JON SNOW stands at the high table. SANSA and DAVOS sit at his sides. BRIENNE, PODRIC, TORMUND, PETYR BAELISH, YOHN ROYCE, LYANNA MORMONT, ROBETT GLOVER, and the lords of the northern houses are in attendance.
JON: I want every northern maester to scour their records for any mention of dragonglass. Dragonglass kills white walkers. It's more valuable to us now than gold. We need to find it, we need to mine it, we need to make weapons from it. Everyone aged 10 to 60 will drill daily with spears, pikes, bow and arrow.
ROBETT: It's about time we taught these boys of summer how to fight.
The northern lords laugh.
JON: Not just the boys.
BRIENNE looks at JON.
JON: We can't defend the North if only half the population is fighting.
ROBETT stands.
ROBETT: You expect me to put a spear in my granddaughter's hand?
LYANNA stands.
LYANNA: I don't plan on knitting by the fire while men fight for me. I might be small, Lord Glover, and I might be a girl, but I am every bit as much a Northerner as you.
ROBETT: Indeed you are, my lady. No one has questioned-
LYANNA: And I don't need your permission to defend the North.
DAVOS smiles. LYANNA turns to JON.
LYANNA: We'll begin training every man, woman, boy, and girl on Bear Island.
The men pound their tables and shout in agreement. ROBETT nods at LYANNA. ROBETT and LYANNA sit.
JON: While we're preparing for attack, we need to shore up our defenses. The only thing standing between us and the Army of the Dead is the Wall and the Wall hasn't been properly manned in centuries. I'm not the king of the Free Folk.
JON looks at TORMUND. TORMUND turns and looks at JON.
JON: But if we're going to survive this winter together...
TORMUND grunts and stands.
TORMUND: You want us to man the castles for you?
The men murmur.
JON: Last time we saw the Night King was at Hardhome. The closest castle to Hardhome is Eastwatch-by-the-Sea.
TORMUND: Then that's where I'll go. Looks like we're the Night's Watch now.
TORMUND sits.
JON: If they breach the wall, the first two castles in their path are Last Hearth and Karhold.
YOHN stands.
YOHN: The Umbers and the Karstarks betrayed the North. Their castles should be torn down with not a stone left standing.
SANSA: The castles committed no crimes. And we need every fortress we have for the war to come. We should give the Last Hearth and Karhold to new families, loyal families who supported us against Ramsay.
ALL: Aye!
YOHN sits.
JON: The Umbers and the Karstarks have fought beside the Starks for centuries. They've kept faith for generation after generation.
SANSA: And then they broke faith.
JON: I'm not going to strip these families of their ancestral homes because of the crimes of a few reckless sons.
SANSA: So there's no punishment for treason and no reward for loyalty?
The hall goes silent.
JON: The punishment for treason is death. Smalljon Umber died on the field of battle. Harald Karstark died on the field of battle.
SANSA: They died fighting for Ramsay. Give the castles to the families of the men who died fighting for you.
The men chatter and pound the tables.
JON: When I was Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, I executed men who betrayed me. Without hesitation, I sentenced them to death and watched their bloated faces bulge from the noose around their necks. I sentenced a boy to die. I will not hesitate to execute anyone who is guilty of betraying me. But are we guilty by association? Or are we first assumed innocent until proven guilty?
JON stares at SANSA. SANSA looks away. JON addresses the hall.
JON: Ned Umber.
NED UMBER, a boy, stands.
JON: Alys Karstark.
ALYS KARSTARK, a young woman, stands. NED and ALYS approach the high table.
JON: For centuries, our families fought side by side on the battlefield. I ask you to pledge your loyalty once again to House Stark, to serve as our bannermen and come to our aid whenever called upon.
NED and ALYS unsheathe their swords and kneel.
JON: Stand.
NED and ALYS stand.
JON: Yesterday's wars don't matter anymore. The North needs to band together, all the living north. Will you stand beside me, Ned and Alys, now and always?
NED & ALYS: Now and always!
The men cheer and pound the tables.
JON, to SANSA: The Umbers and Karstarks will be in front when the fighting happens. They will be the first to die. That is justice for their fathers' betrayals.
CUT TO: WINTERFELL - WALKWAYJON walks briskly along the walkway. SANSA follows him.
SANSA: Will you start wearing a crown?
JON: No, but I will sit on the throne. Sansa, sister, in council meetings, I welcome your questions. We need more people to join in the debate.
SANSA: As an official opposition?
JON: Yes, as an official opposition. Good decisions are only made after full scrutiny.
SANSA: Joffrey never let anyone question his authority.
JON stops walking. SANSA walks past him, then stops and turns to face him.
JON: Some, like Joffrey, believe authority and power is theirs by birthright. These are the tyrants who rule by fear. I believe authority and power is earned through good decisions and building trust. Power is bestowed by the people because they trust I will make the best decision.
SANSA: You're as far from Joffrey as anyone I've ever met.
JON: Thank you.
JON stares out at the yard below.
SANSA: You're good at this, you know.
JON: At what?
SANSA: At ruling.
JON sighs.
JON: I have to be. Power is grave responsibility.
SANSA: You are. You are. They respect you, they really do, but you have to-
JON chuckles.
SANSA: Why are you laughing?
JON continues walking. SANSA follows.
JON: What did father used to say? Everything before the word "but" is horse shit.
SANSA: He never said that to me.
JON: No. No, he never cursed in front of his girls.
SANSA: Because he was trying to protect us. He never wanted us to see how dirty the world really is, but Father couldn't protect me and neither can you. Stop trying.
