The Late Promised Prince

Chapter 4

Jon sighed as he sat by the Godswood, what was he doing. The Watch was dead, he had been dead for nearly five years, still he had to cling onto something. For Jon that was the Watch where even a Bastard could find glory. Glory, what was glory? Being stabbed by your fellow men over your decisions, if so what a shame. Jon sat on nearby rock, and sat there in self-reflection. What happened next startled him a bit. His brother Robb appeared next to him, he clearly dead having major stab wounds, but still the former King in the North did not seem bothered by it. Though a solemn look of disappointment was visible across his face.

"You really are an idiot, you know that Jon."

Jon was speechless for a moment, he was only hoping that Robb would only stay in his dreams.

"You're not real…you're not real."

Robb, or rather the apparition of Robb, seemed to take a lighthearted approach to Jon's shock.

"Course I'm not…maybe you're just seeing things, maybe I'm a ghost…"

The former king of the North wiggly his fingers in a joking matter. Clearly not taking any of this seriously. Then Robb stopped fooling around and his smile faded.

"Or… maybe I'm the part of you that wants to die…pick your poison."

Jon sighed, but still eyed Robb wearily.

"I don't want to die."

"Jon, you've already been dead, for five years, you had worries, no wants and no burdens. Come back to us Jon, let go..."

Jon shock his head, affirming his disdain with Robb.

"I still have work to do, I must defeat the White Walkers."

At that point, Robb Stark got visibly angry at Jon's lack of compliance. He balled his fists, and said.

"No you don't Jon, face it, you lost, they won. There's a few good men left, and I pray they join us as soon as possible. The world is dead Jon, they're not going to survive the Winter, no matter what you do, no matter what I did or what anyone in this world did, death came for them all."

Jon could not believe these words where coming out of his once optimistic brother. His confident brother, who was the best and everything Jon was not. From sword-fighting to jousting, how could Robb be in such despair.

"What happened too you Robb?"

"Simple…I lived to long, and then I died."

After hearing those words, the former Lord Commander, got up and began to walk out of the Godswood. Clearly shocked by his experience with his dead brother. When he was almost out of the Godswood, the apparition of Robb Stark, was long gone. It was probably for the best. Jon would hate to have the image of his brother tarnished ever more by, what Jon only hoped was a figment of his imagination. Truth be told Jon resented his brother. But he still loved him, and no matter what, Jon could never bring himself to look down upon Robb Stark, or even his memory.

Jon went back into the Winterfell Crypts and got some much-deserved sleep. Truth be told sleeping on the cold damp floor of the Winterfell Crypts was a far cry from a warm bed, but Jon could not complain. After a few hours, Jon groggily awoke to the sounds of men laughing joyfully followed by a Stannis Baratheon hushing them with his booming voice. Slowly Jon got up and approached. It appeared Stannis was questioning the two Red Priests with disdain. Both Brast and Paelis were still tied to their chairs.

"Now, that Red God of yours, he's a good guy, right?"

The two Red Priests nodded wearily, to which Stannis's face twisted into a sadistic grin. It was probably one of the few occasions Jon Snow had actually seen the man smile.

"Have you ever heard of the Battle at Blackwater Bay? I put my faith in the Red God, and guess what happened…"

Neither of the Red Priests answered, to which Stannis only seemed to grow giddier at that remark.

"I lost that battle, rather brutally really. Then I went North and after your Red Priestess tried to burn my sweet Shireen alive, I killed her. I then went to go fight the Boltons, after of course gaining much needed support from the Vale, and Lady Sansa of course…guess what happened?"

Again Stannis waited for a response, to which the Red Priests did not give one.

"I won, now what does that tell you about the Red God? Hell, if he is as powerful as you claim, why hasn't you're Red God, or his Champion killed the White Walkers and chase Winter away?"

At this the younger Red Priest snapped, his wriggled in his seat trying to look intimidating.

"Azor Ahai, is the Prince who was Promised, and he will fight back the darkness in the name of the Lord of Light!"

