Chapter Text
Darkness, nothing but pure darkness surrounded Ned. He had expected to die and see his father, his mother, his siblings, he expected to see the ones that he loved and lost over the years. He didn’t expect nothing but darkness that surrounded him. He wasn’t cold, but he wasn’t warm either. It was as if there was no temperature within the room or realm at all. Ned went to take a step, but he couldn’t feel anything underneath his foot. It was as if he was walking on air. Ned knew he was dead. He knew he had been beheaded by his own sword, something that made his death sting. He had been told that he would receive mercy, even if it was a false sense of mercy. He had been right, the Lannisters were committing treason, but he was the one labeled as a traitor. The only reason he was willing to be labeled as a traitor was because he would be able to go to the Wall. He could be a member of the Night Watch and still serve the realm of men. He could plan a way to save his children. He could even be with Jon and protect him.
There weren’t many opportunities when Jon was growing up for it to just be him and Jon. He was always aware of how much his wife disliked Jon and didn’t want him around the other kids. He knew when he brought Jon home that his wife wasn’t going to be happy about it. He knew she was going to be angry to discover he had a bastard, even if it wasn’t actually true. He also knew he couldn’t tell her the truth because it wouldn’t make her love Jon suddenly. He knew Catelyn didn’t care for the Targayens very much, especially with the bulk of the world hating and wanting them all dead. He also knew she would not risk their family and Robb’s life by hiding one of three Targayens left in the world.
Ned knew that Catelyn was not going to love Jon, but he thought love would come. He thought she would warm up to him once she got to know him. Once she got to hold him and see him growing up. Only she stayed cold towards him and in an effort to make peace and do right by his wife and children, he allowed for Jon to slowly be pushed to the outside of the family. He slept in the servant’s quarters. He didn’t eat at the head table, but in the back of the room or in the back of the kitchen if there was a festival going on. When outside Lords came to visit or the King, Jon was to stand in the back with Theon. He didn’t go on family hunts. He didn’t get to take part in any of the family activities. He was treated less than everyone and Ned didn’t say anything. He didn’t know how to balance his wife and family needs with the needs of Jon.
“You failed Eddard Stark.”
The sudden maleficent male voice echoed all around Ned. Ned was instantly turning around to try and find where the voice was coming from. He was desperate to see another person. Someone he could speak with and try to determine what was going on. But as he looked around, he didn’t see anyone. It was nothing but blackness.
“Who’s there?” Ned called out into the darkness.
Instead of a voice answering suddenly the darkness to the right of Ned reduced and the image of Jon appeared.
“Jon?”
“We gave you a gift and you failed Eddard Stark.”
“I don’t understand. Failed what?” Ned said, as he looked around trying to see anything within the darkness. To see another person where the voice was coming from.
Another image appeared and it was of a young Ned Stark holding his dying sister’s hand. “Promise me Ned. Promise me.”
“I did protect him. I took him home and claimed him as my own. I raised him and made sure he knew he was loved. He grew up with siblings and safe.”
Ned didn’t understand why he was here. He died, he should have gotten to go with his deceased loved ones. He was dead, there was nothing he could do for any of his family now. The scene in front of him, the image of his dying sister morphed into a more recent scene of his beautiful wife and a young Jon. From what Ned could figure, Jon had to have been six or seven years old. He couldn’t help but smile at seeing his young and beautiful wife as well as his sweet innocent son. He had missed those years where his children were small and filled with joy and energy. They were always good children.
“You thought you could go against me? You thought you could steal food from my kitchen and I would not notice?” Catelyn seethed, as she grabbed Jon’s arm and dragged him down the corridor.
“I’m sorry Lady Stark, I was just so hungry. It was only an apple.” Jon said, with tears building within his eyes.
“I told you, you were not to be fed until I decided you were allowed. I will not tolerate a thief within my Keep.” Catelyn pulled Jon into one of the guards’ rooms. “This disgusting bastard thought he could steal food from my kitchen. He is to receive ten lashes before he cleans the entire stables.” Catelyn ordered the guard.
“Right away, My Lady.” The guard said, as he easily stood up and grabbed the small whip he carried on his belt.
“No, no, this can’t be true. This did not happen.” Ned said, as he watched in horror as his wife stood by and watched as his son removed his shirt and the guard, one of the guards that came with Catelyn to Winterfell, proceeded to whip Jon’s back ten times, covering it with blood. He didn’t understand what was happening, because this didn’t happen. It couldn’t have happened. He would have known about it. Jon would have told him. Someone would have told him.
“Much has happened right below your nose. Much has been allowed by your ignorance.” The voice said.
“No, she wouldn’t. This has to be a lie. My wife didn’t like Jon, but I never expected her to. But she wouldn’t hurt him like this. She is a Gods fearing woman. She knows not to blame an innocent child for the sins of their parents.” Ned instantly denied.
Ned didn’t know what was going on, but he refused to believe what he was seeing. He would have discovered this for himself. He would have been told by the servants or the guards. Jon would have come to him to tell him. Or Maester Luwin would have after he treated Jon’s back. He didn’t know what game these so-called Gods were playing, but he refused to believe it.
“I do not know who you are or what game you are playing, but I will not fall for it.”
“We are the Gods. Old Gods, New Gods, Fire Gods, Drowned Gods, Many Face Gods. We have many names, but we are all the same. Humans have all believed what they will. They have taken pieces of the Old Gods and transformed us into something else that suits their beliefs better. But we are all one. We sent you our most precious gift, Eddard Stark. We gifted our son to your sister and her husband. You were entrusted to raise him. You were always supposed to raise him.”
“I don’t understand. I don’t understand any of this. How was Jon your son?” Ned asked, just completely confused. He knew that Rhaegar, like a lot of Targaryens, believed in prophecies, but Ned never took much stock in anything.
