Chapter II


Ned I

Lifting the Siege of Storms End, had been surprisingly easy and uncomplicated, Ned thought to himself. When the Northern Host had arrived, most could not believe their eyes. Instead of a well-organized Siege with the goal of starving out their enemies and enforcing a surrender of the inhabitants of the castle, they saw a half-assed attempt of a siege by the Reach-Lords whom were feasting and enjoying themselves as if they had conquered the entirety of the seven Kingdoms.

At the very least they didn't complicate things further than necessary and after a short amount of parleying between Mace Tyrell and Ned himself, the Reach-Host surrendered, broke camp and left back off to their Homes.

Afterwards Ned had told his bannermen to go back North and rest, while he himself and a few chosen men would go search and hopefully bring back the Lady Lyanna.

Many Northerners were happy that they could finally go back and rest, while some wanted to help get back the daughter of their beloved late Warden.

In the end, the party going further south consisted of eight men, one woman and one child, even though many had argued that the amount of people was not enough to ensure safety, Eddard had put his foot down and ended the argument, by pointing out that traveling as a large host would only slow them down. While still unsatisfied even the most persistent of his bannermen saw the logic in that and prepared, begrudgingly, their journey home. Howland Reed, Lord Willam Dustin, Ethan Glover, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull, and Ser Mark Ryswell were the men the Lord of Winterfell had selected to accompany him towards Dorne.

Now the Ten of them were on their way to the "Tower of Joy". The Princess had told him that Lyanna would be held there, but didn't elaborate further on how she knew.

They were a day's march away now and had set up camp for the night. Ned had sat down by the fire, watching his traveling companions. These were the men he trusted the most, along with a complete Stranger and two former Princesses. Well they were still Princesses of Dorne, Ned corrected himself in his head.

He watched his men as they moved around their small camp, preparing a roast for their evening meal, watering the horses or just relaxing.

His eyes fell on the Mother and her child. Ned watched as the Mother told the child stories of Knights and Princes, of Kings and of Queens. After letting his gaze linger at the pair for a short amount of time, thinking about his own newborn son, his dark eyes finally landed on the last and most enigmatic member of their group.

He sat on the ground, seemingly listening to the stories Elia told with a serene smile on his face. Hadrian's sword was on the ground right next to him, ready to be drawn if necessary.

It was a beautiful longsword, crafted with Valyrian Steel. The grip of the hilt was wrapped in black leather and a glowing sapphire sat in the pommel of the sword while in the cross guard a red ruby glowed in the darkness.

It looked magical, fitting, thought Eddard, for a rumored Messenger of the Gods.

The man seemed entirely at ease with all of them, even though he barely knew most of them. For a man wrapped in mystery and whispers he spoke freely and was entirely transparent with all the answers he gave to the questions he was asked by the group of Northerners.

Eddard respected the man a great deal after what he had seen and heard of him, but still there was one question that had bugged the Quiet Wolf for some time now.

"How come you were in King's Landing during the sacking? I saw during the Tourney of Harrenhal how much you disliked King Aerys. Why risk your life for people you hardly know nor care about?" Eddard asked Harry softly.

Everyone seemed interested in that question, even little Rhaenys seemed to be paying attention. (She probably wasn't really listening, but the way she looked she might have been.)

Harry smiled indulgingly at their curiosity and answered "Ohh I know Elia quiet well. I have known her since she was just a little Babe, I healed her from her affliction so she could grow as strong as she is now."

Elia smiled at him fondly and added "For why he was in King's Landing that day, I asked him to. After all he is my ethereal guardian who protects me from illness and hurt." The last part she said in a fond mocking tone. Hadrian smiled sheepishly at her.

The Northerners smiled at that until Eddard exclaimed. "You said since she was a babe? How old where you then when you healed her. I don't think a boy of two would have the knowledge to heal any sort of Illness. I though you of an age with me maybe two to five name-days older than me. Are the whispers true then, are you really immortal?" The normally composed and stoic Ned Stark could barely control himself.

"Were you really set upon the world by the Stranger?" Howland Reed added.

Harry looked at them, his smile turning into a thoughtful frown. His haunting, multicolored eyes glowing through the night.

"Aye, I have been around for a long time. I don't age and I don't get sick. Never quite figured out if I could be killed the old-fashioned way." Harry waited for a moment taking in all of their expressions. Elia, who had known about that nearly her entire life just continued to smile, while the Northerners had various degrees of shock on their faces. "As for my supposed connection to the Stranger." Hadrian continued, "To my knowledge in my entire life I have never seen nor met a God. Dragons sure, but never a God."

This revelation brought a whole lot of disbelieving exclamations from the men. The last dragon had died about 130 years ago!

Before anyone could say something, Hadrian continued, "I suppose the association with the Death God of the Seven comes from the Sigil and Colors of the House of Peverell."

