Chapter 6: Chapter Six: Accounting
While Eddard Stark was elated to be reunited with his sister at long last, he was stricken with confusion, as well. That confusion was only heightened when he heard the full name of his newborn nephew.
Ned turned from baby Jon to his mother, and he repeated "'Targaryen?'"
Lyanna merely nodded her head twice. Her momentary joy had disappeared alongside his.
"I know this raises a lot of questions," Lyanna admitted, "All I ask is that you give me a chance to answer them."
Eddard had not ridden hundreds of miles to find his sister just to judge her prematurely. He agreed to allow her the opportunity to explain herself. To her good fortune, she did not have to do so alone. Elia was there to assist her.
Five minutes later, Lord Eddard Stark, Lady Lyanna Stark, Ned's six companions, the three knights of the Kingsguard, Prince Doran Martell, Princess Elia Martell, Prince Oberyn Martell, and Ser Gregor Clegane were gathered in the main chamber of the Tower of Joy.
Jon, Aegon, and Rhaenys were being tended to by Maester Caleotte and Wylla, the midwife Rhaegar had afforded Lyanna.
Lyanna was still too weak from childbirth to rise, so she remained in bed. She did manage to sit up straight with Elia's help.
Once she had the attention of everyone in the room, she proceeded to provide an explanation. "First of all, you should know that I was not kidnapped."
Eddard had already surmised that much, but he and his companions were still astonished to hear it from the wolf girl's lips.
"After Rhaegar crowned me at Harrenhal, I sought out Elia," Lyanna revealed, "My aim was to give her the crown of roses and beg for her forgiveness. At the time, all I could think of was of how much shame I must have caused her. Yet when I found her, she greeted me with kindness instead of hostility."
"I did not fault her for my husband's decision to give her the crown," Elia took over, "I was touched by Lyanna's bravery and empathy; not many women would have done what she did. I bade her to stay with me in my tent for the night. We talked well into the late hours. By daybreak, we were sharing our most intimate secrets with each other."
I'll believe that. Gregor had done the same with Elia aboard the Diligence.
"We each assumed that Rhaegar had a different reason for naming me his Queen of Love and Beauty," Lyanna stated, "Both our reasons turned out to be correct. My reason was the lesser, but it seemed the more obvious at the time."
"What was it?" Eddard Stark queried.
"Do you remember the Knight of the Laughing Tree?" Lyanna asked rhetorically.
Ned gave a light nod, and Lyanna announced "When Lord Howland Reed arrived at the tourney, he was harassed and beaten by three ruffians. Those ruffians were squires to knights from Houses Blount, Frey, and Haigh. I stepped in and chased them off."
Eddard Stark turned to Howland Reed, and the crannogman proclaimed "It's true, Lord Eddard. At her own risk, Lady Lyanna fought to protect my honor. I am indebted to her for that."
"Although I had given the squires a taste of Northern justice, I was determined to teach them humility, too," Lyanna continued, "With Lord Howland's help, I acquired some armor and weapons, and I entered the tourney lists under a false name."
Realization quickly dawned on those who did not already know the truth.
"You were the Knight of the Laughing Tree?" Eddard presumed.
"Yes," Lyanna Stark confirmed, "As you know, I succeeded in my goal. I unhorsed the knights of Blount, Frey, and Haigh, and I encouraged them to guide their squires to be better people. Even after, I considered continuing to compete in the joust. Unfortunately, I had to cut my act short. You all know why."
"The Mad King had another of his many delusions," Oberyn Martell recounted in a dry undertone, "He was led to believe that the Knight of the Laughing Tree was plotting to murder him."
"When Aerys commanded the Knight to be brought before him, I fled," Lyanna went on, "Rhaegar was sent by his father to find me. He stumbled upon me whilst I was removing my armor. Seeing no other way out, I explained my actions to him. To my relief, he found no wrong in them. He promised he would not deliver me to his father… on the condition that I attend the rest of the joust. As a spectator only, of course."
"Then Princess Elia was not the only admirer of your 'bravery and empathy,'" Eddard noted, smirking. He was quite amused by this discovery. Brandon may have been known as "The Wild Wolf," but Lyanna had always been the uncontrollable one. It was just like his sister to do something as rash and reckless as partake in a tourney.
"So Prince Rhaegar crowned you for your heroics in the joust, my lady?" Martyn Cassel conjectured.
