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Children of the Weirwoods - Chapter 2 - Wups - A Song of Ice and Fire

Notes:

So I ended up splitting this chapter in two, in two or three days the second half should be up.

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Not once has Cat ever considered the validity of her husband's gods until now. No longer could she deny that the Starks were special. First the direwolves, now this…

When the children first revealed themselves to be Starks and Ned's grandchildren, Cat had felt the same pain in her heart as four and ten years ago but logic and dates led her away from that conclusion. The information her husband's slip of the tongue revealed because of the round about trick made her as hopeful as it made her confused. In her effort to keep her marriage at least somewhat happy Catelyn rarely pushed for the answers she craved, would she have been able to trick him like so if she had tried? If only she had been able to interrogate him when he slipped up, that may have been her only chance.

Despite the fact Ned's granddaughter had quickly distracted them with the reveal of their travel through time, Cat could say she was quite proud to be the woman's grandmother. Sauna seemed to be able to control the conversation to her advantage like a good southern noblewoman, she was better at it than Cat. However the princess' talents did not seem to extend to keeping her little sister from blurting out valuable information such as their father's identity: Jon Snow.

Her first thoughts were of the bastard forcing himself upon Catelyn's eldest daughter to claim Winterfell but even Cat could recognize that wasn't the boy's nature yet Sansa would never consent to such sin. She also considered Robyn might have been incorrect at identifying her father because the pairing was such a ridiculous idea. But many of the future Starks had some resemblance to Snow. The way he comforted Sansa and pushed away Greyjoy even before the reveal made her realize it was a possibility, a dreadful possibility. 

Sansa has always been her mother's pride and joy, with the greatest opportunities. The girl was made to be queen and she knew it, if Sansa's daughter had not told the shocking truth of the prince, she may have been the Lannister bastard's bride. But to marry her own bastard half-brother… It went against everything the girl has been taught, she was destined for greatness and the bastard was anything but great.

"Ned." This was four and ten years of lies and omissions and Catelyn was here to get her due truth. What was worse, her husband siring a bastard or lying about doing so for the near entirety of their marriage? "Explain. Now." The Lady of Winterfell would not stand down this time, the boy is no longer a potential threat to her children's claims but something worse. "I deserve to know just who the bastard is! He fathers children upon our daughter and Sansa knows better!" The implication brought a scowl to the boy's face and scrunched noses from most of her children. 

Taking his mother's side, Robb was just as disgusted as she was and made it known as he sent his bastard brother a harsh glare. "Seven Hells, Jon! She is our sister!"

The mysterious bastard was both betrayed and insulted. "I haven't even done anything! I have as little interest in her as she does in me." Jon's reasoning was met with suspicion from the mother-son duo.

"Why would Jon ever like Sansa? She is stupid and mean. Even her daughter thinks so! She must have seduced him!" Snow's defender came in the form of his shadow: Arya. The girl had yet to learn many men don't care about a woman's personality but only their beauty.

Scoffing, Sansa was as red as her hair whether from embarrassment, anger, or gods know what. "As if! I bet you are just mad because you are jealous and as sick as the bastard. Cause that is what he is and he proves the tales right about their kind!"

Arya reeled back in disgust at the accusation. "Ew! Jon is my brother and a far better person than you! You deserve to have been the bastard, not him. Maybe then you would make a good match with your bastard prince!"

"Enough, Arya!" Surprising everyone it came not from Ned but Jon, there was an authority in his voice that none had ever heard. Attached to his side and distressed was the youngest girl. "We can argue all day about whatever happens in the future or we can get answers. I know what I choose, I've waited all my life for this."

The shocked time travelers seemed to exchange looks and whispers among one another. Of what they discussed Cat did not know.

Taking control like the lord he is, Ned put an end to the bickering. "Jon is correct. We don't know what the future holds, they do." Gesturing to his future grandchildren. "Regardless, Jon and Cat deserve to hear this from me, I withheld the truth from them so it falls to me to tell it." 

Though everyone settled down, tensions were still high. The sisters still occasionally sent a glare at the other. Robb was still watching Jon like a hawk, Cat was too when Ned wasn't speaking. The bastard was in a dark mood and had all his focus on his father.

Sighing, the warden took in the expecting faces waiting on his words. "This can not be spoken of, not to anyone. This information if known to the wrong people can get every one of us killed." The stony serious look on his face was one Ned never used with their children and it spoke volumes.

