Chapter 1: The Expectation's of Eddard Stark

The Dragonborn

DragonsKing83

Summary:

Harry dies as the Master of Death directly after the Battle of Hogwarts when hit with Lucius Malfoy's Killing Curse. He's given a choice, and chooses to experience a different life- a life with family and love different from all he'd known. However, Harry Potter could never be normal in any world. He is born the eldest son of Lyanna Stark and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen; only this time Rhaegar survives the Battle at the Trident in secret due to the actions of Ned Stark just as Lyanna survives the birth of their son. As the fleet of Stannis Baratheon is closing in, they flee to the Free Cities in exile. Here is where our story begins. The game has changed and the players evolve as one special young boy makes all the difference. The legend of the Dragonborn has awoken. The world of the Song of Ice and Fire will never be the same again. -Winter is Coming and it's coming with Fire and Blood-

Notes:

This is a Harry Potter/A Song of Ice and Fire crossover alternative universe though it will focus much more on the world of Westeros than the HP Universe. Harry (Jaehaerys) will be different to his original self as he has been raised completely differently this time around. As this is both fanfiction as well as alternative universe, some things will be intentionally different, though overall it is much the same at first. I have changed whom the mother of Lyanna and Benjen Stark was from Lyarra Stark (who was still the mother of Brandon and Ned) to the niece of Jon Arryn. Harry will also have two main love interests in Rhaenys and Dany and in this version (as opposed to the one that will be posted on fanfiction.net) he will he will also be quite close to Aurane Waters and Aegon. This is fair warning to anyone whom may have issues with such relationships; I don't care. This is a completely new version of a small fic from my fanfiction.net account. I already have well over the first 100,000 words pre-written so update's will be fairly regular and frequent. This is just for my own pleasure though, so if you are a stickler for canon or wish things written in a certain way- again, I don't particularly care. It's just for fun. That being said, read at your own risk and enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING!

Chapter Text

Dragonborn

Chapter One

***

Ned I.- Part I

The Expectation's of Eddard Stark

Ned watched as the pyre burned; sparking higher and brighter as the flame's leapt all around. He heard the crackling of the logs as the fire consumed them. Howland stood by his side; the only other witness of what Ned supposed was the closest thing to a funeral the Prince of Dragonstone was likely to ever receive. As the flames grew higher and more brilliant, Ned became lost in his thought's.

How was he supposed to feel about this? The Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was dead. He was defeated by the war hammer of his best friend, and he reckoned new 'king', Robert of the House Baratheon of Storm's End. Despite their friendship, he did not know exactly what kind of a king Robert would become. When all of the insanity began, he never would have dreamed they would crown Robert of all people as King of the Seven Kingdom's.

Yet, they had done exactly that.

Well, more to the point; Jon Arryn had done exactly that.

No one had asked for his opinion. He was just expected to break his oath's to the Royal House and swear his new king fealty. Truthfully, he could hardly imagine Westeros under the rule of anyone except the Dragon King's. After all, say what you will about some of them, but the prosperity they brought the realm as a united continent far outweighed the negative aspect's brought on by the occasionally insane monarch. In his opinion at least.

However, again; no one asked for his opinion. It had merely been expected of him; just as so very many other things in his life had been.

Just as accepting the tale that his little sister must have....somehow....been kidnapped and raped by the Crown Prince of all people was expected of him.

He knew it was wrong of him, but whenever he heard that most ridiculous of claim's, it was all he could do to suppress his laughter. The likelihood of Lyanna Stark of all people being 'kidnapped' and 'raped' was too far-fetched to even contemplate.

He sometimes couldn't help but wonder if they were actually speaking of the same person. She, who could wield a lance better than virtually any knight alive; she, who was half a horse in the saddle and finest rider in all of the North bar none; she, who wielded a blade better than any other nobleman twice her size and age; she, who was never without at least two dagger's on her person at all times....even in her sleep?

How anyone could convince themselves that she could have been kidnapped without there being a very great many sign's of a massive struggle nor a great deal of blood found, he knew not. Like he'd long thought, the very idea was laughable.

However, it was 'expected' of him, so he went along with it.

To Eddard Stark however, all any of that proved was that Robert Baratheon simply had absolutely no idea whom his little sister really was....at all!

He had long since been forced to accept the fact that Lyanna and Benjen's judgment of his friend's character was spot on. If Lyanna was actually....somehow....still forced to marry the Stormlord, Ned had very little doubt that Robert would not manage to survive the wedding night. In truth, the girl his friend saw as Ned's sister was nothing but a mirage of wishful thinking and self-delusion. The girl Robert was in love with simply did not exist, and Ned knew that for an absolute fact.

He partially blamed himself for this entire mess.

Oh, he knew it was not his fault that the Mad King had cooked his father in his armor whilst forcing his elder brother to strangle himself to death in a vain attempt to reach his sword and save their father whilst tied to some Tyroshi torture device. No, that was all on Aerys. Nor was it his fault that his little sister was as willful and stubborn as a mule on her best day. She was the only daughter of Winterfell and the first lady of the North for far too long for her to have been anything other than both imperious and well-used to getting her own way.

What was his fault was that it was he who even suggested the betrothal to his father in the first place.

Admittedly, it had been at the urging's of his foster-father and mentor, Jon Arryn- Lord of the Mountain and the Vale and Warden of the East. Ned sometimes wondered if he had not allowed himself to be too influenced by the Falcon Lord.

He knew the Stark's were honorable ruler's, but he also knew they did not manage to hold and rule such a hard people as the men of the North for well over eight thousand years by honor alone.

He was a Stark of Winterfell. He well knew the true history of his house despite the fact he had lived at the Eyrie longer than he had Winterfell itself. He well knew that if one threatened the Wolf-Pack of Winterfell, they could make the Flaying Bolton's of old look like rank amateur's in comparison to the cruelty they were capable of unleashing if they so chose. The proof of that could still be found in the total extinction of such houses as the Greystark's, whom were now nothing more than cautionary tale's whispered about to frighten children into behaving or eating their vegetables- and they had been kin!

Furthermore, in none of them had those particular trait's been more manifest than in the wolf's-blooded Brandon and Lyanna themselves.

Ned had been so impressed by Jon Arryn's code of honor as well as his vision for the future of Westeros, that a part of him had forgotten what it meant to be a Stark of Winterfell. He now knew that, and accepted that fact. Ned had thought himself nearly closer to Robert Baratheon than he was to his own brother's. That, he now knew, had been a mistake. When Lord Jon had brought to Ned the suggestion of tying Houses Stark and Baratheon together through a union of Robert and Lyanna (and thereby cementing the cornerstone of Jon Arryn's vision), Ned had thought it an excellent idea and had immediately brought it to his father's notice. He knew of his father's southron ambition's. Indeed, he played on that very fact in order to bring Robert into the family as a true brother, as well as to make his mentor proud of him.

That was when he forgot what it meant to be a Stark.

