A King is Not Born, It is Made

Jon I

The freezing cold air is wiping around Jon Snow. Jon opened his eyes to see a familiar room that he hasn’t been to since he left for the wall four years ago. “My room,” he gasped. Quickly standing to his feet and opening the window of his room and seeing Winterfell. It was as wondrous as he remembered. He looked around his room and saw his familiar objects of his childhood. The godswood that he went to when he ran into Lady Stark and when he wanted to be alone. He hadn’t been here in so long and wanted so badly to call this place his home.

It was all here, but how was he here? Was he dead? The last thing he remembered was getting stabbed by his own brothers and them saying it was for the watch. 

“Jon,” a voice he hadn’t heard in years softly called for him. He turned from the window that he was staring out from and saw his father Eddard Stark standing, his long brown hair blowing lightning from the winter breeze. 

“Father,” he could hear the uneasiness in his voice. “Father, where am I?” 

“Jon, you are home,” he walked toward Jon and grabbed his hands. There were tears in both Jon and Eddards eyes. Jon brings himself to speak. “I am sorry.”

“Sorry?” he gasped in surprise at his apology. 

“May I ask what you are sorry for?” Eddard Stark asked, confused.

“I am sorry I wasn’t there for you or Robb. I left my family helpless. I could have helped Robb or done something to help.”

“Sadly maybe you could have done something but we can go change the past we can only move forward. The last time we talked I said the next time we see each other I will tell you about your mother,” Eddard said. 

“Who was she, where was she?”

“Before I tell you about her, let's go back to the Tourney at Harrenhal. There was a Knight known as the Knight of the Laughing Tree. Very few knew who this knight was but the knight made an enemy of the Mad King. He instructed his son Rheagar Targaryen to take care of the knight.” 

“Who was the knight?” Jon asked. 

“It was my sister Lyanna, she was known as the She-Wolf of Winterfell.”

“So is that why Rheagar kidnapped her and raped her?” Jon asked. 

“That’s what Robert believed to be true, but it was far from it. Lyanna fell in love with Rheagar and she went willingly, not forced. Nor did he rape her.”

Jon was looking at his father curious, waiting for him to continue. “Me and six others went to the Tower of Joy where they said she was. I came across three of Aerys Targaryen’s Kingsguard. There was Ser Gerold Hightower. Ser Arthur Dayne. Ser Oswell Whent.”

“But why were there three Kingsguard protecting Lyanna?” 

“They were protecting their King?”

Jon looked at his father even more confused than he was before. “Ser Arthur let me pass knowing when I told him I wouldn’t hurt anyone in the tower.” Ned took a moment to breathe before he continued. 

“When I made my way in the tower I found Lyanna bathed in blood. She thought I was a dream, I got to her and she was dying. She knew it and I knew it. In her last breaths she asked me to protect someone.” Once again Ned Stark took an even deeper breath than before knowing what he was about to say. 

“She made me promise her I would project her baby boy.”

Jon was so shocked he didn’t know what to say. “Where is her boy?” Jon asked, trying to wonder where he was.