Chapter 1
The Red Keep, King's Landing, 281 AC
The same day.
Lord Jon Arryn made his way through the Red Keep, heading for the Royal Apartments. Robert's coronation had to be planned, as did the Royal Wedding between Robert and Cersei Lannister. Jon hoped Robert was too far gone into his cups.
Jamie Lannister stood guard outside Robert's chambers. The former heir to Casterly Rock, Warden of the West, nodded to Jon.
Jon knocked on the door.
"Who is it? Fuck, Sakes, I said I wasn't to be disturbed."Robert was drunk in the other room.
"Robert, it's Jon Arryn."
"Come in!" Robert grunted.
Jon entered the chambers, and Robert sat well into his cups. The cupbearer poured another goblet for Robert. He was taking Lyanna's death badly, as expected.
"What is it you want, Jon?" Robert regarded his foster father over the goblet of wine in his hand.
"There was something I wished to talk with you about."
"Please, no fucking council matter. That's your responsibility as Hand." Robert seemed disinterested already.
"It's not a council matter per se. When Ned goes back north, I'll go with him. I have to collect Lysa from the Eyrie. There was another matter regarding his bastard son with Ashara Dayne. Jon Sand"
"What about your namesake, Jon?" Robert asked, taking a long gulp of his wine.
"Ned and I have been talking about me taking the boy. As you know, Lysa can't have any children of her own. I have no heir to become Lord of the Eyrie and Lord Paramount; carry on the Arryn name."
"You could always find another wife, Jon," Robert said, downing the rest of his goblet of wine.
"I love my wife, Robert; I will not just cast her aside because she can't give him children of our own. Ned and I talked of Lysa and me adopting the boy as our own."
"Ned's okay with this." Robert clicked his fingers for the cupbearer to fill his cup once more.
"We agreed it was the best course of action for the boy. I hardly think his new bride will react well if he takes the boy to Winterfell. Lysa and I take him and adopt him as our son. He'd have a better life than that of a bastard."
"Noble thing your doing, Jon. What do you think should be done with the boy's traitorous, Uncle?" Robert asked, sipping on his wine.
"Arthur Dayne is no threat to us, Robert. He can come with me to the Eyrie and be the boy's sworn shield. He'd have some family growing up. The babe's all the family Arthur Dayne has besides his brother."
The Eyrie, the Vale
281 AC.
The trip north to the Eyrie had been delayed until after Robert's coronation and wedding to Cersei Lannister took place. Robert wouldn't hear of it—of them leaving before his wedding and coronation.
The kingdoms were still deeply scarred by the war, which had ended mere moons ago. It would take some years for all seven kingdoms to recover from the war.
Jon slowed his horse as they rode into the main courtyard of the keep. Lysa stood waiting for him.
"The Eyrie is yours, Lord Husband."
"Thank you, Lady Arryn; it's good to be home. We have guests." Jon nodded over his shoulder to Eddard and his companions, Ser Arthur Dayne, Wyalla, Aemon/Jaspar's nursemaid, and the babe himself.
"Harrion" Lysa called for their steward, Harrion Upcliff, from House Upcliff of Witch Isle.
"Yes, my lady," Harrion said.
"Have rooms made up for Lord Stark and his companions," Lysa ordered.
"Of course, my lady," Harrion answered, bowing again.
Baby Aemon/Jaspar gave a little whimper from Wyalla's arms.
"Who's babe, is that Jon?" Lysa asked, noticing Jaspar in Wyalla's arms.
"Ours's Lysa. I know we can't have any of our own. The babe needs a family of his own. He's Eddard's natural son with Ashara Dayne, who sadly passed away when he was born. We thought it best that you and I adopt him and raise him as our son. His name is Jaspar Arryn II after my father," Jon answered as Wyalla handed Aemon/Jaspar to him.
Lysa could have laughed herself silly at the situation. The ever-honorable Lord Eddard Stark had a bastard son. Granted, the boy had possibly been conceived before Eddard married Catelyn.
Not that her hotty-totty sister would see it that way. She'd make the babe's life a living hell as he grew. No one deserved the level of hatred her sister would level at the poor boy, no doubt.
"May I hold him, Jon?" Lysa spoke after a while. Here was her chance to have a child, not born from her own body. Who was she to turn away a motherless boy? She would love and raise him as if he were her own son, born from her own body.
It didn't matter to Lysa that he was not her son by blood. The boy would be their son. The one thing she had wanted to give to Jon but couldn't due to Petyr Baelish and her Lord father's doing
Jon handed Aemon/Jaspar to Lysa. The boy opened his brown/grey eyes. He looked at her curiously before smiling at her. He giggled and cooed. Lysa felt tears well up in her eyes. The boy was a gift from the gods.
Arthur watched Lady Arryn with King Aemon. The boy would be safe here; by the Gods, Arthur hoped he'd have a loving family. Not that Lord Stark didn't love the boy. The safer option was for Lord Arryn to raise him as his adopted son.
Arthur was his sworn shield; he would protect the future king and, if need be, lay down his life for Aemom.
Lord Commander Hightower had gone across the Narrow Sea to the Essos. They would need an army to take back the Iron Throne, should the young king wish to do so.
Oswell had gone to Sunspear, taking the remains of Princess Elia, Rhaenys, and little Prince Aegon back to Princess Elia's family. Lord Stark had their remains to take back to Sunspear after finding his sister.
