A bit of Housekeeping firstly, I've almost finished my Tyrell plan having just a few chapters of post Long Night to sort out. I've also named the story, so go and check out my FFN profile if you're interested to see what may lie in the future.

I also want to remind people that the events at the Wall aren't necessarily happening at the same time as on Dragonstone. In this chapter, the Dragonstone events are happening later in the timeline. Season 6 in this story will only last a few chapters so rather than having a full chapter with fewer words only based at Dragonstone and a full one with fewer words only at the Wall to stretch the season out, I've put them together.

Bold speech is High Valyrian written in English. This chapter also has some Valyrian commands written in Valyrian, but I've also included the English counterparts to the lesser known words in the same place. Thank you to David J. Peterson who created the language for both Game of Thrones and House of the Dragon, and he has put up his translations on Ao3 under the username 'Dedalvs'. If FFN allowed links I would link his House of the Dragon work, but unfortunately they don't so I can only ask you to go and check it out if you haven't already.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I own nothing but the OC's, the actual characters and locations belong to George R R Martin or HBO.


The Chamber of the Painted Table had remained largely untouched since Luke had been planning his invasion of Westeros, and so the evening after he had walked through his family crypts he had spent plenty of time changing the figures around to match the current standings, including some uncarved ones for the Wildling's that remained in the Gift. It was a difficult conundrum to know how to plan for a war he had no idea how to fight, but based on the numbers he had at his disposal he could see how he could choke the Walkers both at the Wall, and then in the North if needs be. The King's only worry was that he was basing it all off of normal war, when he didn't know how the Walkers commanded their army of dead men.

Sighing as he stood at the table, he realised that the sun had long gone, and so he moved to the cupboard in the corner and pulled out the sets of candles, being sure to light each one of them before sliding them under the table, giving the carving the fire effect to illuminate each location.

"I didn't know it could do that." He heard his sister's voice from the doorway, and Luke turned to see her standing there leaning against the door frame.

Luke shrugged. "Before we took the castle the candles had gone unused in over forty years judging by the state of them, to plan the Ninepenny King's war I guess. Time can be cruel to information, as it passes, more gets lost if not properly recorded. I presume the Usurper's brother never even imagined just how impressive Valyrian craftsmen can be. The table is a key part of House Targaryen however, we should know how to use it properly."

"And now you're using it to plan the Long Night." Dany surmised, walking closer and dragging her finger gently across the black painted wooden surface.

Luke scoffed. "Attempting to. I can only guess at where to put my armies to take a defensive stance, but it's going to be a different fight to what I am used to. When I was leading the Golden Company it was easy in comparison, we moved quickly and overwhelmed our enemies before they could set themselves. I fear we're going to be the ones rushing to react this time around so it's all about where to take our stands." He placed a dragon figure down at Castle Black. "This is the obvious place, with the Wall to utilise, but it's also our first line of defence and the time it will take for everyone to get there when needed will be great."

"Can we not send men up gradually from now?" Dany asked.

"And ask them to feed on what?" Luke posed the question to her. "The Reach can only sustain an army one hundred thousand strong halfway across the continent for so long. And if I take all of their men, who will see to the harvests for the future?" He shook his head and picked up the dragon figure again. "No, we already have as much of a force up in the North as we can sustain for a prolonged time without knowing when this assault will come, but the full might of Westeros can only form when we know they are needed."

"Then here." Dany pointed to the thin stretch of land in the Neck. "It's defensible, it's closer to the rest of Westeros, it's…"

"Allowing the Walkers to roam through one of my countries." Luke shook his head. "They have the ability to raise the dead, sister, and the North are the ones with the tradition of mass burial. If they are free to roam the North, then I am allowing them to raise everyone that has died in the North. I cannot allow that."

Dany sighed as she roamed the map with her eyes, not finding a suitable option. "I see your dilemma."

Luke smirked. "But you're right in one way, we can arrange for Moat Cailin to be a gathering point, as we have another option. Us."

"Us?" Dany asked.

"We ride dragons, sister. We can cover the length of the North quicker than a mounted force and flame kills wights." Luke told her. "So when you aren't down in the Dragonmont overseeing the mining, I want you to ensure that Viserion is fully under your control. Every command, every thought you both share needs to be in unison."

There was unspoken worry in his voice, to which Daenerys picked up on with a frightened look. "You believe he could raise the dragons from the dead?"