A round of nods came quick from Cat's children and Theon. Bran, Cat's sweet boy was just quietly taking this all in with his unending curiosity. The younger ones seemed to like the idea of a secret and the thrill of keeping it so.

"Jon is not my son," Ned spoke with his eyes closed presumably to hide himself from the hurt he was inflicting. 

The words were a knife through Cat's neck and heart that left her silent. Nightmares and fears of the mysterious woman who left enough love in her husband's heart to raise their bastard, were completely unfounded. To have the earlier implication confirmed sparked guilt and anger in Catelyn's chest. If Snow was not her husband's, what was the pain she and the boy felt for years worth? All the pain she directly caused. Looking at the boy she could not help but once again ask just who he really was for Ned to care about him so.

Shock and horror overpowered the bastard's normally impassive face. The poor boy was destroyed, he lost the only tether he had to an identity. Cat could empathize with him, this was a version of her fears that she could have never have thought of. 

The present Stark children seemed to be as shocked and confused as Catelyn and Jon. While on the other hand the time travelers appeared well aware and were watching with concern and love. 

Eddard's voice returning stole everyone's focus back. "But he is my blood. He is as much a Stark as the rest of you." It was the way Ned always referred to the boy, 'my blood.' 

Though it was meant to be comforting, it had the opposite effect on Catelyn who felt worse with the additional information. When Jon had simply been Ned's bastard, it was the boy carrying his father's burden of her ire. Now it was a nephew, half-brother or cousin of some sort, and that made it intimately worse. 'Family, duty, honor,' were her house's words. Cat hurt her husband's family, her own family. While it was never her duty to care for the boy as Ned never asked that of her but she knew her husband would have loved her even more had she. It was hardly honorable to push a child away from his family. Her actions were never going to be moral but she at least had reason but now that the reasons are not valid…

Jon however seemed to look to his adoptive father hopefully, even Cat knew the value he placed in his heritage. While it pained Cat, the boy puffed up a little every time he was compared to Ned, physically or in nature. "I'm still of House Stark?" Jon quietly sought confirmation of his wish.

"Yes. You have the blood of the Starks but you don't carry the name. Nor are you a Snow." Ned's trouble speaking on the topic only seemed to make it worse as his replies only generated more questions to prolong the conversation.

Feeling as though she might be able to save her husband some pain Cat attempted to answer the unspoken question for him. "A Sand then? You are said to have returned from Dorne with him."

The shake of Ned's head put an end to that theory. "Jon is not a bastard. He was born true."

Catelyn's heart nearly stopped, that fact returned the possibility of the boy taking Winterfell from her son. She wouldn't be surprised if Brandon had spontaneously broken their betrothal and Ned claimed his nephew as his bastard to prevent her pain and the issues with their houses' marriage alliance. Although the dates don't work with any Stark other than…

"Then why was he raised as a bastard?"

Gasping as everything came together, who asked the question Catelyn had no clue. Cat nearly fell to her knees at the realization. The boy was royalty and her nephew by marriage yet she had prayed death upon him, had done everything short of withholding the necessities. She knew it was wrong but the guilt she felt over the bastard tended to feed a cycle of hate and more guilt.

Not a Snow but a Targaryen, not a bastard but a prince. The child of Rhaegar and Lyanna, an orphan. And soon the king that killed his father and rewarded the murder of his half siblings was coming to this keep. It was ironic that Prince Joffrey was a bastard hidden as a prince and Jon was a prince hidden as a bastard. He may be trueborn but that doesn't deny the possibility that he was a child of rape. Had the boy repeated his father's transgressions against another woman of House Stark? Or, had the whole rebellion been based on a lie?

"Because his name is a death sentence. Jon is the trueborn son of Prince Rhaegar and his second wife, my sister Lya-" Ned's voice wavered many times and broke on his sister's name.

A myriad of emotions pasted over the hidden prince's face as he processed the truth. The truth that explained the sharp and pretty features of his face. "His- his second wife?"

With a hearty sigh, Ned gave a slow nod. "I don't know everything but yes they married and loved both each other and you. There was a kidnapping attempt but not by Rhaegar but his father, where the rumors came from neither they nor I knew." The rumor that caused Brandon to demand a prince's head, that caused Ned to marry Cat in his brother's place.

