Season 8 - Episode 1

The wolves and the dragons

In the woods to Winterfell

It was snowing lightly in the woods on the way from White Harbour to Winterfell. Dany had never seen the snow and she was studying it amused. For every flake that was falling on her hand, a pleasant shiver hit her, and she thought of every time in her life she would have welcomed this ice, like when she was starved and mortally thirsty in the desert. The silence that this white thick crunchy coat brought to the world around it, the quiet and the numbness that brought to her mind and her body, made her feel calm, settled, lucid as never before. The ice was softening the fire. She closed her eyes to feel the lull, and when she opened them, she saw Jon. He had wanted for the two of them to travel far from the army, far from the attention of the crowd, to keep Dany safe.

"If you see the people here displeased, it is not with you, remember they do not know you. They are mad I betrayed them, their trust, their choice." he said, trying to console her.

She knew it was not true. The heritage her father left her was just fear and hate, no love, no memory of greatness. Viserys was a fool, deceived by his thirst for power, in believing that in Westeros the people were waiting for the last Targaryens with joy, and would have looked at them as saviours. She saw it, in the eyes of the people that were waiting at White Harbour. She feared she would have seen it in the eyes of Jon's family too. She was afraid to lose him. Dany gave him a half smile, and wavered at the thought of what she was risking for Jon Snow, a man whom she had just recently met, and for whom she fell with the joy of a little girl. She loved her husband, and he loved her, but at the centre of everything there was always the thought of the iron throne. With Jon instead, she seemed to forget the throne at times, and everything she now wanted, she wanted it with him by her side. This scared her, hurt her in a way, she felt as she was betraying who she had always been before him; she now had put all this power over her in the hands of a man she practically did not know, yet she felt as they were two pieces of something that used to be whole. All this love, this warmth she had with him, when she grew up knowing none.

Jon looked at her. He was afraid Sansa would have tainted his love, that somebody, or something, would have hurt Daenerys. He had loved Ygritte, but Daenerys was as an arm, a leg of his, his heart. How fiercely strong and powerful she was, yet she would hide and disappear in his arms as if he was her whole world. He had always been nothing, treated like nothing, and now this dream with silver hair and purple eyes loved him back and had changed her world for him. He had known only cold, in his heart, in the heart of people around him, and now this fire was soothing the white desert his life had been. The terror of losing her never left him. He stretched over his horse to reach her hand and kissed it, one kiss for each flake of snow that was on it. They could find in each other's eyes all this that could not be conveyed in words.

Suddenly, the horses heard a cracking noise and stopped, and Jon and Dany froze. They saw four man waiting by a tree, looking at the two of them with disgust and contempt.

One man said "You brought us the conqueror, bastard. You are no king of ours.".

Another added "You bent the knee to a foreign woman with silver hair? At least queen Cersei does not bring Dothraki and monsters. And she would pay an awful lot for a silver lock...or scalp...or head...".

Jon dismounted and took out his sword, trying to shield Dany from the traitors; she could see he was trying to think fast. Two of the men had bows and arrows, and the other two had swords. Drogon and Rhaegal were far looking for food, they had not eaten properly in days, as they had followed the fleet. A little fish was not enough to satisfy two grown dragons, but now Jon was on his own to protect her. Only one arrow and she would have been just an empty body.

"Are you lost?" a voice said. The men turned around surprised. A cloaked short figure, possibly a wayfarer, came out from behind a tree, nobody had heard a noise, nobody had seen this person approach. Without giving anybody time to think, the wayfarer jumped between Jon and the traitors, facing them. Still confused and surprised, they did not attack first.

"Defend the queen" the wayfarer yelled at Jon. Before he could even reach Dany, who had dismounted, the wayfarer jumped behind the first man and cut his throat; the second man tried to take the wayfarer from the back, but the wayfarer turned the first man around and used the first man's sword to stab the second. The wayfarer then ran and used his short sword to stab the third man in the eye; the fourth man tried to escape, but the wayfarer killed him launching a dagger in his back.