Stannis and his men got a good laugh out of this, though Jon seemed to equal parts pity the man and understand his position. A random Umber solider in the small gathering of men then said to Paelis.

"Then, where is he? Great Azor Ahai, seemed to be talking his sweet time defeating the darkness."

Another one stepped forward, this time one of House Glover and continued to ridicule the Priests.

"Yeah, what's he doing, does he have his thumb of his arse, is that why he can't defeat the darkness?"

That got a good laugh from the other soldiers, this one an Umber in the crowd. The Umber soldier, who then jokingly asked.

"Who even is this 'Prince who was Promised', is he 'Promised' to never show up?"

Brast muttered a curse under his breathe, but Paelis seemed not to be phased by the constant ridicule. Paelis, then looked nervous before blurting out.

"A faithful knight, who is pledged to the Dragon Queen, Daenerys Targaryen…"

The soldiers look of mocking quickly became looks of disgust. Stannis paused for a moment, and Jon's eyes grew wide. He did not even know there still Targaryen's left with any claims on the Iron Throne. The Targaryen line ended before Jon Snow was even born, they died during Robert's Rebellion, when the last vestiges were wiped out when King Robert killed Prince Rheagar Targaryen and when the Lannister's sacked King's Land killing the Mad King and those who were tied by blood to old royalty. Somehow one of their line managed to survive Jon supposed. Stannis sneered for a moment.

"And who is this faithful knight? I've heard your stories, time and time again, who was Azor Ahai reborn into, an Unsullied, perhaps a Dothraki…?"

One of the Stark loyalist soldiers from the crowd then said jokingly.

"Maybe it's the Imp…if so that explains it, he's either to drunk or to small to fight..."

The Red Priest did not respond for a moment, but he tried to little avail.

"Well…some say it's…maybe…umm…"

Stannis read the Red Priests uncertain looks like a newly written book. He then said bluntly.

"You don't have a clue do you…"

The Red Priest shock his head affirming Stannis's belief. This gave Stannis a moment to say.

"The faithful of the Lord of Light, can't even tell us who their savior is!"

With that the ridicule returned, and lasted for another ten minutes before Stannis told the guards to let them go. Then they gave them the last and worst scraps of the moose from the other night, the Red Priests where at the very least grateful. Jon sat with Ser Davos Seaworth, and the Red Priests sat far away from the soldiers and the rest of the people in the cat. Davos glared at the Red Priests angrily from time to time.

"Whatever comes there way, they deserve. If not for what one of them did to my Lord."

Jon nodded understandingly.

"Aye, they nearly killed his daughter, Lord Stannis told me."

Ser Davos sighed, thinking back to those painful days.

"Not only that boy, she convinced Stannis that the Lord of Light would see him on that filthy Iron chair. A good man was nearly destroyed because of those Red Priests…the sooner we get them out of here the better."

Jon looked at Davos in an emotionless sort of stare.

"I'll be going with them…

Davos Seaworth's jaw dropped at that revelation. A few other survivors turned their heads in confusion. Ser Davos, stuttered for a moment before saying.

"You can't do that, you'll die. Think this through, before you do something brash."

Jon sighed, as word he just spoke reached all over the crypts. Truth be told they had very little to talk about, so really anything could of gotten them going. What Jon did not expect was Sansa to get up, walk half-way across the crypts to slap him across the face. The Lord Commander, winced a little bit, it was that painful but Jon was more else shocked by that exchange.

"What is wrong with you?"

Sansa asked sternly, as Jon stood up all eyes in the crypt where now on him. Though eyes did not meet the eyes of his sister.

"Sansa, look I made two vows, one of them was to those Red Priests, the other to the Night's Watch."

The Lady of Winterfell looked confused at Jon's statement.

"The Night's Watch? It died with the Wall, and as for the Red Priests, they're not sane. They'll run off a cliff for their god if they believe he'll save this world."

Jon sighed, before building up the courage to stare at Sansa in the eyes.

"I'd rather die out there then cowering the shadows…look around you, all you."

