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Birth of a Dragonstag

Lord Eddard Stark cautiously made his way up the worn wooden stairs. He was already completely exhausted from the fight that had only happened a few minutes before, but that wasn't why his heart was almost beating a hole out of his chest. The reason laid in front of him in a pool of dark red… liquid, and off to the side with a wet nurse who was desperately trying to calm down a little screaming bundle in her arms.

He looked at the scene with a sense of detachment and hopelessness before he felt a hand on his shoulder, he spun around to face this intruder of his personal space and was greeted with a mop of brown hair. Eddard lowered his gaze to meet his good friend Lord Howland Reed's eyes, Howland looks past him and his eyes darken with sadness and a tear leaves his eye. Then Howland noticed the child screaming to the side of the room.

"Who is this?" He asks the wet nurse, though he could have probably guessed. "He doesn't have a name, she lost blood too rapidly and we didn't have any maester, only us wet nurses" The wet nurse replies sadly. "We? Where are the others?" Ned suddenly chimes in, his attention changed to the conversation. "Well when Lord Commander Gerold Hightower said that riders were spotted on the horizon my two companions fled as soon as the knights had left the tower, and I was the only one left to care for Lady Lyanna who was at the time in labor" She explains despondently.

"Cowards the both of them, but an understandable reaction nonetheless. You shall be rewarded…?" Ned says his face stone cold, and eyes emotionless. "Wylla my lord" Ned nods "Very well Wylla you shall be rewarded once we arrive back at King's Landing" Wylla suddenly speaks up "Eh I'm actually from Starfall, I was brought in here because Ser Arthur was tasked with gathering some wet nurses for Lady Lyanna" Howland and Ned have a silent conversation before Ned nods. "Then we will set for Starfall reward you there, and then we will make our way to King's Landing" Yet again Wylla speaks up "What about him?" She gestures down to the baby in her arms who had managed to fall asleep.

"King Robert will decide his fate, I am confident he will find a solution," Ned says before saying to them both "If you could leave, so I can say my final goodbyes to my sister" Howland and Wylla with the baby in her arms leave the room quietly and Ned walks up to his late sister. "What should I do with him? I can't take him home, or else people would eventually get suspicious at the sudden appearance of a baby not from my wife. And no one would believe me to father a child, even in wartime. I'm gonna have to inform Robert and trust that he doesn't do anything too rash" Ned quietly but resolutely says.

King Robert Baratheon the first of his name sits on the uncomfortable Iron Throne, stupid name anyway, as idiotic as the Targaryens themselves, as is holding court. It had been a year since the Trident, and he was bored out of his mind. Rumors told Varys the little turncoat spider, that Ned was well on his way back from wherever he had disappeared to after making the fat flower bend the knee at Storm's End.

These minor nobles from every kingdom except of course the North, coming to me The Demon of the Trident, with tiresome problems and asking me for answers. I don't know what the fuck they need! They should have gone to their respective Lord Paramounts and Prince, but that wouldn't solve the problem fully either because those dear stuffing Crownland lords were the ones with the most complaints. And I couldn't tell them to fuck off like I wanted to because of diplomacy, and maintaining the high vassal opinion I currently had in my direct vassals around King's Landing. If only Jon was here, instead of in Dorne with those damn snakes throwing a temper tantrum after the collateral casualty of Princess Elia, she was a dragon anyway, daring to let Rhaegar fucking Targaryen in between her legs.

These thoughts were suddenly interrupted when the spider suddenly rushed in. "My King, Lord Eddard has returned and is on his way up from the docks now" Varys says a little winded and that as far as Robert knew was quite irregular for the fat eunuch. But he ignored that in favor of joyously getting to tell every one of the courtiers, lords, knights, ladies to finally fuck off. "I declare this open court session ended, clear the room!" Robert gleefully observed the people leave with varying degrees of indignation.

And then as the cherry on top Ned walks in just as the last stragglers leave, with a… baby in his arms? Ned can't have gotten a bastard. No, or well it is possible of course. And quite plausible if I think about it. "My King" Ned says as he goes down to a knee. "Ned! Don't you dare kneel for me, as you have returned I understand that you finally saw reason and you will stop complaining about the damn dragons this and that and that the dragonspawn were only children, right?" Robert jovially says to his childhood friend completely oblivious to his friend's darkening eyes.

