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Arya sat atop the highest tower of Winterfell overlooking the army marching toward the castle. She'd been informed of the size of the army but seeing it up close was truly something to behold, it stretched as far as the eye could see as the men marched in perfect formation. She longed to descend from the tower and tackle her brother right off his horse and embrace him until he couldn't breath and all the water from her body had exited through her eyes.
But if the legends were true, Daenerys Targaryen was the owner of three full grown dragons, a sight she had longed to see for as long as she had been able to recognize the meaning of words. As if they could hear her thoughts she heard the mighty roar she had only heard in her dreams. The common folk below screamed but Arya watched in awe as the dragons swooped down from above the clouds just flying just above the tower and then back up into the clouds.
After she could no longer make out the shadows of the dragons in the clouds above she returned her eyes to the army and began searching for her brother. She found the dragon queen immediately as she stood out from the rest. She was sporting a fluffy coat as white as the hair on her head. Looking to her left she could see the unmistakable black head of hair of her brother Jon. His hair tied back the way father used to and wearing brown cloak with wolf fur on the shoulders. The queen and Jon seemed to be riding side by side which was a good sign meaning that their alliance must be strong.
Arya decided to hold on a little while longer to reunite with her brother as he would be immediately pulled away inorder to deal with his duties. She would wait until he was free from those duties and able to have a good long conversation. She had so much she longed to tell him and she was sure he would have some exciting tales of his own.
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Jon had expected their arrival in the North to be poorly received but the looks Daenerys was getting were worse than he had anticipated. They were mixes of disgust, anger, hatred, and far more undesirable emotions. He looked over to his queen to find she wasn't looking at any of them and just straightforward to the castle of Winterfell. Jon longed to be back on the boat in her chambers, he'd rarely spent any time in his own chambers and waking up with her head resting on his chest every morning was something he never got tired of. And now here he is, back in this shit world that he has to protect his people chose him to do so. He was starting to feel he has never really chosen his path in life, at least not as much as he wished.
"Jon." Her voice snapped him back to reality as he realized being lost in thought he had been staring at her. "Sorry, I was just thinking," he said. But he didn't turn his head back as he kept staring at her, this time knowingly. "I thought that our arrival in the North would be met with criticism but if these looks are any indication, we are in for a rather unpleasant afternoon." Jon said to Dany.
"I've faced far more hostile people than this, once they understand me I am sure they will they will follow me as their rightful queen." Daenerys responded with confidence.
"You don't know my people like I do, they're the most stubborn people you'll ever meet." Jon said. He knew that Daenerys' faith in herself was unwavering but so were the stubbornness of the Northern people. She'd need to really prove herself if she wanted their loyalty. "I convinced you didn't I?" she smiled towards Jon. "Oh is that why you saved me beyond the wall, so I'd trust you?" Jon laughed towards her. "Perhaps," Dany giggled not able to contain her wide grin towards him.
As they entered the gates the moment Jon had dreaded for a fortnight had finally arrived. It was time to face the Lords of the North and by the way they were looking in his direction, he knew they weren't going to be convinced by the meeting in the Great Hall today. All of his concerns about convincing them pulled away as he saw Bran sitting in his wheelchair with his hands folded on his lap. He nearly tripped off his horse as he ran towards his brother. Last time he had seen him Bran was lying unconscious in his bed. Now here he was all grown up. He ran over and kissed his forehead. "You're a man now." Jon laughed out with a huge smile on his face.
"Almost." Bran responded. Something was wrong. His response was completely emotionless along with his face. The long, hard years had altered his little brother. He wasn't the same little boy that loved to climb and ride horses. He was... something more.
His attention from Bran was pulled away after Sansa cleared her throat. He rose off his knees and embraced his sister. He heard footsteps approaching behind him as he turned around to see Ser Jorah and Daenerys. He held his breath for he knew Sansa would not take lightly to their new queen.
"Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen, Sansa Stark the Lady of Winterfell." he introduced immediately looking to Sansa's face to try and read it. He knew it wasn't a trustful face but it wasn't one of hate either. He didn't really know what to think of her expression.
"Thank you for inviting us into your home Lady Stark," Daenerys began. "The North is as beautiful as your brother claimed, as are you." Jon closed his eyes at Daenerys' last words as he knew Sansa wouldn't fall for hollow complements. "Winterfell is yours your grace." Sansa responded as Jon expected her to. Her voice full of distrust.
