Chapter Text
Author Note: I don’t own Game of Thrones or any of the characters. I only own the plot of the story and a few characters, which are my own.
Summary: Rheagar kills Robert during the Battle of Trident; the Mad King succumbs to his madness; and Lyanna dies in childbirth—a son stolen from his dying mother’s breast. Prince Jacaerys was raised as Jon Snow. Jon/Jacaerys leaves Winterfell, aged fourteen, heading for the Essos to become a sellsword and make something of his life. Six years later, Jon/Jacaerys returns to Westeros, looking for his wife.
Prologue
Tower of Joy, Prince’s Pass, Dorne
281 AC.
Ned had made up his mind about what he would do once they had Lyanna safe. He would take her back North. He had his companions ride hard for the Tower of Joy. The letter from his good brother burned a hole in his saddlebags.
‘Good Brother’ Ned snorted. This whole mess would have been avoided if Lyanna had just done her duty and married Robert. Father, Brandon would still be alive, as would Robert. Ned couldn’t help but blame Lyanna a little for their deaths.
She was just as responsible for their deaths as the Mad King and his son, who was now King. That Targaryen bastard was no king of his.
A group of Targaryen soldiers greeted them as they rode up to the Tower. None of them would leave here alive. The plan was simply to kill them all and burn the bodies and any evidence. Take Lyanna back North to be with her family.
“Lord Stark, what brings you here?" Ned cursed his luck as Ser William Darry and Ser Lewyn Martell came out of the Tower.
“Word from His Grace. King Rhaegar. He’s charged me with bringing the Queen back to the capital. The war is over. King Aerys succumbed to an illness. ” It wasn’t a total lie.
“The Queen is not yet fit to travel.”
"What is wrong with my sister?" Where is she?" Ned demanded his hand on his sword.
“She is in the best possible hands. Lord Stark” Ser Willem Darry blocked his path.
“Very well, then. We will wait here then." Ned was on edge, as were the rest of his men. A painful scream from the tower unsettled him. Lyanna was not fine.
“Lord Stark, what do we do? We are outnumbered. Having the Kingsgaurd here complicates matters,” William Dustin whispered to Ned.
“This changes nothing. We wait for the right time to strike. We will take my sister back north. They won’t stand in our way. Lord Dustin, just relax.”
Ned and his men waited till the Targaryen soldiers and two Kingsguard guards were down before striking.
The melee was short but bloodied. Ned lost most of his men; Howland Reed was the only one of Eddard’s men who survived.
Ned sprinted up the steps as fast as his legs would carry him.
Ned barged through a door, A young, dark-haired woman lay in a pool of blood on a bed.
“Ned” The woman cried for Ned.
“Lyanna” Ned rested his sword at the foot of the bed before kneeling beside her.
“Is that you? Is that really you?” Lyanna weakly spoke. Ned took one of her hands in his and touched the blood-soaked sheets at the foot of the bed. “You're not a dream,” Lyanna whispered as Ned placed his bloodied hand on her forehead.
"No, I’m not a dream." Ned stroked Lyanna’s hair. ”I’m here. I’m right here,” he clarified.
“I’ve missed you, big brother,” Lyanna said, speaking hardly above a whisper.
"Aye, I’ve missed you too,” Ned replied.
“I want to be brave.”
Ned continued to stroke her hair and try to comfort her as she lay dying.
“You are”
“I’m not.” Lyanna sobbed. Ned looked to the foot of the bed, where the pool of blood was getting bigger. ”I don’t want to die,” she cried.
“You're not going to die." Ned didn’t meet Lyanna’s eye. ”For f*ck sake, get her some water. Where's the Maester?”
“It’s too late, my Lord. She’s lost too much blood and has an infection. The young prince is doing well.”
“Prince. A babe,” Ned uttered, looking at his sister in shock. One of the maids handed the babe to Ned.
“Your nephew. Jacaerys Targaryen. I need you to promise me you will take him to King’s Landing, Ned. Both his sister and I won’t make it to King’s Landing. Tell Rhaegar and Elia that I love them both. Promise me, Ned.
That you will deliver my son to his father and mother. That he will have a good life. Promise me”
“I promise,” Ned promised, holding his nephew in his arms.
“I love you, Jacaerys,” Lyanna said weakly before she passed.
Howland stood waiting for Ned as he came out of the tower with the babe in his arms and a woman trailing close behind.
"Ned, where’s Lyanna?”
“She’s with my father, brother, and mother now in the hands of the gods. She made me promise to take her son and raise him in Winterfell. It was a lie that King told us. Lyanna didn’t go with him willingly.
He forced her to marry him and carry his child. I will honor my sister’s wish and take him as my own son. Raise him in Winterfell with his family, where he belongs. Howland, you swear before the Old Gods never to breathe a word of what transpired here in Dorne.” Ned lied.
“I swear Ned before the Old Gods. What is the lad’s name?”
“Jon. Jon Snow will be his name.” Ned declared.
Ned and Howland buried the bodies in unmarked graves. They took Lyanna’s body and that of the stillborn daughter to the nearest village to be prepared for burial.
The Red Keep, Kingslanding, the Crowlands
Two moons later, 281 AC.
Rhaegar and Elia had waited for many moons after the Rebellion for Lyanna and their son or daughter to be brought back to them from Dorne. It had been an anxious wait for the King and Queen for their Queen and Prince or Princess to return to them.
“Your grace, Lord Eddard Stark, has returned.” Ser Barristan Semly announced.
Eddard entered the throne room with a grim look on his face. He had left Jon with Howland and Wyall.
"Eddard, where is Lyanna?” Rhaegar and Elia both looked around for their she-wolf.
“Your Grace I am sorry to tell you. But I was too late. Lyanna and the babe a girl; they both died on the birthing bed.” It wasn’t a complete lie, nor was it the truth.
“Where are my Uncle Ser Lewyn Martell and Ser Willem Darry? Did they not return with you to King’s Landing with the men the King left to guard them?” Elia questioned
“Your Uncle Ser Lewyn, my Queen, and Ser Willem Darry both died of a fever. Lyanna told me before she passed. The men deserted hours before we arrived.” Ned lied through his teeth. “Lyanna wanted the babe’s ashes spread at Summerhall, and her remains returned to Winterfell to be buried in the Cyrpts.”
“She would want to be with her family." Rhaegar's voice was watery, and a lone tear fell as the news sank in. His beloved wild she-wolf, Lyanna, was gone. The gods had taken her and their daughter from him and Elia.
“I don’t mean to be curt or unfeeling. But I must be going. It is a long ride back to Winterfell. My wife and brother will be expecting me back. Your Graces,” Ned bowed his head before leaving.
No one could ever know the truth. The boy was far better away from them and the South. He would be better off with his family and in the North. He would protect the boy, as he had promised Lyanna.
