Chapter 6-Off to King's Landing

It wasn't long before Jon's legitimization soon spread throughout Winterfell. It wouldn't be long before the rest of the North knew. Sub-Zero already suspected by the end of the day, half the North will know about Jon's rise in status. Though whether they would be pleased by it was another matter. Bastards were not loved and in some cases the ones who were legitimized were loved less. The idea of someone from a lowly position rising up to a much better one in life was something of a mixed bag with this realm.

Few rose from their lowly stations in life and even fewer tolerated them for it.

With Jon/Aegon, the situation was a mixed bag since some thought it was fine for the boy to become an official Stark. He had earned it. Never once complained, asked for anything in his life, and earned his right to live in the North.

Others were not so welcoming to this news.

"How could you let this happen?!" demanded Catelyn Tully Stark angrily while she was pacing around in her husband's office.

"He couldn't exactly refuse the King," commented Sub-Zero while the Tully woman now turned her anger towards him.

"My husband's bastard is now a legitimized Stark. Do you realize what that means?! If, the Old and New Gods forbid, my husband, and eldest son die, Jon would have a claim to ruling over Winterfell before Bran? Do you know the shame that would bring me? To Ned? To me? To Brandon?" demanded Catelyn while Sub-Zero remained calm despite the anger being aimed at him by the woman.

"Jon would only bring shame to House Stark as a legitimized member if he did something horrible. Name one thing the boy has done when growing up that would have dishonored House Stark as a bastard?" countered Sub-Zero with Catelyn getting right in his face.

"Being born comes to mind," replied Catelyn while Sub-Zero's eyes narrowed.

"Enough! Cat, I know you are angry. At Master Liang. At Jon. At Robert. Even myself for the way things have gone, but this anger you are feeling...its misplaced," said Ned while Catelyn looking at him with anger and confusion.

"Misplaced? How in the Seven Hells are my feelings on this matter misplaced?" asked Catelyn while Ned looked at Sub-Zero for a second.

"You should have told her years ago Ned. The blame for this is entirely on you," said Sub-Zero knowing Lyanna would back him up on this if she were in the room right now.

"And I told you why I didn't tell her. Why I couldn't tell her," said Ned firmly with Sub-Zero sighing.

"Weak excuses. Your own fears for the boy's safety blinded you," said Sub-Zero while ignoring Catelyn looking between him and Ned.

"Considering what would happen if the truth were revealed and into the world, I was justified in my fears!" stated Ned with anger in his voice.

"We are talking about telling a handful of people knowing the secret Ned. Not the entire North," countered Sub-Zero while Ned was glaring back him.

"What is going on? Will one of you please tell me what secret you are referring to right now?!" demanded Catelyn with Ned sighing heavily.

"Cat...what I am about to tell you must not be repeated to anyone. Not even Jon. Not until he's ready," said Ned with Sub-Zero scoffing.

'The boy is ready now. I did not train Lyanna's child to this point just to break down on an emotional level when hearing the truth,' thought Sub-Zero while waiting for Ned to tell Catelyn the truth.

"What truth? Ned, what is going on?" asked Catelyn while Ned sighed once more.

"Jon is and was not my bastard son. In fact, I did not lay with another woman when I was fighting during Robert's Rebellion. Robert himself did enough of that for half the army," said Ned with a small smirk on his face at his attempt at humor.

"But if Jon is not your bastard, who does he belong to? Why raise him as such?" asked Catelyn with Ned looking hesitant to answer.

As if the truth would suddenly destroy everything around him.

"Jon is...my nephew. He is Lyanna's son," said Ned while Cat looked between him and Sub-Zero with the latter nodding.

"Lyanna's son? But...how? How could your sister been pregnant? Unless...by the Gods!" gasped Catelyn after putting everything together in her mind.

"Yes. Rheagar is the Father. She and the Prince married in secret. The whole reason for the war...was a lie," said Ned with Catelyn looking even more shocked when hearing this.

"When did you learn the truth between them?" asked Catelyn while Ned looked grim.

"When we were in Dorne at the Tower of Joy. The only people from that day who know the truth are myself, Master Liang, Prince Oberyn, Ser Arthur Dayne of Starfall, and the small group of handmaidens who were there when Lyanna was pregnant. My bannermen I took with us don't know anything since they did not see her until much later. My sister confessed it all to me shortly after we arrived and helped bring her son into the world. She nearly died in the process if not for the skills of Master Liang and the aid of Prince Oberyn working with the handmaidens with us. Ser Arthur Dayne already knew since Rheagar had assigned him to protect Lyanna shortly after she became pregnant," said Ned while revealing the plan to hide Jon/Aegon in plain sight in order to ensure people like Tywin Lannister and Robert wouldn't discover the truth.

If they did, the problems it would bring would be immeasurable. At least for a time with old wounds from the war needing to be healed.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" asked Catelyn while she now felt horrible in terms of treating Lyanna's son so horribly.

"We needed you to believe the lie was the truth. If you were to suddenly embraced Jon as a member of the family shortly after he was brought here, people would ask questions. It would be difficult to explain why Catelyn Tully Stark, a married woman, was not hating her husband's bastard. The living proof of his unfaithfulness. The living proof that he slept with another woman and broke his vows as a husband," answered Sub-Zero while the Tully woman flinched slightly since she had thought those things about the boy when Ned first brought him to Winterfell.

"Besides, I had hoped as time went by, you would have come to accept Jon as a member of the family. That you would look beyond his status as a bastard, which labeled him, and be a second mother to him. Lyanna cannot officially call him her son despite how we set things up to eventually have her 'adopt' him. This was done under the pretense of people believing she was filling the empty hole in her heart for being unable to conceive a child after what happened to her," said Ned while Catelyn looking shocked by this news to the point where the woman had to sit down.

"No wonder she glared at me. Defended Jon with such a protectiveness. I should have seen it. I am the same way with my own children. I thought Lyanna was doing it out of some form of grief in not being able to call herself a Mother and saw Jon as the child she always wanted," said Catelyn when she recalled how Lyanna stood by Jon's bedside the whole time he was sick with the pox.

