Thanks for the positive feedback, I'll trip to keep up with some of your suggestions (If they'll go with the plot, I can't promise much but I will try). Anyway I hope you enjoy the latest update! ;)

Chapter 10

Ned had been worried about his wife ever since Bran's accident. She has never left their son's side waiting for every moment for him to wake up, guarding him not eating and not sleeping. He was worried because of her significant loss of weight and the black circles forming under her eyes.

His Cate, his once beautiful and glowing Catelyn was now slowly fading away and he didn't want that. And she needs to come out of Bran's room, little Rickon needs her too.

As he entered his son's room, his wife looked up to him, her eyes puffy from crying and he can't help but feel sorry for her. He walked towards his son's bed and brushed the auburn curls on his hair.

Bran would have enjoyed the king's visit here, he would have meet the knights and talked to them. He would have loved King's Landing and he would have been a squire of a great Lord but now, he can't. Maester Luwin said that he won't be able to walk all his life after the accident.

It was a cruel fate for a small boy like him even if Ned hated the fact that his son would forever be a cripple, he would rather live with it than lose him. But he also needs his wife too, now that his days are numbered here in Winterfell, there is nothing more he likes to but to spend his time with his wife.

"How does he fare?" He asked her. Catelyn was staring down, her hands weaving some dolls from the straw on her hands.

"Still asleep. I don't even know if he'll wake up." Catelyn answered. Gone was her once cheerful voice that made Ned's gloomy days bright. He sighed and went near his wife; he held her hand and squeezed it gently.

"You must come out of the room Cate. This is not healthy anymore. Bran will wake up. He is a Stark. He is strong." He said softly and Catelyn broke down into sobs.

"How can I come out of the room knowing that my child is still on his deathbed and hasn't woken up after days of being in coma? I wished that it was just one of your bastards that fell from the damned tower not my Bran!" Catelyn exclaimed and it sent a sharp pang of guilt and hurt in his heart.

"What of the children Ned? I think it's time we tell them the truth. Especially your wife, do you see how she treats them? The hateful looks she throws at them?"

Arthur Dayne's words came into his mind. He was right. Catelyn hated Lyanna and Jon because she thought that they will be forever the reminder of his betrayal. Which in truth he did not do.

He suffered a great deal of consequence after claiming them as his, he started to love Catelyn but she found it hard to trust him anymore.

Maybe you should have told her the truth seventeen years ago. But you made her suffer. Look at the children. They suffered too, they are innocent of what has happened yet Catelyn blames them for something you didn't do. A voice inside his mind said and he sighed.

"You shouldn't say that Cate. They are innocent and they weren't even here when it happened." He said and his wife just gave him a pained look. "Listen; there is something really important I need to tell you but not here. I want you to go to the godswood later. It's very important and you must know it before it's too late."

She just nodded in response and he kissed her forehead.

"I love you Cate." He whispered before he walked out of the room.

Later that day, Ned found himself sitting on top on the great roots of the weirwood tree in the godswood waiting for Cate. Since the arrival of the Royal Party, he can't risk talking to Cate in Bran's chambers as he can't trust the walls of Winterfell with the King and the Lannister siblings here.

The godswood had been his sanctuary in the place and he always visit it whenever he had an important decision to make, the peace and the silence of the place clears his minds from doubts and troubles and helps him decide.

And now, he was in the godswood to tell Catelyn the biggest secret he kept for the past seventeen years. He had been thinking about it the moment that the letter of Jon Arryn's death and the King's visit to the North arrived.

He closed his eyes and inhaled the fresh air. He would surely miss it here. He would miss the peace that the godswood of Winterfell offers him. He would miss staring at his reflection on the small lake of water and he would miss cleaning Ice here. He would miss the silence and the safety that this place offers him.

King's Landing will be different. It has been a long time since he last visited it and he knew that it is as dangerous as before, that the beauty of the place hides the foul schemes that the people lives in it does. However he was determined to protect his friend's life. A payment for the suffering Robert has been experiencing because of his broken heart caused by Lyanna's death.

He may not be able to tell him the truth about his sister's demise then maybe he can make up by protecting him. Ned always wondered why Robert married Cersei Lannister, for him the Lannister's shouldn't be trusted especially after what the Kingslayer did to the King he sworn to protect and what Tywin Lannister ordered the Mountain and Amory Lorch to do to the innocent children of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell.

He wondered what would have happened had Rhaegar Targaryen lived and became King. He wondered what would have happened to the two children he vowed to protect. They should have been living in King's Landing now, enjoying the lavishness of Royal life and not here in the North, not suffering and their parents alive and well. They should be treated by respect and importance and not be hated. They should be the heirs to the Iron Throne and they should be learning how to rule a kingdom.

