The second chapter of the Snow Storyline, I am glad that was approved. This will cover the last day of the royal visit and going onwards, a last minute decision was also made to send Arthur south.

Chapter 2: This Will Ruin You

[Winterfell]

Eddard

"Ned, how good is your boys?"

The Lord of Winterfell didn't understand the question his friend had asked, which of his sons.

"What do you mean?" He counter asked and his King took another drink of wine before explaining his meaning, and it would be quite surprising.

"Your bastard sons, Arthur and Jon yes? How good of a fighter are they."

He had to think about it. There is confidence in them, both boys put much effort into their swordplay as children to now. Jon has to be the better with finesse and dedication, Arthur is direct and calm, though they aren't the only ones inside of Winterfell. Theon and Robb are especially skilled with sword and bow, yet other than this Arthur trained in the pike and greatsword, horse too. He won't choose the better as he needs to know why Robert wants to know.

"Its hard to decide, they and my son and Theon are the best and brightest of Winterfell. Why my friend?" Robert smiled and waved for his servant to bring forth a scroll, his friend past it to him and he began reading it.

"I began thinking on the Kingsguard, the next generation of the best knights of Westeros. I decided that each kingdom will have their own successor to the Kingsguard, from the time I have stayed here I hear much of the skill your boys have, so would you be willing to offer it to the boys for me? Or we can make it official." He was shocked, to be honest.

He could never have thought a southerner; his friend and king of all things to think so highly of Jon and Arthur, it was almost welcoming to know they have a future. He frowned however, Jon is too important to send south and it's also too dangerous with who he really is, that and his promise to Lyanna wouldn't allow such a thing. Arthur is his trueborn son to Ashara, he is southern as southern gets and can handle the south and its harshness. He would rather they stay in the north but the King wants one of them, its decided.

"Jon, he will be going to the Night's Watch as per his request. Arthur has his uncles namesake, he is skilled in both pike and horse. I will ask him this evening."

Arthur

(one day later)

He leaned left and deflected Robb's blow, leaned right and swung himself before defending again. It became natural to imagine anything he is swatting at to be Jon, turns out he hadn't forgotten the hit from the last few days of the Kings visit. In fact, he is getting more and more troubled by it.

To think after all the other Watchmen their father beheaded from running that Jon would get it, the Night's Watch a dying husk and at first he didn't care if he joined. Yet, he is his brother and he worries for him after all. Robb and he halted from going further when he let his thoughts run like Dusk and lowered his blunted tourney blade.

"Something wrong?"

Yes, and it's not just about Jon. He thought as he sighed and shook his head.

He was chosen to go south with his father in a weeks time, Robert Baratheon proposed he be trained as a future Kingsguard to defend him and his eldest son. Joffrey is a little twat, his egotistical and high and mighty personality says as much, and his father isn't any better. Robert is an obese, drunken and rude man to most besides his family.

Yet it is the command of the King, he cannot say no despite his clear knowledge of being a bastard. For now he is under the tutelage of Jaime Lannister, The Kingslayer and will learn the code from him until he is ready. It's a peculiar matter, Kingsguard are chosen from the greatest warriors of Westeros and though he is of skill, he isn't any master of the blade.

His father is soft-spoken about it all, he and the King are friends; brothers even. His father all but submitted to his friend's proposal and now he is going south with his little brother and two sisters, one of which thinks him an embarrassment of a candidate for her mesmerizing Prince, more or less the rumor of being the future Queen has enthralled her.

"Enough for today, I would rest." He said and left without another word, he cannot let others see how upset he is about all of this change and Dusk followed on.

He didn't sleep easily when the Hour of the Wolf came about, tossing and turning over events long past besides one dream, a dream so vivid it was almost real.

He was on a battlefield, blood covering his armor and leather, a unique and strange sword in his hands. Besides him were a lion, a dragon, and a wolf, his wolf. It was nightfall and a shooting star shot across the sky at the moment, blinding all around but he, the star was beautiful and red and he realized it wasn't a star... But a comet, red as blood.

