Ned POV

He couldn't help but sigh as the frustration slowly built up to a fever pitch. It had been just over a moon since Jon had disappeared on that fateful day and he was wracked with guilt knowing it was his fault. If only he had come clean to his nephew with the truth, mayhaps he would not have run away, mayhaps if he had not stolen Jon from that accursed tower all those years ago his nephew would have been given the life that was his birth right as a Targaryen prince. Ned took a large swig of the cool ale on his desk as he stared at the missive sent by Howland Reed, the only man to know the truth of the treason he committed.

Howland was furious at him for the duplicity of his actions and the trail of many broken promises, but the worst thing was he could feel the spectre of Lyanna's ghost hanging over him at what he had done. Jon was right for he truly was a man without honour and he could no longer pay his respects in the crypts without feeling the anger that seemed to radiate of the statue of his father, brother and many Starks of old. The truth was he had not been able to face his father and brothers statue ever since he had returned to Winterfell since the war.

Ned could not help but think that if he had been more stern with his wife and household then Jon would not have run away, mayhaps if he had given the boy the Stark name then he would have felt at home and not like an outsider. Mayhaps if he had told him the truth that which he was owed, his nephew would have remained safe, but would you have remained safe?

Ned had to shake his head at his selfish thoughts as he had no one to blame for the predicament he was in but himself. He was the one who decided to steal off with his sisters child, the son of the King. His life was forfeit the moment he had left with Jon from that tower in a fit of anger as his sister confessed the truth of her actions.

Ned could no longer face his children either as a sense of gloom encased Winterfell's halls, Jon seemingly having taken whatever joy existed in the Norths capital with him wherever he was. He had not seen his children smile once since Jon had run off and felt even more guilty for being the cause of their unhappiness and the reason their brother had run away. The only people that had the audacity to smile at his departure were Catelyn, Septa Mordane and Theon. Robb had headbutted Theon when he had commented that "the bastard deserves to rot in the wild" and had refused his company ever since. The most concerning thing that occurred was when Arya had pushed Mordane to the ground and attacked her with savagery of wild animal after she claimed that with their bastard sibling gone, no longer would they be corrupted by his sinful presence.

Catelyn had been furious with both Robb and Arya for acting in such a way and had the audacity to claim that Jon had spent too long already in Winterfell and that his filthy bastard blood had already started the corruption of their pure children. Ned had to fight the urge to not attack his own wife for her disgusting words knowing that if she knew the truth, it would not be Jon she hated but rather Ned. He made it clear that should anyone insult Jon henceforth, they would be thrown out of Winterfell regardless of who they were or the rank they held. Catelyn had been stumped by what he had announced and noticing the rage simmering in his eyes accepted his words. She had wanted Arya punished but he had waved off any punishment because the fierce love she held for Jon reminded him of his sister.

Whenever he thought of Lyanna he could smell the tinge of blood that clung to the walls of the tower, how he struggled to inhale gasps of air as his little sister told him everything and how it aligned with what Rhaegar had told everyone. After the battle of the trident was done ending the rebellion and the truth had been revealed he refused to believe the truth of Rhaegar's words and was adamant the man had stolen away with his sister leading to the murder of his father and brother. As much as he wanted to continue the war, the rebels had no choice but to surrender after Rhaegar had defeated Robert in single combat in the shallow waters of the trident. To this day, ten and four years later he could still remember the moment when all hope of victory was crushed out of the rebel faction when it seemed like they were on the verge of victory as Robert lived up to the moniker the men had dubbed him.

Flashback

The demon of the trident was the man he considered his brother by choice and was the reason he had believed that despite their inferior numbers, they could topple over the dynasty of the dragon once and for all. They would avenge his murdered kin and Lyanna would be returned safely to marry Robert and become his queen and begin a prosperous era, where the ruling voice atop the iron throne was House Baratheon. He truly lived up to the words "Ours is the fury" as he ploughed through the battlefield with ease, his terror-inducing Warhammer in hand as he caved in the chest of any who dared to cross his path. However, not even a furious stag was able to defy the will of a dragon as Rhaegar had cut out Roberts throat on that fateful day forcing them to surrender after all morale was taken out from beneath them.