Luke nodded. "I do. We know not what magic this demon has and while I will need you, I will not risk you unless you have full control over Viserion."

Dany understood, the weight of her future role seeming to settle in. "I will be ready, brother, I swear."

Luke was thankful for that, but tiredness was starting to overcome him. He took one last look at the Painted Table before nodding. "The dragons will be the key. I can only pray that this war is a decade away and Visenya will be riding a larger beast or perhaps Aegon rides Rhaegal. The Conqueror had it right, three dragons are better than two."


The night in Castle Black had grown as cold as the corpse of Jon Snow, but through the thin cracks in the boarded-up windows Jaime Lannister could see a flurry of activity outside in the courtyard. He gripped Longclaw tighter, the Valyrian Steel feeling good in his hand as a knock at the door sounded.

"Ser Jaime." Thorne's voice called out, causing Jaime to smirk knowing that Thorne was trying to butter him up by not calling him names. "Stand you and your men down and give us the body. I shall grant amnesty to all within this room should you all throw down your weapons and surrender. There is no reason to fight over the dead, better to burn the body now before he rises again."

Jaime scoffed as he walked over towards the door, Longclaw still gripped tightly in his right hand. "Rich words coming from his murderer. You are a traitor, Thorne, a traitor, a usurper, a murderer. I'd rather throw myself from the Wall than surrender to the likes of you."

"Aye, I killed him." Thorne admitted. "As did eleven other officers and brothers because they saw the truth of the matter. Jon Snow would have ruined the Night's Watch. He would have the Wall infested with Wildlings and traitors."

"So we can band together to fight the wights and the White Walkers!" Grenn roared. "It's a temporary alliance!"

Thorne paused for a second. "Once they are inside our castles, how motivated will the Wildlings be to leave them after the coming war? Will you go to root them out of our keeps, Grenn the farmhand? Better to secure the Wall now before they build fortifications and decide they want to get rid of us."

"I knew you before you were sent to the Wall, Thorne. You were always a cunt, but at least you were a loyal one to your King." Jaime snarled. "What do you think the King will do when he hears of this? This is his plan too."

"King Lucerys is a thousand leagues away and only has so much say here at the Wall. It was Jon Snow that spoke for all of us, and spoke wrongly. No other Brother need die for his wrong decisions."

Sighing, Jaime looked around at the brothers inside the room with him. Each and every one of them had their hands on their weapons ready for a fight, with all of their faces showing anger. Jaime took a deep breath. "If you want Jon's body, then you will have to go through me." He stated bluntly.

"We have four times your numbers." Thorne began.

"And you will still be among the dead when all is said and done." Jaime retorted. "I'll see to that myself."

Another pause. "Very well, Kingslayer. I was kind, I offered you clemency. If your wish is to die, then I shall be happy to oblige you. I've thought of your death for twenty years, after all. It will be a pleasure to see it first-hand."

"If I am to die today then so be it." Jaime said honestly. "I've been ready for it for a very long time, and so long as I smear this blade with your blood before I go, I shall die a happy and contented man."

He unsheathed Longclaw, and the noisy sound of swords being withdrawn filled the room as the others followed suit. Jaime stood to the side of the door with a ready stance, looking to pounce on the first man to walk through. After a moment a loud thud sounded, as one of his brothers started assaulting the wooden door with a large hammer. The first crack in the wood came after the fourth blow, the first hole after the fourteenth. The Lannister knight took a breath as he waited for the hole to grow bigger when a louder, heavier thud was heard.

"Edd." Grenn grinned, as the thudding in the courtyard grew louder and more frequent.

Jaime agreed, and he nodded to his nearest two brothers. "Remove the drawbar." He ordered, and they did as commanded, removing the wooden beam. Jaime used his free hand to pull open the door, jabbing out with Longclaw into the unsuspecting face of the large brother who had been knocking down the door. As he turned to face the courtyard the main gates to the Castle were smashed in, and Jaime smirked as he recognised the sole surviving Giant burst through the entranceway with a loud roar.


"Dohaeris Valaxes!" Luke roared as the air buffeted him high above the Dragonmont, his silver hair whipping around behind him. "Pālēs! Turn Valaxes!" He pulled the reins sharply left, and Valaxes let out a roar before doing as asked, veering to the left before trying something else out. "Hāpas! Valaxes, climb!"

