Chapter Text
“Not bad for a bastard.” Theon taunted.
Jon hated that title. He had been called a bastard for his entire life, like it was his choice to be born out of wedlock. Theon always loved reminding Jon that he was nothing more than Eddard Stark's accident.
“A bastard that can still kick your ass,” he replied as he countered on of Theon’s attack and hitting him in the back with the wooden sword and knocking him to the ground. Jon was the better swordsman than Theon and Robb, his half brother, it was the only thing he was the best at.
Just than they Bran ran into the courtyard with his bow. “I want to practice archery.”
Jon and Robb looked at each other and shrugged then the took Bran to the training grounds and Jon started setting up the targets while Robb went to get the arrows, Theon left grumpy after Jon beat him in sword play. While setting up Ned and Catelyn came out onto the balcony to watch.
Bran shot his first arrow and hit a barrel next to the target. Jon leaned in towards him and said, “Go on fathers watching, and your mother.” Bran looked up at the balcony to see them standing there. Ned gave his son a nod and Catelyn smiled. Bran’s second arrow went three feet over the target. Both Jon and Robb started to laugh.
“Which one of you was a marksman at ten. Keep practicing Bran. Go on” Ned yelled down at them.
“Don’t think too much Bran,” said Jon.
“Relax your bow arm,” advised Robb.
Then an arrow went straight into the center of the target. They all turned around to see Arya holding a bow. She curtsied and then Bran chased her. Everyone was laughing. Robb and Rickon started taking down the targets while Jon gathered the arrows. Something made him look up and he saw Catelyn Stark starring daggers at him. Jon thought he would be used to it by now but it always makes him angry when she glared at him or called him a bastard. Theon was one thing but he was a fully grown woman that loved everyone, except for Jon, like it was his fault he was Ned’s bastard.

Jon was in his room training his new direwolf when there was a knock on his door.
“Come in.” Jon looked up and was not surprised to see Arya standing in the doorway. She was struggling to hold her direwolf to her chest. They say pets take after their masters, Jon thought when he say Arya struggling. Only after a few days this was already starting to happen. Arya’s wolf was wild, Sansa’s wolf Lady was as calm and respectable as she was and Jon’s was solemn and rarely made a noise at all.
“Think of a name yet,” Arya asked.
“I was thinking Ghost, because of the white fur, you.”
“Nymeria.” Arya looked proud of the name. “It is a much name better than Lady or Shaggydog.”
“Cut Rickon some slack he’s only six.”
“Yes but, Shaggydog really? He’s not even a dog”
Jon chuckled at his sister’s joke. Nymeria finally got out of Arya’s arms and started to run around Jon’s room.
“Great. It took me forever to catch her last time.” Arya got of the bed and started to chase he wolf while Jon and Ghost watched looking amused.
It wasn’t long before Lady Catelyn looked into the room and scowled to she Arya in the room with Jon. Jon knew this could not be good. Catelyn always went out of her way to make Jon’s life miserable. She even tried to get Ned to take away Ghost from him saying “He doesn't deserve one, he’s not a true Stark.” She probably wouldn’t cared that Jon heard the entire thing.
“Jon, Ned wants you, Arya come with me now.” She glared at Jon.
“But mother...”
“Now!” yelled Catelyn.
Jon got up and left the room while Ghost slept on the bed. He found his father in his solar. “You wanted to see me father.”
“Yes Jon sit down.” Jon sat in the seat across from his father. Ned looked up at Jon and said, “Jon we have news, you are to leave for the Wall tomorrow”
“What! Your sending me away just like that!” Jon was furious at his father.
