That night the Stark family gathered for dinner for the first time in over three years. A special dinner had been prepared for them to celebrate. Earlier she had seen Sam and Eli, who had returned from the Citadel, Arya had introduced his to Sandor Clegane and Gendry, and Sansa had explained how she had defended her crown against Daenerys. But that night was to be spent among siblings. They gathered in the great keep and devoured a feast of rack of lamb roasted with garlic and herbs.

He had been reunited with Sansa at Castle Black, but he had not seen Bran and Arya since they said goodbye at Winterfell. Arya was changed, tougher, more grown up, and Bran...

- I hope we won't be separated again," Arya said as she stuffed her mouth with mashed potatoes.

- We will not be separated again - Jon answered.

Sansa and Arya turned to Bran, who nodded.

- Is there anything I don't know? -

- It's Bran - Sansa explained - He sees... Things -

- What? -

- I see things that happened a long time ago," Bran said intonelessly, "And things that are yet to happen.

- I don't understand - he could hardly take in what they were telling him - What do you mean? -

- I didn't understand it either when he explained it to me - said Arya - But it's true, it works -

He leaned on the table and took a sip of wine.

- But... How?

They told his story. How he crossed North of the Wall, how he got to the great Arcian, how he got into Summer's mind and how he managed to see past and future events.

- This is... - I couldn't find the words.

- None of us understand it, but it's real - Sansa said - and he's seen things about... about you -

- About me? -

He noticed a hand on her back. It was Sam, Eli and Val.

- What's the matter? - Jon didn't understand anything. Everyone was looking at him, but no one could explain why.

Sam cleared his throat and cleared his throat once, twice, three times before speaking.

- The thing is, I found out without realizing it," he said.

- But it's true," Arya added, "Bran has seen it.

Jon stood up.

- Will someone please explain to me what's going on? -

Sam took a step forward.

- Eli and I found out who your parents are.

- Do you know who my mother is? -

- Yeah, well. Your mother and... Your father. You're not a bastard, you're a legitimate son, they were married -

Jon looked for a place to lean.

- Do you remember when father was telling us what happened at the Tower of Joy? - Bran asked him.

He nodded.

- There he found Lyanna on her deathbed. She held a child in her arms and asked him to protect it. She made her brother promise not to let Robert's wrath overtake him -

- And Lord Eddard returned to Winterfell with that child -

- Father is the most honorable man I've ever known - the words stuck in his throat as if they wanted to choke him - You say he cheated me all my life? -

- Father protected you all his life - replied Sansa - Robert would have killed you if he had known who you were -

- And who am I supposed to be? -

- You are Aegon Targaryen, legitimate son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. A son born of love, not hate - Bran looked into his eyes - Legitimate king of the Seven Kingdoms -

"Aegon. He felt short of breath.

- Jon... - Val held him by one arm and Arya by the other - I don't care who your father is - Arya hugged him - You'll always be our brother -

- Daenerys... -

- She doesn't need to know anything - said Sansa - It's none of his business -

Later, Jon would not remember getting up, nor saying goodbye before going outside. When he wanted to realize it, he was crossing the rake on horseback.

- She's my... aunt'' - he was thinking - how can it be none of her business? ''

- Majesty? - one of the guards said to him - It's not long before nightfall, it's dangerous to go out alone -

- I'm not going alone, Ghost is coming with me - he said in a hoarse voice.

The sun was threatening to set when a north wind began to blow. Jon heard it whistling, blowing through fur and leather and piercing to the bone.

At that moment he was acutely aware of how tired he was of it all. The Northerners were telling him he was king in the North, he could not bend the knee to the queen. The southerners were telling him that if he didn't bend the knee he would be a traitor.

''Bend the knee to the daughter of the mad king, who burned my uncle and grandfather.'' But Daenerys had come to his aid without asking for anything in return, that was not something a tyrant would do. And besides, she was his aunt.

''Son of Rhaegar and Lyanna'' - he said to himself - ''A lifetime of wanting to know who my mother was and now I feel empty.''

He could pretend nothing had happened. Tyrion Lannister had told him one day that most men would rather deny a painful truth than face it, but Jon was sick of denying things. He was who he was: Jon Snow, the king in the North. And if he was the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark, so be it. For the rest of his life he would be proud to have been raised by the Starks of Winterfell and would not live a lie.