Valaxes once again did as bid, and suddenly Luke was flying vertically until they were about to hit the clouds above the volcanic island. "DRACARYS!" Luke roared, and Valaxes let out a large burst of flame, melting the clouds into a burst of warm rain that covered the King as they rocketed through the cloud layer, until they were above them. The coldness of the air was almost threatening to overpower the heat of Valaxes, so Luke yanked the reins to do a large circle before he called out for Valaxes to dive, and very quickly the Targaryen saw the castle of his House racing towards him. With a loud cheer he urged Valaxes on, speeding past the battlements of the castle out towards the Narrow Sea.

Together with Daenerys he had spent as much time on dragon back as possible since their discussion by the Painted Table as they got used to giving commands out to their mounts, but it also served to heighten the enjoyment of flight for the King. The smile was wiped off of his face as he flew out westwards however as he spotted a familiar looking ship sailing towards Dragonstone. Grimacing at the sight of his flagship the Vhaegon, Luke realised that his brief time away from the Capital was soon to be over.

Wanting one last moment of fun however he urged Valaxes down to sea level as he swerved around the bow of the ship, noticing with amusement the alarm of the people aboard before he called for Valaxes to climb once more, heading back towards Dragonstone to greet Ser Barristan and whoever else was on board.

An hour later Luke was sat on the obsidian throne in the Great Hall as the doors opened. Ser Barristan was the only one to enter. "Ser Barristan Selmy, Lord Commander of the Kingsguard." One of the Dragonstone guards announced.

The elderly knight walked forward purposefully, before he knelt down before the first set of two stairs. "Your Grace, I have come to retrieve you."

"Has it been a fortnight already, Ser?" Luke asked. "Rise, please."

Ser Barristan did as he was asked and returned to both feet. "Not just yet, Your Grace, but the Lord Hand wanted to send me as soon as he learnt of your disappearance, I was only delayed by the storms. He has written a letter for you to read." The knight held out a sealed bit of parchment for Luke to take.

"Of course he did." Luke sighed, pushing himself out of the Throne. "Come, Ser. We shall talk in private."

He led Ser Barristan into the next room, where the Painted Table still had the figures showing all the armies Luke believed he had at his disposal atop it. Taking the letter, he noticed in the corner of his eye Ser Barristan taking in the plans as he broke the hand seal and unfurled the letter, scoffing at the words. "He insists on my return?"

"I believe the Hand feels himself outnumbered by Tyrells, Your Grace." Ser Barristan spoke plainly. "He stated the worry of their influence to me as I boarded the ship, and vowed to look into the matter you discussed. He says he is unsure of how much he can do alone, however."

Luke sighed, throwing the letter back down. "The thought of returning fills me with dread, Ser." He admitted as he gestured to the table, the worries of his ability to rule creeping back up as the time to return drew near. "I have so much to do to prepare for what is coming that the thought of dealing with schemers and plotters tires me."

Ser Barristan nodded. "May I speak plainly, Your Grace?"

Luke nodded. "I always welcome your counsel, Ser."

"I have served the Kingsguard since the time of your grandsire, King Jaehaerys, as I told you before the Crown Prince was born." Barristan began. "In that time I have seen many struggles your family have had to face. Your Grandsire grew frustrated at his illness forcing him to remain in King's Landing while your Father fought on the Stepstones, your Father, despite his many flaws, still had worries over his rule, namely over Tywin Lannister as the madness grew within him, but it seems to me that questioning one's ability is a Targaryen trait that manifests in numerous ways. This is yours, Your Grace."

Luke let those words settle over him for a moment. "I can't imagine my Father second guessing himself at all."

"I will not pretend that King Aerys was misunderstood or that his reputation was not deserved." Barristan explained. "Sometimes I wonder if I should have saved him at Duskendale at all or left him to die there, but I fear the doubts he faced aided his descent into madness. My advice is to not overcompensate, but be the King that took the Throne in the first place."

"I fear I make a better commander than a King." Luke chuckled. "That it would be better to abdicate and to go back to the Company."

Ser Barristan frowned. "The realm would be a colder place for that, Your Grace. Perhaps you are a better warrior than administrator, but with what is coming we need a warrior to lead us."

"But there are plenty of warriors that are aware." Luke countered.

