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Eddard Stark X

Winterfell, North, Year 281 AC

Finally, the long trip to Winterfell was to end. After another midday of riding, they spotted their home in the distance, getting bigger by each passing gallop. Ned believed each of his siblings and Ashara would spend the next few days sleeping as much as they could and he was going to the same, he was tired and a comfortable bed was always a pleasant sight…

An hour into the afternoon and they were entering the eastern gate. No matter how many times he saw Winterfell, it was always the imposing castle the Starks of old made it be, much larger than the Eyrie or the Gates of the Moon, though smaller than Harrenhal, which he knew now after seeing the castle.

"So what do you think Ash?" Asked Brandon as they were passing by a portcullis.

"It's big and beautiful," she said smiling. "I'm excited to see everything about it. That much I can assure you."

"Normally I would offer to be the guide but…dearest Ned would…hate me for it…" Lyanna said giggling.

"Ned is clearly the best guide in this situation…" Brandon agreed. "He will know the best places for some alone time…"

"Lya! Brandon!" His sister and brother merely showed their tongues to him and everyone laughed afterward, he included.

The servants and passing smallfolk waved at them and right in front of the Great Keep, by its courtyard, stood Ser Rodrik, Maester Walys with a book at hand and of course, their father with his solemn look, all waiting for them. They all dismounted their horses, giving their reins to the stableboys including Walder which no one knew why he was only able to say Hodor now. Walder was a great friend of Lya despite everything.

Brandon took the initiative and moved in to shake father's hands. "My children." Their father said with a shy smile. "It's good to have you all back, in one piece. How do you all fare?"

"Better now that we are home." Lyanna said as she hugged their father.

"I thought as much, sweet Lyanna," The Lord of Winterfell said chuckling and gently patting her back. Then when he let go of her, his gaze turned to Ben. "Ben the Wolf how are you?"

"Stronger!" Ben replied confidently as he embraced their father.

"I bet you are." Father smiled as he messed with Ben's hair. Finally, it was Ned's turn. "Ned…" he murmured. "It has been quite some time since we last saw each other, hasn't it?"

"Aye, father," Ned replied with the same smile as father whilst they embraced. "I have missed you and Winterfell."

"I have missed you too, son," Father confessed as he glanced Ned with a proud smile. "You have grown."

"Maybe a little bit…" Ned replied chuckling. Be brave Ned… "Listen…we…we brought…someone…with…with us…"

Father looked at him with a confused look and a raised eyebrow. "Someone, you say?" And with this, their father turned around until he finally focused his eyes in Ashara who quickly smiled when the Lord of Winterfell's gaze befell onto her.

"My Lord, it's a pleasure to finally get acquainted with My Lord." she began with a respectful nod. "My name is Ashara Dayne, daughter of Lord Solomon Dayne of Starfall and his late wife Lady Elyana Blackmont."

"You are quite far away from home then," Father said with an uneasy smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you, My Lady. Welcome to Winterfell."

"Thank you for the warm welcome My Lord." she replied with another nod.

"We hope My Lady's stay in Winterfell will be pleasurable enough." Father wished. "A Dornishwoman will likely have difficulties in this climate."

"It's being wonderful so far, My Lord," Ashara replied with a bright smile. "I'm sure it will remain as such, even with the harsh climate."

Father smiled a little more and then he turned towards Lyanna. "Lyanna would you mind escorting Lady Dayne to her rooms and then show her Winterfell?"

"Certainly." Lyanna nodded. "But I'm sure Ned will be…"

"Your older brothers will come with me to my office so we can have a talk." Father said and Ned suddenly felt a shiver down his spine as his father said these words. Be brave!

"If you say so…" Lyanna said. "Lady Ashara would you care to follow me?"

"Of course Lady Lyanna, do lead the way." Ashara seemed to wish him good luck and to be brave considering her expression.

"What about me?" Ben hissed. "What will I do?"

"You will practice with Ser Rodrik as he misses sparing with you," Father said whilst turning to a smiling Ser Rodrik. "Go easy on him, he is getting old."

"Okay…" Ben agreed as Ser Rodrik clapped his back and led him to the main courtyard.

As both Brandon and he were following their father to the Great Hall, Ned found himself shaking a lot from how nervous he was. There was no doubt that they were going to speak of Ashara…Once they entered his father's private room, their father took a seat in the Lord's chair and began looking at Brandon and then to him, then to Brandon once more and then him again…these glances were making Ned even more nervous…

"Which one of you is going to explain to me why Lady Dayne came with you?" His father finally asked.

