Notes:

We are slowly starting to leave Season 8 behind now. We won't be quite rid of it yet, which is why this is titled "Aftermath", but definitely getting there.

I considered splitting this chapter because it got quite long, but then I would have needed an additional chapter title. And I think the scenes fit together quite well. There's some Jorah and Daenerys, some Jon and Daenerys and some Jorah and Tyrion in here.

It seems the last chapter title "The End" was a bit confusing. Sorry about that. It was never meant to be the end of my story. Just the end of dealing with canon plot points. We are not quite halfway through this story. I said six to seven chapters in the beginning. It's more like eleven or twelve at the moment. The last chapter has been written, but the ones in-between keep expanding with additional scenes.

Thanks for the comments!


When Jorah arrived at Dragonstone, Daenerys, Tyrion, Jon, Ser Davos and Grey Worm were assembled in the Chamber of the Painted Table.

"Leave us," Daenerys commanded when she saw Jorah.

Even after the others had left, they just stood there for a moment with the table between them.

After her attack on the Red Keep Daenerys had somehow managed to keep her emotions in check, to just ignore and bury them deep down. She had just functioned in order to deal with the aftermath. But Jorah's arrival threw her. She hadn't expected him here, but in a way she wasn't really surprised that he was here either. Daenerys was suddenly overwhelmed by feelings. She was torn between misery and relief. She was rooted to the floor and didn't know what to do.

Jorah observed her closely. At least she didn't seem hurt. Her face didn't betray her emotions at all. Her face was expressionless, except for her eyes. He could see the turmoil there. "When I heard that Missandei… I'm so sorry," he said finally.

"You know what her last words were to me?" she asked, blinking back tears.

He shook his head.

"Dracarys." And that's when she broke down, sinking to the floor.

Jorah rushed to her side, taking her into his arms. Daenerys wept bitterly. Her body was shaking and her sobs were heartbreaking. Jorah just held her and let her cry, gently stroking her back to soothe her. It took a long time until she was able to speak again.

"I should have done it a long time ago. Then she would still be alive," Daenerys said. "I can hardly look at him."

"At whom?"

"Grey Worm. Every time I see him… It's my fault."

"Cersei killed her, not you."

"She jumped."

"What?"

"Missandei jumped off the wall, before they could…" Daenerys started crying again, putting her arms around him, needing to hold on to him.

"It was Cersei who killed her," Jorah insisted gently.

Daenerys hugged him tighter, making him wince. She looked at him, her eyes red from crying. "Are you alright? You shouldn't have come."

"I couldn't stay away. I came south with Jamie Lannister."

"Is he here?" Daenerys asked alarmed.

"No, he stayed in King's Landing, looking for his sister's body."

"I doubt he will find anything."

"Me neither."

"You saw it then?"

"Yes."

She leaned against him again, totally exhausted. "So many lives lost. I know you told me not to become impatient. But Cersei would have never surrendered. I had to. I didn't know what else to do anymore. It was all falling apart. I didn't see another option. I should have attacked weeks ago, when Cersei was still unprepared. I allowed her to build better weapons against my dragons. I allowed her to use the city against me. What would she have done next? Tyrion should have been able to predict her actions, but he failed again and again. Tyrion begged me to continue the siege. I gave her a chance to surrender and her answer was killing Missandei. Cersei would have never surrendered. I didn't know what to do anymore. I lost control of everything. I just wanted it to end." Daenerys started to cry anew.

Jorah knew that nothing he could say would console her.

"I failed," she said.

"You won."

Daenerys raised her head again. "Then why do I feel like I lost?"

"I know it didn't go like you wanted it to. Like you hoped. With people welcoming you with open arms-"

"You were right about that. You told me a long time ago. I should have listened. I should have listened more closely. Remember what you told me once in Astapor? There will be blood on my hands. I had completely forgotten it. But when I saw the ash and dust rise from the Red Keep, your words suddenly came back to me. And since then it's been all I can think about." She actually looked at her hands and expected them to be red with blood.

