A/N: Second chapter of the story. The guality of this one might be a little worse than before, but that´s because I´m rewriting like ten chapters and writting one more at this moment.
Vulcran Stormblade: Well... no. Jon´s parentage will remain mystery for now. Simply said I keep with books where he is still Ned´s son and his mother is unknown.
Otherwise... Enjoy!
Chapter 2: Lost bloodline
Aegon
Torrhen Stark had brown hair and blue eyes. He wore green tunic and his cloak that was mostly black. White direwolf dominated it. Torrhen was strong and muscular, even higher than Will, Rodrik Stark claimed he was as high as his brother Brandon. Now, he was a man of eighteen years who made himself a name in the North, when he wiped out the bandit group in the Neck that was attacking people on the road, when Torrhen, fifteen years old at the time, found out, he took two hundred men and rode to destroy the group. He crushed the bandits and had their heads put around the road leading to the Moat until his father didn´t order to put them off, because they scared anyone who arrived in the North. Since then, he was known as The Red Wolf.
"From Will" said Aegon and gave letter to Torrhen. Stark opened it, and smiled. Nobody still told Aegon what was in the letter.
"Thank you, Egg. This will be very helpful for me and few other people" Torrhen told him and burnt the letter
"What do you mean?" asked Aegon
"Nothing" said Torrhen with smiling face "Really nothing, my dear dragon" he sat on his bed and was thinking about something
Later that day, Aegon and rest of Targaryens left for Dragonstone, to claim his birthright as Lord of Dragonstone, and win the loyalty of his vassals, to use them to win his birthright... with Fire and Blood.
Torrhen
Ethan Dustin was old man, with white hair and many scares. He was accompanied by his son, Gawen, who had grey hair and grandson Rickard, the youngest one of the three men. He was younger than uncle Benjen, but older then Viserys Targaryen. He had brown hair and was the only one of three armed.
"Gentlemen" started Torrhen, pouring his wine, the Dornish red "Two lords of my fathers vassals and one-and-half hundred men were raised by my brother Willam. With Manderlys we will have two thousand men at gates of Barrowton next week" Torrhen finished, taking the sip of wine
"Why wait that long?" asked Rickard Dustin "If we strike now we can-" he got stopped by his grandfather
"Be exiled or executed by Eddard Stark" said old man "Lord Torrhen said we wait, then we wait. That bitch hadn´t married for so long. It´s time to claim my rightfull place as Lord of Barrowton" said Ethan Dustin
"I say strike now, kill the bitch and finnaly get our birthright" Rickard continued, while playing with a knife that laid on the table
"Listen to yourself Rickard" said Gawen "We do not want bloodshed"
"Yeah, why cannot I inherit then? Grandfather will die soon, so young blood would be better" Rickard replied with frustration in his voice
"We need to be swift" said Torrhen "I agreed to your plan and still hadn´t said what I want. Don´t forget that" he wanted to be sure his plan will succeed
"I have fought in the War of Ninepenny Kings, green boy" said Ethan Dustin with pride in his voice "I would have had fought in the Rebbelion, but my grand-nephew stole opportunity of glory for himself and died. Because he died without an heir, lady Barbey stole our seat. We attack now!" that would destroy everything Torrhen was working on so hard all that time
Torrhen watched him with his cold blue eyes "We. Do. It. Peacefully. Army we use is to storm the castle and gain the upper hand in negotiating. Understood?" he looked at the other two Dustins
"Yes" said Rickard "If we get upper hand, I can become Lord of Barrowton easily. Why complicate it?" As I plan, thought Torrhen
"I am the true heir Rickard" said lord Ethan arrogantly
"And I´m, as your father, next in line, then you are" added Gawen
"Your skill with axe had gone rusted, father" said Rickard. This is really going out of hand, thought Torrhen. With this, I cannot think about making stability in the North.
The three Dustins started to argue, he hadn´t time for this. He had to do anything now, or lose his only chance. He punched into table so hard he nearly broke it. Then, he did something he should have done much earlier.
"Enough!" he shouted "I don´t really know, what do you have against each other. To be honest, I don´t really care who sits his ass on that chair and raises his armies to help House Stark. And I still hadn´t decided upon my worth. I leave now, we have to prepare" he said and stormed out of the room to get some fresh sea air.
