A/N: This is a reboot of my second ASOIAF fic His Fire. I wasn't satisfied with the way it was turning out, so I decided to delete it and start out fresh. My writing has improved, so I'm hoping that the characters and story will be more fleshed out. Overall, the premise is the same, but with some noticeable differences.

Disclaimer: I don't own ASOIAF

Anyways, enjoy and review this chapter!

I.

The wind howled around Eddard Stark as he and his men struggled to keep their fleet anchored before Dragonstone. Near their own ship was the Targaryen fleet suffering in the waters. Suddenly the storm became enraged and smashed the Targaryen fleet against the rocks, allowing the waters to swallow it.

"Stannis!" shouted Ned from the deck. "We must hurry before they escape!"

"You go!" replied Stannis Baratheon, his voice loud and rough over the wailing of the harsh winds. "Take half my men and go! We'll stay and keep the ship steady!"

Stannis barked out an order to his men, while Ned commanded his own to follow his lead. They were tasked by Stannis's older brother Robert to seize Dragonstone from the remaining Targaryens. If it weren't for the nephew he was forced to leave behind in the Red Keep, he would have been more eager to accept the task. Ned was only grateful to have an excuse not to stay in King's Landing with the new king. The castle held grisly memories for Ned, from the deaths of his brother and father to the murders of Elia Martell and her children.

There was no honor in that conquest, thought Ned as he and his men stormed through the gates of Dragonstone. The lion of Lannister had defied his oath to his king and deserved to take the black yet Robert was adamant about keeping his new wife's twin around. Already Ned heard the men on the fleet refer to Jaime Lannister as "Kingslayer."

The garrison guarding the ex-royals gave no fight as they entered the castle. One even offered to show Ned where Aerys's widow laid if Ned promised to spare them. Ned said nothing, only demanding the man guide him to the former queen. He found her lying in bed, the sheets stained with blood. In her arms, she held a screaming babe.

He realized that she was dying.

"My lady," Ned said, approaching her.

Rhaella slowly tilted her head to gaze about him. Her eyes could hardly stay open and with each labored breath she took, the more pain she seemed to suffer. Damp locks of silvery-blonde hair framed her face, her skin a sickly pale as she continued to lose more blood.

"Please... please..." Her voice was hoarse the more she spoke. "Do not harm my child, please... leave her be... she is so innocent... please..."

Ned stared at her, sorrow spreading throughout him. Unlike Lord Lannister, he had concerns with harming a child. Guilt struck him as he remembered Lannister's men plunder the Red Keep, the Mountain raping and murdering Elia whilst she held her son Aegon in her arms, just as Rhaella held her own now.

Coming closer, Ned went on one knee by the dowager queen's bed.

"My lady, no harm shall come to your child so long as I live," Ned vowed.

She studied his face, searching his eyes for falseness. Her hold on her babe slackened to the point that Ned was afraid she would let the child slip out of her arms.

"You forever have my thanks," the older woman murmured. She closed her eyes and as she continued to speak, her voice became lighter. "Her name is Daenerys... Daenerys Stormborn..."

Her eyes closed and Ned could only feel a sadness as the former queen died murmuring her daughter's name. He took the child from her arms and quieted the babe's cries.

"Lord Stark," coughed someone. Ned whirled, still holding the babe. "We could not locate Viserys anywhere."

"You've checked everywhere?" Ned questioned, frowning.

"Yes, m'lord. We believe he has escaped," the man replied. His eyes went to Daenerys. "What should we do with her and her mother?"

"Build a funeral pyre for Rhaella. As for her daughter..." Ned looked down at the babe in his arms. She had stopped crying, though she continued to mewl. "I will keep her as a ward of Winterfell."

The man opened his mouth, but closed it once he saw the steadfast look on Ned's face. He offered to fetch for someone to find a blanket for Daenerys since the storm outside still raged on. Ned continued to soothe her, his mind drifting to his wife.

Catelyn would not be pleased. Along with his new ward, he was bringing Brandon's bastard to live with them. From the short time he'd met Catelyn, he knew she was still grieving his brother. Ned wasn't offended, aware that there must have been some affection passed between his brother and his betrothed. So, bringing the proof of her love's infidelity was bound to hurt her. He meant no harm towards her, but he couldn't leave a child with Stark blood alone.

When the cold wind blows the lone wolf dies but the pack survives, he remembered his father telling him.

For now, though, Ned had to worry about Robert's wrath.

It was hard to fear Robert for he was often boisterous and drunk with ale and lust, but the enraged silence Ned received when he arrived to the Great Hall unnerved him.

"Keep the girl out of his sights," urged Jon Arryn when he had led Ned inside the Red Keep. "He will be easier to engage with without the girl there."

"Give her to my nephew's wet nurse then," Ned instructed. Arryn nodded and the two separated, leaving Ned alone in the capacious corridor. His face grew rigid as he drew closer to the throne room. Things were still sour between them since Ned expressed his anger and disappointment in the murder of Rhaegar's family. Robert's hatred for Rhaegar had become unreasonable to the point that he wished every Targaryen dead.