“Jon...”
“She’s making you do it isn’t she,” Jon didn’t need to say who. “She always hated me for nothing! No not for nothing for what you did!”
“Jon...”
“I never asked to be born like this. But everyone treats me like it is my fault...”
“Jon! Sit down!” Ned’s voice was quite but stern and Jon obeyed the order. “True Catelyn has been pushing me to send you to the wall sense you turned ten and six, but she is not the only reason.” Jon looked like he was about to protest but Ned silenced him with a look. “Jon I know this is not what you want but it is for your own good.”
“Why is it for my own good good?” Not all of the pain had left Jon’s voice yet.
“It is time for something you’ve wanted to hear your whole life, I’m going to tell you about your mother.”
Jon was shocked not expecting this. He had heard the rumors that Ashara Dyane was his mother, but he was only able to nod.
“This is the hard part. Jon I’m not your father.”
Jon felt like he was just slapped in the face. “Your not my father?”
“You are the son of my sister Lyanna Stark. I am your uncle.”
“If your not my father then who is?”
Ned looked to the door to make sure no one was coming in. “Before I tell you that I must will tell you about your mother, and you can’t interrupt me.” Jon nodded and Ned continued. “Lyanna was always wild much like Arya, but worse. She never wanted to be a lady she should have been born a man. She forced Benjen and myself to teach her how to fight, like how Arya forces you and Robb.”
Jon looked down embarrassed. “Then came Harrenhal. I was sitting in the stands next to her when Rhaegar won the tourney against Ser Barristan Selmy. The entire crowd was shocked when Rhaegar passed Elia Martell and crowned Lyanna Queen of Love and Beauty. After that my father Rickard took her back to Winterfell. But that was not enough to stop Rhaegar. He came north after I returned to the Vale and Brandon went to Riverrun. Next I must tell you the stories about Rhaegar and your mother are not true. Rhaegar never kidnapped Lyanna, she ran away with him, but not after they got married in the godswood.”
Jon looked completely shocked at this know what Ned was implying. “They reached Dragonstone by the time Brandon heard what happened to our sister, but he never heard about the wedding he believed she was kidnapped. He went to King’s Landing, and you know what happened to him next. When the war started Rhaegar took the now pregnant Lyanna to the Tower of Joy in Dorne and stayed with her there before he returned to fight Robert. I found Lyanna in the Tower of Joy she was alone except for the Kingsguard and her her new born baby boy, you. She made me promise to keep you safe for Robert would not care if you were Lyanna’s son he would have you killed.”
“So I am Rhaegar’s son?”
“Yes Jon your are the remaining son of Rhaegar Targaryen.”
“So you are sending me to the wall to protect me from Robert.”
“Yes Jon it is the only place he can’t touch you.”
“Oh,” Jon got up to leave.
“Jon, there is one thing you must know Rhaegar is alive.”
“How! I thought Robert killed him at the Trident.”
“He was gravely injured Robert but not killed I found him dying, and knowing how Lyanna felt for him I save him for her.”
Jon looked stunned he stared at his father, well his uncle apparently.
“I replaced his body with the corpse of Aemon Blackfyre one of Aery’s bastards who was so beaten and bloody no one could tell the difference. I left him with a Riverland family to nurse him back to health, after that I don’t know what happened to him, if he was anywhere it would be Pentos with his siblings.”
“Why did you keep this from me? I would have kept the secret.”
“I know you would’ve but I made a promise to my sister. So you see why you must go to the Nights Watch tomorrow”
“Yes, Lord Stark.” He put destine into the last two words and left the room.

