The Legend of the Twin Wolves
I don't own ASOIAF or GoT.
A/N: This is a one-shot for Sketchywolf. It's a bit of a mish-mash of a challenge given and other ideas floating round in my head, but I hope you like it.
It was the middle of a dreary winter's day that found Jaden Lancaster and Lyanna Starkey at their Westerosi Legends and History class at Kings Landing University as Professor Arron lectured on the topic of Westerosi history through the ages.
Lyanna had only met Jaden one week ago, when they had literally bumped into each other whilst she had been reading a perhaps legend perhaps history written by Lady Selene Storm who had been lady in waiting for Princess Lyanna Targaryen, the only daughter of the Prince who was Promised, Jon Targaryen. The perhaps-history-perhaps-legend had been entitled the Merchant Prince of Braavos. Coincidentally, her new friend of one week had the same first name as the Merchant Prince, himself, Jaden, although in the Merchant Prince, it was spelt Ja'den. Ancient Braavosi rather than Westerosi she suspected accounted for the difference.
A fast friendship had formed between the two, and this week's lecture was focused on the Legend of the Twin Wolves, Jon and Jack, one the Prince who was Promised, and the other, his twin brother. Lyanna began to take notes as Professor Arron spoke.
The Legend of the Twin Wolves refers to a set of twins, who we historians believe to be the twin sons of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lady Lyanna Stark. It was said that Jon, who later became known as the Prince that was Promised, and his younger twin brother, Jack, who eventually became the first man to manage to circumnavigate the world, the great explorer Captain-Prince Jack Targaryen, were hidden by their Uncle Lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell from the wrath of King Robert Baratheon, in the period known as the Baratheon Interregnum which we will cover in the next few classes.
What writings we have left show that Jon Targaryen and Jack Targaryen, masquerading as Snow's back then, joined the Night's Watch at the tender age of fourteen. Recordings by Maester Samwell Tarly, prior to his death showed that Jon was placed in the Stewards, whilst Jack was placed in the Rangers. Maester Samwell records that both Jon and Jack were both accomplished swordsmen, only surpassed at their time by Ser Barristan the Bold, and Ser Jaime Lannister. With Jon wielding Longclaw, and Jack, Starfang, Maester Samwell records that they killed many Others between them becoming heroes of Westeros. Eventually becoming First Ranger, it was written by Maester Samwell that Jack Targaryen was an expert strategist and managed to score great victories in the Battle of Castle Black, and the Battle of the Twins. You'll find more information on those on pages fifty five to sixty seven of the assigned readings.
Lady Sansa Stark in the fragments of her journal that was recovered, with great thanks to Mr Rickard Starkey of Winterfell,writes that her cousins were as different in personality as night and day. She writes that Jon was dour, more subdued and meticulous whereas Jack, his brother was more lively, more prone to indulging his fancies than not. Certainly if the gossip was right, Lady Sansa records her cousin Jack indulging in carnal pleasures with the Mother of Dragons, Queen Daenerys Targaryen before he left to explore the world though she doubted that her cousin was ever in love. Obviously, last week we covered the death of the Mother of Dragons when we went through the Merchant Prince of Braavos. She also records that they both had direwolves, named Ghost and Echo, one white, the other black, which reflected their quite opposite personalities. She also provides good insight into the early years of Jon and Jack's life as Snow's of Winterfell, writing that whilst Jon took everything about being Lord Stark's not trueborn son hard, Jack was more carefree and did not mind his status as not trueborn.
Lyanna looked up for a second, fingering through the notes that she had made. She saw Jaden next to her, intensely concentrating on the class. Lyanna's own great-grandfather had discovered the journal of Lady Sansa Stark whilst renovating the property that he had bought in Winterfell that now served as her home. As Professor Arron began the next sentence, she started to pay attention again.
A recording made by Lord Tyrion Lannister of Casterly Rock, the Imp, muses that in the war that they fought against the Others, that Jon and Jack were both fond of keeping a running total of how many times that they had 'saved' each other's lives. Lord Tyrion recalls fondly, in the battle at Castle Black where he overhears Jack say to Jon that he's saved Jon's life five times now, just for Jon to shoot back that he's saved Jack's life nine times, and that time at Whitetree doesn't count. Lord Tyrion writes a lot more about Jon's reign as the King of Westeros, along with his two Queens, which we covered in last week's lecture which we shall cover a bit more of later this week.
Lyanna knew that Jaden liked reading about Lord Tyrion Lannister, and his book of witticisms that he had passed on before his death. It was one of the things that was attractive about Jaden, his quick wit and love of everything fun in life.
But the most interesting text that we read about the Twin Wolves is in the text written by Princess Lyanna Targaryen herself about her father and her uncle. She writes that her father Jon often said that her uncle Jack was like their uncle Eddard Stark. Historical records show that the Princess herself only met her Uncle a handful of times, as he was a free spirit, always travelling and journeying. She writes that when her Uncle visited, family dinners were always fun, as her uncle Jack loved to tease her father Jon. Of course, she writes that her father often also gave as good as he got. She recounts a time when they practised swords, and that her father Jon was chasing uncle Jack with a tourney sword trying to whack him for some joke that Uncle Jack had played on her father involving some sort of itching powder that he had brought back from his travels. It is little stories like this in Princess Lyanna's writings in her childhood recollections that give us historians a great appreciation of the Twin Wolves characters.
As the bell signalling the end of class went, Lyanna folded her papers and shoved them into her bag, which was decorated with a wolf's head in stitching, which she had done herself under the supervision of her Aunt Sandra, and rose, waiting for Jaden to leave class with her. They were going to meet with their friends for lunch before heading off to their next classes which they didn't share. Jaden always took longer to pack up, because he liked to file his notes away in a neat system in his bag. It was something that his grandfather Ty had taught him to do or so she had gathered.
"Please read the next two chapters of the textbook in preparation for the next class," Professor Arron asked as students began to file out of the class. "Next class, we're going to cover the Baratheon Interregnum."