'When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives.'

He had been in the south so long that the very idea that Lyanna might object did not even cross his mind so lost had he been in the haze of trying to please his mentor, best friend, and his father all at the same time. Lyanna had seen right through Robert Baratheon from the very beginning. When she all but begged him to speak with their father about cancelling the betrothal, Ned should have heeded his sister's plea. The longer the rebellion raged on, the more Ned had begun to see his friend for who and for what he truly was. Ned shuddered to think of the future of Westeros with him on the throne. Ned had a distinct feeling he would make Aegon the Unworthy look like a paragon of virtue in comparison. He had also been horrified to realize that Robert assuredly suffered from his own form of madness. His hatred of his own grandmother's family was neither normal nor healthy. If he had his way, Ned knew he would have every last person with even a drop of Targaryen blood (excepting himself of course....and maybe Renly) killed in the most brutal fashion possible. It was hypocrisy in it's worst form. Without his own Dragon blood, Robert would have been nothing. House Baratheon would not even exist if their founder had not been the bastard brother of Aegon the Dragon, nor would Robert have been crowned as anything other than the 'King of Whores' had his own grandmother not been the Princess Rhaelle Targaryen; making him the great-grandson of King Aegon V.

He now remembered the truth: the survival of the pack was the only thing that mattered.

Brandon had sealed his own fate when he blindly rushed off to the capitol.

To this day, Ned did not understand that. He knew that of the four of them, Brandon and Lyanna were the one's with the most 'wolf-blood'. However, Brandon knew their sister even better than Ned did. He should have known that whatever he heard had been an exaggeration at best, and a malicious lie for some nefarious purpose at worst. Someone Brandon would have had reason to trust could have been the only one to tell him such a tall tale and he take it as seriously as he did. That had never made any sense to Ned.

He also knew that his father was far more cunning than Ned could ever hope to be. The only reason he would have ever deigned to answer Aerys' summons to the capitol in the first place, as well as to not have managed to talk and/or threaten his way out of that mess with events devolving to the point he had to call for a trial by combat in an attempt to save Brandon's life, was if he had not only actually committed treason, but knew Aerys had somehow gotten proof of that fact.

The question remained; what had his father been up to?

Ned desperately wanted answer's to that and many more question's, but he was beginning to think he would never be able to get the answer's he so desired.

Ned was abruptly brought out of his dangerous thought's when he felt Howland touch his arm to bring him back to the present.

"What in the Seven Hell's do you make of that, Ned?" Howland asked; pointing towards the Prince of Dragonstone's funeral pyre.

Ned had to blink his eye's in apparent shock as he focused his gaze on the pyre. The flame's had not only risen to an enormous height, but had somehow turned into flame's of a bright white and violet coloring. Ned had never seen the like of it.

"I have no idea." Ned muttered.

The heat from the flames was intense, and had forced them to take several steps backwards. Suddenly, the flames leapt to an even greater height and intensity before they seemed to collapse in on themselves. It appeared as if the conflagration had sucked all the flames into one central focal point, and then they simply....vanished.

Wide-eyed and leery, Ned and Howland slowly crept closer to where the pyre had stood. Ned and Howland held their torches in front of them to get a better view of whatever had occurred. When they had gotten a few feet closer, Ned actually dropped his torch in shock at what he saw. Somehow, Howland remained steady. Ned attempted to banish his shock as they returned to the sight of the former pyre.

Ned had trouble believing what his own eye's were telling him. He had good reason to doubt.

Laying on the ground where the wooden pyre once stood, a bleary-eyed and groaning Rhaegar Targaryen was attempting to sit up in his dangerously hot and heavy ruby-studded armor.

'This should have been in no way possible!' Was the only thought running through Ned Stark's mind.

Soon enough, Ned resigned himself to the fact that he just did not have any sort of plausible explanation for something as insane as he was witnessing.

An idle thought was running rampant through his mind.

'Why, oh why....did all of these crazy happenings keep surrounding him?' He wondered.

He was a good person was he not?

All he wished for was an uncomplicated and simple life. He could feel such idealistic and wishful thought's vanishing through the wind just like the ashes of what was supposed to have been Rhaegar's funeral pyre.

'Oh, well. The Stark's endure....right?' He thought to himself.

Regardless, he resigned himself to the fact that more craziness would undoubtedly follow.

He also realized that this might be his only opportunity to receive the answer's that had been plaguing his mind since the beginning of this wretched rebellion.

He looked at the....somehow....revived Prince of Dragonstone carefully. While his skin appeared to be blackened by soot from the fire, he did not appear to have suffered any ill-effect's from the burning. If anything, Ned thought the fire had to have again....somehow....healed him due to the fact the it appeared as if his chest was no longer the ruin Robert Baratheon had left it as. It also appeared as if all of his hair had been singed off by the flames, though something of his eyebrow's remained intact oddly enough. In truth, without his long silver hair, the Prince was barely recognizable.

The Prince was blinking up at them in apparent confusion.

Well, at least Ned wasn't the only one stupefied by this....oddity.

He saw Howland glance around at their surrounding's and quickly realized why. Although they had built the Prince's funeral pyre well away from any of their men, they were not that far off. It would not be difficult for someone to stumble upon them. If Ned wished to get his answer's, he'd need to hide the Prince better.

"Lord Eddard?" Prince Rhaegar asked confusedly.

Howland looked to Ned for direction as to what their action's should be. He knew Howland had the same suspicions and questions as Ned himself. He was the only one Ned had dared to share his concern's with.

"I need answer's, Howland. I need to know what really caused the death's of my father and brother, and I need to know what truly went on with Lyanna." Ned said quietly to the man Ned would name as his true best friend in action and deed.

"I would be glad to finally know the truth of the matter myself." Howland told him in his quiet but calm way; nodding his head in a decisive manner.

That was one of the many reason's Ned found more enjoyment with his friendship with Howland than he ever had with someone like the boisterous Baratheon Stormlord.

"Where....?" Howland trailed off indicating where he thought they should take the Prince.

Ned looked around the surrounding environment. It would not bode well for anyone to find them as they were. The wood's nearby would be the safest place he reckoned. It was even further away from their men.

"Those woods over there. We cannot risk anyone coming upon the Prince." Ned said as he pointed out where he was speaking of.

"Howland, help me bring the Prince." Ned asked.

Howland nodded and they both moved to help Rhaegar to stand before Howland quickly held up his arm for Ned to halt.

"Be careful of his armor, Ned. It's still very hot." Howland cautioned.

Howland pulled out a shirt from his pack and ripped it in two; handing Ned half of the material while he wrapped his own half around the Prince's armored arm. Ned followed his example, and together they quickly lifted the clearly still confused Prince of Dragonstone to his feet. As the cooler night air breezed around them with the scent of evergreen thick in the air, Ned thought it looked as if Rhaegar was coming back to himself as they slowly approached the forest. They tried to be as quiet as possible, and had gone a good ways into the woods before they decided to stop. Ned figured this was as good a place as any. It was not so close to the clearing that a wandering soldier would stumble upon them by accident, nor was it so far in they'd have too much difficulty locating the spot once more.

