Author's Note: I don't own Game of Thrones or any characters. I only own the plot of the story and a few characters, which are my own.
Summary: Rather than let his nephew rot the rest of his life on the wall, Benjen Stark tells Jon the truth about his parentage on the night of the King's Feast in Winterfell.
Winterfell
298 AC
Gods how long had it been since he'd been in Winterfell? It had to be at least five years. He slowed his horse, dismounting and handing the reins to the stable boy. The twack, twack, of a sword against a practice dummy, caught Benjen's attention.
His nephew Jon was outside rather than inside the feast hall with his siblings'' Benjen didn't have to guess who was responsible for that. It angered Benjen how Ned let Jon, his nephew, be treated by that Bitch of a wife of his.
Gods if Lyanna were still alive, Gods help Ned and that Tully bitch he married. It was no wonder Brandon was planning to run off with Ashara Dayne rather than marry her.
"Is he dead yet?" Benjen called out.
"Uncle Benjen." Jon turned, his nephew Jon, or rather Daemon Targaryen, the last surviving son of Rhaegar Targaryen, the true heir to the Iron Throne. Rather than that fat fucking pig Robert Baratheon, who sat his ass upon the throne that was Jon's by right,
"You got bigger. Taller than me. You're going to be tall like your uncle Brandon. Rode all day; I didn't want to leave alone with them all here. Why aren't you inside? I can guess why."
"Lady Stark thought it might insult them to have a bastard seated in their presence."
"That's bullshit, Jon. You are just as much a Stark as the rest of us. I thought that brother of mine had more sense than that. I hardly think the King will give a fuck, seeing as he's got Gods know how many bastards that he's fathered." Benjen hated to see how downtrodden Jon was.
"When you leave, I want to go with you to the Wall. Join the Watch"
"No, Jon. The Wall is no place for you." Benjen began
"Father will let me if you ask him, please, Uncle Benjen."
"You don't know what you are giving up; we take no wives and have no children." Benjen tried to discourage Jon from joining.
"I don't care about all that. What future do I have if I stay here?"
"Ned never told you your mother, did he?" Benjen spoke after a few minutes of silence.
"No, he never talks about her. Why did you know her, Uncle Benjen?"
"Aye, I did come with me." Benjen walked towards the crypts with Jon.
"Why are we down here, Uncle Benjen?" I questioned as we went further into the crypts.
"Lot fewer ears and wagging tongues down here, Jon," Benjen answered before stopping at the statue of Lyanna Stark. My aunt, who had been kidnapped and then raped by Rhaegar Targaryen,
"What do you know about the Rebellion?"
"Aunt Lyanna was kidnapped and then raped by Rheagar. Grandfather and Uncle Brandon were burned alive by the mad king. The man king demanded the heads of father and Robert Baratheon.
The King killed Rhaegar during the battle of the Trident. The Mad King was killed by Jamie Lannister. Rhaegar's wife and children were killed during the Sacking of King's Landing. Rhaella Targaryen died in childbirth.
The last two remaining Targaryens are somewhere in the east," I finished.
"Aye, that's what everyone believes what happened. The Rebellion would have happened either way. Aerys was cruel and mad. It wasn't his subjects that he was cruel to. It was well-known how cruelly he treated his wife, Queen Rhaella.
Contempt and hatred for Aerys it was well known throughout the seven kingdoms. Rhaegar knew this and was working on a plot to remove Aerys from the throne. Rhaegar organized the tournament at Harrenhal to gather support to remove his father from power.
Aerys was growing more unstable and paranoid by the day. His coming to the tournament messed up Rhaegar's plans. It was at the tournament at Harrenhall where they met your mother and father."
"Who was she? The woman who is my mother, is it Ashara Dayne?" I asked.
"No Ashara Dayne's not your mother. You are a Stark by the blood of your mother." Benjen nodded to his sister's statue.
"No. It can't be. That would mean if Lyanna Stark is my mother, then."