"None that are Lucerys Targaryen." Ser Barristan stated. "You are the wielder of Blackfyre, the wearer of the Conqueror's Crown, the rider of Valaxes, the dread reborn. Perhaps you aren't an administrator, but you do not need to pretend that you are. Your grandsire King Jaehaerys was never a warrior so he left those tasks to those he trusted and he focused on his strengths."

"The key there is finding people I trust." Luke sighed.

Barristan nodded. "It is, but also it is about ridding yourself of those you do not."

Agreeing, Luke nodded as he looked over the Painted Table again, his eyes turning to the most recent carving of King's Landing, done after the Conquest. "You're right." He admitted to himself. "I've let people walk over me for long enough."

"Popularity comes and goes." Barristan added. "The best King's make their strong convictions work for the good of the realm. I've seen enough in you, My King, to know that you have the potential to be great. If that means that you must be unpopular in the short term, then so be it. I will be there at your side to protect you no matter what."

The speech caused Luke to smile. He didn't respond immediately as he thought on the actions to come, but he ended up nodding and placing his hand on Ser Barristan's shoulder. "Thank you, Ser. If you could ready the ship, I need to say goodbye to my sister and daughter before we depart."

Barristan bowed. "I shall alert the Captain, Your Grace." He stated, before turning sharply and walking out of the Chamber of the Painted Table, leaving Luke alone to listen to the heavy footsteps of the Kingsguard armour.


The King found his sister in Visenya's room, as the pair of Targaryen women were sat down together going over a book on the basics of dragonlore. Bloodwing was sleeping over in the corner of the room, now almost a year old and growing. Luke stayed in the doorway for a moment watching the two girls with a smile on his face, before Visenya noticed him, ignoring her lessons to give him a hug.

"We saw you on Valaxes!" Visenya exclaimed. "You went fast."

Luke nodded, picking up his daughter to hold her at head height. "I did, we were training."

"Like I am." Visenya grinned, looking over to Bloodwing. "But Bloodwing is small."

Luke nodded, moving into the room as Dany rose to her feet. "But one day she will grow, and you will be able to fly on her back as I do with Valaxes."

He kissed his daughter on the head then, holding her tightly. Daenerys, as always, seemed to understand. "You've been summoned back." She stated.

"I've been requested to return." He corrected. "But it's time." He saw Dany looked disappointed, so he pulled his sister in for a hug on his other side. "I'd like Visenya to stay here though, under your protection. She will do better here."

Dany smiled sadly. "You know I'll always look after her as if she were my own."

He did. Squeezing his sister tightly he also placed a kiss on the top of her head. "These past days have been a blessing, Dany. Do not think I leave happily. If I could stay here with the pair of you, I would."

"You are bigger than us, Lucerys." Dany whispered. "Go, bring your wife's father to heel." She leant up and kissed his cheek, lingering for a second too long before breaking apart. "And know that I will be there whenever you need me."

Smiling, Luke nodded as he pulled away from his sister, holding Visenya up in both hands as he spoke directly to her. "You're going to stay with Aunt Dany now, ok? You keep at your lessons and bonding with Bloodwing, and I will see you as soon as I can."

Visenya simply nodded without a word as she leant in to give him as firm a hug as a four-year-old could. Luke held her tightly before a tear threatened to fall from his eye, so he placed his daughter back down on the stone floor. "I love you both, my Princesses." He told them, giving them both a wave as he backed out of the door.

Having arrived on the island with nothing but the clothes on his back and the journey by sea not taking more than a day and a half, Luke went straight to the ship. He felt disappointment himself as the ship departed the docks, though the pair of roars from Valaxes and Rhaegal as the two dragons followed the ship did a little to comfort him. With a deep breath, he forced himself into a stern look, eager to sort the mess that was King's Landing out quickly in order to prepare his court for the coming Winter.


The Wildlings streamed in to the castle either side of the giant with loud roars, and Jaime noticed every one of the traitorous Night's Watch brothers turn to face the courtyard. Thorne unfortunately had raced down to face the new threat so he was out of reach, but his men had also started to race out of the storage room and had quickly grabbed the remaining men on the platform, holding swords to necks until they dropped their weapons.

Jaime meanwhile bypassed them with Longclaw still in hand as he descended the steps to get a better view of the situation. He spotted Mance Rayder immediately gutting an onrushing brother in black, kicking the man to one side as his entrails spilled out onto the snowy ground. That seemed to shock the rest of Thorne's group, who started staggering backwards away from the Wildlings.

