3

Chapter 3: CH3 The TalkChapter Text

Chapter 3 The Talk

Eddard Stark

There were too many questions, too many possibilities running through his mind, but foremost among them Eddard was beginning to realise that this was no dream. Despite the insanity of it all, he appeared to have been brought back from the dead.

He closed the door to his solar as the last of his family filled in. The door closing seemed to act as a dam breaking.

He'd only managed to make it a couple of steps towards his desk before Sansa rushed at him wrapping her arms around him.

"Father...I've missed you," she said tearfully as she held onto him.

Before he could say anything, Cat joined them in the embrace, wrapping her arms around them both, her breathing was haggard and she didn't say anything, just held on tightly to them both. He felt small hands going around his waist and looked to see Rickon standing there. He ruffled Rickon's hair.

They stayed like that for a moment, before Sansa pulled away, she blinked away the tears in her eyes and...

Ned blinked as the Sansa he knew seemed to disappear, in her place stood a poised and composed lady. She nodded once and then stepped aside.

Rickon just beamed at him and grabbed Cat's hand pulling her away to a chair.

Ned then found himself face to face with Robb.

Robb stood there, Theon's drying blood still on his hands, "Father..." he had such a defeated look on his face.

Ned didn't care about the blood or Robb's irrational attack on Theon, he stepped forward and embraced his son. He held his boy close and thanked the Old Gods for bringing them back together.

"I failed you father, I'm sorry," Robb lamented, his voice filled with such shame, his arms squeezing tight.

Ned just held his son for a moment, "It's alright. It seems we have a second chance now."

They broke apart, and Robb had a timid smile on his face.

Ned patted his shoulder and walked past.

This time Jon was standing in his way.

Jon smiled a sad smile, but he didn't move to embrace him, he just stood there with that strange resigned smile before finally nodding at him and taking a seat.

Finally, Ned managed to get though all the heartfelt greetings. He went behind his desk and sat down. He relished the feel of his old chair, he'd done so much work while sitting here, ruled over the North as his father had...before the Mad King. Before the Rebellion. The weight of history sat heavily on his shoulders. He ran his hands over his desk before jerking himself out of his revere and casting a look at his assembled and reunited family.

Cat was sitting to his left, with Rickon sitting idly by her legs, leaning back against a chair leg. Sansa sat next to them, as perfectly poised as a Lady of a Great House. Arya stood still by her sister, a smile on her face but her eyes seemed to be watching everyone all at once without actually moving. Robb came next, slouching into his chair, with a sad smile, the defeated look was lessened but still there. Jon sat next to Robb, the same resigned look still on his face, his eyes unreadable as he looked at Ned.

In the final chair, sat Brandon. He was just sitting there as if waiting for them all to finish, his face still as blank as before. He was completely devoid of any emotion.

The hairs on the back of Ned's neck stood at attention.

Warg, his mind echoed, but he remembered the old stories, legends of Stark Kings, Kings of Winter that were also wargs. It didn't matter he was still his son!

Silence deepened between them all. Glances were shared and still no one spoke.

Bran finally broke the silence, "Father we must prepare. The Oth-"

Jon cut him off mid-sentence, "We shouldn't start there." he gave Bran a reprimanding look, "let's start slow. We should just clear up a few things first.."

"Jon's right, we should begin at the start first." Sansa cut in, "Bran's right father, we have to prepare. But you have to know the precarious position we are in now." She shared a knowing glance with Jon.

Ned raised an eyebrow and gave them both calculating looks. Again Sansa and Jon were working together, and almost completing each others sentences. He expected this from Jon and Arya but never Jon and Sansa, Cat had seen to the creation of the distance that was once between them.

"Aye father," Robb nodded gravely, "Our position in the North is not as secure as you believe, especially if more people remember as we do."

Ned shot his son a sharp look. "Explain."

"The Boltons are not to be trusted," Robb started.

"Not only the Boltons, the whole of the Seven Kingdoms stands on the precipice of civil war," Jon added, "And the truth is that it was led there by the ambitions of one man."

"Aye! Tywin Lannister. He wants to control the seven kingdoms himself!" Robb added hotly, perking up and leaning forward in his chair casting aside his melancholy.

Jon stopped and turned to stare at Robb.

"No. It was Petyr Baelish."

Cat colored at this.

"He betrayed father in King's Landing," Sansa added.

"Baelish?" Ned asked in confusion, Aye, he betrayed me, but Littlefinger? Behind everything?

"He started everything. The War of Five Kings came about because of his schemes," Jon continued.

Five Kings? Ned thought sharply, What five kings? Stannis and Joffrey would probably have been two of the five, but who are the other three?!

