EDDARD

After Sansa had left the solar to go to Jon, and tell him what had transpired, Ned let out a sigh of exhaustion. The last few months had been very busy, and Ned couldn't remember when slept through the whole night, it was like his mind couldn't rest after coming back.

He was always thinking about how he needed to strengthen the north in any way he could, and how to get Jon on the Iron Throne. Ned knew that to get Jon on that throne they would need to go to war with Robert. There was no way that Robert would give up that throne without a fight.

Ned should have seen it sooner; he should have seen what his friend was before all this happened. Ned should have listened to Lyanna when she had voiced her concerns to him when their father had announced the engagement between Robert and herself. If he had listened, maybe he could have avoided that thrice damned rebellion.

But that was a fleeting thought, if Lyanna and Rhaegar hadn't disappeared, something else would have made the situation boil over and caused a war, with Aerys on the throne, it had been unavoidable.

Ned could feel the icy grip on his heart every time that he thought of his beloved little sister. He missed her so much, and the pain didn't lessen or go away, and he was still learning to live with it, even after all this time.

In his last life, he had shamed her, he had shamed his sister by letting her only child live as a bastard and making sure that Jon´s birth right would never be his. Ned was doing everything in his power to make sure that this time Jon would take his rightful place as the king of the seven kingdoms, but that would never lessen the shame he felt at not start working on placing him on the throne immediately.

Jon was a good man and he would be a good king; Ned was sure of it. He would be much better than Robert. The very thought of Robert´s name made Ned start to feel angry again.

Now when Ned thought of his once friend, all he could feel was disgust and anger. Ned remembered well in the rebellion when Robert had made it clear that he intended to claim the Iron Throne. It had been before Ned had gone to the capitol and while they had all agreed that Aerys had to go, they weren't sure what to do next.

Ned had already suspected that Lyanna hadn't been kidnapped by this time and made sure not to say anything to anyone at this time because he wasn't sure if he was correct or not. And if Robert heard that his betrothed had run away from him, when he thought himself in love with her, he would have gone berserk.

Ned was sure now, that the reason because of Robert´s hatred for anyone Targaryen, wasn't because of Rhaegar had disappeared with Lyanna, but because anyone with the last name Targaryen had a stronger claim on the throne, and could there for make a claim to it, and as long as there was someone with said last name, Robert wouldn't be secure on the Iron throne.

Ned was sure of that this was the reason for it, after the talk they had in Ned´s last life when Robert first talked about killing Daenerys Targaryen as they were making their way south from Winterfell. At the time, Ned had thought it was anger and grief that drove him to such extremes, but now Ned was sure that it was the fear of the children of the mad king coming back to claim what they thought was theirs.

But it wasn't theirs, it was Jon´s, it had been since the moment he was born. Jon had to unite the seven kingdoms before the long night, the north couldn't face this alone and they would need all the help they could get.

There was a knock on the solar door and in walked his old friend, Howland Reed. Ned´s face broke out in a smile, they hadn't had any time to talk since the crannogman had arrived in Winterfell, but there was no time like the present.

Ned stood up and embraced his old friend and coconspirator. Howland Reed was the only person that knew of the identity of Jon Targaryen, that didn't live in Winterfell, and one of the few people trusted beyond a doubt.

"How are you Ned? You look old." The smaller man said with a teasing grin and a glint in his eyes. But Ned just laughed.

"I am fine my friend, and you?"

The younger man just shrugged his shoulders. "I am well as can be, the children are driving me up the walls, but you know how children can be."

Yes, Ned thought, he knew well, how challenging children could be. Ned walked back to his seat and gestured for the younger man to sit down in the chair opposite him. "Howland I would like to thank you for coming all this way to Winterfell, I know how you don't like to travel outside the neck."

The crannogmen were famous for many things, and one of them was that they didn't like to travel long distances from their homeland in the neck, not that Ned could blame them, he himself didn't like to leave the north if he could help it.

