Eddard

As his house banner blew in the wind, a man noticed the Direwolf of his house and opened the gates to Castle Black.

The Wall reached up into the heavens, and a part of him wanted to go to the very top. However, after almost a month of miserable traveling, he mostly just wanted to bring Viserys home, and reunite with Benjen if his brother was here

When he and his fifteen men rode through the gates, his eyes scanned for a boy with silver hair. The only men he saw however, were men dressed all in black.

So he leapt from his horse, and saw a familiar face walking towards him. Joer Mormont had increased in age since the last time he saw him, but the man still looked strong as ever. "Lord Commander," he greeted the man.

Joer nodded, and offered his hand, which Ned accepted. "Lord Stark, I presume you're here for the Targaryen?" he asked, straight to the point.

Giving a nod, he looked around the castle. Rapers, thieves, murderers, this was not what the Watch was supposed to be. What it used to be was a place of honor, for any man willing to make the sacrifice and defend the realms of men. Now it was a place for criminals.

"If you'll follow me, ill-"

"There's no need lord commander," a young voice that Ned knew all too well said as he walked over to them. "I'm already here."

Ned gave the boy a blank stare. He was dressed in all black, but his hair and lilac eyes proved it to be him. "You're coming home, Viserys."

The boy stared at him, and grunted. "As if I had a choice."

Ned gave the boy a look, making him roll his eyes and walk over to the riderless horse they had brought with them. "Mine, I'd imagine?"

He gave the boy a nod, and looked back at Joer, and noticed an old man walking up from behind the Lord Commander with two men helping him. "Maester Aemon?" he presumed.

The Maester nodded, "And to whom do I have the honor of addressing?"

As Ned was about to respond, Viserys beat him to it. "It's Lord Stark, uncle," he said, rolling his eyes.

While that was disrespectful, Ned didn't want to cause a scene or argument. "Have you come to say goodbye Maester?"

The old man nodded, and behind him was a steward with a chest. "I have, and I was hoping you would let Viserys bring this with him."

While he would normally be fine with it, they lacked a cart or wagon. "My apologies Maester, but we lack the ability to-"

"Does the Watch have a cart they could spare?" Viserys asked, again cutting him off. "Lord Stark and I could use our horses to pull it, and you could bring it back when you send a ranger to get more men."

Looking over at the boy, he wondered what had become of his behavior. "That would be possible," Mormont responded. "Assuming your horses are big and strong enough." Fortunately for Viserys, they were.

So, after the Watch generously provided them with a cart, and loaded two chests in the back, they were off. Something strange to him was that one smaller chest had a white one headed dragon on it while the other had the three headed Targaryen dragon.

For the first few minutes he and Viserys rode in silence, neither really wishing to speak to the other it seemed. He wasn't angry with Viserys, not truly, just disappointed. He shouldn't have run off, even if it was to find a member of his family that Ned hadn't told him about.

A part of him regretted keeping Aemon a secret, just as a small part of him wanted to tell Viserys of Jon, but his reasons for not doing so prevented him. If Viserys knew of Jon, then either he would become jealous and want him dead, or he would use Jon as an excuse for rebellion.

Honestly by now, he would choose Jon over Robert, but only because his old friend was blinded by rage and vengeance. However, he didn't want to go to war against his old friend, and as long as he could prevent conflict he would be fine with Robert as king.

"So...how's Jon?" Viserys asked out of nowhere. Of all the things he'd expect his ward to ask, that was not one of them. It seemed the boy noticed his surprise. "When I left he was dying, so I was just wondering."

Ned supposed that was true. "He's doing better, didn't seem sick when I stopped at Winterfell."

Viserys simply gave a nod, and looked ahead of them before speaking again. "I don't regret what I did," Ned glanced at him. "I'd run away there again, because he is my family."

He didn't blame him for saying that, after all, family is above all. "I know, but regardless of the reason, you still ran away."

Viserys nodded, "So what happens now?" the boy asked.