Dany and Jon were astonished. The wayfarer, still cloaked, went to take back his dagger from the body of the fourth man. "Wait." Jon said, "Wait. Who are you? Where did you learn to fight like that? You took four men out by yourself.". He then realised something, "Can I see the hilt of your sword? It seems...but It cannot be ... before I left for the Watch ...my sister, she liked to fight and I...the sword I gave my sister Arya. Has she given it to you?". He was shaking with excitement.

The wayfarer slowly walked towards Jon, and, when close enough, removed the cloak. "I would never give this sword to anybody. I simply learned to stab them with the pointy end, as you said." said Arya, "Bran suggested you might have needed some help" she added.

The tears filled her, and his, eyes while she said "I dreamt of seeing you again, so many times that this could be a dream. You understand I have to be sure you are not a dream." she said shaking. Jon cheeks were drenched with tears, he tried to come closer to her but she moved backwards. "do you remember", Arya continued, "when it rained and I was scared and I came to your chambers to sleep?". Jon nodded. "You used to tell me a story...in the years the story disappeared, but I still remember your voice. It was the only thing that calmed me when I was scared. Your voice. When I saw father's execution, Rob's direwolf head on his body...that memory...was the only thing that kept me from madness...but I could not remember how the story began...". Jon realised Arya was there when their family died, he felt pain and rage for his little sister, against the Lannister, for what she went through; he tried to regain control, but the guilt of not having been able to protected her was tearing him. Arya saw it, and said "You protected me even if you were not there, you gave me this sword, I could pass as a boy. Nothing of what Sansa had to endure was done to me."

Jon tried to speak and started "Years ago, there was a shewolf like you, beautiful, strong, courageous, fierce, who, like you, instead of spending her days with a septa, liked to ride, and fight her brothers with the sword. One day..." Arya did not let him finish. She remembered it was a story about her aunt Lyanna. It was no dream. She was with Jon, again. She went close to him and then jumped and hugged him, as she used to do before they parted. Jon could not speak, he kept holding her until she stopped crying. Then he put her down, kissed her forehead and then said: "Thank you for saving us. You are beautiful, strong, courageous, fierce. I am so proud of you". Arya had been dreaming for this moment for years, since he had left her. "Us", thought Arya. Both remembered Dany was there waiting.

"I am sorry, Your Grace", Jon said. Then turned to Arya "This is our queen, Daenerys Stormborn, Mother of Dragons, breaker of chains, rightful queen of the seven kingdoms". Arya bowed. "Your grace, I am Arya Stark, Jon's sister".

"You don't need to bow in front of me Arya Stark; Your brother loves you so very much that I could not wait to meet you; and you just saved our life.". Dany said.

"Our", thought Arya. "They look at each other as if they contain one another's world. He loves her. And she loves him." she thought "She must have a good heart if Jon loves her, she must be a good queen if he bent the knee.".

"It is an honour, Your Grace." Arya responded, "Jon, Sansa is waiting for us, we should go."

"Ride with me, Jon's horse is more loaded than mine" said Dany, mounting back leaving room for Arya. Arya smiled and climbed on Dany's horse. On the way to Winterfell Arya told Jon and Dany the story of her training to be a faceless assassin, Dany told Arya about her journey with the Dothraki and promised her they would have ridden Drogon and Rheagal together. Arya had always been fascinated by tales of dragons, since she was a little girl.

Jon just basked, for the two people he loved the most in the world seemed to find each other agreeable. "I wonder if Sansa will feel the same." he wondered.

They arrived in Winterfell hours later, yet Sansa was at the entrance to greet them. Ghost got to Jon as soon as he dismounted: "Hi, old friend.", he said petting him. Dany seemed a bit frightened, but Ghost licked her hands and she smiled. "Only Sansa is left to persuade" Jon thought. Jon was scared of his sister anger, for he had bent the knee to the conqueror without consulting her. He knew she had to defend him from the Northeners, alone. More than that, Dany's army and dragons would have eaten the food and resources Sansa had saved for the long winter. He thought her rage would have been justified.

