Author 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: Jon is adopted and raised by Jon Arryn, a dragon wolf raised in the Vale.
Prologue.
The Red Keep, King's Landing, 281 AC
The arrival of Eddard and his men should have been one of joy. It turned to sadness and anger when Eddard had arrived with Lyanna's body. Eddard had only said that she died of a fever. Eddard and his companion hadn't come alone.
There was a babe with him. His bastard son, Jon Sand he claimed, the boy's mother was Ashara Dayne. She had passed away when his namesake was born. Eddard's bastard son's uncle, Arthur Dayne, had been among those who had come with Ned to King's Landing.
Robert had wanted to kill the former Kingsguard, dubbed the Sword of the Morning. Arthur Dayne had been close friends with Prince Rhaegar. Other members of the Kingsguard were in the wind. Gone across the Narrow seas to the Essos.
Robert had raged, cursed, and sworn when he was told the news of Lyanna's passing. He'd asked, barely looking at the babe in Ned's arms, who's babe he was. Ned merely replied that he was his bastard son, Jon Sand.
"Would you like to hold your namesake, Lord Arryn?" Eddard handed the boy to him. The babe was quiet, barely making a sound. He looked up at him with gray eyes. It was then that Jon Arryn noticed. The babe had a lot of Stark in him, but there was something else.
Those gray eyes of his at the right angle or light had purple in them. For the boy to be Ned's, the timeline didn't add up. Nor anything really. Jon remembers Ned dancing with Ashara Dayne once. All the rest of her time was spent with Ned's older brother, Brandon.
"Ned, the boy's a Stark; there's no denying that. He takes after his mother, doesn't he? Ned, don't lie to me. He's Lyanna's son, isn't he? And he if is Lyanna's, then there's only one person that's possible: his father, Rhaegar Targaryen.
That boy is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and your sister. How did Lyanna die, Ned? It wasn't a fever, was it?" The Lord of the Eryie questioned. He may be getting on in years. But he wasn't senile just yet.
Ned nodded. The gig was up, so to speak. "He's Lyanna and Rhaegar's son. Jon, she made me promise to protect him. You know what Robert will do to him if he ever learns the truth."
"Is he a bastard or true-born?"
"True born. Howland Reed found letters and a marriage certificate between Rhaegar, Lyanna, and Elia Martell. She was dying of a loss of blood. She made me promise to protect him from Robert. Taking him and raising him as my bastard will keep him safe," Ned explained a little more.
"And what of your lady wife? How will she react when you bring my nake sake back to Winterfell? Not well. And what will you do with him when he comes of age, Ned? Will you give him a lordship and land of his own, or will you ship him off to the wall without ever telling him who he truly is?
What did Lyanna call him, if I may ask?" Jon Arryn questioned.
"Aemon, his name is Aemon Targaryen" Ned answered.
"I admire you for what you are doing. But may I make a suggestion? Let me take the boy. I have children of my own. Lysa cannot have children. She fell with child to Petry Baelish; you remember him, the boy who challenged Brandon for Catelyn's hand?
He got his claws into Lysa; he got her with child Hoster found out. Baelish was sent to take the Black at Castle Black. Lysa had some form of moontea. It made her lose the babe. The loss of the babe was bad enough that she could not have children of her own.
We will adopt the boy. Raise him as our own. He doesn't need the stigma of bastardy on him. He is a king. Let me raise him as such. As Jon Arryn II, he will be safe from Robert. Till such time as he is ready to take back his throne." Jon offered.
"You would put Aemon on the throne and go against Robert. He was your foster son." Ned was taken aback.
"Yes, I love him dearly, Ned. We both know Robert is no king. He will drive this kingdom into the ground. His marrying Cersei Lannister will make no difference. It is only Tywin Lannister who furthers himself to get his blood on the throne.
I suggested he marry Cersei before I knew of Aemon's existence. Now I know of the boy. He needs a family. I am not saying you don't love the boy, Ned. I know you love him as if he were your own son.
But for your sake and everyone else's, it's best if I take him in. Adopt him as my son and heir. Raise him to be the King he will need to be, the King that the Seven Kingdoms needs ."
Ned was silent for a while as he thought over what his foster father had said. Jon Arryn was right—what life would he be condemning his nephew to as a bastard? A stigma, no matter how far in life he went, Aemon would never be free of it.
He knew deep in his heart that his new wife wouldn't take kindly to him bringing Aegon back to Winterfell and naming him as his bastard son with Ashara Dayne.
"Aye, you're right, Jon. It would be best if you took Aemon and adopted him as your son. Ser Arthur Dayne will not want to be parted from him. He was there with Ser. Gerold Hightower and Ser. Oswell Whent, protecting Lyanna in Dorne.
We made a deal, so there was no blood spilled on that day. I do not worry about my men saying anything; they've all sworn before the Old Gods to keep what happened in Dorne a secret. As true Northsmen I trust them to keep their word" Ned agreed for Jon and his wife to adopt Aegon.
"Will you stand behind him if Aemon decides he wants to take back his throne?" Jon asked.
"I don't know Jon," Ned answered honestly.
"It may be years before it comes to that. But when the time comes, you will have to decide what is more important—your love for Robert or your nephew, the rightful heir and king."
A dragonwolf pup was to be raised among falcons. Aemon Targaryen, first of his name would be raised as Jaspar 'Jon' Arryn II, the adoptive son of Lord Jon Arryn and his lady wife Lysa Tully-Aryn.