In a sweat he woke the next morning, his shirt feeling like he dipped into the springs beneath Winterfell. Dusk was standing by his side, staring into his eyes like he was prey. Dressing, he went about his business, avoiding Jon at most corners, he still can't face the fellow bastard for what happened and so far, Jon feels the same and that's okay.

He was passing a corner going to the kitchens when he bumped into somebody, it was the man who would be his tutor for the coming months. Jaime Lannister had the type of smile that cuts like a knife and the man's presence was quite unnerving to some, but his father taught them to not show fear or nervousness in front of others, this would be no different.

"Ah, the new blood. I forgot to welcome you to the order, oh wait... You aren't quite there yet." The man's attitude was aggravating and he wanted to shut him up, yet laws make nobles more powerful than the lowborn or baseborn, he'd lose a hand for striking a nobleman and member of the Kingsguard.

"I can only hope I do the grand circle proud, especially with someone like you by my side." It seemed to amuse the Lion from his praise, it sickened him for groveling. The Kingslayer stretched out his hand to him.

"Well, I expect much from you, Arthur Snow." He took a deep breath and shook the knight's hand, "I have places to be, and you have the same to do." Jaime walked past him after the last word was spoken and he turned and glared. Cunt, He thought and stormed off to hit something, he is going to have to get used to it for where he is going.

Along the way he thought, why him? It is Brandon's dream to become a member of the Kingsguard, not him. Of course he would have liked to see the South, preferably the women, but the North is his home and honestly, Bastards aren't all that welcome in the south as some merchants from White Harbor say 'the population is mostly bastards of men and women' and he would be inclined to believe that. Becoming a knight wouldn't be all so bad as it gives him more status than being the illegitimate son of Lord Stark.

More so it would serve to prove to Jon that his mistake was to go to the Wall, he would see that there are more opportunities than being a guardian in a dying Order. He rubbed his head and sighed deeply again, Jon clearly made his choice and when he makes a decision, he is going to make it true like him and he being some of the more skilled with the sword, he would boast they were born to it because of who their uncle was. It is shite, they have the skill because, like most knight's, they worked at it day and night, period.

He was passing by a battlement when he noticed his sister with her friends and the Princess, a pretty thing. She certainly has the Queen's beauty and will most certainly make men dream of her at night, he can't say he doesn't think of it at the moment. He is then reminded of his sister being betrothed to the future King, he isn't worthy of her as he and others notice the 16-year-old is all blunder and ego, especially with how he makes up such unbelievable stories and accomplishments, it's sickening.

"Ogling the Princess? Never knew you were so forward." He scoffed at Theon's taunts towards him, the Ironborn was dressed for a hunt and assumed the king and his father are heading out soon.

"At least I have standards, not Ros every time Lord Stark gives you the monthly allowance." He gave the taunts right back and Theon patted him on the back, both then watched all the maidens and lords and guards walking about, sharing a few jokes with one another as time went on.

"So, Jon is set on the Night's Watch and you are a candidate for a future position in the Kingsguard? Not that I crave celibacy but what do I get." Theon asked after he told him about the paths he and Jon are on, while he was forced upon him by the King and his father.

"Here. As Robb's right-hand man, you will have a deputies power as equal to that of Robb. I find myself jealous of that, unlike my path." He confided and for once the Ironborn's smirk fell from his lips as the talk turned serious, by the end the horn blew for the hunters to gather and he was patted on the back by the fellow friend.

"Think of all the women in the south, do it for me as I am stuck here." Theon laughed as he said this before walking away, leaving him by his lonesome.

A trip to the Godswood is the right thing to cease the clouded mind, as he passed overhead after seeing his father off on his hunt he saw Bran climbing the Broken Tower off in the distance. He commented to himself that his brother is like a squirrel climbing a tree, his smile, however, turned to horror as he saw his brother fall from that tower, shaken he ran.

