The reflections of a Wolf and a Dragon
Dreams were not an uncommon thing amongst the children of the Stark Family. Many of them took their dreams more seriously than others.
Bran had come to learn that his dreams of running through the forests through the eyes of his Direwolf were premonitions of a sort.
Arya had found her dreams of becoming a great warrior, were not that far from what life had planned for her.
Jon however, his dreams were much more…fantastical.
Since he was a boy he had many dreams.
Dreams of no longer being the Bastard of Winterfell.
Dreams of being a Stark, worthy of his father Eddard. Worthy of the love of his siblings, worthy of a place to call home, a true home where Lady Catelyn didn't constantly remind him of what he was. A home where he didn't feel like an outsider.
Then there the dreams where he was Aegon the Conqueror or Daemon the Dragon Knight, riding on the backs of the great winged beasts of Old Valyria. Riding on the backs of Balerion the Black Dread, of Sunfyre, Vhagar or Meraxes. The dragons he and Robb had read about as children.
He wanted nothing more than to be one of those Ancient Dragonlords, riding astride the back of a mighty fire-breathing dragon.
That was what it meant to be free. Dragons never cared about the details of their birth, no one would ever dare to call Balerion the Dread a bastard, even if he would have understood the common tongue, he would have burned them and whatever armies they commanded to ash.
He wanted so much to be like the woman whom now held his heart firmly in her grasp.
It was a funny thing to contemplate. His entire life he had been naught but a worthless bastard. An accident child, a mistake that shouldn't have happened, a stain on the honour of the great Lord Eddard.
But here he was. A Bastard boy now King in The North (Or was it Warden now?), lying in bed with the most beautiful woman in the world. The silver haired dragon queen herself, Daenerys Targaryen.
She lay asleep in his arms, his head lying against his scarred chest and her silver tresses splayed out around her, no longer confined in the regal braids he always saw her wear.
He wished this was a sight only he was allowed to see. The sight of the great dragon queen, with her barriers down, no longer the breaker of chains or the mother of dragons. Just Daenerys. His Daenerys.
His Dany.
It was a funny thing. When he was still but a boy he thought he would never have a need for a wife, lands, titles or children. He told as much to his uncle Benjen, a man he admired since he learned to walk.
The words of his Uncle echoed in the deep recesses of his mind.
"You don't understand what you'd be giving up. We have no families. None of us will ever father sons"
"I don't care about that"
"You might. If you knew what it meant"
Uncle Benjen was wise beyond his years, just like his brother, Eddard. Jon came to understand exactly what Benjen meant. Having someone you loved, someone you wanted to bring new life into this world with. A joy he never thought he would ever be allowed.
Jon came to realize, here, lying in bed with Daenerys on what was their…fifth? Sixth night together? That a wife and children is exactly what he wanted.
He had been through hell ever since he left to join the Night's Watch. He had done nothing but fight and suffer in that time, only gaining momentary reprieves from time to time. He had killed Wildlings of which now he was the closest thing to a leader they had besides Tormund. He had killed creatures that were the stuff of nightmares. He had killed men he admired and men that betrayed him.
In all that time he had been through so much suffering, all for an order that deemed him a traitor worthy of death. A death he had returned from, and even that gave him sleepless nights.
He could only pick out a few moments of genuine happiness in all that time.
Meeting his most loyal of brothers. Sam, Grenn, Edd and Pyp. Half of whom were dead now.
Being with Ygritte, that night in the cave. The sight of her fire kissed hair forever in his mind. He loved Ygritte dearly, even so long after her death, but he knew deep down that he could never have a future with her. Theirs was a doomed love, no matter what happened that night in Castle Black, they would never be together like they had before.
Reuniting with Sansa after so long away from his family.
And finally, meeting her. The woman lying asleep in his arms right now.
The Dragon Queen whom held command over his heart.
After so long, thinking that a life of celibacy in the Night's Watch was what he wanted, he found that after what seemed like a life of constant warfare, horror, betrayal and loss, that he wanted what Uncle Benjen said he would never have.