He had not accounted for something, however: Sansa loved the North as much as him, and she was grateful that Queen Daenerys, in a way or another, had come to help them with the biggest army the world had ever seen. Something else for which he did not account: Sansa loved him, and, while she was concerned her brother had fallen for the Dragon Queen, and therefore he could have been easily manipulated, she also quickly noticed Dany staring lengthily at Jon, when he was not looking, and helping Arya off the horse, like a mother with a little child.

Sansa's resentment for Jon's decision was mitigated also by the kindness with which the Mother of Dragons addressed her "Thank you for welcoming my army and me in your castle Lady Stark. I expect we will substantially reduce your food stocks. I only hope I can repay you.".

Jon could hardly hide his bewilderment when Sansa replied "Thank you for coming to help your people, Your Grace. We should consider ourselves blessed you arrived in Westeros at these hard times to save us all."

Jon's fear faded away, and he felt he loved his sister Sansa much more than before. It was like Sansa had read his thoughts straight away: she really missed Jon, so she hugged him warmly, "Jon, the Night King passed the Wall." she whispered. She had to tell him.

Jon stopped breathing, and the fear that had just gone came back again, riving his heart.

Sansa took his hand and tried to take him back to where he was before "When the snows fall and the white winds blow, the lone wolf dies but the pack survives. We all lost so much alone, it is time to be a pack. And if the pack now includes a dragon, so be it. Now, I should think you two are hungry, let's go eat. I have plenty to explain."

King's Landing

Cersei was looking out of the window from which not long before Tommen had taken his life. She had taken some disputable decisions before Tommen's death, some after; but now it was different. All the men in her life had gone. Her father decided for her wedding, how to administrate the realm and manage Joffrey, and now he was gone, in a humiliating way, which, she could not lie to herself, hit her with some spikes of merriment every time she thought about it; Robert was a wretched man, he would have never been able to get to the throne without the Lannister's gold, a wretched king, who spent his days being drunk in brothels, and a wretched husband, who, drunk, fat, and sweaty, had mounted her like an animal, and even so he had always been in love with another, but now he was gone too; her brother Tyrion, responsible for the death of her daughter, would have been responsible for her death, as she was prophesied years before, if he had not gone off far from her to serve the Dragon Queen; Joffrey, cruel Joffrey and sweet Tommen were gone; and now, the last man who had power over her was gone too: Jamie had decided to fight for the living, but doing so he had left her to join the Dragon Queen and Jon Snow. She had felt unbearable pain at first; after all, Jamie used to be everything for her, and all the steps she had taken, had always been deeply rooted in her instinct to protect that love, and the little people that came from it. However, now she felt a strange sense of freedom: all the decisions, right or wrong, she would have taken from now on, would have been for her, not for Joffrey, for Tommen, or her family, for her. For the first time she did not need to discuss, qualify, justify, excuse her decision, for better or for worse, and she felt uncaged and light for the first time in her life. Euron wanted to marry her, but that was an exchange of favours, a vow for a fleet, and the vow could have been broken easily if Euron were to suddenly pass.

Qyburn apologised when he entered the room. She found herself telling him these latest thoughts of hers. He was a vicious being, but his absence of morale, and, as a consequence, judgment, suited this new time of discovery of the world for her, with no ties to any predefined principles. As she had thought, Qyburn listened quietly and smiled, fascinated and honoured to be a part of his queen realisation, unshaken by her truth. He waited a while for her to regain her usual regal detachment, and then proceeded to say "Your Grace, Euron Greyjoy has arrived with the Golden Company. I suggested him your Grace would have preferred to meet him clean and rested, so I had the servants drawing him a bath. He did not protest too much.".

"I am so grateful." she said sarcastically "Are the people from the country still arriving in King's Landing?"