By then, Rhaegar seemed to be fully cognizant of his surroundings.

Ned noticed the Prince had a melancholic and resigned air about himself. He soon understood why.

"So, this is where I'm to die." Rhaegar stated as if it were a foregone conclusion.

Ned looked at the man oddly for a moment. While his resignation to his supposed fate was....odd, he did not give off the impression of a madman, and his demeanor certainly did not scream 'rapist' to him

"That is entirely up to you, My Prince." Ned informed him calmly.

"How so?" Rhaegar inquired curiously; yet still in his usual polite manner.

"I suppose it all depends on whether you choose to answer the questions I must needs have answers for honestly or not." Ned told him.

The Prince seemed surprised by that statement.

"I shall endeavor to answer any question you may have of me to the best of my ability Lord Stark." Prince Rhaegar volunteered without a hint of dishonesty or deceit heard in his strong and clear voice.

"I have no reason to concoct any fable's." He added; again in his calm completely unfazed manner.

Ned had to blink at that. Howland appeared no better off in that regard than Ned and was eyeing the Prince with open curiosity.

If he was lying to them, than he was the best mummer Ned had ever seen.

Ned motioned with his hand for Howland to sit down, and Ned joined him on the ground facing Prince Rhaegar.

"Well, I suppose my first question would be; did you or did you not abduct my sister, Lyanna?" Ned asked.

His long-held suspicion's were confirmed by the Prince's immediate reply.

"No, Lord Eddard. I did not abduct your sister. She actually came to me at the pre-arranged meeting place. Honestly, I've never understood how anybody that actually knew Lyanna....at all....could have possibly believed she'd allow herself to be 'abducted'. It often made me wonder if they were even speaking of the same person. It certainly never did sound like the Lyanna I knew. " Rhaegar informed him.

For the first time that evening, Ned saw the ghost of a smile on the Silver Prince's face as he spoke of his sister. Ned could easily see that he was speaking to a man that was simply in love....and he was in love with Ned's little sister.

Ned was not certain what he felt about that.

Another idle thought that went through Ned's mind was that perhaps the Prince was some type of masochist. He surely had to be for allowing himself to fall for the little hellion he called little sister.

"Those have long been mine own thought's on the subject as well." Ned confirmed.

"Why would my brother Brandon have though that she'd been kidnapped by you then, if- as you say, she went to you willingly?" Ned asked.

God's, how he'd long wondered that very thing.

Still, Rhaegar answered, though Ned noted that the Prince's voice held a hint of both exasperation and suspicion when he spoke about Brandon.

"I swear to you on the Old God's and the New, that the question of why Lord Brandon believed I'd kidnapped your sister is one that has long haunted both myself and Lyanna from the moment we learned of his fate. I have suspicion's, but I have no proof of anything. She was very close to Brandon. It was the opinion of both Lyanna and myself that someone that Lord Brandon trusted implicitly must have convinced him of such a thing....and that was what led to all of this. Nothing else made any type of sense to either of us." Rhaegar replied.

He seemed just as frustrated as Ned was regarding the matter. He said he had suspicion's though, and Ned was determined to discover them because he had less than zero suspect's. If someone had deliberately set this whole mess up.....? Ned refused to think that thought through. How anybody could have done such a thing....but Ned had to know.

He must know.

"You said you had suspicion's? Who and why? Who could have possibly done such a thing and for what reason?" Ned demanded.

Rhaegar looked at Ned wearily.

"I do not believe you're going to like my thought's on the matter, Lord Stark." Rhaegar replied quietly.

"I don't care. I must know." Ned said resolutely despite the small bit of foreboding that was beginning to set in.

Rhaegar stared at him with his piercing deep amethyst eye's before replying.

"Were you aware that your brother Brandon was married just before he was killed?" The Prince stunned him by asking.

Ned actually choked at hearing that.

'Brandon....married? The Wild-Wolf himself? Preposterous! Besides, he was betrothed.' Ned thought to himself as his mind whirled.

He'd heard rumor's that Barbrey Ryswell....now Dustin, had set her eye's on the eldest Stark brother, but....surely not.

Father would have never accepted such a thing.

The truth left him stunned.

"Brandon couldn't have been married. Besides, he was betrothed." Ned interjected.

He should know. He'd had to marry his brother's former betrothed. Not that he could say he really knew her. He met her on their wedding day after all, and only spent barely a week with her.

"Yes, he had been betrothed. Sometimes our parent's think to dictate our lives to us without any regard for their children's wishes. If you're lucky, the stranger you're forced to wed can become a friend and help-meet. I was lucky with Elia in that regard. Though oftentimes things are much worse than that. I shudder to think what marriage to someone like Cersei Lannister might have been like. Your father was an intelligent and ambitious man. He too made the mistake of dictating his children's futures without any input from his son nor his daughter. However, he realized his error before it was too late. At least....it was supposed to have been resolved." Rhaegar explained with a hint of sorrow at the end.

Ned had suspicion's himself now, yet he had no idea what the Prince was referring to about his father and realizing any kind of mistake's.

The Rickard Stark he knew simply did not make mistakes.

"I have no idea what you are talking about. What did my father do that I am unawares of?" Ned asked, very much needing to hear the truth.

"Alright, Lord Stark. I shall explain it to you. Hopefully this should clear many things up for you. To begin with, while Elia and I are perhaps each other's best friends and partners; we have never loved one another as a husband and wife ought to. We just never clicked in that way; despite the both of us trying. Like I already said, things could have been much worse though for the both of us; we at least came to care a great deal about one another and try our best to help each other. Also, Elia has never had the strongest of constitution's. She's been partially bed-ridden off and on all of her life- something her ambitious mother kept closely to her chest. Regardless, after the birth of our daughter Rhaenys, the maester on Dragonstone informed us (and we later got confirmation's from second and third opinion's) that she could never safely bear another child; at least not without certain death befalling her. Not only that, we were told that even if she did risk death with another pregnancy, she would never be able to carry another child to term anyway. This was a blow for all of us, but most importantly, it was something that we had to keep quiet at any cost. If my father ever got wind of such news, Elia would have had a fatal accident or something of the like very quickly." Rhaegar explained tiredly.

Ned and Howland both were shocked at that.

"But....Prince Aegon....?" Ned trailed off unsure what to say.

"Is the bastard brother of Monford Velaryon. Lord Lucerys Velaryon had a set of baseborn twins that bore the traditional look of Old Valyria. He allowed us to use one of them to pretend to be our child until my father had been....dealt with. In thanks, we would later legitimize the twins. We were lucky to find them in the first place as Valyrian-looking newborns are not exactly common here in Westeros. The maester on Dragonstone, myself, and my mother Queen Rhaella helped Elia to fake a pregnancy. She's known not to be able to tolerate Pycelle anyway, so it never looked odd that she refused to be touched by the old lecher." Rhaegar added to their astonishment.

