Hello to everyone, I hope you are all being safe and alright during these turbulent times.
Chapter 34: Et Tu Brutus
Winterfell
A depressing sigh escaped Arthur's body as he read the report from the Wall, on the losses in Jon's trip to the meet the Wildlings at Hardhome.
The ships borrowed to Jon by Stannis docked at Hardhome, the ancient town of the savages and it seemed like Jon and his people were successful in bringing many of them along. He found it still uneasy in allowing them South, it won't go away but he does understand the urgency.
Then the 'demons' came, they attacked Hardhome and overtook it despite the thousands of Wildlings that was there and armed. He didn't fully believe it but then again his and Stannis had defeated Mance's army, and they had less of a force than Rayder did.
A short but horrible battle ensued which ended with the Others taking Hardhome, Jon had abandoned the dragonglass and was fortunate to capture one of the dead but still...
Thousands were there, children and old people and pregnant women, all killed. He doesn't discount the warriors that were slaughtered, turned into creatures that fight for these White Walkers.
Jon had written that a troop consisting of Edd Tollett and Gren are bringing the captured monster to Winterfell, he will then hold a council to inform his Lords and followers about the threat coming for them from beyond the Wall.
"Arthur?" His violet eyes caught a glimpse of his mother, entering the room with dinner in her hands. "Oh, Sansa and Arya are mad at me, again I assume?" She laughed slightly, Dusk and Grey Wind rising to meet his mother who brought the tray to him and it came with a cup of ale and water.
"None more than Arya, the fire in her... I never would have figured Ned could make such a child." He laughed and understood, it was him and his little sister that were the most wildest pups.
Gods, she'll be a lot more to handle in the next three to five years.
Ashara saw the raven scroll, he sighed and picked it up before she could grab it and read it herself. "Jon has a package coming to Winterfell, I want the Kingsroad secure with extra patrols." He told her and she nodded, getting up from his father's seat and was going to leave until he heard her clear her throat.
"I might not have been here, but that doesn't mean I won't act motherly... Now eat, I'll tell the men." She said and he begrudgingly went back to his desk and sat back down to eat his food.
"These dead... Do you think we can defeat them, Arthur?" He heard his mother ask him and to the truth, he doesn't exactly know.
Until now he'd laugh at the prospect of fighting the undead, any undead and until his brother's pet corpse comes to him, he will not believe in them quite yet.
"Either some of us die or all of us, the ancient enemies will never take my home from me." He said with determined eyes, his mother looked proud of him then and smiled before leaving the study.
Now alone, he began to eat his meal and once the food was done, he raised himself and left the study and went towards his chambers to get to sleep for the night.
Arthur turned over and back in the hours that followed, dreaming of his wife and of the Red Wedding that took place. He still sees Robb's betrayed face when he fell and the dagger sliding across Catelyn's throat.
It will always be a horrible night for him, a night he lost everything and even his own unborn child.
Waking at the memory of Roose and Walder's laughter, the new King of the North woke to the sun, bathing his sweaty chest in light and warmth combined with the cold breeze.
Grey Wind and Dusk hopped unto the bed, as if to check on him and see if he was alright. He scoffed and rubbed them both on the head, getting out of bed and taking a deep breath and empty all of the bad feelings from his mind and body.
He dreaded the day for he has to call his Lords and Ladies, to be witnesses to what Jon was sending their way.
Castle Black
"He raised his hands, and they all stood up at once... Ten's of thousands of them, the biggest army in the world."
Jon thought about the last two weeks and the five days after they had returned, the memories of seeing the killed and slain rise from the ground and looking at all of them with hunger and devoid of emotion.
Sam took in what he said, "I wouldn't say that, King Arthur and King Stannis both have large forces." At most, his brother and Stannis might put together 30,000 men but no more than that. "And if the corpse soldier sends the right response, Arthur might show it to the rest of Westeros and if they respond well to it then the armies of Westeros could have a chance, Jon." He wished it was as easy as that for Arthur.
Stannis won't forgive Tommen for taking his throne, Arthur won't forgive Cersei or any Lannister for what happened to Robb and their father. Dorne won't forgive either three Houses for what went on in the Rebellion.
"I hope you are right, Sam." He said finally, wishing that Aemon was still here to give him some guidance.
He guessed that one thing came out of losing at Hardhome.
The ones in the Watch who were against him had finally seen his perspective, after seeing the wight thrashing about in the cage and even Alliser who had been surprised to be able to see what he's been trying to get everyone to realize.
"I can't believe we actually got one of them, something to study after the war is fought and won against the Walkers." He laughed when Sam went to think about his bookish ideas about seeing what made their enemies. "Jon... There was something I wanted to talk to you about."
"What is it you want to discuss, Sam?" He asked and Sam began telling him about their new situation.
"With Maester Aemon gone, I thought it was time to go to Oldtown and train to be Castle Black's replacement." Truthfully, he was surprised to hear that, he had wished that Sam would have stayed to help him considering that Gren and Edd went with a few others to deliver the dead soldier.
"I need you here, Sam, I still don't fully trust Alliser and the others are on my side." He tried to persuade his best friend, but, he also knew it wasn't just the Maester position that his Tarly friend was hinting toward.
Olly had told him about the night that two of his brothers tried to force themselves on Sam's woman, even went as far as to assault Sam- Would have killed him if not for Ghost protecting him and Gilly.
He had them lashed the moment he had heard, these men might have varied and horrendous backgrounds that paved the path to the Wall. When he became the Lord Commander, he decided to make these batch of brigands, traitors, and volunteers an honorable group that he grew up admiring.
Those same two men have now been put under the command of Tormund, his Free Folk ally gathered nearly six-thousand warriors from the ones they saved at Hardhome and the ones captured after the Battle of the Wall.