He wanted nothing more than to say those words beneath the wierwood tree of Winterfell. To hold Dany close to him, to tell her that he loved her, that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
To tell her that he was hers and she was his.
She may have told him twice now that she was incapable of having children, that it was impossible to create an Heir with her. But Jon thought of those words as naught but lies spread by a hateful woman, meant to hurt the strong and amazing woman that he loved.
Why did she put so much stock in the words of a lying witch? One that murdered a man she loved, and took the life of her first child? A spiteful, hateful woman that could not even see what her actions would do?
In a strange, morbid way, Jon was glad the woman did what she did. If she hadn't then Daenerys would have never realized her true strength, never would have birthed the three wonders she named her children. Never would have become the Dragon Queen of many, many titles.
And most importantly, she would never have met him.
Even if Daenerys couldn't have children, he would never stop loving her. His still growing love for this Valyrian beauty couldn't be stopped by a simple inability to have children.
Even so, there was nothing he would enjoy more than proving the Witch wrong.
But for now, even with the great war approaching. Jon wanted nothing more than to fall asleep with this beautiful woman in his arms and simply enjoy her warmth.
In this moment he wasn't the Bastard of Winterfell, he wasn't the former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and he wasn't the King in the North. He was simply Jon.
In this moment she wasn't the Rightful Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, she wasn't the Unburnt, she wasn't the Breaker of Chains and she was not the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea. She was simply Dany.
Birth rights, titles, bloodlines and status didn't matter to either of them when they lay like this. Basking in the warmth of the other, they were no longer two individual people, they were one.
It was just like Jon had tried to explain to Sam.
You are no longer just yourself. You are wrapped up in them and they are wrapped up in you.
And like he said to Sam…he wasn't a bleeding poet.
Jon smiled before planting a kiss to Dany's head, inhaling the sweet smell of her silver locks as he did.
Jon couldn't help but let out a small chuckle, everything about this woman was too good to be true. In a world of maniacs, monsters, walking dead men, ancient evils, death, loss and suffering, she was like a beacon of light in the darkness.
"Something funny?" Dany murmured, opening her shimmering violet eyes and looking into Jon's dark grey orbs.
"I'm sorry…did I wake you?" Jon whispered, holding her close.
"No…I was stirring anyway. But like I said…something funny?" Dany whispered back.
"…I was just thinking"
"About what?" Dany closed her eyes and snuggled closer to her lover.
"About you. How lucky I am to have you" Jon whispered, closing his eyes and placing a gentle kiss to her head.
"Trying to win favour with the Queen through flattery? What a devious strategy Lord Snow" Dany smiled as she nuzzled into Jon further.
"It isn't flattery if it's true" Jon whispered back.
Dany traced her fingers over the scars on Jon's chest, lingering on the one over his heart. In all their time together and the few times they laid together, she had not yet asked him about them. Jon was not surprised; his scars were an issue he didn't like to get into and Dany was an intelligent woman.
She must have already put it together that he avoided the issue of 'he took a knife in the heart for his people' because of how it made him feel, and how it would have sounded to one who hadn't seen the impossible like he had.
But he could still tell from the look on her face that she was curious. And why wouldn't she be?
"When I was still Lord Commander, I let the Wildlings past the wall. We had been killing each other for eons for no other reason than they were born on the wrong side of the wall. Hundreds of men of the Night's Watch and thousands of Free Folk, all dying because of where we lived" Jon began speaking, Dany looked up at his face and gave him all of her attention.
"I'll never forget the first time I saw one. Towering over me…skin like ice, hair like snow…eyes that glowed bright blue…lifeless. I may have joined the Free Folk to gather information from them…but I couldn't forget what I saw. For every Free Folk or Watchman that died…it would only mean another soldier for the army of the dead…" Jon paused, as he began combing his fingers through Dany's silver locks. The feeling of her silky soft hair comforting him as he told her his story.
"…when I became Lord Commander, things had to change. I knew that if we let our petty differences keep us from working together…there would be no dawn. So, I left for Hardhome, to gather what Free Folk would join us and bring them south. Until then I only saw one Walker…but there…I saw the true scope of what we were dealing with" Jon's voice trembled.