“He has gone by many names within the race of men. The Prince that was Promised, The Prince who was Promised, The One who was Promised, Sin of Fire, Warrior of Light, the Lord’s Chosen. He has many names, all fitting the many names we share. He is Azor Ahai, our son. We have allowed our son to be born twice within the world. The first, eight thousand years ago to forge Ligthbringer and defeat the Great Other. He was not the one to deal the fatal blow, resulting in the Great Other becoming dormant and waiting for his time to be reborn.”
“If what you say is true, then for Jon to be reborn, that would mean the Others are back as well.” Ned said, as he tried to process all of this. He still didn’t know how he felt about any of this or why he was being told. He was dead, it was far too late for him to be able to help or make a difference. He couldn’t help but think about the Night’s Watch deserter that he had beheaded for what he had seen. He couldn’t help but feel bad for killing a man over the truth.
“The Night King has been growing his army for decades. Azor Ahai was not as strong when he was born in his first life. He needed greater magic in his blood than that of the First Men. The Kings of Winter, their magic was strong. It flows through your bloodline. It lives within the North. The magic pulses from The Wall, it oozes from the ground and the buildings, especially Winterfell. Azor Ahai needed that magic and so we created the prophecy, the Song of Ice and Fire to bring the Starks and the Targayens together. Your sister was destined to marry Rhaegar. She was destined to be the mother to our son. She was always destined to die. Both had been shown the future. Both had been shown their son riding a dragon and defeating the Night King. Both understood they needed to die for the world to live. Azor Ahai was always destined to be your son Eddard Stark.”
“This is.. It’s too much. You’re telling me, my sister’s only purpose in life was to give birth and die before she could even hold her child. My father and brother died trying to save her. Thousands died in that war and it was all for nothing?” Ned asked with pain flooding his voice.
“The birth of your son is not nothing Eddard Stark. Thousands died due to a man unable to accept rejection. A war did not need to take place nor was one set to. Lyanna was to die in childbirth and Rhaegar was to die at his father’s hands. War was not foretold. Had Robert Baratheon been a better man, war would not have taken place. Rhaegar’s son. Aergon, would have been King. You would have raised your son in Winterfell and when the Great War took place, the Seven Kingdoms would have fought together. The destruction of the Targaryens diminished the odds of success. Much was to be different and would have been had it not been for your friend.”
Ned didn’t like the fact that they weren’t wrong. He knew the war only started because of Robert’s actions. It was made worse by Ned’s lack of actions. He should have demanded a parley with Rhaegar, he would have discovered that they were married and expecting a child. That would have made Ned pull the North out and with him would have gone the Riverlands and the Vale. For none of them were going to fight a war against the future King over lies. Robert had acted emotionally. His father and brother had acted emotionally and didn’t stop to think about how any of it could have been possible. That was something Benjen had done. He had asked the questions everyone refused to do at the time. Benjen knew that Lyanna couldn’t have been kidnapped from Winterfell, as she never would have gone quietly. The only way for her to have left would have been willingly. Before Ned could say anything there was a new scene being played in front of him. This time he could see Jon curled up in his bed in a tight ball and it looked like he was shivering. He looked to be younger than the last one, maybe five or six.
The door opened and Robb walked in. “Come on.” Robb whispered, as he went over to the bed and pulled the couple of furs off from Jon’s body.
“What are you doing? You know Lady Stark doesn’t like it when you come down to the Servant’s Quarters.” Jon whispered back, as he tried to get the furs back on him.
“It’s too cold tonight. You don’t even have wood for a fire. You’ll freeze sleeping in here. You have to come with me to my room.” Robb demanded.
“Lady Stark.” Jon started, but Robb cut him off.
“My mother doesn’t need to know. And if she finds out I will take the blame, I promise you little brother. Please, come sleep in my room. I do not want you to freeze to death.” Robb pleaded and it was enough to make Jon get up.
They both made their way quickly through the Keep and back to Robb’s room and instantly Jon felt the heat warming him up. Both boys got under the furs and Robb pulled Jon into his arms so they could share body heat.
“You need to tell Father. He will fix everything.” Robb tried.
“Telling Father would only make things worse. You know how your mother is with me. I cannot handle worse. I’ll be fine. I just need to get better at following her rules and being good. That’s all.” Jon said with a shaky voice and it was clear he was close to crying.
“I hate this. I hate that you aren’t in here with me. You are my brother, you belong with me. It’s my duty to protect you.”
“It is my duty to protect you. You are the future of House Stark. You will be Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North one day. It is my duty to make sure you are safe. Maybe one day I will be your guard.”
“You will be my general to the house guards. And if I do not have children, you will be my heir. I do not care if you do not share my last name. You are my brother and that makes you a Stark. Always and forever.” Robb said, as he held up his pinky finger.
Jon looped his own around Robb’s as he spoke. “Always and forever.”
Ned couldn’t help the tears that burned at his eyes at the sight of his two sons. He knew they were close, they always had been, but he had no idea they were this close. He never had any intention of sending Jon to The Wall. He never wanted him to leave Winterfell. He always wanted him to be close by protecting his siblings and being there for future generations. The only reason he did ultimately allow Jon to leave was because of Robert and everything that happened. Jon being at The Wall was the only way Ned could think of that would work to protect him from Robert, even if the truth eventually came out. That did not mean he wanted him there nor was happy about it.
“Others were put within his path to help him grow strong. To help him fulfill his destiny.” The voice said and Ned watched as a wave of images flashed across his eyes.
