Biggest chapter yet. This story has a will of it's own.

Chapter 11 – Plots, plans and revelations

Which story would you like to start with my lord?"

Ned's jaw was on his chest in shock. He couldn't believe what the Imp was telling him. It couldn't be true. It wasn't true. These were all lies, made up by liars, made up by the Imp. But, as he looked at Tyrion who was sitting there with a deadly serious expression on his face and not a hint of his previously jovial attitude, Ned began to wonder if he might just be telling the truth. After all, only a madman would tell Ned these things to his face and not expect to get killed for it.

"I'm sorry for speaking so bluntly Lord Stark but I feel it best that you know the whole unvarnished truth. I will only repeat the stories as I have been told them. I will answer any questions you may have with the complete and honest truth as I know it. All I ask in return is that you remember that I have been told these things directly or overheard them by those who claim to have either witnessed them or done them. These stories are not my creation." Tyrion swore to him. Tyrion would tell him the truth but it may not be all the truth as he had to be careful not to give away information on future events until he had spoken to Jon. As these stories had been in both timelines, Tyrion felt safe starting there.

Ned had a healthy gulp of wine and tried to gather his thoughts in some sort of order. It was odd but Ned believed him when he said that the stories weren't his and while Ned needed to know the details, he was sure he didn't want to hear them. 'Where to start' he thought. He cleared his throat.

"How long have these stories been around?" was the first question that came to his mind.

Tyrion sat back in thought and took a sip of his own wine. "When did it start or when did I first hear them?" He queried.

"Both"

"According to some of the old timers at court that survived Roberts Rebellion, it started not long after Petyr Baelish came to the capital. When did I hear about it? Shortly after I came to the capital about five years ago. I happened to be in the library in the Red Keep when I overheard Baelish bragging to some minor lord about how he had taken Catelyn Tully's maidenhead before she married you. He was quite….explicid….in his details shall we say." Tyrion said as tactfully as one could when speaking about that sort of thing to a man's wife.

Tyrion knew he was walking a fine line. While he didn't wish to be killed for telling the truth, Ned needed to know these things. He had to realise that just because he had honour, it didn't mean that all men did or that all men respected his. Tyrion just stayed silent for the time being, giving Ned time to digest what he just heard.

Ned's first impulse was to punch Tyrion for repeating such filthy lies about his beloved Cat but then realised that his anger was definitely misplaced. Ned knew for a definite proven fact that Cat had come to the marriage bed untouched and unspoiled. Ned took another healthy gulp of wine.

"And the rest?" He simply asked.

"How Lady Catelyn treats your son, which by the way is GREATLY exaggerated and the dishonour you bring upon your wife by sleeping with whores and fathering bastards comes from Lady Catelyn's sister, Lysa Arryn. The rest of them, Petyr Baelish is the source."

Tyrion felt sorry for Ned Stark. He was going to have a hard time of it in Kings Landing regardless of what Tyrion could do to help him. Tyrion was sure that Petyr had been playing his game ever since he came to the capital but not strictly for his Masters benefit. Petyr wanted to be King with either Catelyn Stark or Sansa Stark by his side. The only problem was, how could he rule over a dead kingdom when the dead already had a King?

"Are there many more stories?" Ned was fearful to ask given what he'd been told already.

"No. Well at least none as scandalous as those I've already mentioned. The rest are just the standard rumours that all high born have to endure from the smallfolk. These are more like how Petyr was close to both Tully girls. How he was Catelyn Tully's closest confident and friend, how when you came back from Dorne with Jon Snow….." Tyrion trailed off as his mind suddenly connected several pieces of information together and saw the whole picture.

"Son. Of. A. Bitch" Tyrion blurted out in shock. This would require some serious thinking and talking over with Jon first.

"What is it lord Tyrion?" Ned found he was actually scared to find out more. He'd had so many shocks and blows to his psyche that he wasn't sure how much more he could take.

"Hmm, what? Sorry, my mind was racing there for a moment. I just figured something out is all. I would be willing to bet all the gold in Casterly Rock that Petyr Baelish is the reason why your wife could never accept Jon. It never really made sense to me why a woman as dedicated to her children as Lady Catelyn is reported to be would fail to care about an innocent child who had no choice in what happened to him." It made sense to Tyrion and he was also willing to bet, it was also a way of trying to get Jon out of Winterfell on the orders of his Master, if he couldn't "persuade" her to "accidently" kill him.

