only a handful of horses. Now, Lord Stannis, open the gates and feed your people."
"Lord Stannis?" Davos questioned. Last he had heard, lords didn't call the younger brothers lord. Also, Robert was Lord of the Stormlands, and Stark was his friend, so why would he call Stannis 'lord'? The reason became clear when Davos saw Lord Stark holding a ring and presenting it to Stannis. Robert Baratheon was dead, otherwise nothing, not even the White Walkers could have taken the Baratheon ring from his hand. None but the goldsmiths knew what caused it, but only the lords of the noble families could wear the house ring, and none could take it off until death. And now he was sworn to Lord Stannis Baratheon of Storm's End.
Tower of Joy, Dorne-Eddard
As soon as Ned Stark lay eyes on the Tower of Joy, he spurred his horse onwards, anxious to see his sister for the first time in a year, and his first nephew. When he came into view, his generous feelings towards Rhaegar I changed into genuine fraternal love for the young dragon: he had left not one or two, but three members of the Kingsguard to protect Lyanna and her son. And not just any three, but three of the best: Ser Arthur Dayne, called the Sword of the Morning, Ser Oswald Whent, and Ser Gerold Hightower. "Greetings, sers, I wondered where you were. I looked for you on the Trident."
"We were not there, and woe to the Usurper if we were," Ser Gerold said.
"He is already bemoaning the fact that His Grace was there," Ned answered him.
"His Grace wasn't at the Trident," Ser Oswald said in confusion. "King Aemon doesn't leave King's Landing any more."
"The Mad King is dead," Ned corrected him. "Dead under the blade of Ser Gregor Clegane, who was killed in turn by Ser Jaime. Rhaegar is king now, and he is the one who killed Robert."
"Then why are you here?" Ser Arthur asked. "Rhaegar must have been the one who told you about this place, and what is here, so why?"
"Why else but to see my sister and be with her when my nephew is born? As His Grace is re-establishing order in King's Landing, he asked me to be here in his place. May I pass?"
Ser Gerold considered his request before deciding "If you leave your weapons with us, Lord Stark, and swear to us that you are loyal to the king."
Ned quickly agreed to the terms, and fifteen minutes later, he had reunited with his sister and updated her and her midwife, a Dornish woman named Wylla, on everything that had happened since Robert started his rebellion. As soon as Lyanna heard what happened in King's Landing, and that the Lannisters had killed Elia and her two children, she collapsed and went into labour. When she had recovered enough, she grabbed Ned's hand and demanded "Ned, you promise me that you will protect my son! Do not let him share the fate of his brother and sister! Swear it!"
"I swear on the tombs of our ancestors, by the Old Gods and the New that he shall live, and one day wear his father's crown, Lyanna." Lyanna accepted the vow, and after 13 hours of hard labour, finally gave birth to her son, whom she named Balerion. Unfortunately, she started haemorrhaging as a result of giving birth, and died only an hour after giving birth to the new Dragon Prince.
A/N: First, a few notes on why some things change, and some stay the same. Rhaegar survived in this because he went with the other set of armour. His ceremonial armour, which he wore in canon, must be extremely thick and heavy, which would slow him down, and provided no significant protection from a war-hammer. The lighter armour gives him the slight advantage he needs to win the fight where the ceremonial armour killed him in canon. And really, who wears armour with rubies imbedded in it during a battle?
The Sack of King's Landing still happens because who could really believe that Tywin only ordered his men to march when he knew Robert had won? His men had entered and sacked the city by the time that Ned and his men arrived, and Ned's men had about half the distance to travel, if not less. My conclusion: Tywin had decided to join the rebellion some time before the Battle at the Trident and was sacking the city before news could reach him about the outcome of said battle.
The change involving Jaime and the Wildfire Plot comes because Jaime was not with Aerys when he ordered the destruction of the city, allowing Wisdom Rossart to ignite the wildfire, though he died igniting the batch under Flea Bottom. Also, by talking to the other Targaryens, he decides to avoid the stain of Kingslayer and takes the slightly more noble route.
So, now that you've read this, you're now ready for the challenge: Take this story, and finish it. The catch is, though Rhaegar wins Robert's Rebellion, the Game must continue as it did in the series. Basically, once Rhaegar dies, the Seven Kingdoms must devolve into civil war, with Littlefinger pushing things towards that end, and making the war last as long as possible. The Lannisters must do their best to take control, as do the Tyrells, Greyjoys and Baratheons, or they simply move for independence. The Starks on the other hand, support House Targaryen, especially as the Crown Prince is their own cousin/nephew, Jon Snow, aka Aemon Targaryen. In Essos, Viserys and Daenarys flee from ghosts and men working for their brother out of fear of a dead man: Robert Baratheon.
Have whatever pairings you wish. Finally, I would like it if you take out the Freys and Boltons in some way, BEFORE the Red Wedding has a chance to happen.