Melisandre and all the other Red Priests had missed the true meaning of the tale of Azor Ahai and the prophecy, they took it literally when the prophecy was metaphorical. There was no magic sword there was no reincarnation just history repeating itself. A rewrite of the Game of Thrones Finale.

Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or A Song of Ice and Fire. All rights go to George RR Martin and HBO.

"Love is the death of duty," Jon muttered, repeating Maester Aemons words to himself as he walked the halls of the red keep.

The words were a mantra to him, he needed to hold to them for he knew what he must do and knew it would kill him. He could hear those words echoing around the room, whispered in his ear. They consumed him and he knew they were right. His duty and honor came first before his own wants and desires.

As Jon neared the throne room he reflected back and wondered when Daenerys had gone mad. Varys and Tyrion had claimed the signs were there and he supposed that she was brutal at times but she cared for people, she was Mhysa, not a monster. What had happened to turn his so vicious?

He supposed it was the revelation on Jon as a Targaryen and the rightful heir to the Iron Throne that broke her. He cursed Sam for ever telling him that and his dammable honor forcing him to tell her and Sansa.

She had become fearful the moment she learned the truth, she had trusted him but she had believed her crown was in danger. It was fear that drove his actions that day, she needed to be feared to be Queen. Being a good Queen wouldn't be enough if Jon's status got around and if Sansa had any say in it he knew it would. Daenerys would be a better Queen then he could ever be but the Lords of Westeros would force it onto him simply because he was a man.

Jon frowned. He understood why she did it but he still had to do his duty. The realm would not survive another mad king after the years of war. They needed peace to rebuild and survive the long winter even if the Night King was gone.

Damn Sam telling him that Rhaegar had married Lyanna. Jon paused. Bran was the one who told Sam that he was Lyanna's son. Not Bran, Jon corrected himself. The Three-Eyed Raven as he insisted on being called. Jon grimaced to himself not liking the thoughts he was having.

Bran could see all things he claimed, past, present and sometimes even future. He claimed to be omnipotent, if he was so powerful then why did he tell Sam to tell Jon who he was? Why did he let all this destruction happen? He should have known that telling Jon did no good and only caused mass destruction. He knew Bran wanted him on the throne, but why? To what end? Jon knew Daenerys would have been a good queen without his interference.

He stepped over the body of one of the Lannister soldiers that was marred beyond recognition and turned to enter the Throne Room.

Danaerys was hovering in front of the Iron Throne, a hand resting gently on the arm.

She sees him as he enters and steps away from the bloody throne and towards him.

She looks completely at ease for the first time, she had been happy and content at times before but never so at peace. Jon should want to snap at her for being so happy when the red star was bleeding and they were surrounded by smoke and ashes but he didn't he was happy that she was truly happy. Jon hesitated and stopped his walk to her.

Daenerys turned and looked back at the throne. "When I was a girl, my brother told me it was made with a thousand swords from Aegon's fallen enemies." She looked back at Jon with a smile and resumed her walk towards him.

Jon against his better sense found himself drawing closer to her as well.

"What do a thousand swords look like in the mind of a little girl who can't count to twenty? I imagined a mountain of swords too high to climb. So many fallen enemies you could only see the soles of Aegon's feet." She paused and grabbed one of Jon's hands. "But many years later, I saw it. The real thing."

"How?" Jon asked breathlessly.

"In a vision. The roof, the snow, the throne.." She trails off.

Jon knew his resolve was slipping, and he had to do something before he gave in to her. "That's not snow, that's the ashes of all those who died needlessly."

Daenerys froze and looked at him in shock. She glared for a moment before chuckling and grabbing his hand again. "It was necessary."

Jon pulled his hand away from hers. "Have you been down there? Have you seen?"

It only took one look at her face to know she had not.

"Children. Little children. Burned. Daughters no longer have their mother, families torn apart so you could sit on this chair and be Queen of the Ashes."

"I tried to make peace with Cersei. And she used their innocence as a weapon against me. She thought it would cripple me, leave me unable to do what needed to be done." Daenerys replied with only the slightest hesitation.

