The King and Ned Stark were strolling on the nearby villages along with other men, since the King had told his Kingsguard to take a day off because he was tired seeing all of their faces.
Jaime had a lot of time to rest, but he still woke up early not because he wanted to or because he was used to waking up before daybreak but because he wanted to watch the young Snow girl on the training yards.
He had been eyeing on her for the past two days and he seemed to have memorized her morning appointments. For two days he had noticed that the girl would sneak out early and take her horse for a ride, then afterwards she would be practicing with her bow and arrow or sometimes she would swing her sword. After that she would usually have some rest and break her fast.
Not that he was stalking her, but he became more and more interested with the girl who had a big resemblance and named after the woman who almost tore the kingdom apart.
Now, Lyanna was sparing with her twin brother and they seemed to be very serious, he noticed that the girl had the upper hand; she moves fast blocking her brother's every strike but he knew better. She had low stamina and her frequent moves will eat all her energy faster than that of her brother.
She needed to grow more fat and muscles. He thought. The girl was not skinny however her body needs to grow strong if she wanted to become a better swords person.
"Have you ever wondered what would have happened had Aerys gave me to Rhaegar?" Jaime flinched as he heard her sister's voice. He barely noticed her enter the room because he was so drawn to watching the Snow twins. When he didn't answer, she spoke again.
"I would have had silver princesses and princes not golden ones. Yet, faith had been so cruel. It gave me Robert." Cersei moved to his bed and sat there, he turned to meet her eyes.
She was smiling bitterly.
"And now my brother seemed to be drawn to the girl who had the same face as the person who is the very reason why my marriage to Robert won't be happy one, tell me Jaime, what did the bastard girl do to you to make you ignore my presence?"
Jaime sighed; his sister could be rather dangerous when jealous.
"Why do you say sister?" he instead asked, trying to keep his cool and not letting her notice that he was rather distracted.
For two days of watching Lyanna, he completely had forgotten his sister. It was weird because he usually had all his eyes for his beautiful counterpart but now he can't even bring himself to look her in the eye. He was afraid because she'll know that he desired other woman than her now.
"I see it in your eyes dear brother, the way you look at her, the fire in your eyes that's supposed to be there when you look at mine." She stood up closed the gap between them, her warm body pressed near him and he felt his breath hitch as he smelled her scent.
It was rather heavy not like the gentle scent of the winter roses, Lyanna Snow brings.
Shit. Why am I thinking about her again? He asked himself. He should be thinking about his sister who was with him right now, his sister who was his, who will spread her legs for him. Who belongs to him not some Northern maid who just played a harp and almost made him cry!
"I don't know what you are talking about sweet sister." His voice changed huskily and with his fingers, he lifted her chin and smirked.
"Oh, then show me who is it that you want dear brother." With that he crushed her lips against hers and pushed her to bed, forgetting about the grey eyed and brown haired maid whose beauty was enough to make the realm bleed.
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After they strolled the towns surrounding Winterfell, Eddard Stark was summoned to Robert's borrowed solar, his squire another Lannister which Ned took pity in since he was always being bullied by his old friend, told him that the King wants to talk to him. So he headed out to know what his dear friend wanted to talk about.
He wondered if Robert had a hint of Rhaegar Targaryen on the two children, he knew that, two days ago, Robert has been moved to tears by the very same song that made his sister cry. The song had been banned in the kingdom since Robert ascended the throne and he wondered how Lyanna even learned about it.
However when he asked Arthur Dayne, the knight told him that he was also surprised. He never heard the song being played again but he told him that when his sister was still heavy with child, the Prince would often play the song for Lyanna and the babes inside her belly.
Two knights had been standing guard before the solar, one of them announced his arrival and after a muffled shout "open" coming from the inside, they opened the door to him. Robert was sitting on the chair in behind the desk, he was writing something on the parchment and he smiled as he saw him enter.
"Ned! My good friend there you are!"
Robert chuckled then pushed the parchment away aside, he signalled him to sit on the chair near the in front of the table. He was surprised to see his friend sober, earlier when they went to the town he was very loud and drunk that it irritated Ned to see his once healthy friend fattening his self to death.
"You summoned me, your grace?" he answered as he straightened himself on the chair.