"Father…" Ned began nervously and stammering but he had to be strong, she came all the way North for him and he couldn't let her down. "I…wish…I wish to…marry her…"

His father just remained gazing him for almost a full minute, not saying a word and making Ned tremble in fear inside. Then he finally looked to Brandon in hopes of an explanation.

"You told me to find him a suitable wife." Said Brandon with an uneasy smirk, he too seemed nervous... "And I found a suitable wife for him. Lady Ashara is a perfect match for Ned."

"I did ask you to find your brother a wife, but I wasn't expecting a Dornishwoman…" His father confessed. "I thought you would look in the Westerlands or the Reach…as I suggested..."

"I think Dorne is a very good place to forge an alliance, father," Brandon insisted. "House Dayne is old, powerful and prestigious just as you asked and Lady Ashara is as southern as a woman can be, there is nothing south of Starfall. House Dayne is also of First Men origin…at least I think it is…"

"I never said she isn't all those things Brandon, but…"

"Ned had sex with her," Brandon said as if it was the simplest and plainest thing in the world. WHAT THE FUCK? Was this his plan all along? SERIOUSLY?

His father turned to him with an aghast expression and because of it, Ned never felt more embarrassed in his life. So embarrassed he was, that he blushed so hard and couldn't stop staring at the floor…Thank you, Brandon! Thank you so much, you smart ass! Seriously, why in the Seven Hells do I even trust this fool?

"Ned…" His father asked whilst his palm found his forehead in exasperation. "Is it true? Did you sleep with the woman? Aren't you covering one of your brother's mistakes? Please…tell me you are…"

Seeing his father so disappointed with him made Ned feel worse than shit. "I did father, I laid with her on my own free will," Ned confessed. "Brandon by all accounts was always sleeping in his tent without any woman's company in the entirety of the tourney."

"Seven fucking hells…" Sighed his father in defeat, while rubbing his face. "I expect such behavior from Brandon as he had his fair share of maidenheads already, but from you?"

"I…"

"You have disappointed me, Ned."

"I'm sorry father…" Ned muttered. "I couldn't help it, I love her so much that I couldn't resist her…we love each other father…truly…"

Still, with his hands covering his face, his father sighed once more before glancing them both again. "Call Maester Walys…" he commanded.

"Maester Walys?" Ned asked confused.

"Aye we will need him to send a raven to Starfall don't we?" Father questioned without expecting an answer.

"Father does this mean…" Began Ned.

"House Dayne is a proud house from a faraway Kingdom, Ned, so you will have to marry Lady Dayne to restore her honor." His father explained plainly. "Yet, in your case, I assume you like the punishment, don't you?"

Of course, he liked the punishment, he loved it! It was a victory! His heartbeat just went off! He had gotten permission to marry the woman he loved! He received permission to marry Ashara! Oh Gods! I'm marrying her! Yes! Yes! He didn't even notice his inability to speak, so when he tried to answer his father, only squeals came.

"Father," Bran said laughing. "Give this Dumb Wolf some time to calm down or he might faint from joy."

Much to his relief, father began chucking as well. "Maybe I should…" Their father muttered. "Gods you children grow so fast…just yesterday you were nothing but babes…and without carnal desires…"

"I-I…" Ned began stammering, still overflowed with emotions.

"Will tell the girl that a raven will be sent to her home with a marriage proposal today." Concluded his father. "And watch what you do with her before your marriage, one thing is to conceal a night of…cuddling, the other is to conceal a swollen belly."

"Thank you, father..." Ned said while bending his knee to his father. "Thank you so much, father."

"Get up Ned." His father ordered embarrassed. "I don't want my children bowing before me."

"My apologies…" Ned quickly corrected himself back up.

"It's okay." His father assured him. "I have said everything I had to say, so you are both free to do as wish now, with moderation."

They nodded to their father and left the Great Hall. Ned promptly stopped Brandon as they exited and then closed the door behind them. "That was your brilliant plan?" he asked angrily. "Telling father I slept with her?"

"What about it? It worked didn't it?" Brandon retorted. "Father accepted and that's what matters."

"But now he is disappointed with me!"

"Of course he is." Said Brandon. "If you were so concerned with him being disappointed with you, then you should have kept the celibacy vows."

"I know but…"

"A little question brother…" Brandon interrupted. "What do you prefer, having father disappointed with you for some time or not marrying Ashara but someone else for the rest of your life?"

Gods why was Brandon so smart at times… "The first…"

"I thought as much," Brandon smirked as he clapped him in the back. "Smile ya fool, you are getting married!"