"That was what I assumed at first," Lyanna contended, "Then Elia told me her reason."
At that, everyone's focus shifted from Lyanna Stark to the older woman at her side. Elia Martell thusly stated "In his youth, Rhaegar became obsessed with a prophecy. To explain it would take more time than we can spare. It can be abridged to five words: 'The dragon has three heads.'"
Gregor could guess what was coming next. Even so, he listened as intently as everyone else.
Elia illuminated further "The prophecy forecasts the ending of the world itself. It will come in the form of coldness, darkness, and death. Only fire, light, and life can repel this terrible threat. The three-headed dragon will provide all three."
"But what does that have to do with Lady Lyanna?" Gregor inquired, hoping to confirm an old fan theory.
"The three heads of the dragon are supposed to represent three Targaryen children," Elia elaborated, "At least, that was what Rhaegar believed. He also believed that sometime after those three children are grown, actual dragons would return to the known world."
"Dragons have been extinct for over a century," Ser Mark Ryswell pointed out.
"Well, who's to say they cannot come back?" debated Theo Wull, ever the superstitious one.
Paying no mind to those comments, Elia revealed "Rhaegar saw all the signs leading up to the prophecy. Overtime, he became more and more convinced that the end would soon be upon us. As the heir to the Iron Throne, he made it his duty to prevent it. He even tasked himself with being the father of the three heads of the dragon."
After a brief pause, she muttered despairingly "Alas, I was only able to give him two. After Aegon, my womb would never quicken again."
"Even so, Rhaegar did not relent in his efforts to conceive a third child," Lyanna disclosed, "Hence, what happened at Harrenhal."
Eddard Stark's eyes widened in astonishment, as did those of his companions.
"I know how this sounds," Lyanna claimed, "When Elia told me of the prophecy, I assumed she was jesting. Even so, I let her take me to see Rhaegar the following morning. He confirmed everything she said, and I found out that his crowning of me was merely a pretext to his true intention. He told me that he wished me to be the mother of his third child."
Lyanna scoffed and mumbled ruefully "I thought he was mad as his father. I was tempted to leave him and Elia without another word."
"Why didn't you, my lady?" Lord Willam Dustin queried.
"Elia persuaded me to hear them out," Lyanna explicated, "So I did. By the end of that conversation, I must have been a little mad myself. Because I began to believe in the prophecy's validity, as well."
"After just one conversation?" Eddard remarked, clearly amazed, "What did they say to you?"
"Words can leave a great impact on people, Ned," was all Lyanna told her brother in response.
"What came next?" asked Howland Reed.
Lyanna continued with: "Rhaegar only asked me to be his third child's mother. The decision was mine to make. He did not force me to choose on the spot, either. He allotted me a full month to decide. He said that at the end of one month, he would come for my answer. Whatever it was, he would accept it."
Lyanna gazed at the wall languorously and muttered "For a full moon's turn after Harrenhal, I considered my options. For a while, staying in the North seemed preferable to going south. I also felt I was too young to be a mother."
"There we can agree," Eddard conceded, chuckling.
Lyanna chuckled with him, but then she became a little sterner and pronounced "To help me make my decision, I did some research. I spent a lot of time in the library at Winterfell. Probably more than I ever did in the rest of my life. I found some northern legends that bear tremendous similarity to the prophecy of the three-headed dragon. The accounts varied, but they all declared that the world would eventually cease to be through otherworldly means."
"Those were legends, Lya," Eddard argued, "I'd take no more stock in them than I would in Old Nan's stories."
"Some of Old Nan's stories might have actually been history lessons, Ned," Lyanna contended, "The more I read, the more ground I found to believe Rhaegar's prophecy. Soon I was split between going and staying. A week before my reply was due, I concluded I could not make the decision on my own. I elected to seek someone's counsel. Unfortunately, you were already back at the Eyrie with Robert and Lord Jon, Brandon was down in Riverrun, and I was too afraid to approach Father. That just left Benjen."
Eddard's brow furrowed at that. He loved Benjen as much as Lyanna did, but Ben was still a child. Between the four Starks of their generation, Benjen was the one who would not lose interest in Old Nan's stories. He may even retain some belief in them. Ned beckoned his sister "Go on."
