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It started when Jon was six, Howland had visited because of a small war between some crannogman and House Manderly, Ned had to house both parties as they engaged in a parley. Between meetings, Howland offered to tell stories to the children and that was the first time the Knight of the Laughing Tree was mentioned. Robb had fallen asleep halfway through the story, but Jon, Ned could see that Jon took the story to heart. The next morning Maester Luwin said that Jon had asked for parchment and a book on the day that the smiles died. Ned didn't know how to tell his son to stop because how do you tell a boy not to worship his own mother.
Jon was two and ten when he went to his first tourney, he had heard from the maids and stewards that House Manderly was hosting a tourney for Lord Manderly's daughters nameday. Ned and Robb had gone but Cat had refused to let Jon go with them. In the night, Jon took his sword, his shield that he had commissioned Mikken to make and enough supplies to last him and rode hard and fast to White Harbor. Finding a small hovel to use his own collected coin to sleep in, Jon entered the squires melee wearing a helm that covered his whole face. Fighting hard and fast his weirwood tree shield deflected blows and stopped strikes from boys his own age and older. Five yields later, Jon was facing off against the squire Renly Baratheon, a boy of six and ten. Four times they battled neither yield nor giving an inch, the fifth time Jon sweeped the boy's sword downward before nailing him in the head with his shield. When he was stunned, Jon knocked the blade out of his grip with the edge of his shield before placing his sword against his throat.
Four hundred dragons was the prize, four hundred dragons were awarded and a mystery began at White harbor on the armored squire with a familiar shield. Many of the older generation felt a sense of deja vu but Ned, Ned felt like someone had slipped a blade between his ribs as the words of his dying sister rang in his ears. When they arrived back at Winterfell half a moon later, it was to a Cat who didn't care about Jon and a Jon who had taken to the sparing yard like it was his life's mission. Ned pretended to know nothing, he wanted to know nothing.
Then Jon turned four and ten and the fire of the Sept happened, Arya in frustration had accidentally knocked over a candle and before they knew it the whole building was ablaze. Ned had barely managed to keep his wife from running into the building after Jenye, who had been in the back of the Sept at the time. Then Jon happened, without a care in the world he ran into the flames. Robb had to be held back by Theon, Arya was kicking and punching Jory who refused to let her go, and then they saw him. Sansa waa collapsed into the arms of another Stark guard, tears running down her face. Then a figure walked out holding the body of a girl. Jenye had burns on her arms and legs and was unconscious when the Maester took her away, but Jon, Jon was unburnt. That was the day Ned told his family the truth.
Jon left two days later, letters left on his bed for the family, his horse, his helm, his shield and sword were gone. For the first since Jon had come down with the Pox, Catelyn prayed for the boy. Ned felt despair grip his heart as the promise rang through his head. It was the letter from Howland that made him feel some bit of comfort, Howlands men had found Jon on the Kingsroad and had brought him to Greywater Watch. Howland promised Ned he would watch over the boy till he got his head back in the right place. At least that was what Ned thought.
The news came slowly, first the squire of the laughing tree won a melee in Acorn Hall, then at Lannisport he won the squires Joust. Gulltown, Highgarden, Storm's End, Old town soon followed. With each letter Ned knew that Jon hadn't stayed at Greywater Watch and he felt a bit of anger towards Howland for covering for him. Then the letter came that truly hurt, the now Knight of the Laughing Tree won the regular joust and melee unseating Barristan the bold, when the Lord demanded he remove his helm, the Knight left without taking his gold. Soon word spread and there was a bounty on the Knight. Five thousand dragons to the man who brought the Knight before the king to be unmasked. That's when Jon returned home with a letter and a Valyrian steel sword from Howland giving him an alibi for the past two years. Ned believed the lie because it was easier to swallow than the truth.
Four moons later, Jon Arryn died and the King rode North. With him came the host of Royals and Ned welcomed the distraction from the truth of who Jon Snow had become, his mothers son. Jon had been a skilled fighter when he left at four and ten, but when he returned at six and ten he was far beyond even what Ser Rodrik Cassel could teach him. Sending five or six men at him was normal, and even then they lost one at a time. Arya had found someone who usurped her idols during those days. With the direwolf at his side, Jon Snow had become a figure of legend in Winterfell and Winter Town. He ran every morning through the streets of Winter town, had beaten down a perfect jousting path in the woods to the northwest and could often be found practicing with a lance. When the Royal party arrived, Jon had not been there to receive them, having been in the woods with Ghost and his horse hunting. He arrived just after the King had asked to go to the Crypt, covered in blood dragging behind his horse a bear and a stag.
Ned didn't see Jon for the first two days the royal party was there, but he did receive a note warning him against giving Sansa to Joffrey, Ned knew who's writing it was and setting some of the stewards the task he soon saw the same thing Jon saw. Then one morning he came out to see Jon and Ser Barristan in the training yard and found himself unable to keep walking. They moved with speed, blade against blade, deflecting strikes and knocking away thrusts, Jon used his speed to his advantage while Barristan held the experience and power to keep from yielding. Over and over their blades crashed against each other. Then Jon made his move, locking his sword overhead with Barristans, Ned watched as Jon let the sword drop as he spun, before catching the grip and bringing up with speed towards the Kingsguard neck. Seeing the shock on everyone's faces, Ned gripped the railing before an uproarious laughter filled the air accompanied with clapping.
On the day of the hunt, Ned thought it would be a simple hunt with the King, till a messenger arrived for the King. It was in Ser Barristan's hand and from the look on the King's face sent him into a rage. As they rode hard back to Winterfell he feared it was about Jon, till he got back to find Jaime Lannister in Chains, half a dozen Red cloaks dead while Jon and Ser Barristan stood behind Cersei and Lancel Lannister who were bound and gagged. Seeing Jon unharmed had lifted Ned's heart till he saw that he had a bandage around his arm and he saw the fearful look in some of the workers' eyes.
