Chapter 97

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By the time we reached Lady Lyanna in the Tower of Joy…it was too late. There was blood everywhere and a newborn babe on her chest. Lord Eddard…he held his sister's hand as she died, begging him to take the babe and raise it as his own. To protect him from anyone who would wish to harm the son of Rhaeger Targaryen.

Howland Reed's words echoed in her mind as Catelyn Stark walked briskly through the Godswood. She did not stop until she reached the heart tree. It was the place she had always felt the most like an outsider. But at the same time, since reclaiming Winterfell from the Boltons, she went there often. It was the place where she felt closest to Ned. This was where he always went to find peace. Where he went whenever something was troubling him. During their marriage, she had always been able to find him there after a quarrel. Now, it was where she went when it all got to be too much.

After listening to Howland Reed's words…she had all but run to the godswood, though she could not seem to escape Lord Reed's words.

After Lady Lyanna died…Ned and I sent for the silent sisters and discussed what to do with the babe. I offered to take him to claim him as mine. I was still a young man, unmarried. It would have been far less trouble for me to return from the war with a bastard son but… Lord Stark insisted that it was his duty to raise his sister's son. That he had promised her on her deathbed. He insisted on claiming the boy as his own and swore me to secrecy.

Catelyn had abruptly risen from the table, Arya calling after her as she strode from the Great Hall. She knew that she should stay with her daughter. Despite her best efforts, she had always known that Arya and Jon had developed a close relationship. It must hurt her to know he is not her brother.

But in that moment, all Catelyn could think about was the lie her husband told her. That one lie – claiming Jon as his own – had affected every moment of their marriage. It had cast a shadow over every moment of happiness they had. It had made her hate him in the early days of their marriage, when he returned with the boy and insisted that he would be raised alongside Robb. It had made everything so much more difficult than it had to be. Our marriage would have been so much easier, if he had only told me the truth. I would have been able to love Jon, and treat him as one of our children, if he had told me the truth.

Catelyn fell to her knees beside the heart tree and gazed up at the sap running down the tree, giving the appearance of a face. "Why didn't you tell me the truth, Ned?" she whispered, resting her hand on the white bark. "Why didn't you trust me enough to tell me?" As much as she felt hurt, she also felt anger. Anger at Ned and his blind adherence to his own concept of honor. She knew that was why he had kept the truth hidden. Because he had promised Lyanna. Was it honorable to lie to your wife and children for so many years?

She also felt anger at Lyanna – for being so reckless and selfish. She had caused the deaths of so many. How could she then exact such a promise from her brother? How could she make her transgression his to bear?

"You and your honor…it's caused far more pain that it has spared. Perhaps Jaime Lannister was right after all. You always despised him for breaking a vow – a promise – but…some vows cost far too much to be kept."

Ned's lie had hurt her – making her believe that he had strayed. And he knew it. He knew that it hurt her each and every day. He knew that the pain was there each and every time she looked at Jon and was reminded of her husband's betrayal. I asked him. I asked him who Jon's mother was and he only lashed out at me that it was none of my business. That was his chance to tell me the truth.

Ned was her husband. She couldn't take her anger out on him. So she took it out on the child he had brought into their house. When he was little he sought her affection, only to be rebuffed. Eventually, Jon had stopped seeking her out. Ned knew that, too. He knew that I hated that child because of what he represented. And still he lied.

"How could you do that to him? How could you make him an outsider? Not just in the world, but in our family? You didn't even try to stop him when he wanted to take the black. You wouldn't tell me who his mother was and I know you never told him either. He must have asked. Oh, Ned. I know you believed that you were doing what was right…what was honorable – but you were wrong."

Catelyn wiped the tears from her eyes and rose to her feet. "Now Jon is going to hear from someone else – not from you – that he's not your son. That our children were never his brothers and sisters. Now he's going to hear that the man he looked up to – the man he thought so honorable – lied to him for his whole life."

…

"Decided to come back, did you? I thought for certain you had high-tailed it halfway to Westeros by now."

Sansa scowled at Jaime as she closed the door to their bedchamber behind her. "You're not half as funny as you think you are, Jaime. I just thought…Tommen would be more comfortable speaking to you alone."

She bristled as Jaime began laughing in earnest. She shook her head in annoyance and walked over to her dressing table, taking off her jewelry. "I think you were the uncomfortable one," Jaime said softly from his reclining position on their bed, a smile still playing at his lips. "You've been a married woman for more than two years, Sansa and are carrying your second child. I wouldn't expect you to blush like a maiden at the first talk of…the marriage bed."

