Varys was sitting on a bench overlooking the ocean. With a shout, he launched to his feet and frantically ran his hands along his body. The flame was gone. The pain was gone. He had just been consumed by Drogon’s fire, and yet…here he was. Whole.
“Well, that went quite badly,” said a woman.
Varys whirled around.
A tall woman with wine red hair and inhumanly emerald eyes leaned against the railing overlooking the ocean and watched Varys.
Sliding into the habit of years, Varys smoothed his face into a pleasant smile and gave a polite bow. “My Lady. I don’t believe we’ve met.”
The woman laughed. “I’m Hari. And I like you. Most people are hysterical right after they die.”
Varys didn’t know what to do with that, so he looked at the ocean. It was gorgeous. A gentle, constant breeze soothed him.
“What happens now?” asked Varys.
“Now you watch.”
Hari waved a hand, and a rectangular view like a window appeared before them. Varys saw two dragons die, one raised by the White Walkers. He saw the Wall breached, and the dead invade Westeros. He saw Daenerys justify burning a city of innocent civilians, and promise to burn more. He saw Jon save the world from Daenerys, only for his kin to betray him again.
He sighed. “At least the living won.”
“No,” said Hari.
“No?”
“Watch.”
Hari backed the view up to the battle with the dead at Winterfell. When the Night King was killed by Arya, his mind jumped to Bran. The Night King was now ruler of Westeros.
“It will happen slowly,” said Hari. “He’ll pull a little life force from everyone, consistently. People will live a few years less this generation. Their children will have much shorter lifespans. By the third generation, people won’t live long enough to have children. By channeling their life force, he’ll become a deity on a dead world, and this will unbalance other realities.”
Varys was horrified. He had sacrificed so much to protect the everyday citizens of the world. And now all of them would die. Their grandchildren would be the last humans. Everything in his life was a waste. And now he was dead.
“We have to stop it,” he said.
Hari tilted her head. “If you could go back in time, what would you change?”
Varys looked at the ocean for a while. “It depends on how far back I could make changes. If it was in the early days of Robert’s Rebellion, I could let the North know that Lyanna wasn’t kidnapped. Rhaegar could sit on the throne. But he threw the realm into chaos by running off with Lyanna and not telling anyone – he became obsessed with prophecy. I don’t know if he would be the right leader to face the dead.”
Hari nodded.
“If I could go back to the end of the rebellion, I could try to maneuver Jon to be raised as King from birth with Eddard Stark as the King Regent. But Jon’s personality might drastically change if he’s raised in the south.”
“You trust Jon as a ruler?” she asked.
“Yes,” Varys nodded. “He’s the best King I’ve witnessed. His people named him King because of his actions, regardless of his parentage. A remarkable young man. He kneeled because he needed the dragons.”
“You’re the one who sent dragon eggs to Daenerys,” said Hari.
“Rubbing salt in the wound?” asked Varys.
Hari shrugged.
Varys sighed. “I would not make that mistake again.”
“When it came to military action, Jon was decisive. When it came to people treating him terribly, he allowed it. When it came to supporting women who treated him terribly, he allowed it. Why do you think that is?” asked Hari.
Varys shook his head. “He was raised as a bastard.”
“Always looked down on, from birth. His uncle allowed Lady Stark to emotionally abuse him, to have the children look down on him, to always be treated as less.”
Varys frowned and looked away. “It left marks that allowed him to be cast aside again and again.”
“No one ever told him he was worth anything, outside of one or two of the Free Folk. Even his favorite cousin allowed him to be shipped into a frozen exile after he saved Westeros, and he let it happen.”
After a few minutes, Varys turned fully to Hari. “Who are you?”
Those emerald eyes stared into his.
“I’m the Master of Death.”
Varys tucked his hands into his sleeves. “I’m unaware of that title or what it means.”
Hari laughed. “You’re cool as a cucumber, Varys. I knew I liked you.”
Varys didn’t know what a cucumber was, but assumed this was a compliment.
“I don’t concern myself with the religious practices of your world. The universe is much too large for that.”
“So you’re not the Stranger or Many-Faced God?” asked Varys.
“There are no ‘Seven Gods’ and I certainly don’t send assassins into any world. Nature is a powerful force, but not sentient. Some in your world have limited magic. And magic is beautiful.”
Varys couldn’t stop a flash of disgust and fear from showing on his face.
Hari softened her voice. “Those who do unwilling blood sacrifice are abominations. I assure you their souls do not have an easy journey along the Paths of the Dead.”