"Aye, Rhaegar Targaryen's your father, Jon." Benjen clarified.
"So I was born of rape, and I am still a bastard."
"No, Jon, you're not a bastard. Your mother and father loved each other and were married on the Isle of Faces." Benjen sighed. "It all began at the tournament at Harrenhal. Your mother was promised to marry Robert Baratheon.
Oh, she fucking loathed him with a passion. He was just as bad with his whoring ways back then as he is now. Lyanna told Ned, Brandon, and our father loudly and repeatedly that she wouldn't marry Robert. Hell would freeze over before that happened.
You've heard of the Knight of the Laughing Tree." I shook my head.
"While at the tournament, your mother and I happened across Howland Reed, one of our bannermen. He was being beaten up by three squires. Your mother jumped, beating them all with a tourney sword.
She wanted to teach them a bigger lesson. So she roped me and Howland into helping, with armor, a horse, and a shield. They called her the Knight of the Laughing Tree. She beat all of them.
Knocked off their horses like it was nothing. Your grandfather, Aerys, was paranoid about the Knight of the Laughing Tree. He thought that they were out to him. Your father was the one who discovered that Lyanna was the Knight of the Laughing Tree.
He lied to protect your mother. It was why he named her the Queen of Love and Beauty when he won the Joust against Ser Barristan Samly the next day."
"Why did he kidnap and rape her, then Uncle Benjen? Is that why Lord Stark never told me? I'm a bastard born of rape," I cut in.
"No. Your mothers and father loved each other. They were married on the Isle of Faces."
"Princess Elia knew and didn't mind," I asked in disbelief.
"Elia loved your mother just as much as Rhaegar did. If things had been different, you would have grown up with your brother and sister, Daemon."
"Daemon after the Rouge Prince. That was married to the black queen, Rhaenyra Targaryen," I questioned.
"Aye, one and the same."
"Does anyone else know about me being a Targaryen?" I say this after a moment or two of silence.
"Lord Howland Reed of Greywater Watch was there the day you were born."
"How did they fall in love?" I wanted to know more about my parents.
"Lyanna was planning to run off with Rhaegar after Brandon's wedding to Catelyn Tully. Aerys had somehow discovered the identity of the Knight of the Laughing Tree. Rhaegar got to Lyanna first.
She left letters for Brandon, Father, Robert, and Ned. But what happened to them, I don't know. Brandon was always shortsighted, tempered, and impulsive. He went to King's Landing, demanding Rhaegar's head.
He and his men were arrested. Father was ordered to King's Landing for Brandon's trial. You know the rest."
"Now what do I do, Uncle Benjen? All my life, I've been treated like I'm nothing but the cum stain on the 'honorable' Lord Eddard Stark's name," I spat.
"You still have family in the world, Jon. Your Second Great Uncle Aemon Targaryen, the son of Maeker I and brother of Aegon the V, is the Maester at Castle Black. He's almost a hundred-name days old.
Your father's younger brother Viserys and sister Daenerys are still alive, somewhere in the Essos. Pentos perhaps I don't know for certain."
"I don't know what to do now. All my life, I wanted to be Jon Stark. But I'm not a Stark. I'm Targaryen. The Heir to the Iron Throne. Did he have any intentions? of telling me who I really was." I turned to Uncle Benjen.
"I don't know Jon. But I wasn't about to let you waste your life away at the Wall like I have."
"When do you have to go back?" I questioned.
"Not for a little while, not that it matters; I'm not going back. Jon, you are not still thinking of taking the Black are you?"
"No, but my second great uncle Aemon is there. I want to take him with us when we go to the Essos to find Viserys and Daenerys. You don't want to go back to Wall, do you, Uncle Benjen?" I explained.
"No, I don't. Alright, help me with this. Your mother left you some things when she died. I put them in her tomb."
We moved the statue enough to get inside the tomb. There were two swords. Valerian Steel Swords. They weren't Blackfrye or Dark Sister. I named them Dragon's Fury and Wolf's Bane.