The next three days pass by as he stood by his brother's room, watching the Lewin and even the Kings own personal Maester treat Bran who had been sent into a comatose state. He feared and prayed for the Old Gods to save his brother or at least let him wake from this, he can scarcely remember much of the incident from sheer shock and worry. His brother fell, fell. That never happens as he and the others saw Bran climb the towers and walls of Winterfell a hundred times, in the snow and rain and wind, a hundred times and not once did he ever lose his footing.

Of course, he told this to his father who was also worried for his son, and the matter of the King wanting to end his stay in Winterfell. Lady Stark is in shattering grief and when he brought Bran back to the Great Hall, calling for aid the woman ordered him to hand him over and pushed him away, blaming him for what happened and no matter how much he defended himself he couldn't reach her. He isn't angry or upset as he would have done the same in her place, she is distraught and to her, he is an outsider, not welcome.

Robb said it wasn't his fault along with the others, Jon and he reconciled in the three days of grief through the stubborn mule still longs to join the Night's Watch. His father and he spoke at length, what he saw and what he thought. He told his father that Bran wouldn't have fallen from lost footing, he had to have been thrown or at least saw something. His father said that he will have Robb investigate it when they leave for the south which is in the morning, and that morning is today and Bran shows no sign of waking though he seems to be stable.

"Brother?" He turned to his right and saw Jon, a frown on his face as they looked into the room of the unconscious little brother. "Did you come to say farewell?" He was asked and he nodded to the question, though he already did and was going to leave, he just wants to share a few words with the man.

"Yes. Lady Stark is in there unless you're brave. You and uncle Benjen are leaving?" His brother nodded and he sighed, "Well I tried to convince you, just... Just be well." He commanded sternly and the curly haired Snow smirked and shook his hand but he brought him close and turned it into a hug of farewell, for whenever they will cross paths.

"Farewell, brother. Farewell."

[Three Weeks Later]

A month and a half later we find the bastard of Lord Stark in the Riverlands, a place near the Trident where the Rebellion found its climax that ended a 300-year dynasty. He dismounted from his horse and looked around as others did the same, this Darry lands and the castle isn't so far and his family will no doubt be staying there and he will be camping with the men outside. Dusk isn't here but back in Winterfell, he didn't feel like bring his most precious valuable south like his sisters have done and will be cared for.

The south so far doesn't look so different than the North, well besides the humidity that started out nice but is getting a bit more unbearable for wool and leather, he is going to have to trade his clothing for warmer clothes before long. He did, however, enjoy seeing all the castles and lands owned by the southern lords of Westeros, and the women too.

His father told him to behave and so he will, in the public but if he is going to be down here he will enjoy himself for the time being until he is either denied or chosen for the order of the Kingsguard. He patted his horse and smiled lightly, it's time for a drink or six but just as he was going to find the nearest inn he was grabbed from behind by a pair of small arms he recognized as Arya Stark.

"Brother! Come and practice with me!" She was loud and he saw some of the king's men give queer looks, what a bunch of lewd men to think that.

"I thought you told me to shove off, now you want help?" He asked after she let go of him, a week back he found her whacking at a tree with a sword given to her by Jon, a farewell gift and a surprise he thought Jon made up to do something, but he had guessed wrong on this. Arya shuffled her feet and looked embarrassed, too proud to admit she was at fault for denying his help beforehand. "Alright, let's go, you." He submitted and went along.

She had a friend, the Butchers boy named Mycha to practice and for the first hour and a half after camp was made things were relatively quiet and full with laughter. That was, until Sansa and the Crown Prince came along and from the looks of things, they were both quite drunk from the wine.

"My Prince, can we help you?" The Prissy Cunt looked at him with mirth, clearly not caring if he was offended by the expression.

