Starlight Crown

(Dorne)

(Two Years Later)

Jon walked towards a large Boulder that was upon a hill that overlooked the Water Gardens, an oasis in the desert that was Dorne. He took a seat on the large boulder and took a cup and a bottle of wine out of the knapsack he had on, there were better things to drink in such heat but he knew it was his favourite drink.

"It's been a wild couple of months, but I finally managed to get the information I needed" Jon said as he poured himself a cup of wine and took a sip from it, He then placed the bottle in the sand in front of him.

"K'Dath, one of the only cities that stands in the Grey Waste, I've not heard much about it but I know people refer to it as 'The city of the soulless' whatever that means," Jon said with a chuckle as he kept on sipping his wine, it was refreshing in the heat as he had kept it cold with the abilities that came from his axe.

"They say a man lives there, he has gone through the Grey Waste and into whatever world lies beyond, if there is anyone that can tell me where to look it will be him" Jon continued

"It is hard to stop myself from getting aboard my ship and sailing towards Yi-Ti right this moment, but there are people I need to think about now, people that I need to protect and live for," he said as he looked down at his cup inspecting the red liquid that rippled inside.

"There is an artefact that has come to my attention... it was supposed to serve as your crown," Jon drained the rest of the cup before pouring himself another.

"Your father gave me the information in hopes I might spare his life, though he sadly was mistaken" Jon said with a weary smile.

"The Crown of Hugor Hill, they say the Father himself brought down seven stars to craft it, it grants unparalleled knowledge and wisdom, supposedly" he stated

"But I only have one chance to obtain the Phoenix Sigil and will need all the help I can get, if this crown can help guide the way then I must obtain it" Jon said with his fists clenched.

"I set sail for Lorath soon so I will not be able to come here for a while" Jon said regretfully.

Jon then stood up and took a few steps forward, in front of him was a large stone tablet "I wish I could've gotten to know you better" he said with a slight lump in his throat.

"It's funny, I spent our whole journey berating you and telling you how unworthy you are and yet... you go and save me anyway" Jon said with a sigh.

"Something a brother would do," Jon said as he poured the rest of the wine over the grave. He then turned around and started to walk back down the hill turning around one last time to look at the tablet he had made.

*Aegon Targaryen*

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"WAAAAAAAAAAHH" A baby scream echoed through the corridors of the Water Gardens as Jon arrived, he couldn't help but sigh 'I really should stop finishing inside so much' he thought to himself as he saw Brienne one of his lovers sitting in the Garden with their son bouncing on her knee.

"Brienne how is little Aegon doing today" He said with a smile as he came up behind her putting his arm around her shoulder.

She looked up at him and smiled "He has been a little restless as of late, I am glad Rhaella has been here I feel wholly unsuited to being a mother" Brienne said with a tired expression.

Jon smiled and leaned down kissing her on the head "Nonsense, I think you just miss fighting and adventuring"

Brienne pouted slightly "Maybe a little bit" she admitted, it seemed ever since she gave birth she had traded a suit of armour for a gown. Though not that she was disappointed, seeing the blonde-haired and purple-eyed babe that came out of her made it all worth it. She was sure Val and Ygritte would feel the same when they gave birth 'It shouldn't be too much longer now' Brienne thought to herself.

"Kepa!"

Jon turned around to see his Daughter Joanna run towards him and into his arms, he lifted her hip and hugged her tightly "How is my little dragon doing" Jon asked as he stroked her hair.

"Grandmother finally said she'd let me learn how to use a sword" Joanna said with wide sparkling eyes and a broad smile on her face.

"You finally managed to convince her? Then I suppose your Uncle Jaime will be pretty busy when you return to Kings Landing" Jon said as he walked with her still on his hip.

Joanna's smile faded away from her face "Do I have to leave Kepa..." She said in a sad tone.

Jon sighed "You know the deal me and your mother made, you get to visit me for a few months as long as you go back" Jon reminded her.

Joanna nodded her head slowly before leaning on Jon's chest "I hate Kings Landing, Joffery is a baby and since he's becoming king soon he's gotten even more arrogant"

"Just ignore him, if he oversteps then I'll make sure to come to knock some sense into him, maybe a spanking will do," Jon said causing Joanna to giggle in response.

"Can we fly on Aeksion today!" Joanna asked pleadingly, Jon chuckled and rolled his eyes.

"Fine but after you've finished your lessons, now I need to go talk to your Aunt Daenerys" Jon said before putting her down and letting her run off. Jon walked down the Water Gardens enjoying its view it was nice to have a place where they could lay down some roots, at least until his manse by the sea had been built 'Oberyn did say that was in the works' he thought to himself, while he would've liked to stay in Essos there was no way he could leave Joanna and so he made a compromise and stayed in Dorne.

As he walked through the sweet-smelling plants and high bushes that seemed to form a sort of maze he found the person he wished to see. Jon couldn't help but smile as he saw his Daenerys with her large rounded belly sitting next to his Grandmother Rhaella. Daenerys looked up and smiled brightly as Jon approached her, she struggled to her feet and quickly embraced him "You're back!" She said in an excited tone.