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Daenerys' arrival in Winterfell was all but pleasant. Everyone looked at her with distrustful faces but she didn't let it deteriorate herself from her goal. Destroy the Night King and his armies and then take back her throne. She would need the support of the North which in turn should also get her the support if the Vale of Arryn. From what Jon had told her, the knights of the Vale were some of the best trained knights in the seven kingdoms. She was warned by Tyrion, Varys and Jon beforehand that the North were a land of stubborn folks that can hold a grudge towards any house that has wronged them in the past into their graves, especially Jon's sister Sansa who according to the Warden of the North is very weary and distrustful which was justified, given the backstory Jon Show gave Daenerys of how Sansa had spent most of her adolescent years being held hostage by the Lannisters and then she was betrayed by those she thought she could trust after fleeing from King's Landing, something that the Mother of Dragons can relate to more than anything. He didn't tell her the details as it wasn't his place but enough to make her realize that it was going to be harder than she'd expected based on the distrustful tone in Lady Stark's voice at the courtyard.
Daenerys turned as she heard yelling behind her as someone on horseback was pushing their way past her men to get inside the gates. She recognized the man as Beric Dondarrion, he was part of the squadron of men that went beyond the wall with Jon to retrieve a wight. He fell off his horse and Jon along with some other men rushed over to examine him.
"Send for a maester!" Jon said as he began to grab Beric to carry him inside. Beric aggressively grabbed the back of Jon's head and whispered something in his ear. Daenerys couldn't make out what he was telling Jon but she was able to discern the word 'risen'. Jon met Daenerys' eyes with great sorrow. "Gather everyone into the Great Hall, we have news."
With that order, Lady Sansa began directing the lords of the North into the largest tower in Winterfell. The castle was not as glamorous as the Red Keep of King's Landing but she wouldn't have expected Jon to grow up in such a place, it wouldn't suit him. No this was much more fitting of him.
"Khaleesi." Ser Jorah pulled her from her thoughts as he took her arm in his and began leading her toward the great hall.
The great hall wasn't quite great. It was cramped and no warmer than the outside. But it had a certain charm to it. At the front of the hall sat Jon and his sister Sansa. She realised all the Northern lords were staring at her and she then began to proceed to the front. Her eyes met Jon's as she reached the table and he had a look of guilt and sadness in his eyes when looking towards her. She knew whatever news he had to share, it would be unpleasant but she would be there for him and he would be there for her.
"My lords." Jon began. "Thank you all for gathering here with your banners and your men." Daenerys looked around the hall and thankfully all the eyes had been diverted towards Jon. "Along with the forces of the North and the Vale Queen Daenerys has also brought us her army of Dothraki and Unsullied along with her dragons. Now that we have convinced Cersei Lannister that the threat is real, the Lannister armies are now marching North to help us fight the army of the dead."
With this the hall erupted into angry chatter about how the Lannisters can't be trusted and Daenerys also heard some saying it was an insult that they're hosting one as of right now, obviously referring to her Hand Tyrion. Jon began slamming on the table with his mug to regain the attention of the Northern folk. "I understand your distrust for the Lannisters but we can't face this threat alone, we need every man in all of Westeros to help us fight if we are going to survive!"
With that the hall began to calm until a young girl no older than thirteen years of age rose to her feat. "Your grace, or whatever you are now that you have bent the knee, why should we trust this dragon queen?" The young girl asked. She seemed surprisingly mature for her age as she spoke with the kind of voice that commanded respect. A voice that Daenerys knew all too well. "If she only chose to help our cause after you pledged yourself to her." She finished.
"She chose to fight alongside us before I bent the knee, I did not bend the knee to gain her trust, I bent the knee because I believe that she can build a better world then the shit one we're living in."
The hall began to calm, the faith Jon's people held in him was obvious and Daenerys was thankful for that. Just when she thought things were about to calm the young girl continued to speak. "My lord, from what I recall I was told that the Dragon Queen had three dragons but I only saw two. Where would the other be?"
Daenerys looked to Jon and he gave her a look of sorrow and guilt. She took his hand in hers and gave him a nod allowing him to answer the question but not before he winced closing his eyes.
"Viserion was killed by the Night King saving my life." Jon answered.
