Jaeron Targaryen
Winterfell, 299AC
Deep down, a part of Jon did not want to leave, and another part of him did not want Howland to arrive. It was an incredibly selfish thought, but Winterfell was all he knew. It was all he thought he would know apart from perhaps the Wall. A piece of him still felt like Jon Snow, the scared little bastard boy who was constantly sneered at in the corridors and was noticeably shunned by the Lady. Yet now, there was no turning back. He cannot go back to when his life was simple, it was simply far too dangerous. Not only for him, but for his siblings and his father. Over the past few days, he had gotten peace with still considering Ned and the Stark kids his siblings and his father.
He would never get to meet his own siblings; both were murdered when Lyanna was still pregnant with him. Two babes that were way too young to cause any issue yet Tywin Lannister and Robert Baratheon carried out the horrid act anyway. No, today was his last day as the bastard son of Lord Eddard Stark. From tomorrow, he would be the last legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen, a son nobody knew existed apart from a select few. He did not feel ready to make the leap from bastard to King, which was why Catelyn had been drilling him on basic courtesies that was expected of a noble.
Yes, he knew the absolute basics in case he came face to face with another noble, but now he was a noble himself. He had to learn how to act like one, talk like one, and lead like one. Robb had been helping him by allowing him to shadow when carrying out the acting Lord duties, but it likely wouldn't prove to be useful to him. Whether he liked it or not, Jon was a royal. Not only a royal, he had the highest claim out of everyone. If he is to one day reveal himself, he will need to be able to have a mind sharper than a sword. To become someone prepared for the slightest inconvenience to deadly inconveniences. Someone who could strategize if this were the case to always remain at the top of the board.
It was something he never thought he would have to do, and he will have to learn quickly. All other Lords and royals have had decades of experience, whereas he has had a few days. Silently, he was glad he was someone who was a quick learner. He had been sending ravens back and forth with Aemon and Benjen to alert them to his arrival, this being his first tactic he was going to use. If something does happen, no one will think to look for him as they will assume he is dead. This will give him an advantage, whilst he would be staying in Greywater Watch with Howland, Jyana, and his children. He had yet to learn their names. Someone that was relatively central in Westeros, only a day's ride away from the Riverlands and the Vale.
"Have you finished packing everything?"
He snapped his head up to face Robb who also had a grimace on his normal jovial expression.
"Just about. Only the sword and then need to find a way to get these two into the cages Maester Luwin leant me. I've already tried but they did not take kindly to it."
The older chuckled at this before eyeing the dragons. It was alarming how quickly they were growing. They were now more than double the size they were when they had hatched, and Rhaegon had begun breathing fire. Granted, it was only a small stream of flame, but it was still fire. The blue one waddled over and climbed up Robb's leg to perch on his shoulder, her weight taking him off guard. With the door locked, Jon slid out the sword from under his bed and covered the noticeable hilt with some contraption Luwin had asked Mikken to make. The blacksmith had found the request odd, but he did so anyway when Catelyn gave him a stern glare. He had the real sheath inside his suitcase and had Dark Sister in a bashed in sheath he had taken from the armoury. No one would think he carried the legendary blade of Visenya Targaryen in that. It was clipped on to his hip not long after before he eyed his dragons.
"Now, I need to trap them. This is not going to be pretty at all."
Robb hesitantly went up to remove Lyrax from his shoulder but she simply clamped down harder causing him to wince. She wasn't clawing enough to draw blood, but certainly enough to bruise.
"Nyke gīmigon ao gaomagon daor jaelagon naejot sagon isse se cado, yn daorys kostagon gīmigon nyke emagon ao lanta. Ziry jāhor mērī sagon syt nykeā mība jēda." (I know you do not want to be in the cage, but no one can know I have you two. It will only be for a short time.)
Rhaegon let out a small hiss but much to both boy's surprise, he waddled into the cage. Robb only caught a few of the words his brother had spoken, the younger already being leagues ahead of him in the language. He spoke some other words to the dragon after this but he did so quietly to the point the older could not make out what he was saying. Once the door was closed, he noticed the silver dragon let out another hiss, showing he did not take well to being locked up. Jon didn't want to lock them up, but there would be a war on their doorstep if it got out he had two dragons. Creatures that have supposedly been extinct for over a hundred years.
