A/N: I'm really sorry about the last chapter as I believe that it was proper boring. It was basically a filler chapter that's why it was like that. So I've made this chapter a lot more interesting and longer than usual for you guys :)
NED'S POV
I rode slowly through the gates of Winterfell as the rain drizzled down on me, soaking my hair as I went. My banner men followed close behind me, watching me like I was their God. It had been like that the minute Father and Brandon had died. They watch me like I'm their prized possession, even though before everything happened they never thought to look at me twice.
Winterfell had changed since I was last here, it was quieter and seemed like it was missing something, missing something of great importance. I knew exactly what it was missing, it was missing the main things that brought it to life. My family.
When I got the news that King Aerys had killed Father and Brandon I thought everything in the world had stopped. I was stood in the eyrie with Arryn and Robert and I just froze. They didn't say anything, they just stood quietly and watched my world come crashing down in front of my eyes as I stared at the scribbled writing that was smudged onto the wet paper. In that moment I wanted to die, I didn't want to be in the world anymore. But I realised that I had things to live for, I had to find Lyanna, I had to care for Mother and Benjen, I had to look after the North and I had a newly wed wife. I couldn't just leave all that behind. That wouldn't be something that I would do. The way they were killed was horrific, something only Aerys could do. Brandon killed himself trying to save my Father, something only a Stark could do. I was speechless for days, I didn't speak, I was lost in my own mind. But eventually I came back to the world.
Benjen had wrote to me saying that I needed to return as Mother wasn't doing very well. I wanted to return home as soon as I got the news, but I couldn't. Robert had other ideas. I had to go to battle with him, and it wasn't just a normal one. All our forces had to join together to take Gulltown, it didn't go down as planned as the port was blocked meaning that none of our men could enter. Robert decided that it would be best for me to return to the North and rally up more Northern banners to fight for our cause, giving me a good enough reason to return home.
The journey was hard as the port was blocked, so I had to make my way back through hard terrain. But finally I reached a boat at the Fingers to take me where I needed to be.
And now here I am, yet it doesn't even feel like home anymore. I wanted to get that feeling of joy like I used to when I returned back to Winterfell after spending long periods of time at the Eyrie. But the place just now feels abandoned. There's no Brandon fighting in the courtyard anymore, no Father watching over his children, and no Lyanna riding around on her white steed. It was different, everything now felt different.
I dismounted my horse as I arrived into the courtyard and quickly walked over to the stables. I handed my horse to the stable men who replied with "ma Lord" at every sudden movement I made. I gave them a graceful nod and scuttled into the library tower, I knew I would find my Mother in here.
I clambered up the cracked stairs and slowly pushed the door open. I was met with the stench of damp in the air and clouds of dust encased me like they are in need of clinging to my body. This was probably the first time I had been in here ever since I was a child. I always remember it being cold. It was always cold.
"Mother?" I called out. I felt like if I shouted too loud in here everything would break, as all the books were so old.
I heard movement coming from behind the shelves of books so I headed that way. The floorboards beneath me groaned with each step I took and I grimaced at the awful noise. But I stood still in my tracks when I saw my Mother step out from behind a book shelf.
I was shocked by what she looked like and I didn't know what to say. Her once beautiful brown locks had turned frizzy and had streaks of grey in them, her black dress was covered in dust and dirt, she didn't look anything like the Mother that I had left behind a few weeks ago. I was expecting her to be upset, not looks like this. I thought she would at least keep herself looking presentable, my Mother always did that no matter what. Her eyes looked me up and down and i felt cautious under her gaze. It was surprising to think that the woman that stood in front of me was once seen as the most beautiful woman in the whole of the North.
"Have you heard anything from Lyanna?" She asked whilst she wiped her hands along her dress, causing it to be even dirtier.
I didn't know what to reply to my Mothers words as I wasn't expecting that to come out of her mouth. Her tone was quite harsh and had a slight sting to it, something that she's never had before. Lyanna use to tell me how harsh Mother can truly be, but I never saw it and neither did Brandon and Benjen. She never once spoke a word bad about us and never once rose her voice. Yet, now I feel like that side of her is beginning to show.
"Well, you would think that prince would at least give her the decency to let her write a letter to her Mother, after all that our family has been though these past few week." She snapped, breaking me from my thoughts and walked over to the table in the centre of the room. She picked up a lemon cake that sat on it and took a quick bite.
"Mother, I don't think she even knows about it." I said. I walked over to her calmly and sat down on a chair, placing my sword on the table.
