59Disclaimer: I own nothing in this fic. Thank you to everyone who followed, favorited, and reviewed. I did not expect this fic to be this popular when I decided to publish it. 21 followers in just a day! Again thank you so much! Please review if you want me to continue this fic after S3 E4. That was the last chapter that InerNafee posted, so please review and let me know if you want me to continue this fic after that.
demindp93: This fic will have way more than 5 chapters, but thank you for the favorite and review.
"You insignificant worm!" Robert roared getting up from his seat. He made his way to Jaime and pulled him up by his collar. Jaime just smiled cruelly at him, a hint of sadness in his eyes "you never cared for my sister. Why do you care?" he asked in a harsh whisper. Robert was about to retaliate when a harsh wind blew making them all shiver harshly and a previous warning came back to them. Robert let Jaime go and took a step back, growling to himself he returned to his seat. Catelyn was looking venomously at Jaime from her seat but a slight tug on her sleeves broke her glare. She looked to her side and saw that it was Bran in his wheelchair. She looked at her with tears brimming around her eyes and hugged him tightly. Bran at first froze before he awkwardly returned the hug. "Do not hold it against him mother" he started, "he loves his family very much and was very loyal to them" he explained in an even tone. "He crippled you! You could have died" she said holding back a sob.
He shook his head, "I wouldn't have died. And even if he didn't push me, my state would have happened anyways" he explained. Catelyn wanted to ask more but Bran stopped her, "I'm sure the explanation would come up here. But know that I might never be able walk, but I can fly" he said with a small smile and returned to his place beside Sansa who was smiling sadly. Jon too was looking at them sadly while Arya didn't show any emotions which still unnerved both her parents and eldest brother. Catelyn frowned slightly and sat uncomfortably in her seat. Seeing the changes in her children had really unnerved her and from what she knew, even Ned was deeply unnerved. She sighed internally and decided that these memories would be her only way of knowing.
The screen buzzed to life and the next memory started.
The Dothraki khalasar led by Khal Drogo have departed Pentos and are heading east. They travel away from the Free Cities and into the Dothraki sea, the long-grassed plains that the Dothraki call home.
"That looks beautiful" Lyanna said. "It really is" Dany smiled and became slightly nostalgic.
Viserys Targaryen accompanies the khalasar, meaning to stay with Drogo until he fulfills his end of the bargain and provides him with an army with which to invade Westeros, despite Ser Jorah Mormont's suggestion. He tells Viserys that he offended his liege lord, Eddard Stark, by selling poachers into slavery. When he received word, that Eddard meant to execute him for the crime, he fled to Essos.
Dany shuffled in her seat uncomfortably. What Jorah had done was unforgivable and she stood on the very opposite side of it. But she knew Jorah, the man who had changed since that moment and decided that he had earned forgiveness in her eyes.
Viserys laughs at the notion, saying such trivialities would not be punished under his reign. Daenerys is finding adapting to her new role as khaleesi to be a huge challenge. Only Mormont offers her some solace, telling her it will become easier.
"It wasn't comforting in the slightest the way you kept saying it" Dany mumbled in jest. Jorah rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
Daenerys is however fearful of her new husband and it is revealed that their first sexual encounter has left her slightly injured.
Dany blushed hearing a few chuckles, "I was not used to the harshness yet" she defended herself when an amused Jon looked at her.
Fascinated with her gift from Illyrio, Dany asks her handmaidens if they have ever heard of dragons surviving in the east. They reply no, but Doreah, a former pleasure-girl from Lys, tells her an old story about how there used to be two moons in the sky. One wandered too close to the sun and cracked like an egg, spilling out thousands of dragons into the world.
"Probably not how dragons came into existence" Rhaegar snorted lightly with a small smile.
Dany's Dothraki handmaidens Irri and Jhiqui dismiss the story, saying that the moon is a goddess, wife to the sun. Daenerys seeks the advice of her handmaid Doreah. Doreah instructs Daenerys on how to please Drogo in bed but also how to use her skills to gain respect from him. Doreah tells Daenerys, "You are no slave," and that Daenerys should not have sex like one. Daenerys nervously puts these plans into action and is surprised to find Drogo responsive, particularly once she starts using her body in combination with the Dothraki language to speak to him.
"Talking dirty really does help with us" Tyrion said wisely from personal experience earning snorts from Jaime and Jon, the former trying to hide it in a sneeze.
