The Awaited Winter

Prologue

The moment he entered the tower he heard her. She was in agony, her voice cutting the air raw as she screamed. It was the kind of scream that strikes right into the heart like the arrows she was accustomed to shoot, with precision and not a single drop of mercy.

She'd always been a better archer than him and Brandon, the only one that came close to her was Benjen. Although he had to admit that there was another person that gave Lyanna a run of her money in archery with Violette twinkling eyes- Ned's thoughts subsided as Lyanna's screams turned into wimpers, and soon were replaced by a wailing voice.

It felt like centuries until the Septa of the tower opened the door, her face was blanched and full of sweat, her dark clothes hid the crimson blood, and her eyes were wide with fear.

"I- Please sir, have mercy on them." she said with a quivering voice holding back a sob.

Ned frowned, clenching his fists with rage. He knew what she meant, but he couldn't promise anything. Not when he knew who the wailing belonged to. So without giving it too much thought, Ned grabbed his already unsheathed sword and slashed the last and only surviving witness of his sister's fate.

With more blood splashed on his hands, Ned walked into the chambers. There, lying awake with only her will was Lyanna. Her once striking black hair was sprawled and knotted without care, her rosy cheeks lacked any colour, but her eyes- Oh her eyes shimmered like stars as she looked down at a bundle of cover on her arms.

"Isn't he lovely?" she said below a whisper, a sad smile contrasting with her wet cheeks.

Ned approached the bed silently, horrified by how lovely she looked even on a crimson deathbed. His heart pounded violently against his chest, his jaw was so tense that it burned, and his sight blurred with his unshed tears. He'd finally found her, and the Gods were going to take her away... it was so frustrating.

"Ned," Lyanna sobbed, finally looking at his brother.

If she could he would have reached over to his face; If she could she would have dried his now wet cheeks; she would have touched him and reassure him that it was not a dream, that she was safe, only she couldn't. Not if she intended to hold the babies. Ned, however, could. And so his shaky hands cupped her frail grey face, caressing with his thumb her wet cheeks.

"His name is- Aegon..." She smiled brighter, her tears cascading uncontrollably as her voice cracked.

Ned had no words to speak out, he was speechless, nothing had prepared him for this, and surely not for the sudden whine coming from the other side of the bed. His eyes widened as his eyes travelled away from Lyanna. Wrapped in a white blanket drenched with crimson blood was a second baby.

"She's- she's-."

"Stop..." Ned choked out, he didn't have the heart to hear it, he knew exactly who that infant was.

"Carry- her, Ned." Lyanna coughed but Ned couldn't even bear to look at the two month old child, and instead pulled Lyanna into a hug, careful not to squish her baby.

"She has- her eyes..." she continued, begging with her eyes to be listened to.

"Idiot."