Authors note: Thank you for the reviews, favorites and follows. As I mention at the end these two may be a little out of character but I explain why. Anyway I hope you all enjoy this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones, I own Lyrina.
Chapter 24: Father.
Jon Snow's P.o.v
They were a day from Winterfell when a rider caught up to them, and to his surprise the rider came from Robb's camp. He did not expect word from his brother until a later time, but nonetheless he was handed a letter. For your eyes only. Was what the rider told him, and Jon began to wonder what could be so important. He looked to his friends, and he thought of what the letter could hold. His men were all set up for the night, ready to sleep and ready to reach Winterfell the next day.
Jon walked away from them, and found a spot in the woods far from them. He did not want them to see the letter if it was so important.
Jon,
This is the hardest letter I think I will ever write to you or to anyone I love and care for. I want you to know I am sorry, I had no control,you know that. You know that my brother got into my head, he warped me, scared me and I would do anything to keep the people I loved safe. My brother made me lie, he told me if I did not keep his secret he would take me from Robb, kill any child we had and lock me away in the deepest parts of the dungeon, he meant it. I lied for him and I still lie for him, it's killing me Jon. I need your help, I need you to ride to Eastwatch and find him. Your father is at Eastwatch, my brother never killed him. He faked your father's death to play a sick little game of control, and he is winning Jon. We can't let him keep winning, find your father and send him home. I don't know if he took his vow, but you need to convince him to leave. I need to know he is really alive before I tell Robb and Lady Catelyn. I need this to stay between us until I know, until we have proof that you father is alive. Jon I am sorry I have kept it from you all for so long but I had to. I hope you can forgive me.
Lyrina.
Jon crumpled the letter in his hand emotions overwhelming him. He was angry, not at her, but at Joffrey for playing a game with their lives. He took it upon himself to use his own sister and Jon's father as pieces in some sick game. His family was not a game for the bastard king to play with, and Jon knew he should not take part in the politics of the Seven kingdoms but this was his family. He was not going to sit by and watch this prick use the people he loved against them.
When Jon joined his friends again he pretended as if nothing happened. He acted like he was fine, laughed with them and joked with them. He had mourned his father and now the man had a possibility of being alive. He had dealt with what Lyrina had told him, of what Joffrey had done to her but now there was more. He knew Robb would not handle the news as easily as he had, his brother was cursed with the dual temper. Lady Stark had a temper and their father had one as well, cursing Robb with an even quicker temper. He knew Lyrina was relying on him to find out the real truth so she could tell Robb and the sooner he found the truth the better it would be for everyone.
"Brothers, I need a favor." The three looked at him and he knew they were not going to like it.
"What is it, Jon?" It was Sam who spoke while the others just watched him.
"I need you to stay in Winterfell for a few days, send word back that someone was injured and can't ride." They looked between each other confused as he spoke. "I need to ride to Eastwatch, I will meet you boys back on the road to Castle Black, I promise."
"Jon, you know we can't do that. We were sent to make sure you don't run."
"I know you don't understand but I am not running, I need to go to Eastwatch. I have reason to believe there is someone there I need to see."
He knew he could trust them, but he did not know if he could tell them about his father. He did not think they would understand his blatant belief in Lyrina.
"When we get back to Castle Black just send word to Eastwatch."
"I can't."
He couldn't tell the men in Castle Black, they would not understand. They would stand behind the false king, they would tell him to leave his father there if he was there. He could not let his father rot at the wall because he dared speak the truth, Lyrina had told him about his father's crimes. He knew his father found out about the incest and he knew Lyrina could be queen if she grew up. He knew the letter was one way for her to gain some strength on her own but still, until she stopped being a child there was no hope for her as a queen.
"Jon, how important is this to you?" It was Grenn he spoke this time.
"It's very important, I got a letter from my brother's wife and it's real important."
"You need to tell us Jon, you need to trust us and you need to know we will keep your secret." Pyp opened his mouth and now Sam was the only silent one.
Jon watched all of their faces trying to make a decision. He knew he could trust them, but he had to keep Lyrina's secret. She was trusting him, but he needed to convince these men to help him and he needed to be honest.
"My father may be alive, and I need to reach him."
No one spoke they all just stared at him. Jon felt weird even saying the words aloud, last he spoke of his father he was dead. Jon never thought he would get the chance to see his father again, never thought he would be just leagues away along the wall.
"I thought.." Sam seemed stuck on his words.
"I thought so too, but I have reason to believe he is at Eastwatch. You have to understand."
"Alright, we will do it but you better meet us on the road there or we will kill you ourselves."
"Thank you, my brothers in Winterfell will be happy to see you. Tell them I am sorry, but I can't explain why I won't be there. I need you all to keep this a secret."