He saw Robb, Arya, Sansa, Bran and Rickon. But he also saw Benjen, a younger man dressed in the cloaks from The Night’s Watch, but he was heavier set. He saw Arthur Dayne, Ser Barristan, Tyrion Lannister, Varys, another older man that Ned vaguely thought was the Onion Knight, and finally another man that was dressed all in furs and had sharp red hair and a beard.
“They were to help him fulfill his destiny. To defeat the Great Others once and for all. To bring peace and prosperity to the realms of men. The age of war was to end with our son. Peace was to come to the realms of men for thousands of years. His bloodline would save the world and protect it. He was never meant to be sent to The Wall. That was the beginning of the end.”
Once again more images and what Ned had to assume were memories started to play out in front of him. He saw Jon arriving at The Wall. He saw him not getting along well with the boys at first, but Tyrion, of all people, helping Jon to see the error in his ways. He watched as he said goodbye to Benjen, only for him to never return. He watched as the young man, Ned now knew as Samwell Tarly, arrived and Jon helped him to find his courage. He watched a sa man that was supposed to be dead came back to life and Jon killed him with fire. He watched as they went Beyond The Wall and Jon getting in a fight with Wildlings, the redheaded man was Tormund. He watched as Jon has to kill the Halfhand. He watched as Jon pretended to be a Wildling in order to get back to Castle Black. He watched as he fell in love with a Wildling only to do the right thing and return to The Night’s Watch to protect and warn them. He watched as Jon fought against the Wildlings and won. He watched as his son was brave and strong. As he led the men in the attack and afterwards. He watched as Stannis arrived and offered Jon to make him a Stark and the Warden of the North. He watched as Jon turned it down and then became the Lord Commander of The Night’s Watch.
He watched as Jon beheaded a traitor. As he made peace with the Wildings and saved as many as he could. To his horror, he watched as Jon fought against a White Walker and won. He had to watch as his son was betrayed by his own people and killed, only to be brought back to life by a red priestess and Ser Davos Seaworthy, after Stannis had been killed in a battle for Winterfell. A battle that happened between Theon had betrayed their family and faked the deaths of Bran and Rickon. He watched as him and Sansa reclaimed their home. As Rickon was killed right in front of Jon. He watched as Jon was made King of the North by his own people, something that warmed Ned’s heart greatly. He watched as he relinquished his title to ensure The Dragon Queen would help them. He watched as Jon almost died Beyond The Wall, only to be saved by Benjen, who ultimately died so Jon would live. He watched as they fought in a war that Ned couldn’t even wrap his mind around.
There was just so much that had happened to his family, to his children. He should have been there for it. He should have been there to stop Robb from being killed. To stop his wife from being killed. He should have been there to fight against the Others next to his son. He should have been there to watch as his son got to ride a dragon for the first time. To be the one to tell him who his parents were. He could have prevented so much pain. His children could all be alive right now. He should have been there. He should have done so many things differently.
The scene changed in front of Ned once again, but this time it was of Jon and that wildling called Tormund. They were in what looked like Robb’s room and it warmed Ned’s heart to at least know that Jon hadn’t taken his childhood room, though as the Warden of The North he should have been in Ned and Catelyn’s old room. Jon had a fire going as he sat on the bed. Tormund tossed a piece of wood into the fire before he turned and spoke.
“What’s wrong My Little Crow? We won a war against the army of the dead, you should be celebrating.”
“Tens of thousands are dead. Even some houses in the North have been completely wiped out. There will never be another Umber or Mormont in the world. I don’t know how I feel about Theon being dead. We were raised together, we were supposed to be like brothers. But he hated me and I had to put up with his words and violence because I was a bastard and it was better to be a hostage than a bastard. But he risked his life to save Sansa and he died protecting Bran. I guess I should be thankful he at least saw them as siblings.” Jon said but both Tormund and Ned could hear the exhaustion within his voice.
“I never knew what to do about them two. I knew Theon liked to pick on Jon. Jon was really the only one in Winterfell that was considered less than Theon. I had hoped their love of Robb would bring them together, would keep Theon loyal to us, I was horribly wrong.”
Ned was disgusted by what Theon had done to his family. He had betrayed them and part of that betrayal ended up with Robb, his wife, unborn baby and Catelyn being killed. It might not have happened if Theon had been with him. It was also not lost on Ned that it wouldn’t have happened if Jon was there. Jon would have seen the warning signs, he would have been able to get Robb to hold off on marrying another woman. Jon thought differently and he saw the world differently. He always had the unique ability to take in his environment within seconds and plan a strategy that would work. Everything he just saw only solidified that. With Jon by Robb’s side, they would have won against the Lannisters. They would have won the War of the Five Kings.
“A lot of lives have been lost, but you can’t focus on the dead, they’re dead. You have to live. The war is over, you can rest now.” Tormund said.
“I gave my word to Dany that the North would fight with her at King’s Landing. She’s not going to want to wait very long before she makes her final attack.” It was clear Jon was not looking forward to it and it was a promise he didn’t want to keep.
“You could say no.” Tormund said, but he already knew that Jon wouldn’t.
“I can’t go back on my word, you wouldn’t either. Maybe I would feel differently tonight if this was the last battle. I don’t know how long the fight for King’s Landing will last.”
“I can’t go with you.” Tormund said, softly.
Jon gave him a soft smile. “I would never ask you too. I don’t want you there. You and the Free Folk have done more than what you agreed to. You deserve peace.”
“So you do, Jon.” Tormund said with a pointed look. He hated that Jon was going to have to go to yet another battle and deal with another war. He had been through too many battles and too many wars already. He deserved the life of peace better than anyone in the world.
“Maybe I’m not supposed to.” Jon said with a deep sigh.
“What is it? Something more is bothering you.” Tormund said, as he went and sat down next to Jon on the bed.
