Sometimes Ned wondered if he was doing the right thing.
It all started after the War. Every decision he took as the Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North was plagued with the same question, was this the right choice? Would his father have chosen this? Would Brandon have done something differently?
Ned was never fully at Winterfell, having been warded to the Eyrie when he was young. He knew that he had to work twice as hard to earn the belief of these people, the people of his father and his father before him. Ned would like to believe he did just that, and his time viewing the future only solidified that belief. And meeting his father again had instilled in him the confidence he'd been lacking.
But Ned still questioned whether he was doing the right thing.
Especially when it came to Jon.
He had promised Lyanna to protect her son from Robert, the same RobertNed had grown up with. Hiding Jon would be easy, and it was. And that was where Ned wondered whether he was doing the right thing. Hiding from Robert was a given, but hiding it from Jon? Ned always pushed the thought towards one reason, Jon was too young not to be able to hold this secret in. But then Jon did grow and Ned had not told him in the future. He died and the secret died with him, and then Jon died too and the secret became irrelevant.
But Jon had seen the same future Ned had. Jon now knew who his true parents were. And try as he might, the boy was not able to hold all his emotions back from Ned. He was angry, felt betrayed, and was starting to lose sense of himself.
Or at least Ned assumed as much.
The two hadn't spoken much since their return. Ned had thought that perhaps they would talk more on the ship to King's Landing, but Jon spent most of his time up on the Crow's Nest. Only the boy knew what he was thinking up there. Suddenly Jon had become a stranger to Ned.
"The kid's whole world turned upside down Ned, give him some time" Robert belched.
Ned shook his head, sipping his wine with still a troubled mind.
"You raised the boy, so he won't do something stupid or untowards. He's a good kid from what I've seen of him, not a surprise considering who his mother is" The King put his glass down. "He isn't our biggest worry now."
Ned let go of the breath he didn't know he was holding.
"Stannis is dead, Renly has left, I don't have many people on my side in the Capital Ned. I need people I can trust around me, people who know the things I know and can help me prepare."
"You know I need to be up North" Ned began, seeing the predicament his friend was in but knowing fully well enough that he was going to be of no help to him. "The North is going to be the first place that falls once the dead make it past the Wall. I need to prepare it so the dead can never pass the wall."
"And how exactly are the dead going to manage that?! The bloody Wall stands to magically repel them or some shit. These gods only gave us half the information!" the man grunted, slamming his fist on the table.
"Half is better than none" Ned reasoned. "You saw what happens without this knowledge at hand. We may not know how the dead pass through, but we know the dead is a threat to us all. We will move with the assumption that the White Walker's King knows of a way to pass through the Wall."
"Assumptions" Robert grunted. He was clearly displeased.
"Jaime Lannister's addition to the Wall would be invaluable, as would the addition of all the corrupted men currently in the City Watch and whatnot."
Ned eyed his friend closely. The man had to have done something to catch them all.
But Robert only sighed.
"The Spider has plans for Baelish. He hasn't revealed much else other than that."
"You're the King, order him to do so!"
"Not a good idea. On the off chance I let it slip when I'm in one of my rage fits" Robert shook his head. "I'll leave it to him to handle Baelish, and once Baelish falls the rest will fall with him."
So there was no set plan in place… Ned was not sure how he felt about that.
"Tell me about your plans for the Watch Ned, what do you intend to do about the Freefolk?"
"The same as we discussed in the Hall. Once this trial is done, I'll move further North to see the state of the Wall myself, and perhaps move further North and meet with Rayder."
"This is dangerous Ned. The Wildlings know the terrain better than you, and they are not people who would welcome you with open arms."
"Rayder knows me. If he showed Jon courtesy, he would show it to me too."
"That's a big if, Ned."
"Aye, but that is the best we can do now. The best I can do."
Ned swallowed his wine and Robert swallowed his water.
"Speaking of Jon" the King put his hands in his pocket and threw a piece of parchment at Ned. The man opened it and read through it, his eyes widening some.