Prince Aegon did not exist! Well, you learn something new every day Ned supposed.

"Of course that still left us in a conundrum. Females cannot inherit the Iron Throne. As I can already see a little too much of my father in my little brother Prince Viserys, that left a rather pertinent problem. I had no heir. Also, if I was to gather the support necessary to overthrow my father (and yes, I'm perfectly well aware he's completely mad which is why he must be removed from the throne), then I needed an heir for any of the Great Houses to support me. Elia and I, along with my mother, all agreed that the only plausible solution was for me to find a second wife. It had not been done in my family in a long time, but there were no laws actually against it. Also, these were extenuating circumstances even if there had been any. However, we had no idea where to look. Then, I found all I ever needed and never knew I wanted where and when I least expected to." Rhaegar said with a fond chuckle as he thought over his initial meeting with Lyanna.

Ned could now see perfectly well where this was headed. Things were beginning to make much more sense.

"Harrenhal." Ned stated more than asked.

"Harrenhal indeed." Rhaegar agreed definitively.

"You found her, didn't you, My Prince? The Knight of the Laughing Tree?" Howland asked.

'Her?' Ned thought.

'What the....Of course. Lyanna!' Ned concluded.

"Oh yes, I certainly did. You can imagine my shock when I discovered the Knight of the Laughing Tree was no knight at all, but the only daughter of Winterfell; the Lady Lyanna Stark!" Rhaegar replied with a deep chuckle of loving remembrance.

Ned slowly closed his eye's. Things were becoming much more clear, and he was beginning to think the entire rebellion was for no real reason whatsoever....well, except for Robert's jealousy and obsession with his sister.

"She's unlike anyone I've ever met. She challenge's me like no one ever has. I've never met any nobly-born young lady with half so much fire and passion as Lya. From the second I met her, I knew there would never be anyone else I could love half so much as what I feel for her. I love your sister with all my heart, Lord Eddard. It did not take long, and by some miracle, she returned my love." Rhaegar told him.

Here Ned could actually see a spark of the fire that resided within the seemingly icy Dragon Prince. He almost had to respect that he was not in fact asking for Ned's permission, he was simply telling Ned how things were. A simple fact. He loved Ned's sister, and she loved him; that's just the way it was.

"You must know that Lya absolutely despised my cousin Robert. Frankly, I pity any woman unlucky enough to be forced to marry him. He'd make a terrible husband. If you are as close to Cousin Robert as they say, you should know this well for yourself." Rhaegar said.

Ned could not deny that, as much as his boyish self from the Vale may have wished to defend his childhood friend; he could not. Rhaegar was simply stating a truth, and he was right.

"I know." Was all Ned could reply.

Rhaegar nodded his bald head.

"We wished to do things correctly of course. Lyanna was aware that there could be nothing to question when we had children. Their legitimacy could never be up for debate. Neither of us wished for any problem's like that. Therefore, we went together to your father, Lord Rickard to discuss the matter and beg his permission and support." Rhaegar began again.

"Lord Rickard was shocked, naturally. I believe it was also the first time he had truly realized just how much his only daughter loathed Robert Baratheon. We explained everything to Lord Stark, and he let us stew for a bit while he debated with himself. I believe that the knowledge that it will be his grandson that one day will sit the Iron Throne was what finally persuaded him. He agreed to cancel her betrothal to my cousin, which would give Robert no viable cause for grievance, and gave us his blessing. We met back up several weeks later. We had a small wedding under the blessing's of the Old God's on the Isle of Faces, and another ceremony according to the Seven in the sept at Dragonstone performed by the High Septon himself. My mother even attended that wedding. When my father murdered your father and brother and the rebellion began, Elia gave us the use of a Martell property in the Red Mountains of Dorne to hide Lyanna away until it was all over. She was pregnant by then, and we did not wish for anything to harm her or the baby. She'll be due quite soon, I expect." The Prince explained softly; his entire countenance shining with pride and absolute devotion when speaking of Lyanna and the baby.

And Ned had thought he could not be any further astonished!

How wrong he was.

It was truly all for nothing. All the death's were for naught. Ned now knew he should have listened to his own instinct's, and insisted matter's be further investigated....something! Of course he knew the Mad King had to go. He certainly deserved it, but how much easier would everything have been if he had known that the Crown Prince was now his good-brother and not in fact as mad as his father. Not only that, he was soon to be the father of his own new niece or nephew! The man was Lyanna's own husband! They could have had so much more unity.

Now, Robert was king. Now, they've torn the realm apart, and Ned's not certain whether or not it will ever be healed again. He knew for an absolute fact it would never happen under Robert's rule at least.

Then he remembered something. That still did not explain Brandon.

Ned let out a sigh.

"I understand all that Your Grace. I have no reason to doubt your word as all of this actually makes far more sense to me than anything else I've heard, especially the ludicrous assumption of Lyanna being held against her will, but none of this explains Brandon." Ned pointed out.

Rhaegar nodded his head.

"Lyanna and I only learned of this well after the fact. Brandon Stark had secretly married the Lady Ashara Dayne not too long after the Tourney of Harrenhal." Rhaegar informed him.

Ned's eye's widened exponentially at that.

"He did not wish to marry the Lady Catelyn. Lyanna told me he'd already confided to her that he was afraid they'd be very poorly matched. I'm sure you are already aware, but he and Ashara had a dalliance at the Tourney. He got her with child. However, Ashara was not just some serving girl. Her uncle had been the late Prince Consort of Dorne, and her own mother was a Martell Princess herself; not to mention the Dayne's are an extremely ancient house with numerous ties to mine own house even. I believe they loved one another as well. Your brother did the honorable thing when he was told the news, and they married. The last time I saw her, she was just about nearing her time to give birth. I believe he was at Riverrun when someone told him I'd 'kidnapped' his sister. I don't know who it was. I think he was there to notify them that the betrothal was broken, but I don't believe he ever got the chance to actually inform the Tully's." Rhaegar finished.

Ned's mind was whirling with thought's. He knew not what to think. He had a sinking suspicion, and he prayed it was not true.

"You think Lord Hoster already knew, and he likely knew what Brandon had arrived for." Ned interjected perceptively.

Rhaegar's solemn nod was the only answer he gave....but it was enough.

It went unsaid that Rhaegar believed the Tully's had something to do with Brandon thinking Lyanna kidnapped as some sort of sick revenge and plot against House Stark. Honestly, it would not overly surprise Ned. Lord Hoster Tully was a cold man in Ned's opinion, and too grasping by far. He held little honor either, despite the words of his house. He had no reason to rebel against the throne, yet he did just that in order to get his daughter's married off as highly as possible. His thought's and suspicion's were sickening him in a way that nothing else ever had.

Ned felt Howland place a supportive hand on his shoulder.