Jon took a moment to take this in. "They call you Mother, the breaker of chains, do you think you freed anyone of their chains today? Do you think that this was the actions of a mother? Do you think any of the people of Kings Landing will thank you for this?" Jon spat at her vehemently.

Daenerys paused and he could tell her words had shaken her. "I-"

"Tell me Dany, do you regret this? Will you at least admit that how you acted was a mistake? Put an end to all this madness?"

Daenerys swallowed her pride. "I'll admit I was rash, maybe we could have taken the city without all this slaughter." She paused and squeezed his hand. "It no longer matters, what's done is done. We've won and things will be different now."

"How?" Jon demanded never raising his voice. "Your men are butchering surrendered soldiers right now on your orders. You gave a speech about your plans to conquer the rest of the world, to your army. You say things will be different but all I see is more bloodshed."

Daenerys pulled away from him and looked back at the Throne that had cost them both so much. "Daario told me I was a conquerer, that I would never be satisfied. Varys worried that I was mad like my father and perhaps I am. I lost myself in the moment, I'll admit that I was rash and reckless, I lost myself in the moment." Daenerys paused and swallowed audibly. "I can't say I won't err again, perhaps I am as mad as my father and brother."

Jon sighed not knowing what to do. He almost wished she had had no regrets, now he couldn't kill her knowing there was still some good in her. Yet letting her live and rule could lead to countless more people dead. Aemon's words sounded in his head. Love is the death of duty. You have to kill her a part of his mind cried desperately.

Jon was brought out of his internal conflict by Daenerys speaking again.

"Maybe I don't know what is good, but you do Aegon Targaryen. Rule besides me as King, together we can break the wheel. Be with me, build the new world with me. This is our reason, it has been from the beginning. Since you were a little boy with a bastard's name, and I was a little girl who couldn't count to twenty. We do it together. We break the wheel together. You will command my armies, your authority equal to my own. Whatever decisions we make will be agreed on by both of us. Reign me in, keep me from becoming like my father and brother before me. Let us wake the Targaryens from stone together and bring our house back to being honorable and good."

Jon paused. That was unexpected. He had expected her to promise to be better or take his head. Not to make him King. He didn't want to be King, he didn't want to rule anyone, he was a simple man who hated power. But in spite of himself he nodded, he wanted to be with Daenerys and he needed to keep her darker impulses in check. "You are my queen, now and always."

He took her in his arms and kissed her, his hand fumbled with the dagger on his belt and tossed it on the ground. He would not be killing Daenerys, not today and not ever.

Daenerys broke apart from him when she heard the blade hit the floor and raised an eyebrow.

Jon laughed and grumbled. "It was in the way."

Daenerys smiled and kissed him once more before pulling away and dragging him towards the throne. She climbed the steps to the Iron Throne and holding his hand gazed at it. We will rule together, we'll make the world a better place.

Jon smiled, they were going to be okay. It was a temporary lapse not her being insane. She was still good, still herself, still his love. There were still things that needed to be dealt with, he had to convince her to spare Tyrion and limit their rule to Westeros and Meereen but they could face whatever came together.

It was a few weeks later when all the Lords of the Great Houses of The Seven Kingdoms arrived in Kings Landing, along with Bran. He wasn't certain why Bran needed to come along with Sansa who even her necessity was also arguable, he was still King in The North. For now, at least, they had yet to announce their marriage as Jon wanted to tell his family in person first. Daenerys didn't trust Sansa but she wouldn't stop it or punish her for Jon's sake as long as she willingly bent the knee to them and didn't go against her.

She had taken the throne and named Ser Davos as their hand after Tyrion's betrayal. They wouldn't kill Tyrion for doing what he thought was right but he couldn't be praised for it either or be seen as weak. He was given Casterly Rock to Lord over, but he would not have a place on their small council. He'd still be a friend but they couldn't trust him as Hand after he had betrayed them and especially after he had tried to convince Jon to kill Daenerys, his intentions might have been good but he still had committed treason.

Jon had spent a lot of time thinking about Bran since he had almost killed Daenerys, he supposedly knew all things so why allow things to play out that way. He had let thousands die needlessly, he never should have told him that he was a Targaryen or that he was legitimate at the very least. Jon knowing his true identity hadn't helped them defeat the Night King and it hadn't gained them any allies in conquering Westeros.

