Chapter 25: Jon IV
Summary:
Baby dragons, sappiness, plans, a letter and fluff.
Notes:
I don't yet know how big a deal it is yet, but the notes and dialogue I have on my phone for this story glitched. I lost some stuff, the second half ended up duplicating over the first half. This is why I hate forced updates, and now the app is hardly usable with how laggy it is. It is a mess but I hope I didn't lose anything of importance. One thing I did lose was some reminders of stuff I wanted to include, which is unfortunate.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Smuggling three newborn dragons into one's home was easier said than done, as they found out. Frostfyre had refused to be anywhere near the crate they'd brought to hide the three, the hatchling had snapped at Jon every time he'd tried to move the dragon. The little white dragon had ended up taking residence in the satchel that had carried its egg, poking its head out from under the flap, at least it was as mute as Ghost. Sundancer refused to enter the box until they used the pyre to warm some furs as a bed and Nymerion constantly wanted food and screeched until it got it. They were a very spoiled and entitled lot.
The First Keep was to house the three, but once again Jon's fire breathing hellion refused to conform like the other two. Being ancient and relatively distanced from the trafficked areas of the castle, a few odd calls of dragons should be relatively unnoticed or be attributed to being haunted.
Between Shireen's shadowcat and Sara's owl, the keep was rather free of pests and under Lord Stark's command the forgotten keep was mostly clean even if still unfurnished. Aegon had decided to sleep there even under the constant threat of dragon bites and they'd have to slowly fill his room with fittings rather than just a bedroll.
He, Aegon and Rhaenys, had spent most the day getting to know the reptiles. Sundancer favored her meat cooked but not burnt like Nymerion, Frostfyre ate anything from frozen with ice to as black as its red scaled brethren preferred. Rhaenys' liked to bathe while Aegon's thrashed and clawed away from the tub and Frostfire froze all but its head in the water looking pleased with itself.
Jon hoped to all heavens that the bond between dragon and rider was not so much like a skinchanger's bond, he did not wish to become more like the unintelligent lizard. His only hope was that it was simply a bit playful and excitable as Jon could be if he forgot himself.
Eventually his former siblings and his children came to visit asking a number of questions all at once.
"Are they safe to touch?"
"Kepa! Can I hold Frosty? He is so little!"
"Can they breathe fire yet?"
"Can I touch one?"
"Hey! I used the name Nymeria first!"
"Will they try to eat the direwolves?"
"Do they still like belly rubs?"
The excitement was contagious and he let himself smile. Seeing even his older children fighting to get a good look at little hatchlings was just amusing.
With their small size, Aerea and Robyn squirmed past the others to sit by his sides, or rather half on top of him. Robyn squealed and pressed into him as a bright red tongue flicked her finger but giggled into his shoulder. "Ew!"
"Tummy rubs Frosty!" His youngest daughter tickled the dragon's underbelly before he could stop her. But instead of nipping at Aerea, Frostfyre beat its wings in pleasure. "He still likes it, Kepa!" Large golden-brown eyes looked up at him with such glee that it nearly burst his heart.
The moment was almost too much. He sat surrounded by family, children of his own blood even if not of his own time. It was a dream that Jon had never thought he'd get to experience but now that he had, Jon didn't think he could give the possibility away for anything. Ruffling the both girls' hair, Jon grinned. "Aye, he does. Anything else he likes?"
Maenara jumped in the conversation, brightening the room by showing her newly grown adult teeth. "Snow! He really likes snow!"
"And scaring the shit out of people," Varon added from where he leaned against a nearby wall. He got some glares for his language. "I mean seriously, whichever god thought that a mute white dragon was a dandy idea is mad, completely mad. One moment you're riding through snowfall or a foggy morning next thing you know that thing is just there out of nowhere. It is bloody terrifying."
Most of the group shuddered at the idea, Rhaenys however just raised a brow. "Does it not create the fog and snowfall by chilling the nearby air?"
Daena replied, "It can, which means you normally only see it when it is close. That was the tactic you three used to hold King's Landing against Daenerys and Faegon." Her mother hummed in response.
"Will you take me flying when it is grown?" Arya wore her puppy eyes, they were always more effective than Sansa's, no matter who they were against. While they may be the Stark grey, they were the more round shape of her Tully blood.
Better men have caved before that face, and Jon was by no means the first repeat victim. "I need to learn to fly first but once I know it is safe and I have time, I'll take any of you."
Margaery and Val smiled at not even needing to ask. Sansa on the other hand looked a bit hesitant and nervous, Jon could work her through it privately, he'd make it seem like a storybook. On dragonback, he could show them the world in ways few men had ever seen, that is if Frostfyre doesn't blind them with fog.
The dragon let out a breath of sweltering heat making the two youngest girls lean away. Myriah and Shireen took advantage of the moment to slide into the small gaps between him and their half-sisters, making Jon squished by the youngest children from each of his potential wives.
"Aww, the wittle baby dwaggon!" Shireen continued her habit of favoring animals over herself by letting the lizard bite and suckle at her finger.
Having none of her sister's antics, Myriah pulled the slightly bloody finger away. "Seven fucking hells Shireen, we don't need another infant apex predator to have a taste for blood. I swear I saw Vampire sniffing at your underthings a moon ago."
Jon cleared his throat, he didn't need to hear about his daughter's moon's blood. No, he really really didn't want to think about that.
Understanding his discomfort, Riah took pity on him. Chuckling, she let her chin rest on his shoulder and changed the subject. "You know Lya, dragon hatchlings don't really look a lot like bats."