With a satisfied look the young girl sat down and everyone started to stare towards Daenerys once more. But not with the same faces she'd seen upon her arrival. These were faces of approval and dare she think even admiration.
"Which leads me to some unfortunate news." Jon continued. "The Wall at Eastwatch has fallen, the army of the dead march's south now and we need to begin preparations at once."
With this the hall once again flooded with chatter. "Your grace!" A large older man stood up silencing everyone immediately. "How is this possible? The Wall has stood for thousands of years!"
Daenerys saw Jon close his eyes as he took a deep inhale before answering the lord's question. "The dragon Viserion has been raised by the Night King and has taken down the wall."
Everything pulled away for a second as Daenerys took in the news but she was immediately pulled back by the accusations being made towards her. "Your grace, it's the Targaryen's fault that there's a dragon in the undead army now, I believe she should be punished accordingly!" The old man yelled, drawing his sword. "I'll cut you down where you stand." Daenerys was about to threaten to burn the man alive when a sudden growl put everyone to silence.
Daenerys' breath fell short as a great beast entered the hall. A giant wolf the size of a horse with fur as white as the very hair on her hair entered. The eyes of the beast were blood red and nobody dared move a muscle. Daenerys looked to Jon waiting for him to do something but he just looked forward angrily towards Lord Glover and she had to wonder what he was thinking.
"My apologies Lord Glover, I'm sure Ghost just misheard you. what was it you said? You'll cut down the Queen where she stands?" Jon said. Sweat poured down the lord's face as he answered his King's question.
"I uh, said nothing your grace, my sincerest apologies." he said as he sat down quickly and quietly.
Ghost. The name wrang through Dany's mind as she processed the what the wolf having a name meant. How is it that Jon was able to tame such a beast and make it his own. With a whistle, the wolf bit at the man missing him then walked away and took its place behind Jon. There was no doubt. It was Jon's, but still the eyes of the wolf were rather unsettling and something that pierced through Dany's soul even if she could trust it now.
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The meeting wrapped shortly after the confrontation and Dany needed to step outside. Even if Winterfell wasn't the nicest castle it had a certain charm to it. She was surprised to discover a forest within its walls and figured she would go there to find some quiet and try to process the news she'd just recieved. Her child Viserion was now fighting for the Night King. The valyrian words echoed through her mind, Zaldrīzes buzdari iksos daor. A dragon is not a slave.
She needed time to think so she entered what Jon told her was called the godswood. She assumed it was probably more beautiful during the summer when the trees held their green leaves on their branches. But she was surprised to see one tree hadn't lost its leaves. Its leaves were red and it was the only one in the forest with any leaves at all. The trunk was completely white and she was able to make out what appeared to be faces etched into its trunk. As she got closer she could hear the whine of an animal. Looking to her right she saw Jon sitting on a stone with the white wolf from before resting its head on his lap. He stroked the wolf with no fear of it harming him. "Is this why they call you the White Wolf?"
Jon looked over at her before responding. "I suppose it would be." He answered. She moved to sit beside him and examine the wolf up close. Being this close to it, it was apparent how big it really was. Could it be a direwolf? But everything she had been told of direwolves told her that they were wild creatures that would kill you the moment they spotted you. This one behaved like a newborn pup, unless he needed to act like a wolf.
"How did you tame such a wild animal?" Daenerys asked.
She motioned her hand towards the head of the wolf and looked towards Jon asking with her eyes if she could pet him. He gave her a nod and answered her question. "I'm not entirely sure, we found him and his siblings alone in the forest whilst we were hunting. I convinced my father to keep them as they were the sigil of House Stark. Ghost is the last one left out of those direwolves." he finished.
"I suppose he developed some type of loyalty towards you," Daenerys said placing her head on his shoulder. "I would suppose so," Jon smiled kissing her on her forehead. They sat there for a little while longer as she pet the now sleeping wolf before she interrupted the silence. "The lords don't seem to like me," she said. "Including your sister."
"They don't know you yet, they'll believe in you as well soon enough," Jon said.
"You didn't sound very certain when we were approaching Winterfell before," She recalled.
"I'm trying to make you feel better what am I supposed to say?" He laughed out. They sat there giggling for a few seconds before they were interrupted.
"Ahem." they heard behind them turning to find a girl Daenerys had never seen before. She carried a sword in her belt with a thin blade. This must be Arya, Jon had told her all about her and Daenerys had assumed she must be rather special.
