Chapter I
A/N: I know I shouldn't be starting another GoT story, but this idea has been kicking around in my mind for awhile now. It's a Rhaegar wins the rebellion story, but the Baratheons escape. Lyanna still dies in childbirth, but with twins. She went willingly initially, but after finding out about Rickard and Brandon, she wanted to go back. There are time jumps between the pov scenes! I'm being kinder to her in this story than in my other GoT story, The Green Wolf. Thank you, SAL Stratton for your help! Hope you all like this story! SSD
NOT A STORY FOR RHAEGAR TARGARYEN FANS! DON'T LIKE IT? DON'T READ IT!
To say that Eddard Stark was angry would have been a gross understatement. Robert had lost the rebellion, but the Baratheons and their remaining followers had escaped under the nose of the Velaryons, with the help from smugglers. He hoped they made it to Essos unmolested.
However, that was not why the Quiet Wolf was angry. He had been told by Rhaegar, strutting ass that he was, that Lyanna had come with him willingly.
How could we assume anything but the worst, with there being no letters? Ned had asked. Rhaegar had no answer to that.
Ned and the rest of his companions were sweltering in the heat of the Dornish sun. How anyone could live here was beyond comprehension.
Soon they saw a tower in the distance. As they got closer, there seemed to be three voices arguing. One of them with a distinct Dornish accent.
Once the riders came level with the 3 missing Kingsguard, Ned saw that Ser Arthur had been the one arguing with Lord Commander Hightower and Oswell Whent.
I knew it had sounded like Ashara speaking! Ned thought as he dismounted.
"My king, Ser Arthur broke his oath and brought in a midwife for your queen!" Ser Oswell Whent snarled.
"I broke no oaths. It became apparent that your wife was carrying more than one babe, and would need a midwife's help delivering them!" Ser Arthur shot back, purple eyes flashing before continuing, "And I was right to do so! The second child was feet first!"
Rhaegar pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration, "What are the children?"
"A boy was born first. Red cheeked and healthy. Came out howling like a wolf," Arthur replied before continuing, "The second child, a girl, like I said, was feet first. The midwife barely managed to turn her around before the cord went around her neck. Once turned around, the girl was out and howling along with her older brother."
"What of my queen?" Ned bristled at the tone Rhaegar's voice had taken. He did not like how it sounded.
"The midwife is trying to stop the bleeding, my king," Lord Commander Hightower, but she does not like her chances. Said your queen's hips were too narrow for two babes."
At that, Ned just pushed past the Kingsguard and went up into the tower. Howland Reed and Willem Dustin followed him inside.
"This is where the inbred bastard kept her?" Willem snarled before continuing, "Prisoners are kept better than he kept her here!"
"That's because she was a prisoner in the end," it seemed that the Sword of the morning had joined them.
"What do you mean, Ser Arthur," Ned asked dreading the answer.
"Initially, your sister came with Rhaegar willingly. Married him willingly too. But when news of your father and older brother's death came, she wanted to return to Winterfell. Around that time, she found out the true reason why Rhaegar helped her "escape" Robert Baratheon: A prophecy. Your sister was furious that she had traded one cage for another. She tried to refuse him. I tried to talk sense into my friend" Arthur sneered going on with, "But he would not listen. He ordered my two sworn brothers to restrain me while he took his so called husbandly rights!"
"So she was raped after all. Robert was right all along." Ned growled.
"Your lady sister was, Lord Stark. Every night, I would be chained to the wall while Rhaegar was with your sister. Her screams will haunt me till the end of my days. Rhaegar did not leave for the war till it was apparent Lyanna was pregnant." There were tears in the knight's eyes.
"What happened after he left," Howland whispered as they went up the stairs.
"We had to keep our presence here secret. But there is a town nearby. Once, during my trips there for supplies, I got two notebooks. One for myself, the other for your sister. In them, we wrote everything that happened. So that when the war ended, the real story would be told. The story of Rhaegar the Raper."
At that point they were at the door to Lyanna's room. They heard the mewling of two babies. So both her children were still alive.
Once opening the door, the midwife looked up from his sister and said, "My Lords, there is nothing more I can do. I am sorry. You might want to say your goodbyes now." The woman left the room.
"Ned. You're alive. I'm sorry about father and Brandon. I tried…" Lyanna whispered.
"Shh. It's okay. Ser Arthur told me everything. I know he tried to help," Ned tried to soothe his feverish sister.
"My notebook is under the pillow. Keep with you until you get home," she murmured before looking over to the double cradle.