Unlike the silver dragon, Lyrax did not immediately obey. She screeched, whined, snapped, and hissed from her spot, right into Robb's ear and possibly leaving him with partial hearing for a while. It took a solid twenty minutes to finally get her into her own cage and this only happened by tricking her with Jon holding her like a human child and tickling her stomach. It was a rather comical sight, but the marks on their skin was anything but comical. How no one had barged in when they heard the noise was lost on them, but Robb strongly suspected his mother had something to do with that.
"Zaldrīzes dohaeri iksos daor." (A dragon is not a slave)
Jon let out a small laugh at his brother's words before replying.
"Daor, zaldrīzoti issi daor vēttan naejot sagon mirre iemny." (No, dragons are not made to be kept inside.)
Jon now pulled the cover over the crate that was carrying them all to keep them from sight fully which only annoyed Lyrax more but a simple command to remain quiet got her to do so. But he was dreading when they finally arrive and they are let out. Robb helped carry everything to the courtyard where Howland would be riding in any moment. On their way outside they heard the horn signalling a rider had been spotted.
"How much trouble did they give you both?"
From the irritated looks on both boy's, Catelyn had her answer.
"Rhaegon was fine, but he's not happy. Lyrax on the other hand decided to be a spoiled brat about it."
The Lady smiled a little, clearly finding the image funny but refusing to let her exterior fall. They talked a little between themselves until a few guards rode through followed by who could only be the Lord and Lady of Greywater Watch. Both swung off their horses and hesitantly walked over, both boy's surprised by how short they were. Jyana was almost a head shorter than them, and Howland was a few inches shorter as well. Then again, it was common knowledge that the crannogmen were short of stature- and if rumours were true, had blood of the Children in their veins.
"It's wonderful to see you my Lord and Lady, Hodor here will take care of your horses. Please help yourself to bread and salt and we can continue in a meeting room."
Both smiled at this but Jon noticed the lingering look Howland was giving him. From the slightly raised eyebrows, he knew he recognised him immediately. Once all were seated in one of the private rooms, the Lord turned to him in awe.
"Gods, look at you. You look so much like your father, mother's colouring though. You were just born the last time I saw you."
He had the grace to blush slightly at this, understanding the compliment. He had to be someone who was humble if people were going to follow him in the future. Some food was brought in and they were left to their own devices afterwards.
"If you don't mind me asking my Lady, why now?"
Catelyn turned to him and gave him a subtle nod.
"As you'll know from our ravens my Lord, I successfully hatched dragons a few weeks ago. But something else happened at the same time, something I didn't notice until Lord Stark pointed it out. My eyes were lilac-grey in colour beforehand, yet they're now bright purple. We were considering using an alias that I was instead the bastard son of Brandon Stark and Ashara Dayne as that would explain the eyes, but there wasn't enough time to alert them. It's also unheard of for eyes to change colour in the span of a couple of hours permanently instead of just looking like another colour in different lighting."
Both nodded at this, understanding where they were all coming from. The alias would've worked if his eyes had slowly turned this shade over the years, but instantly changing immediately disqualified this idea.
"My Lord if you don't mind me asking. How is it ravens get to Greywater Watch if it is not always in the same place?"
He smiled kindly towards Robb at this.
"Ravens get sent to an abandoned tower in the Neck approximately half a day's ride away from the castle. Said tower has regular riders going back and forth between the castle, other holdfasts, and some houses as well."
Jon hummed lightly under his breath at this, that was a smart idea. Perhaps one he could use in the future if they needed to avoid potential interception.
"From the latest raven received, you want to travel to the Wall first to spend some time with your uncles for a few days before heading south by ship, correct?"
He confirmed this was the case, and from the quirk of an eyebrow he knew the Lord was testing him by asking why.