“On this side of the Wall, if a woman has a baby with a man she is not married to, that baby is called a bastard. They are either called Sand, Snow, Stone, Rivers, Hills, Storm or Waters, depending on the kingdom they are born in. The child doesn’t get their father’s name, not unless he gives it willingly or a King grants the request. The child doesn’t even get their mother’s last name. What do the Free Folk call those children?”
It was a question Jon had been afraid to ask since the moment he met the Free Folk. They were all very open with their sexual needs and they all had multiple partners. Knowing who fathered which child had to have been a nightmare. Jon couldn’t help but wonder what happens with the children.
“Children.” Tormund simply said.
“You must have a name for them though.”
“We call them children Pup. The Free Folk, we have no need for words like bastard. The Free Folk don’t hold a child responsible for the actions of their parents. When a woman gives birth, the tribe helps to take care of that child, whether the father is involved or not. That child becomes the responsibility of the tribe to raise, and protect, and love. You are no bastard to me, Jon Snow.”
“The more I learn about the Wildlings, the more I question if we are truly the Wildlings in the world.” Ned softly said.
A tear ran down Jon’s cheek and it tore at Ned and Tormund’s heart to see it. Ned could count on one hand how many times Jon had cried since the age of three. He had always been strong, always had to keep his feelings buried because of the bastard label on him. Tormund reached over and wiped his thumb over Jon’s cheek.
“Before you got here I was down in the crypt. I wanted to see my father, be able to say goodbye. Growing up I was never allowed down there. Lady Catelyn always told me I was a bastard, which meant I was not worthy enough to gaze upon my ancestors. Sam found me down there. Apparently, Bran spoke to him and figured he would be the best person to talk to me. It should have come from him, but whatever this Three-Eyed Raven is, it’s sucked Bran’s soul out of him.”
“I was wonderin’ about that.” Tormund said, because the very few times he had been around Bran, it was like he was an empty shell. He knew other Wargs and they all had their emotions with them. Some were more unstable than others.
“He used to be filled with life. He would run around Winterfell climbing on everything. He could climb the tower walls as easily as he could breathe. Now it’s like there is nothing left in him. It hurts looking at him and seeing his dead eyes staring back at me.”
“Maybe he will go back to his old self once he gets used to this new power.” Tormund offered, but it was clear he was feeling just as lost as Jon was.
“Bran had a vision, or whatever he does, it was of the past. He told Sam about what he saw and Sam found me in the crypt. He saw my aunt Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen getting married in secret. I don’t know if you have ever heard the story.” Jon started.
“I know the Dragons were all killed in some war.” Tormund said, but that was all he really knew about it. The Southerners have always been at war for one thing or another and the Free Folk never paid attention to it.
“The Targaryens were one of the first families, along with the Starks and the Lannisters. The Targaryens held the Iron Throne for two hundred and eighty-three years. They were the power family and it wasn’t just because of their dragons. They were all warriors and highly respected. Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon were as close as brothers. Robert fell in love with my aunt, but so did Rhaegar. The story we were all told was that Rhaegar kidnapped and raped Lyanna. That she had died from injuries she sustained in the rape. That started Robert’s rebellion against the Targaryens and it resulted in all but two of them being killed. The two that were left alive were Dany and her older brother. They were able to escape just in time and stayed hidden until eight years ago. Robert became King after that.”
It hurt Jon when he thought about how much could have been avoided if the truth had come out before the rebellion. He might have grown up in Winterfell, but he could have grown up as Ned Stark’s nephew and still been able to know his father’s side of the family.
“You said that was the story. What was the truth?” Tormund asked.
“They were in love and married. Rhaegar was next in line to be King. Their marriage would have strengthened the alliance with the North. Rhaegar was killed by Robert and Ned was there. He went to find Lyanna in Dorne and when he found her in the Tower of Joy she had just given birth. She was bleeding out, dying. She told Ned the baby’s name and he promised to protect the baby. That baby was me.” Jon said, as he looked at Tormund with a slight turn of his head.
“That would mean then…” Tormund started, completely shocked as Jon finished his sentence.
“My real name is Jaehaerys Targaryen. I am the rightful heir to the Seven Kingdoms. Ned Stark, the man that I believed was my father is truly my uncle. The most honorable man I have ever known lied to me my whole life and allowed for me to live the life of a bastard.”
“That’s bullshit.” Tormund stated.
“I know he thought he was doing the right thing.” Jon started, but Tormund cut him off.
“No, what you just said was bullshit.” At the confused look on Jon’s face Tormund continued. “You Southerns care so much about titles and who is who to you. A father is not the man that put the seed in your mother. He is the man that raises you. By blood Ned is your uncle, but did he not raise you?”
“As a bastard. We’re treated one step above a slave. Even Theon, who was a hostage, was treated better than me. He was allowed to sit at the table with my siblings and I had to hide in the kitchen or outside so no one would see me. I lived in the servants quarters. I had to call my uncle, My Lord when we were around anyone. I was beaten and whipped whenever Lady Catelyn felt like it. I was blamed for everything that went wrong. My uncle knew it, he saw the pain I was in by how I was being treated and he didn’t say anything. He didn’t even tell me the truth about who I was. He told me before I went to Castle Black that we would talk about my mother when he returned. He knew that I would have already said my vows by the time he came back to Winterfell and it would have been too late for me to change my mind. He just wanted me out of the way.”
“That’s how things look from your side. And if this Lady Catelyn hadn’t already been killed, I would have done it for ever hurting you. Your father though, I have to imagine he was in a tight spot. He knew you would have been killed if the truth came out. He made the ultimate sacrifice by claiming you as his own. Not saying it was perfect, but he took care of you didn’t he? He tell you he loved you?” Tormund said with a great deal of patience.
“Every day.”
