Well, I think you can guess what happens. Great title, huh? I couldn't resist.
17. The Last King in the North - Jon
The Great Hall of Winterfell was packed with people. Again. Ever since becoming king, Jon could barely remember a time when the place wasn't crowded. Looking over the room, he spotted Alys Karstark sulking at the far end of the long table to the left. She was trying very hard to avoid his eyes.
After he took Sansa's advice, his bed had grown colder. Lady Alys became less inclined to continue sleeping with him without the prospect of a wedding. She wanted the crown. Jon felt more guilty than anything else. He's the one who had brought her into his bed in the first place.
At least he had found something else to distract him. He glanced over at Howland Reed, who nodded back. The man was a fountain of knowledge. His wisdom had already proven to be effective, because at the end of their last lesson Jon had finally managed to warg into Ghost. Feeling the world through his direwolf was a... strange experience, to say the least. Night had been as clear as day, he could hear the quickened heartbeat of a scared rabbit running away, and smell the scent of plants he couldn't even name. I can't wait to try that again.
And Jon also used their time together to ask about Lyanna Stark. My mother. Lord Reed only had good things to say about her, giving examples of her bravery and her compassion. She was a mystery knight! That was his favorite story, and he had wondered why Lord Stark never spoke of it. Never mind that now, let's get on with this.
He turned to look at Sansa, who nodded. He rose from his seat.
"My lords and ladies. We have called you here today to discuss a few important matters." He glanced around to make sure he had their attention. "First, I'd like to thank all of you for sending people to the Wall. Lord Commander Tollett informs me the repairs are going well, and within a few months we should have more castles ready to defend us." Some lords didn't look too pleased, but most of them raised their cups.
Jon raised his own mug and took a sip of ale. "And in the interest of our defense, another letter arrived. A brother of the Night's Watch has found evidence of a massive deposit of dragonglass in the island of Dragonstone." He paused here to see if they remembered what he had said before.
Lord Royce spoke up. "Your Grace, isn't that the very weapon you said could destroy the White Walkers?"
He allowed himself a smile. At least one of them remembers. "Aye. We'll need to mine it and turn it into weapons first, but yes it is. I'm glad I don't have to explain the importance of going to Dragonstone." He hesitated. This next part was critical. I'll have to be careful. Jon took a deep breath. "And the final letter to arrive just happened to be from that island. Daenerys Targaryen has arrived."
The Great Hall erupted at these words. It seemed every lord and lady wanted to talk at the same time, discussing what to do about the dragon queen. Jon waited and watched them first, glancing at each notable lord to try and gauge their response. It didn't surprise him that Lord Baelish seemed unperturbed by the news. He probably knew about it before we did. However, Jon was surprised to notice that a few other lords seemed to know it too. Odd.
Finally, he raised his hands and the noise quieted down. "The letter was written by Tyrion Lannister, who claims to be the queen's Hand. He offers an alliance against Cersei."
Lady Mormont spoke up. "We can't trust Lannisters, Your Grace. Even against other Lannisters."
"Lord Tyrion is different." Sansa offered. "He was never fully accepted into his own family. If he's truly with the dragon queen, perhaps we should consider this alliance."
Lord Royce stood up. "The Lannisters are terrible, to be sure, but they're nothing compared to the Targaryens." His voice was bitter. "I still remember the atrocities committed by the Mad King."
Jon was afraid of this. Madness was indeed a Targaryen trait. He had read that when a Targaryen was born, the gods flipped a coin to decide if they would achieve greatness or madness. His recent trips to the library had given him a greater understanding of that side of his family, and it seemed the coin had fallen on the mad side far more often. Will I go mad too? He shook his head, pushing the thought away.
"That's all in the past." He had to make this work. "I don't know this dragon queen, but I won't judge her based on her father's crimes." He paused to see their reaction. Most of the lords were nodding, so he continued, "And we'll need allies for the war to come. Daenerys has the armies and the dragons we need. It's important that she doesn't waste them fighting a pointless war in the south."
Lord Baelish cleared his throat. "An alliance would be wise, Your Grace." He said, with that slimy smile of his. "If I may ask, what else did Lord Tyrion say?"
Jon hesitated, looking at Sansa first. She was frowning, clearly suspicious of Littlefinger, but she remained quiet. That's not very helpful. "He invites me to Dragonstone to treat with his queen." He decided to tell the truth. He took a deep breath. "And I'm going to accept."
He heard Sansa sigh by his side, but he ignored her. She had been trying to change his mind for days now. At least wait for Bran, he had heard more than once. Jon was almost convinced. He wanted to see his little brother again. What did he see beyond the Wall?
He paid more attention to the other lords. To their credit, the reaction wasn't as negative as he had expected. It's a good thing I mentioned the dragonglass first. But those same lords who weren't surprised by the news that Daenerys had landed looked angrier than the rest. Why?
"You're leaving?" Lady Lyanna Mormont asked, her voice a bit less fierce than usual.
He turned to face her. Jon knew he wouldn't be able to convince everyone, and he expected the angry faces. But he didn't expect this. She's sad. Even Sansa hadn't reacted this way when he told her, as she seemed more worried about telling him what to do instead.
"I have to." He tried to sound confident. "We'll need to convince her to fight an enemy that most people don't even believe. I've seen them. I've fought them. I know I can convince her." The Great Hall quieted down after his words. Well, that was easier than I thought.
"Are you sure that's the only reason you're going?" Lord Glover's loud voice broke through the silence. Strange question. Glover was one of those lords he had noticed before.
