At Castle Black…
Within Castle Black's main hall, Lord Commander of the Night's Watch Jon Snow tapped his fingers anxiously. Sitting at their tables below him, Jon had to make some discrete yet also difficult decisions. Days before he had to confide with the ailing Maester Aemon.
ooOoo
"I need your advice," he told him. "There's something I want… no, what I need to do. Something I have to do. But… it'll divide the Night's Watch. Bitterly. Half the men will hate me the moment I give the order."
The 104-year old Targaryen maester's hands shook. "Half the men hate you already, Lord Commander. Do it."
Jon still looked uncertain. "But you don't know what it is."
"That doesn't matter. You do," Aemon countered. "You will find little joy in your command. But with luck, you will find the strength to do what needs to be done. Kill the boy, Jon Snow. Winter is almost upon us. Kill the boy, and let the man be born."
ooOoo
So many decisions, yet the one he had in mind about the captive wildlings which was without a doubt the most controversial – yet only a few of his sworn brothers in the Night's Watch knew. Grenn, Edd, Samwell… they were perhaps the only real friends he had; some were loyal, others were against him such as Ser Alliser Thorne. He might not have been chosen as the new Lord Commander, but that doesn't mean he'll follow orders blindly. But before that, Jon had to make some appointments.
"Take care of Maester Aemon," he whispered to Samwell.
Nearby, Castle Black's guest of honor Lord Stannis Baratheon watched on. The Lord of Dragonstone had been given permission to observe Snow's tested leadership. Being stern and humorless as he is, Stannis had given Jon a few words of wisdom when the dawn shined through the snowy skies.
ooOoo
"You have many enemies in Castle Black," he told him. "Have you considered sending Alliser Thorne elsewhere? Give him command of Eastwatch-by-the-Sea."
Jon shook his head. "I heard it was best to keep your enemies close."
Stannis, however, disagreed with that statement. "Whoever said that didn't have many enemies."
ooOoo
Jon gave a quick glance at Stannis, letting him know he had thinking about his words closely before looking back at all who attended this meeting. Raising his cup, he gave three loud smacks to get everyone's attention.
"Brothers," he began and the conversations ceased. The Night's Watch's Castle Black garrison looked at their Lord Commander. "As you all know too well, it's long past time to dig a new latrine pit."
"Ha ha ha ha!" they all laughed, with the exception of a small dozen.
"First Builder Yarwyck and I have decided to appoint a latrine captain to oversee this crucial task. Brian! Seems like a good job for a ginger."
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Everyone laughed again; some of the men jokingly patted Brian on his back and Brian joined in the laughter as well.
"Ser Alliser."
Silence filled the room. All eyes slowly turned towards Ser Alliser Thorne, Master-at-Arms of Castle Black and former Acting Lord Commander. Uneasy tensions rose slightly as the two rivals locked eyes with one another. Stannis didn't bother to look the man's way nor did he pay attention to a visibly drunken Joffrey Baratheon, who wobbly stood next to Alliser—swaying from side-to-side to keep his balance.
'Bastard abomination born of incest is at it again,' the older, sterner Baratheon lord observed.
"Ser Alliser," Jon repeated, "you have more experience than any other soldier stationed at Castle Black, more so than our newest arrivals despite their past decades of military service in lands south of here. You proved your valor many times over while defending the Wall from the wildling attack. I hereby name you First Ranger."
"Hear, hear!"
"Strong leadership!"
Some of the men shout in approval and hit their cups on the tables, there were some murmurs; Alliser looks up surprised at the appointment. Eddison, Grenn and Samwell look at each other in confusion. A small concession, to be sure—a gesture of reconciliation—but they couldn't help but question why Jon appoint someone they know he despises to a high-ranking position in the Night's Watch leadership? Historically the First Ranger is in charge of defending the Wall and tasked with ranging beyond it; he leads the rangers and answers to no one but the Lord Commander. The last person to hold the position was Benjen Stark under Jeor Mormont but went missing on a scouting mission beyond the Wall and never returned.
The only noticeable individual who did not approve of the appointment was Lord Stannis Baratheon, who felt as if his warnings about sending supposed enemies away were being ignored again.
