"So you are here to tell me that my husband, who has just been executed for crimes he did not commit, lied to me for over eighteen years about a child I believed was his bastard," Lady Catelyn pondered as she tried to sort through the pain running through her head. "And all of my feelings of shame and inadequacy were pointless as Jon is actually Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark's son."

"Yeah, that's about correct," Myria muttered as she sat across from the enraged woman. She felt like a small child being scolded instead of an adult discussing a serious topic. Why in the Seven Hells did Robb and Jon think it would be better for her to tell Lady Stark. For the Gods sake, her husband was killed a few days ago, and now this stress on top of that?

Why did she agree to this again?

"And why should I believe this fanciful tale?" The widow hotly asked. "It seems that ever since Jon was legitimized and married to you he has been getting all sorts of 'ideas' about how he deserves more in his life."

"Catelyn," The Dornish woman pressed. "This is not something he is falsifying for attention, and this is not something he even wants. He wasn't even planning on telling Robb, but what else is he supposed to do?"

"Not say a thing!" The Tully woman shot out. "Let Robb declare for Stannis Baratheon, and my family can go home when Stannis takes the throne. You convincing Jon of this flimsy right to the throne will only cause more bloodshed!"

"Why do you think he kept his mouth shut when we arrived at the camp? You, Gendry, and Robb are the only ones who know."

"And that is another issue," The older woman spat out. "You drag a stranger, a bastard no less, into Robb's camp and now apparently risk the fate of the Realm by telling him this paramount secret."

"No, you are leaving Gendry out of this," Myria argued. "He may be a bastard in society's eyes, but he is the only friend I ever truly had growing up. He is a good person."

The red-headed woman slammed her hands onto the table, "You seem to enjoy dragging people into my family and then acting like you are in charge of everything. This is not your family, but mine. My children, my...my husband." Instead of finishing her thought, the Stark matriarch burst into tears at the thought of her husband's fate.

The Dayne woman sighed and moved to place her hand upon the sobbing woman's shoulder. She lightly rubbed her back as she cried for her lost love, and the anger in the other woman simmered away. She knew Lady Catelyn was only reacting this way due to her grief and her personal anger at Jon. She also knew that all of the risky moves she had made would pile up eventually in some way, and it seemed she was not the only woman keeping score. But she knew Gendry was her friend and she just wanted him safe, and living on the Wall would be as far from safe as he could be. Perhaps she was biased though since they are all in a war camp at the moment, or maybe she was simply a selfish person.

"I'm sorry for telling you all this Catelyn, And I know Jon is not going to do anything rash at the moment to protect his family," Her words calmed the crying woman to sniffles instead. "Family always comes first, you of all people know that."

"Family, duty, honor. Those are the words of House Tully," She muttered. "But Jon is not a Tully. If all this is true he is a Stark and a Targaryen."

Purple met blue as the two made eye contact, "And everyone knows how honorable the Starks are, and even though some inbreeding cause some madness, the Targaryen Dynasty has ruled Westeros well for over three hundred years."

"I suppose it all is logical, I just wish my family was not the one in the middle of it," Myria waited as Catelyn let out a quiet sigh. "I think I will go see how Robb is holding up at the moment. He acted so strong when we heard the news, but I know it is killing him on the inside."

The mourning woman then rose from her seat and left the tent Jon and Myria had been given a few days ago. As she swept from the tent the guards outside of it back away and bowed their heads in respect to the grieving widow. As she moved through the camp she noticed how all of the soldiers were giving her a wide berth and she hurried her pace towards the treeline she noticed Robb had entered over an hour ago when Myria called her to the tent. As she maneuvered through the trees in the light forests she caught the sound of metal thunking against wood and followed it to a small clearing where her oldest son was hacking away at a tree with his sword.

"Robb," The mother quickly spoke up in the fear of her child hurting himself, "Robb, you've ruined your sword." The auburn man jerked his head to the left and when he caught sight of his mother he began to shake and the dull weapon slipped from his hands. His mother quickly wrapped her arms around him and he let all of his anguish and sorrow fall from him as she sobbed into her arms. "Shhh, shhh," She gently whispered as she gently ran her hand through his hair and rubbed his back in small circles.

"I'll kill them all," He spat out between shudders and sobs. "Everyone of them. I'll kill them all."