"What do you mean?" Jon asked, feeling Sansa shift in her seat. He turned to look at her. She had her eyes wide open, clearly worried about what was happening. When she caught his eye, she mouthed the words HE KNOWS.
Jon didn't have time to think. "Enough lies!" Lord Manderly sounded just as angry as Lord Glover. "We know about your secret. You just want to reunite with your family." That confirms it. And he was another one of those lords who weren't surprised before. How did they find out?
Lord Royce looked confused. "Family? I don't understand."
He opened his mouth to explain himself, but Lord Glover beat him to it. "Jon Snow isn't Ned Stark's son."
Silence greeted those words. Most lords just stood there with their mouths hanging open, clearly too dumbstruck to say anything.
Jon had to say something. "Alright!" He raised his hands above his head. "I don't know how you've learned this, but it doesn't matter." He took a deep breath. "It's true. Lord Stark wasn't my father."
"That doesn't make sense." Lady Mormont regained her voice faster than the others.
"Indeed it doesn't." Lord Cerwyn agreed. "We all know how Lady Catelyn hated the Bastard of Winterfell. Why would Ned lie about something so important?" He asked, looking straight at Jon.
"He had to protect his family." Lord Reed's voice was low, but caught everyone's attention. He rose from his seat and hobbled to the front, slowly leaning on his cane. When he reached the main table, he nodded at Jon before turning back to face the other lords. "Ned was my dearest friend. The entire North knows how honorable he was, but few knew that honor had a limit." Lord Reed sighed. "At the end of the war, he was faced with a difficult choice. He chose family."
"Wait a moment, my lord." Lord Royce still looked confused. "If Jon Snow isn't Ned Stark's son, how is he family?"
"Lord Stark was my uncle." Jon said. He knew it would sound better coming from him. "I'm the son of Lyanna Stark and Rhaegar Targaryen."
The whole room gasped together. Except Glover and Manderly, he noted. They looked rather pleased with themselves.
"See?" Lord Glover gloated. "Our so-called King in the North has been a Targaryen this whole time. I bet he can't wait to surrender the North to his aunt." His voice was full of scorn. Jon narrowed his eyes and balled his hand into a fist. Sansa was right, I should've punished him.
"How…" Lady Mormont seemed about to defend him, but she shook her head. "How long have you known?" She asked, turning her head from Lord Glover towards him.
Jon considered looking at Sansa, then changed his mind. I can't let them blame her too. "Lord Howland Reed told me as soon as he'd arrived at Winterfell." He glanced at the man, still standing in front of the main table, his piercing green eyes watchful as always. "I was… surprised, to say the least."
"But that was ages ago!" Lord Royce didn't sound too pleased. "Why haven't you said anything?"
He opened his mouth, but Lord Manderly interrupted him. "Isn't it obvious? He knew the North would never accept a Targaryen as king."
"That's true!" Lord Cerwyn agreed. "A Targaryen shouldn't be leading us."
"Maybe he even made up this Night King business." He couldn't make out who said that.
"Yeah, everything he said could be a lie." Or that.
"We can't trust a Targaryen."
"He might be mad too."
"ENOUGH!" Sansa shouted, slamming her hands on the table and slowly rising from her seat. "Jon may not be my father's son, but he's still family. His mother was a Stark. He was raised at Winterfell. While you're our guests here, you will treat him with respect." Her nostrils were flaring, and she narrowed her eyes in a predatory way.
Jon felt the hint of a smile on his face. My sister. Hearing all those people insulting him made him realize that none of them actually cared for him at all. They wanted a Stark, but they settled for me.
Lord Royce inclined his head. "My lady, with all due respect, you can't expect us to follow your… cousin now." He avoided Jon's eyes.
"Well, his mother was a Stark." Lady Mormont offered. Lyanna. Her namesake. The young lady of Bear Island must have heard a lot about Lyanna Stark. "And he has proven himself in battle." She seemed to be the only one who still supported him. At least one. Most of the other lords were shaking their heads.
"No. A Targaryen can't be King in the North." Lord Cerwyn crossed his arms. "We can't have that."
"But these are dark times." Ser Davos said, grimly. Jon was surprised to hear the man's voice. He's a southerner. Most northern lords disliked him for having such an influence over their king. Former king, it seems. "You'll need a strong leader for the wars to come."
"If I may?" Littlefinger's voice rose from the side of the room. Finally. Jon was wondering why the man had been so quiet during all the commotion. He walked briskly to the center of the room to stand closer to the main table. Lord Reed eyed him with suspicion, casually dropping his free hand to the bronze knife at his side.
Lord Baelish cleared his throat and addressed the room. "You have a strong leader right there." He pointed at Sansa. "A true Stark. One who has survived horrors most people can't imagine. The true hero of the battle for Winterfell. Your… Queen in the North."
I'll be honest: I forgot Davos was supposed to be in the room until the end. Though I don't think his words would have had much weight anyway. But it's interesting that I forgot the two advisors when their rulers needed them most. That probably says something about me.
Alright, there should be another chapter before Jon leaves. But this is definitely the last Jon chapter at Winterfell. For now.
Conversely, this was the reason I nixed the Jonsa stuff. I wanted Jon to leave sooner rather than later, but having to set that up took entirely too long. I still think they look good together. It just didn't feel organic.
Also, I'm not sure I see Sansa with anyone else. Maybe Tyrion? I don't know. Definitely not Sandor, though. It's certainly possible I'll just leave her without pairing. But I do want her to be happy. I guess I could figure out a way to make her happy without a man. I know, I know - what a shocking concept!
The date is 19/05/2019 (finale, yay!)