But should he tell Daenerys? He was of her own blood, she would not execute him. Surely not, surely, surely, surely... He would confess to her that he had no intention of claiming the Iron Throne and she would certainly accept it. It was necessary. If not...

He didn't even want to think about it. Jon did not fear death, but he did not want to die like that. If he was to perish, let it be with a sword in his hand, fighting for the Wall. He was not a Stark, nor a Targaryen, but he could die as if he were, as the king in the North.

Ghost stood at his height for eight hundred paces, his tongue red between his teeth. Man and horse lowered their heads as Jon asked the animal for more speed. But the wolf slowed and stopped; He fell behind and disappeared, but Jon knew he would follow at his own pace.

In the distance, the distant cry of some startled animal made him look up. The mare whinnied, nervous - had the wolf hunted by now? She clasped her hands around her mouth.

- Ghost! - she shouted - Ghost, with me! -

More and more animals seemed to flee. He saw a deer cross in front of him, birds flying in all directions.

- Ghost! -

The answer he got was a flapping of wings. A shadow crossed the sky.

''Dragons!''

He fell backwards almost the instant the queen's children touched the ground.

''Seven hells, what do I do now?''

- Who are you? - said a voice coming from the dragon's rump -Jon Snow? -

- It's me, your highness.

He jumped to his feet.

- What are you doing here? -

"And how do I answer that now?

- I needed time to think -

- As do I -

The queen slid down the dragon's wing until she fell to the ground in one agile movement. She wore a robe white as the first snows of winter. Daenerys was the most beautiful woman in Westeros, but, to Jon, the silver hair, snowy complexion and violet eyes were somehow unsettling. The queen's beauty would be something like a fire. From a distance it is a splendid sight, but everyone knows how dangerous it is to get close.

- I like to fly when I have a lot to think about," said the queen, "It helps me to clear my head.

- I can't fly," he replied, "But riding isn't bad either.

She smiled at him.

- Is there any way I can help you? -

- Actually, yes," said Jon, "I have something to tell you.

"Do I want to die so badly?

The queen looked him straight in the face, without looking away.

- You are not the last dragon -

- What do you mean? - she asked, undeterred.

Jon swallowed to buy himself some time to think the words through.

- Your brother did not rape Lyanna Stark - he said - He did not kidnap her, they eloped together and married in secret. Rhaegar had a son, a son that Robert would have murdered if he had known. Lyanna knew. The last thing she did before she died was to give that son to her brother - she took a breath - to Ned Stark -

- You're saying... - she whispered - That you are...? -

- My name... My true name is Aegon Targaryen...

Daenerys gasped, clutching her belly as she tried to regain her composure. Jon debated whether he should comfort her or walk away, but she reacted first.

- It's impossible -

- I wish it were -

- How did you find out? -

- My brother told me - she said quietly - He saw it... He saw it, he can see things that happened a long time ago, I don't know how to explain it, but it's true. And Sam, a good friend of mine, helped him confirm it. He read about their marriage at the citadel, it was a well-kept secret -

- A secret that no one knew except your seer brother and your friend -

Daenerys' eyes burned with dark fire in the darkness, like those of the dragon that was her sigil.

- I know it is real," Jon said, "I would never lie about my father's honor.

- Prove it - she demanded - if you will not lie, prove to me that you are my brother's son. Only then will I believe you.

- How?

She turned to one of his dragons, the one with the dark green scales.

- His name is Rhaegal - the queen stroked his muzzle - I named him after my brother. If Valyrian blood runs through your veins you have nothing to fear -

The beast turned its head to look at him. It had bronze-colored eyes and a mouth so large it could swallow a carriage in one bite.

- Come on," she urged, "You say you are of the dragon's blood -

He thought no more. Jon took off his glove and reached out his hand, carefully, towards the dragon's scales. He expected them to be cold, like stone, but they were not. "It is fire made flesh.

- Climb on him," Daenerys ordered.

- I don't think I should...

- You must," she said, "And you will. He's let you touch him, he'll let you ride -

''I can't back out now'' - she thought - ''Gods, it's all going too fast.''

But he did. He climbed carefully onto the dragon's back. He noticed its breathing between his legs, as slow as it was deep. He held on tightly to everything he could and suddenly saw the ground moving away.

He closed his eyes, dizzy. When he opened them, he caught a glimpse of the world below as only a true dragon could see it.