It would be many hours of confinement until they were finally granted an audience as Rhaegar explained how never kidnapped Lyanna as the rumours claimed but rather had taken her as his second wife with Elias permission given that it was a marriage in the fashion of Old Valyria where Rhaegar was not only married to the both of them, but both Elia and Lyanna were married to each other aswell.. Ned could still remember the icy fury that flowed through his veins as he branded Rhaegar a liar and was almost cut down by Ser Barristan Selmy for doing so if it was not for the prince telling him to stand down. Many of the Lords were in disbelief just like himself, but when Rhaegar produced the marriage certificate signed by the high septon himself to verify that they had wedded in the custom of the faith to legalise the marriage many were outraged at the fact they had done so and kept it a secret leading to so much death.

"I swear my lords, both Lyanna and I sent out ravens to Winterfell informing Lord Rickard of the marriage and Lyanna also left a message for Lord Brandon at Riverrun when I came for her."

"Then why did Brandon run of like a madman to the capital Your Grace?" boomed Lord Umber.

"I have no idea, Lyanna swore to me that she had left a note for him before we fled, she said that she gave it to one of the guardsmen of Riverrun to pass along."

Many of the Lords looked towards Lord Tully as he began to sputter and swear he had no idea about any note from Lyanna and would turn the accused guard over to the Crown for questioning about the note and potentially concealing it for whatever reason. Ned could not help but notice Rhaegar's indigo eyes sharply darken at Lord Tully's denial, but the silver haired prince swiftly moved on and asked for their oaths of fealty and to join him as he marches to Kings Landing to remove his father from the throne so he can be put to trial for his crimes and brought to justice. He could not believe what he was hearing, the man was not only a rapist but also a usurper as he let them know about the true purpose of the tourney at Harrenhal of he wished to gather the Lords of the realm to form a great council and expose the madness of his father.

He detailed every moment of the tourney from his scuppered plans due to the unexpected arrival of his father to the first meeting between Elia and Lyanna and then how he had come upon her on her arrival after she had defended the honour of Lord Reed when he was attacked by some of the young squires who were in attendance. How Lyanna had turned out to be the mystery knight known as the knight of the laughing tree and she confessed to Rhaegar when he had found her in the forest ditching the evidence that she had donned the mismatched armour to avenge Lord Reed and to teach them humility. Many of the Lords were in shock at the identity reveal of the most infamous knight in the realm and Ned saw the reverential looks present in the eye of many of the Northern Lords at her actions.

Rhaegar continued to finish his tale at how Aerys had wanted the knight punished for treason as he saw her shield and need for secrecy as an insult towards him due to his warped sense of reality. He confessed how her fierce nature and innate need to defend the innocent is what led to him and Elia falling in love with her and thus their marriage since Lyanna had no desire to wed Robert because he would not remain loyal to their marriage vows and would shame her by continuing to whore around.

Ned bristled at the insult paid to his best friend and wished to deny the man his fealty and desired to kill him as much as Aerys for daring to take what was not his to have leading to the death of father, Brandon and now Robert, who would not be remembered as a hero who went to war for the woman he loved and to enact justice for the dead Starks, but a usurper who was foolish enough to believe he was equal to a dragon. This is a lie, Lyanna would never run off so foolishly, she loved Robert. He thinks because he is a Targaryen he can do as wishes with impunity and lie before the realm. Do these inbred Valyrians truly believe they are Gods like they claim. How dare he insult Robert after murdering him.

"Lord Stark, I can see that you do not believe the truth of my words but I swear by the Old Gods and the seven who are one that I would never harm your sister and that everything I have said is the truth."

Ned looked around as Jon Arryn, his foster father was ready to swear fealty and so were many of the other rebel Lords after they were promised full pardons and that Aerys was to be put to trial. Ned felt the sting of betrayal as the Northmen were ready to kneel to the dragons once more in spite of everything that had been taken from him. Their liege lord and his heir murdered, the only daughter of House Stark kidnapped and raped and they believe his lies. However, Ned knew if he wished to keep his head he must play along and feign his loyalty to Rhaegar at the very least until he could see Lyanna once more and return home with her beyond The Neck, if she even lived that is.

