WARNING! Completely AU. I do not claim ownership of Game of Thrones or any of her characters, they rightfully belong to her author and creator George R R Martin. This short story follows the TV series on HBO.
An alternate ending to the stabbing of Jon Snow, the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. The Mutiny at Castle Black takes an unexpected path when soldiers loyal to the King in the North rode in after being allowed entry by Davos Seaworth whom was currently in residence. The soldiers being led by Lord Greatjon Umber whom was not present at the Red Wedding demanded an audience with Jon Snow and nearly smashes his way past the Black brothers to reach the boy he was sent to serve.
"Why?" Jon Snow asked through gritted teeth as another blade left his body. He had just received word that Stannis Baratheon was defeated by the Boltons and his entire army decimated, he was thinking about his next move when his steward burst in with news of his missing uncle. He ventured out and met with Alliser Thorne whom had informed him that a wildling had news about his uncle's whereabouts, believing the man, Jon rushed forward only to come face to face with a sign that wrote 'Traitor' in bold black ink. When he turned around to face his fellow black brothers, Alliser Thorne jammed a dagger into his abdomen and the rest did the same. He fell onto his knees and came face to face with the boy he had trusted. The boy he had taken under his wing as Mormont did for him. "Olly..." He whispered.
Before anything else could happen, loud footsteps and voices halted the mutineers in their step.
"WHAT IN THE SEVEN HELLS IS GOING ON HERE!" Bellowed the Greatjon as he stormed forward with his greatsword in his hands. The four soldiers flanking his side quickly unsheathed their blades and readied themselves to attack if needed. The members of the Night's Watch were shocked and took several steps back at the sight of an enraged giant with a two-handed sword ready to cleave them down if he had to. The other black brothers whom were not gathered around a crumpled form of Jon Snow rushed in and begin yelling at the others for being traitors and cravens.
"The fuck are you guys doing to the Lord Commander!" Eddison Tollet or better known as Edd growled with his hands at the pommel of his sword, several other brothers of the Night's Watch beside him did the same. He was in the mead hall when he heard loud voices and the unsheathing of swords, he rushed out to find a group of his fellow brethren standing in a circle, surrounding the Lord Commander. He noticed the blood and agony on Jon's face. "You bastards..." He hissed and his blade was eased out of its scabbard as quickly as the speed of sound. When he did, the other brothers whom were loyal to Jon Snow drew their weapons as well. Those whom had seen what Jon had seen.
Davos Seaworth's eyes went huge when he saw the blood pouring out of Jon's chest. Having lost his liege lord and the only girl that he regarded as a daughter, he pulled out his sword and stood side by side with the Northern lord. "You are members of the Night's Watch! Is this what this great order has fallen to now? A band of misfits and backstabbers? If it wasn't for Snow, we wouldn't have known the only thing that is capable of killing a White Walker. He has seen things that most men have not." He proclaimed.
"You lot weren't there!" A black brother standing behind Edd yelled. "You weren't at Hardhome when the wights attacked! I stood there and watched as the Night's King raised his arms and the fallen rose to join his ranks, wildlings and our brothers alike! Winter is coming lads and there is no one I rather trust to lead us than Lord Snow." Grunts of agreement could be heard from the brothers beside him.
"Put down your weapon Alliser." Edd warned coldly. "All of you." He eyed the rest warily.
The Greatjon huffed and slammed his greatsword down into the snow. The mutineers watched warily while Alliser sneered and begun to advance when he saw. It was a signal. Marching boots filled the air as torches lighted the empty battlements and balcony above, from all corners, from all sides, men with cloaks marched forth. Archers and crossbowmen lined the balconies and took aim. Spearmen closed in the gap from the north. Men-at-arms bearing the sigil of Tully, Stark, Umber, Mormont and many other smaller vassal Houses covered the rest of the courtyard. Riders with the banner of House Arryn of the Vale stood a little further back. The remnants of Stannis Baratheon's forces, those that deserted before the fight started filled the empty space to the right.
"What are your orders?" A voice from the balcony inquired.
The Lord of Last Hearth frowned at the black brothers surrounding the boy that he had sworn to protect with his life should Robb Stark meet an untimely end. "Kill anyone that moves!" He roared knowing that there was a young boy standing nervously with the mutineers. A slight step from a black brother named Bowen Marsh and he was rewarded with five arrows, two at his knees, two at both ends of his chest and the other straight through his neck. Bowen gurgled out as his hands released his weapon and went straight to his bleeding neck, he fell backwards with his eyes wide open. "I won't ask again. Throw down your weapons." His voice was on the edge of explosion.