"Silence, peasant. Now, I know who the bastard is, but is this your sister?" Joffrey spat and Arya glared at the cunt as he held a large and egotistic smirk. Arya actually told the Prince to shove off and that caused the boy's nose to flare in an offended expression, "How dare you, I am the next King!" Joffrey yelled as strongly as he could, it was laughable though this incident is beginning to get too serious, it has to stop.

"My Prince, we beg forgiveness and ask to leave?" He hated how polite he is being, the very being wanted nothing more than to knock him out. Arya looked rather miffed and shocked he was being kind, but to offend the Kings son is to offend the King himself, and he can't possibly do that now.

"No, you three look like you were playing with sticks... Like Knights, well then show me how good you are."

He cursed himself then, he isn't allowed a sword until he is ready and the Crown Prince only sees three pins for the blade he has on him. Joffrey came at Mycha as the lowborn, unable to do nothing besides listening to the people above him, almost like him. He huffed and stood in between the two and the Crown Prince at first looked angry but looking back he saw an audience, his sisters and one was drunk as a fiddle. Arya looked even angrier.

"Prince Joffrey, please forgive our offenses, we are sorry." His apologies only broaden the boy who began poking his face, drawing blood from the sharp sword. Arya got heated in the face and raised her stick to attack and suddenly everything was still.

Attacking a member of the royal family in any intent is death, especially for women. He won't see his sister beheaded for the crime that shouldn't have happened at all. Yelling her pushed the blade from his face and threw the Crown Prince to the ground, the first crime he counted as manhandling a royal. Joffrey reached for his sword once more and he kicked it away, hitting and most likely spraining the lad's hand as he cried in the pain.

The next few moments went by as the Kingslayer and several others came through the brush and saw them, him standing over the Prince. They didn't wait to take him away and put him in chains, all while Arya and Sansa exchanged blame on whoever was at fault. Joffrey kept yelling and calling for his head for what he did, he just kept silent as the guards called him a bastard and uttering treason towards him, yet he wouldn't let Arya be at fault for whatever happened, he wouldn't do that to her.

He sat in the Darry cells for the better half of the next few hours, contemplating what might happen. Worst case is the that he will be beheaded or his hand will be taken for touching a royal, a bastard he doesn't have a say and neither can he plead his case. He can but he won't, to do so could implicate others that were there.

"Get up!" One of the guards said and another dragged him to the great hall where all the lords and ladies were waiting, his father upon seeing him told the guards to let him go at once, them few hours left him a bit dirty and his possessions other than a shirt, boots and trousers were left.

"You alright?" He didn't know whether he was or isn't, yet he nodded yes to the question. Together they turned to the King and Queen who looked both angry and confused, mostly the King though the Queen looked livid with the son by her side.

"Nothing to say?, you a candidate for the future Kingsguard? A disgusting though- "

"Quiet woman!" The King snapped at the Queen before turning to him, "You know the penalty for the crime manhandling a royal. What made you do it?" He was asked and took a deep breath and a step forward and knelt to the King.

"For Mycha, the butcher's boy. The Crown Prince had a bit to drink, he was challenging him and I stepped in the way. I understand the crime I committed and await your justice, your grace... " Again he left Arya and Sansa out of it, even at the expense of his longevity. The King looked puzzled and the Queen had a winning smirk on his face.

"The boy said you were the one challenging him, said my son came to his rescue and you attacked him in return. Husband, I understand the love you bear Lord Stark, but what about our son, what about Joffrey." The king told her to quiet once more and called for this evidence to come forward, the boy did say exactly as the Queen said and Joffrey also confirmed what happened, it was a farce of a case that left him shaken. Sansa was also brought in along with Arya, Sansa sided with neither and can't remember what happened, Arya, the ever-loyal girl had chosen his side of things and called Sansa and Mycha a coward. "See. What can you expect, from a bastard and Dornishman at that." The court was turned against him after this.

"Robert, for the love you bear my sister, don't do this. Give him one more chance." The King turned cold at this moment and no doubt wished the court wasn't in place right now, but what happened was public knowledge after an hour.