"We agreed fostering, however I realised that these arrangements come from weeks of negotiations which did not tie in with the timeline. I cannot remain in Winterfell, and as we are still going by the bastard story- the only place a bastard can go is the Wall. Either this or Knighthood, but the second option is not ideal. All it takes is someone who was close to my father to recognise me. If I go there first, people will think I've taken the black and will not think anything else of me. Which means I'll still be hidden."
Silence ensued for a few moments at these words before Jyana let out a barking laugh.
"You've been training him well, Lady Catelyn. Very clever."
Her husband was simply smiling in amusement, a look that was shared by Robb because there was no denying the idea had a lot of merit. He would seemingly be lost, meaning no one would think of him. When the time comes, there will be an even bigger shock than Rhaegar having a second son and Eddard Stark committing treason to protect said son.
"Alright then. We shall stay for luncheon, and then we will start riding north. Have you packed everything, little Prince?"
The younger confirmed he had packed everything, and Catelyn took it upon herself to show the Lord and Lady around Winterfell.
"He seems like a nice man, very short though."
Jon snorted at the comment before challenging Robb to another spar, something they wouldn't do again for a long time. Who knows how long he will be in Greywater Watch for. It could be weeks, months, maybe even years. Both walked out to the courtyard and grabbed their preferred sparring swords, Jon making a mental note to himself to go easy on Robb. As he is now the acting Lord of the castle, he is expected to keep up appearances. Plus, he felt like he owed it to him to let him win a bout. He simply grabbed a training longsword, knowing he still had a lot of work to do regarding his non dominant hand. After their last sparring session, he'd had cramps in said hand for days as he was not prepared for it yet. He humoured him for a while first before feigning he was getting tired, which allowed Robb to get in a swing to end the spar. He simply nodded and gave him a warm smile before taking the blades they were using and putting them away.
"I guess this is farewell, Snow."
Jon snorted a little at the use of his bastard name.
"Aye, it sure is Stark."
With that said, both made their way to the main hall where they were greeted with two tables filled with freshly roasted meat, numerous fruits, alongside a lot of miniature cakes, and a few of Old Nan's famed kidney pies. All helped themselves to large portions but unsurprisingly it wasn't long until neither could eat another morsel.
"Are you sure about heading out straight away, my Lord? Would yourself and the Lady not like a day to rest?"
Howland gave her a warm look at her hospitality.
"Nay, my Lady. As we all know, the more he remains here the more dangerous the situation will become. However, Jyana here would like to stay for a few days before heading back to Greywater Watch. She wanted to get out of the Neck for a little bit. I'll accompany him to the Wall myself to spend time with Aemon and Benjen before riding to Eastwatch before taking a boat down. From there we'll ride to the castle considering you cannot get to it by any other method."
Catelyn nodded curtly at the response, sensing the dismissal in his words. They stayed to talk for a while before they decided to leave. When Rickon noticed him, he gave him such a stern glare before crying again, refusing to say goodbye to him. It was Robb who was the most emotional of those who knew, Catelyn still playing the part of a dutiful wife hating the stain of her husband.
"Don't get yourself killed, Jon. No one needs those things running rampart throughout the North."
The younger laughed at this, knowing that the dragons would not react well if that happened.
"You should know by now Robb that us Targaryen's are hard to kill. You Stark's are the same."
The older smiled at his words, knowing them to be true. It was only catastrophic events that seemed to rip the two families apart, something that had happened only seventeen years ago. The realm has been at relative peace for that length of time, but it probably won't be for much longer. One day the truth will come out, and it will plunge the continent into a huge war. Four major houses fighting against one another, three Kingdom's against one another. Stormlands, Crownlands, and the North. The first two already having a bloody history for which parts of said Kingdom's belonged to who. Robb rid the thoughts from his head and helped strap his belongings to his black stallion his father had gifted him for his thirteenth name-day. When it came to strapping Lyrax and Rhaegon though, he could tell they were not pleased in the slightest. He couldn't remember who was in what box, but he guessed the one making annoyed noises was Lyrax. Then he proceeded to pull in his brother tightly.