"Yes, Your Grace. The city has never been so crowded. Assuming the Dragon Queen and her allies survive the battle with the dead..."

Cersei cringed at the thought that one of her allies now was Jamie. Qyburn realised it, yet he kept talking

"...if she wanted to take the city, she will have to kill thousands of innocents.".

"She could find a way to breach the gates." remarked Cersei.

"We will be ready with spears for the dragons, and the Golden Company to take care of whatever will be left of her army."

"Who commands the Golden Company? I wish to speak with him" asked Cersei.

"A man who feels quite pugnacious against the Dragon Queen, I was told, your Grace. Apparently, she has left a few enemies in Essos, and underestimated their search for revenge. Which turns out to be extremely lucky for our cause. Should I let him in?"

Cersei nodded.

A man with a golden armour walked in the room. His eyes and his face were emotionless while he kneeled in front of Cersei.

"I am here to serve you, Your Grace. My name is Daario Naharis."

Back to Winterfell

Sansa took Jon, Arya, and Dany in a small room of the castle, easier to warm with a small fire. The table was ready with peas and onions pies and jars full of ale. The fireplace, however, had turned cold. Jon went immediately to get new firewood.

"I want to apologise Your Grace, you must be very cold. Also, we have no wine at the moment. Would Your Grace honour us trying some of our ale?" said Sansa.

"I am actually very curious, Jon has talked to me about ale, every time we had wine in fact." said Dany, Ghost sitting at her feet, with his head in her lap.

Sansa smiled thinking that there is no comparison with wine in her opinion, but since she had no wine, she stayed silent and served the Queen a full beer mug.

"Your brother has gone fetching the new firewood. He is the king. I find that confusing, he could have called a servant.".

"Jon did not want us to be cold any longer, Your Grace" said Arya.

"He is a good man. Is he a good brother?" asked Dany, while petting the direwolf.

"My late husband tortured me and raped me; Jon captured him, tied him up to a pole so that his dogs could feast on his face, and allowed me to watch." replied Sansa

Dany thought she could not love Jon more than that. "You must forgive me. I am sorry you had to suffer that. My brother sold me to a war lord in exchange for an army instead, that is why I thought of asking. Although, my husband and I had grown to love each other eventually. They are both gone now. I am alone.".

"There is nothing to forgive. I am sorry you had to endure that. As women we have to pray the men who guard us are good man, as we have no power over them.".

"Until we have more power than them, and this makes them squirm at times. But Jon is not like that, he has a good heart. I mean, he sounds very protective. You are very lucky.".

"He is very good... You know, if you were to marry again, Your Grace, perhaps you'd be kind enough to consider your husband's family as your new family." Sansa said.

Dany looked at her in a way that Sansa could not decipher.

"Please forgive my impertinence, Your Grace. I hope I did not offend you. I meant...".

"You did not offend me Lady Stark. We both have been married and we are all smart here. You know your brother, and you might..."

Arya jumped in: "He loves you."

"...and I love him." said Dany "Perhaps, you could stop calling me "Your Grace", and I could call you Sansa and Arya, when we are alone."

"We'd be honoured." answered Arya.

Daenerys smiled. "It seems we have an agreement, then. I think we will have much fun watching your brother blush when he'll learn about our discussion" giggled the Dragon Queen, followed by Arya and Sansa. Jon walked in with the firewood. "Who is going to blush learning what?" he asked. He quickly made the fire, just to turn around and find the three women he adored smiling at him, and Dany saying "We love you". Jon blushed as they thought he would have, added "I love you too", and kept stoking the fire.

Sansa interrupted a silence made of peace and gratitude, and said "Jon, we have to talk about Bran".

"Where is he? Why is he not here?"

Sansa had started to serve the pies "He is resting. He and your friend Sam are spending several hours together. You can talk to the two of them after supper."

Jon winced. "I did not know Sam was here...I should..."

