2 Chapter 2
Elia gives a hesitant nod and with help of Richard mounts the giant crow.
With Elia going to safety Richard transforms into the form of a crow and flies off to rescue the second target on his list.
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In the throne room of Red Keep, Robert Baratheon is raging
"Where the fuck is dragon spawn!? I want them dead!"
"Your grace they escaped, we found the corpse of ser Clegane with ripped out throat, it was a demon. Those sorcerers from Essos must have done it" First guard reports
"Yes, several soldiers were killed the same way, the trail of bodies leads to the gardens. We searched everything but we can't find them, the demon took them, your grace" second guard
"If it was a demon I would be celebrating, dragon spawn doesn't deserve nothing else."
We don't have any idea who did it. I would bet on Dorne but how would they have done it?"
Aryn was tired of the new King's temper tantrums, not that he would ever say that aloud "We should call for Dorne to bend the knee.
We can then release a bounty on the head of Targaryens. Without information on how they got out of the keep or any obvious suspects wi cannot act your grace, the realm is already weak if we push the realm will shatter."
Aryn saw that it didn't make a King happy but at least he calmed down a little. "Fine, on the other matter Ned you will go a bring Lyanna home! She will be my queen."
(Not happy with this one, I will rewrite it if I get an idea how.)
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While Robert raged in the throne room of Red Keep, Richard was already flying for the Tower of Joy in Dorne with an escort of two crows. It took him few weeks to get there.
Arriving at the tower Richard skillfully transformed from crow to cat and started climbing with help of his claws that were able to penetrate the weaker stone and stay safely stuck in it.
After a short climb, Richards arrived in the window behind which he could see pregnant Lyanna Stark. Climbing through silently as possible as to not startle a pregnant woman he transformed back to the human form.
Stepping behind her he put a hand on her mouth to prevent her yelling and alerting guards. Lyanna was in full panic mode when she felt a hand put on her mouth. Ahe wanted to scream but she could not.
"Lady Lyanna Stark, I'm sorry for startling you. If you promise to not yell and first hear my offer I will let you go, I assure you I'm not here to hurt you, Ned Stark is already on his way and will be here in a few weeks"
Lyanna debated simply kicking the man in the balls, but with the pregnancy, she decided against such stupid idea. Slowly nodding he let her go, she spun around to face the attacker she didn't expect to come to face a young handsome man with bright green eyes.
He didn't seem hostile so she calmed a little.
"So, what do you want?"
Richard gave a bow
"Let me introduce myself, I'm Lord Richard Trant, and I'm here to make a friend, help you with a delivery of the baby, and avoid bloodshed."
After listening to him Lyanna relaxed a little more
"Make friend how? Wait, Trant? That is the house of Stormlands, are you here to take me to Robert?" She got in a threatening pose, or as threatening as a heavily pregnant woman could be, ready to attack at a moment's notice.
"Firstly, I just came from Kings Landing, it has been sacked. The Lannister soldiers were like monsters, raping and killing all over the city and Robert is looking for you. He had ordered the murder of Princess Elia and her children, so in light of your current state and the fact that it is Targaryen I would highly recommend you hear my offer."
"And no, house Trant cut ties with Stormlands, I'm not in contact with Robert"
Lyanna was greatly unnerved by all the news and she didn't want to even think about what would happen if Robert finds about the baby
"What offer"
He offered her a smile
"The offer is for you to disappear, I have a safe haven where none will find you. You can raise the baby there."
"What do you want in return?"
Lyanna knew that none does anything for free, that is the life so she wondered what would she need to pay to be safe.
"Like I already said, I'm looking to make a friend and avoid bloodshed, the friend is Ned and bloodshed are your royal guard's"
Lyanna thought it sounded plausible, and if this man can give her safety for her children from Robert she will help him.
"Ok, how do we do this?"
"Here's the plan"
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Ned finally arrived at Tower of Joy, he had to get Lyanna back. Coming to the tower he noticed ser Arthur Dayne The sword of the morning, he just hoped this can be solved without drawing the sword. Artur Dayne has a reputation of being the best swordsman in all of Westeros right next to Ser Barrista Selmy
He didn't like his chances should it come to the fight as he approached them, even tho he didn't like his chances he could not help himself
"The Mad King is dead. Rhaegar lies beneth the ground. Why weren't you there to protect your prince?"
"Our prince wanted us here."
Simple response, didn't rise to the taunt so far so good. Ned decided that he didn't like to push his luck.
"I came here for my sister, will you let me through?"
