6A/N: Finally, the show confirmed Rhaegar and Lyanna's marriage. Changes made according to the Season 7 finale.
Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones/A Song of Fire and Ice and its characters, they are properties of George R. R. Martin, D. B. Weiss and David Benioff.
Ned Tells All
Ned watched as Jon left the room and shut the door behind him. Ned walked up to the bed where his ten year old son Brandon rested unconscious and his wife Catelyn prayed for Bran's recovery, her red hair untied and uncombed rather than in the usual braid. Ned sat beside Catelyn and brushed Bran's hair.
"Seventeen years ago you rode with Robert Baratheon and returned with a son from another woman and now you leave again," Catelyn remarked.
"I have no choice," The newly appointed Hand of the King tried to reason with his wife.
"Men always say that, but you have made your choice," Catelyn retorted before breaking down in tears and burying her face into her hands, "I can't do this anymore Ned, I can't."
Seeing his spouse distraught, Ned's heart turned so heavy, he felt it would burst under the weight of every secret he kept from his wife. He could hold them in no longer.
"Cat, there are many things that I have kept from you. Many secrets that I intended to take to my grave but now I realize should have been confided with you."
Catelyn raised her head, looked into her husband's eyes and asked, "What secrets?"
Ned hesitated for a moment but crushed his apprehension and answered his wife, "Do you recall what I told you about Jon's mother?"
"Some tavern whore," Catelyn spat out.
"Yes," Ned nodded, "Except it wasn't…"
Catelyn shifted closer to Ned, "Then who?"
"Lyanna," Ned answered.
Catelyn's eyes widened, "You mean…"
"Yes."
"With your sister?! You had a bastard born of incest?!" Catelyn asked in outrage.
"What? Of course not! I would never do anything like that! You know me!"
"And yet you had a bastard," Catelyn accused Ned.
"Jon is not my son," Ned corrected.
"You mean… Jon is Rhaegar's bastard? Born from rape?" She gasped in horror.
"That's another thing, turns out Lyanna wasn't kidnapped and raped by Rhaegar Targaryen as we had believed but she went with him willingly."
"So Jon is the lovechild of Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen?"
"About that…"
"Don't tell me…"
"They were wed in Dorne in secret. So Jon isn't a bastard. In fact, his name isn't Jon Snow but Aegon Targaryen."
"No…" Catelyn gasped, stupefied by all that she had learned from her husband.
"Cat, are you okay?" Ned asked his spouse.
Catelyn glared at Ned, startling him, "Your father and brother were killed when they pleaded for Lyanna to be returned. You and Robert Baratheon rebelled against the Mad King, killed Rhaegar and usurped the throne crowning Robert, all under the false belief that Rhaegar had kidnapped, raped and killed your sister. The Targaryens were slaughtered down to three children, including Jon, pardon me, Aegon Targaryen a potential heir to the throne. The potential heir to the throne is leaving for the Wall to join the Night's Watch; giving up on his titles, lands, family, everything else just to guard a seven hundred feet chunk of ice against Wildings and ice zombies. If Robert finds out that Jon is a Targaryen he'll kill the boy and us for harbouring him. Our eldest daughter is betrothed to Robert's Crown Prince, our youngest is to accompany you to King's Landing and you are the new Hand of the King, placing all three of you within Robert's reach should he learn the truth. And you are telling me this when our son Bran lays unconscious and crippled. Just what part of this am I supposed to be okay with?"
"Now do you see why I intended to take these secrets with me to my grave?" Ned asked.
"Aye, your closet is filled with skeletons. Far more skeletons than an honourable man should have. You are not the Ned Stark I knew you to be, just who are you?" Catelyn asked.
Ned remained silent.
"Who. Are. You?" Catelyn insisted, troubled by Ned's silence.
"I am Dr Who, a time-travelling warlock; I was adopted by the Stark family after I crash-landed in Winterfell."
Catelyn Tully Stark fell into the bed beside her unconscious son, her mind stupefied by Ned's revelations and her heart wished she had never heard them.
"Cat?" Ned asked.
"Just leave," Catelyn told Ned.
Ned nodded, stood up and turned to leave, "Tell Bran when he wakes up that I missed him and to remain strong, winter is coming."
"Ned," Catelyn stopped Ned, "Tell him yourself when you return from King's Landing," Catelyn told her life partner, "Or when you write to us."
"Of course," Ned nodded before taking his leave.
Unbeknownst to the Stark family, a little bird had heard their tale, who whispered it to another bird, who whispered to another still and so on till one bird whispered to the Spider in King's Landing.
"Oh dear… that's quite the song you sung for me my little one," said Varys the Master of Whisperers of the King's Small Council.
A/N: Okay, I made up the part about Ned being Dr. Who, if there's such a fan theory I'm unaware of it. Hope you liked the Dr Who part and the story itself. I might write a few more one-shots related to it. Also, check out my other fanfics.