"The dagger was your father's. It was Aegon the Conqueror's dagger."
There was a chest full of letters and my parents' marriage certificate.
"You won't have to go to Castle Black to find Aemon. He's at Greywater Watch."
"Greywater Watch?" I asked in surprise.
"Aye, he knows about you, Daemon. We best be careful if we are to leave without Ned finding out the truth of me telling you of parentage."
"If he had his way, I'd be shipped off to the wall to be pressed into joining the Watch."I spat
"I know, come on, let's take this stuff back to your chambers. We need to come up with a plan to leave." Benjen placed a reassuring hand on his nephew's shoulder.
We gathered everything from my mother's tomb and took it to my room. I knew I couldn't stay here in Winterfell, not after all that Uncle Benjen had told me.
"We should make an appearance at the feast. You coming, Jon?"
"Aye. I'll come; I keep my distance. I can't promise I wouldn't want to hit him or kill him. Or fat pig of a friend of his sitting on my throne," I seethed.
"We'll leave here soon enough, Jon."
We made our way into the feast hall. You could hear the Usurper drunkenly laughing as he fondled and grabbed at the girl in his lap.
His wife sat less than impressed at the high table with Lady Coldfish.
I grabbed a mug of ale for myself and Uncle Benjen, and I sniggered as Ayra flung food at Sansa.
"Arya" Sansa cried in outrage.
"Benjen, you made it. Jon, what are you?"
"I'm a Stark, am I not Father? I have every right to be here. If Lady Stark has a problem with that, then that's her problem."I answer.
Unsurprisingly, he said nothing; like always, he stayed silent.
"The deserter I beheaded, did you know him?" Lord Stark ignored me, turning his attention to Uncle Benjen.
"Aye, I knew him. Tough lad. One hell of a Ranger."
"He was talking madness. Said it was Walkers that slaughtered his friends."Robb carried Arya out of the Great Hall.
"The two that were with him are still missing."
"A Wilding Ambush," Lord Stark dismissed.
"Perhaps strange things have been happening. Direwolves south of the Wall. My brother, the next Hand of the King."Uncle Benjen glanced at me for a second.
"Winter is coming."
"Aye Winter is coming. I'll be leaving the day after tomorrow. I have to go to collect some men for the wall at the Neck. Yoren has been delayed in coming North. Lord Commander Mormont asked me to go instead. Jon wants to join the Watch, we'll leave the day after tomorrow." Uncle Benjen lied.
"Is that what you want, Jon?"
"It is 'father'," I lied.
"Uncle Benjen," Robb interrupted, hugging Uncle Benjen. "How long are you staying for?"
"A few days. Jon and I are heading to the Neck to collect some men for Watch before heading for the Wall"
"You're joining the Watch. If this is about Mother," Robb started.
"Robb, it's my decision. It had nothing to do with Lady Stark." I hated lying to Robb. The less people knew what we were doing, the better.
Illyrio Mopatis's Manse, Pentose Essos 298 AC,
Rhaenys Targaryen was now a woman fully grown at twenty-name days. She is trying not to listen to the shouting match between her father, Rhaegar, and Uncle Viserys coming from her father's study.
"A Dothraki Horse Lord. Have you finally taken leave of your fucking senses? What do we need a Dothraki Horse Lord for?" Rhaegar bellowed
"We need his men."
"The fuck we don't," Rhaegar cut him off.
"They are still arguing." Rhaenys looked over her shoulder as her aunt, Daenerys, or Dany, to those closest to her, joined her.
"You could say that. I never heard Kepa so enraged. Something about a Dothraki Horse Lord," Rhaenys answered.
"You promised your sister to a Dothraki Horse Lord. OUR SISTER TO THAT FUCKING RAPIST KHAL DROGO IS KNOWN TO EVERYONE BY HIS REPUATION. YET YOU FUCKING SOLD HER OFF LIKE A FUCKING BROOD MARE. YOU HAD NO RIGHT. SEVEN FUCKING HELLS VISERYS," Rhaegar continued to scream at Viserys.
