Ned
Eddard Stark was a proud honorable man who was raised that your honor was the code you lived and died by. He had always had a sense of what was right and wrong and revolted against wrong many times. But coming to this cess pool that was the capital city he now doubted that his since of honor was anything to live by as it made him lose all that he held dear. His daughters were hostages and he hope would live through the next war to come. His sons would fight a war and as he had been to war it was a coin flip by the stranger on who lived and who did not.
Thinking over his life he was realizing that honor had only ever gotten him so far in life. And while a good life content in his piece of the world it left him woefully disadvantaged to the ones outside of his north. His father and brother must have had understood that but he was the second son and those lessons had not extended to him and seeing his end near he was seeing he did the same with his children. None were prepared for these games nor even running the north. He always believed there was time for that. Time to teach Rob and Bran the ways of the lordship. Sansa time to get out of her fancy with songs and knights. Arya time to stop the games and understand her place within the world. Poor baby Rickon he would never be able to even teach him to ride or hunt as he had Bran and his brothers. Jon brought tears to his eyes he had failed with the boy, failed at making him feel loved and wanted, at teaching him who he was and what was expected of him. Failed to teach him about his mother and father and most of all keep him safe because he was at the wall by now and that was no life for his sisters child. He should have a fast of his own and a lady wife expanding the stark name. Now it was too late. He could hear the guards coming and he knew he would die today. He would lose it all and for what; since of duty bound honor.
As he bent his knees and bowed his head he prayed to the old gods. "Please protect my family, protect my sons and most of all my daughters till they make it home. Protect and guide them…." He didn't get to finish as he lost his head. The pain was not long and then he knew nothing but darkness and cold.
What he believed to have been a restful peace never washed over him but clips of his childhood and the endings of his mother, father, brother and sister. Then he watched as the lives of his beloved family played out. Screaming and raging as he watched the brutality of what they endured and at how they died. He watched his sweet beloved daughter become a hard-shell queen who was murdered by the night king. His baby girl all her fiery fuss eventually snuffed out trying to kill a monster that was pure evil. He faintly remembers the legends but had like most thought them stories and legends of times long past of men. As the world died around him and he cried for all lost and for his family he heard a soft voice it had never dreamed of hearing again.
"Ned, you fool. Why did not you understand that he was never your brother or ever had your welfare first, he was always to selfish and near-sighted. You should have stayed in the north. You should have listened to the deserters on what they saw Ned, it was already happening, and you didn't listen." Lyanna said as she embraced her older brother who held her tight and cried.
"How are you here in this hell?" Ned asked after a while of pulling himself together.
"This is no hell Ned, this was to give you knowledge of the world and what's to come. To make you understand that while honor is great; to save the pack, the world as we know it; honor has no place. To show you the damage you have left." She explained as she watched his shoulders drop more and him hang his head in thought and agony.
"What happened Lya?"
"I choose to follow the wrong person down a path that was never mine. Same as you. Did I love him, maybe, but I was too young and to in love with the idea of princes and knights and old songs, much like your Sansa. That does not mean Robert was my path either. That doesn't mean I didn't care for him, and I knew how he loved me but I never trusted he would stay faithful to just me. Duty would have killed me as fast as following my heart it was meant to be." She tells him and he thinks over her words seeing her point since he now was older and understood the stress of duty, but he still believed she was stronger than she gave herself credit.
"So, he didn't kidnap you or rape you as everyone believed?" Ned asked thinking of his father and brothers' deaths and how it was for not.
"At first no, we left together and married in Doren, but by the time I was just starting to show with my baby I was nothing more than a hostage kept locked away. I wanted to go to the capital and stop father and Brandon. I wrote letters and tried to escape many times all for not. Rhaegar was obsessed with prophecy and his children were the key to that. He would have killed the baby because he was a boy and not another daughter or forced another child on me. I was wrong in my choices. Seems to be our family's lot in life, eh" she explained and anger in him grew but he had no outlet for it.
"I am sorry I didn't make it to you sooner, didn't save you and protect you like I should have." Ned says sadly knowing that he should have gone straight for his sister before Stannis.
"You kept your word and protected my son the best way you could have." She touches his arm as she says meaning those words
"No, I should have done more. He should have known the truth and been made a Stark and treated as such not feeling unloved." He said and she sighed knowing the truth as well, but it was difficult to see what's right in front of you sometimes.
