Disclaimer – This fanfiction was not written by me; it belongs to the user William Dellinger on alternatehistory, by publishing it here I only intend to bring it to a wider audience and make it available for offline reading. I do not claim any ownership of the content.
here's how Hamlet works as Crejon, Prince of Winterfell.
Cast:
Crejon Stark (Hamlet) – Son of the late King and nephew of the present King
Theon Stark (Claudius) – King of the North and Crejon's uncle
Lyarra Stark (Gertrude) – Queen of the North and mother to Crejon
Jonos (Polonius) – Chief advisor to the King
Arya (Ophelia) – Daughter to Jonos
Horatio (Horatio) – True friend to Crejon
Edwyn (Laertes) – Son to Jonos
Rickard and Dorren (Voltimand and Cornelius) – Courtiers
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern – Courtiers, friends to Crejon
Osric – a Courtier
Torrhen (Marcellus) – a knight
Brandon (Bernardo) – a knight
Jorah (Francisco) – a soldier
Reynard (Reynaldo) – Servant to Jonos
Ghost of Crejon's Father
Royce Bolton (Fortinbras) – Red King
Gravediggers
Players
A Maester
A Bannerman in Royce's army
Valemen Ambassadors
Messengers, Sailors, Lords, Ladies, Guards, Barrowmen
Plot:
Act I
The protagonist of Crejon is Prince Crejon of Winterfell, son of the recently deceased King Crejon, and nephew of King Theon, his father's brother and successor. Theon hastily married King Crejon's widow, Lyarra, Prince Crejon's mother, and took the throne for himself. Winterfell has a long-standing feud with the neighboring Dreadfort, which culminated when King Crejon slew King Royce of the Dreadfort in a battle years ago. Although the Starks defeated the Boltons, and the Red crown fell to King Royce's infirm brother, Winterfell fears that an invasion led by the dead Red King's son, Prince Royce, is imminent.
On a cold night on the ramparts of Winterfell, the Stark royal castle, the sentries Brandon and Torrhen and Crejon's friend Horatio encounter a ghost that looks like the late King Crejon. They vow to tell Prince Crejon what they have witnessed.
As the Court gathers the next day, while King Theon and Queen Lyarra discuss affairs of state with their elderly adviser Jonos, Crejon looks on glumly. After the Court exits, Crejon despairs of his father's death and his mother's hasty remarriage and the fate of his infant, unnamed brother ("the Stark"). Learning of the Ghost from Horatio, Crejon resolves to see it himself.
As Jonos's son Edwyn prepares to depart for a visit to the Riverlands, Jonos gives him contradictory advice that culminates in the ironic maxim "to thine own self be true". Jonos's daughter, Arya, admits her interest in Crejon, but both Jonos and Edwyn warn her against seeking the prince's attention. That night on the rampart, the Ghost appears to Crejon, telling the prince that he was murdered by Theon and demanding that Crejon avenge him. Crejon agrees and the Ghost vanishes. The prince confides to Horatio and the sentries that from now on he plans to "put an antic disposition on" and forces them to swear to keep his plans for revenge secret. Privately, however, he remains uncertain of the Ghost's reliability, while the taboo of kinslaying stays his hand.
Act II
Soon thereafter, Arya rushes to her father, telling him that Crejon arrived at her door the prior night half-undressed and behaving crazily. Jonos blames love for Crejon's madness and resolves to inform Theon and Lyarra. As he enters to do so, the king and queen finish welcoming Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, two noble acquaintances of Crejon, to Winterfell. The royal couple has requested that the young lords investigate the cause of Crejon's mood and behavior. Additional news requires that Jonos wait to be heard: messengers from the Dreadfort inform Theon that the Red King has rebuked Prince Royce for attempting to re-fight his father's battles. The forces that Royce conscripted to march against Winterfell will instead be sent against the Barrow King, though they will pass through a portion of Winterfell to get there.
Jonos tells Theon and Lyarra his theory regarding Crejon's behavior, and speaks to Crejon in a hall of the castle to try to uncover more information. Crejon feigns madness but subtly insults Jonos all the while. When Rosencrantz and Guildenstern arrive, Crejon greets his friends warmly, but quickly discerns that they are spies. Crejon becomes bitter, admitting that he is upset at his situation but refusing to give the true reason why, instead commenting on "what a piece of work" humanity is. Rosencrantz and Guildenstern tell Crejon that they have brought along a troupe of mummers that they met while traveling to Winterfell. Crejon, after welcoming the mummers and dismissing his friends-turned-spies, plots to stage a play featuring a death in the style of his father's murder, thereby determining the truth of the Ghost's story, as well as Theon's guilt or innocence, by studying Theon's reaction.