Sansa ignored him, washing her face and brushing out her hair. She knew that Jaime was right. She was a woman grown. A mother. But Tommen was just a little boy. A little boy that she took care of and she knew that she would not be able to face him after telling him how a woman came to be with child. Even now, having an idea what Jaime might have told him, Sansa dreaded having to face Tommen. She remembered when she had asked her mother where Arya came from. Her mother had given her a rather vague answer, now that Sansa thought about it. She only truly understood what happened between a lady and her lord husband after she married Jaime.

"Jaime? What…what did you tell him?" she asked tentatively. Sansa regretted the question as soon as she asked it when he grinned at her. He's going to tease me mercilessly. "Nevermind," she said quickly, hurrying into the bathing room to finish getting ready for bed. She deliberately dawdled, hoping that Jaime would be asleep by the time she joined him in bed. She sighed, finding him sitting up and wide awake, by the time she was ready for bed.

She got into bed and leaned over to kiss him. "Good night," she said quickly, turning to lie down, but Jaime held her fast, one arm wrapped around her waist.

"Where are you off to so quickly?" he whispered.

"I was just going to sleep. It's been a long day." She hoped that a night's sleep would put this entire day behind them.

Jamie chuckled softly and eased her back onto the bed and caging the upper half of her body beneath his. "You can't fool me. You're hoping I'll forget this conversation by morning." Sansa wondered if she was that transparent, or if Jaime simply knew her far too well.

He leaned over and kissed her. "I don't know how you've managed to stay who you are…after all you've been through. I may tease you for your…delicate sensibilities but…I wouldn't change you for anything." Sansa felt her annoyance at Jaime's teasing fade away at his sweet words.

She gently rested her hand on his cheek and smiled. "It's because of you, Jaime. You and Julianna. And Tommen. I always took family for granted but…building this family with you…this is what will make all of us strong and protect us from those who wish to hurt us." Jaime nodded and kissed her again. "I'm sorry I didn't stay when you spoke to Tommen. I just-"

He smiled and kissed her nose. "It's all right. I suppose I'm better suited for that task than you."

Sansa nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly. "What did you tell him?" she whispered hesitantly, not entirely certain she wished to know.

Jaime rested over her, putting his weight on his forearms. "You recall he has walked in on us before? It was not so wholly foreign a concept." Her face heated at the thought. "I told him that every man lies with his wife and while it is private and not something he should discuss in mixed company, it's nothing to be ashamed of…so you needn't act embarrassed around him."

"You're a good father to him, Jaime."

"He asked if he would be able to play with the new baby, the way he plays with Julianna…and he's hoping it's a boy."

Sansa smiled. Tommen was such a good brother to Julianna and she knew he would be the same with their new baby. Sansa had played with Julianna in her room, and she had said "baby" and "brudder" and "siser" over and over while touching Sansa's belly – so Sansa could tell that she had understood something of what they had told her - but she wasn't certain her daughter truly understood how their family was about to change.

"Are you also hoping for a boy, Jaime?" She would never question how much Jaime loved their daughter. She'd never known a man who loved his daughter more, but she suspected there was a part of him that wanted a son. And an heir. Though, he does have Tommen, even if he does not claim him as his son.

"All I wish for is another healthy perfect babe in the arms of my perfect lady wife. Now…perhaps you should help me, to make certain I explained everything correctly to Tommen."

Sansa didn't understand at first, then she realized and hit his shoulder as he buried his face in the crook of her shoulder and began kissing her neck. "We'll be outnumbered soon," he murmured, continuing to kiss her, "And time alone will be more difficult to come by." She laughed as Jaime began peeling away her clothes. "I believe the first step is to get you out of these clothes."

…

Jon sat beside Bran and Rickon at one of the large tables in the massive dining hall at Castle Black. He could scarce believe that his brothers were alive – and that they were there with him. When he first saw them, Jon had been frozen to the spot thinking that he must be hallucinating. He was only convinced that his little brothers were truly there with him when Rickon ran toward him, wrapping his arms around his waist and squeezing him tightly.

Jon had knelt down and tightly held the boy who was crying in relief. They had been wandering North for years. He didn't want to think about what his brothers had been through. As he held Rickon, Jon had looked over at Bran, who was sitting in some sort of wagon that Hodor was pushing. It was only then that he took notice of the others traveling with his brothers – a wildling woman and two other children – none of whom he recognized.

Jon had wiped Rickon's eyes and held his hand as they both walked over to Bran and he had hugged him as well before meeting his companions. He and Sam had led his brothers, Hodor, the Reed children and the wildling woman back to Castle Black, the three direwolves racing ahead of them. His men were wary of having even more direwolves inside Castle Black, but once Jon pointed out that the wolves would alert them to anyone and anything outside the castle, they had quieted down.

Jon had sent a raven to Winterfell that very night, telling Arya and Lady Stark that he would personally escort the boys back to Winterfell in a few days, after they had rested from their journey. They had been traveling for more than two years – much of it in the Winter – and their exhaustion was apparent. Rickon had fallen asleep in Jon's bed almost immediately after dinner that first night.

