court of lies | robert's rebellion

the bells

"it is dangerous when too many men in different armours think they are right"

282 AC, Oldtown

"Atera,", Paxter sat in front of her door, crossed his legs, leaned his head back to the door. "please, speak to me, I missed you.", she did not answer. "I cannot even imagine what you are going through but my love, please.", he begged, closed his eyes. "One word would save me from this agony, just one word, I beg you, please."

She was not speaking to anyone ever since she stepped a foot to Oldtown and it has been moons last Paxter seen her properly. He was told she completely locked herself into her chambers. Barely eating, barely sleeping. Every Maester at the Citadel has visited her at least twice, with the orders of Leyton, worrying something deeply was wrong in his sister.

As much as Paxter knew, Leyton spent hours with his sister, trying to make her talk, offer her some comfort. Most of the time he forced her to eat, or take medicine so she would not become seriously ill -which Alerie blurted out in her puerperium confusion that Atera had been seriously ill more than five times ever since she returned back. Her body was weak and fragile but her stubbornness was thick.

Some whispered she had finally lost her mind but Paxter knew better than that. She just needed a moment to completely digest what has happened at Harrenhal. Gods knew Paxter himself did not do so himself yet. She was outsmarted, outplayed, lied to and conned by the people she risked her own life for, she risked her family's life for, by the man who she let into her bed. Given this happened twice, fist being Jace, Paxter knew exacty why she was not able to move on.

Her pride was wounded and it stung more than a broken heart.

Atera was defeated, she, for the first time in her life, has lost. Not even Rhea managed to do that, not Doratien, not Walburga nor Lythene, definitely not Jace but Arthur Dayne done so and Paxter had serious concerns and beliefs that perhaps she did love the man, in her way. While everything he knew about Atera screamed bullshit to that idea, he couldn't understand why else she would take such greater risks just for physical intimacy. Perhaps this time she truly gave her little dark heart into someone that was impossible and it getting broken damaged her further because Atera was not angry. They knew her anger, they could work with her anger but she simply was not angry. Baelor declared she did not feel a thing any longer, Paxter didn't know what to believe.

He just missed his best friend and wanted her back but Atera was just out of reach.

"Come here.", he flinched when Leyton snapped his fingers at him in a summoning manner and started to walk without waiting for him. Frowning, Paxter sent one last look to the marble door and stood up, followed Leyton quickly. "With every passing day, Atera gets away from us, Paxter.", Leyton said once they entered to his chambers. "I feel like we are resisting against the fate itself."

"You should not lose your hope, Lord Hightower.", he did not even entertain the idea. "One day, Atera will come back to her senses."

"Yes, yes, she will.", Leyton sighed. "But you will not be here to see that, at least not for a while."

Paxter frowned. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"I know that you gave a promise to my sister and accordintly waiting for an opportunity to rise for years now, to get revenge from Jacaerys Velaryon.", Paxter slowly straightened his spine, he was not expecting this. "He betrayed my sister, caused great disasters for us and not only that,", he shook his head. "it was Corlys who betrayed us and told Robert Baratheon where our troops were placed in Ashford.", Paxter took a step back. "I got this information from someone I trust so very much. He is the reason why my son is acting as if the world has ended.", he gritted his teeth. "I have shown nothing but mercy to those leeches for they were the family of my children but enough is enough. Both have a debt to pay."

"What do you want from me?", Paxter asked dutifully.

Did Leyton had a plan or could he have fun?

"Go to Driftmark and make Jace pay for his own sins. I will send Arys to take care of Corlys. Velaryon brothers will meet their demises. In all this chaos, at leas this will give me some relief. Knowing that they have perished will be my greatest joy in a long time.", he said as if killing Jace would give life back to Garth and Atera. "Some pains will never end.", he turned his head away. "My son will always carry the memory and the pain of his lover in his heart. He loved him, I know that. We never talked but he is my son.", he pressed. "Of course I know what he felt. It did not fit to any book but it was love and it made my son more than happy and the pain will crush him down. Knowing Corlys will suffer in pain will give him something to hold onto. And my sister? My only sister, my beautiful baby sister?", he grimaced with disgust. "Jace had been spending borrowed breaths and nothing more. The only reason I didn't take his head all theose years ago was because I simply wanted to see how much deeper he could go. He dishonoured my sister, sullied her reputation, destroyed her friendships, I yearned to see her, hear her, read a word she wrote for more than a year because of him.", he spat. "In that year she spent at the Arbor, everyone thinks we quarreled because either of Rhea or Randyll but it was because of Jace, it always was because of him. As I said, there are some pains that will never end and there are betrayals that the heaviness of them will never pass.", he turned to Paxter. "Just like an ember that everybody thinks it has faded, they can get ablaze just like that and burn until there is nothing else. I will not sentence my own sister and son to this any longer, even in the expense of Baelor and Alerie, even in the expense of Malora. Revenge,", he declared. "is the answer of both. Garth can only move on, learn to live with the pain if he knows Corlys paid for it. Atera can only trust to people again if she knows those who betray her paid for it. My sister trusted you with this, so will I. Ride to the capital with the first lights, there is nothing else you can do it here."

"Atera is like the sister I never had th chance to have.", Paxter said with a small smile. "I will not let her down."

"I know that.", Leyton nodded. "She needs to do so as well."

"May I ask you a question before I leave?", he frowned and Leyton nodded.

"It was you, no?", Paxter sent him a knowing look. "Not Corlys nor Jace, but it was you, my lord, who is caused Lord Velaryon's death."

A shadow passed from Leyton's face. "Garth deals with a pain that will never end, Atera faces with betrayals that she will carry as a burden for eternity.", Paxter never seen him this dangerous before. "I have both.", he said with a dark tone. "And Lucerys Velaryon paid for it, now it is time for his sons."

*

282 AC, King's Landing

"My fellow master,", Varys called as he caught Corlys in one of the balconies, watching the sea with troubled eyes. They were not expecting him to return from Driftmark this easily. "allow me to place my condolences once more."

Corlys took an annoyed breath and turned to the man with a small smile he faked. "What is it you want, Varys?"

"We made an agreement, my lord.", he bowed dutifully. "We both had decided that Lord Lucerys, may he rest in peace, was not thinking well due to his old age and was on the verge of throwing his family legacy to the ashes and we took care of it and you have promised to agree me on some other matter when the time came."

"I was not expecting it to happen this soon.", he pointed out. "But I have no intentions to drag this out."

"I need you to make a rather long journey as you are the only one who can without drawing attention to yourself.", Varys explained with a small smile. "A cargo that you must deliver to our friends across the realm, to even things out."

"What cargo?", he asked snappishly. "Where the journey will end?"

"Our friends,", he pressed the word once more but they were no friends to Corlys. "had requested someone to be delivered to him, at Seagard. You will wait for her in the open sea and then give her to him."

"Her?", a dark shadow passed from his eyes as he took an angry step forward. "If you mean Elia-", he threatened with a dangerous tone but Varys shook his head.

"No, no, no. I would not even dream of given Princess Elia to the rebels, no. Trust me, this person is of no importance."

"The queen then?", he raised an eyebrow.

"Their queen supports them and feeds them with gold, why would we give her to them?", Varys said with a mysterious smile. "As I said, it is someone with no importance."

"Varys-"

"Why do you even care my lord? You are a man who killed his own father. What can faze you unless you have grown a moral ground within a day?"

Corlys gritted his teeth, damn the Gods, the man was right. "When?", he gritted his teeth.

"In a week.", Varys' smile grew. "I will give you further details when the plan is finished, my lord."

*

"Why are you sulking today?", with the loud pat on his back, Jaime swallowed some nasty words but kept sitting at the edge of the staircase with crossed lands and an unhappy face. "Any particular reason or the same old 'I am a shiny hostage to piss of my father' and 'knighthood, honour, chilvary and pride do not exist, we are living a lie' phases that you are going through?"

"I am not in a mood to speak, Richard.", he never was in a mood for Richard. Charming he may be, older man more than usually got onto his nerves. Even when he was Atera's sworn sword in Dragonstone, he preferred Myles' company. "And you should not waste your time with me, you surely have things to do.", he said bitterly and Richard sighed.

"The 'they do not allow me to go and fight because they do not trust me' phase then.", he pulled out his bottle of rum. "My least favourite.", he offered it to Jaime but he just sent the brunette man a look and Richard shrugged with pursed lips. "You know, not all of our father's sit on a mountain full of gold, pretty boy. So rum is all we can afford."

Jaime frowned and turned to him. "You are the Hand's best friend, the Prince of Dragonstone's former squire and the heir of Skull Island -one of the most important harbours of Stormlands. You do not get to complain about being poor, Richard."

"It is Ser Richard now.", he made a face. "As you said former squire."

"I am a kingsguard now.", Jaime deadpanned. "White cloak might be my prison in this life but it sill worths something so leave me alone when I say so."

"That white cloak is the reason of Jon not taking you to war with us. Will you learn that or shall I repeat to you everday?", he took a large sip from his leather bottle. "Jon does not want kingsguard to interfere to take the victory from him and since the king does not trust him, he doesn't want to give him a kingsguard. Your absence from the battlefield might be the only topic they can agree on in these days so hey, take that as a victory.", Jaime just looked at him with green eyes that lost all their joys at such a young age.

"Myles will be there and we are at the same age, in case you haven't noticed. It is not about me being a kingsguard, it is about you not trusting me, just because I am a Lannister, because you look at me and see a child."

"First of all, Myles is a year older than you.", he grimaced as he pulled a knee to his chest and leaned his back to the wall. "Second of all, we all are aware that you are not a child. It is precisely why you are staying here.", when Jaime obviously didn't believe him, Richard sighed. He was not in a mood to console an unconsolable person but he started the conversation in the first place. "Do you think it would be wise for every warrior in the realm to go to the same battle? Who will protect the capital, the royal family otherwise?"

"It is what Ser Gerold said as well. But then why is it Myles who goes and not me? The question still remains same."

"Because you are a kingsguard Jaime, I truly do not understand what you are not understanding.", he shook his head. "Stop torturing yourself over this matter. I do understand you want to be apart of something, you want to prove yourself but not being called to war is a blessing, trust me.", he said with a dark face.

"You have seen battle before?"

"Not in this scale, no but I have done so before, yes."

"What was it like?"

"Hell on earth.", he whispered, memories filling his head left and right. "Just trust me when I say you are blessed, even though you do not feel like it now. There are worse fates than yours."

*

282 AC, Dragonstone

"Are you sure you want to do this?", Elia asked with a cold face. "This truly is your choice?"

"It is not what I want to do, it is what I have to do.", they were standing at the harbour, looking each other. Elia in an orange hood, Ashara in a purple one, storm covering them both. "Life is never easy and on the contrary, is emotionally abusive, is a big puzzle and we can find the answers by making choices and by making mistakes.", her small smile disappeared. "I do not have the luxury to make mistakes any longer, I have my fill of them.", Elia did not reacted to that. "I already gave up on one love, for no real reason at all. I will not do so twice."

"You are aware what you will have to do.", she almost pitied her, Ashara did not like that. "No one asks you that. Are you sure of your choice?"

"Take care of yourself, Elia.", she did not answer her question. "Be safe. You don't have to worry about me any longer. You don't have to protect me any longer.", she held her hands momenteraily. "This is my life and only I can get to decide on the paths I choose. You worry for your own fate, for your own children."

Elia turned her head away. "This is it then?", she rolled the words.

"There is nothing wrong in walking out someone's life if you don't fell like you belong to it any longer.", she shrugged. "We had our days, good days, fun days, days I will never forget but there is an end to everything. I am choosing who is choosing me in return. Something Oberyn has never done."

"I am merely sad that this war just has started yet you have become a collateral damage already.", she shook her head. "I just hope one day we will meet again, in a different narrative."

Ashara only sent her a tired smile, fixed her hood and left her side, to create her own story.

*

282 AC, Storm's End

"The rider that Mace Tyrell has sent carries a letter from Lord Connington, the Hand of the King.", Maester Cressen opened it with a frown. "He says that if you surrender Storm's End without a fight, he will let your brother, Renly, to leave the castle in piece and guarantees the safe passage of him to be delivered to someone you choose, my lord."

"My lord,", Ser Gawen Wylde took a step forward. "I beseech you to heed this offer. I have doubts on how long we can survive, now that we cannot get the support we expected from the Marchers."

"I was there when Robert received the promise of House Caron.", Stannis was standing in front of the mirror, hands tied at his back. "The moment Tyrells finish camping, they will come to our aid."

"That promise was given before Beric Dondarrion got betrothed with that Dayne girl.", the knight argued. "Marchers will not want to divide amongst each other. I heard they already agreed to send men to the royal army. Lord Connington comes here to unite them all."

"Even then, my brother told me to keep Storm's End and it is precisely what I am going to do. I will not bow to the Reachers."

"Lord Connington is a fellow Stormlander. We can demand a meeting with him, we can discuss about the terms of surrender-"

"Tyrell host will leave as they come and they will leave so with bowed heads and defeat.", Stannis promised. "The honour of defeating them will be ours. The victory,", he pressed. "will be ours.", his eyes never left the enemy camp just outside of their walls.

*

"This siege will be a long one.", Arys sighed as he moved towards Vortimer. "I'll say to my men that they need to hold on but I doubt on how long they will. Is there any advice you can give to us with your experience, my lord?"

Vortimer looked as troubled as he did. "You are right, Arys, I think the same. Rain clouds are on top of us, snow will follow.", he said with a dark tone. "We need to take the castle as soon as possible.", he sent a stressed look to the hill. "I am summoned to the royal army. Some of the lords will ride with me as well, it is more than likely I will not see the fall."

"And neither will I.", he pulled a letter from his coat. "I have received word from Paxter. He summons me to the capital."

"To the capital?", he frowned. "What does he do so in the capital? The last I left him, he was at Oldtown and he was supposed to ride to the royal army with Baelor. What changed his mind?"

"If I understood one thing from the cryptic messages is that Leyton is sending him there for reasons he'll tell me face to face. He will meet with Lord Connington midway, then will directly ride to the capital, undercover.", he sent him a look. "I don't even want to know what he is up to."

"You think its about Atera?"

"My cousin refuses to speak with anyone and she hasn't left her chambers in moons.", Arys shook his head. "She lost all her power and influence. Leyton is sorry for her but he hasn't forgiven her. I believe he is even happy that she remains in Oldtown, away from trouble."

Vortimer frowned. "You think so?", he withhold himself from speaking to Leyton about Atera, there was no use of pushing him further. "Leyton is not the one who would hold onto a grudge. Especially not when it comes to Atera."