After a minute, Varys nodded. He wasn’t sure why he was so calm, besides habit. He’d never imagined an afterlife existed, let alone something like this.
“If you could fix it, would you?” asked Hari.
“Yes.”
That was the last thing Varys knew before waking up in his bed in King's Landing.
_______________________________________________________
A raven approached Ser Arthur Dayne at the Tower of Joy.
Ser Arthur,
King Aerys is dead. Rhaegar, Elia, and their two children are dead. Eddard Stark is journeying to you. Allow him to speak with his sister. He will protect the young King. Go with him in secret and protect our King, letting him grow up with honor. Train him. Do not allow the young King to be harmed, physically or emotionally.
- A Friend
When Ned Stark arrived at the Tower of Joy, he was greeted with a small table of bread and salt.
“Partake of guest rights, Lord Stark, or fight and die,” said the Kingsguard.
Stark ate the bread and salt.
Moons later, word reached King’s Landing that Ned Stark returned to Winterfell with a bastard and his sister’s bones.
_______________________________________________________
A year after the war with the Greyjoy Rebellion, Ser Jorah Mormont received a raven.
Ser Jorah,
Be careful who you marry. It is said the Hightower girl has expensive taste and will not be satisfied with the Northern lifestyle. Ask your father or liege lord for advice. This is a decision that will impact the rest of your life.
- A Friend
_______________________________________________________
Lord Stark and Ser Arthur,
There is a chest that Jon must have. It will arrive at White Harbor. Arrange for the most secret and secure transport to Jon. Keep it safe.
- A Friend
Arthur, Ser Gerald Hightower, and a group of twelve men pulled their horses and one small wagon to a camping spot off the road one day from White Harbor. Gerald stood guard while Arthur opened the chest. Dragon eggs. There were three dragon eggs. Arthur closed and locked the chest. Gerald raised an eyebrow at Arthur, who shook his head. His brother in arms understood, and did not press. The word ‘dragon’ would not be uttered aloud anywhere outside of Lord Stark’s guarded solar.
_______________________________________________________
“Yes, Lord Stark?” Jon rounded his shoulders and looked at the ground as he edged into Ned’s solar.
“Sit, Jon. You’ve done nothing wrong.”
Jon glanced at Ser Arthur and sat.
“I’ve been meaning to tell you of your mother,” said Ned.
Jon stiffened, but didn’t say anything.
“I need you to promise me, Jon, that you will not speak of this to anyone except Art, Gerry, or me. What I’m asking you is not fair or kind, but this is not a kind world. I need this promise.”
Jon was silent. After a minute, he put his shoulders back, met Ned’s eyes, and said, “I promise.”
Ned told him of Lyanna and Rhaegar, of his birth, and of their desperate plan to keep Jon alive.
“My actions have hurt you. Arthur ensured that my wife’s ire did not interfere with your education, but it still harmed you. I am sorry. But I would do anything to keep you safe.”
“You’re my uncle?” asked Jon, looking white around the eyes.
Ned moved around his desk and wrapped Jon in a hug. “From the moment I held you, you were my son. You have my blood and my love.”
After a while, Jon said, “Art and Gerry. You’re saying they’re Arthur Dayne and Gerald Hightower?” His voice was very high pitched.
Ned chuckled.
He gave the chest with dragon eggs to Jon, telling him to keep them under his bed.
Jon was more quiet than usual in the following weeks, and brooded.
_______________________________________________________
Ned Stark stared, open mouthed, at the scene in front of him. Arthur guarded the door from the inside, while Gerald guarded from the outside.
Three cat-like beings were crawling over a giggling 10-year-old Jon. They had wings. Ned rubbed his eyes. His brain couldn’t quite believe the idea that three baby dragons were in a room with him. And his son.
Ned didn’t think the dragons would hatch. He thought they were heirlooms that would connect Jon to his heritage. But Jon hatched three dragons.
_______________________________________________________
“Lord Stark.”
“Lord Karstark.” Ned stood and welcomed his guest into his solar. “Please, Rickard, you’ve known me since I was a boy. You can call me Ned.”
“What’s this business you want to discuss, Ned?”
“The Grey Cliffs.”
“What about them?”
“Are the old holds along the Grey Cliffs coast still abandoned?”
“Aye. It’s too expensive to upkeep. Transportation is too difficult to get through the forest and over to the cliffs. Everything along the Eastern coastline is abandoned. We trade through the river that runs straight to Karhold.”
Ned nodded. “I have a plan for restoring one of the holds, but do not want to overlook your interests or advice.”