And that he did, he smiled like never before whilst Brandon placed his arm behind him, smiling as well. "We should go for a drink of celebration!" Brandon suggested beaming.

"No."

"What?" Bran barked indignantly. "Gods Ned, you are boring at times…"

"I like being boring." Ned retorted.

"Now he japes!" Brandon smirked. "I see how it is…wlet's find Ben the Pup and the girls and tell them the good news."

"Aye."

They found Lyanna and Ashara watching as Ben spared with Ser Rodrik, laughing with the conversation they were having but as soon as they saw them approaching, the laughs gave way to concerned faces of anticipation. Ben also stopped and begged for a pause and came closer to them as well.

"Ned was something amiss?" Asked Ashara worriedly, as she approached him. "Did your father rant you because of me?"

Ned couldn't keep a smile away from his face, so the two of them promptly looked perplexed to Brandon who was smiling as well.

"Why are you smiling like that?" Ashara asked once more, while her eyes returned to him. "Ned? Talk to me!"

He felt a big grin form in his face, one of those Brandon usually had for sure, which made understand why his brother did them so often. "My father accepted our marriage Ash and he is writing a letter to yours as we speak, it shall leave Winterfell today." Ned explained with much joy.

Ashara's beautiful violet eyes began shining more and that bright smile of hers sculpted a magnificent expression on her face before she literally jumped on top of him and made him fall to the floor. "Oh my sweet Quiet Wolf, I'm so happy!" she said before kissed him deeply in the lips whilst hugging him so hard he felt her breaking his ribs with her tight grip. "I love you so much."

"Ashara…you are crushing me…" he murmured in pain.

She quickly released him and helped him stand up. "Oh, I'm so sorry Ned!" she said concerned. "I got overexcited…I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"It's okay…" he commented. "I'm alive still…"

Brandon began laughing as loud as his usual self. "Gods, look at the pair of them…"

"Congratulations, dearest Ned, Lady Ashara," Lyanna said with a smile. "I'm so glad father accepted."

"Yeah, brother." Ben agreed. "Can't wait for the army of brooding Neds to arrive so I can see Bran scared like he said the sight of them would do to him."

"Shut up Pup!" Bran barked indignantly. "You need to keep that mouth of yours closed sometimes. Some things are not to be mentioned."

They all looked at Brandon with smirks. "Afraid of little children that are yet to be born big brother?" Lyanna commented amusedly. "My…my…"

"I never said such thing…the Pup is making things up…"

"Yes, you did!" Ben insisted.

"Gods damn you Pup!" Brandon tried to slap Ben but Ben knew it was coming so he evaded and showed his tongue.

They all broke into laughter at Brandon's newfound fear whilst Ned extended his hand to what was to be his wife and she did the same…his very own wife... He couldn't wait for their marriage to happen now.

Aerys Targaryen I

Red Keep, King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 281 AC

Aerys attended yet another boring Small Council meeting. He never had the patience for these dull affairs and with the years passing by it was getting worse, they were so unworthy of his time…He had only attended the meetings these past years to watch what that idiotic fool Tywin was doing but now that he was gone, there was no point on attending, was it?

Did I get you good this time have I not Tywin? I have your precious heir with me. You will not outsmart me with your puny schemes, I'm a dragon and you a mere prudish lion…a lion that stole my Joanna from me…she was mine by right, I claimed her myself, she should have given me those twins and many more children if I was not married to the useless cunt that is my sister…a stupid whore who can't give birth to proper children besides Viserys, just stillbirths, miscarriages and dim wits…curse my parents for this stupid marriage and curse you Tywin for stealing my Joanna, may the whole lot of you rot in the Seven Hells.

"There have been some disputes between House Risley and House Shermer, about some four acres of land in their borders…" Explained Owen Merryweather, the old and dimwitted fool he chose to replace Tywin. As a former Master of Laws, the man was decent at what he did despite his old age, still, Aerys would prefer someone different but the old fart would have to do. "Both Houses are roughly equal in size, wealth and power, so the usual benefit the weakest is not properly applied here."

"Doesn't House Risley border the Mander? By its source?" Asked Lucerys Velaryon while rubbing his chin. The man was competent in his duties and a loyal servant of the crown. It was an utter shame the man had only sons because if he had a daughter, she would marry that useless and traitorous cunt that was Rhaegar instead of the Dornish whore and breed proper Valyrians and half breeds like that granddaughter of his. At least the bitch has proven more fertile than his stupid and useless sister so perhaps a better-looking child may come.

"It does border the Mander." Owen confirmed.