Here he showed them a dark blue ring on his left hand with a small black stone attached to it. On the stone, they could see white lines forming a straight vertical line, with a circle surrounding it, and finally a triangle enclosing them both. The Sigil of the House of Peverell.

Ned could see where that association would come from, after all he had yet to see the Peverell Lord wear a color brighter than a dark grey. Right now, he wore a navy-blue tunic with a dark grey undershirt. His breeches and boots were the same coloring as his hair, black as night. The hooded black cloak he always wore was now around Elia keeping her and little Rhaenys, who sat in the princesses' lap, warm. All of them nodded silently.

When the roast was finished, they all ate separated in smaller groups of two or three to eat and discuss the recent events.

Eddard sat alone, somewhere a little off to the side, away from their camp. He thought of his Family, a Family that tragically was destroyed by a mad man with too much power, a Family that was ripped apart because of a married man who could not be happy with what he had, instead taking a woman that wasn't his too take. He just hoped that Lyanna was fine, that he wouldn't have to bury another family member.

"It's okay to be afraid." Eddard looked up from his feet directly into the eyes of the Immortal. Eyes filled with years of experience, wisdom and pain. So much pain that Eddard could barely stand to look him in the eyes.

"It's also okay to mourn, you know? You lost so much more than most and even your personal revenge was taken away from you, you will never know the satisfaction of avenging your family because of a man who couldn't keep to his oaths. Responsibility of the entire North was thrust upon your very shoulders and you are stuck in an unwanted marriage that was not meant for you. Yet you hardly vent the burning anger and the drowning sadness filling your entire being."

Ned looked on with a face of stone and eyes like shards of ice and answered "I fulfilled my duty. My father and brother are avenged. In the end, it does not matter, just who it was that swung the sword that struck the king down."

The doubt was palpable on Harry's face and Ned himself knew that what he was speaking was untrue, still he continued "My rage will not change anything. My anger will not give me back my family. My mourning will not turn back time. All I want is to rest. I am weary of fighting and hurting."

"Aye, it won't bring them back, but it will help to stop your own hurt. Believe me when I tell you, I have lost many people important to me and I had to learn how to grief, because just like you for a long time I never let my emotions go free. Someone who once was very dear to me helped me through that. He weathered my grief and pain for and with me. Since no-one seems able to see that you are hurting, I offer you my help in venting. I can help you, you just have to tell me to."

Ned looked at him, silent, cold and unyielding, just like winter. "I thank you for your offer, Lord Peverell. But I believe I can handle myself, now excuse me I am tired and I want to rest."

With those words, he stood up and left in direction of their camp.

Harry looked after him and sighed deeply.


Harry I, A few days later

In the Horizon, the travelling Group finally saw their destination. The Tower of Joy, a round stone tower shimmering a reddish-brown in the burning sun due to the Red Mountains surrounding it.

As they approached the structure, Harry could see three shining figures in armor, blocking the entrance the tower.

As they approached further, the three knights stepped forwards to meet with them.

In the middle of the three Knights stood the Lord Commander of the Kings Guard, Ser Gerold Hightower, The White Bull. He was a big man towering above his companions with ease, wearing an all-white armor engraved with the Targaryen Sigil and a white cloak. He was carefully watching and assessing each and every one of them. His grim, wise face seemed to waver for a moment when his eyes fell on Elia and Rhaenys, but he caught himself quickly.

The Knight to the right of the Lord Commander could easily be identified as Ser Oswell Whent by the emblazoned Bat on his helmet. He stood tall and proud in his silver armor with the three headed Targaryen Dragon engraved on it, his white cloak billowing around him.

On the left side of the White Bull stood a man with silver hair with black streaks and purple eyes. Slung across his back was a glowing white greatsword. He too wore a silver armor with an engraved Dragon on it, but he wore no cloak. This was Arthur Dayne, the sword of the morning, famous as one of the best (if not the best) sword-fighters in the realm.

They dismounted from their Horses, Harry helping Elia and Rhaenys to safely get on the ground.

"Thank you, my gallant Knight, whatever would I do without you by my side." Elia told him with a mocking giggle.

"Oh, cruel princess, what has this mere man done that you have to mock him so. Do you know no mercy?" Harry bantered back good naturally. "But you little Rhaenys, you still appreciate my efforts, don't you?"

Rhaenys whom Harry was holding put her head on his shoulder and blinked her eyes at him cutely, as if to show him that she in fact appreciated him a great deal.

Just as Elia was about to reprimand him for playing Rhaenys against her, they were brought out of their little world by the sound of swords being drawn. So caught up in their banter, they hadn't noticed the tension and hostility of the situation escalating.

Harry quickly set down the little Princess and hurriedly rushed to intervene before the worst could come to pass.

