A/N: Thank you so much for all the love!
I agree with your opinions of this season. It was so rushed and had awful writing, other than that it was perfect- the acting, cinematography, music; all of that was amazing. It's sad really that Game of Thrones will now be remembered for its terrible writing. But we will all agree on one thing: Game of Thrones in its prime was a show that no other could parallel and I chose to remember it as such!
Enough of all that now, so here's the next chapter!
Jon watched as Lady Catelyn stood up abruptly and stalked out of the room. He nodded at the rest of the room's occupants before he followed her. He saw her turn around a corner and he had to quickened his pace to keep up. Lady Catelyn entered her quarters and Jon was just in time to stop her from shutting the door.
She looked up at Jon through her red dry eyes before letting go of the door. Jon fidgeted under her stare, bringing back the nervousness he had always felt whenever Lady Catelyn's gaze fell upon him when he was in Winterfell. It brought back the desire of proving himself before Lady Catelyn, as a child he had strived to impress her, he had always craved for her approval. Perhaps that's why he felt the need to explain himself to her now. He had been bitter when he realised he would never get her approval, no matter how hard he tried but he had long ago come to terms with it.
He pulled his fingers as he entered the room, Lady Catelyn stared out of the windows, refusing to acknowledge him. Jon was not sure if she still resented him, she had hated him because he was thought to be his uncle's bastard however now that the truth was out, Jon had no idea how Lady Catelyn saw him now.
Jon cleared his throat nervously, "I tried to save him, Lady Stark." Jon said quietly, "I never wanted this—"
"No?" Lady Catelyn suddenly interrupted, looking up at him. "You never wanted my son's place? You never wished to be Ned's heir?"
Jon faltered under her gaze. Of course, he had envied Robb at times, he had sometimes wished to be Lord of Winterfell or to be subject of Lord and Lady Stark's affections but he never meant any harm towards his brother. The fact that Lady Catelyn even suggested it annoyed him. He had always been loyal to his brother.
Lady Catelyn continued, "Robb is dead so that you could live. Dead when it should have been you. And you will be king now, I'm sure it is much more than you could ever wish for."
Jon's eyes flashed with anger, "I never wanted to be king."
Catelyn laughed bitterly, "Then why you here when my son is dead?"
"Because he gave me no choice." Jon shouted angrily, "He drove a dagger through my shoulder, incapacitating me. The Hound dragged me back to Riverrun. I would have died for him had he let me. I would die for each one of your children." Years of bitterness to the woman before him came rushing back to him.
"Yes, there were times when I wanted to be in Robb's place. He had everything I wanted. A name, father's affection, a mother," Jon's voice cracked, "No one looked at him as though he was abomination. You're right, I've wished to be Lord of Winterfell, but those were just a child's fantasy."
Jon held Catelyn's gaze, "All I ever wanted was to be a part of your family. To be a Stark, to be one of you." Jon smiled bitterly, "But you made sure that never happened. You made sure I never felt at home in the only home I knew."
Jon saw a flash of regret in Catelyn's face as he uttered those words. The hard look Catelyn wore was replaced by a guilt. A part of him knew that Catelyn was simply venting her anger at him, but he was angered at the way that she thought Jon had let Robb die so that he could be king. A long silence stretched out between them before Jon decided to leave, having forgotten why he had even pursued Lady Catelyn in the first place.
"Good day, my lady."He murmured, hee could feel Catelyn's eyes lingering on him as he walked out.
The Blackfish and Lord Edmure assembled the lords that were present in Riverrun in the hall during supper- Northern and Riverlanders. It was a relatively sober affair with the Freys still outside the castle walls. Jon studied each one of them from his seat beside Arya at the high table. He had barely touched his food, he had no appetite with what was coming. Jon was going to announce his claim and he had no idea how the lords would receive it.
As the eating ceased, Jon felt Arya's hand on his arm. He turned to her to find her smiling encouragingly at him, he returned it but he was sure it didn't reach his eyes. He glanced at Lord Edmure who was sitting in the lord's seat and nodded at him. Edmure rose and banged his cup on the table, calling the attention of all those present to him.
He spoke up, "We gather today to discuss matters that have been put off for too long. We lost a king, a brilliant strategist and a good man. He shall not be forgotten." Edmure raised his glass, "To King Robb, the Young Wolf."
"King Robb, the Young Wolf." Everyone echoed in solidarity.
"But the fighting does not end there. We fought to free and avenge Lord Eddard, now we will fight to avenge King Robb and all those we have lost to the Lannisters, Boltons and Freys." Edmure continued and the hall clamored in agreement but Jon saw hesitation in the eyes of many. He understood them, the northern army was not even large enough to break the siege.
Edmure glanced at Jon before he spoke up again, "Now we must choose a king. Houses Tully and Stark choose Jon Snow-"
The hall went silent and all eyes fell on Jon. A lord interrupted Edmure, one Jon did not recognize, "Jon Snow is a cowardly bastard who abandoned his king in his hour of need. Why is it that he escaped while King Robb died? Perhaps this the Lannisters' plan."
The Blackfish was the one who spoke up, "King Robb gave Jon Snow no other choice. He forced the Hound to smuggle him out amidst the fighting."
Another lord spoke up, "He is a bastard, even Lady Arya has a bigger claim than he."
"King Robb had always intended for Jon Snow to be his heir, Lord Bracken." Lord Edmure informed.
"Intended but never officially made him his heir. By all laws, he cannot succeed Robb Stark."
"And why is that?" All eyes shifted to the Blackfish's left in shock to find Lady Catelyn was starring at Lord Bracken challengingly.