"...he had Lysa Arryn poison Jon Arryn. It wasn't the Lannisters, it was Lysa Arryn who murdered him." Jon finished.

Ned's world turned upside down with those words. It was Lysa? How Why?

"Lies!" Cat screamed, "My sister would never murder her own husband!" she jumped from her seat rounding on Jon, quivering with rage. "Bastard! How dare you? You accuse of my sister of such a sin! You, a lowly Bastard?"

"Mother..." started Robb trying to calm Cat, he reached out a calming hand but she pushed it away and stood in front of Jon.

"How dare you spew such horrid lies! You worthless Bastard!" Cat shrieked at Jon.

Sansa got up and dragged her mother back from Jon, "Enough mother! You will not speak to him like this again!" she commanded with a firmness and fierceness Ned didn't know she possessed. She placed herself between Cat and Jon.

"Have you lost your senses!" Cat retorted angrily at her eldest daughter. "He's a Bastard! You can't trust his words! A Bastard's words are not to be trusted!"

Ned had heard enough. He slammed his hand down on his desk, "That is enough Cat! You will be silent!" He roared in anger, rising from his seat. "I rejoice that we are all reunited...but that does not mean you have the right to speak to Jon in this way! You debase yourself with your words! We will have words later! About this and your other misdeeds!"

Cat's head turned towards Ned in surprise, "Words? Misdeeds, my Lord?"

Ned frowned at Cat, he waved a hand at her cutting off her further words, "It is a private discussion. We will speak, later." he stressed.

Jon had been watching the interplay, silently glaring at Cat, unlike before he was not in the least bit cowed by her. He stood up and Ned groaned internally, Jon had finally reached his limit with Cat's poisonous attitude and evil words with him.

Jon stood up and scowled at her, "I'm not a bastard."

An icy chill froze Ned's stiffening spine. No...he couldn't know, could he?

Cat reddened at this and anger shone from her eyes. She cast an enraged look at Ned, her ire rising anew as all watched.

"How could you, Ned?" she screeched red in the face.

"I am not the son of Eddard Stark," Jon announced.

Cat's mouth closed with a click and her new tirade stopped before it had began.

"This isn't true father, is it? It can't be!" Robb exclaimed jumping up from his chair, surprise etched on his face.

Ned simply stared at Jon, the truth was finally coming out and he didn't know how to feel about this now.

Jon turned to Robb, "I'm sorry Robb...we're not brothers." he paused and placed a reassuring hand on Robb's shoulder. He cast an unreadable look at Ned, "I am Stark by blood. I always have been, that has, and that will always be true." he paused taking in a deep breath and letting out an even deeper sigh.

Ned opened up his mouth to speak but Jon held up his hand forestalling his words, "It's ok...I understand why you did it. We can speak later about this. There are more important issues we must deal with first," he said with a sad smile.

Jon turned to face Cat, the smile disappearing from his face, "I am the son of Lyanna Stark. My father was Rhaegar Targaryen. My parents were in love, and he didn't rape her. Robert's Rebellion was built on a lie. I am Jon of House Targaryen and I am the rightful King of the Seven Kingdoms!"

Cat was white as a sheet now and stood almost trembling in front of Jon. Ned collapsed into his chair. The words had been said, the lie shattered and now they would all have to live with it all.

Cat didn't utter a word as Sansa led her back to her seat, she meekly sat and stared with wide and fearful eyes at Jon.

At the same time, Robb was looking like someone had clubbed him over the head with a mace. Sansa took the time to gently push him back into his seat, before taking her own.

Once more silence ruled over Ned's solar for many moments.

"Good job taking it slow." Arya teased with a snort of amusement breaking the silence.

Jon and Sansa snorted in response.

"I have a good idea to strengthen our position, and it's a simple plan. A very simple plan. We find all our enemies and kill them all," Arya suggested evenly. "I even have a list we can start with." she added with no hesitation and a serene smile.

A coldness settled on Ned, and he gave her a disturbed look. She'd suggested that with an evenness of voice and lightness that belied the sheer bloodthirstiness of the remark.

"No pies!" Jon and Sansa said in the same breath.

Arya smirked and shrugged, "No promises," she retorted smugly.

Pies? Ned thought, seeing the disturbed expressions on Jon and Sansa's faces did not put him at ease.

Foreboding rode through Ned's mind, despite it all he forged forward, "It seems that a great many things happened after my death."

"More than a person should be able to endure, but...most of us did," Sansa said gravely.

Ned felt more coldness spreading in him, "Then perhaps you should tell me what happened after I...died."

