Chapter 2

The wolf of Dragonstone

Ned didn't have to wait long for Stannis to arrive. It took some three hours for Ned to take control of the castle and wed the former queen. He sat on the Targaryan throne for close to a hour before news of Stannis's arrival reached him. The whole affair reminded him of the meeting between himself and the Kingslayer in front of the Iron Throne. Except he was the one with the metaphorical royal blood on his sword.

Stannis marched up the hall in hurried steps as relentless as ever. Stopping a few meters before the throne, he stood firm with his hand on his blade and his eyes on the maverick gone rogue. "Lord Stark you've taken the castle and something that does not belong to you. Hand them over my lord the King's Justice awaits." The lord Baratheon demanded of the Stark in front of him.

Ned for his part was just as immovable as Stannis was relentless. Straight faced and ice in his eyes he answered the lords demands. "Justice my lord? What justice is the crown owed by a mother and her children. The King gave me leave to supervise this invasion. It is I who has the final say here not you my lord."

"Be that as it may. The Kings orders for me was to capture Dragonstone and bring the Dragonspawn back to Kingslanding whether dead or alive. You would stand before me and my orders from the King Lord Stark?" Stannis countered fully prepared for the Starks claim at authority.

"I have already said the vows in front of Gods and men, Lady Stark and her children are mine now. If the King has anything to say about that he can write to me. Beyond that it would seem our orders from his grace are in conflict and only he can fix that. I will be passing command of the castle to you tomorrow when my lady and our children sail for the North. The King's ships will be returned as soon as make we harbour." Ned said rejecting Stannis's argument.

"You think I'll just stand here and let you run off into the sunset. You are harbouring criminals. These are traitors to the Crown and if you won't hand them over I will …" Lord Baratheon who was quickly losing his temper was interrupted mid sentence by his unmoving peer.

"You'll do what my lord? Make war between the Kings most loyal vessels?" Ned questioned the King's brother having no patience for his threats.

"Some are more loyal than others it seems. Fine have it your way my lord but know that I'll show no mercy when Robert calls for all your heads. Pretend at following a code all you like but we all know you are just punching back at Robert however you can. Such behaviour was acceptable when you were boys at the Eyrie. Now he is king and you a servant, this insolence will not be tolerated." Stannis turned and left knowing that there was nothing Eddard Stark could do to stop the King demanding the Targaryans heads.

Ned watched the retreating lord leave with utter contempt. Roberts brother was said to be as unbending as iron. It seemed those rumours were true. The man could not even find mercy for a widow and her young children. All he cared about was his own interests no matter who was harmed in the process.

With Stannis dealt with Lord Stark exorcised himself from the throne room for his new wife's chambers. He arrived at the door to the queen's apartments to find four Stark men guarding the door. He gave a simple nod which was responded with a salute as he braved on into the welcoming lounge.

He entered to find the young Targaryan heir playing about with wooden figurines as his maid watched over him. The boy was too enthralled with his playing to take notice of his entry, his maid did and she stood almost at attention as she recognized him. Ned calmed the woman with a motion of his hand for her to sit as he walked up to the boy. Dropping on to his haunches as he stood in front of the boy and gaining his attention. Ned couldn't help but smile as the boy looked up at him with curious eyes.

"Hello there, you must be Viserys. We have not yet properly met. I am Lord Stark, has your mother told you about me?" Ned introduced himself to the boy as such to put him at ease.

Viserys for his part nodded in recognition. "You're wolf. Mama said you are taking us away to a good place. Away from all the soldiers and the bad deer people." The boy answered while returning to his playing.

Ned laughed to himself at the boys response, so blunt and honest the way only children could speak. "Your mother told you true then pup."

Viserys' face soured at the nickname rejecting it instantly. "I am The Dragon just like Papa! You are Wolf because you wear wolves on your clothes!"

Ned could only smile at the boy's defence of his identity. "Let's make a truce then I'll call you dragon pup, deal?"

