Eddard

The Godswood was peace and quiet and it filled his heart with calmness despite the worries it was filled with. He should not be here, Ned knew it. He should be with her, with his wife just like she'd had stayed with him at every turn when he was broken, step by step. At Harrenhal she was there to comfort him, when Rhaegar broke his sister's honor and brought shame upon his entire family. When his father, brother and goodsister died at King's Landing at the hands of the Mad King she had been there with him. When his sister climbed up the steps of the Iron Throne, hand in hand with Rhaegar Targaryen over the dead bodies of their father, brother and good sister, killing what little of the Ned Stark he had in him, she was there to comfort him. Even when her brother Ser Arthur Dayne urged her to go back to Starfall, his wife refused to go.

"I'll stay with my husband, Arthur. Just like you stayed with your Dragonlords." She had said to her brother. Ned could still remember the look Ser Arthur had directed at him. He had thought for sure that he was going to die right then and there, courtesy of Dawn, but even the Sword of the Morning never shone brighter than his sister. With a few dozen words back and forth, Ned had seen the Sword of the Morning bested for the first time in a duel, losing to his sister in the duel of words. It was the first time Ned had seen Ser Arthur being bested but by the look of it, it was clear as a sunny day for him that even the Sword of the Morning had lost most of his duels with the man's sister.

Ned had never wanted to go there to see them in the first place but then he had wanted to see if it was true what the people were talking about. He had desperately wanted it only to be a rumor. When he had asked Ashara to accompany him to King's Landing she had accepted without a word against it. They were never truly married in the eyes of the men and the laws then, only a traditional one before the Heart Tree of Harrenhall with only Ser Arthur Dayne and Howland Reed to see them get married but still she never refused him. She agreed to accompany him without a word against it.

He had wanted to see it with his own eyes and he saw them. Never once he had thought that his sister would climb the throne over the bodies of their family. But then never once had he thought that she would bring herself apart from their family.

When he had met his sister in the Red Keep his old self was completely hidden to him. He had always wondered of seeing her sister's marriage but not like this. He had thought to see his father and brother in it, not their bones, one burnt the other with dried off meat. Standing in the same hall where they had died once he could only see one thing alone. His father and brother died for nothing. That was when he had thought to make it right. The world would see that his father and brother didn't die for nothing. The North Remembers and he would remember even if his sister forgot. He had left his sister coldly that day, with the bones of his father, brother and his brother's wife. At least Lyanna had given him their bones and he had thanked her for that.

The entire journey back he had felt like a dead man, nothing more than the bones of his father or brother. Even then it was Ashara who brought him back from that grave thoughts. She filled his world with the things he had once thought of never seeing again. In everything he had done she was there with him.

And now he was here when she needed him the most. Kneeling before the weirwood looking upon the sad red face. Ned wasn't sure of what he was doing there. He was supposed to be with his wife right now, holding her hands, soothing her with sweet words like the way she had done to him in his hard times. But he was so afraid to do that.

He wasn't sure what he was afraid of. He couldn't hear her screams, he couldn't hear Maester Walys' words, he couldn't hear the hushed talks of the women inside, he couldn't do anything. He was afraid to do anything. By the time when Ashara's screams grew louder Ned knew what he was afraid of. He was afraid of losing her.

When Ned thought that he could not take it anymore he had left for the Godswood since it was the one place where he felt peace after everything that had happened, that and Ashara's arms. All the way to the Godswood he heard the hushed talks of his people. 'Lady Stark would die' was what most of them said. Everyone said how sweet and kind their new Lady was and it will be hard to lose her. All through his walk alone to the Godswood Ned heard talks throughout the walk and none of them was what he had wanted to hear.

It has been almost a day since Ashara had gone to her birthing bed and with every passing moment Ned dreaded the fact about the people's words becoming true. He had been here for some time now not even sure of what to ask the nameless Gods of the north. He was confused if he should ask for his wife or child or both of them. Spare my wife even if that meant my child's life, a part of him said. The other part told him to ask for his child because that is what Ashara would want. He had made their entire future on this child. But almost all of him asked for both of them. He knew he was being wrong in demanding the Old Gods, but he didn't want to lose Ashara too. He had lost everything and his wife was the who had kept him collected after that and he didn't want to lose her now.

He stayed in the Godswood which seemed like days until he heard the voice of Jory calling after him. "My lord," Jory Cassel said coming out of the trees, breathing heavily. Suddenly Ned's heart beat in a quicker pace dreadful of the news Jory had brought him. Ned donned his lord's mask suddenly hiding the worries for his wife behind it. "What is it Jory?" He asked strong and stern as Lord Stark.

"Lady Stark has requested your presence, my lord," Jory said wasting no time, waiting for Ned to come.

Ned looked at the sad red face on the Weirwood once again. He didn't like to leave his prayers just like that. Please let both of them be safe he said in his heart looking back at his Gods. "Let's go then," Ned said walking past Jory. His legs took him back the way he came even when he wasn't very clear about walking in his mind.

Everyone in Winterfell had a sombre face that day. It is not going to be a day for smiles, Ned thought. The household of Winterfell bowed their heads and greeted him with 'My Lord' but only with a sad face and not the usual happy face they used to greet him with. He reached the Lord's chambers where his wife was giving birth to their first child. Ser Rodrik, Martyn Cassel and Vayon Poole stood in the same place where they had stood when he had left them, to go to the Godswood.

Ned stood before the door for a few moments. He could hear a sharp cry from the inside again. Ashara, he thought and entered his chambers. The room was filled with the smell of blood. He could see his wife on the bed, her black hair disheveled and sticking to her face. Even in that state Ned could not help but think how beautiful she was.