Jon nodded and gestured to Sansa, who began speaking in earnest.

She spoke of many things, all that happened in King's Landing. The rising up of the various contenders for the throne. Joffrey. Stannis. Renly. Robb. Balon Greyjoy.

She spoke eloquently and concisely but he sensed that some things were glossed over or not said. She spoke of what Joffrey had done to her of how the Seven Kingdoms had splintered. Of how Stannis, of all people, had killed Renly with blood magic, done by a Red Priestess of R'hllor. Robb declaring himself King in the North. Theon eventual betrayal and what he'd actually done and what he'd pretended to do.

Ned cast a look at Robb, suddenly his senseless attack was not so senseless. Rather it was much deserved, as had been Ser Rodrik's attempted attack.

She described what she knew of the battles that came next, how Stannis was repulsed from King's Landing. Of how Robb had smashed Tywin Lannister's armies at every turn, of the mistakes he and Cat made as the campaign continued till their eventual betrayal at the Twins and their deaths. Of the Red Wedding. Of Roose Bolton and the Frey's breakage of guest rights.

Robb and Cat volunteered some relevant words as Sansa's tale unfolded, all the while wearing alternating expressions of pride, regret and shame.

After that peace seemed to have settled for a time on the Seven Kingdoms. Though the intrigue and lies continued, with death following in the wake of it all. Joffrey's poisoning and Tyrion Lannister's Trial by Combat. The death of Prince Oberyn and the upheaval that caused in Dorne. Sansa's escape with Baelish's help to the Vale were she should have been safe if not for Lysa's madness.

Ned had watched as Cat's mood had plummeted to a bleak nadir as Sansa had described all that happened with Lysa, ending with her death at Baelish's cunning and deceitful hand. And hearing Sansa speak of being sold to the Bolton's only made things worse.

Her eventual escape to find refuge with Jon at the Wall had Cat looking everywhere except at Jon.

Sansa finished with the so called Battle of the Bastards and Rickon's death. The joining of the Wildlings and the Loyal Houses of the North and their killing of the Boltons and retaking of Winterfell with the aide of the Vale Knights.

Not since he'd held Lyanna as she'd died did Ned feel such an urge to cry. Which of the Gods had they blasphemed against to have to endure such horror?

He knew there were some things they weren't saying, how did the Wildlings get past the Wall? Why would they join with the North against the Boltons?

He'd thought the story over but it wasn't Jon took over and explained that while they'd secured the North, Cersei Lannister had secured her hold on the rest of the Kingdoms, with her burning of the Great Sept in Wildfire.

And then just to add another layer of madness to it all Jon talked of Daenerys Targaryen and her Dragons. Actual fire breathing dragons. Three of them. And her army of Unsullied and Dothraki Screamers. She came back to Westeros as Aegon the Conqueror had, with Blood and Fire to take back her birthright.

Jon paused here before continuing, "More happened after we took back Winterfell and Daenerys took Dragonstone." He paused and took a deep breath. Ned felt his heart bet faster as he felt some sort of descending blow, "We-Bran cast the spell to try to undo everything, but it was not because of the civil war that ravaged the continent, nor was it because Daenerys crossed the Narrow Sea with Dragons."

Ned frowned in consternation, what possible reason could be more pressing than that?

"The army of the undead marches on the Wall. The Others come. The Long Night has returned once more. Will return," Bran proclaimed cutting in with that same maddening toneless voice.

All that Ned had felt before paled in comparison to now. He felt like tearing his hair out at the roots in madness and rage while his spine had apparently been replaced with a giant slab of ice.

"The Others?" he repeated dumbly. This couldn't be happening, not with everything they'd already revealed to him.

"And the undead," Bran added. "We must be united and strong or they will destroy everything again."

Ned ran his hands though his hair in a harried way, and looked at his family. Jon, Arya and Sansa all had grim expressions but didn't look surprised. Cat who had seemed to be recovering from the shock of Jon's heritage, her sister's madness and trials Sansa had been through had once more been shocked into a stillness that was very much not characteristic of her. While Robb had the same incredulous and harried look he himself was probably carrying on his face. Rickon on the other hand was just watching everything with a focused look on his face.

Bran was still speaking and Ned made an effort to focus, "Sacrifices were needed. Blood of the recently dead fueled the spell, by feeding the Heart Tree on the Isle of Faces."

"Wait a minute. Sacrifices?! Blood of the Dead?" Jon looked to Sansa in disbelief before looking back to Bran. "Sansa was a part of the Spell! You convinced your sister to kill herself?!" Jon ran his hand roughly through his hair, "Dany! Tyrion! They killed themselves?!"

