The Late Promised Prince
Chapter 1
The forces of the Stag dragged them to their King and forced the traitors to kneel. The Stag King walked along the mutineers of the Night's Watch with much distain. They knelt before him fear in there, except for one the lead mutineer, Master-at-Arms Alister Thorne. Alister smiled, gleefully at the Stag King, proud of his grand treachery. The Stag King looked down at the First Ranger.
"Alister Thorne, you stand accused of mutiny and killing your Lord Commander…how do you plea?"
Alister Thorne smiled, unforgiving in his demeanor.
"Everything I did, I did for the Watch, and the Lord Commander, he deserved to die for his errors."
The Stag King, did not seem to by the first ranger's motivations.
"So be it…I now sentence you to die."
With a wave of his hand, the Stag King motioned for his forces to stab the mutineer's in the back. Seven conspirators fell, and were dragged away to be burned to ash or buried alive. It was then the Onion Knight approached, saddened but keeping his composure.
"Lord Stannis, what should we do with his body?"
Lord Stannis, the Stag King took a moment to think about what to do with the Lord Commanders body. Uncertainty flickered in the Stag's eyes.
"If I was a weaker man, I would have once said burn him…"
The Onion Knight shock his head disapprovingly.
"You did what you had to do, she would have burned Shireen alive…"
Lord Stannis, sighed before nodding in agreement.
"In these strange times...what that have been a bad thing, Ser Davos?"
Ser Davos's brow furrowed, and he raised his voice to say.
"She was a vile Red Witch, who brought nothing but despair wherever she went. Besides without such a sacrifice, the North is ours, and Shireen is still here."
Lord Stannis nodded, thankful to have an advisor as firm and steady as Ser Davos. The two began to walk toward one of the towers, where the Lord Commander corpse had been kept. Stannis reflected on his time with the Lord Commander, how he had given him advise and knowledge of the Northern Houses. The Boltons, and their leech lord fell quickly to Lord Stannis, they did not inspire much loyalty. After a few months of bitter combat in the late autumn months, Stannis had won. What made his victory all the more pleasant was when the Eldest Stark daughter came North to the Stark's ancestor home of Winterfell. At first, she went around, proclaiming this land to be her birthrate. Stannis, did not argue that this land was in fact her birthrate. Instead, he proclaimed that she could not defend the North from the South for long. Eventually the eldest Stark daughter proclaimed Stannis Lord Protector of the North, until the threat of the South had passed. It was not Kingship, but lately Stannis seemed to not exactly be in favor of being King of this burning pyre of a country. Ser Davos eventually broke Lord Stannis's thoughts.
"Do you think we should bring him back to Lady Sansa? He might have been a bastard but he was still a Stark, and that has to count for something…"
Lord Stannis thought on it as they approached the coffin that now held the corpse of the Night Commander. His fellow rangers and compatriots stood around him, grieving, bless their hearts some even wept. Lord Stannis remembered the Stark Bastard well, he offered him a place in his army and the Lord Commander had turned it down. Claiming that 'Winter was Coming', and that the Wall needed to be defended above all else. He even offered to legitimize the Bastard make him a true Stark to no avail. With a heavy breath, Lord Stannis looked at the mourning Night's Watchmen, waiting for his decision.
"Bury him, or burn him, it's not my place to say…"
Lord Stannis looked back at the coffin, before shuffling out of the room, Ser Davos close behind. The party of hundred loyal soldiers in Stannis's army began to retreat out of Castle Black. Before heading back down South to Winterfell. Stannis and Ser Davos marched at the front of the army. Stannis looked at cold desolate lands of the North, the snow continued to pile and last he recalled it was only late fall. He turned to Ser Davos.
"How long until Winter arrives?"
Ser Davos paused for a moment before saying.
"Have you not heard? Winter has come."