The boy looked back at him with those big innocent eyes before nodding and continuing with his play. Ned chuckled again and stood up to leave the boy to his own musings. He nodded farewell to the maid and made his way to the Queen's room. When he entered he found it empty of anybody and was about to leave when he noticed the curtain billowing from wind too strong to be passing from a window.

When he pulled apart the curtains he found his lady on a rocking chair on the balcony overlooking the city. "My lady." Ned announced himself.

Lady Stark nee Targaryan responded in kind with a simple, "My lord." As she continued looking out at the city.

"You should be in bed, resting. A long journey awaits us tomorrow." Ned reminded the woman he'd be taking north.

"Resting? I think I've rested enough for one day. The least I can do now is look over my family's Island as it burns from invasion." The former queen countered.

Sitting on her chair still wrapped in her wedding gown the frail woman looked twice her thirty and five years as she scowled at the fate of her family fortunes. "All those people who believed in following the Dragon are paying for my mistakes while I sit here and watch"

Ned was speechless at the former queen's sorrow. Finally finding the words to speak he cleared his throat and responded. "They may be suffering but you are the last person at fault for any of this. I have already fought Lord Stannis on that topic."

"Perhaps I couldn't prevent my brother's madness but had I been just that little bit better a mother, had I raised my son to favor his wife and not carelessly make enemies of the great houses, we'd all be better for it." Lady Rhaelle explained her guilt.

Ned could understand her desire that fate be different but such thoughts would only lead to more suffering. What was done had happened because the most powerful men in the realm had come to heads and when that happened all the kingdoms would be party to their feuds. Prince Rhaegar was one of those men but there were still others. There was still the Mad King, Tywin Lannister and others who'd have started the war. "I was there when your son fell at the hands of the king. His last words were of my sisters name. At the time it upset both myself and the King that he could taunt us with her name but when I found her in Dorne protected by three Kingsguard and only begging forgiveness for our father and brother's deaths. She never once cursed his name. Their story died with them but it does seem to have been something of a passionate affair. Your Son it seems chose passion over caution. Such is the nature of young men. Many would say I am doing such right now."

Rhaelle was looking at him in wonder. All that she'd knew of this man was proven to be shallow as he spoke of his understanding of her son and his part in his own family's tragedy. "You are but what you are doing is also righteous. What my son did was appalling of a crown Prince. He ran off leaving his wife and their two babies at the mercy of a man who played with fire. I can not claim to have been in the hall when he did what he did to your father and brother. I only remember what came after. He was overjoyed and more eager to bed me than he ever had. He sated himself on me with the sadism of a wild beast. My cries for mercy were music to him and when I recovered enough from his brutality young Jamie Lannister could not even look me in the eye as he helped me to my chambers. That was the last time I shared a bed with the monster. I ran from him to stay here in Dragonstone. Had I been brave enough to slay the beast then it would have been a worthy sacrifice than what is now happening."

"I am sorry for what you have had to suffer. It was a difficult time I'm sure we all have something we wish we did different but we are where we are now with many difficult decisions ahead of us. We must be strong if we are to do better than we did before. The people of Dragonstone will be pleased that their sacrifice earned you and your children a second chance." Ned reasoned against the guilt and tragedy that had touched every person in Westeros.

"Thank you my lord. What you have done for me today is beyond payment but I will. I promise I will spend the rest of my days paying you back for this kindness. I will be as good a wife than you could have ever asked." The former queen declared to the man who'd saved her life and that of her children who were sired by the man responsible for his father and brother's deaths.

"Nonsense, my lady. I only did what any honorable man would have done. I only ask you give me a chance to prove myself the man you always deserved. Together we can raise these children in a loving home and leave all this unpleasantness behind us." Ned declared.

The two newly weds gazed at each other with hope. Much still had to be built and explored between the two but yet they had come to an accord. Their fates were tied and together they would face it all.

The path forward was much clearer than before and ahead of them was the open sea. The tempest had crashed upon the island of wingless dragons but when the storm broke there was a wolf that had come to lead them back to the mainland.

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