"He brought books from the Citadel, with the intent of helping us fighting the Night King and his army. Though, before you see them, I must warn you... Jon, Bran is not Bran anymore. He is not simply a warg, not just a warg at least. He can travel in people too, and he can travel in the past, even to things he had not witnessed.".

They all started eating but Jon. "I don't understand." he said "How is that possible?"

"I don't know. He saw my wedding night, he saw that Arya, before coming here, was headed to King's Landing. He seems to be connected to the Night King as well. They "find" each other. The Night King left a mark on his arm. I don't know what it means. Sam and Bran are perusing books searching for an answer.".

Jon nodded. He had met wargs beyond the Wall. He had dreamt in Ghost's skin. He was brought back to life. But this was beyond the magic he had ever encountered. He took Dany's hand and kissed it, again, and started eating.

Outside the castle

Sir Jorah and Sir Davos were directing the soldiers in setting up camp, waiting for the rest of the army still on their way with Tyrion and Varys. Missandei and Grey Worm were helping them with the Dothraki and the Unsullied.

A screech cut the sky: Rheagal and Drogon were coming back from the hunt.

Sir Jorah felt somebody pulling on his tunic. He turned around and saw a little girl, unimpressed by the dragons, escorted by two soldiers.

"I am told you are my uncle. I am Lady Lyanna Mormont, and I am here seeking answers.".

Sir Jorah was partly amused, partly weirdly intimidated. "How can I serve you my Lady?", he asked respectfully.

"I am told you have been serving Daenerys of House Targaryen for years. We chose Jon Snow as King in the North, but now he has bent the knee, and the North is furious with him. He sold us, he betrayed us. What can you tell me about this Dragon Queen of yours?" asked Lyanna, in a strong and firm voice, which could be heard on top of the hammering that was going on in the camp.

Sir Jorah, as firmly as her voice, looked at her in the eye and said "She is the Queen we chose, after she freed slaves, raised three dragons, and made the impossible possible. I believe she will bring a new time of peace and harmony for Westeros. If the King you chose then chose our Queen himself, you must believe he is in the right".

Lyanna contemplated what she had just heard, and then, after a few moments, nodded. "I appreciate your sincerity uncle. I will discuss with the other Northmen." and then continued "I suppose you will want to take back your position in house Mormont.".

"No, my Lady. I am grateful for your offer but you are Lady Mormont now. And I am happy serving my Queen.".

Little Lady Mormont bowed proudly, but a crowded stamping on crispy snow caught their attention.

A flame got closer and closer; behind it, a pack of wolves progressed, led by the biggest direwolf ever seen. Sir Davos walked faster and faster towards the flame and then stopped, enraged. The flame was carried by a woman in a red cloak. "Do not worry Sir Davos" reassured him Melisandre "my watch has nearly ended.".

In Bran's chambers

In the end, Dany, Jon, Sansa, and Arya, all went to see Bran and Sam. Jon and Sam hugged as brothers separated for too long. When Jon hugged Bran, however, he understood what Sansa meant: he was not really Bran anymore. It could not just be the pain for he could not walk, there was something different; almost if in his brother's body lived, in fact, somebody else. Jon introduced his Queen, and then sat, ready to hear what they had to say.

"Jon" started Sam "maybe it would be best if we spoke alone.".

"No." answered Jon "This is no time for secrets. We have two battles in front of us, and we all must fight them knowing as much as possible.".

"Very well" said Sam hesitantly, "after all, this changes the view we have of Westeros' latest history, to say the least.".

All the eyes in the room were puzzled and pointed at Sam now; except for Bran's: his were staring beyond the flame in the hearth. Jon could not help but notice that.

"Your Grace," continued Sam "what do you know about your brother Rhaegar?"

Dany felt very uncomfortable, but answered "Everybody that knew him, told me he loved music, had a good heart, and that he would have made a great king. Yet, he raped Lyanna Stark. I cannot blame the North for feeling the way they feel about Targaryens. I hope I will be able to change that feeling, being a good Queen.". Sansa and Arya looked at her with much admiration, and with what was the beginning of a deep affection.