The northern air of Westeros has always had a heavy presence especially in the winter. It would take its toll on all things, causing shortness of breath and slow painful death for those kept outside in the cold. You would be a fool to go outside of a haven, especially in the winter. Especially this winter, the hardest one in centuries so far lasting five years. But was Westeros prepared for this devastating Winter? No, they played their games of thrones for that old iron chair, fought their wars and laid their seeds of doubt. They should have been ready, for the nights are dark and filled for terrors. These nights are the most terrifying, the Others walk, the dead rise, the strong prey upon the weak.
Two Red Priests, clad in layers of animal pelts marched North. Though they did not need to wear such things, for the Red Priests were blessed with gift of warmth. It was a rather nice night really, only thirty below and not a severe blizzard in sight. One of them was an old grizzled man from Essos across the sea and other a younger cleric, who recently gained his status. The younger man asked the older cleric.
"Why did we leave Dragonstone? The Promised Prince is there, he will defeat the White Walkers. We should be gathering our strength, not going on a fool's errand."
"He wasn't supposed to be reborn in that tired body. I will not follow that pretender."
The younger cleric sighed, he was protesting the whole journey that had now been going on for nearly five months.
"But why Brast? He is Azor Ahai, reborn. Tired or no, he is our savior."
"Tell me Paelis, does the world look saved to you?"
The older cleric asked, stretching his arms out dramatically to the frozen world. Brast, the older cleric went on.
"Azor Ahai was reborn into a broken man, the Prince who was Promised was not meant to wallow in his misery, and certainly not over some woman. There must be another way for us."
Paelis, rolled his eyes, before saying sarcastically.
"Yeah, and going North to the Shattered Wall is certainly going to aid our chances in this endeavor."
"It is…if the Lord of the Light is shows us the way…"
Brast said as they continued to trend through the deep, thick snow. Eventually they saw it on the horizon line. The Red Priests formed a vague smile at the shattered ruins of the once noble Castle Black. The once glorious headquarters of the Night's Watch, lay covered in snow with most of its towers fallen to ruins. Bits of the Shattered Wall still stood ominously over the fortress. Both of the Red Priests waddled through the snow before reaching Castle Black. Paelis turned to Brast and asked.
"So, who are we looking for again?"
Brast nearly slapped the young priest, but merely uttered sternly.
"Lady Melisandre's body, Lord Stannis killed her a long time ago, nobody knows what he did with his body. The Others barely touched Castle Black. We find her, we resurrect her and work from there."
Paelis sighed as they went into one of the structures still standing as Brast followed close behind him.
"Brast, I'm telling you, your plan has a few holes in it Brast. How do we know they didn't burn her or Lord knows what?"
"We don't…but didn't stop you from coming with me…"
Brast said sternly, Paelis shrugged and said.
"I wanted to see the world, Dragonstone gets boring after away. Besides I'm sick of those Dragon worshiping idiots."
"They're faithful to their Queen."
"They should be faithful to R'hllor, ungrateful cunts."
As the two descended into the dark, Brast lit a nearby torch and they descended into what appeared to once have been the barracks. Somehow it was even colder down there then it was outside. Everything in the room was out of order and or toppled. That did not seem to bother the two Priests who began searching the area. They poured over everything they could, searched every nock and crack as they continued their small talk. Paelis then said.
"Of all the Faithful servants of the Lord of Light to put your all your hope in, you choose Melisandre, all she did was guide that Stag to his Winter Palace."
"She served the Lord longer than either of us, if anyone knew his bidding it's her."
Paelis nodded, still holding out some hope that this was all part of R'hllor's grand plan for War of the Dawn. It was then Paelis opened the door to another room to find an oddity a coffin that lay atop a table. The young Red Priest walked inside, before gesturing to the older one follow. Brast shock his head in disapproval.
"Well the Captains dead, no wonder this place fell apart."
Brast then illuminated the inscriptions of the coffin. Paelis read the inscription aloud.
"Lord Commander Snow…a Bastard that's not surprising."
"Why not burn him, that's my question?"
Brast asked to which Paelis replied.
