Chapter 90

He rode Rhaegal swiftly. Jon Stark was in Winterfell five days after riding from King's landing. It had been five years since he last saw his parents.

Jon landed and saw as Rhaegal circled the skies. The letter must not have arrived before he did.

He saw two boys playing with Lan and Greywind. "Rickon?" Jon asked. The bigger boy looked up.

"JON" He yelled and went to hug him.

Eddard stayed back. He caressed Greywind.

"It is your uncle Jon." He said. The boy came closer and offered a hand.

"You look just like your father." Jon said and hugged the boy.

"Where is father?" Jon asked Rickon.

"There was an execution. Granfather went to see to it." Eddard said quietly. "Nanna forbade me from going and Rickon already saw one."

"Where is my mother?" Jon asked.

"In her solar." Rickon replied.

Jon nodded, "go play. I have to speak to her."

Jon walked and smiled while running up to meet his mother.

Lady Stark wrote letters. "Have the boys ready for supper. Lord Stark may not come in until later."

"Mother." He said and smiled when his lady mother gasped.

"Oh sweetling." She said and ran to his embrace.

He laughed and kissed her all over her face. She looked older but still very beautiful.

"I have missed you so." She said and hugged him once more.

"Tell me everything." Lady Stark pulled him to one of her sofas.

So he did. He told her all about King's Landing and ruling side by side with Daenerys. Mother told him all about Winterfell and Wolf's Hall. They spent hours talking about home and his siblings.

Mother talked about Tommen and the fact that Myrcella gave birth to twin boys last year. Arya had written a few months back. She and Gendry were fine; in Volantis having all sorts of adventures. Joanna was fine too but she longed to come back to Westeros. Jon avoided the topic. Daenerys would not allow it. He was not too sure the North was the right place for Joanna and her children. They were better in Essos.

"How long will you stay?" She asked.

"A week. Daenerys needs me with her." Jon replied. He had planned to stay at least three weeks but the dreams were clear. There was a purpose for his visit.

"So short." She said disappointedly.

"Mother, I just need reassurance." He said and kissed her hands.

They had supper with the boys. Mother was in her element with the young boys. She was good. They listened and behaved for her.

They retired to her quarters once more. He waited for her in her solar. Mother went to put the boys to bed.

She came back and looked tired. "It was easier when I was younger." She commented and offered him a glass of wine.

"You do it wonderfully." He replied.

They spoke some more. It was getting later and mother became a little restless. "Father is fine. He will have a surprise for you."

Father came in late. They went down the halls and found him and Bran. Jon smiled openly and rushed to his brother. Mother was there first.

"You are so big. Oh sweetheart." She cried and peppered his brother with kisses and hugs. She cried and kissed Bran.

"My baby boy. I will make sure that your quarters are ready. I am so happy you are back to us." She continued speaking.

Father laughed, "give our boy time Lioness."

"I saw you in my dreams." Jon said and hugged Bran.

Jon had dreamed of Bran for weeks now. "I know. I put the dreams there."

"I saw something Jon. Something bad. You could play a part if you do not follow what I tell you." Bran said quickly.

Jon understood. Mother frowned and father nodded, "I will only stay until the morrow mama. Jon has to take me back tomorrow afternoon. I am the three-eyed raven now. The guardian of all things. I have only come to tell Jon of his future and warn him."

Mother frowned. Bran was a man now. "Then you will let your mother hold you all night. You must make me dream as well. I know you give dreams to your father and your brother. Why not me?"

Bran kissed her cheek. "You don't believe as much as we do. I talk to you each night mama. You just don't remember."

His mother's eyes watered a bit but she offered a smile and hugged Bran some more. "I have to talk to Jon. I will be all yours after mama."

Jon and Bran stayed in the solar. "You have to give her a child. You have seen it Jon. Daenerys needs to have your children. The war will come once more, not now, many years after you and your children are dead. It will be your children's future offspring that will save the world as we know it."

Jon nodded. He laughed, "I have to believe you Bran. I long to see her belly full with my child."

Bran spoke to him once more. "You have to take me back North. You have to take the roots as well. Your seed is inside her but she needs to drink the tea with those roots. They are from my tree but you have to cut them Jon. We must leave tomorrow."

Jon nodded. He helped his brother to his quarters. Their mother smoothed out the furs. "Your father and I will stay with you all night. You are to leave in the morrow so we have a lot to talk about."

Jon left them. He dreamed of Daenerys that night. He could smell her; Jon could feel her. He woke up early in the morning. Jon visited his father and then his mother. They were engrossed with Bran.

