It had started with a simple knock on his door. When Jon had opened it, he found himself face-to-face with a man from Wintertown, a figure he recognized only in passing. The man, wrapped tightly in a thick woolen cloak, had handed Jon a small, sealed envelope with an unfamiliar seal—a dragon intertwined with a phoenix.
"For you, Master Snow," the man had said, his tone serious. "From someone who cares for you deeply."
Jon had taken the envelope, confused but intrigued, and thanked the man, who quickly departed without another word. All day, the envelope had burned in his pocket, a mystery that demanded his attention. Now, finally alone in the quiet of his room, Jon pulled it out and stared at the seal.
He hesitated for a moment, feeling a strange sense of foreboding, before breaking the wax and unfolding the parchment inside. The handwriting was elegant, unlike anything he had seen before, and as he began to read, the world around him seemed to fall away.
My dearest Jon,
There are truths that a mother wishes to share with her son, secrets that have been kept for too long, and emotions that have been buried deep within the heart. I write to you now, after years of silence, because the time has come for you to know who you are and how much you are loved.
You were born under circumstances that were not easy, in a time of great turmoil and danger. Your father, Eddard Stark, is a man of honor and strength, and it was to him that I entrusted your safety. But know this, Jon—you were born from love, and that love has never faded.
I am Vaela Aeraleos, your mother. My heart has ached every day we have been apart, but I had to let you go, to send you to a place where you would be safe, where you could grow strong under the guidance of a man I trusted with my life. Your father has raised you well, and I am proud of the young man you have become.
But I want you to know that you are more than just the son of Eddard Stark. You are my son as well, and through you flows the blood of a lineage that is ancient and powerful. There are things you will need to understand as you grow older, and I wish to be there to help guide you. But for now, all I ask is that you remember this: you are loved, Jon. Deeply, truly, and always.
If you have any doubts about the truth of my words, I urge you to show this letter to your father. He will confirm what I have told you.I needed you to know how much you mean to me, and how much I miss you.
You are not alone, Jon. My heart is with you, even across the distance that separates us. Until we can be together again, hold fast to the knowledge that you are loved and that you carry within you the strength of our blood.
With all my love,
Your Mother
Vaela Aeraleos
Jon's heart pounded in his chest as he read the letter, the words echoing in his mind like a distant thunderstorm. His mother. Vaela Aeraleos. The name was unfamiliar, yet it held a weight that he couldn't ignore. She spoke of love, of protection, of a lineage he knew nothing about. It was overwhelming.
His first instinct was to doubt. Could this really be true? Was this woman truly his mother? And why now, after so many years, had she chosen to reach out to him?
Jon stood, the letter trembling in his hand, and paced the length of his chamber. The walls seemed to close in around him as questions swirled in his mind. What did this mean for him, for his future? What did it mean for the life he had known in Winterfell?
With a determined stride, Jon tucked the letter into his tunic and left his chamber. The halls of Winterfell were quiet, the shadows long as the evening deepened, but Jon's mind was anything but calm. He was about to learn a truth that could change everything he had ever known.
And in that truth, he hoped to find the answers he so desperately needed.
Jon Snow walked briskly through the dimly lit corridors of Winterfell, his heart pounding with a mix of anxiety and anticipation. The letter from his mother, Vaela Aeraleos, still weighed heavily in his tunic, its contents echoing in his mind. He needed answers, and there was only one person who could provide them,his father.
When Jon reached Eddard's solar, he hesitated briefly before knocking. The door creaked open, revealing Eddard seated behind his desk, a quill in hand and a look of mild surprise on his face.
"Jon," Eddard said, setting the quill aside.
"What brings you here at this hour?"
Jon stepped inside, closing the door behind him. The room was warm, the fire crackling in the hearth, but Jon felt a chill as he withdrew the letter and placed it on the desk before Eddard. "Father, I received this today. It's from… my mother."
Eddard's expression softened as he picked up the letter and unfolded it, his eyes scanning the unfamiliar handwriting. He read in silence, the flickering firelight casting shadows on his face. When he finished, he looked up at Jon, his gaze steady and filled with something that Jon could not quite place—pride, sadness, or perhaps both.
"It is true, Jon," Eddard said quietly. "The woman who wrote this letter is your mother, Vaela Aeraleos. She is a remarkable woman, strong and wise, and she loves you deeply."
Jon felt a rush of emotions—relief, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of change. "Why didn't you tell me sooner? Why now?"
Eddard sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Because the time was not yet right. You were young, and there were dangers in knowing too much too soon. Your mother and I agreed that it would be best for you to grow up here, in the safety of Winterfell, until you were old enough to understand."
Jon nodded slowly, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together. "Is she an Essosi."
"That's right," Eddard confirmed. "Your mother has great fortune and influence in Essos. She has been preparing for the day when you can join her, where you will be strong, powerful, and capable of achieving much. That is why I have had you learn the language of Valyria, the customs of Essos—to prepare you for the life that awaits you."
Jon's thoughts raced as he realized why his father had been so insistent on his education, on his mastering the Valyrian language and understanding the ways of a land far beyond the Narrow Sea. "And Robb… he's been learning with me, hasn't he?"
Eddard smiled faintly. "Robb has always looked up to you, Jon. He admires your dedication, your strength. When he saw you studying, he wanted to do the same. He may not be destined for Essos, but he is still a Stark, and knowledge is a valuable thing for any lord to possess."
Jon felt a warmth in his chest at the thought of Robb, his brother in all but name, striving to follow in his footsteps. "Thank you, Father, for everything."
Eddard reached out, placing a hand on Jon's shoulder. "You are my son, Jon, and I have done what I believed was best for you. But now you must prepare yourself for the path that lies ahead. Your mother's world is very different from ours, and you will need to be strong."
Jon nodded, feeling the weight of the future pressing down on him. But there was one more thing he needed to do—one more letter he had to read.
After leaving Eddard's solar, Jon made his way to his chambers, his thoughts heavy with the revelations of the evening. He reached under his bed and pulled out the small, hidden compartment where he had stashed the second letter. His mother had instructed him to read it in secret, and now, with the first letter's truths confirmed, he felt ready to uncover whatever it held.
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 Vale.
It was during this time, Vaela wrote, that she first met Eddard Stark, She was exploring the Vale . Fate had brought them together, and in the midst of a mountain clan attack, 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. 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.
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 hisdoor
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.
