Prologue
"All Hail Jon the Brave, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Six Kingdoms, Protector of the Realm!" Tyrion announced.
"All Hail Jon the Brave!" the lords and ladies in the Great Hall replied.
Jon sat on the Iron Throne, feeling more out of place than ever. He shouldn't be here. He didn't want to be here. Once again, he hoped it was all a misunderstanding. Perhaps the doors would open, and Daenerys would stride in, reclaiming her rightful place as Queen. Jon could then leave King's Landing behind forever.
Sadly, the doors remained closed. Daenerys wasn't coming back. She was gone. Jon hadn't been able to save her. She died protecting Drogon, and the furious dragon had devastated the Lannister army before flying away with her body. Cersei and Jaime Lannister were dead. The war had finally ended.
According to Tyrion, the realm needed a strong leader now more than ever. Jon had never desired to be that leader. Despite his Targaryen heritage, kingship was never his ambition. Yet now he was King. If he had refused, the lords might have fought amongst themselves, sparking another war.
The people of Westeros had suffered enough; they didn't need more bloodshed. Tyrion believed Jon was the right choice, but Jon wasn't so sure. He glanced at Sansa and Arya, who smiled at him. At least he had secured the North's independence.
"And Hail Lady Helena, our future Queen!" Tyrion added.
"All Hail Lady Helena!"
For a moment, Jon had almost forgotten about the woman standing beside the Iron Throne. She wore a polite smile and greeted all the lords and ladies with kind words. If Jon hadn't known she had spent the past years in a prison cell, he would have never guessed it. As Tyrion had said, she would make a perfect Queen. Her manners were flawless, and she understood politics. She would be able to advise Jon.
Marrying her would also help reunite the realm after the long wars and multiple rulers. She was the only trueborn daughter of Robert Baratheon and Cersei Lannister. Yes, she should have been perfect, but Jon didn't want to marry her. How could he be a good husband after everything he had lost? Somehow, he doubted that she really wanted to marry him either.
Yet they would wed soon. She had agreed to it, and Tyrion had assured Jon that it would be the smartest move. Everyone needed to see that the Throne was in steady hands now. There would be no more fighting. They had won, but Jon didn't feel like a winner. He felt trapped and exhausted. The worst part was that he would remain trapped for the rest of his life. How could he ever be happy about that?