Present time

There was a knock at the door bringing him out of his thoughts as Jory Cassel asked for permission to enter. He wished to decline the captain of the guards so he would not see the mess his liege had become but he was devoted to his duty. Taking a moment to place Howland's letter in the top drawer where a secret compartment was hidden and tidy up his desk. Once he was done, he took a deep breath to compose himself and gave his permission for Jory to enter.

"Lord Stark, they have caught a deserter from the watch in Winter town" he spoke after giving the customary respectful bow.

"Gather the men and prepare the horses."

"Aye My Lord."

Ned stood from his seat and made a solemn vow to the Gods that should they bring Jon back home safely, he would confess everything regardless of the consequences he would suffer. His selfishness and desire for revenge had already ruined his nephews life and was beginning to destroy his children's. But if you confess it will make the lives of your children worse, they would have to suffer the loss of their father and suffer the scorn that comes with being born of a traitors seed. NO. My children will not suffer as I have at the hands of the Targaryens, should Jon come home I will give him the Stark name and he will remain away from the vile dragons and their corrupting ways.

The Warden of the North exited his solar with Ice in hand, the ancestral valyrian steel blade of House Stark. However, the moment he had stepped foot outside his solar, he was accosted by his wife with a look of worry on her face. He wondered why she was worried when it was to be a routine execution.

"My love, I assume Jory has informed you about the deserter."

"Aye, I will be riding out with the men to deliver justice."

"Must you go and do the deed yourself, you need not carry out all executions with your own hand. It is barbaric."

"To you and your southern kind it may be barbaric my lady, but this is the North where the old ways still hold the utmost importance and since I will be passing judgement it is my duty to carry out the sentence."

"You have many men at arms, why don't one of them do so, they have trained to swing their sword, let them do the deed."

"Even after all these years in the North Catelyn, you still have not adapted to our ways. He who passes the sentence must swing the sword. Since you are here, I want you to inform Bran to also prepare to ride with us."

"Bran? But he is still a child, surely not?"

"Aye a child he may be, but he will have to grow up soon and winter is coming."

"Ned.."

"I have spoken Catelyn and my mind will not change nor will my decision budge, Bran is a son of House Stark and thus it is expected of him."

Catelyn let her usual visage of the perfect southern lady drop for just a split second as a snarl threatened to overcome her features, but remembered her teachings and returned to the poise lady she projected in public. She did not respond to his command with words but rather she graced him with a stiff nod and swiftly walked away as quick as southern proprietary would deem acceptable for a noble lady.

Ned loved his wife and would admit it freely that it was not instant love but had taken years to cultivate from getting to know one another after being married as strangers. She was supposed to marry his older brother after having been betrothed by their respective fathers and he knew that she mayhaps still loved Brandon in a way she would never love him. He would not begrudge her feeling in such a way for in moments like this where he is reminded that even after being married for nearly a decade and a half, she had not bothered to learn the Northern ways and could not help but compare his life to one he could have had with his beloved Ashara. If only Rhaegar and Lyanna had abided by their duty, if Brandon was not so foolishly hot-headed, if the damn mad king was not so mad. Then mayhaps he and Ashara could have wedded just as he had promised her all those years ago at Harrenhal.

Another broken promise on his conscience and to the woman he truly loved, the woman he would give anything just to see once more. He did not even have the courage to send a letter to her let alone even facing her after his marriage to Catelyn and explain how it was the only way to garner support to claim justice. What made it all the worse was the fact he had bedded her too, dishonouring her in more ways than just one and showing him to be just like any other man when he swore to her he would never take advantage of her love.