"Joffrey," Jon continued. "I'm sending you to Greyguard with 30 men—10 from Castle Black, 10 from the Shadow Tower and 10 from Sentinel Stand. Commander Randar Merryweather will be expecting you."
Joffrey clumsily stood up and wiped his mouth, his red face flushed deeply—evidently plain to others that he is heavily drunk as he started swaying back and forth… and fuming. His green eyes stared at the Lord Commander, filled with spite and malice.
"Greyguard?" he spat. "You expect me to go to that blasted rubble?"
"Ah hell, not again…" Eddison groaned.
Grenn noticed. "
Jon held up a hand. "As you can see, the fort is nearing completion yet needs more men. Help Commander Randar restore it as best you can—"
Fool as he is, Joffrey interrupted rudely with an uncontrollable temper. "Keep your blasted fort and your sorry excuse of underlings! I am a Prince by right of birth, and I will not take commands from a lowborn bastard!"
Some of the men began talking loudly; others exclaimed admonishments at the insults. Olly, Jon's young steward, uncomfortably shifted in his seat.
"The audacity!" one of the Night's Watch brothers hollered.
"Unbelievable! How shameful!"
"What a disgrace!"
Eddison stood up. "Your open defiance and disobeying the Lord Commander is a display of conduct unbecoming of a sworn brother of the Night's Watch," he told him. "Not only that, but you've openly flouted about with our rules since the day you arrived."
"We all swore a sacred oath at the godswood to guard the realms of men from the dangers beyond the Wall every single day," Grenn agreed, "but you treated us like dirt or worse! You care for no one but yourself."
Jon slowly felt his impatience beginning to rise. 'I'm giving you a chance to prove yourself, Joff. It is more than you or your family ever gave my sister.'
"Alright, alright! Enough of that," Samwell tried to ease tensions.
"You mistake me, Brother Joffrey," Jon repeated. "This was a command, not an offer. Pack your arms and armor, say your farewells and ride forty leagues for Greyguard at the first light tomorrow morning. Commander Merryweather is expecting you."
"I said no!" Joffrey banged his sent his fist on the table and kicked his chair, sending over backwards. "I don't need to do anything! I'll not go off to freeze even more and die in the cold! No bastard gives command to a Prince! Tell your Commander Merryweather to keep that blasted ruin or better yet send any one of the blind fools who cast their tokens for you, I will not have it. Do you hear me, bastard? I will not have it!"
"You will."
Joffrey didn't answer, but kicked the chair aside and threw his cup of ale across the room. Both Eddison and Grenn moved to restrain him. Ghost, Jon's albino direwolf, flattened his ears and snarled warningly—his blood red eyes trained on the aggressor.
"That's enough out of you," Edd grunted.
Grenn grabbed Joffrey's arm as he squirmed. "Knock it off!"
"Unhand me, you lowborn wretches!"
Stannis frowned, crossing his arms as he watched the insubordination unfolding in front of him. He cast a cold glance at Jon Snow, who watched the ruckus taking place. Iron Emett, Mully, Horse, Red Jack Crabb, Rusty Flowers and Owen the Oaf all moved from their seats to keep Joffrey under control—it wasn't much; considering that any one of them can easily overpower the disgraced Baratheon, but with the way he was behaving, both recruits and veterans alike had finally had enough of him.
"Brother Joffrey," Jon said firmly. His expression changed; his face casted a cold and stern expression. "This is your last warning. Cease your protests and have your horse saddled and bridled. It's a long, hard road to Greyguard."
One by one, the men in the room all turn to look at Joffrey who in turn took another at Jon Snow. Joffrey had little to no respect for his peers nor had he had any for the Night's Watch.
"Do it yourself, bastard! You've already got the mark of a beast on you, especially since you fucked that wildling bitch."
Jon felt his nerves twitch; not as a surprise, but his eyes were filled with cold, unbridled anger. "You are refusing to obey my order?"
"You can stick your order up your bastard arse," declared Joffrey.
Some of the men—including Samwell, Grenn, and Eddison—whisper in shock. Joffrey looked pleased with himself despite his deep intoxication. Stannis looked more disappointed and annoyed. Alliser Thorne turns to Jon smugly. At another table, Godry the Giantslayer began to laugh. Lord Commander Jon Snow, however, finally had enough at the rude insubordination.
