I haven't done the MC POV in this chapter, I wanted to paint a picture of his character from others perspective before I give you access to the MC's inner thoughts. Although his backstory should give you a solid Idea of the MC's character.
( Nothing belongs to me)
Jon Chakraborty had been born to a pair of Indian Immigrants in the US. He had been a smart child and would have done very well academically had he been born into a more privileged family. But life rarely cared for such things and instead of studying Jon had to help out in his Parent's store after school.
Jon's Parents had borrowed money for some unscrupulous elements of the society to open that store and a simple robbery left them unable to repay the loan.
So at the age of 13 Jon Chakraborty walked home to find the dead bodies of his parents. Having been brought up on suspicion of authorities, Jon did not bother reporting the incident. He buried them with some help from his equally destitute neighbors and then faced life, the best and worst it had to offer.
He dropped out of school and had to switch to crime to feed himself after he had been kicked out of his house. He found others like him and with them, life became easier.
Jon was smart, he figured out stealing meal after meal by itself would not be efficient for living. As such he developed a system, their group started taking menial jobs at restaurants, malls and other such places and from there they ran deep scams, stealing money and stuff that could be sold.
Jon continued living his life this way for 4 years, then on one of their more ambitious heist of a museum, more than half of his group was caught and apprehended.
Jon escaped and realised that the life of crime was not sustainable. If he continued this way, he would eventually end up in prison, which is why the boy broke away from the left over of his group, got a job and started his education once more.
He still stole intermittently to make odd ends meet, never more than he needed and never when he did not need it.
He finished his schooling and got a scholarship.
Jon studied history, got a Masters degree in it. He went above than that and got a Ph.d. He found love, built himself a home, a family, a name.
He got a job as a professor in one of the more prestigious colleges, wrote books, learnt new things.
He taught his students best he could, touched many lives and then died at the age of 105 after holding his great granddaughter in his arms and naming her.
Jon Chakraborty died mostly without regrets. The little voice in head claiming that he could have been great had he had better beginnings notwithstanding.
But fate was not done with him yet. After his death Jon was given a choice, he could die and know peace or he could live again and fight harder and achieve the greatness he so desired. He could change a world if he chose the latter and could immortalise himself in the annals of history.
After much deliberation he chose the latter and was reborn as the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen, the rest as they say was history.
293 A.C.
Asher Forrester, Moat Cailin (under construction)
"Don't loose focus now! You're swinging a sword, not a damn hammer." Ser Alliser bellowed out while simultaneously smacking his sword arm with the flat end of a tourney sword.
Asher just grunted in reply and regained the focus he had momentarily lost after the old man had insulted him.
He parried the old man's next strike, ignored the trap opening in the old man's guard and was finally able to land a hit on him after a few more strikes.
Ser Alliser, Captain of the 100 guards that had come to the North with Prince Jahaerys, grunted and signaled that their daily tort-training, daily training had come to an end.
He briefly wondered if staying in Westeros was worth this shite, but then the prince's words came back to him. "You can go to Essos and work for a sell sword company, you'll be able to sleep with whores and drink to your hearts content. If you're lucky you'll live up to the of 40 after which you'll either die nameless in an alley or live your life as a beggar." The prince had spoken in a nonchalant voice. "Or you can serve me. Your father has banished you from the North, travel with me to the south earn a knighthood with the captain of my guard, be my sword and I'll promise you that glory will be yours for the taking. Not today, maybe not tomorrow but sometime in the future you'll be the most famous Forrester in history. Your father called you a shame to his name? We'll see how he likes it when people start asking every Forrester if they're related to Asher."
He did not know how a boy of 10 name days had said all this without sounding ridiculous, neither did he know why he had believed all his talk about glory but in that moment Asher had known that prince Jahaerys would deliver on his promise, hence he had kneeled in front of Jahaerys and pledged himself to the prince.
The very next morning, Ser Alliser motherfucking Thorne had woken him up at the crack of dawn and proceeded to beat the ever living shit out of him.
"I don't know what my prince sees in you, but I'll be damned if I don't bring it out." The old man had said after the first disappointing beat down Asher had received. After which the man had continued his training as they visited places all over the north.