JON: All right, I'll stop trying to protect you. Sansa, do you remember your last moment with Ned?
SANSA: It was in King's Landing. It was the horror of his execution. I was angry and sad at the beginning, but now, I remember the doll he bought me just before. I was such a spoiled brat that I didn't say thank you. Or that I loved him. My last real memory of father is storming off because he bought a doll I didn't like.
JON: My last moment with Ned was when he parted south for King's Landing and I parted north for the Wall. I asked him about my mother, and he said we'd talk about it upon his return. I've wondered about it for my entire life – what kind of woman could make the honourable Eddard Stark break his marriage vow to Catlyn Tully? She hated every moment with me, mother. And father seemed only obligated to love me. There were moments when I wondered if I was even his son.
SANSA: You're my brother, maybe not entirely by blood, but you are my brother.
JON: Like the Night's Watch, a brother by choice. A chosen family can be as loving, I know. But what if I'm not even Ned's bastard son? What if the truth of my father and mother was so dangerous that, out of duty, Eddard Stark adopted the son of traitorous father because the mother begged so?
SANSA grabs JON's arm and spins him to face her.
SANSA: What do you mean?
JON: I know who my true parents are.
MAESTER WOLKAN approaches.
WOLKAN: A raven from King's Landing, Your Grace.
WOLKAN hands a bound note to JON, then bows and leaves. JON unravels the note.
JON: "Cersei of House Lannister, First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms-"
SANSA: What does she want?
JON: Come to King's Landing. Bend the knee or suffer the fate of all traitors.
SANSA: You've been so consumed with the enemy to the north, you've forgotten about the one to the south.
JON: I'm consumed with the Night King because I've seen him. And believe me, you'd think of little else if you had, too.
SANSA: We still have a wall between us and the Night King. Theres nothing between us and Cersei.
JON: There's a thousand miles between us and Cersei. Winter is here. The Lannisters are a southern army. They've never ranged this far north.
SANSA: You're the military man, but I know her. If you're her enemy, she'll never stop until she's destroyed you. Everyone who's ever crossed her, she's found a way to murder.
JON: You almost sound as if you admire her.
SANSA: I learned a great deal from her.
SANSA: But what about your father and mother?
JON: Ned didn't tell me for a reason, and now I understand that reason. True power is earned, not given. When I have earned true power, I will tell you. Until then, I've got to deal with Cersei and the Night King.
SANSA: We you mean, brother.
JON, smiling: Yes, sister. We.
CUT TO: WINTERFELL - KING'S QUARTERSJON is bent over his desk looking at maps. There's a knock at the door.
JON: Come in.
WOLKAN: A raven, My King, from the Citadel.
JON begins reading the scroll.
CUT TO: WINTERFELL - GREAT HALLThe room is filled with northern lords and ladies including SANSA, JON, BRIENNE, LYANNA MORMONT, ROBETT GLOVER, YOHN ROYCE, and PETER BAELISH. JON is standing in the great hall holding a message up for the lords to see.
JON: This message was sent to me by Samwell Tarley. He was my brother at the Night's Watch. A man I trust as much as anyone in this world. He's discovered proof that Dragonstone sits on a mountain of Dragonglass.
The lords murmur amongst themselves. JON hands the first note to ROBETT GLOVER. JON holds up a different note for the lords to see.
JON: I received this a few days ago from Dragonstone. It was sent to me by Tyrion Lannister.
The lords murmur louder.
JON: He's now Hand of the Queen to Daenerys Targaryen. She intends to take the Iron Throne from Cersei Lannister. She has a powerful army at her back and if this message is to be believed, three dragons.
The lords speak among themselves and look concerned.
JON: Lord Tyrion has invited me to Dragonstone to meet with Daenerys and I'm going to accept.
There is a negative outcry from the lords gathered in the hall
JON: We need this Dragonglass, My Lords. We know that Dragonglass can destroy both White Walkers and their army. We need to mine it and turn it into weapons.
The lords nod in agreement
JON: But more importantly, we need allies. The Night King's army grows larger by the day. We can't defeat them on our own. We don't have the numbers. Daenerys has her own army and she has dragon fire. I need to try and persuade her to fight with us. Ser Davos and I will ride for White Harbor tomorrow, then sail for Dragonstone.
SANSA: Have you forgotten what happened to our grandfather? The Mad King invited him to King's Landing and roasted him alive.
JON: I know that.
SANSA: She is here to reclaim the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms. The north is one of those seven kingdoms. This isn't an invitation, it's a trap.
JON: It could be, but I don't believe Tyrion would do that. When I first met him, he called me a bastard, and I called him a dwarf. He told me that if I claim the word as my own, it couldn't be used to hurt or belittle. Tyrion is a dwarf who speaks true.
YOHN ROYCE stands up and turns to face JON.
YOHN ROYCE: Your Grace, with respect I must agree with Lady Sansa. I remember the Mad King all too well. A Targaryen cannot be trusted, nor can a Lannister.
The lords shout in agreement.
ROBETT GLOVER: We called your brother king, and then he rode south and lost his kingdom.
LYANNA MORMONT: Winter is here, Your Grace. We need the King in the North in the north.
The lords pound the tables in agreement.
JON: You crowned me your king and I accepted because the north is my home. I want peace for everyone in the north, from old to young. I want all northern children to grow up, fall in love, and raise children of their own. This is peace. But we will never know peace with the threat of the Night King on our border. I have seen the Night King's army, and we cannot defeat them without allies, powerful allies. I know it's a risk. But I have to take it.
SANSA: Then send an emissary. Don't go yourself.
JON: Daenerys is a queen. Only a king can convince her to help us. It has to be me.
