To those who already have read the story before: Hello again, before you read this new chapter, I hope you'll consider reading the first three chapters first because I have rewritten them before I proceeded with chapter 4, there are some big changes there so it might be helpful if you check it first.
And if you are wondering why the other story "Never Let Go" is gone, I'm actually planning to rewrite it with a different plot. Hopefully this edited version is much better than my first release. Tell me your thoughts afterwards.
*I don't own GOT/ASOIAF.*
Eddard Stark
"Disagree and I will have your children sent away to different houses to be fostered. Your oldest sons will be taken to the capitol and will squire some of my knights in the Kingsguard. Once they finished training, they will be added to the ranks of my guards and will be given white cloaks. Your two girls will be taken to Dorne and Highgarden while the youngest two will be sent to the Citadel and study as maesters."
Ned felt his heart stopped beating at the King's.
No.
"And you will also provide me five thousand of your best Northern men to be added to the Royal Army." Rhaegar Targaryen added and Ned felt his world spinning, horrified at the King's words, his hands immediately reached Ice's hilt.
His children, his beloved children taken away from him and sent to different houses. He can bear to see the young ones fostered in Storm's End for Robert's younger brother Renly is a friend to him but how about in Dorne and the Reach?
His children, his beloved children whom he protected and kept in Winterfell to be safe from the South will be taken away from him. The King plans to rob him of his heir and his second son by placing them in the Kingsguard.
The girls taken to Dorne and Highgarden, places where Starks have no friends and he feared for whoever will be sent to Dorne, the Dornish still loathe Starks for they think that Lyanna spurned Rhaegar.
And his youngest ones will be sent to the Citadel to become maesters.
This man plans to take everything away from him. And his blood boiled in anger yet he can't strike him there. He can't. His hand move from Ice's hilt to his side and curled it into fists.
"You can't!" He exclaimed and mentally cursed himself for that.
You are weak. You're not like your brother Brandon. Brandon would have fought for his children.A voice in his mind said.
The King smiled slyly and Ned almost wanted to wipe the smile from the King's face with his fists but he restrained himself. He needn't need violence.
"Try me, I am the King." Rhaegar answered and took one quick glance at Lyanna's statue before he turned and started walking back to where they entered.
Ned was left there, unmoving and still horrified. His hand went back to Ice's pommel.
He could kill Rhaegar Targaryen here and end this entire madness. But then Rhaegar was still the King of Westeros and there are still many houses that would rally to his cause, to avenge his death. Aside from that, Rhaegar also brought with him a thousand of soldiers from the capitol, the best ones from the entire realm.
Should he decide to end the life of the King, these soldiers won't have second thoughts avenging the King's death. And aside from that, he couldn't bear to orphan the King's children again. They have lost their mother after their father ran away with Lyanna, and Ned doesn't want them to feel pain again.
However he knew that his threat was done half-heartedly, a mummer's farce to scare him. He knew that the King's forces have weakened the moment that the sword of the executioner graced Jaime Lannister's head and removed it from his body.
Aside from his wife Joanna, there was nothing more that Tywin loved except for his son Jaime, his perfect golden son. His son Tyrion may be alive but rumours has it that Tywin has no love for his youngest child for he blames the young man the people called "The Imp" for the death of his beloved wife. And that he excluded Tyrion from inheriting Casterly Rock should he die.
Jaime had been released from the Kingsguard after he killed the Mad King. Rhaegar had been merciful after he learned that the Kingslayer only ran his sword on the old King's throat after Aerys ordered Elia to be killed and for the city to be burned after the rebel forces reached the gates of the capitol before Tywin's army and Rhaegar's arrived.
News of Lyanna's death has arrived shortly after Rhaegar's victory in the Trident. And Tywin secretly supped with Rhaegar the night he was planning to return to the Tower of Joy, telling him that Elia was also killed and that Jaime killed the king to save his children. It was then that Tywin offered assistance (he married Cersei Lannister in exchange for the army) since there were still a great number of rebel forces left even that was commanded by both he and Jon Arryn.
This lead to Jon Arryn's disablement and the defeat of their remaining forces, and Ned knew that it was because of Rhaegar's love for Lyanna that he allowed Ned to retain his Wardenship in the North.
If Rhaegar did intend to do what he threatens him to, Ned knew that he can fight. He has the whole North with him, there was no use questioning the loyalty of the Northerners because they had always been loyal to the Starks ever since the first Winter King sat on his winter throne. Aside from that the Riverlands would support him through Catelyn; Hoster Tully would no doubt rally his bannermen the moment his grandchildren will be in danger.
