Disclaimer: I don't own the A Song of Ice and Fire series.

Author's Note: This story has been on my mind for a while. I hope that you all enjoy and please feel free to review.

Prologue

King's Landing 283 AC

Elia

The Red Keep was not safe. It never had been, not truly. Dragonstone was safe, Elia Martell mused, but then again, Dragonstone wasn't ruled by a madman.

She was in her chambers, Aegon held close against her chest. Her son was asleep, and as she looked down at him, she smiled a little. He looked so peaceful, lying there. He seemed to smile in his sleep, and Elia dreaded the day that Aegon would no longer smile so.

The rebels would be here any day now, she knew. Rhaegar was dead, the war was lost, and Aegon...and Rhaenys...they would have no chance. Elia did not even consider her own chances. She'd be dead, just like her poor babes, and there was nothing she could do.

A knock on her door startled the princess of Dorne from her thoughts.

"Come in." She cabled softly, a little unsure if she truly should. To her surprise, Lord Varys entered the chambers, bowing low.

"Lord Varys," Elia greeted him. "What are you doing here?"

"Why, saving the realm, princess." Varys tittered, smiling that too-sweet smile of his.

"I do not follow, my lord." Elia replied, her voice carefully neutral. "What does saving the realm have to do with you being here?"

"Why, everything, my princess. The rebels are coming, as I am sure you know, but what you may not know is that the Lannisters mean to join them. My little birds sing such terrible songs, princess."

Elia's heart sank at his words. The Starks would not harm her or the children, even if Robert Baratheon would do it later...but the Lannisters? Gods have mercy, there would be no hope, none at all!

"My children," She whispered, tears pooling in her eyes. "They will be taken...killed, and I along with them."

"Indeed," Varys sounded sad, but with him, she could not truly tell. "And that cannot happen, princess. The Targaryen name must live on."

"Yes, it must," Elia nodded, wiping at her eyes. She thought of Lyanna then, and the babe she carried. It will be a boy, Lyanna had said in one of the few secret letters she'd sent to her after their brief meeting in King's Landing. Elia hoped that she was well, and that her babe would be too. But that would not save her son...and likely Lyanna's babe would have little more time in the world than Aegon and Rhaenys did...unless...

"Varys, I know not why you are here, tormenting me with these tidings," Elia said, trying to sound calm. "And though you can do nothing for my children, protect Lyanna and her babe. She and Rhaegar married, and she is with child..." She did not wish to tell Varys, he could not be trusted after all, but these were desperate times. No, someone had to know, Lyanna need not suffer as she would.

Varys actually looked a little surprised which almost made Elia smile. "Is that so, princess? Oh, that is most interesting indeed...yes, I'll have my little birds watch over the situation in Dorne most closely, then."

Elia nodded, hoping that she had not made a grave mistake. Before she could think about it however, Varys continued. "As for helping you, and the children, you are wrong. I will help you, princess."

Elia's eyes widened. "But how? I cannot leave the Keep and-"

"You are right," Varys nodded. "You cannot, and I cannot save you, or your daughter. I could find no believable replacement for either of you. Prince Aegon however...I could help him."

Elia's eyes widened in shock. "What? What are you talking about?"

"A simple mummery, princess," Varys told her. "I have found a man in Flea Bottom, a tanner by trade not that it matters. His infant son shares the prince's Valyrian features. I bought the child from him, and if you agree, I will take the little prince to safety, and you will take this child. Better your son lives, princess, better for everyone."

Elia's mind was reeling. It was a clever plot, she had to admit, but still...Rhaenys would be stuck here. How could she allow one child to escape, and doom the other? Tears gathered in her eyes, and she desperately tried to stop them before they ran down her cheeks.

"You must decide now, princess," Varys told her, his voice soft. "This is no easy decision, I can see that, but your son will live. I would get the princess, and yourself, out if I could but alas, this is all I can do."

Elia took a long, steadying breath. She had to do this, she decided. For Aegon...if there was a chance to save him, then she would.

"Then I agree," She said at last. "You had better take care of him, my lord. I am counting on you."

"Have no fear, my dear princess, he will be safe. I have contacted Jon Connington who is still in exile, and a select group of loyal men as well as a wetnurse, and they will be quite comfortable until the time comes for Aegon to take back his throne. And if you are right about Lyanna Stark's pregnancy, then who knows? Perhaps when the time comes, Aegon's sibling will support him."

