Bit disappointed that this has to be said and that there was a series of guest reviews foolish enough to bring up this subject. I obviously removed them instead of approving them, but essentially it was four reviews complaining about Jon setting aside Ygritte/ playing by the rules when he has dragons. Essentially saying how Aegon would've burned them and Jon should/ could just burn whoever doesn't fall in line. And one complaining about Jon not taking Ygritte when Aegon took his sister wives. So in case anyone else has those complaints, I will address them here. Jon has never been one to murder and burn people alive just because they disagree with what he does. The fact that people think that's the option he should take, is ridiculous to me. If he chose the option of burning people alive because they don't want a wildling queen, that's inviting assassination attempts and getting anyone who may be on his side to turn against them. And beyond that, there is no reasonable way for them to work. Also, Jon is seeking to rule the throne of his family. Aegon made the throne and united the kingdoms in the first place, he didn't have to worry about whether or not people disagreed with who he made his queen. Especially when he had the likes of Vhaegar and Balerion behind him, who were known as rather massive.
On another note, its been suggested I go the route of two wives for Jon. Which quite frankly, I'm fine with. Primary and secondary queen, we'll see. Though I suppose I should mention one thing, in terms of taking a wife.
There are many options that are simply not gonna happen. Arriane Martell, well, she's highly unlikely due to the animosity the Martells will have with Jon due to Rhaegar setting Elia aside. Someone also DM'd me about going the Rhaenys being alive route, which is something I considered but won't go with. The reason being that, well, I'm a fan of a fanfiction called A Jade Dragon (Would certainly recommend, go check it out) and the author has already brought out Rhaenys. I would feel like I'm copying them by going that route, or at the very least I have a feeling I would get those accusations, so Rhaenys will likely stay dead. Also, I said this last chapter, but if ya want Jon to take a certain bride, you need to give a reason. Don't go, "I don't like x, I like y." Tell me what's in it for Jon to marry em.
Bah, now y'all can get to the story.
Jon mounted his horse, a black destrier and likely the only one that the Watch had in the first place, or at the very least the only one remaining after the slaughter at the fist of the first men. Ed, Grenn, as well as Ser Alliser mounted up behind him, with Tormund and a few other free folk taking the remaining horses and taking up positions around the small party of crows and the heir to the throne. Ghost was quick to make his way to Jon's side, coming up to the massive horses shoulder, while the two dragons got up from where they had previously been napping, stretching their wings and taking off into the sky, the sun slowly starting to rise above them. Part of the reason Ser Alliser was joining being to protect Jon, while the other part was to appear as if he was the one who would be negotiating, not telling the rest of the watch yet in case someone tried to kill Jon for a pardon.
The revelation could become common knowledge once they had the free folk safe and on their side, ready to support him if need be.
The two had continued to help keep his emotions balanced and keep him in a decent mood, despite the warring emotions beneath the surface. Though the longer he suppressed how he felt about his new identity, the more effort the dragons had to put in at keeping his mind at ease, Ghost leaping in to help when he could. It didn't change the fact that the young man would need to let out his emotions in private the first chance he got.
Shaking off such thoughts, he looked around at the party of men and beasts, Jon nodded to himself before he lightly dug his heels into the sides of his mount, "Lets go. We need to end this today." Nodding their agreement, the black brothers followed suit, with the free folk having a small amount of trouble getting the unfamiliar mounts started. Though there were some horses beyond the wall, there were very few, with few of the humans north of the wall knowing how to tame and ride them. At the least it didn't take those with them too long to get the hang of it, and soon the group found themselves in a simple formation. The watchmen, Jon, and direwolf at the center, with the free folk staying in front of and behind them.
Emerging from the tunnel, the free folk then switched to being in a loose circle around the group, all members of the group keeping their hands near their weapons just in case a few members of the free folk decided to attack rather than wait for them to reach Mance. Tormund knew there was a chance he and the free folk with him would be attacked as well, due to the fact that he and the others were attempting to protect the enemy. Or rather the former enemy.
There was no idle chit chat as they approached the woods and began to pass through them, Tormund spotting a scout here and there hiding in the brush, keeping an eye on and following them as they made their way to Mance's army. A few ran off ahead of them, keeping themselves fairly hidden as they went off to bring a report to Mance. The dragons stayed high in the sky above the tree line, attempting to stay out of sight so as to keep the element of surprise in the case that things turn nasty.
Or, as Jon could tell with some amusement, in case they were given a chance to make an entrance. He rolled his eyes with a small smile at the slight feelings of anticipation and thoughts of vanity emanating from the two dragons. As long as they didn't choose to show their splendor by recreating Harrenhal, then he was fine. He had a feeling he wouldn't exactly be a well received monarch if he allowed such an event to occur.
Soon they came upon the free folk camp, a few nearby giants glaring at the group and keeping hands near their over-sized weapons. Jon couldn't help but shudder at the thought of his dragons facing them at their current size, knowing it would be all too easy for the giants to crush the dragons or impale them with their giant arrows and spears. The thought was enough to make him tighten his grip on the reigns, Ghost growling at his partners stray imagination.