"An army…a vast sea of bodies, hundreds upon thousands of them. They kept coming like the waves of the ocean, nothing we threw at them stopped them. I tried to save as many of the Free Folk as I could…but out of the 100,000 that were there at Hardhome…I only saved 5,000. If I had only got there a day earlier, all those people might still be alive" Jon's voice trembled more as he spoke, Dany could feel his fingers trembling as he combed them through her hair.
"You did what you could. There is no shame in that" Dany whispered, trying to comfort him.
"I know…I just…95,000 people…butchered like pigs. Men, women and children…none of them were spared. Then I saw him…standing on the docks. His eyes burned like the fires of hell…I…I had never known fear like what I felt looking at him. All he did was raise his hands…and all the dead stood up. All the troops he lost and all the Free Folk, that moment I was sure of what I was doing, that if they ever got past the wall…then everyone in Westeros…maybe the world, would die screaming" Jon's breathing grew heavy as he couldn't stop his voice trembling.
"I brought them past the wall. Not savages wanting to rape or pillage…families, woman grieving for their husbands, children who would grow up without parents, husbands missing their entire families, a Giant who was the very last of his people. They were all that was left of the Free Folk, less than half of them were able to fight, cold, scared, all but hopeless. I thought the Brothers would be able to see that"
"But on that night. My Squire, Ollie…a boy, barely older than Bran when I left Winterfell, he came to my chambers, he told me that one of the Free Folk had seen my Uncle Benjen. I rushed outside without giving my cloak or my sword a second glance. But when I pushed past the brothers that had gathered in the courtyard…all I saw was a sign…nailed to a post…" Jon's voice trembled, Dany wanted so much to stop him there, but they both needed this.
He needed to tell her, and she needed to hear him tell it.
"…a sign saying 'Traitor'. When I turned…Ser Alister drove his blade into my gut…every time I close my eyes I feel the cold steel sliding into me. But what hurt most was when Ollie…drove his knife into my heart. He looked at me with such hate…there wasn't an ounce of mercy in his eyes, even after all I did to care for him…he drove a knife in my chest and walked away like it was easy as breathing…" Jon took a long and deep breath, squeezing his eyes shut as if trying to block the painful memories.
"How…How did you survive?" Dany asked, running her hands over the scars.
"I didn't…I bled out into the snow, all I saw after that was darkness. I…I died Dany, the men who I thought where brothers killed me in cold blood, and left my body to freeze in the snow. After everything I did for the Watch, after everything I did for the realm, after everything I sacrificed, they killed me as if none of it mattered" Jon was on the verge of tears.
The memories hurt, they hurt just as much as the blades of his traitorous brothers. The memories of the cold taking over his body, of his eyes dying out into the blackness.
"…You came back?" Dany asked, her voice trembling much like Jon's did.
"I was brought back. The memories and the wounds were fresh in my mind. It didn't feel right, it felt unnatural…but knowing what was coming, I had to go on. I had one last duty as Lord Commander, passing the sentence on the men who murdered me…First Builder Yarwick, a man whom had served the Watch loyally for years, Ser Allister, a man to whom the watch was his entire life, even Ollie. When I stood in front of them, most of their last words were messages to their families, Ser Allister didn't even raise his voice, he said he did what he thought was right…but when I stood in front of Ollie…he just glared at me in hatred…" Jon slowly opened his eyes to look into Dany's.
"I should have felt guilt when I cut the rope keeping the bench under their feet…but to be honest. I felt nothing but anger and rage, like a fire was burning in my chest. Ollie hadn't just killed me, he had loosed the Arrow that killed Ygritte…a Wildling girl that I…" Jon began to stutter and falter until Dany stroked his cheek.
"You loved her…and he killed her?" Dany asked, already knowing the answer.
"…All I saw when I cut that rope, was his face. Smirking after he shot her, glaring at me after he stabbed me. It felt good hearing his neck snap…hearing him struggle and suffocate. When he was dead…I felt the cold again, the fire faded and I knew what I had done. No matter what Ollie had done he was still just a boy, a boy that lost his family. I felt disgusted with myself. After everything that had happened, I couldn't be a man of the Night's Watch anymore" Jon finished. His fingers stroking the silky silver tresses of Dany's hair.
