Okay, guys, this one's a long boy. I'm super happy about it though, so I hope you guys enjoy it!
Also, I got a few concerns about the whole RosemaryxTormund thing. I went back and check and I didn't describe her well other than 'she looks like Gilly' and that's my bad! When Jon says she 'stands tall' in the first chapter he partly meant that she was taller than most women lol. Rosemary is a strong woman though a bit on the lean side. She isn't that huge or built in the manner of Brienne of Tarth, but she is strong and quick. I'll try to be more descriptive of my OC's and anyone else in the story as it goes on!
** Edit: almost bamboozled my timeline but GulfYankee23 caught it! thank you dear xD
In his time as King, Jon had found a lot of pros and cons to his new role. His title came with a lot of pros. As King, Jon did as he pleased. He could go where ever he wanted, do whatever he wanted. Jon was adored by all his people, and everyone was constantly trying to impress him. After a while, Jon would think about all the pros that came with his title as King and the more and more he thought about it the more he felt that all those pros came with twice as many cons. Jon couldn't go anywhere without someone being there. He was never alone unless it was to sleep, but even then a guard was always posted by his door. Everyone felt the need to keep him safe, to the point that Jon felt like he was made of glass and his people were too afraid to drop him. And even though everyone claimed to love him, Jon always felt lonely. As friendly as he was to many of the people in Snowhome, he couldn't truly call any of them his friend. No one knew what Jon was like, what his hope and dreams were, or what nightmares kept him up at night. He spent the little free time he had with Ghost, waiting for someone to fill the void in his heart. Being King didn't make the pain in his chest stop. Didn't make his anxiety go away.
Being King just made everything worse.
His bedroom door creaked slowly open without a knock, "Your Grace?"
Jon was sitting in the center of his room, in front of an unlit fireplace. "Yes, Kristof?"
"You have a guest, Your Grace," Kristof opened the door to let someone else in and then shut it behind her.
Jon turned his head to see Kinvara was standing behind him, "I didn't think you'd come back."
"As a servant to the Lord, I must assure that his visions are going according to plan." Kinvara approached him with her hands clasped behind her back, "How are you, King Crow?"
Jon snorted playfully, "When they started calling me that I thought they were joking, now it's all they call me."
"What would you rather your people call you?" Kinvara's sly smile was all too familiar.
He smirked, not in a mood for her games, "I assume if you've come all this way, you have a solution to my problem."
"The Raven knows." Kinvara reminded Jon.
"Yes, he knows," Jon sighed, "He's threatened to send an assassin."
Kinvara tilted her head, "And do you believe him?"
"Why would he lie?" Jon questioned as he rose from his seat.
Kinvara shrugged, "I'm not sure, he's your family after all. What use would the Warg King find in the Mother of Dragons?"
Jon was really confused now, "None, he's a warg. He can do as he pleases. She poses no threat."
"No, in this state Daenerys does not pose a threat." Kinvara smiled, "but with Drogon…"
"Why would he need Daenerys?" Jon crossed his arms over his chest, "Can't he just use whatever it is that he does to control Drogon on his own?" Kinvara only smiled and her eyebrows raised, "He can't control Drogon."
"A dragon is not a slave, Jon Snow," Kinvara replied, "They only listen to their mother."
"So what do we do next?" Jon asked her.
Kinvara headed for the door, and opened it, stretching out her free hand to guide the way. "Come, I will discuss my plans soon."
Jon huffed as he turned to grab his sword belt and Longclaw, sheathing his sword as he followed Kinvara out of the room. He walked with her through Wolvesden to the great hall. The hall was empty all for one person standing near the head table. It was Daenerys. She was admiring the wolf-themed chair that was central to the table, catching the details of the red eyes the wolves carved into the chair had. It was a wild kings throne, that was for sure.
"Daenerys." Jon's voice called out to her softly. It hadn't been that many weeks since he'd last seen her but it felt like a lifetime.
