Chapter 2: Things I Almost Remember
Daenerys Stormborn went out into the balcony overlooking the city of Meereen. She stood there contemplating the life she has built for herself. Sure, she had it good in here. She was comfortable, she had people serving her, and she can actually say that she played a big part in changing the lives of so many people for the better. Yet, she still yearns for that part of herself that she had lost, and had left back in Westeros.
After fleeing ten years ago, no one would be able to say that she had it easy. She was literally reduced into nothingness. She was a wreck who wanted to die because she could not live with the guilt that has been burdening her the past ten years. Thoughts of revenge and the ember of hope that her nephew was still alive kept her going. Fate brought her to Essos where she met and married Khal Drogo. They were wed under the open sky. Initially, she married him for survival. It was the only way she could go on living. She needed to start somewhere in rebuilding her life and at that time; it was the most sensible thing to do. Before long though, Daenerys found herself in love with her husband, her sun and stars. Drogo loved her back, she was the moon of his life. Drogo gave meaning to her life again and he promised her the world. Dany was content and blissfully happy, especially after they were blessed with a child. What Daenerys failed to learn the first time though, was taught to her so painfully the second time. Fate was never kind. She lost Drogo and her son, Rhaego to blood magic. Her desperation drove her crazy.
Maybe it was the curse, maybe it still clings to her even after all these years. She realized now that she can never be truly happy. Her pains and heartaches all serve as a glaring reminder that she has unfinished business. The memories of her marriage and family life albeit brief and bittersweet, are kept deep in her heart and will be treasured forever. She had no regrets for it was her experiences which turned her into the resilient and powerful woman she is today. She just needs to put it all aside for now and set her plans in motion. She may be setting herself up for another heartbreak but she is willing to gamble. She almost had everything she needed but her puzzle lacked the biggest and most important piece, her nephew Prince Jaehaerys of House Targaryen. After losing him back in King's Landing, rumors circulated about his survival but it all soon died down. News followed that the earlier rumors were false; that no Targaryen prince lived and the new king made sure of it. The people then stopped talking about it altogether and it was never heard of again. Dany refused to believe all that. She needed to find the long lost prince if she ever wanted her plans to come into full circle. Just then she heard her name being called. It was Missandei who was followed by the very man she needed to see this very moment.
"Ah, Lord Varys. How wonderful." she smiled at the eunuch.
"How may I be of service, princess?" the man bowed to her.
"Actually, it is not exactly your services we would need." Lord Varys gave her a confused and curious look.
"It is your little birds, Lord Varys. I need them to do something for me, something really really important." Daenerys added while smiling.
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Jon Snow kept his gaze steady ahead, his eyes never leaving the wolf, afraid it might disappear from sight. They had been following it non-stop. Fortunately for them it seemed altogether oblivious about its surroundings. It just went its merry way down the road in a pace Jon and Edd could manage to keep up with.
"I know I was the one who told you to take this wolf as a sign, but to be honest Jon, I am beginning to feel more and more pathetic following that crazy animal like this." Edd broke the silence.
"I wasn't the one who smart-talked our way into this mess. Don't blame me. But since we're here, might as well go all the way at it don't you think?" Jon replied. They cannot half-ass into this now. He had an odd feeling about this, it was not exactly a really good feeling but it wasn't a bad gut feeling either.
Jon looked on and saw that they were approaching a castle. Even from afar, it was very apparent that it was abandoned and in a rundown condition.
"Where do you suppose we are?" he heard Edd ask from behind.
"You do know we have that map right?" Jon did not hear him say anything but he heard shuffling indicating Edd was looking for it.