"Oh, my boy," Catelyn whispered. "They still have your sister. We have to get Sansa back, and then we will kill them all." She continued to rock her adult son in her arms as they both mourned the loss of Ned in their own way. She slowly pulled away from her son when his crying had come to a stop and wiped the tears and muck off of his face. He smiled at the motherly affection, and leaned into her hand, silently thanking her for comforting him.

"Have you seen Jon?" The Stark woman pulled her lips tight at his name and silently shook her head. "He," Robb stuttered. "He's been wandering off on his own for the past few days and no one knows where he goes, not even Myria." The Stark male pulled further away from his mother's grasp. "I know you both have your issues, but he loved Father too. And I'm worried about my brother."

"Perhaps Arya may know," Catelyn conceded. "I know she's been slipping out of the tent and I've been acting like I don't notice. She's just as angry as you are."

"If you could talk to her, mother," Robb hinted his intentions to her and she lightly tilted her head in reluctant agreement.

She then led Robb back into camp and to his tent and made sure he was settled before she returned to her tent to confront her youngest daughter. Arya had been sharing her tent and ever since the news of her father's death came three days ago she had been leaving the tent more and more. As Lady Stark was slowing her speed to debate on how to breach the topic with her child she noticed Arya slipping from the back of the tent dressed in another tunic and britches and sneaking through the soldiers around the main part of the camp. The Tully woman decided to quietly follow her daughter to learn of her whereabouts over the past few days.

Arya shuffled around each of the soldier groupings stationed throughout the camp and smirked as she slipped by the final ring of them between the treeline to the South and the Umber marked area of the camp. Being small did have advantages and as she broke into a sprint towards the trees she became elated at her latest escape. She felt bad for leaving her mother and Myria to grieve alone, but she couldn't handle all of the pitiful looks she receives from the men and the Northern Lords. She reached a small creek and jumped on the small bridge of rocks to quickly cross and laughed as she slipped on one of the smaller stepping stones into the water.

The small girl spun her head around when she swore she caught a gasp from behind her, scanning the trees for anything that could indicate a follower. When she didn't see any moving forms she pulled herself from the shallow water and continued on her route. She past through a large thicket of trees and squeezed through a small opening between the wooden masses to a secluded clearing in the wooden sanctuary.

The oak trees curved slightly into the grassy area giving cover form the sun's rays, and the creek further back flowed through the area giving off the fresh scent of wet grass and rainwater. Arya smiled when she caught the form of Jon sitting by the water, but a frown grew on her face when he failed to acknowledge her entrance. The she-wolf shuffled over to stand behind her brother and narrowed her eyes at the colorful, rock-like shapes placed in front of his kneeling form. He had been sneaking here since the news came and hiding with stupid rocks, Arya didn't understand why he cared about them so much.

"Did Father give them to you?" She asked quietly. She had been trying to pry information out of him for the past three days and she was sure he was sick of her constant questioning.

"Aye, he did," Jon finally muttered. "For a wedding gift."

"Why would he give you rocks for a wedding gift? And why do you care about them so much?"

Jon slightly turned his head in his sister's direction, "You know who I am yes?"

"Duh, you're my brother," She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Arya," The man smirked. "You always cross your arms over your chest when you lie."

The girl deflated and begrudgingly uncrossed her offending limbs, huffing as she dropped to the ground. "Alright! I eavesdropped the other night, happy?" She scooted closer to her brother's side and leaned her head onto his shoulder. "But what does it matter if you're a Targaryen? You're still you, Jon."

The somber man wrapped his arm around the small girl as he stared at the sunlight peeking through the tree branches, "I'm glad you think so, that's all I've ever wanted to be." He then grasped the warm, cream-colored egg and placed it in Arya's hands. "They're dragon eggs. A gift from both of my fathers I suppose."

The Stark girl's eyes nearly bulged out of her head at the new information, and carefully cradled the egg she had been given. She gently traced the scaled ridges on the shell as she handled the small item.

"So are you trying to hatch them?"

"Don't know how," The man admitted as he watched his sister place the small egg next to its siblings before picking up the black and red one next. "Guess they bring me some peace, and I know that we" He raised his brow at the girl, "should not be sneaking from camp, but it's dangerous to have them lying around in the open."

Arya ignored her brother's jab but nodded her head at the explanation. Hard to keep a secret if it's right in front of everyone to see, "Could win the war faster with dragons."

Jon chuckled, "Aye, we could."