"Piss off! I was three! Or four. I had never even seen a bat, I just new they like dragons fly but don't have feathers." Laerra scoffed and dipped a hand in the icy tub before splashing them with the chilly water.
The younger girls squealed and ran to the tub for revenge but Val scooped up Aerea before she could start a war, Aerea struggled against her captor, Val however withstood the assault. Without her sister's bad influence and support, Robyn snuggled into Sansa rather than lose.
Taking the brunt of the attack, Jon pushed damp bangs out of his eyes. Shireen and Myriah seemed to have mostly escaped the onslaught by using him as a shield. Great, but wasn't that love, taking a hit for a cherished person. Frostfyre didn't even seem to care or notice, and just remained on its back in Jon's lap with its tongue hanging goofily out the side of its maw.
His mind couldn't help but return to his previous thoughts as he listened to his daughters' laughter or in Aerea's case threats of usurpation by animal army. A phantom pain ached in a hollowed portion of his heart at the realization his mother never got to experience this, never got to feel that subtle, nonverbal love that was evident from his children. Robb, Arya and Bran, never got that either, nor did his uncle and Lady Catelyn ever get to hold a grandchild. It was almost too easy to forget that they had already saved some of their family, Bran still had legs and Lady would live to run with her pack.
To think how close he had been to giving the potential for all of this up. He'd always wanted it but felt he couldn't have it. Now that he had experienced it, if only just a little, Jon wouldn't be able to live without the love of a wife or the pure innocent love of his children.
"...Kepa?" An elegant hand waved before his face, Alsauna looked down at him in concern. "Kepa, what are you thinking?"
Jon couldn't help smiling. "Family. I'm thankful to have this, to have all of you." He looked at each of his children, then his potential wives, then his Stark siblings and Aegon. This was his family.
A thump sounded when Varon hit his chest with a fist, resting it above his heart. "Where's the ale? I could toast to that!"
Hitting his twin with his almost fully healed arm, Jael grinned. "Silent toast at supper for family?"
A messy non-uniform "Aye!" was shared across the room.
The melodic teasing tone of Haella swiftly followed. "The little ones will have to stick to water or juice. Remember that time Nardy got wasted?"
"Brynnard!" Sansa's cheeks were as red as her hair, the sight made Robb and Arya chuckle.
"I saved you from Harry the Hairless, your former betrothed. You should be thankful." Brynnard shrugged.
Myriah snorted. "By vomiting on him." If possible that detail made her red haired mother's blush even brighter.
Brow raised, Margaery had the most incredulous look. "That was the best you could come up with? I thought we would have raised you better."
For maybe the first time something seemed to hit a nerve in Brynnard as for a split second he glared. "I may have already been rather intoxicated and that was the best I could think of on short notice."
"Your plan sucked, there were no animals involved!" Still in Val's arms, Aerea turned her nose up at her youngest brother.
Shireen agreed. "Ghost could have made Lord Arryn soil himself without even snarling. Or better yet, sick Lady Arryn on her husband, we all know who tops in that marriage."
Marg clicked her tongue, "Sansa, we really lucked out, didn't we?"
A shy nod and a shared smile was all the response Sansa gave.
Entering the room after being called in, Jon smiled at Elia and Ashara. After the execution and hatching, the two women had asked to have a moment with him and Jon couldn't say no with their motherly eyes on him. They awaited him on a rug before the fire and piled heavily with furs, between them was a platter of finger foods and an exquisite black, silver and violet box.
Ashara's teeth sparkled like pearls as she grinned widely and patted the floor beside her. "Jae! Come join us."
He did as she asked, sitting perhaps a little too close considering they'd only met yesterday but it only made her violet eyes twinkle. "Ashara, Elia." He didn't know how to greet them, he itched to call them mother but he didn't want to scare them off, regardless his lips pulled into a smile in greeting.
It seemed Elia could read minds. "Call us 'Mother,' if you wish, that is." She leaned forward to gently place a dainty tan hand on his own.
"Mothers." He almost expected it to hurt to call anyone but the woman who birthed him that but it felt right.
There were tears gathering in the Dayne's eyes, they expressed happiness, so much happiness, and it hit Jon that he was the cause. Her hand rose to his cheek and her thumb swiped across the bone as if he was the one crying, he may have been. "Jae, you have a lot of your father in you, but so much of Lyanna as well."
While his heart nearly burst from all the love and fondness in Ashara's voice, Jon closed his eyes and just contented himself in the presence of the two.
A pair of lips kissed the crown of Jon's head as Elia spoke a few feet away. "We can never replace Lya but you will always have a mother in us. We are family, you are not my good-son but a son in full to me." The Martell's fingers hooked around his own before squeezing lightly. He can see where Rhaenys gets her tender demeanor.
"And I am a mother of four, not one, not three, four. You are my son, mummer's act or not." Ashara's voice broke at the end. She'd embraced him, resting her cheek atop his head as she held Jon to her chest. "I'd have been your mother in all but blood and birth had Eddard not denied me."
"Really?"
He felt her nod into his hair, and one of her tears wet his scalp. "I- it nearly broke me. He came to Starfall with my brother's sword, my wife's corpse and you. At the time I thought I had lost everything, my husband, two wives, three children, a brother, but I had one thing left of that life: you. I asked to raise you, but Eddard denied me that. He didn't know that my lips kissed you more times through Lya's belly than Rhaegar's, you were Eddard's nephew and so he took you nearly as far away as possible and… I-I lost another son. I had nothing left after that. I-I really would have thrown myself from the tower, I wanted to be wi-with all of you."