It wasn't long before they reached the heart of the camp, where Mance was already waiting for them with a few of his lieutenants. His hands rested at his hips, and though he had a spear at his back and a sword at his hip, neither of his hands went for either weapon. Though he was a bit tense, it was also clear that he had no intention of starting any fights. Another thing to help bring Jon relief. Though he had expected Mance to welcome them peacefully, he couldn't help but be slightly paranoid regardless that the K8ing-beyond-the-wall would rather have their heads instead of their words.
Jon didn't waste much time in dismounting, wanting to be on even footing with the former member of the watch, the black brothers and free folk that had accompanied him following his example. Ghost stayed by his side however, and the two dragons stayed in the sky, ready to dive down and ensure hell rained down upon the camp if the situation got a bit too dangerous for their partner.
Without a word, Mance went back into his tent, only stopping for a brief moment to signal them to come inside. Following his lead, Jon, Tormund, and the members of the watch entered the tent, while the free folk that had accompanied them either stood guard outside or left to go find their families to go check up on them. Mance's wife and her sister were both in the tent, his good sister having a sister in her hand and ready if the men proved to be a threat. "So, considerin you came here surrounded by members of the free folk, I have a feelin you're here to talk?" Turning a raised eyebrow at Jon as he asked, he then went and sat down at the small table in the tent.
Both Grenn and Edd took up positions on either side of the tents exit, hands on the hilts of their swords should things turn sour. Jon took the seat opposite Mance while Ser Alliser stood behind the Targaryen, just like the two at the entrance keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword. Jon, on the other hand, made a point of keeping his hands away from his weapons, though Ghost prowled near the man in the tent. "Aye, we are. We want to discuss terms with you."
Now having both eyebrows raised, Mance turned to look at his wife and good sister before turning back to Join with a small smile on his face, "Oh? Is that so? By terms, I assume you mean you're here to discuss a treaty, to beg for the lives of your fellow sworn brothers?" Grabbing a large ghostskin and a few mugs, Mance poured some sour ghosts milk into each cup, giving one to Jon and himself. "Its the only choice you really have. You can either strike a bargain with us, or we'll kill every man on the wall, from the Shadow Tower to Eastwatch by the sea."
Raising his own eyebrow now, Jon didn't take the drink quite yet. Confusing his hesitation for skepticism, Mance rolled his eyes and took the first drink to make a point before he continued, "I wouldn't kill ya with poison, Jon Snow, despite how badly I want your head to roll. The men and women in this camp would lose a good deal of their respect for me if I took ya out that way instead of in a fight. Besides, we need your help still." The elected king looked over to Alliser to gauge his reaction, taking note of how the grip on his hilt tightened at the threat to Jon.
Jon spoke up before he could continue, "You're partly right. I do want to prevent more deaths, though on both sides, not just the Watch. I'm not here to just discuss a mere treaty, though. I'm here to discuss a mutually beneficial deal." He brought up his own cup of goats milk and took a drink, his eyes not leaving Mance as he waited for a response from the self-made king.
The King-beyond-the-wall, to his credit, tried not to look too amused at the man in front of him. He wanted to be respectful, after all. "Is that so? A mutually beneficial deal ya say? We free folk, we keep our word, but why exactly should we have a deal with you when we could simply get south by force, and have no strings attached?" He took another drink of his sour goats milk, wondering what exactly Jon could offer.
"Its simple. I can keep the rest of the North off of your back and make sure they don't march into your camp with an army of trained north-men. The free folk are good fighters, but I think you're more than aware that an organized northern army would cut down your people like a scythe through wheat." Jon couldn't help but take some satisfaction from how the smile on Mance's face dimmed, if only a little. The mans confidence stemming from the fact that he felt he held all the cards.
Luckily for these negotiations, Jon was the one who held the most important card of all.
"And how exactly do ya propose to do that? You may be Eddard Starks bastard son, but that's all you are. A bastard. Its unlikely that any of the northerners would rally to you or obey you in the first place. So what exactly do you have to prevent the North from tryin to kill us all?" That amusement had been lost now at the mention of what Jon could offer, and there was a slight amount of irritation in his voice at how Jon had decided to try and one up him.
Smirking a little and raising his drink to Mance, "Simple. I was never a Snow in the first place, and you're not the only one who has a kingly authority." Seeing the confusion in his eyes, Jon decided to explain, "Eddard was never my father. He was my uncle. My father was Rhaegar Targaryen, the deceased crown prince. My mother was his second wife, Lyanna Stark. I have just as much Stark blood as any of Eddards children, and I have a right to the throne. So I do, in fact, have the authority to order the North to stand down and leave you be."
At first, Mance simply blinked at the man before him. Yet as he thought about the new revelation and what it could mean, a smile began to grow on his face despite the shock. "You have the authority to make sure no one ever bothers the free folk ever again... alright. I'll bite. What exactly is this deal of yours?"
"Its simple." Leaning forward on the table and setting his drink aside, Jon clasped his hands together as he stared down the free folk king, "I'll allow your people south of the wall where they can settle in the Gift. The watch won't bother you, and I'll keep the northern houses away from you. All I ask, is that the free folk offers some of its able bodied warriors and giants to help fight for me, and to man the wall, as well as abide by northern laws. If they do, they will also be offered better equipment. Armor, weapons, whatever they desire. We'll also help give your people any food we could afford to spare, to make sure they stay fed, and offer builders to make proper shelter." Though he knew it likely wouldn't be too much, due to the fact that winter was fast approaching and they'd need to build up their food stores.
