#brandon stark x catelyn tully

[fromtheboundlesssea]

The Pack Survives Chapter 98

Brandon XIII

[juuls]

Juulna’s 2021 Multi-Fandom Fanfiction Rec List - Part Six

(Yes, I realize this is a year late, but this year's been a bit nuts. I still hope you enjoy these fics anyway!)

Based only on what I’ve read with my own eyes this year!

Follow me on my journey into what, at times, was…

…actually rather calming! Perhaps you can find some comfort and entertainment, fluff and angst and romance and friendship, smut and a distinct lack of it, space adventures and fantasy and modern adventures, serial killers and good guys, redemption and reconciliation and learning to become someone completely different — there is so much here I read that stuck with me over the past year, and the 2021 Fanfic Reading Challenge ( @fanfic-reading-challenge ) allowed me a new way to keep track of all of my favourites. So props to that event! Definitely participating again (considering I run the event, yeah, that's probably a given lol, but full disclosure).

Without further ado, here were my 2021 fic favourites!

Part One | Part Two | Part Three | Part Four | Part Five | Part Six

Fandom: GoT/AsoIaF

Jaime/Sansa/Oberyn/Ellaria:

Names in the Snow by OperaPhantom

“It’s a punishment,” most whispered. “Punishment from the Old Gods for betraying them for the Seven.”