"Take Brother Joffrey outside," Jon ordered. "Olly, bring me my sword."
Joffrey Baratheon's face went as white as milk and looks increasingly unsure of himself as more men got up from their seats to surround him on all sides without a second to spare. Olly turns quickly to Jon, then gets up to fetch Longclaw—a Valyrian steel sword once the heirloom of House Mormont and in possession of the late Lord Commander Jeor Mormont before the Old Bear passed it down onto his future successor. Eddison, Grenn and Emmett crossed the room, their footsteps stomped as chairs and tables were pushed aside. Alliser turns and looks at Joffrey disapprovingly and momentarily stands in Edd and Grenn's way for a moment.
Jon looks at the confrontation, slightly concerned. Grenn, meanwhile, was not too keen on the new First Ranger get in the way.
'Go on, old man. Do it. I dare you,' Grenn thought. 'Show your steel. Give me an excuse to do the same.'
Half the men in the hall were on their feet. Southern knights and men-at-arms, loyal to Lord Stannis Baratheon or the red priestess Melisandre or both, and sworn brothers of the Night's Watch. For a moment, the world balanced on a sword's edge; Alliser eventually moved out of the way.
"Let go of me immediately!" Joffrey shouted. "You cannot do this! I am a Prince! I am a Prince, have you lost your mind?! Let me go!"
He was still protesting as they half-marched, half-dragged him outside. Garender the Lazy-Eye places a chopping block down as the Night's Watch brothers drag Joffrey up to it. Obedient to the laws and customs of his father Lord Eddard Stark, Jon Snow takes Longclaw from Olly and they both headed outside. Behind him, Stannis Baratheon followed closely and observed the scene from afar, surrounded by his household guards.
"Treasonous scum, all of you! If the bastard thinks he can scare me, he's very mistaken!"
Ghost followed close behind Jon, his white fur stood straight up and remained snarling at the disobedient brat who dared threaten and insult his master. At the courtyard, Joffrey wrenched loose for a moment and tried to make a fight of it, but Eddison caught him by the throat and slammed him against the wooden stump as Grenn and Iron Emmett held his arms tightly and kicked his legs out from under him. By then all of Castle Black had come outside to watch.
Joffrey continued his defiant resistance, but his movements quickly ceased when he saw Jon Snow clasped the hilt of his sword and unsheathed Longclaw from its scabbard.
"If you have any last words, Joffrey Baratheon, now is the time."
Eyes widened in fear, Joffrey twisted his neck around to look up at Jon from the chopping block. "P-please, Lord Commander! Mercy!" he screamed. "I'll go! I swear I will! Mercy!"
'No,' thought Jon. 'You closed that door.'
He momentarily hesitated, but the Bastard of Winterfell fixed his nerve and raised Longclaw high with both hands and brought down his blade in a single swing – quickly beheading Joffrey. Once formerly the second in the royal line of succession, Joffrey Baratheon was stripped of all titles and powers and permanently exiled to the Wall by his own brother Daveth Baratheon for ordering the massacre of Robert Baratheon's bastard children; and again, for disobeying a direct order, he found out the hard way of refusing the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch's order – especially if they'd been raised as a Northmen who followed the traditions of the Old Gods of the Forest.
"The man who passes the sentence should swing the sword," Eddard Stark's voice rang through his head.
Jon Snow turned his head and notices Stannis watching him. For an instant their eyes met. The elder Baratheon gave him a slight nod in approval. Handing Longclaw to Olly, Jon marched across the courtyard to quickly catch up with Stannis on the stairs before he went inside.
"My lord, a moment if you will," he called out.
Stannis looked over his shoulder. "What do you want?" he asked.
"I hope it's not much, but might I ask you the use of your ships for a moment?"
"Whatever do you need my ships for?"
"Three years ago, the Night's Watch rode out in force to investigate rumors. We thought at first it was another wildling incursion, but… But what we saw at the Fist of the First Men turned out to be much worse than we thought."
"You mean White Walkers?"
Jon's eyes widened. "How did you…?"
Stannis Baratheon pointed towards Samwell Tarly, who still remained in the courtyard cleaning up the mess. "Your friend down there told me what happened during the hurried march back here. Doesn't look like a soldier, and didn't go into details but his wildling girl told me he killed a White Walker with obsidian."