"Something feels different this time, I am not sure what it is.", he shrugged. Vortimer knew the cause of their drift while Arys was in the dark of it and Arys knew how their relationship was now while Vortimer was in the dark of it. It was not likely they agreed on the matter. "Leyton loves her and worries for her dearly, as usual but there is a part in him that he is just relieved that she is this broken, you know? During war, the last thing he wants her to create problems. And Leyton I know would be even more worried for her, he would try to help her. He does absolutely nothing. His children are doing more, even Baelor is more worried. He seems to procascinate her for the time being."

"Well,", Vortimer seemed befuddled. "we are at-"

"It has been more than a year since she returned and war has just recently splashed to Reach, to Oldtown.", Arys pointed out.

After everything went down with Claron and Jacen, there was a clear drift between him and his cousins. They approached to him with caution, not being able to help themselves and he just didn't want to interact with them. It was as simple as it so frankly, while of course being sad for Atera because they spent so much time together, he didn't care the situation enough to do something for her. So his words did not born out of judgement but it was what it was. Leyton could not spend his entire life tolerating Atera's actions anyways.

Vortimer cleared his throat. "I shall handle the matter.", he declared, thinking how Leyton would react to it. With the loud noise of thunder, both men sent distressed looks to the sky. "We need to speak to Mace about this.", he muttered. They were of the South, such storms were not actually their favourite weather.

"How do you think he will react to it?", this was Mace's one chance of proving himself after Ashford being a surprise attack from Robert and him being late on battlefield. Vortimer just sent him a look.

"My lord.", he entered the great tent where Mace was stressed and alone, sent away even his cousins.

"Lord Crane, offer me your report and then off you go to the royal army.", he made a motion, he has received the formal summons as well. "We have been informed Lord Connington will place his encampment near Goldroad so it will be a safe route.", Tywin Lannister was not their friend but as of now, he was not their enemy as well. "Once the army gathers, he'll ride to Acorn Hall. It is where Robert Baratheon was last seen."

"Yes, my lord.", Vortimer bowed his head and shared a look with Arys. "If I may,", he caught Mace's attention once more. "this siege must not take long, my lord or some unwanted consequences might arise.", Mace frowned. "Siegeing is essentially a battle of wills but it is always the aggressor who pays the price and given the worsening air condition, well,", he sighed. "our casualties might be more than we expected. If Stannis does not agree our terms and leave the castle with his own will, things might go down south."

"We can of course continue our assaults, my lord.", Arys agreed with him as well. "The castle will be damaged highly with every day that child refuses to bend the knee but we must heavy our attacks."

"Lord Connington explicity said that we should give them time to peacefully surrender.", Mace disagreed. "If we harden our attacks now, it will come off as hostile and would make it look like the Hand's promises were for naught. I cannot allow that.", his frown deepened. "Though it is more than obvious the air will get worse and it will only give them leverage while it will break our stamina.", he sighed. "Continue to attacks normally but send them a messager and tell them they have two days.", he said with determination. "Two days to surrender and if they do not, on sundown, I will destroy Storm's End and anything that is left from House Baratheon."

*

282 AC, King's Landing

"Lord Connington, you still are here?", Varys pouted his lips with mockery. "And one might think after your loud declarations of war, off you would go."

"I do not expect a man at your capacity to know such things like this but waging war takes time.", he deadpanned. "Preparing an army and marching takes time."

"When Robert Baratheon still alive and breathing, I believe time is much of an essence alas you should not take it lightly and spend it freely.", Jon did not answer, he had no time for such games. "You will be gone for long, we all assume, if you win, of course. You shall name a regent in your absence or else the entire rule might collapse."

"This great realm is not without a head, Varys. Rule is assured by laws and custom, not by cruelty. As long as people who are running sticks to the path of justice, no one can dare to mess with it.", Varys smiled fakely but there were no emotions on Jon's face. "I will not name a regent in my absence, I do not have to. Though if you claim, as a grown man, you cannot work without supervision, I am sure I can think something for you."

"That will not be necessary, my lord.", he said with distaste. "I can assure you as a man who served to this realm longer than you-"

"My house has been serving to this realm for centuries, Varys. It is the perks of being highborn. History does not remember names here, it remembers blood.", he made a head gesture to dismiss him. "You can go now, continue your little plotting with your fair weather friends. I have actual work to do.", Varys sent him one last fake smile and left his presence.

"This was pretty harsh, you do not think?", Jon tried to take a deep breath but failed and grimaced with the pain, his stomach was troubling him lately and he go on great lengths to make sure he was not poisoned but it was just a symptom of immense stress. "You know what they say; make friends today, get your ass saved tomorrow."

"Whoever said that must not know much about friends.", he muttered, they were in the large balcony of the Tower of Hand, hands still being on the balcony rails, Jon turned towards the older kniht. "Ser Lewyn.", he bowed his head slightly as a sign of respect. "Are you here to change my mind about leading the army myself?"

"Will it work?", he asked with pursed lips and Jon shook his head. "It's what I thought.", he moved to his side and leaned over the rails as well. "I am here to ask you what your plan is."

"We do now Robert will pass through Acorn Hall, it is what he must do, his only gate. I already sent word there, they will capture him and I will just go there, take him to capital so he can answer his crimes and my army will perish his. With Robert in my hands, Arryn and Stark surely will try to negotiate."

Lewyn trid to surpress his small smile. "I wouldn't worry about Stark if I were you."

"And why is that?", he frowned. "Stark has the largest army as of now. His is the only united region. Arryn cannot bring all his army to the battlefield for he still has problems at the Vale and Robert is almost without a proper army. Lord Tarly perished him. Robert might be the figurehead who made people talk but Eddard Stark is our real danger now."

"Let's just say we have a secret weapon and the perfect bait to get rid of him.", when Jon completely turned to him, his smile grew. "I was not going to tell you this but I know how important focus is on battlefield and I heard many worried -and some eager, whispers on how you do not plan to return back here, go all the way. I like you Connington, you were true on your word and now Aegon is the heir, Elia and Rhaenys are protected, it seems only fair if I truly will help you given Leyton only agreed on a betrothal for now. I hate to be in debt of someone."

"Go on then.", he nodded. "What is it?"

"You will return back here lad, and you will focus only on Robert when you left here because Ned Stark is already taken care of. If there is one person he loves and cares more than his best friend is his sister.", he tilted his head for Jon to understand.

"And?"

"And,", Lewyn leaned his back to the column. "we will give him his sister."

*

282 AC, The Sunset Sea, near the Arbor

"How long will this journey last?", she asked to the captain with boredom, hours later.

"It is soon."

"Where are we going?", she asked with narrowed eyes.

"To Starfall, don't you know?"

"I know the road backt o my home and it certainly does not take this long.", she declared defensively. "Who are you? Where are you taking me?", she demanded answer after answer but she got nothing.

In the darkness of the night, two men forced her to leave the ship into a pinnace, she tried to fight back but they were lot more stronger and crowded than her and they were in the open sea, in middle of nowhere. Where she could ran away? Instead of fighting back, she tried to calm down her heartbeats, her hand found the necklace Ned has gifted her, squeezed it until her hand hurt. Her purple eyes noted the bigger ship they were sailing into.

She gritted her teeth and made no fighting back as well as she climbed to that ship. But did start to scream as they finally throw her to the solid ground and locked the door of her cabin, she started to hit to the wooden door.

"I am Ashara Dayne of Starfall, a lady to the Princess of Dragonstone!", she declared. "My brother is a member of the kingsguard, you are making a mistake! They will not let you live, and I can assure you that my brother will make you pay for this, far worse than you think. Hey!", she yelled loud enough to hurt her throat but nobody answered and she turned her back, only to flinch right back with the sight she saw. "Corlys?", she asked as her entire face crossed in shock.

"Welcome aboard.", he japed and then frowned mockingly. "I do not suggest you to continue to yell any longer, dear Ashara.", he said cockily. "Arthur cannot hear you from here."

*

282 AC, Oldtown

"Are you crying?", Leyton was not expecting that when he entered his daughter's room. "What happened to you?"

"I am not crying.", Alysanne said nonchalantly but Leyton didn't believe to it.

She was sitting on her chair by the window, head turned to the sky, knees pulled to her chest. She was holding a handkerchief in her hand, wiping her tears so very obviously and there was an open letter in her lap.

"Alysanne.", Leyton warned, all his life he had one goal; protecting his children. Seeing them fall one by one was starting to get on his nerves. "What happened?", he walked to her side and sat on the divan next to her.

"He is going to war.", she said quietly without turning to him. "He will lead the army."

"Who?", Leyton frowned and then blinked feverishly with the realization and seemed taken aback. "Are these tears for Jon Connington?", he was not expecting this to happen.

"He says that he will not return without Robert's head. He says even if he does, a worse fate than death would expect him at the capital.", she took a shaky breath. "He will get himself killed."

Leyton had no idea what to say and never felt Meredyth's absence this much before. He knew he had to approach to this matter delicately. Alysanne was the fiercest of his children but also the most emotional one. The only difference between her and Alerie were his eldest daughter lived her emotions while Alysanne preferred to keep them to herself. He didn't even remember when was the last time she cried and out of all his children, he would always think she was least likely to cry after a boy.

"Lord Connington is wise for his age and knows what he is doing.", it was a very classic thing to say but he wanted to try. "He is right though. Returning back to the capital without a victory would be worse than death.", Alysanne's green eyes sharply turned to him and he hold himself back from groaning. Normally in emotional matters like this, he relied on his children to figure it out with each other. Not that he didn't care but he had a hard time connecting with them in matters like this. "Alysanne you knew him just a little more than a year and never spoke, only written to each other.", he was aware of them all though he never read them.

"He writes to me that 'hunter of my heart and the desire of my soul',", she sighed once more and Leyton had a hard time keeping his face from grimacing but he did cringed a lot inside and if she were not crying, he would have left the scene minutes ago. "he says that the scarlet days turn into nights, the sky waves like the sea but none of the seconds that has passed brings him to me.", Leyton wanted to die instead of hearing the love letters of his daughter but he knew he had to act like a proper adult. She pulled the letter from her lap and smile. "Look, he wrote me a poem.", Leyton didn't want to look. But didn't want to break her heart so took it from her hands.

" Were all stars to disappear or die,

I should learn to look at an empty sky

And feel its total dark sublime,

Though this might take me a little time."

"How lovely.", he said with an annoyed tone. He was not going to like men writing love letters to his daughters in this lifetime, that was for sure. But when Alysanne raised an eyebrow to his reaction, he repepated himself with a fake smile. "How lovely, honey. I am glad that you are happy."

"I am not happy, father.", she objected, took the letter back from him. "Look, he writes me such beautiful words and in the next paragraph tells me he is going to a path of destruction. He does not expect to return from this battle.", there was a heaviness in her heart. "I do not know what to feel, or think."

"Honey, I truly am sorry that everything has come to this. I would like nothing more than to see you and your siblings happy but not everything is under my control. Lord Connington started to his duty as the Hand from a wrong spot because he was Prince Rhaegar's friend. His position and life was always under danger and his only chance of survival was for Prince Rhaegar to ascend.", he tried to be careful with what he'd say to her but from the knowing look she sent to him, he sighed with defeat. "Which you were already aware of their plans of coup."

"People rarely spares me a glance, father.", she said with a small smile, wiped her dried tears. Leyton hated seeing that redness in the face of his family. "It is easy to listen men speak behind close doors.", she turned her head once more. "He promised to let me in to that room itself."

"Alys...", he tilted his head. "The only reason I do not tell you anything has nothing to do with your gender but with your age. You were too young to be allowed in such matters."

"Well I am off age now.", she turned to him, sniffled lightly. "Will you show me the same trust you show to Baelor and Garth?"

"Of course.", he pressed, reached out to held her hand. "You have no difference in my eyes, I promise you this."

"So I can do anything they can do."

"Of course.", the words came out of his mouth and he regretted instantly because Alysanne started to smile and he realized this all was a trick. "No-", he tried to take it back but his daughter shook her head.

"If the only problem was my age and not my gender this whole time then allow me to come with you to Storm's End, father.", Leyton stood up abruptly with that, trapped to his own words. "I am stuck here, father.", she said desperately when Leyton turned his back without saying a thing, preparing to leave but had to stop with her words. "The only time I leave the secured halls of Oldtown is when I go to the secured halls of Highgarden and I am sick of it.", her voice was shaky. "The only other place I have ever went was Harrenhal and it was beautiful, to be free without a thousands eyes watching your ever move. My brothers go on battles, on campaigns, on hunting trips, on political voyages and all I do is bid farewell to them and watch as they start on new adventures. Father please.", her voice cracked. "I know I never be like them but for once please allow me to at least feel like them, allow me to have an adventure of my own, I beg you, please.", his face softened as she started to cry once more. "I cannot endure sitting here, being trapped, and just waiting to hear about the deaths of my loved ones. You have no idea how terrible of a torture this is."

"If you ever wanted to accompany your brothers,", he turned to her, she was standing as well, crying with true sadness. "all you had to do was to tell me. As I said, the only thing that held you back was your age -and your health. You know you have a rather fragile one."

"The best maesters from the Citadel will join you father, they would prevent anything from happening and I am off age.", she pressed further, took a step towards him.

"Alys,", he took a troubled breath, he couldn't reject her when he knew better than all how terrible it was to be trapped into somewhere. "I am going to Storm's End, for a siege. The tension will be high and you know the area is neither safe nor easy. You will not find the freedom you want there. Want to go anywhere else and I will send you but do not expect me to allow you to go to a siege."

"You allowed Garth to go on a battle.", she sniffled. "You will allow Baelor to go to a war, he'll unite with Jon. If they can do, I can as well."

"It will be a long siege-", he tried to argue back but closed his eyes, couldn't bare to see the heartbreak on her face. "I will think about it.", it was all he could say at the moment, and it seemed to be enough for Alysanne too given she threw herself into his arms with excitement.

*

282 AC, The Sunset Sea, near the Arbor

"If you touch me,", Ashara pressed her back to the door, eyes frantically moving around the room to find something to attack to the blonde man. "I swear that I will make you worse than Arthur can even imagine.", she threatnehed, tried not to show off her panic. "Which master do you even serve?"

"Calm down, southern-beauty.", Corlys rolled his eyes. "I have no desireto touch you, be sure of it. I am merely here to do...", he seemed as if he was trying to find the right words. "charity.", he mocked and Ashara narrowed his eyes.

"Charity?", she repeated and then snorted. "Are you fucking with me?"

"I am not here to hurt you but to take you to heaven.", he kept mocking with a smile. "I took a look at your situation and decided that Andric was being cruel. I am taking you to Ned Stark.", Ashara raised her eyebrows. "He is waiting for you at Seagard."