A few others disagreed. “A gift from the Old Gods to the eldest Stark daughter,” they said. “Or a gift to the North.”

~~~~~~ Sansa Stark receives the Gods' Gift, the mark that identifies her soulmate, only to find out it's what no one, not even herself, expected it to be. But sometimes, surprises can be sweet.

For the February 2021 Pack Prompt of "unexpected".

Jaimsa:

I'm not a princess (this ain't a fairytale) by K_R_Closson

After Joffrey beheads Ned Stark, and his engagement to Sansa is broken, he decides to host a tournament, with the prize being Sansa's hand in marriage. When Jaime Lannister shows up at the last minute to win it, she's afraid she'll be stuck in King's Landing until Joffrey's cruelty does her in. But Jaime made a promise and, one way or another, Lannisters always pay their debts.

Joberyn:

Bequeathed from Pale Estates by Author376

In a Westeros where Soulmates are bound and Marked by the Gods to bind Houses together and pay blood debts, Lyarra Snow and Oberyn Martell are about to get a shock...

Jonsa

and no net ensnares me by thimbleful

Since Jon left, Sansa has struggled to keep things together and she longs for his return. However, when he does return things only become worse. Jon learns about his parentage and doesn't know how to make sense of anything, how to fix the inevitable mess the reveal will create, or how to protect the people he loves. But at least, after all these years, the pack is finally back together. Then, one day, Sansa disappears. Post season 7 fic.

His Winter Queen by @tm-writes-blog

A rewrite of the show's last seasons and how Jon and Sansa forged a true ruling block to challenge the Dragon Queen and defeat the Night King.

There will still be major character deaths, but some very different choices greatly impact the story.

we are buried in broken dreams by Anonymous

Prompt: Sansa and Jon sleeping together before he goes to Dragonstone and when he comes back he finds out she is pregnant.

A full on s8 fix-it fic at this point.

Like winter we are cruel by @ferrame

Winter has come to Winterfell, Jon expects a war north of the Wall, and Littlefinger is brewing one inside the very castle.

you are my sun, my moon (and all of my stars) by Goodforthesoul

When the white wolf came, the Lord of Winterfell had no choice but to give him his eldest daughter. Eddard Stark had grown up on legends of wolves, on the stories of bargains made by the First Men, on the knowledge of the price that he and his family might one day be forced to pay.  His father had explained the reason their house had taken a wolf as its heraldry and “Winter is Coming” as its motto, a reminder of a promise to honor, a recognition of a debt owed that would need, one day, to be paid. Ned had breathed a sigh of relief when his sister’s twentieth winter arrived and the beast had not. And he had watched the dawn sky for the first signs of the snow that would mark that his daughter, too, might also be spared, might escape the fate that had been handed down by their ancestors. But no man could be so lucky. 

Sansa, too, had been born with the North in her blood, had been raised on the stories of white wolves, had lived her life with the knowledge that one might come for her.

if you try to break me, you will bleed by @dialux

It had been a slash across her chest from a White Walker’s sword that finally ended her life. Sansa’d landed in a puddle of her own blood, and she’d died quickly, quietly.

And then she’d awoken with a gasp, trembling, in a bed that had burned under Theon’s betrayal.

The pursuit of non-bath time happiness by Queenofthebees

After Jon refuses Gendry's ask for Arya's hand, citing the fact Sansa was not yet betrothed, Rickon observes and, with the help of Shaggydog, Ghost and Arya, comes up with a plan to have Jon realise he should court Sansa himself. And if it were to result in Jon being less strict about bath times, that was totally coincidental!

The She-Wolves of Winterfell by @vixleonard

The pack survived. So has the Stark habit of keeping secrets.

Jonsaery:

and in the night, you'll hear me calling by @lesbiancerseilannister

When you met your soulmate, touched them for the first time, you would see everything in all its colorful glory.

Jonsanerys:

Brave, Gentle, Strong by @jonsainthenorth

The Night King is defeated, the battle is ended, the dead heroes are burned, but the song is not yet done.

Now, Dany must grapple with the news of her newfound family and the possibility for the Targaryen line to continue beyond her. . . and beyond her brother’s son. She offer Sansa an impossible choice, one that will destroy the Lady of Winterfell's independence but grant her heart's desire and protect the North in perpetuity. Jon is caught between the two halves of himself, between two Queens, Targaryen and Stark, Fire and Ice, Dragon and Direwolf, honor and dishonor...

Sanberyn, Brandon Stark/Catelyn, minor Rhaelyanna, Jon/Cersei:

The Road to Victory by writing_as_tracey

Too late in preparing for the Night King and the Long Night, the last stand at Winterfell is close to falling. Bran takes desperate measures to ensure victory, and Jon, Sansa, and Arya pay the price for it in a time unfamiliar to them, on the cusp of another war. [GoT, time-travel fix it]

Sanberynia:

A Winter in Braavos by Silberias

Sansa escapes to Braavos with the Dornish.

Desert Winds Rather Than Mountain Air by Silberias

Catelyn Stark leaves King's Landing telling even her old friend Petyr Baelish that she is taking her daughters back to Winterfell. Instead she takes them, without telling Ned, to Dorne because if anyone will believe a tale of Lannister treachery it will be the Martells of Dorne.

She realizes, as she reaches the gates of Sunspear, that she is really no better than her father was all those years ago.

Clinging To The Wild Things That Raised Us by TheSweetestThing

If the Martells demanded the traitor Sansa Stark’s hand in marriage in return for peace throughout the Seven Kingdoms, then so be it.

For Fear Tonight Is All by Silberias

Tyrion knew, as he gazed up at the dark skinned Martell man that this was perhaps his only chance to spirit Sansa out of King's Landing and away from his father's greedy fingers. Tywin Lannister would have married the girl himself if he felt he could have gotten away with it, and so Tyrion knew his own marriage was no protection to Ned Stark's daughter whatsoever.

"Invite her, demand her, steal her--whatever you choose, Prince Oberyn, choose it soon. Else my lady wife shall break into more pieces than the stars."

a sad tale's best for winter by @branwyn-says

Oberyn and Ellaria visit the finest brothel in Oldtown. One of its most alluring attraction is the harpist, a girl with dyed brown hair.

She's still a maid, the brothel-keep assures them.

in this expected country they know my name by @lesspopped

At the wedding feast, Oberyn and Ellaria are approached by the Master of Whisperers, who begs they indulge him with a discussion of clothing — specifically, Lady Sansa Stark's. Very fine, they all agree...but what a shame, Ellaria tuts, she has lost an amethyst from her hairnet.

So when Joffrey begins to cough, they follow her, and find her in the godswood.

I See The Stars In Your Eyes by @themistressmaster

She feared that she was just like her aunt, a wreath of winter roses bestowed upon her at a tourney.

Sanberynia/Jon:

Dornish Customs by @framboise-fics

Sansa escapes from the Eyrie to Castle Black after being accused of the death of her late husband Harrold Hardyng, arriving just after Jon has been resurrected. The two of them decide to flee South together and after journeying for many moons, they arrive in Sunspear and find sanctuary with Prince Oberyn and his paramour Ellaria Sand.

But neither of them have escaped from their pasts unscathed, and during the sweltering days and long sultry nights of Dorne, tensions boil over in unexpected ways.

Sansa deserves a good man guarding her, an honourable man, and she has put her trust in Jon, who is not an honourable man at all. Perhaps he came back wrong, he thinks sometimes, perhaps this sickness is something the red priestess gave him.

Stansa:

Half of Winter by @manic-intent

Stannis Baratheon has survived wars, sieges, pitched battles and skirmishes and worse, but nothing has made him feel as lost and out of place and unnerved as this very moment.

The little pink infant in the crib sleeps peacefully, wrapped in furs, and her wrists are innocently blank. For an irrational moment, Stannis envies her, then he straightens up and turns away. Winterfell is warm, somehow - some sort of piped system, apparently - and his gloves are tucked into his belt, baring the pale silver script on the underside of his right wrist: Sansa Stark.

Wolf's Blood by @manic-intent

"Ser Davos tells me that my brother Robb has done something rash," Sansa cuts in hurriedly, before Stannis rebukes Davos. "Is that true? He has broken his word to the Freys?"

"Aye, and Lord Walder will not so easily forgive that," Stannis looks over to the Twins where they are marked on the huge table that forms the centerpiece of the Chamber, and behind him, sleek and voluptuous in her sheer red dress, Melisandre smiles with her full, crimson mouth. "Your brother is a gifted commander, but he is still a very young boy. Still," Stannis adds, with a lift of a shoulder, "Older men than he have sundered far more over women. I should know - I was part of the last war that broke out over a woman. Your aunt."

Queen of the Seven Kingdoms by @sarahtheblack

Ned doesn't go to Cersei with a warning. He goes to Dragonstone.

[shining-m00nlight]

Am I the Asshole?

Catelyn thought she and her husband were happy in their marriage. But Brandon telling her a story brings out insecurities and a lot of questions.

Catelyn snuggled up to her husband a little bit out of breath from their activities. Brandon laid on his back, having a satisfied smile on his face. 

“That was great” he mumbled into her hair.

“It was,” Cat agreed. 

Brandon had always been good at this part of the relationship. Even if Catelyn didn’t like to think about where he got the practice from. 

“You never believe what Ned told me today” 

Ned was Brandon's little brother. Cat had never actually met him. He lived far away since he had been a teen before Catelyn and Brandon started dating. It bothered her a bit. It’s not just that she didn’t know Ned, she knew almost no one in Brandon's family well despite the fact that they were married for a year now. 

She thought that she would meet them all properly with wedding planning and at the wedding and then get to know them after. But that never happened. Brandon and her had married in Las Vegas. He had convinced her to go on this trip with him and some of his colleagues. When he won quite a bit of money, drank quite a bit of liquor he had been on a high and asked her to marry him right this moment. Catelyn also had drunk more than she would have usually had agreed. 