Eddard looked back at Jory Cassel who rode his horse behind them, and then back at Viserys. "You suffer the consequences of your actions." he cleared his throat. "You will have chores around the Winterfell, less sword play, and a guard will accompany you from now on."

Instead of complaining like Ned thought he would, Viserys gave a slight nod. "Fair, but if I'm doing a servant's work and am going to be followed like a prisoner, then I demand one thing in return."

While Viserys was in no position to negotiate, out of respect, Ned would listen. "But first I must know, I need to know how much you truly care for me and Dany, I need to know if you'll lie to me."

It was not in Ned's nature to lie, it was not an honorable thing to do. "Have I not sheltered you both? Cared for you as if you were my own family?" sure, they weren't as dear to him as Jon or his children, but nonetheless he loved them both like his own. "I promise, I won't deceive you."

Hesitating, Viserys nodded. "Is there any other member of my family you're not telling me about? Is there another Targaryen out there besides Aemon, Dany and I?"

Ned stared at him, trying not to nod. For almost a decade, he had kept Jon a secret, even from his own kin. But he just swore to tell Viserys the truth, and his honor demanded he tell him such. However, he also swore to Lyanna he would keep Jon safe no matter what, and it was dangerous to tell more people, especially a child.

"No," It took him a while before he responded, and the longer it took the more obvious it was he had lied. "None that I know of."

Theon

As he walked through the gates of the giant castle that Lord Baratheon said would be his new home, he thought it looked like someplace that had been here for thousands of years, and would be for a thousand more.

Of course the Starks and Baratheons so easily crushed his fathers rebellion, and killed his brothers. They never stood a chance against men that lived in castles such as these.

Standing in an open area at the entrance of the castle, was a red headed woman and a boy his age, both with fur cloaks around them.

immediately, everyone in the castle yard fell to their knees, and lord Stannis who stood beside him gestured for them to rise almost immediately after they had knelt.

"Prince Stannis, we have been expecting your arrival." the woman greeted him when she rose, holding a hand on her son. "We are honored to have you in our home."

Lord Baratheon gave a courteous nod. "Lady Stark, may I ask where your lord husband is?"

The woman's face changed to almost a saddened one. "I'm afraid my lord husband is still on his way back from the Wall, bringing back prince Viser-"

"The ward Viserys," Stannis interrupted. "He is no longer a prince."

It surprised Theon that a Targaryen would be here in Winterfell, he had heard from his father they were all nothing anymore, so he assumed that meant they'd all died.

"Regardless of Lord Starks whereabouts, my brother Robert has requested you take Balons last son Theon Greyjoy as your ward." Theon tried not to show fear to these people, for he had to remain strong.

It was because of the Baratheons and Starks that his brothers were dead and his father demoted to a lord. Now he was a prisoner, a hostage to be executed should his father rebel.

"Robb," the red headed woman said to the boy at her side, likely the same age as Theon. "Could you take Theon to his room?"

So he was getting a room? He had expected to be given a cell like normal prisoners. "Yes mother." the boy responded. "Come," he gestured with his hand as he walked towards a door inside the castle.

Theon hesitated for a moment, wondering if this may be some kind of trick. "Go on lad," he heard Stannis say from behind him. He turned his head to find Stannis gesturing to the door. "This is your home now."

Turning back to the wolf pup and the castle door, he started walking away from the Baratheon that had destroyed his fathers fleet.

When they were inside, the Stark boy wasted no time in talking. "My mother says your to live with us from now on," he said happily as if he didnt know that his family destroyed Theons. "It's not so bad up here, once you meet my brother and Daenerys you'll see."

Only shrugging in response, he truly didn't care about meeting any of the Stark family. "How much further until we get to my room?"

"Its right down the hall, but I wanted to introduce you to Jon and Daenerys first." Theon rolled his eyes, annoyed. "If that's fine with you, because the servants will bring your stuff to your room so there's really no need to-"

"Whatever pleases you, I really don't care." He said annoyed, though a part of him regretted it because this was the Starks' child, and he didn't want to be harmed. "Apologies, I...I just want to go home."