But the smaller man smiled. "Its fine Ned, you are the liege lord and your bannermen have to obey." Ned opened his mouth to counter what the man had just said, Ned didn't think of Howland as just one his bannermen, but the lord of Greywater watch continued before Ned could speak.

"And the reason for this gathering is serious indeed." Ned nodded his agreement, he opened his drawer and took out the letter Robert had sent him, denying his request for funds for the wall, and handed it to the smaller man.

The lord of Greywater watch read the letter and as he progressed further, the higher his eyebrows rose. Finally, the man looked at Ned and handed him back the letter. They sat in silence for a moment before Ned asked. "What do you think?"

His friend looked at Ned with tired green eyes that always made Ned think that Howland knew more than he let on. "I think that this is one of the most stupid things that he could have done, the lords of the north will not forget this easily, nor will they forgive him for this."

That is what Ned was thought, but as Ned had been Robert´s friend, he hoped that their dislike for Robert would be taking out on him and his family. "That is what I think, but I have invited Jon Arryn to come to Winterfell, to discuss how to fund the restoration of the wall. I am even prepared to stop paying the crown taxes until such a time as when the restorations are complete."

This made the lord of Greywater watch stare open mouthed at Ned. "You would really do this? This could anger Robert and make him do something even more stupid."

Ned couldn't help but to agree with him there. "I know, but the northern lords cannot be expected to pay for his drinking, whoring and his tourneys and be refused the help we so desperately need." Ned fell silent for a moment, he could not side with Robert on this issue, he had to represent his people and their needs. "Howland, there is also another thing you need to know, that I must do, that will anger Robert."

The crannogman sat up straighter than before and fixed his intelligent eyes firmly on Ned´s own grey ones. Ned felt like a nervous boy when his friend looked at him like this, but he took a deep breath and spoke. "Howland, I mean to put Jon on the iron throne."

Ned stared firmly at his friend, he couldn't falter now, Ned knew that sooner rather than later, he would need Howland Reed to place Jon on that throne and the sooner he knew, the more time they had to plan. But Ned knew what he was asking of his friend, he was asking him to go to war in the not so distant future.

Then a slow smile spread over the crannogman´s face. "I was starting to lose hope that you would ever get around to put Lya´s son on the throne." Relief spread through Ned´s body like warm ale when he heard his friend's response. For a moment he had feared that Howland would have refused him. Ned´s friend continued. "If you ask me, you should have started planning for this when we found Lya in that tower."

Ned couldn't help but to smile at that, after Lyanna had saved Howland from those squires all those years ago, the lord of Greywater watch had been very fond of her. "Thank you, my friend, but it will take some time for us to strengthen the north before we must declare for Jon, but I do worry that the lords will not like to declare for an Targaryen after what Aerys did."

"I understand." Howland said as he rubbed his bearded chin. "But I wouldn't worry too much yet, after what Jon did for your boy and your daughter, I think that they are willing to give him a chance."

Ned looked at his friend with doubt in clearly written on his face, Ned doubted that the lords of the north would be so easily persuaded. Howland looked at his face for a moment, then he gave a low chuckle.

"Oh, Ned. They may be an argumentative lot, but they are not stupid, they know which way the wind blows. Also, when you present the letter from Robert to them tomorrow, I doubt that they will be willing to follow him into a battle against you for the next millennia or two."

There weren't many times that Ned was glad that the northern lords were so proud, but this was defiantly one of such times. Or maybe it was just common sense, if the man that claimed to be the protector of the realms didn't protect them now, no one would expect him to do it later.

Then there was a knock on the door, Ned called for whoever it was to enter. Jory Cassel entered the solar. "Lord Stark," Jory began. "We have some news."

JON

Jon was sitting on the edge of his bed as he was trying his best to put on his newly made clothes, but it was hard work as he was still in a lot of pain. Every time he moved it seemed, the injuries he had sustained started to scream in protest of his movements. He had managed to pull on his trousers, but he couldn't lace them up with only one working hand.

