Prologue
Ned Stark eyed the castle as he quietly walked towards its gate. It'd been a long journey, a tireless one, but one that was soon coming to an end. All the battles in the years past, all the men lying beneath the grown, his own sister among them, and here he stood. The country broken, his friend Robert on the Iron Throne, a son in Winterfell he's never met, and the difficult task of telling the woman he once loved that her brother was now dead by his hand.
It almost didn't feel real, yet as he entered the castle, he saw the judging eyes and knew that it was.
He was Lord of Winterfell, the Usurpers trusted commander, and he'd gone against the crown and the Dornish, the people he now passed in these very halls. It could have very well been suicide to come here, but like every decision Ned made in his life, he tried to do the right thing.
The honorable thing.
It's why he was here, it's why Jon, his newest son was with him as well. Not matter the odds, no matter what happened to him, Ned would always do what's best for those he loved.
Even if it destroyed his image to everyone he knew and cared for.
"Lord Stark," The maester greeted him outside of Lady Dayne's chamber as Ned approached. "I did not expect to see you in Dorne."
"Did not think to be here," Ned answered solemnly. He could feel Ser Arthur Dayne's sword weigh down on him as he spoke. "May I see Lady Dayne?"
The maester eyed Ned knowingly before glancing back towards the closed door. He didn't expect to be in this position and had difficulty deciding. Knowing full well Lady Dayne would be disappointed turning away Eddark Stark, the maester relented.
"I urge you to remain calm Lord Stark," The maester finally said.
Ned eyed the man with questioning eyes. "Calm?"
"Go inside."
Giving one last soulful smile, the maester walked passed Ned, leaving him alone in front of the closed door. His words rang through his ears as he wondered what the older man was on about.
Thankfully, Ned didn't take after Brandon or Lyanna, he knew better to keep his emotions in check.
Resting his hand against the door, he braced himself for another uncomfortable situation as he pushed the door open to face the woman he once cared for.
Ned wasn't sure what to expect. It'd been almost two years since the tourney at Harrenhal, the last time he'd seen Ashara, and he'd left on fond memories before departing.
Life seemed so simple back then. He had no commitments to anyone. Cat was to marry Brandon, Robert his sister Lyanna, and it seemed the realm would carry on the way it had for so long.
Now almost everyone he loved was gone, and the honorable man he'd been at Harrenhal was replaced with someone he hardly recognized.
Yet the moment he opened that door, and saw Ashara sitting by the window peacefully in the sun, everything changed. He felt the memory of Lyanna's dying body flash before his eyes before he came to rest on the tiny bundle in Ashara's arms.
Feeling another's presence, Ashara's eyes met his and the two stood staring in silence.
He didn't know who spoke first but Ned soon found himself slowly walking towards her quietly.
"Ned," She whispered faintly, not wanting to wake the babe in her arms.
Ned couldn't speak as he approached the two. His eyes soon left Ashara's tearful face to rest on the boy in her hands. He must have been a year old, already growing, as Ned watched him.
He felt the same surge he had when he'd held Jon for the first time, wondering who this baby was to him.
"His name?" Ned said softly.
"Ned please," Ashara begged.
Ned finally looked at her, tears in his eyes. "His name."
"Orin Stark."
It was impossible to tell, but the second Ned heard the words, he knew it to be true. A small part of his heart hurt, as he knew what this meant.
"Brandon's."
Ashara's tears continued to fall as she nodded. "I'm so sorry."
Looking back down, Ned noticed the baby had woken from his slumber. His dark eyes, so similar to Jon's looked up at him, almost knowingly, and stared. He didn't move, didn't cry, just looked up at Ned and watched.
He had another nephew, and just like Jon, this one changed everything.
Eddard Stark looked down at his newest nephew, and knew that as of now, Orin Stark was rightful heir to Winterfell. Whatever claim he had, whatever any Lord in the North said, he wasn't Lord of Winterfell any longer.
Yet even with that, all Ned could do was watch the baby in front of him. He'd lost two siblings because of the war, and from it, he'd gained two nephews. Brandon and Lyanna taken from him cruelly, and left with their children.
"Brandon was to wed Cat," Ned whispered, looking up.