Instead, it had led to thousands of innocent people dying and him almost killing Daenerys. If he had gone through with it the Throne would be open for the taking. He didn't want to think it and had refused too until Tyrion had mentioned that if he had to choose any man to be King it would be Bran. A person even the small folk can believe in and rally behind, someone who was wise and kind but firm when needed. A person who didn't seek power but dealt with it well. Someone who couldn't father children and would end the succession of the crown.

"Love is the death of duty." Jon reflected Maester Aemon's wise words again. He had a duty to the realm, as both the Warden of the North and the King to put aside his personal feelings and judge Bran true and justly.

Bran had positioned pieces well if he was truly some master manipulator. Having Arya tell him that Jon was always going to be a threat to her, that she was a killer. Tyrion imploring him to kill Daenerys, and stop this madness. Sansa spreading the news of his heritage. Maybe they were all acting alone but it was out of character for them and they all had the same end goal. Get Jon to betray Daenerys. Even back when they were fighting the White Walkers he had been able to see all things yet not been able to set up countermeasures for them. They had charged in blindly and it was only by luck or Bran's manipulations a traitorous part of his mind whispered. Arya had killed the Night King right before he reached Bran, after he had sacrificed Theon Greyjoy. Jon didn't like Theon but him surviving would have made the conquest of Kings Landing much smoother. Arya had Bran's dagger which was undeniably him knowing how things would play out. Jon thought back to finding out he was a Targaryen, Bran had Sam tell him the news because he would react better. Bran was manipulating things, that was for sure but to what end. The conclusions he was drawing Jon did not like one bit.

Jon paused. Was he even a Targaryen? If Bran's goal was to get him to betray Daenerys and claim the throne for himself then that was an easy way to cause both. Even if his end goal was just to have Jon on the throne, he had certainly manipulated events for that goal at the very least and that was treason at the least.

He knew Bran could warg into humans, is it possible that he was controlling people literally? Or even just whispering voices in their minds? Jon shook his head. It would not be a good idea to go down that rabbit hole, he was a Targaryen and he was himself. Jon resolved to watch Bran and keep a discreet eye on him to see what his end game was. If he were a threat to the realm, then he would do his duty and kill his brother. Jon knew he couldn't tell anyone even Daenerys of his brothers' duplicity at risk of Bran seeing. He just had to pray his thoughts were safe from the Raven's all-seeing eye.

So here Jon stood watching as Bran and Sansa entered what had once been the small council meeting place. Bran who held no titles, claimed to not want any and the person who even the Night King had feared. He was here in that wheelchair with a blank expression on his face.

"Congratulations on your pending nuptials, your Grace, Jon." Bran greeted.

Daenerys gave a regal nod in acknowledgment but Jon showed no signs of having heard him.

Suddenly, Jon's mind went places he really didn't want it to go. Bran had seen what had happened in the Throne Room, he knew he was going to kill her but didn't, was his plan originally to have him kill her and leave the throne empty for the taking? Jon didn't think things through just reacted, for it was the only way he had a chance to beat an all-seeing god.

He was on Bran in an instant, there was no warning, just an impromptu decision. He had unsheathed Longclaw from its scabbard and plunged it through Bran's chest.

As the light was still leaving Bran's eyes he felt a pain in his side and slumped to the floor. Arya stood over him holding a bloody dagger.

Chaos erupted in the room. Arya dropped to her knees and stared at her hands in disbelief at what she had just done. Daenerys barked orders at the unsullied, all the Lords and ladies were shouting. The northern men demanding Jon's head for killing Bran, most just demanding to know what was going on.

Arya was pulled to her feet and put in shackles by Grey Worm. She went with them without a fight, still in shock at what she had done and what had just happened.

Daenerys knelt by Jon's side with a Maester on his other side, tending to his wound.

"Don't blame- A-Arya." Jon wheezed. "It was-" he paused to cough. "Was Bran. He is the Three-Eye Raven- The Great Other."