Catelyn had felt so responsible for that issue. Even confessing to Lyanna of her prayer to the Seven to kill Jon in some manner in order to remove him from her life and the shame the boy brought House Stark. This in turn made the Stark woman nearly kill Catelyn after finding out the truth of the woman's actions. The near attempted murder was prevented thanks to Sub-Zero being in the room to use his ice powers to keep the boy's fever down.

In the end, Catelyn had left the room to pray again, but in this case, to remove the desire to see Jon dead. In return, she had promised to love the boy as her own son, and to have Ned legitimize him as a Stark.

But when the time came to live up to her promises...she couldn't! Catelyn Tully Stark was unable to keep her promise to the Gods and all because of her hate. All because she could not love (at a time) a Motherless child seeking love from others he would never have due to his title as a bastard.

"Cat, I am telling you this now because there is no point in hiding it from you anymore now that the boy has been made an official member of House Stark. But, we also need you to keep this information from everyone else. Even our children," said Ned while Catelyn looked shocked.

"But they should know Ned. If Robb or Brandon or even Sansa were to notice me acting differently toward Jon, they will ask why the sudden change. You can't expect me to hide this from them?!" replied Catelyn with Ned shaking his head.

"It's too soon for them to know the truth. Jon doesn't even know the truth. People I care about and trust with my life such as Jon Arryn, my Foster Father, didn't know. If people knew about Jon's real name being Aegon Targaryen and was Rheagar Targaryen's son, it will bring about a whole new war. Robb is not yet ready to know. I will tell him soon. But Brandon and Sansa are too young. Arya will draw too much attention to the situation if she finds out," said Ned while Catelyn hating the idea of keeping things from her children.

But for the good of the realm and various Houses, she would be silent.

(King's Quarters)

"I cannot believe you did this! You legitimized Ned Stark's bastard? Why? Because he asked you too?" demanded Cersei angrily since she was in the room and heard what the man had done.

And naturally, she wasn't pleased in the slightest. Her own husband had a small army of bastards running around with the various whores who caught his fancy. Cersei hated him for that, as any married woman would when it came to their husband's infidelities. Now here he was, King Robert of House Baratheon, legitimizing Ned Stark's bastard child, and acting like nothing was wrong.

Clearly the wine Robert drank everyday had destroyed more of his mind than even she thought possible.

"Knock it off woman! Ned is my Sworn Brother. We fought in two wars together. Knee deep in blood, guts, and shit while fighting the likes you couldn't imagine while waiting for me to return to King's Landing. He didn't even ask me to do it. Nor did the fucking Lin Kuei Grandmaster. I did it because I saw the potential in the lad and it wasn't going to be reached so long as the boy was labeled a bastard," countered Robert while Cersei just glared at him.

"Should I expect more of these legitimizations from you? How many more bastards are you going to legitimize?" demanded Cersei with a hint of paranoia in her voice.

It wasn't just the fact Robert legitimized Jon into being a Stark that had the Lannister woman angry beyond measure. It was fear that Robert would suddenly get it into his fat drunken head to legitimize one or two of his bastard children and possibly challenge her son Joffrey for the Iron Throne.

She would not have it.

"Enough woman! I did what I did for Ned because he is my Sworn Brother and now my loyal Hand. Nothing more," said Robert and gave Cersei a look that told the woman this was the end of the argument.

(Winterfell Main Hall-Night of the Feast)

The food and wine were being presented to everyone who attended the feast with music, laughter, and joy for everyone in the room. The King was in the middle of it, laughing a boisterous laugh, a large goblet of wine in one hand, and the ass of a serving girl in the other. It didn't matter if his wife was watching with disgust or anyone else who knew what the man was doing was wrong since he was a married man. He was the King and the man could do just about anything his heart desired right now.

Beside Cersei, the Lady of Winterfell that was Catelyn Tully sat beside her, and politely trying to make small talk with the Queen. To her credit, Cersei was polite back, but she was anything but happy right now. Robert had considered an arranged marriage between Joffrey and Sansa in order to bind Baratheon and Stark bloodlines together like he had wanted with Lyanna Stark and himself all those years ago.

Cersei despised the North. Despised the Starks. And she especially despised the woman who had cast a shadow over her marriage to Robert. All the man could think about when with her or his whores was Lyanna Stark. It was humiliating and embarrassing to Cersei that her marriage was a fruitless one due to some she-wolf of the North. Even when said she-wolf was unreachable, broken, and useless in the ways a woman would be as a wife, Robert still wanted her. The only reason he couldn't was due to the damage caused by Rheagar raping Lyanna and Tywin Lannister wanting the new King to marry Cersei, who was ready to do her duty.

At least Lyanna had not attended the feast. The woman clearly didn't want to be around Robert and had retired early for the day. Which was fine with Cersei since she didn't want to see the Northern bitch any more than she wanted to be in the North.

And the last thing she wanted was her "pure lion" that was her son Joffrey to marry the blushing red haired Stark girl Sansa. The girl would gush and bat her eyes at Joffrey and to Cersei's anger, the boy seemed somewhat interested in Sansa. However, it was clear her son didn't know how to feel or act on the feelings he did for the girl.

Cersei had no intention of letting such feelings for Sansa, if they existed at all, to grow, and intended to make sure Joffrey understood the importance of keeping the girl at an arm's length. She would not have the Stark girl influence her son to do anything that was a threat to House Lannister or the power Cersei wielded as Queen.

She caught the appearance of Sub-Zero and Jon Stark entering the Main Hall with both men greeting Ned Stark. Both the Grandmaster and his student were without their masks tonight and Cersei was a tad surprised the cryomancer had not aged a day after all these years. The Queen remembered him clearly from when she was a little girl and seeing the man again without an ounce of time touching him in the slightest made Cersei jealous inside.

How could a man like him, not age after nearly 20 years? And all the while, Cersei, the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms looked in the mirror to see her own beauty was starting to end. She was still attractive and beautiful, as many men always stared at Cersei with lust and desire, but kept it hidden from her brute of a husband. But she knew it was only a matter of time before the wrinkles set in, her hair went from vibrant golden to a dull gray, and her once beautiful body became shriveled up like that damn Olenna Tyrell.