"You have our word."
Jon could not explain in words the feeling inside himself about his father. He had spent a long time traveling south for the wedding, all the time thinking about his father. How proud his father would have been for the happy couple, how much he missed his father and how much they all needed his father. Jon wondered if his father was there if his brother would turn tail and go home. He knew what Robb was fighting for but by the Old Gods he just wanted his brothers and sisters to be safe, he knew his father was their only hope.
He knew his father would be the only thing that would get Robb to see the reason in going home. Sansa, Arya and Lyrina were all free from Kings Landing, they could be a family again. Jon knew that his brother would never have the life he deserved if he continued to fight this war and if his father could stop it, he needed to try. He needed ensure his family made it back home, that his best friend and brother got to have children. He wanted to be an uncle, he wanted his sisters to grow up and live their lives. He would break his vows if he had to, if that was what it took to get his father back home he'd do it.
He left their small camp the next morning, only saying his farewell to Grenn who was awake. Grenn promised him that they would keep watch over his brothers while they were in Winterfell and that he would see him on the road to Castle Black. Jon left on his horse and did not look back, he knew what he was about to do and he only hoped good came from it.
Jon rode on for days without sleep, and when he slept it was small intervals he knew it would take weeks to reach Eastwatch unless he hurried. He rode hard and he rode with conviction, he needed to find his father alive. He knew that by the time he reached Eastwatch he would not have much time to convince his father to leave and go home. He would have only a small window to meet the others on the way to Castle Black, but he knew he would break the vow if he had to. His brothers of the wall had become his family but his blood came first.
When he reached the castle of Eastwatch Jon knew he would be recognized by the one of the men they had sent there but he did not care. He rode up the gates, informing the man guarding them that he was in fact a brother of the watch, one from Castle Black. He did not state his business, and the guard did not ask.
"What can I do for you?" He was greeted by the Commander of the Eastwatch.
"You got some recruits from Kings Landing, I need to speak with one of them."
"One moment."
Jon stood there was Cotter Pyke went to get the recruits, a sinking feeling building in stomach. What if his father wasn't there? What if he was? How could Jon convince him to come home to their family? He thought it would be easy but as the men were coming out he had a feeling it was not going to be as easy. He looked over each man until his eyes fell on the man on the far end. His head was down, his hair was shorter than his fathers but a feeling came over him, Jon knew.
"Him, I need to speak to him." He pointed to the man he believed was his father.
"Brandon, go with your soon to be brother of the watch."
The man kept his head down as he approached Jon and he knew with each step it was his father. The way the man walked, the way he carried himself even with his head down were all signs of his father. Once the men were alone inside one of the rooms the man looked up and their grey eyes met.
"Father."
"Jon, what are you doing here?"
"Lyrina sent word to me, Joffrey had made her lie about your death as he no doubt did with you. She can't keep the secret any longer father, you need to go home.." His father looked around as if unerved even though they were alone.
"I can not march south yet,Jon. Cotter Pyke and a few others here know who I am, even Commander Mormont knows I am here.."
"Why can you not march home, father? They need you,father, your family needs you."
"Until Sansa is home safe I can not reveal I am alive."
"Father, Arya and Sansa are both on their way home."
The look on his father's face read differently and Jon began to worry. He had seen his sisters at the wedding and Arya had made a point of telling him she was going home. The young girl was unhappy of being separated from her family but nonetheless she was going home.
"Joffrey sent word himself here to tell us that Sansa is back in Kings Landing, Jon, he took her."
Jon was getting tired of the run around with the people of Kings Landing. Joffrey could not just let her go, he didn't even want Sansa. He didn't want her, he just needed a new piece of leverage over them and he no doubt would have taken Lyrina if Robb had sent her north as well.
"I didn't know. If you march south and convince Robb to go home maybe Joffrey would see reason." Jon knew he wouldn't.
"I will not convince him to go home, he is where he needs to be. Lyrina needs make her claim for the throne, it is time for her, she is married to Robb now."
"She is afraid, father, but she is trying." Lyrina did not want to be a queen.
"I know she is but it will not be enough." His father's tone was stern and Jon could understand. "Jon, you can tell no one of me being here."
"Lyrina sent me to find you because she needs to tell Robb, it is killing her. She is sick of her brother controlling her father, you don't know what he did to her."
Jon needed to let Lyrina know because he could not let her keep something like this from their family. It was more important that they know his father was alive, more important than Joffrey's little game.
"Understand but I worry what will happen to Sansa. He threatened to kill all of you if I spoke of who I am, and I don't want to risk her."
"He can't kill Sansa, Robb has Jaime Lannister and as far as Joffrey is concerned Lyrina still supports him. It's a sick game he is playing but he doesn't know he is being played as well father." He knew that Lyrina was still playing the perfect princess and sister, he did not know how much longer than game would last. When he had seen her last he could see the fear slipping from her but it still had a grip on her.