"I told Ben all about the prophecy," Lyanna reminisced, "When I was finished, he gave me but one piece of advice. He counseled me to do what I thought to be right."
She let out a slow sigh and murmured "Of course, only I could decide what I thought was right. Running off with a prince might have been irresponsible and silly, but letting the world end when I could have helped save it was far worse. Either way, I knew I would be taking a risk, but the risk of the prophecy being true was just too great to ignore."
"So you willingly chose to go with Rhaegar Targaryen," Eddard Stark concluded.
"Which was no easy task," Lyanna continued, "My betrothal to Robert complicated matters. I did not wish to disgrace our family or his. The only way we could accomplish Rhaegar's plan was if it was done quietly. I swore Benjen to secrecy, and in the middle of the night, I snuck out of Wintefell. Since Rhaegar wanted his third child to be a legitimate one, he and I were wed in front of a heart tree near Castle Cerwyn. Ser Arthur, Ser Gerold, Ser Oswell, and Elia stood as witnesses."
"Didn't Prince Rhaegar's first marriage come into question?" enquired Howland Reed.
"Targaryens have had two wives before, Lord Howland," Gerold Hightower disclosed.
"Indeed," Arthur Dayne concurred, "Furthermore, Prince Rhaegar's marriage to Princess Elia was done in a sept for the New Gods. His marriage to Princess Lyanna was done in front of the Old Gods. Neither nullifies the other."
"That may be," Eddard Stark declared, suddenly a little rigid, "But there's something I must know, Lyanna."
"What, Ned?" the wolf girl asked.
"Why didn't you say anything?" Eddard all but demanded, "To just up and leave without a word… that's reckless, even for you. You could have at least left a note."
Lyanna looked flabbergasted. "But I did leave a note, Ned."
Eddard's aggravation was rapidly replaced with bewilderment. "You did?"
"Yes, I wrote messages for you, Father, and Brandon," Lyanna asserted, "To ensure that they got to you, we sent out three riders and three ravens. Two were destined for Winterfell, two for Riverrun, two for the Eyrie."
"We never received any of them," Eddard countered.
"I sent them, Ned!" Lyanna insisted, "I was so certain they would reach you in time. I was just as shocked as you were when Brandon rode to King's Landing and demanded Rhaegar's head."
"Now look where we are," Eddard mumbled through gritted teeth, "Father… Brandon… Rhaegar… so many others, gone. The fact that you weren't abducted changes everything. I am somewhat comforted by the knowledge that you tried to inform us of your activities. But it makes little difference in the long run. Everyone who died in the rebellion died for nothing."
"No," Ser Oswell Whent disputed, "Not for nothing, Lord Eddard."
"Because of some prophecy…?" Eddard began.
"Ser Oswell is not referring to the prophecy," Gerold Hightower interrupted him, "Prince Rhaegar was conspiring to remove his father from power. That was the true purpose of the tourney at Harrenhal. It was Rhaegar's way of sorting out those loyal to the crown and those loyal to the realm."
"As one who was subjected to the Mad King's 'hospitality,' I can say with certainty that the realm is the obvious choice," Ethan Glover claimed irately, still bearing his wounds from his time in the black cells.
"War was unavoidable in any case," Arthur Dayne debated, "Within two years, the realm would have bled. It was merely a grim misfortune that it did so before we were ready."
"Well, I should congratulate you; you succeeded anyhow," Eddard snapped in anger, "Aerys is no longer on the throne. But neither is his son. Worse yet, before the rebellion, I was third in line to Winterfell. Now, all because of carless negligence, I'mits lord."
"We all sincerely regret that your father and brother were the first of the war's casualties, Lord Eddard," Elia professed, "But please do not place all the guilt for their deaths at Lyanna's feet. I am just as much to blame for your sister's flight as she or my husband is."
"I can accept that, Your Grace," Eddard uttered, still quite furious, "But my father and brother might still live if you had not been so hasty."
"Enough!" Gregor Clegane bellowed, causing everyone present to jump. When all eyes were on him, he pronounced "What's done is done and cannot be undone. There is no use lamenting over it. I understand your frustration, Lord Eddard, but you just waged a war to rescue your sister. I would do the same for mine. I would not care whether or not she was the reason for all the fighting. I would thank the gods if they just kept her alive and reunited me with her."
