I probably should have said this in the first chapter but it slipped my mind and I was reminded by a reviewer, I got part of the idea for this story from reading Dragonstone by danivat.
And to those of you who are upset with Lady Stark the reason she is meaner to Jon in this story is mainly because in cannon he is out of her way, and she doesn't have to think about him very much, but in this fiction he is always included in with the whole Stark family, and the first day she met him her uncle got threatened to have his hand cut off by his protector, and most of the time she is the same as she is in the books/show.
I don't own A Game of Thrones all rights belong to GRRM
Ser Arthur
Winterfell
One moon later
Jon swung at Arthur with all his might, and Artur simply moved out of the way, causing Jon to stumble forward. Arthur swept Jon's feet out from underneath him and pointed his sword at him.
"Dead. Plant your feet before you swing, you'll get less extended." Explained Arthur as Jon got back up to his feet.
They continued to fight back and forth, with Arthur going easy so Jon can actually learn something. After a few minutes, Arthur noticed Jon's shield starting to drop. He swung as fast as he could at Jon's head, stopping mere inches away from it.
Jon stopped what he was doing and Ser Arthur put a hand on the side of Jon's head and said: "Keep your shield up, or next time I'll ring your head like a bell." Jon simply nodded.
They continued fighting for a few more minutes until Jon dropped his shield again, and true to is word Arthur smacked Jon in the head with the wooden practice sword.
"Go to the Maester, then clean up and get ready for dinner," Arthur told Jon.
"Yes, Uncle," Jon replied.
Arthur walked to the main hall where they supped every night. On the way, he thought about how much he enjoyed Winterfell and the people in it. He wished that they could just stay here forever, but he knew it was not so. One day, be it sooner or later, he would ride south with Jon and help Jon claim his throne, that he didn't even know was his by right. He briefly thought of forsaking Jon's claim, and they could both live happy lives in Winterfell, but as soon as the thought came it was gone. He had already failed Rhaegar and Lyanna, but he wouldn't fail Jon too. Besides the Usurper was an ill fit for the throne, and it's doubtful his children would be any better.
Arthur had the feeling deep down in his stomach that something was about to go wrong. To be granted he had this feeling ever since the day Rhaegar told him of his intentions with Lyanna, but still, he trusted his instinct as it had never failed him before.
Arthur entered the Great Hall and took his seat to Lord Stark's left. Lady Stark sat to her husband's right, with their young son Bran in her lap, with Sansa next to her, then Robb, and then lastly was the Stark's new ward Theon. The boy Theon thought much more of himself than anyone else, especially Jon because he was a bastard. The thought had crossed his mind a few times that he couldn't wait for the look on Theon and Catelyn's faces when they had to kneel to Jon and swear their loyalty to him.
Jon came and took the seat right next to him, with Arya following right behind him sitting to his left. Arya followed Jon almost everywhere, much to her mother's chagrin, and Arthur even personally believe that she loved Jon more than any of her trueborn siblings. When Jon first arrived Lady Stark was quite unhappy about Jon sitting with the rest of her family, but when the greatest swordsman in Westeros puts his foot down on something he is almost always obeyed. This scenario ended no different, Lady Stark demand he sat at a different table, Arthur said no, then Lady Stark got used to having him sit at the same table as her. She usually distracted herself with something, today was no different, as she spent most of her time focusing on young Bran.
The meal was the same as any other, Jon, Robb, and Theon talked, Jon and Arya talked, Sansa and her mother talked of very proper ladylike topics. It took only a few minutes before Arthur realized that it wasn't completely normal, Ned was completely silent. He could tell something was off not only because of his silence, but also because he looked very far away, as if contemplating something, much as he had on the way to Starfall from the Tower of Joy.
Arthur continued to eat silently listening to the idle chat of the Stark family, only speaking when directly spoken to, all the while wondering what was on Lord Stark's mind, fearing the worst.
After the meal was over Arthur got up to leave before Ned's voice stopped him.
"Arthur, could we meet in my solar?" Ned more commanded then asked.
Arthur wordlessly followed him worrying more and more that the Usurper found out. They went into Lord Stark's solar and Lord Stark sat down and motioned for Arthur to do the same. Lord Stark then handed him a letter.
"This arrived from King's Landing a few hours ago," Ned spoke softly.
Arthur opened up the message and his heart almost stopped beating at what he read.
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Varys
King's Landing
A few days earlier
"How dare the damn Fat Flower think he is above my call to arms, I am the damn King when I send a call to arms everyone sends their men, but that damn fat oaf ignores my call to arms and sits out the rebellion in his castle!" Raged on Robert, as he had almost every day since the end of the Greyjoy Rebellion.
Varys sat there in the King's solar and stirred the pot that was Robert's anger by agreeing with him.
"If I may ask Your Grace, why have you called me here today?" Questioned Varys.
"Mace Tyrell needs to be punished for his actions, but I need a more reasonable opinion, Stannis would have me hang him, Renly would have me let him off with no punishment, and Ser Gerold just offers no opinion." Stated Robert.
