8th Month of 297 A.C. Darry

Prince Jon Targaryen

The past few months had been interesting for Jon, he had said an emotional goodbye to his family, promising them all that he would write to them when he could, and promising his father- for that was what Lord Stark was no matter whose seed he was- that he would try to stay out of trouble. He had been filled with excitement at the prospect, excited at getting out of the north and seeing the world, his uncle's tales had come back to him thick and fast during those first few heady days. The day spent at Cerwyn was alright, but Jon itched for more, and onto the Square where Jon had enjoyed sparring with Benfred Tallhart as well as his cousins, Jon had gotten the sense that there was something different about these interactions, there was more reverence amongst the lords and their families and he wondered, just wondered if they knew, but his father would not risk such a thing would he? His doubts increased after time spent in White Harbour where lavish feasts were thrown for him and his uncle and Lord Wyman spoke of oaths of old and marriages that could bring great prosperity.

The Riverlands was something even more confusing for Jon, the land of Lady Stark, he had expected hostility and yet the Twins had given him a warm reception the dreaded Walder Frey had even welcomed him and praised his skill to a highest height, and that was something Jon was told he never did. That the man showed him his daughters and granddaughters, and even great-granddaughters was even more surprising. From there they had gone to Seagard where they were greeted like royalty such a thing made Jon wonder, but then he dismissed it, his uncle and Lord Jason were old friends and that might be the reason for why such things were being done. From there Riverrun had greeted him and that had been the biggest surprise, there was no coldness from Ser Edmure or even the old and ageing Lord Hoster, only warmness and frankness. Anything he had wanted he had gotten and that, that was something that was totally new to him. Slowly but surely he was beginning to think that his father might well have told his allies, though why he was not sure.

And now there was Darry, the Darrys were an old family and had once been powerful but Rhaegar's folly had cost them dearly, and now, now they were showing him all the attention as if he was a king, when he was not. He looked at the hall around him and spoke. "This is a fine feast you have thrown Ser Raymun, I hope it was not simply on my account?"

Ser Raymun Darry, a lean man with strong arms and a deep voice seems to blush slightly. "It was no trouble my prince, no trouble at all. It is an honour to be hosting one such as you. Someone from so ancient a house gracing us with your presence is a blessing for us."

Jon looks at his uncle Benjen who merely shrugs his shoulders before he continues. "I am glad, the honour is mine. Your castle is a very grand castle my lord. It seems a shame that others do not recognise its beauty. This should be spoken about in the same tones as the Rock and the Red Keep, and from what I have seen it is for sure the finest keep in the riverlands."

Jon hides a smile as Darry blushes. "Thank you my prince, it is an honour my prince. Truly an honour to be hosting one such as yourself here. Truly, if my father were alive he would be singing with joy at the thought."

Jon feels slightly uncomfortable with the level of praise being heaped on him by this man and so he hesitates for a moment before saying. "Truly, my lord, the honour is mine. I wish to thank you for hosting myself and my uncle during our time of travel. And I know it might be a risk to you considering the king's current feeling toward your family, but nonetheless I thank you for it."

Darry waves a hand dismissively. "That fat fool will not live for too long. It is known that he drinks and whores, and such men do not have the chance to see the error of their ways before it is too late. When the time comes he will know about it, and then he shall fall to his knees and beg for forgiveness for his crimes."

"You seem certain of this my lord," Jon notes. "What makes you so certain that King Robert will not survive for much longer? Surely there is something to the contrary. The man is in good health and his legacy is secure with his heirs. He is in a strong position."

The knight looks at him and asks. "Do you think your father will truly support that fat fool, should something come between them? I do not think Lord Eddard would do such a thing, for from my encounters with the man it seems that he values blood and family more than someone whom he has not seen in eight years. Of course I could be wrong, you know him better than I my prince."

There it is again, the title, Jon unable to hold back anymore asks. "Why do you keep calling me a prince my lord? Is there something you know that you wish to speak of?"

Silence and then. "There is my prince, I know the truth. I have always known the truth, that King Rhaegar was survived by his children after his death. There was no point in denying it, or in denying you your rightful title. You are a prince and it is my duty and my honour to serve you and your family."

There are two things Jon wants to speak of after that, his interest piqued. "And how do you intend to serve me and my family? Considering the realm is far too easy at peace right now."