There came an interval of silence as everyone absorbed the Mountain's point. Eddard let out a slow breath and commented "You've an excellent point, Ser Gregor. I am happy to be with Lya again, I assure you. I could never hate her for this or anything. But even so…"
He did not finish his sentence. He just sighed and leaned against the wall, brushing his long dark brown hair out of his eyes.
"Ned, when I heard about Father and Brandon, I was devastated," Lyanna apprised her brother, not wanting him to think her heartless or thoughtless, "I was so overcome with guilt that I wanted to kill myself at one point. Luckily, Elia and Rhaegar talked me out of that. Later on, I thought about coming out of hiding, but they talked me out of that, too. My reappearance would not have been enough to cease the fighting; it would have only made things worse. Also, I was already with child by then. There would have been no way to explain that without telling the truth. The only solution was for me to go somewhere untouched by the war. So Elia and Rhaegar sent me here for the duration of my pregnancy. Ser Arthur, Ser Oswell, and Ser Gerold have not been holding me prisoner. They've been protecting me."
"They performed their job admirably," Doran Martell noted.
The three Kingsguard knights appeared indifferent to the prince's remark, but they were evidently pleased to have their obedience acknowledged.
"So, where do we go from here?" Oberyn Martell asked curiously.
Gregor stepped forward and announced "For now… I'd recommend doing nothing."
At least Doran will approve of that strategy.
Few others there did, though.
"Nothing?" Gerold Hightower murmured, as though he was disgusted.
"What would you do?" Gregor firmly debated, "The rebellion is over. The realm has been torn apart by war. Most of those who were loyal to the Targaryens have sworn fealty to the Baratheons. There is no point to start the fighting up again. Not when the Seven Kingdoms have been weakened so. Tomorrow you can plan a counterrevolution. Tomorrow you can scheme to restore the Targaryens to the throne. Tomorrow you can plan another war. For today, we should cut our losses and focus on repairing Westeros."
Once again, the Mountain had everyone at a loss for words. They could all agree on at least one of his points. None of them wanted another war so soon after the last one.
"Ser Gregor is correct," Prince Doran contended, "The best course is the gradual one. After all, was it not Rhaegar's impulsiveness that incited the rebellion?"
"Does anyone have anything to say against that?" Arthur Dayne inquired in interest.
When no one spoke, Ser Arthur observed "Then we're all in agreement. Much as the concept of the Usurper on the Iron Throne may repulse some of us, there is little we can do to protest."
"Then for now, we'll allow Robert Baratheon to keep his crown," Doran Martell proclaimed.
"But only for now," Oberyn Martell added in.
Gregor was positive that the Martells were already plotting to put the Targaryens. Needless to say, they would do it in a way that would benefit Dorne heavily. While he doubted he had the capacity to talk them out of this venture, he figured he could at least attempt to get them to consider alternate different approaches.
"I have a proposal," Gregor declared. Once he had everyone's attention, he went on with: "Give Robert Baratheon a chance. He may be a Usurper, but his grandmother was a Targaryen. He does have some claim to the Iron Throne, small though it is. Aside from that, he was the one the rebels selected as their king. They could have chosen Lord Eddard, Lord Tywin, or even Lord Jon. They picked Robert. I would like to believe they did not pick him without reason. They have faith in him. That's more than anyone ever had in Aerys."
"Well, he could hardly be worse than Aerys, either," Elia argued.
"Anyone is better than that fucking madman," Lyanna said flatly.
Except maybe for that shitstain Walder Frey.
"Very well," Gerold Hightower proclaimed, "We'll give your proposal some consideration, Ser Gregor. The wisest course of action would be for some of us to remain in hiding. The children in particular."
"You will provoke no argument from anyone there, Ser Gerold," Gregor proclaimed, "As long as the children are alive, they are not safe. When I placed those decoys in front of the throne, Robert smirked and called them 'dragonspawn.'"
"Yet you would still have us support his reign," Oswell Whent pointed out, grimacing.
"I am holding out hope that he may eventually overcome his prejudice," Gregor claimed, "Until then, the survival of Rhaegar's heirs must be assured."
"Indeed," Doran Martell concurred. A few seconds later, he proposed "Perhaps the surest way to guarantee their safety would be if they were not all kept in the same location."
"I agree," Arthur Dayne coincided, "The children should be kept separate for their own protection."
