Jon and Daenerys stood in the Great Hall; Winterfell was under the cover of darkness and enveloped in a blanket of snow since their arrival a few days ago. The air had become icier now that the wall had been breached. The great war was coming.
Visitors from Volantis had brought an army to help in the Great War, but now they seeked an audience with the Mother of Dragons and the King in the North.
Qhono guided the guests into the dimly lit hall. Lady Sansa, Ser Davos, Bran and Arya were to the left of Jon whilst stood to the right of Dany were Lord Tyrion, Missandei, Lord Varys, Greyworm and Ser Jorah. The Northern Lords had filled the outskirts of the Great Hall along with Ser Jamie, Ser Bronn, Lady Brienne and Podrick.
Sansa couldn't help but remember the last time the Great Hall was laid out this way was when she had sentenced Littlefinger to his death. The only other time so many had gathered together was when Daenerys and her entourage accompanied Jon back to Winterfell.
Jon fiercely defended his bending of the knee to Queen Daenerys, but the Queen had also addressed the Northern Lords bravely. She stood her own ground and proved that she deserved Jon's loyalty. The North finally accepted her.
Many began to see something else bubbling beneath the surface of their newly formed alliance. Could it have been love? The speculations began but were immediately halted when the King and Queen started to appear distant from one another.
But today the alliance felt strong again as more foreigners had descended upon Winterfell. The red-cloaked guests glided across the stony floor of the Great Hall.
Jon felt his body tense as the Red Priestesses came closer, he turned to Ser Davos whose face had glazed over with an infuriated look. Jon stepped forward as their red hoods came off.
"I banished you" He said, his eyes meeting the Lady Melisandre's. "I swore that I would hang you as a murderer if you ever returned to the North"
Daenerys spun her head towards Jon sharply.
"And I swore that I would execute you myself" Ser Davos harshly retorted.
"Please. Your Grace, I would not be here unless the Lord of Light had willed it so, the Wall has fallen and the Army of the Dead will be upon us soon" pleaded Melisandre.
Jon could feel Dany's warm hand upon his forearm, it brought him an unworldly comfort; the woman he loved had the ability to soothe his inner torment just from a look or touch.
"Jon, I am sure that you have good reason to sentence this woman to death, but we would not be standing here together if it wasn't for her" Jon met her gaze. "Lady Melisandre told me about the King in the North" He understood. Perhaps, if it wasn't for Lady Melisandre, he would not have found Daenerys, he felt a sudden brief urge to thank her.
Daenerys held her hands together and walked towards the Volantis visitors. "The Red Priests helped to bring peace to Meereen, a place that I once governed and protected" She informed the rest of the room.
"Queen Daenerys" The brunette bowed. "The King in the North" She bowed again. "We have come here to help"
A small smile graced Daenerys lips which did not go unnoticed by Jon. They both knew that they need all the help they could get.
"I'm sorry, I don't know what to call you" Daenerys said as she looked towards the priestess.
"Your Grace, this is Kinvara, High Priestess of the Red Temple of Volantis" Tyrion informed his Queen.
She stepped forward "I came to help. Daenerys Stormborn is the one who was promised. The Dragon Queen has been sent to lead the people against a darkness" announced Kinvara.
The room listened intently.
"The prince or princess who was promised will bring the dawn" Daenerys turned towards Melisandre "I thought that you said that prophecies are dangerous things"
It was Jon's turn to smile, his Queen was most definitely not a fool, she knew not to trust their words.
Melisandre nodded slightly, she knew she had done unspeakable things but she was not here for redemption, she was here to serve her Lord and fulfill her purpose until the he guided her into the light.
"My Queen, they call you unburnt for a reason, from the fire you were reborn to remake the world" Kinvara spoke.
Daenerys countered her prophecy. "Fire cannot kill a dragon"
Kinvara smiled knowingly. "You are fire made flesh just like your dragons, and only fire can defeat ice"
Jon looked from Kinvara to Dany. He knew she was not like everyone else, and she gave him her word that they were going to destroy the Night King and his army together, but upon hearing that she was the only one who can bring the dawn, his heart filled with fear. He had only just found her. He could not lose her.
Daenerys could feel Jon's eyes burning into the back of her head and glanced back at him. She knew what Jon was thinking but she had felt the exact same way about him. She thought he was the special one. Not her. For his was a song of ice and fire. But maybe her destiny was to save him. He was one of her people after all, and she always protected her people.
Daenerys turned back to Kinvara. She was sceptical about the words being spoken about her.
"My brother sold me to the Dothraki a long time ago. The Khal gained a Khaleesi and Viserys thought he had gained a Khalasar to give him the Iron Throne"
The room listened earnestly to the Queen's story; Targaryen's always had interesting histories. Jon eyed Daenerys as she moved closer to Kinvara. He didn't like how close the red witch was to his Queen. He instinctively reached for Longclaw.
"But Drogo was not interested in this conquest...until I was with child"
Jon froze.
"I stood in the Temple of the Dosh Khaleen where my child was prophesised to be the Stallion that Mounts the World" Daenerys was face to face with the High Priestess.
"And a witch murdered him as he was born into this world".
Jon's heart broke for Dany. The same witch that killed her husband took away her child. He wanted to hold and comfort her.
"If you've come here to bring another false prophecy, I suggest that you tread carefully". Daenerys could not have the Northerners given false hope at a time like this. The darkness was here. If they looked to her as their only hope and she could not keep this promise, the consequences for Jon could be disastrous. She had to protect him.
Kinvara looked at the Queen with compassion. "Men and women make mistakes, even an honest servant of the Lord" She indicated Melisandre. "The Dothraki are not known for their prophecies, and terrible things happen for a reason" She looked around her. "The Dragon and the Wolf have united the people into a single Khalasar...not the Stallion predicted to Mount the World" Staring straight into the Queens eyes she decided to correct the prophecy given to the Khaleesi many years ago. "A Stallion was never destined to mount the world, only a Dragon can do such things".
Tyrion watched his Queen and sensed her fire rising at the numerous mentions of her deceased child.
"Everything is the Lord's will. Your children dying. Your children being born."
Daenerys had enough. She no longer wished to be reminded of what she had lost. "You said you came here to help, so do what you came to do. Help us".
Kinvara bowed. "As you wish my Queen, but if the Lord of Light wills it, it will come true"
Daenerys turned around and walked straight past Jon to face the table at which Jon was once pronounced King in the North.
Jon watched her closely before addressing Tyrion "Lord Tyrion, please escort our guests back to their quarters".
Tyrion nodded and moved towards the Red Priestessed and guided them back out of the Great Hall.
Jon nodded towards Sansa and she understood. Sansa had begun to admire the Queen but now she felt sympathy for her as a woman who had been through so much, just like herself and Arya. She pushed Brans wheelchair and headed towards the exit with Arya. Soon everyone followed the Stark children in a stunned stupor until Daenerys and Jon were the only ones left.
Jon stared longingly at his Queen. He knew she had tried to diffuse the situation to protect him. He walked over to her and spun her around to face him. Her eyes were glistening just as he predicted. She was thinking about her children, Rhaego and Viserion. Jon caressed her silver hair and kissed her deeply. He whispered against her lips "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry" and held her in his arms, wishing he could take her pain away.