Ned thought it over. He realised Tyrion might just be right about this. "You may be right. In the beginning, when I brought Jon home, Cat was furious naturally but it was aimed at me and not Jon. She took to Jon right away and it was only later on that I realised that her attitude towards him had changed to one of coldness and aloofness. The hatred didn't start until Jon started getting old enough to realize who and what he was and his station in life. For some strange reason she starting getting the idea into her head that Jon would challenge her children for their birthright. Especially Robb's which made no sense because as a bastard, Jon cannot inherit by law and she knows this."

Tyrion silently cursed after hearing this. Baelish and his Master had started their games a long time ago and they were coming into the game late.

"Why Lysa though? Why would she spread such lies about her sister?" Ned asked him.

Tyrion sighed and answered the question. "Rumour has it that she is in love with Baelish. Has been since they were children. Rumour also has it that he slept with both Tully sisters, but Lysa got pregnant and ended up married to Jon Arryn. What happened to the child, I know not, but Lysa hates her sister because she is the object of Baelish's affections where Lysa clearly wishes it to be her instead."

Again Tyrion knew this from the Time Before. Some of it he had figured out for himself, the rest of it came from Sansa when she spoke about her time in the Eyrie with Littlefinger.

He took pity on Ned. "My lord, we shall speak no more on this tonight for you are in need of sleep and time to think." and Tyrion needed time to make plans with Jon before taking this further. "So I shall bid you goodnight my Lord." He finished with a bow and left the solar, heading back to his room.

Poor Ned's mind was spinning like a child's top. He finished his wine in a single mouthful. "Sleep. I need sleep." He decided. Everything else could wait until morning as he left the solar and headed for his own chambers and bed.

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Jon was up with the dawn. Ever since he starting sleeping properly again, he'd taken to taken to waking up early so he could watch the northern dawn and know that he was still alive and the future can change. He'd also taken to shadow sparring in the Godswoods before the castle woke properly up so he could retrain his body to the fitness level it had been in the Time Before. It made wielding two blades easier.

"Today." He said out loud as he waked back to the castle. He and Tyrion would speak today and finally start planning how to stop the same fate as before from covering the world. It was almost time for breakfast and he was hoping to put himself in a position to "guide" Tyrion around Winterfell.

As he walked into the great hall, he could sense something was wrong. It was too early for Catelyn and the rest of his siblings to be there, but Ned was sitting at the head table with Tyrion next to him. They looked to be in a deep, serious discussion.

"Fuck it. I'm eating at the head table today" he muttered to himself and took a seat opposite Tyrion which caused the two men to stop their conversation and look at him. "Good morning Father, My Lord." He said with a polite smile and a nod at Tyrion,

"Ah Jon, good. Jon, I'd like you to meet Tyrion Lannister, Tyrion, my natural born son, Jon Snow." Ned introduced the two old friends. The two old friends were trying not to laugh at the absurdity of the situation. "Jon, Tyrion was expressing a desire to see the castle and grounds of Winterfell, will you be his guide today and show him whatever he wishes to see?"

Jon bowed his head. "It would be an honour to show you around my home Lord Tyrion." He replied trying to use just the right amount of reluctance and petulance that a teenage boy would show if asked to escort a guest all day. He managed to succeed better then he thought for Ned smirked at him.

"Aw, come now lad, it's only for the day. You know Winterfell better than anyone else except Arya and Lady Stark would not be pleased if I were to pull her from her daily lessons to show an older MALE guest around." He told Jon, smirk still in place.

Jon pretended to think about it. "Your right father, I shall be delighted to show Lord Tyrion around Winterfell this day." He looked at Tyrion, "I apologise for my manners my lord. Did you have anything particular in mind that you wanted to see first?" He asked, once again trying to hide his amusement at this mummer's farce they were to play this morning.

Tyrion was also highly amused at the act and decided to answer Jon's question as if it were a serious one. "Well" he started "I have heard great and fantastic things about Winterfell's library. It's the second biggest collection of knowledge in the world and it is widely known that Winterfell's library hold the title of the oldest library in Westeros. Eight thousand years of collected knowledge. The Citadel can't even begin to compete with that." Tyrion had shining eyes and passion in his voice that wasn't feigned in the slightest. He had nothing but reverent awe for Winterfell's library.

Jon smiled fondly at his little friend while Ned began to realise that despite his name and blood, Tyrion Lannister was nothing like the rest of his family. He wasn't a ruthless bastard like his father and while he was arrogant, it was nowhere near the level his brother and sister displayed to the world.