"Ned is a rebel to the crown.", only her lips moved as she spoke. "You are loyal to it. How-"

"Do not use your pretty head that much, dear.", Corlys never took her seriously.

Never.

"Why Seagard?", she wondered, it belonged to House Mallister -Aerys killed Lord Jason's nephew. It was a great hit to the loyalists that they had lost such a powerful ally. At least they still had Harrenhal and Darry.

"Lord Tarly managed to push Robert right into the middle of the Riverlands. He is still retreating, we are not sure where he will stop and Connington is adamant on finishing him himself so the royal army he brings will unite with the Reachers and will end him there. Your lover and his daddy are taking refuge from Mallister to beg Hoster Tully for help. I will bring you to him, given you are no use to anyone anyways and will take protection in return."

"Elia is your cousin by blood.", she said with dried tears, sniffled elegantly. "Why are you betraying her?"

"Betrayals is for children.", Corlys dismissed it. "In real world there are only two options; survival or death. Why would I choose the latter just because the daughter of an uncle I barely know married to a fool?", he shook his head. "I will not let our legacy to pass on my infant son. The survival of my house and my family dpeneds on me and if the key to provide this is give someone unimportant to the head of the rebels,", he opened his arms. "then so be it."

"They will think I ran away willingly.", her heart felt too heavy on her chest. "Andric and Elia..."

"Look on the bright side, this might as well end the entire rebellion.", he actualy laughed at that. "Rhaegar kidnapped their girl, now Ned Stark essentially will pay to kidnap you. There goes his honour don't you think? If he takes you, the entire world will see their hypocrisy, if he does not, you will be close enough to finish him off. I-I,", he pressed, placed a hand on his heart with a fake concern. "I am doing a favour to the loyalsits here. They all should thank me and especially you.", he winked. "In Dorne, you would live a disgraced life and no man would take you and Andric is as good as to disinherit you anyways. Even Elia opened her eyes and kicked you out. I am giving you a second chance. Perhaps you two would make more babies,", a cold look passed from Ashara's eyes. "and name one of them after me.", he winked once more. "I win anyways.", his grin was so wide that it annoyed Ashara beyond words.

"I wouldn't be so sure if I were you.", she said with empty looks. "I had looked at the stars and saw a catastrophe approaching.", Corlys raised his eyebrows in an amused manner. "I am more than sure that it will hit you first."

*

28 AC, King's Landing

"I have grew up, just like many men at my age, listening to your victories at Stepstones and at the war of the Nine Penny Kings, Ser Gerold. I would have want to ride at your side and use your battle experiences but times are being what they are,", he sighed as they walked towards the king's chambers. "I will handle matters of my own."

"You are coming close.", this surprised Jon for the old knight never complimented anyone. "Everywhere I go, whether the court nor the campside of our army, people speak of you, ask about you. It seems you have managed to win them over in our prince's absence. You have became a true leader, you have people follow you."

"We all are sworn to protect the smallfolk. They love me not because of my leadership skills but because I am the only one who remains true to that oath. It was what I have done so in Griffin's Roost and Skull Island for years. It is why even the Storm Lords chose me over Robert in such dire times and it is what precisely I am doing right now.", at war, smallfolk suffered more than nobles yet Jon looked after them first and prevent poverty at the capital and at Stormlands.

"How are the preparations going? I heard the final number of the army has reached to forty-five thousand."

"It is true, Ser. We have ten thousand Crownlander, ten thousand Stormlander, twenty thousand Reacher and five thousand Riverlander.", Gerold sent him a look. "We have more Riverlander houses who support us but now that Hoster Tully plays safe and seems to be on our side, I did not call for much troops from his bannermen. Brandon Stark was supposed to marry his daughter, if you recall."

"And it was his ward who made up the lie of Rhaegar abducting that girl."

"Did you know the boy's name was Petyr Baelish?", Gerold nodded. "It never made much sense to me until a couple of nights ago where I realized Baelish is a house that resides at the Vale.", he huffed. "His father is a man of Jon Arryn."

"You still think there is a greater plan out there?"

"I do not think so, I know there is a greater plan.", he said frimly. "I have been speaking of this war for years when nobody took me seriously and yet here we are."

"You couldn't know Rhaegar would do that."

"No, but I always knew one way or another things would come to this point. Still even if I do prove that, it will not take the rebels' agency given larger part of their tropps truly believe into this abducting bullshit."

"Only the Northenehrs.", he shook his head. "The rest is knows it is a lie. I bet Baratheon knows so as well."

"You agree with me then, Ser. You agree he is after the crown."

"His grandmother was my cousin.", Gerold said with distaste. "Amongst all my uncle's children, I disliked Rhaelle the most.", he sent another look to Jon. "Despite Jaehaerys and Shaera, I disliked Rhaelle the most. Imagine that.", he shook his head. "You think forty-five thousand is an enough number?"

"It is too much even. Robert has less than five thousand. I am bring that much men to took the control of the Stormlands and to be ready if somehow Stark nor Arryn would come to Robert's aid. But given the Reacher army already started the siege at Storm's End, I doubt I'll need this much men. Preparations are almost over. In a couple of days, I will start to end this entire charade. He might have run away from Summerhall, he might have get rid of Ashford but Acorn Hall will be where he will meet his end, I can assure you on that."

*

283 AC, Seagard

"You wanted Corlys to bring me here?", Ashara asked after getting over the initial shock and was left alone with Ned. She was not expecting this. "Why?"

"I have written to you for moons.", he said solemnly. "You never replied, you gave me no choice, I needed to see you Ashara, after everything. I needed you to be on my side."

"And you just ordered Corlys to abduct me?", she pretended the word slipped from her mouth when Ned flinched but she used that word willingly. "Letters you say?", she raised an eyebrow. "How can I answer something I never received?"

"Lord Dayne must have kept them from you.", he was not understanding why Ashara was cold towards him all of a sudden, he thought she would be happy to see him. "Because I wrote countless of them."

"Andric wlould never do such a thing.", she did not even entertain the idea because for the better or worse, he gave her even Oberyn's letters. He would not forsake her this freedom.

"You say I am lying?"

"I say I never received any letters and Andric would never hide them from me.", she challenged back. "Are you sure you sent them to the right place?", when Ned did not answer but seemed hurt, she straightened her spine. "Whatever you might think, it was not you who brought me here but my destiny.", Ned frowned. "I had seen it in the stars, I was not expecting to return back to Starfall anyways. I was just not sure where I was headed."

"How could even go there in the first place? Princess Elia, I was told, is respondible of the deaths of my father and brother. How could you serve her again willingly?"

"It was the king who made the decision and gave the order. Neither Elia nor Jon had any juristication over it. The king blamed her willingly."

"Why would he do that?"

"Because he hates her.", it was the simple truth. "He always hated her. He betrothed Rhaegar with her in the first place just because he didn't want him to marry Cersei Lannister and then he regret it. Elia has been suffering abuse in his hands ever since. Nothing she does is ever enough, she was humiliated in his court and her life is now in danger more than it ever was, her and her children."

"They say she gave her word to my brother in return of them bending the knee. Then did nothing and approved the king's words when he gave the order."

"And I was told there were half a thousand nobles inside the court room that day. None of them did anything but approve when the king gave the order, including the Norhtern Lords, your father's bannermen. Including Jason Mallister himself.", she looked around. "The Lord of Seagard but you are fine with wining and dining, staying inside his halls while blame Elia who did nothing but protect her children? It was their duty to bend the knee to Prince Aegon. Elia being have to convince them into it might be taken as the greatest proof of their treason,", cold waves passed from Ned's eyes. "but I will not say that.", she shook her head. "I will say nothing about that. Nothing but I am so sorry for your loss.", tears came to her eyes easily. "I have lost a father as well in the most horrible way possible. He was an honourable man who loved his family so very much and he got stabbed in the back.", she took a deep breath to gather her strength. "Because of me."

"What?", Ned, unintentionally, took a step forward.

"I never told you about this but a long time ago, I was in a relationship with Prince Oberyn.", she recalled with a pained smile. "We were going to marry but nobody approved. His mother, Princess Lorenza and his father, Lord Aethan went against it more than my parents but I did not heed to their advice, I continued the affair and my father paid the price for my actions.", this was the first time she loudly accepted this instead of blaming Arthur. "No matter what happened, I am so sorry Ned. I truly am."

"Prince Oberyn?", he rubbed his chin with a mutter but his face softened as his eyes met with Ashara's once more. "This was not the welcoming I have planned for you.", he admitted with defeated shoulders. "I did not want to argue, I did not want to point fingers, please allow me to start again.", he took a deep breath. "Welcome to Seagard, Lady Ashara. I have been waiting for you for a long time, I hope your journey was not very unpleasant."

Ashara did not play along. "What did you promise to Corlys in return of me?", she needed to know that.

"Nothing.", he shrugged his shoulders. "It was Jon who was contacting with Lord Varys for some moons now.", Ashara gritted her teeth in order not to make an obvious facial gesture. "As much as I know, Lord Velaryon helped with some cases involving Robert ever since his father's health decreased. When I finally managed to cross the Neck back and heard about you being on Dragonstone, so close to me, I could not bear your absence any longer and tried to contact him and simply asked him to bring you here, without harming you. I had no bad intentions but I do apologize if you were scrared."

"As I said,", her hands find the necklace Ned gifted him at Harrenhal. "I always knew I was not going to return back to Starfall anytime soon.", she sighed. "I miss you to Ned but I cannot just throw myself to your arms, not when I am so heartbroken, so sad.", she took a deep breath and sent back her tears. "There are matters we need to discuss.", she said with a very sad tone. "Matters that I hoped you would never learn but here we are."

"What matters?", Ned frowned.

"Our daughter."

*

283 AC, King's Landing

"We cannot afford more than one war."

"There will be no need for more than one war, your majesty.", Jon said with a deep breath. "Lord Tyrell has started the siege of Storm's End and the Marcher Lords, thanks to the marriage alliance between Lord Dayne's sister,", Aerys grimaced with fury to that name. "and Lord Dondarrion, we have the Marcher Lords. Dorne is with us, the Reach is with us and the Westerlands made it quite clear that they will remain impartial. Half of the Riverlands is with us. There is nowhere Robert can escape, the victory will be ours."

"Very well.", he couldn't think of anything he hasn't said it already. He was thinking it was a bad idea giving him an army, fearing still this all was a trap just to put Rhaegar to his stead but Gerold convinced him otherwise. "But if you lose,", he lenaed forward in his throne. "there will be serious conseuqences."

"If I lose, I will be dead.", he raised an eyebrow. "Will that be enough consequence for you?", he did not address him properly but he didn't care at this point.

Aerys only huffed at his face and turned his head away, dismissed him with a hand motion.

*

283 AC, Seagard

Ned's eyes quickly found her straight belly as his mind made a calculation when her purple eyes started to shine with tears. It has been more than a year since they last seen each other. She could not possibly be pregnant right now, for sure and if Ned knew one thing about Ashara, she would never leave her home without her baby. He wondered for a moment if Corlys held her as a hostage but that thought quickly erased from his mind as he did not think Ashara would manage to be civil under such circumstances.

He took a step towards her but then take it back. What did that suppose to mean? Where was their daughter? Perhaps because of the war, she left her at Starfall under her brother's care and it was why she was so sad because by now everybody would hear Ashara's ship was attacked and Ned had no doubts they would hear of her presence next to Ned. In their time at Harrenhal, she always spoke of how her family was holding her back and with that action Ned saved her from that horrible place but did that mean they lost their daughter? Would Ashara be this careless?

Or perhaps the baby remained at Dragonstone -but it made less sense. Did that Dornish Princess took her as a hostage? Ashara's brother was one of the abducters of his sister. Perhaps Elia Martell wanted her to pay for Ser Arthur's mistakes. And surely Ashara's presence here would mean their daughter's death. He knew a great deal about Dornish and how they treated their enemies. There was no way they would show mercy to an infant. Was this why Ashara was so sad? The woman she served for years was going to kill their baby because of Ned's actions. Was that why she was so distant to him?

Ned's heart was beating too fast. When he brought Ashara here, he dreamt of sunny days and warm welcomes after the war. He knew why they were here; Jon was trying to convince Hoster Tully without going to Riverrun -though Ned was aware he would do so in a few days because the royal army was getting close and Randyll Tarly already crossed the border. Ned was aware the only way to get Hoster's support was to marry his daughter but Ned did not like her. It was not like he didn't like many people but Catelyn Tully, with her obvious favouritism towards the royal family at Harrenhal, was one of the people he truly disliked. He knew Lyanna did not like her either and Brandon did not want to marry her. He didn't understand why he had to (he did understand but not quite accepted the situation). And how could he marry when he was already married?

Ashara was his wife, lawful or not. And now that she was so close to him, how could he let her go? Her place belonged next to him and Ned was ready to look down on her brother's mistakes and take her as she is. He, afterall, gave her his word. It would be honourless to back from it now.

But a child? Why on earth Ashara would not tell him that? She defended Lord Dayne minutes ago but Ned did send her hundreds of letters while he was still at the Eyrie and the only enemy against their love was Andric Dayne. Did he force her to leave the princess' service because he knew what his brother was going to do and feared the princess' reaction? Ned was more than sure it was him who hid his letters and forbade Ashara to write to him, and surely it was him who forced Ashara not to share the news of their child. Was he keeping her as a hostage? Perhaps he saved Ashara from a worse fate than he thought. He would not let anyone to touch his child. He would ride to Starfall or sail to Dragonstone if he had to. Nobody could harm his daughter.

"Who?", he asked with a solemn expression. "Who holds her as a hostage?"

Ashara closed her eyes and tears fell down, she turned her head away. "The Gods,", she said with a shaky breath. "they deemed she did not need to live a life."

Ned blinked as Ashara's words repeated in his mind again and again and again and again. "What?", he whispered and Ashara, with a shaky breath, turned to him and from the look she sent, his entire world crushed down.

He moved towards her with unsure steps but when he came closer, he pulled her towards him and wrapped his arms around her without a second thought. "Forgive me.", he heard Ashara's whisper. "I could not protect her."

He pulled himself away but did not let her go, his pained eyes fell to her belly and his shaking hands touched to it, fearing to hurt her. "How it happened?"

"I was already having troubles, the Maesters were sure it was going to be an early birth but she came even before than we expected. I-I heard Andric and Larra speaking about the rebellion and all and then I just-", she closed her eyes. "She was a stillborn. She did not breath when she born, she was too small. I am so sorry."