"Ned," Ashara's tired face lit up when she saw him. A faint smile touched her dried lips.

Ned dropped to one knee beside the bed his wife was lying on. "Ash," he brushed her wet strands of hair back from her forehead. His wife smiled at him, even that small thing seemed hard for her.

"My lady you need to push for the baby's sake and yours as well," Maester Walys urged.

Ned looked back to the maester and then to his wife. He nodded and took her hand in his and held it firmly. Ashara shut her eyes tightly and pushed with all her might gripping his hand painfully tight. A midwife brought a cup of water to her parched lips and Ashara took a sip from it.

His wife took a breath and tried it again, holding his hand with all the strength she could muster.

"You're doing good my lady, very good," Maester Walys said.

Ashara smiled at that. Always gentle and kind, Ned thought looking at his wife. Please, he pleaded to the Old Gods again. Ned wiped the sweat from her forehead. Ashara looked pleased at that. She pushed again one more time. "That's it, my lady," Maester Walys urged, "I could see the head now."

Ashara gripped his hands tighter and pushed again. With a cry she fell back on the bed relaxed. And a cry of a lighter tone echoed his wife's. Ned turned back to look at the Maester. A midwife was already there near him with the clothes. "It's a healthy baby boy," Maester Walys announced.

Ned looked back to his wife. Ashara smiled so brightly that the tiredness from her face vanished. Ned returned a smile and planted a kiss at her lips. Her lips were wet with the water she had drunk in the process.

The midwife came to them with a bundle. A bundle of joy, Ned thought. "He is beautiful my lord, my lady," the midwife said and placed the bundle of clothes in Ashara's hands. Ashara held their son against her breast and Ned leaned in to get a look at his son. And he saw his boy, nestled among the clothes, all pink and calm as if he was seeing a pleasant dream. "He is beautiful," Ned rested his head against his wife enjoying every bit of the moment. It had been long since Ned Stark had felt as happy and whole as now. He has a baby now. A beautiful baby boy just like he had thought him to be. The very first start of their new dawn in their hands now. A family, a pack of his own to make up for the one he had lost. He reached for his son and gently caressed his son's dark hair, so dark to be his and which was only Ashara's. "He has your hair," he chuckled lightly. Their baby opened his eyes as he was disturbed by the touch. Dark gray eyes looked up at both of them and filled both of them with pure joy. Nothing else, Ned knew, this is nothing else but pure joy.

"And your eyes," Ashara faintly touched their son's cheek with her finger. The baby clearly loved his mother's affection as he moved further against Ashara's finger. Ned held Ashara close to him and kissed her cheek, so happy for giving him such a beautiful son. "What shall we name him?" Ashara asked him never once taking his eyes off their son.

Ned hadn't really thought about that thing but he thought that his wife deserved to name their son after everything she had done for him. "What do you think?" He asked moving closer against her.

Ashara stayed silent for a few moments looking closely at their baby with a smile. "Andrew," she said at last. "That is both northern and southern like us," she smiled, "and he will have both of us in him."

"A strong name for a strong heir, my lady," Maester Walys said. At that Ned came back to the realisation that they were not alone. He had forgotten the Maester and the others in the room as he saw the wonder he had made with Ashara. "Shall we inform the people, my lord? They would be happy to hear it."

"Yes, inform them Maester Walys," Ned said. Winterfell was home and everyone here was like a family to both him and his wife and now to their son as well. "And send ravens to the bannermen as well," Ned commanded. "They will be happy to see him as well."

The maester nodded, smiling. He left the chambers to do the duties Ned gave for him. When Maester Walys left the chambers Ned was left alone with his wife and the midwives who cleared the bloody clothes and furs off the bed. A huge cheer followed shortly after Maester Walys left and Ned knew what that cheer was for. He looked at Ashara. Ashara gave him a smile which Ned returned back. They both looked down at their sleeping son, so calm and quiet and good. Future was in their hands now and Ned knew it for sure hearing the loud cheer. Hope has returned, not only to him but to the entire North. Dawn has come at last after a long last night, in the form of his son.

Author's Notes: So I thought about it, this is just the first part of my story 'The King of Winters.' I mean this was my first idea about this story, to bring out right from the start and to show Andrew life with his parents as well as Ned/Ashara's life with their son. But I didn't knew how to do a series here in Fanfiction and gave up the plan. But now I realise that this story here is necessary. So here it is. I hope you guys will like it. Ned/Ashara will be the main pair and the story will mainly revolve around them, so Ned/Ashara fans you can jump aboard here with your eyes closed because I can assure you this is entirely for the Quiet Wolf and the Beautiful Star and you won't be disappointed. Also there will be lemons here, so as to capture intimate Ned/Ashara moments that GRRM failed to give us. I hope you guys to enjoy it. I still have some doubts if I should do this but I give that to you. So say it in the comments if you think I should continue this. I'll be waiting to know your thoughts.

Cast for this story:

House Stark

Eddard Stark: Chris Hemsworth

Ashara Dayne: Alexandra Daddario

Andrew Stark: Charlie Hunnam (From King Arthur: TLOS movie. I made this choice because I took most of the ideas for Andrew from the Arthurian legends.)

If you're interested I may even put the cast for the other characters too. Most of them will be the same as the TV series but it will be fresh for the characters we haven't got the chance to meet. Also I had many images made up for this story and for The King of Winters as well but I don't know how to add it here. If you are interested in seeing them too just give me an idea to post them where you guys can see. Anyway, enjoy the story. Please leave a review.