Ned's first task as Robert's Hand began that day, Jaime Lannister had been simply defending his men from Jon, while Ser Barristan and Jon had been attempting to arrest Cersei and Lancel for their crimes. Finding out the King's wife had borne him no true heirs was a harsh thing to learn and if it wasn’t for Robert trusting Ned and Ser Barristan then they would have ended up in a war against the Lannisters. Instead Jaime was stripped of his white cloak, Cersei and Lancel lost their heads and the children were labeled as bastards. Joffery hadn't taken it well, had attempted to stab Jon in the back during the breaking of fast resulting in him being forced to ride back to Castle Black with Benjen. Tommen wished to go to the Citadel and Myrcella was taken in by Tyrion. Three weeks later, Jon rode with Ned and his men down to the capital, Ned's family staying in Winterfell till he sent for them.
Robert the whole ride south to White Harbor had been sullen and moody deep in his cups with a whore on his lap, only ever showing any signs of his old self when he was watching Jon and Ser Barristan spar. Ned felt that Robert's reign was coming to an end from the rate at which his friend was drinking. He feared for what that meant for the Capital. Reaching Kingslanding he was greeted by the stench of a shit, and found himself almost gagging and almost heaving over the railing. Getting off the ship, Robert and Ned rode with the Winterfell guard at their back towards the Red Keep. There Ned braced himself for the game of thrones.
Twice Ned almost gave up his handship, the first was when Robert ordered Daenerys death when he discovered she was with child, and the second time was when he wanted to host a tourney in Ned's honor. Seeing a spark of something Jons eye was the only reason he didn't give the handship back. The next moon was spent preparing for the Tourney and dealing with the Small council.
The day of the Tourney arrived and Ned sitting next to the King felt something grip his heart when Jon hadn't joined him for the breaking of fast. Riding down to the tourney grounds, Ned sat next to the King as all of the Knights who were entering rode in. There was Clegane, Thoros of Myr, House Mooton, House Tyrell, House Frey, House Royce and numerous hedge knights in between all with their banners all without a helmet on. Then the yelling ended, as the last Knight entered the field. Helm still on, a Valyrian steel sword in his sheath, and in his hand was a shield bearing a weirwood tree with a laughing face. Ned felt Robert grab his arm at the sight of the knight.
Ned could see the King wanted to order the Knight under arrest but luckily the King thought for once and instead called for the melee to begin as everyone rode out of the stadium. Robert leaned over and ordered him and others to find the knight, Ned knew that was an order he would fail at. Seeing Varys and Littlefinger already scurrying away to carry out the order, Ned sighed and sat back. The Knights came back in ready for the melee. At the sound of a horn it began and Ned couldn't hold in his winche as he watched the Mountain plow through men to get to his nephew. Ned was shocked when Jon deflected the first blow and slowly as the rest of the field thinned the Mountain and the masked Knight fought. Twice someone tried to intervene, the first time resulted in a man getting thrown by the mountain, the second time the masked Knight disarmed the man and kept the sword. Ned was shocked when Jon went to two swords, and suddenly the older Lords in the crowd were reminded of another figure of legend. As Jon battled against the walking death, Ned could see that Jon was winning slowly, cuts were appearing in gaps, there was blood dripping off of the Mountain's armor and the man was noticeably slower. Then Ned flinched when the Mountain smashed Jons armor with the flat of his blade, sending him flying across the field. His nephew tumbled before skidding to a stop, thankfully his helmet was still on.
A pressure filled the stadium at that moment as Ned watch, Jon heft one sword before grabbing the handle with both hands and heaving it end over end straight at the Mountain. A roar from both men sent the crowd into a frenzy as Ned watched the blade lodge itself directly into a gap between the Mountain's shoulder and breastplate. Before the Mountain could remove the blade, Jon was on him. One hand held a dagger and the other held his sword as he charged the Mountain and Ned couldn't do anything when Jon ducked under a one handed swing of the Mountains sword before the knife was stabbed directly into the unprotected ankle. As the Mountain dropped to one knee, Ned did yell out as Jon brought the sword down into the neck of the Mountain, stabbing out through the front of his neck and coating his breastplate in his blood.
The crowd roared, but none louder than the section where the Martells had shown up. As the Mountain finally fell, Ned watched as Jon stumbled back before picking up a sword and facing the last knight still on the field. Jaime Lannister had entered under his father's command if the rumors were true, but Ned could see that he was hesitant to raise his sword against the mysterious night. When the King yelled for them to fight, the Knight lifted his sword and banged the palm against his breastplate and Jaime did the same.
Ned finally noticed that Varys and Baelish had not come back and that Ser Barristan had stepped off to one side of the stand. Ned sat in horror as Jaime and the Knight didn't fight but began to approach the box where the King now stood wheezing.
WHO ARE YOU?!
Those three words were screamed by Robert at the mystery Knight as more familiar men flooded the field, the sigil of Greywater Watch craggonmen now held the entire tourney field at sword point. Finally Ned saw the Knight reach up and pull his helmet off and everyone who knew Jon gasped as he was revealed. The words he spoke felt like knives hitting his very soul.
"My name is Jaehaerys Targaryen, son to a murdered father, brother to murdered siblings, I have come for my vengeance in this life and I will have your head before this day becomes night."
With those words, the tourney field exploded as a roar ripped through the air and people screamed at the sight of something long thought dead. Ned could do nothing but stare as a dragon flew circles above the tourney field and Robert finally collapsed to his knees.