Thanks again for the reviews.

In the last chapter, I meant to ask if you would prefer Talisa or Jeyne Westerling.

(Also, to Hisan: You're right and so I'm rewriting this chapter to make it a little more believable. Well, hopefully)

Chapter 9

The news of Ned's supposed treason had reached them days ago. Robb had refused to bow down to Joffrey. Though she had not told Robb of Jon's true identity, she did inform him of Joffrey's parentage and the reason for Bran's fall. He called his banners.

She watched as he proved to the Greatjon that he was not one to be mocked. She rode with them as the Lord of Winterfell led his bannermen to the Riverlands, his mother's home, to gather an army and rescue his father. They were camped somewhere near the Riverlands when word reached them.

"King" Joffrey "Baratheon" had executed Eddard Stark. His head now decorated the walls of the Red Keep. She could easily imagine the pain Jon and Robb felt.

Lady Catelyn had joined them some days ago. As she left to comfort her son, Rhaenys walked in the opposite direction, to where Jon had decided to hide. He didn't want anyone to see his grief.

He was looking at his reflection in a puddle when she found him. She had heard Robb hacking at a tree. The sound had rang through the woods. Jon had chosen to hit a tree with his bare hands. His knuckles were red with blood as he stared into the muddy water.

"Jon." Not even his name would break him of his trance. Walking over to him, she wrapped her arms around him and laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry. This is all my fault."

"No, it isn't." he turned to look at her face. He was searching her face. For what, she could not say.

"Oh, my sweet brother, it is." She cried as she described her dream to him, how she had meant to go to King's Landing and save Ned, but had chosen him before his uncle. The anger was evident. His body was clenched, barely containing the rage within.

When he spoke again, he shocked her. "I say again, it is not your fault. You saw him die, yes, but you could not have known when." The loss of the man he had believed to be his father all his life set in again. He buried his face into her shoulder, not caring that the tears he had tried to hide from everyone else was obvious to her. He knew she would not judge.

"It's alright brother. We will have our revenge. This I swear."

"You know, Robb should probably know about who we are," Jon said. She could tell this had been bothering him for some time.

"He should, but now might not be the best time." It was dark outside. They were sitting together in his tent. Before, they had been talking over things they remembered from Winterfell. In memory of Ned.

"If we're going to avenge my father- uncle- we need to gather as many allies as possible. Robb will help us so long as he knows that he can trust us. Even better, if the North declares for the Targaryens, other houses might too." Her brother had a point. They needed the other houses to win and they couldn't do that without at least one of the regions of Westeros.

"Very well. We'll speak to him soon."

That was not a good enough answer for him. "Rhaenys, we should tell him now. We need time to figure out how to announce our existence to the rest of the Seven Kingdoms."

She knew he wouldn't stop until she relented. Sighing, she got up and grabbed his arm. "Come on. We'll talk to him."

Dalin was waiting outside. He had heard everything they had said. Without needing to explain, she looked once south, in the direction of the Neck. He understood and left.

Robb was with his mother. They stopped talking the moment she and Jon walked in. Rhaenys felt fury at the Lady of Winterfell's expression. Catelyn's eyes were made of ice as her gaze fell on Jon. The message was clear: You're not wanted here. We don't want you here. I don't want you here.

"My lord, we have an important matter to discuss with you," Jon said. He didn't dare call Robb brother in Catelyn's presence.

"Jon, it is late. Can this matter wait until morning?" she could see he was exhausted. That she understood. He was barely a man and already he had to lead his men in a war against one of the most powerful families in Westeros. Welcome to my life, cousin.

"No, my lord. You need to know this if you hope to defeat the Lannisters." this got both Robb and Catelyn's attention.

"Well brother? Out with it."

Her brother gazed at her before he continued. "We can get Dorne and most, maybe all, of the Reach to fight for us."

"How?" Lady Catelyn was the one that asked this.

Her brother looked to her. She could see her uncertainty mirrored in his eyes. Neither of them really knew how to explain that they were all that was left of a supposedly dead house. It could be a little easier to make them believe in Jon, but Rhaenys was supposed to be dead.

After a few seconds of silence, Rhaenys decided to be straightforward. "Because we're two of the last three Targaryens."

She wasn't sure if Robb was going to break into laughter or stare in disbelief at them. Catelyn just gave them a look that said she didn't believe a word they said.

"What are you talking about? All the Targaryens are dead brother."

"No. Viserys and Daenarys escaped across the Narrow Sea. Viserys is dead now. My real name's Rhaenys. Jon is my half-brother. Rhaegar Targaryen is our father."

This information only served to confuse Robb even more. "What? No, Jon's father is Eddard Stark."

"No. Jon's father is Rhaegar Targaryen. His mother is Lyanna Stark, your aunt. Ned raised Jon as his bastard after his sister made him promise to protect her son."