Jon held her and let Ashara lean on him. "I'm glad you didn't, I'm glad to have you now even if I could have had you all these years." He wondered how different his life would have been as Ashara's son rather than his uncle's bastard. Too much would be different, he'd have grown up with Egg and Rhaenys rather than Robb, Arya, and the others.
"I am too, I shouldn't have ever thought to leave you in this world alone. You know all too well that our world is far from perfect, if it was we'd have Lya, Rhaegar and Dyanna." Ashara kissed his head once more and pulled back to look at him with glossy eyes that glanced at the box.
The container looked hardly bigger than the one that had contained Frostfyre's egg. "What is inside?" He could guess, they say every Targaryen had a cradle egg.
As Ashara failed to find her voice, Elia moved the crate closer and snuggled into her wife's back. "Dyanna-"
A heartbreaking sob escaped Ashara but her hand slapped the top of the box before fumbling with the latch.
The lid lifted to reveal a silvery egg with the same purple as the Dayne's eyes. The spheroid sat in a bed of… ash, dragonglass and odd shaped metal scraps. Jon's finger graced the scaled egg. "Skinchangers live a second life in their familiar."
"What?" The hope that broke through the sniffles and his newfound mother's sorrow made him regret speaking.
Jon sighed and decided to tell her straight. "Rhaenys suspects Targaryen's bond with their dragons is a specialized form of skinchanging. When a skinchanger dies, their mind attaches to one of their bonded companions. Over time the minds become one. My resurrection was aided because my mind was in Ghost."
Elia looked between the egg, Ashara and him, but ended up fixing Jon with a concerned look. "Jae, do- do you have the scars?" At his nod, her frown deepened. "Do not feel pressured but may we see? A mother would like to see what happened to her child."
A deep breath later and he reluctantly agreed. Undoing his jerkin and exposing his scars, the half dozen or so that litter his chest and the slash on his lower neck. It was only thanks to everyone else's reactions that gave him the strength to keep his head up and see that their fear was for him and not of him.
"Oh Jae!" Both his mothers hugged him, trapping him. Barely a day and their love had mended holes in his heart in not that different a way as his resurrection.
Ashara's finger traced the scars around his eyes. "And these ones?"
The damn eagle. Jon's eyes widened. "I killed a skinchanger, he wasn't happy with me, his eagle wasn't happy with me."
"Do you think Dyanna might be…?" Ashara asked for hope and he didn't know if he could give it.
"It is possible she lives on inside the egg but she'd be all dragon. But I can't say she even bonded to it, they never..." shared a cradle. The same could almost be said of Jon, he'd spent one night with it.
Nodding, Ashara understood solemnly. "After the wars, no dragon controlling horns, no battles, and a potential rider. If even a part of her is in there I'd like to let her experience life even if it is as a dragon."
Jon agreed, "After the wars."
Wiping away her unshed tears, Ashara gave a sad chuckle and another sniffle. "This isn't actually what we even intended to discuss."
"What was?"
Elia laughed too, "I said it earlier but we want to know all that happened to our child. We wanted to ask about your life here."
For a moment, Jon almost refused but Ashara had exposed her heart and if she had that strength so did he. He needed to build his will but he managed to speak. "Lady Stark wasn't the most welcoming, as you may expect, she feared I'd try and usurp Robb. Lord Stark telling neither of us the truth or even a lie probably only made things worse. She ensured I was never quite a part of the family, but Sansa was the only one that was truly distant with me. Robb and I are close because of our age. Arya because we look the most like Starks."
"Eddard never spoke of your mother?" Elia's black eyes held empathy.
Jon shook his head. "Only as an aunt and mostly in comparison with Arya. Otherwise I knew nothing of her, whether she was a lady or a whore. I always dreamt she was highborn, beautiful and kind."
Fond smiles bloomed across their faces, though Ashara's head had a mournful tilt. "Lyanna was most certainly all of those things, among others. She was also bold and brave. Have you been told that she was the Knight of the Laughing tree at the Tourney at Harrenhall?"
"Aye. One of Father's journals said she was defending the honor of a bannerman." Rhaegar Targaryen's admiration of Jon's mother had bled through his words and Jon had been filled with pride at what she had done there.
The mood fell again as Elia returned the conversation to the topic at hand. "Jae, Catelyn was never abusive to you, was she?"
Memories of cold eyes when he was just a boy who had craved the same hugs and kisses she gave Robb resurfaced. Jon had to try to see his life without bias but it was hard. "She never laid a hand on me for better or worse."
"Has she starved you or similar?"
Lord Stark would have…Jon actually had no idea how his former father might have punished her had she tried. "Sometimes I felt she wanted to. My room is smaller and farther from the others but that is understandable."
Ashara didn't look happy about that but agreed that it was within reason, excluding the wishing to starve a child part, a bastard comes after the trueborn children. "And did she verbally abuse you?"
That he was slightly unsure about. "She never really spent enough time on me to do so. Lady Stark called me 'bastard,' 'boy' or 'Snow' if she was to address me which is no worse than others have said." It was worse than not even being worth her attention, she actively avoided him, which probably stoked his desire for acceptance and his ambition more than anything. Jon failed to mention that those were all that she'd refer to him as, and that she'd only just taken to using his name.
A frown marred Elia's kind face. "What about lessons and your education?"
"I shared almost all my lessons with Robb, though I was excluded from some of the private councils Robb got to sit in on with lords, which was Lord Stark's decision. Music too, but that may have been my uncle not wishing me to resemble my real father too much and not Lady Stark's doing." Jon never had a great love for music, though he did enjoy the more intimate moments when Sansa or Val sang.
Snorting, Ashara seemed generally pleased in this regard. "That may be for the better if you are anything like Rhaenys and Aegon is hardly any better but he doesn't make you want to stuff your ears."