Jon kissed the top of her head and led her back to her seat "Not for long I am afraid, though I am glad I got to see you before I left" He replied.

"I'm glad you're safe Jon" Rhaella said shooting him a small smile, she worried a lot whenever he'd go off on his expeditions. Though the recent ones weren't dangerous as it was just Jon tracking down Illyrio after he up and disappeared, after Aegon and his group died Illyrio knew that Jon would come after him.

"Why do you have to leave so soon!" Daenerys said with tears in her eyes, she'd been the most emotional during her pregnancy out of all the women Jon was with, though she was always quite emotional so it wasn't too surprising.

"I have the information I need, but I know that going now would be too risky, so I will be taking a quick trip to Lorath to get my hands on something" Jon explained as he held her hand.

Rhaella couldn't help but laugh "It seems your whole life revolves around finding Lost Artefacts"

Jon smiled "I am simply doing what I have to do, nothing more" Though Jon said these words with conviction even he knew they rang false as the truth was he loved every moment he spent delving into ruins and discovering relics of the past he just wished that the life he chose hadn't taken so much from him in return.

Jon then looked towards Daenerys "Do not worry it's a simple trip, just need to grab the artefact and leave"

This caused Rhaella to laugh some more "Is it always so simple?" She asked with a raised eyebrow.

"One can only hope, but at least I'll have Samaya and Obella to back me up" Jon said with a reassuring smile.

Daenerys eyes widened in surprise "You're taking Obella? Doesn't she still hate you?" she asked

Jon shrugged "She has warmed up to me slightly, though I think she is just more eager to see her sister again than anything else. Though she is a skilled warrior so I won't decline her blade"

Rhaella reached over and put her hand on both of ours "Be careful Jon, you have a lot more to live for now than you used to, so please do not take any unnecessary risks" she said and he nodded

"I have no enemies, I'll be fine," he said with a bright smile.

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The wind echoed and whistled down the cold stone corridors of Dragonstone, the island fortress was a dreary place however in recent years it had become even more so when occupied by the current Lord.

Stannis Baratheon was a hard man in almost everything he did, he was rigid, and unbending and followed the laws of man and god as if they dictated his every move. He put duty above all else, but once in a while the winds change and even a man such as Stannis finds he can't remain the same forever.

Stannis had no love for his brother Robert but he was his elder brother and more importantly his King, he respected the man for his martial gifts but he knew he was an awful king. To have heard that his brother had been killed by Daemon Targaryen was one thing, but to hear that the killer had been granted a pardon was something Stannis would not accept. He resigned as master of ships and left back for his seat at Dragonstone, he had urged Renly to come with him but his younger brother cared more about the comforts and glamour of court than real justice.

So it was to Dragonstone that Stannis retreated and planned, he was never much of a plotter and for a while, he had no thoughts on how to capture his brother's killer. But it seemed the gods had been looking favourably on him as they saw fit to send two people who were more suited to this role than he was.

"I have news, My Lord"

Stannis was brought out of his thoughts by the voice of Varys, the master of spies for the king, though how he kept his position was a wonder to him.

"Speak" Stannis simply said as he overlooked the courtyard where a sparring match seemed to be taking place.

"Jon Snow recently managed to catch up to my associate, though not before my associate managed to relay all the information he had to me" Varys stated.

"While most of it is unimportant there is a piece of information that could prove to be useful, I believe it will give us the location of where Jon Snow plans to go," Varys said with a smile, he knew exactly where Jon was heading to, even without Illyrio helping him but he needed to put on a show for these lords.

"I see... then I will make sure the Band of Bastards is ready to leave," Stannis said in reply, had Varys not been extremely proficient in reading people he would've missed the slight smile that tugged at the corners of Stannis' face.

"My Lord... while I do not wish to doubt the ability of your little group, Jon Snow has proven to be a skilled warrior and battle commander, there are some who even say he commands the forces of nature and can crush a man's skull with just his hands" Varys stated with slight concern. If there was a person who wanted Jon dead the most it was Varys, he had lost everything because of him, his nephew, his friend and his hope of a better kingdom. So he had to make sure that Stannis at least wasn't going into this with a foolish plan.

Stannis however just gestured to the courtyard where the spar was taking place and Varys turned and watched. In the centre of the ring was a large man reaching nearly as tall as the king and full of muscle, he had no shirt just arm braces and an intricately designed bull helmet. In his hands was a large Warhammer, the island was a cold place so every breath he took made it look as if smoke was coming out of the bull's nostrils.

Eventually, two people ran forward with swords hoping to attack the man, he looked at them and waited until they stepped within reach. He held his Warhammer out using it a long reach to stop the first enemy from advancing as he slammed into the hammer winding himself, the second one swung his sword down but the man caught it between the bull horns on his helmet and then twisted them snapping the sword in two, he then grabbed the poor man by the throat and lifted him off his feet. The first enemy who had been stopped by the Warhammer moved back and attempted to go around but like a flash, the man spun his hammer and hit the man in the stomach sending him into the air and on the ground.

