Beyond the Wall

The next morning, a meeting was held, Jon explaining everything Sam had told him to the Free Folk.

"I will not ask any of you to join me on this journey. The Free Folk owe me no loyalty,

I will not ask you to die or risk your lives for me or my sister. But I must go, if for no other reason than to find out the truth," Jon said and it was silent for a moment before there was movement as Tormund got to his feet.

"The Red Wolf has always been a friend to the Free Folk. When we were in Winterfell, it was she who made sure we were fed and that we didn't go cold. And after she became Queen, it was she who set trade with the Free Folk. Life has been easier since we started trade with Winterfell, hasn't it?" Tormund stated and got some nods of agreement. "Our children are given more opportunities, without having to kneel to anyone.

"She told us 'I don't expect anyone to kneel for me, I just don't want children to starve'. She did not have to, she could have done as her father and past Kneelers did and turned her back on us after the Long Night. She didn't, she helped us. What does it say about us if we do not help the Red Wolf now?" Tormund finished and Jon could see that his argument had swayed most of them. "If this 3-Eyed Raven wants to come after the Red Wolf, he will have to deal with Tormund Giantsbabe!"

The Free Folk cheered and Jon knew, for better or worse, he was likely leading the Free Folk into war once more.

Winterfell

Same time

Sansa stood watching with a smile as her Master of Arms helped train Eddard how to fight. It brought back vague memories of her early childhood, of watching Robb, Jon and Theon being trained by Ser Rodrik. Back before her mother had started trying to turn her into a Southern Lady.

She loved her mother, she missed her, but, with the mind of a woman grown, Sansa could admit that her mother had left her unprepared for life in King's Landing. Just as her father, in his quest to do the honorable thing and spare three innocent lives from the wrath of a vengeful Robert had left her at the mercy of the Lannisters.

The world was not as they wished it to be. She could not live life as her parents had. Especially with knowing what had happened to Bran.

Gilly's story about Bran was almost unbelievable but, in a sick sort of way, it made sense. The 3-Eyed Raven had admitted he'd known how things would play out during the Long Night. And if Sam and Gilly were right, and he'd used them all to take out the Night King…then he'd allowed Theon to die and Daenerys to murder hundreds, maybe thousands and Jon to be exiled. It made Sansa's blood boil just thinking about how many had suffered and died because of the 3-Eyed Raven's quest for power.

"Sansa? Are you all right?"

Broken out of her thoughts, Sansa turned her head, seeing Gilly looking at her curiously. Sansa had been so engrossed in her thoughts that she hadn't heard Gilly approach.

"I'm fine, thank you Gilly. Merely thinking. How are you and your children settling in?" Sansa inquired.

"As well as we can manage. It's quite different here than in King's Landing. When I left them, your husband was showing them around the castle," Gilly said before pausing. "I do not mean to overstep, but how are you, truly?"

"I don't know," Sansa said honestly. "I was…at peace, knowing my family was safe, even if we were all scattered. Now, one brother is dead, controlled by a monster wearing his face and another is coming back home as we prepare for war. It's…quite a bit to take in."

"I know. But…is it not a good thing that Jon is coming home? The circumstances could be better, but he's coming home," Gilly pointed out and Sansa was silent for a long moment.

"Yes, Gilly, it is a good thing," Sansa finally agreed. "I am merely unsure of how the people will react. Many are still…angry at Jon for giving up the North to Daenerys. Jon knows this; it's why he refused to come home when I offered to pardon him."

"You offered to pardon him?" Gilly asked in surprise and Sansa nodded.

"Multiple times. I told him I would deal with whatever fallout that came, that he did not belong beyond the Wall. That he belonged at Winterfell. But he told me that our people would not feel the same. And that he would not ask them to deal with the fallout, that he could not. And then he met his wife, and his exile became…a bit more bearable," Sansa said, a slight smile crossing her face as she said those words. "I still wish that he could come home without such secrecy and the risk of war, but he's happy. It's really all I wanted for him."

"It's all we ever want for our family," Gilly said softly and Sansa nodded, the two women silent as they watched Eddard train.

Beyond the Wall

Mid-day

"It went better than you expected," Val told Jon as they packed their things.

"Thanks to Tormund, of all people," Jon said, almost laughing at the absurdity.

"He always loves to surprise," Val said with a grin.

"So…about when we leave-" Jon started and she glared at him.

"If you try to talk me into staying-"

"I know better than that. You'd probably kill me in my sleep," Jon joked and her gaze softened.

"I would definitely kill you in your sleep," Val said before kissing him. "So, what is it?"