SANSA: You're abandoning your people. Your abandoning your home.
JON: I'm leaving both in good hands.
SANSA: Whose?
JON: Yours. You are my sister. You are the only Stark in Winterfell. Until I return, the north is yours.
CUT TO: WINTERFELL - THE CRYPTJON stands in the torchlit crypt looking at a statue of Ned Stark. LORD BAELISH approaches him.
BAELISH: I delivered his bones myself. I presented them to Lady Catlyn as a gesture of goodwill from Tyrion Lannister. It seems like a lifetime ago. Do give Lord Tyrion my best when you see him.
Baelish looks up at the statue of Ned Stark.
BAELISH: I was sorry when he died. Your father and I had our differences but he loved Cat very much. So did I. She wasn't fond of you, was she? Well, it appears she vastly underestimated you. Your father and brothers are gone, yet here you stand King in the North. Last best hope against the coming storm.
JON turns to face BAELISH.
JON: I was down here to be alone. You don't belong down here.
BAELISH: Forgive me. We have never talked properly. I wanted to remedy that.
JON: I have nothing to say to you.
BAELISH: Not even thank you? If it weren't for me you'd have been slaughtered at that battlefield. You have many enemies, My King, but I swear to you I'm not one of them. I love Sansa as I loved her mother.
JON grabs BAELISH by the throat and pushes him against the wall. BAELISH begins choking.
JON: You want to fuck my sister with your little finger, Lord Baelish? Or do you want the north? No, in the end, all you can think about is your little finger and whether my sister's hair is as red between her legs. Maybe one day she will let you know, but know this. If you hurt her, I will kill you.
JON releases BAELISH. JON turns and walks to exit the crypt.
INT: Winterfell, Lord's ChambersJON: Sansa, do you know why I have to leave?
SANSA: I can't believe you'd leave the North. You've exposed us to Cersei. She will use your absence as leverage against us. How could you?
JON: I have seen the Night King and his army. They are our real enemy. The Night King has ice blue eyes and moves with his army of the undead. His white walkers number the hundreds of thousands, from giants and mammoths to men, women, and children, all dead with ice blue eyes like his. Utter horror, Sansa. I saw them in Hardhome, and only escaped because we fled on boats. Only the ocean saved the living from the dead, but winter is coming. If this winter is as brutal as some fear, the Bay of Seals will freeze.
SANSA: And the Night King with his hundreds of thousands will simply walk across the ice and eventually walk to Winterfell. How much time do we have?
[Editor's note: time and distance as placemarkers]
JON: I was in Crastor's Keep [season 2]. I saw one of the officers of the Night King's army take Crastor's son, and then in [Season 5] they were in Hardhome. That is [600 miles]. Eastwatch by the Sea is [300 miles] south of Hardhome, so we have until [end of Season 7] when his army reaches the wall. The Bay of Seals will be frozen by then, and it's [900 miles] until Winterfell. He must have no knowledge of geography south of the wall, but if I were him, I'd follow along the wall until I encounter a landmark like Castle Black and the King's Road. But the Night King may simply head south toward Last Hearth. But make no mistake. Every living creature the Night King encounters, every farmer, villager, horse, cow, pig, and chicken – his army will grow by the number of souls living in the north.
SANSA: If he takes those lands, his army will grow by [60 000] souls. Like in Gran's story of the Long Night, we simply can't defeat an army that size. What's the point then?
JON: He avoids the mountains. There must a reason. One way to survive is to hide in the mountains and wait for summer to return. But if he attacks Winterfell, his army of tens of thousands will face Winterfell's walls. Hardhome had walls of wood, not massive walls made of granite. Winterfell can be defended. It must be defended.
SANSA: So I need to ensure enough supplies to last a siege until summer. You will come with dragonglass before then?
JON: Yes. I've spoken with the Maester, and he says the trade winds should allow me to sail south, but later in winter, the winds stop. The fastest return will be on horseback.
SANSA: And if you ally with Daenerys, you will be on horeback with an army behind you. This makes absolute sense, and as a lady, I agree. But as a sister, as your little sister, I'm scared. Cruel things were inflicted upon me when I was alone. Very cruel things. For once in a very long time, in Winterfell with you, I feel safe, Jon. I now know how special this is.
SANSA cries. JON hugs her.
JON: I need to ask you something very personal. I don't know when I'll return, and if for whatever reason, this is my last conversation with you, I need to ask you a big brother question.
SANSA nods.
JON: Have you had sex?
SANSA: Ramsay raped me.
JON: I'm sorry Sansa. I'm sorry. Ygrette was my first. For her, I was one among many. But I loved her, and when we had sex, it was love. One day, when you're ready, you will have sex again and maybe it'll be love. I'm not prudish like father was, I know young people have sex outside wedding vows. But I need to know, as a big brother, you're taking precautions, right?
SANSA: Oh Jon. Yes, I'm taking precautions.
JON: And Petyr, do you have feelings for him?
SANSA: Eewww, no, Jon.
JON: But you know he wants to have sex with you?
SANSA: Yes, I know. That's how I knew he would come with the Knights of the Vale. Men's loyalties lie with the women they lust for. I learned this from a great teacher, Cersei Lannister. She taught me that women have power between their legs. This is how Cersei wields power over her men.
JON: Then is it true about Cersei and Jamie?
SANSA: Yes.
JON: I will avenge what Cersei did to you. And Tyrion, did he hurt or force himself on you?
SANSA: Tyrion was kind. In hindsight, he was kind to me. On our wedding night, he didn't force himself on me and said he would only consummate our marriage when I was willing. I was filled with so much hate for the Lannisters that I was never willing, but in hindsight, for my first time, I wish it was Tyrion's kindness and not Ramsay's cruelty.