"Your lady wife made the choice, and you were never going to go against her because of your honor at having a bastard son. You were never meant to be that women. She caused a war and got your children killed in the end because of her temper and lack of respect for the men in her life not to mention her desire to play the game of thrones. A woman's place is a hard reality to take sometimes and can drive some to madness." She said bitterly. She knew Ashara would have made her brother happy and they would have had a good life had he just choose his heart over his wrongly places loyalty.
Both turned to the sounds of a drum banging starting up in rhythm that resonated in his body deeply like a heartbeat. "Ned our time is almost over so you must listen closely. You get a chance at changing things and killing the Night King finally without so many deaths as before. You must remember all you have seen and protect the north. Protect your children and my son. Remember honor has no place in our world now, you must do all it takes to defeat the Night King. There is ways Ned. Glytterglass, Valarian steal and fire. You must protect all those in the north even beyond the wall you will need them. Tell Jon I love him and have always watched over him and been with him. Tell him to follow his instincts and his heart it will protect him. I love you Ned," she said as she faded away.
"Lya? Lyanna?" He yelled as she slipped away, and he frowned turning to look around him finding himself in the Gods woods in front of the oldest largest heart tree that he had ever seen before.
"You have traveled far but are deserving of another chance unlike so many who come before me." The tree spoke in a slow monotone voice.
"Why me?" he asked stumbling over his thoughts as the eyes glowed brilliant red as a hot flame and red sap tears fell down its base.
"Every man and women who pass through here is judged on their deeds and most fall below of what they were capable. You have lived your life full of honor and duty with a keen sense of justice and compassion that few ever achieved. However, you have much to learn as well and need to be taught the forgotten histories of the Peoples that you descend from. Sit and listen." The tree instructed and Ned listened and learned many things. He had no idea how long he had sit there listening to histories that none had heard in thousands of years and who all had forgotten but it had to be years yet, he did not age nor sleep or eat. As he listened, he wrote down all that was being said and every detail that he could remember from the clips of his family; filling ten thick tombs with small writing that was barely readable to many.
"You will be sent back to a time before the Night King wakens and gains strength but just. Some Magic's always demand a price. Remember that a Stark must always remain in the north as a ruler. Find those you must and do your duty to your people. Remember your children all have a role in the coming war." The voice said and then the fire leaps out and engulfs Eddard but not in a painful way as one would expect. Closing his eyes, he whispered out, "the north remembers always" as he falls through time and space before awakening in his bed with a gasp and a jerk.
Seeing his lady wife beside him he thinks over a while everything that had happened and slowly gets out of bed and goes to the window across the room pulling the heavy drapes back and looking out on a quiet, dark land. Not wanting to waste time and not knowing just how far back he had arrived he quickly dressed and left the room checking in the nursery on his children. Laying asleep in his crib was a small Rickon who could not be more than six or so moons old. That meant he had two and half years to get things done and arrange before events would start. Could he protect those who needed it or would he fail again. Picking his baby son up he kissed his head and held him tight. Out of all his children this was the one he least knew or had interacted with. But he would change that. Handing the babe off to his wet nurse he made his way to his solar so that he could write messages for morning ravens and make plans.
As the sun crept higher into the sky and the first rays were just seen he left his place and made his way to the kitchens to let them know his family would break their fast in his solar and to let the others eat as they woke before beginning their days. He then made his way to the Stables where Cassel was just beginning his day as were many others around him.
"We will ride for the wall in the marrow after, make sure the horses and provisions are ready. Ready Rob and Jon horses as well they will be coming. We will also be making stops between." He explained.
"Yes mi' lord." Cassel said before barking orders to those around him.
His next stop was the smithy. "Mikken, I need both my daughters fitted for daggers, we will also be needing a few more hands for stuff coming up. Write to Tahbo Mott in Kings landing and request him to send his apprentice Gendry and two others who are seasoned for a period of three years for the two and pay out the apprenticeship for Gendry and I want you to take over the boys training." Ned explained what he wanted and handed the man the needed coins for such a job.
"Yes Lord Stark. Is there anything else that you need done?" Mikken asked with a nod of his head.
"No just get the daggers done quickly and make sure that the stables have what they need for us to leave on the morning after for the wall." He tells the man and the takes his leave to find Maester Lewin to cover what needs to be done.