"Says here, Moat Cailin." Moat Cailin. It gave him that odd feeling again. And the closer they got to the castle, the stronger that odd feeling tugged at him. He surveyed the surroundings; all he heard was the silence and the wind. Jon saw the direwolf go into a corner then panic struck him. He hurriedly went down the horse to follow it. When Jon went into the direction where it went, he did not find the wolf and instead what he found was a dead end. Surely, his mind and eyes couldn't have been tricking him. The direwolf couldn't have disappeared like that right, like a ghost? Jon went back to where he left Edd. He saw the horse already tied to a tree while Edd was by the castle, scrutinizing the wall as if trying to find something. As Jon approached, he heard a loud creaking noise just as Edd pulled a piece of wood from the wall. He had found an opening.
"Aha! That was quick." Jon heard the delight in Edd's voice over his little triumph.
"What are you doing? We could get into trouble for that. The castle must have been closed-off for a reason you know." Jon chastised his companion.
"And who do you think will get our asses for sneaking in? The ghosts? The place is obviously empty. And besides, we might find treasures inside. This castle is huge." Edd did not pay him any mind and made his way inside. Jon was hesitant to follow, until he heard the sound of low whining of a wolf from inside. He immediately charged inside.
Once inside, Jon saw that they were in a long hallway. The walls were lined with portraits and paintings of strangers he did not know but were oddly familiar somehow. He saw Edd in front of a table, inspecting all sorts of things he found there.
"What did I tell you Jon, this place is loaded." Edd told him while holding up a jewelled mirror that looked really valuable.
"Put that back, we're not here to steal." Edd wasn't really paying him any attention.
Jon walked his way down the hall. His eyes roamed all around. "This place…" he thought. It's like a memory from a dream. Abandoned it may be, but the place looked grand. The place screams of royalty but for some reason, Jon did not feel out of place. He followed the sound of the wolf's whining through a wide door. When Jon opened it, he was rendered speechless by what he saw. He stood atop a long staircase that led down to a ball room, with large glass windows lining its walls and on top of which were more portraits. On its high ceiling were crystal chandeliers that seemed to sparkle despite the layers of dust covering them. The marble floors glimmered that you can see your reflection on it. Jon looked around, his heart tugged at him. There was warmth in his chest that he cannot comprehend. Surge of emotions filled him followed by different visions which flooded his whole being.
Faces, so many faces. People in fancy clothes, women in gowns and jewels. He saw gold everywhere. In this very ball room people were dancing and prancing about. The room was bright and lively. He saw in a blur, a man and a woman smiling down at a boy with dark hair, their eyes filled with so much love.
The visions came until his head ached. He was getting lost in all of it, nothing is making sense anymore. The howling of the direwolf suddenly shook him out of his reverie. He realized he was already kneeling at the floor with his hands covering his ears. He tried to pacify himself. What just happened there?
He looked above to his left, there was a painting. It was of a man with platinum hair and violet eyes who had a stern face beside him was a beautiful woman who shared the same features. "King Aerys II, Queen Rhaella." Jon thought he recognized these faces. When he looked at the other end of the room, the direwolf was there with the medallion still dangling from its mouth. The creature stared at him before it set the medallion down on the floor. Jon treaded over carefully to where the wolf was. Slowly and carefully, Jon moved until he was inches away from the wolf. He cautiously reached out to grab the medallion. Once he grabbed hold of it, he put it around his neck and kept it under his tunic. After quite a while, Jon was able to breathe easy. When Jon brought his gaze to the wolf, it was just sitting there looking at him. He went on ahead to pet it. The wolf eased into his touch and Jon was glad.
"I'm going to call you Ghost from now on you know." Jon said while stroking its back gently.
"Now, why did you want to bring me here in the first place, Ghost?" Jon inquired as he looked up to the massive painting before him. He scanned the images therein. A man, a girl and boy who had the same silver hair and purple eyes he saw from the other painting. They looked ethereal. Then his eyes rested upon the face of a stunningly beautiful woman with long black hair and piercing gray eyes. He let his eyes linger on the woman's face, engraving all the details to his memory. The solemn moment was interrupted by a loud voice from across the room from where he entered. He turned around and saw a man pointing a finger at him. He had companions, one of whom had a sword up against Edd's throat. Jon counted them, there was the man, six guards and a gorgeous lady with dark brown hair. Jon just stood there, trying to figure out what to do. Ghost snarled lowly beside him.