She would regret this decision when she woke up the next day releasing what they had done. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be married to Brandon. She loved him but she had also always dreamed of a big wedding. She had wanted her father to walk her down the aisle. She wanted to hug her sister and brother, when they congratulated her on her wedding. He wanted to dance with her father and her uncle at the reception. And she wanted to meet Brandon’s family and felt like she was becoming part of them due to the marriage. But thanks to their dissection to elope in Vegas she missed out on all of it.

She had met Brandon's father twice, once before and once after they married. Cat thought he liked her when she first met him but the second time it was clear that they disappointed him. Just like they did her father. Catelyn felt awful. Still she had hoped that she and Mr Stark could build a good relationship with each other but that never happened. Catelyn had never been over at the Stark manor again. She wasn’t quite sure if that was due to Mr Stark or Brandon. 

Catelyn never understood why Brandon seemed to have a lack of interest in getting to know each other's families. He had reluctantly agreed to have dinner with her father once after their wedding. It had been a disaster. If Rickard Stark showed that he was disappointed that they didn’t have a proper wedding, Hoster Tully showed that he was angry. He also put all the blame on  Brandon. Catelyn had tried to tell him that it was just as much her direction as it had been Brandons. Her father hadn’t believed her, sometimes she wondered if she even believed herself. When they left her fathers house after Brandon and her father had gotten into a screaming match Brandon had said he would never be doing it again. And he has stuck to it to this day. 

Because of that Brandon had never met either of her siblings. The only sibling of his that she had met was little Benjen. He still lived with his father, so when he met Mr Stark she had met him. He seemed sweet but Catelyn didn’t know much more about him than that. Lyanna, Brandon’s sister also still lived at home but had had no interest in meeting Cat. According to Brandon she was being annoying about not having been at the wedding. 

So when Brandon mentioned one of his siblings Catelyn was immediately super interested and trying to soak up any information about Brandon's family to maybe use it if she ever got to meet them. Because Ned didn’t live close by, he was the sibling Brandon talked the least about so Catelyn immediately perked up. 

“What did Ned tell you today?” 

“He was talking about his friend Robert. Well technically he was complaining a bit but that is because Ned can have a bit of a stick up his arse. He said that he started to be in an open relationship with his girlfriend.”

Catelyn frowned a bit. Why was Brandon telling her that?

“Apparently Robert always had trouble sticking to one woman and when he met his current girlfriend he didn’t wanna cheat on her so he went to her honestly and they opened up the relationship. Isn’t that interesting?”

"Mhh, a bit I guess. But I also find it sad not being happy with being together with one person. Don’t you think?” Catelyn asked. She was getting a bit nervous why Brandon was telling her this story of some friend of his brothers that she didn’t even know.

“Nah. I don’t think it is about that. I think it is just about fun, keeping things interesting.”

"Interesting? Can’t you just keep it interesting with one partner?”

“Yeah, I mean if you try enough. I guess you could.” Brandon said but didn’t sound so sure. It furthered Catelyn's nervousness.

“Why are you telling me this Brandon? I don’t even know this Robert or even your brother by the way. Are you telling me you are bored with our marriage? Or our sexlife?” she wanted to sound casual but the way Brandon reacted she guessed she wasn’t really successful. 

"Jees Cat chill out. I didn’t mean anything. I just told you something. It doesn’t need to have some deep meaning. And if you think I meant anything by it, maybe you should think about why.”

“So you do find our sexlife boring?!”

“Omg, Cat!”

“Well what did you mean then?”

“You know what? Doesn’t matter.” With those words Brandon turned around quickly, turning his back to Catelyn and pushing her unceremoniously to the other side of the bed. 

As Brandon was falling asleep Catelyn laid next to him getting more confused by the second. Brandon was definitely trying to tell her something right? Otherwise he wouldn’t have said she should think about it. But what else could he have meant? What was a story about a guy that started to be in an open relationship was supposed to tell her? Was Brandon bored with their sexlife? Their marriage? Or maybe just her? Did he want an open relationship? She couldn’t believe that he would ask that of her. He knew her. She wasn’t the type of person for an open relationship. She did not want her husband to be with anybody but her. But maybe he really just meant that their could be more excitement in their life. 

Catelyn didn’t see herself as a particularly boring person but she did like her routine. She thought she and Bradon had fallen into a nice one the last few months. But maybe this was exactly what Brandon didn’t like. Maybe she could try making their life a bit more interesting. And maybe that should include their sexlife. Here too they have a certain routine. It was not quite as routine as their day to day life but Catelyn knew that before her Brandon had been with a lot of girls, so maybe he was missing it.  

When she finally fell asleep, she fell asleep with thoughts of how she could make her marriage better.

[icefrye19]

Prologue

                Dragonstone 283 AD

                                 

     " Greatness and Madness are on two opposite side of a coin, every time a Targaryen is born the gods flip a coin and everyone holds their breath and wait to see what side that coun would flip on "

But if this time it would landed on Greatness

As Shaena Targaryen lay in bed sweaty and exhausted, her handmaidens Luna and Brielle  stood by her holding each of her hands.

This was the last place Shaena had expected to find herself at, she expected Brandon her husband, her wolf, her lover, and best friend to be by her side.

But her husband  and Lord Rickon her father in law  was long gone from this wretched world around them at the hands of her mad father.

Rhaegar her stupid foolish of a twin brother and naive foolish sister-in-law Lyanna had ran away with each other claiming they loved each other and wanted to be with one another.

Or what her brother letter had said, her poor sister in law Ella niece and nephew was abandoned at the capital with her father.

Her mother who was heavily pregnant giving birth in the next room besides her  her little brother Viserys was on dragon stone with them.

Her brother-in-law was away at war with Robert the usurper who wanted her brother's head and wanted her head as well claiming she was a Dragon Whore who deserved to bleed for her brother's crimes.

Now here she laid giving birth to her and Brandon's only child, Masters and Midwives surrounded all around her.

The dragon princess let out another piercing scream as another wave of contraction hit her and began to drop down onto the bed weakly.

" My lady you must push " The master encouraged her.

" I can't don't this without Brandon I need him    Shaena sobbed out.

" My lady you are one of the strongest people I  have ever meet you can do this " Luna  said.

" She's right my lady you are a dragon and dragons don't give up " Briellle said.

Shaena rose from the bed again weakly and started to push again screeching out in pain.

" One more push my lady and your child shall be here," The master said.

Shaena pushed with all of her might screaming out loudly in pain, a loud wail filled the room.

" It's a girl my lady " The master smiled holding the young dragon wolf cub in his arm.

" Give her to me please " Shaena  instructed, The master carefully passed the young dragon wolf cub in her arms.

Shaena  began to sob out lightly as she stared down at her daughter, on top of her head laid silver streaks, as she began to coo down at her daughter.

The young dragon cub opened her eyes and gray slight blue eyes  stared back at Shaena

Shaena find it strange at how her daughter had a touch of blue to her eyes she noticed a magical touch to them.

She then remember the prophecy that Rhaegar would go on and on about, the promised princess of ice and fire a princes born of fire and ice that would be the savior of the realm, magic would run through her veins she would be the Queen of winter, ice, fire, wolves

and dragons

Shaena didn't really believe in prophecies as her twin brother did but now she was starting to, Brandon had always say that their child would be special maybe this was would he meant.

" She's beautiful " Shaena smiled, " A True  Targaryen and A Stark " Beielle comments looking down at the young dragon wolf princess in Shaena arms.

" Have you thought on a name yet my princess  ? The master asked.

" Yes I have her name will be Elaena Stark Magicborn Of House Targaryen and Stark, Second Of Her Name, Princess Of Dragonstone and one day Queen Of The North" Shaena started

" That's a beautiful name my lady " Brielle smiled.

As Shaena held her bundle of joy in her arm she couldn't help but feel scared, she knew Robert wanted all Targaryen dead for taking away his precious Lyanna who had ran away willingly with her brother.

But she knew Robert wouldn't listen to reason and could be bloodthirst when he wanted to be.

Shaena could only hope Ned would protect and loved Elaena as his own.

                              Epilogue 

A few days after the young dragon princess had passed away a few months after the birth of her daughter along with Queen Rhaella who had passed away as well giving birth to daughter she named Daenerys.

The last remaining of Rhaegar's kings guard took the targaryen siblings across the sea placing them in hiding.

Ned had traveled to Dragonstone with his men along with his nephew Jahnaerys Targaryen Rhaeagr and Lyanna's son the heir to the iron throne who had disguised as his bastard son Jon Snow

He had climbed the steps of Dragonstone and found his good sister in law Shaena in bed dying holding a little bundle in her arms which was his niece.

His eldest brother had left a child behind as well as his sister, Shaena had begged him to protect her and Brandon's daughter which he agreed to immediately.

The dragon princess died on her ancestral home and passed away peacefully and was laid to rest in Winterfell next to her husband Brandon.

Now as Ned Stark stood in the crypts holding his nieces and nephew in each of  his arm, he stared up at the statues of his brother and sister in law Shaena that laid down in the ground beside one another.

Ned had a statue of Shaena built next to his brother much to Catelyn protest, Catelyn loathe Shaena very much claiming she had stole Brandon from her.

Brandon was to be wed to Catelyn Tully first but King Aerys had demanded their father to wed Brandon to Shaena claiming Ice and Fire must come together as one.

Hoster Tully was enraged at hearing the news claiming his daughter was a far better choice than a silver haired dragon whore.

At Brandon and Shaena wedding, Catelyn had confronted the princess asking why she steal Brandon from her.