"Mutiny, Lack of Time, who knows…do you think we could-
"He's a bastard Night Commander, his watch is over…what good would he be?"
The older priest said about ready to turn away and go search elsewhere for his fellow servant. Paelis replied.
"The Lord of Light has plans for all , even the bastards."
"Well we can try, I can't say it'll work, hold this, I'll pry it open."
The younger priest was then given the torch as Brast began to pry open the lid of the coffin. Thankfully it had not been bolted down, so it came off easy. They both got a look at the man in the coffin. In the coffin, lay a man who surprisingly had not decomposed much at all. In fact, he looked relatively normal, almost as if he had just been put to rest. His lean build did look a little drain and his long face looked incredibly tired. Paelis said to himself aloud.
"He looks alright for a deadman, a little rough around the edges, but I've seen much worse."
Brast had to agree, but then he grabbed both of his hands together. He then began to mutter one of the only prayers he ever knew.
"Good Lord of Light, I ask of you, as your humble servant, shine upon this man. Bring him back from the cold dark of death. His flame has been extinguished, restore it to life."
Brast repeated this phrase five or six times for about a minute. Paelis, looked on still holding out the smallest ounce of hope. But nothing happened, this Lord Snow just lay there in his tattered frozen armor with dried blood around gapping gashes. Both Priests sighed, before beginning to retreat back to the door of the room. Then an unusual thing happened, the man in the coffin gasped for breath. Astonished, both men turned around to see the man in the coffin, sitting up right. Feeling over his body, still in shock. His wounds were being healed at an impressive rate. They rushed over to him, faith in their Lord renewed.
"Praise be, the Lord of Light has found another servant."
Brast said, approaching the Lord Commander at a brisk pace. Still in shock, Paelis grabbed him by the arms and helped him out of the coffin. The young Red Priest then sat him on a nearby chair. Paelis looked the recently dead Lord Commander in the eyes. He still seemed to be having a hard time grasping his surroundings.
"Easy…Easy, calm yourself Lord Commander Snow…"
After a few moments and more uneven breathing, the Lord Commander was able to calm himself. He then asked in a dry clammy voice.
"Who are you…what happened?"
Brast took the initiative.
"We are the Servants of the Lord of Light, come from Dragonstone to find the path he wishes us to find."
The Lord Commander seemed to be remembering vague thoughts related to the Lord of Light. His grey eyes shined in the torch light.
"Like the Red Woman?"
Both Red Priest looked at each other happily. Brast feeling ever more please asked.
"Yes…Melisandre, do you know her?"
"I…I…I recall her but, I can't remember…what happened?"
The Lord Commander reeled in pain, his body still not fully recovered. Paelis again tried to calm him down.
"Lord Commander, how do I put this gently-
"You died a very painful death and we brought you back…"
The Lord Commander shock his head in denial.
"No…no…no, you don't understand the Others…the White-Walkers-
"We know…best come with us Lord."
Brast said interrupting the Lord Commander, mid-sentence. They slowly began to guide him outside of the shattered ruins of Castle Black. When the Lord Commander saw the destruction before him, it almost did not seem to register with him at first. The Wall, was torn down, only long glacial towers stood in their place. The Lord Commander then turned to the Red Priests and said.
"How could this happen, what happened to the Watch, what happened to the Wall?"
This time it was Paelis's turn to answer.
"The Night's Watch fell apart about five years ago, around the same time the Others broke through the Wall…then they went South…to the North, the Riverlands, the Vale…and so on."
The Lord Commander, fell to his knees and into the snow unable to comprehend what had happened. Brast put a hand on the Lord Commander's shoulder.
"…I know it's hard, but please, you must not blame yourself. Besides you must Rejoice…the Lord of Light has brought you and many more back from the grave to fight in the Battle for the Dawn…boy what is your name, speak it and come with us."
The Lord Commander took a moment to collect himself before standing up, making eye contact with the Red Priests and saying.
"My name…is Jon Snow."
Authors Note:
Honestly just an idea I had not sure if it'll go anywhere.