"You ended it in one day. No matter how you would have taken King's Landing, some innocents would have always gotten killed." That was the way of war.

"I could have ended it earlier," Daenerys said tiredly. "Yara's fleet, my Dothraki and Unsullied… Maybe then King's Landing wouldn't have happened like it did. There wouldn't have been so many people inside the Keep." She leaned against Jorah and closed her eyes. She had no more tears left. She felt completely empty inside. And numb. "You were right with so many things. But with one thing you were wrong. I don't have a gentle heart."

Jorah laughed.

Daenerys pulled back from him, stunned by his reaction.

He smiled that knowing smile at her. "You wouldn't be sitting here on the ground crying, if you didn't."

"How do you know I am not just crying about Missandei or pitying myself?" she challenged him.

"Because I know you," Jorah said with utter conviction.

Daenerys just stared at him. And what she saw in his eyes made her want to weep all over again, but this time because she was so thankful that he was here. That he was still by her side. That he hadn't abandoned her, just like he had promised. Jorah didn't say those words because he wanted to cheer her up. He said them because he truly believed in her, even if she herself didn't anymore. Jorah looked back at her with those kind eyes. For just a moment they almost made her forget. Had there ever been anything but kindness in them, even when he had disagreed with her? Kindness and love, she realized. The love she had mostly ignored, knowing very well though that it was always there, there for her to see, there for her taking, if she ever wanted to.

"Come on, let's get off this cold floor." Jorah pulled himself up on a chair and then helped her up.

Daenerys saw how he was struggling to get up. Was it his side? Or his hip? She couldn't quite tell. "You aren't healed yet. You shouldn't have come. I told you to…" She trailed off. Whom was she kidding? She was so glad that he was here.

Jorah made her sit on one of the chairs and sat opposite her.

"Varys is dead," Daenerys said.

"What? How?"

"Drogon. I burned him. I warned him a long time ago. And he betrayed me anyway. He wanted Jon to become King."

"How did Varys find out?" Jorah asked.

"Sansa told Tyrion and Tyrion told Varys."

"Tyrion?" Jorah could hardly believe that Tyrion would betray Daenerys. He knew that Tyrion and Varys were friends, but Tyrion was Daenerys' Hand.

"Yes. But it was also Tyrion who told me that Varys was planning to betray me."

Jorah let that sink in for a moment. "And Jon? What does he think about it now?"

"That's what I am about to find out."

"You are meeting with him?"

"Yes."

"Alone?"

"Yes."

"Don't."

"Why? You think Jon would harm me? He would have to rule in my stead then. And I am pretty sure he still doesn't want to. I have the feeling he wants it less than ever before. But if he wants it, I am willing to rule with him together."

"Marriage?"

"Yes."

"Do you think he has changed his mind?" Jorah asked.

"No. I think after what he saw me do in King's Landing – even if we weren't related – he wants me even less than he wants to rule. But maybe we can find an arrangement that works for everyone."


When Jon entered, Jorah was about to leave. On his way out Jorah gave him the most threatening look ever. Daenerys was standing at the other end of the room. When Jon came closer he could see that her eyes were red. It was obvious that she had been crying. "Are you alright?" he asked.

She nodded. And then she came straight to the point. "Rule with me."

"I can't."

No surprise there, Daenerys thought. "Marry me and we can-"

"I can't," Jon repeated.

"Please, hear me out. I am proposing a solely political marriage. To bring peace to the Seven Kingdoms. To strengthen my hold on the realm and to reward the North for fighting against the Night King. Many will oppose me because I am not from Westeros, because I am a Targaryen."

"I don't think you have to worry about that. Everybody is tired from the recent wars. I don't think there is any opposition left. They will all swear loyalty to you, trying to get the most out of your win for themselves."

That was one possible scenario. Only time would tell. "I've asked you before, Jon. I am asking again. What do you want?"

