Duncan Stark
A week later
A lone warrior on a mission home, atop a black warhorse, with a letter that could change the fate of the world. The sentence sounded like a story told by mothers to their children over a warm fire while a storm raged outside. But it was true, Duncan had been riding for two nights since he left White Harbor and dismissed the Manderley men-at-arms so he could travel alone. Of course he had stayed a night in White Harbor to sample the local whore house. Duncan had forgotten how beautiful the land was here, the trees stood tall and proud, the foliage thick and dangerous, the animals large and formidable. Already he had passed around two dozen moose about twice the size of a man when he passed Hornwood. At least the first men had killed all the Direwolf that had once called the Wolf's wood home, if not then I might be in danger.
The sun was high in the sky, probably noon. He would reach Winterfell before nightfall if he didn't have any interruption. Duncan inhaled and exhaled, basking in the clear brisk air. The smell of nature and cold air. None of the steaming shit in King's Landing where the roads are practically made of shit. If the king were to displease his subjects then the commoners would have an unlimited supply of dung and mud to throw at him. I'll have to fix that when I am King.
Duncan continued for hours more until after finally crossing the lands of house Cerwyn he made it to Winterfell and saw the great Jewel of the north. If Duncan hadn't steeled himself he would have cried. Just as he remembered from his early childhood memories, the grey castle was tall, beautiful and strong. It was hard to imagine that after all this time such beauty could last.
As he approached Wintertown he noticed the settlement that clung to Winterfell's walls had grown slightly since his youth, new faces were present as he passed. More often then not people would stop and look at the handsome raven haired boy on horseback in awe as they realized the second son of Eddard Stark had returned.
The gates of Winterfell were as formidable as the castle itself with iron wood logs as the main door and the iron chains that opened and secured it. The guards men atop the gate looked down in confusion at the cloaked figure but as soon as Duncan looked up to scowl they soon remembered the ruby red eyes. "Duncan has returned! Open the gates!" A guards men shouted.
The wood creaked open slowly with a large eerie groan. And Duncan felt himself hitch as he finally realized after eleven years of being gone he was finally home. And there to greet him was his family and other members of the household such as servants guards and anyone who worked in the castle. Standing in a line from left to right was his father Ned Stark, his mother Catelyn Stark, his older brother Robb, his oldest sister Sansa, a small girl with dark raven locks and a long face who he presumed to be his youngest sister Arya, two boys with auburn hair and crystal blue eyes who he presumed to be his ten year old brother Brandon and his youngest brother Rickon who seemed to be little more than a toddler.
His father and mother had big stupid grins on their faces as they met Duncan's uncaring red eyes. Duncan trotted his horse around the host of his family and servants the like. He spotted his favorite brother Jon Snow in the back next a light brown haired man who seemed to be close their age probably Theon Greyjoy. My brother is placed next to the hostage. He's a Stark bastard not a commoner he deserves to be at least close to the front not sulking in the back.
As he reached the front again he noticed Robb's annoyed demeanor and simply smirked to himself. "I had hoped that your nose would of healed straight but it seems that my hopes were not as strong as my fist." Duncan said noticing the slight crookedness to Robb's nose from when Duncan had broken it. Some of the guards seemed to chuckle but most stifled their laughs.
Robb's face changed from annoyed to angry and Catelyn noticed. "Duncan please come down from your horse and meet your siblings civilly."
Duncan turned to her and rolled his ruby red eyes, getting off of his black horse and handing it off to a stable boy. He looked at his younger siblings with a scowl. "I had hoped more would look like Starks but it seems that the southern blood runs strong in them just like you Robb." Sansa seemed to feign at that remark, Bran and Rickon seemed confused but the reaction Duncan had wanted was Robb's.
His hands seemed to be clenched so tightly it was as if he was trying to chocke the life out of someone. "Duncan that is enough!" His father said with authority. Duncan snickered at Robb and simply walked past them all toward the castle entrance. "Where are you going?" He heard his father asked.
"I have been sailing and riding for near a week without rest." He stopped at the entrance and turned to look his father in the eyes. "I wish to rest." Duncan gave a cocky bow as sign of his leave and made his way for his old room and if his memory serves him well his room was just past Robb's near the north side of the castle. When he found his old room he noticed that his old bed was gone and a much larger one was put in its place. Other than that it was the same as he remembered with a fireplace in the center of the wall and all his old stuff cluttered about the place.
He used the fresh logs next to the small hearth to light the fire and stoked it to keep it healthy and watched intently as the fire cracked the wood and burned it brightly. Duncan reach into his tunic and found the letter Jon Arryn had written for his father's eyes only. Duncan broke the seal on the paper and read the letter. His eyes scanned every sentence and jotted down every word in his mind. It hadn't occurred to him what he had just read until a second later
Duncan's blood red eyes widened in pure disbelief. Duncan quickly tossed the letter into the fires and backed away as if he was afraid of the ashes billowed. "Joffrey Baratheon, Myrcella Baratheon, and Tommen Baratheon are bastards." Duncan's stomach felt sick as he realized who they were fathered by. Their uncle Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer, was their father. They were bastards born of incest between twins. Slowly Duncan's bewildered face turned into that of sick smile. "They have no to claim the throne. An obstacle that seemed near impossible for me to remove without cause has given me the greatest advantage I could have."
Then he remembered Lord Arryn's speech about becoming his father's son. "Sorry Lord Arryn but I did warn you. I am the Demon Wolf and I will rule everything no matter the cost."
