Chapter 5
In Winterfell
When Eddard Stark accepted the role as Hand of the King, It was two days after the feast in honor of Jon and Dany's nameday and sudden engagement. At dawn, Lady Lyanna left the castle towards the Godswood. While letting the silence fill her, she is unaware that a pair of dark lilac eyes watched her intently. Suddenly she sang the words from a song of the past that she thought she had forgotten.
Wishing you were somehow here again
Wishing you were somehow near
Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed
Somehow you would be here
Wishing I could hear your voice again
knowing that I never would,
Dreaming of you won't help me to do
all that you dreamed I could
When she finished, hot tears spilled from her grey eyes but wiped them away. She felt someone watching her then she was wary when she heard a twig snap. She turned and was shocked seeing him in front of her.
"What a beautiful song, my lady. It is rather sad because the last time I heard that song; it was six and ten years ago, I performed it at a feast at Harrenhal, the night before I won a tourney and crowned a dark haired, grey-eyed beauty who stole my heart, in a different life."
"Rhaegar, are you out of your mind? What are you still doing here?"
"It's good to see you again my lady, Have you forgotten that Rhaegar Targaryen died at the Trident? But let me answer your questions, No I am perfectly rational and I am here on business."
"What kind of business?"
"I am Daevon of House Caspian after all, and my house is the wealthiest in Braavos, I have a message for your brother, Lord Eddard Stark."
"Well then, Lord Caspian I suggest you come with me back to Winterfell."
She turned and looked at Prince Rhaegar, she finds herself flabbergasted at the sight of him riding on gigantic white dragon.
"Maybe you should ride with me, my lady. This here is my dragon, Daemon the White Fyre. I find that flying on him saves much more time."
"Has it ever occurred to you that the people of Winterfell will be just as flabbergasted as I was not moments ago at seeing your fiery steed?"
"Oh, stop your fretting and just get on. I will handle the rest."
He extended his hand to help her; she accepted it as she eased herself on the beast behind him and when he was sure that she was comfortable he urge his dragon to fly. Lady Lyanna put her arms around Prince Rhaegar waist when the dragon flew up. As the beast neared the Winterfell, Prince Rhaegar eased Lady Lyanna into his arms and he maneuvered their way off the dragon and landed on the balcony of West Tower. Setting her on her feet, he looked at the dragon, and whispered something in High Valyrian then the dragon disappeared. Lady Lyanna then led Lord Caspian into a secret passage to her brother's solar. Lord Stark was finalizing the documents involving Daenerys' betrothal to Jon, when his sister entered through the passage hidden by the direwolf tapestry. He acknowledged the presence of his sister and her companion. Lord Stark knew immediately who was standing before him when he noticed the dark lilac eyes and the wisps of silver-blonde which the gold overwhelmed.
"Ned, May I have a word with you?"
"Of course, what can I do for you and your companion, dear sister?"
"Brother, this is Lord Daevon of House Caspian from Braavos. He is here on business."
"It appears House Caspian has authority over trade in Braavos. Welcome to Winterfell, a pleasure to meet you, Lord Caspian" said Lord Stark
"An honor to make your acquaintance, Lord Stark." the disguised prince replied with an accent.
"Now if you'll excuse me, my lords, I'm going for my morning ride, I'll return before you break your fasts." Lady Lyanna excused herself.
"Be careful, dear sister" Lord Stark said as she left. Lord Stark turns to the strange lord.
"Lord Daevon is it? Or should I say your highness Prince Rhaegar?"
"You saw through my disguise so I will not deny the latter. But is it too much to ask of you to address me as the former, Lord Stark?" Prince Rhaegar asked
"Very well, what can I do for you, Lord Caspian?" Ned conceded
"I am here to ask for forgiveness and make amends for what sins my father committed against your family. After all, my sister is to be your niece-in-law therefore I must set things right. I have no quarrel with the Starks."
"Considering that you loved a Stark, who happened to be my little sister. She told me everything; I know what really occurred five and ten years ago. As much as I mourned the loss of my father and older brother; I find that it is easier to move on and learn from the past. I appreciate your effort to make amends with my family but like what I said long ago what sins your father committed against my family are not yours or Dany's or your younger brother's. What's done is done."