"Let me go back to Winterfell. Let me be Warden of the North."

"No King in the North?"

"No."

"You really can't get away from me fast enough, can you?" He could have blackmailed her into almost anything by threatening to make his claim public. But Jon Snow wouldn't do that.

"That's not it. I am not made to rule King's Landing. Or the Seven Kingdoms. I will remain your most loyal servant." Jon thought about it for a moment. "Your second most loyal servant," he corrected himself. "I still do love you. But I don't think it's a good idea for me to stick around." One day he might forgive her for how she had taken King's Landing. And maybe then the temptation would become too much and he would despise himself for it. "I love you too much to stay."

Too much, she thought. Jorah loved her and had never thought of leaving her because it was too difficult. "Yes, it would wear you down," she agreed. "Go home to Winterfell, Jon Stark, King in the North."

Jon looked at her bewildered. "What?"

Daenerys knew how desperately he wanted to be a Stark and didn't want to be associated with anything Targaryen, especially after what she had done. "That's what you always wanted, isn't it? To be a Stark?"

"Yes, my whole life."

"If you don't want to be king, I am sure Sansa wouldn't mind becoming queen. She asked me for independence for the North almost as soon as I had arrived in Winterfell."

Jon looked at her astonished. Then he said, "You don't have to do this. Sansa won't push my claim. She can't. Not anymore."

"What do you mean?" Daenerys asked confused.

"I burned the book."

"What book?"

"The book that contains the proof that my parents were married and my father's first marriage was annulled."

"You did what?" He had burned the only proof that he was not a bastard.

"I wanted it to end. It caused nothing but trouble, for both of us. And I never wanted the throne."

"Bran knows."

"He said it's my decision. He wouldn't tell anyone. And who would believe him? The story is so unlikely. Even if people believed I was Lyanna's son, everybody thinks she was held against her will. And Bran is my brother. Everyone would think he has an ulterior motive by telling such a story."

"Thank you, Jon."

"I did it for me as much as I did it for you. I shouldn't have told anyone. I just couldn't… it was too much to bear alone."

"You weren't alone. I was right there."

"I know. I'm sorry."

"So am I. But I stand by what I said. The North earned it. You earned it. There wouldn't be a North without you, Jon. There might not even be a Westeros without you."

"Or without you."

Daenerys smiled at him.

"What are you going to do now?" Jon asked.

"Look ahead. Rebuild. And try to survive the winter that lies ahead of all of us."

"I wish you good fortune in those endeavors," Jon said sincerely and took his leave.


Jorah was tired from the long ride and his wounds, especially his hip, were aching. But before he could lie down, there was something else he needed to do first.

Even though Tyrion had told Varys about Jon's claim to the Iron Throne, Daenerys had decided not to have him killed. But Jorah needed to come to his own conclusion. He had come to respect Tyrion. But if he believed he was a threat to Daenerys, he would kill Tyrion.

"It's good to see you up and walking again," Tyrion said. "Although I doubt you should be traveling half across Westeros yet." He motioned to a chair for Jorah to sit down.

"I couldn't stay in Winterfell when I heard about Rhaegal and Missandei."

Tyrion nodded in understanding.

"I traveled together with your brother."

"Jamie is here?"

"In King's Landing, searching for your sister's corpse."

Again, Tyrion just nodded.

"But I am not here to talk about your brother or your sister. I'm here to talk about Varys. Why did he betray Daenerys?"

Tyrion sighed. "Because Varys believed she was turning mad like her father."

"You can't damn the daughter for her father's sins. You should know that."

"I agree. But Varys truly thought Daenerys was going mad. She was losing it. She lost Rhaegal and then Missandei. She became consumed by her grief. She didn't listen to us anymore."

"As queen she doesn't have to listen to you. Especially if your advice isn't helpful."

"I admit that I should have served her better," Tyrion said. "In hindsight some of my advice didn't have the desired outcome. But lots of innocents were killed when she attacked the Red Keep."