Jon was pondering on his dilemma when the door was opened. He looked up and saw Sansa and Robb walk through the door. As soon as Sansa saw what he was doing, she rushed over to Jon to try to help him. Jon felt a blush coming on, Sansa had helped him dress before, she had been helping maester Luwin since Jon had gotten injured, but he always felt embarrassed by it somehow.

Her actions made Robb just snicker as he approached them and helped Sansa with the monumental task of dressing their cousin. Jon couldn't help the embarrassment that washed over him as his cousins helped him get dressed for the gathering of the lords. It felt weird to Jon having to be helped into his clothes like a child, he just prayed that soon he would be able to do this by himself.

"There, we are all done." Robb stated as he finished helping Jon into his new dark grey doublet with a white direwolf stitched into the chest. Jon adjusted the doublet slightly as he tried to will the blush away that was still gracing his face.

As a child and as a young man, he had always been embarrassed about wearing the bastard colors of house Stark but now he kind of liked it. For now, it was his armor and he would wear it with pride.

Robb walked over to the end of Jon´s sickbed where the cane was resting silently. Jon took the hated thing and tried his best to stand up. He had been walking around the room with Sansa´s aid, it was painful and slow but every step he took was progress, or so he told himself. It felt really frustrating, having such trouble with such a simple thing as walking.

He could feel a small arm around his waist, Sansa was now helping him to his feet. "Thank you." He said to her with a small smile. She was looking very pretty in her white and grey dress with the direwolf of house Stark and with her long, crimson hair braided in a northern style.

Sansa looked like she was going to say something to him, but Robb interrupted.

"I feel I should be helping you walk into the great hall." Robb stated while furrowing his brow. "I am stronger, and it is a long walk."

Jon saw Sansa roll her eyes at the Stark heir. "Robb, I have been helping Jon walking in this room for a week now, and I am strong enough to help him to the great hall, thank you very much." Sansa fixed her brother a glare that Jon had often seen her use in their last life, on the lords when they were arguing.

"Fine." Robb said holding his hands up in surrender. "But I will be here, if this gets too hard, we all know that Jon is getting rather chubby from bedrest." The last part was said with a snigger, and Jon tried to swat his cousin with his cane, in vengeance.

But regrettably Robb manage to dodge the cane before it connected to his leg.

"Alright that is enough." Sansa held Jon still so that he wouldn't try to reach for Robb again with his cane. "You can continue your lover´s spat later."

Jon snorted at that. "For this to be a lover´s spat, I would have to love this twat." Robb put his hand on his heart and faked a hurt look.

He looked like he was going to counter again, but Sansa stopped him. "Alright let´s go we can´t be late."

Jon nodded and did his best to gracelessly hobble out of the room with Sansa´s aid. It would take some time for them to make their way to the great hall, the longer they walked the more pain Jon was in.

Robb hurried after them and walked along side Jon to make sure that he wouldn't tumble to the ground. The walk over to the great hall had never seemed so long before in his life, the pain in his leg was hellish, every time he put any weight on it, and the other wounds were burning with pain.

They had to stop twice for Jon to rest a little, before they made it to the great hall. When they finally arrived, Jon saw that the hall was filled to the brim with lords from all over the north. He saw the Umbers talking loudly with the Glovers. He noticed that the three sons of lord Karstark were boasting loudly to the Mormont girls, as the Lady Maege Mormont was talking quietly to lord Hornwood.

The new Lady of Bear island didn't look to be in a festive mood, something Jon could understand, her nephew Jorah Mormont had fled the north just before Jon had been returned to his old body, to escape from Lord Stark´s justice after committing the crime of selling people into slavery.

In the opposite corner was Lord Bolton, flanked by Lady Dustin and Lord Ryswell. Unlike the other lords they were very quiet and didn't seek out to talk to anyone around them. Then the cold, colorless eyes of Roose Bolton landed on Jon, and he felt a shiver run down his spine.