His vision was hazy from the blood loss but even still he could see the confusion on her face. "Bran wanted me to ki-kill you- he wanted the Throne for himself. He manipulated people to see us both-" His voice became indecipherable at the end, his words slurred.

"I love you Jon Snow." Daenerys whispered clutching his hand.

"Dany, I.." His words went unheard as his vision faded to black and he lost the battle to unconsciousness.

When the red star bleeds and the darkness gathers, Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst smoke and salt to wake dragons out of stone. And theirs shall be a song of Ice and Fire.

The End

I'm probably the only person who loves the cannon ending for Game of Thrones. Like most people, I hated it at first. Jon killing Danaerys after her actions in the previous episode was almost inevitable. Bran getting the throne was at first extremely frustrating but after reading the books I love the ending (Besides the blatant nepotism). In the books, it is heavily hinted at that the Three-Eyed Raven is on the side of the darkness, and is possibly even The Great Other. In the show they have you believe they went a different direction with Bran's character but in the end, it is he who won the Game of Thrones. His manipulations are clear in season eight and we know he can see everything, past, present, and future according to himself. We know he can speak voices and influence past events, it is entirely possible that the Three-Eyed Raven is the voices that drove Aerys mad and left the throne vulnerable. Also, a reminder that the previous Three-Eyed Raven in the show (Not the books) was over a thousand years old so Bran's inability to have children is kind of a moot point.

I took a very different interpretation of the prophecy and the tale of Azor Ahai then most. Arya obviously didn't fulfill it by killing the Night King and no offense to Cersei but she doesn't really count as the great Darkness. I took a very metaphorical interpretation of it.

The Red Star could refer to one of two things. The faith militant who branded their foreheads with Red Stars or it could refer to the Red Keep which Cersei in Clash of Kings refers to as a star and it's not uncommon for Capital Cities to be called a star in general. Regardless of which one the bloodshed in the capturing of the Red Keep or Cersei blowing up the Sept leading up to the battle could qualify as the Red Star bleeding.

The darkness gathering could refer to Bran being about to seize the Throne as he is the great other, it could be the dark thoughts propelling them at that point and the death all around. All are possible explanations. In general, I believe it to be Bran but if you believe otherwise, good for you.

"Azor Ahai shall be born again amidst salt and smoke.." Smoke is extremely easy, Kings Landing had been burnt to ashes. Salt is often used as symbolism for betrayal or tears/mourning. Tears we even see in the books when Maester Aemon says he believed Rhaegar to be the Prince who was Promised. Both of those apply to what Jon planned to do to Daenerys and the betrayal of her to him and vice versa. The betrayal of Tyrion, the betrayal of Bran, etc.

I had a very different interpretation of the story of Azor Ahai then most. I believe his Nissa Nissa wasn't killed to temper the sword and let the blade not be brittle but able to destroy the Night King. No, I believe Nissa Nissa was at one point the Three-Eyed Raven. The first two blades that broke in the water and in the Lion were failed attempts to kill her by two other houses (Likely Goodbrook and Lannister). The tragedy of Nissa Nissa is that the one person she trusted enough to not be wary around, the one person who she loved had to kill her himself for he was the only one able to get close enough to do so. The prophecy isn't foretelling the literal reincarnation of Azor Ahai but rather that someone would walk his path again and vanquish the great evil for a time.

The rest of the prophecy is simple, "..to wake dragons out of stone.." It's just reviving the Targaryen Dynasty and bringing back their family to prominence and honor.

The "And theirs shall be a song of ice and fire." line could refer to Lyanna Stark wedding Rhaegar Targaryen. In the purview of this story, it could refer to Daenerys and Jon's wedding. It could refer to the union of passion and love with logic and honor. The options are limitless and it's not hard to see this part fitting into any narrative about the Prince who was Promised.

I intentionally left the ending open-ended, did Jon die or was he just unconscious is up to the reader to decide and not entirely relevant. As to why Bran couldn't see that Jon was conspiring to kill him and avoid it; it was very much an impromptu decision and when he saw it he warged into Arya to try to stop him but was too slow.

Anyways hope you all enjoyed this story and my equally long Authors Note of ramblings.