So Jon did the next best thing. He visited Robb. It was sad to not have his brother anymore. Robb and him were always together, he sometimes felt the need to tell him something or write to him and it would crash down. Robb was no longer there to hear or write back.

"I miss you." He said and looked at his brother's grave.

He spent a few more minutes and then went to the weirwoods. He visited Rhaella. She would be six. She would be as beautiful as Daenerys. Jon sometimes wondered if Rhaella would have been like Joanna or Arya. Would she have run at him pretending to have a sword or would his little girl force him into tea parties?"

Jon cried a bit and said his goodbyes. Time flew by. Soon it was time for them to leave. It would have to be horses. Bran could not ride a dragon. He said they needed to make the journey. It was sad to see mother so broken after Bran told her that it would be the last time they would see each other. "Do not cry mama. For you will be so very happy from now on. There will no more war or sadness. You will be content."

Father looked strong as he held their mother. "Farewell my sons." He said.

Jon and Bran traveled North quickly. Bran told him that he could see everything.

"Aunt Lyanna loved your father. He fell in love with her too. Rhaegar annulled his marriage to Elia. You are the rightful heir to the throne." He said once they crossed the Wall."

Jon stiffened, "I do not want it. It is my wife's. She fought for it. My Daenerys deserves it more. She was born to rule. I will not take that away from her."

Bran smiled, "You should know. She was not raped. He married her in Dorne. She was so happy. You were loved Jon. My aunt named you Jaehaerys because he was your father's grandfather."

Jon remained quiet for a few hours. Bran assured him that they were close to his home. He decided her wanted to know more about the people who conceived him. "Tell me more about Lyanna and Rhaegar."

"Lyanna and Arya were very alike. Only grandfather was stricter than our father. He forbade Lyanna from the swords. Father was like you. He loved Lyanna and indulged her like you did with Joanna and Arya. Lyanna did not want to marry anyone but she was resigned to marry Robert Baratheon. She thought she would have more freedom in the Stormlands. Our grandfather was not too keen on having Lyanna be like Arya." Bran said with a small smile.

Jon fronwed when his brother stopped, "tell me more."

"They met in Harrenhall. He was taken with her. Your father gave her the roses but it was not because she was the most beautiful woman in the tourney. They had met before you see. Aunt Lyanna was training with uncle Benjen. Father, uncle Bran and Robert were on the other side of the castle training as well. Aunt Lyanna convinced uncle Benjen to help her. Your father saw her form afar. He waited until she was alone to speak to her. It was all very romantic from what I saw."

"He was married and had two children." Jon said sadly.

"He was human. She was as guilty as he was." Bran finished.

Jon stopped asking. It was enough. He knew the story very well by then. Rhaegar kidnapped Lyanna; more like they ran away. War broke and thousands die. Jon thought about the consequences. He had promised his father that he would wage war to be with Daenerys. He could not judge Lyanna or Rhaegar so openly without being hypocritical.

Bran and him walked at a subdued pace due to Bran's leg. "Do not worry so much. This body of mine will have some rest once we reach my home. I will fly then. I will see you and your children. I will see their children and their children until it is time for one of them to be the Three-Eyed Raven. It will be a very long time. Kingdoms and castles will be dust. You and Daenerys will be in the books as will be our mother and father. It will be a time where war will break again but that the dragons would be far gone and deadlier creatures will be invented to rid the world of people."

Jon was weary when they reached the tree. Bran slid easily through a hole. His brother called to him and asked him to get inside as well. The tree was dark, there were branches and people who looked like trees. The children, Jon thought and looked around. "Cut three branches. One for each of your lost children."

"Daenerys was only pregnant twice." Jon said painfully.

Bran shook his head, "three, she carried your first son when you left for the Wall. It was the first time she saw her moon blood in years or so she thought."

Jon cut the branches quietly. It was hard to do so. He was about to complain or ask for a sharper tool but stopped when he met one of the children's gaze. Jon's demand died on his mouth.

He was done after what seemed like hours. "Remember what you have to do now. You will make her tea and give it to her. It will only be three nights. She already carries your seed. Go back and nurse her. She will be very fearful Jon. Daenerys the Uburnt will not trust her body. You have to be there." Bran said in a frenzy.

Jon nodded, "I will not leave her side. But this will work. We will have our children." He sounded doubtful.

Bran smiled, "She will bear you three children. A son and two daughters."

Jon could not help but grin too. "A prince and two princesses."

Bran nooded, "this is goodbye brother."

Jon hugged him. Bran hugged him back and told him, "gently, do not name bim Brandon. It is an unlucky name. Let Daenerys name the babe. She will have the perfect name. You will name your daughters."