What was strange was the response he received from Winterfell. Neither Lady Stark nor Arya responded to his letter. Instead, Ser Brynden Tully had written a brief message, saying only that Lady Stark, Howland Reed – the father of the children traveling with Bran and Rickon – and Queen Daenerys were traveling to the Wall and would collect the children themselves. Why would they come all this way when I can bring them South just as easily? And why would the Queen care about such a thing? Why would she even be as far North as Winterfell?

It had now been nearly two weeks, and Lady Stark and the royal party had finally been spotted on the horizon. Jon looked towards the end of the table where Sam was chattering about something to Hodor. Sam still did not seem to believe that the only response he would get was "Hodor," no matter what he said and stubbornly spoke to the gentle man who had cared for Bran. Rickon was visibly happy to be going home. He was especially joyous when Jon told him that Arya and his mother had returned to Winterfell and would live there with him.

But Bran…Jon was concerned about him. He had said some strange things about three-eyed ravens from his dreams and Bran was beginning to speak of staying with Jon at the Wall. He had tried speaking of Winterfell and how much Arya and his mother had missed him, but Bran continued to insist that he needed to be at the Wall with Jon. He had not pressed the matter too hard, but he could see that the Reed children had influenced him in some manner. His brother would look to them for guidance whenever the subject of Winterfell came up. Jon saw that Bran had come to believe that he belonged at the Wall. He just didn't know why. Bran won't argue with his mother. Lady Stark will convince him to return home and take his place as Lord of Winterfell.

Jon heard the sounds of the Queen and Lady Stark and the rest of their party being escorted into the dining hall. Normally, he would have assembled all of his men outside to greet the royal party, but it was not easy for Bran to leave Castle Black, so Jon had elected to have his men line up to meet the Queen inside. He had told her about Bran's injury before, when they were traveling South, and knew that she would understand.

The Unsullied entered first, securing the room for their Queen, and nodding at Jon in recognition. He knew the moment Lady Stark entered the dining hall. "Mother!" Rickon dropped Jon's hand and ran into her awaiting arms, as she began to sob.

Lady Stark lifted him into her arms and carried him over Bran and hugged him as well. "My boys…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry I left you."

"We missed you so much, Mother," Bran said. "I didn't think we would see you again." For all his words of belonging at the Wall, Jon saw the tears in Bran's eyes and knew how happy he was to be with his mother again. As much as he had grown up, he was still a little boy who loved his mother. Jon hoped all of Bran's talk of staying at the Wall would now stop and he would return to Winterfell.

"Hodor. Hodor." Jon smiled, seeing that Bran's ever-present companion was happy to see Lady Stark as well. He must know that they will be returning home soon. Lady Stark smiled and patted Hodor's arm in greeting.

"Thank you for finding them," Lady Stark said, wiping her tears as she looked up at Jon. "I…I had hoped we would find them but I wasn't at all certain we would." Truthfully, Jon had doubted it as well, when Arya wrote to tell him Theon's claim that their brothers lived.

Jon nodded. "They found me. Maester Luwin sent them here before…he died." He felt eyes on him and turned to see the Queen standing in the hall watching him carefully. "Your Grace," he said, bowing down before her. "Forgive me, I did not see that you had entered."

She shook her head, her eyes only leaving him to watch Lady Stark embracing her children. Jon wondered if she was thinking about the son she would never be reunited with – the babe she never got to know. He knew how it had wounded her to lose her babe. And he knew it was why she had spared Shireen Baratheon.

"There's nothing to forgive, Jo – Lord Commander Snow," she corrected quickly. "This…it is more important that Lady Stark has her sons back."

Jon saw that the strange children that had been traveling with his brothers had reunited with their father as well. What Jon couldn't figure out was why they had all traveled so far. Even Tyrion Lannister was there, in the company of the Queen. "It was not necessary for you to make this journey to the Wall. I would have brought Bran and Rickon – all of them – I would have brought them South."

Lady Stark rose to her feet then, and wiped her eyes. "The Queen was already planning on traveling to the Wall. When we received your letter I decided to accompany her."

"Is Arya here?" Rickon asked hopefully.

His mother smiled, brushing back his hair. "No, sweetling, she's at Winterfell with my Uncle Brynden. She wanted to come but someone had to remain." There must always be a Stark in Winterfell. "You'll see her soon, when we return home."

Jon looked at the Queen in confusion. "Why were you coming to the Wall, your grace?"

She looked uncertainly at Tyrion and the Reed children's father. "Jon," Lady Stark began, "Perhaps we should all sit down. There is…something important you should hear."

…

Next Chapter: Jon's reaction

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