"And so, my Watch had ended" he whispered.
"I…I had no idea" Dany whispered.
"I'm not who you think I am Dany. I'm not a good person, I try to be but I'm not…" Jon's voice trembled, but Dany cupped his face in her hands.
"Don't you dare. You are the best man I know. You are honourable, decent, kind and more noble than any highborn in the world. The men who betrayed you, you had no choice but to put them to death. As leaders we have to make the hard decisions, if you don't then there is no such thing as justice in the world" Dany leaned in and placed a gentle kiss on Jon's lips.
"You cannot afford to second guess yourself. If you look back, then you are lost. You are here to protect your people from threats they cannot fight themselves, all the north are your people…regardless of what side of the wall they were born on…that's what it means to be a King" Dany nuzzled against him affectionately.
"King? What happened to being Warden of the North?" Jon asked with a smirk as he held her against him.
"I may be willing to let you keep the title…until I sit on the throne of course" Dany smiled, closing her eyes.
Dany and Jon just relished the feeling of the other, their bare skin warming each other, the sound of their heartbeats and steady breathing filling the air amongst the sound of the ship creaking in the waves.
Jon then couldn't help but let the smile that adorned his face drop off. His thoughts running away with him, his uncanny ability to overthink things at the worst moments kicking in.
"What's wrong, Jon?" Dany asked. Jon opened his eyes to see Dany looking at him with a look of concern on her face.
"I…I've never felt like this for anyone before. Every time I look at you…I feel blessed. I meant what I said at the Dragon Pit…you are not like everyone else, you are special in ways I can't even begin to describe" Jon replied, cupping Dany's face in his hand.
"And why would this upset you?" Dany asked.
"Because I don't deserve you. You are a Queen…a Highborn beauty. You were born to rule the Seven Kingdoms. But me…I was never born for anything. My entire life I was nothing but a mistake, a stain on my father's honour" Jon began to speak, squeezing his eyes shut as he spoke.
"Jon…"
"How could anyone love me? How…how could anyone love a mistake? Someone who has made mistakes like the ones I have? You are destined for great things…but me…I…" Jon stopped and opened his eyes when he felt a soft hand caress his face.
"I don't care about that!" Dany almost shouted at Jon.
"You always bring up your birth. You always bring yourself down because you think you are lesser than everyone else. I say to hell with that. I don't care if your mother and father were married or not. I've grown up in the company of those deemed lesser…Exiles, Savages, Slaves, Dwarves and Eunuchs, every one of them worth ten of those perfumed lords that sneered at you or I" Dany spoke softly as she caressed her lover's face.
"Besides…I used to ask myself a similar question. Who could ever love a Dragon? The moment those three hatched I was a different person. I wasn't the weak little girl that flinched whenever her brother raised a hand. When they hatched I became strong, and the bigger they grew the stronger I became, until it got to the point where my power became a curse…" Dany paused, taking in the look on Jon's face. Equal parts invested and concerned.
"It seemed like every time I looked in someone else's eyes they were either in awe…unable to see me as a person, or were afraid of what my power could do…which caused them to hate me. When I stood on that field after the battle at the Blackwater rush…those men didn't see me as a queen to be loved or respected…they only saw Drogon, and the destruction he could cause. They didn't bend the knee at my offer of a better world…they only knelt under the threat of death…" Dany's eyes began to tear up, just at Jon raised a hand to cup her cheek.
"...my dragons are my children…I love them and I always will. They will always be a part of me, I cannot change that. But because of that…I never thought anyone could accept me…all of me, them included. Missendei is my good friend but she would never dare get near to Drogon, Rheagal or Viserion. Grey Worm as well. Barristan was a wise knight but he would never get near such a deadly creature. Tyrion told me that seeing my dragons was the most frightening experience in his life…even Jorah seemed to take joy in reminding me that my Dragons were untameable beasts…" Dany reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes before they had a chance to fall.