JON: I'm so sorry sister. You've been through much.
SANSA: So have you.
JON and SANSA hug.
JON: Want to see Ghost?
SANSA nods.
CUT TO: EXT WINTERFELL, GODSWOODJON and SANSA approach GHOST as he feeds on a squirrel. GHOST brings the half eaten animal to JON's feet.
JON: Thanks buddy. I've smoked sausages.
JON and SANSA take turns feeding GHOST.
JON: When we were north of the wall, we helped each other hunt. We killed a bear together, that was our biggest kill.
SANSA: To be honest, I didn't think Ghost needed you to hunt. He's big enough to hunt alone.
JON: Hunting isn't just about size. Size matters, but so does speed, agility, and endurance. A buck can easily outlast a direwolf fleeing on the open tundra. But I would scare a deer into a trap where Ghost waited, hidden in the snow and suddenly pounce.
SANSA: The bear?
JON: That was a surprise. Ghost and I were separated when I heard growls. As I approached, I saw Ghost and a massive white bear in the midst of attacking each other. Ghost's hind leg was bleeding badly, and the bear's shoulder was gnawed open. I was hidden behind bushes, but I sensed that the bear smelled me. Ghost was frightened. This bear was bigger, and Ghost limped. He was seriously hurt. For a few moments, direwolf and bear growled at each other, then Ghost stopped growling and paced back. He was retreating, and the bear sensed this moment of weakness. The bear leapt, and I jumped out and ran. I drove Longclaw down into the bear's haunches, then with my dagger in my mouth, I climbed atop and attacked. The next moments were a blur, but when I came to, Ghost and I were covered in blood, injured and bleeding, but alive. The bear's neck was sliced and chewed open. Do you remember that buddy?
GHOST whimpers.
JON: What do you think happened to Nimeria?
SANSA: Arya's direwolf? Some villagers in the riverlands mention a pack of wolves lead by one big wolf. That must be Nimeria.
JON: Do you hear that Ghost? Your sister is alive.
GHOST howls.
MAESTER arrives.
MAESTER: My lord, my lady. The smiths need your advice on an urgent matter.
SANSA: I'll take care of this. I'll ensure enough supplies to last a siege until summer.
SANSA, whispering: I'll also ensure Little Finger's little finger is teased enough to command support of the Nights of the Vale.
JON: Goodbye sister.
SANSA: Goodbye brother.
SANSA and MAESTER leave. JON and GHOST sit underneath the Godswood alone.
JON: I need your help buddy. I want to go south to Dragonstone and meet Daenerys, the queen of dragons. I hope you'd go with me. But it means entering a boat, and meeting dragons. Dragons are like bears but larger, much larger. I'm scared, if I'm honest, not only because dragons are scary creatures but because so much depends on this. Whether I return north with an army and a chance to defeat the Night King or return with only dragonglass and be forced to lie to Sansa that we can defend Winterfell. Without an army, we're doomed.
JON cries.
JON: I need to go to Dragonstone and I need you with me. I can't do this alone.
CUT TO: WINTERFELL - COURTYARDJON walks into the courtyard towards his horse. SER DAVOS is seated on his own horse awaiting him. JON looks back. He sees SANSA on the upper level of the courtyard.
GHOST walks in, and JON and GHOST hug before JON climbs on horseback. JON waves goodbye and SANSA waves back. JON, GHOST, DAVOS and Winterfell guards ride out of the gate and exit the courtyard.
EXT. DRAGONSTONE – BEACHWaves are crashing against rocks and washing over the beach. Men are pulling JON SNOW's boat onto shore. JON and DAVOS are walking onto the beach towards TYRION, MISSANDEI and Dothraki guards. Dragonstone can be seen in the distance.
TYRION: The bastard of Winterfell.
JON: The dwarf of Casterly Rock.
TYRION and JON both stare at each for a moment, then break into a smile. They step forward and shake hands.
TYRION: I believe we last saw each other on top of the wall.
JON: You were pissing off the edge, if I remember right. You picked up some scars along the road.
TYRION nods his head in agreement.
TYRION: It's been a long road. But we're both still here.
TYRION turns to address DAVOS.
TYRION: I'm Tyrion Lannister.
DAVOS: Davos Seaworth.
TYRION and DAVOS shake hands.
TYRION: Ah, the Onion Knight. We fought on opposite sides at the Battle of Blackwater Bay
DAVOS: Unluckily for me.
TYRION: Missandei is the queen's most trusted advisor.
MISSANDEI: Welcome to Dragonstone. Our queen knows this is a long journey. She appreciates the effort you have made on her behalf. If you wouldn't mind handing over your weapons.
JON looks at DAVOS and his men.
JON: Of course.
The Dothraki guard move to take the weapons. JON unties his sword and hands it over. The Dothraki pick up JON's boat and begin to carry it away.
MISSANDEI: Please, this way.
DAVOS begins walking with MISSANDEI and TYRION. JON is following a few steps behind.
DAVOS: Where are you from? I can't place the accent.
MISSANDEI: I was born on the Island of Naarth.
DAVOS: Ah. I hear it's beautiful down there. Palm trees and butterflies. I haven't been myself.
MISSANDEI nods and DAVOS slows pace to talk with JON.
DAVOS: This place has changed.
CUT TO: DRAGONSTONE - WALKWAY
The group are making their way up to Dragonstone along a narrow stone pathway built into the cliffs leading to the castle. TYRION begins speaking to JON.
TYRION: And Sansa, I hear she's alive and well.