Sam continued awkwardly "See, Your Grace, Robert rebellion was based on a lie. He lied to fuel the rebellion against your house, and to legitimise usurping the throne. In fact, on this register of the Citadel, you see, I found that your brother Rhaegar and Lyanna Stark were actually married.".

All were surprised, and stared at the entry on the big book Sam was showing to them.

"Robert was a usurper, then. So, the heir, or heirs, of house Baratheon would have no claim to the throne at all. Father was wrong." said Sansa.

"Not just that," started Bran with a flat and solemn voice "the child that Rhaegar and Lyanna had is the rightful heir to the iron throne. The child of a Dragon and a Wolf, to ultimately unite the North and the other Kingdoms.".

Now the entire room was staring at Daenerys, who, after looking straight in Jon's eyes at the thought of how much she and Rhaegar had in common, became quite pensive. "Viserys never mentioned another Targaryen. Unless he did it to keep the throne to himself, I don't think he knew. I think he truthfully thought that Robert had exterminated all the Targaryens he could find.".

"You are right, Your Grace. Nobody else knew. That is why our father Ned Stark made sure you and your brother were brought to Essos in safety." explained Bran.

"Bran, if father knew, then why did he support Robert's rebellion to then betray him hiding the last Targaryens?" asked Jon.

Bran explained further "He could not stop a rebellion funded with Lannister's gold, he did not have enough men to help Rhaegar. But he could not bear the thought of Robert killing other innocents, and, more importantly, because he knew the dragon has three heads. He hoped that Viserys, Daenerys, and Rhaegar and Lyanna's child would have taken Westeros back, once adults. When Viserys died, and you got pregnant, Your Grace, he thought there were some more years of wait for that to happen, from what he had originally estimated at least.".

The room was frozen. Dany, with a feeble and emotional voice, asked "He knew where Rhaegar and Lyanna's child was then?".

"He knew." revealed Bran "Lyanna died of childbirth, but, before that, she entrusted her son, Aegon Targaryen, to our father, making him promise to keep him safe."

Everybody in the room now suspected the truth, but nobody was brave enough to say it out loud. Daenerys excitement was tangible "Where is he then?".

"The child, luckily, looked more like us than like you. Father thought that the best way of hiding him was in plain sight, though disguised in a role for which nobody would have really paid attention to him. A bastard. His bastard. For everyone to see, raised as one of us, yet always at the side of the room, outside everybody's regard and scrutiny.".

Now everybody in the room was frozen. Arya and Sansa feared for Jon now.

Jon, now in tears, nearly screamed "It is not true. Dany, it is not true. I am Ned Stark's bastard, I am nobody, I did not tell them to say this, I do not want to steal the throne from you. Please believe me.".

Dany looked at him, the man who would have died surrounded by the dead, only to let her escape and save her dragons, the man that she had grown to love so fast and more than anything, was shaking in tears, begging her to believe him. He was wrong, Bran was right. She knew somewhere inside her. She could not explain it. She took Jon's face in her hands, looked at him in the eyes and said "You are the kindest, most honest man I know. I know you love me. I know you have no desire for power. Now, would you do something for me?".

"Anything." responded Jon desperately.

"Would you close your eyes for me?".

Jon closed his eyes with no hesitation, Dany lit a torch from the fire and went back next to Jon. Arya was about to step forward to protect him, but Sansa stopped her. Dany gently took Jon's hand and slowly brought it near the fire, until his and her hand were inside the torch's flame together.

"Jon, Bran is right. Open your eyes." commanded Dany.

Jon opened his eyes, got scared in seeing his hand in the flame, but Dany held him steadily.

"You are not only a Targaryen, you are a dragon." she proclaimed triumphantly. "Well, at least half of you is." she added.

TO BE CONTINUED