Assistance surviving and living, as well as safety and salvation for their people, in exchange for help during combat. "I'll need to discuss this with the chieftains of the clans. You've given us a lot to think about, Jon Snow. Or do you actually have a different name now?" He wanted to take the deal, but he knew he had to talk it out first, especially in case he could get a slightly better deal. Besides, he wasn't completely sure of Jons claim either way.
Nodding at the man as the small smirk grew into a small smile, "Aenar. Aenar Targaryen. If it will be easier though, you can still call me Jon in the meantime. We'll wait for you outside." With that, Jon and his small party with the exception of Tormund made their way out of the tent, while Mance shook his head and sent out some of the watching guards in the tent to go and retrieve the chieftains.
It was just too tempting of a deal to take.
As they waited for the meeting within Mance's tent to come to an end, Jon could feel the mounting annoyance of his dragons. While they were used to flying for longer periods of time and certainly had the ability to fly longer, they had expected they would be given a chance to make a grand entrance sooner. Instead they were simply left waiting for their chance in the sky, so high up that even when they became visible to those on the ground they simply looked like a pair of large birds.
As he was thinking about it, he noticed what look like members of the Thenns coming over, a few of them having their weapons out as they approached. Ghost took notice of the group of seemingly hostile warriors approaching and began to bare his teeth silently, his fur raising up as he eyed the potential opponents. Ser Alliser immediately went to Jons right side, standing slightly in front of him as he prepared to draw his sword, while Edd and Grenn both drew their swords and stepped up to stand side by side with Jon.
There was a little over a dozen warriors, with what seemed like another half a dozen nearby. They were seemingly slightly off-put by Ghost, the direwolf ready to lunge at a moments notice. A man stepped up in front of the group, greatly reminded Jon of Styr, the former Magnar that had been killed by himself and his companion during the battle within Castle Black. He drew Longclaw and pointed it at the man, Ser Alliser following his lead, "That's far enough. If you have business with us to discuss, you can stay right over there. Now, what do you want?"
Jon took notice of the fact that the guards around the tent were seemingly being cut off by other Thenn warriors, so he knew they would not be able to expect much help from that front. Though if he was to be honest, he wasn't all that worried.
It seemed soon his dragons would get the grand entrance that they had been waiting for.
"Styr, the Magnar of Thenn. You brought back many of the captive free folk from Castle Black, but you didn't bring him. So where is he?" Though the man seemed calm, Jon could see the rage hiding just beneath the surface within his eyes. The way his shoulders were tense, and the grip on his own battle axe shook from rage. It didn't take long for Jon to figure out exactly who this was.
"He's dead. I killed him after he tried to split my skull open with his axe. Just like many other free folk warriors that tried to cut me down, including members of your own clan." Honesty was the way of the free folk. There was no point in lying or sugar coating matters, and he had a feeling that no matter what he said this situation only had one natural conclusion.
Clenching his free hands fist, he and the rest of the Thenns slowly began to approach, "Then you're goin to die in his place to make it up to us. Kill them!" Likely now the new magnar, Styr's son and his men charged. As the men of the watch stood their ground and Ghost prepared to pounce on the nearest target, they were all stopped as they heard what sounded like a pair of screeches. It was confusion more than anything that halted them, yet as they made their approach it started up once more.
With Viserion letting loose a jet of flame and forming a wall of fire in front of the thenns, cutting them off from Jon and the others, Rhaegal landed in front of his partner to his left and bonded direwolf and roared at the opposition, a long and loud cry as he rose on his legs and spread his wings, an act of intimidation. One that was highly successful as the free folk stared at the green dragon in shock, lowering their weapons and backing up at the sight of the giant reptilian beasts.
The conflict and the screeches of the dragons drew in the shocked and awed eyes of several other members of the free folk, the news spreading like wildfire and drawing in a crowd of several hundred, a crowd that was slowly growing as time went on. Styr was the only one who hadn't lost the will to fight, though he was a lot more hesitant at the sight of Rhaegal. It didn't help matters when Ser Alliser put more distance between him and Jon, just for Viserion to take his place at Jons right side, letting loose a warning of his own.
Jon felt some amusement as he felt the secondary reason that the dragons wanted to make a grand entrance, beyond simply satisfying their own sense of vanity and glory. It was an act, one that carried a powerful message.
'He's ours. Dare to attempt an assault, you die.' He couldn't help but feel touched by the two, Ghost completing the image as he stood directly in front of Jon.
"I'm sorry, but I don't think my life will be paying for anything any time soon." He tried not to smirk at his dragons fierce agreement, the two keeping their teeth bared and their aggression obvious, "Though as the current Magnar of Thenns, you should go inside the tent to speak with Mance. Instead of ignoring his summons in the first place to start an unwinnable fight." He couldn't imagine Mance would be too pleased with Styrs son for ignoring a summons. Regardless of whether or not the Magnar was alive, it would've fallen to his son to represent the Thenns.
"No need, Jon. Your damn beasts made such a racket that we had to come out to investigate for ourselves." Turning he saw Mance staring at the pair of dragons with awe, despite the annoyance in his tone. Behind him stood the various chieftains representing the free folk clans. Rhaegal kept his attention on the warriors in front of the dying flame wall, while Viserion turned and let out a low hiss as the free folk king, who raised up his hands without any weapons, "Hold on their big fella. Not here to hurt your master, just to talk a bit."