"I refuse to part with Aegon," Elia declared straightaway. An answer to her concern was devised almost as quickly.
"It would not be difficult for us to keep him in Sunspear," Doran told his sister, "Oberyn could claim him as one of his bastards."
"Certainly," Oberyn stated approvingly, "I already have four daughters. Some would say I was overdue for a son."
"Fair point," Elia stated, amused at her other brother's logic.
"I can shelter Princess Rhaenys in Greywater Watch," Howland Reed offered, "I can ascertain that she will be happy and comfortable there. She would not even have to go under a false name. As long as she is under my protection, no one will ever find her in the Neck."
"Are you absolutely certain of that, Lord Howland?" Elia enquired out of concern for her daughter.
"Quite, Your Grace," the crannogman asserted, "Even little birds can get lost and drown in swamps."
Varys won't like that.
"There is just one aspect that bothers me," Elia pronounced, "She won't have anyone she knows with her."
"Not so, Elia," Lyanna refuted, sitting up a little more, "I'll go with Rhaenys. In what time I've spent with her, I've come to think of her as my own daughter."
Elia was notably pleased by that revelation. She placed her hand on Lyanna's shoulder and remarked "As long as you're with her, I know Rhaenys will be in good hands, Lya."
Lyanna placed her own hand on her friend's hand "Thank you."
Gerold Hightower then stepped forward and observed "But, my princess, that implies that you will have to disappear, as well."
"You assume rightly, Ser Gerold," Lyanna affirmed, "It may be best for all of us if I remain in hiding, as well."
"What of Prince Jon?" Oswell Whent inquired.
"He should be with his family," Lyanna declared, gazing to her brother.
Eddard Stark nodded and stated "I'll take him back to Winterfell and raise him alongside my own son."
"How will you explain him?" Doran Martell asked.
"I'll claim him as my own," Ned stated decisively.
"That would be unwise, Lord Eddard," Gregor immediately disputed, "If you say he is yours, your wife will hold ill will towards both you and Jon. Jon more than you."
"How can you be certain of that, Ser Gregor?" Eddard queried.
"You must trust me, my lord," Gregor contended, "Princess Elia may have been willing to share her husband with your sister, but not all women are as open-minded as she. Furthermore, the Riverlands are full of inherently unforgiving families. The Blackwoods, the Brackens, the Darrys, the Freys… the Tullys are no exception. Catelyn Tully may tolerate Jon if he was your bastard, but she would never accept him."
"Then what would you do, Ser Gregor?" Eddard inquired.
"Would it not be more practical to claim he was Brandon's?" Gregor advised, "From what I've heard of your late brother, he was quite popular with the fair sex."
"He was," Eddard and Lyanna replied in unison.
"In that case, I might have a solution," Ser Arthur Dayne interjected, "My sister Ashara was quite taken with your brother during the tourney at Harrenhal. Recently, she gave birth to a stillborn daughter whom she claimed was his. We could use that situation to our advantage."
"You want me to tell everyone that Jon is the product of Brandon and Ashara's free union?" Eddard assumed.
"If you've a better proposal, I am listening, Lord Eddard," Arthur retorted bluntly.
"No, I think that one may actually work," Eddard thought aloud, "Yes, it could… the timing works out, the concept is fairly plausible, no one could challenge its legitimacy… yes, it would work."
"Then it's settled," Prince Doran announced, "Aegon will grow up in Sunspear, Rhaenys in Greywater Watch, Jon in Winterfell. Does anyone have any objections?"
Only Eddard did. He had just one. He muttered "Robert planned to make Lyanna his queen, as she is still his betrothed. Since that is not to happen, my only other option is to tell him that Lyanna is dead. I worry about how he will handle that news."
"Truthfully, so do I," Lyanna proclaimed, "I do not love Robert, but I certainly do not hate him, either. I already shamed him once when I disregarded our betrothal. I don't wish to be the cause of any further suffering on his part."
"You needn't worry about that, my lady," Gregor stated, "When we get back to King's Landing, Lord Eddard and I are supposed to have a private audience with Robert Baratheon. There I will talk to him."
"'Talk to him?'" Eddard muttered in disbelief, "Ser Gregor, Robert's a man of action, not a man of words."
"Oh, don't be too certain, Lord Eddard," Ser Gregor Clegane contended, "It's as your sister said; one should never underestimate the influence words can have on people."
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