“He give you hugs? Take care of you when you were sick?” Tormund continued.
“He did. If I got hurt, he was always there to make sure I was ok.”
“He teach you how to hunt and fight?”
“He did and he made sure I was trained just as much as Robb was in fighting and education.”
“He did all of that because he loved you. Not because you were his dead sister’s son, but because you were his son. He’s your father My Little Crow. He will always be your father. I have to imagine it hurt him just as much to know he couldn’t give you everything his other children had. Maybe he shouldn’t have sent you to the Wall without the truth, but if you hadn’t gone, we never would have met. You wouldn’t have known about the White Walkers and we could all be dead right now. Not saying he was perfect, nobody is, but from the sounds of it he loved you like you were his son.”
“I feel like I don’t know who I am anymore. What name I’m supposed to go with.” Jon said with a small shake of his head.
“The one you pick. Free Folks are given no last name. They get one when the tribe calls them something. It’s based on an accomplishment or heroic deed. You would be Jon Dragonrider or Jon White Wolf to the Free Folk. If you want to be a Stark, then be Jon Stark. If you want to be Jaehaerys Targaryen, I’ll never call you it, but you can be that too. Or you could be Jon Targaryen or Jon Snow. It doesn’t fucking matter. Because all anyone will need to know is that you saved the realm of men. You killed the White Walkers and pulled multiple kingdoms together to defeat an army of the dead. You made history. Call yourself whatever bloody name you want. You’ve earned it.”
“I really like him. I’m glad Jon was able to have him in his life. He’s a good friend, a good brother to have. I never expected for the Wildlings to be like him. I was raised to believe they were all savages that would rape, murder and eat you. We’ve been killing them for decades and all because they were trying to save their people from the wrights and White Walkers.” Ned said with a shake of his head.
Ned felt like they had all been trying to kill the Wildlings when they should have been working to make peace with them. It was clear that peace between them was possible. Jon had managed to do it in just months. They could have had the Wildlings in the North already and helped to rebuild the Keeps that were in ruins. They could have helped manning The Wall in the castles that were no longer habitable. There were endless possibilities and so many lives could have been saved. It was a huge missed opportunity. Ned watched as scene after scene played out in front of him. The final battle for King’s Landing, what the Dragon Queen did in her madness. Having to watch as Jon killed the woman he loved for the better of the realm. Only for him to have to be exiled for his heroic actions. He watched as Bran became King of the Seven, or Six Kingdoms. Sansa becoming Queen of the North and Arya sailing off to unchartered territory. All of them saying goodbye to Jon, their brother, as he was punished for saving the Realm, not once, but twice, and not one of them fought for him. Not one of them spoke up and refused to banish him to the Night’s Watch, the place that had resulted in his death, to be treated as a traitor. The one man that died and did everything in his power to save the realm, is the one man that gets labeled as a traitor. It made Ned sick.
Jon was a hero and in no time at all the realm completely forgot everything he did and sacraficed so they could live. They turned on him, his own blood, turned on him because he dared to stop a mad Queen from killing more innocent people. Jon should have been King. He should have been rewarded for everything he had done and yet the people that should have fought for him stabbed him in the back for their own gain. There was no excuse for what had happened to Jon, none. Ned watched as Jon arrived back at The Wall to what was a very small Night’s Watch after The Great War. He was surprised to see some of the Wildlings still there, especially Tormund. Apparently, they had waited for him after word got out about what he had done and it warmed his heart to see that Jon at least had one person in his corner.
When it was time for the Wildlings to be escorted back home, Jon had volunteered for the position. A large part of Ned had been hoping that the new Lord Commander would release Jon and allow him to live Beyond The Wall. That would have been best for him, especially after everything that happened. He would have been able to at least be free. But that didn’t happen. Because even after everything Jon had done for the North, for the realm, for the Night’s Watch, the new Lord Commander was not pleased that Jon had killed Daenerys. That he had killed their new Queen, the one person that finally ended Cersei’s reign. That he had killed The Mother of Dragons. It didn’t matter that Jon was also a dragonrider. That he had sacraficed and fought more for the realm then Daenerys ever did. To the world he was a traitor and it was that simple. The only ones that seemed to understand why Jon did what he did were the Wildlings. They were the only ones that respected him and honored everything he sacraficed for them. And that gave Ned a great deal of respect for them.
“Don’t go.” Tormund said once him and Jon were in a tent.
“I have to. Those that get sentenced to The Watch, we don’t have a choice; the vows are automatically implied. If I stay I will be a deserter and they will come for me.” Jon explained sadly.
“So let them. Those cunts might not want to remember everything you have done for them, but the Free Folk remember and we will always remember. So let them come. We’ll cut them down until there is nothing left.” Tormund said with strength to his voice, as he crossed the distance between them.
“I won’t have more death on my hands. There are so few Free Folk left, I will not have those that have managed to survive all of the wars to die because I don't wish to be somewhere. I killed a Queen, I will face the consequences of my actions.”
“You killed a mad woman who burned innocent children alive. Fuck her being a Queen. You were a King, that should count for more.” Tormund growled.
“I bent the knee to her. And I never pushed for my claim as Rhaegar’s son. To the realm, I am merely a bastard who killed the Queen that ended the Lannister reign. The nobles don’t care how many innocent lives, how many innocent children, died for it, because to them they were nothing more than peasants. I’m the villain in their story.”
“You’re the hero in ours.” Tormund said, as he placed his hand on the side of Jon’s cheek. “You should stay. I’ll tell those fucking crows that I stole you.” He said with a small smirk and Jon gave a small sad huff.
“You don’t want a broken husband.”
