A/N: Hey guys,
Thanks to the new Pàtreons, I will upload one more chapter today as promised.
Here's today's first chapter. As for the time skip, yes, there will be a time skip of fifteen years after three chapters. The canon events will finally start.
For every two new pàtreons, I will upload one more chapter the next day.
Thanks for your support.
Thanks, Leon Krosch for becoming my Pàtreon.
You can read up to 25 advanced chapters on my pàtreon.
https://www.pàtreon.com/Gnanaa
Enjoy.
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After waiting for half an hour with Clinn and Howland Reed, Edward got to see Ned, whose eyes were still Red. Although Ned was a tough man, no one could hold his tears after seeing his beloved sister die like that. Although she did not get technically raped by Rhaegar, in Ned's eyes, what Rhaegar did was no different. To force the woman who loved her family the most to marry him was not acceptable for Ned. If Rhaegar did not die under Edward's sword in the Trident, Edward wished he would behead the man himself. If Ned had been someone who behaved like Robert and did not value his honor, he would have killed the other children of the Targaryen.
"You're good?" Said Edward trying to see how his friend was feeling after all this. He could wait for Ned if Ned still needed some more time. He was the one who had caused most of this man's tragedy after all, and this was the last thing that he could do for him.
Ned did not reply and just nodded his head to tell Edward that he did not need to care about it. There were much more important things than his feelings at the moment.
"I am grateful for your help, Edward. Thank you." Said the honorable, Eddard Stark, while bowing his head. He had seen with his eyes how much Edward had helped him and his family because of their friendship. Not only did Edward help him with his sword training since the old days in the Eyrie, but Edward took care of The North because of the friendship between the two. He even came here to this desolate place with him to rescue Lyanna when Robert was the one who was supposed to be here with him. Ned did not know why he formed a more closer to Robert instead of Edward. If he did, things might have been a lot different.
"Don't worry about it, Ned. We are friends, are not we? Plus, I did this for Lyanna, not for you." Said Edward as he helped Ned up, then punched him in his shoulder, trying to lighten the mood a little. Edward did not even get embarrassed after getting the gratitude of Ned when he was the biggest reason for something like that to happen.
Ned smiled a little after Edward's try of joking. He knew that Edward was saying that to him so that Ned would not feel burdened. Ned swore in his heart to pay Edward's favors in the future. Whatever that Edward required from the North, Ned would do whatever he could to help him.
"What about the boy? Have you thought of something?" Asked Edward as he looked at the little Jon.
'It is finally the time to start changing things, isn't it?' Thought Edward to himself as he looked at Jon, The supposed promised prince from the prophecy. The reason why Rhaegar got this mad and followed his father's path. The son of fire and ice was in front of him. Edward wondered what would happen if he killed Jon right at the moment. Would the lord of light come down to kill Edward himself?
Edward's mind started formulating different plans in order to put Jon and the lord of light to their best use. Edward did not want Jon to live in The North and then go to the wall. Edward wanted to be the one who had complete control over Jon's fate. But everything would depend on Ned Stark's choice at the moment. Edward needed to ask Ned to let Jon follow him to Storm's End, where he would raise him with his other children, but he knew that Ned would refuse since he had just promised his sister to take care of the young Jon.
"I will take him with me to Winterfell. I will raise him as my son." Said Ned as he looked at the little child in his arms. He looked at the child's eyes with a complicated look. If it was not for his honor and his sister, he would have killed the offspring of that madman Rhaegar.
"You will raise him as your bastard?" Asked Edward faking his surprise. It was as if he was telling Ned, How dare you think of doing something like that to your sister's child?
"What else could I do? I have to do this to protect him from Robert." Said Ned as he looked at Edward after saying that. He needed Edward's support to put up with such a plan. Although Robert was his friend, Ned knew that if he heard that Jon was the child of both Lyanna and Rhaegar, Robert would kill the child without a second thought. Well, It was clear that any lord of Westeros would do the same if they found about this situation, especially the Lannister.
"How would you deal with you Tully's wife then? Would not she bully the poor child because he was your bastard? How would you answer your sister, then?" Asked Edward, making it difficult for Ned. He knew whatever he did; Ned would not allow him to take Jon to Storm's End at the moment. Edward just had to show him that he was making things difficult for Lyanna's child by taking him to Winterfell so that Edward could take him back in the future.
"What else could I do? It is a difficult situation already." Said Ned after thinking about the whole situation. He would already forsake his honor in order to protect his sister. He could only persuade Catylen to treat the child well.
"I could take and raise the boy myself in Storm's End if you like. I think I have a chance to persuade Ashara to take him in and raise him as one of our children instead." Said Edward as he tried to put the idea in Ned's head so that he could do that in the future.
"I prefer to raise him myself. I made my promise to Lyanna." Said Ned as he turned to look at the child in his hand.
"Alright, but I will visit the North everyone once and a while to check on the boy. If I see that you are neglecting him, I will take him with me to Stormsland." Said Edward as he nodded his head to Ned. He then took an Ink and paper from a bag on his horse and started writing a letter.
After hearing Edward's word, a weird expression appeared on Ned's face. He did not know why Edward cared this much about the boy. But after some thinking, Ned assumed that Edward did so for his friendship with him and Lyanna. Ned was not the best thinker in Westeros and could not figure what was in Edward's mind. In fact, Edward would use this simplicity of Ned to take control of the North a little by little.
"What are you doing?" Asked Ned when he saw Edward took a raven and tied the letter he just wrote on the raven's leg. He was afraid that Edward might reveal something about the boy without knowing in the letter.
"Don't worry, Ned. We need a carriage to take your sister's body, don't we? Plus, we have to wait sometime here so that your story would look more convincing." Said Edward as he looked at Ned as if he was an idiot. Was Ned expecting Edward to let Lyanna's body there without taking her with them? Edward had caused enough problem to the girl, so he would not mistreat her dead body as well.