"I'll be back one day, Robb. And when the day comes, woe to any of our enemies."
It was only once he had swung onto the horse that it all sunk in for everyone. Robb could see tears in Jon's eyes before he and Howland rode out of Winterfell. A place he wouldn't come back to for quite some time. Right now, Robb needed his father, but his father was hundreds of miles away in Kings Landing with his sisters. There is now only two Stark's in Winterfell, and it oddly didn't feel like home with just him and Rickon.
Jon remembered the journey to the Wall from the last time they had made the journey up. He'd only known for a week or so when he did so, yet it's now been nearing three months. He's fully come to accept who he is and what his position entails, a position he will need to embrace one day. He is a Prince, and a Prince must be a master at politics to weave through everything. A topic he had only begun being taught in a few days after he was told. He'd picked up on a few things, and Robb had been kind to give him notes and testing him on it, but he was far from a master at them. The North doesn't care much for this, typically staying out of everything and remaining isolated to the other Kingdoms. But the south was not, and it is the south he will need to impress with these things.
"Jaeron, I need to make you aware of something before you arrive in Greywater Watch. Us crannogmen are notorious for keeping to ourselves unless we have absolutely no choice, and a lot of us do not take part in fighting. Therefore, we do not have a master at arms. However, I have requested one for you and he should be here approximately a fortnight from now. He's the same man who taught my Meera how to fight. I have also requested someone well-versed in courtly politics from the Reach to teach you on this. In relation to politics, I can teach you on that considering it's a topic that fascinates me greatly."
He nodded at this, although he did give him a look over the use of his actual name. At times he still felt like the bastard of Ned Stark but hearing his birth name kicked it into action that he was the legitimate heir of Rhaegar Targaryen. Like before, the ride was long and hard. Stopping every few hours to feed and water the horses whilst nibbling on salt beef. On their way, the pair talked often, getting to know one another. Jon knew that when the time comes, Howland will make a very loyal ally, and the man had stated after two days he would love to serve under him once the secret is out.
Ten days after leaving Winterfell, the Wall finally came into their line of vision, somehow taking his breath away again. To think his ancestor built that thing was something else. As they approached, a few brothers rode out to meet them, giving them odd looks before the young boy stated he was expected by Maester Aemon and Benjen Stark. However, he frowned when the brothers paused and tilted their heads- almost as if they were saying sorry. What could they be sorry for? Had something happened? He didn't dare ask though before the gates were opened and the pair rode on with the brothers following behind. The Lord Commander coming over to greet him but he too had his head bowed in a sorrowful manner.
"The stewards will take the horses for you both, but we should meet in private. We have news."
Now, dread sunk in deep for him. Realising now that something must've happened for them to be acting like this. And it must be serious to cause these reactions. His eyes scanned the crowd for Benjen, but he couldn't see him. Perhaps he was on a ranging north of the Wall, a likely option considering he is the First Ranger. With a simple nod towards Howland, they swung from their mounts and Jon unclipped his belongings. Not wanting to chance a black brother rifling through his belongings.
"Have a seat kid, we need to talk. A raven was sent a week ago, but I'd imagine you left just as it was leaving here. Help yourself to some ale or wine."
The Lord's chambers were not much better than the rest of the castle, but it was clear it was the best one there was on offer. Silently, he swore that if he does win the game, he will have the castles restored to their maximum potential.
"It's your uncle Benjen, kid. He went on a ranging a month ago, but he has not returned yet. The other riders horses did but his did not, but neither of the rangers who went with him also came back. We have sent people to search for him, but there have been no sightings of him. We presume him either dead, stranded, or a captive of the Wildings."
Just like that, Jon felt his heart drop heavy in his chest. Surely he didn't hear that correctly. Benjen missing? Presumed dead or a captive? If he knew his uncle as much as he did, he would never allow himself to be captured. He'd also sent letters back and forth with him for years confirming he was relatively respected by the Wildings, so why would they capture him? That option made no sense whatsoever. Unless they were using him as bait to get information, but it doesn't tie in with their nature to do so. Which meant he was either stranded somewhere, or he was dead. His hand reached up to cover his mouth as he forced himself to keep tears at bay. He couldn't lose another family member. Yes, the family members who had died to him happened before he was born or in his mother's case, as he was being born, but it didn't hurt any less.