"Raise them well Ned. Make sure they don't turn out like their father, promise me," she laughed slightly before coughing again. "Rhaegar won't like the name I gave to my son."
"What are their names, Lyanna?" Willem asked.
"My daughter's name is Visenya. My son's name is… Daemon."
Ned couldn't help but smirk at that. Since the rise of Daemon Blackfyre and the subsequent rebellions, the Targaryens had never used it for their sons since.
"They'll need to be strong. Many will be against them. Protect them, Ned. Promise me." At that, Lyanna Stark took her last breath.
Ned went over to look at his niece and nephew. Both had wisps of dark brown hair on their heads, Visenya had more hair. But when they opened their eyes there was no mistaking their ancestry with their violet eyes. Other than that though, it seemed that they were more Stark than anything else.
###
Lord Stark was right to have mainly northern guards around the nursery where his niece and nephew were sleeping. Already, there had been some idiots from the Faith, trying to break in to "cleanse the royal family of northern savagery". The guards had shown them no mercy.
Daemon and Visenya were not the only newborns in the royal nursery. Queen Rhaella had died in childbirth with twin girls, named Danaerys and Saera. Who possessed the typical Valyrian looks. Both were sure to beauties when they got older. Aegon had the typical Valyrian looks as well. Rhaegar had plans for Aegon, Saera, and Danaerys to be his three heads of the dragon.
Which means that this whole war will have been for nothing. Thousands of people dead, only for him to switch for the girls with the Valryian looks.
Arthur was kicking himself for being fooled by Rhaegar into thinking that he was nothing like Aerys. Rhaegar was worse. At least Aerys owned up to his insanity.
Arthur was also well aware that he was on thin ice with Rhaegar for breaking the secrecy by getting a midwife and for telling Lord Stark everything. He did not regret it for a moment.
Speaking of Lord Stark, he and Queen Elia had been talking with Rhaegar in his study. Obviously, the fate of Daemon (the look on Rhaegar's face when he heard the name was hilarious) and Visenya was on the line.
Gods only know what he'll do now that he doesn't need them anymore. He knew Lord Stark would fight tooth and nail to protect his blood.
He was taking a turn with the Northern guards. They seemed to accept him more than any other Southerner. He saw the Dustin, Reed, and Stark livery of the group at the moment. Those were the two lords who came up with Ned Stark to see his sister.
"Any new attempts on their lives?" he asked.
"Nothing new. After sending back the heads of the seven would be assassins, your Faith has backed off for the moment," the head guard, a man by the name of Rodrik Cassel, who was in Stark livery.
"A religion that sanctions the murder of innocent children, is no religion at all," a man in Reed livery hissed.
Their conversation was cut off by a small voice asking, "Can I see my brother and sister?" It was Rhaenys and Elia with some Martell guards.
The whole group was stunned. Why were they here? None of them seemed to know what to say.
"Lord Stark will be following me momentarily. We finished our chat with my dear husband, and my daughter and I would like to meet the children," Elia said with the hint of command.
Elia wore the mantle of Queen well. Arthur found his tongue first, saying, "Of course your Majesty."
With that, he and Rodrik Cassel followed the queen into the nursery. It was plain, as it was only a temporary living area for them.
Rhaenys came up to the crib the twins were sharing. "They're less noisy than Aegon, Saera, and Dany," she said.
"They are plenty noisy when they need something, Princess," it was Lord Stark. "I will hold them so you can say hello properly."
After that Ned carefully picked up Daemon, sat on the floor, then the wet nurse Wylla placed Visenya in his arms as well. Rhaenys wobbled over before sitting next to them.
Both blearily opened their eyes. They'd just been fed and were sleepy. "Hi. I'm Rhaenys."
"Would you like to hold one of them?" Lord Stark asked.
Elia also knelt to the floor to help Rhaenys keep her balance as she held Visenya who sneezed. A moment that made everyone smile. It was a nice, quiet moment.
It was then Lord Stark turned to him saying, "Ser Arthur, you will be coming with me North. Prince Daemon and Princess Visenya will need protection, and according to the king, who better than the Sword of the Morning."
Judging by Lord Stark's tone and the look in his eyes, this was the way Rhaegar was "punishing" him for telling Lord Stark everything.
It was no punishment. Arthur was glad to get out of the poisonous city. And the South.
###
It was a few days later when Elia, with her uncle as her guard, went down to the docks at dusk. The Northerners were leaving, along with her husband's twin children.
Contrary to popular belief, Elia did not blame the children for the action of their parents. And after reading the journals kept by Lyanna and Arthur, she even felt a modicum of sympathy for the Stark girl. They'd all been tricked by Rhaegar.
