The Long Night

Winterfell, the Northern Realms

Aryan didn't beat around the bush and started to say, "For thousand of years, the South and the Citadel talked about 'The Long Night' as a children's tale. Isn'it funny when the oldest histories the Citadel has were written after the Andals came to Westeros? The First Men only left runes on rocks, so everything we are supposed to know about the 'Age of Heroes' and the 'Dawn Age' and 'The Long Night' comes from accounts set by septons thousands of years later."

Aryan continued as he watches everyone listening attentively, "We can have the discussion about the 'Age of Heroes' and the 'Dawn Age' at a later date. Let us talk about the mentions of the Long Night in the world. The first thing that we need to know about it is that it wasn't only experienced in Westeros. The Rhoynar tell of a darkness that the 'Rhoyne' dwindle and disappear, her waters frozen as far south as the joining of the 'Selhoru', until a hero convinced the many children of 'Mother Rhoyne', such as the 'Crab King' and the 'Old Man of the River' to put aside their bickering and join in a secret song that brought back the day.

Legends in Yi-Ti state the 'Blood Betrayal' began the Long Night. 'The Lion of the Night' was unleashed upon the world after the 'Maiden-Made-of-Light' turned her back on it. It is said that during this time, the sun hid its face for a lifetime, ashamed at something none could discover, and disaster was only averted by the deeds of a woman with a monkey's tail.

A great hero, known in different cultures as 'Azor Ahai', 'Hyrkoon the Hero', 'Yin Tar', 'Neferion', and 'Eldric Shadowchaser', wielded the flaming sword 'Lightbringer' and led humanity to victory. Some say the Five Forts were built by the Pearl Emperor to guard against the Lion of Night and his demons.

The legend of Azor Ahai spread from Asshai and is especially prevalent among the followers of R'hllor. A later prophecy claims that the Others will return and Azor Ahai will be reborn to lead the fight. There is also a similar prophecy about the prince that was promised. Now that we reviewed about the legends, let us talk about the truth of these lands."

Seeing his uncles both stealthily look at Jon at the mention of the prince that was promised almost made him laugh. Seeing everyone absorb by the story, he continued, "'The Others' as we know them were created by the Children of the Forest to help them during their war with men." He stopped seeing the shocked expression of everyone in the room and seeing everyone wanting to talk he put his hand up to stop them, "Save your questions for when I finish."

Seeing everyone nod he continued, "Thanks to these creatures, the Children started to push back men until the only son of the King of Winter, our ancestor Prince Brandon 'The Bloody Blade' intervened, he bathed the Blue Lake in the blood of the Children and the Giants so much that to this day it is called the 'Red Lake'. He also destroyed several creatures of the Children. It was also after that the Others started to hunt the Children as the hated life but they didn't attack men, wary of 'The Bloody Blade', it seems that even mindless being can have self-preservation instinct."

Cregan said at that moment, "It seems that death itself feared our ancestor." it brought wolfish grin to everyone in the solar. Aryan continued, "Ten thousand years ago, the First Men and the Children joined hand with each other in the Isle of Faces in front of the gods, Brandon 'The Builder', the second son of 'The Bloody Blade' married the daughter of the most powerful greenseer of the Children of the Forest. Together they combined the magics that they carried. The Starks were known at the time to be capable of wielding ice magic while she was a powerful warg and greenseer. Their son was gifted with all of that magic. Brandon was said to be capable of more magic but it didn't follow his descendants." Before anyone could interrupt him, he said "Yes, our family could wield ice magic until eight thousand years ago, now let me finish and keep your questions for later."

"People think that the Night King is their king and can wield ice because he is 'The First Other' but it isn't true. Magic and blood are strong entities... No one know how that came to be but the reason why our ancestors were reluctant to speak of him is because of who the Night King was before."

"Before?" Torrhen asked.

"Like I said, 'The Bloody Blade' had three sons. 'The Builder' had two brothers, one older, one younger. His younger brother was the bravest man of his time. When the Long Night fell, he went to help the children and the Giants. His older brother had very powerful ice magic, but was always jealous of all of the things that 'The Builder' could achieve with different magic. He had little love for the Pact but respected it for his father and promised to make peace. One day, he declared he would travel to find a place to settle down. He was not seen for years until that winter which lasted a generation." he continued in a hush. "And when we did, he was not himself. He was as blue with cold with a crown of the same color atop his head. All color seemed drained from him but ice blue... even his eyes the grey eyes burned blue."

Everyone in the room jolted at the description. Aryan continued, "Like I said, magic and blood are strong. He became the King because he has the blood of Kings. He could wield ice as he wished because of the magic in his blood."

It was silent as his words hung heavy in the air. Everyone were unsure of what to do, unsure of what to say to something so shocking.

Aryan continued with a sigh, "The war continued for years between the three brothers. And it culminated here, where we stand. Brandon and his younger brother defeated the Night King but they couldn't bring themselves to kill him, no matter what he became, he was still their brother. That's why the Wall was built and why Brandon's younger brother, decided to create an order to watch for the Night King's return, he called it the Night's Watch." Seeing the dumbstruck look in his family, he waited a few moments before walking around the solar and looked below him, "This is where they defeated him and drove him away. Brandon decided to built House Stark's keep here in honor of all those who gave their lives. He named the castle in their honor, this is where winter fell."

Jon leaned against Robb and was looking at both Robb and Torrhen, slack with shock. Uncle Ned downed his drink. They all sat there for a brief moment, as they all absorbed what Aryan confided in them.

