The Sword Of The Morning
Starfall – 285 A.L
"It's all gone horribly wrong" thought Ashara.
Ashara was sat on her bed in her room at Starfall. There was little light in the room coming from one single candle. She was dressed in a dark blue gown and had dark circles under her eyes.
She heard a small cry from the side of the room.
She got up and walked over to where the noise came from. A seven month old baby boy with traces of black hair and violet eyes was wrapped in a bundle of blankets in a makeshift crib.
Smiling slightly she picked up the child and held him close to her.
Thinking back to how this all happened caused her to faintly smile.
Ned and Ashara were walking back arm in arm to her tent after the evening feast having had slightly too much to drink.
They stopped at the entrance to her tent and looked at each other before sharing one last kiss.
"I'll see you on the morrow My Lady" said Ned smiling.
"I guess so" said Ashara smiling.
Ned turned to leave but Ashara grabbed his hand causing him to turn round.
"Stay with me, stay here tonight, please Ned" said Ashara smiling coyly at him.
"Ashara I" said Ned nervously.
"Please Ned, I want this, I want you, I want you more than anything" said Ashara.
Ned smiled coyly at her before kissing her and following her into the tent.
That was the first time she had lain with another. They only had two nights to themselves before Ned left promising to write to her.
Jon was born nine months later, but by then it was too late.
Three months after Harrenhall Rhaegar Targaryen absconded with Lyanna Stark from Winterfell. Ned like most of the realm including Robert Baratheon thought that Rhaegar had kidnapped her. Ashara knew the truth however, Lyanna left willingly with Rhaegar out of love and because she didn't want to marry Robert Baratheon. None of that mattered now though.
Shortly after Lyanna's disappearance Brandon and Rickard Stark arrived in Kings Landing demanding the return of Lyanna. The Mad King accused them of treason and had them executed. He burned Rickard alive in his armour with wildfire in front of the entire court while Brandon strangled himself to death trying to reach his sword to rescue his father.
Ashara fled to Starfall immediately after.
Ned and Robert had risen up in rebellion against the crown after that aided by Jon Arryn and Hoster Tully. What broke Ashara's heart however was hearing that Ned, her Ned had married Brandon's widow Catelyn less than a month later.
"Hoster Tully's idea no doubt, his daughter still marries the Lord of Winterfell, doesn't matter that Brandon was killed less than a month before, Ned will have married her out of his honour" thought Ashara.
The last she'd heard from Robert's Rebellion. Tywin Lannister had sacked Kings Landing a month prior and crowned Robert King of the Seven Kingdoms. Elia and her children had been slaughtered by Gregor The Mountain Clegane, on Tywins order's most likely, she also heard that the Kingsguard Jamie Lannister had stabbed the Mad King in the back during the sack.
Suddenly there was a knock at her door.
"Lady Ashara, Lord Stark is in the courtyard" said the voice of Maester Willan.
Ashara put Jon back in his crib and opened the door to see a balding maester dressed in a grey robe with a necklace of chain links around his neck.
"I will see to him Maester, will you take care of Jon for me" said Ashara.
"Of course My Lady" said Willan.
Ashara left the room and headed for the courtyard.
Upon arriving her heart stopped and a look of sadness appeared on her face.
Ned was mounted on his horse with traces of tears in his eyes. Behind him there was a horse pulling a wagon with a sandy brown haired man no older than 16 stood next to it.
Lying in the cart were the bodies of Ser Gerold Hightower, Lyanna Stark and to her horror her Brother Ser Arthur Dayne all wrapped in blankets.
She turned away from the cart and back towards Ned who had now dismounted his horse.
"Lord Stark, we can talk privately in my chambers" said Ashara curtly.
Ned just nodded and followed her into the castle. The young man made an effort to follow him but Ned turned to him.
"No Howland, this is something I need to do myself" said Ned.
Howland Reed just nodded.
The two arrived at Ashara's chambers where Maester Willan was tending to Jon.
"Can we have some privacy please Maester" said Ashara.