Now, Lyanna is a Stark and will marry Jaime Lannister before they travel for King's Landing. If he only had the power, he would prevent the wedding from happening. Yet, he can't and even if he tried what life could he possibly give Lyanna?

She was born with noble blood and she is a Princess. She deserves more than a lowborn Lord. She deserves a great keep or even the Iron Throne itself. But Robert would kill Lyanna if he knew that she is Rhaegar's daughter and Robert would hate him for keeping the truth. Robert would curse his sister instead of loving her.

"Ned."

Catelyn's soft voice woke him up from his thoughts and he turned to see her standing just a few meters behind him. He felt relieved to see her there and somehow happy that she managed to get out of Bran's chambers after days of sulking there and waiting for their son to wake up.

"Come here and sit with me."

He patted the space beside him and Catelyn nodded and sat on it. She rested her head on his shoulder and he wrapped his arm around hers. She felt light and fragile around his arms and he can see the white hairs growing from her once fiery hair. He smiled. They were now aging and he doesn't know when the two of them will be taken away from each other but he wanted to continue living a happy life with his wife.

"I don't know what to do Ned. Bran, Maester Luwin says he will wake up but it's been days! Why hasn't he waked up yet? He should be waking up now!" She began to sob and Ned's embrace grew tighter and he started to run his hand on her hair to comfort her.

He can count the times that she cried on one hand—the day that Brandon died in the hands of Aerys Targaryen (Arthur had told him the details and his blood boiled with so much hate for the Mad King), the day that he married her, and the day that he returned from war with two babes in his arms.

Now, she was crying again and he can't help but feel guilty.

"I wished it would have been Lyanna who's not waking up right now. I wished it would have been Jon or Lyanna who had an accident. I don't care whether they'll be hurt or not as long as Bran's okay." She said with her voice full of hate and Ned can't help but feel angry about his wife's words but he knew that it was his own fault why she hated the twins.

"Cate, you can't just wish for that to happen. The two are innocent Cate. They are also suffering. Lyanna's just woken up from coma. She's also hurt like Bran." He said with the softest tone he can bring his lips to say but Catelyn narrowed her eyes in response and pulled away from his hug, her face scrunched.

"Seventeen years ago, you rode off with Robert Baratheon to war. I waited for you patiently, praying and hoping that you are alive and well, for you to come back to me and Robb. But you came back a year later with another woman's children. I may have not loved you by then, but those children they'll forever remind me that once, you dishonoured me." She said bitterly as the tears fell from her blue eyes once again.

Ned took a deep breath and closed his eyes.

I need to tell her, to end this suffering of hers to prevent her from further hating the children.

But can he tell her the truth? He knew that Catelyn can be trusted with secrets. And he was very sure that she'll keep this for him and for the safety of the children.

Gods, Rhaegar Targaryen! The moment you took away my sister you had made my life a living hell!

He silently cursed the dead man. He should have been here, Rhaegar should have been here to protect his children and he shouldn't be doing Rhaegar's job. Rhaegar should have been King. Instead of running away with his sister he should have overthrown the Mad King himself. Then this shouldn't have happened. Ned then won't be tangled with his life's drama. And the children shouldn't have suffered this fate, to be separated from each other.

Arthur was right. He should have told Catelyn a long time ago and spared the children from her hatred. Lyanna and Jon would have a happy childhood by then. But he didn't, instead he made the three of them suffer instead of making them happy. He failed as a husband and as an uncle. And he didn't deserve them after all of this.

He took a deep breath and held his wife. It was time he should tell her the truth. He can't control what will happen to him in King's Landing. And if anything happens, then he was positive that Catelyn will do her best to protect Lyanna and Jon if she knew the truth.

"Cate…." He began. He felt nervous. Can he do this? He should. For Lyanna, for Jon and for Cate. He should do this.

Catelyn looked at him, her blue eyes still full of tears. He sighed.

"There's something important I need to tell you Cate… I've kept a secret that I should have told you a long time ago that shouldn't have resulted to this…." He said and Catelyn wiped the tears with the back of her hands and looked at him in question.

He gently pushed aside her lose hair that was currently damped with tears.

"What is it Ned?" She asked, her voice still trembling from sobbing. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath again.

"It's about the children; Lyanna and Jon."

He looked at her pained at the mention of bastards. He again took another deep breath, his heart hammered inside his chest. He was nervous! He didn't know how Cate will react to this. She was going through a lot after Bran's accident.