“You’re not broken, My Little Crow. Merely banged up inside. I don’t need you to be strong. You’ve already been the strongest man I have ever known. I don’t need you to be brave, you’re braver than anyone. I don’t need you to fight. You’re already the best fighter in the world. I just need you here with me. I’ll be the strong one. I’ll be the brave one. I’ll be the fighter. You just let me take care of you. Let me love you, so you can heal.
That, that was what Ned wanted for all of his children. That was real, genuine love. He never thought Jon would find it in a Wildling or in a man, but he didn’t care, because after everything Jon had been through he deserved to be loved like that more than anyone. But this, the love and devotion within Tormund’s voice, within his eyes. That was what Ned wanted for all of his children. He wanted them to not just have a husband or a wife, but a partner. Someone that loved them unconditionally. Someone that would take up arms and fight with them when the time came. Someone that would be strong when they could not be. Someone that would let them heal from the horrors they saw or went through. That was true love and something only Jon experienced in his life. Ned watched as Jon kissed Tormund before the scene changed once again.
He watched as Jon left the tent that he had shared with Tormund and said goodbye to Ghost. It broke Ned’s heart, because he knew that Jon was leaving for good. He didn’t understand why he didn’t take Ghost with him though. He knew Ghost had survived what none of the other wolves had. He knew he had faced multiple battles and wars, more than any other direwolf within their family. Ghost deserved to be free just as much as Jon did, but it still broke his heart to see Jon walking away from Ghost.
Jon sat at his desk within his chambers back at The Wall. He had just finished writing a letter to Sansa and he was sealing it with his wax seal. He stood and picked up Longclaw and placed it down on the desk with the letter next to it for Sansa. He also placed a note on the desk as well to ensure Longclaw would go to Winterfell where it could be passed down throughout the generations. The Mormonts were gone, it was the least he could do. Jon took one last look around the room to make sure there were no messes and everything was in order. With that done he went and laid down on his bed and pulled his leathers aside from his chest so his old scar was revealed. With a calming breath, Jon picked up the dagger and placed it over the old scar before he pushed it into his chest, directly into his heart. He groaned as he twisted the dagger before pulling it out. Jon knew all too well how painful it would be, but he also knew he would bleed out fast and just go to sleep. Only this time there wouldn’t be anyone to bring him back.
Ned felt like he couldn’t breathe. This had to be some sort of trick. Jon wouldn’t have killed himself, he just couldn’t have.
“It was all too much for his soul to bear. A childhood of hateful looks. A childhood of pain and suffering. An adult life of nothing but war and battles. Losing people he loved. People he loved dying in his arms. It was all too much. The damage had been done when he was nothing more than a boy and it killed the man.” The voice said.
“So this is one of the hells. Otherwise why show me this? Why show me my children and wife being killed? Why show me my son, the last piece of my sister in this world taking his own life? What is the point in any of this other than to torture me?” Ned shouted, as the tears rolled down his cheeks.
He knew the old gods could be cruel, but he never thought he would face their wrath. He had tried to do the honorable thing. He had tried to honor his sister’s dying wish, to protect her son. He didn’t keep the truth from Jon because he wanted to protect Robert. He had given up on his friendship with Robert after the Rebellion and it was only reinforced with the Greyjoy Rebellion when he watched as Robert, a married man, still drank and whored his way around every town on their journey. It was why he had not seen the man in close to ten years. The only reason he didn’t tell Jon about his mother and the truth was because he was terrified of his son dying. Of having to watch as he was killed. He didn’t want him weighed down by wars. He didn’t want that on his son’s soul.
“This is no Hell. We are not punishing you. We are showing you. We are educating you Eddard Stark for you have an oath that has not been fulfilled. The Prince That Was Promised, the Song of Ice and Fire, has not been fulfilled. Jaehaerys Targaryen was the Prince That Was Promised. He was the one that was to bring dragons back into the world. The one that would bring peace and prosperity. The one that would bring the dawn on the long night. He was the one that needed to kill the Night King.”
“So you’ve said, but the Night King is dead. Arya killed him. Why does it matter that it wasn’t Jon? That it wasn’t your son?” Ned asked, confused. He didn’t understand a lot of the flashes of images that went across him, but he did see his little she-wolf kill the Night King. The army of the dead was finished.
“Not indefinitely. Only Azor Ahai reborn can defeat the Night King. Lady Arya Stark only placed it back into hibernation until one day he will rise again. Jaehaerys was Azor Ahai, he was the only one that could forever defeat the Night King. He was the one chance the realm had of vanquishing the enemy permanently. He was the one chance the realm had of peace. Our son cannot be reborn again. He needs to have both Wolf and Dragon blood, both houses are gone.”
“Bran didn’t bring peace?” Ned asked, as he tried to get his mind around all of this.
He, much like Jon, did not like how empty Bran seemed to be. It was as if he didn’t have a soul and he was just a shell moving around in the world. It bothered him deeply how much his sweet and caring boy had changed. It bothered him that Bran, Arya and Sansa didn’t fight for Jon in the end. That Sansa had told a secret that helped to lead to Daenerys downward spiral into madness. Jon was their brother and they didn’t fight for what was right. They allowed him to be sentenced as a traitor to the Wall to die, after everything he had done for them and for the realm.
“The Queen of the North was quick to cruelty. Perhaps it was from her time in King’s Landing or being married to Ramsay Bolton. Or perhaps the power went to her head. Regardless, she led the North with fear as her greatest weapon. The North rebelled against her and Winterfell was destroyed. She was killed, along with half of the surviving houses. The other half live in poverty from being independent from the South. They were no longer able to partake in the trade and King Bran did not wish to offer any help. With not being able to get enough food for their people, the rest that survived yet another war, all starved to death. Parents killing their children to save them from the slow and painful death of starvation.”