Rickard waved a hand in dismissal. “It’s a rough, lonely area. Fairly close to Karhold as the crow flies, but nearly inaccessible. There are easier abandoned holds to fix.”
“I’m thinking of giving the hold to Jon.”
“Your bastard?”
Ned frowned but nodded.
“As I said, Ned, there are easier holds.”
“I’m also worried about this winter.”
“Oh?”
“The summer has been long, and shows no signs of stopping. My maester says the winter is likely to be the longest in memory.”
“You are planning more preparations?”
“Indeed. The North has limited trade with Essos or the Southern Kingdoms. We also have limited ports. There are times when having an additional port at the Grey Cliffs may be helpful. Perhaps trade of lumber from the far North, among other exports, may help us trade for food during winter, especially if White Harbor is blocked with ice.”
Rickard nodded. “I have no use of the Grey Cliffs seashore, and no spare coin to renovate the holds. I see no problem with giving it to your son.”
“Do you have local builders who could oversee the renovation of one hold, or part of one hold, over the next year?”
Ned and Rickard worked out the details.
_______________________________________________________
“You’re sending me away?” Jon looked hurt.
“No.” Ned put a hand on Jon’s shoulder and gently squeezed until Jon looked up. “You will always have a place in Winterfell. We need a safe place for the dragons to grow, out of sight. They’re too young to defend themselves, and soon they will be too large to hide in the Wolfswood. No one can know about the dragons until they are larger.”
“You’re worried about King Robert?”
“I have many worries. For now, I want you to train, keep your dragons safe, and learn all you can.”
“When will I leave?”
“Not too soon. Less than a year. I’m renovating part of a hold now.”
Jon nodded. “I can’t let anyone hurt my dragons.”
_______________________________________________________
Varys heard from a little bird about Viserys. He was a vicious teenager, already a sadist.
King Robert ranted about dragonspawn, and insisted yet another assassin be sent after the two Targaryens. Unlike last time, Varys didn’t send a warning to subtly warn the Targaryens’ guards.
Several moons later, a little bird declared Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen dead. Varys breathed a sigh of relief. This time, he wouldn’t die in dragon flame. This time, Daenerys wouldn’t burn King’s Landing. The world was safer than it had been.
That night, a trunk was under Varys’s bed. All of the traps he had set in his room were untouched. He approached it cautiously, opened it with a spear, and eventually glanced inside.
Two Valyrian steel swords were inside, Blackfyre and Dark Sister.
The inside of the trunk’s lid held a symbol in the same inhuman green as the Master of Death’s eyes. It was a triangle with a vertical line in the middle, and a circle that intersected the triangle and three points. He’d never seen the symbol before. What was one more secret to keep?
Surely the gift of two swords would ingratiate Varys to the young King’s counsel someday.
_______________________________________________________
Varys read a note from the North. Lord Stark was rebuilding a hold on the eastern coastline of his realm. This didn’t happen last time. What had changed? Did Ser Arthur push for Jon to have his own hold? Varys took a deep breath. Had Jon hatched a dragon? It was earlier than the Mad Queen had hatched her dragons in the previous timeline, but maybe…
_______________________________________________________
In a small council meeting, Varys handed Jon Arryn a letter from a raven. Petyr Baelish fell overboard on a trip to visit the Iron Bank in Braavos and drowned. Lord Arryn sighed and wondered who to appoint as the new master of coin. No one mourned, although Lord Arryn’s wife took ill.
_______________________________________________________
Lord Stark looked at the teenager who was shifting his weight on his feet. The boy looked scared.
Lord Stark,
May I present to you Gendry Waters, a bastard of King Robert. King’s Landing is not a safe place for Robert’s bastards. He was apprenticed to a blacksmith.
- A Friend
Ned looked up from the letter. Gendry looked a lot like Robert had as a boy, and impressive muscles for his age.
“i didn’t do anything wrong, Milord. I don’t want to go to the Wall.”
Ned smiled. “How would you like to continue your apprenticeship as a blacksmith here at Winterfell.”
The boy was shocked. “That…that would be good, Milord. Great.”
_______________________________________________________
At twelve years old, Jon took his first dragon flight over the sea near his fort at the Grey Cliffs while Ser Arthur and Ser Gerold looked like they were about to have heart attacks.
_______________________________________________________
Varys was handed a note and his heart sank. Jon Arryn was dead. Varys thought killing Petyr would stop this from happening, but he underestimated how Lysa would react to Arryn wanting to send his son away from his wife.
King Robert was headed to the North.