Daenerys turned around to greet him and his appearance stunned her, even making her stumbled a step back into the table. Jon wasn't the messy hair wildling who had been walking around barely resembling a King anymore. His hair was pulled back in a bun, as she remembered him from long ago, and above his head was a silver crown. It looked to be made of vines and thorns and had three blood-red jewels, one larger one in the center with the ones on the side much smaller and reminded her of Ghosts' eyes. He was dressed rather fancy as well, his clothes weren't as padded or as thick as his winter clothes but he was still in all black.
"You can't be Jon Snow," Daenerys smiled, "You look too nice to be him."
Jon chuckled, "It's good to see you too, Daenerys."
"As you could see I had to make a stop on my way here," Kinvara nodded to Daenerys, "You're going have to do this task together."
"Tell all of your men all over the North, to hunt them all until there is no more.
Burn them all, and keep the prying eyes of the Raven at bay."
It didn't feel right to Jon, but to keep Daenerys safe he knew it had to be done. Kinvara had explained the true strength of Bran's powers were connected to the weirwood trees, and if the only way to keep them from Bran's sight was to burn them down from the inside out and leave nothing behind. The thought of burning the trees made his heart climb up into his throat. His father taught him about the Old Gods beneath the weirwood tree in Winterfell. Yes, Nedd Stark wasn't his true father, but he was the father that mattered the most in Jon's eyes. To Jon, those weirwood trees weren't just his father, but his sisters and brothers. Those still here and those long passed lived in those trees.
But Jon made a promise long ago. He would protect Daenerys this time, no matter the cost.
So Jon did as told, and sent out the word, but he had one request. He wanted to burn the weirwood tree nearest Castle Black himself. So he and Daenerys had made the trip alone to the tree. Ghost followed at a distance but was never far behind. It was a quiet trip, neither of them said much but occasionally checking to see if the other was okay. Thought they weren't sure what, both knew the other had a lot on their mind. They could see it on each other's faces.
It took them a little under a week to get to Whitetree. Jon was surprised to still see the tiny village surrounding the weirwood was still abandoned, but he figured anyone who used to live there probably resided in Snowhome now. Everything was always so much greener than he expected it to be. Even after almost half a year, Jon had a hard time adjusting to the spring.
"So we just… burn it down?" Daenery was already off her house, tying its reign to a nearby tree, "It all feels too easy."
"You don't think it'll work?" Jon asked as he dismounted his horse.
Daenery watched as Jon brought his horse over and tied him up as well, "I don't doubt Kinvara's wisdom, it's just… if he was going to send someone after me already, why hasn't he done it?"
"I don't know," Jon told her as sighed, "She says Bran's greensight can show him everything and everything… so what's he waiting for?"
The walked side by side in silence as they headed for the weirwood. The large pale tree stuck out against the bright colors of spring. So many plants had grown back, not just the grass but flowers and the like as well. As they approached the tree, Ghost stood between them. The direwolf kept his stance with legs apart and ear lifted high as if he felt something was wrong. Daenerys and Jon both looked to Ghost and then to each other.
"Do you think he knows something we don't?" Daenerys asked Jon as she removed the longbow from around her body.
Jon removed the torch from his belt and lit it with pieces of flint and pyrite from a little pouch tied to him. "Only one way to find out," Jon started walking slowly to the tree, being cautious with his movements. He pulled a dagger from his belt as he got closer. Though he expected the worse, nothing happened as he stood before the weirwood. He looked back at Daenerys and Ghost, and she nodded for him to continue. So Jon turned back to the tree and used his knife to carve a bigger hole from the eyes of the tree, and then one it was big enough he set the tree to the torch. It took a moment but then suddenly the whole tree burst into flames. Jon took a couple of steps back as he watched the weirwood burn. After a few moments of watching it burn, Ghost started to growl. Jon turned back to face Daenerys and the direwolf, "What's wrong, boy?"
It started as a strange nose from a far distance, but soon they could hear cawing. Jon quickly rushed back to Daenerys' side and pulled out Longclaw, readying himself for whatever was out there. From deep in the forest came hundreds of ravens flying towards them, they screeching and cawing sounded like 1000 men screaming. Jon held out his sword, and Daenerys readied her bow, but the flock of ravens did not attack. Instead, they flew right past them, brushing their bodies as they passed, and headed back towards the wall. Once they were all gone, Jon looked at Daenery to see if she was okay. Both of them were panting, holding their weapons tight. The ravens had given them a scare, but nothing else.