He was sure that by now he was twice the swordsman he had been before he began training under Ser Alliser.
The old man was a cunt, there was no doubt about it, he was a hard head and a grouch to everyone but the prince and his servant, but there was no denying that the man was an excellent swordsman and wonderful commander. It made sense that the prince had yet to replace him with a younger man.
"Ser Alliser, the prince would like you and young lord Forrester to join him for breakfast." The musical, cultured voice of a young lad interrupted him.
Alfred, it was the boy that had tried to steal from the prince but instead of taking his hand, like he should have, Jahaerys had been impressed by the young lad's ability to even reach him when he was surrounded by 20 guards.
When it had been found out that the boy was an orphan, Prince Jahaerys had asked him to travel with them and become his "butler", which was just another one of those odd words that the prince came up with.
Thus the boy had been taken under the prince's wing, and named Alfred Pennyworth by the Prince. He served as the Prince's personal servant, you know, testing his food and drink, running his errands, delivering his scrolls. And the Prince in turn taught the boy his letters and numbers, the prince taught him how to sound more refined and look the part.
Asher could swear that one time he had even seen the boy trying to act like the prince while the prince corrected him.
Even now, as the 14 year old boy stood before them he looked more noble than Asher ever had. Prince Jahaerys had turned a street urchin into a noble in just about 40 days.
"We'll be there right away lad." Ser Alliser replied kindly and hadn't that been a surprise.
The man had been the one who had caught the boy in had immediately suggested that they cut the boy's hand off for trying to steal from the prince.
But now, the man was kind to the boy, his gruff voice missing the bite like it did when he talked to Prince Jahaerys.
He did not know why that so he like everyone else with sense just ignored it.
Alfred left and after cleaning up for a bit he and Ser Alliser too followed.
As soon as they neared the prince's room he heard a serene and sorrowful sound, which told him that the prince was yet again playing the new instrument he had made. "Vyolin" the prince had called it.
Honestly it baffling how a 10 nameday old boy could think of such wondrous things. Talking to the prince often times made him feel like a lackwit, even though he knew he was not.
They knocked on the prince's door and all of a sudden the sound stopped and despite not being one for music Asher thought that perhaps they should have waited for it to end.
The prince commanded them to enter, once they did they saw they prince sitting at the his table with the ease and grace that would have looked far more natural on a man grown instead of a boy.
"My Prince" both them bowed deeply.
"Please join me" the prince said motioning towards breakfast that had been spread in front of him.
The prince had a habit of asking people around him to join whenever he had food, which was very odd, because nobility, even the lesser lords found it distateful to share a meal with those 'beneath them'.
"Good food tastes all the better when shared with good company." The prince would often say.
They sat down and started eating as respectfully as they could.
"How does your new squire fare Ser Alliser?" The prince asked as he sipped his morning concoction, some sort of leaves and herbs boiled in water with honey.
Asher disliked it for it's somewhat bitter taste but the prince seemed to like it well enough.
"He does have strength as you said he would, now if I could just knock precision into that thick head of his then I would just put a greatsword in his hand and knight him." The old man spoke gruffly.
The prince hummed and then turned towards him.
"Coming from Ser Alliser that is glowing praise. I'm glad that you're doing well." The prince told him with a smile and Asher nodded bashfully.
He was a man grown dammit, the praise of a ten year old should not please him so.
The prince then took another sip of his concoction and then spoke again.
"The Party from Kingslanding will be here soon." He said.
"And after allowing them a day or two of rest we'll travel through the Vale of Arryn, then the Riverlands, then the Wersterlands, followed by the Reach, then Stormlands and finally the Crownlands. Do either of you have any questions or opinions that you'd like to share on the matter?" The prince asked after he laid out their route in front of them.
"I would suggest against stopping at Riverrun, Eyrie and Storm's End my prince. With Jon Arryn dead, Robert Baratheon permanently crippled and the Tully Heir a hostage in the Red Keep I doubt that you'd be welcome and even if you were, it would set the tails wagging across Kingslanding, my prince." Ser Alliser spoke.
The prince considered the mans advice for quite some time before he spoke again.