Elia smiled at the jest but continued the interrogation. "So Catelyn was simply cold and distant?"
"Aye."
Taking that slightly better than Ashara, Elia took a more diplomatic and gentle response. "Perhaps now that secrets are out of the way, she can finally see you for the wonderful boy you are. She can't change the past or heal the damage her past treatment may have caused you but she can work to make it up to you if you let her. But that is a conclusion she must come to on her own. Do you think you could find it in you to forgive but not forget?"
Jon said nothing. It felt like he would be letting her off easy by forgiving her, a part of him wanted her to feel the fear of being separated from her family or punished. He recognized it did neither of them any good though, an evil doesn't justify more evil, this was no different than the cycle of death and revenge that led to Arya dying and Cassana growing up without her birth mother. A completely different part of him relished the thought of finally becoming a part of the Stark family in whole, Jon may never be able to see her as a mother like he could with Ashara and Elia but he could have an aunt and a good-mother.
"Now, what of Eddard's treatment of you?"
Jon needed to think about that. "He is a lord and busy but he made time for us. When we were younger it was more common but with six of us and his duties, he is spread thin. He treated me much the same as Robb but I only noticed recently that he never explicitly would call me 'son.'"
"What do you think of your childhood as a whole?
"The bastard thing taints much of it, the lies and secrets as well. But I have siblings that would be cousins and despite everything I'm happy, really happy, now at least. I don't know that I'd be able to trade this…" Jon gave Ashara an apologetic look, he'd have nothing to complain about had she raised him but… "Right now though, it feels like I have everything. I wish my mother could be here and my father and sister too but this is enough, as close to perfect as it can get considering the future."
Teary eyed, Ashara couldn't stop nodding and smiling, she understood. She hugged him tightly and Elia joined them. "I wish they were here too, but I'm happy as well. I may not have gotten to raise you but I have you now and that is what matters."
Together they stayed like that, entwined on the floor in the comfortable embrace, until Egg arrived, bald head and all. He paused at the sight of Jon crushed between his mothers but ignored it for the moment. "It is time for the meeting."
Elia let a pained groan when they stood and rubbed her lower back and muttered too low to hear. Straightening her clothes as Rhaenys appeared at the door with a curious look. She had to stand on her toes a little bit to kiss his head as he was already an inch taller than her. "Thank you for opening up to us."
With that they left to the private council room in the Great Keep but not before Aegon pulled him to the side. "Rhaenys I'll reluctantly allow, those two are off limits though!" Egg's harsh whisper caused Jon to laugh, it was absurd.
"I think I have enough wives." Jon decided against directly correcting any assumptions his brother may have concocted.
Jon led the group to the meeting feeling much lighter having left some of the weight of his thoughts back in Elia and Ashara's room, it had felt good to verbal work through his thoughts with someone. They were not the first to arrive but not the last. The table of the war chambers only sat eighteen and their numbers more than doubled that, so each seat would have a shadow and then some.
When Lady Stark entered, Rickon and Bran sufficiently distracted in the care of some servant, Jon silently motioned her to the head of the table, as was her right in place of the Lord. She looked surprised by the offer but the corners of her lip curled upwards ever so lightly and she nodded gratefully.
Saving a seat for his mother, Baelor immediately stood from the chair he lazed and offered it to Rhaenys. He was rewarded for his thoughtfulness with one of her sweetest smiles.
Jon himself solidified his position behind Sansa's chair to let the girls and other lords take the seats.
Next to Val, Jael, the son that took after Jon the most in appearance, brought the meeting to a start with no delay. "Any ravens or news that should be mentioned? Anything on the Boltons yet?"
"The Boltons? My father mentioned Lord Stark told him to be weary and watch our border but you don't think they are plotting treason?" It was another reminder that they had much to inform Wendel of, that is if they wished to be so open with their secrets. As it was he knew little but Jon and the Martell party's identities plus the dragons.
Shifting, Robb crossed his arms. "Not yet. Roose isn't one to play on the losing side." Jon spied one of Robb's hands rub at his chest.
Aemon clarified, "We have reason to suspect Roose may not be fully law abiding. The man's bastard is highly problematic and a threat to the people of the North, and we have reason to suspect Roose knows of his heir's dubious actions."
The frown on Wendel's face exaggerated his walrus-like mustache. "I've met the boy, Ramsay was his name I believe, unnerving lad. Shame what happened to poor Domeric last year."
Sighing, Alsauna continued. "Aye. Rumor has it Domeric was poisoned by his brother when he sought him out."
Wendel nodded. "I heard the same around White Harbor. A hard position it puts Roose in."
"But you probably haven't heard the bastard hunts, rapes and kills women using dogs and that some of his men are Roose's." Blunt as ever, Sara didn't mince or sweeten her words.
The Manderly's bountiful skin became nearly ghastly. "No, no, I haven't."
Jon pressed the man's fears. He needed to ensure the man understood the full consequences of leaving the Bolton's to their own devices. "We fear that should we go to war, Ramsay may be emboldened enough to try his hand at a highborn woman. He likely isn't fond of lords and ladies."
Wendel's understanding was clear, it wasn't just a threat to the smallfolk. "I see. How have we not heard of this?"
"That is why we believe Lord Bolton may have a hand. If he chose to silence his land he could, which is why we tried to put some men inside." Jon hadn't needed to say that Roose's lands have always been silent when it came to gossip.
Rodrik caught the prompt to report on the spies. "They haven't learned much, talk about the Boltons is rare according to them. They did claim locals warned them to seek Roose's approval should our man marry."