Ned shook those thoughts away for it would not do well to dwell on more of his past mistakes when he must steel his nerves and carry out his duty. He made his way through the keep towards the courtyard as servants bustled about completing their various tasks. The crisp northern wind hit him and he took in a huge gulp of air as many of the men were readying their horses with haste. There was a bitter taste in his mouth knowing soon enough he will have to kill a man in Rhaegar's name and once again openly affirm that he was king. If only Robert were still alive…

Kings landing- Aegon's POV

It had been a few hours since his father had started the small council meeting and honestly he did not think there was anything more dull in the world than sitting around a table conversing on matters of the realm with people he wanted to stab. The temptation of closing his eyes and drifting off to sleep was getting stronger by the second and he would have if not for remembering the look of disappointment on his father's face the last time he spaced out and that was only for a moment. Sometimes he hated being the Crown Prince of Westeros, always having to be perfect and having to watch every word you say, but the worst thing about being the heir to the throne was knowing no matter what he did or how hard he tried he would never be a worthy successor to his father.

King Rhaegar the redeemer was how he was styled by the Lords and smallfolk alike for the way he had stabilised the realm after the rebellion and the rule of the mad king. They say his father had saved the reputation of House Targaryen after his grandfather's rule and presented the ruling house in a favourable light comparable to that of the perception garnered by the conciliator himself. For near five and ten years his father had ruled showing no signs of regression or age as he did not look a day past thirty years of age.

The truth was Aegon dreaded sitting the thrones at times for the iron throne to put into simple terms was a monstrosity and a hideous one at that. Many times he would wonder how his father could sit on that damn thing for hours on end holding court without any discomfort or being cut by the sharp, protruding blades the throne was forged by like many of the past Targaryen monarchs signifying their unworthiness if the tales were to be believed. He remembered the first and only time he sat on the throne when he was only eight name days old and had gathered up the courage to clamber up the daunting steps that led to the ruling seat of the greatest dynasty since Old Valyria.

Uncle Lewyn had been his guard for that day and he had managed to give him the slip knowing his usually easy going uncle would adamantly deny him from attempting to sit the throne due to the danger it could pose to a child. The moment dawn had just broke he made his way to the throne room from his personal chambers via the secret passageway knowing that only a few servants would be awake at the hour and none would be in the throne room. Every voice in his head was screaming at him to go back to bed and pretend nothing happened, but he needed to know if he was worthy or not.

Taking a deep breath to calm his breathing he slowly began the arduous climb up to the top, careful not to trip to an unfortunate death. When he had finally made it he stared at the twisted scraps of metal moulded by Balerion's flames and sat on the throne. At first nothing happened as he was too frightened to even move an inch, but then he made a horrible mistake as he allowed himself to get comfortable and when he gripped the armrest in a relaxed manner he felt a sharp sting emanate from his hand. Instinctively he pulled hands away and noticed the deep cut and then came the ensuing sting of pain. He fought hard to keep the tears at bay, but could not stop them from falling for the throne had deemed him unworthy causing him to flee back to his chambers in utter shame and to this day not a single person had ever known about the incident.

"..and with that concluded I believe that brings us to the final agenda of this small council meeting Your Grace" droned on Jon Connington, the Hand of the King.

"Thank you Jon, I believe that it does" said his father forcing him to snap back to attention.

"As you all know my son is five and ten name days old and as my heir he has a duty to marry and have heirs of his own to continue the Targaryen line. To that end, I am happy to inform the council that my son, the Crown Prince Aegon will marry the Lady Margaery Tyrell once he is eight and ten."

He looked around to see the reactions of the various council members to the news his father had delivered. Lord Varys had a small smile on his face, but did not know whether it was genuine or another mummers farce for the master of whispers was an enigma to all even after having served on the council since the days of mad Aerys. Lord Stannis as usual had his face set in stone, but there was a small flicker of approval in his eyes despite the bad blood that existed between himself and the reach, specifically House Tyrell following the siege of Storms End conducted by his future bride's father during the rebellion. Stannis Baratheon had every right to hate the Warden of the south in his own humble opinion given that there was no need for such a brutal siege on Storms End as there was only a small garrison left behind, yet Mace Tyrell in his infinite wisdom had seen it fit to starve them out whilst he himself threw lavish feast after feast outside the castle walls to taunt them. Many could say whatever they wished about the overly serious Stag Lord, but he always put duty and the stability of the realm before his own pride.

