Jon wanted to sleep but there was no possible way it was happening. The entire feast was awkward and he felt bad every time Daenerys would give him strange looks. He didn't want to act weird around her but he knew that he was lying and the thought of what she might do to him made Jon nervous. He didn't want the north to suffer because of it and he really didn't want his family to get hurt either. So he spent the night pacing around his room as Ghost watched him carefully. He spoke to the direwolf a few times but even when he dropped to the floor and wrapped his arms around Ghost the feeling of dread in his stomach didn't fade. There was no getting around this and he had to accept whatever fate came from abdicating.
For half of the night, Jon spent it resenting Ned for never telling anyone the truth. He knew why Ned kept his secret but there were some people that he should have told with Catelyn being the big one. Jon knew that she resented him and she never let him forget it but if Ned had trusted his wife then Jon could have been spared a lot of pain. Maybe Ned didn't trust her right away, they hardly knew each other when he was brought home from the war, but after so many years together Ned could have told her. When Jon was going to the wall Ned could have told him. There were so many opportunities for the truth and Ned kept it to himself.
He also resented his parents and could not get by it. Jon spent his entire life using the fact that he was a bastard like armor and knowing that he wanted and loved didn't change that. He didn't have any connection to Lyanna or Rhaegar and frankly, he didn't want any. Even if, by some sort of miracle, Daenerys tried to give him the Targaryen name he wouldn't accept it. Jon didn't feel like a dragon, he felt like a wolf, he felt like a man of the north, and he wanted to serve the north with pride.
The sun came up and Jon broke his fast in his room alone. Sansa would probably want to join him, Arya too, but he couldn't. He needed time alone and was thankful that he got it. He smiled at the people he saw as he made his way to the Great Hall. He had spent the entire night writing the piece of paper in his hand where he formally abdicated his claim to the Iron Throne. He left space on the contract for him to sign, Daenerys to accept his abdication, and a witness loyal to the north and witness loyal to Daenerys. This seemed like the only way that he could prove that he didn't want it and no one could dispute that.
Arya, Gendry, Sansa, Bran, and Meera were already in the Great Hall when he arrived. He tried to smile to his sisters but he knew it came across as more of a grimace. Jon took his seat at the table as he waited for Daenerys to join him. There was room on his side for his family and room on hers for several of her advisors. Jon took a deep breath and released it slowly. Sansa reached under the table and grasped his hand tightly. His family supported him and that was all that mattered in the end.
Daenerys arrived not long after and the last of the remaining northern lords came in. The doors were closed and it was time to address this group. Jon stood up slowly and looked out at the sea of people watching him.
"Your Grace," he said to Daenerys. "and my loyal lords and ladies. I must thank you all for bravely fighting against the Night King and his army. We stand here today because of your sacrifice and there are not enough words for me to say how thankful I am for that sacrifice. We will turn our eyes south to deal with our next enemy but first, there is something that must be addressed before we can do that.
"As you all know, my brother has special powers and the ability to look into the past. My brother looked into the past and he saw my true parentage. I am not the bastard son of Ned Stark but the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. They were wed in secret after Rhaegar had his marriage to Elia Martell annulled. My real name is Aegon Targaryen." Several people began talking at once and Daenerys paled considerably but Jon held up a hand to silence everyone. "Everyone, please, allow me to finish. Samwell Tarly has found proof of this so as much I don't want to admit it, I am technically next in line for the Iron Throne. I have called all of you here so I can formally abdicate that claim." Daenerys was on her feet as she stared at him.
"You're my nephew," she whispered.
"Yes and I'm here to tell you that I don't want the Iron Throne and I purposely called everyone here so there are witnesses to be formally abdicating. I have a piece of paper here that the two of us will sign, along with a witness from the north and another loyal to you, so no one can dispute it," Jon explained as he handed the piece of paper to her. "I don't want the south, I don't want all of Westeros, I just want to serve the north in whatever capacity they will have me. I'd also like a request from you, Your Grace." Daenerys looked up at him with wide eyes. "We gave my good brother Gendry the Stark name to protect him from those who think he is a threat to the Iron Throne. I'd like to ask you to do the same for me. Name me Jon Stark and my formal abdication in front of these people, that paper, and my Stark name will mean I have no claim to the Iron Throne."
There was a beat of silence and then everyone started talking at once but Jon wasn't paying attention to them. Instead, he only had eyes for Daenerys as he waited for her reaction to all of this.
"How long have you known?" she asked quietly as they both ignored the way everyone was yelling for some answers.
"Bran and Sam told me, Arya, and Sansa, right before the battle but I didn't think it was the time," Jon said. "I didn't want to lie to you but this is complicated and we all needed to focus on winning."
