Note: I am so sorry I didn't get this out on Wednesday. Honestly life is kicking my butt right now. I'm okay though, just irritatingly busy. Hope you enjoy! Also i am thinking of posting a oneshot about Dany and how in her darkest hour she receives an unexpected visitor that stops her descent into madness, bringing back the Dany we all know and love. I might do it I might hold off. Idk. Let me know what you think! Sorry for the weird color change.

'What are you'

The voice in his head repeated the question over and over again, wracking his brain for an answer. Yet he could not find one that was in any way logical. Was it even real? 'Of course it was real, you'd still be lost down there if it weren't' he scoffed.

Walking up the stairs and turning the corner into the dimly lit hall, Jon dragged his feet behind him. 'Hmm… could it have been a creature from Northern folklore? Like in the stories we are told before bed? Maybe Old Nan might know? After all she is the one who told us those stories.'

Recalling the different stories now, he can probably narrow it down some, that way he will be able to ask the older woman more specific questions about what he saw. 'It was large, that is easy to tell by the height of the light when it was behind him. It can speak, it makes a clinking sound when it moves; like unsheathed steel hanging from a belt, and it glows…' that one stumped him. One of the children of the forest… no it was too big a giant maybe, no it spoke common tongue, giants can't do that; at least that is what Old Nan says.'

'Would a ghost lie about being a ghost?' He thinks curiously, pausing for a moment.

'No, he said he wasn't a ghost, so what else is there?' Shaking the thought from his mind, he continues walking to the Great Hall for dinner.

'What about the myth of there being a dragon that heats the castle from its lair beneath us?' Would that explain what he had seen?

So lost in his train of thought Jon doesn't notice the footsteps approaching him from behind, nor does he hear the calls of his name as they try to catch him.

"JON!"

Feeling large hands suddenly pull him backwards and turn him around startles him. He looks up at the person connected to the hands and is relieved to see its only his father. "Where have you been! I've had the castle looking for you!" His father says as he holds Jon's face and checks him over to make sure he isn't injured. "Are you alright? You're not hurt are you?"

"No, I'm fine father. I was just… exploring." He says hoping his father doesn't notice his hesitation. "I am sorry if I worried you, I didn't mean to, honest."

The Lord of Winterfell sighs in relief, picking Jon up and holding the six name day old boy to his chest and begins to walk them to the Great Hall to make sure he eats. "Well you did, but I'm just happy you are unharmed. You were gone all day."

Jon looks down, then turns his head and looks over his father's shoulder, wrapping his small arms around Ned's neck.

"Now, lets get some food in you. You must be starving." Just then the boy's stomach growls loudly. They both laugh as Ned says "Sounds like you've got an angry wolf in there, best feed the beast before you turn into one." while tickling the boy lightly.

To say Rhaegar was elated was an understatement. He had finally met his son, Lyanna's son and oh how he looked like her.

Besides the obvious color of his hair, the boy had her jaw line, her ears, her mouth and even the set of her eyes. But as much as he saw his love in their son, Rhaegar also saw himself. He saw his cheek bones, his nose, the shape of his face and eyebrows. He would have to be careful later on, who knows how many people will notice the similarities between them. Worst of all Jaehaerys had his eyes, the dark color thankfully hiding the hint of amethyst that shined in the fire light, but Rhaegar knew the purple would become more prevalent as his son aged. As this was the case with all Targaryens.

It was hard for the former prince to watch his son leave after just meeting the boy. He could only hope he came back. Watching from a distance was one thing, but meeting him, speaking to him, spending time with him, that was all Rhaegar wanted. He begins to recall the time he had spent watching his son from afar, when his new body was still small enough to go unnoticed.

When he had heard about what had happened to Lyanna he was devastated. Just as he was when he heard of Elia, Aegon and Rhaenys. All he had wanted to do was bury himself in the sand and wither away so he could join his family. He wonders what had gone wrong, why hadn't Varys and Sers Jonathor, Barristan, Jamie and Lewyn gotten his family out of the Red Keep like he had planned, who let Tywin into the city in the first place, why were the Kingsgaurd not with his family during the sac?

After making peace with the fact that there was nothing he could do to bring his family back he said his goodbyes and flew north to do the same with Lyanna and their unborn babe.

He remembers when he first arrived in Winterfell, his new body had aged two years. He was roughly the size of a large dog at the time. It was tricky finding the cave opening that lead to the springs under the castle and from there the old carved stone passageway into the crypts. When he had nearly made his way to Lyanna's final resting place he saw her brother Eddard Stark kneeling before it with tears in his eyes. He was speaking softly to the statue of his sister.

