Chapter II

A/N: Wow. I did not expect the reaction to this story to be what it has been. I'm happy that people are enjoying it. I've had a little bit of trouble writing some of the scenes, but I managed to blast through them. Hope you enjoy, SSD.

Brandon Stark had been riding hard from Barrowtown ever since he got the raven from his father, telling him that Lyanna was dead at her own hand.

Whoever caused her to do this will wish they'd never been born when I'm through with them! He thought as he rode into the yard. The horse had barely come to a stop when he dismounted and stormed towards his father's study.

Bursting into the room he snarled, "Who do I have to kill for causing Lyanna to kill herself?"

It took him a moment before he noticed his father's pale face as he replied, "Lyanna took her own life when she was prevented from running off with Rhaegar Targaryen."

As much as Brandon wanted to believe that it was a joke, the look on his father's face said otherwise. His father continued with, "As of right now, Rhaegar Targaryen is untouchable in this matter. Not only is he the crown prince, most of the rest of Westeros thinks the sun shines out his arse."

Brandon couldn't argue with that. The rest of the country saw him as the shining hope after the reign of his father. He could do no wrong. The North was learning the hard way that he was just as mad as his father Aerys II.

"So we do nothing" he growled. He wanted to beat the inbred dragon prince to a pulp.

"We will wait for the opportune moment and prepare for it. Starting with shoring up Moat Cailin and plans for a Northern fleet. I've already sent a raven to Lord Manderly asking him to come to discuss it," Rickard replied.

"Where is Lya going to be buried?"

"Your sister will be buried in the Godswood," Rickard said in a tone that brooked no argument.

"How are Runa and Ben taking it," Brandon queried as he sat down.

"Runa was the one who warned me about Lyanna. Even she was surprised by Lyanna's final actions, and you are well aware of how hard that is. Benjen misses his sister.

Brandon also knew better than to ask if Runa missed Lyanna. Ever since they were girls they'd not gotten along. More on Lyanna's part than Runa's. Lyanna had been jealous of Runa's abilities.

"Have you sent a raven to the Vale? Ned needs to know as does Lord Robert. Speaking of that, what of the alliance with House Baratheon?"

His father seemed to smile at his thinking of such things. Brandon may have more than a touch of Wolf's Blood, but he wasn't stupid. At that, Rickard took a deep breath, "Despite the risks, Runa is willing to take your sister's place. Let us pray to the Old Gods that Baratheon is amenable to it."

Quaffing yet another flagon of ale, Ned unsteadily got up to find Robert. There were things he needed to tell his friend.

And he hoped Robert still called him friend after the fact.

Hours earlier while they'd been sparring, some of Lord Arryn's guards had come to get them. There had been ravens from the North and the news needed to be broken to both him and Robert. One of them was a letter from his father to Lord Arryn to tell them.

From Jon's rigid posture Ned could tell that the letter was not a happy one. The fell news it brought was that Lyanna had killed herself by hanging.

Robert did not react as he thought his friend would have. He just got up and strode out. Ned had expected yelling and potentially broken furniture. Several of Lord Arryn's guards reported that Robert was back in the sparring area, destroying the dummies.

The second letter was for Ned from his cousin Runa. When he opened it, his cousin told him why Lyanna killed herself.

Ned already suspected that avoiding marriage to Robert was one of the reasons. The main part it seemed was that his sister had been prevented from running of with Rhaegar Targaryen. His cousin told him that if Lyanna had been permitted to do as she wished, war would consume Westeros.

Runa had left out how she came by that information. Her being a greenseer and warg was not common knowledge even in the North. If the news spread there would be trouble.

Ned knew that the would be leaving the Crown Prince out of his chat with Robert. He didn't need to know it at the moment.

Once he got to the sparring ring, Ned saw that Robert was taking a break from demolishing every training dummy he could find. Despite his friend's boisterousness, he knew that his friend was decent at reading people.

When Robert looked up, he asked "Is there more news?"

Ned, nodded, his heart in his throat. He began to tell Robert why Lyanna had killed herself and watched as blood drained from his friend's face.

I have every right to enter my husband's study Elia thought as she walked into the room in question with Ashara and her uncle.

They'd gotten a raven from Arthur, sent from Castle Darry in the Riverlands. He'd written it in Rhoynish, since it was known that Pycelle couldn't speak or read it. He'd told her what Rhaegar had tried to do. And that Lyanna Stark had hanged herself when she had been prevented from running away by Rickard Stark. Other things that Arthur shared in the letter was that had the plan been successful, Elia's marriage would have been annulled along with Rhaenys and Aegon being declared bastards.

Elia had been wondering about Arthur, but in giving her this news, it was showing that he was more of a Dornishman than Rhaegar's friend.

Once inside the office, her uncle shut and latched the door. They went straight to the drawer with the false bottom, which was where they found the read letters. There was even an unopened one on his desk that had come in his absence.

As she read the letters, Elia had to fight the urge to scream in anger. Her husband's treachery went deeper than even Arthur knew. After the annulment, Elia and the children would be kept as hostages to keep Dorne in line, and Elia made to be a lady in waiting to Lyanna. And Rhaenys and Aegon would be made to be servants to his new wife's children when the time came. Elia felt no sympathy to the woman who endangered her children.

"He's madder than we all realized," her uncle Lewyn snarled, "After giving him two children that you nearly died to give him, this is how he repays you?" Her uncle let off a string of obscenities in Rhoynish.

"We need to get a letter to my brothers. Rhaenys and Aegon will be in danger and will need to be able to leave this place at a moment's notice."

Ashara was reading the unopened letter and gave it to Elia silently. It seemed that Lyanna Stark had sold out her cousin as a greenseer. Elia only knew the term after hearing it from Oberyn after his studies at the Citadel.

"So family is not even sacred to her," Ashara hissed.

After hiding that letter in her skirts and they'd all made sure that everything was in place, they went back to Elia's quarters and burned the final letter.

Rhaegar and Aerys did not need to know of those particular Northern abilities. The Seven alone knew what they would do to Runa Stark.

I was trying to save Lady Lyanna. I was the gallant knight rescuing her. Why couldn't her father understand that? Rhaegar thought as he bedded down for the night.

Little did he know that one of his most loyal companions had told his wife everything.

A/N 2: Rhaegar is certainly far removed from reality isn't he? I wanted to show some reactions people had to the news. Runa will be back next chapter. Robert will slowly be changing, and this is the start. Looking forward to hearing what you think of this one.

Here are some of the new castings for the characters introduced. I'm going for the look.

Brandon Stark: Henry Cavill as he was in Tudors

Ned Stark: Jaime Dornan as he was in OUAT

Jon Arryn: Liam Neeson as he was in Kingdom of Heaven

Robert Baratheon: Richard Armitage when he was in BBC Robin Hood

Elia Martell: Morena Baccarin.

Ser Lewyn Martell: Oded Fehr as he looked in the Mummy movies.

I don't have anyone for Ashara Dayne yet, I'm open to suggestions.