Shaena simple ignored her and walk away the next day Catelyn had tried to  apologized for her actions but Shaena didn't want to hear it.

Right next to Brandon statue  stood Lyanna his sister statue, As Ned began to look down at his niece and nephew the two last hidden Targaryen in Westeros, rest of the Targaryen children, Rhaenys and Aegon along with Elia Martell slaughtered like dogs at the hand of The Moutain under the orders of Tywin Lannister.

As Ned stare at his brother and sister's statute, " I will protect her Brandon I promise no harm will come to her " 

As he set his eyes on his sister statue he signed he couldn't help but wonder why his sister would do something so stupid run away with a married man and have a child with him 

Although Rhaegar had divorced Elia and married Lyanna in favor, Lyanna claimed she couldn't marry a brute like Robert.

During that time, Catelyn had given birth to a boy names Robb after returning home to her Ned had shared her bed again and later she gave birth to girl who didn't survive to spare her from hear break of losing a child Ned had swapped the babies and placed his niece in the girl's place.

He had instructed Old Nan to put special coloring in his niece's hair to hide her Targaryen features turning from silver to a light brown color. 

Now she went but the name of Lyarra Stark eldest daughter of Catelyn Stark and Eddard Stark, twin to Robb Stark.

I will protect you little cubs no harm shall come to you " Ned whispered pressing a kiss to his niece and nephew foreheads.

                      Author Note

First Chapter Of The Ice Dragon Queen I am so excited to upload more upcoming chapters.

In this story Jon Snow is a Targaryen still and is the heir to the iron throne.

I will have flashbacks of Shaena and Brandon

Votes and Comments are most appreciated, updates may be slow depending if I am free I still have school to do

[thesunwillshineonusagain757]

👫 i wonder if this includes Aerys 👀....

When it comes to introducing them to the parents, I've envisioned a particular scenario. Rhaegar and Lyanna believed it would be wonderful for both families to meet during a family gathering. Therefore, after sometime of being together, they decided to bring Rhaegar's family to celebrate the New Year at Lyanna's family home.

Let’s just get this out of the way Aerys is out of the picture ( he has been held in a metal facility after his conviction);

Rhaella, Viserys and Daenerys went with Rhaegar to Winterfell for the New Years celebration;

At first when they arrived Lyanna thought they had put on weight ( ever since Rhaegar had taken some pictures of them with for ), but Lyanna quickly realised that even in the house, the four of them wouldn’t wear less than three layers of clothes;

Lyanna had to confessed she had never seen her father that excited to meet new people ;

When Rhaegar saw the quantity of food they were preparing he asked if they were having guests, they weren’t ;

Robb and Viserys hit it off amazingly, they defeated the big fat monster ( Brandon with a bed sheet over his head ) ;

Rhaella discovered that when Daenerys was in any show of form on Benjen’s lap she would not cry ( he took over taking care of her );

Sansa, Cat and Rhaella, convinced everyone to have a spa day, Lya still have the picture with all the family with cucumber slices on their eyes;

Brandon and the amazing idea of buying at least 20 different fireworks and to light them up all at once, Rhaegar is still surprised he didn’t loose a finger;

They all slept on the living room, it was tradition from Lyanna’s family, Rhaegar thought it was quite nice;

At the end of the celebration when they had left back to King’s Landing was a crying fest;

Viserys hid behind the fridge, Brandon handcuffed Ned to Rhaegar, and Rickard tryed to temper with the clocks so they wouldn’t leave;

They did but it all went better than Rhaegar and Lyanna had hoped for;

[ladycatofwinterfell]

If given the choice, part 2

Summary: One day a strange woman comes to his castle and brings him the promise of a choice. Ned can get his brother and sister back if he so chooses, but of course there is a price to pay.

I got a comment on the last chapter and was immediately thrown back into this fic, so have another part!

Ned would have wept if he had been able to. He looked at the children sitting at the table and wished he had never seen them. They were not his children, his children were no longer in the world. It was his fault. His children were lost, Catelyn was wed to his brother. And worst of all was that that was the way it should have been. Had his sister and brother survived the war that would have been his reality.

Though it was still sweet and he hated himself for it. Because he looked at Lyanna and Brandon, they lived. They smiled, they laughed, they were happy and alive. They had grown older. He was happy for that he saw them, but it was tainted by his loss. Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran, Rickon and even Jon. They were all gone.

He could not eat, even the thought of taking a bite made him want to retch. He sat in silence and merely watched the others. It felt like he was in a ghost story. For so many years they had been dead, he had mourned them for almost as long as he had been wed to Catelyn. Suddenly it was all gone, suddenly they sat there.

“Are you sure you’re well?” Lyanna whispered, leaning towards him.

He had noticed how she glanced at him every now and then. At first the others had also seemed to worry because of what had happened earlier but they quickly forgot about it.

If only he could have told her what it was that took place inside his mind. For a moment he considered telling her about everything, where he came from and what he knew to be true. But if he did they would all think he was crazy. And how was he supposed to set everything right then?

“I had a strange dream” he said. “It left me confused.”

When he saw her all he wanted was to hold her. Take her into his embrace and never let go. He had to find a way to reverse what had been done, but that meant she would be dead again. His sister, his little sister. Older, a woman grown. She had grey streaks in her hair, just as he had, and there were lines on her face.

Was she married? Did she have children? Was she a permanent resident of Winterfell? He couldn’t ask. The worst part was that he wanted to know the answers to those same questions for himself.

“What was it about?”

“A different life.”

His real life, his true life. His children, Catelyn.

He couldn’t keep himself from looking at her as he thought of it. She was much slimmer than he knew her to be, not as round about the belly and hips. If the boy was of age with Sansa it had been more than ten years since she last carried a child. And only two of them. It was not so strange she was thinner, her features sharper.

Catelyn met his eyes and gave him a small smile before turning back to her daughter. There was some familiarity in that twisted reality. Catelyn’s smile.

“Why do you stare at Catelyn?” Lyanna asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

“I just got stuck.”

He longed for her comfort so much that his heart ached. Everything was confusing, his mind was a mess, he needed advice. For years and years she had been a comfort and also a close adviser. They didn’t always agree, but he trusted her judgment when he himself was lost. How was he to set things straight if he was all alone?

“You’re acting strange and at the same time so very much like yourself” Lyanna chuckled. “Oh dearest Ned, you confuse us all.”

It was too much, everything was too much. He couldn’t stay there.

“Excuse me” he managed to get out.

Then he pushed his chair out and left the table without looking at them. He heard how the conversation died and everyone became quiet, he guessed they were staring after him. He walked in silence down the hall and out into the cold morning, hoping for that no one would follow him.

Winterfell looked the same even though nothing else did, and soon he found himself walking towards the godswood. The gods had to know his struggle, perhaps they would help him if they heard his prayer. They could take him back to where he belonged, give life back to his children. His sons and daughters. His heart ached at the thought of them. What had he done?

The silence of the godswood was another familiar thing. Swept in snow, not a sound could be heard except for the rustling leaves of the weirwood. It looked down at him with it’s bloody eyes, always ready to listen and pass judgment. He stood before it and for the briefest of seconds everything was as it was supposed to be. Though quickly it was washed away and with a deep sigh he kneeled in the snow, bowing his head down.

He wanted them all, Lyanna and Brandon and Catelyn and the children. But that was impossible. It was a choice, he had made the choice, and he didn’t know how to reverse it. Lyanna and Brandon had asked if he would have them, he had answered unknowing of all the things that depended on it. He had missed them for years, there was a hole in him that could never be filled because the people who belonged there were dead. But he couldn’t choose them over the children. The children of his body and of his heart.

“Put the world right. Let me go back to my children and my wife. Let Lyanna and Brandon be at peace.”

When he opened his eyes and looked up again he found himself unable to stand. His body was as weak as his spirit, the despair so strong he couldn’t fight it. He had been content. Happy, even. He had five strong children, a wife who loved him, people he would do anything to protect. Suddenly it was ripped from him and in return he got ghosts. They weren’t alive, not truly. And they didn’t know the horrors that should have been their ends. Ropes, swords, flowers, bloody mattresses.

After what could have been hours he managed to find his feet, somewhat unstable after the time spent on his knees. He walked slowly out of the godswood and a gentle snow began to fall, as so often in Winterfell. What was normally so beautiful seemed ugly and mocking then. How could a snowfall be so calm when nothing was right? It should have been a storm.

He had just barely left the glade of the weirwood when something moved in the corner of his eye. He quickly turned his head, but saw nothing. Not even a squirrel or a bird, he was completely alone in the godswood. The snow played tricks on him.

“Father!”

He twirled around with such haste that he almost fell over. There had been a voice, he had heard it very clearly. He even knew that voice, it belonged to Arya. Yet there was no one there. No little girl came running towards him, no one jumped into his arms and presented him with a little trinket they had found. Not only was everything wrong in the world, he was turning mad. Hearing the voices of children that no longer existed.

“Arya” he said softly, despite knowing that no one was there to hear him.

His youngest daughter. As he continued his walk through the godswood he almost wished he would hear her voice another time, just because it had been so sweet.

The issue with leaving the godswood was that he had little idea about where to go. What was his purpose when he wasn’t lord? Did he always live in Winterfell? Was he there to visit? Was he wed? Did he have other children? He knew nothing of himself.

