Chapter 08

Ned's POV (Age 27), 286 AC

He didn't have any great ambition for himself or the North, in general. Then before the Tourney of Harrenhall, his father had informed him that he would be named Lord of Moat Calin after Brandon's wedding. During the tourney feast, he met Ashara Dayne for the first time. Her haunting violet eyes caught him staring at her multiple times and she just smiled and let him be.

Brandon being as wild as he was grabbed him by the shoulders and dragged him to asked her for a dance. He and Ashara ended up dancing together for the rest of the feast. With passion high on both sides, he bedded her after. As they lay there, he told her everything about him and she talked about herself in return. He then asked her if she would like to be married to him. The beaming smile he received was answer enough.

After the tourney, he went for the last moon of his fostering at Eyrie but at that time everything had gone wrong. At the end of the moon, his father and brother lay dead and his sister missing presumably kidnapped by Prince Rhaegar himself. During the rebellion he watched as Jon Arryn lose his last heir and nephew, Robert losing himself to War that all he talked about was Lyanna, killing Rhaegar and whores & wine. And him, the new Lord of Winterfell, getting married to Brandon's betrothed for an Army.

Hoster Tully wouldn't let the Northern Army pass without him agreeing to marry Catelyn. He agreed because he was in no mood to negotiate. Hoster also wanted Lysa Tully to marry Jon and gave the reason that he needed strong heirs now that others were dead. It honestly sickened him as Jon was Lysa's grandfather's age.

He was horrified at how Robert laughed at the bodies of Elia Martell and her children wrapped in Lannister banners. Horrified at how Jon didn't do anything to stop him and he, didn't say anything. In 280 AC, just before leaving King's Landing to search for his sister, he was informed of his son being born. He wanted to see him right away but he left to lift the siege of Storm's End.

In Dorne, in the aftermath of fighting Kingsguard, many of his companions died and the only ones remaining were Howland Reed and William Dustin, both badly injured but would live. When he saw his sister, in a birthing bed with so much blood without any midwife or maester present. In a delusional state, his sister gave him her stillborn son as if he were alive and asked to protect him before dying. He just felt numb.

After tending to Howland and Williem's wounds, they all searched the tower for any letters that would give him answers. They found Lyanna's journal, two House Targaryen valyrian steel swords, and two petrified dragon eggs. In her journal answers he got, Lyanna ran away with Prince, got married in front of the heart tree, when heard about her father and brother want to go to the North but was stopped, and was raped by the prince repeatedly till she got pregnant and the king's guard was present. In his rage, he took Ice and sliced open the dragon eggs. Bestowed Williem with Blackfyre, and Howland with Dark Sister and instruction to get it reforged before using it.

After collecting Northerners' bodies on horseback, set fire to the tower and left for Starfall. In Starfall, he learned about the death of another member of his house, he had a daughter with Ashara, but she was stillborn. As Ashara told him about her, both started crying. The next day, Ashara committed suicide by jumping into the sea her body never to be recovered.

By week's end, after informing Lord Dayne where to find the bodies of Kingsguard and giving him back to Dawn, getting his and his party members' wounds tended. He left after sending ravens to Robert and Jon, in a ship arranged by Lord Dayne for seaguard with his party member and the bodies of his companions and his daughter.

When he reached Riverrun, and held his son, Robert 'Robb' Stark who favored his mother's Tully looks, and during night he cried while holding Robb, cried for his love and daughter, cried for his sister and nephew, cried for his father and brother, cried for all the innocents who died in pursuit of vengeance. He was a broken man.

When he took over as Lord of Winterfell, his brother left to join the Night's Watch, a boy of barely ten and five namedays. Only when he was with Robb did his darker thoughts go away. He would never truly love Catelyn like he loved Ashara but he did admire and respect her after giving birth to twins, Sansa and Arya, he started to love her too. He ordered a small sept to be built for her.

Robb was a bundle of joy. His mischievousness brought laughter to everyone. He liked to prank others but they weren't cruel pranks. And then Robb found his love for learning at four namedays and had already completed his studies at age six with Maester Luwin and about being a Lord from himself within 6 moons. Robb had read and sometimes reread all books in Winterfell library. And still wanted to read and learn more.

For the last moon, after witnessing his first execution, Robb had spent all his remaining time in his room only coming out to eat, pray in godswood, and take more books from the library. His son had asked for a meeting after lunch to discuss a business proposal. So here he was, in his solar, with his 7-moons pregnant wife and maester prepared for the meeting.

After a few minutes of waiting, a knock sounded on the door. "Milord, Young Lord requests permission to enter," a Guard who opened the door said.

"Let him in," his Lady said. Guard nodded and left and Robb entered the room. Robb was tall for his age about 4 foot tall. Another surprise was his appearance, when he was born, he had complete Tully looks of blue eyes and red-brown hair but now his stark looks were more prominent with grey-blue eyes brown hair, and a long face.

"Father. Mother. Maester Luwin." Said his boy in a serious voice.