The former Lord Commander said thunderously, drawing all attention to himself. He still starred at Sansa in the eyes.

"Winter is Here, the White Walkers will not stop until all of us are dead. I may have been dead, I have not seen the horrors you've seen, but…I will find a way to beat them, I understand if will not join me…but still I ask…will any of you join me?

Jon waited a moment, and saw voluntaries, the people here were afraid. Terrified by the very idea of fighting the Others. Jon did not falter though, or look surprised.

"I understand, I'm sorry if I forced this upon you…"

Jon paused for a moment, then his voice became a hushed whisper.

"Please Sansa…just let me go."

Sansa wept a little bit, before embracing her bastard brother. She whispered into ear.

"Promise me you'll come back…Jon Snow..."

"I hope will, Lady Stark…"

Jon backed new belongings that were given to him. Including some clean wolf-skin clothes and a food for the journey. The Red Priests were just given some food, they had clothes on their backs anyway. Stannis and Ser Davos were the ones the guided Jon out of the Crypts. They said their goodbyes, but Jon Snow had a gift for Lord Stannis. From his cloak, Jon pulled out the dark Dragonglass dagger forged on Dragonstone. Both Lord Stannis and Ser Davos, raised an eyebrow at the peculiar looking dagger. Stannis asked.

"What's that hideous thing?"

"This sword, killings White Walkers…it's made of Dragonglass."

Both the eyes of Ser Davos and Stannis Baratheon flew open with astonishment and disbelief. Stannis then said.

"You're pulling my leg Jon Snow."

"It's true, Valyrian Steel and Dragonglass can kill them, I should know…I killed one with Longclaw."

Jon said gesturing to his Valyrian Steel sword. Stannis was beginning to regret not keeping the beautiful old sword of House Mormont. With a light chuckle, Stannis shuffled off after waving a hardy goodbye to Jon Snow. Ser Davos stayed for a moment.

"Not too late to go back on your word, nobody here would judge ya. They'd welcome you with open arms"

"I wish I could."

Davos nodded.

"You're an honorable man Jon Snow…the Undying Lord Commander."

"Same to you, Ser Davos the Onion Knight."

They both shared a light chuckle and laugh, before Jon shuffled through the snow-covered ground of Winterfell to the two Red Priests who patiently awaited him. They walked for hours, south, but not on the King's Road. For that's where the dead roomed, no the small group of three men where head down the White Knife to White Harbor. Then they would take a boat to the Vale, and hopefully meet up the Brotherhood without Banners. The Red Priests were doing this because they hoped to rally more to their cause, there still a lot of people in the Vale. Many of whom were still faithful to the Seven. Though rarely talked about this, Paelis was still ranting about the Northmen and Lord Stannis.

"Ungrateful fool, he denies the power of the Lord of Light. All of those Northern idiots…no offense Snow…they still cling to their Tree Gods, what good did they ever do?"

Jon rolled his eyes, not wanting to get himself involved in this conversation. He occupied himself by staring at the White Knife, Jon had never seen it Frozen over before. It looked beautiful in a calming sort of way. The snow-covered ice sheet screeched on for miles. But funny enough, Jon did not have to say anything to Paelis, in fact Brast corrected the man.

"Paelis, we can't force the Northmen to our Religion by calling them idiots and yelling at them for their beliefs. That'll only push them away, learn to tighten your lips and grow a thick skin."

Paelis sighed, and began to reflect on Brast's stern words. None of the men talk for a while, that is until they saw a traveler of all things off in the distance. He was cutting a hole into the ice, presumably to fish for his dinner. A horse stood next to him, like a statue. Something was right and Jon drew his sword Longclaw. But Brast, gestured to Jon to sheathe his blade.

"Put that thing away, don't you see his red cloak. He's one of us. A fellow Red Priest, probably a brother or a sister here to assist us."

