Chapter Two: Eddard

He was sure he didn't do anything wrong, but somehow he couldn't help but feel nervous. Waiting for his Father to return was the longest hour of his life. Lord Rickard pulled his son aside after he was practicing sparing with Brandon. Eddard had tried to convince himself it hadn't been because of his performance, now he was starting to worry. But it hadn't been the Master of Arms calling on him.

When Lord Rickard came back to the room he looked the boy over, and sat across from him in his Lord's chair. He put his hands together and sighed. "I had been thinking on this a while, and I think it is past time I acted. Lord Steffon Baratheon, before his passing had said he would send one of his sons to the Eyrie so he could have an easier time learning how to act like a Lord. It has been common to sometimes lose children before they've grown. So, most careful fathers like to have all of their sons trained. Now, as he has passed it is very necessary his son should learn from a Lord."

Eddard looked up into his stern face. "Do you think you know why I've called you here now?"

"Yes Father, I…I think it would please you if I went to the Eyrie with him."

"It would be a benefit to us all. He is still young, but his first brother is close in age to him. He would greatly miss not having another boy around him. It is a rare opportunity for two good alliances. I know it might be a difficult thing for you to think of now, but there are many possibilities for your future."

Then he asked a question that seemed to trouble his father. "Why not send Brandon?"

"Brandon has so far learned from only me, and in turn, seen how other Northern Lords run their castles. They're used to him, they know him well, and if I were to take you instead they might come to think something is suspicious."

And he would hate it, Eddard thought as he looked back down at the ground.

"If anything I hear is true, he is a little like Brandon. You, it is safe to say I think Jon Arryn will grow fond of you. You generally aren't a boy to speak out of turn, you aren't particularly bold, and in most cases you are very even tempered and quiet. Jon has said himself, he is a little boisterous but he has a good personality that makes him friends, he just doesn't seem to want them much."

They were both quiet then Lord Rickard stood up and squatted down in front of the chair. "There isn't a thing I can say to make it easier. But I need it to be you, you're a good age. The Old Gods know things aren't easy between Brandon and yourself. It seems your mother finds it amusing to pit him against you. You were happy with him until she started this nonsense. The least it will do for you is give you back some of what you missed. From what Jon has said, he is brash but not cruel. Brandon sometimes feels the need to be, mostly because of what she's said. It would bridge the gap between the two of you, if you helped him win the alliance of the Stormlands. It's good for our house."

He looked up again and sighed. "When do I leave Father?"

"I would like it to be three days from now. I need to pick very good men to send with you, maybe two or three. If you'd like, we can discuss that as well. If someone would make you feel…More adjusted I'll see to it they can stay for a little while."

"It isn't necessary, I'll be fine." He replied. "Is there anything else you need from me?"

"No." He touched the top of his son's head, and then pulled him into an embrace. "I knew I could count on you to not make this difficult. But please, don't tell any of them. Not Brandon, nor Lyanna, Benjen, especially your Mother."

"But Mother knows?" he asked pulling himself to an arm's length away from his father.

"She knows all she needs to know. I'm concerned about the safety of the four of you first."

"She doesn't know…"

A small smile formed on his usually grim face. "Don't tell her, if she asks why you're packing things; tell her I said I'd take you somewhere soon. I don't want you to say your goodbyes to her until your things are on the wagon, and you are on your horse and ready to leave."

"What about…"

"You can tell your siblings after breakfast the day you go. It isn't forever; technically Robert Baratheon is Lord of Storm's End. I expect if you're friends he would want to show you the Stormlands. If you think he would get along with your brothers he is welcome at Winterfell, as are you. You are a Stark, if you think you need to come home you can come visit."

When he left he found it hard not to be upset by the times he'd walked from the castle to the Godwood he'd wiped tears from his eyes three times. He knelt in front of the Heart Tree and bowed his head. "Please let my Father be please with his decision, let things be easier for Lyanna and Benjen. Let Brandon become more peaceful, so he'll be a better Lord. Help keep my Mother and Father together, they…They seem to be looking at different paths for each of us. Guide me on what is right to do while I'm away…"

"He wants you to go then?" Brandon asked from behind him.

"He did…"

"She told me after breakfast this morning Father was sending me to the Vale for my bad behavior. He didn't say anything, I was nervous for a second there."

"Don't tell anyone." Eddard said, "I'm not even supposed to let you know."

Brandon scoffed. "She isn't supposed to know, Father thinks she's gone mad. She's telling him since she gave birth to Lyanna she's been having green dreams. Says it's only for certain things, how I won't be Lord and you will. She says Lyanna is going to get him killed, so he shouldn't show her any attention. He's pretending he's listening to her scheming."

"For all you know she does have green dreams."

"If she had green dreams it wouldn't just be about us. You're blind really you are. They've never been close. She wants to control Winterfell by making things come true. She wants to put Lyanna in danger because she knows Father would do anything to save her. She favors you because, really, you act a little like Father. You're just enough like him to make everyone in the North follow you without question should something happen to me. That's what father thinks at least. I thought for sure he was angry because I heard him talking and that's why he called Lord Dustin."

"Well if she's so fond of me why is he giving me to someone else?"

Brandon laughed. "Because, you idiot, he thinks she's mad. The first chance she gets she might try and kill all four of us. She might bring us all out here to the Godswood and give us poison. Think about it, why would Father not want you to tell her? He's afraid if she knows she'll try and kill you before you can leave, that way she'll think she can keep you here forever."

"Or maybe since she's fond of me, like you said he's afraid it will drive her mad." Eddard replied. "I don't question what Father tells me, what if she does see somethings, but she just doesn't understand? She said right after she had Lyanna she wanted to hurry to give him his last son."

"You're an idiot, she's probably too old to have anymore. She just got lucky is all. All highborn ladies want to give their lords sons. It keeps the line going after all. She made a guess Eddard, a fifty fifty guess, then she got lucky."

He didn't say anything else. There was no reason to argue with his brother, besides anything he heard likely came from their father in some way or another. He did like having him sit in while he talked with their men. They were both quite, then a breeze blew and Eddard pulled his cloak tighter. When he looked back up, Brandon was holding his hand out to him.

"Whatever happens next, no hard feelings, all right?"

"All right…" He replied unsurely.