The other man who was in his grip fell unconscious as his air supply ran out and the man just threw him to the floor. The sound of clapping could be heard throughout the courtyard "Good job Gendry, though I'd like to see you try those fancy spins with a sword" a man said as he approached Gendry.

Gendry took off the bull helmet and threw it to the floor "Fuck off Edric, I'll leave those fancy moves to you and Mya, give me a block of steel any day" he said as he placed his war hammer on his shoulder.

Edric clapped him on the shoulder "Yeah well these fancy moves have gotten me quite a few women knocking on my chambers, when was the last time you had anything polished but your Hammer" he said with a grin.

Gendry shoved him away as Edric laughed "If you spent as much time training as you did fucking you'd be the strongest one here" a voice said from a bench close by. On the bench was a woman with short dark hair and blue eyes, she sat down scrapping a smooth rock against a dagger.

"Mya you wound me, Perhaps you are jealous eh? It seems our Targaryen blood runs a bit stronger in you" he said to her eliciting a laugh out of Gendry as well, however, the laughter was cut short when they heard the whistling of wind and then a dull thud. Edric placed his hand on his cheek and saw it was bleeding, he then looked behind him and saw a dagger sticking out of a wooden beam.

"Need I say anything more?" Mya asked as she looked at him sternly.

"No Mya I understand" he said with a nod, one which Gendry also gave. As the oldest sister, she took it upon herself to keep them all in line and to stop things from going too far, at times this meant putting them in their place.

"Mya!" Stannis shouted from the balcony he overlooked, all of them looked up at their uncle and lord.

"It is time, to gather in the Great Hall" he simply said before walking away.

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The Great Hall of Dragonstone looked different to the one that had been used by the Targaryens, for one all of the windows had been blacked out the only lights being those from the candle lights. This had been an addition made by a recent addition to Dragonstone, the Red Priestess Melisandre. She had been allowed to stay on the island by Stannis, and while he didn't much listen to her religious rhetoric he was very much interested in the powers she seemed to have and how they could be used.

Melisandre had proven to be an invaluable ally as she believed Jon to be an agent of the Great Other, with his powers over Ice. She was dedicated to ending the threat that he posed and would do anything she could to support the effort, which was why she was here today.

She stood in the centre of the hall by a candlelight, by her was Stannis and in the corner watching from the shadows was Varys. The Three Bastards as they were known stood before them, while they were not the only ones of Roberts Bastards in the Band of Bastards they were the leaders, the eldest and the most skilled.

In front of Melissandre lay three objects, these objects were straight from the vaults of the Red Temple in Volantis, but after pleading her case with the leader she agreed and allowed these Artefacts to be used to take down this agent of the Other.

"Edric step forward," Melisandre said in her sultry tone as she gestured to the spot in front of her. With a nervous gulp the youngest of the trio stepped forward.

"To aid you in your quest you have been bequeathed the Vezos Blade, or in common tongue, the sun blade" she said as she lifted the dark smokey rippled sword with a glowing red gem in its hilt.

"It is said this sword was used by an old Valyrian Dragonlord and it is capable of making itself so hot that it could cut through a steel shield like butter" She explained, Edric took the blade looking at it in awe as he stepped back in line.

"Gendry step forward," Melisandre said looking at the largest of the trio.

"Not much is known about this artefact but from what I've been told it was forged from the still-beating heart of the last Stone Giant and it still lives inside" she said as she handed him some metal gauntlets that seemed rough and rigid. Gendry took them and went back into line inspecting his gift.

"Mya comes forward," Melissandre said with a smile on her face. Mya not feeling nervous did as she was asked.

"You are the leader and so I give you the most powerful of the set" she said as she held up a necklace with a Gem in the centre that looked like the sun.

"This is called the First Flame and it is immensely powerful, I have seen it used once a long time ago and I saw that person light over 100 soldiers on fire, feel honoured that the necklace chose you," she said handing it to her.

Stannis then stepped forward "You know why you have been training, why you have gathered this company together. You seek justice for your father and I seek justice for my brother and king which was denied to us" he said as he addressed them.

"You have everything you need to correct this miscarriage of justice, do not fail me," he said bluntly.

"We won't fail you uncle" They all said at once standing straight as they were being addressed.

Varys who was still standing in the corner couldn't help but smile as his plan unfolded.

(AN: So yeah, the next arc will be shorter as it's just a mini arc. But yeah this chapter was just a bit of a recap as well as setting up what's happening. A lot of you were like how comes there were not any repercussions of him killing the king, well this was always the plan. Stannis isn't the kind of man to accept such an injustice so he formed the Band of Bastards. They will be the main villains of this arc while Jon and Company search for the Starlight Crown, anyway updates on this are gonna be a bit slower as a lot more planning goes into this than my usual slop)

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