A red-headed girl with a bow stepped beside Mance, and Jaime noticed how she was glaring in the direction of Thorne. "Which one of you cunts was it?" She growled.

Thorne didn't back down. "Fight you cowards!" He roared, trying to fire up his men. One man in black decided to do just that as he rushed towards the woman, only to get punched in the face by an arrow. As soon as it had left her bow the woman had nocked another one, pointing it at Thorne. Weapons began to drop to the ground then, and Thorne simply looked around in frustration. Edd Tollett and Ghost made their presence known beside Mance Rayder then, and Thorne pointed his sword at the Valeman. "You fucking traitor." Thorne snarled.

Jaime stepped forwards again then, resting Longclaw over Thorne's shoulder threateningly. "You're the traitor, Thorne."

The red-head snarled loudly. "It was you?" She asked.

Thorne remained tall in defiance. "I did my duty to the Night's Watch. It is my duty to defend the Wall from Wildlings and…"

He never got to finish, and Jaime jumped back as he spotted an arrowhead protruding from the back of Thorne's neck. The Crownlander knight spluttered as his throat was impaled by the arrow, and it took no time at all for the former Acting Commander to drop to the ground, blood spilling from his wound and his mouth.

The archer had nocked another arrow quickly and the rest of the mutineers dropped their weapons. Edd moved forwards towards Jaime as the brothers clasped arms. "It seems we got here just in time."

"You did, well done Tollett." Jaime nodded. He turned back to see Grenn. "Take the traitors to the Ice Cells."

"Aye, Ser Jaime." Grenn nodded, and he began rounding everybody up and leading them off, leaving a bewildered Jaime stood there surprised that he hadn't been called 'Ser Kingslayer' like usual.

That bewilderment couldn't last long though, as at the same time the traitors were being led off the King Beyond the Wall stepped forwards to greet him. "Where is he?" Mance asked. Jaime turned to point to the room, and the red-headed woman wasted no time in storming towards it, closely followed by Ghost. Jaime went to protest, but Mance got in before him. "Ygritte was his woman, let her grieve."

The Kingslayer nodded. "We'll have to burn him soon." He muttered, before looking around the courtyard. "And these lot, though I almost wouldn't mind killing Thorne again."

Mance didn't react to that statement as he turned to Tormund Giantsbane. "Fetch her." Tormund growled, but he nodded and walked back out of the broken entranceway. "Take me to his body, Lannister." Mance then added. "Tell me what happened."

They rose the stairs and entered the room through the broken door, and Jaime noticed that Ygritte was knelt by the table as Ghost had settled back underneath it. "Thorne wanted to root you out before the King could get word. It was a stupid plan, really, but he hated Snow and managed to take him out."

"Take him out?" Ygritte scoffed, as she turned around to face them with red, tear-stained cheeks. "They fucking butchered him, Mance."

Mance Rayder joined her at Jon's side, and Jaime watched as he ran his hand over one of the stab wounds, blood sticking to his hand. "I liked him once, then I hated him when he betrayed me." He admitted. "But he was an ally till the end, and a valuable commander in the war that's coming. Thorne was too short sighted to see that."

"And he died for it." Jaime insisted. "We need as many men as we can get, but Thorne's lackeys must die or else we'll be fighting between ourselves until it's too late." He sighed. "We need to get the wood for a fire."

"Perhaps, Lannister." Mance nodded. "Though, I want to try something else first…" Jaime heard footsteps appearing from behind him, and he turned to see Tormund had returned with another red-headed woman, though she was severely underdressed for the cold in her sole red dress. "Lady Melody, can it be done?"

And Jaime quickly realised who this woman was as soon as he saw her ruby necklace. "Impossible…" He whispered. "You're Stannis' priestess?"

"Once, Ser Jaime, but no more." Melisandre of Asshai stated. "Now I am here to serve my Lord in the wars to come, and I pray that he grants Jon Snow renewed life, for we shall need him."


Stannis' final war camp was quiet. The warriors had all marched off to take Moat Cailin from the Ironborn leaving Melisandre and a handful of guards to protect her and keep Theon Greyjoy imprisoned. The Red Woman was uneasy, however. Stannis' visions from a couple of nights earlier had stuck in her mind for reasons the Baratheon likely wouldn't enjoy, for she also saw some of the same things, but differently. She stared into the brazier in Stannis' tent intimately, watching as the baby birthed to Alys Karstark was being held by a woman with silver hair. She then saw that baby grown up, joined under the sheets by a person their age also with silver hair. Sighing, Melisandre shook her head.

