Chapter 2

"Stop it!" Sansa roared across at Rickon, the repetitious kicks against her knees stopped and his figure grew smaller, even smaller than what it already was. Sansa couldn't help but let regret flood her mind, seeing her little brother cower beneath her eruption. He was a boy of nine but to her his features still resembled someone on verge of their sixth name day.

"I'm sorry for shouting, Rickon." His eyes peered up slowly at the words, though his face still dropped. "It just hurt a bit."

His acceptance was clear when he went back to slurping his soup, leaving nothing left on the spoon. He and Sansa were in the private dining chambers for their morning meal, it was so rare the two would ever be alone with each other. But since Sansa returned to Winterfell she would always make a further effort with her family, being kept away from them for so long only made her realise how much she loved them, and how much they all loved each other, despite their Stark stubbornness.

Arya's contagious laughter suddenly reached their ears, the wooden door swung open and collided against the grey wall, sending a tremor through the table. The youngest sister came pouncing through, her body tranced with hysterical laughter which barely kept her on her feet.

"Oh gods.." Arya calmed herself and wiped the small puddles in her eyes, they would always seem to grow wet when she laughed, and it was the only thing that brought her out of certain hilarious states.

The door opened again before it could fully close, Jon and Robb followed. Their faces were lit with a smile but nothing compared to Arya's.

"I'm being honest." Jon sat down beside Rickon and pulled across a plate of bread "I thought she was going to kill me."

Sansa figured they were laughing at one of Jon's unfortunate past experiences, after all he was the only one red with embarrassment.

"Would you like some soup, Jon?" Sansa reached over the table to lift a bowl, Jon's hears caught her against the laughter "Yes, please." He replied in a solemn tone.

Arya's continuous giggling began to annoy even herself, she had to do something or she would never stop. Jon swirled the spoon through his soup, listening as she finally came to a rest from the bread filling her mouth.

"So" Sansa began to speak quietly, staring across her siblings "Which one of you will be helping me move my things later?" She was quickly trying to secure a new subject before Arya bellowed again.

Her gaze looked between Robb and Jon, each of one of them slowly caught on and stared back at her. They were the only ones strong enough to possibly lift the many things that she possessed.

"I'll do it." Robb continued to look, holding his spoon upwards as he talked "As long as you get me a few more bowls of this soup."

Sansa smiled and nodded her head, Jon returned to his meal but she couldn't help but notice the brooding sheet that swept into his eyes.

"Jon?" She quickly caught his attention, his head darted up "You can help if you want-"

"No." Jon shook his head and put-on a smile, he didn't want to seem rude nor did he want to reveal the reason behind his sadness. "I'm to go for a ride with father anyway."

Daenerys let out a loud sigh as she escaped the meeting hall, rows of people wanting to greet her individually was one the most tedious things she had to endure. Now the rest begins she thought.

The sun stood high above the castle and poured a few stray rays through the thick clouds, their Northern weather was as resistant as their steel personalities, not letting much light in.

In the day the courtyard was as busy as ever, especially with the added presence of her arrival. People working, walking in every corner. Those who would go by her would give a graceful nod and move on, it was not the usual attention a Queen would receive, but she was grateful of it. Through the crowd of black and grey she spotted a familiar white cloak, it was drawing nearer in a fast pace.

"Jon." She greeted him with a smile and he stopped with a rushed look on his face. "What is it?"

"I..." He took a small intake of breath, "I'm going for a ride with my father, and I've assigned Ser Boron and Ser Marc to you instead for the rest of the day."

Dany simply kept her smile and nodded "Ok." She didn't see the reasoning behind Jon's urgency to inform her.

Part of Jon wanted her to demand he stayed and she wouldn't let him go with his father, telling her was his poor attempt at it. He knew that once he came back from this ride he would not be the same. It was the thing he always wanted the most, to find out who his mother was, but as it approached he wanted to do nothing more than shove it aside.

He felt a hard punch against his back which brought him out of his thoughts. Arya came swinging around to Dany's side, she clutched her arm and gazed across at her with a smile. "Come, your grace. I've got something to show you."

Dany was quick enough to give Jon a final smile before she was pulled away. He looked down to his feet, they were buried in the mud. He mustered all his effort to move them, to face the inevitable.

"Come on come on!" Dany had to try her best to keep up with Arya, her endless amount of energy was something she envied. She led them out of the courtyard, past the well and smithy, they followed a faint path into the old stables.

"Here!" Arya quickly opened the gate, it was green with mold and cracked as it opened. The horses there moaned at their arrival, stamping through the hay and sniggering in their direction.

They jumped through a small opening at the back and landed upon a large patch of empty land, the grass there was half as brown as it was green. Most of it was battered down to the floor from the where the horses would stamp.

"Look." Arya pointed forward, a smile beaming on her face ear to ear.

Further up the patch was a mare, galloping around senselessly. Dany's eyes widened as she saw the beauty of it. Her coat was an ethereal grey, and her mane shook in a glistening silver. So much so it reminded her of her old steed Silver.