"No Robert, what the Lions did was still a despicable atrocity and they should have been punished severely. But I'm not here concerning that, I have other news" Robert's joyful smile fades at Ned's answer and grim face. "What news? And now that the mad king and… Rhaegar-" Robert says his name like it's the vilest curse "-is dead, has the ones holding my betrothed capture come out and handed themselves over?" Ned's eyes soften "Robert, Lyanna is dead" Robert blinks "What did you say?" Robert laughs weakly. "Y-you didn't say my future wife is dead did you!" Robert's House infamous fury grows with each word.

"She died in the birthing bed, they hadn't gotten a maester for her and-" Ned gets suddenly interrupted. "BIRTHING BED?!" Robert roars "What was she doing in a birthing bed?!" Even Ned normally quite immune to his friend's outbursts cringes at the amount of volume emanating from the giant man. "I-I see, so did her… offspring, survive?" Robert asks quietly with a still red face after the episode. "Yes your grace, he, unfortunately, didn't get to receive a name from his mother, I took him and this news to you for advice concerning the future of my nephew"

"The future of your nephew is it? Guards! Arrest this man and, find and round up his entourage in Maegor's Holdfast, I want them all charged with high treason against the crown!" Robert suddenly shouts. Ned is quickly surrounded and then put in chains before being led out of the room where Robert sat on the Iron Throne brooding.

The sun was blinding as Ned was led out of the black cells and to the Red Keep's courtyard where the ten men that he had stationed here from before he left for Storm's End were hung up, dead for a long time he was guessing. He looked around and noticed a gathered crowd of nobles looking befuddled at his imprisonment. Ned also noticed Robert clad in the armor he wore on The Trident when he killed Rhaegar, and Ser Barristan Selmy standing at his side as his new Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. Ned honestly thought Robert would have made it more grandiose but again his former friend had surprised him.

He was led to the King's Justice and then they waited. After a couple of minutes, a child's crying filled the courtyard, and out of one of the entrances to the keep, a Baratheon man carried Ned's nephew with outstretched hands as if he was carrying the plague until he also stood beside the King's Justice.

Ned suddenly understood what this was and he screamed out a "No Robert! You can't d-hmph hmph" As one of the Baratheon men behind him put a dirty cloth in his mouth muffling him. Robert said a few words as Ned's nephew was brought forward, and the King's Justice following closely behind. Ned's ears began to ring meaning that he could only see Robert nod with madly gleaming eyes as the King's Justice strapped the barely year old baby to an executioner's block. The Usurper's loyal lapdog closed his eyes and turned his head away, and through the ringing, in his ears, he could hear one thing, the ax swooshing down before cleaving through something.

Ned promptly threw up at just the sound and was quickly overwhelmed by the stench filling the cloth piece soaked with… you know what. Ned is suddenly grabbed and walked forwards. He opens his eyes and is met with the sight of his unnamed nephew's head speared on a spike in front of him and the bloodied executioners block under him. A foot kicks him in the back and he falls heavily on the block, and the last he sees is Robert's bright blue eyes looking down at him with a hidden sadness as the ax falls and…

The three-eyed raven shakes his head "No not this one either" Leaf quietly standing at his side speaks up "Another one? Are you sure you will find the correct one?" Brynden Rivers nods his head as much as he can "Of course, infinite timelines and possibilities mean that it has to have happened, I only need to find the correct one…" Brynden then dove right back in.

Drawn and quartered, burnt, beheaded, bisected, tortured, suffocated in many varieties, and other disturbingly vicious executions for the uncle and newborn nephew. It was truly baffling how anyone could think Robert Baratheon was an improvement of the Targaryens in any way, it probably wasn't even a factor in the decision of replacing him with the Targaryens to be honest knowing the nobles and the lack of caring for anything not affecting them. He may not show it very often but he was as mad as the Targaryens with a boiling hot Baratheon temper, which was an unholy match made in the seven hells.