The first one to recover and asked a question was Arya, "We have magic?" Everyone looked at Arya and started to laugh at her sense of priority. Aryan responded with a smirk, "Yes, we lost our ice magic when the bond broke between the Stark in Winterfell and the Throne of Winter, I think that there is a blood oath that says that we can't wield ice until the King of Winter sat in his throne. As for wargs and greenseers, well we have a greenseer in this room and all of us are wargs."

Everyone was happy knowing that they still carried their ancestors legacies in their blood. The happiest where Arya, Cregan and Bran. Jon asked Aryan, "How do you know?"

Aryan responded with a smirk and said, "Well of course, magic." his eyes then went white to the shock of everyone until they saw Remus acting weirdly. A crazy idea emerged in Lyarra's head and she asked to Remus, "Aryan?", seeing the wolf nod, everyone understood that he was warging.

Aryan came back and said, "I can sense the same magic in everyone here, and something more in Bran, he has the greensight. It is the reason I want him to go to Lord Reed to learn to control his power." Bran was shocked that he was a greenseer as well as a warg.

Sansa then asked, "Why do the records say that 'The Builder' was Garth Greenhand's grandchild and that the Long Night was supposedly eight thousand years ago and not ten?"

Aryan responded, "Well, the Citadel and the Faith preferred to explain that the Starks went North because they didn't have a place in the prosperous Reach instead of explaining that we could wield magic. We weren't called the Kings of Winter for nothing. And seeing that the majority of the Houses in the Reach were created eight thousand years ago they had to say that 'The Builder' was from around the same time when the truth is that when Garth was ruling the Reach was the time when Brandon 'The Breaker', the thirteenth King in the North, allied himself with Joramun and destroyed the Night's King and his white walker wife the Night's Queen. And what better way for the Faith and the Citadel to reward the prideful turncloaks Reachmen who welcomed the Andals with opened arms and to humiliate the northeners who refused their Faith than to say that 'The Builder' created House Stark and was not even Garth's child but his grandchild?" every time he talked about the Faith he subconsciously looked at his uncle Ned who was grim at every mention of the Faith he allowed North to placate his wife.

Benjen snorted and also looked at his brother before looking at Aryan and said, "A shame you slaughtered them all, I wouldn't mind going at them."

Aryan smirked and said to his uncle, "Well, even with the Whitehills conversion and Sansa growing up. There is still one person in the North who rejects the gods and keep the statues. I can point you at her if you wish."

Benjen rolled his eyes and said to his brother, "Ned, how are you gonna deal with her? Sending secrets, building septs, having Starks turned their back on the gods, turning South for matches. If she can't accept the North and continue this way, what do you think will happen?"

Robb decided to intervene, "We will deal with our mother, uncle." he then turned to Aryan and said, "I promise to you that the next time you see her, she will become a northern lady and leave the South behind her."

Aryan looked at Robb and at the rest of his uncle Ned's children and seeing the resolve in their eyes, he nodded and said, "Don't disappoint me."

He then looked at Jon and sighed, he then looked at both his uncles and nodded. He started to say, "There is still two major informations that I have to tell you but I need you all to swear that this information will not leave this room." Seeing the serious expression on his face they all nodded and swore.

Aryan nodded and said, "The first information is about Jon."

Jon was surprised and asked, "Me?"

Aryan nodded and continued, "Yes, Jon, you're not a Stark." seeing Jon ready to interrupt him, Aryan said, "If the next words coming out of your mouth are something about 'Snow' or 'bastard' or any other self-deprecating crap, then please, don't bother." seeing Jon calm down he continued, "You're not a Stark because you're mother was a Stark, Jon. Your mother was Lyanna Stark. Your father was Rhaegar Targaryen. They married in front of the old gods and the High Septon. Your name, your true name, is Aegon Targaryen."

Everyone was shocked by the revelation, but no one more than Jon. He was speechless and didn't know what to say and asked his uncles, "Why didn't you tell me?"

It was Aryan who responded, "To protect you of course, Robert Baratheon hated all Targaryen, can you imagine what he would've done to you, born from his most hated enemy's relation with the presumed love of his life?"

Aryan continued, "The North wasn't strong then after the restrictions that the Targaryens put on us for nearly three hundred years and we were the one who fought the most during the rebellion. The historians call it 'Robert's Rebellion' but it was the northern soldiers who put it on the throne while a quarter of the Vale and half the Riverlands joined the rebels and that the Stormlands were scattered at Ashford."

Jon then looked down and said, "But I'm the reason the war started."

Aryan then said, "There would have been a war, regardless, the king's faction and the prince's faction were already at each other throat and it was close to a second Dance until my father came in King's Landing. It's a shame that the only two people in the North who ever thought that Aunt Lyanna could ever be kidnapped without letting behind her a mountain of corpses were her two brothers. Regardless, the war would have happened either way with the Mad King on the throne. So, my question now, do you want it?"

Jon asked, "What?"

Aryan answered, "The Throne."

Jon immediately replied, "No."

Aryan smiled and told me, "Think about it a couple of days. Talk about it with your grandmother." he whispered the last thing in his ear. Jon eyes became wide remembering that his grandmother was in Winterfell.

Gabriella started to speak this time, "The second information is that Robert's death will start a war." before anyone could interrupt her, she talked about the three possible factions, about Balon Greyjoy's wish for revenge as well as the Targaryens in Essos.

Bran asked, "Which side will we fight for? Stannis?"

Aryan answered, "None. I won't waste a single northern life again for the greed of the southeners.", he continued "Even if the Night King and his army weren't at our doorsteps, I wouldn't want to be in a war where we will again gain nothing." his tone got somber this time, "We have to be ready for the South wanting to bring us in their conflict like always, and more importantly the North. Winter is coming and the dead come with it."