"Shh, shh, it is alright.", Ned sent back his own tears. A father, a brother, a sister and now a daughter? What did the Gods wanted from him? "Do not cry, my lady. I would give my life for every tear that falls from your eyes. It is all over now, I will never let anything to ever hurt you. We are together now and nothing will ever manage to break us apart again.", he cupped her face. "Once everything is over, we will go to North, to Winterfell. It will become our home and we will have many more children."

"To Winterfell?", she looked at him in surprise.

"You are my wife aren't you?", he wiped her tears. "You will take your place as the Lady of Winterfell once everything is over."

*

283 AC, Driftmark

She was walking with a hooded cape covering her, she was praying that no one amongst the smallfolk would recognize her flaming hair. Her husband just has returned but still, she did not want to take chances. When her brother, not without trouble, pointed out somewhere, she sighed and approached to the man under the same guise.

"Ser Arys?"

Arys Oakheart turned to her, eyes first roaming around for any possible threats, he bowed his head a little. "Lady Velaryon. It has been a long time since I had last seen you. I hope you are in good health."

"I am as good as I can be in the middle of a war, Ser Arys.", Ravella offered him a small smile.

"Then allow me to congrulate you on your newborn son. My cousin Lord Hightower,", a shadow passed from Ravella's eyes as she shared a look with her brother Rhys, it seemed that her worst fears had come true and the Hightowers finally decided to collect their debts. "also asked me to deliver his."

"Lord Hightower is too kind.", she forced herself to say with a dry tone. "You too, of course.", she added. "I heard everything that has happened.", she felt embarrassed to even acknowledge Corlys' betrayal. "Lord Hightower must believe that I would never-"

"My cousin is wise beyond his years and sees everyone as who they are.", Arys was quick to reassure her. "Despite Lord Velaryons' worst intentions, Lord Tarly had managed to corner the rebels and as much as we heard, Lord Connington is going to the deal the final blow. They will bite themselves like a scorpion, it is none of our concern, what will happen in the war. Leyton is more than sure that it would take a miracle for Robert Baratheon to survive from this retreat but he is also more than sure that Lord Velaryon did more than crossing the line this time.", Ravella bowed her head. "Betrayals are great sins but betrayals to kins? My cousin has decided the time of repay has come and he humbly asks for your help."

"My help?", she blinked, now this was interesting, she was expecting a warning, nothing more.

"Lord Hightower, Lord Redwyne and Lord Tyrell all agree that traitors should be punished accordingly. But they do not want to gather much attention. It has to be done in silence and no one is closer to Lord Velaryon more than you, my lady."

Ravella closed her eyes, placed a hand on her belly. Her son had born already moons ago but still, it became some sort of an habit for her. "I cannot.", her brother turned his head away. They already argued so much about this but her mind was set. "I was horrified when I finally understood what Corlys has done, what he has caused but he still is my husband and the father of my children."

Arys tried to approach to her delciattely. "My lady-"

"Nothing you say,", Ravella had a small smile, born out of sadness. "will change my mind. I hate him with my all heart for what he has done, and ours never was a love match anyways. What he has done against his own family shocked me, horrified me, still is horryfing me but the heir of Driftmark, my only son, is not even a year old.", Arys closed his eyes in understanding. "He cannot even speak, he cannot even walk. And you know the islanders. They would never accept a woman to rule them, they never have done. If Corlys dies, Jacaerys will be appointed as the regent."

"Lady Ravella-"

"I know my brother in law well. I know he loves my Aurora with all his heart but the times had changed and he barely even looks at Monterys' direction. I know, in my heart, that Corlys' death would mean nothing but destruction for me and my children. My Monterys, a baby that I feed with my own breasts, will be taken away from me and Gods knows, I would never see him again for he would close his eyes forever. I am more than sure Jace would find the right excuse, he always has done. You think Lord Lucerys died just because of Corlys?", she tilted her head and Arys truly seemed surprised. "Him and my husband never get along but Corlys is not alone in his treachery, not this time. I am not stupid enough to trust to man that did not pity to his own father, the man who sired him, the man who raised him. If he done it once, he would do it tiwce and my Aurora is even under more danger because our faith allows marriages between uncles and nieces, you do not have to be a Targaryen for that."

"He would have to take a special approval and Leyton pulls High Septon's strings.", Arys tried.

"If he cannot make her his wife, he would get rid of her as well.", she said dryly. "As I said, Ser, nothing you can say or do will change my mind. I prefer the monster I know to the monstery I don't. At least my children will be safe and happy under Corlys' rule. I don't care who else perishes for it."

"What if Jace would leave the equation?", Arys asked when Ravella turned her back to leave and it made the ginger woman to stop. "What if all true-born sons of Lucerys Velaryon would leave you and your children alone? Aurane is no threat to you. He has no legal claim nor the cold heart of his brothers. Would that make you side with us? Knowing Jace is not a threat?"

Ravella shook her head once in confusion. "...what?"

"There is a bigger debt to pay in Jace's plate.", Arys took a step towards her. "He had been procascinate it far too long now but his end finally caught up with him."

Ravella opened her mouth a few times and closed it, finaly managed to utter. "Atera..."

"He cast the first stone.", he defended his cousin. "If she would not be under Leyton's protection, she would be ruined now and despite that, she had to marry with the man who is responsible of her mother's death, now she has to marry with his own cousin. Jace cost him a friend, a brother. She didn't forget what she had to live through and neither did we. Paxter gave her his word a long time ago, and the due day right around the corner so I ask you once more, Lady Ravella.", he straightened his spine. "Will you side with us to end the tyranny of the Velaryon brothers? In the name of honour and justice? Or will you watch it from the sidlenes because you cannot stop it?"

"Jacaerys will not be a threat?", she wanted to make sure.

"Paxter already prepared a splendid end for him."

"Will anyone suspect of me?", she wanted to be sure. "Will Lord Hightower support me? As the first legitimate male heir with the appropriate age, Baelor will be appointed as the regent. I do not think he would ever brought harm to my children, of course, Baelor has a good heart, but pray tell; he will give me what is mine by right?"

"Baelor has no interest in Driftmark, he never had.", Arys shook his head. "The regency will be yours, my lady."

She sent a look to Rhys and her brother nodded and Ravella decided to obey her heart's long desire. "Then I will offer my help to Lord Hightower.", she promised. "For my children."

*

283 AC, Goldroad

"Not even the light of day nor the bright stars of the night helps my bleeding heart. I couldn't count how many times I had seen crescent, the fullmoon in the sky ever since the last time I had seen you and yet you still are not with me. You have written me that you will not come back from this war and it is all I pray to the Gods; lift the darkness on your path and make you return to me so we can sit down and talk at great lengths was has made you this stupid that you give up before even seeing the fight because even I know such moods are not acceptable on battlefield. I suggest you to come back to your senses my lord, or you might find me on that battlefield, knocking some into you.

Alysanne"

He couldn't help but huff through his nose with a small smile he could not supress, it seemed if a miracle happened and he survived, he was going to marry with a high-class sociopath.

"Ser Baelor,", he cleared his throat and sent a look to the blonde man who was looking at him with knowing eyes, he did recognize his sister's footman for sure. "do not leave the area yet, there is a matter I wish to discuss with you before we continue our journey.", Baelor nodded as they all were standing in front of Jon's tent, waiting for their guest.

"Our Lord Admiral is here,", Baelor spotted the riders with a raised eyebrow. "this is what you wish to speak with me, no?", he turned to Jon. "About my uncle and the position he holds."

Jon didn't understand his thoughts from a single line. "While it is not unprecedented to have a different Master of Ships and a Lord Admiral, I prefer order at war times. Things would be easier if one person held all the power."

"And you think my uncle is not fit for it."

"You think he is?", Jon sent a look to him and their eye contact broke only when Paxter entered the area and dismounted his horse. "Lord Redwyne!", Jon greeted him. "It is an honour to see you here."

"The honour is mine, my lord.", Paxter, as customary, bowed his head to him deeply. "I have been riding for days, for a moment I thought the road would never end."

"It seems you are landsick.", Baelor snorted. "Good to see you, my lord."

"Ser Baelor!", Paxter grinned at him as he pulled him into a hug. "I heard the good news of Lady Hightower, congrulations. Have you named the boy Paxter or have you decided to wait for the second one for that?"

Baelor rolled his eyes. "Perhaps you would have more chance convincing Denyse into it.", given she was betrothed to Paxter's cousin Desmond. "Because there is no way in hell that Rhonda will agree."

Paxter rolled his eyes but then he got serious. "I heard you two were having problems-"

"Nothing serious.", Baelor shook his head. "Every couple has them.", but his sudden lack of entertainment was obvious on his face.

"And Garth?", Paxter asked more solemnly this time. "Is he alright?", Baelor didn't answer and turned his head.

Watching their interaction, Jon made a motion. "Let us speak in my tent.", Baelor sent him a quick nod for changing the subject and both ginger men entered to the large tent and sat down.

"I suppose I should thank you for my new title?", Paxter didn't know the man well enough, he had to admit.

"You should thank for your talents, good ethics and intelligence for that.", Jon declared. "I do not pick up names, I pick up their achievements on state matters and if it were up to me, I would have see you on the small council as well.", he explained as he made a motion for his page to pour both of them wine, placed Alysanne's letter to his personal box -where he kept all her letters and reminded himself to write her one before the battle. "It is outrageous to have a man like Corlys Velaryon -who has reputed himself to have dubious loyalty, on the king's council, especially when there is a war going on.", he settled in front of Paxter and took a sip from his wine. "It is not my intention to start a war between the two heads of our fleet during war time, do not get me wrong but I always defended if you want something in life, you should not wait for it to be handed to you. You must fight for it."

Paxter raised an eyebrow. "You would have me eliminate Corlys?"

"Would that be a hard task for you?", he pursed his lips. "Or something you would prefer not to do?", he seemed almost surprised. "I said talents, good ethics and intelligence, Lord Redwyne, honour is not a part of it, if you'll excuse so because I believe we both know yours is controversial.", Paxter raised both his eyebrows now. "I am surprised, to be honest, I thought by now Corlys would be eliminated."

"When there are men like Varys and Qarlton Chelsted at the council, why you have chosen Corlys as your target so ardently?"

"Chelsted is just an envious leech. His problem is not personal, he'd hate even if Rhaegar occupied my title. He just cannot grasp the fact that he is simply not good enough for the job and for Varys, I just use a simple method."

"Keep your enemies close.", Paxter grinned.

"Exactly.", he leaned to his back. "Corlys however, has crossed the line one too many times now and I will have more focus if I would be left with one problem less as I ride to the battlefield."

"I still am not-"

"What if I tell you it was him who ratted out the plans of Ashford to Robert Baratheon, therefore caused the death of Lord Ashford and hundreds of Reacher troops?", Jon deadpanned and the judging entertainment on Paxter's face got erased one by one as a lot darker expression took its place.

"What?"

"Robert could be stopped at Summerhall but we failed because he knew our plans. Robert could be stopped at Ashford but we failed because he knew our plans. His grace's former squire, Ser Richard Lonmouth, has been in my service for quite some time now and from the last information he gained, we have learnt Corlys' equally useless brother Jacaerys never left Driftmark in the recent moons, yet Corlys offers report after report to the small counil, claiming they are being sent by Jacaerys who is located near Stepstones, making up stories about how Braavos is attacking us, beseeching the king to rip out the peace treaty and start a war with Braavos -serving right into Varys' hands. When I send Richard to invest this further so I can get rid of Corlys myself, I have learnt of his frequent leaves of Crownlands. One does not need to be a genius to guess where he is going but well,", he opened his arms. "he has been meeting with Lords Estermont and Cafferen frequently, even before the rebellion officially started. He is the traitor amongst us. Now,", he reached to a letter he wrote and sigiled. "I can simply send this letter to his majesty the king and Corlys, alongside with the remnants of the Velaryon family, would be burtn by sundown and his ashes would cover the entirety of the Crowlands but I thought perhaps you would be interested in a more personal vendetta, given your previous unsavory quarrels with the Velaryons, given everything he has been up to in Oldtown not so long ago.", his blue eyes were focused on Paxter's murderous expression. "The choice is yours, if you do not want to make blood splash on you, I can have the king solve the matter himself but well, where is the fun in that?"

"You know, Lord Connington,", he leaned forward. "you have no idea how convenient this offer is."

*

283 AC, Seagard

"Ned?", her face lit up as she stood up. "You are early.", Ned approached to her with a smile. "For me?"

"I cannot endure even a moment away from you, my lady.", it has been two days since Ashara came and two days since Jon left Seagard for an important matter Ned had no idea of. Jon was not aware of Ashara's presence and Lord Mallister did not know she was the Ashara Dayne -though Ned suspected the man knew who exactly she was, just pretending otherwise. "I couldn't focus knowing that you are alone here.", he kissed her hands.

"I am glad that you are with me. Please do not ever leave me again."

"Never.", he promised and reached to her lips.

"Why didn't you tell me?", Ned asked a few hours after, when both were still in bed.

"Hmm?", Ashara turned to him in confusion.

"That you were pregnant? That we lost a child? My letters were not reached to you but why you never write?"

She cleared her throat, she did not want to talk about it but Ned had that rotten frustration in him. "When I first heard about it, the first thing I did was to return back to Starfall in order not to complicate the matters. And Andric's reaction to it was not pretty.", despite Arthur's interference, he did lost his mind. "I waited for him to calm down at first and then I think I just waited for you to write to me first.", she tried not to accuse. "Which you never did.", Ned sighed. "Then I went to Blackmont for my confidement, the maesters suggested that I start early. While there, I did not contact anyone per the rules. And when I heard about everything,", her face fell. "well, you know what happened. I could not write you that."

"Why was Lord Dayne's reaction not pretty?", this was a stupid question, he knew.

If Lyanna came home, pregnant with the baby of a man who was not her husband, Rickard would kill her.

"He urged for us to marry.", she cleared her throat. "I could not tell him that we were actually married so I decided to wait until I give birth. After that, he surely would get soften."

"Does he know it now?"

Ashara huffed with sadness. "How can I tell him now that you are rebelling against the crown? When my own brother is responsible for it?"

"You think Prince Rhaegar truly abducted my sister?"

"You think he did not?", they looked at each other, purple against grey, it was Ned who turned his head the first.

"You lied to me Ashara.", he sat on the bed, legds crossed, upper body leaned to it, face buried between his palms. "You lied to so many people, you hid my own child from me. Your excuses are respectable but I just cannot get rid of this ugly feeling inside me."