For the first time in all his years at Castle Black, Alliser Thorne felt fear. With a slight tremble, the bloodied dagger in his hands clattered to the floor. The other brothers standing beside him did the same as Edd and the other loyal brothers rushed in to help the half-conscious Lord Commander. Two members of the Greatjon's household guards grabbed Alliser by his arms and forced him towards the Lord of Last Hearth who scowled at him. "Get him out of here." He indicated to the badly bloodied Jon Snow. Edd gave a nod and carried his friend away from what was about to happen. The loyal brothers of the Night's Watch sheathed their blades and went after Edd, none wanting to risk helping the mutineers.
The mutineers watched nervously as the Greatjon towered over the man whom had organized the stabbing and before their eyes, the two soldiers holding onto Thorne stepped on his legs. The sounds of bone being crushed and the screams of agony could be heard echoing throughout the courtyard of Castle Black, if Lord Commander Mormont was still alive, he would have stopped the Greatjon but the Old Bear wasn't around and those loyal to Mormont were supporting the Greatjon. Alliser winced as he felt his legs go numb. He was a cripple now. But the Greatjon wasn't finished yet. A squire barely in his teens handed a thick wooden stick and quickly stepped back in formation.
"Striking a King is considered treason." The Greatjon said gruffly as he glanced down at the broken state of Alliser. "Aye. Bet you didn't know that didn't you?" He sneered with an evil grin. "King Stark made a proclamation before riding off to attend his uncle's wedding to the Frey. Even if Snow had rejected Stannis' offer to legitimize him as a Stark, the late King Robb had already done so with this letter." He waved a sealed letter in his hands before shoving it back into his pouch. "So aye, Jon is no longer a Snow nor a member of the Night's Watch. He's Jon of House Stark, the First of His Name, King of the North, and the rightful Lord of Winterfell."
Alliser's eyes went wide at the proclamation. If what the Lord of Last Hearth had spoken is true, than he and those whom had betrayed Jon had signed their death warrant. To strike a member of royalty is to court death. He watched warily as the Greatjon raised the stick and swung it towards his cheek. Before he could even utter out a word the Greatjon struck again. "Enough! That's enough!" He cried as blood trickled down sides of his cheek. The mutineers winced when the Greatjon replied by jamming the stick towards Alliser's right eye. That was only the first strike. Then another. And another. By now, Alliser had already lost conscious and was on the brink of death itself. The Greatjon raised the stick again.
"No! No you can't!" Davos interfered before the Greatjon could strike.
"Why are you protecting that son of a bitch?!"
"I'm not protecting him!" Davos answered as he turned his head towards Alliser. "I want him dead, believe me. But he doesn't deserve being poked in the eye by a stick." The Greatjon cracked a grin and tossed the stick aside before pulling out a dagger. "Let me be the one to do it." He requested. The Lord of Last Hearth nodded and handed the weapon over. "Hold him up." He ordered. The two soldiers obeyed and pulled Alliser into a standing position. "Wake him up." Cold water was splashed onto Alliser's face and the poor sod was jolted awake. Davos hovered before him.
"For the Old Bear." And with that, he plunged the dagger into Alliser's already maimed right eye, twisting it once and then pulling it out again. Satisfied, he handed the weapon back to the Greatjon.
"For the North." The Greatjon said gruffly and plunged the dagger into Alliser's abdomen.
Alliser cried out in pain as the blade left his abdomen as quickly as it came. His vision was already darkening due to the lost of blood. He expected another blade to sink into his chest but it did not came, instead he watched with one good eye as a white direwolf with red eyes approached the front. The soldiers hurled him towards the direwolf. Alliser glanced back at his fellow brothers, the ones whom he convinced or agreed to aid him in betraying their Lord Commander. None dared to step forward. It happened in an instant. The direwolf pounced on him and started turning him inside out.
As Alliser lay on the ground, mutilated and torn to shreds. The other mutineers shifted nervously as they awaited their turn. They knew that there was no escape for what they had done. Even if the Greatjon had chosen to spare their lives, they would be sent to the block the following day by those loyal to the Lord Commander. They watched as another of their member was struck by several crossbow quarrels when he shifted a little too much. And now, they were beginning to regret their decisions in aiding Alliser Thorne in his mutiny against Jon Snow.
"I'm no man of the Watch hence I can't sentence you all." The Greatjon spoke with a growl. "And since your Lord Commander is lying on a bed being tended by the healers, the chain of command is past on to his trusted man." He turned his head towards Edd whom had just returned.
Edd glanced towards what remained of Alliser and smiled darkly. "Old fool got what he deserved." He muttered out for the mutineers to hear. He eyed them all and his sights settled in on the young boy. "Jon had high hopes for you Olly. He had planned to groom you to be the next Lord Commander. He talks about you every day, about your strength and your ability to lead. I have heard of the love that Jon had for you. The trust." His eyes narrowed as the air grew colder. "And you betrayed his trust. He aided the wildlings because he had no other choice. You all did not see what I have seen. White Walkers on their horses as pale as snow with blue eyes. Wights of our fellow brothers and wildlings alike. And Jon joined forces with the wildlings to defeat that threat. Our common enemy."