"Beautiful." Was the only word she could summon, her violet stare was caught by it. Arya looked back and forth with a proud smile, she knew for sure that Dany would love it.

Arya took hold of the reins and brought her forward, she was surprisingly obedient. Dany let her hand fall down the bristles from the bridge of her nose to her cheek, she stared intently into dark eyes.

"What will you call her?" Arya stared eagerly, she always thought the names that Dany would chose were beautiful.

"I don't know.." Dany stroked her fingers down the mane. "Can you think of anything?"

Arya felt like she was put on the spot, naming was very important to her.

"Er..." She grumbled as her mind swept through endless possibilities. The one that was caught at the forefront of her mind was Nymeria, her lost direwolf. It too was grey like the horse, and even more beautiful.

"Nymeria…" It spilled out of her mouth quicker than what she intended, Dany however only smiled and nodded in return.

"Nymeria it is."

Everything seemed so slow, every faint sound so loud. Even the blunt trots of the horses against the grass. Jon followed closely behind Ned, they'd descended so far from Winterfell that neither of them could no longer even hear the sound of its people. They travelled down a small marked road, at the side immense trees towered over them.

"Here." Ned stopped his horse and pointed to his left, "There's a nice path just further down."

Jon rolled his eyes, if Ned was trying to coat the true purpose of their 'journey' it was only making things worse. Jon was just waiting for the moment he brought it up. Regardless he still followed him further into the wood and they eventually came to a stop, dismounting.

Jon couldn't deny it was a nice place, but the looming thought of coming conversation only spat down on the green flora and the blooming flowers. Ned led them down a stray path and through a barrier of trees and bushes until they reached an unworldly area that shimmered just as much as the small stream that fell through it. It was under the overhang of a small cliff, the land dipped slightly and the pointy conifers surrounded.

Ned knelt down and picked a blue winter rose, the whole area was smothered with winter roses in fact. All Jon could see was green and blue, green and blue and the brown of Ned's cloak.

"Lyanna used to love it here." Ned whispered solemnly to himself, his eyes were stuck on the rose in his hands. Tears were swelling.

Jon patted his feet a few times, feeling useless in the situation. He hated to see him upset, because he rarely ever was.

"Lyanna? Your sister?" Jon placed his hand on his shoulder, offering a smile.

Ned placed the rose back onto the ground and stood, "Yes..."

"Rhaegar Targaryen kidnapped and raped her.." Jon spoke out what he knew, as he heard the words back they sounded too harsh for his father to endure. Ned only shook his head and walked forward a few steps, his hands gripping his cloak.

The silence lingered for a moment, the only noises were the abrupt bird screech and nature around them. Each one of them knew why they were out here.

"Now Jon, your mothe-"Jon quickly urged forward, he was overcome with all the feelings he'd hid. "I've heard the rumours, people say my mother was a whore, a whore who broke-"

"The rumours are not true, Jon." Ned faced him, nothing in his eyes but sadness. "All of them are false."

Jon stared desperately, he stomped over to his father and demanded he talked "Who is my mother then?" His figure softened slightly and his tone dropped slowly "Who is she? Please?"

"She made me promise.. She made me swear a promise your mother." Ned could see it all through his eyes, even now as clear as day. "She was in a puddle of blood, and roses."

"What?" Jon shook his head in confusion, Ned was too mad with grief to even make sense to him.

"Your mother…. Your mother, Jon." Ned took a small pause and swallowed the growing lump in his throat, his eyes returning to the bed of winter roses. "Your mother is Lyanna, my sister." His voice broke as he saw Jon tremble, he could only mouth an expression of his shock and shake his head in disagreement. "And your true father, is Rhaegar Targaryen.."

"No no no no…" Jon repeated the word, outload a few but in his head he roared no a thousand times. "You are my father, YOU!"

"I'm sorry…. I am.." Ned wiped the shallow tears around his eyes, watching Jon as he still shook his head in defiance. "But it's the truth, Jon. I would not lie to you."

He was right, he would never lie to him. But that only made it more real, no-no-no still echoed in every corner of Jon's frame. He sat down against a rock, his head found the inside of hands and he sat. Sobbing. Eddard Stark was not his father, Robb Stark was not his….. He couldn't let himself hear the words.

"You know what this means.." Ned walked slowly towards him, every continued word on the matter was like a sword through Jon's chest, but he had to tell him whilst he could.

"You are a Targaryen as much as you are a Stark." Jon jumped at scowled him "You said I was always a Stark. You said.." Jon always wanted to be a Stark, and when he was given that name that was enough for him. He should've stopped at that, left it at that.

"Yes, and you are. You have my blood, my sisters… And you have his.." Ned needed him to calm down, being in such an erratic state would only mean he wouldn't listen.

"It is up to you, whatever you decide to do." Jon sat as still as night, peering down into the grass at his feet.

If Jon was to keep it hid then Ned would honour it. If he wanted to sing it across the seven kingdoms he would follow him, he made a promise, a promise to protect.