Focusing on Jon (and recently made) Stark, she saw him sitting beside his half brother Robb, who welcomed him completely. How anyone could do that was beyond her. To embrace another sibling who was only half of your blood felt so wrong to Cersei. To her, it would be a serious betrayal to the woman who brought Cersei into the world if she had a bastard for a sibling sired by her Father.

It was also a wonder that Catelyn Tully Stark did not show the slightest bit of hate toward the former bastard son of Ned Stark. Instead, the red haired woman seemed to look at him with a sense of joy, and even a hint of...sorrow? Why would this woman feel such things for the living proof of her husband's unfaithfulness?

Northern women were strange indeed, even if they weren't from the North to begin with.

While this was happening, Sub-Zero excused himself to walk outside in order to clear his head due to the party not being to his liking. He was all for merry events, but nothing like what was happening in the Main Hall of Winterfell.

"I hear Ned Stark's bastard is no longer a bastard," commented Tyrion Lannister while walking over to Sub-Zero and drinking wine from his wine skin.

"Legitimized by the King himself," said Sub-Zero while looking over at Tyrion.

While Tywin never did have his youngest son participate in learning from the Lin Kuei Grandmaster, it didn't mean the two didn't cross paths on occasion. During the time after Robert's Rebellion, Sub-Zero never truly kept himself isolated to one area for too long. He had traveled from one end of the Seven Kingdoms to the next and on occasion, met the "imp" of House Lannister. When the two met, Tyrion was at a low point in his life, as he had just married the girl of his dreams...only for his ruthless and cruel Father to ruin it. The Head of House Lannister wouldn't stand for his son to marry a lowly peasant girl and decided to teach Tyrion a lesson in going against the way of things when it came to their House.

While staying at the Inn where Tyrion was drinking himself into an early grave at a speed which could rival Robert's own, Sub-Zero approached the youngest of Tywin Lannister's brood. Jamie had been nearby when Tywin had committed to act of having the poor girl taken by an entire garrison of Lannister men, each paying the girl after they were done, and making Tyrion watch it all happen. Jamie had felt his Father was wrong to go to such lengths against Tyrion and told his Father as much. But Tywin ignored his son over the issue since he was the Head of House Lannister and would do everything in his power to ensure it was ruled under his iron fist with zero tolerance for his children going against him.

So it was only natural for the young Lannister to drown himself in wine to numb the pain of seeing such a horrible thing. But Sub-Zero also knew if this wasn't handled now, the poor boy would be a drunkard like Robert had become after winning the Iron Throne. The young Lannister risked becoming someone who used wine to get drunk in order to make the pain go away, only for the pain to become immune to the drink itself. The end result was Tyrion drinking more and more until he drank himself to death in a state of seemingly never ending depression.

When Sub-Zero introduced himself, Tyrion had to think for a few long moments on who was talking to him before it hit young man in the face. Naturally, the wine made Tyrion talk back rude and harshly toward the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. But the man brushed it off since Tyrion was already incredibly drunk from the wine and wasn't in the right state of mind to have a civilized conversation.

One drinking binge and hangover later, Tyrion was ready to talk to Sub-Zero with the two become respectable acquaintances over the years. Tyrion had a love of books and reading them at night by the candle before bed before falling asleep. Sub-Zero would tell him some stories and about his own "adventures" during his time in Earthrealm and some of the things he did before coming the Seven Kingdoms. Fighting in the Mortal Kombat Tournaments, the history as he knew it relating to the Elder Gods, and the creatures he had fought from different realms.

Tyrion loved them all.

In return, Tyrion would send Sub-Zero books on the Seven Kingdoms from the library at Casterly Rock pertaining to history, the study of plant life, medicine, and anything else that would interest the Lin Kuei Grandmaster. In many ways, the young man had become a resource gathering man and unofficial agent of the Lin Kuei, who could get things that were usually too pricy to obtain unless absolutely necessary.

And being from a House as wealthy as House Lannister given the gold mines in the West, Tyrion could get just about anything and everything. Provided his Father never found out about some of his purchases or where the went after being bought. Tywin Lannister had never let the scorn of losing the Mountain all those years ago at the hands of the Lin Kuei leave him.

"He's an important piece now, in this Game of Thrones we play," commented Tyrion with a smirk on his face.

"Better to be a valuable knight on the board over that of an expendable pawn," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion nodding at his words.

"True, but it also makes him a more inviting target. I hope you trained him well, for both your sakes," said Tyrion with Sub-Zero nodding in agreement.

"He will be tested down in King's Landing. Even with my teachings and training, there is no guarantee the boy will endure life destroying hardship," said Sub-Zero knowing the true test for Jon/Aegon was what life held beyond the walls of this castle.

"Aside from this surprise news about Jon now becoming a member of House Stark, how are you my friend?" asked Tyrion with Sub-Zero shrugging.

"I am as well as can be given my time here in the North. How has your time traveling and walking around the Seven Kingdoms since the last time we saw each other?" asked Sub-Zero with Tyrion smirking.

"Oh this and that. Drinking good wine. Fucking the best whores in the finest of brothels. Reading wonderful books and enjoying my life while I'm still young and able," replied Tyrion with Sub-Zero shaking his head.

"Remember what I told you about your vices. Do not let them control you. I know the pain in your heart from what Tywin did eats at your being, but by enslaving yourself to those vices will only make him right in the end," warned Sub-Zero with Tyrion nodding and looking away into the night sky with a sad look on his face.

"It is hard not to go into these vices. Whether I'm near Father or something that reminds me of my former wife. I feel the need. The impulse. But more importantly...I feel the pain of that moment," replied Tyrion sadly while closing his eyes and drank some more wine from his wine skin.

"I know. I've been there Tyrion. Moments from my past, the people I knew...and lost. The pain is overwhelming at times. You think of ways to drown out the pain and the choices in front of you are sometimes worse than the pain itself," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion just nodding before a thought occurred to the young Lannister.