"Your concerns are absolutely justifiable, but that is one of the reasons I'm travelling so much. My parent's love and their folly has left it's mark on the realm and I don't want that mark to be shifted on my back should the wounds they have suffered be allowed to fester." The prince spoke in a sombre voice before he turned towards Alliser with a smile.
"Besides I was quite disliked by the northerners a few months ago and now they all seem sad to watch me leave." The prince said playfully and Asher could not help but snort internally.
Of course they were sad to see him go, the prince had waltzed into their keeps and casually solved their problems with just a few suggestions and deals.
The prince had taught Winterfell and the rest of the North new ways to farm, one that increased their yield 4 times over.
He had told the rest of the North with other crops suited to their areas. Barley and Potatoes for the Karstarks and Umbers. Rice for Lords of the swamp Lord who had come to visit him here at Moat Cailin. He had advised the Rills to breed cattle specifically for meat and hide and had then made them deal with leach Lord who was advised to hire tanners and produce cheap but abundant leather.
The mountain clans were advised to raise mountain sheep whose wool was sent to the Glovers for treatment. The Mormonts were advised and given a loan to create artificial ponds closer home to breed fish. So that the men could stay near home and fight the damn Iron born off, they were also advised to grab a some bear cubs and raise them in captivity to see if they could tame them and rear them like cattle. For their fur and other uses.
And finally White harbor, whose Lord would see all the goods of the North traded at his port. The prince had personally asked Lord Stark to allow the Merman to collect toll, half of which would of course go straight to the coffers of Winterfell along with the extra taxes from the rest of the houses.
The prince had not changed much, he hadn't brought in something revolutionary, he had just taken what was already there and made it better. He had united the North even more than before. Earlier they had all been connected by their First man ancestry and their loyalty to the Starks. Now they were connected by their purses and trade as well.
The Northerners who used to blame Princess Lyanna for the war now thanked her in her prayers for birthing a son like Jahaerys Targaryen.
"You just made sure that their people and family don't starve any longer, all in a matter of months, saying that they're sad to see you go is an understatement. But the other kingdoms are not starving my prince. Winning them over will not be that easy." Asher spoke up.
The Prince nodded, " You are correct. It won't be easy, but then again deeds worth doing are hardly ever easy." The prince with a winning smile.
This was yet another moment where the Prince seemed so far above his age. Perhaps the whispers of the smallfolk held some truth in them after all? The Prince was truly blessed by the gods?
He certainly looked the part. The prince was the perfect mixture of his Stark and Targaryen heritage. With light grey eyes that looked like steel and silver hair that were streaked with black, the prince looked a bit other worldly. He had the solid build of a Stark and Northern ruggedness of his features seemed to be tempered by the valyrian beauty. ( A.N. Imagine the witcher Henry Cavill but younger)
"And as for the of the courtiers in the Red Keep? I care not about them. The opinion of strangers is neither sword nor shield, it is just a shackle that binds you to their expectations." The prince waved off.
"Now a-" whatever the Prince was about to say was interrupted when someone knocked on the door.
"Come in." Prince Jahaerys said after a moment following which Alfred entered.
"I apologies for the interruption my Prince but the a party of about 20 men waving the Targaryen banner has been spotted." The young lad said with a bow sounding extremely apologetic.
"Thank you Alfred, if you could prepare some refreshments for the men." The prince said as he got up and left the room.
Ser Alliser and him followed behind, standing at the prince's shoulders.
"My prince I apologise if I'm overstepping in any way do you think is proper for you to welcome the party yourself? I don't th..." Ser Alliser began hesitantly.
The prince did not bother looking back but kept walking purposefully as he replied.
"Ser Alliser, you know who's leading that party... Now I might be mature for my age but I am still a ten year old, do you really think I care about maintaining protocol?" The prince asked with an amused town as he effortlessly glided down the stairs.
"No my Prince." Ser Alliser conceded.
And they walked in silence towards the courtyard. around 20 Targaryen guard immediately stood in attention behind the prince who stood in the the middle Ser Alliser and himself at his shoulders.
After a few minutes of waiting, they were joined by the castellan of the keep, one who would hold the keep untill a Lord was appointed.