The dragon didn't back down, though his hiss slowly quieted. One of Mances lieutenants attempted to approach, his hand reaching out to the dragons and his eyes slowly going white. Jon briefly recognized him as Varamyr, a fellow warg. He realized what he was up to when he felt him prod at the dragons consciousness, Jon recognizing the nudge for what it was. An attempt at calming down the dragons, and seeing if he could wrest control of the dragons for himself.
It was a huge mistake, and one Jon never got the chance to warn him about. Rhaegal whipped around and screeched at Varamyr, with Viserion letting out his own screech and lunching at the warg. The man attempted to back away, only for Viserion to still latch onto his arm and bite down. Hard. The surrounding free folk and watchmen winced at the scream, as well as the sound of bone crunching before the creme dragon shoved him into the ground, making his way back to Jon with some of his teeth bloodied.
None of Varamyr's own animal companions came to his defense, staying in the shadows and keeping their distance. The second part of the message, one for any wargs that got overly ambitious. "They're mine. You made a mistake by trying to take control of them. If any other warg attempts to do the same, they'll find themselves facing a lot less mercy." They were all more than aware that the dragon could've taken his arm or his life if he really wanted to.
Jon had been briefly tempted to allow Viserion to kill the man as a message, but saw the injury as message enough.
Raising an eyebrow at Varamyr, the skinchanger clutching onto his ruined arm, he rolled his eyes at the mans attempt to take control, "Someone get this idiot to a healer. Fool should've known not to overstep his bounds in the first place." At his command, a few free folk warriors came to take him away to a healer, though none were all that sure if they would be able to properly tend to his arm. Looking again at the two dragons, a smile quickly growing on his face as the awe returned, he shook his head at the two great lizards, "I suppose this means you were tellin the truth. Only a Targaryen could tame a dragon." Turning to face his remaining lieutenants, with Styrs son listening in as well, he raised his voice to be heard over the murmuring, "Well, you sorry lot! This man offers us food. He offers us safety. Shelter. Protection. In turn, we help him fight a few battles. He's gotta be something if these beasts are so fiercely loyal, aye? So what do ya bastards say? We gonna stay here and try to fight these things? Or are we gonna head south and fight alongside these things? I know where I'd rather be!"
The answer was quick, and it was decisive as each of the chieftains raised their weapons and yelled out a single, resounding, "AYE!" Many of the free folk surrounding them, having grown to a few thousand spectators, each gave out their own agreement and raised their weapons high. Morale was high, and many had grins splitting their faces as they realized their safety was assured without any more blood being spilt. Even the nearby giants raised their assorted giant weapons and let out their own victorious roars, not wanting their own people to fall in battle either.
Turning to Ser Alliser with a victorious smile, Jon Snow briefly forgot his troubles over his new identity as he spread his arms to gesture at the camp surrounding them, "And so, we've secured the first step to stopping the Others. And the first step to bringing winter and fire down upon those who have wronged my family." Ser Alliser couldn't help but grin along with his king.
It took quite some time to pack up camp, once they were ready it took more time still to get the massive host moving. Giants and their mammoths along with the livestock the free folk currently had stayed along the sides of the horde, with the warriors also taking up positions surrounding the massive host while children, elderly, and other such noncombatants made up the center. The giants and mammoths stayed along the side to help protect the people as well, keeping an eye out for any potential threats.
The gate had been opened once the watch made out the forms of Jon and the other members of the watch that had gone with him, his dragons and direwolf staying close to him ever since the incident with the new magnar, who he discovered was named Sigorn. After Varamyr, the pair of dragons had been tempted to give Sigorn a physical warning as well, though they refrained due to Jon knowing it would be seen as unprovoked and could potentially cause more issues.
Jon and his companions stood by the gate as the free folk began to funnel through, a few hundred warriors taking the lead so as to guard the entrance once they made it out. The giants and mammoths would be the final ones to pass, due to how much room they would take and how they would slow down the rest of the free folk. In the mean time the giants stood in a solid line on each side with their mammoths, providing safety for those they had called their companions for the past years.
Yet as they passed through the runnel, the massive horde ever so slowly diminishing, there seemed to be a commotion on top of the wall. Jon looked up at the top with a raised eyebrow, Ser Alliser frowning at the trouble up top. The commotion seemed to calm down, only for a brother of the watch to fight his way through the passing free folk, making his way to Jon in a panic. The man turned out to be Sam, who used his weight to help push his way through, "Jon! We got a problem!" As the free folk parted for the overweight man, he stopped in front of the group of watchmen, "We just got word from Eastwatch. Its Stannis! He landed at the outpost and is on his way as we speak to combat the free folk to relieve Castle Black with a host of cavalry! We don't have much longer before they arrive!"
Jon couldn't help but pale at the news as he knew what this meant. Stannis was a potential rival for his right to the throne, and a seasoned military veteran. Though a few thousand members of the free folk had made their way past the wall so far, it wasn't nowhere near to all of them passing, and there wasn't enough giants to protect the entirety of the host of free folk on both side. There was a few dozen to perhaps a few hundred giants, with only dozens of that number being warriors. Turning to Ser Alliser he gestured to the back of the host, where Mance was watching over his people, "Go and get Mance, now! He need to be made aware of what's happening!" Dismounting his horse as the knight made his way to retrieve the free folk king.