JON: She is.
TYRION: Does she miss me terribly?
JON looks at TYRION and doesn't say anything.
TYRION: A sham marriage and unconsummated.
JON: She said you were kind.
TYRION: Well, it was. It wasn't. Anyway, she's much smarter than she lets on.
JON: She's starting to let on.
TYRION: Good. At some point I want to hear how a Knight's Watch recruit became King in the North.
JON: As long as you tell me how a Lannister became Hand to Daenerys Targaryen.
TYRION: A long and bloody tale. To be honest, I was drunk for most of it.
JON: My bannermen think I'm a fool for coming here.
TYRION: Of course they do. If I was your hand I would have advised against it. General rule of thumb, Stark men don't fare well when they travel south.
JON: True. But I'm not just a Stark.
TYRION: Not just a Stark? I've always wondered but came to one conclusion, considering who Eddard Stark was. Eddard Stark was the most honourable man I ever met. I had met him a few times in the past, but when I saw him in Winterfell, it was the first time I had seen Eddard Stark with Catlyn Tully, and they were still in love after all those years, as amazing as that may sound. Eddard would never cheat on Catlyn with another woman, well unless that other woman was extremely extremely hot. So, to conclude, you Jon Snow are either the son of an extremely extremely attractive bar maid and prostitute, or you are the son of Rhaegal Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, and your father raised you out of duty and honour but not love.
JON: Clever. I could say the same thing about you and your father.
TYRION: You could indeed. We were both raised by loveless fathers so we've both got daddy issues like no one else's business. But at least you didn't murder your father with a crossbow while he was taking a shit.
JON laughs.
TYRION: So am I right about you and your parents?
JON: The last time I saw him, I asked him but he didn't tell me. He said we'd talk about it upon his return. But he didn't return, and my last memory of my father is him marching with the King south and me thinking, if not now, when? I was joining the Night's Watch, for fuck's sake.
TYRION: Like I said, daddy issues. But am I right?
JON: I learned the truth during my resurrection. Yes, you're right.
TYRION: I'm clever when I'm drunk. Yes, I know it's the afternoon, but I like to drink and it's one privilege of being the Hand of the Queen. Will you tell Queen Daenerys that you are the lawful king of Westeros, and her brother?
JON: I will, but please let me tell her at the right time. Half-brother.
TYRION: May I ask you about your resurrection? It's not everyday that I meet a man who has risen from the dead.
JON: Yes.
TYRION: There was a moment in my life when I drank so much I thought it'd kill me. It was after murdering my father and I fled to the Free Cities. I drank so much that I'd vomit but I couldn't stop drinking, I almost wanted to die from the guilt. When I shot my father, I was angry, and we do stupid things sometimes when we're angry, but to kill him – I drank and had hoped to die. It wasn't one of my finer moments. But when I met Queen Daenerys, I only hoped. It's a wonderful thing to hope, and my question to you as a resurrected man – what gives you hope?
JON: Hope means you live without fear, but I live with fear. I live with fear of the Night King. His ice blue eyes haunt my nightmares. Winter has arrived in the north, and it is only a matter of time before the Bay of Seals freeze and the Night King marches south with his army of hundreds of thousands.
TYRION: So you're a man with a determined goal in life, good. We need more of those, just generally speaking.
A loud roar is heard from overhead. JON and DAVOS dive to the ground. Drogon flies over them, turns and flies over the castle. JON and DAVOS look at each other in astonishment. DAVOS looks back to MISSANDEI who is still standing and smirking. Tyrion walks over and helps JON up to his feet.
TYRION: I'd say you get used to them, but you never really do.
JON looks back to the sky. All three dragons are circling above the castle.
TYRION: Come. Their mother is waiting for you.
JON and DAVOS exchange glances. They continue walking up the path. The camera shifts focus to MELISANDRE who is far above the group watching them from a cliff. VARYS approaches MELISANDRE from behind and stands next to her.
VARYS: I wondered why you weren't there to meet our guests. You begged us to summon the King in the North. Don't you want to see him again?
MELISANDRE: I've done my part. I've brought ice and fire together.
VARYS: Strange. You spoke so highly of Jon Snow but when he arrives you hide on a cliff. I didn't take you for a bashful girl.
MELISANDRE: My time whispering in the ears of kings has come to an end.
VARYS: Oh, I doubt that. Give us common folk one taste of power we're like the lion who tasted man. Nothing is ever so sweet again.
MELISANDRE: Neither of us is common folk anymore. I did not part on good terms with the King in the North, or his advisor.
VARYS: Why?
MELISANDRE: Because of mistakes I made. Terrible mistakes. I would only be a distraction if I stayed.
VARYS: So where will you go?
MELISANDRE: Volantis.
VARYS: Good. If you don't mind my saying, I don't think you should return to Westeros. I'm not sure you'd be safe here.
MELISANDRE: I will return, dear spider. One last time to give birth. MELISANDRE reveals her swollen belly.
VARYS begins shaking his head.
VARYS: My Lady -
MELISANDRE: I'll die giving birth. I'll die in this strange country, just like you.
MELISANDRE turns and walks away leaving VARYS alone on the cliff.
CUT TO: DRAGONSTONE - THRONE ROOM
JON approaches the throne room. Dothraki guards open the doors and allow him in. He is walking with TYRION, MISSANDEI, DAVOS and other Dothraki guards. DAENERYS is sitting on the throne. MISSANDEI begins addressing JON and DAVOS.
MISSANDEI: You stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen, rightful heir to the Iron Throne, rightful Queen of the Andals and the First Men, Protector of the Seven Kingdoms, the Mother of Dragons, the Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, The Unburnt, The Breaker of Chains.
