After seeing Stark's reaction to my tower slash prison, showing it to people was something I was greatly looking forward to. And now, I was seeing it. Oh, those glorious faces. Kinvara had a weak smile, which threatened to shatter the longer she held it.
Daenerys looked outright offended, like she couldn't believe that I would choose to live somewhere like this.
"Ta-da! Welcome to the Strauss-Aegis estate! Please enjoy your stay." I gave them a deep theatrical bow with an exaggerated flourish.
"What is this place?"
"Our humble abode, princess."
"Lady Emily, the tower, it reeks of death and magic."
"Yep, it sure does. That, my dears, was a magical prison. Built for the worst of the worst, and previously guarded by soul-eating monsters. Isn't it just wonderful?"
"A—And you live there?" Daenerys asked little fearfully.
"Not yet. Somehow, we haven't found enough time to decorate and furnish the place. The inside is completely empty."
"My lady… why prison?"
"Because she likes it." "Because I like it." Pyra and I spoke at the same time. Huh, we did that a lot, didn't we?
"Yeah, what she said. We actually live in that house over there. You see it? All the way on the other side of the island." I said, pointing at our house.
"Thank the gods…" Daenerys muttered under her breath.
"*ehm* You've had your fun, Emily. How about you let them get situated?" Pyra just had to rain on my parade.
"Alright. Let's go." I led them to the house, and frankly, there was barely enough space for us. We could fit, but it was starting to feel pretty cramped.
"Hmm~ That won't do. Sorry girls, looks like we will be moving to the tower pretty soon."
"Yeah. The two of us need our privacy." Pyra agreed.
"We still have almost an entire month until the king arrives. That's plenty of time to make it hospitable, right?" I mused out loud.
"I'm sorry, but did you just say the King will come here?" Daenerys asked, sounding startled and angry.
"I don't mean here, but he is coming to Winterfell. Stark is going to be the new Hand of the King, and I think that it's going to be fun."
"Fun? The only thing 'fun' the Usurper could do is to die." She spat. Ooh, feisty. But I get it. He did kill her entire family. I'd be pissed too.
"Well… That might actually happen, you know? I told you that there was a giant conspiracy, no?"
"Yes, but you haven't mentioned what it was. Only that the previous Hand was assassinated over something."
"Right, I haven't. Get this, the king was cucked by the queen, and none of the royal children are his, and to make matters even worse, the kid's father is none other than her twin brother. So, a pretty big storm is brewing, wouldn't you say?"
"That… are you sure?" Why did she sound excited?
"Me? I don't care, but the ghost of Jon Arryn was sure, he told Lord Stark, and the man believes it. Even had his Maester order a book of lineages because of it."
"My Lady, so you're the only reason Eddard Stark found this information?" Kinvara asked with interest.
"Yes?" I was unsure of where she was heading.
"Are you clearing out the way to the Iron Throne for yourself?"
"HUH?!"
"NO!"
"Oh, I'm sorry, then. It's just that the moves you've made are great for you, politically speaking."
"They are?! How?" Okay, I was getting more and more confused by the second.
"Shh… Don't worry your pretty little head about that, Emmy." Pyra suddenly appeared behind me and started soothingly patting my head.
"Kay, I won't." I just leaned into her and stopped listening..
"*sigh* Emily is definitely not planning on ever taking the throne."
"No, I might actually take the throne. That would be funny." I snorted.
"Um~ isn't that what Kinvara was saying?" Daenerys asked unsurely.
"Nah, she was talking about the power. I'm talking about the literal Iron Chair."
"Oh…"
"Can you imagine? The king comes into the throne room in the morning, and the throne is missing? Damn… I might actually do that. Just to see what they would do and how long it would take them until they start checking the drawers. Hahaha~~"
"Lead us from the darkness, O my Lord. Fill our hearts with fire, so we may walk your shining path—"
"It's too late for prayers, my dear priestess, you've thrown your lot in with me. Hehehe~"
"I have to try, my Lady. Maybe it's not too late. Maybe the Lord can still guide you?"
"Pft! Hahahaha~" Little Daenerys couldn't hold it in anymore and burst out with pearly laughter. What a nice sound it was.
"Welcome to the madhouse, little dragon." Pyra grinned at the still-laughing princess.
—
"Are you going to find my nephew today?" Daenerys asked me once she managed to stop marveling at the numerous appliances and the magic powering them. Kinda forgot that a house like this was definitely not normal in this world.
"I probably should." I wanted to get it out of the way, so we can start making the tower livable.
"Can I come as well?" She shot me a pleading look.
