A short time later the guard returned to them. It didn't seem like a short time to Lyanna. It felt like she had waited an eternity to see her son and now she would have to wait for Ned, explain what she had been doing the past six years, and convince him to let her see her son.

"Lord Stark will see you in his solar. I'll show you the way." The man said when he had returned to them.

Lyanna knew the way but she said nothing about that to the guard. It was still better to not reveal their identity to Ned's household at this point. Rumors could reach the remaining Targaryens if the wrong servant chose to tell someone. Lyanna dismounted her horse and Jaime managed to dismount his own horse while still hanging on to his sleeping daughter who had been riding with him. They followed the guard to Ned's solar.

Ned was alone in the solar pacing the room. He stopped when Lyanna entered it. His face was pale and he looked stricken at the sight of her. "Lyanna…" He choked out the words.

Lyanna didn't hesitate like Ned did. She went to her brother and hugged him. Jaime stood in the corner of the room, not speaking like she had asked of him, and still holding Johanna. There were tears in Ned's eyes when he pulled away from Lyanna.

"Where have you been?" Ned said but he didn't give her a chance to answer. "They said that you ran off the same night as Jaime Lannister escaped. I didn't want to believe it… but here you are still with him. Is the child you carry his?"

"We went to Braavos Ned. I married Jaime and yes the child is his." Lyanna told him.

"Why?" Ned breathed the question.

Lyanna looked down. She had been dreading this conversation. She knew there was no way she could make Ned understand and yet she needed to try. "Rhaegar never loved me….and you know what he wanted for Jon...I couldn't marry him."

"You couldn't marry him but you could give him your maidenhead?" Ned asked her.

Jaime almost said something then but Lyanna knew he would and she gave him a look reminding him not to.

"I didn't expect you would understand." Lyanna told her brother. "I didn't come here to try to justify my actions and I have no hope to regain the honor I have lost. I only came to see my son."

"And do what with him?" Ned asked warily.

"After he has gotten to know me I could bring him back to Essos with me." She suggested.

"Then we will have to tell him the truth of his parentage. Catlyn will be both angry and relieved to hear of it." Ned said.

"Can I see him tonight?" Lyanna asked, trying to keep the anxiety from her voice and failing.

"He is asleep." Ned started to protest.

"I'll not wake him, only look at him." Lyanna was nearly pleading.

Ned nodded. "Alright. I'll take you to him."

Both Jaime and Lyanna followed Ned to the part of the castle where Jon's room was.

"This is near the servants quarters." Lyanna said as they walked. "Why is he not with family rooms?"

The look Ned gave her was one of shame. "Cat would not have it...she would not have a bastard in the same rooms as her trueborn children."

Lyanna had known that Catlyn Tully would dislike Jon but she had not expected that he would be isolated from the family like this. They reached the room and Ned entered quietly and placed a candle on the bedside table.

"Go ahead, sit with him a while." Ned said. "I'll bring Jaime and your daughter to your old room. They will be there when you are ready."

Lyanna went to the bedside to get a look at her little boy. He had a head of dark curly hair. Even in sleep he had a look of sadness about him. She knelt down next to the bed and took his hand in one of hers. She brushed her fingers through his dark curls of hair with the other hand.

"I am so sorry…" She whispered. "I am so sorry...I will never leave you again…"

She stayed there at his bedside for a long while silently weeping.