"That is not extremely uncommon but it is worrisome," Lady Stark finally spoke up.
Val scowled between her sons. "Why would anyone seek approval of a lord to marry?" It was such a small detail that Jon must have forgotten to mention it when comparing their cultures.
Falling into one of her rambles, Rhaenys explained. "It primarily applies to lords serving other lords or the king. Marriage, which is the merging of bloodlines, is used to create alliances. A king or Lord may not approve of the marriage of those beneath him if they are forging an alliance that may threaten their rule. For example my grandfather, the Mad King, was rightfully suspicious of an alliance of three to five of the nine regions of his kingdom, including the Starks and Tullys, Lady Stark's family. It really isn't effective as they could form an alliance regardless at that point but I suppose the practice mainly was rooted in the tradition of the first night, which was thankfully made illegal by Queen Alysanne and Jaehaerys the First."
"The first night?" asked Val, her disapproval of everything else was plainly visible.
Rhaenys' disgusted face was adorable and almost made him smile despite the subject at hand. "A nauseating tradition that let lords bed the bride of lesser lords and commoners on their wedding night."
With an incredulous look, Val looked around the room with renewed skepticism. "And these lords didn't receive a knife for this?"
Eyes widening, Rhaenys appeared to come to a realization. "There is another tradition as part of the bedding ceremony which involves men at the wedding carrying and disrobing the bride on the way to her wedding bed. This made hiding knives hard, though some lords were later killed by angry husbands." And some brides were beaten by their husbands.
Val fiddled with her new steel dagger's hilt. "And when were these traditions ended?"
A few seconds later Rhaenys had the answer, she had a mind for dates. "The first night was ended around two and a half centuries ago. It was actually an old custom of the First Men so I'm surprised you haven't heard of it. The bedding ceremony is actually still practiced, though women also undress the groom. Sometimes viewers are also present to ensure the bedding is completed."
Snorting, Val shook her head. "And you pride yourselves on being civilized. We fuck before people because privacy and shelter are hard to come by, or don't care for eyes." She turned to Jon. "You wouldn't let men touch those three without consequence, would you?" The deliberate exclusion of herself made it clear she could deal with her own, and Jon knew she was beyond capable of that, he wouldn't leave her alone though.
The idea of someone, anyone, touching any of the four in an improper manner ignited a flame inside the cage of his ribs. "They'd lose a hand. I never liked the tradition but I'll let you design your own weddings." Jon prayed they wouldn't make him suffer for whatever reason but he'd be damned to not give them the choice. He wouldn't be happy but it was something they could work through.
Rhaenys shook her head causing her curls to swing. "I can live without being groped."
Nodding, Sansa frowned. "I'd like to keep my wedding dress intact." Her words made him question if she suffered hands during her first wedding.
The only one hesitating was Marg. "Lords will dislike the disregard for tradition." And that was what Margaery was raised to do, play to everyone's liking, if it was profitable she was to go through with it.
"Your lords will be happy to keep their hands." Val sent a smirk at Jon.
Elia spoke up with a fond tone. "Rhaegar convinced his father to forgo the bedding ceremony at our wedding by claiming a dragon's bride was fit only for a dragon's touch; he knew how to play Aerys' pride." Her words made him a little more proud to be Rhaegar's son, that the man stood up for his bride in this case.
"So ignoring that tangent, we conclude that Roose may be illegally practicing the first night?" Jon asked in an attempt to steer the conversation.
Robb looked as if he wanted to gag. "As disturbing a thought, I'd say it is likely."
"We could try and bait him, hire a whore to play the bride, capture him at the scene and then we'd have the right to investigate the keep for other wrongdoing," Margaery offered.
Leaning back into his chair, Robb looked miserable. "He might not take the bait. Roose may not even really practice the first night."
Jon questioned if Robb's future experiences were making him overestimate the Bolton, but he welcomed the doubt, another side of the conversation that would push them to a better solution. "It wouldn't be the most expensive plan and would save some bloodshed but it still leaves Ramsey, who I'd rather not have inherit the lordship, even momentarily. If he closes the gate, it would take a siege. I wouldn't put it past him to burn the foodstock if he thinks he'll die."
Once more Lady Stark jumped in. "And what of the Dreadfort? Who shall rule it?" He knew she was likely hoping for Bran or Rickon.
He couldn't give his cousin the keep even though he may wish it. "I've thought about it. Barbrey Dustin hates us, and will hate us more soon, her sister was Lady of the Dreadfort. Should William and her continue their marriage, a secondborn child could rule it eventually and in the meantime Martyn, Jory or Rodrik could hold it in their place and take some of the income. Even Mark as a Ryswell might be a good choice though I don't know if you are trained to be a lord or castellan."
"That is if she doesn't make me a eunuch." The Dustin shivered and Jon pitied the man. Both of them could only hope the offer satisfied Barbrey.
Mark raised his hands in surrender. "A holdfast maybe, not a lordship of that scale. I'm a knight, no lord."
"We can settle this later," Varon grumbled impatiently.
Laerra snorted, "No. I think we should name the inheritor now, rather than later when we know the political climate of the moment better." Her voice was dripping with sarcasm and irritation, but she has been in a perpetual state of sickness so it is hard to blame her.
Varon took a step away from his sister whistling. "So… Anything else or shall we get to planning?" His tone was much more polite this time.
Pulling a letter from her sleeve, Cat pushed it towards the middle of the table. "Yes, a raven from Dragonstone."
Robb watched Sara snatch the letter before anyone else. "Stannis replied? Did he accept Father's offer?"
"We can mine the dragonglass but Stannis will provide neither the men nor ships. He already sent Shireen on her way." Cat's eyes turned to look at Dalla, then Val.