"We will discover the truth of the matter, Ned- one way or another. I swear I'll help you in any way I am able." Howland swore.

He had a true friend in the Crannog Lord.

Ned nodded his head in agreement.

"Thank you for explaining everything, Your Grace. I now see things much clearer." Ned told the Prince.

"You are my wife's brother. Please, call me Rhaegar. Besides, I have a feeling it will be quite some time before I'm ever able to regain my title's." Rhaegar said.

Ned paused a moment.

"Then call me, Ned. You are my good-brother now as well. Oh, and this man is my good friend Lord Howland Reed of Greywater Watch." Ned replied.

"Lord Reed, a pleasure. Lyanna speaks very highly of you and count's you as a dear friend. Also, I suppose I should thank you for allowing me a proper funeral pyre, as I suspect that is the only reason I am alive at all. I am most grateful." Rhaegar told them.

"The fire brought you back to life?" Ned asked questioningly.

'Whilst it sounded insane, there was no doubting that he was certainly alive, so who knew?' Ned thought.

"If I had to guess, I would wager that I had somehow clung to life after Cousin Robert defeated me. I've heard legend's about such things happening to the more ancient member's of my family, but I had never believed them to be true. The legends of old tell us that in special circumstances, and if it is the will of the god's, the Blood of the Dragon can be restored to health and purified by the flame's; even if one is on the brink of death. That is the only explanation I have for what occurred." Rhaegar calmly explained to them.

Well, that was as good an explanation for such a....warm....revival as any, Ned supposed.

Again, Ned let out a deep sigh as he worried on what to do. He had already become jaded by the war. Learning what he now has made it seem like even more of a farce. Still, there was work to do. Rhaegar's army had been defeated. Robert was calling himself a king. He'd been ordered to go take the capital in the name of 'King Robert Baratheon'. He saw little else he could do at the moment. He wasn't about to turn on his newfound kin, but he couldn't defeat Robert's armies on his own; especially with as few allies as the Royalists had remaining. Perhaps if the Tyrell's had bothered to mount a real offensive things would be different, but they weren't. Mace Tyrell was merely sitting in front of Storm's End throwing feast's and tourney's in a vain....and half-hearted....attempt to starve out Stannis Baratheon. The Dornish forces were exhausted. There were loyalist's in the Riverlands, but they were already being hunted down. He certainly could not trust the Tully's, and it was Jon Arryn himself who started calling Robert 'the king'. He also did not trust the Lannister's as far as he could throw them. The only thing he could think of for the moment was for them to go in to exile and attempt to build up some outside forces while he tried to drum up some allies after they've had time to properly recuperate and strengthen his people. His own forces desperately needed time. He would however do all in his power in the time's to come to correct the mistakes they'd all made. He prayed that the Westeros could manage to survive under Robert for at least a few years.

"Rhaegar, I have been ordered to go and take Kings Landing in Robert's name before the Lannister's (whom I do not trust), have a chance to get there. You have been saved for a reason, I believe. I will not allow anyone to harm you if I can help it. It would be better for the wider world to believe you dead for the nonce. My troops are exhausted. They will need time, and I also cannot trust my allies. Certainly not with the truth of event's. For the moment, Robert has won. I know he will make a terrible king however, and I also know that the realm will never heal under Baratheon rule. You should take your family and go into exile for the time being. I know it is a bitter pill to swallow, but needs must, and it's better than the alternative. Hide. Bide your time. Robert will never make a popular king. Stay hidden, and build some outside allies. When the time is right, I will support you and my sister and your children. I will work towards that eventuality. Give your own allies time to properly recover and regroup. Perhaps the Tyrell's may actually be useful for something besides feasting the next time. For now, I believe that would be the best and only real option." Ned told him sorrowfully.

He lamented the fact that any of this was even necessary and that things had been allowed to reach this point at all. Alas, there was nothing for it.

Rhaegar looked both surprised and relieved.

"Thank you, Good-Brother. I admit I am surprised, but pleasantly so. Your word's also speak sense and I shall endeavor to heed them. I also thank you in advance for agreeing to help my family reclaim our throne when time comes. That was far more than I had ever dared to hope for." Rhaegar said with heart-felt gratitude in his words.

"Is Lyanna still in Dorne?" Ned asked.

"No. By now, or rather especially when word of my 'defeat' filters out, she will have been brought to Dragonstone where my mother and younger brother are presently residing for greater protection. I left her under the protection of Lord Commander Hightower, Ser Oswell Whent, and my best friend, Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard. I would imagine Ser Arthur likely to have brought the Lady Ashara along with them as I already granted him leave to do so." Rhaegar told him instantly.

Ned felt relieved to know his little sister was being so well protected by such legendary and honorable knight's as those named.

"Alright, Howland I'm afraid I must ask much of you." Ned said.

"If it is remotely in my power to do, it shall be done Lord Stark." Howland was quick to answer his liege.

"Thank you, My Friend. I must ask you to help the Crown Prince make for Dragonstone in secret. I will give you the parchment needed to use one of Lord Manderly's ships. Staff it with your own loyal men. If you are able, try and get to Ser Barristan Selmy. He was injured, but I believe if he knew the Prince still lived he would desire to remain by his side, and he and my sister are going to need the best protection they can get. Robert is unworthy of such a knight. Do you think you can manage that inconspicuously?" Ned asked; knowing he was asking a great deal from his friend, but it had to be done if they were to have any chance.

Howland thought it all out in his mind momentarily before responding.

"I would be honored to bring Lady Lya's husband to her. Have faith, Ned. I'll make certain to get the Prince and Ser Barristan to Dragonstone no matter what." Howland replied seriously.

Ned blew out a large sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Howland. I am in your debt." He told his friend.

"There is no debt, Ned. Lady Lya saw to my protection when I needed help. I am merely returning the favor." Howland told him with a grin.

Ned could have almost laughed at that. It was funny now that he knew just how his little sister had avenged Howland's honor at Harrenhal after rescuing him from those squires. He smiled in remembrance and felt the love he held for his only sister stronger than ever. He was so glad to learn that she had at least tried to do the responsible thing when she decided to wed the Prince and had gone to their father for permission. It was not her fault that Father neglected to inform Brandon and that someone betrayed their eldest brother.

He turned back to Rhaegar.

"If I arrive at the capitol first, I swear to you I will do my best to hide and protect the Princess Elia and Princess Rhaenys and get them both to Dragonstone safely." Ned promised.

This time it was Rhaegar's turn to feel a massive relief. Their situation had been constantly plaguing him because of his father's madness.

"Thank you, Ned. Thank you very much. That means a great deal to me." Rhaegar told him.

"Your father on the other hand...." Ned trailed off; his thought's on just exactly what he'd like to do to Aerys were many and violent.

"My father died the day he rode to treat with Lord Darklyn at Duskendale; perhaps even before then. The loving father I knew as a child died a long time ago. Anything that happens to Aerys now is merely putting a mad animal out of its misery." Rhaegar interjected in a calm, slightly detached manner; much to Ned's surprise.