Jon reluctantly sheathed his blade, and approached cautiously unlike the other two Red Priests who seemed in higher spirits approached with joyful smiles. The other Red Priest did not seem to notice the traveling group of three men. There was an uneasy feeling in the back of Jon's neck. He hung a little further back from the two Red Priests, and focused his eyes on the horse of all things. It just stood unmoving, similarly to the other Red Priest. Eventually, Brast was in earshot of the Red Priest. He gave a hardy as he put a hand on the Priest shoulder.

"Has the Lord of Light been good to thee, fellow servant of R'llhor?"

The other Red Priest turned, to face Brast, who gasped at the sight of the man's face. Half it had fallen off, and the other claimed by the cold. He was one of the wights, a resurrected corpse made to fight. But that's not what scarred Jon and the two Priests, what terrified them, was when the undead Red Priest, talking in a chilling frozen voice.

"You're speaking of the wrong God."

The undead Red Priest, then hugged Brast and began to whisper into his ear. Through whatever dark magic, that resurrected this Red Priest it appeared to also grant him so power. For when the undead Priest grasped Brast, he began to freeze over, becoming a frozen corpse within seconds. He whispered.

"The Dark welcomes all, come join the Other Gods…"

With that Brast had died, no more than a frozen corpse who collapsed into several shards the moment he hit the ground. Paelis shakily drew his Dragonglass sword, as Jon drew Longclaw. With a short muttering in a forgotten tongue, the undead Red Priest began to chant and as he chanted a small group of Wights began to rise from the snow-covered ground. They carried old rusted swords and axes. Ten in total, these Wights were done to the bone, Jon could barely understand how they were still standing. But Jon had no time to question this as one of the undead warriors marched forward and sliced at Jon Snow with its short sword. Jon parried and torn the arm off the skeletal warrior, the undead screaming an icy yell. Then Jon cut the Wight in half with his Valyrian Steel Sword. This attracted the attention of two more Wights, both with battle axes and light shambled armor.

"I'm hope in I'm not out of practice."

Jon muttered to himself as one of the Wight's charged forward swinging the axe from side to side. While the other Wight ran up to Jon, dragging the axe in the snow. With lightning reflexes, Jon parried the skeletal warriors, with his sword. The axe heads quickly coming into contact with his steel blade. Jon continued to do this until, the rusted axe heads actually shattered into pieces. Then Jon slashed at both the Wights with his Valyrian steel sword, cutting them in two. Both of them fell to the ground. Jon wheezed as two more approached, again with carrying axes. For a moment, Jon caught a glimpse of Paelis, who seemed to be at least a competent sword fighter. Two Wights were dead by his hand. Whilst he sloppily parried the other two circling him, Jon then focused on himself. One of the Wights actually managed to cut him along his left arm with a long sword, whilst the other nearly took off his leg with an axe. Jon managed to chop off their legs with one swop and a good parry. Once they were dispatched, Jon noticed Paelis had also managed to defeat the three remaining Wights. He looked happy for a moment, but then the Undead Priest, who had come out of nowhere jumped him.

"Come to me poor child…"

He embraced a screaming Paelis, who tried to force him off. Most of his body became frozen within seconds, but with his last moments of terror. Paelis did manage to slice into the Red Priests left arm, causing the Undead Priest to scream in pain himself. His arm was burning, and it lit up for a short moment before fading away along with the Undead Priest's arm. Jon raised Longclaw in a dueling stance and lunged forward as the Undead Priest began to collect himself.

"I will cleanse the Light's curse…"

Jon stopped his charge, when a magic ball of pure ice began to form in the Undead Priests hand. It locked painful by the looks of it, and bits of the Red Priest remaining flesh began to fall off once he tossed it. Jon dodged it with ease, and looked back to see the ball burst into icy energy, then he leaped forward and stabbed the Undead Priest through the heart and then with the flick of the wrist pulled out and chopped him in two. To Jon's surprise, the Undead Priest still lingered on, he muttered his last words before the former Lord Commander cut off his head.