Edderion
Royal convoy came once again to Winterkeep. He just prepared to leave, to get experience in world. He planned to go to Oldtown first. Then to Sunspear, from Sunspear to Lys. From Lys to Slavers Bay and from there to Braavos. In Braavos he could sail to Dragonstone, from there to Gulltown. From Gulltown to Wall and from Wall back home, stopping in every single northern castle and Mountain clan.
He didn´t have to finish his journey, though, he could just settle somewhere in Essos and marry to some valyrian and father beautiful silver-haired children with her. He could join the Golden Company and win some glory. Edderion the Wandering Wolf, they could know him. There was one Wandering Wolf once, Rodrik, namesake of his father. He could find Valyrian steel sword for himself and bring it to his father. So many options, just what to choose.
He had already his bow prepared, just like sword and food with water and clothes. Lady Stark insisted him to prepare well, even though she would give birth any time. His new half-sibling will be happy. He or she will know its mother, who would take care of him or her. Edd asked his father countless times about his mother. Father always said she was very beautiful.
Lord Stark, his father, fathered him in grief from loosing his first wife, lady Darry. Edderion never knew who his mother was. Definitely not a whore. There was just one brothel in Winterkeep and that had been founded just three years ago. Who was she? How did she looked? She must´ve had blonde hair, because his father had dark brown.
"You didn´t left yet?" asked his father who stood behind him
"No" said Edderion, while preparing his saddle
"Come with me" father said and Edd followed him
They went to Godswood. His father was walking towards Heart tree. He finally stopped right under the tree. The hearth tree was very young, just about ten years, but it already had beautiful red leafs and was high as the half of the Children´s tower.
"Why did you brought me here, father?" asked Edd
"I need to tell you something" said Rodrik Stark "and give something to you" he gave him the letter "Open it when you want, or burn it whenever you want"
"What is that?" asked Edd and took the letter
"Truth about your mother… I wrote it when you were born" his father said. That meant his fahter was afraid he might die before he could tell?
"When-" Edd wanted to ask
"Three years ago, if you want to ask when she died. Open it when you feel prepared, or burn it to be what you want to be" his father told him
"Thank you, father" said Edderion, nearly crying upon knowing he won´t see his mother again
"I still look at you" said his father "and see that frightened fair-haired boy of three years that came to my chamber if he can stay, because he had an nightmare. Before I married again" he remembered it, when cousin Robb came he said that his mother shouted at Jon Snow when he wanted the same thing.
"Who was she?" asked Edd "Did she knew where am I?"
His father smiled at him "She knew very well" he said "she was a servant in Winterfell, I brought her with me when I moved here. She always seen you, but I made it clear that she mustn´t talk to you. Then, three years ago, you caught pox. It was bad, and when she found out, she wanted to be by your side in case you die, so she could be with you at least once. I agreed, and she caught it from you... then she died"
They were sitting there for hours. Talking about past and his problems from childhood. His father told him about his childhood and how he gotten married to lady Lysa Darry. A very interesting story, he had no use back then and Lord Darry needed to marry off his cousin.
"How will you name him?" asked Edd
"Who?" replied father
"My new brother" said Edd with a look he did when girls were about to be born
"I´m thinking about Jon or Eddard, but I still hadn´t decided" answered his father while scratching his head, as he had done when undecided
"I think Jonnel would be better than Jon" said Edd "We already have one Jon" Jonnel Stark, who was called One-Eyed, was Edd´s hero. Not because he did something heroic, not that, but because during his reign in the North, the country prospered. Some say he lost his eye in a fight over a woman´s hearth. Edd believed the second version of the story, that which ocured the twig of a tree in the Wolfswood and lord Jonnel hunting.
"I thought you´d say that. Jonnel was known as One-Eyed" said his father "He was your hero when you were a child, am I right?"