Ned merely nodded. There was really no other response to a statement such as that.

"Then it is decided." Howland said.

"Indeed." Both Ned and Rhaegar agreed.

"You should probably return before anyone comes looking for you, Ned. I'll return with supplies for the Prince. You need some rest." Howland supplied helpfully.

"Thank you, Howland." Ned replied before turning back to Rhaegar and extending his hand- a symbolic gesture with much understood meaning.

"Until we meet again, Your Grace. I hope to see you soon, and be safe." Ned told the Prince.

"Thank you, and safe travels to you as well, Lord Stark." Rhaegar replied solemnly while firmly shaking Ned's hand.

They nodded at one another and parted as kin as Ned returned to his tent. His mind was still a whirl, and he dearly wished for sleep. In so little time, everything had changed, and he had a feeling nothing would ever be the same again.

He had no idea just how right he was.

***

By the god's was Ned tired. He, and his army of loyal Northmen had marched long and hard to make for the capital. He did not think he and his men had ever marched as fast as they had these past days. It had been utterly exhausting; setting such a grueling pace, but it had to be done. They had been rushing as fast as they had in order to beat the other army Ned knew to be marching for the capital; a Lannister host led by Lord Tywin Lannister himself.

He had shuddered to think of the 'Rain's of Castamere' being played over Kings Landing.

Ned had been supremely uneasy about the Lannister's motives. Ned, nor anyone else, had failed to notice that Lion of Casterly Rock had only bestirred itself when it appeared the fortunes of the Royal Family had taken a turn for the worse. Most were convinced that it had been Prince Rhaegar's defeat at the Trident that had spurred the Lion's from their rock. Ned was of a different mind. According to their sources, that was simply not possible. There was no way the Lannister host could have gathered and departed from the Rock and Lannisport only when news of Rhaegar's defeat had arrived. There was simply not enough time. No, Ned was of the firm opinion that Tywin Lannister had long ago decided to help slay the Dragon's. Only Tywin had not wished to risk himself while their was still a chance of a Targaryen victory.

The sight's before Ned were only confirming everything he had long suspected of the Lannister's. Smoke rose from various parts of Kings Landing as Ned heard the cries and screams of victim's all around the great capital city. He felt bile rise in his throat at the actions....or rather the atrocities (he supposed was a better word) of the Lannister host. From what he had gathered, Tywin had arrived not long before him, and....somehow....had managed to convince the Mad King to open the gates. That had been his undoing. The second the gates had opened, the Lannister's had wasted no time. They had sacked the city. Men, women, and children lay dead upon the street's. Thousand's of poor souls had been raped and brutalized. Ned had never seen anything of the like. One would have thought it to have been sacked by a people like the Ironborn or maybe the Dothraki; not the supposedly civilized Golden Lion's of Casterly Rock.

Ned spurred his mount as hard as he dared to get through the masses of people. He was doing his best to reach Maegor's Holdfast as quickly as possible in the hope's that the Princess's Elia and Rhaenys were still safe. He had given his word to try his best, and he would see it done. As they approached further and further towards the Red Keep, ascending to the higher ground, Ned saw from the peaks of Aegon's Hill the truly massive amounts of destruction the Lion's had wrought.

He had a feeling that these acts would not have the effects he was sure Lord Tywin desired. He knew the Old Lion had likely done this as a way to ingratiate himself within the newly forming regime. It was something Robert would undoubtedly approve of; Ned knew. It was also likely meant as a message of the fate that awaited the enemies of the Lion's just as surely as 'The Rain's of Castamere'. Ned was certain the message was both sent and received.

However, as he carefully observed the faces of the residents of Kings Landing, he also believed Lord Tywin to have made a grave miscalculation in judgment. While much of the populace looked properly terrified, and rightly so; Ned did not fail to recognize another quite different look hidden behind the fear- a look of abject hatred and utter loathing. It was all being directed towards any Lannister man in sight, and for good reason too; in Ned's humble opinion. Tywin seemed to have forgotten something in his mad rush to make his 'contribution' to the rebel 'cause'. The simple fact of the matter was that the citizen's of Kings Landing had, on the whole, lived in peace and a good deal of prosperity ever since the ending of the Dance. For over a century and a half, they had never had any cause to fear for their safety or their lives; now- they had cause for both. Another thing Tywin forgot was that while the Mad King was unpopular, that unpopularity did not extend to the rest of House Targaryen. Even Aerys' madness had not really had much of an effect on their lives. The Dragon's had always taken especial pride of place in their capital city. To the extent that while places such as Flea Bottom were undoubtedly the poorest section's of the capital, they were still much better off than a great many other peasant's in the rest of the continent. They had enjoyed peace, wealth, and general prosperity for generation's; and that would not be forgotten overnight. Who brought them such prosperity would not be forgotten either. Nor would those who had ended it.

Still mounted when he arrived at the Red Keep; if Ned had been disgusted by the sacking of the city, it was nothing compared to the disgust he found upon arrival. There was Jaime Lannister seated upon the Iron Throne with a bloodied golden sword laid across his lap; the white of his Kingsguard uniform stained crimson. Upon the ground at the base of his own throne lay King Aerys II. He was laying face down upon the floor with what was undoubtedly a stab wound to the back. It did not take a genius to ascertain what had happened.

Ned tuned out the various Lannister red-cloak's that milled about, just as he did his own men at that moment.

"Ah, Lord Stark. Wonderful to see you again! As you can see, your father and brother have been avenged. I'm just keeping this warm for your friend, Robert." Ser Jaime said almost jovially.

Ned again glanced down to the form of the murdered king.

He felt cheated.

Aerys had been his to kill; his to wreak his vengeance upon.

And Jaime Lannister had robbed him of that.

Ned's eyes narrowed almost to slits, he was so angry.

"Kingslayer." Ned said in disgust.

He was rewarded with the slight flinch from the golden knight.

To profane his blade and vow's to murder the man he was sworn to protect....Ned was not disgusted by the act itself; the god's alone knew how desperately he had wished to do the exact same thing. There was a difference between them though. Ned had sworn no oath's to protect the madman. He had never sworn his entire life to the lunatic's service. The Lannister in front of him however, most assuredly had.

Regardless, he had more pressing concern's than a dead lunatic and an arrogant brat masquerading as a knight.

"Where are the Princess's Elia and Rhaenys?" Ned addressed the boy.

Though Jaime Lannister was only a couple of name days younger than he, Ned felt far older at the moment.

Apparently, his question seemed to have an effect on the boy. His eye's widened as a look of panic graced his fine feature's.

"They were in the Holdfast on the third floor." He heard Jaime say- more to himself than to Ned.

The young knight quickly sheathed his blade before bolting from the room.

Ned, still horseback, followed him with a frown.