"Are you alright?" Daenerys was first to ask.
Jon nodded yes, then looked back to the weirwood. The fire was still raging on. "I guess it worked then." The way he said it was more matter of factly then anything.
Daenerys put the bow back around her, "You regret it?"
Jon sheathed Longclaw as he took a few steps closer back to the tree, Ghost following his moment close. "I don't know why, but part of me feels… connected to the weirwood. I guess it's the Stark in me. It's almost like… burning it down takes that away. That connection."
Daenery walked forward until she was side by side with him again. "Do you miss them?"
"Everyday." Jon sighed, "My family is scattered across all of Westeros, but I'm here. Banished and alone."
Daenerys bit her lip. Jon was King of the Freefolk, yes, but inside Jon was still a man of the Night's Watch, banished from his home for murdering her. That feeling never left him, an overwhelming sense of loneliness that even she knew too well. Daenerys sighed and looked to Jon; a slight smile on her face. "I'm still your family." Jon looked at her with this face she had never seen before. Like a lost boy just looking to be loved. "For what it's worth, I'm not going anywhere. If we're going to be stuck here, at least it is together." She reached out her hand, her fingers brushing over Ghosts' fur.
Jon could feel his heart race as he reached his hand out to grab hers. He cursed himself as his fingers intertwined with hers for having his gloves on. It had been so long since he had felt her skin he had forgotten what she felt like. He smiled faintly, his thumb rubbing against hers. "Does that bother you?"
"No." Daenerys wasn't sure in what manner he meant that question, but she didn't care. None of it bothered her anymore, because as long as she had Jon in her life she would never feel lonely. She didn't care which way that was, she just wanted him there.
The trip back was quiet. Neither of them had said a word after they finished watching the weirwood burn. By the time they got back to Wolvesden, Jon's clansmen informed them that dozens of weirwood beyond the wall were gone. They hoped that all their work would be enough and that they could finally be safe from the watchful eyes of the South. Daenerys retired to a room of her own after supper was over, and Jon went off to his. He needed a moment to brood over all the things that had happened in the past year.
In that time, Jon had been forced to rejoin the Night's Watch, which had since then been disbanded and deemed unnecessary. He marched North with Tormund to help him resettle his clan. They met the sisters of Widow's Keep. Parsley, Sage, Rosemary, and Thyme. Then there was Kinvara. Daenery's resurrection. Sage's death. The massacre at the Keep. So many things. Each one changing Jon, for better or for worse. Now there was only one thing on his mind.
Was it worth it?
Everything he had done since he marched back North was for one thing and one thing alone. Daenerys. She was the fire that lit every path he stood on. No matter what had happened in the past, their hands were as clean as they could get. Would it be enough? Would he be worthy of her forgiveness? Of her love? Jon sunk deep into the chair in front of his fireplace and rubbed his hands over his face. Even if he could never have her again, Jon would die a thousand deaths just to repay that which he stole from her. Time had surely passed, but how did he know that the smile that she wore when he'd watch her walk Widow's Keep or the way she held his hand early that week meant that she had forgiven him. The thought of it all made it hard for him to breath. It felt like someone had their hands wrapped right around his lungs. Jon inhaled deeply trying to catch his breath. He felt like his heart was going to beat right out of his chest and on to the floor. He couldn't take it anymore. Jon needed to know. Even if it wasn't the answer he sought, an answer was all he could think about.
Jon jumped out of his chair, ready to talk to her. He was panting heavily, the anxiety making him shake. Still, he headed for the door, ready to take on whatever happened next. Time seemed to freeze as he reached for the door, pulling it ever so slowly open. His eyes followed the floor up as the door creaked wide open, and as he looked ahead his heart seemed to slow down to the point where it felt like it was barely beating. He couldn't say he was surprised, but he was surely pleased with the beauty before him. Jon couldn't help but smile ever so slightly as he opened his mouth, and what came out were words he felt like he hadn't heard in a thousand years:
"Dany..."