The man is silent a moment and then he replies his voice filled with pride. "I will do whatever it takes to see your family on the throne, anything you ask I will not hesitate to do. It is your god given right to be the ruling family of Westeros, anyone who says differently is a fool, and need only look at how the kingdoms have fared since the usurper has sat the throne."

"The kingdoms have been at peace for eight years since the Greyjoy rebellion, and the realm has known nothing but prosperity under King Robert. Your claim seems weak." Uncle Benjen says.

Ser Raymun looks at his uncle then his eyes appraising. "You cannot speak as such my lord. You know as well as I do that the kingdoms are falling apart at the seams, the Lannisters grow richer as the year's role by, and the King allows corruption and evil into his court. There is nothing good or pure about his court."

Jon looks at his uncle wondering how he could know such a thing, but before he can ask his uncle says. "That is true, the man has often given way to avarice and greed rather than to allow himself the chance to clear the dust from his eyes. And now with tidings in Dorne it seems things are moving much quicker than could have been anticipated."

Jon snaps to attention then. "Tidings in Dorne? What tidings?"

His uncle looks at him a moment and then at Ser Raymun the man nods and then his uncle says. "It seems there was an attempt on your brother and sister's lives in Dorne."

Jon stands up then, and sees the eyes of the people in the hall look at him because of this, blushing slightly he sits down and whispers fiercely. "When did this happen? What happened, and why did you not tell me of this?"

His uncle sighs then and says. "Because nothing went wrong, they found the culprits and had them killed after getting the relevant information from them. They are fine and now eagerly await your arrival."

Jon looks at his uncle a moment and then asks. "Are you sure? How would you know anyway?"

His uncle is silent a moment and then replies. "I have friends in Dorne who have kept me informed of their progress for a long time, just as they know of your progress."

Jon is taken aback by this and looks at his uncle. "They, you…. You have been telling them about me?"

His uncle nods. "Aye, only what they needed to know, there was nothing sinister about this. I have told you some of what I know of them as well have I not my prince?"

Jon nods his head, thinking of the descriptions of his brother and sister, one a warrior in the flesh the other as beautiful if not more so than the maiden herself and fierce as Nymeria. "You have uncle, and for that I thank you." He pauses a moment remembering something Ser Raymun had said earlier, looking at the knight who has been looking at him for a long time he asks. "Ser Raymun you mentioned something earlier about my father, the man who sired me. You called him King Rhaegar did you not? And yet he was never crowned."

The man is silent, clearly thinking over how much he can and cannot mention, eventually he says. "King Rhaegar might never have been crowned by the High Septon, but that is a ceremony that has increasingly come to mean little to nothing. The High Septon has always been a creature of the master of coin since the days of King Aegon the fifth of that name, it is a sad state of affairs truth be told. When it became clear that King Aerys was too far gone to be a good king, when the madness began to worsen, the great lords of the realm all met and agreed that Prince Rhaegar had to be crowned, and so an ancient custom used by the first men was used, a document with the signatures of many of these lords was signed and it was supposed to be presented to Prince Rhaegar, now King Rhaegar at Harrenhal, but King Aerys came and ruined it all. And then the rebellion occurred and it all went south."

Jon considers this a moment and then asks. "Is this true though? Why is there no record of this at all, why is there no solid written evidence of that?"

The man is silent a moment and then says. "Because the Lannisters did not want their involvement with it known. Tywin Lannister needed to remain friendly with the new regime, and so he had it destroyed. Completely destroyed. It is a shame, for it shows that once King Rhaegar died on the trident, your brother became King through this succession method."

Jon takes this in and then says. "That is all well and good but unless my brother takes the throne back he will never sit it. He will need to fight for the throne, the throne that our ancestors built. And right now Robert Baratheon is in too secure a position for that to happen. Something needs to break for this war to happen."

"The usurper will fall, you have my word on that my prince. The man cannot continue on the path he is now without falling into the traps that the Unworthy fell into as well. He will fall and his family shall fall with him." Darry responds.

Jon is not sure he understands and so he asks. "How can you be so certain that this will happen? You talk as if this is a given, and yet if there is anything the past few moons have taught me, it is that nothing in life is certain. So pray tell me my lord, how do you know that this will happen? How do you know that the usurper will die?"

Darry looks at him then and smiles. "Because the Lannisters are not the only ones with a presence in the capital, and the time of the dragon is coming."