Ashara blinked. "To this day, I never went against me destiny, I always obeyed what the stars showed me. Like a wind, they spun me from one place to other, not even once I complained. In the end, I found myself next to you. I fell in love with you, you proved me that I can be happy once more after everything Oberyn made me go through. I did not rebel against my fate years ago when I found out about my father's deat and I will not do so now as well, if they deem I deserve to be separated from you because of this.", she pouted. "Whatever you say, whatever you order, I will bow so. Take my life for my brother's sins if you want so. I will not argue. I already lost a child, there is no reason for me to live if I cannot get heal in your arms. But,", she placed her shaking hand to his shoulder. "if there is anything I can do for you to trust me again, I will do without a question."

Heartbreak covering his face, Ned felt so tired. He just wanted to curl up and cry. "Do you know where they keep her?", he asked with a quiet voice and Ashara bowed her head so quickly that Ned got his answer.

"What will you do if I tell you?", she asked without looking at him.

"I will get my sister back, Ashara. It is all I am trying to do. It is all I want. Make Lyanna return back home and heal her, if the Old Gods would allow. She is a child, she is too young for all this torture. So if you know, please tell me now."

"You want me to betray my family.", she looked at him with agony. "You will spare Arthur's life?"

"I will give him a chance to surrender.", this was the most he can do. "But if you want me to trust you, you need to prove so to me. You need to do the right thing. I know you do not like this situation as well. We should not cover one's mistakes even if he is our family. Honour must come first. So please, Ashara,", he held her hands with a desperate need. "please tell me, where they keep my sister?"

Ashara looked at his eyes without blinking and after what felt like an eternity, she deadpanned. "Starfall. They keep her at Starfall, ever since the beginning."

*

283 AC, Acorn Hall

"Behold! Lord Jon Connington, the Hand of the King!"

Jon entered the yard, already dismounted, with a firm face, dressed in all black leather, Richard and Myles at his two sides. He was ready to be done with the war after ridden over quickly despite his large army.

"My Lord Hand.", Lord Smallwood bowed deeply, hands tied in his front, keeping a straight face. "Welcome to Acorn-"

"No need for plesantaries, Lord Smallwood.", Jon raised a hand to stop him and then tied both at his back. "Just tell us where Robert Baratheon is and it will be enough.", the man did not answer, just kept looking Jon in the eyes, Richard and Myles shared a look. Jon approached to the man, counting inside to keep himself calm -a way his dear Alysanne suggested in her letters. "Cat got your tongue, Lord Smallwood?", he questioned so very calmly. "I am asking you where is Robert Baratheon?", he sighed when he did not answer. "Five thousand troops that must have came here within Riverlands prefred to remain impartial for the time being for it was you, a fellow Riverlander, who were protecting the said lord. It is why they did not want to drew their swrods too quickly, I am aware of everything. So tell me where you are hiding him and I will offer you a royal pardon. I am asking you one last time; where is Robert?"

"I am hoping in somewhere safe and protected.", the man deadpanned. "I have already sent a letter to his majesty for pardons given he committed no actual sin against the crown."

Jon turned his head away, chewed inside of his cheeks for a second and then clenched his jaw as his hands, still were tied at his back, fisted. He turned back to him. "What is this supposed to mean?"

*

Two days ago...

"Behold! Robert Baratheon, the Lord of Storm's End, the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands!", his uncle Lord Estermont declared as Robert entered with a few loyal man at his back, guarding him, dressed in brown wool with small furs to keep him warm, hair that reached to his shoulders tied at his back.

"My lord.", Lord Smallwood bowed his head. "Welcome to Acorn Hall."

"It would be nicer to meet under different circumstances but well, I am welcomed rightly, Lord Smallwood.", his blue eyes were wandering around. "I gather you are aware of everything that is happening."

"My lord this is,", he pulled a letter from inside his coat and showed it to Robert. "a royal verdict directly came from his majesty the king, written by the Lord Hand, Jon Connington. It has been sent to all lords in the realm.", he sighed as he opened it and started to read it. "A royal order to the Lord of Acorn Hall; Robert Baratheon, formerly known as the Lord of Storm's End and the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands, has committed high treason to the realm, the crown, and our one true ruler Aerys Targaryen, the Second of His Name, King of the Andals, Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm. He has run away with the bandits in his company. It shall not be allowed for the traitor to leave the borders of the realm.", Robert saw, with the corner of his eyes, the way his uncle reached to his sword and Robert himself straightened his spine. "He shall be seized and brought back to the capital, dead or alive, once he is captured. Any who obey their oath of alliance and do their duty to the realm by making this traitor face with justice, they shall be rewarded but any who show weakness and mercy, any who abeit and help to this outlaw will be seen as committed the same crime and will be executed accordingly.", Lord Smallwood shared a look with Robert.

"Is this where you will attack me then?", he asked and watched the way Lord Smallwood, without breaking the eye contact, ripped apart the verdict.

"Lord Baratheon, my eyes had witnessed the terrible slaughter of Lord Stark and his heir at the capital moons before. Gods did not allow me to interfere back then but my conciense cannot allow for it to happen twice. I will do anything in my power to make the king to see the truth and forgive you.", Robert nodded, emotions rising in him, he patted his shoulders.

"Your bravery and loyalty will not be forgotten, Lord Smallwood. Men like you will save this realm from becoming the playground of those lawless dragonlords."

"You should not stop here and continue, my lord. A bigger army is approaching. Lord Connington is searching for you relentlessly, he is adamant on captureing you. They are just a few days worth of journey away."

Robert caressed his beared, running away never was his thing but even he knew when a battle was lost. To continue to fight, he crossed half of the realm but he was tired now. His pride was tired, his honour was tired, he could not bear to run away one more day.

"Where else I can go Lord Smallwood? They will not allow me to cross the Neck, they will not allow me to enter to the Vale. The only other option that remains is to sail to another continent. They are trying to push me to the enemy. What sort of a torture is this?"

"Of course these dark days will end one day, my lord. You should understand by now that a good commander would know when to take a step back. Anything in my treasury and ammunition is yours, with the addition of the two thousand soldiers I have."

"You do know the consequences of this, Lord Smallwood, right?", Robert did felt the guilt in him. He never wanted innocent to die but the crown was ruthless.

The old lord smiled and nodded. "There is a town under my protection, just a few days away from here. Locals call it the Stoney Sept. Go there, my lord. Hide there. The people will not give you to Lord Connington and I will send the message of your whereabouts to Lords Arryn and Stark."

Robert patted his shoulders. "Thanks to the Gods men like you live in this wretched earth. Once the victory become ours, I will make sure you will not be forgotten."

*

Today...

"Have you lost your mind?", and here it went being calm as he couldn't stop himself and grabbed the man by his collar, shook him agresively with widened eyes. "Are you aware what you have done?", Richard unseethed his sword.

"Lord Baratheon, despite his wounds, is a lion.", Jon pushed him away. "A lion who is trapped between hyenas.", Jon openly gaped at him. "I will pray to the Gods that one day everyone will see this truth.", Richard and Myles shared shock eyes.

Jon nodded to himself, lips tight as a line, he just turned to his back, closed his eyes and then with an abrupt move, unseethed his dagger and marched to the man, stabbed him through the heart.

*

283 AC, Seagard

"So you two are married, eh?", Jon closed his eyes and took a deep breath to calm himself down. When he returned from a secret meeting with Hoster, he expected to find Ned finally making peace with the fact he needs to marry Catelyn Tully, not for him to declare he already married the sister of the enemy. Alienating Ned was not even the last thing he wanted but this, this went beyond anything he could supress. "What kind of a marriage is this?", he asked, pacing around the room. They were lucky Jason Mallister was not the kind of a man who would eavesdrop. Ashara and Ned stood in front of him, holding hands, looking straight and confident. To Jon, they were bunch of little children. "Explain.", he ordered. "When did you marry? Where did you marry? Who allowed you to get marry?"

"It is a marriage that we had between us.", Ned explained, thought it would be enough but Jon's looks proved it was not. "In the presence of the universe."

"Break up!", Jon ordered, eyes focused on their holding hands, the anger of his plans getting ruined, the rage of Robert being trapped, finally snapped in him and he marched towards them, took both their arms and strongly pulled them apart and stand in between them.

"What are you doing?", Ashara pulled her arm away from him. "Let us go!"

"It is you that should think about what you are doing!", Jon yelled at her. "Instead of begging or apologizing, you are holding hands in my presence. Tell me, Lady Ashara, have you lost your mind or have you come here with a death wish?"

"Jon-"

"Do not even start, boy!", he raged to Ned. "'Married in the presence of the universe', what is that even mean?", he yelled, turned back to Ashara. "Or is that one of the weird customs you Dornish have?"

"No.", Ashara hissed, rolled the words intentionally to make her accent thicker.

"No, of course no!", he yelled. "What is it then? What does that even mean? When it does not happen in the presence of anyone, it happens in the presence of the universe?", he was feeling like he lost his mind.

"Whether you like it or not, accept it or not, we are married, Jon.", Ned frowned at his foster father's actions, he had never seen him like this before. "Ashara is my wife, she is the Lady Stark."

"With which authority you dare to question us?", Ashara took a step forward with an angry face and narrowed eyes.

"You will not utter another word, you are not here as Lady Stark but as a hostage!", Jon turned back to her again. "You are lucky that I am not throwing you into a cell or parading you around and letting both of you to return from this mistake before it is too late, so shut up!", Ashara did not cower though Jon did not care. "Is this why,", he turned to Ned. "you have rejected to honour your brother's memory and refused to marry Catelyn Stark? For her?"

"Ned?", Ashara seemed taken aback. "You were proposed to marry with Cat?"

Ned gaped at first and closed his eyes in the next second, Jon raised his eyebrows. He could find the scene amusing if he were not this much angry. "Ned?", he pressed in the same surprised-accusating tone Ashara just used. "Haven't you inform of your dear wife about your upcoming marriage?", Ned turned to him with sad eyes. "Now I am even more confused. We are in this war to end the Targaryen tyranny and their deprivety and yet you wish to take what? Two wives?"

"It is not what you think.", Ned managed to say it to Ashara and the Dornishwoman scoffed.

"I have been here for a week now and you haven't told me. How it is not like what I think?"

"Enough!", Jon made a disgusted face. "We are at war, I have no time to listen your childish quarrels.", Ashara sent a disappointed look to Ned. "You are a follower of the Old Gods!", he said to Ned. "And you are a follower of the Seven. Have you married in front of a Heart Tree?", they shook their heads. "Have you married by a Septon, saying the names of the Seven and exhancing seven wovs?", they shook their heads once more. "Then this is not something to worry about.", he concluded, trying to calm his breaths down, he had to start to his journey to Riverrun immediately. Robert didn't have much time. "Your marriage is not accepted by any faith nor law. And no one else knows of it. You two will let go of this childish sentiments, you will marry Catelyn Stark and you will leave here, go wherever you want, just away from Ned and his future family.", he ordered.

"What you think about my marriage are none of my concerns, Jon.", Ned took a step forward. "You are like a father to me but I am not a child any longer. Only I can decide on my future."

"You have been playing house with a Dornishwoman in secrecy, for moons and now you talk of what? Honesty, courage, honour?", he shook his head. "Tell me Ned, how long you two have been married?", he did not answer. "Then let me guess; far before your father and brother met with their tragic ends and not even then you have come forward and declared of your marriage, not even then you have show any interest that you wanted to marry her and now you are claiming to be a man who can make decisions.", he took a step forward. "You are not a man, son, you are a boy who still did not wake up to the reality, not even after all the tragedies you have went through! You are mistaking honesty with disobedience and courage with effrontery! You want to be respected as a lord, as a warden? Then I suggest you to make up your mind and start acting like it immediately! Cut this childish feelings right here as if you are doing so with a blade and I promise that I'll let her reach back to her family in peace.", Ashara huffed that they did not even ask her.

"Ashara can you please give us a moment?", Ned turned to her with pleading eyes but she looked at him only with disappointment. "Please.", he insisted and she just shook her head, she saw damn well what would be the outcome, she turned her back and left the room, heard Jon's voice echoing in the halls as her face darkened with each step.

"I should have known that whore would hook you the moment I heard the rumours at Harrenhal and witnessed with my own eyes on how she lured you away from honour and virtue.", Jon shook his head.

"I warn you to speak rightfully about the Lady of Winterfell.", Ned warned him quietly. "I do not want to disrespect you, so please."

"She is a spy, that's what she is.", Jon accused, finger pointing out to the door she just left. "The closest companion of Elia Martell suddenly finds her way here? Do you believe it?"

"You have been in contact with Varys and Corlys Velaryon yourself!", Ned defied. "I offered him protection in return of Ashara.", he took a deep breath. "None of these matters, Jon. Ashara is my choice of wife and-"

"Choice?", Jon yelled. "Choice? You think you are free to make any sort of choosing? Have you lost your mind? We have a peace treaty trying to conclude with Hoster Tully and the main article in that fucking treaty is that you honour your late father's words and your late brother's will and marry that red-headed trout before the moon turns!", he yelled. "Before that whore from Dorne finally gets the fruits of her begging to her spineless brother and unleash the Dornish army on us and fucking wins!"

"Jon, we are marr-"

"No you are not!", he yelled loud enough to make his face turn red. "I have been spending every awake minute by trying to convince that pompostrous Hoster Tully into agreeing to help our cause ever since the moment your brother got himself killed.", Ned shook his head. "He lacks the spine to fight for what is right, and the only thing he wants in return for you to buy his daughter because she is as good as sullied right now! Ashara Dayne is no one, she is nothing, she is the enemy! Her brother is amongst the men who had kidnapped your sister,", he moved to Ned and had his face between his hands, forced him to reason. "he stands by the door as Prince Rhaegar rapes your sister every night.", Ned tried to fight back but Jon could not give up that easily. "Who guarantees that he does not take his turn?"

"Catelyn Tully's uncle is one of those men!", Ned pushed him away and Jon seethed in his place. "Ser Oswell Whent or have you forgotten?", Ned tried to take deep breaths. "And unlike House Dayne, House Whent actively is going against us. They had already raised their banners for the Targaryens, alongside with Darry and other houses of the Trident and you worry for what? A minor house in Dorne that did not do anything and there is no guarantee that they will even do something. Elia Martell is not under any sort of danger, Dorne has no reason to rally. We are not after dethroning the Targaryens, we do not rebel against the crown, we just want justice and my sister back!", Ned's entire life flashed from Jon's eyes and he reached to the conclusion that he caused Ned to be this naïve.

"Son, listen to me.", he was calm now, he always knew how to control Ned, unlike Robert. He could succeed as he did so many times before. "Targaryens had kidnapped your sister, burnt your father alive and tortured your brother into death. If you want to bring justice to their memories and legacy so their bones might rest, if you want revenge so they would never dare to repeat that again, if you want your sister back, safe and sound, then you will need an army because ours is not enough.", he pressed. "Robert and I still dealing with traitors, we do not have the support of all our bannermen while the crown has not only the royal army that they filled with Stormlanders, none the less, the Reach had chose to betray to the realm as well. We cannot win this war with the remnants of Robert's army and your not-so-large numbers."