"Gods damn you, woman... I won't kill you, boy. But punishment is called, fifteen lashes for the crime committed. Furthermore, you are no longer in the candidacy for membership to the Kingsguard." His father grabbed Robert gently as he passed and whisper another plea for mercy yet the King was firm in his decision, "I'm sorry Ned, be grateful that his hand isn't being taken. I am sorry boy, I truly am." That was all that was said before the King took his leave and two guards grabbed him and took him to the courtyard, despite his father's calls for them to wait and that he will do it, but the Kings Justice is done by the royals own man, Ser Illyn Payne.

Two pillars were set and the knots of the ropes tying his hand were rough and grating against his hands, he was actually scared for the first time in a long time. His shirt was ripped at the back and the cold air brushed against him, his father then arrived with a small object, holding it up so he could see it.

"Father, I'm scared." He confessed and he could see the anger in his father's eyes, he hated that this had to happen to him. Though the shoulder on his arm was reassuring. Looking back he could see the sun was already rising, and so a crowd was coming together for the entertainment to come, especially the Queen who had a personal seat placed to watch his torment. Yet his father forced him to look at him and the object in his other hand.

"Bite on this, boy. I assure you that it will be better than biting your tongue off."

Eddard

Eddard looked at his son with unkempt rage, this shouldn't even be happening. It reminded him of how people described his brother and father's torment at the hands of the Mad King, shrieks and cries for mercy. It drove him mad to think that his son would be begging the same as his brother. The one doing the deed was spotted and he thought about cutting the binds and taking his son to Winterfell with Sansa and Arya, they don't deserve this.

"Be strong my boy, don't give them what they came for, do not give in." Was the only words he could offer before hearing the Queen, or Witch.

"Dawn is breaking, Lord Stark. Let us begin, and please, don't hasten it, Ser Payne." He hesitated and thought that if only Robert weren't craven and came to watch the punishment he ordered on Arthur, or to see the animal of a lion that he had married. Slowly he backed away and allowed this torment to begin and when it did, he broke a little inside.

His son was strong for the first three to five lashes, but the sixth broke him, the seventh made him cry in pain, the eighth had him struggling against the binds, the ninth and tenth and so on filled the courtyard in cries of agony, the fourteenth was when Arthur lost consciousness and the last was the only sound made in the courtyard beside the wind and the Queen standing and walking away, and the Crown Prince smirking and giggling in humor.

He and Jory helped get Arthur from his binds and carried him back to a Maester who treated his wounds, all the blood and deep scars going down the back made Sansa fright away and had Arya in tears, she began blaming herself and telling him that she was going to hit Joffrey in the back and that Arthur was protecting her by attacking the Crown Prince in her place, and that he had to pay for that was all her fault. He told the child that what had happened isn't her fault but the Prince, he made the offense and though he isn't punished for it, it doesn't change that the fault is Joffrey Baratheon.

End of the chapter, worked on this for two days and its finished. The next one up will be a wait, as other stories will be updated.

Dipsyy, I will try to, I swear to the Seven and Old.

Guest (1), Sorry you don't seem to approve though its been said Self Inserts are usually putting themselves or a character into a story from another world. An Oc is a character made inside of the world.

Redhood001, Glad you enjoy it and others, I will try to uphold to it.

Guest (2), I will be updating that soon.

Guest (3), It is intriguing. Was thing of having different stories like Aemon going to the Wall or being born the elder brother, only other new Targaryen will most likely be the youngest twin of Daenerys which is a long way down the road.

Metal Flash, I plan on following a bit of canon as a Bastard wont have much say in the south or north for that matter. And glad you're thinking of little ole me, I will get plenty of rest to continue these stories to their climax. The Falcon Flies High is 46% done and has a bit to go yet.

JimmyHall24, I would have too, yet Arthur cares for the sod and couldn't do that to him, as a big brother would (though mine would).