“Father!”

Ned’s heart skipped a beat, and he stopped. But didn’t turn. He knew Bran wouldn’t be there. He couldn’t bear the disappointment. Why did he hear their voices?

“Bran” he responded.

Then he was outside the gates to the godswood. His steps were slow, his body heavy. Where was he supposed to go, what could he do? Did he have a way to get hold of the grey woman? He had never seen her before, he knew nothing of who she was and where she came from. He was stuck.

The dread was overwhelming, heavy as a stone on his chest. His breaths were short, the air never fully reached his lungs. He felt dizzy, the castle began spinning around him. What had he done? What had he done what had he done what had he done? His legs weren’t strong enough to carry him any longer.

For a very short moment he felt the cool snow against his cheek as his body hit the ground.

~*~

At first it was hard to make out what he saw when he slowly managed to open his eyes. There was a grey sky, and it was snowing. The snowflakes were soft when they touched his face, and the cold of it was soothing. He blinked and saw another thing. A pair of blue eyes, a freckled face, a mop of red hair.

“Robb” Ned heard himself mumble.

“Someone find Luwin!” Robb yelled.

Oh, Maester Luwin.

“There’s no need.”

He began pushing himself up into a sitting position, slowly but surely. Everything was still a bit fuzzy but nothing was spinning anymore, the castle stood firm around him. He tried to blink away the fog, clear his head.

“Did something happen, Uncle?”

Ned looked again at the boy kneeling next to him. Met his blue gaze, the eyes he had after his mother. And saw that it was Brandon’s boy. Jonnel. He looked so much like Robb, but he also clearly belonged to Brandon. He had his nose, his mouth.

“No, everything is well.”

It felt like a horror story, one of those that Nan told the children when she wanted them to listen intently. His son, his Robb, but it wasn’t him. His face was twisted into something he didn’t recognise, he was the son of his brother.

“You collapsed!”

He even had a similar voice.

“I feel much better now.”

Ned was surprised by that he could speak at all.

He looked away from Jonnel, began brushing away snow from his clothes. The cold had seeped through the layers of clothing, got all the way to his skin. How long had he been out for?

Ned found his feet, ignoring Jonnel’s protests about that perhaps it was better for him to stay on the ground until Maester Luwin could come and examine him.

“You needn’t worry, Jonnel” Ned said after what had to be a minute of nervous rambling from the boy.

“Eddard!”

A sigh escaped him as he saw Catelyn and Maester Luwin hurrying towards them. Maester Luwin had a worried frown on his face, Catelyn somehow managed to be even worse. He wasn’t thrilled to see it. He wasn’t thrilled to see her.

“What is happening?” Catelyn asked, a little out of breath.

“Uncle Ned just fainted” Jonnel told them.

“Are you not feeling well, my lord?” Maester Luwin asked.

“I cannot say what happened, but I feel perfectly well now. Nothing to speak of.”

How many times would he have to say it? It was a lie, nothing was well. Everything was wrong. Though they didn’t know that and he wouldn’t enlighten them. He couldn’t enlighten them.

“Are you entirely sure about that?” Catelyn said. “You look quite pale.”

He hated how he wanted to smile at her, kiss her cheek and tell her that she worried too much. She wasn’t his wife, she wasn’t the Catelyn that he loved. He knew that and still his instinct was that she was the same.

“I am sure” Ned responded. “Entirely sure.”

Even a halfwit would have been able to tell that none of them believed him.

“I must insist you go back to your chamber for some rest before continuing the day” Maester Luwin. “To avoid further… accidents.”

Perhaps it wasn’t entirely unwise. That way he would not have to see them. Though how was he supposed to figure out how to get himself away from there if he stayed in a bedchamber? There was little chance of the grey lady simply visiting him again.

“If you say so then I will follow your advice.”

It was impossible to deny that he needed time to consider. She had said that once the decision was made it was over and couldn’t be reversed. He knew that, her words echoed in his mind. A whisper reminding him of just how grave a mistake he had made. Though he had to try. He would not be able to live with himself if he didn’t try.

“I will walk with you” Catelyn said, holding out her arm.

“There is no need.”

Ned turned on his heel and set his path towards the keep. He couldn’t look at any of them any longer, couldn’t stand hearing her voice.

He had only taken a few steps before he was forced to stop again.

“I insist” Catelyn said sharply.

For a brief moment he contemplated ignoring her. Even went so far as to taking another small step forward.

“Eddard.”

He could feel her eyes burning against the back of his head. Not that it had ever stopped him.

“It is unnecessary, my lady” he sighed. “I am sure you have much more urgent matters to see to.”

“Not urgent enough not to walk with you to your chamber” she simply responded.

He heard her come up behind her, didn’t look at her as she took his arm.

“You are being rude” she informed him as they began walking together.

“My apologies” he replied shortly.

Damn her and her insistency. Unlike her looks it hadn’t changed. She was the same. He didn’t want her to be.

“I am very happy we do not have to send a raven to King’s Landing informing them of that something terrible has befallen you” Catelyn said. “Lady Barbrey would never have forgiven us. And I do not even want to imagine what His Grace would have done.”

Ned stopped dead in his tracks. King’s Landing? Did he live in King’s Landing? And why did she speak of Lady Barbrey? Was she his wife? Was he married to Barbrey Ryswell? If he had a wife what was to say he didn’t have children as well? Other children.

Catelyn had also been pulled to a stop, their arms still linked together. She looked at him, once more those wrinkles on her forehead appeared. He wished he could have kissed them away.

“I had not even considered that” he said.

He continued walking as if that was the sole reason for that he had stopped. Once more he felt queasy.

“Your wife knows how to hold a grudge, she would resent us until her death.”

“She certainly does.”

Barbrey Ryswell had no love of him, not after her husband’s death. He could not imagine she loved him any more in that twisted place. How had he come to wed her? Why was their home in King’s Landing? Were they part of Robert’s court? Was Robert even the king? He had apparently lived a whole life and knew nothing of it, nothing of himself. If only he had known something. Everything was blank, four-and-thirty years. That was a long time.

“How come Lady Barbrey did not join you?” Catelyn asked.

He wanted to ask the same question.

“She prefers the comfort of court” he tried, hoping it was an answer that was plausible.

“Understandable, after years of being a lady-in-waiting to the queen I can imagine it is hard to see the appeal of the north.”

If Lady Barbrey was a lady-in-waiting to the queen, what position did he have?

“The north is far more appealing than King’s Landing.”

Catelyn snorted.

“You certainly are a northerner to the bone.”

What else was he supposed to be?

The remaining part of their journey was made in painful silence. He didn’t know what to say, he didn’t know her. And she didn’t seem to have much more to say either. They were not strangers to each other, but they were far enough apart for it to hurt. His wife, his beloved wife, what had he done? He wanted to beg her for forgiveness despite that she had no idea about what had happened.

“Listen to the good maester and rest” she told him when they reached the chamber where he had woken up that morning.

He hadn’t considered that he didn’t wish to spend time in that room at all. It wasn’t his chamber, it had never been. Not even when he was a boy, that room had belonged to Brandon then. Nothing was right, nothing. And what could he do about it?

“I will.”

“Good.”

She removed her arm, nodded once towards him before she was on her way. He imagined there was something different about how she walked but it was most likely only his imagination. His Catelyn. He longed for her, he was drowning.

He went inside the chamber, closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it. He was completely and utterly lost. What was he to do? What could he do? He had to find the grey woman, make her reverse it. He couldn’t live out the rest of his days that way. His children, he needed them. He might as well have killed them with his own hands. Would there be blood if he looked?

He walked over to the windows, opened them. He feared he would suffocate otherwise. His grip on the window sill was so tight that his knuckles whitened, he didn’t care. He stood perfectly still, looked out over the yard, the activity below him. No one knew. It was nothing but another day for them. Were they even real? Was it all a dream? If he fell asleep would he wake up with his arms around Catelyn?

Without closing the windows he went to the bed, sat on the edge of it. Though he never had time to lie down as there came a knock on the door. Before he had time to ask who it was the door had opened and Lyanna poked her head inside.

He would have rather taken an iron fist to the face than the wave that crashed over him as he saw her.

“You know I am not at all opposed to a little cold, but shouldn’t you close those windows?” she said.

Ned took a deep breath, tried to find his words and failed. His tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth, he could say nothing, it all got stuck in his throat.

Lyanna came inside, pushed the door closed behind her. With a few long strides she was at the windows and a second later they were closed. Had he been able to he would have begged her to let them stay open.

“I heard you were not feeling well, so I take it we are not going hawking.”

Had he promised her they would go hawking?

“I’m sorry” he managed to say.

“You don’t have to apologise, we can do it tomorrow. Or the day after that. Or the day after that. There are many days until we both are set to leave Winterfell again.”

She turned to him, smiling. It wasn’t the wolfish grin he remembered so clearly, it was softer. Had she always smiled that way, were his memories false? Or was that smile different? Was she different? What had happened to her when she did not meet her demise in a tower in Dorne? His sister, his little sister, his beloved Lyanna.

“You can rest, brother, clearly you are in need of it.”

He had never been in such desperate need of rest and he had never been so sure of that he would never get it. He could lie down and close his eyes, even sleep, but he would never be able to truly rest.

Lyanna came to sit next to him, poking him the side. When he flinched she laughed.

“You seem more dire than usual.”

He was much more dire than usual and who could fault him for it? Everyone, they knew nothing.

“Do forgive me.”

“I always forgive you.”