"Jon-"

"Tyrells,", he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "can raise eighty thousand men. We cannot raise that many men even if we have the full support of our bannermen and not battle-wounded.", he raised Ned to value honour above all, he was not Robert, he was not going to throw it all into the ashes because of a girl. "Your best friend, brother perhaps not by blood but by choice, Robert, the man who is risking his life for your family has been trapped and cornered by those mad dogs. We don't know where he is, or how he is. He might be dead by now and Jon Connington is about to reach to Stoney Sept in any day. Do you think he will let anyone in that town to live? No. He will burn it all down with a simple order and we will lose the war right here and there. Is this what you want?", Ned shook his head. "Our only chance is to ally ourselves with a powerful lord who is near to the battlefield and can give us an army big enough to startle the loyalists and the only man who can do it is Hoster Tully and his only condition is for you to marry his daughter, Catelyn. She has been chosen by the Gods and by your father when she was nothing but a girl, to become the Lady of Winterfell. You were not chosen by any Gods, nor by your father to become the Lord of Winterfell. You have been made it by the fate. And now you think you know better than everyone else?", Ned bowed his head. "It is that girl's right to wed you lawfully and get that title, not Ashara Dayne's."

"She was with child, Jon.", Ned admitted with a quiet tone. "She was with child, with my child and she had lost it for the war. How can you expect me not to honour her now?"

Jon blinked at his stupidity. "And you believed to it?"

"What?", he raised his face, filled with agony.

"She was pregnant and lost the baby, is that so?", Jon snorted. "You cannot be this naïve, my boy. If she were ever pregnant, she would have let you know, her family would have press for a marriage. You were a second son, yes but still a Stark when Daynes are nothing. They are social climbers, they would never let this opportunity to pass and if this would true, then your father would be alive. There can be only one reason that they didn't do that and you were not informed.", Ned frowned. "Because it is not true, Ned!", he raised his voice but then cleared his throat.

"Why would she lie about such a thing?", he asked, mortified.

"Women lie about everything all the time, boy.", but Ned didn't seem to believe to it so he tried another approach. "Ashara Dayne, as I said, is a lady to Elia Martell, the wife of Prince Rhaegar. Her brother is the prince's most loyal dog and your sister's jailor. Her other brother licking the ground Jon Connington walks, for he secured a match between her other sister and a noble and proud Marcher Lord. You cannot possibly believe that she appeared here out of nowhere with a tragic story and a generous clevage.", he took a step towards to him. "They fear us. They want to stop us. They want to prevent your marriage with a noble lady like Catelyn Tully so they sent that wh-", he closed his eyes and choose another word. "woman,", he spat. "to confuse you because they know that you are different breed, that you truly value honour above all. They knew you would never let a lady in distress to remain that way. They knew with a lie like a lost child, you would take her as wife and that would mean no support from the Tullys or anyone. And trust me Ned, she would stand with a smile and watch the way her traitorous brother to slain you. This all is a game, you should not believe to it."

"But Corlys Velaryon-"

"Corlys Velaryon is the nephew of Aethan Velaryon.", Jon said with a patient smile. "Who happens to be the father of Doran, Elia and Oberyn Martell.", Ned did not want to believe a word he heard but it was all too convenient. "I never worked with him but with Varys. Now that is an honourable man. And he trusted to Velaryon because he had the means to use his greed. Corlys Velaryon is a kinslayer and I have no doubt that is one of the dogs of the prince. His brother,", he remembered an old gossip he heard. "Jacaerys, took Atera Hightower, another one of Elia Martell's ladies, the betrothed of Oberyn Martell himself,", he supressed a smile, he found a great connection to increase the doubts in Ned's head. "as his paramour beforehand and shall I need to remind you that their sisters, both of them, had been wives to Leyton Hightower himself, bore him a son and two daughters. His heir is half Velaryon and a part of Randyll Tarly's army that surrounded Stoney Sept. His eldest daughter is the Lady of Highgarden, her husband is a die-hard loyalist, Ned. You are a smart boy, you always have been. I beg you to use your head now and see the great trap they laid in front of you."

Ned seemed like believing to him but then shook his head, squeezed his eyes tight. "No, it cannot be.", he said firmly and nodded to himself as if he wanted to assure himself. "She told me such a thing that she never would if she was a spy just like you said."

"What has she told you, son?", Jon Arryn narrowed his eyes. "Another lie of a miscarriage?"

"Stillbirth.", Ned corrected him with a heaviness in his heart. "A baby girl-"

"Ned.", Jon hissed.

"She told me where Lyanna is being kept.", Ned said fiercely and Jon tried to hide his shiever as he recalled the letter that reached to the Eyrie all those moons ago that he burnt down before neither Robert nor Ned caught a glimpse of it.

"I cannot marry Robert, I just cannot. I am sick of having others to decide on my fate when I myself am very much capable of so. I will be no man's wife nor mistress. Prince Rhaegar had offered me another solution. He understands me, he respects me and we fight for the same cause. For the first time in my life someone offered me freedom and I am going to take it. Do not come for me, you never cared to begin with. I am going to be the master of my own sea, I just hope when you judge me, you will do so with kindness and nothing more.

Lyanna"

"Lies.", he said without even thinking. "Tell me son, why would she-"

"Because she is not a spy, because she is on our side, because she thinks Prince Rhaegar is a horrible monster and her own brother had sinned.", he raised his voice, Jon's hands got cold.

If there were any truth in the Dornishwoman's words, if Ned went after it, if they found that little whore...

No.

Jon never could allow that to happen. Not when he was this close to achieve everything he wanted.

"Ned, son,", he let out a nervous chuckle. "can't you see this is another trick to drive you away from the war?"

"You do not trust anyone-"

"Because you trust everyone.", he spat. "A woman appears out of nowhere with a dead baby story and claims to know where the prince had kidnapped your sister and you crawl like a fool and bend on her every whim!", he took a deep breath to calm himself down. "Search for it if you want, send men if you want.", Jon could easily destroy them all. "But focus your mind to the war we are having. Every minute we spend here for Ashara Dayne,", he made a disgusted face. "we are leaving Robert to his fate. I cannot control you,", he took a step back in a fake defeat. "marry her if you want, leave our cause if you want. Your father was my friend and Robert is an honourable men, we would bring them justice so they can rest in peace, we can avenge them, we can save your sister as you spend the rest of your life with Ashara Dayne and I am more than sure that no one would judge you, if you decide one woman that you had seen for like a fortnight at total is far more important than your entire family.", Ned's face fell. "But if it is not, if you are the boy that I raised to be honourable and just, then you do know what to do, son.", he pressed the last word. "But at the end of the day, this is your choice to make and not mine. You can leave now.", Jon turned his back.

"They will think she came here willingly.", Ned used his last excuse. "I cannot cast her away. Her brother would never accept her, not when she told me their secret. And there is always a chance of her telling the truth."

"Then place her somewhere in the North.", he said without turning to him.

"She might be pregnant once more.", he confessed with a bowed head. "We had-"

"Send her to North, place her into one of your bannermen's care, if she gives birth, pay her for your bastard's care. But marry Catelyn Tully and make her have your heirs.", there was no room for argument left.

Knowing he had won the victory from Ned's defeated footsteps leaving his given room.

*

283 AC, Casterly Rock

"You are awfully quiet about the war that is surrounding us.", Kevan noted one night. "I do not expect you to join to the rebels when both your daughter and son are basically hostages at the capital but you do not join to the crown as well. Why may I ask?"

"Both my children chose a fantasy over me. Why shall I risk the lives of my men to defend them now?", Tywin drunk from his wine with a solemn expression. "They abandoned me."

"You have promised a crown to Cersei.", he tried to defend his niece. "She was never the brightest of girls even before all but you do not cherish on her victory just because it is hers and not yours."

"I never intended her to marry Aerys, not even for a crown.", Tywin said with a disgusted face. "What it ever achieved anyways? Rhaegar is an adult with many supporters, nobles and smallfolk alike, he has his own son now and even then, there is Viserys. Any child Cersei might bore to the king will never become an heir and killing everyone is not an option. No one would ever accept her whelp."

"Her whelp would be your grandson."

"I prefer my line to end than to have grandsons with Aerys.", Tywin deadpanned. "She ruined herself, she brought shame to our family by becoming that man's mistress. No one ever accepts her queenship, she lowes herself in front of a Dornish!", he spat with anger. "They will never allow her to have kids, as they already proved so. She ruined everything with her small mind. She is no different from a whore."

Kevan could not argue. Cersei's choices were definitely caused by Tywin's years of promises and sudden abandon of the cause but still she was his daughter and a Lannister. "What of Jaime? You know he just became a kingsguard ecause the king wanted to piss you off. And probably because of Cersei."

"I gave him a chance to return back home, come back to my side, leave that stupid girl but what he did? Lowered himsekf in front of a Dornish.", he gritted his teeth. "My son, my heir, became no different than a low-life sworn sword as if that Hightower girl's life mattered more than his. They both are embarassments to this family. They left me with that little creature.", Kevan sighed. "I would disinherit both on the spot if even thinking that wiggly creature taking our ancestor's title wouldn't make me nauseous."

Kevan knew better than to offer him to remarry and have more heirs. Tywin would never betray Joanna's memory like this. "We will remain impartial then?"

"Connington is a child but he has a chance to win. Out of all Aerys' men, he knows Baratheon boy the best. We'll wait and see."

*

283 AC, Seagard

"You would marry Catelyn, truly?", Ashara asked with tears in her eyes nce Ned entered the room with the most solemn face she had ever seen. "Is this what you call love? Is this how you perceive marriage?"

"I wanted to tell you, Ashara.", he forced himself to come across cold so it would hurt less. "But you cannot expect me to tell you every little detail of our campaign."

"I gave you an information that might ccause my brother's life.", she hissed through her throat. "You couldn't tell your wife that you are getting married.", she shook her head. "Perhaps he was right. You had gave upon me the moment you had withdrew this information from me.", Ned's eyes glimmered with pain. "Maybe we truly were children playing house and yet I have payed the price with a stillbirth."

Ned opened and closed his mouth a few times, Jon's words roaming around his head and damned everything, Jon was the man who raised him and to this day, he never was wrong. "I will not give anyone who took refuge at my side to my enemies.", he made his choice with a solemn face. Jon was right, there were more important things in life, doing his duty came on top of them. "You will be placed to a small mansion at White Harbour. All your needs will be taken care of for the rest of your life."

"White Harbor?", Ashara asked with a frown. "Where it is? Too far away?", tears gathered in her purple eyes and Ned's expression softened. "Will you come to visit me? Will I ever see you again?", she asked, lips trembling. "After I gave my best self, you will cast me aside?"

"I will marry Catelyn Tully within a moon, at most. After I have saved Robert from the royal forces.", Ned straightened his spine. "This will be the last time we see each other but do not worry, as I said, I will protect you from Dorne. They would be wiser than come to North. But I will never see you again, given I will have a wife now. And if you are pregnant by chance,", his pained eyes found her belly. "I will take care of him or her."

"What about me?", she asked with a soft voice. "Do I matter this less to you? You will cross of me for another woman when I went against my entire family for you? When I lost our child?"

Ned's heart ached for her but there was nothing else he clould do. Honour demanded Ashara to be taken care off, he sullied her after all, impregnated her as well with the promises of a marriage that he never followed and could never follow but that was it. As far as he concerned, honour demanded grander things. Justice and revenge for his father and brother and sister and Ashara Dayne could not give him those. Catelyn Tully could. It meant he had to burry his heart and step on Brandon's shoes. It was not a choice he was making, just following the footsteps of his duty, of his calling. Jon was right on many things, he couldn't see why this would be different.

"I am sorry for everything.", and it was the truth. "You will be the only woman that I will love for the rest of my life but I know you understand me, in your heart.", he caressed her face, she still was crying. "I will keep protecting you but I will have to honour Catelyn.", Ashara closed her eyes one last time and tears fell.

"I will not rebel,", Ned almost flinced by the choice of word. "I will not argue. I have made my decision and you have proved me every day we spent here that it was not the wrong one.", she sent him one last look full of love before Ned couldn't take it any longer and left the room. "Thank you for that, Eddard."

Ned's tears started to fall down the moment Ashara closed the door. He was doing this for his father and brother.

For his sister.

*

283 AC, Driftmark

"Captain,", one of his men entered to his cabin at his personal ship decked in the harbour. "there is a man who wants to see you.", he informed him.

"Who?", Jace asked before raising his head from the papers he had been reading.

"He claims that you are in debt to him and now the due day has come."

"Wha-", before Jace managed to question with a confused face, his door kicked open and he had to stand up with a flinch and eyes widened as he recognized who was there under the cloak. "Redwyne.", he spat, understanding what is happening, heart starting to beat fast.

"Finally we had seen each other at last. I have been waiting for this opportunity to rise ever since you have left Oldtown."

"Seize this man.", Jace ordered, hand going for his sword slowly but assuringly. "Throw him into the dungeons. Now!", he ordered but his men shared a look, did nothing. Not only them but the door of his cabin was open and all his crew was watching the scene without doing a thing. "I am ordering you!", he spat. "I am your captain and I am ordering you, seize this man!"

"You have stopped being our captain the day you have murdered our lord.", his right-hand man spat to the ground of his cabin and Paxter saw the way Jace took a step back in horror, the reality finally crushing in.

"What?", he managed to ask.

"Lord Velaryon had trained us all, made us who we are and you had betrayed him, poisoned him in his ill bed.", Jace shook his head, it was not true, he did not do such a thing -and Paxter knew it as well but it would be rude to interfere now. "Islanders respect their sire, you have brke our most sacred code and there is not a single men in this ship that would serve to a kinslayer willingly."

Paxter smile and started to walk towards him, Jace at least had the courage of nothing flinching nor taking a step back. "As I said, Jace, you have a debt to be pay and I have been waiting for this day to come far too long now.", he took off his blade with a wicked grin. "I have brought you Atera's regards."

Jace drew his dagger far too quicky but Paxter was already expecting it, he blocked the movement and hit Jace's head to the table, pressed to it and pinned down his sword hand. "What do you want from me?", Jace tried to speak.

"Your brother.", he declared, Corlys had apparently locked himself to Driftmark castle and Ravella was of no help, not as long as Jace was living so using him to bait Corlys did not sounded like a bad idea. "Bring him here and I'll spare your life."

"You think I am a fool?", Paxter snorted, of course he thought he was a fool. "You would kill us both if he would come here, right at that instant."