"Then you know the dangers we face. It's strange, I know, and no one'll even listen. But this is the hard truth. For the first time in 8,000 years, the White Walkers have returned."
"So you say. Lady Melisandre told me back at Dragonstone that death marches on the wall."
"The Free Folk have seen them firsthand," he explained. "Sam has as well. The Free Folk can't stop them. Hell, the Night's Watch can't stop them. If we're to ever make it through this, we'll need all the help we can get."
Stannis still frowned stoically, listening to Jon's words. He wasn't as easily convinced, but he still held a sense of honor and respect for Jon's father Eddard Stark.
"We've just learned that many of the surviving Free Folk have who fled the battlefield begun gathering at Hardhome when you broke Mance Rayder's army," he continued. "It's a small fishing village on a sheltered bay along the Shivering Sea by Storrold's Point."
"And you want to use my ships to bring them here," the elder Baratheon realized. "Yet you're away that this act will deeply divide the Night's Watch. Your own men may turn against you for this."
Jon shook his head. "I know the risks, my lord, but I have to take it."
'Sometimes you talk like Daveth,' he thought. 'Only difference was is that the risks he took carried a much deeper impact should it fail.' "Then I hope you know what you're doing with these wildlings. I need those ships."
"You'll get them back, I swear it."
Stannis simply turned around and moved to speak with Melisandre. Whatever it was he told her, Jon knew he had to act fast lest the approaching winter grow increasingly worse than it already was in the lands beyond the Wall. Trekking down the stairs, Jon decided to pay a visit to the cells.
Deep within Castle Black's prison cells…
Sitting with his Free Folk brethren, the former King-Beyond-the-Wall Mance Rayder sat with Tormund Giantsbane. He found it hard to believe he'd be back in the cells of Castle Black or anywhere in Castle Black again considering his past; after all, Mance was once a noted ranger of the Night's Watch before deserting his post as a young man to unite the Free Folk tribes under his leadership. He looked down at the chains at his wrist before listening to the door hinges creaking.
Mance looked to see Jon Snow entering. Tormund and the other captive wildlings also noticed his arrival, most of them frowned deeply at his presence.
"So here we are," Mance noted the irony.
Jon nodded. "Here we are."
"When we first met you were my prisoner. And now, for our last meeting…"
"This isn't our last meeting."
"No? Last I heard our fate was to be decided by the new Lord Commander. But imagine to my surprise when Maester Aemon told me it was you. I'll give you this much: you're bold for doing this, Jon Snow."
"Shouldn't a King-Beyond-the-Wall be bold, too?"
'Not thought of you as one to tell jokes,' Mance thought. "Oh aye, when the situation calls for it. Stupidity on the other hand does not qualify as a requisite. And it's hard to lead when you're in chains. But what brings you here to me in the cells?"
Tormund seemed to agree. "The Free Folk won't follow you or any of your crow brothers. They won't follow anyone else except Mance."
Jon smiled, hiding a laugh. "I don't deny it. Us Northmen are a bit like the Free Folk, actually."
"Oh? In what way?" he scoffed.
"We're loyal to no one but our own."
Tormund huffed, but Mance found the comparison to be slightly amusing. "Almost, but not always," he replied.
"But what if I unchained all of you?" Jon offered.
"Why would you do that?"
"You're not my enemy. And I'm not yours."
Mance looked somewhat reluctant. "I'm not having my people bleed for you, or Stannis Baratheon or any southern king."
Jon again shook his head. "You won't have to. You spent your life convincing 90 clans to come together for the first time in history. Thenns and Hornfoots, the ice-river clans, even the giants. A life's work uniting them. You didn't do it for power. You didn't do it for glory. You brought them together to save them because none of them will survive the coming winter, not if they're north of the Wall. For 8,000 years the Night's Watch swore an oath to be the shield that guards the realms of men. And for 8,000 years we fell short of that promise. The Free Folk belong to the realms of men. All of you."
Mance looked at Jon. Tormund, meanwhile, still looked unconvinced.
"And you expect us to believe things are going to change?" he asked.
"He wouldn't come to us if he didn't believe otherwise," Mance suggested.
"Why now?"