"I owe a debt of gratitude to you for saving Daenerys from Jaime Lannister and to your family for raising my little sister. For that I am forever grateful."
"She is like a daughter to me and quite frankly out of all the girls here in my house; her upbringing was made easier for us with her being around the boys every so often. If any thing saving her was the best decision I have made. About your sister, I'd imagine you would want to see her."
"If it is not too much trouble, Lord Stark"
"Please call me Ned. We are to be bound by blood after all"
"In that case call me Daevon"
"Fair enough, you can find your sister with the children at the training grounds. I would personally take you to the grounds myself before I prepare for King Robert's hunt."
Lord Stark led the disguised prince to the training grounds, while Prince Rhaegar converse with Ned about life in the Free Cities as Lord Stark informed Prince Rhaegar of his plans for Daenerys' future, (of which the prince already had knowledge from the reports of Lord Jaerys). There they found Robb, teaching Bran how to shoot a moving target and Jon with Dany by his side, observed the lesson while his fiancée was playing with little Rickon. They watched as Bran's arrow hit the bull's eye.
"Good Work, little brother. It was nicely done too." Robb said as he looked at the pierced target.
"Thanks, Robb." Bran said with a bright smile on his face as
"Well done, Bran." Lord Stark congratulated his son, who after thanking his father went off with his brothers. Lord Stark approached his nephew and his ward with Lord Caspian.
"Jon, might I have a word with you?"
"Of course Uncle, Is there something that you require?" Jon asked.
"King Robert invited us for a hunt. Find your cousin and ready the horses, we leave in an hour but until then I've a guest who came all the way from Braavos. He seemed eager to meet the last dragon." He said to his nephew as he looked at his ward knowingly. Then Jon recognized the man who stood beside his uncle.
"From Braavos?" Jon inquired.
"Yes, nephew; This man is the head of the House Caspian and Master of Trade in Braavos and apparently the current custodian of your betrothed's older brother Viserys Targaryen." Ned explained.
"One of the reasons why I came to Westeros, business matters aside, is to see if my lord's sister is truly alive. Lord Viserys had been informed of the loss of his family and had assumed that his mother died and had yet to give birth. There were rumors about a dragon in the North which my lord had set aside; thinking them as merely gossips and a search would only be adding the pain of loss and a waste of time. However, two moons ago; he heard the story of how Lord Stark saved a dragon spawn from the blade of Jaime Lannister. My lord sent me here to see if the rumors were true. Now, here I stand before the sister of Viserys Targaryen. Soon to be the lady wife of the new heir of Storm's End" Lord Caspian said his half-true story in his thick Braavosi accent.
"Well then, I take my leave and prepare for the hunt." Ned excused himself and headed to the stables where the hunting party prepares their provisions.
Jon decided to find his cousin after excusing himself, thinking that Dany deserved sometime alone with her trueborn brother.
"I shall leave you two alone, my lord." Jon said and received a thankful nod from Lord Caspian then he turned to Dany.
"My lady, I must go with my uncle, I will see you at dusk." Jon said then chastely kissed her cheeks.
"Do take care, my lord." She sighed as she watched Jon left to look for Robb.
"Why the sad face, little sister? Are you not pleased to see me?"
"I am very pleased to see you again and to know that Viserys is alive. Long ago, I have always wondered what my life would be like if my brothers had lived and I had them here with me. Now, here you stand. I thought I was alone but to see my brother in front of me is the best gift the gods could ever bless me not once but twice." She said
"Then you should know that you, Viserys, and I are not the only surviving Targaryens. A few of my spies saved my children Aegon and Rhaenys from being killed by the Lannisters. Rhaenys is with child through her marriage to our brother. You are not alone in blood but you must not let anyone know of this."
"What are you planning, brother?"
"You will know in time. Promise me that you will stay safe, my dear sister."
"I promise."
They exchanged stories of life in the East and in the West as they walked towards the abandoned towers. There they spotted Bran's direwolf and the boy climbing on one of the towers.
"He is quite an excellent climber that little one; Reminds so much of Aegon, how old is he?" Rhaegar asked
"One and ten and he has never fallen." Dany replied in a nervous voice as she watched Bran as he neared the window.
"You say he has never fallen. Why is there a twinge of fear in your voice?"