"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no.", Paxter shook his head mockingly. "Not at that instant. You both will die, screaming in pain, begging to die, I will drag it out. It will be a death fit to traitors like you. And if you will not summon him, I will find a way to bring him here, do not worry.", he grinned as he raised his blade and cut off his sword hand, Jace's screames echoed in the harbour.

*

"Will it be always like this from now on?", Corlys asked to her, hesitantly raising his hand to touch her hair but Ravella turned her back. "Will you punish me with what? For what? For ptoecting you and the children? For offering you a future?"

"A future based on the lives of innocents.", she closed her eyes, her anger and hatred only grew as she found out more details. "Lord Ashford is dead. A young man with a bright future and he is now dead."

"He picked up the wrong side.", he answered nonchalantly, he did not care.

Ravella turned to him with disgust. "How can you be this cold hearted? This cruel?"

"I am being logical, Ravella. I-", before he managed to finish his line, the doors opened and two of his guards entered.

"My lord, my lady.", he bowed down. "Captain Jacaerys has sent this for you."

Ravella rolled her eyes, did not even care what Jace what up to this time and with the same bored expression, Corlys made a gesture for them to open the box. "Let us see what my brother has sent us."

The guard opened the box and Ravella screamed with shock, turned her back with widened eyes and placed a hand on her heart. While Corlys looked at it with a blank expression, as if he did not understand what was happening, Ravella knew what it exactly meant.

Paxter Redwyne.

Her heart got faster as the reality crushed in. She remembered the promise she made and this was the signal of only one thing; Jace's demise was here. Corlys' couldn't be that far away.

With shaking hands, Corlys took off the small scroll place inside his brother's hand and read it out loud. "Came to the harbour, if you want to see your brother for one last time and who knows, perhaps you might convince us why it must be you and not him.", he closed his eyes and swallowed his disgust, turned to Ravella's back. "Where is Aurane?", he asked to her.

"I don't know.", Ravella breathed, wiping off her dried tears. "Left for the capital?", she had no idea.

Corlys cursed. "Gather the men.", Ravella turned to him with shock. "We are going to the harbour and making whoever dared to do this pay for it."

"You will go to rescue Jace?", Ravella breathed. "You?"

"Jace is as good as dead.", Corlys said with a blank expression. "I will go there to take his revenge."

*

"Corlys!", Paxter sang as he appeared on the ship, holding a pale faced Jace under his blade. "How fun of you to join to the fun."

Corlys' plan was easy. Go to the harbour, punish whoever did this and plan a funeral for his brother. Everything seemed to be happening as the exact opposite of it. Their men were armed and against them, Jace was alive and Corlys was trapped, still he hissed as he had the upper hand.

"Redwyne.", Paxter laughed at his reaction, given Jace's was the same. "Let go of my brother.", he ordered. "You are cornered. You will never make it out alive."

"First, let go of your swords.", Paxter was smiling. "Let go of your swords and let me go and I will spare your useless brother's useless life."

Corlys gritted his teeth but shared eyes with Jace, closed his eyes. "Drop your swords.", he ordered to the men and when they looked at him with hesitancy, he repeated his order. "Drop them!"

"You have chose to trust your brother, after everything he has done.", Paxter slowly started to descend from the ship, not letting Jace go, still holding him at sword point. His plan was easy, Arys was waiting for the archers. He was going to finish off one Velaryon brother today and Arys would take the rest of the fun soon enough, as Ravella would have to keep her promise. It did upset him that he did not get to get rid of both. "It was him who sold you off at Oldtown, make you a target for the Hightowers.", he was speaking loudly with Jace, Corlys pulled the guards on his way back. "We can even say that it was his meddling what caused the demise of Lythene, the mother of your bastard.", Jace never acknowledged the boy as his but the truth was the truth. "You shouldn't have trust him again, you have made a mistake.", he finished his line as both were on the ground now.

"Let go of my brother, Paxter.", Corlys said with a nonchalant smile but Paxter could see the fear in his blue eyes. "You are the Grand Admiral, I am the Master of Ships -we don't have to find, we can find the common ground. What do you want, hmm? My seat as well? It can be yours.", and he meant it, in a way, Paxter was shocked to see Corlys cared for his brother this much. If he would know it, he would make a plan with much more fun involved. "Just let him go, he is innocent."

Paxter didn't mind him and pulled his dagger out. "You know, Atera gave this to me, two years ago.", he recalled. "Right after you have ratted Doric's affair with Eyrine and caused his exile. She made me swear you would pay for it. It seems to me the due time has arrived."

"I am a changed man now, I swear!", Corlys hissed. "Just let him go and we can make a deal. I sit on the small council now. I can give you whatever you want. I can give you my own sear, Paxter, please. Let my brother go."

Paxter's grin grew. "Watch this Corlys and watch it well.", the blonde man scowled. "This is another family member that you have caused the demise of.", he whispered to Jace's ear one last time. "Atera sends her regards."

The last he heard before he left the scene, as Arys' archers handled Corlys' guards, was his loud and painful scream, now that he lost a brother.

*

283 AC, Stoney Sept

"My lord,", Richard rode to his side. "they are here."

"Who, Robert?", Jon turned on him. "You found him?"

"No.", Richard had a grave look on his face. "Eddard Stark and his army is here.", Jon's hands itched. "Right at the town gates. It seems to me you'll have your war either way."

"How many men?", Randyll Tarly asked from the side, calculating their chances.

"Twenty thousand, more or less. Not that grand."

"Arryn?", Jon asked with a cold expression. "Remnants of the Stormlander army?"

"No.", Richard shook his head. "We only caught the Northern banners and nothing more.", he seemed troubled. "They want to have a conversation first."

"Do not give them that, Lord Hand.", Tarly advised to the younger man. "Do not give them any sort of entrance, our men can hold them back outside the town and for the love of the Gods, please give me the command to sack the town properly. Allow us to end the battle here and there."

"No.", Jon did not even think for it. Everybody called him a glory-seeking fool but if he would be a man like that, he would have left a wreckage after him a week ago and drag Robert Baratheon's stinking corpse all the way to the capital. No, he did not want to be a butcher though. He was going to slay the traitor in a single combat, as honour demanded. "Richard,", he turned to his right-hand man. "go and see what they want."

"Not surrendering, that's for sure.", Tarly hissed. "You are making a mistake, Lord Hand."

"Your suggestions are duly noted, my lord.", Jon turned to him with cold eyes. "And yet they are rejected. Go and prepare your men, and do not forget that this is an order,", he pressed. "not a suggestion."

Randyll Tarly would never get shy of a battle but did not share the same world vision as the Hand of the King, for sure. Why it would have been more honourable to kill thousands on the battlefield instead of a few hundreds here? Not that those people were innocent. They were actively hiding a traitor to the realm. All deserved to die but he was not surprised that the friend of Prince Rhaegar had a soft stomach.

After he went to prepare the men, Baelor Hightower took his place next to Jon. "Shall I take Ser Myles as well, my lord?", Richard frowned.

"Take both him and Lord Crane.", he nodded to Vortimer on the side. "And Richard?", the man turned to him expectantly. "There will be no deals. Tell them to surrender or that we will slaughter them all."

Richard nodded dutifull and three men started to ride. "Do you think we'll win?", Baelor asked, watching them go.

"We don't have other choice than winning."

*

"I am listening your terms of surrender.", Richard was the first to speak. Eddard Stark came to negotiate himself with Lords Karstark and Umber next to him.

"We will not surrender.", the young lord declared.

"Have you made this visit to tell us this?", Richard shared a look with Myles and Vortimer.

"I just wanted you all to know that every Northmen here have been ordered to die.", he said solemnly. "We will fight for justice and honour. To avenge my father and brother and to get my sister back."

"Such mighty words when your friend hides in a brothel and fucks his way through another bastard.", Myles declared. The only corner of the town that they didn't had time to search was where the great brothel was placed. One did not need to be a genius to guess that. If it were not for Jon's stubbornness, they would have end Robert Baratheon by now. "Perhaps next time come up with a different excuse, or at least decide on a story together."

"Myles.", Richard sent him a look. Jon did not tell them to provoke the rebels. "We all are here in the name of Aerys Targaryen, the Second of His Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and the Protector of the Realm. He will not learn justice and honour from rebels like you.", he hated defending Aerys but this still was the royal army they were a part of and men like Randyll Tarly and the rest of the Reacher forces were truly there for Aerys and not for Rhaegar. "Your brother had committed high treason and instead of apologizing, your father joined him in his folly. It was lawful, their deaths."

"At which law it is stated getting burnt alive is a rightful way of execution?", Ned hissed.

"When Tywin Lannister drown an army of innocentns in their mines, your father had sent him a letter of congrulations.", Vortimer spoke for the first time. "What law stated that?"

"Tell me Lord Stark, what your father would do, if a man with no proofs would come to his halls, insult him and dare to ask the head of his heir?", Richard asked with a sly smile. "What law says what your brother has done was rightful?", Ned Stark couldn't answer. "Every lord of every castle would have done the same, do not get the play the victim now. Was it their way of death what bothered you? Would you decide not to rebel if they were simply executed?", he mocked, couldn't help himself. He would show symphaty before, if he didn't learn from Rhaegar that Lyanna did left a note. Starks started this for nothing and today they were going to end it. "Or is this moment when you will drop the façade and admit you use the names of your family members merely as a propaganda and started all just to save your own neck?"

Ned did not answer.

"Ser Jon Connington, the Hand of the King, orders you to surrender. If you do not bend the knee right now, you all will be slaughtered like pigs.", Richard declared. "This is your last chance."

"I do not understand anyone who still is loyal to a mad king to know the meaning of honour but you fill not find a single man who would break their oaths in the North.", Ned declared. "If it is war you want, it is war you will get."

*

283 AC, Oldstones

Sitting in her carriage, tapping her fingers on her star-shaped necklace, Ashara sighed with boredom.

They were late.

A smile appeared on her lips when she felt the carriage stopping and horses neighing around her. Her smile only grew when she heard the noises of swords clashing with one another, Stark men around her not being prepared for such an attack, still trying to defend themselves and dying in the mean time.

Ashara did not enjoy neither cruelty nor brutality, she hated unnecessary bloodshed of innocent men that were chosen as pawns in lords' games but she smiled because her job there was finished and the victory was hers.

When the quarrelling around her has ended, she placed her necklace inside her dress and pulled her hood to her hair, trying to be cautios for any case if she was attacked by outlaws and not her rescuers. She delicately opened the carriage's doors and stepped food on the solid ground in the middle of nowhere.

Her smile growing with the sight she had seen, she started to walk towards the small group of men that were expecting her. All bowed deeply to her as she walked under the rain.

"Did you follow me?", she asked with a knowing smile, her face easen even though her heart ached.

But it was time for her to grow up and choosing what was right -not what she wanted.

"We didn't had to.", the man sent her knowing looks. "They have ratted you out."

Ashara snorted. "Jon Arryn.", she rolled her eyes, it was another proof that she made the right choice. "The rain makes me cold.", she raised an eyebrow. "Let us go back home."

"Sister,", he called as she walked right past through him and she turned to him slowly. "are you alright?"

"I am not.", she said with a scent of maturity that finally snapped in her. "But I will be, Arthur.", she said with an assuring smile, placed a hand on her belly. "I have found my reason to be alright."

"Princess Elia and Prince Doran were overly worried about you.", Oswell muttered from the corner, cleaning his sword. "Rhaegar declared you were mad."

"Not as mad as he is.", Ashara challenged. "He started this war, I only played my part in it.", as she walked, her hood fell off but she turned back to Arthur to tell him before it got lost between the details. "It is Corlys, by the way.", her brother's eyes shone with something. "The traitor amongst us. It was him who gave me to Ned and I have no doubt it was him who is responsible of the death of Lord Velaryon, the one who gave away Jon's plans of Summerhall, of Ashford."

"Do not worry.", Aurane stood up and straightened his spine. "My brother's days are less than numbered."

Ashara couldn't care less. As she walked without her hood on, under the sweet rain, her hand, with an emotionless face, found the necklace on her neck and pull it harsly, threw it to the ground.

Family came before everything after all.

*

283 AC, Stoney Sept

"I thought you would never arrive!"

Robert roared with a laugh as the battle tickened with the arrival of Ned and his Northern army. He was on op of a whore when he heard the winter horns and came inside her with the excitement of it, he just hoped the woman would not be stupid enough to fall pregnant, or else he doubted Ned would show understanding.

"I did my best.", his friend clenched his jaw as the tried to fight back but Robert already had his back covered, feeling like a God once more with his spare hammer.

"What took you so long?", he asked once more, yelling loud as he dealt his final blow, blood entered his mouth and he spat it right back. "You've been away too long."

"It wasn't easy.", he breathed. "To gather the tropps. We've been at Seagard, trying to convince Hoster Tully to aid us.", Robert turned around and smashed the man who was attacking Ned and sent a look to his friend.

"Perhaps stick to being a commander my friend, instead of a foot soldier."

"No one knew where you were.", Ned gritted his teeth, he had an idea where he were, he heard the rumours. "I came to search for you.", he sent a look to Robert's half-naked body. Fighting without an armour was a stupid move but then again, despite his wounds, Robert was far better than Ned himself. "Jon was at Riverrun, the last I had seen him, trying to convince the Tullys."

"Useless, I will make them bend after I ctush Connington's head to this field. That traitor will pay for what he has done."

"He is the Hand of the King, Robert, not our target.", Ned forced him to stay on course but it was near being pointless. "He is emrely doing his job."

"He is that rapist's dog.", Robert's eyes found another one of Rhaegar's dogs and he angled his body to charge at him at the earliest convenience. "He does not deserve to breath."

"He would be more valuable as a hostage.", Ned tried again. He did not care for Jon Connington's life, more like for Robert's soul. "Do not-"

Before letting him finish his line, Robert charged forward already, left Ned in shock, moved towards the young boy.

"Robert!", a loud roar echoed in the battlefield and both Robert himself and his little target, turned to the noise. Jon Connington was holding his sword, blood dropping from his face, looking as deadly as Robert himself. "Come against me if you dare!", he already had Richard on the verge of dying, and Myles was no match to Robert. "Let us end the war right here and now.", Ned's eyes widened. "I challenge you,", men around them stopped to watch the scene. "to a single combat. The winner wins it all."

Ned would stop Robert as he trust not to the fellow Stormlander Lord but a bloody grin appeared on his friend's face, of course he was thrilled by the challenge. "Robert, no!", Ned hissed but he took a blow at his back that required his attention.

"I accept your offer, Connington.", Robert spat to the ground. "You will die on your knees, watching my final blow hit to your ribcage, knowing that your prince will follow you the same way."