"Weapons off the table Eddard." She said and swatted at my hand. I quickly did as I was told and looked at her with sadness in my eyes. I felt sorry for her, I could tell she was hiding her emotions.
"Of course she knows, all those filthy Targaryens are in on it. They planned to rid Westeros of our house and name and that is what they are doing. That Prince will be forcing himself upon our lovely Lyanna and impregnating her with his filthy blood. That's what they do, they are not kind people Eddard. The dragon Prince would of told Lyanna about everything to make her feel weak, allowing him to get the better over her."
I wanted to say that her words were right, but they weren't. I had met that so called "dragon prince" and he wasn't like that. He had a kind heart and I knew he had his eyes on Lyanna, she had told me so herself. I had seen the broach he had given her, he wanted her as his own. And so a prince gets what he wants, like he did. Now Lyanna is no longer in our grasp, she is with the enemy.
"Maybe you should go to bed Mother." In the letter Benjen had told me that Mother never leaves the Library, not even to sleep. I know why she doesn't leave this place, this was the place where she would bring Brandon and read to him when he was a child. Normally it's the Maester that teaches the young lords everything, but not in Brandon's case. Mother taught him everything he knows.
"I need to tidy this place up, then I will rest. But I will not sleep in my room. I will have the maids find me another."
"Mother, that's the room you have stayed in since you married Father. Why would you possibly want another?" I watched as her gaze landed on her hands whilst she fiddled with a dusty book. At the mention of my Father her whole demeanour had suddenly changed, her shoulders had slumped and her face had grown sad.
"I am no longer married to your Father, hence why I will have another room. You and your wife should have it."
My demeanour had changed also at the mention of my wife, the wife that I couldn't even see. I wanted to get to know my wife, but I couldn't. My life was now devoted to killing all Targaryen's just like Roberts was, but he doesn't have a wife. Because of the circumstances that I was in a few weeks ago I had to bed my wife on our wedding night. I didn't want to, but she didn't really mind. Catelyn knew what she had to do, I did as well, but I found it hard to go through with. Don't get me wrong, she's pretty and beautiful, it's just that she wasn't meant for me. Catelyn Tully was meant for Brandon Stark, not his younger brother.
"Where is your wife?" Mother said, breaking me once again from my unruly thoughts.
"She's still at riverrun," I replied. "Claims that she's too ill to travel just yet." It's true, Catelyn wrote to me saying that she was being sick and that she couldn't travel like it.
I was made to spend two weeks with Cat after the marriage and I actually got to know her. She was kind and pretty. Nothing like the wife I thought I would ever marry. After one week I could tell she had grown very fond of me, and I her. For the two weeks that passed we were what you would call inseparable.
"Go to bed Eddard," Mother said and placed her hand upon my cheek. "You look tired dear boy."
"Where are you going to sleep?" I asked and ignored what she had just said.
"In here." She mumbled and I shook my head.
"Come on Mother." I stood to my feet and wrapped my arm around hers. I walked us out back into the poring rain and headed for the bed chambers.
+
After putting my Mother to bed I made my way to Lyanna's room. I wanted to talk to her right now, but I couldn't. So I went to the place that reminded me of her the most.
Her room was just how she left it, clothes were flung all over the floor from where she had rushed her packing for Harrenhal and her bed wasn't even made. Her room was untouched. It was as if she just hadn't come to bed yet and she was out on them adventures that she would go on.
I walked over to the bed and took a seat on it. The room was cold and made me shiver, but I ignored it. Lyanna never really complained about the cold, Father use to say she was a truest Stark out of us all. And I think that really was the truth.
As I analysed the room my eyes caught onto something that was hidden just beneath the wooden chest of draws. It looked like a piece of paper, a piece of paper that could hold Lyanna's words and writing.
I crossed the room quickly, wanting to read it as fast as I could and knelt down and took the paper into my grasp. But what I read, was not what I was expecting at all.
Dear Lyanna,
I am in deep regret for the way I acted last night. I shouldn't of left you in the crypt like that, I ask for your sincerest apology. If not I understand, but let me tell you this. I can not stop thinking of you Lyanna, every second of the day you are in my head, you do not just leave it. I am currently riding back to Kings Landing and missing everything about you, I need to see you again. I look at trees and think of that night in the woods, I see a stone on the floor and I think of your home Winterfell and I see the night sky and think of your dark mysterious eyes. Your eyes ignite a fire within me that I just can not control. I will do anything to be with you my dearest Lyanna.
Your love,
Jon T (I hope you remember what this name means.)