The Dragon Queen then looked deeply into Jon's eyes, smiling before she continued.
"…but you…when I returned with Drogon, I thought for sure you would crumble…that you would kneel or run screaming…but you reached out. You showed me that you weren't afraid, you accepted Drogon for what he was…a part of me" Dany smiled, leaning closer to Jon until there was barely even an inch separating them.
"You are not a mistake Jon Snow…unlike so many others, you saw and treated me as an equal. You didn't crumble under the power I have…you embraced it. That was the moment I think…that I…" Dany stopped mid-sentence, the words caught in her throat.
Reaching deep inside, Daenerys found the strength she needed. Looking deeply into her Northern lover's eyes.
"That was the moment I fell for you" Dany whispered, smiling as tears began to well in her eyes.
"I don't care that you are a bastard. The circumstances of your birth don't matter to me, and all those who shunned you as a child can go hang. I've made up my mind…when I sit on the throne…I want you by my side, My King" her voice trembling with the emotions welling inside her.
"Dany…" Jon whispered, a brief pause before he smiled to her and began to stroke her hair in a loving manner.
"When you came to me…beyond the wall, I saw you, the real Daenerys Targaryan. Not a Foreign queen who wanted a throne she had never seen before…not an invader or a conqueror. You were willing to fight for what you believed in…willing to fight for those under your command. I didn't see one of the highborn that shunned or shammed me my entire life…I saw you…the woman I fell in love with" Jon smiled, tears welling in his eyes.
"We will kill the Night King…then I will help you take the Throne. I can promise two things…one, I will follow you anywhere. And two…I will never give up on you…My Queen" Jon smiled, his voice equally trembling as he spoke.
Dany and Jon both held each other's faces in their hands, leaning close and letting their lips connect. All the affection one had for the other was displayed in this kiss, the tears falling down their faces serving as a testament to their feelings for each other.
"That was quite the declaration, Jon" Dany smiled, tears still running down her face.
"We make quite the pair, don't we? The Bastard Wolf and The Exiled Dragon" Jon chuckled back.
"Well, Westeros will have to get used to it. Having a Wolf and a Dragon serve as their King and Queen" Dany smiled back as she wiped Jon's tears from his cheeks.
Jon looked deeply into Daenerys' eyes, her violet orbs that held such pain yet so much strength within them. Jon couldn't resist and leaned forward, capturing her lips in a display of unbridled passion. Dany immediately responded, filling her fingers with Jon's black curls, holding him as close as humanly possible.
"Oh my! I seem to have awakened the Wolf" Dany gasped as Jon's relinquished his hold over her lips.
"You've awakened more than that, My Love" Jon breathed heavily before he started to maneuverer his way on top of Daenerys, placing himself between her legs.
"I want to prove that Witch wrong" Jon smiled to Dany, the tears of joy sparkling in her eyes once again.
The two of them had always dreamed of home. Jon thought Home would be the name Stark and a place amongst his siblings in Winterfell or in the Night's Watch. Dany thought home would be Dragonstone, the Iron Throne or even that house with the red door in Braavos.
But they were wrong.
Home was here.
In each other's arms.
Home was in the arms of one who loved you, unconditionally.
And they wouldn't have it any other way.
Hope everyone enjoyed that. Now I'm not one for publishing singular one shots so I want to know how I've done.
I will admit that a story like this may be a bit…odd…considering what the two characters in question are to each other. But seeing as this is the world of Ice and Fire, and worse shit than this happens in every other episode, I say fuck it!
The again I've written about weirder pairings than this, so what the hell, this isn't anything new.
Basically, Did you rike it?
Please leave as lengthy a review as you like, I love talking Thrones and I especially love feedback on my fics.
And seeing as how I can never usually get some reviewers to leave lengthy reviews, I pose you a question to ponder on:
WHAT DO YOU WANT TO SEE IN SEASON 8?
Me: CLEGANEBOWL! GET HYPED! Amongst many other things, like dragon-warfare, more JonxDany and what I hope will be a satisfying conclusion to the story.
So please, feel free to get imaginative and be specific! :D
Dakkman777 signing out.