Robb looked at him, and nodded. "I understand, I wouldn't want to leave my family or home either."

Theon shook his head, "No, you don't understand." his voice began to weaken. "You don't know what its like, to lose your own brothers, to have your father send you away like nothing, to leave your own home and not know whether your going to ever see it again."

Trying to wipe away the few tears that escaped his eyes, he sniffled. "Theon," Robb spoke after a moment. "Do you need-"

"I need to be alone," he interrupted.

Hesitant, Robb shook his head. "You shouldn't be alone, no one should." He sighed, "Your not the only person here to lose everything, trust me."

Theon found that impossible to believe. "And who, who else has had their whole life taken from them?"

The young wolf glanced down the hall, "follow me, i'll introduce you to them."

Jon

They shouldn't be down here, it was a place only the Starks belonged. "Dany, we should turn back." he pleaded.

But she only shook her head as they walked deeper into the crypts. The resting place of the Stark kings and lords of old, they were no place for a bastard and a Targaryen.

He supposed it was partially his fault for them being here, after all it was he who told her where one of her dreams had taken her. 'I dreamt it weeks ago, but it was so clear, statues of dead people in a dark place. Some wore crowns, but at the beginning they had none. The further I went the colder it became, and I saw...felt something down there.'

Those had been the words she said to him, and the only thing he could think of was the crypts. His father had brought both him and Robb down there once, though Jon felt unwelcome because he was a bastard, not a Stark.

Now because he had told her she had dragged him down to the crypts, with only a torch for light. They didn't need it at first, because some of the statues were lit, but the further they descended the darker it got, and colder.

"Are you certain this is worth it?" he had to ask. "Not all dreams come true Dany."

She shook her head, "It was real, it all looks the same from my dream." Gods she could be stubborn, but that was one of the things he supposed he liked about her.

Further and further they descended into the crypts, only their torch being enough to light their way. It grew colder too, but it seemed to affect Dany more than him, though she still pressed on.

Finally, Daenerys stopped all of a sudden, and looked around with the torch to find something. Jon looked back behind them, seeing only darkness and feeling colder than he had in a long time, maybe even ever.

"What is it?" he asked as she looked around, trying to find something. After a moment of her booking around, he sighed, knowing he had to tell her. "Daenerys, there is nothing-"

"I saw them Jon, they were somewhere down here." she assured him. "They were real."

For something to be worth this, he had to ask, "What are we even looking for?"

She hesitated a moment, "I...I think they were a type of stone or-"

"Rocks?" he interrupted. "You mean to tell me we have been down here looking for a few rocks?" So all this was so she could have a few rocks that she could easily have gotten from above ground.

"No, Jon they were..." she paused, holding the torch over something. He looked over and saw her approaching something.

"What is it?" he asked as he moved closer to her when she picked something up.

In her hands she held a black and red object, "eggs?" she uttered in disbelief. "They're some type of egg."

Three other mysterious egg looking stones lay huddled against the wall. One green, one gold, and the other blue. "Four of them," he noted, including the one Dany was holding. "Why are they down here?"

Robert

Normally he wouldn't attend these meetings, but a war had just ended and he needed to know if there was a need to start another.

Stannis was in Winterfell, and was ordered to send a raven to him with information about Viserys. If that Dragonspawn wasn't in Winterfell by now, or was still missing, then he would have no choice but to march North.

"Any updates with the city watch ser Jaime?" asked his hand, Jon Arryn as he started the meeting.

The Kingslayer sat back against his seat. "Not much fuss with that cut throat on his way to the Wall." he smirked. "A fight I won't so easily forget."

Jon did his best not to acknowledge that last part. "Very good, and what of you Baelish? I trust the kingdoms wealth-"

"Jon, enough with the bloody nonsense." Robert interrupted, pressing his fist against the table. "Varys, is the dragon whelp back at Winterfell yet or not?" he came to this boring meeting for one thing, and he wanted to only discuss that one thing. Everything else could go to the depths of the Seven Hells.

"While not in Winterfell, my little birds tell me that Lord Stark is currently on his way home from the Wall with Viserys Targaryen."