Hoster Tully may have only seen his grandchildren a few times but Ned knew that the old man loved his and Catelyn's children fiercely. There was no name day that the Lord of Riverrun forgets, in every year presents from the South often arrive, much to the delight of his children. And Eddard knew that if the man was still capable, he won't be absent from the celebrations of the children's name days. It was enough proof for the Stark lord that his good father will help him.
The Stormlands will gladly help him for sure, there are still a plenty of Stormlander lords that were angry at the death of their former liege lord. Ned however wasn't sure about Robert's younger brother Renly who inherited the lordship after Stannis was sent to the wall. Because from what he has heard, the young Baratheon has some sort of friendship with the Tyrells of the Reach, a family that is loyal to the Targaryens. There were also some rumours that the Lord was betrothed to the Reach's daughter, Lady Margaery Tyrell.
The Vale's support is also in question because just a few weeks ago, his good sister Lysa Arryn, who was Catelyn's younger sister married Petyr Baelish, Rhaegar's Master of Coin who as Catelyn told him was an old friend. Of course, he knew the guy and he knew that the man in the past had feelings for his wife and that this Baelish man tried to duel with his older brother Brandon for Catelyn's hand. And Baelish has been named as the Vale's Lord Protector as their young liege lord, Jon Arryn's heir and son, Robert was still too young to rule.
So even if Rhaegar was in his premises, he still can't be sure about what will happen to him should he refuse the man. And Ned knew that if Rhaegar was wise enough, he could regain the Westerlands support if he would marry his sister or his daughter Rhaenys to Tywin Lannister, instead the man decided to come to the North. He wondered why. He wondered what Rhaegar's main goal of visiting the North is and why he wanted to ask for Sansa's hand in marriage.
He needs to know what the King is up to and also he thought that this betrothal won't be finalized until he'll give his words of approval but most of all, everything depends on Sansa if she'll agree or not.
And he knew that the King might reconsider it if Sansa doesn't consent to this marriage. He was positive that Rhaegar will respect Sansa's decision if ever she'll say no.
So he ran after the man, "Wait your grace!" He called as he tried to catch up with him.
Rhaegar was already at the gates of the crypts when he managed to reach him. The King turned to him with a raised brow and asked, "Yes?"
Ned stopped running and took a deep breath to calm him and his body first.
"I'll… I'll consider your offer." He answered and Rhaegar let out a victorious smile. "But, the decision depends on Sansa if she'll want to marry you or not. If she doesn't want to then there is nothing I can do with it. If she does, then I can give you my blessings." He continued and Rhaegar seemed to regard his words for a moment.
"You have a point." Rhaegar answered with a resigned sigh.
It was only the time that Ned noticed him tensed. His expression wasn't the same as earlier and he seemed troubled.
"Why?" He then asked.
He was still a little confused why Rhaegar would want to marry Sansa.
"What?" Rhaegar asked in surprise.
"Why do you want to marry my daughter? Do you honestly think that I don't suspect that you don't want something advantageous from this union?" He asked.
Rhaegar sighed and closed his eyes before he spoke.
"Fine you caught me." The Silver King started as he opened his eyes and looked at him with his deep indigo eyes. "I indeed want something from this union. Support Lord Stark. I need military support."
"Why would you want military support? Isn't the royal army enough for you? You already have thousands of soldiers at your disposal." He prodded again and Rhaegar shifted uncomfortably.
"There is war coming Lord Stark."
"Ah, so you cower here in the North because the Westerlands threaten to retaliate because you killed Tywin's heir?"
"No. This isn't only about Tywin Lannister getting his revenge." Rhaegar answered and then looked at the ground before he looked back at him. "It's Viserys, my brother."
Viserys? What does Prince Viserys have to do with this mess? Now he was getting confused. There is something wrong. Something that Rhaegar was keeping.
"Viserys? What does Prince Viserys have to do with this?" He then asked the King.
"My brother means to usurp me Lord Stark and he is currently trying to team with Tywin Lannister to do so." Rhaegar answered and Ned Stark was appalled with the revelation.
Why would the younger Targaryen want to usurp his older brother? The rightful King of Westeros?
"Why would he do that?"
"My brother is jealous of me Lord Stark; it was our father who planted the idea that he could be a greater leader than I am. He has been waiting for years for me to do a mistake and when I executed Jaime Lannister, he sees this as an opportunity to convince Tywin to rebel against me so that he can take the crown for his own." The King explained.
"B-but how did you know?" He asked again, the explanation was still as confusing as what is happening.
"A few days after the execution, Viserys said that he wants to have short recess and visit a friend of the family in Pentos, Magister Illyrio. I let him go thinking that he just needed some time to relax, I informed Illyrio in advance but after a few weeks, I received a message from him saying that Viserys didn't arrive in Pentos." The king paused.