Edd shook his head in disgust. "As the acting Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, I cannot and will not allow mutineers to be kept within the walls of Castle Black nor the cells. No. There's only one place left for you lot. Since you doubt Jon's words, you shall see it for yourself." He whirled around and looked at the other loyal brothers. "Open the gate and sent them Beyond the Wall." He turned to face the mutineers again. "Neither of you shall set foot South of the Wall again, if we spot you from the top of the Wall, we won't hesitate to shoot you down." Several of the mutineers tried to protest. "I SAID SENT THEM OUT!" He roared.
The soldiers of the North lowered their spears and started to march the mutineers towards the gate, the loyal brothers stood at the sides and hurled insults or threw stones as they passed. Some refused to even look at their faces and went about doing their business. The gates opened and the mutineers were shoved out, those that tried to run back in were immediately put down by the Northern spear. Olly, the young boy went quietly. His face full of guilt and remorse as the gate slammed shut on him. The mutineers were exiled, never to return to friendly zones under penalty of death. They went together as a group and marched into the forest where they were never heard from again.
Jon recovered from his wounds after a week and learned from Davos that the Boltons had been defeated shortly after destroying the Baratheon host, his sister Sansa was found together with a bewildered and traumatized Theon Greyjoy. Sansa had claimed that Theon had saved her at the expense of his own life, betraying his master and helped her to escape Winterfell. That was what stayed the Greatjon hand from slaying the Greyjoy. Sansa and Theon are still at Winterfell being protected by the Northern clans from the mountains and members of House Forrester, one of Robb's loyal vassals. He also learned that both Roose Bolton and his bastard son were killed while trying to flee for the Dreadfort which had already fallen into the hands of Stark loyalist.
When Robb Stark was betrayed and died at the Twins, he was smarter than what Tywin Lannister had believed him to be. He dispatched at least half of his loyal forces in search for Jon. And that very same force witnessed the destruction of the Northern-Riverland Host from afar and vowed vengeance, they marched to the Vale where the Greatjon discovered a horrifying truth about the Lady Arryn. She was executed on crimes of high treason by the Vale way before the Lords of the Vale joined their swords with them as penance for their liege lord's wife actions. They watched as Stannis bravely led his army against the Boltons before charging in to finish off the weary and tired Bolton force. Ramsay fought like a beast for his survival, but even numbers can overwhelm, he was stabbed from all sides and left to rot in the snowy plains outside Winterfell.
Winterfell was retaken on that very day and the people loyal to the Boltons were executed on spot. The Greatjon left behind his main army while he journeyed North with a quarter of the men to search for Jon, they met the deserters from Stannis' army along the way and it was there where the men from Dragonstone joined them. Jon then asked about the mutineers, those whom had turned their cloaks on him and tried to murder him that night. Edd was the one that revealed that Alliser was mauled and eaten by Jon's direwolf, Ghost, while the others had been sentenced to exile Beyond the Wall under the penalty of death should they ever return. Jon closed his eyes to take in all that had transpired while he was semi-conscious, he had trusted Olly with his life and the boy had turned on him the first chance he got. He wasn't happy with Edd's decision but he knew that Edd was doing what the Old Bear would have done.
Honoring his late brother's wish, Jon rose from the ground of Castle Black as a Stark and heir to the Northern throne hence releasing him from his vows that kept him at the Wall. Due to the recent betrayal of several high ranking members of the Watch, the remaining black brothers urged Jon to name a successor which he did. Edd was hailed as the 999th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch with full support from the North. Jon swore an oath that he would return to combat the wights and the Night's King when he is done avenging his brother's wrongful death in the South. The brothers of the Watch cheered his name with their fists hitting their chests as Jon rode out of Castle Black, not as a member of the Watch, not as a bastard son of the North, but as a Stark. And the King in the North.
"THE KING IN THE NORTH!" The Greatjon hollered as did many others.
Jon Stark led his brother's forces further South and crushed Walder Frey at his very own tower, the Twins was razed to the ground and the entire family line erased from the pages of history. Even though Tywin Lannister was dead along with Joffrey the false King, Jon was determined to put an end to the family of lions in the South that had caused the death of his father and brother. He earned such a reputation on the field of battle and the sight of his direwolf was one to behold, together, they were a formidable pair. Ghost tore out throats of unsuspecting soldiers while Jon ripped men apart with his sword, Longclaw. The Greatjon had came to call him as 'The White Wolf of the North' and the title had stuck ever since. Jon was a Northerner. And the Northerners never forgets.
And the Westerlands will burn at his approach.
A/N: Well that's it. I'm not really sure how to continue from this point on. But if you guys have any ideas, feel free to PM me and I'll consider it.