The Wolf
Izzyaro
For anyone who follows me for Harry Potter updates, I apologise, the next chapter of 'Strange Visitors' is undergoing edits right now and will be up soon, but after rewatching season seven of 'Game of Thrones' and rereading the books, I couldn't help myself. This is set at some point in the future after Sam and Bran have told Jon the truth about his heritage.
Disclaimer: Everything belongs to George R.R. Martin and HBO.
"Jon, when are we going to talk about this?"
Jon didn't look up from the sheets of paper on his desk. "When I don't have a war to win."
Sam glanced uneasily at Bran. He had known this was a bad idea. Bran, though, merely continued to stare at his cousin. "This is important, Jon."
"Not at the moment, it isn't," Jon growled, but Bran was not easily deterred.
"Of course it is. From the very beginning, Robert's Rebellion was built on a lie-"
"A lie?" Jon interrupted incredulously. He dropped his quill and glared at Bran. "Aerys murdered our grandfather and uncle, and demanded our father and Robert's heads!"
Bran opened his mouth, probably to point out yet again that Eddard Stark wasn't actually Jon's father, but Jon wasn't finished.
"And it all could have been prevented if Lyanna had just told someone the truth about what was going on!"
"They were in love," Sam protested, but he faltered when Jon's furious glare turned on him.
"They got thousands of people killed!"
Silence fell. Sam stood frozen, watching his best friend try to pull himself together, and wondering how what should have been good news had been taken so badly. Bran looked equally confused, and the rare show of emotion did nothing to help Sam's unease.
After a long moment, Jon let out a breath and leaned heavily on his desk.
"I am beyond pleased that Lyanna Stark was not abducted and raped," he said quietly. "Of course I am. But she was little older than Arya or Sansa, and she broke her betrothal to Robert for the Crown Prince. A man with a wife and family." His hands clenched into fists. "And Rhaegar encouraged it."
He looked up, and his grey eyes were as cold as the snow surrounding them. "Rhaegar abandoned his wife and children. He started a war, and when Aerys murdered Rickard and Brandon Stark, did Rhaegar protest? No, instead of trying to see justice done for the murders of the family of the woman he supposedly loved, he continued to fight for their mad killer!"
"Jon, he couldn't have fought his father," Sam protested. "Aerys was the King."
Jon glared at him. "He could if he was the man everyone seems to think he was."
Sam bit his lip. Bran finally spoke up. "But Rhaegar did love Lyanna, Jon. He annulled his marriage to Elia Martell for her."
Jon was looking at Bran as if he had never seen him before. "Is that supposed to be a good thing? He shattered multiple alliances, Dorne and the Stormlands would never have accepted it, and never even mind the political implications because Princess Elia did not deserve that! She was his wife. She gave him two children, and then he goes and insults her at Harrenhal, before throwing her and her children aside as if they were nothing!"
He paused suddenly, his face paling. "He annulled the marriage? He didn't divorce her?"
Sam shook his head. "We found the records. It was definitely an annulment."
Jon sank into the chair. "He made his own children bastards," he whispered.
"Jon-"
"No, Sam, there is no excusing that. I grew up a bastard, and I understand why it necessary now, but I would never wish it on anyone. That Rhaegar condemned his own children to that…" He shook his head. "As if giving me Aegon's name wasn't insult enough, he also gave me his birthright."
Sam had never looked at it that way. Now that he was, he was starting to feel rather sick. Bran's face was still blank, but for once it seemed more a result of unease than indifference. Jon continued to stare at his desk for a moment, then shook his head again and looked up.
"Say nothing of this to anyone. I need to think." His face twisted. "And Daenerys…"
"What of her?"
Jon had gone rather pale. "Never mind. Just tell no-one."
Sam nodded, and took a step towards the door. Jon needed to be alone right now. Bran, though, showed no interest in leaving. "We cannot just ignore this, Jon. No matter how it came to pass, you are the rightful heir to the Iron Throne."
"But I shouldn't be," said Jon bitterly. "I never wanted this throne, let alone that monstrosity."
"I know," said Bran. "But the fact remains that you are Aegon Targaryen, and you are the rightful king."
Jon held his gaze for several long seconds, then snorted and turned to stare out at the swirling snow. "The Gods make fools of us all," he said. "I used to dream about discovering that I wasn't truly a bastard. Now I wish I truly was Jon Snow."
I know the showrunners think the Targaryens are the best thing ever, but I can't see Jon being so easily convinced, especially since they've gone so far out of their way to make Jon the One True King that they've just made Rhaegar look like a complete bastard. Anyway, any feedback would be appreciated.