Snorting, Robert gave a nod. It was disappointing that he couldn't smash that boy's face in like he did Rhaegars, but in time the boy would do something foolish to force his hand, he was sure of it. "Alright then, i'm off to get a drink and a nice tavern wench to warm my bed tonight."

The Kingslayers face struggling not to take offense was amusing, but the look on his Hands' face removed the pleasure. "Your grace, you are the king." Yes, he was reminded every waking moment of his life. "Would it not kill you to at least stay for one council meeting?"

Council meetings were so dull and boring and a waste of his time. "Not today Jon, I have a belly to fill with mead." he chuckled as he left the room.

A few hours later, he landed himself in a tavern. How he missed the old days when he could simply walk into any random tavern, fuck the hottest maiden, drink the finest ale, and nobody could give a shit who he was.

Now, he was king Robert. Everyone practically bowed and kissed his feet, calling him 'your grace'. Gods he wished he could have a single one of those days back. drinking with Ned, driving Jon crazy, and seeing his...gods, he couldn't even remember little Mya's face, his own daughter.

He had the time of his life then, and he met Lyanna, his only true love...and then that damned ingrate took her from him. Everytime he dreamed, he saw his face, the face of the dragonspawn that had taken it all away. If only Rhaegar could actually feel it in death, his face getting bashed in every night.

"Your grace," a familiar voice said sitting beside him in the tavern. Robert looked over to see it was his master of coin from the council meeting earlier today.

Robert set his cup of ale down on the table, and glanced over at Barristan standing guard against the wall, before looking back at the man. "Can a man not have one drink in peace?" he asked, his voice firm.

Baelish, he believed he had heard Jon call him that, gave a bow of his head. "Forgive me your grace, but it comes to my attention we have not been properly introduced." Robert had little idea who this man was. "I am lord Petyr Baelish, a great friend of your lord hands wife."

Snorting, Robert brought his cup to his mouth, downing his ale with no interest in Baelish. "I understand I was added to the council as master of coin while you were fighting at Pyke, so naturally I-"

"Gods will you shut up?" he lashed at the man. He didnt care about how or when he got added to his council, he didnt care to find out. "Either tell me something of importance or get the hell out of my sight."

Clearing his throat, Baelish nodded. "At once your grace." he gestured for the bartender to get a drink. "I seek to simply show off my absolute, devoted loyalty to you-"

"Get to the point" he demanded as he grew impatient.

Baelish eyed him, staring plainly. "It is no secret you want the Targaryens dead, nor is it a secret that you only keep them alive to avoid conflict with Lord Eddard Stark."

Gods, was it really that obvious? Sure it was true, Ned was the only thing between him and revenge, but that didnt change the fact that Ned was his oldest friend, his brother. "What if there was a way to...dispose of the Targaryens...a way that would not cause conflict with the Starks."

If such a way were possible, he would take it. Sure, Ned probably loved those dragonspawn, but they were the true enemy, and every enemy needed to be taken out like a weed from a garden.

'Their children Robert,' He heard Ned say in his head. Gods, Ned was right, they had been children then. What a monster he would have been had the Kingslayer and Ned not stopped him that day.

When those corpses of the Dragonspawn were showed to him in the throne room years ago, he had been glad Tywin did the deed instead of him, for he was no child murderer. He needed someone else to do such an act for him.

Now, another man it seemed was offering to do it for him, and Robert was all for that. "You could do it then?" he needed to be sure. "And it wont lead back to me?" the whole point of this would be to avoid a war and slay the two most dangerous threats to his reign.

A small smile formed on the face of Baelish. "And how would some purely random tragic accident lead down south to the king?"

Robert did not find this amusing, nor did he like the smile on this man's face, in fact he felt a weight in his chest. But it needed to be done, the Targaryens needed to die.

Daenerys

After almost three months, her brother was home. She stood outside in the courtyard, watching as horses came through and a wagon carrying lord Stark and her brother stopped right in front of her and the Stark family.