"Benjen wouldn't allow himself to be captured. The young wolf is a lot smarter than people give him credit for. I've known him since he was fourteen- almost eighteen years now. It does not tie in with his character."
Jeor nodded at this, seemingly having come to the same conclusion. Yes, it was still a possibility, but with Benjen's nature, it was the most unlikely.
"We have sent one more party after him, but if they come back empty handed- we will unfortunately be considering him perished."
Jon simply nodded, blinking hard to stop tears from coming. He'd always been close with Benjen, and the thought that he was gone felt like an arrow to his chest. But they cannot keep sending out search parties, it's a waste of people if they're not coming back.
"Now, I believe you wanted to speak to Maester Aemon privately. I've got to say, I find it a little strange that the bastard son of Lord Eddard is communicating regularly with a Targaryen considering what happened."
At these words, his lips immediately pursed into a very tight line, eyeing the small cages that contained his dragons at his feet. He was surprised that neither of them made a sound during this, probably sleeping because they were sure making a ruckus on the way here. Lyrax especially. Rhaegon was the more behaved of the pair, but he was far from mellow as he had found out the hard way by getting a small stream of flame blown from the cage a couple of days ago dropping in some meat for him to feed on. However, Aemon deserved to know they had hatched- it was him who had given him the eggs after all. Jeor had his eyebrow quirked, trying to goad him into revealing everything. After thinking to himself for a few minutes and sharing a few wary looks with Howland, he realised if they were going to pull it off, someone needed to be in on it.
"Lord Commander, I apologise for not confirming this during my last visit, but I was still coming to terms with it all and I was unsure who I could trust. My name is not Jon Snow, and I am also not Ned Stark's son. He raised me as his own, he claims me as his own, I share blood with him, and I see him as my father- but he did not sire me. My name is Jaeron Targaryen, son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen. The rebellion was built on a lie and I have proof with official documents and letters sent between all parties that confirms this. I'm Aemon's thrice great nephew. That is why I've been communicating with him frequently, he is family, the only family I know for certain on this side of the tree is alive."
Jeor immediately began coughing on his ale at this, covering his mouth with his hand to get it under control. That was when he remembered something, he was a Mormont. Mormont's fought in the rebellion, and here he was telling the previous head of said house it was a lie? Perhaps he shouldn't have said things.
"How long have you known? And why in seven hells have you not put that out there yet? Tens of thousands of people died over a lie?!"
His face was getting redder, clearly trying to stop the anger from showing.
"I have only known for around four months Lord Commander. My uncle promised my mother that he would tell me on my sixteenth name-day. Which he did. It took me a long time to come around to it, and it took me longer to decide. I want justice for what happened, I don't want the man who got insulted over my mother refusing to marry him on the throne who is also the man who murdered my father by crushing his chest in with a hammer. One day the truth will come out, and I promise you it will be before my twentieth name-day. I want to clear my father's name, I want to clear that disgusting kidnap and rape rumour regarding my mother, I want revenge just as much as you do now you know the truth. But I was not groomed to be a leader, and it is something I will need to learn. I also want to make sure my biggest weapons can be used to their full potential before I do anything. I want justice for my murdered siblings and even justice for Elia despite what she would've been if it all got out-"
He cut off after this, realising he was now ranting and not simply stating his answer. He took a few breaths, allowing himself to calm down before eyeing him directly. The stare seemed to go on for hours which was probably only a minute or two, but then Jeor smiled in pride at him.
"You remind me of myself at your age, kid. You've got your mind set on getting justice, and you're not seeing it as revenge. That's a fantastic mindset for a good leader to have. Now, I have to say I'm curious about these weapons you have- "
It was at that moment that one of the dragons let out a loud screech, Jaeron rolling his eyes in annoyance. That couldn't have been timed better if he were trying. The older man gave him a confused glance at this before the young Prince lifted the cages up so they were on the desk and opened the hatch so he could see, a silver and blue head popping out. If Jeor was shocked when he told him, he was well and truly shitting himself now. His eyes widened massively and his body leaned back just enough.