Ashara nodded. "It was never meant to happen, but I got pregnant, and Brandon insisted. He knew it'd hurt Catelyn, but he refused to condemn his son his right of being his true firstborn. So we married."
"Did you love him?"
Ned wasn't sure what he wanted to hear, but took a step back to brace himself.
"I did," Ashara confirmed, tears still falling. "But not the same way I loved you."
"Then how…"
"We'd drank a bit too much during the tourney one night and shared the night together. I wasn't sure what I was thinking as I knew it was wrong. We were stupid, and I'd planned on forgetting it all together."
Inhaling deeply, Ned eyed her hard. "Did you though? Did you really want to forget it?"
Ashara nodded slowly, eyeing her child. "For a time, but then I found out, and things changed. I regret what happened but not what came after. Brandon and I didn't love each other, that's true, but out of it, I got something I'd never thought I'd love this much. Your brother was a good man, and because of him, I have the most precious thing to me."
Orin cooed in her arm as Ned watched her look lovingly at her child. He'd yet to experience what it was like to be a father. He knew Robb was waiting at home for him, and there were many times he thought to just flee a go home to be with his family.
However now he had family in the south and he wasn't ready to leave them just yet.
"He's the rightful heir to Winterfell," Ned began.
Ashara's eyes darted upwards, an unseen anger lingering on her face. "I don't care."
"It's his right."
"I don't care what his bloody right is Ned, he's my son, he's staying here with me."
Watching her rise, Ned wondered the best way to go about this. "Brandon would have…"
"What Ned! What did Brandon want? For his son to grow up, become a Lord, and ride off to battle and get killed like the rest of them!"
"The war is over."
Ashara laughed miserably, as she tried to calm the fussy baby in her arms. "And how long will that last Ned. Robert Baratheon on the Iron Throne. How long will peace reign under the watchful eye of good king Robert?"
"It doesn't matter."
"Why are you here Ned?" Ashara asked, wanting to forget this conversation.
The sword around his waist once again reminded him of his true purpose. Whatever had just passed between them could wait, as Ned readied himself. Carefully untying the sword, he pulled Dawn out of his sheath to present it to Ashara.
"Dawn," Ashara whispered. Carefully holding Orin, she reached out with her free hand to run his finger across her brother's sword. "Where's Arthur?"
He could have faced a thousand soldiers in the battlefield, and even then that would be the easier task then telling Ashara what had happened to her brother. There were many men Ned respected, but Ser Arthur had to be one of the tops.
Good till the very end, a trait most men did not possess.
"I'm so sorry," Ned whispered, taking a step closer to her.
"How?" Ashara asked, looking up at him. Ned wanted to speak, but the words died in his mouth as he watched Ashara's heart break in front of him. "Did he suffer?"
Remembering the knife in his back and the way Ser Arthur looked up, Ned shook his head, not wanting to do more damage to her. "He died honorably. Serving his prince like he'd sworn to do."
He died protecting the rightful heir to the Iron Throne, Ned thought, but couldn't bring himself to say it. He'd sworn to Lyanna, and that secret would follow him to the grave.
"There is no honor in death," Ashara said faintly. "They die, and it's over, and all were left with is that constant reminder."
"It's how you remember him Ashara. That's how he lives on."
"All I'll remember is the man I loved, the uncle to the person I love most, killed the one person I could depend on in this world. Isn't that a cruel fate?"
"Ashara…I'm sorry."
"You don't have to apologize Eddard. You fought on opposite sides and my brother understood that. I could easily be having this conversation with him about you. This war took so much from me. For the sake of your brother, and the respect you had for mine, please let me keep Orin. He's all I have now in this world."
Once again, Ned was faced with a difficult choice. Break whatever he believed to be right and true for the sake of a woman he loved. His nephew would never know who his father was, or take his rightful place in the North, but he'd have a mother, and one who cared deeply for him.
Going against his better judgment, Ned nodded.
"Will see each other again hopefully, during better times."
"I hope so."
"Good bye Ashara," Ned nodded at her before looking at the baby in her arms, the last memory of his older brother. "Goodbye Orin. Will meet again, I promise."