In the meantime, Jon joined his mind with Rhaegal, the green dragon taking off as Jon watched through his green partners eyes. Though the cavalry wasn't visible yet, Jon was under no illusions that they would be soon. If Stannis had been pushing his men to hurry from the start, then he was likely extremely close by. Jon couldn't help but feel relieved he hadn't spent time trying to reconcile with his new identity, knowing that if he had it was likely that the free folk would've come under attack by Stannis' men before he could get to them, or at the least before they had started to pass through the Wall.
Within minutes the quick dragon found them, staying high enough so as to stay out of sight. Charging ahead were soldiers donning heavy armor, likely lined with fur to cope with the cold, a unified force ready to bring death upon a force of light infantry like the free folk. Among the army were banners featuring the Baratheon stag, crowned and within a heart surrounded by flame. Leading the host was Stannis himself, the dour man seemingly more than ready to cut down what he saw as savages. Knowing he had kept Rhaegal high enough to appear as a bird but he had to slow them down somehow to prepare and give more people time to pass, he had only one option.
Diving down at speeds no horse could hope to match, Jon allowed Rhaegal to take control and watched as the green dragon let loose a jet of flame in front of Stannis himself, stopping the host as Rhaegal began to form a wall of flames to halt them. He gave them enough room to halt without being burned by the dragon fire, the cavalry charges momentum taken away at the newly erected wall. Stannis himself seemed beyond shocked at the new obstacle, even more so at the green dragon hovering in front of his men, screeching at them and causing further unease, despite its relatively small size. The horses and men were hesitant and unsure of what to do.
Jon simply intended to stall them, not start a battle. He'd rather have a peaceful discussion with Stannis if at all possible, knowing that with his men and experience it would be better to have the man with him rather than against them. Though he also knew it would be rather difficult to make the man bend the knee, if only because of how much he had gone through in his own pursuit of his claim to the throne and all that he had lost in the process. As the shock started to fade however, he knew he had to get across a message of neutrality and peace early on somehow. If only to both prepare the last Baratheon lord and to buy the free folk more time to pass through the wall.
Keeping Rhaegal above the cavalry, noting the disadvantage of them not having any proper ranged troops among them due to their rush to assist the siege of the wall, he had the dragon fly in a circle above Stannis and direct his attention to him to convey interest, while preventing the dragon from snarling and growling at him. He could tell a part of the need came from the small amount of Targaryen blood in his veins, likely having Rhaegal see him as a potential challenger to Jon in another way, besides as the man who should be sitting on the iron throne.
Confusion once more entered his eyes at the dragons antics, with Rhaegal stopping briefly to renew the fire wall on front of the cavalry before he began his show once more, which gave the message that while he was relatively peaceful, he doesn't want Stannis and his men to begin their advance again. For now the stag king seemed willing to entertain the dragon, and leaving Rhaegal knowing he wanted him to stay peaceful, Jon left his mind and began to look around. He took note of the fact that Mance and the chieftains were nearby, with the free folk now having doubled their pace. All the giants that had been a part of the horde now stood on the side facing where the cavalry would come from.
Mance appeared worried as he looked to Jon now, the king keeping a hand near his sword as they waited for Stannis to appear, "Well, Jon? What's the word? Your man informed us of the situation and we got our people to hurry. Don't want em to be shredded by heavy cavalry. Did ya manage to slow em down while you were at it with your dragon?" As he said this he looked in the direction of where Stannis was coming from, itching to take care of the threat to his people. He was more than aware of Stannis' growing reputation from before he left the Watch, and knew there would be no mercy shown to his people.
"I stopped his charge. Right now Rhaegal is keeping Stannis' attention on him, trying to act like he's interested in him. There's a wall of flame that stopped the charge, but we can't keep renewing it. Stannis is likely ready to just send his men around the fire at this point." The free folk and brothers of the watch around him all looked nervous at the prospect of facing a heavy cavalry charge. The watch itself didn't have enough horses to form a force to halt Stannis, and neither did the free folk. If they tried to approach him with intents of peace, it was entirely likely that the cavalry would simply trample them instead.
If they wanted to talk things out with Stannis, they had to do so from a position of power. The wonder of a dragon wouldn't stop him for long, nor would it stop him for a second time.
"Get your people through and fast. If we want to talk with Stannis, we need you all South of the wall and him on the northern side. We need him trapped and to make it difficult for him to send a message to his men." Nodding at the Targaryen heir, Mance and the majority of the chieftains left to go hurry their people further, knowing they would likely have to startle the livestock they had to make them move faster. Tormund stayed behind as he stared at Jon however, curiosity filling his gaze as he looked upon the man. Raising an eyebrow at the man he turned to him with a small frown, "What is it? Do you need something?"
Pursing his lips at the crow, the ginger free folk sighed at the man and crossed his arms, "Why do ya bother puttin in so much effort? Oh sure, I get that ya need help ta fight a couple of battles, but there's more ta this. Ta puttin in so much effort to help and save a group of people ya southerners call savages and wild. So why? Why are ya tryin so hard ta help us?" All he could see in his gaze now was genuine curiosity, the ginger putting aside his earlier malice for Jons earlier betrayal and the battle of Castle Black for the moment. "Ya deceived us, ya left and fought us, yet here ya are tryin ta save us. So why?"
