Chapter 1: Prologue

Eddard Stark

Eddard Stark trudged through the warm crypts of his ancestors without a particular direction in mind. Torchlight flickering against the damp stones, he grit his teeth as the deafening quiet invaded his troubled thoughts. Chaos clouded his mind at the moment, brought on by his own actions...

... And those of my sister...

He knew just what he was getting into when he brought little Aemon- Jon home, but he didn't expect Catlyn's reaction to be so... passive yet aggressively hostile.

He could handle war. He could deal with anger. He would tolerate ruling, but having his own wife stare at him so hatefully with nary a word uttered? He couldn't help but feel horrible for bringing his 'bastard' home.

"Promise me Ned. Promise me."

A lone tear fell silently as he continued walking.

Normally, he would find his peace in the godswood, yet his feet led him to the crypts. Passing the empty spots where the statues of his brother, father, and sister would be, he found himself unable to remain in place as his throat choked up. There were too many memories here, too much loss.

Continuing deeper, he rounded several corners as his mind wandered just as far as his body did. Thoughts of family, war, and death hung over him like a dreary overcast day, and yet he still found hope.

Aem- Jon was alive. He was here. He wouldn't end up like his half-siblings did.

Looking up from his musings, he found himself in an unfamiliar part of the crypts. He had never been this way before, and now that he was here, he realized why. This place was uncomfortably hot. Sweating in his furs, he made to turn around before something glimmering in the torchlight caught his eye.

A white statue caught his attention, making him glance over to study it closer. It depicted a woman strikingly similar to Lyanna to the point where his heart stopped for a moment. She had one hand on her hip with a smile on her face, but that wasn't the most surprising feature. In her hand she held a scaled egg over her shoulder, as if to show the world that she had it. A strangely resolute gesture for a crypt so dark. Unlike most of the statues in the crypts, this one was made of marble. The white and blue stone glistened off of both the statue and the scaled textures of the egg when his torch flickered, giving the tomb a gemstone-like appearance.

Glancing down to the engraving, he read, "Sara Snow. She who caught the heart of a dragon."

He stared at the statue for a long moment, wondering if Lyanna's statue would look like this. He had a feeling that the gray stone he commissioned for his family wouldn't compare to the tomb in front of him, let alone the defiant sassy smiles he remembered from his sister. Yet another disappointment.

Gritting his teeth so hard they hurt, he shook his head as he made his way back. He should have gone to the godswood. It seems even his ancestors would not have mercy on him today.

As the torchlight died and the footsteps faded, the statue sat but the egg stirred.

-Author's Note-

Hello everyone... Welcome to another "Pyre has a thing that won't leave his head" moment.

For those that are new to my stories, I don't like remaining on canon, so expect deviation. I hope you all enjoy this, as I use this little creative idea to try and re-jog my will to write.

As always, if you like it, consider giving me a follow and a favorite, and no matter how long it's been, I still read all reviews and they always bring a smile to my face.