Even if he returned to a place where she was dead? Where he raised her son as his own bastard? Where he had claimed Brandon’s place after him, taken Catelyn to wife? She would have been furious, she would not have understood in the least.

She moved closer to him, rested her head on his shoulder. Without thinking of it he laid an arm around her, held her to him.

“Weakling” she said softly.

He was so very weak, so terribly frail. She made him so. She had been dead for so long it was an eternity, and still he held her.

“Must you always be mean?” he asked.

“Now you’re just proving me right.”

Her smile was different, her sharp tongue was the same. He cherished it, it was the sweetest thing he had ever heard. He was perfectly aware of that he wasn’t supposed to be there, still he couldn’t help but lean into her comfort.

[beneathxblackwaves]

Lord Hoster promised her to Brandon Stark

François Arnaud as Brandon Stark

Charlotte Hope as Catelyn Tully

[aelenavelaryon]

Hey guys! This story will have three or four parts. Or at least I’m hoping it will. Also, please bear with me as I recently started posting here so things are still new to me. I’m not quite sure on how to use tumblr to post yet so it might take a while! Thank you! 🤍

Robert Baratheon x Reader

Summary: In which history repeats itself once again. Or does it?

Robert had known young Rhaenyra all his life and they were sort of friends and some would even say they were somewhat close. When he sat on the Iron Throne she was the only one brought out, Jon Arryn saw it fit for the eldest of the Targaryen's to be the one to confront Robert. There she stood, in the middle of the room. All the lords eyes were on her. She said nothing, what could she say? "Your brother is dead" was the first thing Robert said to her. "I killed him. I wish I could kill him again" Rhaenyra's eyes filled with tears but none fell out. She didn't want to cry. She wouldn't allow them that satisfaction.

"What will happen to us?" she asked. "To Viserys, to Jaehaerys" everyone turned to her as he said the other name. "Who is Jaehaerys?" Jon asked. "He is my son. My son with Brandon Stark" Brandon lived but he was now married to Catelyn. "He is married to Catelyn Tully now" Robert said and she nodded. "I know" she replied. "The boy is a bastard" Tywin said and she glared at the man. "Kill her now. Avoid another rebellion" Tywin Lannister said and everyone turned to look at him. "I know you would like that, my lord. Did you enjoy having Elia and her children murdered as well?" she asked. "Lannisters. They have always been traitors. That has not changed in the past two hundred years it seems" he took a step but Ned Stark stood near her.

"Princess Rhaenyra is not at fault for her brother's sins. She is innocent" he spoke for her. "She's a whore! She and that bastard son of hers will bring nothing but trouble to the realm just as her brother has!" Tywin said. Ser Arthur, pulled out his sword as did Ned. "Hold your tongue, Lannister" was all Ser Arthur said. "Mind your tongue, Lannister" Robert stood in front of her. Rhaenyra was known as the Realm's Angel. or the Realm's Desire. Some even called her the Realm's Delight, referring at the nickname the realm gave the black queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, her ancestor.

"I propose a marriage between King Robert Baratheon and princess Rhaenyra Targaryen" Jon said making both Robert and Rhaenyra to look at him. "She's a child" Arthur said. "A child who bore a healthy son" Tywin scoffed. "She's been sullied. She cannot marry a king" he stated. "Robert has bed at least half of Westeros. It will not matter. Let's remember that House Velaryon, House Tyrell, and House Martell still support house Targaryen. This will ensure the peace in the realm. Specially after the chaos that this rebellion imposed on the realm" Robert looked at Rhaenyra. She was a child. She was seven years younger than him. She nodded. She did not object. She hoped that as the queen she could keep her son and brother safe.

It wasn't long before she was married off. The princess did not complain, she did not fight, she obeyed. They got married on the Great Sept. Brandon arrived with his family. With his wife and their son. Their legitimate son. It was said that Brandon loved her, he married Catelyn Tully for duty. He married her so her father could be on their side when the war was just beginning. He loved Rhaenyra as some said she loved him. But, the world will never know if she loved him as much as he did her. That was another secret she would take to her grave.

She sat with her husband as he drank himself numb. Robert didn't love her, she was sure he never would but he cared for her. When she arrived to her new chambers she found a box, inside laid three eggs. One was a black with red. The other was red with gold, and the other one was a blue and white color. Robert arrived a while later. The two did her their duty as quick as possible, Robert tried to be gentle but Rhaenyra was a woman of passion and asked for more and he complied. Perhaps it would not be so bad.

Princess Rhaenyra gave birth nine moons later to a son. A son who she named Daemon Baratheon Targaryen. Daemon was all his mother but the eyes. He held Rhaegar Targaryen's eyes. A year after him came Orys Baratheon, now that one was a Baratheon through and through. There was no ounce of Rhaenyra on him. Prince Aemon came two years later along with Aemond who were the spitting image of his mother. Robert used to laugh when he spoke to Rhaenyra about their sons as the boys all resemble her but not him aside from Orys.

Robert loved Jaehaerys as his own son, he had taken him and Viserys as his wards. He began to teach them how to fight. When the princess decided to visit Dragonstone a tragedy struck her. She had miscarried. The Maester had told her she had been poisoned. To bury her child, she had pyre made for the cremation and her dragon eggs were set inside alongside the babe. Her child had died but she left her mother with the greatest gift she could ask for. Dragons. Three of them. The eldest she called Balerion as the dragon was the spitting image of the black dread. The other she named Caraxes as the dragon was the same color and it seemed he too would look like the first blood wyrm. The third she named Syrax as he had been just like queen Rhaenyra's dragon. When she returned she returned with three dragons on her shoulder. House Targaryen would prevail.

[lovelyladyabsinthewrites]

Another Life

Pairing(s): implied/referenced Rhaegar Targaryen x Stark!Reader, Ned Stark x Catelyn Tully, Robert Baratheon x Cersei Lannister

Warnings: canonical character death, illegitimacy, cat actually loves jon in this story, drabble, short, robert and cersei actually like eachother

Words: 1269

Lyanna watches Jon from atop of the courtyard's parapet, her eyes crinkling with pride as she watches Jon best Theon Greyjoy at the dance of swords. Every victory Jon made resulted in him outgrowing the label of bastard. He was so much more than a bastard of Winterfell. Not even Catelyn saw him as such. Many were so shocked when the news came that Ned had brought back his bastard one day. In fact Cat had shown up at Winterfell by his side as he held the infant in his arms, for she was one of three that knew the truth about Jon Snow.

Heartache nibbles at her heart when she recalls fifteen years prior. She remembers her sister (y/n). The fever of her cheeks as she held her newborn son in her arms. But she wasn't faring well. Birth rendered her near lifeless, allowing her to slip slowly away into the Stranger's arms. It was only a matter of time. She refused to leave the Tower of Joy, understood her fate as well as her siblings and sister-in-law did. (y/n) had just been content with the fact that she'd birthed a healthy baby boy.

"Jon." Her watery eyes turn up to Lyanna. "His name is Jon."

After Rhaegar's closest friend. Jon Connington was the one to deliver the note to Winterfell, ensuring it fell into the safe hands of the young Warden of the North himself. He'd been instructed by his revered lady, Princess (y/n) Targaryen.

The name was a slap to the face. A year prior to the birth of her son, (y/n) had supposedly been kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen who was supposed to marry Elia Martell the following day. Both up and vanished without a trace. Lord Rickard Stark was beside himself with grief and agony that they stormed to the capital to demand answers from King Aerys himself. Lord Rickard and his heir Brandon accused the king of hiding the location of Rhaegar and (y/n), said that she was to be returned immediately and the prince punished. But Aerys didn't take kindly to the slander they were slewing against the crown. He had them executed.

Ensuing blood shed consumed the Seven Kingdoms. Rhaegar appeared only on the battlefield with his own men. They fought against not just the king, but Ned and his own allies which included Storm's End. No sign of (y/n) nearby.

After Robert Baratheon killed Rhaegar and the regicide of the Mad King by the young lion Jaime Lannister, there was still no clue as to where (y/n) could be.

Robert, though it was Jaime who slew the king, secured the Iron Throne for himself. That meant Lyanna would be queen as she was engaged to Robert. She refused.

When Ned implored her to marry Robert, she gave him the tongue lashing of the century but it did the job in shutting him up. He couldn't force Lyanna to do something she didn't want to. That lesson was learned in childhood. If she desired to stay in the North then she would stay. Slighted at first, it didn't take him long to choose another bride. Cersei Lannister. A beautiful couple. Lyanna was happy that Robert even seemed to be truly smitten with the golden haired girl. They couldn't keep their hands off of each other.

Or so she was told. She couldn't attend their lavish wedding, not when her sister was still out there somewhere.

Day and night she worked in searching for (y/n). Northmen scattered across the vast land took part in looking for her.

They'd nearly given up.

And then Jon Connington delivered a letter in (y/n)'s handwriting.

She and Rhaegar had eloped. Rhaegar couldn't marry Elia Martell, he didn't love her but there was absolutely no way that Aerys would let him marry (y/n) Stark. Even (y/n) had kept her love for him a secret from everyone in her family.

Getting married as soon as they could. They had a short honeymoon for the war started shortly after. Jon Connington was entrusted with (y/n)'s safety, and though he wanted to be with Rhaegar on the battlefield, he held (y/n) in high regard. He agreed without much hesitation.

Soon she discovered she was pregnant. The pregnancy wasn't going well for her. She was constantly sick and weak. She didn't have long.

In her note, (y/n) specifically wanted Lyanna, Ned and his new bride to come. Only them. They were not to tell anyone else. Cat was loathe to leave her own baby Robb but knew how important this was for Ned and his family so of course she agreed to go. Leaving Robb pained her.

Jon was but a week old by the time they arrived to the Tower of Joy. The Sword of the Morning himself stood guard at the tower's entrance.