"Nonsense, are you not my friend? Call me Robert when we are alone. No need for such formalities!" Robert growled and Ned responded with a smile.
"So, what is it that you want with me Robert?" he asked again.
Robert smiled and gave him the parchment that he was tending earlier, he thought of it as an important letter but the contents have shocked him that he felt himself tense, nervous to even look his friend in the eye.
"Well?" Robert asked and Ned swallowed.
"You intend to legitimize Lyanna?" The document has been a proclamation that Lyanna is now a Stark and she is to inherit lands and titles from him.
"Yes. I pity her Ned; I know you love the girl. She's beautiful Ned, talented. I listened to her play the harp; I saw her fight with a sword and bow. She'll be wasted if she remains a bastard." His friend explained.
"The boy on the other hand seems to be eager to take the Black; Benjen says that Jon will go with him to the Wall. Your daughter on the other hand has no future if she'll remain a Snow."
"But..." He was about to complain but Robert cut him off.
"I wasn't able to protect Lyanna, Ned. I wasn't able to give her a good life. She died because of that dragon spawn." He said angrily and clenched his fists, almost ready to strike the table. "But your daughter, she deserves a good life Ned, a good life I wasn't able to give Lyanna."
Lyanna fell in love with Rhaegar, you suffered badly for a woman who doesn't even love you. How will you react if you'll know that Lyanna wasn't kidnap and that she came willingly with the Silver Prince? And how will you react if you'll know that the very girl you intend to legitimize is one of the "dragon spawns", the children of the woman you loved and the man you hated the most?
"Robert..."
"No, don't even try to stop me Ned. I am your King. Your daughter will be legitimized and she will marry a highborn lord."
No, my promise to Lyanna was to protect her children and take them far away from you. He thought.
Yet, he also know that there is a possibility that he won't be able to come back from King's Landing and that he might stay there for a long time. Jon had decided to take the Black as Benjen says, he will be safe in the Wall with his brother yet Lyanna, and Lyanna will be left here with Catelyn, Robb and Rickon. Elbert will be here to protect her, but she'll soon need to marry.
Oh Lyanna, forgive me but Robert is right, your daughter deserves a better future.
"And who will you marry to my daughter?" He asked the Stag King who seemed to have thought of the situation, he must love Lyanna so much that he wants to give my Lyanna a better future.
"There's the Tyrell boy and the Martell or we can give her to Twyin's heir." He answered, Ned raised his eyebrow.
"You're giving my daughter to Tyrion Lannister? Are you kidding me Robert?"
Robert bellowed with laughter and it echoed inside the room.
Damn, sometimes I want to punch my friend so that his wits will return and his love for wine will go.
"No, I was talking about the Kingslayer." He answered, his eyes widened as the man mentioned of the honorless knight.
"What? You're marrying my daughter to Jamie fucking Lannister!?" Now, he was growling in anger. No, not to the Kingslayer. You can't marry Lyanna to a man without honor. He doesn't deserve her!
"I'm thinking about it. Twyin Lannister would be happy to see his son taking off his white cloak and having a wife. Besides my court is full of Lannisters, I hate seeing their golden hair and green eyes everywhere. And I hate seeing that shit guarding me; I sometimes fear that he might run his sword on my throat like he did Aerys Targaryen." Robert huffed as he poured himself wine and drank it in one sweep.
"You can marry her to the Tyrell heir, Dorne is too far from the North." He answered. It was the safest option, the Martells won't be as welcoming especially that Lyanna's name has become a taboo in the south and since the Martells still think that Rhaegar's action were a betrayal to Princess Elia's part.
"A union with a Lannister will be good Ned. Your houses have been in odds since the war broke out, it may be a good time to finally unite your houses. The Kingslayer to your Lyanna. My guards told me that he had spent his time with her during our first day here." He paused and looked him in the eye. "Besides, do you really want to marry your daughter to a person she never met?"
Ned sighed in defeat, he was right.
"I shall think about it Robert. I will give you my answer tomorrow." He said, Robert nodded and Ned excused himself. 'I'm sorry Lyanna. It is what's best for your child.' He thought.
'Damn you Rhaegar Targaryen. You shouldn't have touched my sister nor left her. Now your children will be apart. Your son will be sent to the wall like a criminal for being a bastard while your daughter will be married to the person who killed your father.'