Looking at the bigger man, Jon couldn't help but snort and shook his head, "I thought it was obvious Giantsbane. Your people deserve to live just as much as anyone else. They breathe, they eat, they love just like anyone else. None of them deserve to be left to the Others. Only reason I left and fought against you and the free folk in the first place was because you all would've run about unchecked and done as you pleased. Then there'd be no saving the free folk, and several other people besides would die. I have never hated the free folk, not in the slightest." Turning away from Tormund to look upon the now rushing host of free folk, he took note of Tormund slowly leaving in silence to help hurry things up. Turning to Sam for a moment, he nodded at the tunnel, "Sam, I want you to go to Maester Aemon and retrieve the records of my parents marriage, the annulment between Elia and my father, and records of my birth. I'll need them for Stannis." Nodding at his friend, the Tarly ran off and made his way through the migrating free folk.
With the rush, a large portion of the host had made it past the wall, with many more in the tunnels still. If he had to guess he'd say around half had made it through so far, though he'd like it if the host could move quicker still, knowing time would not be on their side if they wanted to avoid a battle. Turning to Viserion, he joined his mind with the creme dragons, having a bit more difficulty joining with him if only because their bond wasn't as strong as he and Rhaegal's. Directing Viserion on what to do, the lighter dragon took off into the air, Ghost being the only animal left behind to guard Jon now.
Using Viserion as an apex predator, he had the dragon startle the livestock into getting a move on, hurrying the pace a bit as the free folk made sure that no one got trampled by the animals. Viserion proved to be a lot more effective than the free folk, being seen as a far greater threat in their haste to escape from the flying fire breathing carnivore. Satisfied that he had done everything he could to make the group move faster, he switched his focus over to Rhaegal, and saw that Stannis' men were starting to go into the woods to make their way around the flames. They would be moving slower than if they had stayed in the open, but otherwise Rhaegal would keep stopping them. And quite frankly, he didn't want to kill anyone with a forest fire.
Leaving Rhaegal to keep an eye on Stannis and his men, all he could do now was wait.
Their attempts to slow down Stannis had paid off, if only barely. The free folk had made it past the wall, and with their safety Rhaegal was allowed to return to Jons side, the Targaryen heir waiting in front of the gate with his original party of two dragons, a direwolf, and the three members of the watch he brought with him. Mance and a few other free folk had joined him along with Sam, while on top of the wall a large force of free folk archers stood ready in the event that things went sideways.
Not long after Rhaegal had returned to Jon, Stannis and his men emerged from the treeling not too far off from the gate and made their way over to them, having likely already sent men to search for the free folk that he had come to relieve Castle Black of. His cavalry formed up in front of the treeline though none of them made to advance, with Stannis approaching the gate with a balding man riding next to him, among a few men in more well adorned armor. Likely a few of the lords sworn to him whose men had come on this excursion.
Stannis' eyes flickered first to Rhaegal in recognition before turning to Viserion in surprise at there being a second dragon. Soon his gaze turned to the people that actually stood in front of the gate with the dragons, his eyes flickering to the men and women staying behind the dragons before his gaze focused on Jon, as the only one who dared to stand between the two beasts, a direwolf at his side all the while. "So, I'll take it your Eddards bastard, if the direwolf is anything to go by? Though the dragons leave me curious. As far as I know, there were no Targaryen women available for him to bed. Or did he take some whore who just so happened to have remnants of the line in her blood?"
Jon, to his credit, did an excellent job at staying calm, though the two dragons by his side growled at the man in warning to express their own displeasure. Rhaegal lifted himself further up to appear taller, making the horses more skittish at the threat the dragon represented, "You'd stand incorrect, Lord Stannis. Eddard was never my father in the first place. I'm Rhaegars son by Lyanna Stark. Eddard on the other hand, was my uncle. He lied to protect me from your brother." The story of what had been done to his siblings had been enough to make him sick, before he even knew that they were related in the first place. Now, he wished to make those involved pay for what they did.
Ser Gregor and Amory would pay for their transgressions if he had anything to say about it.
Stannis scowled at the young man for calling him a lord, the lords accompanying him murmuring quietly around him at the new revelation, "So you're a Blackfyre then, born of rape. I can see in part why Eddard would protect you, you're all that remains of his sister. At the same time I can see why he would have you sent to the wall rather than keep you near him. I can't imagine how much he detested being near a product of his sisters rape." The lords around him murmured their agreement, the free folk standing behind Jon frowning at the man for his blatant disrespect.
"Wrong again, my lord." Here Ser Alliser stepped in, having already tired at hearing Stannis' barbs. "You stand in the presence not of a Blackfyre, but of Aenar Targaryen, first of his name. Trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and his second, willing wife, Lyanna Stark. Rightful ruler of the seven kingdoms, the Andals, the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm." His listing of titles and facts as they stood there had been more than enough to get Stannis and his lords to focus their attention on him. Many were in complete shock, with Stannis himself having slightly widened eyes and tense shoulders. "You're brother rebellion was a lie. Everything you and your family did..."
Here Jon picked up from where he was leaving off, "All the people your family killed. All the people that died for you, everything you did to try and hold on to the throne or that your family did to help ruin the realm... It was all for a lie. All because my mother fell for a different man, one who wasn't a drunk and a whore-monger. You all ruined my family... for nothing." The shock continued, with many of the lords paling rapidly as they realized they were in front of a man whose family had been close to wiped out, standing in front of them with a pair of dragons more than willing to turn them to ash.