"I suppose I should leave you two alone for the moment." Daenerys said getting up and brushing herself getting ready to leave.
"Take Ghost with you." Jon said. The direwolf opened its eyes and quickly stretched before he rose to his feet and began following Daenerys without any further instruction. But not before lingering on her, smelling her belly. As they turned to leave the godswood Arya and Jon were left standing there just staring waiting for one to say the first word.
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After waiting in the back of the hall for what seemed like an eternity just looking to the front at Jon, she could finally talk to her brother and tell him of everything. But when she'd gone to see him in the godswood he found Daenerys Targaryen there sitting next to him. It was obvious they were together but Arya didn't feel like dwelling on that subject. She just wanted to spend the rest of the day with her brother. After the dragon queen dismissed herself along with Ghost her and Jon stood there for what felt like hours just taking each other in. He had acquired some brand new scars on his face. Two faint ones that went over his left eye and the other one around his right eye. If what she had been told about him was true, he also would have some much deeper scars. She didn't want to think about what the Night's Watch had done to him and how fortunate she was to be able to stand here and look him in the eyes. But it wasn't something she could simply ignore and they would need to discuss it sooner or later.
After a few more seconds of just standing there both her and Jon ran into each other's arms and spent a good few more seconds in a warm embrace. "You've grown." Jon said first. "You haven't." Arya retorted, Jon had always been rather small.
"Still carrying this little thing around?" Jon placed his finger on the hilt of Needle, Arya's sword. She drew it holding it in both her hands and handing it over to Jon who observed giving back to Arya as she put it back in her sheath. "I could make you a new one, not as thin." "It's worked for me so far, and it will continue to do so." Jon then pulled out his sword with a white wolf pommel placing it in Arya's hands the same as she had done. "Valyrian steel?" she said with wide eyes looking at the beautiful blade.
"Jealous?" Jon chuckled. She was barely able to hold it steadily with two hands, let alone one.
"Too heavy for me." Arya replied. "Sansa doesn't trust your queen does she?"
Jon's grin slowly faded at the question. "Not yet." He replied, not sounding all that confident in it.
"And what about you?" Arya asked.
"I would put my trust in her with my life. As I already have." he said.
Arya knew this as she was in the hall when he announced that one of her dragons had died saving him. "I think you've put more than just your trust in her." Arya said with a completely serious face even if what she said wasn't serious whatsoever.
Jon's face was expression was filled with surprise at the forwardness of his sister. "Have you?" she asked.
"I'm not going to answer that." Jon said, not confirming or denying the guess.
That answer alone was enough. "Jon Snow, the bastard of Lord Eddard Stark, never went to the whore houses with Robb and Theon, left for the Night's Watch where you could never lay with a woman, now shares a bed with the mother of dragons." She teased.
Jon couldn't contain his smile any longer. "You've grown up. Come on, lets get inside it's getting rather cold."
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Yara had been tied to this post for the entirety of their journey to Essos and back. Euron had sat by her with whatever time he could spare in order to torture her mentally by talking about everything he's going to do once the war is over. "Do you really think you still have a chance at winning?" She asked interrupting whatever rant Euron was going off on today.
"The numbers will even out by the time the fighting in the North is over. If they lose then I'll go back to the Iron Islands and live out the rest of my days there." He jolted up staring her in the eyes with great intensity. "But first I'm gonna fuck the queen." He said now getting up to leave as they had docked.
Many hours had past as Yara sat there asleep when she could suddenly make out the sound of arrows piercing skulls on the deck of the ship. Her door opened to one of Euron's men falling back with an axe sticking out between his eyes. Her little brother Theon came in through the door meeting her eyes. She felt a slew of emotions with the dominant ones being betrayal and happiness that he had come back for her. He walked behind the post to untie her and even though he had returned to rescue her it didn't change the fact that he was the reason she'd been stuck on this ship for the past months. She gave him a headbutt and then offered her hand for him to return to his feet.
They grabbed the unmanned ships sitting in the harbor and began to sail for the Iron Islands to take it back. "With these ships and most of Euron's men in King's Landing we can take back the Iron Islands, Daenerys will need somewhere to flee if they can't hold the North." Theon didn't seem to share her enthusiasm as he looked down and said with a sollem voice. "You're my queen, I go where you command." She knew what he was thinking and would order him against it. But no matter how much he has run all his life, this wasn't something that he could run away from. No matter how much she didn't want him to go, she couldn't stop him. "You want to go North, to fight for the Starks?" Theon nodded to her and she took him into her embrace. "What is dead may never die." she said. "But kill the bastards anyways."