Arya carefully laid the black egg back down before leaping to her feet and placing her hands upon her hips, "And I could be a dragon rider!" She exclaimed happily. "Think of it! They could be as big as Balerion the Black Dread!"

"Or they could be small and sickly, like the last dragons," The grey-eyed man pointed out.

"They were small only cause they were locked away," The Northern girl argued. "A dragon of the North would be as free as the winter wind."

Jon nodded at his sister's insistence and offered a hand to her as he rose from his place on the grass. Arya gripped his arm and he hauled her up and then bent over to scoop the eggs back into the velvet pouch he had been storing them in. As he turned to face the way back into camp he noticed the hem of a dark blue dress sticking out from behind a tree and patted his sister's back, "Go on back to camp before your mother knows your gone, she doesn't need the extra worry." The ten-year-old groaned but conceded and slipped back through the small crawl space she had entered through when she first arrived. Jon waited until he couldn't hear her running through the trees, keeping his eye on the large tree hiding the woman, "I never pegged you for sneaking, Lady Stark."

The older woman jumped as he called out to her, and embarrassingly peeled herself off of the tree she was hiding behind, "I apologize for my actions, but I was worried about Arya." She kept her eyes to the ground ashamed of her actions. "Robb's been looking for you as well."

"Well, thank you for letting me know, my Lady," Catelyn flinched at the sarcasm dripping from the man's tone. She spared a glance up and shuffled out of the way as Jon moved out of the clearing and back towards camp. She slowly followed after him, politely keeping her distance and relaxed when the tops of the tents came into view. Once the pair had re-entered the camp together, a sight she was embarrassed about but not noticed by others, Jon turned to walk towards his tent when Catelyn's hand caught the back of his cloak.

"I know you miss Ned too, and I'm sorry for listening in on your private conversation," Jon gently released his cloak from her hand while shrugging his shoulders.

"You were worried about your daughter, Lady Stark," He lifted the flap of his tent, but paused before he entered. "But that is not the apology I wish for, good day." The widow let out a breath of relief when his form had fully disappeared into the tent before continuing on her way to her own tent.

She slipped into her personal space but paused at the sight of her two children sitting together on the ground with their dire wolves laying on either side of them. "Mother," Robb rose from his place on the rug and embraced her tightly, "How are you feeling?"

"Better," She patted his back and pulled away. "How are you doing Robb?"

"As good as I can be," He bit his lip and turned back to his sister, "Arya here was telling me about Jon's dragon eggs."

"Robb!" The girl whined from the floor. "That's supposed to be a secret."

"Then why tell me?"

"Because you said I can't ride a horse, but I said if they hatch then I can ride one of them," She defended her loose tongue. Catelyn's spirit brightened at the bickering between her two children.

"Well, as fun as that sounds it has been over a century since a dragon has existed in the world," The mother took a seat at the small circular table by her daughter's sitting area. "I highly doubt they will return now."

"You never know Mother," Robb added. "I heard from Old Nan once that it only takes some sort of blood magic to hatch them, hence the Targaryen words 'fire and blood.'"

"What utter nonsense," The Tully woman rolled her eyes. "The Targaryen words stem from their determination in battle, and what they will use to enact their revenge on those who wrong them."

"I like Robb's idea better," Arya perked up. "Sounds more fun and mysterious."

"Honestly, Arya," Her mother sighed. "When did you become so feisty? I remember you used to be so sweet."

"That was before I grew up," The girl rolled her eyes at her mother's longing voice. "I'm not like Sansa who swoons at any knight who walks by her." Arya paused when she noticed her mother's saddened look from hearing of her eldest daughter. "But I'm sure she's fine since she knows how to act like a perfect lady."

Robb nodded in agreement with his sister, "Yes I'm certain the Lannisters would never harm her, she's too valuable to them." He motioned to Greywind and the lumbering canine rose from his spot next to Nymeria padding over to his master. "I have to go prepare for a meeting of the Lords for our next course of action," He tilted his head to his mother. "If you wish to observe the meeting you may." With the invitation offered he stepped out of the tent.