Lord Bracken looked surprise that Catelyn had come to Jon's defense, most probably having heard of Catelyn's detest for her husband's bastard son. Lord Bracken was not alone in his surprise, Jon was too. It had been hours ago that Catelyn had suggested that Jon had let her son die. "As I said he is bastard, my lady."
"He is the last male with Stark blood alive and here." She countered.
"But never legitimized."
Catelyn looked at Lord Bracken calmly, "I would not think a Targaryen needs a Stark to legitimize him."
Lord Bracken blinked as he registered what Catelyn had said. Catelyn took the opportunity and stood up, "Jon Snow is not my husband's son. He is my good sister Lyanna's and Prince Rheagar's, born as Aegon Targaryen. It was a secret Ned guarded closely else Robert Baratheon might have killed him. By all laws, Jon is the rightful king. It was for this exact reason, my son made sure he escaped."
Silence stretched through the hall before there was an uproar. Disbelief and anger was clear on most of the faces. The rest were observing Jon with interest.
"You expect us to bow to those fucking dragons again? My men died fighting them. I'll be damned before I bend the knee to one again." Jon heard a lord shout.
Arya was about rise but Jon placed a hand on her arm, stopping her and instead he rose.
"My lords, it is true my grandfather was a vile man and it is also true the actions of my parents tore this realm apart. I was born in Dorne but the North is my home, it is a part of me and I will never stop fighting for it, no matter the odds." Jon surveyed all the lords as they listened begrudgingly, "I am more of the North than I shall ever be of the south."
Silence stretched through the hall as the lords mulled over Jon's words. He in turn waited, he needed their support if this was to work.
Lord Galbart Glover, one of the surviving Northern lords stood up, "Winter is coming, and the North is the least prepared for it as we have focused on this war. We cannot hope for independence now, but I'll be damned before I bow to the Lannisters. If House Glover is bow to a dragon once more, it will be to him." He declared as he pointed to Jon, "He who was raised by Ned Stark. I shall rest peacefully knowing a son of the North is sitting on that Iron chair."
Lord Cerwyn followed suit, "Aye, I shall agree on those terms. House Cerwyn will stand behind Jon Snow of Houses Stark and Targaryen." He took out his sword and bent the knee.
Soon the lords in the halls were unsheathing their swords and bending the knee. Jon watched feeling overwhelmed. These men were placing their faith in him, Jon was going down a path for which there was no return and it scared him but he had chosen this path and he would travel down it to the end.
"We have about 1100 men stationed inside the castle walls." The Blackfish informed Jon, "The Freys on the other hand, have stationed about 4000 outside them."
Jon nodded as he studied a map of the Riverlands, before looking up, "Which house are most likely to not have yielded to the Freys? Ones whose loyalty is out of question?"
The Blackfish rounded the table and pointed to Seagard, "The Mallisters."
"How many men?" Jon asked.
"The Mallisters kept a large force at Seagard to fend off the Ironborn. Seven hundred, if we are lucky may be nine hundred."
Jon hummed in response, "Any others?"
"House Blackwood." Edmure said, "They committed most of their men to Robb. Five hundred men is the best we can hope for."
"Add another five hundred from House Piper and a hundred that Lord Bracken has said his son will be able to muster." The Blackfish calculated.
"Not enough." Jon murmured under his breath. But he could work with that, the Freys were a disorganized and poorly led army and that was why it was imperative that Jon strike now. They needed to break the siege before the Lannisters decided to reinforce the Freys.
"Even if these house can commit their forces to us, we have no way to send word to them. The Freys will shoot down every raven we send." Catelyn reasoned.
"Does Riverrun have any secret passages out the castle? Winterfell does, many of which me and Arya have found." Jon and Arya grinned as they recalled, "We only need to smuggle out a messenger."
The Blackfish shook his head, "Not any secret passages that I know of. Though there is way to smuggle a small boat out but it's likely the Freys will notice it."
"We can distract them." Arya suggested and Jon nodded in agreement.
The Blackfish hummed as he considered it, "Who will go then?"
Arya immediately volunteered, "I'll go with the Hound."
"That is out of question." Catelyn countered.
Jon smiled apologetically, "You're mother is right. You're a girl and the Hound is known to be a Lannister man, the lords will not take you seriously."
Arya glared at Jon, "You cannot go yourself."
Jon shook his head, "I won't go either, the lords do not know me. The Blackfish will go in my stead. I need a battle commander on that side of the battle field while I command the castle's forces." He glanced at the Blackfish as he said this.
"This is my home," The Blackfish accepted, "And I shall help free it."
Jon watched from a window as Edmure negotiated with Freys from the ramparts. They were speaking of Edmure yielding the castle but it was simply a diversion to keep the Freys eyes off the small stream through which the Blackfish would escape the castle.
Jon made his way down the small staircase to where the Blackfish was readying his small boat.
"Your grace." The Blackfish greeted and Jon nodded in acknowledgment.
"When will I know to attack?" The Blackfish questioned, "We will not be able to communicate after this."
"The Targaryen banner will be hoisted from the tallest tower, that is the signal." Jon reached into his coat and pulled out a scroll and handed it to the Blackfish. The scroll was sealed with the three headed dragon.
"Send that Kingslanding."
The Blackfish bowed his head with a small smile, "As you wish, your grace. I'll be on my way now, it'll not be long before the Freys grow tired of my nephew."
Jon nodded and watched as the Blackfish sat inside the boat and rowed along the stream with a trusted Tully soldier.
And now it begins, Jon thought.
A/N: This chapter may warrant a lot of Cat hate. But remember she was mourning and is still coming in terms with the reveal of Jon's parentage and also Robb's death (and all the other loses she suffered) . It's not like all that history between Cat and Jon is magically going to disappear. It'll take time.
Next on the The Flames of Winter we get to visit Kingslanding. Hope you liked the chapter! Subscribe and review!