Robert's animosity towards Rhaegar showed itself every time. Even the possibility of this being the child of a Targaryen infuriated the newly crowned king to execute his best friend in the world for even daring to even think the 'dragonscum' as his relative. It rarely did go too well after that for the Baratheons considering that the Starks was one of the centerpieces to his ascension to kingship, and with them wronged it always led to war with the Riverlands often declaring for them with the Vale sometimes following along.

Until finally "Guards! Confine this man, child, and entourage in Maegor's Holdfast!" Robert roars red-faced. He then sat there breathing heavily as he observed the guards and 'guests' leave, with only Ser Barristan and Ser Mandon remaining as his guard. The only movement in the throne room was the shadows dancing around the room from the slowly lowering sun shining through the windows. As Robert broods and grumbles angrily he suddenly sees the glimpse of a grey dress disappearing behind one of the pillars in the room. He tried to see if someone was on the other side and even sends Ser Mandon to check but he doesn't see anything either, Robert concludes he must be seeing things and turned around in his seat to look at the beautiful lit-up window behind him. Robert looks at the colored windows where the seven-armed star of the Seven was depicted.

While looking at it the star slowly transformed into a rose and then became blue from its original yellow color. Robert blinked shocked and the rose disappeared replaced by the usual star. "Ser Barristan! Take me to the child" Robert says as he stumbles out of the throne. He looks at where the Lord Commander should be standing is instead met with the sight of the damn kingslayer instead. "Where's the Lord Commander?" Robert asks with his usual high-volume voice and mannerism. "His shift was over my king, he has been standing at your side since the sun rose today, as you can see the sun is just about gone" The Kingslayer explains smartly. Robert glowers and grumbles at the cheek "Very well, Kingslayer! Take me to the child" The Lannister prick twitches making Robert smile even in his distressed state before the Lannister knight promptly turned on his heel with the other Kingsguard who Robert didn't even notice following them.

All courtiers who noticed them scurried past with small courtesies. They made an imposing sight he supposed walking down the hallways of the Red Keep the Kingsguard in their white armor and him with his royal garb. They eventually arrived at Maegor's Holdfast and instead of continuing to the royal chambers where he usually goes. They walk to the guest chambers and arrive at a nondescript door completely identical to the other doors in the hallway of the guest wing. The Kingslayer knocks on the door and then steps to the side with the other guard who Robert notices is Ser Meryn Trant a cruel man who was appointed by the request of Lord Tywin painting him as yet another Lannister supporter in the midsts of Robert's court, who now flanks the door on the other side of the Kingslayer.

A wet nurse or something like that opens the door and yelps at the sight of the king. She was a pretty thing and Robert sends her a look of promise before focusing on his original and not the treat that had landed in his path. "Ahh my lady, I wondered if the child Lord Eddard brought was here?" The woman already blushing whispers something before just nodding. "Thank you for your assistance," Robert says with a smile before sobering as he walks past her and into the room. He sees a crib in the dimly lit room and pulls a chair in front of it.

As he sits down in the chair he looks over the edge of the crib and down on the small baby. Robert looks at the little black-haired babe in front of him. "His baby," He says angrily. "His baby, his son?" He repeats before suddenly growing softer in his features "Her baby, her baby, Lyanna's son" He has black hair, I have black hair, Rhaegar's was silver… and Lyanna was supposed to be my wife, not his. He had purple eyes but this child doesn't it has grey as far as Robert had seen so it couldn't be Rhaeghar's then "It must be my baby, my son, our son" Robert concluded completely delusional like this was the most logical conclusion. Robert looked as mad as the Targaryens when he held up the child who suddenly woke up. "Yes my baby, look he already has my muscles" He didn't it was baby fat, but Robert looked desperate enough to accept any similarities they shared.

I am always too drunk… a-and when I'm so drunk I tend to forget things like for example bedding women, and maybe my future wife Lyanna before she was kidnapped, yes I think I remember it now, oh she was the best I had ever had, I almost didn't want anyone else, but since it was before our marriage was official he is, unfortunately, a bastard, but I can't do that to Lyanna's baby, my son, and I am the King of The Seven Kingdoms now…

The courtiers, knights, and lords slowly made trickled into the throne room, many vary after the King's outburst the other day, but also interested in why the King had called them all for a royal announcement as the servants who also didn't know what this was about had called it.