Walking into his solar he was happy to see all his children waiting on him and his lady wife holding their newest member. After quickly breaking their fast Ned drew attention to himself "Thank you for coming we have many things to talk about and I will not be interrupted as I speak. For too long I have let things go not wanting to cause problems but can no longer. Rob, Jon and Bran you will start training with me as Lord of Winterfell and learning how to run the north as each of you will have holds of your own at some point in the future. Sansa and Arya will start training with bows and daggers and all of you will start studying the northern ways and histories, including you, Lady Stark. There is more to being a lady in the north than just learning stitches. Arya, you will however cess this rebellious behavior of yours towards becoming a lady. While I do not expect you to be a proper court lady from the south you will be a Lady of the north with responsibilities of running a hold and accounts eventually. While I understand that you Lady Stark is of the faith of the Seven; in the north we stick to the old Gods and while I will not make you change; our children will learn and devote their spirituality to them from now on and no more fancy stories of knights and songs as neither our daughters will be married outside the North." He explained holding his hand up to forgo the words wanting to spill from his wife. While he loved her, he had things that needed fixed in his marriage and home that was long overdue. His sister had been correct due to the slight in her honor because of his lie he had let her control much of their world and it was not the place of a woman. He wondered what he bannerman thought of this as he was sure they would be talk.
"Cat, I love you but for too long I have allowed your behavior and overstepping out of a sense of honor for the slight you perceived. But one of the things you have always obtrusively done was not to embrace the northern ways and by extension your place at my side as Lord of Winterfell and the warden of the North. That changes now. Your lack of love and acceptance of my son ends now. Blood is blood and the same goes for you as well Sansa. The Raven has already been sent to make him legitimate and he will take his place within our household and his duties as an heir and any other bastard child having been born to my brother Brandon as well will be taking their place as Starks if presented in the next moon cycle." He Said looking at the two women and then his son in question seeing the emotional toll on all three.
"Rob, for too long I have allowed you to play off and not prepared you for becoming lord, you as well Jon. So, beginning now you will train in the yard and then work beside me to run the north and people in it. You have let others lead you instead of becoming the leader you should be. It is time Theon makes the rounds of some of the other keeps in the North before we decide his future here. He will leave in a week for Bear Island."
"Now I need to speak to Jon before him and Rob pack we leave on the day after the marrow for the wall." He dismisses them seeing the anger on his lady wife as she storms out of the room and the smile of his youngest daughter as she goes off to train as she always wanted with her siblings following in behind in different states of confusion and anger. He knew his words seemed harsh and out of place but as he had said it was overdue.
"Jon as I said I have sent off to make you legitimate something I should have done years ago and can only hope after I have explained to you my reasons on the matter that you will understand my caution in the matter. You are my son of my heart and of my blood, I love you the same as I do my true born children never forget that. What I am about to tell you must stay between you and I because it will get you killed along with the rest of us. Do you understand son?" Ned asked taking a seat next to the boy who had just turned three and ten.
Shaking his head as he lost what color he had in his face he looked at his father with fear and dread. Why would this information get him killed and by who? His father was honorable and well liked why would someone come after him. Jon wondered as he watched his father closely.
"I have claimed you and raised you as my own, but you are not my son, you are my nephew. Born to my sister Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen. She died giving birth to you of birthing fever as they did not give her a midwife. What you have been taught of what happened is not the full story Jon and if you are ready to hear it I will tell you what I know and I just hope you grasp why this information getting out means our heads." He explained to the now tearful boy.
"But the mad king killed your father and brother, how could you even want me here after that, my father raped and kidnapped my mother." He gasped out feeling so many emotions at once.
"It's complicated Jon but you're my sister's child, my blood, there was never a question on loving you and raising you here in our ancestral home." He told the boy pulling him into a hug and holding him as the child tried to get ahold of his self and emotional turmoil to settle.
"I need to know father please" Jon finally asked sitting back and pulling his stoic mask back on.
Ned then explained all he knew of Lyanna and her story then what truly happened and the reasons why. Even explaining how even if she had married Robert, she would never truly been happy. Ending with explaining why he kept quiet and lied all these years and the site of Jon's siblings lying in that damn castle mangled and bloodied and how Elia had died a gruesome horrible death that would have been the fate of Lyanna and him had they been found.
"You need to think seriously about what you want in the future and how it will affect your life son because neither path is easy. One, you claim the throne and a war is fought and justice is served for your siblings; or the second, you take a hold fast of your own and continue the Stark name in the north as a cadet branch. No matter your choice son I will be here to back you and help you." He explained to his son who nodded and ask for leave to go and think. He knew the boy needed time to himself and to visit the tomb of his mother.
