Game of Thrones: King of Magic

Chapter 2

Eddard Stark. Winterfell.

I sat at the desk in my study and stared sternly at Cat standing in front of me.

- "Cat, please tell me honestly what happened to Jon," I asked her in a cold tone.

Jon is missing. And unfortunately, my first thought as it happened was Cat's actions behind my back.

I love her. I really do. Cat is a good mother and wife, and also, has given me five children that she and I truly love. But her faith and her upbringing in the South are too ingrained in her mind to realize that she is now in the North. And, influenced by these factors, she sometimes fails to realize that every word she says against me jeopardizes my credibility with the lords of the North.

The North is a harsh place. Raiding Wildlings who somehow manage to get over the Wall are quite common in these lands, as are long winters. The lands of the North are poor, and basic food supplies are purchased. As a consequence, there is a tendency to die of cold and starvation.

In terms of faith, however, the people of the North are descended from the First Men, not the Andals like the Southerners. The faith of the Old Gods dominates here, not the Seven Gods that Cat professes.

Again, I genuinely love her, but I don't particularly agree with several of her decisions. Take Arya, for example. I could see her passion for the sword over crafting. She preferred spending time with Robb and Jon, swinging the same sword and wearing pants rather than learning the etiquette of noble ladies and wearing dresses.

When I heard this from Arya herself, a sense of nostalgia ran through me. She reminded me of Lyanna, just as exuberant, spirited, and defying conventions with her rebellious temperament. But Cat threw a tantrum at the same moment: "That's no way for a lady to behave," "You mustn't act like a boy," and so on. Also, she was eagerly supported by Septa Mordein.

What about me? Even considering that I am the Lord and Ruler of the North, I couldn't directly forbid them from doing so, but only make hints or requests. If I didn't limit myself to that, I could provoke the adherents of the Seven Faith. The Lords of the North would support me, but not the South. Any pressure from them, covert or not, could create problems with disruptions in the North's food supply, and more deaths, or even the ground for war to break out. As ruler, I can't allow that to happen, and I can only accept the present circumstances.

Now, Jon is missing. And I the only person capable of pulling this off so quietly in my castle was Cat. She sees him as a threat to Robb and the others. She fears Jon wants to take our children's place and become Lord of Winterfell by getting rid of them. Every chance she gets, Cat bluntly tells me he's the enemy and I should deal with the matter accordingly.

But he isn't. I know Jon. He grew up before my eyes, and I can tell you that he genuinely loves and cares for his siblings. All he wants is to prove himself worthy of the Stark blood. Worthy of love and family.

Maybe... Just maybe... If I told Cat everything, she would take the boy in, and maybe become the mother he never knew he had.

But I can't. I made a promise to Lyanna that I would take that secret with me to my grave. But the biggest reason I didn't tell it was because Robert would kill Jon with his own hands. Robert was taking his sister's death very hard, and even harder the fact that she hadn't chosen him.

He loved her, there's no doubt about that. But too much. I'd even say he was obsessed with her. Lyanna was the only one who outright refused his advances, and the one who defied him with her actions. And if Robert finds out that Jon is the son of Lyanna and Rhaegar Targaryen, he will simply go mad with rage and jealousy. I can't let that happen. Not under any circumstances. He's my friend, though he's not what he used to be. And Lyanna is my sister, to whom I made a promise to keep her son safe. Just thinking about it makes my heart ache.