There was rage and pain in Catelyn's eyes as she took it all in. "You mean Ned lied to us? All these years?"

She nodded. "Yes. He was an honorable man and he loved his sister more than anything. He would never break any promise to her."

"There is no proof of this. Don't you think that someone would have figured it out by now if Jon was really a Targaryen? I'm fairly certain Varys the Spider would have discovered it." Her cousin wasn't laughing, but he clearly thought it was a joke.

"Not if he was helping to protect the secret."

Now, Robb did laugh. "A little convenient, don't you think? That you would somehow survive, my father would arrive in time to find Jon, Varys works for you and that somehow this secret has not been revealed to the Baratheons or Lannisters?"

Rhaenys didn't bother saying anything. She could feel Dalin's presence before he entered. Both Robb and Catelyn gasped at his sudden appearance. It might have been the fact that Dalin carried an assortment of weapons or it might have been because his eyes were blacker than the night and that it seemed the tent suddenly became colder, but there was a flicker of fear on both their faces.

"My lord, there is proof to their claim." He was completely calm, speaking in a smooth and cool voice.

"Who are you?" Robb asked, his voice quavering slightly in fear. Dalin had that kind of affect on people.

"A servant. I was the one who saved Princess Rhaenys from the Lannister men."

"Words are wind. Anyone can claim to have saved her and bring forward a girl that is supposed to be a Targaryen princess," Lady Stark said coldly.

"And you will find out soon that I am not just anyone. Whether you truly believe the woman before you is Princess Rhaenys doesn't matter. Jon Snow's lineage is undeniable. And before you say that there is no proof, there is. Your father brought Jon back with him from the war. The last place he was before he came to Winterfell was Dorne. Your aunt, Lyanna, was found in the Tower of Joy in Dorne. She was there for a year, time enough to conceive and birth a child. Three Kingsguard were guarding Lyanna Stark. They all knew that Prince Rhaegar had been killed at the Trident. There would be no reason for them to guard her unless she was pregnant with their future king. Your aunt died in a bed of blood, brought on by childbirth." Everyone stared at the shade once he finished speaking. If he dislike the attention, he didn't show it.

Robb broke the silence. "Is there anyone that can swear before the gods that this is true?"

"Yes. Of the six men your father brought with him, only one survived. Howland Reed, Lord of Greywater Watch. I will take you to him, if you wish for him to confirm everything I have said." Dalin's attitude amused her. The way he talked, you would have thought this conversation was about the weather rather than the potential heir to the Iron Throne.

"Very well. Let me saddle my horse and-" Robb began but Dalin interrupted him.

"That won't be necessary, my lord," he said, placing one hand on Robb's shoulder. Before anyone could say anything, they disappeared into the shadows.

Catelyn opened her mouth to cry out. Moving swiftly, Rhaenys clamped one hand down on her mouth, muffling any sound she made. She tried to fight Rhaenys. but Jon grabbed both her arms and held her.

"Don't. No harm will come to Robb, I swear it. They are at Greywater Watch. He is safe." Lady Catelyn only stared at her hatefully.

It was an hour before they returned. Robb had an expression of shock on his face. Jon let go of Lady Catelyn. She ran to her son, hugging him tightly and asking what had happened.

"Mother, Jon is the King." His voice was a whisper. She backed away from him as if he had slapped her. It was obvious what thoughts were running through her head. How is he the king, and my son not? How? The bastard is a king. He's not a bastard at all.

Rhaenys stepped in to continue the in-progress plan. "My uncles have wanted revenge for what was done to my brother and mother. They love me dearly. When they confirm I am who I say I am, Dorne will ally itself with us. Other lords throughout the Seven Kingdoms will join with us once they learn that Dorne and the North have raised their banners for the Targaryens."

"What about the Iron Islands? We'll need their fleet to attack Lannisport." Catelyn was now helping in their planning. It seemed as though for these few moments, she had forgotten her deep hatred for Jon and her newly acquainted one for Rhaenys.

"We'll need someone to go and bring terms to them," Jon said.

"Agreed. I'll send Theon to treat with his father." Robb had barely finished when Rhaenys cried out.

"No!" They all looked at her as if she had gone mad. She elaborated. "Theon is a hostage, brought to the North to ensure his father's obediance. If we send him to the Iron Islands, there's no guarantee that he'll come back. Or that he will come back with a host of Ironborn prepared to invade the North."

"My sister's right. We should send someone else. And just to be certain, Theon will remain here," her brother said.

Robb nodded, deep in thought. "Yes. And once all the armies have been joined-"

"-we will march to King's Landing-" she continued.

"-and make the Lannisters pay for their crimes," Jon finished. There was a grim satisfaction with the idea. None of them wanted war, but it was the only way. Everything was falling into place.

"Volar morghulis." All men must die.