The babe was healthy. The same couldn't be said of his mother.

She was gaunt, so gray. This wasn't the sister Ned and Lyanna grew up with. Her smile was still the same though, even if it was a little strained. To each of them she spoke to, having the other two wait.

All of them, including Jon Connington and Arthur Dayne were to take this secret to their graves.

(y/n) died two days later.

"I know that look."

Lyanna jolts at Ned's voice, ripped from her melancholic memories. She presses her lips together. Ned grew into a fine lord. A horde of children filled the halls of the castle. Among them was the boy they thought their bastard brother. "Sometimes I can't help but think about her when I see him. He has her big, sweet eyes."

Ned nods. "He does." He rests his forearms on the wooden rail and looks down into the courtyard where Jon swung his sword in the way that Arthur Dayne had shown him that morning. Off to the distance was Jon Connington watching with a close eye. Theon and Robb are trying it out as well.

Jon was thriving. No one caught on to the truth of him. Never even breaching the surface. Many asked who the mother was since Ned agreed to claim fathership over him.

Bittersweet for the siblings watching their nephew grow up without his real mother and father. It was better this way. (y/n) wanted her son to grow up in the north opposed to the death and discrimination he might receive from being raised in the capital. Not just that, but Robert Baratheon was now entirely against the entire Targaryen line. He was already trying to locate the missing Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys with plans to execute them if they're ever found. Children. It was insane that his queen was supporting the king's search for them. His claim to the throne was in danger as long as there was even one Targaryen left alive. And unfortunately Jon was included.

That day his sister died, Ned swore to her that he would protect Jon with his life; even if that meant protecting him against his own friend he thought of as a brother. Lyanna, Ned and Cat had spent sleepless nights speaking about the possibility of Robert finding out about Jon. Their voices hushed, only the quiet flame in the fireplace bore witness to the secrets being discussed.

They would never allow the secret of Jon's parents to become public knowledge. (y/n) entrusted Jon's life to them and they would not disappoint her. They would defend the boy with their life and take his secret to the afterlife.

[turtle-paced]

If Ned had already been bethroted or married by the time that Brandon died, what do you think would've been Hoster's next move regarding Catelyn's marriage and, indirectly, the Rebellion? Could Catelyn be the one to marry Jon Arryn, perhaps even paired with a Lysa x Benjen match to secure Hoster's ties with House Stark? Or, if Ned was only bethroted and not yet married in this scenario, the desperation to keep Riverrun's support to Robert's cause could be enough to make him break his vows and marry Catelyn anyway?

If Ned's betrothed when the Rebellion kicks off, that betrothal almost certainly gets broken upon his unexpected promotion to Lord of Winterfell. The sort of betrothal he'd attract as a second son is not going to stand up to his current circumstances. He'd be apologetic about it, but I think everyone would understand that Ned needed the Tullys.

If Ned was married on the other hand...

In that case, I don't think Hoster tries to match Catelyn to Jon Arryn. He can do better than Jon Arryn for Catelyn (but not for Lysa, who is quote unquote "soiled"), and so I don't think he rushes to get her married off. With only a little bit more waiting... Robert's unmarried, Lyanna's safety is very much up in the air, and even should Lyanna be retrieved safely or Jon Arryn make the case for the Robert-Cersei match, Robert has an unmarried brother around Catelyn's age. He can try to marry Catelyn straight into the new royal family.

[fromtheboundlesssea]

The Pack Survives Chapter 103

Edmure XIII

[fvckiminthecloset]

Day Five: Which is worse of all these non-canon ships in ASOIAF?

PREVIOUS ROUNDS:

Day One: Tie of 25.5% between Sansa and Jon and Aemond and Lucerys

Day Two: Brandon and Ned and Lyanna and Benjen at 33.3%

Day Three: Sansa and Sandor at 29%

Day Four: Catelyn and Edmure ELIMINATED at 48.4%

[shining-m00nlight]

Brothers Pride

This is chapter Two of "It's tragedy that binds us". Ned thinks about how Brandon reacted to their father telling them that Ned would marry Catelyn. It's my dear Theas birthday and this is her gift!! Happy Birthday @ladycatofwinterfell !!!

Here is a link if you want to read the first chapter too.

"Brother!!!" Brandon Stark's voice boomed over the drawbridge of Riverrun. Obviously not caring for etiquette or courtesy, he crashed into Ned to

force him into a hug. Not having expected such an enthusiastic greeting from his brother Ned stumbled back, pulling Brandon with him. The pair of brothers had to try really hard to stay up right and not fall onto the ground in front of the whole staff of Riverrun and the small host of people the Starks had brought with them. If Ned was a person who would easily blush, he was sure he would have.

His brother's hug had surprised him a lot. He was sure Brandon would still be angry with him. He had been when their father had announced that Ned would marry Catleyn Tully instead of Brandon. 

--------------------------Flashback--------------------------

"What? No way am I allowing this!" Brandon yelled at their father after Rickard finished explaining to his sons what he and the new Lady Tully had agreed upon. 

"You will not have to allow anything! As I am your father and the Lord of Winterfell and as such I do not seek your approval but I am informing you about a decision I have made and you two will abide by. And you will do so in a manner fitting to

your station without bringing shame to the family

by yelling about a castel we are guests in!"

Brandon did not seem as if he wanted to heed

their fathers words.

"Well apparently Ned will not be a guest here for long. Rather he will be the Lady of this castel, spreading his legs to bear little trouts for the Riverlands." 

At that Rickard  Stark struck his son in the face. 

"You will not speak such crudness to me boy! You might think you're a man grown but don't you dare forget who I am and who we are! You will not speak about your family in this manner ever again! Not in front of me and not in front of anyone else. Am I understood?" 

Brandon still frowned at their father but nodded.

"This alliance is important for this family! I will not lose it because of your childish temperament or your hurt ego. Lady Tully's brother is dead, her sister not fit to be the Lady of Winterfell so Ned marrying her and staying at Riverrun is how we keep this ally!"

Rickard Stark ended his speech, looking more at Brandon, then at Ned. Brandon looked back at their father, pouting. The slap his father gave him obviously having bruised his ego more than his body. While it was clear he still wasn't agreeing with his father, he apparently had decided it was better to keep his thoughts to himself. Something that truly only their fathers authority could accomplish, Ned thought to himself. 

The Lord of Winterfell now turned to his second son. 

"You, Ned! You will marry the Tully girl and represent our house with pride here in the south! I know you haven't expected any of this but I am confident that you will be fine and make me proud son." 

Ned nodded: 

"I will do my best, father. I will marry Lady Tully as you command." 

"Good! I knew that I could trust you to do the right thing for our house. Lady Tully will be a good wife to you. I am sure of it. She is smart and capable. I l am almost disappointed that she won't be Brandon's wife but she does live by her house's words. "Family, Duty, Honor" and to her it's her duty to stay in Riverrun and to her it's what's best for her family. Which I have to agree with. 

You might not know much about your future bride, son but you know that she will be a good mother to your children and the rest you will learn in time" 

Ned nodded again. If he was being honest he hadn't really thought about his future wife all too much since his father told them the news an hour ago. He had been too distracted by Brandon glaring at him, as if he was personally responsible for the deaths of Edmure and Hoster Tully. 

All of Ned's thoughts were concentrated on Brandon and on trying to figure out what he would do l or say when their father wasn't with them anymore and how he should react. 

Ned was fairly certain that Brandon was not in love with the Lady Tully. The times Brandon and Ned had seen eachother in the years since Brandon and Catelyns betrothal Ned had never heard Brandon to declare deep love and devotion to the young maiden. He had talked about her beauty, that was for sure but he never talked of deeper, more meaningful things. 

On the contrary Brandon's words had often gotten more crude the more he drank and his descriptions became less and less fitting to be used for a lady of a great house. But of course Ned couldn't be completely certain, maybe l Brandon did love her. Which would mean that he would hate Ned forever. 

Ned was just about to direct his thoughts more towards the young women who would be his wife within the next few days when his father spoke again.

"I think everything has been said for now. I shall retire for the night. Tomorrow we will finalize the plans and the agreement and then everything will hopefully go on smoothly till we depart for Winterfell again. I expect of you to behave properly and go to your assigned chambers soon as well. And please remember that Riverrun and especially the Tully family is still grieving a great loss! So act accordingly. Good night boys" 

This time Rickard Stark didn't wait for the reactions of his sons but turned around immediately and left the study the Tullys had provided them with. 

Ned wanted to follow hoping he could give his brother some time and space to calm his nerves but Brandon had a different idea. When Ned tried to step out of the study the older Stark grabbed his arm and pulled him back in. 

"You can't honestly agree to this" 

He wasn't yelling. it was more of a growl. At least he was aware enough that their father was still so close that he would come running back should the shouts of his oldest reach his ear. Probably not hesitating to correct his behavior again in a less than gentle way. Ned tried to stay calm. 

"It is what father decided. There is nothing for me to agree or disagree with Brandon. Father and the Lady Tully made a decision and we must abide by it." 

Brandon grunted:

"The "Lady Tully" ,he said, his voice dripping with condensation, "the day before we arrived she was still Lady Catelyn or even the Tully girl and now she suddenly is "Lady Tully"

"Because she is Brandon. Because her father and her brother died! Or have you forgotten?" 

The look of guilt flashed over Brandons face but it only stayed for half a second then it turned back to spitefulness.

"Oh come on Neddy you can't tell me your honestly ok with Her and father deciding over your future without even consulting you!" 