In Winterfell, Bran Stark lies unconscious and badly wounded, his mother by his side. Tyrion Lannister insists to his nephew Joffrey that Joffrey pay his respects to Lord and Lady Stark, since his absence has been noted. When Joffrey refuses, saying the boy means nothing to him, Tyrion slaps Joffrey three times until he accepts his uncle's suggestion.
"The boy deserved it" Tyrion said, meeting his father's glare head on with his own. Tywin admittedly agreed with Tyrion but would not tell him that.
Tyrion then breakfasts with his other family members, informing them of his decision to journey north to see the Wall before returning to King's Landing. He also tells them that Bran is expected to live and notes Cersei and Jaime's guarded reactions.
Tywin bristled in his spot, still in shock from what he had seen.
Cersei visits Catelyn Stark, who is sitting by her son's side, and tells her that her first child, a beautiful, black-haired boy, died of a fever. She and Robert were grief-stricken and her prayers and tears were for naught. She offers to pray for Bran's survival, hoping that this time the gods will listen.
Robert narrowed her eyes, nothing of that sorts had ever happened.
Jon Snow has Winterfell's blacksmith, Mikken, forge a light sword for his sister, Arya.
Arya looked at the screen impassively while she patted on Needle gently.
Arya is excited by the gift and names it Needle. Jon also gives her advice on how to best use the weapon: "Stick them with the pointy end."
"That about sums it up" Robb said with a laugh which Jon and Sansa joined in. Lyanna closed her eyes and took in the sound of Jon's laugh. How she wanted to just hold him.
Jon urges Arya to practice every chance she gets and they hug. Jon then visits his still-comatose Bran to say his farewells and kisses his forehead, before departing at his stepmother's cold request.
Catelyn sighed, "I'm sorry Jon, about that" she said sincerely. Jon, caught by surprise could only nod.
Eddard then says his goodbyes to his son and to a grieved Catelyn, who is angered at his departure while Bran remains ill. Outside, Robb and Jon hug each other before they depart, hoping to see each other soon.
Jon smiled sadly at the screen. That was the last time he had seen his brother. "It can be changed" a voice whispered and Jon agreed. There were people from the past, these events could be changed. "Maybe even" he clenched his fist and pushed the thought out of his head.
The parties depart Winterfell: Jon, Tyrion and Benjen Stark to the Wall; and Eddard, Arya, Sansa and the royal party south to King's Landing. At their parting, Eddard tells Jon, "You are a Stark. You might not have my name, but you have my blood." Ned also promises Jon to tell him about his mother the next time they see one another.
Ned and Lyanna took in a sharp breath. If Ned had promised that, and Jon still didn't know anything the only one thing could have happened. Even Catelyn looked freaked out.
Days later, on the Kingsroad south to the capital, King Robert Baratheon calls a halt to discuss with Eddard some dire news that has just arrived. Robert's spies have learned of Daenerys Targaryen's marriage to Khal Drogo, whose khalasar is reported to number over one hundred thousand warriors. Eddard points out that the Dothraki cannot cross the Narrow Sea, as they have no ships, but Robert is concerned that the Seven Kingdoms will soon face another war.
Rhaegar gave a grateful nod towards Ned for standing up for his sister. Ned nodded back. Dany looked to Ned but didn't say anything while Robert grumbled.
A curious Robert asks Eddard about Wylla, the mother of his bastard son, but Eddard refuses to enlighten him. Robert reminds him that at that time, they were in the middle of a war and no one knew if they would ever return to their families.
Catelyn sighed to herself. It seems that the secret was kept to Ned himself. "If only he had trusted her enough to tell her" She thought bitterly.
In Winterfell, Catelyn's refusal to leave Bran's side is starting to cause problems for the smooth running of the castle. Robb offers to work with Maester Luwin to put the castle to rights. There is then a fire in part of the castle, but this proves to be a distraction to allow an assassin to attempt to finish off Bran. Catelyn holds the assassin off long enough for Bran's direwolf to enter the chamber and tear out the assassin's throat.
Catelyn went stiff at first then relaxed when the danger had passed. Bran smiled sadly seeing his friend again after so long.
Traveling north, Jon and Tyrion talk, and Tyrion reveals that he reads books to sharpen his mind, his greatest asset and weapon.
"The strongest and most dangerous of weapons out there" Rhaegar said with a smile at Tyrion which he returned.