Bran stared back at Jon his face blank and empty. "Yes."

The hairs on the back of Ned's neck stood straight up, completely at attention at Bran's simple and very troubling answer.

Jon turned away from Bran rubbing his forehead as if in pain.

Who was this boy with Brandon's face that spoke so lifelessly? Where was his energetic and happy son?

He looked to Cat and he could see her on the verge of despair.

Jon turned to Sansa, "You went along with this?" he demanded of her in a horrified tone.

Sansa held her head high, "There was no other option."

Jon started rubbing his temples, "With all the risks, you agreed? Without telling me?"

Sansa gestured at Ned and the rest of the family, "We're all here, back in Winterfell. It was the right choice."

Jon just glared at her for moment before letting out a deep sigh, "You just like always being right, don't you?"

Sansa just smirked at Jon in response.

Ned ignored their byplay and gave Bran a hard stare. His young son stared back unblinking, not in the least put off by Ned's patented paternal displeasure.

"Brandon Stark!" he managed to say with displeasure.

Bran blinked but didn't react to the reprimand or shy away from the disapproving tone.

"Yes?" he replied remorselessly.

Ned kept looking him in the eye trying to understand and pierce this new boy that sat before him. The staring came to naught as Bran didn't even seem to blink as he returned the stare.

"What happened to you?" Ned eventually asked, very much afraid of the answer.

Bran didn't even miss a beat answering, "I became the Three eyed Raven."

Ned frowned, "What does that mean? How did you do that?"

"I see everything now. The Past. The Present. Visions of the future. The Three eyed Raven showed me," Bran replied.

It took Ned a second to realise what Bran's words meant, "A mentor. Who is he?"

"Yes. A mentor. He was known as Brynden Rivers, a former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch." Bran answered.

It a second for Ned to recognize the name.

Wait...Brynden Rivers? "Bloodraven?! The son of Aegon the Fourth? Aegon the Unworthy? That Brynden Rivers? He's long dead!" Ned exclaimed flabbergasted at the impossibility of the answer.

"He's alive and well, beyond the Wall," responded Bran simply.

A thousand eyes and one, the century old rhyme echoed in Ned's head as he recalled all that he had heard of Lord Bloodraven. A Kinslayer and said to be a foul sorcerer. One of the Great bastards of Aegon the Unworthy and former Hand of the King for several of the Targaryen Kings of old.

"Brandon...what has happened to you?" Ned finally managed to ask.

"I'm the Three eyed Raven now, I'm not Brandon anymore, not really. I remember being Brandon Stark, but I'm not him anymore."

Ned stared at Bran...no, at the Three eyed Raven. He cast a glance around him.

Arya, Jon and Sansa shared the same pained expression on their faces as Bran finished his pronouncement but there was no surprise there. Cat was no longer the verge of despair, she looked to be lying in a pit of it. Robb was giving him a horrified lock, while Rickon was looking only a little upset.

Ned sat back in his chair a sense of defeat almost overwhelming him, "What foulness have we committed to be so damned?" he finally lamented.

"We haven't been damned, we have a second chance now." Jon retorted.

"We can do everything right this time," Sansa added.

"No one will tear us apart this time," Arya chimed in.

Ned thought for a moment before replying, "Then tell me what is next?"

"The spell went astray, it was fed too much blood. Too many people remember here. We cannot decide our first course of action till I see who else has remembered and what is happening elsewhere in the world. I need to go to the Godswood. I have work to do. I need to see who's returned. When Ser Rodrik has finished his task, send him to me there."

With that Bran stood and left the solar without another word.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Catelyn Stark

She watched Bran leave the solar.

Her trembling wouldn't stop.

She hadn't gotten her family back, her sweet boy, Bran, seemed to be completely gone....

And the bastard wasn't a bastard. He wasn't even her children's half brother. He was a cousin. He was Lyanna's son. He was a Dragon. The rightful Dragon King!

Madness!

Ned was back but he was angry at her. Sansa was angry at her. Her sweet daughter filled with southern songs of Knights and Princesses was gone and in her place sat a Lady of a Great House. Poise and strength radiated from her. Arya was almost as unnaturally silent as Bran, but what emotion was there seemed filled with a bloodthirstiness. Rickon was less different but the complete sentences and directness of his words did not belong coming out the mouth of such a small child.

And Robb...

He'd started out looking defeated but he looked devastated now.

With all of her willpower she refused to think of Lysa now, or what she had done.

Family, Duty, Honor....

Lysa had held true to none of these things.

And the true horror....The Long Night. The Others...And actual Dragons.

Inside, a part of Cat broke, and she wept...