The man was surprised to see the prince waiting for the party but he wisely kept his mouth shut.
And after some more time of waiting the party road into view, twenty guards riding in two files of ten, led by a man on a black horse, wearing the white cloak and shinning silver armour. He cut a very impressive figure.
The man purposefully halted some distance away from the prince and then dismounted.
The other guards wearing Targaryen colours did the same and followed him as he marched towards the prince. The man took of his helm and knelt in front of the prince. The guards following him in one smooth motion.
With his sword in his hand the man spoke. "I offer my services to Prince Jahaerys Targaryen. I will shield your back and keep your counsel and give my life for yours if need be. I swear it by the Old Gods and the New."
After waiting for a few tense moments, the prince walked towards the kneeling man but instead of speaking the traditional oath the Prince did something different. As was his wont.
"And I vow that I shall strive to be worthy of your service and devotion. You shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table. I pledge to ask no service of you that breaks or tests your knightly vows and I swear to live with honour so that serving me shall not lessen yours. I swear it by the old gods and the new, I swear it by earth and water I swear it by blood and steel, I swear it... By Fire and Ice." The prince intoned in voice that made his hair stand.
The whole compound was enveloped in unnatural silence as the looked toward the young prince and the kneeling knight. The silence was then broken by the prince who smiled and said, " Rise Ser Barristan, let me take a look at the finest knight in the realm."
And as Ser Barristan rose and looked towards the Prince in admiration and devotion, Asher knew why the prince had come to greet the party in person and spoken those words.
To a man like Ser Barristan, who was a proud and honourable knight, getting such a measure of respect from a prince of the realm was very meaningful gesture, especially when the previous prince he had served had tried to dishonour him, if the rumours were to be believed.
"It is an honour to see you again my prince, you do the name of your ancestors proud." The man said with a deep bow and somehow Asher knew that he had truly witnessed something historical.
293 A.C.
Lord Varys, the Red Keep.
He read the short letter written to him by his spies in the Riverlands with mild amusement. It had been 7 months since the Prince had left winterfell and with every passing report life kept getting more interesting.
The first time he had taken notice of the Prince had been when one of his his little birds in old town had gotten hold of a raven from the Maester of Winterfell to the Citadel, claiming the Prince to have brilliant mind, one that had to be touched by the Gods as it was too unnatural.
Varys did not pay attention to the latter part, but the former roused his curiosity. The fact that the younger Prince had started reading books at the age of 5 when the elder was still soiling himself was curious to say in the least.
Then at the age of eight the Prince had written a raven to white harbor, one that had been followed with a visit just a few months later.
And when the prince had come back to Winterfell, the lands around it had started planting different crops and started following a different farming method. One that produced 4 times the yield.
It had been shocking, to say in the least, but Varys had not reported it, the people of the North always suffered from a shortage of food and if the Prince's method kept them fed during winters, then Varys felt no need for Jon Connington to find out and start seeing conspiracies where there were none.
Then there had been silence for 2 years before the younger Prince turned 10 years old and his fostering was complete.
However, instead of marching straight towards Kingslanding the Prince decide to see the entire Kingdom. Now that by itself was not noteworthy.
The noteworthy fact was that every keep the Prince visited in the North got new ways to keep their people employed and fed. The Prince showed foresight and fostered trade relations among the Northern Lords.
It was a brilliant stroke if Varys could say so himself.
In the course of just a few months, the young Prince had strengthened the North, tightened the Stark hold on their kingdom, which had loosened after the rebellion.
And the Prince had an entire Kingdom in his debt, one that was tied to him by blood.
So not only had he made life better for the people in the North he had also ensured that should something happen to him while in the South, the entirety of the North would go to war. And with their new strength, their ties to the other rebel kingdoms, they might just win this time.
Varys was sure that Prince Doran too had gotten the message and the Red Viper would soon make his way towards Kingslanding.
Then, Prince Aegon in a bout of tactless childishness had decided to improve his standing amongst his hanger ons by making one of the most respect knights in the realm play the fool for them.
It had horribly backfired and the Prince had been insulted when Ser Barristan just walked away from him, ignoring his calls and petulant warnings.