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"Your grace." Jorah approached her from behind while Missandei was trying to reassure her that everything with the Northern lords would be alright. "There's someone I would like you to meet." He said taking her hand and guiding her to the Winterfell library. It was simple like the rest of the castle but had enough books in there that would keep you occupied for years. Jorah guided her to the back where a large young man was reading a book on what appeared to be information on the long night. The man looked up and immediately rose to his feet giving a bow to Daenerys which made her smile. He was a well-mannered man and clearly hadn't met too many rulers. "Your grace, this is the man who saved my life at the citadel, I would not be here if not for him." Jorah said from behind her.
"It is an honour to meet you your grace. I'm Samwell, Samwell Tarly."
Daenerys' grin suddenly faded at his surname. Tarly. She prayed that perhaps it was just pronunciation and he wasn't at all related to Randyll Tarly. "Tarly? You wouldn't be related to Randyll Tarly would you?"
At this Samwell raised his eyebrows at the dragon queen knowing his father. "He would be my father, he is not serving under you is he?" he said. His distaste for his father was apparent in the way he asked her and Daenerys hoped that it was the same for his brother. "I executed him after he sacked Highgarden and pledged his armies to Cersei Lannister." At this Sam gave a sad look. He had no love for his father but even still he was family. Hope did rise up inside him however as his brother would allow him to return to his home now that he would be the lord of Horn Hill. "At least now I'll be able to return home now that my brother's the lord," Daenerys' sympathy for the man grew as she realized she had executed his loving brother and now he was going to hate her for this. "Your brother chose to stand with your father." He could now no longer hold back the tears as he had loved his little brother and now he was nothing more. He needed to be alone now as he asked to be excused. Even if she executed his brother he was still polite to a queen.
Daenerys let out a sigh of resignation, looking up to the ceiling. "You didn't know, Khaleesi." Jorah tried to assure her.
"No. But I take no pleasure in Lord Tarly and his firstborn son forcing my hand." Daenerys said solemnly. She still stood by her decision given that the late Lord Tarly violated his oath to House Tyrell.
No one said being a Queen was easy but there were moments like what had just occurred made her wish it was. Damn if you do, damn if you don't.
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He exited the library finding Bran sitting alone in the courtyard on his wheelchair. His eyes immediately fixated on Sam, as if he had been waiting for him to appear. He immediately began to recollect the conversation they'd had about Jon being a Targaryen, the rightful heir to the iron throne. Sam had never been a petty person but he couldn't simply drive away the thought that his brother was now ash blowing in the wind. "Where's Jon?" Sam asked as he approached Bran.
"In the crypts, it's time." Bran informed.
Sam nodded glad that he got the approval to inform Jon. "You should tell him." Bran said as blankly as every other word that came out of his mouth.
"What? But you're his brother, shouldn't you tell him?" Sam asked taken back by the request. He wanted to tell Jon but it would probably be best if it came from the mouth of his brother. "It will be better coming from you, besides there are too many stairs going down into the crypts."
With a nod Sam began to march his way down into the crypts trying to determine the best way to tell Jon without him dying from shock.
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Jon stood in front of his father's statue as he lit candles like he had seen him doing quite often. He took a moment to look at his father's statue. They couldn't capture his face at all. He wondered if he would be proud of what he's been able to become. King in the North or Warden now, leading the fight against the White Walkers. He heard a clumsy stumble and voice that he knew all too well. As he rounded the corner he saw a familiar face.
"Sam?" He thought he'd still be at the Citadel but here he is paying a visit. He pulled him into his embrace and pulled back to see he'd been crying.
"What's the matter?"
There was a slight pause before Sam was able to answer his question. "Daenerys." Sam started. "She executed my father and brother." Jon backed away. She'd never told him this and he could only imagine how Sam felt realizing he'd received the news from the executioner herself.
"I'm sorry." Jon said.
"Would you have done it?"
While it was a question he knew what Sam was getting at and he didn't need to hear it. He'd already had to yell enough at the northern lords today and didn't feel like yelling at his best friend. "I've executed men who've betrayed me." he started before he was interrupted.