She looked at Viserys, a smile on her face glad to have him back. But he wasn't looking back at her, instead his first glance was at Jon. she didn't know why though, until she remembered that her brother left when Jon got sick, so he was probably just curious with how he was.

He did glance her way though, and gave a small smile as he jumped from the cart. But instead of walking over to her, he walked to the back of the cart and lord Stark asked a couple servants to take two chests to Viserys room.

"Ned," Lady Stark called for Lord Stark. "There is someone here you should meet."

Theon presented himself to lord Eddard, and for a second Stark was confused. "Who is he?" the way he said it made it sound like he already knew.

Lady Catelyn put a hand over Theons shoulder. "It seems King Robert has decreed you are to have a new ward."

She had gotten to know Theon for a few days, though he wasn't the most open person. She supposed she understood, after all, they shared something in common, both had been torn away from their family, though she was just an infant then.

Rather than stand here and listen to Lord Stark meet Theon, she followed her brother as he led the servants to his room inside the keep.

She didn't understand why he didn't even say hello, they hadn't seen each other for months, and he just abandoned her. It still hurt that he did that.

After the servants left Viserys in the room, she entered and found him touching some chest with a weird one headed white dragon on it. "Viserys?"

Her brother jumped after she said his name, startled. "Dany?" he turned to face her. "Shouldn't you be out there with the Starks?"

Why would she want to be with them? Did he just not want to see her or something?"It's been months, and you cant even say hello to me?"

Viserys did not respond for a moment, then sighed. "Im sorry Dany, but I needed to-"

"You left me alone," she interrupted him. "I thought you abandoned me, and the first thing you do when you come back is look at...whatever that is."

Her brother stared at her, and then walked over to her, laying a kiss on her forehead. "You know I would never do that to you."

She scoffed, "Do I?"

"Dany!"

"Then why didn't you take me with you?" he had always gone on about how they would take their home back, and that she would be queen, and that they would do everything together.

Viserys laid a finger gently on her cheek. "I wanted to, but you're too young. Besides, the Wall is no place for a child. It's a place for cruel, evil men that would kill anyone for a single scrap of food."

She had heard stories of the Wall, heard it was a place for the most evil of men. But she had also heard that it was just a place for lowlifes, and that it was a place for honorable men, like Lord stark's brother.

He again kissed her, this time on the cheek. "Next time I promise, I'll take you with me." A part of her wanted to believe that, and she hoped he meant it. "I did miss you, Dany."

She wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Please just, don't leave me alone again."

Viserys returned the hug, wrapping his arms around her. "Never, I would never abandon you Dany. I promise."

They stood like this for a while, just hugging each other until Viserys let her go and turned back towards the chest. "Come here, I want to show you something."

As he led her over to the long skinny chest with the white dragon on it, she wondered what was inside. "What I am about to show you, you must promise never to tell anyone."

She gave him a nod, "I promise."

Viserys opened the chest, and inside was a sword with a winged hilt. The steel looked different than the swords the guards carried. "What is it?"

Viserys stared at it for a long moment, "Dark Sister, the ancient sword of our family, finally returned."

She didn't know much about Dark Sister, other than that her ancestor Visenya wielded it in the conquest and that it was lost a long time ago. "Where was it?"

Her brother closed the chest, then turned to look at her. "The only good bastard in history took it North of the Wall with him, Bloodraven he was called." he glanced at the white dragon sigil. "Our uncle kept it safe after Bloodraven went missing beyond the Wall, and he gave it to me when I left."

While she didn't know about a blood raven, what intrigued her most was that last part Viserys said. "We have an uncle?" she asked, excited to know that there were more of them out there.

But her brother didn't share her smile. Instead, he kissed her forehead and walked towards the door. "Another time, Dany. I promise I'll tell you everything."

After he left her in the room, she wondered if maybe she should tell him about the eggs that she and Jon had discovered.

Viserys

When night came, he felt a little bit of a chill, but nothing compared to what he had experienced at the Wall. it was far warmer here than it had been up there.