The great pair of bronze doors opened as he entered the cavernous stone hall. Ned noted that Robert had replaced the skulls of the dead dragons and instead adorned the walls with hunting tapestries. Upon the towering barbed throne sat Robert.

Going down on one knee, Ned lowered his head respectfully and greeted the man. "Your Grace."

Robert continued to look at him before abruptly standing and walking down the high and narrow steps until they were just a few feet apart.

"You've done well this entire war yet when I expect you and Stannis to take Dragonstone, I was not prepared to hear that you allowed Viserys to escape nor did I expect you to let the dragonspawn live," Robert said after a tense moment.

"You were not there," Ned started evenly. "Rhaella laid dying when I found her. She begged me not to hurt the girl. How could I refuse?"

"You refuse because it was an order from your king," he snapped waspishly. "You honor that bitch's wish yet what do Targaryens know of honor? Go back to Winterfell and into your crypt, and ask Lyanna about the dragon's honor!"

"Unlike your lions, I refuse to treat a child with such treachery," Ned fired back. "I will protect her, treat her as my own. Daenerys Stormborn should not pay for her father's sins. If you do not like it then send your lion to do your dirty work."

"You speak ugly words, Ned," growled Robert. His jaw clenched and his right fist twitched. "What makes you think that Targaryen girl will be as grateful as you believe her to be? What will you do when she grows teats and decides that she wants back the fucking throne? Then what, Ned? What will you do?"

If Ned were more like Brandon, he would have let his boiled blood speak the better of him. Brandon had the wolf's blood and would have eagerly fought Robert until they ran out of punches to give, but Ned was not Brandon. His eyes grew hard as stones while his face shifted into something so cold that it often made others afraid to speak to him.

"If the girl has an appetite for vengeance then so be it," Ned replied in a restrained voice. "But I will raise her and keep her in Winterfell and if she attempts treason as you so believe then she is yours. Other than that, I won't allow you to lay a hand on her, Your Grace."

Robert bristled at his glacial tone. "You would go against your friend for the sister of the man who raped Lyanna?"

"You are not the only one who has suffered."

They stared at each for a long time and Ned could see the hurt in Robert's eyes. He feels as though I have betrayed him, Ned realized. But did he not understand? Ned had gone to war with him, stood by his side as they rebelled against the kingdom yet Robert kept forgetting that Lyanna was his sister. He was the one who watched her die in the Tower of Joy.

King Robert turned away from him, disgusted. "Leave my sight and take your dragonspawn with you."

Ned left without another word, ready to return home.

"Is that all he does?" asked a familiar voice. Catelyn Tully looked up to find Edmure peering at the sleeping bundle in her arms.

"What? Sleep?" she asked. When he nodded, she couldn't suppress her amused smile. "That's what babies do, Edmure."

"How boring," he remarked and she chuckled. "Father says your husband should be here soon."

Catelyn's smile disappeared and she looked down at baby sleeping soundlessly against her chest. Thankfully, Edmure was by her window and couldn't see the disappointed expression on her face. Eddard returning meant leaving Riverrun sooner than anticipated. Ever since she became betrothed to Brandon Stark, she fantasized about living in the winter wonderland. Now that she was Eddard's wife, she saw a different Winterfell. She imagined it was like him: cold and frozen.

Edmure wasn't wrong about Eddard arriving soon. Five hours later, her husband finally reached Riverrun. She, Robb, and Edmure were waiting by the gates for Eddard when he and his party poured through. Catelyn frowned when she thought she saw a woman among the soldiers mounting their horses.

"My lord," she greeted, holding Robb closer when she heard him whine. The noise was becoming too much for the baby, but she wanted him to meet his father. "I'm relieved that you've returned safely."

"My lady," Eddard said, his voice distant and formal. "Is it…?"

"A boy, yes," she answered proudly. "His name is Robb. He looks just like Edmure did as a babe."

Eddard smiled at Edmure who blushed. He always seemed to blush when Catelyn compared him to Robb. His voice was a little warmer when he addressed Edmure who in return mumbled his greetings.

"My lady, would you take me to your godswood? I would have words with you," Eddard suddenly asked.

"Of course." Catelyn led her husband to the godswood.

In her childhood, the godswood was a place where she, Lysa, Edmure, and Petyr could play all sorts of games that her father wouldn't approve of. She even shared her first kiss with Brandon when he came to visit for the first time. She did, however, know the value that place held for Eddard and refrained from mentioning anything.

Once they reached the godswood, Eddard looked more than surprised at the sight of it. "Your godswood is very beautiful. Far different than mine back home." He turned to her and looked at the baby in her arms. "May I?"

She handed him over without question. Catelyn would never deprive her husband of being around his children

Children? Do you plan to have more? She thought, ignoring the warmth rushing to her cheeks.