Jon hadn't met Roose Bolton before this moment in either lives, he hoped that he would never have to meet him again after this. The coldness of his eyes and his very demeanor was enough for Jon to never want to be in the same room as the man again.

Beside him, Jon could feel Sansa stiffen as she noticed the lord of the Dreadfort, neither of them felt comfortable in the presence of the man. So, they hurried as they could to find their seats. Robb, as Lord Starks eldest son and heir would be seated next to his lord father at the high table. But Jon would be sitting with his cousins for the first time at a feast.

It felt odd to Jon, as Sansa half help and half dragged him over to her siblings, that he would be allowed to sit with the Stark children. Sansa helped him into a seat next to herself and Arya, Jon noticed Bran sitting beside Arya, the little boy smiled at him. Bran seemed exited that he and Arya had been allowed to attend the gathering, but Jon doubted that it would last very long.

Right now, the young child was excited by all the banners that hung on the walls and the new faces of the people he had never seen before.

Arya however didn't seem happy, no in fact she seemed annoyed that she had been stuffed in a dress and made to sit still, two days in a row. She would rather be running wild in the godswood or playing with her siblings, than having to stay here and listen to old men talk about how to rebuild the castles on the wall.

They didn't have to wait long for the Lord of Winterfell to call for silence, so that they could begin the meeting. Lord Eddard Stark was wearing his lord of Winterfell face that made him look like he was hewn from stone and beside him were his eldest son and heir, Robb Stark and his wife Lady Stark.

The lady of Winterfell´s face looked worn and she looked like she had aged ten years after she had heard about her sister´s infidelity.

His uncle stood up to speak to the lords. "My lords thank you all for coming on such a short notice, there are a few matters that I would like to put to you, in this gathering." The Lords were all silent and listened to the lord of Winterfell with rapt attention. "As you all well know, the Night´s watch has been in rapid decline for the past two centuries, but I mean to help the watch rebuild and man the wall."

This statement from the lord of Winterfell was met with murmurs of approval, especially from the lords that had their holds in the northern most regions of the kingdom of the north. They were hit the hardest by the raids of the freefolk.

Ned Stark continued. "I have written a letter to Robert Baratheon to ask for help to fund the rebuilding of the castles of the wall." Jon´s uncle held up a letter that Robert Baratheon had sent to the lord of Winterfell in reply. "He sent a letter in reply, denying this request."

The roar of anger rang out throughout the great hall of Winterfell. The lords had jumped to their feet and were all yelling and shouting at one another in their righteous anger. Jon glanced at his younger cousins, Arya was staring wide eyed at the men shouting and yelling in anger, but Bran was looking like he wanted to start crying from fear.

Jon dumped his injured shoulder with a wince to Arya. She looked at him with wide eyes and he gestured to Bran, he was very glad how quick she was at understanding him. Arya grabbed her little brother´s hand under the table and held on tight. That seemed to calm Bran down a little.

As the lord of Winterfell, demanded the lords to quiet down, Jon felt something take his hand on his other side. He looked down and saw that Sansa had grabbed his hand, he looked at her face and saw that she was smiling at him.

She glanced at her younger siblings and mouthed thank you, as she squeezed his hand, before she let it go. When she had let his hand go, he felt a strange sense of loss.

Jon shook his head of the thought and listened to his uncle address the lords.

"We cannot afford to fight among ourselves." Ned Stark´s voice carried over the hall that had fallen silent again. "I have invited Jon Arryn to Winterfell to hear our grievances about this matters and others that you may have, he will arrive in Winterfell in a months' time."

This seemed to have made the lords calm down somewhat. But they weren't happy with the man that claimed to be the protector of the realm. He could see the anger that burned on the faces of the lords, they would not soon forget this slight against them by the man that styled himself the king of the seven kingdoms.

"There is another matter I would like to put to you." His uncle´s grey eyes looked like steel as he changed the topic and sat back down. "Two weeks ago, my heir Robb, my daughter Sansa and Jon Snow were ambushed in the wolfswood."