Jon smiled sadly at the mention of his now known parents' love but it fell at the mention of the kidnapping and the realization of his grandfather. A rage seemed to build in him over the event but was soon aimed at Ned. "When were you going to tell me?" The question was as bitter as the accompanied glare.

Flinching and hanging his head under the boy's eyes, Ned answered. "I don't know. It was dangerous to know. Selfishly I think I didn't want to risk losing a son." Ned was honest as ever or perhaps not since the whole conversation was about his lies. It was also one of two times Cat has ever heard Ned call Jon his son. The only other had been when the boy had the pox and Ned was half mad at the time. It must have been rare for Jon too as his fire disappeared with the title.

Taking the silence to observe her elder daughter, Cat was shocked by Sansa's expression. Sansa was watching Jon with admiring eyes and wearing a dopey smile. It was horrifying to see the sway a title has on the girl. The naivety that Sansa's future daughter mentioned was as evident as a dragon in the day. How had Ned and Cat allowed her to become so blind. Cat would have to watch the bastard turned prince closely to protect Sansa's virtue.

The breakout laughter from the 'ward' broke the silence as he was hunched holding himself up from his thighs. "Jon must become very attuned with his Targaryen side in the future. Sisters are their specialty." The words were said through the Ironborn's giggles. 

Turning around with a fierce glare, Jon only seemed to make Theon laugh harder. Though the Targaryen's glare did make Robb stop his giggling when he realized the sister spoken about was his sister and joined his half-brother turned cousin.

"At least Jon doesn't pay for female companionship." Sansa's defense of the future father of her children had most everyone gasp before laughter erupted even Ned chuckled. More worrying was how quickly she went from calling Jon her bastard half-brother to defending him.

Theon put up a mocking glower expression before replying, "I'll have you know I don't always have to pay." 

"I'm pretty sure that is just a business trick to keep customers happy and returning." Sauna added with a raised eyebrow and a smirk. 

Having the mind to at least look embarrassed for falling victim to marketing ploy if not the paid service, the Greyjoy had red cheeks. Or so Cat hoped, it would be a pain if Theon developed a fondness for the time traveler. 

Sansa smiled proudly at her daughter before returning her eyes to Jon. When the boy looked to her she quickly hid her blush behind her wolf.

Looking back and forth between the two was Robb was wide eyed. "No, no, no, no. Stop. Go back to normal." Cat's eldest was desperate and pleading, nearing the point of falling to his knees, she would join if she was confident it would work. Distance and guards will make for a good alternative.

"Jon isn't the problem. Clearly he doesn't care much for her, he has three bastards." Arya's attempt at protecting her cousin had the opposite effect, bringing attention to an actual transgression of the Targaryen.

The part-Dornish time travelers had been completely forgotten by the Lady of Winterfell in all the chaos. Cat had to admit they were as excellently dressed as her Stark grandchildren, even if the clothes were not fitting for the North. She recalled Robyn mentioning the trio got their name from their father: Snow. The realization fueled a rage in Cat that was enough for her to forget the boy's parentage and move to slap the boy. 

The Targaryen's attention was split between the Dornish trio and Robb, Arya and Sansa. "I- I wouldn't. I vowed to never- I wouldn't cause my wife nor child the pain Lady Stark and-" the slapping sound punctuated the end of the boy's sentence. His head remained in the direction of his future children as altered by the slap. Silence followed as a red handprint began to form on the pale skin.

Cat felt half guilty hearing the words but evidently the Targaryen was not faithful. Targaryen. Sansa's children were Starks, the father a Targaryen. "Oh," Cat voiced involuteerly.

"Mother!" All five of Cat's children exclaimed once they realized what happened. 

Brynnard was the only one laughing at the scene. But when everyone's eyes landed on him he shut up quickly and turned red as quickly as his mother. 

Apologizing for the slap came to mind but whether Jon father bastards or trueborn children on a woman other than Sansa mattered little to Cat. He was guilty in her mind either way but the truth was still valuable. Turning to the eldest and leader of the time travelers, Catelyn sought her answers, "Are they Snows or Targaryens?"

Sauna raised an eyebrow at the question and gave her father an apologetic look. "Targaryen, from another wife."

"Another wife! Is my sister not good enough for you Jon?" Regardless of Robb's feelings on the pairing, he was still insulted on his sister's behalf. 