"Varys betrayed her before that. Why? Grief isn't madness. Revenge isn't madness. Haven't we all done things out of revenge? Why did Varys distrust her so much?"

"I can't answer that for you. I can only guess. Varys saw Aerys go mad. I think he was haunted by that. Maybe he thought that back then he should have done something to stop Aerys. Varys' loyalty was always to the realm first, not to the ruler of the realm."

"And what did he think he could do for the realm that Daenerys could not?"

Tyrion stayed silent. He couldn't reveal Varys' true motives without also revealing Jon's secret.

"He wanted to replace her with Jon," Jorah said. They couldn't have an honest conversation as long as this wasn't out in the open. Jorah had fully intended to let Tyrion know that he was aware of Jon's true parentage. But first he had wanted to test Tyrion.

"So she told you. Of course she did. You are probably the only one she still fully trusts, besides Grey Worm."

"Why did you betray her?" Jorah asked.

And that was when Tyrion realized why Jorah was really there. This wasn't just about Varys. This was just as much about Tyrion's involvement in all of this. Tyrion knew the next few moments might decide over life and death for him. He knew Jorah seldom did anything without his Queen's permission, but in this case he wouldn't bet on it. He needed to consider his next words very carefully.

"You told Varys about Jon's real parents," Jorah went on angrily. "You knew what Varys was capable of. It wouldn't have been the first time Varys tried to get rid of Daenerys."

"I realized my error. And I wish I had never told him. Then he would still be alive. I am responsible for his death. Varys wanted Jon on the Iron Throne. Maybe if I hadn't told him about Jon, he would have given Daenerys a chance. But once Varys knew about Jon his mind seemed to be made up."

"You don't want Jon on the throne?" Jorah asked.

"I do like Jon Snow, I really do. But Jon never wanted the Iron Throne. And I'm not sure he's made for it. He's never even been to King's Landing before. He doesn't know what it's really like. But he's smart enough to know he wouldn't like it. I think he got a taste of what being at the top means when he was Lord Commander of the Night Watch. And he left that behind. But Varys wanted Jon on the throne. He thought Daenerys would abuse her power. But Varys abused his own power. He decided for himself who was fit to rule and who wasn't. He decided for all of us, for all the realm. Varys had the power to make and break kings. He didn't even give Daenerys a chance to prove herself. He thought Jon was the safer bet. Daenerys is difficult to control or influence. She's unpredictable at times. Jon would have been easier to handle. Maybe Jon would have gladly turned over his power to the council. When Robert sat on the Iron Throne the real power was the council. Varys loved to play the game and he was one of the best, if not the best. Maybe that's what Varys was really after. Maybe he wasn't even aware of it. Under Daenerys he didn't have much to do. Maybe he missed that kind of power he had while Robert was sitting on the Iron Throne. Maybe not. We will never know."

"What do you think? Do you think she is mad?"

"Would I have turned Varys in if I did?"

"That was before King's Landing. What do you believe now?"

"She hasn't said much since then. But setting up shelters and soup kitchens doesn't seem mad to me. I want to believe in her. Like I used to believe in her. Like you still believe in her."

Jorah observed Tyrion quietly, trying to figure out if his words were honest.

"I know you will kill me, if you think I am a threat to her," Tyrion said. "I know this is a trial. I know what a trial looks like. This isn't my first one."

"I really would hate to kill you though," Jorah said, "after all we've been through together."

"But you would do it anyway."

"Yes."

Even though Daenerys hated when decisions were taken out of her hand, Jorah would probably get away with it, especially at the moment. "Can I ask you a question in return?" Tyrion asked.

Jorah nodded.

"Do you think you would see if she turned mad?"

"I've seen what Viserys was capable of. I am not sure if you can call that mad already, he might have very well been on the way there. But you don't need to be mad to hurt people. Viserys had no regard for life. Not even for his sister or for her unborn child. Daenerys is nothing like her brother. She has compassion. Viserys didn't even know what compassion was."