Jon had to force himself to be still at this moment when the eyes of the lords turned to him and Sansa as they sat together with her siblings. The lords of the north had clearly heard this tale by judging by the way they were looking at him. Fighting five men and live to tell the tale was impressive by most standards but doing so when you were ten-years of age was even more so.

"The men that attacked them, killed one of their guards and tried to attack them, and if not for the actions of Jon Snow and our guard Allyn, my son and heir and my daughter would be dead." Jon could see a glint of pride in his uncle´s eyes as he looked at Jon.

The lord of Winterfell looked back to the lords and continued. "Allyn of Wintertown did his duty by making sure that no harm would come to Robb and Sansa by making sure that they got to Winterfell unharmed." This statement was followed by cheers and hollers from the lords in the hall.

Jon could spot the young man sitting with some of the Manderly knights, Allyn had come to Jon´s room not long after he had woken up. He had begged Jon his forgiveness at leaving him behind to fight of their attackers. Jon had of course told him that there was nothing to forgive, Allyn had done the right thing.

Allyn was now blushing to the roots of his dark hair and he was cheered by the lords of the north.

"Allyn of Wintertown." The deep voice of the lord of Winterfell rang throughout the hall, effectively silencing the lords. "Will you please step forward."

The young man stepped forward looking very unsure of himself. Jon´s uncle nodded at Ser Rodrik as the old knight made his way to the younger man. Jon could see the proud smile that had formed under the master at arms white whiskers.

As the master at arms unsheathed his sword, it seemed to dawn on the younger man what they intended to do. The happy smile spread over his face and Jon was sure that his eyes were filled with tears.

Ser Rodrik gestured for the man to kneel. "Allyn of Wintertown, do you swear before the eyes of gods and men to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to protect all women and children, to obey your captains, your liege lord, and your king, to fight bravely when needed and do such other tasks as are laid before you, however hard or humble or dangerous they may be?" The hall was silent as they waited for an answer.

"I do so swear." As the young man swore his vow of knighthood, Ser Rodrick moved his sword to Allyn´s left shoulder and bid him to rise as Ser Allyn of Wintertown.

The hall was filled with cheers and the newly dubbed knight blushed to the tip of his ears as he made his way back to the other knights that clapped him on the back in congratulation.

When the hall was silent again, Jon´s uncle started again. "But there is another person that deserves much praise, it is thanks to him that made sure that Ser Allyn could do his duty, Jon Snow." Eddard Stark gestured to him, and all the eyes of the lords followed. Jon felt his heart hammer in his chest, and he was sure that his cheeks started to redden. "Took four arrows as he valiantly defended my heir and my daughter."

Jon could see a smile threaten to form on the face of the lord of Winterfell. "Jon Snow, would you please step forward." Jon could feel the color drain from his face, did they intend to knight him as well? His mind may be that of an adult, but his body was still that of a ten-year old, well now it was closer to eleven-years old, but the point was still the same.

He was too young to be knighted, right? Well sure ten was young, but Daemon Blackfyre had been twelve when he had been knighted by his father, Aegon the fifth and given the sword Blackfyre, for winning a squire tourney.

Jon rose to his feet, and he could see that Sansa was having a hard time letting him go by himself. She seemed torn; she knew that he was having a hard time walking but the lords needed to see him do this on his own.

His walk was slow, and he was grateful that no one said anything about it. He finally made it in front of the high table and waited for his uncle to continue.

"I know there is nothing I can do in return for what you have given me, Jon." The sincerity in his uncle´s eyes was almost overwhelming. "You stood your ground and you were ready to give your life to save Robb and Sansa, and for that I am eternally grateful, and there is nothing I could give you that comes close to repaying the debt I owe you."

Jon thought for a moment that he had seen a tear in the man´s eyes, but he was sure that it was just a trick of the light.

"But I hope," The lord of Winterfell started again. "That this will be a start."