"Now isn't the time much like when we first allied and were talking about whether or not you would bend the knee to me," Daenerys said and Jon breathed a sigh of relief that she didn't seem too angry that he kept this from her.
"I wanted to make sure I did this here and in front of people because I didn't want anyone to second guess whether or not it happened. I needed to make sure everyone knew that I abdicated to you because then no one could question it," Jon explained and she nodded. The yelling was getting louder as neither of them reacted and Daenerys turned to everyone in the Great Hall.
"Silence," she said loudly and everyone stopped talking immediately. "King Jon, I would like to thank you for telling me this information instead of keeping it to yourself. You could have and then our relationship going forward would have been built on a lie. You have shown your true character by coming forward today to reveal this information knowing that it could end poorly for you in many ways including your own bannerman taking away your crown.
"Because of this and the things you have done to assure me that you do not want my crown I, Daenerys of the House Targaryen, the First of Her Name, The Unburnt, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Queen of Meereen, Khaleesi of the Great Grass Sea, Protector of the Realm, Lady Regent of the Seven Kingdoms, Breaker of Chains and Mother of Dragons, hereby accept your abdication for the Iron Throne. However, as the north remains independent, I will not weigh in as to whether or not you will keep that title. That being said I will honor your request for a new name. I hereby name you Jon Stark in honor of your mother and for the family that raised you." She took a quill in hand and signed her name on the paper and Jon did the same. He passed the paper to Sansa, who smiled at him, and she passed it down the table to Tyrion who also signed.
"What of the north?" someone asked. "That is no son of Ned Stark even if he holds his name." This is something that Jon expected and Daenerys sat down and did not say anything about matters that didn't really concern her right now.
"Jon is as much a Stark as my sister and my brother," Sansa snapped. "And he is the one that saved us all." The fact that Jon was the one to kill the Night King was not something that was widely known and it wasn't something that he was planning on telling anyone. He froze when Sansa brought it up as people began to talk again. "As the eldest daughter of Ned Stark, I support my brother Jon's claim to the north. I support him as king."
"As do I," Arya said.
"And as do I," Bran said.
"House Reed supports Jon Stark's claim as King in the North," Meera said with a commanding voice worthy of a lady of a great house. Jon watched as representatives of each of the remaining houses in the north said that they supported his claim. Some didn't, Jon wasn't expecting them all to support him, but it was clear that most of them did.
"As a witness to this display of loyalty I hereby acknowledge Jon Stark the King in the North, an independent kingdom in the lands of Westeros," Daenerys said and just like that it was all final. Jon was still king, he could still serve the people that meant so much to him, and now he had the name that meant everything to him. He looked at Gendry who smiled softly at him and nodded. If there was anyone in the room that understood what he was feeling right now it was Gendry. He had a name and it was the name of the people he had so long considered family. He was a Stark and no one could ever take that away from him.
Gendry could only guess that the secret Arya was keeping from him was about Jon which he wasn't surprised about even if he didn't entirely understand it. The things about noble houses and lineage and who was supposed to take the Iron Throne was always something he wasn't interested in and something he didn't know much about. They were going to sit down to talk about going south now but Gendry's leg was aching and he was a little light-headed. He wanted to go lie down and not think about all of this.
"Arya," Gendry said as he looked at her.
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you," she said quickly. "I wanted to but it's the sort of information that could get someone killed and Jon wanted to make sure no one could try and argue who was going to rule in the south when all of this is done."
"I'm not mad you didn't tell me," Gendry said and Arya blinked once. "My leg hurts and I think I want to go back to the room. I need to rest if I'm ever going to be well enough to try and fix all of the armor we'll need to take King's Landing. You're all going to talk about strategy and things that are way over my head. I'd rather be resting so I can be useful." Arya frowned and he wondered if they were going to get into another fight about whether or not he was useful but Arya nodded and squeezed his hand. It took some work for Gendry to talk on his own and he wasn't surprised when someone called out his name. What he wasn't expecting was Jon.
"Are you all right?" Jon asked.
"Yeah, just tired and in a lot of pain. I'd rather rest so I can get back to the forge," Gendry replied and he paused for a moment. "It feels different but at the same time it doesn't."
"Yeah," Jon said softly. "I feel different but it doesn't make what anyone said for my entire life matter any less. All of those terrible things people used to say about me; they didn't go away but I feel like I belong to something now even if it's just a name. I knew you'd understand above anyone else." Gendry nodded because he did understand but at the same time his experiences and Jon's were very different. Ned might not have been his father but he still took Jon in and made sure that he had somewhere to sleep and food in his belly. Jon got a bastard's name while Gendry didn't even have a claim to that.