"Because I'm the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch," Jon leaned forward, "not Ser Alliser Thorne." In his hands were a set of keys; kneeling down the Lord Commander turned the keys sideways.
Mance, Tormund and the other captive wildling prisoners heard a mechanism unlock and the chains fell free from Mance Rayder's wrists. The former King-Beyond-the-Wall massaged his sore, stiff hands and slowly stood up.
"I need your help," Jon requested. "I want the Free Folk to fight with us when the time comes."
"My people followed me because they respected me. Because they believed in me," Mance explained. "The moment I kneel for a southern king that's all gone. It's a worst fate since it goes against everything I believe."
"The day we ask our people to fight with the crows is the day they cut our guts from our bellies and make us eat them," Tormund stood up.
"I'm not asking you to kneel for anything or anyone. How many tens of thousands of your people are still out there right now? Trapped and in danger? How many women? How many children? How many of your people can't fight? The women, the children, the old, the sick… what happens to them? What happens to your people if we don't save them when winter comes and the White Walkers come for us all?"
Mance hadn't seen Jon speak with such passion before.
"The Free Folk need their leader," he continued. "And they need to get south of the Wall before it's too late. We don't have much time."
"Most of my people are at Hardhome," Mance mentioned.
"Yes, and I convinced Lord Stannis to lend us his ships to get them out of there. The White Walkers are coming and Hardhome'll be the first to get hit. Make peace to save your people."
Mance looked at Tormund before looking back at Jon. "Then you do understand why I fought long and hard to get my people south of the Wall?"
"I do," he nodded.
"You're a good lad. Truly, you are." He turned to Tormund. "Well old friend, you're coming with us. Ned Stark's bastard's coming with us too. Won't be easy, but the Free Folk there will need to hear it from me and the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. They'll need to know the ships they're boarding won't be torched in the middle of the sea."
Tormund nodded. "He'll come with us, or we don't go."
Jon watched as Mance Rayder and Tormund Giantsbane began freeing their brethren from their chains.
'The Night's Watch will never forgive me for this,' he thought. 'But they haven't see what the Free Folk have seen. Not what I've seen…'
Chapter End
Author's Note: "His name was Joffrey Baratheon. He came to us from King's Landing, a Prince of royal blood who brought shame, disgrace and dishonor to his brother's house. And despite being a sworn brother of the Night's Watch, he did not always uphold the value of his oaths lightly. Of all recruits, he will always be remembered for his cruelty and lack of remorse – though none will even remember his name. And now his watch has ended."
Quite an ending scene where one's comeuppance finally catches up with them as Joffrey Baratheon finally meets his end at the hands of Jon Snow, once again demonstrating his cruel streak, had very little remorse at all and found it difficult to differentiate between what was right and wrong; or he simply didn't care about morals.
In the meanwhile, Jon Snow secures the aid of Stannis Baratheon and releases Mance Rayder and Tormund Giantsbane from captivity. As Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, Jon spares their lives and will continue on his mission to Hardhome to gather the remaining wildlings. Slightly rewritten, but Mance will not be burned at the stake by Melisandre. The stage is set for the confrontation at Hardhome; and you all know what that means?
The Night King is coming!
What are your thoughts on this? Let me know.
DaddyChad: I don't think Daveth will be too happy with Jon after he lets thousands of free folk in who will not follow his rule.
Silent Wolf Singer: Two mad people down, one to go. And his name starts with R
ALPHAomega239: Bye Joffrey. It was nice knowing you. NOT!
RHatch89: That was almost as good as his show death :)
C.E.W: Joffrey is dead, and as usual always turns out a disappointment as the brother of the King of the Seven Kingdoms, and as a brother of the Night's Watch. Every sense in the word a failure and disappointment, Joffrey is. As for the Wildling alliance, surely Mance Rayder's presence might make a difference with getting more of the Free Folk?
—If so, then it would take some smooth convincing.
mpowers045: Good thing Cersei didn't live to hear the word about Joffrey otherwise things would get beyond intense at the capital. I cannot wait for April 14
chase manaena: bye bye joffery cant wait for the next chapter
Hear My Fury: Thank You! Finally! Little bastard got what he deserved! And I love the fact that it was Jon who did it! That was so perfect!