"Lya, you wouldn't believe what he did today. The things that boy says, he came into the Great Hall babbling on about the owl he named in the broken tower, Winter he said. He was talking about how in his dream they were flying together, that he went all the way to the wall and back. Lya, he was talking about the different castles in such detail I almost couldn't believe my ears. If this persists, maybe I'll foster him with Howland when he is old enough. He is the only other person who knows."

"Figures though, your son would inherit a trait that would allow him to become the one thing you dreamed about constantly. Maybe that was why you and Howland got on so well, he is a warg and you always wanted to meet a warg."

Rhaegar had stopped listening after he had heard the words "...your son…" leave Eddard Stark's lips. He froze, his babe was still alive, he had a son.

When the Lord of Winterfell left the crypts Rhaegar wasn't far behind. Thankfully it was night so he had plenty of cover. He raced behind his good brother into the castle and set out in search of his son. He ran out of his hiding spot after Ned had retired into his chambers for the night and began sniffing under all of the doors in the hall, hoping to catch the scent of his blood.

He didn't have to search for long as a few doors down from the Lord's chambers he found what he was looking for. Hoping up into the air, he grabbed the handle and quietly swung the door open before dropping back to the floor. He peered inside to find that the room was shared, two small beds with one on either side of the room. I made sense for two small children to room together instead of alone.

On the right was a boy of about two with dark red hair, Lord Stark's son no doubt. And on the left his own. The boy had dark curly hair that very much resembles Rhaegar's own mass of silver curls. If a dragon could crack a smile, have no doubt that the largest you'd ever seen would be pulled across the dragon's lips in that moment.

Over the years, Rhaegar has tried to catch glimpses of his son from the hiding places he had familiarized himself with through out the grounds. But with in the next two years, his body had grown to the point where he could no longer remain camouflaged in dark corners or in the canopy of the Godswood. And so he had had to give up the visits he would pay his son, having to do so made him feel as though his chest was being smashed in by Robert's war hammer all over again.

He had wallowed for a while, but then started to explore the bowels of the keep, looking for another way to remain closer to Jaehaerys. And find one he did. He found he could hear the footfalls of those above him clearly with his enhanced hearing. So he learned to memorize the patterns of most of those who lived in the keep.

The structure of the walls beneath the keep were not the same as those above, but he adapted and knew the paths like the back of his hand now. When he found the space under the room Robb and Jaehaerys shared he was ecstatic. He settled down within the pools of the springs and simply listened to their routine every night. It was the same room where Jaehaerys had found him just hours ago.

Jon couldn't sleep. He was restless, tossing and turning throughout the night. He could not stop thinking about what he had seen. He didn't want to forget any detail.

Springing up from his bed, Jon dashed to the opposite corner of the room where a chest with all his toys and favorite things were kept and pulled out a piece of parchment, a bottle of ink and a quill. He had asked Maester Luwin a month ago for some new supplies so he could continue to draw. The Maester agreed knowing it was one of Jon's favorite things to do.

He got to work sketching the scene that was still so vividly etched in his mind. First was what he could make out of the walls, then came the long frilled thing that was dragging around the corner. Once a basic outline was done, he started to add in the details. Shadow and light for the dim glow the creature gave off and shading in charcoal for the darkness that made up the room. It took the rest of the night until he was satisfied with what he had drawn. Jon wasn't usually a perfectionist, but this, well it had to be perfect.

He only noticed the sun had risen when he heard Robb stir behind him. He quickly put away the drawing and supplies knowing the Septa would be in soon to wake them and ran to the other chest to pull out his clothes for the day. He wanted not to waste a moment of the day. The sooner he got ready and ate, the sooner he could visit Old Nan with the drawing. The sooner he did that, then the sooner he could run down and try to find the creature that spoke to him yesterday.

Just as he had pulled on his clothes the maid walked.

"Good morning boys, it's time to wake and head down to the hall to break your fast."

"Good morning Alice." Jon responded still standing in the corner.

The older woman jumped at hearing his voice and snapped her head around to look at him.

"Well you're up early this morn'in Jon."

Alice was one of the older members of the household here in Winterfell. She was always nice to those she met, it's why Jon liked her so much, she wasn't like the others who looked down upon him. Though granted to only people who did that were the staff Lady Catelyn brought north with her when she married father. The rest of the northerners didn't much care as long as he minded his manners and stayed out of the way when they were busy. He knew almost all of the servants in the keep, but Alice was his favorite.

"I wanted to get a head start today, Old Nan promised she would finish her story this morning after we broke our fast."

"Must 'ave been some story to get you so excited. Well don't wait on me, head on down and eat if you're ready.

"Thank you Alice!" Was all she heard as the small boy zoomed past her and down the hall. "Ha ha ha! Oh that boy, he reminds me so much of Richard's lot when they were but wee children."