Jon nodded once and went back to the Great Hall as Gendry slowly made his way up the stairs to his room. It was a slow progress and halfway up a maid had to help him the rest of the way because he thought he was going to pass out. He thanked her by the time he got to the room and when Gendry closed the door, he realized that he was very much not alone. He turned slowly and saw Melisandre casually sitting by the fire like she didn't have a care in the world.
"I thought you were supposed to die at the end of the fight against the dead," Gendry said and she smiled at him.
"I never specified which battle I would die in. There are still more to come after all," she said as she stood.
"If Arya finds you here she's going to gut you without a second thought," Gendry said as he limped over to a chair and sat down. "If Davos finds you he might do worse."
"They should be thanking me. I'm the one that told you that your blood was powerful and that the sacrifice would be the thing that would let us win the fight," Melisandre said as she walked quietly around the room. Gendry kept an eye on her and there was a knife in his boot but sudden movements could hurt his arm or tear his stitches. "You nearly bled yourself dry to kill the Night King."
"So did Jon, did you see that little nugget of information in your fucking flames?" Gendry asked and he smirked at the way Melisandre went very still. "That's what I thought. Even though you gave us that information that won't stop Arya or Davos from killing you so here's my version of giving you thanks; you leave and I won't tell them I saw you here." Melisandre smirked as she walked around the room as if she had every right to be here. Gendry wanted to throw her out more than anything but his entire body still hurt and he was worried he'd rip his stitches if he moved too fast.
"It's such a shame," she said. "Two would-be kings of all of Westeros are throwing away their names so they can rule the frozen north and nothing at all. I do not understand both of you. You could have everything and you settle for nothing."
"I can't speak for Jon but I have all I need," Gendry replied.
"I hear what the lords say about you," Melisandre continued as if Gendry hadn't spoken. "They still think you aren't worthy of your northern princess. They think they don't belong up here with them and that you should leave."
"They seem to think that about all of the people the Stark's choose to tie them to but I don't see you harassing Theon or Meera about it," Gendry said and Melisandre laughed softly as she purposely seemed to touch every single thing he owned in this room. It was on purpose, Gendry knew it was, but it was starting to get to him. This woman was like a small shard of glass under his skin that he couldn't ever get rid of.
"Those funeral pyres were quite high. I have to wonder if any of those lives could have been saved if you'd taken my advice earlier," she said. "After all, if I was right about your blood then perhaps I was right about the lives you could have saved. The Lady Meera wouldn't be without a father, Lord Theon would be able to walk, and I have to wonder if Queen Daenerys is going to eventually blame you for her children getting maimed." Melisandre looked Gendry in the eye and he felt like he couldn't move. It was something that he was trying not to think about but it lingered in the back of his mind. "I wonder, if our Lord saw your sacrifice here I wonder what he would do for your fight in the south."
"You still think you can convince me to burn myself in the name of your god-"
"I almost did if I recall correctly," Melisandre said as she began to walk toward him. "I had you on that table and you were about to say "yes". I know you were the same way I knew you would have let Daenerys burn you alive without fighting it. You feel guilty because you know could have saved these lives here if you'd just had the courage to do the right thing."
"If you take another step I won't hold back," Gendry snapped and she stopped walking. "I already told you that I'm doing you a favor by not telling anyone that I saw you here. Your advice nearly killed me but it also worked and I'll thank you for that alone. You're wrong about everything else. Leave or I'll make sure Arya knows you were here. She won't let you walk away again."
"Ours is the fury," Melisandre said. "With me by your side, you could have been the king of this realm. You could have restored your house to its former glory but you chose this frozen wasteland over greatness." She sighed dramatically and began to walk toward the door and Gendry couldn't be more thankful that she was finally leaving. Melisandre paused with her hand on the door and seemed to be contemplating something. "Your father was a man who didn't limit his inhibitions. Perhaps there is another Baratheon bastard out there that would accept my help to restore your house."
Gendry remembered Alsy back in the Red Keep telling him that he probably had other siblings out there in Westeros. He thought about how this woman was so good at getting in other people's heads and the kind of damage she could do to someone who didn't know better. These siblings, he didn't know if they existed, but Gendry suddenly felt such a strong sense to protect that he ignored the pain in his leg. He crossed the room in several steps and took Melisandre by the arm to stop her.
"You will stay away from any of my siblings that might be out there or I'll personally show you that infamous Baratheon fury everyone is always talking about," Gendry said. Instead of looking worried or frightened Melisandre smirked as she reached out and touched his leg sound with her finger. The stitches had split and he was bleeding.
"As you wish, Your Grace," she whispered. Gendry didn't know how she broke her arm out of his grip but one moment she was there and the next he was staring at an open door. He pressed a hand to his bleeding leg and waited until one of the maids walked into the room to bring him dinner a few minutes later. He asked her to go get Wolken and prepared himself for the lecture he was going to get from Sansa for ruining her stitches.