Chapter 704: Chapter 704: Questioning
Lyanna Stark, once the young daughter of the Duke of the North, always wore this seemingly unattractive, dark necklace around her neck.
"It was a gift from Rhaegar," Lyanna said calmly, revealing her relationship with Rhaegar after her resurrection.
Years amidst the army of the dead had changed Lyanna more than anyone could imagine. Living for years in a world filled with ghouls and zombies without losing her sanity was something most couldn't achieve. Yet, what Lyanna didn't know was that her relationship with Rhaegar had already been exposed, and the rumors of her abduction and violation by him had been cleared.
"Prince Rhaegar?"
Benjen Stark, upon hearing his sister's words, took the dark necklace from her, pausing for a moment. Seeing Lyanna in person and hearing her story, Benjen finally believed that his sister had eloped with Rhaegar out of love, not by force.
The war that had ensued was based on a misunderstanding. Their father and elder brother had gone to King's Landing seeking justice, only to die in vain. Their father, Rickard, had demanded a trial by combat, but the Mad King chose 'fire' as his champion, burning Rickard alive in his armor, leaving only a charred corpse. Their brother had been strangled trying to save their father.
"Lyanna, why didn't you clarify things back then?"
"Why?"
Holding the black necklace, Benjen couldn't help but question his sister. Their father and elder brother had believed that Lyanna was abducted by Prince Rhaegar and went to King's Landing for justice. But neither Lyanna nor Rhaegar came forward, vanishing without a trace.
Their irresponsible actions for love led to the nation's division, wars, and alliances against the Iron Throne. If Lyanna and Rhaegar had clarified things, perhaps the subsequent events wouldn't have occurred, and their father and brother wouldn't have died in vain.
Facing her brother's questions, Lyanna remained silent, regret evident on her pale face.
"How is he?" After a long silence, Lyanna asked in a hoarse voice.
"Who?" Benjen, seeing his sister's silence, took a deep breath and inquired.
"My son," Lyanna replied without hesitation.
"What's he like now?"
"What's his name?"
Before giving birth, Lyanna knew of Rhaegar's death in battle. Her only solace after her resurrection was their child. She had entrusted him to her brother, Eddard, asking him to take care of the boy.
However, she knew that her son couldn't bear the Targaryen name, or he would be killed by Robert.
"Your son?" Benjen was puzzled. The public trial had confirmed that Rhaegar hadn't violated Lyanna, but there was no mention of a son.
But Benjen was quick to connect the dots. "When Eddard returned from the South with your body, he also brought a baby boy, claiming him as his bastard."
"Jon Snow."
"That's the name of Eddard's bastard."
Benjen noticed the resemblance between Lyanna and Jon, which he hadn't seen before.
"Don't worry, Lyanna," Benjen reassured her. "He's in King's Landing, being raised by our sister-in-law, Lady Catelyn. Jon is doing well, tall and strong. He's skilled in horsemanship and swordsmanship, even better than Robb."
"Jon Snow," Lyanna murmured, relieved to hear her son was well.
She then looked at the necklace in Benjen's hand. "Let's continue our conversation. Rhaegar gave me this necklace. He said he had dreams about the future and told me 'the dragon has three heads.'"
"The dragon has three heads?" Benjen asked, puzzled.
Lyanna continued, "Rhaegar said this necklace was made of a precious material that would play a crucial role in the future. It also helped preserve my memories, allowing me to remain lucid after my resurrection."
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