Nothing was said for some time. Eddard held their son carefully, afraid to drop him. It would have made her laugh if she weren't wondering about the reason why he brought them here. Had something happened back in King's Landing?

"Robert sent me with Stannis to take Dragonstone," Eddard finally said. "I had wanted to wait until the storm ended, but Robert had been impatient and forced us to leave at once."

"Did he not realize how dangerous the waters were?" Catelyn asked, surprised.

"His hate for all Targaryens clouded his senses," he answered quietly. "Rhaella was dying when I found her, weakened from giving birth. She begged me not to hurt her daughter, and if you had seen her, Catelyn, heard her..." Eddard paused, remembering. "I could not harm that girl and I could not live with myself if I let Robert get his hands on her. Not after the way he handled Elia and her children."

Catelyn let out a shuddering breath as she recalled the letter from Eddard. He hadn't described their deaths in vivid detail, but everyone in Westeros heard of the horror. Raped and murdered, her child's brains on the wall in her room... Catelyn had a sudden urge to hold Robb forever.

"So we are to keep her?" It was meant as a question, but Catelyn knew the answer. "You know as well as I do that the North does not have a fondness for Targaryens. Your sworn Houses will think you a loyalist to the fallen dynasty."

"What kind of man do you take me for? To condemn an innocent child for her father's sins? Allow her to grow up alone, with her mother dead, her brother slain, and another escaped? Rhaegar may have taken my sister, but I will not blame her for such actions, and neither should anyone else."

She was startled by the vehemence in his voice, but could not deny the ache in her heart as she considered this. Daenerys would have suffered the same fate as Elia of Dorne and her children if given to Robert, but spared to live as a ward... would her life be any better? Her father was the Mad King, something no one would allow her to forget. Catelyn feared the day Daenerys would become a woman flowered. Would she turn against Eddard and demand the Iron Throne? Or would she dance with madness and terrorize Winterfell?

Her husband noticed her reluctance. "Cat," he said tenderly and she widened her eyes at the endearment. "Tell me what you think."

"I..." she took his hands in hers, and she did not ignore the mild surprise on his face. "Your compassion for this girl overwhelms me and I cannot help but worry about what happens when she comes of age, but..." Catelyn gave a small smile. "I believe the gods will forever bless you for this act of kindness and I will help make certain that everyone treats her with the utmost respect."

A smile spread across Ned's face and it only made her stomach flutter.

"You have my thanks." His smile waned and he hesitated. "Before Brandon died… he fathered a son."

Catelyn stared at him. Fathered a son? Brandon? How? No, he couldn't have. He was betrothed to her. He was in love with her. How could have he have been unfaithful to her? Inhaling sharply, Catelyn tried to push back her hurt. At least it wasn't Eddard who fathered a bastard.

"Who is his mother?" she asked slowly.

"Are you certain you want to know?" Eddard questioned, regarding her. When she said nothing, he said gently, "Ashara Dayne."

Ashara Dayne. Catelyn felt a sharp pain in her chest from just hearing her name. She never met or seen the woman before, but everyone knew of her striking beauty. Of course a beautiful woman like Ashara Dayne would entice Brandon. But Brandon was just in the wrong as she was. He could have denied her. He could have—

I'm married to Eddard, Catelyn reminded herself firmly. There was no need to agonize over Brandon's infidelity. She was never his wife and it wasn't Eddard's bastard that he was mentioning.

"Why are you telling me this?" Catelyn asked, watching as Eddard handled Robb's whining with uncertainty. "He's hungry."

"I went to Starfall to return Arthur Dayne's bones to his sister. She confessed that Brandon was the father of her son when I met her and requested I take him. Not too long after I left her castle, I heard news that… that Ashara had jumped from one of the towers." He turned away after handing her Robb. "Jon is of my blood. Leaving him without a mother in Starfall would have been wrong. I hope you understand that this isn't to hurt you, my lady, but I must honor my family."

"I understand." It didn't hurt any less. Catelyn would have cried, but her duty to her family was more important than her feelings for the dead. "You must be tired, my lord. Rest and we'll leave on the morrow."

He looked at her with something resembling pity, but then smiled. The softness of it caught Catelyn off guard and it eased the pain a little.

"Sounds like an excellent plan," he said then walked with her inside the castle.

A/N: So, we know who Jon's parents are (in this fic). I saw no reason for Ned to hide it, so that's why he told Catelyn. I'd understand why he'd hide it if his parents were Lyanna and Rhaegar, but we'll never know. I just like the idea that Ashara is Jon's mother since she may be alive and could potentially meet him. Since Brandon and Ashara met at the Tourney at Harrenhel, Jon is technically two years older than Robb. I've checked the dates they're born on the wiki, but feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, I'm aware that Stannis didn't sail to Dragonstone during Daenerys's birth, but let's pretend he did for the sake of the story.

Anyways, I hope you guys like the first chapter!