JON turns and looks at DAVOS.
DAVOS: This is Jon Snow.
DAVOS nods and pauses.
DAVOS: He's King in the North.
TYRION smirks to himself.
DAENERYS: Thank you for traveling so far, My Lords. I hope the seas weren't too rough.
JON: The winds were kind, Your Grace.
DAVOS: Apologies. I have a Flea Bottom accent, I know. But Jon Snow is King in the North, Your Grace. He's not a lord.
DAENERYS: Forgive me -
TYRION: Your Grace, this is Ser Davos Seaworth.
DAERNEYS: Forgive me, Ser Davos. I never did receive a formal education, but I could have sworn the last King in the North was Torren Stark who bent the knee to my ancestor Aegon Targaryen in exchange for his life and the lives of the northmen. Torren Stark swore fealty to House Targaryen in perpetuity. But do I have my facts wrong?
DAVOS: I wasn't there, Your Grace.
DAENERYS: No. Of course not. But still, an oath is an oath. In perpetuity means - what does perpetuity mean, Lord Tyrion?
TYRION: Forever.
DAENERYS: Forever. So I assume, My Lord, that you're here to bend the knee.
JON: I am not.
DAENERYS: Oh. Well, that is unfortunate. You've travelled all this way to break faith with House Targaryen?
JON: Break faith, no. I believe in the mother of dragons but faith can be tested. I'm on a pilgrimage to test my faith with House Targaryen. Your father burned my grandfather alive. He burned my uncle alive. He would have burned the Seven Kingdoms.
DAENERYS: My father was an evil man. On behalf of House Targaryen I ask your forgiveness for the crimes he committed against your family. And I ask you not to judge a daughter by the sins of her father. Our two houses were allies for centuries. Those were the best centuries the kingdom's ever known. Centuries of peace and prosperity with the Targaryens sitting on the Iron Throne and a Stark serving as Warden of the North. I am the last Targaryen, Jon Snow. Honour the pledge your ancestor made to mine. Bend the knee and I will name you Warden of the North. Together we will save this country from those who would destroy it.
JON: You're right. You're not guilty of your father's crime. And I'm not beholden to my ancestor's vows.
DAENERYS: Then why are you here?
JON: Because I need your help and you need mine.
DAENERYS smirks and looks over at TYRION. She starts speaking to JON again.
DAENERYS: Did you see three dragons flying overhead when you arrived?
JON: I did.
DAENERYS: And did you see the Dothraki, all of whom have sworn to kill for me?
JON: They're hard to miss.
DAENERYS: But still, I need your help?
DAVOS: Not to defeat Cersei. You could storm King's Landing tomorrow and the city would fall. Hell, we almost took it and we didn't even have dragons.
TYRION: Almost.
JON takes off his breast plate to expose all seven wounds.
JON: Have you heard of my resurrection, Queen Daenerys? I was murdered as Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, but was brought back to life. Have you ever met a resurrected man?
DAENERYS: Yes, once. He was my Karl. When he was brought back, he – he wasn't the same. It was the saddest moment of my life, to see him die again. But I burned his body in the grand tradition of the Dothraki, and through the greatest sadness, my three dragons were born.
JON: So you know the power of blood over life and death.
DAENERYS: I do. It is dangerous.
JON: In the wrong hands, it is. In the wrong hands, blood magic is the sacrifice of an innocent child. I don't believe in the Lord of Light, but blood magic brought me back from death. My name is Snow, but I am no mere bastard. I am Jon Snow, the Resurrected.
DAENERYS: What was the sacrifice to bring you back from death, Ser Jon Snow, the Resurrected?
JON: No knight, my lady, but aye, a part of me was sacrificed. My innocence, your grace. This part of me died forever when I lay bleeding on the snow. In these last moments, I thought of Winterfell, Ghost, and the love of Ygrette. In my death, I relived the most loving moments in my life, and just as suddenly, when I awoke, I had to hang the men who murdered me because justice demanded my sword. I am no mere bastard, nor Warden in the North. I am a man who has defeated death, and we need each other.
DAENERYS: Why do I need you?
JON: You have three dragons, and you need three riders. I saw your dragons – their eyes are like horses eyes, on either side, and thus don't see ahead as well as you or me. If you take a dragon into battle without a rider, a lucky arrow may fly right in front and take one of them here. JON points to his shoulders. A critical wound here would mean your dragon can't fly, and a flightless dragon is a slow crawling dragon.
DAENERYS: Aegon conquered Westeros with three dragons, riding one but two were ridden by his sisters. There had to be a reason.
JON: Dragons are powerful, but in cities, they need guidance from a rider.
DAENERYS: How do you know this?
JON: I have Ghost. She's a direwolf and my best friend. We need guidance from each other, your grace.
DAENERYS: You have a direwolf as your best friend?
JON: Yes. Are you best friends with any of your dragons?
DAENERYS: Hardly. I am their mother.
JON: Would you like to meet my best friend? He's still onboard my ship.
DAENERYS: You brought a direwolf to Dragonstone?
JON: Ghost is my best friend and I brought him with me. Would you like to meet a friendly direwolf?
DAENERYS: Yes.
CUT TO: INT SHIP[Editor's note: in the hull of a small ship (similar to one that GREYJOY took and was fucking the CAPTAIN'S DAUGHTER), but with a caged pen where GHOST sits on straw with enough space to pace back and forth.]
DAENERYS: This ship is smaller than my ships.
JON: Aye, but fast. We barely sailed it to Dragonstone when the trade winds changed. A day or two later and we would have been stuck at sea.