"How do you cope with the pain. With the loss? In all the times we have talked or written letters...I never asked you," said Tyrion and wondered why he never asked the man.

"I cope by thinking about them. Whether they are alive or not is irrelevant. I know I will never see them again until the day I die. So I channel my pain into determination in order to rise above what I could be if I don't make the attempt. To prove I can be better. To not become something unbefitting of their memory," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion smiling and decided to hold off drinking for a bit.

"Wise words. Of course, I would expect nothing less from the man who trained both of my brothers," said Benjen Stark after riding in on horseback and dismounting.

"Benjen Stark, First Ranger of the Night's Watch at Castle Black," said Sub-Zero with the man in front of him smirking.

"And you are Master Liang. Grandmaster of the Lin Kuei. Your visits to the Wall from time to time are always the talk of the Main Hall," commented Benjen before giving the man a firm hand shake.

"Considering the cold doesn't bother me or I can make ice form from my hands will do that to people," said Sub-Zero while Benjen laughed.

"Aye, it does. I remember how Thorne nearly shit himself when you did that. Some even drew their swords thinking you were some kind of White Walker who got over the Wall," said Benjen since he was there that day when the man walked into Castle Black.

The only real difference between him and the others was Benjen knew who Sub-Zero was since Ned and Brandon had talked about the man all the time after returning to Winterfell from their time with him. Commander Mormont sat down with Sub-Zero during his visits talking about the status of the Wall, the people in it, and the equipment no longer running properly.

When they weren't talking about the status of the Wall's deterioration, the two men could be found talking about other things like philosophy, strategy, and shared past experiences in battle. Benjen had never seen the old Bear of House Mormont look so relaxed after the Grandmaster left following his visits. Even the elderly Maester Aemon took a shine to the Grandmaster and seemed to see that there was more to Grandmaster then they realized.

"And those same members of the Night's Watch attacked. Only to be knocked down with a few well placed hits. After that, I became a pseudo training instructor for all of the new recruits and anyone else in need of a training session," added Sub-Zero with Benjen now smirking further since Thorne had been the first of many to be "instructed" by the Lin Kuei Grandmaster.

The man gave up after three lessons and coming up with a poor excuse before leaving the training circle. Some had followed after Thorne, but many stayed since Sub-Zero wanted to make sure that they knew how to fight properly in the event their sword, axe, spear, or whatever kind of weapon used was lost to them. The man also taught them various forms of survival techniques used to live off the land in case they went over the Wall and the supplies they had became scarce. Foraging for food good mean the difference between life and death, which the Grandmaster stressed upon them so they knew what to look for when it came to finding food that wasn't animal in question.

Which raised the life expectancy of the Night Watch members considerably. Even during the more brutal winters.

"Despite what Thorne may tell you Master Liang, the Night's Watch will always consider you as a friend," said Benjen with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Thank you Benjen. Do enjoy the feast taking place inside the Main Hall. I believe your brother will be happy to see you," said Sub-Zero with Benjen nodding and headed for the Main Hall.

"You didn't tell him about Jon's legitimization," commented Tyrion since he was sure the Stark of the Night's Watch would be happy about such news.

"It is not my place to tell him despite Jon being my student. Ned should be the one to tell him," said Sub-Zero with Tyrion nodding since it made sense.

"Well, I'm off to get something to eat. Enjoy the rest of this cold night Master Liang," said Tyrion while he walked off to enjoy his meal to go with the wine already in his belly.

"I might as well enjoy it. I have a feeling its going to be the last one we have that was so peaceful for a long time," said Sub-Zero to himself.

(Winterfell-Sometime Later)

Sub-Zero wondered if his instincts always being right was a good thing. As it turned out, peaceful night ended sooner than he would have liked. Maester Luwin came to his guest quarters stating Ned and Catelyn Stark for something of extreme importance. When he asked if it was about his student, Maester Luwin simply shook his head and stated it was another matter unrelated to the newly added Stark of the family.

"You're certain of this?" asked Sub-Zero while he analyzed the handwriting on the piece of parchment given to him by Ned despite Catelyn initial protest.

"It is my sister's handwriting. I would know it anywhere," said Catelyn while she saw the Lin Kuei Grandmaster looking over her sister's handwriting.

"Interesting," said Sub-Zero with his eyes carefully studying every word written.

"What is?" asked Ned curiously.

"This message states that Lysa Arryn's husband was killed by the Lannisters and now she fears for her life. How she fled to the Vale to protect herself and her son from harm," said Sub-Zero calmly.

"We already know someone murdered Jon Arryn and that my sister clearly believes the Lannisters are involved," said Catelyn while Sub-Zero shook his head.

"Unfortunately, your sister is clearly wrong or is possibly part of the conspiracy to kill the late Hand of the King. The handwriting is too perfect. Too calm. Too precise. If she was truly fearful, the handwriting would be scratchy, almost unrecognizable. This was done with a calm and steady hand. Not someone fearful for their life or the life of their child," said Sub-Zero since he knew ones emotions could be put into their writing and reveal their current state when putting words on parchment.

"Conspiracy? To murder her husband? Outrageous! My sister would never do such a thing!" exclaimed Catelyn angrily while Ned looked grim.

"And yet the handwriting on this parchment says differently. You said it yourself, this is her handwriting. Anyone in her position would be making mistakes or show signs of the handwriting being off. But there is no hesitation in the writing on this parchment. Your sister was calm when she wrote this. Not worried. Not afraid for her life," said Sub-Zero while Catelyn looked even more enraged.

"This is absurd! I will not stand here and let you dishonor my sister as some conspirator in her own husband's murder. My sister is many things, but I do not believe she would lie to me about this," said Catelyn while Ned looked at Sub-Zero with a knowing look and it was clear now on who could have gotten close to Jon Arryn to give him the poison.

No one ever truly suspected the dutiful wife.

"Ned! Surely you don't believe my sister could do this? I know my sister. She would not do this!" exclaimed Catelyn while Ned didn't look convinced.

"When was the last time you saw her?" asked Sub-Zero with Catelyn glaring at him.

"Five years ago. On our Father's name day. Why?" asked Catelyn with Sub-Zero shaking his head.