Ned couldn’t believe this. He watched as the scenes played out in front of him. Saw yet another war come to the North and how his people were suffering. He knew a lot of the houses in the North wanted their independence back. However, they had spent hundreds of years under the Iron Throne and yes it wasn’t always perfect, but they were able to feed their people. Ever since Robert had taken the throne they had even less support and the houses struggled. It was why Ned could understand why so many wanted a King in the North. However, there were many things they needed to survive that came from the trade agreements with the South. Without those trade agreements their people would suffer, as he saw being played out in front of him.
“Arya Stark travelled after leaving King’s Landing, though she did not get far. Her ship ran aground and she was able to make it to Essos just miles away from the shores of Lys. She had taken it as a sign from the Gods that she was meant to be in Essos. It did not take long for her to fall back into bad habits. She began to work as a paid assassin, taking on any job that she felt righteous towards. She died before her twentieth name day at the hands of a husband whose wife Arya was paid to kill by a woman who claimed the lady was sleeping with her husband. Arya later found out it was a lie, but it was too late. The lady she killed was with child that died with her. The husband sought vengeance and Arya Stark spent the last six moons of her life being tortured and raped before she bled to death. Neither lady Stark brought any children into the world.”
Ned didn’t know how much more of this he could take. To hear that even his sweet daughters had been turned with darkness, it was too much. All of this was too much. He had fought to protect his family and he had died with the belief that they would band together and survive. Only now to discover that the pack he thought he was leaving this world with, didn’t even exist.
“Bran?” He was terrified of knowing what happened to his son, but he already suspected he was dead as well.
“Becoming the Three Eyed Raven ate away at his mind, heart and soul. He was known as the Emotionless King. He did not listen to petitions. He did not visit any of the kingdoms or people. He spent most of his days looking out the window watching the birds. He was hated by the people and not respected by any of the kingdoms. He died within two years of his Kingship. He had attempted to warg into Drogo the Dragon and his mind was lost to him. He starved to death sitting in his chair looking out at King’s Landing. He never married nor had children. The Stark House was no more. With his death, riots began and a new war started for the Iron Throne. The realm has been at war ever since.”
Ned shook his head as he tried to wrap his mind around all of this. His family, his house, the Starks, which had been in existence since the First Men. Their bloodline was completely wiped out. Their legacy was ruined. People would now remember them as the ones that destroyed the Seven Kingdoms. What made it worse, his children died never knowing true peace or happiness. They all died broken.
“You are right, I have failed. And not just Jon, but all of my children. I failed the North and I failed the people of the realm. I never should have gone to King’s Landing. I never should have put Robert over Jon. I should have told Jon the truth and supported whatever decision he made. Had I done that, I could have saved my children.”
It was so clear to see now where Ned had screwed up. Where he had failed. He hated that there was nothing he could do about it. Their lives were already gone. All he had ever wanted was for his children to be safe and happy. To get to experience love and having children of their own. He failed as a father to them and it was that shame he would carry for all eternity.
“Would you pick your children over your wife?”
“Yes.” Ned answered without a single hesitation.
If it had been asked of him hours ago he would have hesitated. He wouldn’t have been able to choose, for what man could? But now, after seeing what his wife had done and ordered to have happen to his son. She was not the woman he thought she was and he would gladly set her aside if it meant his children would live and be happy.
“Would you approve of Jaehaerys’ true love being a man?”
“All I want, all I have ever wanted was for my children to be happy. Before knowing what I do, I would have struggled with it, as most within the realm would. However, I could see how much they cared for each other. How deeply Tormund cared for him. He protected him by standing by his side and not in front of him. He supported my son when he needed it most and he never broke his trust. He was his partner and really that’s all I could ever want for my children. It’s one of the things that Robb did right. He married for love and not for obligation or alliance. There are many things that I would change if I could go back. And one of them would be to never betrothe any of my children. To allow them to marry for love, whomever that was.”
Ned had seen the difference between marrying for obligation and marrying for love. Those that married for love, they were happier, their children happier. Maybe they weren’t rich or lived in fancy castles, but they got to experience true love and that was something everyone deserved to have. So damn honor. Damn proprietaries. Damn expectations. The world was cold and cruel and life was far too short to care what a bunch of strangers thought.
“This pleases us to hear Eddard Stark. For you were sent here for a purpose. The realm is in ruins and it will not be long before the people within Westeros are all but extinct. The realm died with Jaehaerys. He cannot be reborn again, but he must fulfill his destiny. Because of that we will use what power we have to make one last final play to save the realm and its people.”
“How?” Ned eagerly asked.
“We send you back, Eddard Stark. Back before Robert Baratheon came to Winterfell.”
“You can send me back in time?” He was shocked.
He didn’t know what to think about any of this. There was a huge part of him that was terrified, because if someone held that level of power, then what else could they do? But he supposed they were Gods for a reason. The biggest part of him though felt a wave of hope. He could go back and make things right. He could make the changes that were needed to save his children and help save the realm. He could finally live up to his oath he gave his sister and see her son succeed and fulfill his destiny.
“We can. You will attain your memories to help guide you. Be aware, the changes you make will affect the future. Make sure those changes do not result in the death of Jaehaerys. We will also remove the power that Lord Brandon holds. He will not be a Warg, for he does not have enough magic within his blood to be able to handle it and not have his mind corrupted from it.”
That was a relief for Ned to hear. He would be able to stop Bran from climbing the Broken Tower and seeing the Lannisters having sex. That will keep him from falling and losing the use of his legs. It was one problem he could easily avoid and it would stop Catelyn from wanting to hunt down Tyrion and executing him. He would need to buy time so he could get Jon ready and start building up his allies for the war to come. Ned was no longer going to kid himself. A war was coming whether he liked it or not. Last time he trusted the wrong people and held no control over the looming war. This time around he knew who he could trust and he was going into it knowing war was inevitable.