DAENERYS: We sailed to Westeros with the wind on our backs, and I wondered how a ship would sail east. The captain said in a few months' time, the winds would change. The winds change with the seasons.
JON: Aye, and winter is coming. What is the coldest you've ever lived, your grace?
DAENERYS: There were cold nights in Pentos.
JON: Was it ever so cold that moisture from your breath froze onto your eyelids?
DAENERYS: No. That would be extremely cold.
JON: That is the north, and where I grew up. I grew up with snow, icicles, frozen lakes and rivers. I grew up in forests blanketed by white. Winter was cold and we wore fur coats to stay warm. Some nights, when a storm of gale force winds hailed through Winterfell's walls, I'd be so happy in bed underneath the piles of blankets than be outside. Some winters, when it was extremely cold and extremely long, livestock died. Then the old and frail, and a baby once. Winter can be brutal and cruel.
GHOST howls.
JON: But those who survive are magnificent creatures. Direwolves are normally only seen north of the wall, but I found Ghost's mother outside Winterfell, and antlers had ripped her belly open. Six pups were inside and still alive, and we raised them like family. Do you have the sausages?
DAENERYS: Yes.
JON: I'll take one and you keep the rest. Only feed Ghost one sausage at a time, OK?
JON: Hey buddy. I've got a sausage for you. JON feeds GHOST a sausage and they're both happy to see each other.
JON: I have a friend with me. Her name is Danaerys, and she is the mother of dragons. GHOST's ears perk up with the mention of dragons.
JON: She has sausages too.
DANERYS: Here Ghost. GHOST sniffs her hand and licks her palm before taking the sausage and sits beside JON, as if protecting him. JON strokes Ghost.
JON: Sit, please Danerys. Whenever you feel like feeding Ghost, hand a sausage out. Don't worry. This is how I introduce Ghost to new servants at Winterfell. By the time you finish feeding him all those sausages, he's full and happy, and he'll be your friend.
DAENERYS: I wish I had a way to introduce my dragons to friends. When they were younger, when I was in Quarth, no one was afraid of them because they were so little. But now, they're not so little but seem to recognize humans and horses aren't food.
JON: How did that happen?
DAENERYS: What do you mean?
JON: When your dragons grew big enough to hunt, did you accompany them along the hunt?
DAENERYS: No.
JON: I did with Ghost, and we hunted deer, beaver, foxes and the like so that Ghost knew mankind was not food. How did you teach your dragons that humans were not food?
DAENERYS: At Mereen, when Drogon burned a sheperd's boy. The father was very distraught, he held a linen bag with the charred bones of his son. I was Queen of the Great Pyramid of Mereen, breaker of chains and mother of dragons, and one of my dragons burnt alive an innocent child. This father's grief became my own guilt as mother, and I had to lock Viserion and Rhaegal deep in the pyramid's crypts. Dragons are a monumental responsibility.
JON: Dragons are indeed a monumental responsibility. Did you lock up Drogon?
DAENERYS: No. He flew off somewhere and to this day, I have no idea where he flew to.
JON: There was a time, when I was north of the wall and captured as a prisoner of Mansraider's army, I didn't know where Ghost was. I wish I could say it was because I was scared for my life, and part of that is true, but I was in love with a redheaded wildling woman named Ygrette. Love distracted me. Sorry buddy.
DAENERYS: You were in love with a wild woman named Ygrette?
JON: She always said I knew nothing, and I didn't. I had never laid with a woman. But Ygrette and I found a cave with a hotspring, and made love by the waterfall.
DAENERYS: May I ask, how was your first time?
JON: Beautiful. The most beautiful moment in my life.
DAENERYS: My first time was as the bride of the great Karl Drogo. He was an undefeated Karl because he was the largest and fiercest of all the Dothraki. Our wedding was on the grass plain, and the only privacy was on a cliff ledge. He disrobed me and took me like one of his mares. I cried. It was not beautiful, my first time. It felt like I had no control over my life or my body. But a whore from Essos was part of the Khalisar, and she taught me how to tame Drogo as my stallion.
JON: Did you love him?
DAENERYS: Yes, in time. I loved him as I rode him and alongside him. As his Khaleesi, I rode alongside and felt the power of his army. As his wife, I rode him and felt his power between my legs. I loved him and how strong he felt.
JON: Any man who follows Drogo has a tough yardstick to measure from.
DAENERYS: Daario was the next and my last. He was a mercenary and although not as large or as fierce as Drogo, he was agile. Whereas I rode Drogo, Daario rode me. We didn't love each other but the sex was amazing. Do I embarrass you?
JON: No, I admire your frankness. What happened to Drogo and Daario?
DAENERYS: Daario is still in Mereen, and probably whoring with an endless consort of women. I hope he's happy. Drogo, well he died from an infested wound and I learned a valuable lesson about the evil that lurks on this world. What happened to you and Ygrette?
JON: She and an army of wildings attacked Castle Black. She was a wilding and I was a Man of the Night's Watch, and there was no happy ending for lovers on opposite sides of the war. She died in my arms.
DAENERYS: Any woman who follows Ygrette has a tough yardstick to measure from.
JON: Do you think you can fall in love again?
DAENERYS: No. I will be Queen of Westeros, and I will need to marry politically. But you know, in other parts of this world, sex is more liberal and women take as much pleasure as men. I was Drogo's only Khaleesi, but other Karls have multiple khaleesis. It is known.
JON: You wish to be Queen with multiple Karls?
DAENERYS: That would be power. To be the only Queen in the history of this world to rule and have a consort of men to pick and choose as she pleases because she's queen. The world accepts a Karl and his khaleesis, and a King and his whores. A Queen and her consort should be part of that history.