"She's changed. My spies throughout the Seven Kingdoms report to me on all the major players within it. From all Houses. No exceptions. From what they reported to me prior to the King's arrival, the woman's mentality is in question. Her message to you is not to be trusted," said Sub-Zero before rolling up the parchment and putting it away.

"What are you doing? My sister explicitly instructed me to destroy that message after I read it," said Catelyn with Sub-Zero looked at her now with a more serious look.

"I'm sure she did. But considering her state of mind, I would prefer it wasn't in case you are called upon to provide evidence of your sister making such accusations against the Lannisters," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn looking even more angry.

"You think my sister would lie about this? Lie and denounce me from ever receiving such a message from her?" asked Catelyn with Sub-Zero nodding.

"As I said, your sister is not right in the mind. This parchment is the only proof you have of her making the accusations against the Lannisters," said Sub-Zero with Catelyn now looking from him to Ned to Maester Luwin.

"He has a point Lady Stark. People will lie, even betray their family, if they have some form of reason behind it. Madness or not. The parchment would provide validity to your claims of Lady Lysa warning you about the Lannisters in their supposed plot against Jon Arryn and Robert's rule," said Luwin while Ned nodded in agreement.

"Cat, I was talking with Robert down in the crypt with Master Liang. We concluded the death of Lord Arryn was poison. Someone gave it to Jon when he was eating food or was drinking wine. The only person who could have gotten close enough to Jon in order to do that, would be your sister," said Ned while Catelyn looking even more shocked.

"No. I don't believe it. My sister did not murder her husband. The Hand of the King. I will not believe my sister did something so horrifying as to kill the man she married," said Catelyn angrily.

"You presume she wanted to marry him by choice. Lysa didn't want to marry Jon Arryn. At the time of their arranged marriage, Lord Arryn was old enough to be her Father. She has lived a bitter life in a bitter marriage with the only comfort being a child and the form of power that came from being the Lady Wife of the Lord Hand," said Sub-Zero with the Tully woman looking increasingly angry, yet worried at the same time.

"Cat, I don't like hearing this either. But you have to admit, your sister has never been happy with the idea of marrying Lord Arryn. If she is part of the conspiracy, the message you received was clearly designed to instigate something with the Lannisters," said Ned while Catelyn looked conflicted.

"But what if the message is real? What if the Lannisters are somehow connected to the plot to murder Jon Arryn? You cannot deny it is a possibility. And what is worse is the King wants you to be his Hand and go with him to King's Landing. The last two Starks who went that far South...they were burned alive! On the orders of the King!" countered Catelyn with Ned grimacing since it was true.

"That was a different time. A different King. As long as Lord Stark keeps his eyes open and his wits sharp, no harm will come to him," said Maester Luwin with Ned breathing out a sigh of worry.

"Not to mention you have the King on your side. So long as Robert is King of the Seven Kingdoms and sits on the Iron Throne, you have his backing to do whatever is necessary to find out who conspired to kill Lord Arryn," said Sub-Zero with Ned nodding since it was true that Robert had basically told his new Hand to "kill first and ask questions later" to get the job done.

"Jon is coming with me to King's Landing. We will discover the truth in all of this. One way or another," said Ned with Sub-Zero nodding along with Maester Luwin.

Catelyn still seemed conflicted given how her sister was implicated in a conspiracy to murder the previous Hand of the King. But it was also clear that Ned seemed to know more than she did on this matter and would have to withhold doing anything for the time being.

(Winterfell-The Next Day)

Sub-Zero watched Ned and Robert go on a hunting trip through the woods. The King for a Baratheon may have let himself go, but the instinct to kill was still there. It was a shame the man didn't exercise more to lose some of the fat around his torso. If he did, the man might be able to fit into his old armor to be remembered for the fierce warrior over that of a fat drunk.

Sub-Zero still remembered how the old American solider Jackson Briggs had retired from military service after the issue of being made human again from being a Revenant. How the man had left the service and settle down with a wife and child. The man could have turned into an old drunk, who used alcohol to drown the memories of being a Revenant. Instead, he chose the quiet country life of a farmer, worked hard, loved his wife and child without question.

It was a shame Robert didn't have half of the integrity to hold himself together as Jax did after what happened to him.

Off to the side, the Lin Kuei Grandmaster saw Brandon running around with his dire wolf to do who knows what. Probably climbing in Sub-Zero's opinion. The boy just loved to climb and see things from a much higher perspective. While his Mother was within her right to worry about her second to youngest child, they both knew young Brandon was a great climber.

Walking in another direction, the Lin Kuei warrior paid Arya a visit in her room since the girl was packing for King's Landing. Jon was with him to see how things were going and it was clear to them how she hated the idea of packing so many "girl clothes" in a manner her Mother wanted and considered to be "proper".

"I hate this. Mother keeps saying to fold them properly and they are folded properly. How can I get them folded better when its not possible!" exclaimed Arya with a sigh and was now looking defeated.

"The great Arya Stark. Future warrior woman of Winterfell. Defeated by clothing. Not off to a promising start," said Jon with a smirk behind his Lin Kuei mask.

"Shut up! I'll have you know I have had help with this through Nymeria," countered Arya with neither guest in her room looking convinced.

"I'm not seeing it," said Jon while Arya glared.

"Shut it! Nymeria, get the gloves!" commanded Arya while her dire wolf just looked at her before looking away.

"Impressive. It looks like we have a real animal tamer here Grandmaster," joked Jon at the sight of Arya's dire wolf doing nothing.

"Indeed. Maybe I should talk to her Father about letting her becoming a member of the Lin Kuei," added Sub-Zero since it seemed appropriate at the time joke at the girl's own expense.

All Arya could do was glare at them before whispering "traitor" to her dire wolf.

"Mother wants me to be like a lady. I hate being like a lady. I want to be one of those women who know how to fight. But if I do, Sansa will tell on me," said Arya with a huff and crossing her arms.

"Such a shame. And here I thought giving you a special gift to train while over at King's Landing would make things all better," said Jon before he revealed the sword made just for Arya.