Not having been passed the letter, Rhaenys asked, "Did Lord Stark or Stannis add any other conditions?"
Catelyn Stark nodded. "Anything of value found excluding obsidian is to be relinquished to Lord Stannis."
Pursing her lips, Rhaenys muttered, "Including dragon eggs."
Aemon stepped closer to the table and leaned an elbow on Laerra's chair back. "I should supervise the mining then. I know the island better than anyone here, besides possibly Laerra."
Elia was rightfully fretful. "Dragonstone does not have the secret passages of the Red Keep, you must be careful."
"It may lack passages but by no means does it lack secrets. And the eggs won't be leaving the island." Aemon's implication was intriguing.
Having never been to Dragonstone, he didn't know enough to put up much of a fight, not that Jon didn't trust his son. "Stannis' witch may also be there." And she was the real problem, Jon had no idea what she was capable of, she resurrected him and could assassinate a man with a shadow from who knows how far away.
Aemon took on a grim look that was all too familiar. "I'm aware. That also brings up how to defend against shadow babies."
They were on the same page then. "Do we know of anyone who may know how to counter it?"
A voice came from beneath the table. "Brynden River, Bloodraven, the Three Eyed Crow. The Children of the Forest are with him, they might know." After three months with his children, Jon didn't need to kneel to know it was Brynnard. Magic, spying and generally being a troublemaker are all in his wheelhouse.
Jon looked to the stone ceiling. "Another reason to go north…"
A thump and a pained grunt was heard from under the ironwood table. Laerra wore a smirk, "I recall you not being invited to this meeting Brynn. You can either come out or act as my footrest."
A dark mop of messy dark hair emerged from between Sansa and Robb. Brynnard brushed himself off. "As I was not invited I was not privy to this meeting, so when I crawled in this empty room for a nice nap, what a surprise it was for me to wake to all of this." He didn't convince one person. "Anyway the children could also train Bran and I the sight better. Also Dark Sister is there in the cave."
"No." Lady Stark's voice was firm and left no room to argue. "No. I will not let my baby boy go beyond the Wall."
Robb grimaced but faced his mother. "I hate to say it but if I recall correctly Bran's sight allowed our dragonlords here to save a lot of people. It could be a great advantage."
"Can he not learn here?" It was the first time Jon ever heard her plea though undoubtedly she'd plead to his uncle to remove him from Winterfell before. "Must Bran go to a land of the dead and wild- pardon me." She glanced at a stone faced Val apologetically.
At his birthmother's frosty demeanor, Varon shouldered her none too lightly. "Mom, you must admit that the Free Folk are more likely to start a fight than a conversation." There was a bit too much pride in those words for Jon's liking.
Val rolled her eyes but otherwise ignored both remarks. "We must also meet with Mance, he won't wait forever. If we intend to get them past the Wall you can't send someone else, it must be a Stark."
The Freefolk followed the man, Jon was by no means looking forward to returning to Castle Black but he must. "So Robb, Bran, Brynnard, Val and I need to go. Benjen can join us, any volunteers? We only have a bit more than two moons to do everything."
"I'm going." Varon was quick to join. "I need another snowbear anyways."
Arya snorted. "And a more menacing name for it than Snowball." Behind her jest Jon could see the disappointment and defeat at not going but this gave her more time to train.
"A Kingsguard's place is with his king." Contrasting the confidence in Arthur's words was the haunted look that spoke of fourteen years prior and the Trident. It was still surreal that the Sword of the Morning pledged his sword to Jon, it had taken all of his will not to beg for training and tips like some overenthusiastic admirer.
Theon stepped up next. "I'm not going to sit here on my ass." He had been less of an ass recently but that didn't stop him from remaining crude.
After those two volunteers kept coming. Garlan followed, "If the Others exist, then the Reach needs to see it with their own eyes." It was a reasonable enough reason that not even his sister could argue no matter how deep her frown.
Smirking, Oberyn Martell was one of the few to look excited. "I've never been to the Wall."
Four or so moon old shadowcat in her arms, Shireen put her name in the draw. "Why not? Can't have two Shireens in the same place anyway. Besides, Dalla is staying." Her sister was staying to perform the procedure on Shireen's namesake.
"I'm going as well."
"Rhaenys!" Elia was as shocked as he was by her daughter's choice.
He didn't know her well but Rhaenys didn't seem ready for such an mission, not for a lack of ability but Jon had hardly seen her without Rhaenys being buried in furs and Winterfell was hardly as cold as the Wall and beyond. "Are you sure? It'll be even colder, no castles or keep. It'll be dangerous."
Sitting a little more straight, dark eyes met his own challengingly. "I can defend myself well enough. The experience will be good for me. And as I am only just getting to know you, I'm not about to delay that for two moons." That last bit was what bothered him.
Baelor put a hand on Rhaenys' chair. "If you worry for her, then I can help protect her."
Without the in-depth knowledge of her personality and skills, Jon lacked evidence to argue otherwise. "Fine." His newfound mothers gave him a look of sympathetic understanding and they silently impressed upon him the task of taking care of their daughter.
"So… I take it, I have to stay?" Much like Arya, Egg seemed disappointed. Jon wondered if this would be the longest his siblings would go separated.
Rhaenys nodded. "To watch over the dragons, yes. It is also for the best that we have someone here just in the event…" that they fail and die. She didn't have the will to complete the thought.
"I'll remain, my shoulder is still a bit stiff." Jael rolled said joint. Last time he was beyond the Wall, an arrow pierced his shoulder blade and nearly his heart. " I do think Frostfyre should travel to the Wall."