"Brother I"
"Didn't fucking think. Get out of my sight, Viserys. NOW VISERYS, or I swear I will forget we're family," Viserys scurried off.
"Not now, Jon. I don't want to fucking hear it."Rhaegar needed to get some air. Gods that fucking brother of mine, Rhaegar, cursed his idiotic younger brother in his mind.
Rhaegar had survived that day on the Trident after Jon Connington saved him. Hiding him and nursed him back to health. Jon had tried to get Elia and the children out on the day of the sacking. He'd only managed to get Rhaenys out.
Rhaegar cursed and swore when he was told what had happened to Elia and Aegon. Lyanna was dead too; the babe's fate was unknown. A boy. Daemon had been the name they had all decided on.
Winterfell
298 AC
I made my way to Arya's room with the present I'd had Mikken make for her. I'd said my goodbyes to Bran and Rickon. Sansa was indifferent to my leaving. "Thank you, Nyemira."
I knocked on the door with three sharp wraps.
"It's open"
I came in Arya was packing for when they headed south to King's Landing.
"Septa Mordane says I have to fold them again. My things weren't properly folded, she says. Who cares how they're folded? They're going to get all messed up anyway," Arya vented.
"It's good you got help."
"Watch. Nymeria gloves" Nymeria didn't move; she just looked at Ayra. "Nymeira Gloves." Nymiera tilted her head and looked at Ayra.
"Impressive," I sniggered.
"Shut up," Ayra snapped at me.
"I have something for you."
"A present," Arya asked, intrigued.
"Close the door." I walked over and unwrapped the blanket I had the sword wrapped in.
"This is no toy," I say, turning around with the sword in my hand. I pulled the sword from the scabbard. "Be careful you don't cut yourself."
"It's so skinny."
"So are you. I had the blacksmith make it special for you. It won't hack a man's head off. But it will fill him full of holes if you're quick enough." I'd left a letter as well for Arya to read later.
"I can be quick."
"You'll have to work at it every day. How does it feel? Do you like the balance?" I asked.
"I think so."
"Lesson One: Stick em with the pointy end." I knelt down, placing my hand on her cheek.
"I know which end to use."
"I'm going to miss you," I say, getting to my full height.
Arya went to hug me, her sword still in her hand. "Careful," I said, moving out of the way. Arya put the sword down on her bed. She jumped into my arms.
"All the best swords have names."
"Sansa can keep her sowing needles. I've got a needle of my own." Needle is a fine name for the sword.
"I've left a letter for you to read. For your eyes only. If you want to find me, head east," I whisper in Arya's ear.
"Jon, but you're going to Wall. With Uncle Benjen"
"Our secret, Arya."
"Our Secret." Arya agreed.
I hugged her tightly for as long as she would let me. I was going to miss Arya and Robb most of all.
"You all packed then." Lord Stark made conversation as I saddled my horse Vhagar; he'd always been a wild thing. I was the only one he allowed to ride him. Lady Coldfish had crowed and kicked up a fuss about it.
"Aye, all packed."
"Starks have manned the Wall for thousands of years." He attempted to have a conversation.
"Aye, they have." I placed the saddle blanket on his Vhagar's back.
"Good luck, son."
"So you'll be leaving soon, Snow?" Robb came over to say goodbye.
"Aye, as soon as I finish saddling Vhagar," I said, walking over to collect my saddle.
"My mother was kind to you."
"I wouldn't exactly say that," I muttered under my breath.
"The next time I see you, You'll be all in black."
"It was always my color." Black and Red are my house colors.
"Farewell Snow"
"And you, Stark," Robb and I embraced.
"Robb, Jon, are you ready? We have a long ride ahead of us." Uncle Benjen was already on his horse.
"Aye," I hoisted myself up onto Vhagar's back. I gave one last wave to Robb before we rode out the gates of Winterfell.