"What are you doing in here, who are you?" he heard the man say.
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Petyr Baelish held his finger up against the intruder at the other end of the grand ball room. He did not expect to see anyone in the Winter Palace so imagine the surprise to find these two people in here.
"Don't move. Stay right there." He made a move towards the other side of the room. He saw that the man stood beside a direwolf. That made him slow down on his tracks.
"Make sure that wolf of yours behave, otherwise you know what happens."
"Ghost, it's okay. Down, boy." he heard the intruder utter. The direwolf looked less menacing, but it did not tear away its ruby red eyes from him.
Petyr Baelish approached close enough to see the stranger's face. He had dark curly hair and a faint scar over his left eye. And those eyes, dark indigo? No, when he looked again he saw that they were gray. Petyr Baelish was dumbfounded. Realization struck him. The person before him looked like someone he knew way back, and someone he greatly needed. Lord Baelish further scrutinized the young man before him. Then he moved his eyes towards the painting just right behind him. His eyes particularly sought the lone child with dark hair. His eyes alternated between the painting and the young man. Yes, that was it. There was certainly a strong resemblance, especially when he stands beside the portrait of the lost Prince Jaehaerys III. His dark curls perfectly matched that of the little boy's in the portrait behind him. In his mind he started to piece all pieces to his grand scheme. Fate could not have picked a better time that it made Littlefinger almost hysterical. He made the trip to this rundown place with the purpose of finding out details and information that would aid him in achieving his goals. He wanted to revisit the past, to learn more about the lost Targaryen prince. He merely wanted to see again what the prince looked like so he will know what to search for. The plan was simple actually, find someone who will play the part, teach him what to say and what to do then bring him to the other continent to "reunite" him with his aunt. It is known that the Prince Jaehaerys did not really survive. He was unheard of, unseen since the rebellion years ago. The odds of him having truly survived ranges from zero to impossible. But, he was a man out on a mission. Truths can easily be twisted the same way that falsities can easily be fabricated. And as he heard from little birds, Daenerys Stormborn was desperate and Littlefinger would feed on that (and on the generous reward she will grant to the one who will deliver what she sought). This young man would certainly suit his needs and his plans. Just a little training and it would all be just perfect. It will only take a little convincing.
"What is your name young man?"
"Jon Snow." he said.
"And what are you doing here Jon Snow? Where did you come from?"
"I, uh…we came from Castle Black. We were just passing by, but…then we just, uh…we wanted to seek shelter for a while." Jon Snow struggled to explain. As a master of deceit, Baelish can easily detect a lie. He let it go. He would just have to show Jon Snow that two can play that game, and he was better at it.
"So you are orphans raised under the care of the Night's Watch. Fancy you chose the Winter Palace, of all places, as temporary shelter." he said. The boy did not say anything but he looked tensed. "You know you could get into big trouble for coming in here without permission. By royal decree, Moat Cailin is closed off to anyone. You could even lose your heads you know." Jon Snow flinched. Petyr Baelish feasted on his evident fear.
"I swear he meant no harm. Please, we will just go and-"
"I know. I won't rat on you. In fact, I'm willing to help you." Baelish said while signalling his guards to let Jon Snow's companion go. Jon Snow's expression was of mixed confusion and surprise.
Instead of answering, Lord Baelish moved in front of the painting on the wall.
"Where do you intend to go Jon Snow?" He needed to know as much as he can about Jon Snow.
"We were supposed to head down to White Harbor for the work Ser Alliser found for us."
"And what of your past? Any family?" he added.
"None that I remember. I know this may sound crazy but the life in Castle Black is the only memory I have. Anything before that, I am not certain."
"Do you know who these are, Jon Snow?" he diverted the topic.
"No, I'm afraid I don't."