"Robert-"
"The boy deserves it" Robert shrugged. "And he wants it, Ned. I know he does."
Ned would not argue with that. He rolled the parchment back up and pocketed it.
"I plan to bring Mya to King's Landing," Robert said softly. "And have Gendry brought in as well."
"Fine ideas" Ned nods.
"Gendry will be my heir. He is my son."
Ned's face fell slightly.
Robert rolled his eyes.
"You have things to say. Jon had them too. Out with it."
"Bring them into the castle, that is no problem. But Robert, the Realm would never accept a bastard for an heir."
"Spit on the realm Ned! They are my children and they can be heir if I say they can!"
"And then what would you do after you die? Do you expect people to just follow the orders like it's nothing? That perhaps your written word would hold power without you being alive? Can you promise me that it wouldn't be torn apart and the realm would push to overthrow your children and instill someone with a proper claim?"
Robert grunted in frustration, but he had nothing to say to that.
"Renly is your heir now… unless you decide to marry again."
"And you think I should marry again?"
"I think you should" Ned leaned back. "Tie a powerful house to you and keep the Crown strong. We will need it."
Robert snorted.
"You, Jon, and your tying powerful houses bullshit" the King muttered.
-x-
Ned had confidence enough in Robert to know that he would do the right thing in the end. Robert knew what was to come and knew what he must do. Ned need not worry about that.
It was his nephew Jon that Ned had to worry about, especially with what he was about to do and how the boy would react.
Ned found Jon in the training yard, clashing blades with one of the Baratheon men, being instructed by Ser Barristan of all people.
"Your son has quite an effect, Lord Stark."
Ned tried his best not to punch the rat in the face.
"He's made quick friends with the bastard princess and her uncle, and now even Ser Barristan seems to have fallen for his charms."
"It's not my son you wish to speak about I'm guessing, Lord Baelish."
Petyr chuckled.
"You're a sharp one, Lord Stark. Perhaps my opinion of Northern men was too harsh" the man said softly. "But yes, you are correct" a pause, "the King is your friend, and right now he is without an heir."
"Renly is his heir, Lord Baelish" Ned corrected the man.
"Renly is a flower that wilts in the face of adversity, such a man is not fit for the throne," Baelish said simply. "Someone with more iron and discipline would be an ideal man to be the King's heir."
"Stannis is dead, he fits your description."
"So do you, Lord Stark" Baelish turned so he fully faced Ned. "If you can talk to the King, he will name you heir. I might as well be able to put a word in for you, and I know the hand will also support the decision. The realm would rejoice such a selection."
Ned could only stare at the audaciousness of this man. How dare he even suggest such a thing?!
Before Ned could answer, Ser Barristan and Jon were seen walking to them.
"Think about it" Baelish patted the man on the shoulder and walked away.
Jon raised a brow when he got close and Ned shook his head.
"Lord Stark."
"Ser Barristan. I would like to speak to Jon in private. If you could excuse us."
The three separate, Jon and Ned heading back towards the guest chambers while Ser Barrist went wherever he needed to be.
"You seemed to have made friends with Ser Barristan" Ned commented.
"I was watching training and he approached me. He wished to see my skills with a blade" Jon answered, "do you think he suspects?"
"No reason for him to" Ned shrugged. He then fished a rolled parchment from his pocket and handed it to On.
Jon accepted it, unrolled the parchment, and read its contents.
Jon stopped.
Ned stopped a few steps away from him.
"The King naturalised me" Jon whispered, before looking up to his uncle. "Did you-"
Ned shrugged. He didn't have a hand in this, even if he planned on bringing this up. Robert probably did this more for Lyanna than Jon.
"Jon Stark" Jon muttered, and Ned was relieved to see a smile on the boy's face.
"I'm glad to see you're happy. I feared-"
Jon rushed over and hugged the man tightly.
"It's what I've wanted for so long… I might be half my father, but I am also half my mother. Thank you… I wanted this more than the other one…"
Ned smiled softly and hugged back.