"What about them Ned?" Catelyn asked, her expression pained and it made him grimace.

"I… I lied to you Cate… the children… Lyanna and Jon… they are not mine…" He said and Catelyn looked at him with disbelief.

"What are you talking about Ned? Of course they are your children! They are Starks there's no doubt with that." She responded.

"They're not mine." He repeated again and Catelyn's brow furrowed.

"I don't understand if they're not yours, then who are their parents? Why do they look like Starks?" She asked him.

He sighed. Telling the truth was sometimes harder compared to lying. When he lied, he just told her that they're his and now he'll be taking back the lie he made seventeen years ago. He held her hand and looked her in her beautiful blue eyes.

"The twins are Lyanna's not mine…. They're… they're the children of Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen…"

He felt the big weight from his shoulders suddenly being taken away after he told his wife the secret that he kept for years. Catelyn gasped and covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes widened in surprise.

"What did you say?" She asked again, trying to clarify if she heard it right or if her mind was toying with her.

"I'm not Lyanna and Jon's father. Rhaegar Targaryen is." He again said, her eyes widened and it showed disbelief.

"How come? How did that happen? Does that mean Lyanna?" She asked. She doesn't need to finish what she was saying as Ned already knew what she was meant.

"Yes. Lyanna wasn't kidnapped by Rhaegar, she willingly went with him. She loved him and she had his children. His trueborn children, I lied to you to protect them Cate. I hope you understand why. Robert… He can't know about them. He'll kill the two; they'll be forever the reminder that he won't be having Lyanna even if she lived."

"Gods… Ned…" Catelyn said, she was looking at him and he knew that she was still processing the things he said.

"After the siege of Storm's End, I went to Dorne to free Lyanna from being held captive but when I arrived there, Lyanna is lying on a bed full of blood with two brown haired babies lying on her chest… She made me promise to keep them safe before she died… She told me to keep them safe from Robert… I cannot say that they are Lyanna's children because Robert would know then who their father is… He would kill them Cate… he would kill them like what they did to the other children… to Prince Aegon and Princess Rhaenys… I cannot just let them… even if they are Rhaegar's children, they also have the blood of winter in them… they are still Lyanna's children… my blood… my niece and nephew…" He said as tears wet his eyes when he recalled that painful day when he lost his sister and he got hold of the twins.

She remained silent and Ned was afraid that she might stand up and run to Robert and tell him the truth. Though in his mind, he felt comfort as this was the lie that he always wanted to tell her, the only lie he made that resulted to this mess. However he knew that the lying was necessary, if Catelyn knew about it and was nice with the children, people would become suspicious but he knew that what he did only hurt his loved ones. But now, as he told her, he hoped that she would reach out at the children.

"Gods Ned! I… I… I hated them all their lives because I thought that they are yours… I told our children to stay away from them because I always see them as the reminder of your unfaithfulness but… I was wrong… Gods Ned, why did you even lie? I shouldn't have… Oh. I'm so sorry!" She finally said, he hugged her instead and felt happy that she didn't run and finally forgiven him for what he did.

"It was for their protection Cate. If anyone knows about this, not only Robert will want them dead. The Martells would also want them eliminated. They will remind them of Rhaegar's infidelity and of their kin dishonoured. They already hated Lyanna and I don't want the children to be hated too." He replied and Catelyn nodded.

"I should have known. I'm very sorry Ned. I know that it is a bit late but I need to make it up to them." She said.

"Just promise me one thing Cate." He said and Catelyn looked at him curiously. "Please promise me you won't tell anyone about this."

"I promise Ned. I will do my best to protect them. I love you." She then whispered.

"I love you too Cate. Now go, Bran needs you." He whispered in answer and Catelyn nodded and stood up to go back to the castle leaving him finally at peace.

Now all he had to deal about is Robert and Lyanna's wedding to Jaime Lannister, the Kingslayer.

"You have been avoiding me brother."

Jaime had just finished his bath when his sister came. He was still wearing a towel and his hair was still wet and the water from it was dripping on his bare chest. Cersei quickly bolted the door and hungrily gazed at his half naked form.

It disgusted him. The fact that this woman in front of him was just touched by another man two nights ago. She didn't even made an effort to talk to him during the three days he avoided her and he caught her humping with another man. He was still hurt but then he knew he can manage, he can't waste another minute of his life loving an unfaithful girl when he had forever remained loyal to her.

"As you see my dear sister, I had been busy." He answered and walked to the closet to fetch fresh pair of tunic and breeches.

