Been working on this story for a long time and felt what better day to post the first chapter then on April 17th. It's a short prologue so I hope of gives you a good taste of what's to come. Hope you enjoy! Also again before we continue as this FanFiction follows the show/books it does contain spoilers so if you are not caught up to season 8 of the show and want to avoid spoilers it'd be best to turn back now.
Finally after a year of fighting the war was at an end. Robert Baratheon was King and the Targaryens were dead. Aerys,Rhaegar,Ellia,Aegon,Rhaenys, all of them returned to the dirt. The greatest dynasty the world had ever seen was wiped off the face of the planet was now just words in the history books. Now a new dynasty took the throne with the aid of Ned Stark,Jon Arryn, and Hoster Tully House Baratheon now sat the Iron Throne. If they hadn't joined the war it would have been lost the moment it began.
Now Ned Stark rode home to be with his wife. After being apart for so long it was the only thing he could think about. It has been a year since Lord Stark had gotten a good nights sleep and craved not only a proper bed but Cat's arms wrapped around him. Him and Cat weren't meant to marry...that honor went to is brother Brandon before he was burned alive by the Mad King Areys. Ned being the honorable man he was took his brothers place. Now he had to explain the baby in his arms that looked up at him with his cute eyes.
He could claim the baby to be his bastard son born of some whore he slept with on the war path even though that wasn't his way. In truth he the trueborn son of his sister Lyanna and her lover Rhaegar Targaryen that Robert would have killed if he knew. The child's eyes were full of innocence and Ned couldn't have that blood on his hands. Now he rode north with the Northern army at his back headed home with a child in his arms. Every man in the army was restless to get home to their families that they haven't seen in over a year.
The host rode past a small farmstead that looked to have some chickens and smaller animals. There was a small pyre of smoke coming up from a smoldering fire and half of a clothesline covered in clothes with not a soul to be seen. As the column rode closer what looked like a body laying face down could be seen. Ned called the army to a halt along with commanding three men to walk with him to the small hut. He left the baby with some of the healers and walked up to the hut with a hand on the pommel of his sword.
Once they were close enough to the hut they were able to see two bodies just several feet apart. The closest body was a young woman no older than twenty five. Two of the soldiers approached the other body which was a man around the same age. Both were brutally murdered and many things appeared missing. Wildlings maybe? With the army and the head of House Stark down south it was possible they were able to make it this far south.
Ned was taken from his thoughts by the sounds of crying children. He got up from his squatting position and approached the door of the hut. The three men came up behind him drawing their blades. Slowly the Lord pushed the door open unveiling an empty hut with some tables,beds, and an area to prepare food. At the other end of the shack were two cribs. Lord Stark approached them with his men following close behind in case of danger. When he was before the cribs he noticed they both had a baby in them one a boy and the other a girl...twins. He saw in their eyes the same thing he saw in Jon's...innocence. There was no way he could let these babies die so he picked them up one in each arm and carried them outside.
"Bury the bodies and put some grave markers by them...and take several men with you and try and hunt down the killers they can't be too far."
"Yes My Lord." The one man said as they started doing what they were told.
Ned walked back to the column with the babies in his arms and handed them off to the healers who also held Jon. Once he was mounted back on his horse the column was on the move. A few days later the soldiers dispatched returned informing him that they found some Wildlings a few miles south with axes covered in fresh blood and that they were dealt with. Ned thanked the soldiers paying them a few extra gold for their extra labor.
Nothing felt better to Ned than seeing the walls of Winterfell come into view. Upon seeing them he kicked his horse into a gallop to get back quciker. As he approached the gates opened up allowing the Lord into the castle. When he rode in his eyes laid upon his lovely wife with a baby in her arms. He dismounted his horse running over to her pressing his lips against her own before bringing them to kiss his child's forehead. Everything was fine until the healers came in carrying three babies in their arms. Cat's eyes narrowed at the sight. Ned ordered them brought over.
"Cat this is Jon...my bastard son."
Catelyn couldn't believe what she was seeing...Ned would never sleep with another woman...there was no way. Then he waved over the other two. Where these also his bastards? How many other women did he sleep with?
"I found these children just west of White Harbor on a farm. Their parents were butchered by Wildlings...I couldn't let them die Cat."
What worried her the most about that statement was Wildlings that far south. She was more upset about the bastard that she had to raise here in these halls along with their true born children. But she just smiled and welcomed her husband home.
