Another day, another battle fought, another battle won. How many more did he have left in him? How many more lives must be lost before Westeros was at peace? These were the thoughts that kept Eddard Stark awake at night as his forces marched through Dorne towards the Reach. An army they had not needed, with a stroke of luck allowing the combined naval might of Lord's loyal to the King Robert to smash into the remnants of the Targaryen's before they had even made land fall. Lord Stannis had been given command of the navy, to hunt down the few enemy ships that had managed to escape the fray, or to return to business as usual. Now he was left with the task of returning these soldiers to their homes.

He doubted that Doran Martell would be foolish enough to act against him head on, but a well organized ambush, or raids from men they would not be able to catch on foot would bleed his strength dry before they crossed to greener lands. It would not be a victory for what few Targaryen loyalists remain, but it would make the battle on Dornish shores less of a crushing defeat.

Viserys Targeryan was killed in battle, his body thrown off the ship in the chaos of combat along with his mercenary bodyguards.

Jon Connington had died heroically, or so he'd been told. Shouting the name of a man who didn't deserve his loyalty.

Lady Daenerys had been captured and was now under watch by his own personal men. Decisions on her fate would have to come at a later time, but Ned swore, to her, and to himself that no harm would come to her.

Then there was the Kingsguard. Two, executed by his own sword while the last gave his life to protect another. A young man, with soft grey eyes and dark hair. A specter of Benjen and himself at a younger age. A boy whose mother could only have been his own blood.

There were nights he thought about Lyanna, and the war. What lies did the Targaryen heir whisper to her? Or what truths? Did she truly hate Robert so much as to abscond with Rhaegar? Did he promise to marry her? Set aside his own wife and children to be with her? It would be the only way. For what else would Lyanna be to preach about Robert's lack of faith, while she herself became little more than a paramour to a married man? Or was the tales sung throughout the kingdom true. Was Rhaegar as mad as his father, thinking that he could escape any consequences of kidnapping the daughter of a Lord Paramount, or the wrath of her betrothed. Eddard Stark would never know. If the young man that had already tried to escape been born of Lyanna's love, or as a last insult to her memory. Either way, 'Jon' as he was apparently named was his nephew, and any consequences of the boy's actions would fall to him.

He hoped they wouldn't. Ned wished to take the boy home, to show him Winterfall and allow him to meet his cousins. To allow him time in a land that could be his home, but Ned had already seen the boy's eyes after Arthur Dayne lost his head. Jon was young, and already poisoned against Robert by whatever words the Kingsguard had whispered in his ear since birth. And by Ned's own actions he could see that same poison in Jon's eyes when he looked at him. The Lord of Winterfell knew his death would not be a quick one, if it was delivered onto him by Rhaegar's son.

It was a feeling he could empathize with. Ned's own father had died in a mockery of justice, burned to death as his eldest son watched. Years ago, Ned had kept himself warm on even the coldest nights of the rebellion on how right it would feel to make Aerys suffer for his crimes. But those prayers had gone unanswered, and that job had passed to the Kingslayer.

He would not blame the boy for his hatred, but he would not allow him to drag the kingdom into another bloody war. Ned had done his duty before, and by delivering his nephew to the Night's Watch to swear his oaths, Ned would do it again, that was his curse. He was not his siblings who could shed their responsibilities like a cloak. There had been enough bloodshed in his life. Now was a time for peace.

But a noise outside his tent at such a late hour promised otherwise.

"My lord?" Jory Cassel's voice called quietly from the entrance from his tent.

"Yes?" Ned said as he raised himself from his cot. It seemed he'd be getting even less sleep than he thought tonight. They were making hard progress to the Boneway, and would be up before dawn, but Ned doubted he'd sleep at all tonight.

"There is a matter that requires your attention m'lord." The younger man said.

It had to be one of great importance if Jory thought it best to wake him, rather than leave it till morning. At least it wasn't an attack on the camp, Ned thought. If it was, there would be a lot more screaming, and a lot less time to get dressed.

"Aye, a moment to dress and I'll attend to it." The Lord of Winterfall said, appearing out of his tent moments later ready for whatever was in need of his attention at this late hour.

As if a cruel joke from the gods, it brought him before his nephew. The boy was bruised, and sporting a few minor cuts more than the last that Ned saw him, but it was still the same defiant looking eyes, and quiet snarl. This time some of the blood on his clothes didn't look to belong to him. On his knees, with his hands tied up he did not look like a threat that could break what little peace there was in Westeros.

"The boy tried to escape again m'lord." Jory explained with an edge to his voice.