"That might not be a good idea. You look positively Targaryen." You know, silver hair, purple eyes, and all that jazz.
"Can't you hide me as well? I saw you go invisible yesterday."
"Right. I forgot. Yeah, I can. But we're going to see Stark first." He was the one supposedly raising the kid after all, and I kinda liked the guy, so I'm going to at least tell him.
"I don't mind…"
"Sure, then wait, I'm going to see where he is." I opened the portal, just small enough for me to lean out and scan the room. I checked the hall first, as it was time for breakfast, but he wasn't there. Then I checked his study, and I found him hunched over a piece of parchment, writing a letter to somebody.
"Lord Stark? Do you have a moment?" I called out, and kudos to the man, he flinched just a little bit.
"L-Lady Emily… Aye, I do. Please, make yourself comfortable."
"Though I have to warn you. I've been out of town for the last couple of days, and it's been fruitful, to say the least. This is Daenerys Targaryen." My warning had no effect, and his eyes were so wide I actually feared they would fall out of their sockets.
"Greetings… Lord Stark."
"P–Princess Daenerys? What..?" He stood up, sat down, and then stood up again in a span of two seconds.
"Yep, that's her alright. She is with me from now on. But that's not why I'm here. Her nephew is here somewhere." That did the man in. He paled and gripped the edges of his table so hard his fingers became white.
"I don't know what you're talking about. Save the princess, there are no Targaryens in Winterfell, only Starks."
"I don't know why you're denying it, and frankly, I don't really care. I spoke with Queen Rhaella, she asked me to help him if he so wished. So if you would call him, that would be great." I saw the internal fight within him, and I let him fight it out. Because in the end, this was only a courtesy, and he knew it as well.
"Jon… He doesn't know about his heritage, and I would prefer if it stayed that way for a while longer." The little princess next to me bristled at that. I didn't like that either, you know.
"Why? It's not like the kid will march on King's Landing the moment he finds out, you know? For all you know, he might just be happy to know who his parents were."
"It's not safe. If Robert somehow found out… I cannot imagine the consequences for everybody involved. His hatred for Targaryens runs deep." He said with a low, heavy voice.
"I said I would keep you all safe, didn't I? Plus, I think that the king will have bigger problems to deal with soon, don't you think?" Oh, I think he actually forgot about that part because he visibly calmed down after I said it.
"*sigh* You really don't leave much room for negotiations, do you. Can this be postponed? At least until tomorrow? Jon deserves to hear the truth from his family." That was easy.
"I don't mind waiting, a bit."
"You have my thanks. Is there anything else?"
"Hmm~ No, that was it. I'll come by tomorrow at the same time." We left right after that. But Daenerys seemed really grumpy for some reason.
"Wipe that scowl off your face, little dragon, you'll meet him tomorrow."
"Why didn't you press harder? Stark would have folded."
"Sure, but then it would fall on my head to explain stuff to the kid, and in case you haven't noticed, I'm not really good at that. This way is better. Stark gets to bear the emotional outburst of a hormonal teenager, and we'll swoop in once he calms down."
—
Eddard walked through the corridors of Winterfell like a ghost, all the while searching for Jon. Emily forced his hand, but in the end, it might be for the better. With her here, Lyanna's boy will be safe, she did promise, didn't she?
He found him just as he was making his way to the training yard. Alone as always.
"Jon!" He called out, his voice colored by the weight of secrets buried for so long.
"Father, what brings you here?" He startled and asked.
"I– We must talk, Jon. Follow me into the Godswood."
"Father? What is going on? Talk about what?"
"The truth, Jon. But not here." Then, without another word, Eddard and Jon made their way into the Godwood. He could see the questions swimming in Jon's eyes, yearning to ask, but he listened and held his tongue.
"There is no easy way to say this. You are not my son, Jon," Ned said once he sat down underneath the wierwood tree, his voice steady but filled with regret.
"Then who am I?" Jon turned sharply, and in that moment, the angry look he had resembled his sister oh so much.
"You are Lyanna's child, my sister's. I made a promise to her on her deathbed to keep you safe. Your father was Rhaegar Targaryen. They loved each other, Jon. Of that I have no doubts."
"And you let me live as your bastard?" Jon stared, disbelief clear in his face.
"What would have me do? I had to keep you safe, keep you alive. So I bore the shame, and never told anybody." Ned said simply.
"Robert would have killed you if he'd known the truth, and not even the years of our friendship would stave off his hatred. He loved my sister, and you are the proof that she chose another."
"Why tell me now?"
"That… is a long story. Are you willing to hear me out?"