Lyanna was riding through Wintertown when she lost herself in her thoughts, a year ago they were all a happy in Winterfell, her brothers Brandon, Ned who finished his fostering in the Vale and little Benjen who wasn't so little anymore, now Brandon is dead because the Boltons, by the Leech Lord Roose who put a knife in his heart himself, Ned, however, avenged their brothers death and decimated house Bolton and burned every Bolton sigil and tore down the Dreadfort to the ground, Ned married Brandon's betrothed Catelyn Tully, keeping their promise to House Tully, she liked Cat, she was a nice girl and would be a wonderful wife for her quiet wolf of a brother, and she running away with Prince Rhaegar may he burn in the seven hells, she was glad that her son, her beautiful baby boy didn't look anything like his father, her Jon looked every inch a Stark, he resembled Ned and one would suppose that he was his father.
She arrived at the gates of Winterfell, the guards opened them to her, surprised after seeing her for the first time in over a year after she disappeared, she rode in clutching her son in her arms when she saw Ned walking with his wife, they stopped when they saw her and practically ran to her, she handed Catelyn the bundle in her arms before she hugged Ned with all her strength, Cat's eyes widened when she saw that she was holding a babe in her arms, Ned kept hugging her for too long murmuring something about being happy until Cat called his name to spare her good-sister from his affections.
"I'm so happy to see you Lya, we thought you were dead after disappearing like that and with what the Boltons did," he said after stepping back and spat the last part.
"Me too Ned, I'm happy to be home and be with you here," she said happily after seeing her brother in a long time.
"Lady Lyanna,... " Catelyn began but not knowing what to say as she held Jon in her arms, Lyanna took her son from her good-sister arms and showed him to a confused Ned.
"Ned, meet your nephew Jon Stark," she said, only furthering his confusing, Ned didn't know there is any other male Stark apart from him and Bnejen.
"What do you mean Lya? who's his father?" he said as he held his nephew and smiled at him.
"it's better we get inside and father for this conversation," she told him.
Ned only nodded as he continued holding his nephew and lead his wife and sister to his father's solar, they found him there, his father looked up at him with a small smile that he reserved only for his children, the smile widened after seeing Lya coming in the room, he stood up and came and embraced his daughter, she returned his hug then they sat down, Lya took her son from Ned and sat down rocking him a little so he can sleep again after waking up, her son was always silent he rarely cried or made any noise.
"Now Lya, who's the father?" Ned asked after sitting down. Rickard didn't understand then he peeked at the babe his daughter was holding and didn't see the brown reddish hair that Robb has.
"Rhaegar Targaryen," she told them with a low voice, she saw Ned clenching his teeth while and Cat gaped and held her hand to her mouth, her father seemed angry at first but then strangely calmed down.
Rickard was angry when his daughter told them her son's father is Rhaegar Targaryen, now King Rhaegar after the death of the Mad King after drinking wildfire thinking he'll turn into a dragon, Rhaegar Targaryen was a married man with a daughter and a son, but then he remembered his promise and duty that he made to his father long ago so he told his daughter to explain to them what happened
"Rhaegar came to me, charmed me, I thought he loved me and asked me to marry him, he said that his wife couldn't bear any more children and she gave him her blessings to find another wife and give a Visenya to his Rhaenys and Aegon, but when I birthed Jon which was hard and difficult and the maester who examined me said that I can't bear any more children, Rhaegar didn't care because he got his child, but when he saw that the babe was a boy, not a girl, he told me that I was useless now and he told me to leave" she explained to them
"Father we should call the banners, Robert will stand with us as Lord Arryn and Lord Hoster, we can't stand for this, he insulted House Stark as a whole by doing this, a king or not," Ned the typical quiet wolf was enraged after what his sister told them.
"No Ned please don't go to another war, I already lost Brandon I won't stand for losing any of you" begged him and her father.
Rickard was enraged after hearing the treatment his beloved daughter went through, but she was right a war wouldn't do anything at least the child wasn't a bastard and he made a holy vow in front of the Godswood to serve the child of Ice and Fire and keep him safe and protect him no matter what and a war would only place him in danger.
"No Ned, a war would only put the child in danger and I won't allow that I swore a vow long ago as did my predecessors to protect him and I would be damned to break a vow lest our ancestors start rolling in their graves," he told his son and heir but addressed them all as whole, he was met with a confused looks from Ned and Catelyn and grateful and confused look from Lyanna, he stood up and walked to his ancestors sword and unsheathed it, he walked to where Lyanna was sitting
"What his name Lyanna?" he asked his daughter softly
"I named him Jon after King Jon Stark" she replied clutching the babe closer to her
He kneeled and put the sword to the ground which surprised them all and said " I, Rickard of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North and Guardian of this kingdom do swear my life to you Jon of House Stark and Targaryen as the child of Ice and Fire I swear me and mine to you, to protect you and serve you in my full capacity until my death,"
he turned to a very much surprised Ned and told him to do the same after Ned finished reciting his vow he went and sat down in his chair and started explaining to those around him what and why he did what he did.
"King Torrhen Stark had the sight or the greendreams as they are called and so did King Aegon Targaryen like his ancestor Daenys the dreamer, King Torrhen bent the knee to keep his people safe and King Aegon didn't touch the north, nobody knew why but Torrhen and Aegon, Aegon and Torrhen instructed their children and their heirs after them that one day a child descendant of the blood of the dragon and the blood of the kings of winter and child of Ice and Fire and so they must serve him and follow him, the Targaryens lost their promise after the dance of dragons and the promise was lost in their family but ours wasn't my father on his deathbed told me and made me vow and instructed me to do the same to my children, I was going to instruct Brandon when the time came, now that burden was going to fall on Ned, but the child of Ice and Fire is here and to him we owe our allegiance, not King Rhaegar or Aegon Targaryen or anyone else based on the orders and instructions of Aegon the Dragon, when the time comes this child will have to go on a journey alone and until the time comes we must raise him to be a good and honorable man and teach him all he needs to be a great man," he explained to them all, they were shocked to hear this no one knew could've imagined this.
"I will not allow my son to go anywhere dangerous not a king or a vow would make me allow him to go into danger," Lyanna said after getting past her shock.
"He will have a hard life in front of him my dear daughter but I don't think any of us will have a choice when the time comes, but we'll make sure he is ready, he will have a family here, he'll have his mother with him, Uncle Ned and Aunt Cat and his grandfather of course to guide him," Rickard said
"And he will be raised with his cousin Robb and other cousins of course," Catelyn adds
"We can't call him Jon Targaryen, so he'll take his mother's name, he'll be Jon Stark until the time comes and we reveal the truth to him," Rickard said.