Artur looks at the tower window then nods,
"Yes, but only if you leave your weapon behind and you will go alone"
By the looks at Arthur's face, Ned judged he should do just that, at least they do not need to fight. Walking into the tower he heard cries of pain. Speeding up the stairs he came across the door from which that cries originated.
Opening the door, in the bed lays Lyanna, exhausted after the birth but otherwise in good condition. Standing at the side is an older woman, a midwife apparently. On the other side holding her hand is a tall man with bright green eyes, they are almost glowing.
"You left a sword behind, good sign Lyanna he may be willing to listen." The green-eyed comments.
"What's going on Lyanna?"
"Ned come here, I will explain everything. I am really sorry." Lyanna got quiet towards the end, almost whispering.
"He didn't kidnap me, Ned. I ran with him, it was such a stupid idea and it brought so many deaths. I'm so sorry.
Yeah, it was a good idea that Ned didn't bring his sword. His sister managed to throw the realm into war just because she didn't want to marry Robert Baratheon. Ned wanted to rage about how stupid she was, but Ned Stark wasn't Robert Baratheon he would not throw a temper tantrum. So he forcibly calmed himself.
"Tell me everything"
Lyanna got into a long and detailed explanation of how she fell in love with Rhaegar. How he promised her to be his queen and how they married. She then explained how she figured out that Rhaegar was mad, his only focus was on the prophecy. He believed himself Promised Prince but then he started to doubt that and started to think it was not him but his son, but according to prophecy the dragon had to have three heads, that's why when Elia was not able to give him more children he took Lyanna.
Richard of course already knew all of this but it still baffled him, its miracle the realm didn't shatter a lot sooner, one Mad King after another. One good thing is that they lost their dragons otherwise there would be nothing but ash.
Ned listened patiently until Lyanna was done, his head heavy with thoughts about Robert Reaction, he will not lose his sister again.
"If I may, I have a solution to this problem" Richard pointed at Lyanna and her son currently in her arms.
"And you are?" Ned finally noticed a man that was standing by his sister's side, he must have been tired from all the revelations to not see him sooner.
"Ah, where are my manners, Mother would have scolded me. My name is Richard Trant, nice to meet you, Lord Stark"
"Trent? Baratheon men?" Ned remembered Robert raging about one of his houses refuse to answer the call for banners. Trant was a small house, barely enough people to send 1000 levies and with a war going on they all forgot about it by the time they got to Kings Landing.
"No, we of the Trent Island had cut all contact with Stormlands, I never gave an oath to House Baratheon and by now we are completely self-sufficient." Richard proclaimed proudly. He took great pride in how he managed to develop the smallest of the Houses.
"So what did you come up with?"
"The plan is simple, I will take Lyanna to Trant Island where she will be able to raise her son in peace. None will find her there.
The only problem remains Robert Baratheon, and we need you Lord Stark to tell him Lyanna died by the time you got here."
Ned thought about it, if Robert discovered that Lyanna had a child with Targaryen he would go bat-shit crazy. He saw how he raged in the throne room when the Targaryen kids disappeared. He didn't have much of a choice if he wants to keep his sister alive but he also knows that this will not be for free.
"What do you want in exchange?"
"What I want is an alliance with House Stark in the end, but for the moment trade agreement for something only North can provide would suffice," Richard stated.
Ned's thoughts run a mile in second, what could only North provide they were the poorest of the kingdoms and surely he would not want people.
"What is only North can provide?" Ned asked dubiously.
"Ice of course" Richard answered with a straight face. Internally he was laughing, Ned had this frosty hard expression on his face permanently but he could see the changes on his eyes, this answer truly dumb folded Lord Stark
"Ice?" Ned asked just to be sure he heard it right. What in the world he would want Ice, not to mention how to even transport it down south.
"Yes ice Lord stark, I will send you special boxes that will be able to transport it down south without it having melted, as for what I want ice well it's easy."
"Yes?" Ned is getting more and more incredulous
"For drinks!" Richard exclaimed jovially. "Do you have any idea how good a cold drink with cubes of ice on a hot day is? This would triple my sales of the vine and fruit beverages in Dorne."
The deal was struck and Ned soon after left, he will go straight to the North and send a raven to Robert about Lyanna's death. Richard would wait a few weeks for Lyanna to recover from giving a birth and then send her to the Trant Island.
He also let Ser Oswell and Ser Gerold know that if they want to still serve her princess they will find her on the island.
Taking Artur Dyne with him on one of the crows he had one last stop to make and then he could return home.
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In meanwhile, at the same time as Richard was flying for the Tower of Joy. Elia with the kids arrived at the Trent Island Ravenry. There already waited Ellyn.
Ellyn knew that her son once again did something monumentally stupid when she saw Velka land with Princess and her children.