It certainly wasn't Neds' favorite thing in the world, knowing that once again other people had made a decision affecting his life forever without as much as a word of warning. But he had the feeling Brandon meant that he would have a specific problem with the word "her" in his sentence which Ned couldn't confirm to him. 

Ned did not see what difference it would have made if instead of Lady Tully, one of fathers bannerman would have been the other party not consulting him on his future or wishes for it. The difference would have been his fathers words after making an agreement but the thing Ned would have liked to have been different, his involvement in the negotiations, wouldn't have changed. 

Not that Ned was ungrateful or didn't understand

his fathers decision. It was a good way to keep the alliance despite the tragedy that had occurred. He also wouldn't dare to complain about being married to the beautiful Lady of a great House but for once it would have been nice to at least been asked if he was fine and not just told he would be. 

He could not voice these thoughts to his hod headed brother though. Duty might have been one of the Tully words but Ned also understood its meaning.

"Again it is not my place to question father and it is my duty to marry for our house and listen to fathers commands." 

The small hope that those words would end their conversation died immediately when Brandon, now a bit closer to yelling and Ned's face, spit out. 

"Your duty is to fuck my girl then huh?!" 

Ned was uncertain what he could answer his brother and tried to think of a response. However Brandon didn't even give him the time to say one word before continuing to get in Ned face to complain some more. 

"It is your duty to get what I have been waiting for, l for so long? Oh I'm sure it was hard for you to take on such hard duty, getting to live a nice life here in the south with nothing to do as you have a wife that will be responsible for everything important in the castle and in the Riverlands. Being able to just relax and enjoy your life must have been such a hard thing to have to agree to."

Brandon didn't seem to see the irony in first accusing Ned in hiding his displeasure at the situation and changing it to accusing him of eagerly wanting it. He just continued ranting. Had Ned paid closer attention to his brother's face he might have noticed the change from anger to something a bit more calculated.

"Though now that I think about it little brother it might become a difficult duty to accomplish for you as I believe pleasing your Lady shall be part of it. From seeing how you interact with the fairer sex I am sure she will be disappointed outside but especially inside the bedroom. Considering she will compare you to me!" 

Ned stood there in silent shocked at his brother's words. Brandon had apparently decided that his words would end their talk as walked out of the room leaving Ned behind. 

Ned still tried to comprehend his brother's words. Did his brother just confess to taking Lady Tully's maidenhead? Surely he couldn't have been this stupid. If their father or worse, Hoster Tully would have found out, they would have had Brandons head. How could his brother have been so reckless?! 

Ned's head began to pain him the more he thought about not just Brandon's words but every word spoken in the last two hours. Slowly Ned's head started to swim and his thoughts overlapped and got out of control. 

In his probably last coherent thought of the day Ned decided it would be best for him to go to bed and deal with everything tomorrow as his father had said before. The next morning he hadn't been quite sure how he had found his chamber but he had been glad he did.

-----‐--‐------------------Flashback End-----------------------

After that day he and Brandon had barely talked. All of their interactions had been short and in the presents of others. The few exceptions were when Brandon would whisper crude japes in Ned's ear, most insinuating that Ned is displeasing to all women by simply standing near them.

Therefor Ned was understandably confused to be

greeted by his brother this way and so he only cautiously hugged him back to welcome him.

"Welcome to Riverrun, brother" 

Ned said as their hug entangled. Then he turned to his father. Though curious to find out what had changed his brother's attitude this drastically, surely time couldn't be the only factor, he could not forget to greet his family properly as was expected of him. He didn't want his wife to think he would scorn duty in the face of family and forget that he represented Riverrun when greeting guests. 

His wife, who had still been standing right next to him when Brandon had crashed into him, was already greeting Rickard Stark. The rest of his siblings standing right beside them. 

On her face a true smile that made her eyes sparkle and could only mean she was already reporting to them how little Robb was faring. Fitting to her eyes, her hair was shining thanks to the sun. 

She was a true beauty, his wife. Brandon had not exaggerated when speaking about it. But Ned had also come to learn that there was so much more about his wife. Things that Brandon either didn't know or didn't think were important enough to tell Ned about. 

Before Ned could further dwell on his wifes many qualities another of his siblings yelled his name and ran into his arms.

[alxarasm]

Vampire Catelyn X Direwolf Ned

Looks like it’s gonna be a multi chapter.

Rating: M

Pairing: Ned Stark/Catelyn Tully Stark

Some minor Brandon/Barbrey

Summary:

Brandon and Catelyn are yet to be married, even as she nears her twenty second name day and the likelihood of her giving him an heir as a vampire decreases ever so drastically with every passing day they remain unmated.

For reasons unbeknownst to him, Ned Stark’s brother refuses to marry the alluring Catelyn Tully, preferring to turn his attentions to Ned’s own betrothed before the eyes of gods and men.

As unseen forces drive Ned and Catelyn closer together, and farther away from their duty, it’s only a matter of time before one of them succumbs to their desires, only who will be the one paying for their sins.

[goodqueenaly]

Hi! Thank you so much for your response! I have a follow up question though. How do you think the succession would play out if Catelyn and Lysa had only one son apiece? Would the lords be fine with their lord paramount also ruling another vast region? Brynden Tully is unmarried, and has no heirs, so would they look to an extended cousin with Tully blood? Also, would Catelyn and Lysa be okay with this, and would they be able to do something? After all Jon Arryn was the King’s Hand.

I think it would’ve been a very uncertain situation with a number of possible outcomes. While I doubt anyone (even Catelyn and Lysa) would have seriously accepted or pushed for Riverrun coming under the purview of Winterfell or the Eyrie, it’s possible that the heir would have been acknowledged as an eventual second son of Robb Stark or Robert Arryn. This plan might have appeared similar to Edward VI’s original vision for his succession - where his chosen successor would have been the eventual son of one of his Grey cousins, with their mother Frances Brandon taking over as governess of England until one was born - and may have also echoed shades of the Pact of Ice and Fire - where the Starks and the black faction agreed to a marriage between Rickon Stark and a princess who did not then exist, from a couple not then (or ever) married. At the same time, this would have been an obviously chancy prospect: no one could say if and when Robb or Robert would have had a second son, and even in a best case scenario it would have been years before an infant could be proclaimed Lord of Riverrun.

So it’s possible Brynden Tully would have been put forward as the successor instead. As an adult, male Tully and brother of the last lord, he would have made an obvious choice as successor, able to take and exercise power immediately (especially in a patriarchal world). However, Brynden had infamously refused a dynastic marriage even when commanded by his lordly brother, and there would have been no guarantee that, now lord in his own right, Brynden would have been any more amenable to such a political union - and if Brynden refused to marry and father heirs, then the Tully succession would have been no more secure after the current generation.

So it’s also possible that the successor would have been a more distant Tully cousin (to the extent one would have existed, which is completely unclear). Just as during the period of Gardener kings, Mern VI Gardener had, though a second cousin, been acclaimed in order to put an end to a civil war between rival factions supporting Garth X’s daughters, so perhaps the crown would have thought that it would have been better to avoid the drawbacks of Catelyn, Lysa, and Brynden altogether in favor of a less complicated Tully heir. Again, whether or not such a Tully heir would have existed is an unanswerable question, as is whether this person would have been a capable lord (because I assume the crown would have looked for a male heir - again, patriarchy).

[ao3feed-tywin]

Gendry's Son | Male Reader X Harem

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/cgpi4zK

by Hollunk

After a 30 year reign, Y/n Baratheon has fallen on the field of battle. Facing the final Blackfyre Rebellion. Taking the final Blackfyre down with him. But he refuses to give in to death, and is reborn in the body of the supposed second son of Robert Baratheon, Orys Baratheon.

Words: 3623, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English

Fandoms: Game of Thrones (TV), A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage

Categories: F/M

Characters: Sansa Stark, Arianne Martell, Elia Sand, Daenerys Targaryen, Margaery Tyrell, Myrcella Baratheon, Original Female Character(s), Reader, Ashara Dayne, Jeyne Westerling Stark, Cersei Lannister, Robert Baratheon, Joffrey Baratheon, Tommen Baratheon, Ned Stark, Tywin Lannister, Catelyn Tully Stark, Brandon Stark, Bran Stark, Robb Stark, Jon Snow, Gendry (A Song of Ice and Fire), Arya Stark, Benjen Stark, Jon Arryn, Varys (A Song of Ice and Fire), Petyr Baelish, Tyrion Lannister, Jaime Lannister, Olenna Tyrell, Bronn (A Song of Ice and Fire), Sandor Clegane, Brienne of Tarth, Thoros of Myr (A Song of Ice and Fire)

Relationships: Sansa Stark/Original Male Character(s), Arianne Martell/Original Male Character(s), Elia Sand/Original Male Character(s), Daenerys Targaryen/Original Male Character(s), Margaery Tyrell/Original Male Character(s), Myrcella Baratheon/Original Male Character(s), Original Female Character(s)/Original Male Character(s), Ashara Dayne/Original Male Character(s), Jeyne Westerling/Original Male Character(s), Catelyn Tully Stark/Original Male Character(s), Cersei Lannister/Original Male Character(s)

Additional Tags: Aunt/Nephew Incest, Sibling Incest, Shameless Smut, Older Man/Younger Woman, Older Woman/Younger Man, Westeros (A Song of Ice and Fire), Essos (A Song of Ice and Fire), Greyjoy Rebellion | Balon Greyjoy's Rebellion Against the Iron Throne, Parent/Child Incest

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/cgpi4zK