Many emotions appeared on Sansa's expressive face but a mixture of insult and confusion was what settled. As she opened her mouth to speak she was beaten to it by her silver haired granddaughter.

"Mother was father's second wife, so she knew what she was getting into. She quite enjoyed the perks of such a marriage. By that I mean the other women." Not only was Sara sarcastic in nature but blunt too.

Resembling a fish like a Tully, Sansa's jaw opened and shut repeatedly. Not knowing how to respond she simply remained silent.

Just as shocked as her daughter, Cat was in disbelief. Her perfect daughter had the wanton desire for her own gender, that could not be true. The more Catelyn learned of this future the worse it appeared. She did recognize that the desire might provide her some sort of happiness in the unfortunate condition of her marriage despite the craving's wanton and sinful nature. It would certainly be worse to commit adultery with a man than one of the other women married to a shared husband. Eyes widening at the realization of the specific wording, "Women? As in multiple? Two was not enough?" Cat will not allow her daughter to be seen as a fraction of her true worth.

While most of the time travelers seemed hesitant to answer and make future Jon seem worse than they already had, Sara had no such qualms. In fact the Valyrian haired woman looked so annoyed at the conversation, Cat thought she would have long left if the option was available. "Father has four wives and married them not for himself but for the realm and their own wishes. They are all quite happy if the moans that keep me up most night mean anything. He was able to do so through the Doctrine of Exceptionalism just like Grandfather. His wives are Mother, Margaery Tyrell, Rhaenys, and Val of the Freefolk. I think I have seen Father get enough shit dropped on him for one day." 

No one was prepared for the mass of new information much less Cat. Her daughter was apparently happy as one of four wives, not that good coupling equates to a good happy marriage. The moaning detail could have gone unsaid for Cat's sake. Margaery Tyrell was not an entirely great surprise, even here in the North Cat has heard of the Tyrell's ambitions. The third woman was an oddity, presumably named after the boy's late elder half-sister and without a family name she was likely to simply be a low-born Dornish woman. The final woman was an absolute mystery, never had Catelyn heard someone of the name or of the group. 

The surprise must have been enough for Robb to momentarily forget his current dislike of his former half-brother and his manners. "Damn Jon. I thought you were utter shit with women. Tyrell, you must have high standards."

"I wasn't expecting to ever have a wife much less four, I was planning on joining the Watch." Jon's somber tone gave Catelyn the impression she was a contributing factor in that choice.

Lewd as ever Theon perked up at that, "If you plan on going celibate, I'll happily volenteer to ensure the births of your future children." The jest receives no laughter but narrowed eyes and gags, none so fierce as Catelyn, Robb, and Jon's glare.

Absentmindedly Jon moved himself more in the way between Sansa, his children and the Greyjoy. "You wish Theon. I'll have to stay now lest I curse them to such a terrible fate."

"Can you guys stop talking about fathering children on my sister? It is disgusting." Robb was utterly appalled as he looked at his two best friends. He was now officially Cat's favorite son, the other two however were too young to understand so Robb had the advantage. Bran may yet steal the title back from his elder. 

If Arya's scrunched nose didn't make her opinion known, her voice did. "Please. But as disgusting as it is, I'd prefer Jon with Sansa, then he would truly be our brother!" 

The girl's support gave Jon a confident stance and a victorious smirk. Snow and Greyjoy always had a competition going for Robb's time ever since Ned returned from war with the ward. The two seemed to perfectly encapsulate the relations between the Northmen and the Ironborn.

"Rhaenys? Freefolk?" The softly spoken question attracted everyone's attention to Ned. The lord was one of the few to be unfortunate enough to see the results of the Siege of King's Landing. He saw the body of the girl just shy of three name days, the mutilated corpses of her mother and brother as well. 

Of the time travelers to clarify it was the eldest Dornish woman, presumably the Rhaenys in question's daughter. She swam closer to the group before speaking, "Mother is Father's half-sister. Grandfa-"

Cutting her of was the Ironborn, with a loud laugh. "Holy shit! Jon went full Targaryen!" The comment earned the return of Jon ire towards Theon. However this time the Greyjoy was successful in getting some laughs including from Robb and Arya, who yet again failed to realize Sansa was one of Jon's two sisterwives. 