He didn't even mind if her eyes were following him. Today, he wanted to visit Lyanna again and he completely had chased the thoughts of Lyanna being a Targaryen out of his mind for it was impossible.

"Busy with the wolf-whore?" She asked, her eyes narrowed with anger.

He turned to her direction as he pulled his breeches up to cover his lower half and securely tied its laces. He felt anger surge into him as his sister called his intended a whore when it was her who was whoring around not Lyanna.

"Might I ask you where you have been this few days dear sister? Are you not whoring around yourself?" He asked and Cersei's face reddened, he does not know if it was of embarrassment or anger but he really doesn't care. It didn't take her long to regain her composure and she held her head high, like she always does whenever Robert insults or slaps her.

"I don't know what you mean brother." She said and started walking elegantly towards him. She placed her head and hand on his chest and he fought the urge to wrap his arms around her soft warm body.

"I've miss you brother, I haven't seen you for days and now I get to hear the news that you're marrying the bastard girl." She said in her seductively sweet voice that usually turns him on, but after his discovery he can't even bring himself to harden even if he tried to recall the feel of her naked body against his.

"Robert relieved me from my duties and father has consented to this marriage." He answered timidly and pulled away from him.

She looked at him, her green eyes blazing with anger.

"And you allowed it?" She asked angrily.

"Yes." He answered quickly.

"You're joking brother." She said as she went to sit on his bed and started toying with her long golden hair that he used to caress and tug during their love making.

He moved to pull the tunic over his head and went to get his boots.

"I'm not joking sister. I intend to marry Lyanna Stark within a fortnight and we'll stay in the capitol for three months and proceed to the Rock to claim my rightful place as father's heir." He answered as he sat on the chair near his bed and went to tie the laces of his boots.

"You can't do that. You promised me. We promised to be together Jaime; we promised that we will only be for each other. That was why you became a Kingsguard right? To be with me and no one else." Cersei said angrily as she looked at him with narrowed eyes but he didn't meet them and just continued fixing his footwear. When he was done he lifted his chin and looked at her with a face void of any emotion.

"I intended to keep my end of the bargain sister but I discovered something that made me think about your sincerity and faithfulness in this relationship." He answered and went to get his doublet that his squire prepared earlier this morning.

"And what is that dear brother? What did you discover that made you doubt my faithfulness? I have always been loyal to you brother. There is no one else but you in my heart." She answered and he chuckled bitterly causing her to furrow her brows.

"Faithful? You're faithful to me?" He laughed bitterly. "How about you tell me about your relationship with our dear cousin Lancel?" He asked again and Cersei's eyes widened but she quickly regained it and smiled.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She said and looked away from him. He walked towards her and kneeled in front of her and pulled her face to force her to look at him.

"Tell me sister, how long have you been fucking our good cousin? Huh?" He asked again, this time his voice was rather irritated and harsh.

"I don't know what you're talking about brother, why would I fuck him when I have you?" She said sweetly and moved her hand to cup his face but he pulled away causing her to scowl.

"I want to believe you sister. I still love you, you know. But the moment I saw you with him, I realized that I was nothing more than your pawn. So dear sister, there is nothing you can do if I wanted to marry Lyanna Stark." He said as he stood up from the floor.

"Lyanna Stark is dead brother, there is only a bastard girl here whose name is Lyanna Snow." She hissed and he laughed.

"Your husband legitimized her to make her fit to become a highborn Lord's wife." He said, he wanted to mention that the reason was to dismiss the rumours of his relationship to her but he didn't bring it up. He wanted to let her think that he willingly accepted this match to get even.

"Once a bastard, always a bastard." She spat and stood up from the bed and moved towards him. "Even if you'll marry her brother, you'll still be thinking of me. We belong to each other Jaime. We're meant to be together and not with someone else. You'll only be complete with me; she won't make you feel whole, only I can do that." She said.

"Enjoy her as much as you can but mind you brother, I don't like sharing what's mine with another. You'll come back to me." She added before she reached for the door and slammed it behind her.

He sighed. So much for not telling her about what I saw. He thought. Now, his day began differently as he hoped. However Cersei's words made him worry. She was dangerous when she gets angry and he felt his stomach churn at the thought that Cersei might harm Lyanna.

The girl was innocent of all of this; she was just matched with him and was caught with his complicated relationship with his sister. But if Cersei tried to raise a finger on her or if just one strand of Lyanna's hair fell because of her, he won't be showing her mercy. She mustn't dare touch his betrothed or she'll end up regretting it.

And since when did he started to become protective of Lyanna?

Thoughts?

Up Next: Someone dreams and the Joffrey scene. :3