"A sword? Just for me?" asked Arya in shock since swords were usually too big to handle and no one wanted to teach her about swords since her Mother practically forbid it.

Lyanna did in secret of course, but Catelyn didn't need to know that.

"I had it made just for you. All the other swords made in Winterfell are for much bigger hands and broader shoulders. I could have asked the blacksmiths on Bear Island to make one for you, but the one we have here would be insulted," said Jon knowing he had to tell (discreetly) the maker of this weapon who this particular weapon was for.

"Does it have a name?" asked Arya knowing all great swords had names.

"No. Not yet. Besides, if anyone should name this sword, it would be you," said Jon with Sub-Zero agreeing.

"The blade is so thin, yet pointy. Almost like it was meant for stabbing over cutting into people. Almost like...a needle. That's what I will call you. Needle!" exclaimed Arya with excitement.

"Interesting choice. Just be sure to hide it from your Mother and your sister. And if you do get caught with it by either mentioned individual, do not implicate my student as the one who commissioned such a weapon," said Sub-Zero since the girl had not only been defying her Mother by bonding with Lyanna, but also seeking him out to tell stories of his past "adventures".

So he told her some stories. Stories of the One Being and the Elder Gods. The creation of the different Realms and Worlds. The story behind the purpose of Mortal Kombat. The tournament itself. How brutal they could be and the cost of losing being extremely high. He told her stories of those who fought in it, the people he fought, and how some of them weren't even human.

Kotal Kahn. Baraka. Quan Chi. Ermac. Scorpion (prior to being restored to life). Reptile.

Naturally, Arya had been enthralled by the stories. She loved to hear the stories about the warrior women from his realm. She was told about the no nonsense woman Sonja Blade, who would sooner knock you on your ass before being polite. The beautiful yet deadly warrior princess Kitana of Edenia before she was killed and soon becoming a Revenant. The loyal bodyguard and equally fierce Edenian warrior Jade before she was also killed during an invasion of Earthrealm.

Some of his stories did frightened her. Namely the one about Shang Sung, who could rip out your very soul to prolong his life. Not only that, but he could change himself into that person, use their very memories to fool his target, and strike like a snake before taking your life. Even worse was the story of the Emperor of Outworld, Shao Kahn, who made it his mission to conquering all of the realms to further increase his power. How he nearly conquered Earthrealm before he was defeated for breaking the rules set forth by the Elder Gods.

Sub-Zero only told her such stories in order to appease the girl's curiosity and to maybe scare Arya enough to not rush into things so recklessly. He tried to instill wisdom and a morals behind each story. It worked for the most part, but the girl kept coming back for more stories.

Arya was so much like Lyanna, it was amazing.

"His secret is safe with me Master Liang," said Arya with a smirk before she tucked it away in her luggage where it wouldn't be seen if opened.

"Keep them safe Jon. Remember what I taught you. Remember what I told you about King's Landing," said Sub-Zero with Jon nodding.

"Don't trust anyone who asks that I trust them," said Jon while remembering how Sub-Zero had instructed him to look for signs of lying, deception, and possible betrayal.

Ned Stark believed in honor as the way to go. To be honest and true. If you did, the Gods rewarded you well for it. If you were cruel and dishonest, the Gods would punish you in ways befitting your crime. In some ways, perhaps the Gods of this realm did do that, but to Sub-Zero, the rewards and punishment of these Gods was far and in-between deeds. People like Tywin Lannister, Petyr Baelish, and others like them were not going to sit around to let the Gods do what they wished. No. Men like Tywin and Baelish did what they pleased and prepared for any fallout that was the result of their actions.

Sub-Zero had already derailed Tywin's attempts to kill Elia Martell and her daughter along with killing Gregor Clegane. Armory Lorch was sadly still alive, but it took him many years and a large sum of gold from House Lannister to get the man up to fighting strength again. From what Sub-Zero's informants told him, the Red Viper planned to have the pig monster killed the moment an opportunity arose in the form of a conflict where the fool would participate.

As for Jon/Aegon, the Grandmaster taught the boy to keep his sword sharp and his mind sharper to a razor's edge. He also told the boy not to put too much faith in honor or those who claimed to have it outside of Ned Stark himself. A man may claim to be honorable, but in the moment of truth, they could reveal themselves to be the most horrible piece of filth the realm had ever produced.

Jon understood this and planned to keep his family in one piece by staying in shadows while House Stark basked in the light.

"Very good. I'll see you off with the others when its time to leave. For now, enjoy your remaining time in Winterfell. You have earned it," said Sub-Zero with Jon nodding as the two of them left Arya's room.

"Thank you Grandmaster," said Jon before leaving to wander around the castle and to no doubt reflect on his situation.

'That boy will go far in life. His potential is incredible. It is a shame so many lies were wrapped around it like chains to keep said potential at bay just to save his life,' thought Sub-Zero with a sigh before walking around the castle with his own mind at work.

Only to find a commotion happening with several servants carrying young Bran Stark into the castle while someone ran off to get Maester Luwin and Catelyn Stark.

"What happened?" asked Sub-Zero to a servant.

"We don't know. The young Lord was found lying on the ground beside his dire wolf in front of the tower he likes to climb. From what I could see, his legs are broken, and is unconscious. Only the Gods know if he will come back to the land of the living," said the servant before rushing off.

Frowning, Sub-Zero went to the spot where Brandon had been found before kneeling to assess the damage. The ground had left an imprint of the boy's body, meaning he didn't just fall back and land on the ground. Not if his legs were broken. Brandon wasn't the kind to have fragile bones and while still on the scrawny side, he was still young.

"Master Liang, I just heard what happened to Brandon," said Jon while Sub-Zero simply nodded, but didn't turn to face him.

"Come here Jon. What do you see?" commanded Sub-Zero with Jon kneeling beside him and examined the imprint of Brandon Stark on the ground.

"Its too deep to be a simple fall onto the ground. Brandon would have to be from a high enough distance to make this kind of mark," said Jon with Sub-Zero nodding.

"Agreed. Meaning he fell from up on high. Right about...there!" stated Sub-Zero while he pointed to the window area of the tower where the hole was showing near it.

