Ned Stark was occupying his large wooden chair in his solar. A lot of parchments dealing with the important matters of Winterfell and the North were unfurled on the table in front of him. Maester Luwin had been insisting, almost pressurising him, to go through these documents for the last few days but he had been unable to do so.
And though his eyes were fixed on the table, his mind was on anything but the documents. This had been happening with him for the past few days.
It had been days since he had received the last news of Jon. The last he had heard of him, Jon had divided his army into three parts to attack the Three Cities, Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh, simultaneously.
This had left Ned dreaded, shocked, and frightened. Why would anyone choose to do this?
Why would one leave the path that would have ensured a sure victory to walk a path that came with such a high chance of failure? Every kind of military strategy dictated that this was a foolish decision. All common sense dictated that a battle must be fought either on your own strength or on the enemy's weakness but Jon had left his own strength but not for picking against the enemy's weakness.
Ned knew that Jon was taking a grave risk, and he wished more than anything that he could correct him. The father in him, at times, surged desperately and he wished that he could go to Essos. To see Jon. But alas, there was nothing he could do. He could only wait for the next raven, for the next piece of information from Essos.
And the next piece of information did come. But it had not been about Jon.
It was about a lady, a lady claiming to be Rhaenys Targaryen. She had five dragons and, out of nowhere, had occupied the city of Qohor. This news had left Ned in a state of pure shock and frenzy.
Unlike the people in King's Landing or Casterly Rock or Storm's End or even in Eyrie, who were worried about the fate of Westeros, the Iron Throne, and their own houses should Rhaenys invade with her dragons, Ned was less worried about those things and more about Jon.
No, his thoughts were not moving in the direction of Olenna Tyrell, who predicted that a conflict between Rhaenys Targaryen and Lord Aeos was imminent. Instead, he worried because Jon himself was a Targaryen. He was Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar. And Rhaenys was his half-sister.
It was true that no one apart from him and Howland Reed knew the truth of Jon's lineage. And he could not think of anyone knowing this unless he or Howland Reed opened their mouths.
But for whatever reason, he could not remove the uneasy feeling from his gut. He feared Jon's identity getting revealed. He did not actually think that this would cause a conflict between Rhaneys and Jon. But he could place his anxiety and worry aside.
He feared the uncertainty of it. He feared the reaction from Robert. Though in a sense it did not matter, because unless Jon came to Westeros, there was no chance Robert would be able to harm him.
And though Jon had declared his intent to build the greatest empire the world had ever seen, Ned did not for a second believe that he would actually invade Westeros. For Ned, that declaration, that announcement, had been nothing more than an exaggeration, a move to boost the confidence of the people who had chosen to follow him.
He was still going through all these thoughts repeatedly in his head when a knock on the door of the solar snapped Ned's attention back to the present.
"It is me," Catelyn's voice came from outside the door.
Ned frowned. Catelyn did not usually come to his solar unless there was some kind of emergency or some urgent news. He took a deep breath, regained a composure befitting the Lord of Winterfell, and straightened his back.
"Come in," he called.
Though he was worried and feared for Jon, his insides churning whenever he thought about him, he maintained his cold, stone faced persona for the outside world. He could not show such weakness. Not even in front of his wife and the lady of the castle. Such were the responsibilities of a Lord.
The door was pushed open and Catelyn walked in.
To the surprise of Ned, Robb was also following behind his mother. He was drenched in sweat and was almost gasping for breath. Though his expression was solemn, there was also a sheepish smile on his face. It was obvious that he was coming here directly from his training.
An exasperated expression was present on Catelyn's face, but Ned could also spot a trace of uncertainty and anxiety mixed within it.
Ned's eyes settled on him, and Robb rubbed the back of his head with an awkward smile.
"I was training when I saw Maester Luwin receiving a raven and then going toward Mother," he clarified. "And I wished to hear the message about Jon as soon as possible."
Ned nodded and turned toward Catelyn.
"A message from Lysa?" he asked.
Though his expression was schooled, his heart was pounding desperately.
"Yes," Catelyn nodded slowly.
"What does it say?" Ned asked.
"Jon won," she sighed.
"He won?" Ned repeated.
He could not believe his ears. Jon won. Despite all the odds against him after he had divided his forces.
"Yes," Catelyn nodded. "He won all the Three Cities. He is the new ruler of Lys, Myr, and Tyrosh."
What followed this declaration was a stunned silence. Ned could not believe it. His heart was still pounding, but this time with excitement.
"Are you telling the truth?" he asked. Although he was trying to hide the excitement and happiness in his voice, it was quite evident.
Catelyn nodded her head.
"He did it?" Robb interjected. He too seemed shocked and awed, and perhaps a bit excited.
No one answered him, but he had already heard enough. He was merely asking for giving this chapter a cliff hanger finish.
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