The Starks were dining in their hall, Dany and their new ward with them. But he himself did not have much of an appetite, for he was now questioning his purpose.

If his theory proved to be true, and there was indeed another heir with a claim larger than his own, then what was the point?

It made sense to him now, why Lord Stark saved them, why he cared for them and raised them as his own. It was never about him or Dany, it was about his brothers child.

Personally he doubted Stark told the child yet, whoever it was. In fact he didn't know if he ever would. Eddard Stark seemed perfectly satisfied with those usurpers ruling from the south, and why wouldn't he? It was the same Lord Stark that was the Usurper's dog, the same man that fought against his brother at the Trident.

Yet, despite all the lord had done in the past, Viserys did know what befell Starks father and brother, and what was believed to have happened to his sister. And on the cart, he offered Lord Stark a chance at redemption, and he failed.

It was a simple question, a simple answer, and Stark lied right to his face. 'Is there another Targaryen out there besides myself, Aemon, and Dany?' he had asked Stark after leaving the Wall. 'No, none that I know of.'

If the wolf wanted to keep it a secret from him, then Viserys would let him...for now. For Viserys desired one thing above all else in this world, the iron throne.

Sure, he could reveal the truth to the world, hope that Dorne, the Riverlands, and the Reach back the North in the war that would follow, but if he did then it would not be himself that sat the throne, instead it would be his halfbred nephew.

No, the path ahead was uncertain but the end was clear. Somehow, some way he would reclaim the iron throne, and the Usurper's skull would lay at his feet for all to see. Daenerys would be his queen, and all the lords that had rebelled against his family would be wiped out, with the exception of the Starks.

Later, he did go to the dining hall. Once there, he walked over to the small table that he normally sat at with Daenerys and Jon. However, another had joined them.

The Greyjoy he had heard was their fellow ward sat beside Jon, while his sister sat across from him by herself.

Viserys took a seat beside his sister, across from Jon. "I didn't think you were coming." said Daenerys. He shrugged in response, staring at the alleged bastard in front of him who was eating his food. "I wanted to show you something."

Glancing at his sister, he noticed she had a bag in her hand. "Jon and I found them in the crypts," she informed him as the bag was opened to reveal a rock.

But no, it wasn't a rock, he knew very well what that was, his father showed him. "Dragon eggs?" He couldn't believe his sister had just found dragon eggs.

He moved his hand and placed it on the golden egg, feeling its scaly features. It looked old, but it was still valuable. When he was younger, his father showed him an egg, telling him that they were more valuable than gold or rubies.

He smiled, feeling the warmth of it. "Jon and I hid the other two in our rooms, I thought you should have one."

Upon hearing that, he glanced at Jon again. "He has an egg?" he asked her, to which she nodded. "Did it feel warm?" he asked Jon.

The so-called Stark bastard nodded, though oblivious to why it mattered. But Viserys knew, it mattered a great deal.

Not just anyone can feel warmth from a dragon egg, only one with dragon's blood can. "Jon helped me find them, so I thought it was only right."

Not responding to his sister, he continued to stare at Jon. Looking into his grey eyes for a moment, he noticed the tiny sliver of lilac behind the grey that could reveal everything.

A smile formed on Viserys' face. He thought it might be him, and now he knew it to be true. Jon Snow was no bastard, not even a Stark. "Well then Jon, I think the three of us should spend more time together."

His sister and Jon seemed confused, and Theon could care less as he continued to eat his meal. If Stark was going to have his nephew raised as a Stark bastard, Viserys would play along. Sure, it was a great insult to his house, to his brother, but it was either that or give up his throne.

He wouldn't shun his nephew, nor would he tell him the truth. Viserys had already been crowned by his mother with her own crown, and he would never give that up. 'The iron throne is mine.'

A/N: Just to avoid confusion, and tiny spoiler for a future episode of House of the Dragon, In Fire and Blood its theorized that Vermax laid eggs in the crypts below Winterfell when Jacaerys Velaryon went to ask for Cregan Starks support at the beginning of the Dance of Dragons. so that's where the eggs came from if you were wondering.