"Yes. What if it´s a girl?" replied Edd
"Lysa, as namesake to my first wife" now, Edd realized how much his lord father loved his first wife, he was really surprised that his father married again
"It would please lady Catelyn" Edd pointed out "She has a sister named Lysa" who just ran into the Vale with her little son, he thought with betterness
"True" said Rodrik Stark "I must tell you something"
"What?" asked Edd, not knowing what his father wants from him
"Never get caught by the intrigues of the South" his father said "it will plague you from inside and you will never be same as before. It will make you dishonourable scum and bad man. Don´t try to play the Game of Thrones, you don´t know how to play it. You have to lie most of your life if you want to survive, you have to sleep with a dagger under your pillow or someone will kill you in your sleep." his father continued "They say the Mad king got mad after Duskendale, and I believe it. King Aerys thought lord Darklyn to be honourable fellow, so he took just one kingsguard with him. Hadn´t Lord Darklyn played bold, your grandfather might have lived and Ned would marry Ashara Dayne and I would live somewhere out of all that mess they call Seven Kingdoms. Have a nice journey, son. I hope we meet again"
Aegon
Dragonstone was dark place. Home of House Targaryen and seat for many of them. His father Rhaegar came there as Prince of Dragonstone. Aegon came as Lord of Dragonstone. Such an irony, last Targaryen before conquest, last Lord of Dragonstone was Aegon the Conqueror, the first one after nearly three hundred years was named Aegon too.
Lords sworn to Dragonstone stood in his hall. Monford Velaryon of Driftmark with his young son Monterys, Guncer Sunglass of Sweetport Sound, Ardrian Celtigar of Claw Isle, Duram Bar Emmon from Sharp Point. All came to see their new lord.
"My lords, welcome to my hall" he started "You all know why you came. You sworn fealthy to Dragonstone"
"I see a son of Rhaegar the Last Dragon" said lord Sunglass "but I see a boy, too"
"I am a man grown" Aegon replied with a cold voice
"May I ask you a question, milord?" asked Velaryon "Are you a dragon, or a wolf, because I see dragon fostered by a wolf when stag killed his father"
"I am dragon, my lord, you came to see your liege lord and I want you to swear fealthy to Dragonstone" said Aegon calmly, he knew he mustn´t seem weak in front of men he never saw, nor did they.
"Or what?" asked Lord Velaryon
"Dragon will be awaken" said Aegon and saw Velaryon´s face to change colour to pale
Torrhen
Lady of Barrowton wore black and was bitter woman of thirty-eight years, still pretty even after all that years. She sat in front of him while taking the sip of wine.
"Hello, Ethan" she said "long time no see"
"Shut up" said Ethan "Give me my castle and seat"
"What right do you have?" asked Lady Dustin
"Birthright" said Ethan Dustin "My grand-nephew had no siblings and thus I remained as his heir. Unless, you decided to take my place and remain unmarried"
"What do you want? My hand?" said Lady of Barrowton ironically
"We have two thousand men outside your walls. On my order they come and sack the city" spoke Torrhen with a cold voice "You better marry one of those three"
"It has to be done" said Rickard
Lady Dustin took another sip of wine "Torrhen Stark, known as the Red Wolf, son of Rodrik Stark, who is lord of Winterkeep and Master of Moat Cailin. What are you doing here?"
"These good men asked me to help them against someone. So I am here" Torrhen replied with a stern voice
"Just kill her already!" shouted Gawen
"Don´t kill her!" shouted Rickard
"Shut up lord Gawen or I will kill you myself" ordered Torrhen "It´s time for my reward by the way"
"What do you want?"
"Just one thing, Gawen." said Torrhen "Your axe"
"Why would you need my axe?"
"Just give it to me" when he had the axe, he gestured to Stark-Manderly force that rushed in with Will in lead
"Your orders Torr?" asked Willam while pointing sword to Dustin
"Seize lord Ethan and lord Gawen"
"You betrayed us!" shouted old Dustin on him upon realization
"So" said Torrhen to Lady Barbrey when they left "Rickard is to be wed to you. Am I right?"
"Yes" said lady Dustin "I´m glad you have taken care of them my lord"
"I just like it when there are no pretenders" he said and laughed while taking sip of wine
Hope you enjoyed it. I did this events for Torrhen to show what is he able to do when he wants to accomplish something, and yes, it was plot of him, Rickard Dustin and Barbrey Ryswell... and yes, the years of growing up between Starks did not make Aegon a man Rodrik wanted him to become.