Soon after the man had travelled towards Moat Cailin and sworn himself to the younger prince as per Rhaegar's commands.
And just like that Prince Jahaerys had gotten the service of the best fighters in the seven kingdoms. A knight whose honour was beyond reproach.
Varys kept tabs on the party as they travelled through the Vale. The prince often played songs at inns and taverns and people had started calling him the bard prince, a moniker that was once associated with his father, King Rhaegar.
When in Eyrie the Prince had struck a friendship with the Lord Royce, the current Lord Paramount of the Vale and he had convinced the man's youngest son Waymar, one who was set on going to the wall, to serve him instead.
A simple act, really but one that had left the Lord Paramount of the Vale happy. That had been the only noteworthy thing that had happened during the Prince's stay in the Vale.
And after that the Prince had travelled to the Riverlands, which was where he had gotten this little tidbit of news from.
He rolled up the scroll and put it in his sleeve, unlike other news regarding the prince, he could not hide this. Or rather he did not want to hide it. Seeing the reaction of the small council when he told them this little news would be interesting indeed.
A few hours later he walked to the council room and took his seat beside the grandmaester Pycelle who, of course, pretended to be asleep.
Slowly the council members trickled into the chamber.
Lord Mace Tyrell Master of coin, the Lord had been happy since his children had come to the Red Keep and befriended Prince Aegon. The poor fool did not know that the prince was already promised to his sisters, he dreamed a crown falling upon his daughters head.
Accompanying him was his assistant and the real Master of coin, a young Lord from the fingers named Peytr Baelish. Varys of course knew all about the man, his history with the Tullys and the Starks, the less than pleasing ways the man had made his fortune and entered Lord Mace's service.
But he refrained from having him removed for two reasons. The first being that the man was very good at his job, the realm's finances were doing very well under his expert hand.
And the second being that the man, while dangerous and cunning did not really have the power to make any moves on the board.
So he would stay alive, for now.
Soon after them came Lord Monford Velaryon, the master of ships and the only person on the entire small council whose loyalty to Targaryens could not be questioned.
Followed by Lord Kevan, the lesser, Lannister. Master of Laws and the second Lannister man on the council, the first being Grandmaester Pycelle himself.
And then finally the king who was followed by Lord Jon Connington, his hand and Prince Aegon, his heir and page.
The prince looked as petulant as he had been when Rhaegar had made him attend his first small council meeting just after Ser Barristan had left and the king had taken an active hand in his son's education.
Alas the king had forgotten to temper the Griffin's influence. Varys would have said something but Rhaegar distrusted him, for good reason, and any advice that came from him would probably be discarded just because.
All the council members stood in greeting and the king returned their bows with a nod.
The meeting started with the hand of the king once more hinting, in not so subtle words, about treason and how they should increase taxes and weaken the rebel kingdoms.
Everyone ignored him, like they always did.
The master of ships reported an increase in ironborn activity along the coast and Rhaegar commanded him to look into it and watch if it turned out to be more than just some extra raids.
Varys nodded.
The master of coin spoke his assistants words and suggested some new ways of making coin and all the Lords except Lannister turned their noses upwards and refused to comment on matter of counting coppers.
In the end Baelish's proposal was rejected and given the slight look in his eyes he had not expected that.
And after Lord Lannister had given his assurances that the law was being upheld in the city the king turned towards him and asked him if there was any news.
"There's news from the Riverlands your grace." Varys began and from the corner of his eyes he saw Jon Connington sit a bit straighter at the mention of the "traitors".
The king made a go on motion.
"The delegation sent by the Riverlords Blackwood and Bracken rides towards Kingslanding." He said.
"What have they done now, has someone been killed or has one of them finally decided to declare war on the other?" The hand commented snidely and a couple of Lords gave out snorts of amusement.
"Yes, Lord Varys, their rivalry while age old and well documented is hardly something worth reporting to this council." The Old Maester added his two cents.
The king however looked towards him and motioned him to go on, so he did.
"The delegation rides to invite the royal family to the union of the families Bracken and Blackwood in the bonds of Matrimony. The heir of Blackwood family, Brynden Blackwood is set to marry the eldest daughter of Lord Bracken, Alyssa Bracken." He informed the shocked council.