"Then I believe the best course of action, in this case, is to settle the dispute in favor of House Shermer." Lucerys opined. "Clearly House Risley has some control over the waters of the Mander and as such, I believe it is stronger than House Shermer."

"Agreed." Symond Staunton, Owen's replacement as Master of Laws nodded. He was a gaunt man with brown hair and eyes and had been a supporter of Aerys for a long time now despite only recently acquiring a seat in the Small Council.

"I have nothing to say against Lord Lucerys' proposal." Qarlton Chelsted, the Master of Coin added. Qarlton was dark-haired and eyed, extremely competent with numbers and coins but other than that he was average.

"Is anyone against giving the disputed land to House Shermer?" Owen asked and no one spoke. "Then Lord Staunton you are free to send the raven informing of the crown's verdict."

"As you say, My Lord."

"I'm tired, I'm going to retire." Aerys proclaimed as he stood up.

"Your Grace," Owen called. "We have a matter we need your opinion on…"

Of course, you have you bloody cunt! "THEN WHY HAVE YOU NOT TRIED TO RESOLVE IT SOONER YOU FOOL?" Aerys roared bitterly. "YOU ARE TALKING ABOUT SOME FUCKING HOUSES FROM THE REACH THAT NO ONE CARES ABOUT INSTEAD OF WHAT REALLY MATTERS!"

"My apologies Your Grace…" The old man begged.

"It better be something important Owen or else…" Aerys warned.

"It's about the conditions of the city Your Grace, Winter is taking its toll there..." The fool said. "We have reports of peasants dying by the dozens again and yesterday it even snowed for a while…we must take precaution so that the Shivers or Winter Fever do not spread out just in the city and I'm not even mentioning the peasant revolts."

It could indeed be a problem…but Aerys had an idea in his mind to fix this problem with the cold. "Send for Rossart and tell him to ready his acolytes as well, we will have service for them very soon it seems."

"Your Grace is not thinking about … burning the city?" Asked Owen worriedly.

"Don't be stupid, why would I burn the city I rule?" This Owen at times is truly dimwitted. Burning the city…Seven take me… "If this is all, I'm going to sleep."

"The best of sleeps, Your Grace." They all wished upon standing up and nodding as Aerys exited the Small Council's chambers. Stupid fools, the whole lot of them.

He walked back to Maegor's Holdfast with his shadow of the day, Ser Arthur Dayne. The Dornishman was efficient with the sword and looked less Dornish then that stupid bitch his traitorous son was married to. Yet there was no doubt that Dayne was his son's creature so Aerys did not fully trust him.

Now that Aerys thought of it…where was the man's sister? That woman with big tits that was worthy to be glanced and whose name he unfortunally did not remember…I should perhaps take her as a mistress at some point…a woman like that, and with violet eyes too should not be wasted…perhaps I should have arranged for her marriage to that useless son of mine…she resembles a Targaryen more than his Dornish bitch.

But leaving his more carnal desires away for a little, there were some other important things that were bothering him, Rhaegar's plots to dethrone him and who the fuck was that traitorous Knight of the Laughing Tree…if it wasn't Tywin's welp then who was it?

The sigil was a tree…a weirwood tree…these meant little but to the Northerners or House Blackwood. The traitor was likely a believer of those tree gods…but…the Northerners were way too big to be that small cunt…but it ought to have been a Northerner or a Blackwood because of the weirwood…Were there small Northerners at Harrenhal? Perhaps Varys will know of something…I will ask him later, I have lots of time in my hands anyway.

And Aerys had to consider what his son's next move would be…no doubt he planned to use the tourney to oust him from power yet Aerys' presence stopped him from doing so but the fool would not remain still for long and would likely try something else…

What was troubling the King's mind was why did he crown the Stark bitch of all people…why did he initiate a scandal? Was it my presence that made him a lackwit or was it something else…Qarlton and Symond did say he must have been trying to court the Stark's favor…perhaps he wants to take the wolf bitch as a mistress…but if he was to take a mistress he should have picked some low born bitch and not a bloody Stark because I can't let that happen.

Bah! I'm going to take a nap, being King is tiring. The whole lot of you may be plotting against me but I assure you all that I will win this game of yours. One by one I will end every traitorous cunt with Fire and Blood, it is time I stop being bland with them, it's time I show them that a dragon is no mere weak creature but the greatest of them all. Westeros is mine by right and I intend to rule for decades more.

So the arrival of Winterfell and the talk with Lord Rickard Stark were fused together in Ned's perspective. Added an earlier Aerys POV mainly to fix plot-holes regarding what is going to happen next.

As always, thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.