Slowing down once he reached the Great Hall, Jon opened the door and grabbed his seat at the table. Only his father and Lady Catelyn were there. Excited, Jon ate as quickly as he could without managing to set off a rant from the Lady of Winterfell. He did not want to be on the receiving end of one of those again.

Once he was finished he wiped his face and stood to make his leave quietly. Luckily his father was speaking to his wife so they didn't notice him slip out of the hall.

Jon made a beeline for Old Nan's room, knowing she would be awake, but first stopped back at his and Robb's to grab the drawing he had made earlier. Robb wasn't there so he must have just missed him on his way back.

Knocking on the door he waits patiently until it creaks open revealing the person he wanted to speak to the most.

"Good morning Nan." He greets her, "I was wondering if you could tell me the story about the springs under the castle again?"

She laughs lightly and in her raspy voice replies "Like that one did you? Well come on in then, make yourself comfortable by the fire. It is dreadfully cold this morn."

Jon takes a seat on the fur rug in front of the fire and watches as the older woman takes her seat in one of the two chairs in front of him.

"Well now, let us see if I remember how this one goes…"

Nan starts her tale as she always does, with the legend about the first men and how Bran the Builder had built the castle over the lair of a fire breathing dragon. After the creature had been wrangled in by giants, he had made a deal with the behemoth. The dragon heated the castle through the long winters and the men who lived with in would defend the land from others who sought to slay the beast.

"Do you believe the stories Nan? That there really is a dragon under the castle?"

"I do my dear. Don't you?"

Jon looks down for a moment, "Well, I don't know what to think. But when I was running yesterday I got lost down there. I was really scared and thought that no one would find me. When I was crying, a large creature called out to me and I don't know what it was, all I saw of it was this."

Jon pulls the drawing from his pocket and unfolds it before handing it to Old Nan. She gingerly takes it from his grasp and turns it over to see it fully. When she gets a good look at is she gasps, her eyes widen for a fraction of a second before a smile breaks out on her face. "It seems you have your answer dear."

"So it is a dragon, there is a real life dragon living under us!"

"How has no one ever seen it before! How big do you think it is? How old is it?! I don't think anything can live for eight thousand years! Nor even a dragon. Because didn't Balerion the Dread only live for two hundred before—"

Old Nan cuts his rapid word off by placing a hand over his mouth. Looking back up at her, he sees her smile.

"Why don't you go ask it then?"

Note: Okay so in response to a few comments I received in the first chapter. Also feel free to question and criticize, I welcome all you have to say.

Guest: If you think about Catelyn's frame of mind it will. She was raised with the notion that bastards were stains on the honor and name of their parents, so that is exactly how she sees Jon. In the faith of the seven they are also taught that children born out of wedlock are manipulative tricksters that seek only power and to disrupt the families they were born into. So she thinks that Jon will make attempts to take Robb's place as the rightful heir of Winterfell, even though we all know he never would, she doesn't. She is also very jealous, she doesn't know who Jon's mother is, if she is still alive, where she is or what this woman could have possibly done to get Ned to love her so much that he brought their bastard home with him and vehemently refuses to send the child away. As for the education Jon would receive if he was sent away, well the simple answer is that if Catelyn had her way he wouldn't receive one at all as he would likely be sent to an orphanage, the wall or placed into the care of common people. Knowing Ned though, we know that if Jon was to be sent away, he would likely be sent to Howland Reed, as he is the only other person who knows Jon's true parentage. And arguably Jon might actually receive a better education there than at Winterfell as there would be no one standing in the way of him receiving such. As for Rhaegar, if Jon had been sent away he would have followed his son wherever he went and worked around their new circumstances to still teach Jon all he knows. Hope that makes sense.

Guest: Thank you. This is actually an idea I've had for a while but never got around to writing. And yes Rhaegar is melancholic about watching his son leave because he hasn't laid eyes on him in a few years. Once he finds out about how Catelyn treats him, oof. We will see just how much rage our sweet silver prince is capable of. The only reason he doesn't know yet is because he has never seen the two interact directly.

Guest: Yes he does need to visit everyday. Rhaegar needs all the love he can get.

Bruja1775: Thanks, glad you like it! I will try to update on Wednesday's but like this week life gets in the way so I was a little late. Sorry about that.

Guest: Have no fear, Rhaegar will work his way up to telling Jae, but it's not just a bomb he can drop out of nowhere. It's going to take a while, but when it happens I hope you'll be happy with how it turns out.

For all others who have commented, I am so happy to hear that you love the beginning and do sincerely hope you enjoy this story until it's end. Thank you again for all the faves and follows it is good to know my work is loved. Till next week!