Chapter 6 - Madness

<Year 282 AC, Eddard Stark POV>

I would have never imagined that life in the Eyrie could be so different from the North, then again, this place was neither cold nor it was run by my father. I was sent here as a ward of Lord Jon Arryn, the Warden of the East and the Defender of the Vale, along with Robert Baratheon, the heir of Storm's End. We were both nine years old when we arrived at the Gates of the Moon, where we were greeted by Lord Arryn and his wife, Lady Jeyne Royce.

Lord Arryn was a stern but fair man, who treated us as his sons, which for both me and Robert was something that we needed. And like a father, he taught us how to wield a sword, ride a horse, and command men. Lady Jeyne made sure we learned history, law, and etiquette so that we could act and be like a proper noble, something that she had to beat inside of Robert's head many times over the years. However, besides that, Lady Lysa was a gentle and kind woman, who gave us sweets and toys. She was always smiling and laughing, and I have to admit that she seemed to have loved Lord Arryn very much. A pity that such a good wife had to die at childbirth, yet from what Robert and I could find out from Lord Royce himself, Lady Jeyne was the one who begged the grand maester to save the babe.

As for the babe himself … I don't exactly know how to describe the first time I laid my eyes on him. Konrad Arryn was something that you only heard in old stories, but despite his pale skin, white hair, and red eyes, the babe was a bundle of joy that managed what Lady Jeyne didn't: To make Robert act like a proper noble and even as a big brother of some sorts for the babe. It was during those times that I found Robert so different from before. Then again, being one of the few people who could make Konrad stop crying could have been the reason behind his strange training routine. After all, it was quite hard to swing a sword with a baby in your arms so what better way to calm the baby than reading a book while gently rocking him to sleep?

And now, two years after he was born, as Robert and I were sparring in the courtyard, a toddler that both of us loved dearly was watching us eagerly. Konrad was sitting in the corner with his nursemaid. He was two years old, but he looked like a snowflake with his pale skin and white hair. Not many people dared to talk badly about the boy, mostly out of fear of Lord Royce, who by right given by the old gods and the new ones, beheaded twenty-eight men and women who had tried to kill the boy, claiming that he was a spawn of the devil. Southerners and their love for their seven gods…

Yet call me biased if you like but I see Konrad as a sweet and gentle child, who loved to play with his wooden sword and shield and who idolized Robert and me more than he does Jon.

But at the same time, he was also a curious and clever child, who loved to read books and learn new things. He had a knack for languages and history, and he could recite the names of all the kings of Westeros. If that wasn't impressive already for two years old, the little bundle of joy was also fascinated by the old stories of the First Men and the Andals, just like Lord Arryn was.

Just as I was about to remember the day, he spoke his first words, Robert smashed my shield sending me to the ground.

Robert laughed at me for not paying attention to our duel. "You're getting soft, Ned. Too busy playing with that nursemaid of our little brother. What would your father say if he saw you now?"

I pushed his hammer away and got up. "He would say that you're a loud-mouthed oaf who doesn't know how to fight with honor. And he would be right."

Robert grinned and swung his hammer again not giving me any time to rest. Luckily, I knew from experience that he would do this so it wasn't all that hard to parry before counterattacking. Just as I was about to hit him, both of us heard Lord Arryn's voice calling us.

When we turned around, we saw Jon Arryn running towards us, his face pale and his eyes wide. He was followed by Lord Royce and his sons, who looked equally alarmed. They were all dressed in their finest clothes as if they had just come from a feast or a council. But their expressions were not of joy or satisfaction, but of dread and urgency. Something must have happened for them to look so dreadful.

"Robert, Ned, come with me. Now." Jon Arryn said, his voice trembling slightly. "There's no time to explain. You need to see this."

He grabbed our arms and dragged us along, leaving our weapons behind. Neither Robert nor I dared to ask our "fatherly figure" anything at that moment so we just quietly followed him knowing very well that all of our questions would be answered when we reached the solar.

As soon as we reached the solar, I was shocked to see what was on the desk. It has been too long, I admit but there on the desk was a letter sealed with the sigil of a direwolf. A letter from Winterfell. A letter from my father.

"What is this about, my lords?" I asked fearing the worst.

Before Jon Arryn could explain, Yohn Royce slammed the desk with his fist, making the letter flutter in the air. "Those bloody dragons have gone too far this time! They've kidnapped your sister, Ned! Those sister fuckers dare to steal the daughter of a Lord Paramount!"