The King was seated on the Iron Throne as magnificent as ever even though he wasn't as fit as when he first sat down on the throne a year and a bit ago. He also had something more unusual than the announcement, a happy smile on his face. The king almost always had a drunk, angry or irritated expression when anyone saw him in the throne room or in the hallways, they had seen him smile before but that was only when he very rarely sparred or more usually jovially ate and talked in one of his many feasts. Next to him on each side were his advisers and Kingsguard along with a scribe and a female servant for some reason.

The assembled crowd eventually all made their way in and instinctively quieted down as the King rose. "My dear vassals, loyal and honorable knights, and other guests! I have gathered you here to announce a new addition to the royal family" Shocked gasps sound out across the big room.

Robert gestures to a wet nurse to his side who hands him a small bundle. "This is Orys Waters! My son by my late betrothed Lyanna Stark, who died all too early when birthing our son" Robert announces grandly and then somberly. "If the dragons hadn't taken her from me he would have been trueborn unfortunately it wasn't to be, but as King of the Seven Kingdoms I'm able to ratify that!" Robert finishes with a great smile as he lifts the child. The assembled crowd seem a little unsure before deciding that this was a happy event and cheering.

Robert gestures again this time to the scribe who was holding some papers. And with the newly proclaimed Orys Waters in his left arm, he scribbles something on the papers. "And with that, I proclaim my son Orys Waters legitimized and renamed as Crown Prince Orys Baratheon! My heir" Since the crowd already decided this was a happy event they erupt into cheers at the announcement.

Robert sits behind the desk in his solar as Ned walks in. "Ned! How are you doing? I hope the guards were too harsh when they took you to the room" Robert says apologetically. "Your grace" Ned nods "I'm doing well, and they didn't treat me too badly" Ned replies. "What is the future of my nephew?" Ned asks and while he had been practically emotionless since he walked in he showed a sign of wariness at this particular question and considering this was the last thing he had said before Robert put him in house arrest you could understand the wariness.

Robert laughed heartily in contrast to his previous reaction "Have you not heard? My son has finally been legitimized and is back where he belongs" Ned's eyebrows furrow. "Your son your grace? What do you mean, I thought you only had that girl in the Vale?" Robert frowns "Girl in the Vale? Do I have a daughter there?" Ned looks shocked "Don't you remember Mia? She was born a couple of moons before Aerys sent the letter to Jon, how can you not remember your own daughter?" Ned asks incredulously. "The stress of kingship has made me forgetful, but I do remember my son by Lyanna of course, how could I forget?" Robert replies.

"By Lyanna? Is it my nephew that I brought to you?" Ned asks confused. "Yes, who else would it be?" Robert says humorously. "So that was your baby and not… you know who's?" Robert sobers up. "Of course! That's the only logical conclusion" Ned looks doubtful. "And when did you two do this?" Ned inquires. "At Harrenhal, that's the only time we have met" Ned begins to calculate. "The dates don't seem to match up" Ned eventually concludes. "Of course they do! This is me and Lyanna's son and I won't have a word more about anything doubting that, do you understand?" Robert says angrily in a menacing tone completely contradictory to his previous mood.

"I guess we finally did connect through blood then Ned like we planned" Robert then says after a few tense moments. Ned hesitates a second before replying "I guess we do your grace" An awkward silence ensues before Robert finally ends the conversation "I suggest you get back to that wife of yours at Riverrun and then get back to Winterfell" Ned simply nods before leaving the solar.

End of Chapter

Well, that was the first chapter hope you enjoyed the premise of the story. I thought long and hard about this trying to find a creative way to center a story around Jon or Orys in this story.

Hope the characters were believable and the dialogue understandable. I remember reading a fanfiction a couple of months ago where Ned suggests that if he found a child of Lyanna and brought it to Robert, would he do something to it. And Robert said he would not harm it because it was of Lyanna and I thought that was quite believable concerning Robert's characterization, and otherwise, an interesting premise, what if Robert took in Jon Snow as his son or something along those lines.

Robert being off his rocker concerning his greatest dream in life I think at least could lead him to believe that it's at least not his mortal enemy's child without any definitive proof.

Next: Flaps of the Butterfly

Thank you for reading