Winterfell, the North
281 AC.
After a week in the Vale with Jon and his good sister Lysa, Ned and his men rode to Gulltown, sailing to White Harbour. It was the quickest way back to the north. Ned hated to leave his nephew behind.
Letting Jon Arryn adopt Aemon and raise him as his adoptive son was the safest option. Aemon would be safe; Jon would not let anything happen to him. Ned was still keeping his promise to Lyanna to protect Aemon.
Aemon, or Jaspar, would have a better life as Jon Arryn's adoptive son than as his bastard son. He'd have loving parents with Jon and Lysa. Both were smitten with the babe. Lysa especially.
Ned breathed in the cold northern air. It was good to be home in the North. Benjen had traveled to Riverrun and escorted Catelyn and baby Robb back to Winterfell. His new bride and son would be waiting for him when they arrived in Winterfell.
Ned stopped his horse on the hill. He surveyed the land before him. He knew them like the back of his hands. He was now Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. A role that should have been Brandon's when their father finally died.
But Father and Brandon were gone, as was Lyanna; it was only he and Benjen who were left. Apart from his Lady Wife Catelyn, his firstborn son Robb, and his nephew Aemon/Jaspar,
Ned kicked his horse into a canter, heading down the hill towards Wintertown and Winterfell. The commonfolk of Wintertown stood and stared as the New Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North had returned.
Waiting in the courtyard when they rode in, Benjen, his Lady wife Catelyn, and baby Robb were among the people standing in the courtyard.
"Welcome home, Lord Stark. Winterfell is yours."Benjen bowed as Ned dismounted.
"Enough of this Lord business; come here, little brother." Ned closed the distance, hugging his surviving sibling and brother close to him.
"It's good to see you, big brother." Benjen returned Ned's hug. "You brought Lya home." Ned had sent a Raven from King's Landing saying that Lyanna was dead and he was bringing her bones home to Winterfell to be buried in the Crypts with Brandon, Father, Mother, and countless other generations of Stark buried there.
Ned nodded in reply.
"Welcome home, my Lord. This is your son, Robb."Robb opened his blue eyes, looking at his father for the first time.
"May I hold him?" Ned asked.
"Of course, he is your son." Catelyn handed Robb to him.
Ned was overcome with emotion as he held his son in his arms. The boy was the future of House Stark. Ned knew, looking at Catelyn, that he'd made the right decision by letting Aemon be adopted and raised by Jon and Lysa.
Robb began to wail.
"I think it's time for he's feed my Lord." Ned handed Robb back to Catelyn to take inside.
"Lyanna's tombs ready, Ned," Benjen said after a few minutes of silence.
"Aye, it's time then." Ned moved over to the horse to retrieve Lyanna's bones, which he'd been carrying with him.
The last two remaining sons of Rickard and Lyarra Stark made their way down to the crypts with Lyanna's bones. Neither Stark Brother said a word. The statue looked nothing like Lyanna. It failed to capture anything about her.
Ned and Benjen said silent prayers as they laid Lyanna to rest beside their father and brother.
"There is something I need to tell you, Ben," Ned began to say.
"This doesn't sound good. What's troubling you, Ned?"
"When we found Lyanna, it wasn't a fever she died of. Loss of blood during childbirth" Ned carefully began to say:
"The babe. Did it survive? Was it a boy or girl?" Benjen questioned.
"A boy. He lived. Our nephew, Aemon, is what Lyanna named him on her deathbed. He's no bastard. Lyanna was married to Prince Rhaegar and Princess Elia on the Isle of Faces."
"I know" Ned looked at his younger brother in disbelief.
"You knew"
"Aye, I knew she was going to run off with the prince. I knew they were to be married. Lyanna said she left letters for Father, Robert, you, and Brandon. What became of these letters, I don't know. Where is our nephew? You didn't bring him back with you," Benjen explained in more detail.
"Jon Arryn knows the truth about Aemon. He and his wife, Lysa, have adopted Aemon as their son. Lysa cannot have children of her own to give Jon Arryn. Aemon is being raised by them as Jaspar Arryn II. Named after Jon Arryn's father. They will give me a good home and a good childhood.
One far better than he'd have if I raised him here alongside my children. Catelyn would not take it well if I had brought him home. Aemon does not deserve the stigma of growing up a bastard."
"Dacey and I would have been more than willing to take him and raise him." Ned looked at Benjen in surprise.
"You and Dacey Mormont have been together since when?"
"War has a way of bringing people together, Ned. We're to be married in a couple moons time. We'll go live on Bear Island," Benjen answered his older brother's question.
"I could have Moat Coalin rebuilt for you or Queenscrow," Ned offered.
"I'd have to talk over Dacey. But it's a generous offer, Ned."
Beyond the Wall
The Three-Eyed Raven Brynden Rivers
281 AC.
The Pact of Fire and Ice had been fulfilled. The Dragonwolf was needed to fight the forthcoming war. The dead had risen again. The Night King and his army of undead had returned. Only the dragonwolf could turn the tide against the Night King. Preventing the never-ending winter from taking place.
Aemon Targaryen was humanity's only hope. For the dragonwolf raised, a falcon would become the stuff of legends in the generations to come. The once-great Targaryen Dynasty would rise again.
The future of House Targaryen and the very world rests on the shoulders of the boy who would be king.