"Father, they need you. Even if you go home in secret they need to know you are alive, you can get Robb to turn around and go home."
"He can't Jon, he needs to fight this war. They have named him King in the north, he needs to fight for them now. Whether it is for the freedom of his people, or for the throne he has to fight."
"He won't live through this war, father."
"Robb will because he has the people on his side, he needs to play it smart."
Jon had faith in Robb, but he knew Robb could not do it alone. He knew his brother was smart, honorable and loyal but he knew that not everyone was going to be so honest with him. There were always liars in the Seven Kingdoms.
"Should he fight for the Iron Throne or for freedom?"
"I fear it will become one in the same soon."
Jon feared the same, he worried that there was no way for the north to be free. The north needed more than just freedom, they needed to take over the Seven Kingdoms. They needed a northern man on the throne, a man who knows what they deserve and what the kingdoms needed. Jon did not know if that man was his brother but he knew with Lyrina his brother could claim the throne.
Jon sat with his father and spoke of all he knew. He told his father about his own time at the Wall, told him of the wedding and the family. He informed his father of how much Arya had grown, about her friend Gendry and how in love Lyrina and Robb seemed. His father seemed pleased by all the developments but Jon could still see the worry on his father's face. They were both leagues away from the rest of their family and there was nothing Jon could truly do without breaking his vow to his men.
"Jon, no doubt you need to get back to the wall but first we will send word to Lyrina. Tell her that she may inform my family of my whereabouts but only the family. No one outside of the House Stark can know, I do not know who can be trusted. She must inform Robb that I will not be riding south until his sister is safe, or until I feel it must be done."
"I will." He did not want to leave his father but he knew that he would need to meet the others soon.
"Jon, I am so proud of you for sticking to your vow. I know it is hard for you not to be fighting with him, to be riding into battle beside your brother. I would never tell you to break that oath, I would never tell you to break that sacred vow but I fear the time may come where you must and if it does don't look back." His father pulled him into a hug, not a sign of affection he was used to from his father.
"I know father."
"Goodbye, son."
His father left him alone in the room still unsure of what to feel. He wanted his father to ride south, to save Robb from himself but even his father saw no issue to the war. It was not that Jon did not see the reason for what Robb was doing but their father was alive, Jon knew if there was never a doubt of his father living the war would not be going on still. Once his sisters were free and Lyrina in Robb's arms, Jon had no doubt that they would have returned home. Due to the lie of his father's death Robb continued to march on in anger, and now for freedom. The north would be free but at what price to his family?
Jon wrote the raven to Lyrina and made his way back to his own Castle along the wall. He knew he would meet his men along the road and they would ride up to the castle as if nothing had happened. Everything had changed from when he had left, his father was alive and unable to do anything. His family remained in danger all because the brat on the throne had an issue with his blood. Jon knew his father was right and one day he may have to break his vow, one day he would have to decide if blood was more important than keeping a vow to the old Gods. Jon just prayed that when that day came the Old Gods could forgive him for picking the ones who were most important to him.`
Ned's p.o.v
Seeing Jon again made the worry for his family stir inside him. He had been at the wall for weeks and it was obvious to a few who he was, the fake name did nothing for him but they believed what they wished to. Ned knew he had a role to play and he knew Joffrey thought he had all the power but he didn't. Ned had his own power in the game, he had years on Joffrey and his honor may have almost killed him once but he was not making that mistake again. Honor was good for most things but as Cersei once told him in the game of thrones you win or you die. He had no intention of dying and he he had all intentions to get his family out of the game alive as well.
Robb would fight the war, his son would fight just as he was taught too. He had already married the true heir to the Iron Throne, staking a true claim for the freedom of the north. He knew his son's intention was not to use her but he also knew Robb must have thought about the claim his wife held. Ned declared Stannis the rightful heir because he knew that Lyrina could not fight a war alone, he knew if she remained in Kings Landing her life would be in danger. Ned also knew that Stannis was not stupid, Stannis would know that Lyrina was his true born niece and the heir to the throne. He did not know if Stannis would hand it over to the young girl, but he knew that Stannis was the best shot. The war was just beginning and Ned could only sit there watching from a distance until he was sure it was safe for him to reaper, because once he did everything would change.
Winter is coming and the Lannisters were not ready for what the winter had to bring to them.
A/N: I worry I may have made Jon and Ned a little out of character but Ned never made it this far in the show and honestly I don't think he'd be as honorable. I mean everyone is out to kill his family, I think honor flies the coup for a little while. As far as Jon he is worried for the people he cares for while dealing with his own feelings of breaking a vow.