Ned nodded for him to continue.
"I've sent out my best soldiers and asked for Illyrio's help to find my brother thinking that he might have an accident or was lost. A few days later Varys' birds in the Westerlands sent us a message that was brother was there and he has been spotted with Tywin Lannister. From the conversations that the birds were able to hear, my brother and Tywin are planning for war."
"But you are still the rightful King of Westeros, if war will come a lot of people will still rally after you and defend your throne." Ned said and Rhaegar nodded.
"Indeed but my brother is determined to bring me down, so he'll make grounds that I'm not fit to rule the realm and that I'm showing signs of our father's madness to gain the support of people." Rhaegar said with anger in his eyes.
Somehow the Lord of Winterfell forgot his anger with the King and pitied him. Ned didn't expect that Prince Viserys would want to usurp his brother's throne.
"For sure no one will believe that, I hate to admit it but you seemed to be a good King and you don't look or act like you're mad." He said.
Rhaegar chuckled bitterly at his words, "Why thank you for your compliment Lord Stark, I'm truly flattered but you can't just underestimate their minds, they'll use the deaths of Cersei, Jaime and their children against me. They'll say that my accusations are false and that Cersei and Jaime are innocent and that I killed them because I'm starting to lose my mind."
"I still can't believe that your brother will do that, I mean you're his older brother and to be honest I never ever thought of usurping my brother's position as our father's heir until of course when your father killed my brother and father." Ned said bitterly.
Rhaegar shot him an apologetic look, "Well, we grew up in a different environment. Your father may have not told you that you can be even better than Brandon whereas mine had been feeding the idea to Viserys ever since he was young. He had been telling my brother that he can be better than me, that he will be a great kinglike our father was." The king said while rolling his eyes at his last words.
"I know that my father already has poisoned my brother's mind against me and I have been keeping an eye on him ever since. My mistake was just I killed Jaime Lannister and my brother quickly saw this as a way to bring me down. He already has secured the Vale with him and now he has Tywin's force."
His brow furrowed at his last words. The Vale? How did Viserys Targaryen got his hands on the Vale?
"The Vale? H-how" He asked. He had been in touch with some Lords of the Vale especially the Royces and the Wanywoods ever since he left the Vale and returned to the North but he didn't remember then mentioning something about Viserys being close to the Lords Declarant.
"Apparently my Master of Coin is Viserys' man. My brother was the one who introduced me to Petyr Baelish, I don't know how or where the two met but it doesn't matter. I forgot about him until he married Lysa Arryn securing the Vale for my brother."
Baelish, I've always knew that there was something not right about him. I must tell Cate about this; maybe she could talk to Lysa and tell her about the real ordeal.
"You should be careful on the men you plan to hire to work for you next time." He commented and Rhaegar laughed.
"Ah, so now you are lecturing me Lord Stark but yes, I had to admit that I was indeed careless about the men I trust and hire." Rhaegar replied.
"But why the North? Why not ask support from the Tyrells by marrying their daughter?"
"I don't trust them. Mace Tyrell maybe an oaf but with his mother's influence he seems to want more power for himself. He then sent his eldest daughter to the capitol days after Cersei's death and she tried to seduce me and Aegon."
Rhaegar shook his head and frowned.
"It dismayed me. They seemed to be very eager to ascend to power that they quickly tried to get my attention but I don't like their approach at all. I don't like to add schemers in my court. I'm rather tired of playing this game. I only want peace. I want a wife whose not there because of the crown. I want a wife who's sincere with her duty, doesn't want power of her own or doesn't try to control me." Rhaegar explained. "That is another reason why I choose your daughter Sansa over Lady Margaery because I believed that you raised your daughter well and you don't plan schemes on her head. So I went here instead of the Reach."
"The Reach has quite a number of soldiers." He countered again; he doesn't want to be in this war. "And they also have the best war commanders too."
He had lived in the North and their place was at peace and was far from the conflict of brothers. He honestly doesn't want to be involved in this war.
"And so does the North, the Riverlands and the Stormlands. And some of the houses in the Vale." Rhaegar added.
"You think that the Stormlands and the Vale will support me? Did you forget that you told me that Baelish is Viserys' man? And the Stormlands hold no love for you, your grace. You forget that you have killed their liege lord and stole his betrothed." He mocked.
"Yes, Baelish may act as the Lord Protector of the Vale but a lot of Lords Declarant knows you since you lived there for years. As for the Stormlands, I think you may be able to convince them to side with me for the good of the realm. And I by marrying your daughter will be able to secure the support of the Riverlands, I heard that old Lord Hoster Tully is quite fond of Lady Sansa and her siblings, he would surely support his grandchild's husband." Rhaegar smirked.