He got out of the door and had a servant call Elbert. They need to discuss something important.
Ned sat on the great roots of the weirwood tree, he unsheathed his sword Ice and started running the white fabric on its body. He looked at his reflection on the clear water in front of him and closes his eyes, absently running the cloth and waiting for the Elbert to arrive.
Soft footsteps and the rustle of leaves and breaking of twigs echoed nearby and he opened his eyes to see the man he was waiting for. Since Robert went here in Winterfell, he had told him to lay low; they can't risk his identity to be known.
"You asked for me?" Arthur Dayne asked, he went near and sat on one of the roots of the tree, his face was a mask of worry.
"Yes. Has Jon told you that he will take the black?" Ned asked his old companion and the guardian of Lyanna's children. Arthur nodded in response.
"Aye, he told me about it and asked me not to tell his sister yet. I tried to convince him not to go, but I trust Benjen will keep him safe. Benjen knows Ned, he confronted me when he arrived that was why he convinced Jon to take the Black." Arthur answered and Ned was surprised that his brother hinted that the children were not his.
"How did he know?"
"Lyanna's love for music and her skill for harps. Benjen told me that though all of you liked music, no one has a liking for musical instruments. And didn't you notice? Lyanna looks like Queen Rhaella as she grows older while Jon looks like you every passing day." There was a hint of playfulness in Arthur's tone as he mentioned his resemblance to Jon.
He doesn't really know if Arthur's words on Lyanna's resemblance to her Targaryen grandmother was true because he never met the Queen before but he did notice Lyanna having Targaryen features such as her father's cheekbones. The only thing that Jon inherited from his real father was the solemness and sadness of his eyes that could sometimes be mistaken as a resemblance to him. But he knew better. Arthur knows too.
"So you're okay with Jon going to Castle Black?"
"Yes, but I worry about Lyanna." Ned swallowed. This was the hard part. He knows that Arthur won't be happy to learn that Robert plans to bring Lyanna to King's Landing.
"Robert legitimized Lyanna and plans to marry her to Jaime Lannister." He mumbled quickly and softly that he doubt if Arthur had caught his words. His companion's expression remained solemn but then he sighed.
"Jaime Lannister is a good man despite what you think. He will protect Lyanna." Arthur said as he lifted a leaf that fell from the weirwood, he played with it for a second before letting it fall to the ground again.
"How can you be sure?"
Arthur took a deep breath before speaking.
"I was still in the capitol when Rhaegar rode to the Trident, I went to Dorne following his departure but I was there when Jaime begged the Prince to take him to battle. Rhaegar was rather fond of Jaime and Jaime idolized the Prince just like he idolized me and Ser Barristan. The Prince made him promise to look after the Princess and her children."
Ned weighed his words, he doesn't trust Jaime Lannister but he knows that the man might be arrogant but he won't strike a woman or a child.
Arthur once told him that Jaime used to beg them to help him stop the King from raping Queen Rhaella. Those were the times that Arthur was ashamed of being a Kingsguard. They had vowed to protect the people, yet they can't protect the Queen from the King.
Somehow Ned was confident that if the Kingslayer learns that Lyanna was Rhaegar's daughter, he will be willing to help. Yet, we can't risk Lyanna's safety. It was better that the Lion of Lannister remained ignorant about his future fiancées' parentage.
"How about you? You can't go to the capitol; we can't risk someone seeing you. They might learn your real identity."
"I plan to maybe go back to Starfall yet I don't know if they'll still welcome me with open arms. It was my fault Ashara died." Arthur answered and he reached and placed a hand on Arthur's shoulder.
After he told the Dayne's about Arthur's demise, Ashara his younger sister didn't take the news lightly and days after he rode from Starfall, they heard that the girl plunged herself to death by jumping from the tallest tower of the Keep.
The former knight blamed himself and the death of his sister was still weighing on his shoulders, like Ned to Lyanna.
"You can still stay in Winterfell but if you want you can go to Howland, you're always welcome there and you already know the way how to travel to his place." He smiled at his friend and Arthur smiled back.
"Protect the Princess Ned. No one must know that she is the trueborn daughter of Rhaegar Targaryen and one of the heirs to the Iron Throne."