A few hours later Catelyn was dragging her daughter through the camp towards the center where the men had laid out long tables and chairs for the Lords to hold the public decision over what their next course of action would be now that Robb was officially their new Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. She was luckily able to shove her daughter once more into a dress after tossing away all of the male clothing she found in the tent. How Arya was able to still acquire them she had no idea, but the Stark matriarch insisted on a dress for such a formal occasion, and the girl stubbornly agreed. Both females approached the meeting area in dark Stark grey dresses and the mother smiled at her daughter's light tugging and pulling on the outfit. When they reached the long tables Catelyn caught sight of Robb and Jon sitting next to each other both donned fully in Northern clothing, from metal chest plates with a brown jerkin underneath to the matching wolf's fur cloak the both had draped over their shoulders. She also noticed Myria sitting to Jon's left with a dark purple dress under her own cloak and her hair half pinned up in a simple Northern braided crown. She also caught the form of Theon Greyjoy sitting next to the Dornish Lady, sharing a small conversation with her.

The two Stark men caught sight of the other women and rose from their chairs to pull the empty chairs next to Robb out for them to take their seats. Lady Catelyn gracefully took the seat next to her son and Arya plopped into the chair next to her Jon was holding onto. The Lord next to the ten-year-old, Greatjon Umber, let out a small laugh at the girl's grumpy face before quieting down when Jon took his seat once more and Robb remained standing.

The meeting commenced and it was only a few minutes later when the heated arguing began, "The proper course is clear," Lord Glover announced. "Pledge felty to King Renly and move south to join our forces with his."

"Renly is not the King," Robb pointed out.

The Lord of Deepwood Motte scoffed, "You cannot mean to hold to Joffrey, my Lord? He put your father to death."

"That doesn't make Renly a king," Robb argued.

"Aye," Lord Karstark agreed. "He's Robert's younger brother, Jon here cannot be Lord of Winterfell before Robb. So Renly can't be King before Stannis." Jon gave a sarcastic glance to his wife when she giggled at the Lord's example.

Lord Manderly quirked his brow, "Do we mean to declare for Stannis?"

"Renly is the right," Lord Glover spat back.

"My Lords," Lord Umber cut into the arguing and rose to his feet and walked to the center of the area. "My Lords!" The din of voices lessened at his raised voice. "He is what I say to these two kings," He spat at the ground in response and the other Lords chimed in sounds of approval. "Renly Baratheon is nothing to me, nor Stannis neither. Why should they rule over me and mine from some flowery seat in the South?" He turned to face the Stark family. "What do they know of the war or the Wolfswood? Even their Gods are wrong!" The rest of the Lords shared a laugh at his point. "Why shouldn't we rule ourselves again? It was the dragons we bowed to and now the dragons are dead."

The other Lords murmured words of agreement, but a soft tone from further down the tables caught Greatjon's ear, "You might find yourself wrong, Lord Umber." The large man swung his body around and locked eyes with the Lord of Greywater Watch, Howland Reed.

"Ah, the Little Crannogman disagrees?" The Greatjon answered. "Which of these Southern Lords do you think we should lay down our lives for then?"

Lord Reed shook his head and the mirth in his murky greens eyes confused the Lord of Last Hearth, "I said you were wrong, Umber, but not about the Baratheon brothers."

"He means the point you made about breaking from the rest of the Seven Kingdoms," Robb spoke up. "If we did that it would only paint a target on our backs."

"But we would be fighting for our freedom," Lord Umber persisted.

"This fight is not about our freedom," Robb began. "It is about doing what is right for everyone, not just the North. If we break away as an independent Kingdom we still leave the other six locked in a Civil War that could destroy them all."

The Greatjon glared at his Liege Lord, "Let the Southerners fight themselves to death."

Lady Stark cut in, "How would that help anyone? The moment they stop fighting a victor will appear and force the North to their knees once more."

Robb nodded at his mother, "We need a king who will not see the North as a chess piece, but as a strong and diverse people," The Northern Lords made noises of agreement with the new Lord of Winterfell. "We also need a king who has strong ties to the other Kingdoms."

"Renly has recently married Lady Margaery Tyrell," Lord Glover offered. "That would bring most of the Stormlands and the Reach into the fold."

"True, Lord Glover," Robb agreed. "However there may be someone who would benefit the Realm far more than Renly or Stannis, someone who can even pull Dorne into the fold."

"You can't be speaking for the Targaryen girl, Lord Stark," Lord Manderly raised his brow at the Young Wolf.

"A Targaryen yes, but not Daenerys."

Robb's declaration sent a roar of sound through the crowd of noblemen as they shouted out sounds of outrage mixed with shock. Jon rolled his eyes at the foolish squabbling before he rose from his seat and let out a shrill whistle, causing many in attendance to quiet their voice and cover their ears.