JON: If it makes you happy, your grace.
DAENERYS: Do you think you can fall in love again Jon?
JON: Yes. I believe love can happen again.
DAENERYS: Why did you come to Dragonstone, truly?
JON: Dragons exist in this world, as well as direwolves. Something else exists, and I've seen them with my own eyes. An army of corpses with ice blue eyes animated by the Night King. He is death, and he comes with an army of more than a hundred thousand strong. Dragonstone has dragonglass, and we need to mine that so we have weapons against this army.
DAENERYS: So you've come to Dragonstone to be a miner.
JON: And help you be Queen, Daenerys.
DAENERYS: How? How could you help me be Queen? If you were in my place, what would you do with an army of 8000 Unsullied, 100000 Dothraki, the Iron Fleet, House Tyrell and Dorne, and 3 Dragons?
JON: I have learned the history of great battles of Westeros. Some of these great battles were swift with minimal casualties. If we're fast and have the element of surprise, the odds shift to our favour. If the populace despise their ruler, members of their army will mutiny rather than die for a ruler they've no love for. Cersei commands no love in King's Landing. Have you heard the rumours?
DAENERYS: That the common folk starve and the Sept at Baelor was destroyed in wildfire. That it's rumoured Cersei was the cause. Yes.
JON: High Garden stopped wheat shipments after the blaze. And in the Sept, almost every noble house knew someone who died while burnt alive. King's Landing is full of common folk who hate the queen because they starve and she doesn't, and we have nobility that hate her because she killed someone they loved in the most horrible of ways. If we defeat Cersei before any serious casualties befall the rest of King's Landing, the city will surrender.
DAENERYS: We conquered Mereen through swift precision. Dragons can fly into King's Landing and be that swift precision.
JON: Yes. If you attacked King's Landing on Drogon and, let's say, I was riding Rhaegal, we fly and destroy artillery along the way to the red keep in order to flush out Cersei. At the same time, your army of more than a hundred thousand ride and march to King's Landing. Your Dothraki will be first to arrive with Viserion flying overhead. Your hundred thousand Dothraki riders with a firebreathing dragon would be unstoppable, walls or no walls, if the city doesn't surrender after Cersei's execution. Either way, King's Landing is yours before your Unsullied march through the city gates to keep the Queen's peace. You have food and a wealthy city to garrison.
DAENERYS: Garrison, rest, and enjoy life for a moment before undertaking the dirty business of politics. Did you say Cersei's execution? I don't know if Tyrion would agree to see his sister dead.
JON: After all that she's done, after all the people she's murdered, justice demands her life as forfeit.
DAENERYS: It also does send a message. I am the mother of dragons and breaker of chains. I promised to break the wheel of this system. Executing the treacherous Cersei would tear this wheel asunder. It would be the Queen's justice.
JON: Tyrion must not know about her justice then.
DAENERYS: No, of course not. You do realise, Jon Snow the Resurrected, it's highly presumptuous to assume you'd ride Rhaegal.
JON: Hoping, your grace.
DAENERYS: Dani. When we're alone, call me Dani.
JON: Hoping to, Dani.
DAENERYS: What about Ghost?
JON: Buddy, will you join the Unsullied at the rear? Direwolves are easy targets in cities.
DAENERYS: This plan sounds better than what Tyrion and his hobos were concocting. He wanted that I send the Unsullied to Casterly Rock even though it's on the other side of Westeros. Only idiots would not consider logistics in military strategy. Tyrion then wanted that I parlay with the mad woman. After all the lies Cersei has told, only a fool would ever believe her again.
JON: And after the dirty business of politics, what would you do?
DAENERYS: Battle the Night King. I'd be a fool not to after consolidating my power in Westeros. I birthed dragons, I'm petting a direwolf, and I met a man who returned from the dead. I'm no fool. A Night King and his army exists, and is a menace to my Queendom. How much time do you think we have?
JON: [Season 7]. When winter truly arrives, the oceans will freeze. The Night King and his army will walk around the wall south, and each living creature who dies becomes soldiers in his army. Maybe even the dead that already lay buried in cemeteries and crypts. It's utter horror, Dani.
DAENERYS: If I saw the Night King myself, it would haunt me. I've witnessed some things that still haunt me to this day.
JON: There was a mother at Hardhome, a strong woman with two children. She had red hair and for a moment, I wondered whether Ygrette would look like her as a mother, if we had been lucky in love and were fortunate to have children to raise. But the Night King took this mother and her children, and I saw their ice blue eyes stare back at me as I escaped on boat. Water stops the Night King as well as Dragonglass. I hope dragons too.
DAENERYS: For the sake of the living, I hope as well. DAENERYS pets Ghost.
JON: He likes you.
DAENERYS: I like him.
JON: Could I ask a favour?
DAENERYS: What kind of favour?
JON: We need to exit the ship together, all three of us, so that your dragons know Ghost isn't food.
DAENERYS: That's a favour I can grant. DAENERYS takes JON's hand and they leave the boat, GHOST trailing behind as DROGON, RHAEGAL, and VISERION fly overhead.
[Editor's Note: In Season 7, there was a side story of the capture and destruction of the Iron Fleet and the Dornish fleet. Daenerys had 100 000 Dothraki and their horses shipped from Mereen to Dragonstone. If we calculate each ship can maybe fit 200, she has a fleet of 500 ships. Before Jon's arrival, let's assume the Ironborne and Dornish fleet leave (not the Unsullied), and they are captured, but that would take at most 30 ships. The plan to attack King's Landing continues.]