On the other hand, his uncle Oberyn did not look entirely pleased yet had managed to cover it up with one of his signature grins, yet the joy did not reach his eyes. His Dornish uncle hated the Reacher Lords with a passion and it was not just down to their millennia old rivalry spanning back to the first Gardener kings. During the rebellion, his uncle was in control of the Dornish forces and had to watch as the rebels destroyed their flank due to the lack of protection which should have been provided by the forces of the Reach. Their spears had been overwhelmed by the combined forces of the knights of the vale and the Northmen meaning more Dornish men had lost their lives in the rebellion than any other kingdom and if it was not for his father's message reaching Lord Tarly in time to make their way to the Trident, mayhaps the royal forces would have lost and the Dornish decimated.

Lord Mace was beaming and looked fit to burst that his daughter would be marrying the future King. The master of coin had been vying to tie his house to the crown for years and had finally gotten what he wanted and his father could not refuse as it was a match that tied them to the second wealthiest family in the realm and the kingdom that could summon the most fighting men. He was not averse to marrying the man's daughter, she was beautiful to say the least and had been taught by the infamous queen of thorns herself which meant she was smart as any man and would make for an excellent player in the game of thrones. A part of him just wished that he had some freedom in the choice of his bride, the same freedom that was being afforded to his sister, uncle and aunt.

"I would just like to say it is a great honour to be tied to House Targaryen through marriage Your Grace and that I'm sure with the grace of the seven, my Margaery will make for a wonderful wife and future queen."

"The honour is ours Lord Tyrell, your house has proved its undying loyalty over the years and with our houses finally tied together it can only bring further peace and stability to the realm" replied his father.

"I concur with my father My Lord, to marry the beautiful Lady Margaery is an honour and I am sure that she would make a wonderful wife as I strive to be a worthy husband."

His carefully chosen words was well met by the council especially the boisterous Lord Tyrell, even his father had a small smile on his face his eyes at his response and his eyes were full of pride filling him with a sense of fulfilment. Mayhaps there was a chance for him to become a righteous, worthy king like his father after all and the rejection of the throne as a child was simply due to his young age making him unsuitable at the time. After a few more congratulations from the rest of the council, his father was ready to declare the council meeting finished, but out of courtesy asked if there was anything else to be reported.

"Your Grace, my birds have sung an interesting tale from the North" Lord Varys tittered.

At the mention of the most isolated kingdom, many of the council members stiffened in surprise that the spymaster had anything of note to report on them considering the distance they were keeping from the rest of Westeros and that usually there was nothing of note occurring in the frozen lands beyond The Neck. Aegon looked towards his father too see his reaction and was not surprised to see his emotionless mask in place accompanied with a simmering fury in his eyes. He understood why his father was not exactly fond of hearing about the North after the tragic death of his second mother Lyanna and his stillborn sister.

Lord Eddard's refusal to allow them burial in Winterfell with the Lords Rickard and Brandon is why his father's ire was raised every time the North was mentioned in any capacity. If he had said simply that only Lords of Winterfell may be buried his father would have accepted with reluctance. However, the warden of the North had replied to his father's request stating that mother Lyanna and Visenya were Targaryens and had no place in the crypts of Winterfell, which was a resting place for only those of House Stark. To this day, both mother and father held a grudge against their brother by law for the slight, but accepted it knowing he was angry at them and had every right to be so they worked over the years to bring the North back into the fold. Aegon knew Lord Eddard did not consider them family in any form for he did nought but distance his kingdom from the crown with each passing year.

"Pray tell Lord Varys, what tales have your little birds spun?" enquired his father.

"The young bastard of Winterfell, Jon Snow has disappeared from the North without nary a word2 replied Varys.

"Was the young Snow taken or did he leave willingly Lord Varys?" asked uncle Oberyn, who for some reason had sat up with interest at the mention of Lord Eddard's baseborn son.

"My birds say the boy left after beating the Greyjoy hostage quite viciously in the yard before an argument with his Lord father seemed to push him over the edge."