"The Other Gods will take you soon enough…"

With that Jon stabbed the Undead Priest through the skull, and crushed it to bits. Then he sheathed Longclaw and looked over the damage. Both Paelis and Brast lay dead, to shattered to come back. There limbs fell apart when the Undead Priest jumped them. Jon was not sure what to do with the corpses of the two Red Priest, he knew they would have preferred to have been burned and cremated. But Jon had no access to fire, so he ended up just chopping their heads off and burying them shallowly in the snow. It was shame really, a part of him was starting to enjoy their company. He did not bother giving any sort of prayer, for Jon did not know any of the words the Red Priests spoke of. So what he did was he dug them a hole as deep as he could with his bare hands, they became numb after a while from the cold and digging. Then he plopped them into their respective graves and used there Dragonglass Swords as tombstones. He tilted his head, trying to show respect. Before wandering off, still heading south. His mission, head to the Vale, see if anyone was willing to follow him to face off against the White Walkers.

Jon starred into the small insignificant fire he had made. He watched the tiny embers dance all around. The fire, it was captivating, and he was able to take his mind off of the things that had just occurred not moments ago. Fire always fascinated Jon, the way it danced and ebbed and flowed in its ritualistic manner. It was quite soothing in fact.

"You ought to shave more Jon, I thought you always cared so much about your hair."

Jon turned to see Robb Stark, his brother, sitting next to him. He was still covered in his own blood, but head was still on his head so that was an improvement. The former Lord Commander, began to breathe unevenly, Jon figured he must be hallucinating. So, he tried to keep himself calm, and ignore Robb, hoping his brother would fade away. What made it worse was that Robb Stark, or maybe his spirit, started talking again.

"Jon don't ignore me, I don't like to be ignored…hear me out. That thing you just killed could be the least of your worries."

Jon grabbed a nearby stick and began to poke the fire, acting like Robb was not there.

"You really are an idiot, you could have let go at any moment, between here and Winterfell. Those Red Priests are dead, you're not upheld to anyone, not this Red God, or the Night's Watch… you could end it now nobody would know…"

With a heavy heart, Jon continued to ignore the spirit of Robb. The cold and the dark where probably just getting to Jon. Robb was dead, he died at the Red Wedding years ago.

"Jon, this world is dead, nobody would judge you if you just let go."

Without hesitation, Jon turned his back on Robb. Into the night Jon Snow went, marching forward and never looking back his brother. But his brother did manage to say one last thing, before either he faded or Jon was out of earshot.

"I'm only try to help you…the things out there, no one should have to face. Let go of this world Jon, it'll do you more good."


Authors Note:

I would just like to say, we passed a thousand views, thanks guys you're awesome. I'm looking for beta readers if anyone wants to do that. But yeah, who know writing a fanfiction could actually be enjoyable and I'm getting reasonable criticism on the internet, that never happens. Also, I would like to thank four reviewers again.

LungTienXiang- Yes Stannis is the Mannis. But yeah, I'll get to R+L=J eventually, but first. Lore fodder, I'm just gonna dump more lore and character development then Bloodborne. Except there's no disturbing horrors…oh wait the Drowned God and Many-Faced God are inspired by Lovecraft, even better now I can add in Eldtrich Horrors or something else equally horrifying, like Peter Dinklage in the movie Pixels with Adam Sandler…no that's stupid…I'm just gonna do stuff and things that I want to do and see what happens.

Lurker- Well yeah, but no more than the T.V. Show…I'll just be in the corner now, that's not an excuse, I'll try to be better.

Guest #1: I'm sorry I lost ya, I just thought Jon would want to rejoin something familiar, in this dystopian frozen waste. People tend to cling to familiarity in difficult situations, that bit of familiarity is the Night's Watch for Jon, it's a big part of his character. But I understand if I lost ya, and gosh I'm sorry, I'll try better in the future.

Guest #2: Somebody Gets It Holy Crap, I don't expect someone to get the Greatcoats reference. But yeah, Greatcoats, is a pretty good series, can't hold a candle to GOT or LOTR but I always liked it has a lot of charm in it. I recommend it, but be warned, Deus Ex Machina's are abound with the Greatcoats.