"I do believe I have an idea, Your Grace." Started Varys, and he waited until the King's eyes snapped to him before continuing "Ned Stark has bastard does he not?"
"Yes he does, but I fail to see what this has to do with Mace Tyrell." Stated the King impatiently.
"You legitimize Lord Stark's bastard, order Mace Tyrell to marry his only daughter to him, name him heir to some holding in the North with no heir, and then Mace Tyrell loses his only daughter and most valuable political bargaining chip to the frozen wasteland of the North, while you simultaneously reward Ned Stark and Ser Arthur for their service in the Greyjoy Rebellion." Stated Varys, showing no sign of emotion.
"The Tyrells would surely just kill the boy before they marry." Stated Robert.
"Tell them they can either marry her to the bastard or the Greyjoy or perhaps she could have a place in The Silent Sisters," Varys said back to him.
Robert grinned at him before grabbing his quill and writing two letters and sealing them with his seal before ordering them to be sent to Winterfell and Highgarden respectively. Varys got up and walked out to have the messages sent with a smirk on his face, the encounter had gone exactly how he wanted.
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Olenna Tyrell
Highgarden
Olenna sat there in her son's solar with her good daughter taking in the letter her son had just read aloud. She couldn't believe what she just heard, Margaery, her only granddaughter through Mace, the granddaughter she had spent so much time teaching how to manipulate people, that should be engaged to the future king, was to be married off to some recently legitimized bastard. She knew it was a foolish idea for her son to refuse the King's call, but he had not listened to her and now they were paying the price.
"Maybe that's not such a bad thing, maybe he'll be handsome and treat Margaery well." Said Lady Alerie.
Her son's wife was kind, gentle, and beautiful, but she had no ambition for her or her children. All she wanted was for her children to find someone who will make them happy and treat them right, but they were highborn that isn't how it works.
"Don't be a fool Margaery is too good to marry some second son of a lord, no she must be married to a king. Perhaps the boy could come by an unfortunate accident on the journey down here, boys die in traveling all the time." Responded Olenna.
"I will not kill some innocent boy, besides it says in the letter if the boy were to die before they wed she would have the choice of marrying the Greyjoy boy in Ned Stark's care or the silent sisters," Mace told her.
Olenna thought for a moment, trying to come up with some sort of plan to get them out of this situation, but when she could not think of one she said: "Fine a second son of the Starks is better than a first son of the Greyjoys."
"It also says we are not to inform them of their betrothal until they are both thirteen." He then turned to his wife and said "Your uncle Gerold will be coming to visit in two moons and will be staying for a few moons. He said the King gave him time to visit us for his loyal service."
Olenna sat back in her chair, took a sip of her wine, and sighed thinking about what a waste it was that Margaery had to marry some northern savage.
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Ser Arthur Dayne
Winterfell
Arthur still couldn't believe what he had read, even though he had read it over and over again.
What if the usurper found out and he's just trying to draw Jon out? Or what if we do go to Highgarden and someone in Highgarden finds out?
Arthur was much more concerned with the second thought. He highly doubted that the usurper would've found out, and even if he had he would've just ridden to Winterfell and tried to take Jon by force. Arthur knew that their explanation of Jon had a few holes in it, and up North no one really questioned them because the trusted Lord Stark, but down South if anyone really looked into it hard they would find that they lied about Jon, tell the King, and Arthur doubted the Tyrells would fight to save Jon if he had no real allies.
But there was also a positive side to this, Arthur realized. If they managed to keep Jon's secret from any potential enemies for long enough, until after Margaery's sixteenth name day when they would wed, then the Tyrells would certainly stand behind them, along with the Stark's, Lord Stark had said many times that he would not betray Robert, but Arthur knew Ned had little respect for the King after what was done to the baby Aegon, and he would never betray Lyanna by leaving her son to die in an unwinnable war. With the Starks would come the Tullys, possibly the Arryns, and they could maybe also swing the Martells to their side by promising justice for Elia's children, he knew Ellia would help in any way she could. Just thinking about Elia's children made him sad as he remembered yet another time he had failed Rhaegar. It was awful what had happened, Rhaenys was murdered by an assassin sent by Tywin Lannister just a few days after the Battle of Trident and Aegon was murdered by the Mountain during the Sack of King's Landing.
Arthur turned to Ned and said, "The Tyrells will be powerful allies for Jon."
Ned looked at Arthur angrily and said "is that all you can think about at a time like this? You know how dangerous this is what would happen if someone found out!" Ned raised his voice for the last part.
Arthur looked cooly at him and said: "I know, but there is nothing we can do, the King has already made up his mind and Jon will be leaving after his name day, so it is best to look at the positive."
"You're right, now we must tell Jon that he is to go to Highgarden. But first I must go start preparing for his name day gift." Lord Stark said before heading off to the Crypts.
What do you think Ned is going to the Crypts for? Leave a review and tell me what you think.
So Elia Martell is alive.
I was very tempted last chapter to have Victarion live, but it wouldn't work as well with what I have planned for the Greyjoys.