"It's a long ride from here to Winterfell. And it needs to be done in secret. I want you to make sure that everyone going with us knows that. You have a way of making them understand in ways that I do not," Jon said carefully and Val nodded.

"I'll make sure they know. Now, are you going to pay your friend a visit?" Val asked pointedly.

Not long after, Jon made his way over to the edge of camp, where Sam sat with Lyanna and Robb. As he approached, it sounded to Jon like Sam was telling them a story. He always did like stories, Jon mused fondly.

"Papa," Lyanna said excitedly as she ran to him.

"Hello, sweetling. Could you and Robb give me a few moments with Sam," Jon said it more as a statement than a question. "Matter of fact, I lost sight of Ghost somewhere. Why don't you go find him?"

"Okay, Papa. Come on Lyanna," Robb said before the two children went off in search of the Direwolf.

"Subtle," Sam noted and Jon chuckled as he sat down across from his friend.

"The Free Folk have agreed. We gather supplies and then we head for Winterfell in a few days time," Jon told him and it was silent for a moment.

"And how do you feel about that?" Sam asked, looking at Jon warily.

"I don't think the North has many good things to say about me after Daenerys. But if you're right, Sansa is going to war with a monster who murdered our brother. So I'll do what I have to do," Jon said and a beat passed.

"And Sansa? I know things were…strained between you two when you were exiled," Sam pointed out and Jon chuckled.

"A lot can happen in ten years. Sansa and I have exchanged a lot of letters and we've made our peace. I can't say I agree with what Sansa did, but I know she only did what she thought was right and what she had to in order to stop a tyrant from seizing power. And perhaps if I had let her in on my plan, If I had trusted her, she would not have felt it necessary to do what she did," Jon said with a sigh and Sam shot him a quizzical look.

"What plan?" Sam asked and Jon shot him a tight smile.

"Did you really think I could fall in love with a woman who kept me prisoner and burned people alive for not bending to her will?" Jon asked and Sam immediately understood.

"You never loved Daenerys," Sam said and Jon shook his head.

"No. I realized very early on in meeting her that she just like any other tyrant who wanted power. She claimed she wanted to 'break the wheel' but all she really wanted was to have power that she felt was hers by right. She was no different than any tyrant who had come before her. If it were up to me, I would have left her at Dragonstone. But she had those dragons, and I thought we needed them," Jon said with a scoff. "Before I left, Sansa had told me to 'play the game', so that's what I tried to do. I realized that Daenerys had one weakness I could exploit: she wanted everyone to love her. It was like ale to her, she was addicted to it."

"So you let her think you were in love with her," Sam whispered and Jon nodded.

"It was the only way that I thought I could get those dragons, because I thought they would turn the tide in the war. But in the end, it was all pointless. The dragons were merely a distraction. It was all for nothing, Sam. But by that point, I felt like I was in too far. I tried to carry it all on my own, and after a while, I had almost convinced myself of my own lies, that I truly did love her. And then she burned King's Landing, killed so many, nearly killed Arya," Jon said softly and it was silent for a moment. "She declared she was going to destroy everyone who opposed her. I knew Sansa and Arya would be the first people on that list, that Daenerys would head North first, to make Sansa either bend the Knee or….so I knew what I had to do to protect what was left of my family and make sure Daenerys could not do to Winterfell what she did to King's Landing.."

"I'm sorry, Jon," Sam said softly. "I can't even imagine…I'm sorry for thinking that…"

"That I could love a woman who burned people alive for not swearing loyalty to her? I can't blame you, Sam. I tried to carry it all on my own, let no one in on my plan. I took me a long time to realize how out of my depth I was, but I can see why my actions would cause you and Sansa to lose faith in me. I…made so many mistakes. And if you're right, we were all manipulated by a monster," Jon said with a sigh. "I can't change the past. But I will make sure that the 3-Eyed Raven will not remain in power much longer. And I will avenge Bran and all those who died for it to have power."

A short chapter I know, but we're going to get a bit of a time skip, so next chapter we'll get Jon, Sam and the Free Folk arriving in Winterfell.

Jon/Dany in any medium is overrated and unlikely, because Dany is high on power and entitlement. Jon is unlikely to find that attractive in a woman, but Jon's relationship with her in the show has me convinced Jon either lost his mind or is suffering from Stockholm syndrome. Because Dany was awful to Jon, she essentially kept him prisoner, which Jon only went along with because he wanted the dragons. And even if Jon did have genuine feelings for Dany, are we supposed to buy that those feelings would persist after finding out she burned his best friend's father and brother alive?

Jon's actions in the last two seasons would have made a lot more sense if he had taken Sansa's advice and was merely 'playing the game'.