Stannis, for his part, was doing the best out of the bunch to hide his shock. Even then, the would be stag king was pale, his eyes slightly widened as he stared at Jon in disbelief, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. The rebellion had an honorable and noble cause originally, but with the newly added context, it simply seemed like a dishonorable attempt to forcefully take power.
It felt all too much like something a Lannister would do to the dour stag.
"I need... I need proof. I need to see any evidence you have that you are who you say you are, besides the dragons. Being a Blackfyre wouldn't change how much Targaryen blood you have inside you." He seemed to be trying to cling to one last piece that could validate the rebellion. Though the Mad King would've been rebelled against sooner or later, there had been many rumors that Rhaegar intended to start his own rebellion against his father, a rebellion that should've started to be planned out during the tourney of Harrenhal, if it weren't for the untimely arrival of the tyrant himself.
Where Rhaegar had also just so happened to meet Lyanna Stark. Luckily, his father did end up having the foresight to send copies of everything to his great grand uncle Aemon, in the event that they would help either his child or wife. Though his wife was long dead, it appeared he had been wise to send documents to his elderly uncle. One of the only people he could trust, considering both his own fathers madness and the kingdoms turning against them.
Ser Alliser had been trusted to hold on to the documents while they waited for Stannis, the banished knight handing over the documents to the dour stag to examine. If it were the Lannisters or some of their less honorable contenders, they wouldn't consider allowing them near the documents. They would likely rip them to shreds to both ignore his claim and to spite him. Stannis wasn't so petty though, and beyond that, he had a good enough sense of self preservation not to provoke someone when he had his dragons right by him.
After the would be king was finished looking over the documents, he passed them over to the balding man that rode next to him, who then passed it around to the rest of the lords that had followed the two for the discussion. Stannis kept his eyes on the Targaryen heir as his followers each went over the documents for themselves, the lords giving uneasy glances to Jon as they each learned the truth of his identity. It wasn't too long before the papers made their way back to Stannis, who then handed them back over to Ser Alliser, keeping his eyes on Jon.
"You tell the truth." He opened up with, his eyes hard as he looked down upon him, "This entire time I thought I was the rightful heir. That the throne was mine by right. That by law, I had to be king. And yet, here you are." Shaking his head, the Baratheon looked away for a few moments, seemingly in thought over something. Jon didn't feel the need to interrupt him, simply waiting for him to gather his thoughts. After a minute or so he looked back up, a fire in his eyes as he gazed upon Jon, "I'd like us to talk more in Castle Black, rather than in the freezing cold. My men will be allowed to pass as well, as we talk."
Looking over to the cavalry being held back, Jon nodded at his request before turning back to Stannis, "That is agreeable. Come, my lord. We have much to discuss if we want to get the Lannisters off the throne."
Soon a council of sorts had formed, the group of men and women meeting within the Lord Commanders solar. Stannis with the man who he had appointed to be his hand, Ser Davos, who he had made the lord of the newly made house Seaworth. The commander of a small force of cavalry sell swords by the name of the storm crows, and among them being the few lords Stannis still had loyal to him. With Jon were Ser Alliser and Maester Aemon, as well as Mance, Tormund, and Val, who Jon had found out was Mances good sister.
Tension was heavy as the group of lords and so called savages stared each other down, with the true king and members of the nights watch in between. Ghost was in the room as well, if only to bring about order in the likely chance that everyone decided to hell with peace and started trying to kill each other. It hadn't happened yet of course, no one had even really said much so far, but Jon could very much see the looks of loathing in the eyes of the lords as they now took in the free folk.
Stannis didn't seem to mind the tense atmosphere all that much despite the situation, with his group standing in front of the desk while Jon and his stood behind it. Seemingly tired of he silence, Stannis decided to break it, "Its clear you will have the aid of the wildlings. That's at least ten thousand warriors, likely a lot more along with giants. Add on to that, you have two dragons, and I know the North would sooner turn to you then they would to me." All statements of fact. All unavoidable. "I have roughly six thousand men. And none of the kingdoms will support me beyond the stormlands. I came for an army of wildlings and Northmen to bolster my forces, and now I can see they're already off the table."
Jon could certainly understand the situation Stannis was put in. He knew of the battle of the Blackwater, and the truth that Eddard had discovered regarding the royal children. He even felt somewhat bad for the man, fighting for a right that his younger brother had contested him for, coming so close to his goal only to fail. His last hope was up north, and once more it was yanked away from him. "That was when you were the rightful heir to the throne due to a righteous cause. Most of the rebellions cause was a lie, the slandered crown prince had a second son, and currently sitting the throne is a waters born of Lannister incest. The way I see things, you have three options.
"One, leave Westeros. Take your families, your wealth, and go to Essos to seek out a living. Cersei and her council would never allow you or the lords sworn to you to live if you were to come to Kings Landing. She'd have your heads." Jon could tell no one was satisfied with option one, and truthfully he couldn't blame them. It wasn't one he would want to take either, and luckily they had more choices, "Two, you can march south. We'll provide some food to make sure you survive the journey, you can attempt to wage war, and be defeated by the Lannister army." Both parties knew that the Lannister army was still substantial enough to defeat such a small force. That was without the support of the Tyrells.