"For what reason did he beat the Ironborn hostage?" questioned Lord Stannis.

"Apparently the Greyjoy had insulted Jon Snows unknown mother and if my birds are accurate, he apparently referred to the young man as a motherless bastard and insinuated that she was a whore in the local brothel he visits."

Aegon did not blame the bastard for beating the Ironborn, if he was in Jon Snows shoes he would have done the exact same thing. Regardless of the difference in status of the boys, he had no right to say such a thing and could not help but wonder why he would argue with his father afterwards, especially if it was over the incident with the Greyjoy. It seemed the council was split on the actions of the Bastard of Winterfell, with some agreeing with his actions and others disapproving that a baseborn had the audacity to lay hands on a trueborn Lord.

"I can understand why he would beat the Greyjoy heir over such words, but you said in the yard. Am I right in assuming it was a spar Lord Varys that he took quite far?" I asked in curiosity.

"You are right Your Grace, The master at arms, Ser Rodrik Cassel prevented Snow from attacking Theon Greyjoy and had them settle it in a spar."

"Is Jon Snow not five years the junior of Theon Greyjoy?" asked my father.

"Yes he is Your Grace, they say that Jon Snow is an extremely gifted swordsman to the point many say he is a prodigy as he regularly beats many of the guards with ease, even his trueborn brother and the heir to Winterfell is a poor swordsman in comparison."

"He cant be that good, the boy is a lowborn bastard and besides he should know better than to harm his trueborn betters" derisively remarked Lord Tyrell.

The council all looked to the man as though his wits had been addled, which if he was being honest was a look sent to the man quite often. Mayhaps Lady Olenna had dropped the Lord on his head as a babe. Uncle Oberyn looked as though he wished to grab his spear, coat it in his favourite poison before ramming it down the buffoons throat. No doubt his uncle was thinking of his own bastard daughters and saw the insult to Jon Snow as an insult to them.

"Enough Lord Tyrell. Lord Varys please continue with the tale." Spoke his father, using his tone of authority to silence the man.

"Of course Your Grace. Young Snow first beat his brother with ease and to the shock of many was duel wielding. My birds report he had taught himself to use both blades at once"

That little detail left everyone in shock and many began to murmur at what they heard. Aegon wanted to call it out as a lie because everyone knew dual wielding was almost impossible and the only man in the realm that could actually dual wield was Ser Arthur Dayne, the greatest swordsman to ever live. When he had asked Arthur to teach him dual wielding, the kings guard tried to sway him away from the notion, but eventually was worn down and accepted. A few lessons later, Aegon accepted that he would never be able to dual wield due to how hard it was and focussed on wielding a single sword to the best of his ability.

The fact some random Northern bastard had taught himself to dual wield, whilst even Arthur needed his master at arms to teach him from the secret techniques passed down in House Dayne was mind boggling to comprehend. It seemed many on the council were in the same predicament as they tried to comprehend what they had just been told by the spymaster.

"How can it be possible that he taught himself to dual wield?" openly pondered Lord Velaryon, the master of ships.

"Mayhaps our young Snow is truly a prodigy" replied Uncle Oberyn with a smile on his face at the fact that a bastard was capable of such a thing.

"The way he beat the bigger Greyjoy with ease would suggest that he truly is, Young Snow was said to have ruthlessly broken him down without even being touched before breaking the older boys nose and leaving him bloody and flat on his back. Theon Greyjoy had to be carried to the maester for treatment."

"You said he had an argument with Lord Stark?" asked father.

"It seems Lord Stark was not happy with the way his son beat Winterfell's hostage and from there seemingly their conversation delved onto the topic of Jon Snows mother and her identity."

At that everyone sat up straight or leaned forward in anticipation at the knowledge of the woman who could have possibly led the honourable Lord Stark astray from his wedding vows. For years many had wondered who this elusive woman was and some had said that it was aunt Ashara, but he knew that was not the truth considering Allyria's existence. No one spoke as they waited for the reveal of the answer to a question that no one could satisfy.