"You sound so confident, your grace, you forgot that my daughter haven't agreed to this marriage yet." He answered and Rhaegar's smirk turned into a frown.
"I know but I doubt that you'll want to put another mad king on the throne again."
"Viserys could be a good leader." He muttered and Rhaegar scowled.
"No, my brother is the one showing signs of father's madness not me. He is also sadistic and enjoys watching the pain of others; he had abused our sister Daenerys without my knowledge. I don't think he is in the right mind to rule and I as the rightful King shall see to it that my realm won't bleed and suffer again."
"Funny thing to hear from someone who caused the realm to bled once." He commented again.
The King looked annoyed and resigned at the same time.
"Must we continue this bickering? I am already stressed with the problems of the realm Lord Stark, yes partially I did have a part why this happened but I already rued my past mistakes. I am here to try and fix this new problem by asking your support. I only want peace after the years of war Lord Stark and I promise you, when this is all over and if your daughter did agree to become my Queen, she'll be well taken care of, no harm will ever come to her as long as I live and I believe that she'll make a fine partner and ruler."
He sounded so desperate,Ned thought. He never thought he could see Rhaegar Targaryen this way. Rhaegar had always been that confident man always sure of himself yet he just often makes some mistakes with his judgement. He is just a man like me.
The realm will be on war again and after what he said about Viserys, he'd rather have Rhaegar on the throne than his younger brother who from his words seems to be more like Aerys Targaryen. Westeros needs a strong leader, a good one and this man may have made mistakes still he didn't hear complaints about his current rule.
He sighed in resignation. He as the Warden of the North will have to support the King. For the sake of the realm, and for the sake of his people.
So he took a deep breath and kneeled before Rhaegar who was surprised by action.
"Then I as the Warden of the North will support you King Rhaegar Targaryen, my men will fight for the rightful King of the realm and I shall see to it that the usurper shall be brought down." He said.
He looked at the King and saw the relief on his face.
"Thank you Lord Stark." Rhaegar then helped him stand up by offering his hand and then shaking it before letting go.
Ned was quite surprised by the warmness of his palm despite the coldness inside the crypts. But then again, he was facing a Targaryen, a dragon.Fire and blood,he sarcastically thought.
Another thought however came into his mind as remembered the Tyrells. The King could gain their support. If they are really that interested in the crown then they might be okay having their daughter betrothed to Prince Aegon since Aegon was next line after Rhaegar.
"But why not marry Prince Aegon to the Tyrell girl?" He asked.
Rhaegar looked pained with his question and it made him wonder why he seems to be uncomfortable with it. Aegon was of marrying age and it surprised him that the Prince remained unattached. He should have been married or tied to someone right now but the Prince seemed to have settled with whores as from what he has learned from rumours. And for Ned, it seems like Aegon the Unworthy has come back to life again with the lack of bastards running around.
"I can't. They will probably be disappointed if they'll learn that Aegon won't ascend the throne." Rhaegar answered and it surprised him.
Did Prince Aegon renounce his claim for the throne? He thought to himself.
"W-why? Is he not the Crowned Prince?" He asked again. Rhaegar shook his head.
Why would Aegon renounce his claim? Does he not trust himself? If so, then Sansa. Sansa would be the mother of the next King….
"My son… he isn't capable of siring heirs…..
Prince Aegon is barren….." The King said and finally Ned Stark understood why.
There are some changes that I did in the story, supposedly this chapter is for Rhaenys but I moved her to Chapter 4 (hers is a little bit of a filler story) and Viserys' plans should be revealed on the time that they will return to the capitol but I think it is better that Rhaegar knows about his little brother's plan so that there's a concrete reason why he would go to the North.
And to those asking about why Rhaegar can''t marry Margaery, it is also answered here.
The Reach may have a lot of forces as well as the Westerlands but we must not forget that Ned holds the North and has familial ties with the Riverlands through his marriage to Catelyn, also he has friends in the Vale (the Royces) despite Baelish's control, he also has friends in the Stormlands because of Robert Baratheon.
And I hope you won't hate me that I planned on having Aegon barren, it is also why Sansa cannot marry him and why Rhaegar is eager to find another wife. If a war happens there's no male heir left should he die if he won't marry.
And aside from that, I think I did mention that this story is still based on the original so Joffrey's role is passed on Viserys. Instead of five kings fighting with each other, there will be two kings at war with each other.
I can't say that I'll include the prophecy of the prince that was promised but there will be dragons here.
I do hope this answered all your questions and hopefully the story didn't get messed up. Rhaenys' POV will be next. ^^