"But the angle is all wrong. If he fell naturally, Bran's body wouldn't be on his back when it was found. We would have found him on his stomach," said Jon with Sub-Zero giving his student a nod.

"Meaning the boy didn't fall naturally from his climbing. Someone pushed him. Someone tried to kill him and used the fall to cover it up to make it seem like he fell," replied Sub-Zero with a frown on his masked face.

"I should alert the others," said Jon, but was stopped by his teacher.

"No! Not yet. The echo of what happened here is fresh. If we leave now, whoever did this might come back to remove any lingering evidence left behind. With the sudden rush to flee after pushing the boy, I believe something is here," said Sub-Zero before motioning Jon/Aegon to follow him.

"What do you hope to find Grandmaster?" asked Jon curiously while they went up to the top of the tower.

"Anything and everything that will reveal more to this situation," answered Sub-Zero before they entered the room where he was sure the boy saw something.

Slowly examining the very dusty room, it was quite clear to the Lin Kuei Grandmaster that there was more than one person had been in this room. The lack of dust in the center was too big for one person and the fact there was no dust on the floor meant something or maybe even...someone was on it. Walking around the dust clear zone and motioning for Jon to do the same, Sub-Zero walked over to the hole in the wall near the window. He saw dusty footprints on the ground, meaning someone was standing here, inside this part of the tower, and approached a now caught spying boy. The rim of the hole was disturbed in a spot where a child would be sitting or standing, which Sub-Zero concluded that Bran was in fact this very spot when he saw something that certain people didn't want to be seen by a boy or anyone else.

Which left some remaining questions. What did the boy see? Who did he see? And was it so damaging that it required a small boy be silenced for witnessing it?

"Sifu, I found this!" exclaimed Jon before he picked up a long stand of golden hair and showed it to his teacher.

"No one in the North, much less Winterfell has long golden hair. Not even the Lin Kuei have anyone within our ranks with that type of coloring," said Sub-Zero with narrowed eyes.

"The only people who have that kind of golden coloring...are the Lannisters," replied Jon with Sub-Zero nodding.

"And it just so happens, we have several Lannister here," said Sub-Zero while already ruling out Tyrion as a suspect.

For one, his hair was short. Two, Bran was slightly taller. While the boy did need to put on more weight and muscle, it would have taken considerable effort on Tyrion's part to push Bran from his position. Something Sub-Zero knew the Lannister had neither the heart nor the strength to accomplish give the dimensions of the room and Bran himself.

Leaving just two remaining adult Lannisters. Cersei and Jamie. Joffrey could have been a suspect given his own shade of blonde hair, if not for the fact he knew the boy was near Sansa. There was no way the spoiled Prince for a child could have pushed Bran, escaped the tower, and rushed to be near Sansa without someone seeing him.

Plus, the hair here was long. Long as in the Queen's own hair. Meaning she was here and was clearly doing something that was not meant to be seen by a young boy's eyes.

Looking over at the boot print near the hole, the size of it was clearly male, full grown in size, and was with the Queen. Could it be some kind of plot? A conspiracy by the Queen being done in secret under the King's nose? Could Bran overheard it and they silenced him with the fall in the hopes he would never reveal the secret?

Or was it something else?

"Should we bring this to the King? Lord Stark? Or perhaps Lady Stark?" asked Jon since he was in full Lin Kuei mode and could not show signs of personal attachment to House.

"The King is out hunting with Lord Stark and the rest of the Stark family and the Greyjoy ward. Bringing them back now will accomplish nothing. Let the attackers think they have escaped from being punished for their crimes. Remember, the Queen is a suspect in all of this. To move against her now would be tipping our hand too early. We will watch and wait until it is time to make a move with the evidence obtained to present to the King to have this handled accordingly," instructed Sub-Zero before they quietly left the room without tampering with the scene itself.

When the hunting party did return, they were instantly told the news of what happened to Bran with Ned instantly running to his son's bed chambers. Inside, he saw his wife Cat crying heavily at seeing her son on the bed, unconscious, and not moving sans the sign of his chest moving up and down to indicate breathing.

Also near the bed was Maester Luwin, Jon, and Sub-Zero with the rest of the Stark family flooding into the room.

"What happened?" asked Ned while moving over to the bed and placing his hand on the boy's face to ensure he could feel the warmth from his son and to confirm he wasn't dead.

"The servants say he fell climbing the tower. He's alive, but for how long, or if the boy can awaken is up to the Gods. I have done what I can in terms of setting the broken bones in the legs, but it does little to help him due to his spine being broken. He will never walk again," said Maester Luwin sadly while he felt it was an act of cruelty by the Gods to just deny such a child the use of his legs to run, jump, and climb.

"That is not entirely accurate. There maybe a chance he can walk again. The boy's spine could just be feeling pressure from the bruising along his back. I felt some of the tissue there was bruised and swollen. It could be putting pressure along the spine and making it appear it is broken. I might be able to fix the issue," said Sub-Zero while Catelyn glared at him.

"Absolutely not! What you proposed to Maester Luwin is barbaric and cruel. I will not allow it!" exclaimed Catelyn angrily at the Grandmaster.

"What do you propose exactly?" asked Ned since he knew whatever Sub-Zero was now suggesting had his wife on edge for a reason.

"Master Liang is proposing what he calls a 'surgical procedure' my Lord. He believes by cutting young Bran open along the back, he can locate the spot where the swelling of the spine is located before removing it. In theory, such a procedure would allow Bran to walk again. Provided of course the spine is not broken past the swelling," said Maester Luwin while Ned looked from him to Sub-Zero to Bran.

"Are you sure?" asked Ned while Catelyn grabbed his arm.

"Ned don't! He wants to cut open our son! Like he was a roast at a feast. I would rather my son live as a cripple over him being dead. Please Ned, don't agree to this," pleaded Catelyn while Maester Luwin had questioned Sub-Zero about the procedure in the room and what it entailed to the slightest detail.