He followed him out of the Throne Room and through several antechambers and down a long hallway. Ned motioned for one of his men to take his mount while he ascended the stairs to the third level. He was sure by the looks of the rooms around him that he was within the royal apartments. The rooms were too splendid to be anything else. He opened several doors to see ransacked rooms, but he did not see anyone within them. He was getting a very bad feeling deep in his gut.

He came upon the last door in the hallway that was wide open and partially off its hinges. The horror that met him inside would haunt Ned for the rest of his life.

The first thing he spied was the form of a small babe with its head smashed beyond all recognition. The bits of brain and fair hair named the child as 'Prince Aegon'.

Approximately six feet away, the sight that met his eye's actually caused his stomach to rebel as he lost the contents of the meager breakfast he had partaken of that morning before they finished their march. It was more of a dry heaving than anything. Fury and disgust welled within the Lord of the North greater than any he'd ever experienced.

Laying upon the marble floor with her young body still partially concealed underneath her father's bed lay who must be the Princess Rhaenys Targaryen. Long dark hair was splayed across her back as well as partly hiding her face. It was coated with blood. Everything was coated with blood. The little girl of no more than three name day's had been stabbed innumerable times. Ned could not count the number of stab wounds except to say that they must have numbered at least half a hundred.

If he had thought the condition of Rhaegar's daughter was awful, it was nothing to the state her mother's body had been left in. Ned could easily tell that the Princess Elia had been violated in the worst of ways. Her gown had been ripped along with her small clothes. Her corpse looked as if someone had taken a very large greatsword and split the Dornish Princess near in half. No words could describe the horror he felt at seeing such a sight. It was only too easy for Ned to imagine his sister and her child being similarly murdered if anyone were allowed to find them.

Ned would do all in his power to help them survive, as well as help to bring justice for the fell deed's that had been done to the Princess's Elia and Rhaenys. Not even the Velaryon bastard child deserved such a fate. None of them did. All of them were innocent's and had never harmed anyone. Only a monster could have perpetrated such vile acts.

He wondered which one of Lord Tywin's rabid dog's he kept on retainer had performed thusly.

The sight of Tywin's golden son however surprised him.

Ser Jaime was on his knee's in front of Elia's body with his head bowed. Ned could see tear's rolling down the young man's cheeks.

That was not an act; something which definitely came as a surprise to Ned.

"Ser Jaime? Did you see who did this?" Ned asked the boy quietly.

At first, Ned had thought the boy was not going to answer him so silent did he remain. However, he turned to face Ned and when he spoke, his voice trembled with a mixture of barely repressed fury and a large amount of sorrow.

It was almost as if he was looking through Ned, instead of directly at him.

"I failed My Prince. I promised to do all I could to keep his family safe, but I failed him; I failed them all. I thought I had saved them when I killed King Aerys. His wildfire couldn't be unleashed then, and the Princess and the babes would be safe...." Jaime trailed off; a faraway look in his eye's.

Ned wasn't sure the young lion even realized what he was saying. He seemed unbelievably broken by the murders before them. What he said about Aerys though, that threw him off guard. He had thought the knight had killed his king for Lord Tywin's benefit or pleasure; not killed him to prevent the death's of the rest of the Royal Family present.

"What was the King going to do Ser Jaime?" Ned asked.

He would not have put anything past the lunatic. It was well known throughout the entire realm that he loathed his son's Dornish wife, and he had even said his grand-daughter had, 'smelled Dornish'.

He hoped that in the state the young Lannister was in he would actually get the truth out of the boy.

"He'd called Wisdom Rossart to him. All over the city, he'd already had caches of wildfire strategically placed. I didn't know until that moment that he'd already had it done days before....nobody did. The Alchemist's were only waiting on his word. When he learned my father was sacking the city, he sent me to fetch my father's head. I left the Throne Room, but I stayed behind and hid in the corridor. I didn't want to leave the Princess unprotected from the King. He gave the order....the crazy fucker actually gave the god's be damned order!" Ser Jaime exclaimed loudly.

"He said 'let the Usurper rule over a city of ashes'; that 'he would become the dragon and then defeat all his enemies'. He kept saying 'burn them....burn them all'!'" Jaime explained numbly in a fair imitation of the Mad King's voice.

"I knew those order's could not be carried out; could never be carried out. When Rossart left, I followed him. Before he could leave the Keep though and carry out the monstrous deed, I killed him. He had no time to carry out his orders. Half....a....million....people...." Ser Jaime's voice stated as he trailed off again.

He was quiet for a moment, and Ned feared he would say no more, but eventually he carried on with his tale.

"I returned to the Throne Room. King Aerys saw the blood on my sword. He asked if it was my father's blood. By that time, I think I had become a bit....detached....I suppose is the only way to describe it. It was as if a part of me was not quite there; yet I was there at the same time. I calmly explained that no, it was not my father's blood; it was the Pyromancer's blood. He started screeching and yelling then, as mad as ever." Ser Jaime said; shaking his head at the mad memory of Aerys II's final moment's of life and reign.

"He kept ordering me to give the order to the Pyromancer's; 'to burn them all'." He kept repeating.

"All I could remember were the people he'd hurt." He said with some of the detachment leaving his voice as he actually looked at Ned then.

"Your father and brother....poor Queen Rhaella and the rape's....I thought for a moment to knock him out, but then I wondered....What if he woke up? He'd just have somebody else carry out his orders. No!...He had to die. He saw me coming at him with my sword and panicked. He tried to escape down the steps of the throne, but I got him in the back. He was still screaming to 'Burn them, Ser Jaime! Burn them all.' even as he lay bleeding out." The youngest member of the Kingsguard said as he finished his horrifying and dark tale.

"I thought that was it. That was all I needed to do. Your friend would take the city, and they'd send the Princess and the babes back to Dorne." Then, he murmured something Ned thought was about the Princess Rhaenys and Dorne, but Jaime was too quiet for him to make out exactly what he was really speaking of.

It did not make much sense to Ned at all, but he continued on and Ned dismissed the mumbled words as rambling's from a troubled mind.

"She'd have been happier there anyway. I never thought....I forgot just who my father was....what he was...." Jaime trailed off as Ned's thoughts whirled.

Ser Jaime was not the honorless craven or false knight like he had assumed. He'd judged him too harshly; he'd judged him wrong. Ser Jaime was a true knight, and he had thought he was saving them. The part of Ned raised by Jon Arryn wanted to condemn the boy's actions. He had broken his oath after all. However, the greater part of Ned....the Stark in Ned....found himself not only agreeing with Ser Jaime, but respecting the burden he took upon himself as well.

He may have broken one vow, but he kept the one's Ned deemed to be of far greater import; his knightly vow's to protect all women and children....to protect the innocent.

Ser Jaime Lannister had more than upheld the vow's that Ned believed mattered most.

"When I got here, I saw Amory Lorch and the Mountain leaving the room. Monster's." He spoke; his voice a near whisper of derision and disgust.

"My father sent monster's to do this." Jaime said still somewhat dazedly.