"It's not just that, Jon. Gilly and little Sam need safety and with the White Walkers coming and the tens of thousands of dead following, I want to do the right thing and protect them." Jon sighed and realized what Sam meant.
The Walkers aren't here yet but he even he can see that not many will survive the war against the dead, he hopes to keep as many people alive as possible and if he cannot then he will die protecting the people and his family from being slaughtered like the ones were at Hardhome.
In the end, he said yes and told Sam to do what he can and return, hopefully with knowledge on the White Walkers or where they can find more of that dragonglass which is needed heavily to defeat the darkness coming for them.
He was the one to give him and Gilly a temporary but slightly final farewell, Alliser and the other heads of Castle Blacks leadership found him sometime after to get their orders and he commanded for several stonemasons to begin rebuilding some of the abandoned castles and to seal the entrances to all three tunnels.
"To do that will hinder scouting beyond, Lord Commander." He knew that but responded quickly in telling the others.
"To scout beyond will only surrender what fighters we have left, seal the tunnels."
Jon, unnoticed by the eyes of one he called a friend, burning with hate and resentment.
Dreadfort
Melisandre ended her day of advising the true King of Westeros on matters of combat, she told him that their first enemy will be three.
The first is Arthur Stark, the Dread Wolf who controls the North. The second is Tommen Baratheon, the Bastard King who holds five of the regions within Westeros and the one sitting the Iron Throne.
The last is one she's seen in the fires, the Cold One who has an aggressive hold over the North beyond the Wall. She saw the darkness coming and the Realm, no, the entirety of humanity needs to unite with Stannis to defeat it.
For now, the pretender Arthur Stark needs to be ousted from power, and the heart tree be burned to give them great boons of victory.
Stannis agrees to this but doesn't think there is a chance of victory until an opportunity presents itself, she's accosted him then and said that his valor and faith will win him his victory, not the number of troops he has.
Arthur is an inferior lapdog belonging to the loins of a Lord, not a King. She thought with a smirk, lighting the brazier in front of her hearth and she welcomed the warmth emanating from the flames she's kindled for the last few days.
"Please! Let me go!" She heard the girl begging, must have been one of the Bastard Bolton's group of followers and whores. She took some semblance of pleasure in burning the dogs they found in the kennels.
She offered the girl no pity, not when she straddled the woman and not when she dug her dagger into the girl's chest and carved out her heart to perform her ritual.
A smile formed on the Priestesses lips, she left the bed and went to the brazier and squeezed the heart as hard as she could while chanting for the Lord of Light to give her further orders on what to do and how to further spread his good word to those of Westeros.
"Lord of Light... Give me sight." She whispered and dropped the heart, the object made the fire rise and offer her a vision.
The flames gave her sight of Winterfell and snow falling down and covering everything around it in white, the snowing soon stopped and a rain of blood started to drop slightly unto the courtyard which gave her omens good and bad.
The ringing of steel could be heard and a wolves howl, she looked up from the fire and smiled slightly.
She would take these omens as a goof sign, one to be taken in stride of her King.
Castle Black
Jon retreated to his chambers, Ghost had run off to hunt some game outside of the castle for the time being.
Opening the door he was then shot by a crossbow bolt, then another two in his legs and shoulder. He gasped and looked up to see the men he had ordered lashed for breaking their vows, but they didn't hurt as much as it was when he saw Olly.
"Olly... Why?" His squire was silent and didn't offer any explanation to him, he fell outside his room door as the snow began to fall down.
His lifeblood dripped from the wood and poured down to the ground, it stained the white snow with red warm liquid. His life began to the flash through his eyes, Olly and the other two traitors unsheathed their weapons and left the room to cause chaos despite what they had seen.
Jon thought of Arthur, thought of what he will do when he gets word of his death and most of all he thought of Arya. I wish I could have seen them, one last time. He thought weakly, feeling tired and exhausted, and honestly.
"No!" He gritted his teeth and forced himself to rise, "I'll be damned to die here! Not here! Not now!" He roared and took Longclaw from his scabbard and began following the sounds of fighting.
There were three more traitors, a stone smith, a wandering crow, and Bowen Marsh. The rest of the Night's Watch were allied with him, Alliser even slew Bowen and they had been closer than the man was to him.
Castle Black was with him and even after he collapsed and when Ygritte ran to his side, he forced himself to keep his eyes open to see all six of the traitors killed and took pleasure when Olly was attacked by Ghost.
"Jon, no, stay with me! Don't go!" He wished he didn't have to but he feels himself fading, and his last and final thought was him thinking about that cave in the North and him and Ygritte staying there forever.
The rest of the Night's Watch and Free Folk took Jon's body to the great hall, removed the bolts from his body, and put Longclaw at his side. Alliser, being the highest one in rank hated the boy but after he saw that creature come through the gates, he saw what they were facing he relented that the Watch lost not one but two Lord Commanders to treachery in one lifetime.
"The King of Winter needs to know," Alliser said and Tormund agreed, but both men knew one thing was for certain.
It's going to be a lot colder in the North, and that meant blood will be spilled in the near future.
AN: Thanks for reading, I hope you all enjoyed it and apologies if the update was too short. I see we have guest reviewer, haven't seen of those for this story in a while.
To that guest, I am sorry you were dissatisfied with this story. I must disagree with you on assuming it's an SI.
SI's are Self Inserts, OC's are Original Characters. Arthur and all other stories involving an Oc are their own people, their personalities are vastly different to my own characteristics. I am a shut-in with a paranoid mind, I don't like interacting with people unless it's via email or Pm.
(deep breath) Sorry for the rant, I'm just very defensive when it comes to this topic.