"It is merely an option I wish to provide Lord Stark. Right now, your son is unconscious for who knows how long. There are elixirs that can numb the entire body with a proper dosage for hours. Your son will feel no pain during this operation. I will perform this myself and stake my reputation if necessary. In addition, I will provide you with a list of people and items I would need for this procedure to work and to be reviewed at your discretion," said Sub-Zero before bowing and left the room.

"Is it possible? Can Bran walk again if the spine is not broken and just swelling from the bruised muscle tissue?" asked Ned to Maester Luwin who reluctantly nodded.

"I asked every question I could think of my Lord. The process seems crude, invasive, and even barbaric if looked at from an uneducated standpoint. But after reviewing the man's ideas and findings on what he is proposing, it does have merit. The theory behind what is being proposed has a strong foundation...if one knows what to do," said Maester Luwin with Ned looking at his son and his scared wife.

Just when things were finally balancing out, this happens!

"I want to see everything he is proposing. What he needs. Who he needs. Everything. I will need your mind to sort through it all to understand," said Ned with Maester Luwin nodding.

"No! Ned please! I beg of you. Don't let him do this to Bran! What if this procedure fails and we lose our son," said Catelyn with the idea of hearing how a blade would be put to her son's flesh to cut him open and have hands reaching into him made the woman nearly run to the chamber pot to vomit.

"I wish to see what he is proposing Cat. Nothing more. If what he is suggesting can be done without too much risk to Bran's life...I will allow it," said Ned with Cat looking away from him and holding her unconscious son's hand tightly.

(Sometime Later)

Ned had been looking over everything Sub-Zero proposed to him under the skillful eyes and mind of Maester Luwin, who had carefully explained what exactly the Grandmaster had suggested for the procedure. Charts, diagrams, and illustrations were all marked in great detail on how the procedure would go regarding the surgery as it was called. Ned did not like the idea at first, which was understandable, as his son would be stripped of all clothing, covered from the waist down in a simple sheet, and have someone cut into him like a pig or boar at a banquet feast.

And all to remove some possible bruised muscle tissue barely the size of a small child's fist that had placed enough pressure on the back to prevent Brandon from walking.

'To think something so small could cause such problems,' thought Ned while he looked over at Sub-Zero, who was standing at attention to see what Lord Stark had decided.

"The procedure should only last several hours Lord Stark. At the very least, I can see if the spine is broken and if it is possible to fix some of the damage. Your son deserves to have a fighting chance at walking again," said Sub-Zero while Ned looked conflicted in having something so invasive done to his son.

"He does. But the risk involves seems...tremendous," said Ned with Sub-Zero nodding.

"I know it can be done. Maester Luwin will be among those observing and studying the procedure while I perform it. If this works out well, it could become a new means of medicine the Maesters at the Citadel could support, and it would help others in the future who suffer from similar problems," explained Sub-Zero with Ned thinking it over in his mind and running his hand over his face.

"This cannot fail. Bran cannot die from this. You must do everything in your power to ensure this procedure does not take his life," said Ned firmly with Sub-Zero nodding.

"For that to happen, I will need the best Winterfell have to offer in various fields. The list of who and what I need is in front of you," said Sub-Zero with Ned looking it over.

"Done. When can you start?" asked Ned in the hopes it would be soon.

"Two days. You will want to get the people and items I need before we proceed. I also need to inform these people what they will be doing. They will be seeing a lot of blood and I don't want them to run out of the room screaming or releasing the contents of their stomach on the floor," said Sub-Zero with the man looking at him for a second before his eyes traveled to the diagram of the human body.

"You drew these yourself. How did you make them so...accurate?" asked Ned at last.

"Do you really want to know?" asked Sub-Zero with Ned shaking his head.

"Something tells me that I am better off not knowing. Just...make sure my son comes out of this alive," said Ned with Sub-Zero.

"If everything goes according to plan, not only will your son live, but he will walk again. Most likely with a limp. He might not be able run or climb. But at least he will enjoy the ability to walk over not walking at all," said Sub-Zero before he bowed and left the room.

And shortly after, Robert entered with Ned rising instantly for the King.

"Ned, by the Gods. Your own son," said Robert before he hugged his Sworn Brother.

"Maester Luwin is confident my son will awaken one day. Whether his mind will be the same is unknown. All I can do is wait," said Ned with Robert looking him right in the eyes now.

"Anything your son needs to recover, just name it Ned. I can have all the best Maesters in the Seven Kingdoms arrive in the North within the Month," said Robert with Ned shaking his head.

"Tempting, but my son is just one person. As much as I wish for him to be healed by so many, I cannot ask that of them or you Robert," said Ned with Robert making a noise.

"You Starks and your honor. Always trying to be selfless," said Robert with a smirk on his bearded face.

"Besides, Master Liang is planning to perform a procedure to fix my son's back to at least give Bran a fighting chance at walking again," said Ned with Robert looking intrigue by that.

"Well, if anyone can pull it off, that man can do it. Seven Hells Ned, if he can pull it off, I'll submit his findings to the Maesters at the Citadel myself, and tell those old fucks to make his procedure worth recognizing," said Robert with Ned smiling at him.

"If he can do it, I'll help," said Ned with both men laughing.

"Its almost time to leave Ned. If I could, I would stay here in Winterfell with you for a few more days. But the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms as whole don't wait for any of us. Not even the King," said Robert with Ned sighing since he was right.

"Or his Hand. I'm ready. If and when Bran awakens, I'm sure my wife will let me know. Whether he can walk upon awakening will be another issue," said Ned with both men walking out of his office.

"He's a Stark and your son Ned. I have no doubt the boy will be walking and climbing every tower in Winterfell in no time," said Robert with Ned smiling sadly.

King's Landing was calling. They could wait no longer.

(A/N: YAY! Another chapter completed. And just after my birthday no less. I hope you all enjoy it. I like to think Sub-Zero was not only a Master Assassin, but also skilled in the ways of healing too before ascending to the rank of Grandmaster. Since Earthrealm is so advanced in the way of surgery, I imagine the realm of the Seven Kingdoms has no such idea or concept of it until after a body is dead. I also like to think Sub-Zero would like to implement some medical changes he feels the Seven Kingdoms needs. Until next time...PEACE!)