"R'hllor show me the way." She whispered in her native High Valyrian. "Tell me I haven't been so wrong."

Her vision then changed once again and she was looking at the top of the Wall. A group in roughly sewn together furs were stood there triumphantly, and she felt a pull towards a curly, dark haired man currently lip locked with a red-headed woman. As she stared at the pair of lovers Melisandre felt clarity for the first time since she had stepped foot in the North, and then a deep pain of regret.

The Red Woman's next visions were worse as at the same time as her questions intensified, so did her visions. Stannis had seen the Crown of Winter laid at his feet, yet Melisandre saw the muddy crown rise in the pouring rain to stab a flaming stag in the neck. Stannis would die that day, she knew, and for some reason her thoughts kept focusing around that man atop the Wall, kissing the wildling red-head. Shaking the man from her thoughts, she stared into the brazier once more, willing it to give off a different sign.

"Please, God. Show me the truth. Who am I to serve, where is Azor Ahai?" She asked the brazier. No true answer came in the visions, and all that she saw was ashes. "Please." She pleaded.

The sound of a crow calling took Melisandre away from her visions however, and the Red Woman was despondent. She left the King's tent with her head down, making her way back to her own before she began to pack everything she owned in a satchel. Sighing dramatically as she exited her tent, spotting the handful of guards sitting outside of the Greyjoy's tent, she took one look South, a look which gave her a bad taste in her mouth. As she turned her head northwards however, she tasted something sweeter, and she felt her body warm up. "North it is." She said quietly, before stealing a horse as quietly as possibly before racing away from the war camp, leaving Stannis Baratheon behind her.

The Red Woman travelled for a week before she arrived at a small village by Long Lake, where a woman was struggling to birth her babe. A short prayer later and Melisandre felt the pull to help out, using her God's power to birth the baby girl healthily. Then the next day a man from the same village needed help with his leg, and before Melisandre knew it she had become the resident healer of this village.

Every time she felt as if she needed to travel further north, Melisandre would get another sign that her time to keep hidden hadn't run its course, and it became 18 months before she would pack her things again and go Northwards. The Gift had been populated by this point, and the Red Woman found a new home with the Wildlings, once again tending to ailments and illnesses, becoming known to the people from Beyond the Wall as the Woods Witch 'Lady Melody.'

Her faith in R'hllor ever strong, Melisandre continued to bide her time, her visions of the dark man remaining strong. This time she wasn't mistaken, she knew. In time she came to learn about this man, this Bastard of Winterfell Jon Snow, and so it was a massive shock when one of the Night's Watch came racing into the newly formed village with an albino Direwolf shouting claims of murder and betrayal.

The King Beyond the Wall brought her into that meeting, and in between the shouting of the archer Ygritte and the blustering of Tormund, Mance Rayder turned to her.

"Is there something you can do, Lady Melody?" He asked her quietly.

Melisandre froze. "I have never brought a man back to life." She replied.

"I didn't ask if you'd done it before, woman. I asked if there was something that could be done." Mance said. "I've heard of your fellow priest, Thoros of Myr. I've heard of the Storm Lord that travels the Riverlands with a group wielding no banners. Tell me plainly, is there something you can do?"

Melisandre shook her head. "The Last Kiss is a ritual the Red Priests perform when one of our faith passes. I've never known it to revive a man."

Mance sighed. "Without Jon Snow we'll be fighting the crows before the moon turns. If we want to survive the Long Night, we need him."

Melisandre gulped, the pressure building. She looked back at the Black Brother and the Direwolf at his side, the beasts red eyes pouring into her own. Her confidence building, Melisandre nodded. "I will not promise anything, but I know the words. I shall perform the Last Kiss."

Her words were met with a grin, before Mance turned back to his Wildling Council. "Gather as many men as are ready, tonight we take Castle Black!"