"Also, I would like to see the Great Godswoods of Winterfell. The Godswoods south of the Neck have either been cut down and destroyed or manicured within an inch of their lives in order to make them look "pretty" to southern sensibilities." He turned to Ned, "is it true, my Lord, that Winterfell's Godswoods are the same now as they were eight thousand years ago when your family built the first Keep of Winter here?" Tyrion asked Ned. Ned smiled.

"Oh aye, apart from some minor necessary maintenance, the Godswoods hasn't been altered since Bran the Builder settled here." He answered Tyrion with pride. "Perhaps you should make the Godswoods the first stop on your tour. After all, I've heard of the Little Lord Lannister's passion for books and knowledge and I fear should you visit our library first; we'd lose you among the books in there for all time." Ned laughed as he made the suggestion, Tyrion and Jon both joining in.

"You're right my lord. I have a passion for books that in unequalled in most anyone else I've ever met. I could quite happily change my family name to Stark just so I may spend the rest of my life in your library and please Lord Stark, call me Tyrion. You call me Lord Lannister and I automatically look over my shoulder to see if my father is there." He jested with Ned.

Ned smiled and nodded at Tyrion, amused by the small lord's jokes and felt a sense of pride that his home was such a subject of interest to Tyrion. His mind cast itself back to the argument that he's had with Cat in his solar the previous day. He was sincerely beginning to doubt that Tyrion's visit was a mission of any sort for his family and that Tyrion's visit to the North was really just to see the sights of the North. From a comment Tyrion had made while they ate, he still intended to go and see the Wall and Ned couldn't help but think that it would be too much of an elaborate cover story if he hadn't intended to go. After all, if Tywin Lannister wanted information about Winterfell and its defences, there were easier and more discreet ways to go about it.

Ned wondered if Tyrion would be willing to put off his trek to the Wall for a week or two. His trip was a perfect opportunity for Ned to send supplies and recruits to the Nights Watch and Ned wanted to send word to his banner men to send supplies, prisoners and willing volunteers to Winterfell for the Watch. Old Jeor Mormont's message worried Ned. He knew that the Nights Watch was in a precarious state due to the decline in numbers of men joining the Watch and if the wildlings should attack in strength, the Watch hadn't the numbers to hold them off. He would speak to Tyrion later about the possibility. His train of thought was interrupted by both Jon and Tyrion rising from the table.

"Well then Jon Snow, shall we start our tour? But first, I wish to speak to my men as I see they are all gathered here right now." Tyrion said. The room had gotten busier as the castle woke up and people came to break their fasts before they started their day. He wished to spend the day alone with Jon because it was imperative that no one knew what they were speaking off until they were ready.

Putting actions to words, he walked over to the table where his men were sitting and signalled them not to rise. He reached the top of the table and from a scribes bag he had hung over his shoulder, he starting taking out many small bags that clinked suspiciously like coins when they hit the table. Tyrion smiled at his men as they took the bags and looked inside.

"Well men, we have ridden hard and arrived in mostly one piece. I wish for you to have the day off from your duties. Go into Winter Town and have some fun. I hear the whorehouse here has some rather talented girls. Bronn, I also hear that a red head by the name of Roz will suit you very well." Tyrion said to his men while remembering the fun times he'd had with Roz with fondness.

Tyrion's men grinned and laughed and thanked their lord. One of the reasons they liked working for Tyrion so much was the half man made sure his men were taken care off. Bronn looked pleased but cocked his head in Tyrion in question.

"And just where will you be while I'm fucking the red headed Roz hmm? I've never seen you pass up an opportunity for a good fuck yet." He stated in bold curiosity. Tyrion gave him a sly look.

"Library" was all he said and his men burst out laughing as did Bronn.

"I should of expected that." was all Bronn said.

Tyrion laughed and wished his men a good day. "Shall we Snow?" he asked with a smile as they made their way out of the great hall and into the Godswoods

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Jon and Tyrion walked side by side down the peaceful and twisting paths of the godswood towards the very centre. Neither of them spoke as they thought about everything that had happened in the last two weeks and how they were going to convince Lord Stark that they weren't crazy nor were they plotting against him or his family.

When they reached the heart tree, Jon knelt down to say a brief prayer to the Old Gods while Tyrion stood back in respectful silence. While he now believed that the Gods were real, he was not a hypocrite and didn't see the point of praying to the gods he hadn't believed in for so long. He figured the gods would forgive his lack of faith.

Jon stood and turned to face Tyrion. The moment he had been waiting for two weeks had arrived and he had no idea on what to say. Tyrion sensing Jon's problem gently asked him,

"How are you doing? I've been worried about you. R'hllor came visit me too that first night. He told me about the scars." Of all the things that had happened to Jon, Tyrion thought that the munity was the worst thing that could ever happen to him and then to carry the physical reminders into his new/old life was really fucking shitty.