Robb just finished moving Sansa's final bedside cabinet, he dropped it down with a groan. The gods his sister had so many things. She was moving all her possessions to a larger room, Arya would then take her old one. It would've been a lot easier for him if his father and Jon were there, they'd been gone all day.

"Look!" Robb heard Arya's voice as he found his way outside, the cold air rushed against the sweat on his skin. In the distance he could see Dany riding and Arya sat with a large smile.

"Fancy getting on a horse?" Arya asked him as he approached her "You look like you could do with a bit of fun."

Robb simply wiped the sweat from his forehead "Not right now." He murmured into his hand. Daenerys reared her horse in front of them, coming to a stop. She sat calmly upon it, it seemed to follow her every movement.

"Come on Robb, come for a ride." Dany smiled at him for the first time in a while, it was a new day and perhaps a new start.

Robb still only shook his head and continued to catch his breath "I can't, maybe later." The sun seemed to shine a lot brighter through his eyes, too bright. It only made him sweatier.

Dany and Arya shrugged, it was him who would be missing out. With a smile she tapped Nymeria back into a gallop and they struck back through the empty field, the wind behind them and their silver hair flying at their backs. Arya watched her closely, as her gaze deepened more and more, she suddenly felt a panic.

"Robb." Arya called him, dazed. She kept her watch as her eyes struck at terror "Robb she's going to fall!"

Robb lifted his head and spotted to the two white figures in the distance, Dany's grip on the horse had gone entirely and she sat loosely on the saddle, her body wavering as the steed jumped around in panic.

The two instantly began to sprint over, they could only watch helplessly at whatever unfolded before they reached her. With every step they took Dany's body seemed to loosen, her shoulders falling and her head twisting back.

"Robb!" Arya screamed to her brother as they ran, Dany's body had pounded against the floor and she now laid folded in the grass, lifeless. Robb finally reached her side and quickly turned the flaccid body below him, her eyes were barely open and smudges of dirt splat across her skin.

"You're alright.." Robb tried to assure against his concern, the urgency and suddenness of the situation all seemed to make it a blur.

The Queen still laid flat above his arms, she could barely see the two dark figures above. "Dragon…." Was the last word to leave her lips, her eyes then came to a close.

Black. It was he could see. Or was it? Robb sat on an old bench in the courtyard, peering through his thoughts as his head rested on his brought up knees.

Black, black and silver. Black, silver and grey. The last image in his mind was Dany lying still under the black sheets, her hair had lost its shine and her skin ran dry.

He waited, listening closely for the moment the Maester would come out and he could go back inside. The courtyard was silent, the only sounds being his own thoughts and the sniffs from Arya as she wiped her sore eyes. Grief seemed to have physically struck the castle, the walls seemed darker and lights seemed to dimmer.

"Robb." He heard his name called again, for the many times that day his name only meant someone was getting hurt. He resisted to bring up his head, only then did he hear it again, but from much farther away.

Ned and Jon finally returned, they could instantly sense the looming atmosphere that consumed the air. Robb and Arya sat a distance away, secluded in their own bodies.

Ned quickly dropped from his horse, rushing over to where his children sat "What has happened?"

The sudden words caused tears to swirl back up in his Arya's eyes, she stared up painfully "It's Dany.."

"What? What is wrong with her?" Ned looked at them both, his eyes thick with concern. "What's happened? Who's hurt?" Jon caught up, seeing all the terror so blatantly obvious in them. Part of him was still away, away with anger.

"She fell from her horse…" Arya brought her eyes back down, rubbing the tears away slowly. "She's hasn't awoken since then."

Ned let his vision trail off as he heard the news, he turned to see Jon, only, and he was no longer with them in the dusty courtyard of Winterfell. And the door to the Keep swung freshly.

Jon stormed through the many ways of the Keep, he was surprised he still knew where he was going as it all seemed to blur. Torch after torch, person after person that would call his name as he ran. But he couldn't do nothing else but run, he was supposed to be her vowed protector and yet she had still gotten hurt. The only day he was gone and this happened.

There she was, laid still under the covers. Her face whiter than snow and her silver hair as dead as the night. The Maester still bent over her, studying what was the body of the Queen.

"Jon?" He turned in shock "You shouldn't be in here, not yet! Please leave!" Jon felt firm hands on his shoulder, men beginning to pull him back. His own men.

His eyes were pinned on her face, he took in all he could as she slowly crept behind the crook of the door.

Time seemed to stop, everything upside down.

Thanks again. I know this chapter might seem a little rushed, but this is all just to set things in up for what is to come. Thanks for all your nice reviews, I really like seeing them pop up. Once again after 1 more the next chapter will be published once it's ready.

So I have gone with RLJ, it's really going to be something good to play with once the story progresses even more. And it'll be fun to write about Jon's view on everything since he now knows this.

Poor Dany only wanted a rest, ooooo it's gunna get good. What do you guys think has happened to her? Please leave it in a review :)