Perking up, Rhaenys grinned and bounced in her seat. "Maester Aemon!"
Smiling, Jonnel chuckled at his muña's excitement. "Aye. I'll go as well. Another Valyrian blade to scare off the snowmen." He patted the white stone depiction of Ghost that was the pommel of Longclaw.
"I don't like this." Lady Stark had made her displeasure quite known already but Jon agreed with her, he had a bad feeling about the mission.
Taking one of Catelyn's hands, Alsauna's rare smile offered a comfort her gloved hand could not. "Grandmother, we are not yet at war, but I'd prefer to take the safer risk now with the outcome of us having a great advantage over our enemies rather than fight multiple wars blind. They are more likely to survive this than a war."
Robb took Lady Stark's other hand. "Mother, we'll protect Bran. Greywind, Ghost and Summer will be there too."
The love and confidence sapped the woman of her fight. "Fine. But is a fortnight of training worth it?" Not alone, but they had two other tasks besides seeing her son trained in greensight.
"The Children would return with us. Last time they went extinct along with the giants and mammoths." Brynnard didn't offer what they'd do with the nearly extinct race but Jon figured they'd be heading through the Neck and by the Isle of Faces and High Heart soon enough.
Jon idly wondered how confused Ser Wendel must be and it only made his smile wider. This is what his children were here for, to help them save not just their family but millions of people and those close to extinction as well. "Another thing we can change."
The day following the meeting they came together once again to discuss the details of the mission beyond the Wall. It was mostly the boring specifics like how many horses and supplies but it was necessary.
Aerea storming in with an apologetic and embarrassed Robyn trailing her sister with unheard pleas however was not to be expected. His youngest marched right over him and stomped. "I want to go too!"
The very idea was something of nightmares, with the foreboding feeling seeping into Jon's dreams to taint them with memories of corpse armies and beings of ice, Jon couldn't in his right mind take his youngest, especially without the body, knowledge and skills of his older self. "Not this time Rhea."
He should have expected it but she somehow made her eyes even larger, rounder, wetter. "But I want to see the dancing light in the sky! You've said it is the most beautiful thing in the whole world." Aerea looked so sad it tore at his heart.
"Besides the mandatory exception of our mothers and siblings." Jonnel smirked at his four mothers and his own addition to the conversation.
Whatever the dancing lights were, they must be beautiful to be compared to his future wives. "Aye, of course." Jonnel had offered him an escape from the trap Aerea put him in and so Jon had to take it. "Aerea, we can't take you because it will be much too dangerous. As of now both the Freefolk and the Others are hostile towards us."
Aerea's lip began to quiver. "But Bran and Brynnard get to go." A reasonable point.
Sighing, Jon ran his non scarred hand down his face. The whole room was watching the interaction. "I don't think any of us want Bran to go and the same can be said for Brynnard, but they have duties that are required of them, that only they can do. Plus they know a bit more of the sword than you." Not that either of them could do much against the strength of a grown man, the undying nature of a wight, or the inhuman speed of an Other.
"It's because I'm a girl, isn't it. I can almost beat Bran and he's older." Her boot clapped loudly against the floor and echoed.
Jon didn't escape the hard parts of being a parent because he was of a different time after all. He'd seen Lord and Lady Stark deal with a misbehaving Arya enough but each time was different and Aerea was not Arya, Arya he could always control. "Aye, maybe so but this isn't just about swordsmanship or because you're a girl. Dalla is staying because she is needed here, just like Bran and Brynnard are going because they are needed there. You could be better than Ser Arthur and it wouldn't change our decision."
A tear escaped the pooling around Aerea's golden-brown eyes. "You hate me..."
That punctured his heart more than the dagger had. "No, and you know that isn't true. You know that I love you and you haven't even been born yet. I'm doing this because I love you, because I'm very very scared of losing you."
This seemed to slow Rhea's tears. "What about Bran and Nardy?"
"I'm scared for everyone but they are a bit older and those two are going because they have to, not because they want to." Jon didn't much want to go either, he'd rather stay warm in Winterfell milking every second he had with his family but he couldn't do that. He needed to go because he needed to make a world where she could live in peace and comfort rather than a frozen hellscape or under the tyrannical thumb of Joffrey and the Lannisters.
"But I want to go..."
To argue with a child… Jon kept himself from groaning or putting his head in his hands. "I know Aerea. I know you want to go but you can't. How about when you get back home, to your time, you say that I promised to take you when it is safe too. You may even get to ride Frostfyre there." The future Jon could handle Aerea, she was technically his kid after all and not Jon's.
Wiping her eyes with the back of her hand, Rhea had gained a sliver of hope. "Really?"
"Aye, it's a possibility."
She thought it over for a moment. "Fine, I'll stay but I want presents." Tyrells…always asking for more.
"Alright, what do you want?" A doll, a dress or a sword were all easy enough for Jon to get, he had long since hoarded his allowance unlike Theon.
Aerea tapped her chin with a finger while thinking. "First, I want a mammoth."
The absurd demand sent any thoughts on his daughter's adorable mannerisms to the other side of the room if not to the other side of the Wall. Jon could only gape at her and note the word: 'First.'
Aegon and others however broke into full blown belly laughter. Jon's brother needed to prop himself up against the table to keep himself on his feet. "Oof, this girl's got high standards."
Not giving Jon a chance to reject the proposed gift, Aerea continued. "Second, I want a blind fishy." Jon didn't even know there were blind fish, was she asking him to blind a fish, that seemed needlessly cruel.
Dalla was careful with her words as she spoke. "Rhea, I don't think that one is even possible."