As it travels north, the party is joined by several, new recruits — rapists who chose to "take the black," rather than face the knife. Tyrion tells Jon that the Night's Watch is not the noble institution it was once was, idealized with glorious knights defending the realm against the horrors lurking beyond the Wall, and says Jon is smarter than to believe the stories his wet-nurse told him about "grumpkins and snarks and other monsters".
"Guess none of us saw it coming" Tyrion muttered
In Winterfell, Catelyn goes to the tower from where Bran fell and finds a strand of blonde hair on the floor. She summons Robb, Theon, Luwin, and the castle master at arms, Ser Rodrik Cassel, and tells them that she suspects that the Lannisters tried to kill Bran because he might have seen something in the tower.
"You always did catch on fast," Ned said fondly then frowned when he saw Catelyn scowl slightly.
Robb and Theon are all for making war, but Luwin schools them to caution. Catelyn decides that Ned must know the truth and resolves to travel south to King's Landing and meet him there. Ser Rodrik will escort Catelyn while Robb will remain in Winterfell to take charge of the castle in Catelyn's absence. Jon's party crests a rise and sees the Wall before them. Benjen welcomes them, and Tyrion seems impressed by the Wall's sheer size.
"If it was a mammoth for you guys just imagine how insignificant I felt," Tyrion said with a chuckle causing many to join in. He took a sip from his chalice when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up to see that it was Dany who along with Jon and the rest of the future people except Arya and Tormund were smiling at him. "You have already proven to be much more significant than half of us here," Jon said with a smile. Tyrion said nothing but held his chalice to his mouth, a smile on his lips.
On the Kingsroad, the royal party reaches the Crossroads Inn, a noted way stop on the way south to the capital. Prince Joffrey's bodyguard, Sandor Clegane, also known as "the Hound," a man with half his face burned in a mysterious accident, introduces Sansa to Ser Ilyn Payne, the king's headsman, a frightening-looking man who had his tongue torn out on the orders of the Mad King many years ago. Joffrey saves Sansa from this unpleasantness and takes her for a walk along the riverbank. They find Arya practicing her sword work with Mycah, the son of the party's butcher. Joffrey pretends to take offense at Mycah using a sword on the sister of his betrothed and starts to gleefully cut Mycah's face with his sword, but an outraged Arya hits him on the head with a stick.
"Should have used a real sword and skewered him on the spot" Sansa scowled. Jon chuckled nervously and rubbed her back. Robert scowled at seeing his son's actions and his weakness.
Joffrey quickly becomes violent and threatens Arya at sword point, but before he can hurt her, Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, attacks Joffrey, biting at his arm. Mycah runs off, and Arya throws Joffrey's sword in the river before running off herself. Sansa tries to help Joffrey, but he spitefully tells her to leave him alone and go for help.
"Should have left him for dead is what I should have done" Sansa growled. "The wound wasn't lethal" Arya suddenly spoke up making her jump and letting her anger get replaced by surprise. Most of them had forgotten that Arya was still in the room.
Arya, knowing that Nymeria will be punished for injuring the prince, forces the direwolf to flee by throwing a rock at her. She is then taken before the King, who is angered that a minor fracas has become a major incident, with his wife and new Hand blaming one another's children. Joffrey offers a false account of the incident, and asks Sansa to confirm it. Put in an impossible position, Sansa refuses to contradict him, enraging Arya.
Sansa sighs sadly remembering what her choice had meant back then. She felt a cold hand on hers which brought her out of her musings. She looked up to see that it was Arya who had put a hand on hers but said nothing else. Sansa smiled a little and gave her hand a squeeze.
The King decides to let Ned discipline Arya while he will do the same to Joffrey, but Cersei demands that the direwolf be executed. When Nymeria cannot be found, Cersei spitefully requests that Sansa's direwolf Lady be killed instead, and Robert acquiesces, upsetting Sansa and further angering Arya. Furious, Eddard attends to the matter himself, passing the Hound arriving with Mycah's bloodied corpse.
Ned's eyes became dangerously narrow, scaring those that looked at him in that moment.
Eddard is shocked and disgusted, and when he asks if the Hound ran Mycah down, the Hound responds "He ran, but not very fast." Eddard kills Lady with a dagger, and hundreds of miles away, Bran awakens.
Catelyn let out a breath she didn't know that she was holding.