"Aegon's sibling will be dead," Elia whispered sadly. "I am not foolish enough to believe otherwise."

"We shall see." Varys smiled, and then he took Aegon gently into his arms. She tried to be strong, but as Varys left, and returned a while later with a babe that was not hers, the tears began to fall. Be safe, my sweet boy, she thought, you are the only hope of your house now. Do well...and take back what is yours.

Several Months Later, the Red Keep

Eddard

The war was done, but lord Eddard Stark of Winterfell felt no joy in it. The atrocities committed by the Lannisters against the Targaryen children had disgusted him, and finding Lyanna dying...he had never imagined grief like this. But now, he had to be strong. He had stopped off in King's Landing with Lya's babe. She'd named the boy Jaehaerys Targaryen, but Ned had announced him as Jon Snow his own natural son.
Ned knew, although he hated to admit it, that Jaehaerys would not be safe unless the world thought him Ned's bastard. Robert would kill him if he knew the truth, and Ned would not let that happen.

A noise behind him made Ned turn. He was in his guest chambers, and as he looked behind him, he saw Varys, the Master of Whisperers, emerging from what appeared to be a secret passage.

"Varys? What do you think you are doing in my chambers?" Ned asked, staring coldly at the eunuch.

"I apologise for my...unconventional entrance, but we have much to speak of."

Ned glared at the man, but inside, ice was creeping through his veins. "I doubt that, Varys. I have no business to share with you. I'd rather you left."

"Oh, but you do have things to discuss with me, my lord. The babe you brought with you, for one thing."

The ice crept further through Ned's veins, and he tried not to look as worried as he was beginning to feel. "Jon? He's my blood, what of it?"

"Your blood, yes, but not your son. Tell me, did the princess Lyanna name him?"

Ned froze. Varys knew, he knew everything. By all the gods, what was Ned to do now? "How?" He got out at last. "How do you know anything?"

Varys tittered most annoyingly. "My little birds are everywhere, my lord. Besides, princess Elia told me before her death."

"Princess Elia? She knew?"

"Of course, she too signed the notice of annulment. So, did the princess name him?"

"Aye," Ned replied, seeing no point in denying it. "Jaehaerys. She said his name was Jaehaerys Targaryen."

"Wonderful," Varys actually smiled. "His brother will want to know of him, I'm sure. When he is older."

Ned frowned. "That is a sick jape, eunuch. We all saw prince Aegon's body."

"Did we?" Varys asked. "Many would say that we all just saw your bastard son, but we both know the truth of that. No, my lord, we are traitors both. Prince Aegon, or rather king Aegon, is alive and well."

Ned gasped, he couldn't help it. The first emotion he felt was shock, and then relief, and then caution. "Why tell me this? I could tell Robert."

"No, you could not. If you did, you'd be consigning both your nephew, and yourself to death as well, do you want that?"

"No," Ned admitted. "So, you mean to tell Aegon's supporters of this?"

"Yes," Varys said simply. "Because of your deception, prince Jaehaerys will not have an easy life, you do realise?"

"I do," Ned admitted. "But it will keep him safe."

"Physically, mayhaps, but being thought of as a bastard...it will be hard for him. At least now that you know of Aegon, your nephew will have a place to go when you tell him the truth."

Ned stared at him, angry now. "He will not know the truth, spider. I promised my sister that I'd keep the boy safe, I'll not tell him, it would put him in danger."

"Not telling him would be just as cruel, if not more so. He will want to know of his mother, lord Stark. Besides, king Aegon will need his brother, in time. Otherwise, he may well be alone, with no family at all. Why deprive them, lord Stark?"

"It is too dangerous! I'll not have my nephew travelling to gods know where, from some brother who may or may not decide he's a threat and kill him."

"I think that it should be your nephew's choice, don't you? In any case, we are talking of things that are over a decade away at least. Simply think on it, lord Stark. Aegon will know of him, and Jaehaerys should know too. I cannot force you of course, but simply think on this: If it were you, and you learned that the man who claimed to be your father kept your own brother a secret from you as well as the identity of your parents, what would you do? What would you think of him then?"

Varys left after that, and Ned sat there, stunned by the revelations of the meeting. He did not know what to do, or what to think, but he tried to put it to one side. He had years to decide, he reassured himself, and so he would continue to live the lie, and keep Lya's boy safe. That had been his promise, and so he'd do it. He would decide, when the time came, whether or not to tell him the truth. For now, life would go on, and he'd not think about Targaryens any longer.