"Lord Commander Mormont meet Rhaegon and Lyrax, my hatchlings. Aemon gave me the eggs himself and they hatched around four weeks ago now."
His eyes were still wide but he hid whatever feelings he had other than this well.
"You know where Aemon's tower is, you can head up anytime unless he is needed."
Jon nodded before closing the hatch again and making his way to the Maester's tower. It was the same as the last time he had visited, but he spotted a new steward there. He appeared to be a similar age to Jon, perhaps a year or two older but no more than that. And he was fat, almost as fat as King Robert was.
"Samwell, who is it?"
He turned to Jon before describing him back to the elderly man before being dismissed. Aemon was seated at his desk with numerous letters strewn on the desk alongside an old tome.
"I've been waiting on you nephew. You said you've got a surprise?"
Jon smiled deeply before taking the seat Samwell was occupying moments before. He whispered to the dragons to be quiet before opening the hatch completely, allowing them to crawl out. Both made a show in stretching their wings and necks, clearly trying to show how uncomfortable they were in there. It was Lyrax who first noticed Aemon and she steadily walked across the table to sniff at his hand. He snatched it away almost immediately before stopping himself. After a moment of wariness, she tilted her head against his skin and purred lightly. Aemon allowed a massive smile to come onto his face as he figured out what this meant.
"They hatched. The one nuzzling your hand is Lyrax- she's blue and grey. Rhaegon is currently sitting on my shoulder. He's pure silver apart from his wings which are red and black."
"Dragons are well and truly back in the world. I never thought I'd feel one, the last ones died out around forty years before I was even born. Aren't you a sweet little thing."
He began tickling her underneath her chin and her purring only got louder at this, clearly enjoying the attention. Despite being the troublemaker of the pair, there's no denying she's the gentlest. Rhaegon was way too wary of new people, but he didn't cause trouble.
"They're around the size of a large domestic cat currently, they were roughly the size of kittens when they hatched."
"Dragons grow fast when not in captivity and are fed regularly. That knowledge was passed down through the family and to a few trusted Maester's."
Howland remained near the back of the room, doing an excellent job at blending in with the shade, simply watching the encounter. He himself was shocked when the dragons emerged from the cages despite knowing the boy had them. No one alive but them, Jeor, Robb, Bran, and Catelyn had seen a living dragon- and it was an experience he would never forget.
"Jaeron, the Lord Commander will be coming in shortly alongside the master at arms here. Apparently he was banished for refusing to bend the knee to Robert once the rebellion came to an end."
Jon gave him a weird look at this, spotting a quirk of a smile on his face before a knock echoed. How did he know they were coming? And how did he know who was coming? He went to put the dragons in the cages so the master at arms didn't see them, but like expected, ran away from him the moment he tried to do so. He closed his eyes and breathed deeply- looks like someone else is finding out the truth.
"Why have you asked me to come here Lord- seven hells, are they what I think they are?!"
Now that he was looking at him, he recognised him. Alliser Thorne, the man who was incredibly hostile to Catelyn, a feeling she returned clearly. He wasn't an idiot when it came to reading body language, it was obvious the pair hated one another for some reason.
"Ser Alliser, please take a seat. You as well Lord Commander. And yourself too Ser- "
"Lord Howland Reed, Maester, of Greywater Watch."
Alliser snorted at this.
"What's a crannogman doing this far north?"
Howland either ignored him or didn't have a response to the answer, somehow Jon knew it was the first option.
"He is accompanying my nephew here, Ser Alliser. And I will not tolerate this hatred in my solar."
Upon hearing the word, his eyes darted to Jon and began studying his features in detail now. He remembered the boy; it was difficult to remember the kid who beat Benjen Stark spectacularly the last time he was here. But why was Aemon calling him nephew?
"Here to take the black, young Snow?"