"I will not need more than one blow to end you.", Jon said rather calmly and two men started to circling each other as they came closer and closer, eyes watching each other's like hawks, waiting for the right moment to strike.

It was when they heard the horns once more and Jon, with an open mouth, turned towards it.

Thousands of men were entering the battle area, killing anyone in their way, without caring if they were rebels or loyalists and he indistinctly heard Randyll Tarly yelling for charging while Beric Dondarrion yelled for retreat and for him, Jon could swear the life ended at that moment.

He did not even see Robert approaching, taking advantage of his turned back. He didn't see the way Robert raised his hammer, he didn't see the way Randyll Tarly rushed to his side to pull him away and even when Jon did turn to Robert, he saw it all in slow motion. The rage in his eyes, the spit falling from his mouth and the final blow that was about to fall on him -that or he would be get crushed by horses anyways.

He did nothing.

He just stood like that, brain not comprehending with what was happening. He completely froze, not knowing what to do, his brain was more than empty and then he just didn't feel any pain. He was looking at the hammer, he saw the way the hammer connected to a body, he heard the sound of absolutely perishing bones, he saw a body falling to the ground but dead even before that and he blinked and he saw the same confusion in Robert's eyes as well. Both were shocked that Jon was standing there, looking very much alive when someone else was not.

When both of their eyes fell to the ground, Jon felt his own brows pulling for a frown. He did not recognize the boy at first, it took multiple blinking and sending another look to Robert's shocked face to see who it was.

Myles.

The sixteen year old new knightling.

He closed his eyes, felt overly lightheaded. How all the noises around him became silent? He could hear the cries of his own heart. The smell of blood... He wanted to smell roses, it burnt his soul. The birds, the earth, the trees, everything good and pure felt like got erased by the existence.

It was not the sun, what was shining above their heads, otherwise it would warm them, it would shine them. It was not air what he was breathing, otherwise it would give him life, his heart would beat. It was not soil that he was stepping on, or else it would drag him down. The soil would become one with him as he had no more use of his body for his soul would burn for eternity in guilt.

He had burnt before; in the name of honour, in the name of truth, in the name of everything that is right, pure, serene, in the name of love. He had burnt before, he had fell before. The wind had threw his ashes around and he reborn with a purpose. The darkness of the night was the light of his darkness. Rhaegar was right. All his light came from him, he was nothing when he was alone and now he proved it to the entire world. He was just a moth to the flame, just a reflection of the moon that was bright and beautiful.

He saw Robert raising his hammer once more but then he felt two hands gripping him. Baelor Hightower and Vortimer Crane, both gripping him, pulling him back, he realized what was happening.

They were retreating.

They have lost.

He lost.

"No,", he shook his head. "no,", his voice was not louder than a whisper, he tried to clear his voice as he started to fight back. "no!", he roared this time. "Stand and fight you cowards!", he roared, trying to fight back with the hold of two men. "Let me go, no!", he yelled as if he lost his mind and for a moment he seemed like shrugging of, gripped his sword tightly and amrched to the laughing Robert Baratheon but more men came to restrain him.

"We have lost!", it was Baelor Hightower shaking him. "My lord we have lost. We must retreat."

"No!", he roared and pushed him away. "Everybody stand still and fight!", men seemed to be listening to him. "For the crown, for the throne, for our prince! Everybody stay and fight!"

And fight they did, despite perhaps it would be far more wiser to retreat right at that moment but Jon was raging, trying to pave his way to Robert Baratheon as it seemed the entirety of the rebel forces were trying to pave their way to reach Jon.

He was the main target.

Jon could feel men bleeding, dying to protect him. The fierce forces were fighting in rooftops, in alleys, in the staircase where Robert almost killed him, in streets and Jon swore to kill off the man who was relentlessly ringing the bells, it was not doing good to his nerves.

He did not recall how many man he slained. Four? Six? Twelve? At some point, he felt his sword falling down -Baelor Hightower saved his life right at that moment and with the dark rage inside him, he caught an axe from the floor, charged to Denys Arryn -Jon Arryn did not dare to enter to the battlefield, though the rest of the rebel commanders were there. Jon Arryn's cousin was far more gallant and talented with a sword than Arryn himself but Jon was better, faster, angrier, more determined and it only took a few good hits before the older man fell to the ground, eyes widened in fear and Jon did not hesitate as he carved the axe to his chest, just like Robert did so with Myles.

He was sure that he had lost his mind, he could not speak nor think, his body was not under his control. All that left were instincts that took over him. Made him attack relentlessly. He had no idea what was happening around him. His eyes were focused on Robert and Robert only, his soul would not rest, not until that man continued to live.

Creating a great damage on the rebels, Jon's hatred focused on the next leader, Hoster Tully, traitor, Jon thought. Betryaed the realm and Jon wondered for what? Did he sell his daughter for redemption o the rebels bought her for support?

When the bells seemed to be getting higher and higher (Jon was going to kill that man, for sure), it was Hoster Tully who charged him first. It seemed the old trout was adamant on slaying the Hand of the King and getting the honour of it, Jon had only one thought in his mind; cut his throat and throw him to the riverbed, took his young boy and make Elia to raise him, so they could guarantee not another rebel would came out from his week seed.

He was doing a good job. Unlike his brother, Hoster was not a renowned warrior and was too slow for Jon and the wounds Jon gifted him were too severe for the older man to continue but then suddenly, he felt hands gripping him from both sides and pushing him back, Jon did not understand what was happening.

"No!", he tried to push him, he felt someone taking his sword off of him as Randyll Tarly, with great pain, ordering men to run for their lives. "No we must keep on fighting!", he had no thoughts in his brain, he couldn't control his body, he was shaking. "Until to our last breath, we must keep fighting, no, no, no!", he kept yelling and Baelor understood he was in shcok, closed his eyes and ordered men to drag him away as his screams and orders echoed in the bloodly battlefield. Got lost between the loud rings of bells.

He would never forget the way Robert Baratheon just stood there, in the midst of all the chaos he unleashed and just laughed.

Standing over the dead body of Myles Mooton.

*

283 AC, Oldtown

"You know I don't like to see you here."

It was the highest floor one could reach in the mighty Hightower, on top of the bright lighthouse, the beacon. Where she stood at the exact same spot merely a year ago. But she was a different person back then. With a different character, different dreams, different hopes, different ambitions, different hair colour even. That woman had a purpose to go on, to live. The woman she was now was defeated. For the first time in her life, she had lost without even fighting and it damaged her more than anyone could ever think.

"I am just watching the sunset.", her voice did not cracked but her throat hurt nevertheless. She didn't remember the last time she spoke, Leyton did not remember the last time he heard her voice. "Do not worry, brother.", Leyton could only see her long black hair reaching to her waist and the thick and rich red fabric of the long shawl that was covering her entire body. "If I would have jump, I would have done so by now. I just cannot endure sitting all day any longer. It started to give me back pains."

Leyton couldn't help but snort. He would find the entire situation more amusing if he did not fear for his sister's wellbeing. "I see Alysanne finally convinced you.", meaning the hair dye.

His daughter was having some sort of a rebellious era, he guessed. And the Myrish hair dyes were her favourite activity to do in these days and she has been dying to use them on her aunt's overly light-coloured hair. Leyton thought he would choose a more wild colour like pink or blue -green would be a nice touch. He was not expecting black like the dark sky.

"I wanted her to make it black.", she answered with the same monotone tone. "Dark, as my soul."

Leyton sighed as he closed his eyes. "Sister,", he pleaded almost. "we have reached to a point where I am worrying in a way that should not be normal for a human.", his sister always had been rather skinny but Leyton could swear he could see her bones at this point. "You are torturing yourself for what? For nothing.", he took a step towards her, she still hasn't turn on him but he was being caitous. "You are not the first person who ever got betrayed, this not even the first time you got betrayed. Such things happen in the world we live in. What you must do is to take your lesson from it and move on. It does not suit you to be like this. It does not suit you to ruin yourself over a man.", she did not answer. "Atera it has been more than a year, do not force me to take more measures."

"What will you do? Send me to Highgarden again? It seems to be your solution anytime I piss you off."

He sighed, even at this state of mind, she found the energy to snap at him. "There are no words that would even begin to describe what I have felt when you were born.", he spoke after minutes of silence, trying to find the right words. "I felt the world was crumbling over me. Such a burden like you, after two brothers, after three children of my own, was too heavy on me.", he approached to her a little more. "I never wanted our father to marry your mother, I never wanted you, I made it perfectly clear to everyone involved and I admit that I acted like a child when your mother was pregnant with you. It almost felt embarassaing to have a sibling so much younger than me. It even disgusted me."

"I know what kind of a problem, headache, I am for you, Leyton. You do not need to remind it to me regularly.", there were no emotions in her voice, not ever since she returned back to Oldtown. "If you don't want me here, I will just pack my things up and leave. I do not need your charity."

"You've been silence for more than a year and you start to sing like nightingales the moment I deicde to tell you something I never have before?", if he would have been younger, less tired, more carefree, he would have laugh at the irony but he was neither of them, not ever since Rhea has died right at this spot, just a little more than a year ago. "For the first time in my life, I almost cried to the Gods, questioned their decision to give you to us. What could I have possibly done to deserve you, I wondered for long nights. You were not just another sibling, not to me, not to Arvel, only to Doric. He was the only one of us that truly accepted you from the first moment. Arvel hated you.", she huffed through her noise dryly. "And I just didn't want you, with my all heart. One night, Jenica got sick.", he recalled with a painful frown. "Father was not here, away for some business or something. Arvel squiring, Doric visiting Cider Hall, there were just two of us. Me and her and for a moment, for a very dark moment, I just wished for her to lose the baby.", Atera turned her head to the side, but not enough for Leyton t see her face. "I caught myself calculating it. If I turned to left and not right that night, I would go to the Maester's side late, he would reach to Jenica late and you would be gone even before we went to here. It was that dangerous, it was that close and I found myself praying for it. I don't think I have ever wanted something that much my entire life."

"You never told me this.", again, no emotions but her entire standing has changed, Leyton could sense that, he took a few more steps and now he was standing right next to her, both watching the purple sky mixed with a bit yellowness and pinkness.

"How could I? How could anyone ever tell a thing like this? Even thinking such a thing is embarrassing, demeaning.", he sighed. "I have loved you from the first moment I had seen you.", Atera felt her eyes burning. "But those moons before that? They were the hardest moons of my life, worse than any other torture and even though I have loved you to the moons and back, I have never accepted you, not truly. After everything that happened with my mother...", they had matching wounds. "I liked Jenica, I am sorry for what happened to her and you are my sister, I love you more than the world itself but I never knew what to do with you. It is why I have sent you away.", Atera closed her eyes. "I hurt you, knowingly, willingly, just because I couldn't grow up, just because I couldn't accept you for things that never were your fault -nor your mother's. I have pushed you away, sent you anywhere I could, I couldn't endure you. I couldn't tolerate to see you.", he closed his eyes in regret and pinched his nose. "I knew I shouldn't. But no one ever told me I was doing wrong, and this is not an excuse but it felt right to do something so wrong because nobody judged me for it. For all those years you have spent away from me, I swear to you, not even once I had a peaceful sleep."

"Your love,", now her voice did crack. "was the only thing that kept me alive after my mother. You have made mistakes, I have made mistakes, we talked over them, we forgave and forget. There is no point of reopening such deep wounds. I cannot ha-", she took a deep breath. "I cannot handle such conversations again."

But Leyton did not finish. "There came a moment, when I first saw you years after not talking nor even writing words at all, do you remember?", he turned to her, looked at her pale face. "After the king announced the prince's betrothal with Princess Elia and you have returned back here with Arys? I saw you and then it clicked. Nineteen years of pain and then they all were suddenly gone because I have realized that it never was you that I couldn't accept, it was me. I was the problem. That day, I have realized this, that day, I stopped pushing you away, that day I swore myself to try to keep you at my side and not to send you away. This is your home and I am your brother, we are a family.", he pressed, with closed eyes, Atera nodded slowly as a crying expression took its place on her face but she was just pouting, there were not true tears. "As long as I live and even after that, no one can send you away from here. I have accepted you and I have loved you.", he declared with his own tears in his eyes. "I have loved you more than others.", Arvel and Doric were hardly brothers to him. "And yet, the Gods did not forget my sins and now are punishing me by causing you such an enormous amount of pain, knowing I can do nothing to fix it."

"Believe me brother,", she sighed and her face turned blank once again. "if the Gods are real and they are punishing someone, it is I, not you.", she finally turned to him and he could see despite being in her room all day, for more than a year, doing nothing, she has never looked this tired ever before. "I am paying for my own stupidity, not for yours."

"When I said I will take more measures, I meant this.", knowing he has no other choice, he pulled out the small letter from his chest. "This been sent to you a moon ago, last year.", Atera frowned. "By Ashara Dayne.", she turned her head back.

"I do not even want to hear her name."

"I know, I know, it is why I've been not giving you the letters that came from Princess Elia or Lord Connington but well,", Leyton's face got firmer. "you will want to read this, sister. A lot has been going on since we returned here."

"How can I possibly make it clear that I do not give a fuck about it? Let them perish."

"Atera,", Leyton pressed with a more serious tone. "there has been going on a war and we are losing it."

"What?", Atera turned to him so quickly that he almost flinched. "What war?"

"Prince Rhaegar had ran away with Lyanna Stark, a year ago.", Atera gaped. "Princess Elia had gave birth to a health boy, the Prince Aegon. We went to the capital for his anointing, to swear fealty. There, the king has burnt Rickard Stark alive while half of the realm watched and his eldest son died trying to save him.", Atera's face was covered in absolute shock. "Robert Baratheon, Jon Arryn and Eddard Stark had raised their banners, they had been creating chaos all over the realm and I fear it reached even here, to us.", a shadow passed from his eyes. "Lord Ashford has sadly lost his life during the attack on Ashford,", Atera widened her eyes. "Mace and Paxter went to siege Storm's End, I will ride there soon enough, Lord Connington has commanded the royal army himself and I just received the news of his defeat before I got here."

"Jon?", she whispered. "Is he dead?"

"I am told he is deeply wounded and that his men had to drag him away from the battlefield. He is alive, much to my knowledge and word had been sent to the capital. Ser Barristan has been summoned to come and gather the royal army, bring it back to the capital."

"Why not our uncle? He is the Lord Commander. It is his duty."

Leyton nodded to himself and placed the letter, that he already opened and read, to his sister's palm. "Read this.", he ordered. "Then decide what to do; continue to self-pity or do something about it."

Then left his sister alone with her own thoughts, hoping she would make the right choice, for once.