Jon sighed. "That first week was not a good one" he confessed with a grimace.

He told Tyrion all that had happened that first week after waking up in his childhood bed and about Death's visit and the results of his help. He then went on to tell Tyrion how Ned had noticed and cornered him in this very spot to talk about it and how he had taken advantage of the situation to start preparing Ned for the truth about everything. Tyrion was amazed and impressed. He quickly praised Jon for his quick thinking and agreed that the prep work he had already done would help. Tyrion then informed Jon of all that he had done in the last two weeks and also about what had happened after dinner in Ned's solar. Jon was shocked.

"You never said anything before. Why didn't you tell me?" He asked

"Honestly I didn't see the point. By the time we were in a position to tell such stories, Lord and Lady Stark were long dead and I saw no point in dishonouring their memories with lies." Tyrion replied. Jon conceded he had a point. There really was no point to such slander after the person it was directed at was already dead. Then Jon frowned as he considered something else Tyrion had said.

"I wish we could just kill Baelish now. I know that I myself pointed out that we need to keep him around but if not for him, I would have grown up with a loving stepmother instead of the cold Tully fish I had." Jon growled in hatred and anger. "I'm just grateful that she couldn't find it in herself to kill me accidentally or not." Jon finished, his hands clenched into fists so tight his knuckles were white.

Tyrion had to agree. Baelish was on his list and when they no longer needed him around, his demise would be both painful and legendary. 'This is getting us nowhere though. We need to plan' he thought.

"Ok," Said Tyrion said getting Jon's attention. "We need to figure out a basic workable plan to bring to your uncle. We already know what must happen, who must live and who must die but I think we need to figure out what we do about everyone else." He stated getting his brain into gear. Gods he loved plotting and planning especially when it means making the world a better place...and sticking it to his enemies.

"Well first of all, I don't want Bran to have to suffer the loss of his legs again. I'd be thrilled if he could be whole and walk without assistance but if he must go through some sort of trial or make some sort of sacrifice to activate his abilities, I'd be prepared to settle for a lesser degree of injury. You said it yourself once, if Bran had only fallen and not been pushed by your brother, he would of at most been lame in one leg." Jon started relating some of the ideas he had. "Rickon, well at this point in time he's completely safe but if he must escape Winterfell again, we should make sure he goes to the She bears of Bear Island. They were loyal to House Stark the whole time."

Tyrion nodded in agreement. They were excellent points and Tyrion had laughed his ass off when he heard of the answer the young Lady Lyanna Mormont had given Stannis Baratheon when he had demanded her loyalty and how she's shamed the Lords of the North and some of them were old enough to be her great grandfather, into choosing Jon as the King in the North, The White Wolf. She was a spunky young lady who wasn't afraid of anyone. Tyrion liked her a lot and would love to see her face off against his father in a battle of words.

"Do you think any of this would have happened if King Robert had lived?" Jon asked him.

"Unfortunately Jon, I don't think we can save him. Even if we stopped my sister from carrying out her plan to murder him, he would have died very soon anyway." Tyrion replied then continued,

"I spoke to the Maester who examined the Kings body after death to officially determine the cause. It is standard practice for an autopsy, which is the official name for an examination of a dead body, to be carried out on all Kings and Queens who have died. The Maester in question, Maester Cole, is a friend of mine and we had a discussion about King Roberts's death after I got back to Kings Landing. He told me that while yes the wild boar did do serious harm to the king's body, it was ultimately survivable. What killed him was the heart attack he had when the boar charged. After that happened, his body just didn't have the strength to survive for very long in conjunction with the wound inflicted by the boar. In the end, it was his own appetites that killed him." He explained in a sad tone. Robert had been great once but he couldn't let go of a dead woman and it killed him.

"I think we should let that scenario play out and not interfere. Robert will die regardless and the best we can do is keep an eye on Cersei after he's dead. With Joffrey on the throne…Oh shit. Joffrey. My beloved nephew who is about as cruel, if not as mad, as Aerys Targaryen. Oh joy." Tyrion shook his head in disgust. He really didn't want Joffrey around as he knew that with him on the throne, things would definitely get worse.

Jon sat down on the ground in front of Tyrion. "Maybe we can do this instead…."

They spend most of the morning and afternoon talking and planning. By the time evening was upon them, they had a workable plan and a way to bring Ned into the fold.

Next chapter, we go see what R'hllor's been up and Tyrion and Jon reveal the truth to Ned.