Ned believed the boy. He could not blame him for not expecting such brutality as had been present in that room. He certainly never would have expected anyone to do such a thing; especially not to a Princess of Dorne!

They will never forget what happened. They most certainly would never forgive it either. The Dornish had memories nearly as long as Northmen.

Not that Ned would in any way blame them.

"I was wrong about you, Ser. You may have killed your king, but you did the right thing. He could not have been allowed to do what it was he intended. No, you definitely did the right thing Ser Jaime." Ned told him.

Then, unbidden, another thought made itself aware.

"Lie, Ser Jaime. Say you do not know who did it. You were on your way to check on the Princess or something....anything else. There's no need to be called a 'kingslayer'. You saved half a million lives this day. You did not fail." Ned told the younger boy sternly.

Ser Jaime looked up at him sharply. It was as if he was truly seeing his for the first time as his emerald green eye's narrowed in thought.

"I still failed My Prince. I promised Prince Rhaegar. Now he's dead too; killed by that drunken whoremonger." Jaime finished as his shoulder's slumped in defeat.

Ned thought the young knight must have had a particularly hard time in balancing what it meant to be a Lannister, and what was obviously his desire to be a true knight of the Kingsguard.

"That was not your fault. You're not responsible for your father's actions. You are a good man Ser Jaime. Never let anybody tell you otherwise. Your action's and their reason's speak far louder than mere words ever could. Don't say anything about Aerys. I'll make certain no one think's to lay any blame on you." Ned said.

He had almost thought to tell him that all was not lost, that Rhaegar yet lived, but he did not. He could not risk anything happening to his sister. The young man may mean well, but he was still the son of Tywin Lannister. He could have accidentally let something slip, and that could be catastrophic.

Ned could no longer bear to see the remains of those poor souls. With one last look at the young Kingsguard, Ned departed from the awful sight that would haunt his nightmare's for many years to come.

***

"I demand those responsible for that act of barbarism and base brutality be punished!" Ned declared heatedly the next day.

Robert had arrived to a....lukewarm....welcome in the capitol at best. In general, he was met with silence. Even Robert Baratheon's boisterous nature appeared to have been subdued by the more or less blank stares of the citizens of Kings Landing and the Crownlands as he made his so-called triumphal entry into the Targaryen capital city. He had been expecting the wild acclamation and cheer's of half a million soul's happy to finally be out from under the Mad Dragon's rule. He had either forgotten, or somehow deluded himself into thinking he would be happily welcomed by a people that were in truth nearly as loyal as the inhabitant's of Dragonstone itself to the Targaryen Dynasty....and more than likely always would be. He would never be warmly welcomed in that city, and the Lannister's even less so.

Which brought them to their current predicament.

Robert and Jon Arryn had arrived, and things had become heated. He had been called down to the Throne Room. The sight that met his eye's was another dose of disgust at the greed, cruelty, and avarice of Tywin Lannister; just as he was now beginning to see it in Robert himself.

Laying before the steps of the Iron Throne and wrapped in crimson Lannister cloak's were the murdered bodies of the Princess Elia, Princess Rhaenys, and the babe 'Aegon'.

When Ned had demanded that justice be brought against the perpetrator's of such heinous act's, in truth he was only somewhat shocked by what followed. The war had long since removed his naivety where Robert was concerned.

Robert looked down at the corpses. Instead of the disgust that should have been evident on any decent man's face (especially when staring down at one's own kin); Ned saw a look of grim satisfaction. It was a look that chilled Ned to his very bones and left him utterly disgusted.

"The Princess Elia was an innocent woman, and the children were only babes; a danger to no one." Ned declared; unable and unwilling to keep the censure and disgust out of his voice.

He looked up at Ned fiercely when he spoke then.

"I see no babes, no children before me; I see only Dragonspawn!" Robert spat with a malicious look in his eye's that actually made Ned take a cautious step back in shock.

"They are no innocent's. They are the abomination's of that silver-haired shit that took my Lyanna from me! The children of the bastard that dared to take what was mine! They were the spawn of a mad rapist!" Robert bellowed at him and even went so far as to actually spit upon the bodies!

Ned would admit himself highly disturbed to notice a slightly mad glint in Robert's eyes.

Any mention of Targaryen's seemed to make the man violently angry to an obsessive level; an unhealthy and dangerous level.

He could never learn the truth of Lyanna and Rhaegar until they held a massive force at their back's.

Never.

"How you can speak such vileness, I know not." Ned spoke with slow caution; his utter disappointment and complete disgust plainly evident.

"You are no longer the man I thought I once knew; perhaps you never were. A good man would not allow such butchery to go unchallenged! A good man would never spit on the broken little body's of children; regardless of whom their father was. A good man....an honorable man....would most certainly never reward the foul beast that ordered such a shameful act!" Ned stated fiercely as he shot a look of the utmost loathing and disgust at Tywin Lannister's cold visage.

"Do you honestly think you are helping yourself? Even with the Targaryen Dragon's at the height of their power, they only brought Dorne into the empire through marriage. Do you think you will ever bring this country peace by refusing to punish....nay by rewarding the men that butchered a Princess of Dorne and her children? This is madness! This is wrong! I will have no part in this. You are no longer the man I thought you to be Robert Baratheon." Ned growled out passionately with all the ferocity of the direwolf on his family sigil as his blood boiled at the injustice.

His own Wolfsblood, so rarely evident and controlled, was raging through his veins.

He could not stomach such abhorrent action's.

He would lend no support to such a vile travesty.

No one would ever be able to name the Stark's a part of this regime of whoremonger's and vile murderer's.

He would have no part in it.

Robert looked like he wanted to take his hammer and grind the Warden of the North into the dust.

"Unless you'd like to end up like your precious Dragonspawn you seem so fond of defending, I'd have a care how you speak to your King, Lord Stark!" Robert bellowed back at Ned; completely enraged at his 'defiance'.

"You dare to threaten me! I would have you remember who you are speaking to. In case you have forgotten, my family and I have ruled half this continent for over eight thousand years! Break the damn siege of Storms End yourself! If the Robert I thought I knew ever returns....we may yet speak again. Till then, stay below the Neck." Ned roared right back at the Stag King as exactly what he was threatening actually made it into Robert's somewhat dull-witted mind.

The beyond being reasoned with 'king' made an inarticulate sound of the utmost fury his house word's were famous for.

The large Baratheon made to charge at the Lord of Winterfell as a fluxommed Jon Arryn desperately wrapped his arms around the charging stag to hold his enraged form back.

Ned was surprised to find that Jaime Lannister had stepped up to his side; sword in hand!

Ned saw Lord Arryn motion for Ned to depart the room to cool Robert down, and he did not hesitate to do exactly that. He bowed his head in Ser Jaime's direction in thanks for the Kingsguard's readiness to come to his aide.

Ned then went straight to where his men were encamped.

He had to depart from this den of vice, murder, and corruption.

He had to find his sister!

***