“What do I do about Daenerys?”
That was going to be one of the biggest hurdles. She had started off as a good person and a good Queen, but her mind fell into the madness that her grandfather had. It would be best if her and her brother were not involved in any of this.
“The dragon eggs that were once gifted to her shall be gifted to Jaehaerys. You will find them in a chest next to his mother. Be warned though, the magic within Jaehaerys’ blood and the magic that lives within the North will make them grow rapidly. They will double in size every week. For what would take years for a dragon to reach a size that can be ridden and for their scales to be hard enough to not be pierced, will take less than a year with them being in the North with Jaehaerys.”
“Whoa wait, you’ve spoken about the magic within Jon’s blood, but I thought that would only pertain to the Night King.” Ned said; he needed a lot more information than what he was being given.
“He has the blood of the First Men and The Kings of Winter. He has two lines of ancient and powerful magic within his blood. He is a warg, he will be able to turn stone into a castle with a song. His magic will alight the flaming sword. He is pure magic with limitless possibilities. He would already feel it, but his childhood has resulted in him hiding and pushing those feelings down. You need him to embrace it, for you will need his magic in the wars to come. Aemon Targaryen holds the answers that you seek.”
Ned gave a nod. Aemon was the Maester at The Wall, that would be easy enough to get to him and for Jon to be able to meet his granduncle.
“Without the dragons Daenerys will not hear their call. We shall make her happy to be with her husband and stay in Essos to have the family she deserves. The family that was taken from her. Her and her brother will be no threat to Jaehaerys or impede his journey. Others shall share the gift that has been granted to you. They are his most trusted allies in the wars to come. Trust in them and their love for your son. Many will stand with him, but more against him. He must prove himself to be the King he was destined to be. Only his bloodline will secure the realm into peace. As long as his blood sits on the Iron Throne the realm will know only peace. Trust in his heart, for he knows what is needed to bring true peace.”
“I will, you have my word. You have my oath. I will see to it that my son fulfills his destiny and saves the realm.”
Ned meant every word. He was not going to lose his family. He was not going to fail his family again. He would be there beside Jon’s side through everything, no matter what. The darkness that had surrounded him appeared to grow even darker and deeper. Ned suddenly felt like he was falling, like the world was tilting and there was nothing he could do to stop it. Just as quickly as it began it ended and Ned opened his eyes to see he was lying in his bed back at Winterfell.
His eyes traveled over to the window and saw the sun was already starting to come up. He looked over and saw his wife still sound asleep. He knew that the Gods of old had said they were going to send him back, but there was a part of him that doubted it would work. Yet here he was, back in his bed next to his wife in his own keep. He should have curled up with her in his arms. He should have kissed her and been happy to see them both alive and back together after being apart for more than a year. Yet the very sight of her made his anger rise as he remembered all of the times she stood there and ordered his son to be whipped. As his mind remembered the scars that marked all over his son’s back. Things were going to change and Ned was going to start now.
He got up out of bed and quickly dressed before he made his way out. He first headed to the crypt to make sure he had the dragon eggs. He needed to get them back to his solar where he could secure them until he was able to speak to Jon and give them to him. He was a bit worried about trying to hide the dragons once they were hatched, but it might take a bit of time for them to even hatch. He also needed to figure out just where in the past he was sent. Was it only a week, a moon before Jon died? Was he already dead and Robert was on his way here? He would need to determine what day it was, but he also had to make sure he didn’t come across as mad either. He was hoping by looking at his children he would know roughly how old they were, especially Rickon with him being the youngest.
Ned made his way through the keep and when he came across a couple of servants already awake and moving around he went over to them.
“Willow, Grace, did you both break your fast?” Ned asked.
“We did My Lord. We were just about to start the washing.” Willow, the older of the two, answered.
“I need to get the guest room within the family wing prepared. Make sure the bedding is clean and there are enough furs; as well as a fire please.”
“Of course Lord Stark. Will we have more than one guest to prepare for?” Grace asked.
“No guests. I am going to have my son Jon move up there.” Ned said and he could see the slight surprise across their faces, but they recovered quickly.
“We will get started on that right away, Lord Stark.” Willow said, as she started to move Grace along.
Ned knew it was going to be a bit odd for people until everyone got used to Jon’s new position. Ned was not going to allow anyone to change his mind or disrespect his son. He would love to give Jon his name, but he had to wait until he told Jon everything and let him decide which name Jon wanted to be known by. But he would be making sure he understood that Stark was a name he could go by and Ned would be proud for him to be a Stark officially. Ned made his way towards the crypt and headed inside. He didn’t even look at the other statues as he walked down the tunnel to reach Lyanna’s tomb. There in front of the statue was a metal case and Ned knew exactly what was in it. He bent down and opened the case and sure enough there were three dragon eggs. He had seen from the visions what the dragons looked like and based on the coloring of the eggs it would appear they were going to be the same dragons. There was a part of him that was scared to have dragons, but he was also excited to be able to see Jon riding a dragon. To see the joy on his face as he connected with the dragon half of his blood.
Ned closed the case and he stood with it as he turned to look at Lyanna. “I’m sorry I failed you. I’m sorry I failed your son. I promise you I will not fail him again. I will make sure he is happy and gets to have his own family. I will make sure he fulfills his destiny and knows how much you loved him. I will make sure he knows how much he is loved. I give you my word sweet sister.”
He had failed her before and he was not going to do it again. He was going to make sure Jon knew how much he loved him; how much his mother would have loved him. He had a lot to make up for and that was going to start now. Ned turned and headed back down the tunnel. He had a lot of work to do and he was itching to get started on it.