Focus turns to the Long Night, but to actually plan for an apocalyptic threat that you don't understand fully is difficult, so Luke is simply doing the best he can given the limitations. His focus on the Dragons is a key part of his plan though, and he knows that all three of the adults will be key. That being said, he's cleverly picked up on the dangers of a creature that can make the dead rise…

I really liked the scene with Barristan. He's a knight that has now served 4 or 5 King's depending on if you count Joffrey and so he has valuable experience in all kinds of rulership. It seemed like he was the best person to give honest, unbiased advice to Luke to get him truly in the mindset to return to King's Landing. That being said he knows that he needs to keep Visenya and Bloodwing on Dragonstone to have the dragon grow as well as their bond together, so it was a sad farewell for the time being there. It's not goodbye forever with Dany though, I know some people thought that the last time they parted. She'll be back…

Meanwhile at the Wall (and one of the more unpopular plotlines I've noticed) Jaime and Thorne have their standoff before the gates come crashing in. There are more Wildlings this time based on what has happened in the story, including Ygritte and Mance of course, but then there's one more person that's been silent since Chapter 28…

Melisandre is back! She abandoned Stannis way back when and I give a little insight here as to what she's been doing. She knew she needed to serve Jon Snow from those visions and so she travelled North and waited for her time to come, making herself valuable to the Wildlings.

I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, it was a really fun one to write.

Next Time: A miracle occurs in Castle Black, whilst in King's Landing Luke asserts his authority on his court.

Reviews:

Greed720 (Chapter 44): As stated in the PM, I'll also answer this review here. The war lasted as long as it did in the show, if not longer. There was fighting for basically as long as there was in the show which ended in Season 2 and Season 3 was more of a stalemate after all. The riots of King's Landing and everything that happened there in Season 2 still happened in the story, I just wrote what Luke affected. There are also added factors of Targaryen incest and Blood Magic as to why religious fanatics rose up in world, not to mention I needed it for the Season 6 plotline to happen... I also get into why the Sparrows were so prominent later on, which you should have already seen if you're reading this.

Hail King Cerion: I really like what I have planned for Jon later on, I can't wait to get him out of the Watch and really get into the later part of his story with a living family. I agree about Blood and Cheese, though I don't expect we'll lead in the season with that given where it ended. I think that'll be the cliff hanger for Episode 1 now.

Guest (Tyrell): All I'll say is nice catch…

SpartanWolfj6: She's certainly overreaching to try and secure Tyrell power.

CrowKrowQrow: A dutiful Robert is probably accurate but a comparison that would get you executed if you told it to Luke's face haha. The Night's Watch plot will be over soon. I justify it as Thorne hating the alliance with the Wildlings and the Night's Watch waning in importance and he sees Jon as the manifestation of that, but a lot of people share your opinion on it.

Darbiboi: I agree about Aemond, having the Dragons have some semblance of control over their actions is a really interesting angle. The thought of Daemon Blackfyre with a dragon is a terrifying one… but I'd imagine the reason he was so perfect was because there was no dragons left.

Guest (off the rails): I don't just keep going back to canon for the sake of going back to familiarity, I incorporate events based off of the canon story that my own story wouldn't have affected while adapting them to fit based on what has happened up until that point and how my characters have affected the world around them. The Wildlings were always going to invade in Season 4. The Sparrows were always going to rise up after Season 2. Alliser Thorne was never going to accept the Wildlings in the South and on the Wall etc. All of those plots in particular are vital for the future of the story and I've tried to bring them into this story in the most realistic way that I see possible. I'd imagine you wrote this out because you enjoyed this story and want your opinion put on record, albeit anonymously as the majority of negative reviews tend to be. That being said I welcome every review, but I'm also writing the story that I would read. I've had enough guest accounts questioning my decisions in past stories and reacted because of those to the detriment of the story that I want to tell, so while I was writing No Mercy I took on a stubborn stance of not allowing negativity to change my vision and I've enjoyed writing all the more because of that stance because I realised that pleasing everybody is impossible. I love people reviewing and I use my outro to respond because I like to return the favour to people that have spent their time writing out a review for me, but the overall plan for the story has been fixed for years at this point and it won't be changing because of some negativity here or there. Saying I don't care about the reviews I get is just wrong as I say, and I 'spend several hundred words each chapter' responding to as many as I can gather decent responses to because I like to give back and I don't want to be this author that ignores everything. Those responses allow me to thank people, to correct people and to answer any questions I get. I get I may come across as stubborn to those who are reviewing with concerns about the story though. That being said, thank you for reading 51 chapters of the story and I hope you continue reading because what's coming up soon is my most anticipated plot of the story.