Early the next morning Jon was saddling up a horse to take him to the wall. Jon told no one about him leaving or what he and Ned talked about last night. Jon wanted to leave quietly. Let his uncle explain where he went.
“Jon?”
Jon turned to see Arya behind him looking confused. “What are you doing? You don’t get up early.”
Jon tensed. “Just going or a morning ride. I woke and couldn’t fall back asleep.” he said a little to quickly.
Arya’s face lit up. “I’ll go with you,” she said excitedly.
“No!” Jon said to quickly and to loudly.
Arya immediately go suspicious. “What’s going on? And don’t lie to me.”
“Arya you can’t join me on this ride because it is a ride I won’t return from.”
“What do you mean?”
“Your parents are sending me to the Wall.”
“No Jon don’t go.” She ran and hugged him
“I’m sorry Arya but I have to.”
“So you were going to leave without even saying goodbye?”
“Yes that was my plan, it would be easier for everyone that way.” He kissed the crown of Arya’s head before breaking away. “Goodbye Arya.”
“Goodbye Jon,” she said wiping a tear from her eye.
“No tears Arya. we will see each other again.” Jon got on his horse and with Ghost walking beside him he turned and rode from Winterfell.

Jon rode his horse for miles until he came to a crossroad. There were three roads one that he was on the continued to head east towards the Dreadfort, one that turned south that headed to Moat Cailin and the one that went north to Castle Black. Jon was about to head north but then he stopped and looked at the road south he knew that farther down that road their was one that turned east to White Harbor. He could get on a ship and go wherever he wants.
But where would I go, he thought. Pentos, If i have a father a real father I want to meet him before I throw my life away. Jon turned his horse and started to head south.
When Jon reached White Harbor it was past dark. He had ridden all day and took one break for food even Ghost was starting to tire. He stopped at an inn for the night and started to ask around for a ship to Pentos. Jon managed to get a bunk on a wine merchants ship. He was to serve as a guard to help protect the shipment from pirates. That night he sold his horse and spent the night in a cheap room in the inn.
He was awoken before dawn by one of the crew members of the ship he was booking passage on. “Well new blood welcome to the Sea's Sadness.”
“Nice ship,” Jon said. Jon knows nothing about ships he has lived in the main land for his entire life and he never cared enough to listen to when Theon told stories about the amazing Ironborn fleet. Jon walked up on to the ship and and the sailor that woke him brought him to the captain.
“And this is?”
“Some more muscle Captain.”
“Is he good? I don’t want so green boy that can’t swing a sword protecting my boat.”
“I’m plenty good ser.” Jon stated.
“Well then prove it how about a demonstration,” the captain nodded at two of his crew and they drew their swords and they walked towards Jon.
“Stay back Ghost.” he said to the direwolf
Jon drew his sword and stepped forward. The rest of the crew gathered around to watch the entertainment. The two sailors walked forward with their swords Jon raised his in a defensive stance while his opponents charged him. They were sloppy and undisciplined. Jon countered the first one easily and hit him in the face with the hilt of his sword. They second swung wildly and Jon easily side stepped and tripped him with his leg. The first man ran back at Jon and Jon countered him again and shoved him over the side of the ship in to the sea. Jon walked over to the man on the ground and put his knee on the mans chest.
“Well fought,” the captain said. “Welcome to the Sea’s Sadness.”

The trip to Pentos took three weeks and over that time Jon learned the basics of the sea life. Jon got along well with the rest of the crew. He didn’t bother to learn any of their names. Most of the crew was from Bravos and had names that Jon couldn’t even pronounce. Not a single pirate ship attacked the merchant’s vessel so Jon spend most of his time on deck staring at the water. He learned a little Bravosi and a phrase in High Valyrian. Valar morghulis and valar dohaeris which means all men must die and all men must serve. Which for some reason the Bravosi used it as a greeting. Ghost also grew over the journey he was now bigger than most dogs.
Jon wasn’t sad when he got of the Sea’s Sadness he felt nothing for the crew or the captain both of which new would put a knife in his throat for a silver coin. He learned from the harbor master that the Targaryen’s were staying with a man named Magister Illyrio Mopatis. His house was not hard to find. It was almost the size of Winterfell. He knocked on the door.
“What is it?” A thin bald man said as he opened the door.
“I am here to see Illyrio Mopatis.”
“Ser Magister Illyrio is busy if you are not scheduled to be here I suggest you leave.” The man tried to close the door but Jon held it open.
“He will want to see me.” Jon said with a blank expression on his face.
“Yes ser,” the man said nervously. “Follow me.”
Jon walked into the entry room and the doorman told him to stay there. The man seemed to be scared of Jon. Jon thought that was funny see how he would never hurt him are even have the desire to.
“What is it!” A fat man walked into the entrance hall looking quite annoyed he walked over and stared at Jon.
Jon decided not to beat around the bush “I’m here to see Rhaegar Targaryen.”
Illyrio’s face went white and he stood their in utter shock. “How do you know about Rhaegar?”
“Bring me to him and you will learn.”
Illyrio took Jon down a hall way until he got to a door. “Wait in there.” Jon did what he was told as Illyrio went to find his father.

Rhaegar was fuming he was outraged at his younger brother. Rhaegar had to Lys for a few weeks and when he got back he learned that Viserys had gone behind his back to marry off their sister to a Dothraki chieftain. Rhaegar had made perfectly clear that he was not going to sell his sister like a horse so he could gain an army. But it was too late now to try to pull back from the marriage would only make an enemy of the Dothraki, which was something he could not afford to do. He ran his hands threw his black hair in frustration he looked up at the mirror to see that his hair was turning back to it’s natural silver color. Rhaegar would have to die it again so it would stay black. He hated having to hide himself like this but, people thought he was dead and three silver haired people living under the same roof would cause unwanted attention.
Just then the door opened and Illyrio walked in. “Your Grace you have a visiter.”
“Alright Illyrio,” He replied before changing his accent. “Take me to him.”
“Uh your Grace,” Rhaegar just noticed how nervous the fat man looked. “He asked for you by your real name not Dercin Slate.”
Dercin Slate was Rhaegar’s new name to make sure no one found out who he was. “How does he know,”
“I don’t know your grace but you should speak to him.”
“Yes I will,” Rhaegar stood up and left the room.
What he saw outside the solar made no sense for a second. But then Rhaegar knew who the visiter was. He was looking at a male version of Lyanna Stark but he was not all Lyanna he had Rhaegar’s complexion, the same expression on his face that Rhaegar had when he was in a awkward situation. His hair looked exactly like Rhaegar’s when Rhaegar dies his hair. He knew exactly who this was.
“My son.” Rhaegar rushed forward and engulfed his son in a hug. “Oh Jon, I thought you were dead.”