The journals would not be believed now. The vast majority of people in Westeros still thought the sun shone out her husband's arse. And that Lyanna Stark had been the seducer! Rhaegar did know of Lyanna's journal, but not Arthur's. It was how Lord Stark blackmailed him into not declaring his niece and nephew bastards, keeping their rank of Prince and Princess, and keeping their place in the line of succession. Elia did not know that Eddard Stark had it in him to blackmail anyone, but he took to it well.
There's nothing you won't do for family, Elia thought grimly. The North and Dorne were similar in that regard. Much of the rest of Westeros would sell their own mothers for the right price.
And they call the Dornish and Northerners savages, when they are the savages themselves.
The reason why the Northerners were leaving at this time when there were so few people around, was that there had been another attempt on the lives of Daemon and Visenya by some Septons. Lord Stark had executed them himself. You could hear Lord Stark's anger throughout the Red Keep and likely into the city itself. On the ship were the bones of his father, older brother, and sister.
Upon seeing her, he bowed saying, "For what it is worth my queen, I apologize for the danger my sister put you and your children in."
"Your sister does shoulder some blame yes, but the lion's share of the blame falls on my bastardo husband. I hope you stay loyal to your wife. She deserves that much, especially after her family has had the Lord Paramountecy of the Riverlands taken from them and given to the Darry's. Who we both know will abuse the privilege." Elia concluded.
"My niece and nephew are with their nurse aboard the ship already, with several guards on the door. They will be staying with me in my quarters. I do not think I will breathe easily till I see the twin lighthouses of White Harbor," Ned declared.
As he made his way to board the main ship, Elia stopped him saying, "I have talked with my brothers. No harm will come to Daemon and Visenya from Dorne. Or at least the Martell's."
"Thank you, your Grace," Lord Stark nodded. "May the gods protect you and your children."
###
Catelyn Stark was in the nursery of Winterfell, watching her son with her niece and nephew. The babes were cooing and happy under the watchful eyes of their nurses as well.
Robb was a bit bigger than his cousins, but between him being slightly older and the fact that twins ran a little bit smaller than singleton babies, explained that. According to their nurse, Wylla, they were thriving more now that they were in the North. Same as with Robb.
Must be the Stark blood in them.
She had been horrified when she read Lyanna's journal. Which did not mince words or leave out any details of her situation.
Catelyn looked up at the door opening. It was Ned, who walked towards her and the children. He then sat down on the floor near where the children were. All three promptly started crawling towards him.
"What does His Grace have planned for the twins when they are older?" She asked. This was bound to be a touchy subject.
"Nothing as of yet. Though I would not be surprised if he tries to pressure Daemon to take the Black or trying to make Visenya become a Septa or a Silent Sister, none of which I will allow." Ned muttered.
"I cannot say that I am surprised at that. They are inconvenient to him now; he wants to remove them from the equation. What are your plans for them?" She continued on.
"I am going to train them to be the best they can be. Both will learn swordplay from Ser Arthur. As will Robb. From the maester they'll learn their letters, numbers, and whatnot. They'll learn to ride. I will find someone willing to teach them more on the rest of the parts of Westeros, perhaps you could tell them of the Riverlands? Ser Rodrik will teach them archery. Myself and others will teach them strategy. All of our children will learn to defend themselves, in one way or another. Even our future daughters," Ned spoke all in one breath. He paused to take a drink of water. He then continued with "I know I said I would build a sept for you, to make yourself feel more at home here, but now a situation has arisen that makes it a bad idea. It seems that the Faith of the New Gods has focused on Daemon and Visenya as the weakest links in House Targaryen. In the time we were in King's Landing, there were two attempts on their lives by fourteen total septons, seven each time. All were beheaded. But our great and glorious king," Ned sneered, "Didn't seem to care at all. We had to leave at dusk to get out without an incident. I do not want to invite the foxes into henhouse so to speak."
As much as Catelyn had been looking forward to having a sept, she could not fault Ned for not wanting to, given what had happened. A sudden horrible thought came into her mind.
"You think there's going to be another war at some point in the future."
"I do. It'll likely be another Dance of Dragons, or something similar. I also have plans to train up the North, right under the nose of the South." Ned had a smile on his face that reminded her of the huge lizards that lurked in the Trident.
A/N 2: Well, here is the first chapter. What would be a way for Sansa to defend herself? The first several chapters will have time jumps between them. Looking forward to seeing what you all think! SSD
