Chapter 32: The Longest Night

Drogon landed on the courtyard of the Night's Fort where she was met by Jon's small court. The King was in seclusion in his room. Dany dismounted Drogon and the black dragon flew up and met his brother. She looked south and saw Rhaegal from afar; soon the three heads of the dragon will be together once again. She followed Giantsbane into the castle and demanded she be brought to Jon immediately.

Danaerys did not bother knocking on the door and merely entered. Part of her was furious, and the other was curious of what Jon was doing locked up in his room. She found him sitting on the window ledge with a burnt necklace in hand. 'Whose necklace is that?' she wondered with a jealous heart but she hid it and icily treaded the gap between them. She had felt Jon's eyes on her the whole time he was gone. Ghost was left with her for a reason, and instinct now burned deep within her.

Jon felt the warmth enter with her presence but he did not move from his seat. His gazed remained affixed towards the bleakness beyond the wall. The darkness was ever growing and he knew it would not be long. The army had just come in time; had they come a little later, the whole world would not have stood a chance.

With each darkening hour, Jon knew that night was setting in. The thought had filled him to the point that there was nothing more he could do. His commanders were prepared; all they had to do was to be prepared for the long night. What was left for him, Dany, and Aegon was to ride out and meet the enemy in the face. They would have to burn a million white walkers if they had to- everything to save them from an unending winter.

Dany took Jon by the shoulder and he faced her with those cold Stark eyes of his. The fire within her burned and without much thought she caught his face in her and kissed him. Jon closed his eyes on impact and returned her passion. He gripped on the back of her neck and pulled her down to his lap, as they got lost further in the kiss. They parted only for gasps of air but neither bothered for words between their kisses. The fire in their blood burned together and was reaching a point of rupture. Jon then stood without breaking their hold and guided her onto his bed. Dany was surprised with his confidence. 'A man of the Night's watch' she thought, but Jon's advances had easily distracted her. He kissed her so kindly and lovingly that it was new to Dany- this kind of lovemaking. It was not the same as Drogo's wild feral movements, or Daario's suave but actions. Jon was different from any man she had ever had. He was gentle but manly. There was force in his grip but it did not hurt her. He took his time with her, he allowed her to build up and allowed her proper releases. It was far better that she had ever experienced and she felt like her fire extinguishing in pleasure.

It was a while after they had finished until they realized what it was they gave in to. Dany was smiling like a giddy bride as she lay on his bare chest but Jon was silent and unmoving. He was not stiff but he was too silent. Dany had expected him to stroke her hair or give her little kisses, but he did not. He remained still and staring at the ceiling. Dany's eyes then returned to the necklace he was holding and she sat up with glowering face. Jon simple looked at her as if nothing was wrong. His grey eyes were so innocent that Dany's jealous rage easily dissipated with the touch his hand stroking her face.

"What is on your mind, your Grace?" she asked him in a soft teasing voice.

He too sat up and leant on the headboard and drew her closer to him before answering, "Honestly, nothing."

"But your mind seems so distant. It makes me jealous to think that I do not fill your thoughts after…" she replied trailing off and waiting for him to make amends, but he did not. Jon merely swallowed some air and his face turned into a shade of sadness that Dany could not understand.

"Are you bothered that I am your aunt? It is not against Targaryen tradition, Jon!" Dany said in protest.

"No I am not, truth be told it has been a tension on my shoulders ever since I saw you."

"Then what is it Jon! What is keeping you so distant from me?" Dany held his face in both hands that he may look straight at her, but all she saw were those sad grey eyes.

"The last girl I loved, I had to forsake for the good of the realm." Jon then stood and dressed without letting Dany say a word. She could not, for fear cut into her heart deeply.

Jon left his room in haste and went up to the Wall for some air. All around him were the black flames lit by the men loyal to him. "Kissed by fire," he whispered as his last memory of Ygritte replayed on him. It scared him that in a few moments there was the great possibility that he would lose Dany too. They were at war against forces so dark that it united the whole of Westeros. He was too far gone with her; not after that. Jon tried to keep his vow not to love another again, but Danaerys was one force he could not suppress. "She is fire itself, I hope she will not die."

Aegon looked around the Night Fort for his brother and had just spotted him going up the corridor to the lift and had barely missed him. Aegon was determined to speak with his brother. It loomed at him that there was a big chance that it would be the last time. He waited for the lift to come down again and contemplated on the things he wanted to ask his brother but nothing came to mind. He had thrown all of his insecurities about his parentage during the journey here and now was not the time to entertain matters of the heart. By the time he entered the wooden cage, Aegon had surmised that he simply wanted to be with family.

"Brother," he greeted the melancholy dragon. Jon was simply standing there and staring out in the cold.

"Brother," Jon replied with lingering hesitation. "Forgive me, Prince Aegon, but I am still getting used to calling you brother. I had not called family such since I said farewell to Robb."

"Robb Stark, the King in the North," Aegon said contemplatively, "had he lived to be with us in this battle, what do you would he have been doing right now?"

"Knowing Robb, he would probably be with his boy and his Queen," Jon answered absent-mindedly. He did not know where he got his answer from, but it stung deep in him.

"So it is just right that we are with family," Aegon said patting Jon on the shoulder. "I am as afraid as you are, brother. We are fire made flesh; we will win this."

Jon gave Aegon a smile and returned the gesture. Neither of them knew how to react further and there was a moment of awkward silence between them. Aegon then laughed and turned a lighter mood. "So this is how it feels to be an elder brother. Honestly Jon, I find myself worrying about you Dany so much it makes my head hurt. I know you two are the King and the Queen but both of you are so much younger than I that I feel some kind of responsibility when I see you."

"I understand the feeling. I feel that everyday for my adoptive family. Just think how much more brash Arya is than Dany and how uncontrollable Rickon can be. At least Bran has proven wiser for his age, but Sansa… dear Sansa- I worry she'd be displaced forever. I have not seen her in so long that I worry about her the most."

Aegon fell silent before telling Jon of Arya's malady.

"I don't know what had happened since I dared not ask. But the night you left, Arya was screaming and thrashing in her room and she is now practically lifeless."

"Why did no one inform me immediately?!"

"Only a few knew. It was the only reason she is not here with us today, Jon." Aegon did not know how to comfort his brother as the frantic worry washed on him. "You cannot leave now, Jon. We have to protect the realm. Arya is having her own battle tonight."