Drawing his sword, he disarmed three of the surprised Northerners (Lord Willam Dustin, Ethan Glover and Martyn Cassel) in one fluid motion. Not missing a beat, he continued on disarming the surprised fighters, whirling though them at speed few could keep up with until his sword was blocked by the White Bull and his momentum stopped by two swords held against him by Arthur Dayne and Ned Stark respectively. He had managed to disarm all but Ned, Arthur Dayne and the Lord Commander, who even in his advanced age was fast enough to keep up with Harry. "Hadrian." Arthur whispered in shock

"Now put away your swords and let us handle this peacefully," Hadrian told them, entirely unbothered by the swords pointed at his chest and neck "enough Blood has already been spilt in this bloody ridiculous war."

Most of the men, who had never seen him fight before, could barely contain their shock. Eddard and Gerold looked at Harry calculatingly, while Arthur had lowered Dawn already.

"Now!" Harry told them forcefully, magic underlining his order.

Most men would have obediently followed his magical command, but the Warden of the North, the Sword of Morning and the Lord Commander weren't cowed as easily as average men and didn't put away their weapons

"As your Princess, I order you to stand down Members of the Kingsguard." Elia ordered them, appearing next to Harry in between the two groups, little Rhaenys toddling next to her.

"Let Lord Stark here see his sister. He is a good man who has no reason to hurt her. She is his sister for fucks sake. After all he was the one who safely brought me, a complete stranger, out of the snake pit known as King's Landing, even going as far as threatening war against his foster brother, just to see me safe. By the seven, why would he want to hurt his sister?"

Elia continued, when she saw the reluctance in their faces.

That seemed to finally convince the two Kingsguard members as they sheathed their weapons and motioned for them to follow. Seeing that the threat had passed for now Ned sheathed Ice into its scabbard.

Not understanding who they were talking about, and why they would think that Ned would harm them, Harry and Ned just followed them, trusting in the Princess to help keep them safe from harm. The other Northerners followed more reluctantly not as trusting in Elia as the other two.

As they climbed up the steps to the tower, Harry felt the anxiety in Ned's posture grow. Suddenly a bone chilling scream of a woman in great pain ripped through the nervous silence.

Patience running thin, Eddard pushed past the Kings' Guard, rushing up the stairs until he reached a door, which opened up into a wide room with a big window, providing the room with light.

Helplessly he stared at a woman, lying on a bed in the middle of the room, giving birth, who was screaming in pain for all to hear. With a start, he realized that the woman was in fact his sister.

Ned felt numb. What had happened to his strong little sister? He barely registered Hadrian, who had rushed after him, assessing the situation and then rushing to help Lyanna. Shortly after Hadrian the remainder of the group arrived at the room, watching fascinated as Harry tried his very best to keep her alive.

With urgency Elia also rushed over helping with the birth while Ser Arthur and the Lord Commander ushered the other people out of the room. A wet nursed assisted Elia and Hadrian further, while Ned had collapsed onto one of the chairs in the room, praying for his sister to pull through.

Ned didn't know how much time passed as he worriedly starred at the assembled people on the bed, working on his sister. After what felt like an eternity the baby, a boy, was born and Harry called Ned over to join them and just before he reached his sisters bed Harry told him "Your sister lost much blood during the birthing process, so she will need rest for now, but she should be okay soon enough."

Eddard stepped forward, to the side of the bed, looking at the sweaty but glowing face of his sister, who was holding her sleeping newborn son in her arms.

She looked exhausted and as she finally looked at him, Eddard saw the last thing he expected in her eyes. Guilt. When their eyes met tears sprung into her eyes and she whimpered silently "This is all my fault, Ned. I am such a stupid girl, I am sorry for being such a stupid, stupid girl." Tears ran down her cheeks as silent sobs racked through her body.

Ned looked ate her confusedly and spoke soothingly "It is not your fault that you got abducted. No one could have doneā€¦" "But I didn't get abducted" Lyanna interrupted him, another sob escaping her. "I went with him willingly." Ned stared at her understanding slowly dawning on him. "I wanted to go away from your friend, Robert Baratheon. I never wanted to marry that whoring bastard. But I didn't think of the consequences. Rhaegar didn't thing of the consequences. I am so stupid. Please forgive me, and if you can't forgive me, at least don't hold it against my son, my little Jaehearys, promise me you will protect him from Robert. Promise me, Ned. "

Just as she finished talking she abruptly collapsed into herself, blood turning the fresh white sheets a dark red, while finally something snapped in Ned and he started laughing. A high pitched maniac, desperate laughter of a broken man."


AN: I wanted to publish this way earlier, but sadly I got sick and thus got delayed. Thank you all for the great feedback. I appreciate that really much. Please point out any grave grammatical mistakes you can find, I will try to fix them. Have a nice day. :)