The Emancipation of Rhaegar

Chapter 56

Impatient

Winterfell

He scribbled furiously, how dare that Martell did not respond to him? It had been three moons already. He was currently writing up plans to send out to the parties that would be joining him, marching on the King was no task to be taken lightly. He had already written to the Vale, who accepted Catelyn's sisters' hand as a form of alliance, thanks to Hoster Tully. Brandon had written to him with concern of the Vale being too ... flexible, they could change their loyalty at any given time – even if Ned was almost a brother to Jon Arryn.

He swore as the pen broke from his tight grip and pulled another one out. Bolton. His next letter was to be sent to the Bolton's. As he wrote he could not help but remember fighting with Roose at a feast his father was holding for Lyanna's name day. Brandon let out a chuckle, he had punched the boy in the face for looking at Arianne "as one would look at a whore." He could not believe how protective he had been of her; he knew her killing of his father was one done out of mercy – but Brandon could not forgive her silence. In theory, there was not much to be done, but her silence was deafening, and it made him think if she had loved Rickard as a daughter would a father. Rickard had given her the upbringing of a Lady and more – perhaps he had done that knowing she was a King's bastard. Still, bastards were never afforded the luxury, at most she should have been kept at an orphanage in Watertown – if Rickard truly meant to hide her.

Brandon also remembered his father slapping the shit out of him when he had refused to marry Catelyn and suggested he loved Arianne, more than a brother should a sister. He wondered what the punishment would have been had he eloped with her.

What!? He shook his head, clearly, the stress was getting to him. He was starting this war for many reasons – his father's murder, the dirt the Stark name had been dragged through by the Targaryen's, the fact that Rhaegar got to marry his sister and Brandon was punished for the thought of it. Right. He thought to himself, I've had too much ale. I've been looking at this paper for too long.

"Brandon."

He lifted his head, it was Catelyn. She held little Rickon in her hands and bounced him as she spoke to her husband, next to her was stood Ned. Her intrusion had caused him to press too hard, ruining the paper with a large clump of black ink above the neatly written for. Again.

"Yes?" Brandon responded, looking at the two, leaning back in his chair.

"Rhaegar has returned to Kingslanding, no doubt having heard we are to march. Robert writes that Lyanna had gone to Dragonstone and Rhaegar himself called him to Dragonstone to take her home – with a babe ... Jon Baratheon, heir to the Stormlands," Ned said, pulling a letter from his pocket and stepping up to the table Brandon was seated on and placing it in front of him.

Brandon skimmed over it;

Ned,

Lyanna ... with me again in Storms End ... babe Jon is going to be a warrior ... bannermen ... the Prince and Princess know ... Princess hinted no war was best-

Brandon scoffed and muttered, "she's always been the diplomat." Catelyn gave him a puzzled look; she hadn't read the letter herself and was wondering who he could have been referring to. He hoped Rhaegar wasn't using Arianne's political vigour to his advantage - she was not one to be underestimated when it came to speaking with people. He continued on;

My cousin is well, he even showed me a sword he had fashioned for his firstborn.

He looked to his brother, "he had his first-born cut from the line of succession, why is he commissioning a sword for him?" Brandon could not imagine the Arianne he remembered allowing herself to be slighted in such a way. Perhaps it was because of their distance, or because there was word Brandon was to march on the King, but no one had informed him the Princess had given birth to twins.