The evening light filtered softly through the narrow windows of Jon's chamber, casting long shadows across the stone walls. Jon sat alone, the second letter from his mother held carefully in his hands. His fingers traced the elegant, foreign script on the envelope, feeling the texture of the parchment. The first letter had already turned his world upside down, revealing truths about his lineage that he had never imagined. But this second letter—this one, he felt, would change everything.
Jon's heart raced as he contemplated the contents. The letter seemed heavier than its weight, as if it carried the weight of his entire future. His mother's words from the first letter echoed in his mind: "There are things I must tell you, truths that only you can know." What more could she reveal? What other secrets had she kept hidden?
Finally, with a steadying breath, Jon broke the seal and carefully unfolded the parchment. The room seemed to grow quieter, the world outside fading into insignificance as his eyes began to move across the page.
The letter began with an introduction that took Jon by surprise. His mother, the woman he had only known through fragments of stories and whispered rumors, was not just any woman from Essos—she was the Queen of Sarnor, a kingdom Jon had only read about in ancient tomes. She described Sarnor as a land of vast wealth, ancient traditions, and powerful warriors. And he, Jon Snow, was not just her son; he was a prince by blood.
But before Jon could fully grasp the implications of this revelation, his mother made a request—no, a demand—that he keep this knowledge a secret. "You must promise me, Jon," she wrote, "that you will tell no one of your true heritage. For now, the world must believe you are simply Jon Snow, a bastard of Winterfell. Your time to rule will come, but only when you are ready."
Jon felt a chill run down his spine. To be a prince—a king, even—was something he had never imagined for himself. He had always been the outsider, the one who did not quite belong. And yet, here in his hands was proof that he was destined for something far greater. But with that destiny came an enormous responsibility. His mother's words conveyed her love and concern, but also her expectations. She urged him to train harder, to learn more, to become stronger. For one day, he would not just be a prince—he would be the King of Sarnor, and he would need to be ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead.
As Jon continued to read, the letter delved into his mother's past, revealing a history as complex and turbulent as the North itself.
Vaela's story began with a tale of betrayal. Her father, the rightful King of Sarnor, had been betrayed by his own brother—Jon's great-uncle. This uncle had sought to usurp the throne, gathering a band of traitorous nobles and mercenaries to overthrow the king. In the dead of night, the coup was launched, and Vaela's family was forced to flee the capital.
They escaped by ship, sailing into the unknown, with only a handful of loyal followers. The voyage was long and perilous, taking them far from the familiar lands of Sarnor to the frozen, desolate lands beyond the Wall. For months, they lived among the wildlings, learning their ways and surviving in the harshest conditions imaginable. It was a life of constant danger, but it was also a time of bonding and growth.
It was during this time, Vaela wrote, that she first met Eddard Stark. She was exploring Vale as she traveled all the Seven Kingdoms . Fate had brought them together, and in the midst of that frozen wasteland, they had found solace in each other. Vaela described how Eddard had been a beacon of strength and honor in those dark times, and how their love had blossomed despite the hardships they faced.
Eventually, Vaela's father and his loyalists had regrouped and launched a counterattack, reclaiming the throne from the usurper. The battle had been fierce, with many lives lost on both sides. Her father had emerged victorious, but the cost had been great. Weakened by his injuries, he did not survive long after reclaiming his throne, leaving Vaela to ascend as the Queen of Sarnor.
But Vaela had not returned to Sarnor alone. She had brought with her many of the Wildlings who had stood by her side during her exile. They had become her people, and she had become their queen. She had always felt a deep connection to the North, to its people and its ways. And that connection, she now told Jon, was part of his heritage as well.
The letter then turned darker, as Vaela recounted the aftermath of the war for the throne. The victory had come at a great price. Her father, despite his triumph, had been gravely wounded and had died shortly after the battle. His death had left Vaela to take up the crown at a young age, facing the immense task of rebuilding a kingdom torn apart by civil war.
The responsibility had been overwhelming, but Vaela had risen to the challenge. She had to be strong, not just for herself, but for her people. She described the heavy burden of leadership, the difficult decisions she had to make, and the constant threat of further rebellion. But she had persevered, restoring Sarnor to its former glory.
Yet, even as she ruled over a prosperous kingdom, Vaela never forgot the North. She had always felt that a part of her belonged to those wild, untamed lands. It was that connection, she wrote, that made her certain Jon was destined for greatness. He was not just a Snow, not just a Stark—he was a prince, with the blood of kings and queens flowing through his veins.
Vaela spoke of her deep sympathy for the wildlings, who she had seen as desperate people in need of guidance. She had taken many of them back to Sarnor with her, integrating them into her kingdom. They had become some of her most loyal subjects, fierce warriors who would fight to the death to protect their queen. It was from these wildlings, Vaela hinted, that Jon had inherited his strength and resilience.
As the letter drew to a close, Vaela turned her attention to Jon's heritage. "You are a true Stark," she wrote, "not because of your name, but because of your blood." She dismissed the idea that Jon's status as a bastard made him any less of a Stark. The names given to bastards—Snow, Sand, Storm—were merely tools of the aristocracy, meant to keep bastards from challenging the legitimacy of their legitimate offspring. But blood was blood, and Jon's was as noble as any in Westeros.
Vaela urged Jon to embrace his Stark heritage, but not in the way Eddard Stark had taught him. "Your father is a good man," she wrote, "but he was raised in the Vale, among the Arryns. He learned to be an Arryn, not a Stark. The Starks are not like other noble families. They are not ruled by honor, but by strength, by survival."
She went on to explain the true meaning of the Stark motto, "Winter is Coming." It was not just a warning of the cold, dark season that would inevitably come to the North. It was a reflection of the Starks themselves—strong, merciless, and most of all, dangerous. The Starks had ruled the North for 8,000 years not because they were the most honorable, but because they were the most formidable. They knew how to survive, how to adapt, and how to protect their own.
Vaela's words resonated deeply with Jon. He had always admired his father's sense of honor, but he had also seen the harsh realities of the world. The North was a place where only the strong survived, and now, more than ever, Jon realized that he needed to be strong.
As Jon finished reading the letter, he felt a wave of emotions wash over him. The revelation that his mother was a queen, that he was a prince, was almost too much to process. But more than that, it was the weight of her expectations that bore down on him. She had placed her hopes for the future of Sarnor on his shoulders, and she believed that he could live up to them.
She also informed him about one of her agent living in Wintertown and he will be their medium of communication and Jon can find him by the Sarnor emblem in his door
Jon sat in silence, the letter still in his hands. He thought about the life he had known in Winterfell, about his father, Eddard Stark, and about his bond with Robb. He had always felt like an outsider, but now he understood that his path was different from theirs. He was not just a Stark—he was something more.
But with that realization came a sense of responsibility. Jon knew that he could not let his mother down. He would train harder, study more, and prepare himself for the day when he would have to take up the mantle of leadership. He would become the man his mother believed he could be.
In that moment, Jon made a silent vow. He would honor his mother's wishes, keep her secrets, and do whatever it took to become the King of Sarnor. But he would also honor his Stark heritage