Not appreciating being interrupted or the insult to their heritage, Daena as well as her siblings followed their father's example. "As I was saying: Grandfather didn't go to the Trident without contingencies. Even if Aerys had promised to send them back to Dorne should the loyalists fall." She stopped to send Ned an incriminating glare. "Grandfather ensured his first wife and children were safe whether his father and king approved or not. His plan was successful." The melancholic frown the woman wore spoke of how hard a topic this was for her to discuss.

Surely everyone was just as curious as Cat about exactly how the family escaped and just where they are now. It must have been incredibly fortunate that the bodies were desecrated beyond identification but it may have simply been unintentional. 

"It is starting to darken, supper should be near ready." Ned's comment made everyone painfully aware of how long they had been out. "Whether by the will of the Gods or by sorcery you all are here. If you are here to create a better future surely you will only return when you have done so. We have learned enough for today. Cat will provide rooms to you all. We will need an explanation for your presence." 

Sara, the well read time traveler was quick to offer ideas probably with the intention to end this quicker. "When in King's Landing Grandfather hires a tutor to teach Aunt Arya the way of the sword. Sauna as a female swordsman would be applicable. There are also two sellsword companies of Northmen active correct? And another formed by a Tully. Surely a Stark has been to Essos recently?"

Ned seemed to understand what she was getting at. "The Company of the Rose and the Wolf Pack, created after the Torren Stark knelt and the Dance. Though the companies are rather small, I have their movements watched. My grandfather did serve as a sellsword for a time in the Second Sons. Arya's nameday is in a little more than a fortnight, who better to teach her then a woman of the same houses as her, if it took bringing her tutor's whole family including half-siblings then so be it." 

"Will I actually get to learn?" Arya's excitement had already peaked. At her father's nod the girl let out a cry of happiness and crushed him in an embrace. 

Even if she was against the girl using a sword, Cat could not help but smile at her daughter's contagious glee. She would be having a word with Ned, there would be conditions.

Adding to the conversation Sauna spoke addressing Ned, "We are the children of your cousin and a female descendant of the Tully. The cousin joined the Wolf Pack to be among fellow Northmen before settling down. Our names will be a problem as they resemble your family too much. We will come up with some as we settle before supper. We can begin training Arya on her nameday. This story will also explain our attire." Motioning to the wolf depictions on other time travelers. "Fortunately we only wear white or red wolves." 

"Then we are in agreement." After a round of nods Ned continued. "Shall we head back inside then?" After motioning in the direction of the exit, Ned handed Cat her cloak back to ward off the coming chill.

As the other's began to move Jon walked the opposite direction after removing his own cloak. 

Daena with her hands on the edge of the pool ready to pull herself out of the pool stared up at her father's extended hand and cloak in the other. Smiling she accepted the aid and again the water magically returned to the pool from her person. "Thank you Father." The two were of height with each other so the black cloak tightly wrapped around the woman fit perfectly. 

Turning away from the Targaryens, Cat accepted her husband's arm. It was going to be a long night for them, one Cat hoped didn't result in sleeping in separate chambers. "We have a lot to speak of." 

"That we do, My Lady. I hope you will be kinder to me than I was to you." Ever the honorable man she married, Ned at least acknowledges the wrongs he has done to her. 

Clicking her tongue, she decided to tease him. "We shall see. Are your chambers prepared?"

Sighing, "No, I haven't had to use them since before Arya's birth. Ned looked half horrified at the possibility of temporary relocation.

Notes:

The second half will cover Ned and Cat's conversation. It might be a little shorter but it'll give some more details on this Westeros.

I should also clarify Sansa does not currently have any feeling for Jon. Her blushes come from him being a hidden prince like in a story and the future father of her children. If she was recently thinking of him being a prince she treats him as such if not she falls into habit calling or treating him as a bastard. Everyone's minds are sort of all over the place, though only Ned and Robb's are not connected to their bodies.

Honestly I can't wait for more on to the one on one conversations. Large group things are so complicated. So many conversations need to happen.

Here is my plan for the next few chapters:

Cp.3 - Cat I part 2

Cp.4 - Margaery I

Cp.5 - Jon I

Cp.6 - Val I

A few questions:

Currently this is rated teens and up, should it be mature? I feel it leans that direction.

Is there a word for what Sansa's kids might call Jon's other wives? If not I'll probably just go with aunt even if only literally applicable to Rhaenys and Sansa.