"You didn't answer my question. Would you see it? Do you see it?" Would someone this close to Daenerys, who loved her unconditionally, see the change?

"Do I see what?"

"That she has," Tyrion chose his next words carefully, "hardened?"

"Of course I see it. But I also see the other side."

"The other side?"

"How much more she is hurting."

"You are too close to her. You love her. Love is the death of duty."

"My duty is to my Queen," Jorah said and stood up, towering over Tyrion. "As was yours. You are her Hand. You should have never told Varys. If her own council turns against her just because she is grieving her child and her friend, how did you expect her to react? When she needed you the most, you turned against her. Whom was she supposed to trust? Why should she trust in your advice when you betray her?"

"You think it would have been different, if I hadn't told Varys? Is that what you are saying?"

Jorah started pacing the room. "We will never know, will we?"

"You didn't see her after Missandei's death."

"I know much better than you what Missandei meant to her."

"Do you really not care about the innocents that died in the Red Keep?" Tyrion asked appalled. "Is Daenerys all you care about?"

"Of course I care about them and wish it hadn't happened. But I wouldn't have had a better solution for her. Neither did you. There are no easy decisions in war. Cersei might have planned something else. You underestimated her so many times. And it led to Missandei being killed just so Cersei could hurt Daenerys. Cersei killed an innocent and she would have killed many more. And you know that. Why did you flee Westeros? She wanted you dead, her own brother. Did you forget that? You wanted Cersei gone as much as the rest of us. You got what you wanted. And now, after you got what you wanted, you are complaining about how it was done."

"I am not complaining."

"You wish it had been achieved differently," Jorah said.

"Yes, I do. Of course I do."

"If you abandon Daenerys now, you just used her. You all gladly rallied behind her because of her armies and her dragons. We defeated the wights. She got rid of Cersei. There is no real threat in Westeros anymore. But now you say she did it the wrong way. Cersei would have never surrendered. You know that better than anybody else. Daenerys made tremendous sacrifices. She lost so much. What sacrifices did you make? What friends did you lose? What armies or allies did you bring to the game?"

"I never had any friends to begin with," Tyrion said. "Except for Varys, and I got him killed. And I am not planning to abandon Daenerys. I just hope there never is a need to use her dragon as a weapon again."

"You would have rather taken the city with our armies? Would that have made you feel better?"

"Call me old-fashioned, but what is wrong with man fighting against man?"

"Only someone who has never stood on a battlefield can say that," Jorah said angrily.

"I have stood on battlefields. How do you think I came by those scars?"

"And how many men did you kill with your sword?" Jorah asked, his voice laced with sarcasm. "War is brutal. It's slaughter. It's not less brutal than being burnt by dragonfire. And the outcome is the same. People die. Innocents would have died if we had taken the city without Drogon. The Northern armies would have lost many more men. Many families would have never seen their husbands, sons or fathers come home. Didn't the North lose enough already fighting against the White Walkers, protecting all the realm, while the rest of Westeros was blissfully unaware of the threat?"

The North had indeed suffered enough, Tyrion thought. And Daenerys had promised Sansa that she would not sacrifice their armies unnecessarily. But at the cost of innocent people? It didn't sit well with Tyrion no matter how he looked at it. The only other way would have been assassinating Cersei. Maybe Jamie would have been able to get close enough to her. But Tyrion doubted Jamie would have been able to kill Cersei, especially since she had been pregnant with their unborn child.

"Will you betray her again?" Jorah asked. It was the question of all questions.