The Lords resituated themselves before Lord Umber once again spoke up from the crowd, "You can't truly mean it, my Lord," He glanced at the Stark man.

"I do, and as Northern bannermen, I understand your worry of any who bears the Targaryen name," Robb acknowledged the mass of gentry. "However, you yourself said the North only bowed to the dragons of old. A dragon is the only hope for peace in the Seven Kingdoms." There was a small noise of grudging agreement through the crowd of lords.

"And who is this man you claim is a Targaryen?" Lord Bolton poised to the auburn Lord. "Surely if we plan to falsify a man to be Prince Aegon Targaryen, as logically he would have been the only male heir left, we need a man of Valyrian features." The Lord of the Dreadfort smirked to himself since there was no way the young man's plan would hold up in reality.

But to the confusion of the Lords, Jon Stark slowly walked around the table to stand next to Robb and the Greatjon, who remained in the center of the clearing.

"My name is Jon Stark, it used to be Snow until the late King Robert Baratheon legitimized me. I was raised in Winterfell by Lord Eddard Stark alongside Robb and the rest of Lady Catelyn's children."

"And what does a legitimized bastard know of this grand plan?" Lord Bolton jokingly asked.

"It's not some fanciful plan Robb concocted if that's what you believe," Jon shot out towards the Flayed Lord. "Stark's are made of honor, his father died trying to do the right thing for the Seven Kingdoms. And Eddard Stark's honor is the only reason why I am alive today."

"Aye," The Greatjon's son, the Smalljon chimed in. "I doubt my father would keep a bastard in Last Hearth in fear of my mother's wrath." The men around him chuckled, but his enjoyment was short-lived when his father smacked him upside the head for his insolence.

Jon raised his brow, but let the comment slide, "Lord Eddard saved my life, not from his wife's ire, but the wrath of King Robert Baratheon eighteen years ago near the end of the Rebellion," His words sent a wave of silence through the group of Lords as they waited for his next. "Robert's hatred for my father was legendary, and I doubt how much he loved my mother would have saved me back then."

"It is well known Robert Baratheon loved Lord Stark," Roose Bolton pointed out as he interrupted the man.

"But," The older man's head turned to the soft voice of Jon's Dornish wife. "Robert's hatred for Prince Rhaegar Targaryen was so vast he still wished for the death of his sister seventeen years after he took the man's life on the Trident."

"Aye, thank you Myria," Jon chimed in as his wife once again took her seat. "My wife is correct, it was no secret of Robert's. He hated the Targaryen man for stealing his betrothed, Lyanna Stark. So Eddard Stark lied to his King, his wife, his friends, even myself to protect a secret he promised to his dying sister."

Robb stepped up to stand next to the black-haired man, "May I present to the Lords of the North, Son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lady Lyanna Stark: Jaehaerys Targaryen, third of his name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm."

As Robb's words seeped into the mind of each Lord in attendance the Greatjon unsheathed his sword and stepped towards the Stark Lord and Targaryen male. The pair tensed at the Lord's approached but calmed as he raised the sword and slammed it into the ground, kneeling before the two men.

"I said it myself, we only bowed to the dragons," He nodded his head towards Jon. "And I will stand by my words, by vows, and by you. Jon of Houses Stark and Targaryen, the Dragon of the North, the rightful King!"

Lord Glover rose from his seat, "I'll have peace on those terms."

Jon glanced behind him when he heard another rise and watched as Theon joined him and Robb in front of the Lords, "Am I your brother? Now and always?"

Jon and Robb both nodded, "Now and always." Theon then removed his own sword and joined the two Lords kneeling.

"My sword is yours, in victory and defeat. From this day until my last day."

Lord Umber smiled at the Greyjoy before he locked eyes with the steel orbs of the man standing before him and yelled out, "The Dragon of the North!"

With Umber's final exclamation the rest of the Northern Lords rose and joined in his cheering, kneeling to their new King with their swords offered to him in service. Jon glanced around at the whole of Lords kneeling before him and widened his eyes when Robb removed his sword and kneeled before him as well.

"My brother, and my King."

With Robb's declaration, the rest of the Lords once again broke into cheers and celebration, but Jon tuned the sound out as he met the eyes of his wife. Everything was about to change, and he hoped it was for the best.