7. Storms End

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Renly grew up at Storm's End. Only a young boy at the time of Robert's Rebellion, he spent the war under siege in Storm's End, together with his older brother, Stannis, where he was witness to the desperation of the starving garrison.

As a boy, Renly loved bright colors and fabrics. He loved games as well, and would run laughing through the halls of Storm's End. Hayley loved him telling her all about his youth, his smile as he said it.

When Renly turned sixteen, he made a lord's progress across the stormlands to mark his coming of age. During this progress, he also visited the isle of Tarth, where Renly courteously danced with Brienne of Tarth and Princess Arianne Martell.

"She flirted constantly." Renly remarked.

"Sunspear, thats south?" Hayley offered. Shireen laughed out as she pointed at the map. "That must have taken forever. Whats up there?"

"Winterfell. The starks." Shirren offered.

"They have a wolf sigil." Hayley remarked tracing a finger over the map.

"Direwolf." Shireen agreed.

"Direwolf." Hayley repeated.

"Fearsome wolves, live north of the wall." Stannis agreed.

"The wall?" Hayley questioned.

"Dont worry about the wall mum, it's nothing up there." Robert assured her.

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'What is it?'

'A mountain lion?' Theon suggested.

'There are no mountain lions in these woods.' Ned told them they walked around the dead moose cautiously looking for the creature that killed it before they stumbled across a wolf, a dire wolf and a pack of puppies.

'It's a freak.' Theon exclaimed.

'It's a dire wolf.' Ned corrected. 'Tough old beast.' he pulled the antler free of its chest attacking the moose, an antler must have gotten stuck, killed the dire wolf.

'There are no dire wolves south of the wall.' Robb remarked

'Now there are five.' Jon said picking one up 'you want to hold it?' jon passed one off to Bran

'Then where will they go?' Bran questioned 'their mother is dead...' he held the puppy in his arms

'They don't belong down here better quick death.' Ned told his son honestly. 'They won't last without their mother.' Ned added

'All right give it here.' Theon said trying to pull the pup away from Bran but he cried out.

'No!' Bran screamed

'Put away your blade.' robb demanded

'I take orders from your father not you.' Theon reminded him

'Please father,' Bran begged

'I'm sorry Bran,' ned told him

'Lord Stark?' Jon said 'there are five pups one for each of the stark children, they are your house sigil, you were meant to have them.' Jon reasoned. Theon still held the blade to the pup still waiting for command.

'You will train them yourself you will feed them yourselves and if they die... you will bury them yourselves.' ned agreed and Theon handed Bran back the puppy back, as Jon picked up the other ones handing them off to Robb and Theon. Ned stared down in the snow seeing a glimer of something he pried it free. A crescent moon pendant. He had never seen anything like it. He clutched it in his hand before sticking it in his pocket.

'what about you?' Bran questioned

'I'm not a stark.' Jon answered as the puppy snuggled into Bran, Ned stared at jon a moment longer, yes he was. They were leaving when they heard the wrestling's of another puppy Jon pulled it free it was all white.

'The runt of the litter.' Theon said 'that one's yours snow.' But Jon's eyes caught movement, they readied themselves to head back home.

' But Jon's eyes caught movement, they readied themselves to head back home

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"Alright and this way we have-"

"Who is that?" Hayley questioned stopping at a portrait. She couldnt believe her eyes.

"You and dad." Renly remarked. "Dont you see yourself?"

"That's your father?" Hayley rasped. It did look like her, it was her. And their father...

"Yeah... why?" Renly questioned as she took a step back. Looking at the portrait.

"Jackson." Hayley whispered. "Oh my God." Renly caught her as stumbled back.

"What did you do?" Stannis shouted.

"Nothing!" Renly shouted. "Nothing! She saw father." Renly nodded to the picture.

"Mother!" Robert shouted and Hayley couldnt breathe as she lowered to the ground. How could it be? It couldnt. Nothing was right, everything was wrong. After a long while staring at Jackson's face, her dead husbands face. He was her dead husband twice. Twice. This didnt make any sense. Nothing made sense. She looked to Renly and Robert and Stannis. She had a girl with Klaus, her Hope back home and here she wasnt Hayley but Cassana Estermont and Jackson her Jackson was Steffon Baratheon. Her boys. Was this what their children would have looked like if they got the chance?

Renly took her to her old chambers no one touched it. They all missed their mother and father. She walked through the room and she could picture this strange life alternate her this cassana and alternate jackson... Steffon had lived. She never wanted to leave storms end. She wanted to imagine this life. The life she had with Jackson here, normal, a lord and lady and her heart broke.

"Stannis whats this?" Hayley questioned

"Fathers ring. A wolf. He was fond of them." Stannis remarked.

"Wolves?"

"Yeah." Renly agreed leaning into her on the bed.

"And this?" Hayley rasped.

"A crescent moon." Renly answered softly. Very confused.

"He liked wolves and crescent moons..." Hayley rasped sobbing.

"He had given you a necklace... Robert find the book." Stannis demanded.

"What book?" Hayley questioned.

"You drew. You drew this symbol over and over again and he had it welded for you." Robert remarked.

"I have it." Hayleys hand went to her neck. She didnt have it. "I had a necklace like that." She agreed softly.

"A crescent moon with a gem in its curve." Renly recalled seeing the drawings.

"Whatever happened to it?" Hayley rasped.

"Has to be here somewhere." Stannis declared. But it wasnt.

Would've, Could've, Should've // Ned Stark // Hayley MarshallWhere stories live. Discover now