"What the fuck?!" came the characteristically sharp and and precise reply from the Grandmaester who was suddenly looking very attentive and was sitting straight as if he had just gotten younger.
The whole council momentarily forgot their surprise at the end of the age old feud and turned towards the Grandmaester in shock and awe.
Varys too raised an eyebrow in surprise and the old man suddenly reminded of his surroundings wilted like an dry flower and started mumbling and bumbling apologies and surprise.
"The Grandmaester's momentary youth aside. How did this happen Lord Varys? As far as I know the families would rather kill their children than have them marry each other." The king asked him.
"I don't know for sure but I can take a guess, your grace." Varys simpered with practiced ease.
Lord Lannister snorted and the king motioned him to get on with it.
"As you know Prince Jahaerys has already travelled throughout the North and the Vale and now he travels through the Riverlands. Well it just happened that while travelling through the Bracken and Blackwood land the Prince could not decide whose keep to visit first and whom to snub, so he decided to stay in an inn that was on the border of those two lands and he sent letters to both the Lords saying that if they wished to host him then they would have to do so at the inn." Varys began the wonderful, in his opinion atleast, tale.
The council looked in interest while the Crown Prince and Lord Hand looked slightly disgusted at the mention of Prince Jahaerys.
"A day later both the lords along with their retinue showed up at the inn. Now my little birds were not privy to whatever happened in the inn, but about 15 days later the Two Lords accompanied by the Prince and Ser Barristan set out for the Isle of faces where they stayed for 3 days and when they returned to their own keeps Lord Blackwood held a weirwood sapling in his arms whereas Lord Bracken had a pact of marriage and peace in his." Varys delivered the end of the wonderful story.
It had all the right elements in it, comedy, suspense, mystery, drama and the most important element, a happy ending.
Varys could not wait to find out what the Prince had said in order to achieve such a feat and he also couldn't wait to see if the peace would hold.
"My 10 year old son somehow ended the age old feud between two rival houses? In just about a month?" The king asked in a daze.
"Yes your Grace, Lord Hoster Tully after hearing the news commented that the young prince was the conciliator come again." Varys said with a joyful titter that came easily when he watched the deliciously hateful look on the face of Jon Connington and the thoughtful look on the face of Lord Velaryon.
A proud smile blossomed on the King's face and then he asked Varys, "When's the wedding?"
"Two moon turns your Grace." Varys answered.
"Jon make the preparations, we're going to a wedding." The king said with an excited undertone in his voice, one that had been missing since the war had ended.
Jon Connington looked shocked.
"Your Grace they're minor Lords and rebels to the boot they don't des-" The Griffin Lord began but was immediately shut down when the King stood up.
"The wedding will be a momentous occasion in the history of Westeros, one that my younger son had a part in. It would be foolish of me to miss it Jon." The king said and nodded once towards the small council before walking out of the chamber, with a young Prince Aegon trailing behind him.
"Well my Lords I don't know about you but I personally would like to go to the wedding, to meet Prince Jahaerys and ask him how he did it, if nothing else." Lord Velaryon said with a smile.
Jon Connington turned towards him, annoyed and irritated.
"The boy probably had nothing to do with it. He was just being arrogant and wanted to be waited upon by two Lords. The Lords must have decided to just end the feud themselves." The Hand of the king said dismissively.
Lord Velaryon's smile became a little fixed and he too stood up.
"The green of jealously is not a good look on you my Lord, it clashes horribly with the Red. Now if you'll excuse me." The man said with a mocking bow and left.
Once the man was well out of the chamber Lord Baelish decided to make his voice known.
"Well atleast we finally have a Stark who knows more than just starting wars and killing things." The man said in his oily voice.
Jon Connington looked pleased and Varys couldn't help but wait eagerly for the day when the Prince returned to Kingslanding.
He would love to watch the foolish Griffin Lord clash his head with a 10 year old and lose.
"Interesting times are on the horizon." Varys said as he left the chamber.
Well now that is done. I hope you all liked it .
Please review and follow.
~hoptitu.