"They are the last of the Targaryen Royal Family to sit on the Iron Throne. They were deposed ten years ago by the rebellion led by the now King Robert Baratheon. King Rhaegar, Queen Lyanna, Princess Rhaenys and Prince Aegon; they're all dead." Littlefinger explained. He pointed to the Prince Jaehaerys. "This one, however, Prince Jaehaerys III was said to have survived and is alive. He has an aunt actually, Princess Daenerys who is looking for him." Jon Snow gave a look which says he did not understand where he was driving at.
"You bear a strong resemblance, don't you think so? Dark curls, gray eyes. Almost the same age. The similarities are remarkable, would you agree?"
It took a few minutes for Jon Snow to process what he was trying to say. "Wait, wait, wait. Are you telling me that I could be the lost prince?" Jon's voice was disbelieving.
"All I'm saying is that all this could not be mere coincidences. Well, you don't know what happened to you, the same way no one knows what happened to him. Don't you wish to acknowledge the possibility?" he egged on.
"The possibility that I could be royalty? I don't know. It's hard to believe that you're royalty when you have been treated like trash your whole life." Jon's eyes were fixed on the picture of the prince. "But sure, it feels good to at least imagine yourself as someone important for once." he added.
Baelish rejoiced in his head. Just a little more push for him to get what he wanted. "Imagine, if you were truly the missing prince, what joy it would bring to your sole living family when you finally come home."
"Hmmm, if I don't remember who I was then who's to say I'm not this lost prince right? And if I am not Prince Jaehaerys then the Princess Daenerys will certainly know right away, and it will all be just an honest mistake. "
"Sounds plausible. And IF, you truly are the prince then you'll finally know who you are and have everything back-your past, a home, love of family, and the good life." at that moment, Petyr Baelish knew he got him.
Game. Set. Match.
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Jon had his reservations but he decided to set it all aside for now. He knew he had to start somewhere in his quest to find himself. Questionable as the intentions of this man were, Jon could not resist the temptation of his offer. He is not claiming that he was the lost prince, and he highly doubts it, but going with him will allow Jon to see more of the world. Even if he was not Prince Jaehaerys, then maybe along the way Jon will be able to really learn the truth about his past.
"Now that we settled that, allow me to introduce myself. I am Lord Petyr Baelish, the Lord Paramount o the Vale."
Jon reached his hand out to accept his handshake. Jon shrugged off the weird feeling he had with Lord Baelish.
"Why don't we take this talk somewhere more comfortable, so we can properly discuss the important matters?" Lord Baelish said as he led Jon to where their companions were. They walked over together, with Ghost following them. From where he was, Jon saw that Edd was no longer being held by the throat, but the guards still looked very alert.
Jon let his eyes wander to the lady with the dark brown hair he saw a while ago. The closer they approached, the more Jon held his breath. When they were mere inches away, Jon couldn't help the fluttering of butterflies in his stomach. She felt strangely familiar, but he took it as a feeling of amazement at seeing the beautiful woman in front of him. Her hair color seemed mismatched with the rest of her features, but she was beautiful all the same. Her skin was pale, cheekbones high, her nose just perfect and her lips, full and alluring. What struck Jon the most were her bright blue eyes that spoke of thousand different things but unfortunately looked so sad.
"Let me introduce you to my niece, Alayne Stone." Lord Baelish introduced. Alayne Stone. Even her name seemed out of place to Jon but oh well.
"Alayne, this is Jon Snow. Or should I say, Prince Jaehaerys III, the long lost prince of the House Targaryen and true and rightful heir to the Iron Throne." Jon flinched at hearing that. When he turned to Alayne, the look on her face was unfathomable.
Teaser:
"When you're old enough, I promise you, you'll be with someone worthy of you. Someone who is brave, gentle and strong." Her father promised her. She was still young, but Sansa kept those words deep in her heart.
Sansa Stark deserved that, she deserved someone brave, and gentle, and strong. Alayne Stone envied her.