"Or, you can bend the knee to me." Stannis' eyes narrowed as he looked at the young man, with the lords behind him looking at him incredulously for the audacity of a man younger than all of them asking them to support his claim, "You'll never win on your own, Stannis. And you'll never gain the support you need, and you don't have the coin to hire enough sell swords to support your claim. You either lose, or you leave. Or, you can join me." He had intrigued Stannis, that much was clear. The man had yet to speak up, and hadn't interrupted him to belittle him, which was likely a good sign, "If your forces join with mine, we'll retake the North and put the Boltons to the sword. Once I sit on the throne, you'll be the Lord of Storms End, as was your right since Robert took the throne. All you need to do, is bend the knee."
He knew that the odds didn't look particularly great for himself earlier. The difference being though, one way or another, he would gain the Norths support. He had dragons and giants, two highly dangerous weapons on the battlefield. Stannis simply didn't have the numbers or the support to keep going with a campaign where he would become king. He knew that Stannis knew it as well, the dour man looking around at his lords and his hand before sighing, "Allow us to think this offer over. We need to consider any other options we may have. We'll be back to you soon." And so with that, Stannis and his men left the room, leaving Jon alone with his supporters.
Ser Alliser seemed somewhat skeptical of how quick Stannis left the room as he turned to Jon, an eyebrow raised as he spoke, "He left a bit too easily for my liking. Didn't put up much of a fight, and neither did his men. Seems odd for someone like Stannis to simply back down to think over his options." He knew the older knight was right to be skeptical, considering the fact that his claim was likely to be contested and, beyond that, his position was tenuous still.
Though that didn't change everything that the Baratheon had been through, "Stannis is a man of duty. By right the throne was his, and yet by right the throne is actually mine. Beyond that Ser Alliser, he's tired." Seeing Ser Allisers questioning gaze he went on to explain, "He's been fighting for a throne he doesn't truly want for years and has been getting nowhere, and he knows it. He has very few options left for him, and I doubt he's the type to get his men killed for a hopeless cause. Not when so many have already died, and not when he has no hope of gaining help from anyone that wouldn't help me first.
"Now, if we're done here, I would like to rest. Its been a long day." With that, Jon left the room with Ghost, the free folk following his example not long after he left, leaving Maester Aemon alone with Ser Alliser.
Bit of a longer chapter here. Yes, the free folk did just manage to avoid Stannis by the skin of their teeth. I thought about whether or not I should have Stannis and his men attack the free folk and as I considered why I would allow it, I realized it could lead to a retread of Hardhome on a smaller scale and other such consequences and, well, I just was not interested in that mess. I'm busy enough as is with life.
As long as Jon had word of Stannis, there was really no way he could do much. If he had wanted he could've inflicted mass damage as well because Stannis only took cavalry. Just under three thousand men, but that doesn't matter that much when none of them are skirmish units, so it would be all too easy to use the dragons to at the very least hold them back. Which leads us to the most important piece.
Stannis and his claim for the throne. Stannis is a man of duty and justice, and has never really wanted anything for himself except perhaps Storms End, which also may have been a simple matter of duty. But he's gotten it rough for a while now. Killing Renly who opposed him, Robert dying with no true heirs besides himself, having to rally the houses of the Crownlands which were loyal to house Targaryen, even dealing with unrest among his ranks due to religious views and acts. I looked around to see how many men he roughly has by the time he reaches the North, and he only has six thousand, with everything riding on gaining the wildlings support.
Only here, well, the wildlings have already agreed to support another king, one who has Targaryen and Stark blood and raised by a Stark in Winterfell. There is no way the current houses would ever declare for Stannis over Jon. So his efforts to sail north, his entire plan to gain an army, has already been destroyed. I made it clear in the chapter, Stannis only has three options. Flee to Essos with his family and live out the rest of his days there. (Option one being more for him than anyone else, with Tommen on the throne its less likely that his followers would face execution but still, they'd face serious punishment.) He could continue his campaign, and even though he is a dangerous military strategist, with very few left on the field that could prove as a threat to him, he still only has six thousand men and he's in the north. If he were to try and challenge the Boltons himself with his current host, he'd lose. If he were to head South on his own, he would still lose. Maybe he could rally the Riverlands, but its unlikely. Even then, he wouldn't get much.
So he's left with one option, bend the knee to Aenar Targaryen. The reason he hasn't really fought it, as already written, is that he is just plain tired. He's been snubbed ever since the Rebellion. Storms End was taken away, being given Dragonstone instead. When Robert fell a sadistic, psychopathic bastard took the throne, and he lost most of his army in that army to Tywin and the Tyrells, as well as Tyrions wildfire trick. Stannis himself has said he is fighting for the throne not because he wants to be king or has a particular desire to be one, but because he needs to be one by law. Except now, he has a way out. He doesn't have to be king now, he can simply be the man supporting a king. He's already being promised Storms End, as is his right, and is something he is emotionally attached to.
Slightly related to the note at the start of the chapter, anyone got any real good fanfics from either ASOIAF or GOT Fanfictions regarding Jon and a more unorthodox pairing? Dany, Sansa, Ygritte, they're all well and good, but I want something a bit different. If the fic is complete or not abandoned, all the better. (I still feel the pain from a Myrcella/Jon that got cut off too soon :c)