"You've also spared men, the wildlings when they refused to kneel." Sam interrupted.
"I hanged a twelve year old boy." Jon countered causing Sam switch his approach. "What if she's not right for rule." Sam said.
Jon sighed at this and frowned. "Sam I've had to deal with people telling me this all day and I'm tired of it, besides who else is out there with a claim?" Jon replied.
'You', Sam wanted to say but that was a little bit too forward. "I have something to tell you and you're not going to believe it but I can prove it," Sam said taking a deep breath before continuing."At the Citadel, I transcribed a high Septon's diary, he said that Rhaegar Targaryen annulled his marriage to Elia Martell and married another."
Jon understood what he was getting at and he didn't really want to hear it. "Well that's all well and good Sam but what are you saying? That Rhaegar had another child and that child lives?" Jon thought this completely unlikely but whoever it was posed no immediate threat.
"The child does live, I'm looking at him right now." Jon's breath fell completely short at this statement. He forced out a laugh hoping that Sam would join him and admit that this was all some cruel joke. But Sam didn't laugh, his expression remained the same as it had been the entire conversation. "Your mother was Lyanna Stark, Bran saw it in a vision. You being born in a tower in Dorne and Ned Stark promising your mother to protect you. And he did, if Robert knew about it he would have smashed your head in with a hammer. Your name is Jaeherys Targaryen."
The name felt worse than the knives that gutted him the night he died. Daenerys. She was his aunt. He fell in love with his aunt, with everything that's happening should he tell her? Would she be able to focus if he distanced himself for her. Or should he stay with her for the betterment of her mental state going into this war. The thought of being with her for the greater good felt worse, as if he would be manipulating her emotions. "Go away Sam, I need to be alone." Jon struggled to say.
"I understand, what about Daenerys?" Even the sheer mention of her name was like a knife twisting in his gut.
"She is our queen, whatever claim I have will not change that." Jon was starting to get angry, Sam knows he wants nothing to do with the throne.
"She shouldn't be." Sam responded. "You gave up your crown to save your people, would she do the same?"
With that he left Jon to himself. Why is it always him, he was finally happy for once in his shit life, he should have known that the gods were far too cruel to give him anything good.
Jon began walking slowly down the halls of the crypts finding himself in front of the grave of her. His mother. The woman who brought him into this world. The woman he had thought about every night before he'd went to bed as a boy. The woman he had longed to meet his entire life, was here this whole time, and he didn't know.
"Hello mother." The Bastard of Winterfell muttered out the words he'd wanted to say this whole life. When he finally said it he wanted to say it with a smile on his face with tears of joy, not sadness. When he said them he wanted to hug his mother and feel a warmth he'd never felt his whole life. The warmth of a mother's love. But he never could, because here she was. A pile of bones at his feet, she'd never see who he's become and what he's done, what he's accomplished when life dealt him a cruel hand, she would never be able to tell him she's proud. Proud that he's her son.
He fell to his hands and knees and began sobbing like the little boy so many years ago who just wanted a mother.
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Crowds of people, mostly soldiers, rode along the kingsroad taking no notice of him. He thought it best to ride with the people in much less extravagant armour. He didn't want anyone to notice him until he'd reached his destination of Winterfell. He'd spent most of his journey with his hood on, not stopping at taverns or inns and only purchasing food from wagons. He could see it now in the distance, he always thought if he returned here that it would be with an army, to attack and take the castle. Not to possibly give his life protecting it. Once he'd finally entered the gates he felt it safe to take off his hood after his long journey. He looked around and saw snow, he'd seen it before but not in such a long time. He wanted to admire it and its beauty but he couldn't as he knew what came with winter. He looked at the walls seeing the Stark banners tattered across the walls. He couldn't help but chuckle to himself at this, he never thought he would see the Starks return to what they once were, or at least beginning to. Finally after tying his horse up he took a deep breath knowing he had to face Daenerys Targaryen and tell her of his sister's treachery, he'd be lucky if he wasn't burned alive on the spot or torn apart by the white direwolf of the King in the North.
Finally building up the courage he turned only to see someone sitting on a chair with wheels staring right at him blankly and unsurprised, as if he'd been waiting for him. He recognized the boy immediately as Brandon Stark, a terrible reminder of the man he once was and the terrible things he did. The things he did for love.