"Just concerned, he is like a brother to me after all." She said her eyes on the boy as she saw the boy being pulled into the window
"Don't worry, you said so yourself that he has never fallen. You should trust in the boy's abili-" he stopped when he saw a hand pushed the boy out of the window.
"NO BRAN!" Dany screamed
"DAEMON, VOLORYS VENI" Rhaegar yelled
In a blink of an eye, Dany and Rhaegar was on the dragon's back, soaring towards Bran. Rhaegar caught the boy in midair just before Bran's body touched the ground. Holding the boy in her arms Dany shivered in fear the instant she caught a glimpse of Jamie Lannister in the tower window as the beast flit around the tower and in a split second it was hovering at the balcony of the Great Keep. Rhaegar swiftly maneuvered himself, his sister, and the boy into the balcony and shooed the dragon away.
"Dany, was that really a dragon?" the boy asked
"Yes it was, Bran"
"What is its name?"
"Daemon the White Fyre is the name of my dragon, little lord." Rhaegar said as he effortlessly slipping back into his Braavosi mask
"Bran, what happened?" Dany asked
"The queen and her brother, I saw them together, and the man pushed me."
"What you witnessed might cause you, your life. We best keep what we saw to ourselves. Lady Targaryen, I suggest you take the boy to his chambers." Lord Caspian drawled "I must send for Jaerys to watch the boy." he thought while looking at his sister seriously.
"Thank you for saving my life, ser" Bran said with a smile
"Anytime, young lordling" Lord Caspian drawled
"Yes, thank you Lord Caspian, for all the things you have done and I apologize for the trouble someone caused after swearing a vow to his mother to never climb again." Dany apologized to her brother while looking at Bran sternly.
At that moment Lady Lyanna and Lady Catelyn came in.
"And what trouble would that be?" Lady Catelyn
"Before your lord husband had gone for the hunt, he had left Lord Caspian in my company to satisfy his curiosity about my being the last of my name. While exchanging stories, Bran slipped from the tower he was climbing and Lord Caspian caught him before he hit the ground, my lady." Dany explained
"Thank Gods the two of you were there. Lord Caspian I am thankful to you for saving my son. It was very valiant of you." Lady Catelyn graciously thanked him.
"Not at all, my lady; I did not want him hurt because to be blunt that misstep could have cost the boy his life. He reminded me of the son I lost and I did not want my kind hosts to experience the similar pain I went through of losing my son." Lord Caspian again told another half-true story.
"I'm sorry for your loss; it is very kind of you to spare another from grief, my lord. If you'll excuse us, I'd love to have a word with my son." Lady Catelyn excused herself and took her son.
"Interesting morning isn't it?" Lady Lyanna mused
"How right you are, Lady Stark" Rhaegar agreed
"I imagine you've had days such as these, dear brother?" Dany asked
"No; only in the North have I experienced the days such as these. Though I'm glad to see that we are not alone, my sweet sister" Rhaegar japed
Before Dany could answer her brother, the arrival of the hunting party distracted her and the next thing she knew she in the arms of her betrothed.
"Is it just me? or my son has missed his betrothed so much that he did not see his lady mother?" Lady Lyanna asked jokingly
Rhaegar had a coughing fit in an attempt to hide his amusement seeing Dany's cheeks blush into a crimson color. Self-consciously, Jon pulled away from a blushing Dany and went kiss his mother on the cheeks and apologized.
"Forgive me, mother. Uncle Ned sent me ahead when Aunt Catelyn sent a rider to inform him that something happened to Bran. Where is he? Is he alright? What happened?" Jon said he reached for Dany.
"He went climbing and he slipped and fell but fortunately Dany and her brother were there. So he is safe. Do not worry." Lady Lyanna assured her son
"I am glad that he is safe." Jon said
"Well, I don't know about the three of you but the excitement of this day has worn me out." Rhaegar said
"I'll take you to the guest house. Follow me" Lady Lyanna said then led him to West wing of the castle.
"Why do I have the feeling that Bran's accident is not an accident?" Jon asked
"Because it wasn't an accident. He was pushed." Dany said
The song sung by Lady Lyanna is an excerpt from the song "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" from Andrew Llyod Webber's musical The Phantom Of Opera