Jon could hear the sounds of footsteps draw closer to him, and he could see that the master at arms step towards him with a large, face splitting grin on his face. But Jon could only stare at him with his eyes wide open in surprise, and his heart still hammering away in his chest. He was so surprised by this turn of events that he had almost forgotten the pain in his body.

All young boys dreamt of being knights when they grow up and preforming feats of heroism that earned them renown and the respect, they so craved, and Jon had been no exception. He had loved playing Aemon the dragonknight and while Robb had been playing Cregan Stark, as they reenacted their famous duel.

Ser Rodrik bid him to kneel, and with difficulty, Jon obeyed.

"Jon Snow of Winterfell, do you swear before the eyes of gods and men to defend those who cannot defend themselves, to protect all women and children, to obey your captains, your liege lord, and your king, to fight bravely when needed and do such other tasks as are laid before you, however hard or humble or dangerous they may be?"

The hall was silent when Ser Rodrik had finished his speech. Jon looked at him, and the pride in the man´s eyes was obvious, Ser Rodrik had been training Jon since the younger man could hold a stick. Jon wouldn't be half the swordsman without the old knight´s training.

"I do so swear." Jon tried his best to keep his voice steady, but by now he was in a lot of pain and he just wanted to sit down.

Ser Rodrik smiled even wider. "Arise, Ser Jon Snow of Winterfell." Jon stood up slowly with the aid of his cane, and to the sound of the northern lords cheering and hollering so loudly that he thought for a moment that he would go deaf.

Jon glanced at the high table and saw his uncle smiling proudly and Robb was grinning so widely that for a moment Jon thought that his face would be split in two. Jon smiled back to them, as Ser Rodrik let Jon return to his table. The people in the room were still cheering loudly, but no one was as loud as Bran and Arya. They were both shouting and jumping up and down in their happiness, while Sansa was clapping her hands and smiling proudly at him.

As Jon limped back to his chair, he could spot Theon Greyjoy looking irritated at the attention that was being paid to Jon. Greyjoy seemed to take every good thing that came Jon´s way as a personal offence at his person in this life. Theon had been an insufferable ass in their last life, but now he was even worse, but thankfully they didn't have to spend too much time together.

Jon could feel cold eyes land on him, and he knew that it wasn't Theon´s gaze that was on him now. Jon glanced back and he could see that the stare belonged to Roose Bolton, the lord of the Dreadfort was looking at him with his cold lifeless eyes, beside him was the lady of Barrowlands, who reminded Jon of a bird of prey for some reason, and her father, Lord Ryswell the lord of the Rills. None of the three were saying anything, only looking sullen and irate at having to be in attendance.

Jon hurried as best he could and sat back down in his seat. The relief he felt at finally getting to rest his leg was go great, he had to resist the urge to sigh happily.

But his rest was short lived as Arya and Bran both jumped of their chairs and hugged him around the middle. Jon did his best to hug them back, but they had to return to their seats, as their father wasn't finished.

"We did however manage to capture the leader of the attackers alive." Ned Stark looked to his captain of the guards, the newly instated Jory Cassel, and nodded at him. The captain jumped to do his bidding.

They didn't have to wait for long as four guards escorted the Bolton bastard into the great hall. The ugly young man was dirty from his stay in the dungeons, his long hair was in tangles and it lay flat and lifeless down to his shoulders.

The lords gathered in the hall looked at the man with disgust, and the Smalljon spat at his feet as he passed him by. Jon could see the flash of anger in Ramsay´s eyes at that.

The guards lead the bastard of Bolton to the middle of the floor so that everyone could see him. The young man was chained hand and foot so that he couldn't hurt the guard that were making sure that he wouldn't go anywhere.

Eddard Stark stared at the young man that intended to hurt his children. Then he looked at the lord of the Dreadfort and gestured for him to approach. The silence was now deafening as all the lords and ladies of the north stared him down.

But the lord of the Dreadfort didn't look at them, he was only looking, unblinking at the lord of Winterfell. "Lord Roose Bolton, your bastard son attacked my children without cause." As soon as Jon heard his uncle say bastard son, he was impressed by his tactics. Calling Ramsay bastard was a sure way to make him angry and hopefully do something stupid.