"Unfortunately, Lord Stark refused to tell the boy her name and this is what I believe ultimately led to the young bastard running away."

"Surely Lord Stark and his men would have been able to find him. He may be a gifted swordsman, but is still a boy and could not possibly survive in the harsh Northern climate alone" Lord Stannis voiced his opinion.

"Normally you would be right Lord Stannis, but it seems Jon Snow is full of surprises for he is quite intelligent if the reports of his academic endeavours with Maester Luwin are true. The maester had even asked Lord Stark to send Jon Snow to the citadel for he was an academic prodigy."

"I assume Lord Stark denied him the opportunity to study at the citadel" said Uncle Oberyn.

"Correct as usual Prince Oberyn, the Lady Catelyn had no desire to have her husband spend coin on financing his bastards education."

"Surely Lord Stark would not defer to his wife in this situation as it would give the young man a future rather than say a meagre existence on the wall" Aegon could not help but speak up.

"Unfortunately he did My Prince in an attempt to pacify his lady wife as she wishes the boy to take the black but Lord Eddard refuses to send his son to the realms penal colony."

"Do you have any idea as to where the boy has gone Lord Varys?" Lord Connington asked to Aegon's surprise.

"Unfortunately not Lord Hand, the boy created a fake trail in the Wolfs wood in various directions with all seeming to vanish into thin air."

"I am surprised he has not sent ravens throughout the realm asking for people to keep a look out, he may be a bastard but is still his son" his father wondered aloud.

"Lord Stark did send ravens Your Grace, but only to the Northern Lords, no doubt believing the boy to be somewhere in the North."

Aegon disagreed with the spymasters assessment as he personally felt the Lord of Winterfell just had no desire to converse with any of the southern Lords and his pride would not allow him to ask the people he dislikes for any sort of aid even in regards to his missing child.

"Lord Varys, I wish for your birds to keep an eye out for Jon Snow" his father said to the surprise of many on the council.

"Of course Your Grace" he replied with a respectful bow of the head.

"With that, I bid this small council meeting to an end" he announced as everyone besides himself, uncle Oberyn and Ser Gerold rose to leave. Once the last of them had left, immediately his uncle asked the question that was on everyone's lips.

"What is your interest in Starks bastard Rhaegar?"

"That bastard may be the key to bringing the North back into the fold Oberyn."

"How so father?"

"If we can help the boy return to his family then mayhaps Lord Eddard may finally forgive me for the rebellion and stop the isolation of the Northern kingdom."

"And what if Lord Eddard has no desire to ever break bread with the south Your Grace?" asked the Lord Commander of the kings guard.

"Then mayhaps we can offer the bastard some sort of opportunity in the south, if Varys is correct about the boys talent with a blade and keen mind."

"What sort of opportunity father?"

"Mayhaps a squire with the future of joining the city watch or even the white cloaks if he proves worthy."

"Effectively having a hostage in all but name, forcing the man to play nice" laughed out his Uncle.

Aegon realised his uncle was right and when he looked to his father noticed a small smile on his face. His father was a lot more cunning than people knew and was adept as anyone at the great game considering he had remained at the top of the food chain for many years.

"The next few years will determine whether our house will rule for another three hundred years or will we fall like Old Valyria during the doom. I will not be King forever Egg, soon you will have to take up the mantle and your birth right."

"I swear by the Gods father, I will do you proud."

"I know my boy, but one must be prepared for the game and you still have some way to go."

"My nephew is still young Rhaegar, he has time to grow and mature before ruling."

"I know Oberyn, but the future is unwritten and anything can happen. It is my duty to ensure he is adequately prepared for such a burden. From the next week you will personally shadow me to learn the intricacies of ruling until you marry Margaery Tyrell."

"As you say father."

His father gave him a nod of approval before standing to leave with Ser Gerold following in his wake as his shadow for the day. His uncle gave him a small pat on the arm before giving him words of encouragement and making his own way out of the council chambers. All he could think of after his fathers words telling him he was not ready to be king was the small boy who sat the iron throne and was deemed unworthy.

AUTHORS NOTE

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