Act III
Jonos forces Arya to return Crejon's love letters and tokens of affection to the prince while he and Theon watch from afar to evaluate Crejon's reaction. Crejon is walking alone in the hall as the King and Jonos await Arya's entrance, musing whether "to be or not to be." When Arya enters and tries to return Crejon's things, Crejon accuses her of immodesty and cries "get thee to the sisters," though it is unclear whether this, too, is a show of madness or genuine distress. His reaction convinces Theon that Crejon is not mad for love. Shortly thereafter, the court assembles to watch the play Crejon has commissioned. After seeing the Player King murdered by his rival pouring poison in his ear, Theon abruptly rises and runs from the room: proof positive for Crejon of his uncle's guilt.
Lyarra summons Crejon to her room to demand an explanation. Meanwhile, Theon talks to himself about the impossibility of repenting, since he still has possession of his ill-gotten goods: his brother's crown and wife. He sinks to his knees. Crejon, on his way to visit his mother, sneaks up behind him, but does not kill him, reasoning that killing Theon while he is in front of the weirwood will allow him to enter the godhood while the Ghost is stuck in between. In the queen's bedchamber, Crejon and Lyarra fight bitterly. Jonos, spying on the conversation from behind a tapestry, makes a noise. Crejon, believing it is Theon, stabs wildly, killing Jonos, but pulls aside the tapestry and sees his mistake. In a rage, Crejon brutally insults his mother for her apparent ignorance of Theon's villainy, but the Ghost enters and reprimands Crejon for his inaction and harsh words. Unable to see or hear the Ghost herself, Lyarra takes Crejon's conversation with it as further evidence of madness. After begging the queen to stop sleeping with Theon, Crejon leaves, dragging Jonos's corpse away. Crejon jokes with Theon about where he has hidden Jonos's body, and the king, fearing for his life, sends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to accompany Crejon to the Vale with a sealed letter to the King of Mountain and Vale requesting that Crejon be executed immediately.
Act IV
Demented by grief at Jonos's death, Arya wanders Winterfell. Edwyn arrives back from the Riverlands, enraged by his father's death and his sister's madness. Theon convinces Edwyn that Crejon is solely responsible, but a letter soon arrives indicating that Crejon has returned to Winterfell, foiling Theon's plan. Theon switches tactics, proposing a match between Edwyn and Crejon to settle their differences. Edwyn will be given a poison-tipped sword, and Theon will offer Crejon poisoned wine as a congratulation if that fails. Lyarra interrupts to report that Arya has drowned, though it is unclear whether it was suicide or an accident exacerbated by her madness.
Act V
Horatio has received a letter from Crejon, explaining that the prince escaped by negotiating with pirates who attempted to attack his Vale-bound ship, and the friends reunite offstage. Two gravediggers discuss Arya's apparent suicide while digging her grave. Crejon arrives with Horatio and banters with one of the gravediggers, who unearths the skull of a fool from Crejon's childhood, Yorick. Crejon picks up the skull, saying "alas, poor Yorick" as he contemplates mortality. Arya's funeral procession approaches, led by Edwyn. Crejon and Horatio initially hide, but when Crejon realizes that Arya is the one being buried, he reveals himself, proclaiming his love for her. Edwyn and Crejon fight by Arya's graveside, but the brawl is broken up.
Back at Winterfell, Crejon explains to Horatio that he had discovered Theon's letter with Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's belongings and replaced it with a forged copy indicating that his former friends should be killed instead. A foppish courtier, Osric, interrupts the conversation to deliver the challenge to Crejon. Crejon, despite Horatio's advice, accepts it. Crejon does well at first, leading the match by two hits to none, and Lyarra raises a toast to him using the poisoned glass of wine Theon had set aside for Crejon. Theon tries to stop her, but is too late: she drinks, and Edwyn realizes the plot will be revealed. Edwyn slashes Crejon with his poisoned blade. In the ensuing scuffle, they switch weapons and Crejon wounds Edwyn with his own poisoned sword. Lyarra collapses and, claiming she has been poisoned, dies. In his dying moments, Edwyn reconciles with Crejon and reveals Theon's plan. Crejon rushes at Theon and kills him. As the poison takes effect, Crejon, hearing that Royce is marching through the area, names the Bolton prince as Regent for the Stark. Horatio, distraught at the thought of being the last survivor, says he will commit suicide by drinking the dregs of Lyarra's poisoned wine, but Crejon begs him to live on and tell his story. Crejon dies, proclaiming "the rest is silence". Royce, who was ostensibly marching towards the Barrowlands with his army, arrives at the palace, along with an Valeman ambassador bringing news of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern's deaths. Horatio promises to recount the full story of what happened, and Royce, seeing the entire Stark royal family dead, names himself Regent for the infant unnamed Stark.