Jon glanced at Ramsay Snow, and he could see the older boy start going a little red in anger and he was clenching his fist.

Uncle Ned inter laced his fingers and leaned his elbows on the table. "There have also been disturbing rumors from the lands around the Dreadfort. Apparently, there have been women disappearing, and then found later dead, flayed, raped and dismembered." Roose Bolton´s eyes didn't give anything away, as he stared at Eddard Stark.

"I fail to see how to this has to do with me. I am not responsible for the bastard's actions." They had to strain to hear Roose Bolton´s quiet voice, as he tried to distance himself from his son.

Jon looked at his uncle, he could not guess what he was thinking at this moment. "No, you are right lord Bolton." Ned said. "But you are responsible for your own actions."

This caused almost all the occupants of the hall to start muttering among themselves, Jon and Sansa both looked at the lord of Winterfell, did he know something they didn't?

Roose Bolton stood up straighter. "I have no idea what you are talking about Lord Stark." The man´s voice was toneless, and Jon could not guess what he was thinking.

The warden of the north nodded at Jory, and the man hurried out of the hall. "That is strange, because we have witnesses that you, along with your bastard son were the ones responsible for the fate of the women who were murdered."

Then Jory entered the hall again, he was followed by a trail for people, all of them were clearly small folk, judging by the clothing that they were wearing, and their mannerisms. Jon noticed that most of the people that followed Jory, were women, but there were a few men in the group, and Jon recognized one of them, it was the maester Wolkan that had been in Winterfell when the Bolton´s had occupied the castle in their last lives, and the Stark guards that his uncle had sent to the Dreadfort lands to gather evidence.

The people that the guards brought in, were looking very frightened as they tried their best not to get to near the lord of the Dreadfort and his bastard.

Lord Stark continued. "These people are all servants of the Dreadfort, they are all here to testify that you and your bastard son have been torturing people in the Dreadfort for years." The lords and ladies started to murmur again, but this time it was in fury. It was obvious that the people in the room believed the accusations, but Lord Ryswell and Lady Dustin were looking a little rattled.

"They are lying." Roose Bolton´s quiet voice cut through the murmurings of the other lords. This caused an uproar in the hall. The Umbers, Karstarks and the Mormonts all started to yell at the lord of the Dreadfort that he was the liar, and most of the other lords were also voicing their agreements of their words.

But the lord of the Dreadfort kept on talking in his low voice. "The bastard may have done something and gotten these…servants to lie about me if he got caught. I am sure that the servants also helped him with his murder of my trueborn son and heir, Domeric."

Jon frowned at that, as far as he knew Domeric Bolton was still alive and well, living in the Dreadfort until he would be sent to squire for lord Redfort in the Vale. Jon could see what the man was trying to do, he was trying his best to cast all the blame on his own bastard and the servants, making lord Stark look silly for having listen to them in the first place.

A lord's words weighted more than that of a commoner or that of a bastard, and if Lord Bolton said that the servants had helped his bastard getting rid of a lord's trueborn heir, there would be people that would believe it.

Ramsay Snow had turned red with anger at this point and he was shaking so hard that the chains that held him were rattling. The bastard of Bolton had clearly seen what the man was trying to do as well.

Then the bastard of Bolton let out a primal scream, and his wild, colorless eyes promised murder as he ripped himself free of the guards and lunched himself at the lord of the Dreadfort.

Everything seemed to go move a lot slower as they tumbled to the stone floor of the great hall, the Stark guards hurried to separate father and son, but it was too late.

As soon as the lord of the Dreadfort fell to the floor, there was a resounding crack that filled the hall, the guards managed to drag the bastard of his father.

Ramsay was flailing around as the guards finally managed to drag him of his lord father. It was then when Jon noticed that the bastard's mouth was covered with blood and he spat something out.

That something turned out to be the ear of Roose Bolton.