"Another failed attempt?" Ned asked, as understanding was already dawning on him for why his presence was required. Prisoners attempting to escape was an accepted part of war, but to do so while taking a life would be bold. If you were not a prisoner of great importance, justice could be served. Swiftly.

"Yes m'lord. Thankfully our sentries found him before he could make it into the woods and apprehend him. But we've already found the body of one of the men set to guard him, along with another soldier that must have ran into him on the way out of the camp."

"And have all the other prisoners been accounted for?" Ned asked as he locked eyes with his nephew. There was steel in the boy's eyes, but it was raw, untempered and untested. 'Jon' was the first to look away.

A nod from Jory, and Jon's fate was set.

A moment, a weight that pressed down on Ned's shoulders as acceptance spread through him like the chill of morning.

"Bring me a block then. Jory, retrieve Ice from my tent." Ned said with a tone cold as winter, as he continued to stare at his nephew. How he wished to pass this off to another man. Ned never thought there would come a day where he would slay his own kin, but he would do his duty. He would not pass this sin onto another.

Moments of silence passed as a few common soldiers found a block, and Jory ran off to retrieve House Stark's ancestral sword. Neither Stark present said a word, even as the soldiers exchanged small talk. It wasn't until Jory's return that Jon finally spoke.

"I demand a trial by combat." The words were no sooner out of Jon's mouth than one of the soldiers laughed at them.

"And who are you to deserve one, ya dragon shit? You're common scum like the rest of us, not some uppity lord. Take your death like a real man." The soldier said before Ned could get a word in edgewise.

"I am the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Heir to the Iron Throne. King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. I am-" What he would have said next was lost as another soldier struck him in the back of his head with the butt of his spear.

"Got a lotta nerve scum, insulting the name of Lady Lyanna in the presence of Lord Stark himself." The soldier said before spitting on the back of Jon's head.

"I am owed a trial by combat. As a Targaryen, as a Stark, that is my right." Jon said, glaring at Ned from under his mop of disheveled hair. It was a look not belonging on that of a boy, no, this was a man. A young man who would cut him from chin to navel at the first chance he got.

"No. You are owed nothing, for you are neither." Ned said, his decision made, the words weighed heavy on him.

With those words Jon started to struggle out of his bonds, but he was still just one man as the pair of soldiers dragged him to the block.

"Kinslayer. You will be cursed for this." Jon shouted as Ned drew Ice from his scabbard.

"Then it is a curse I shall bear alone." Ned raised Ice. "In the name of Robert of House Baratheon, First of his Name. King of the Andal's and the First Men. Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. I, Eddard of House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, sentence you to die."

With only a breath to collect himself, Ned thought of another life. Where the boy was Robert's and he could proudly call him nephew. Or another were the Kingsguard had not fled in the wake of Rhaegar's death. He would have taken the boy in as his own. A bastard nephew could just as easily become a bastard son, and just as easily protected. But that was not the life he was given, and where Jon Snow could have once been a wolf, he was instead a rabid dog, just waiting for a chance to run free and spread that particular Targaryen madness on a Westeros finally cleansed of it.

A chance that Ned would not allow as his sword descended.

An: So another edition to this, just cause I had the thought pop up. Mostly this was inspired by reviews talking about how Ned would never allow a Targaryen restoration even if it's Jon on the throne, and I agree. Ned supporting a Targaryen restoration is him admitting that Rhaegar had every right to abscond with his sister without an explanation, that Aerys had every right to jail Brandon for daring to protest Rhaegar's actions, then call Rickard to King's Landing for a sham of a trial before the two of them are killed with disgusting cruelty, that Aerys had every right to then call for Ned and Robert's own heads, while asking Jon Arryn to break guest right with two boys he'd raised as if they were his sons. That Rhaegar had every right to then show up and lead the royalist army against people with more than legitimate grievances against the crown

Nah, fuck that. Aerys and Rhaegar got what was a long time coming to the.

But this story was kinda built on the idea of would Ned choose love or duty? Similar to how people talk about if Ned would execute Theon if Balon rebelled again. I think Ned would allow some leeway for a prisoner who tried to escape, especially if they are his nephew, but he has to draw the line if they killed some of his men in their attempt. Could it have been avoided? Probably, but we all know Ned isn't the best at connecting with people on an immediate level, and Jon did see Ned 'unfairly' kill his father figure. Is it cruel? Absolutely. But it's no crueler than the life that Ned's already been thrown into, always being dragged into other peoples problems and having to pay the price.

Anyways, hope you enjoyed it! Don't think there will be another chapter to this, but I might do something with Dany and Ned, cause I love those two. Thank you for the time, and please leave a review or comment if you can!