Maester Willan put Jon down before leaving the room and closing the door.
There was a moment of silence between them at first.
"Ashara, I'm sorry" said Ned.
"How did it happen, how is it that you and your friend turn up here with three dead bodies?" said Ashara with tears in her eyes.
"I did it, he was doing his duty and I killed him, I didn't want to, but I needed to see Lyanna" said Ned.
"Arthur always did his duty, Rhaegar asked him to guard your sister, I guess he didn't want Robert finding her" said Ashara spitting Roberts name.
"He did, until the end, you know she went willingly with Rhaegar don't you, she wasn't kidnapped" said Ashara.
"I know, she told me before she, she" said Ned who started sobbing.
Ashara felt a pang of guilt. Here she was acting coldly to the man who killed her brother in combat while he was mourning the loss of his sister.
"I'm sorry Ned, about Lyanna, she should've lived" said Ashara sadly.
"It's all right, it's not your fault" said Ned.
Ashara thought back to the day before they left Harranhall.
Ned and Ashara were walking through the courtyard once again the day after they had consummated their love for each other.
"Ashara, what do you see in me?" said Ned.
"What do you mean Ned?" said Ashara confused.
"I mean, look at me, I'm a second son, I won't inherit any lands or a castle, I'm just a spare, I don't have much to offer you" said Ned.
"Ned your the first person to look at me and see a woman who wants to be cherished and loved, not like some other people who only see a pretty woman to warm their beds, you Ned treat me with respect and kindness" said Ashara smiling.
Ned turned to her and dropped on one knee.
"Ashara Dayne, will you do me the honour of marrying a second son with nothing to offer except his love" said Ned.
Ashara smiled at him.
"I would only ever wish to marry you, my quiet wolf" said Ashara.
Ned rose to his feet and captured his lips in hers.
"Ned, why did you marry Catelyn, when we promised each other that we would wed" said Ashara.
Ned sighed.
"I didn't want to, but I needed to, Lord Tully refused to commit his forces unless his daughter became Lady of Winterfell like my father promised him, I'm sorry Ashara, I wanted to be with you instead, but I broke my promise and my vow to you" said Ned sadly.
Ashara walked over and wrapped him in a hug.
"I know, you did your duty, it's your best feature Ned, I don't like that you married her instead of me, but I understand" said Ashara.
A small cry interrupted them.
Ashara walked over to Jon's crib and picked him up.
"Ned, meet your son, Jon Sand" said Ashara.
Ned looked shocked but warmly smiled with glistening eyes.
He took Jon from Ashara and bought him up to his face.
"He has your eyes" said Ned.
"But your everything else, he's his fathers son" said Ashara.
"How old is he" said Ned handing Jon back to her.
"Seven months" said Ashara.
"What will become of him?" said Ned.
"I will raise him here in Starfall" said Ashara.
"As a bastard?" said Ned.
"If needs be yes" said Ashara stubbornly.
"No, I'll write to Robert and get Jon legitimized, he won't have to grow up a bastard, I'll give him the name Dayne" said Ned.
"Why are you doing this Ned?" said Ashara.
"Because I have to, I want to do the best by my son, besides even though I am married to Catelyn, I will always love you Ashara" said Ned.
Ashara walked towards him with tears in her eyes.
"I love you too Ned, even after everything that's happened, thank you, I know how hard this must be for you, but please come and visit your son whenever you can" pleaded Ashara giving him a light peck on the lips.
"I will Ashara, I promise" said Ned.
Ned gave Jon a kiss on the forehead and told him he loved him before he left the room.
That night Ashara burned the bodies of her brother and Ser Gerold Hightower. She decided to keep her brothers armour alongside his two swords in his old room.
As she held Dawn the ancestral Valyrian steel blade of House Dayne she thought to herself.
"Jon will wield this one day"
Two months later a raven came through from the Hand Of The King Jon Arryn legitimizing Jon.
At nine months old Jon Sand officially became Jon Dayne heir to Starfall.