The girl pouted and for a moment Jon hoped she'd settle for one near impossible demand but it was not to be. "I want a unicorn then."
This little girl would be the death of Jon, he just knew it. He looked to Varon and prayed the man would explain that this one was a much easier task than it sounded.
"No unicorns beyond the Wall. Those shaggy bastards are only on Skagos." Varon shouldn't have mentioned they were anywhere, that implied it was doable.
Aerea frowned. "But Dalla's..."
Fortunately said woman came to Jon's aid once again, Dalla really deserved a hug after this. "Gjallarhorn is half-unicorn, and as of now there are no other half-unicorns."
Being denied by fate once again turned the curly haired girl slightly feral, she growled at everything and nothing in particular. "Then I want one of those tigers that are small enough to fit in a pouch."
Grimacing, Aemon's face was in his palms. "Those are actually monkeys..." Her eldest true brother couldn't see but he received a monster of all glares.
Jon took a knee and put a hand on Aerea's shoulder. "How about you tell the older me that I also promised you a half-unicorn. Any other demands?"
He shouldn't have asked but she rewarded him with such a wonderful smile even if she was missing some baby teeth. "Yes! Promise that I will remain the littlest."
Thanking the gods for her sole reasonable demand, Jon let himself grin. "I'll do my best. But you'll have to tell the older me that one too."
"Okay," she nodded.
Exhaling in relief, Jon moved his hand from her shoulder and held in before her. "So we have a deal?"
Small fingers wrapped around his wrist and they shook. "Deal!" Not a second later she was running off towards Robyn who lingered awkwardly by the door. Stopping with an "Oh," she turned around on her heels and rushed back towards him to barrel into him and tightly hug Jon. "Love you Kepa!" Aerea kissed his cheek and was gone once more.
A whistle made Jon turn from the doorway towards Aegon who looked like evil incarnate with his teasing grin. "You just got completely swindled by a little girl. All that just to live, she truly is a Tyrell, schemers that they are."
Jon spied Margaery glaring but when he caught her eyes, she looked ready to devour him whole. Turning back to Aegon, Jon raised a brow. "I liked to see you with your future children."
"Well, hopefully you'll be waiting a while. Unlike you my children simply have a regular dosage of drama, yours have a double dose with the Stark blood." It spoke of something that a regular dose of drama was measured for a Targaryen. The Baratheons and Lannisters were far from boring houses, it was only a matter of time before Aegon fell victim to their antics.
The magical blood of the Starks and Targaryens was powerful even Jon could admit that. "Aye, but that extra drama is giving us this chance."
Aegon shrugged. "True, but at least I don't owe a little girl a mammoth."
It could have been worse, Jon could think of many things he was glad Aerea didn't ask for. "At least she didn't ask for a dragon."
"At least she didn't ask for one of the Children of the Forest, then you'd have had to explain the sin of cross species slavery." Aegon looked around the room but didn't seem to find what he was looking for, though he smiled at Laerra's snort.
"That can be the future version of me's problem." Jon sure was making quite a big list for the other Jon to deal with. "Do you think in our negotiations with the Freefolk that we could convince them to part with a mammoth?"
Egg's smile died. "We? No ser, that is all you. I'm not even going north. It wasn't I who promised his daughter a mammoth he doesn't have. I do feel sorry if you fail, I've been here for scarcely three days and I've been pranked thrice. That girl with a giant mammoth will be no better but at least we can see and hear her coming."
"And if I tell her that Uncle Egg didn't help me obtain said mammoth, do you think you'd be spared?" Jon relished the look of panic on his brother's face.
Having paled by a few shades, Aegon shivered. "You wouldn't?"
Jon also decided to neglect to mention the rules on pranking that had since been in place after Theon had worms in his soup one day after calling Jon a bastard on habit. "My mercy doesn't extend to traitors."
Shaking a finger at Jon, Egg shied away. "You certainly have that special scary look that kings should have at times and that reluctant ruthlessness thing." He only got a glare in return. "See! That! That is what I mean. Gives me shivers."
Sighing, Jon gave up the teasing. "I hate you."
"Please, you love me, thankfully not in the Targaryen fashion." Aegon had his moments and this was not one of them.
Jon groaned. "I really hate you. It's mad how I have twenty one children and somehow you annoy me more than all of them combined."
That only made Aegon chuckle.
Notes:
Not much to say about this chapter, it ran long so some of the things I had planned will probably be included in the next chapter. Besides some Jon and Cat talks I think most discussions of the past are done. Otherwise this was just a lot of fluff and setting the groundwork for the next arc and whatnot.
In the case of plots like Marg's idea to deal with the Boltons, would it be better to not include them until they are enacted or do you like the discussions? Plots by Stark enemies I don't think will be mentioned before they happen, even if there is a perspective from that character. But I would like your thoughts.
So… I should be posting another fic soon, it'll be oneshots or multi-chapter AUs of this to cover pairings I want to explore but can't include and have each story be entirely devoted to that relationship. Most of the pairing I will be trying to have blended into the main story so they could be considered canon but not ruin this story by overdoing it. Though the first pairing will not fit as it is Jon/Cersei. I estimate it being three or four chapters, 25k words total maybe, and be slightly smutty. The main premise is Cersei forcing Jon to bed her (so DubCon/rape) and Jon accidentally making her grow a heart. Relationships I'd like to cover after that are Jon/Mira, Jon/Calla(fem Faegon) and Jon/Ashara. I make no promises I'll ever get to them though.
Next chapter will be another short multi-perspective chapter focused mainly on character relationships and some fluff, I thought it was kind of needed again. Probably going to be another long one.