He looked at Robert, who was staring at the letter like he was watching his family being murdered. His blue eyes were burning with a fire that I had never seen before. A second later he clenched his jaw and his fists as if he was ready to kill someone, but Robert said nothing, nevertheless, I knew what he was thinking. He loved Lyanna more than anything in the world and he had planned to marry her as soon as we finished our warding.

By the old gods, I could have never imagined that my wild sister could be tamed by Robert, but now the Targaryens had taken her away forcefully from what my father said in the letter. Fifty guards from Winterfell were killed by no more than twenty Targaryen soldiers led by three members of the Kingsguard.

"This means that we are at war, am I right my lords?" I asked both Lord Royce and Jon who looked at me with a solemn look on their faces. Even Yohn's oldest son, Andar, understood what would happen. While Andar was no older than twelve years old, he was still old enough to learn from his father, Among all of the nobles in the Valley, he was one of the few that liked to play with his two-year-old cousin and future lord.

"In a way, Ned. As of right now, we don't have an exact reason to think that this is a war, but Lord Royce and I had already sent word to call the banners just in case. If the Mad King does something extremely stupid then, believe me, son, we will stand with the North."

"So will the Stormlands!" Robert shouted while gripping the letter in his hand.

Robert's words shocked all of us, especially me. He had just declared his allegiance to the North and the Vale, without consulting his lord father or his bannermen. This bloody oaf had just put himself and his house in grave danger, for the sake of my sister and his love.

Truth be told, as good as a warrior as he was and as the future lord of Stormlands, Robert did not care about politics or diplomacy, or the balance of power in the realm. He only cared about Lyanna and his honor, and he was willing to fight for them to the bitter end. But I knew that he was right. If the king did indeed tell my father to bugger off and leave my sister to his son, then by the old gods, father would call the bannermen to war. He would not stand by and let his daughter be dishonored and abused by a Targaryen prince. He would not bow down and obey a mad king who had no regard for justice or law. No lord of the North will choose to sit idle if the call comes, not even the lord of Dreadfort.

"What are we going to do now Father?" Andar asked his father.

"Now we wait boy. Now we wait and pray to the old and new gods that the king doesn't become madder."

<King's Landing, Jaime Lannister POV>

I would lie if I were to say that I wasn't missing my little brother and my sister. With all of their faults, they were a better company than anyone in this damn city, especially after my cousin disappeared out of thin air one night. The seven know where Tyrek went and what was he doing there.

Alas, the prince did something that I have to admit was dumber than one of my cousins, something that as a Lannister was hard to admit. If I didn't know the girl in question, I could have said that maybe they had fallen in love, but Lyanna Stark was everything but in love with Rhaegar.

Not only had the prince sent his men to kidnap her from her own home, but he also raped her twice since yesterday. The madman thinks just because his mad father sits on the throne that he can do what he wants without consequence. If that wasn't bad enough, Elia, Rhaegar's wife, came to me last night, asking me if, for some bizarre reason, I could help one of her cousins to get into the Red Keep, something that I have to say wasn't all normal, but who was I to deny my lady wishes?

"My king, as everyone knows by now … the crown prince had sent his men and kidnapped my daughter from our own home. Not to mention, my king that my son had arrived two days earlier, but I don't see him here. I want to know why?"

Lord Stark was angry beyond reason for a second, I could see my father reacting the same way if Cersei or I would have been in the same situation as Lyanna. As for my younger brother, Tyrion … I don't know, Father wasn't exactly pleased to have him as his son, but there was nothing he could do about him without becoming a kingslayer.

The Mad King laughed out loudly at Lord Stark's words, his eyes gleaming with madness as he took in the northern lord.

"Your daughter?" he sneered. "You mean the whore who ran away with my son? T

He shook his head and spat on the floor. "She is no daughter of yours, Lord Stark. She is no lady of Winterfell. She is no wolf of the north. She is nothing but a Targaryen's plaything, a dragon's prize, a king's property that should everyone know!"

He smiled wickedly and leaned forward on his throne. "And as for your son, Lord Stark, you do not see him here because he is in the dungeons, where he belongs. He came to me two days ago, demanding that I release his sister and punish my son. He came to me with a sword in his hand and a threat on his lips. He came to me with treason in his heart and rebellion in his mind. And no one threatens a dragon in his lair!"

Aerys paused for a moment before his smile grew even wider. "But do not worry, Lord Stark you will see your soon, of course only if you choose to free him by the trial of combat."

Mad! How could the king demand one of the lord's paramount to challenge the iron throne to save his son? My father needs to know of this immediately, war is coming and the Lions need to choose the winning side…

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