Tyrion looked at Jorah and took a deep breath to collect his thoughts before he answered. "If I say yes, you will kill me. If I say no, I might be lying. I can't really tell you at this point. But I will tell you the truth. I don't think she wanted to kill those people. But she did. Was that a first sign of madness? I don't know. You pointed out earlier that we all had likely done something out of revenge. I have. I killed my own father out of revenge. But he was hardly an innocent. The woman I loved was an innocent though. And I killed her anyway. Because seeing her with another man, with my own father, drove me temporarily mad. We struggled and I strangled her. And I only stopped when I knew she was dead. She only did what she had to in order to survive in King's Landing. She really had no other choice. I did. I could have just walked away. But I couldn't forgive her. It hurt too much." Tyrion needed a moment to compose himself. He walked over to the table and poured himself a glass of wine, gulping it down in one go. He then turned around to face Jorah again. "I am hoping that the Red Keep was just a temporary moment of weakness. I am hoping with all my heart that Daenerys won't turn mad like her father. She is the most powerful person in all of Westeros. At the moment nobody would have even the slightest chance of overthrowing her. She can do whatever she wants and nobody would be able to stop her. And I promise you this, I won't follow her blindly. But I also promise that I will try to serve her better than I have so far. Does that answer your question?"

Jorah gave him the smallest of nods. "For now," he said and walked towards the door.

"Daenerys will make you her new Hand, won't she?"

"She hasn't said anything like that to me," Jorah replied. The truth was that Jorah didn't particularly care anymore. He knew he had her trust. Daenerys came to him, not to Tyrion, when she needed someone to talk to. She had shared her most valuable secret with him, that of Jon's true heritage. And earlier she had felt safe enough with him to pour her heart out and share her innermost thoughts with him. She hadn't gone to Jon or Tyrion for that. Jorah felt more secure in his position by her side than ever before. He didn't need a title.


When Daenerys entered Jorah's quarters, she found him lying on his bed. Jorah was about to get up, but Daenerys stopped him. "No need to get up. Please stay where you are."

Jorah sat up, leaning against the headboard.

Daenerys sat down on the edge of his bed. "Are you alright?" she asked concerned. She would have sent a maester to take a look at his wounds, but they didn't even have that at the moment.

"Yes, I'm just a bit tired from the long ride." The wounds at his side and hip were hurting after riding hard for days. But she didn't need to know that. She already had enough to worry about. "How did things go with Jon?" Jorah asked.

"As expected. Jon left. I sent him home to Winterfell. Jon Stark, King in the North."

"King in the North?" Jorah asked surprised.

"Yes."

"If you start granting independence to one kingdom, the next one won't be far behind."

"The North earned it."

"Still."

"I'll deal with it when it comes to that," Daenerys said. "For the moment I am hoping everyone will be content with not having to fight anymore. Besides, there are more pressing matters than who gets to sit on the new council or who gets their own kingdom."

"I hope the other houses see it the same way as you do," Jorah said hesitantly.

"I've ordered Tyrion and Ser Davos to go back to King's Landing. They are to find out what got destroyed and what we need to take care of as a priority. They both know the city well. And Tyrion wanted to look for his brother. The Unsullied have already started setting up shelters and soup kitchens. But the sudden onset of snow doesn't really help matters."

"Ser Davos didn't go back North with Jon?"

"No. He asked to stay here and help us in King's Landing."

"Ser Davos would probably get bored very quickly in the North," Jorah said with a smirk. "He's served Stannis and Jon. He was a smuggler and he's been north of the Wall. He's seen a lot and he's survived a lot. He'll be very useful."

"Yes, I hope he'll stay for the long-term. I will offer him a seat on the council, as a representative of the people of King's Landing," Daenerys said.

Jorah took her hand. "You should really get some sleep." She looked like she hadn't slept for days and her eyes were still a little bit red from crying earlier.

She nodded tiredly. "I will." Daenerys gently placed her hand over his side where she knew the wound was located. "So should you." Supporting herself with her other hand on the bed, she leaned forward and lightly kissed him on the lips. "Thank you," she whispered. Telling him for what she was thankful would take all night, so she simply left it at that.

Jorah was too stunned to say or do anything. And when he had his wits about him again, Daenerys had already gotten up and walked towards the door.