"Nay, I am not Ser. I am simply here to spend a few days with my uncle and to show him my dragons that hatched from eggs he gifted me during my last visit here. Also, I am not a Snow, I am a Targaryen like Aemon. My name is Jaeron, last living legitimate son of Rhaegar and only son of Lyanna Stark."
Just like Jeor, when the words left the boy's mouth, he began choking on his ale. Once this subsided, he eyed the boy up and down. Gods, he sure as hell looked like Rhaegar. From the high cheekbones to sharp jawline to even his nose shape. Then there were his eyes, a bright purple- a characteristic the Targaryen's had. Once it sunk in the boy was not lying, he threw his head back and laughed merrily.
"So, Robert Baratheon convinced most people he kidnapped and raped her when they eloped and had a child together and said child has been hid under his nose the whole time? Gods be damned, the man will be furious when he finds out!"
He laughed harder at this and it was difficult to hide a smile. Clearly some people didn't believe the story that the King was spreading around and was adamant was the truth.
"Jaeron, normally we do not accept people to remain here if they are not taking the black. But in these circumstances, I would be more than happy to take you on. Help groom you for leadership."
Now, he looked at Jeor with a shred of awe. He wanted to take him on to groom him specifically? The offer was tempting, and up here he can be close to Aemon and have updates on Benjen. But he'd already come to an agreement, hence why Lord Reed was here.
"I appreciate the offer, Lord Commander. However, I've already agreed an arrangement with Lord Howland here. I came here partially to spend time with my uncles, but also to create an alias considering everyone thinks of me as a bastard. I can't go down the Knight route in case someone recognises my father in me, which only leaves here. I can't stay in Winterfell with two dragons and with bright purple eyes. They only turned this colour when they hatched, so we couldn't create another ruse to explain the sudden change in colour. I will be going to Greywater Watch with Howland; he knows everything as he was there when Eddard found my mother after birthing me. Since nobody knows anything apart from a select few, I was going to make it look like I'd taken the black and been lost on a ranging. That way when the time comes to do it, they won't even consider me."
Aemon was openly smirking now, clearly proud of the reasoning. It was a sound plan, no one could deny that. Jeor and Alliser took it all in before nodding in acceptance, both knowing they weren't going to budge on what they've already agreed. Plus, the wall isn't necessarily the best place to hide a Prince of all things.
"In which case, Ser Alliser, would you accept to be released from your vows to train the Prince? I heard Benjen saying something about learning how to fight with dual blades is that correct?"
Jon blushed a little and nodded meekly, giving ground to the compliment. The man thought everything through deeply before shaking his head.
"I took my vows because it was either this or die for refusing to bend to Robert Baratheon. I will not risk that, and I take my vows seriously. I will not break them, nor will I accept to be released from said vows Lord Commander. However, I do have a suggestion for someone who fights dual bladed who may be able to help. Torghen Hill, a bastard of House Tollet. He fought alongside us but he escaped before Robert could give him the same sentence as mine own. He has been residing in Pentos. I can send a raven summoning him if you would like me to do so?"
Respect immediately built for the man, despite the way he had spoken down to his aunt and had called him bastard when he'd arrived the last time. He knew if his uncle were here beside him, he would have the same respect for him. Ned Stark took oaths and vows seriously; he's proven that by keeping who he is quiet for sixteen years. He accepted the offer immediately because he would need someone to train him who did fight with dual swords and was good at it. He won't progress if he is practising solely on dummies.
"I will be staying for around a week, Lord Commander. Will that be enough time to make it look as though I'm lost?"
He stood up and gave him a quizzical glance, clearly challenging him silently.
"It should be. We'll stage it as you refused to admit your uncle is dead which unfortunately, looks like it may be the case, and you went looking for him and never came back. But please, keep those things from burning parts of the building down."
Rhaegon snapped in annoyance at this, clearly noticing he was talking about them. Jon spoke hurriedly to the silver dragon before giving confirmation no harm would come to the people nor the castle whilst he was here. The first part of the plan is now in motion. Now, it's only a matter of time. He has now officially entered the game.