Chapter 4

Words: 2300

Jon awoke from slumber to find Ghost's snout only a few inches from his face. Startled, Jon jumped up to see his direwolf was sitting next to his bed with his head resting on Jon's pillow. "What were you doing, boy?" Ghost stood up and licked Jon's face, then walked to the door and sat back down. It seemed like he was telling Jon he wanted to go out, or maybe that it was time for him to get out of bed. Either way, Jon knew he needed to get up. He was overseeing the reconstruction of Winterfell after all, and who knew what problems between the newly settled free folk and northerners would emerge.

"It's strange" Jon thought to himself as he dressed for the day "how often people don't seem to realize how much responsibility and burden falls on a king or queen." Whether it was the smallfolk or nobility, people tend to only see that monarchs are the ones who wield the power while everyone else serves them. But that wasn't the case. The monarch's place in society was as much one of servitude as a farmer or guard. After all, it was their job to protect the kingdom's people, whether that was from external or internal threats. Jon remembered being told this once as his father/uncle talked to all his children about the structure of westeros's society. But he didn't truly appreciate it until he was declared king.

A knock on the door occurred just before Jon reached it, and when he opened it he saw one of his personal guards standing there. Jon smiled as he saw probably the only woman in history to serve as a member of a kingsguard standing before him. Slim but also muscular, her body was the result of living the harsh life of a nomad beyond the wall. Her flaming red hair flowed down to her shoulders. "Good morning Ygritte."

"Good morning your kneelership" she responded. Jon snorted at one of the nicknames she used when it was just the two of them. As a free folk, Ygritte was still getting used to the way of life of one who lived under a king. However she always showed respect when they were in public. "It seems you slept better after our little... encounter last night."

"Well, it does help calm one down when a beautiful woman kisses you." Ygritte had found Jon on the steps of Winterfell's keep the previous night as he was brooding about his time with the children and the old greenseer. After talking for some time, Ygritte promptly kissed him as a way to get his mind off the harsh memories he'd been shown of his past. Although taken aback at first, Jon had quickly responded and soon forgot all about his stressful nightmare.Ygritte had been disappointed when Jon refused to bring her back to his bed after that, but she also understood: Jon was a king and she was his guard. No matter how attracted they were to each other, a relationship between them probably wouldn't be in their best interests. After all, Jon would one day need to marry and Ygritte knew she wouldn't make a good queen, no matter how much of a good wife she could be.

Jon, Ygritte and Ghost walked together to the main hall to find that breakfast was already prepared, and that Bran and Rickon, whom Jon had recovered upon coming south, were already waiting for them. Jon had felt so much relief when he found Bran at the wall and Rickon being sheltered by the Umbers. His family had lost too much already. "Well, I hope you both slept better than I did last night'' Jon said to his brothers. Ygritte lightly swatted him on the back.

"I slept alright" Rickon said. "It feels great being back home."

Jon sat down at the head of the table while Ygritte took Ghost outside to the other direwolves. Like the Stark brothers, the direwolves Summer, Shaggydog and Ghost had been overjoyed to be reunited. As they broke their fast, Jon asked Bran how his training with the three eyed raven was going. "It's going alright" his little brother responded. "It feels incredible to be able to relive anything that happened in history, but also really strange." "I understand the feeling" Jon replied. "I felt similar when I was being shown all those visions of my past, not to mention the ones of my aunt's campaign in slaver's bay."

"I wish I could be doing what you're doing Bran" Rickon slightly pouted.

"Maybe not" Bran responded. "Sometimes I feel like I'm becoming so overwhelmed by this that I'm forgetting how to act like a normal person. A few days ago, I didn't really respond to Meera when she said her father was taking her back home. She had to shout at me to really get my attention."

"Do I need to talk to the children about this?" Jon asked.

"I don't think so. The three eyed raven said it'll be easier to handle the more I get used to greenseeing."

"Well, that's good. And Rickon, you may not be able to see into the past like Bran, but you still are able to warg into Shaggydog and other animals like we can."

Jon's words seemed to cheer his youngest sibling up.

Sometime later, Jon made his way down to the crypts to visit Eddard Stark's tomb. He noticed the statue didn't properly resemble his father, but apparently tomb markers rarely did resemble the people they were sculpted to look like. Jon just stared sadly at the tomb of the man who raised him. "I wish I could tell you how much you mean to me now. I didn't know all the risks and sacrifices you made just to keep me safe. I promise, no matter what comes, I will always honor the lessons you taught me, no matter what my being king may require of me."

Jon noticed that Robb didn't have a tomb here. He shouldn't be surprised; the boltons and freys had desecrated his brother's body after they betrayed him. Once more, Jon felt his anger rising as he recalled what happened.

Almost two months ago

Jon stormed across the courtyard of Castle Black. He couldn't remember the last time he'd felt this enraged, if he had ever been before. The last half a year has been so incredible. He and the children had found the free folk and managed to convince Mance Rayder and his army to try to emigrate peacefully. They then flew with Rayder and several free folk chieftains to the wall to meet with the night's watch. Needless to say Jon's return with an ice dragon and free folk had caused quite a panic among his order's brothers. Lord Commander Mormont had been somewhat cold towards Jon when he first returned, as were a number of the older members of the order. But all went into complete shock when Jon and the children explained the truth about who he really was.

Ser Thorne's reaction did not disappoint. After finally regaining the ability to speak, he tried to beg Jon for his forgiveness for his previous attitude towards him. Jon had responded by saying Thorne would need to earn his forgiveness, as well as his respect. Sam (whom had taken in one of Craster's daughters and her child) was quite shocked as well to learn that his best friend was actually the true heir of the continent's throne. Maester Aemon was overjoyed to find that he had another relative aside from Daenerys. After the order finally came to terms with who Jon was, they sat down with him and his new allies to discuss recent events. After much negotiation, Lord Commander Mormont agreed that with the coming attack of the white walkers, the enmity between their two parties had to be set aside. The night's watch would allow the free folk to come south and settle in the gift. Jon, who was promptly discharged from the order to pursue the iron throne, would meet with Robb to talk about settling them across the north.

Or at least, that had been the plan until Gerrad Tuttle arrived from Ironrath and told the entirety of Castle Black's residents of the red wedding.

At first, Jon couldn't believe the news he was told. His brother was dead, betrayed at a wedding and his body desecrated by those who betrayed him. Now the boltons, house Stark's ancient enemies, were in control of the north as the vassals of house lannister. He would never see his brother again.

"Tywin" Jon had bitterly whispered when he got over his initial shock. He was the cause of so much of his family's suffering. He ordered the death of Rhaegar's children as well as the rape and murder of their mother. His inbred grandson (not that he knew the truth of his own children's relationship) had needlessly murdered his father. And now this: an act of sacrilege to kill Robb. Jon's anger reached such a height that he felt like he'd explode. "You will suffer for this. You will suffer for all the crimes you committed."

Throwing open the door to one of the guest chambers, Jon entered to find Leaf sitting with some of her kind. "Jon, I'm so sorry about your brother and his family."

"I need your help Leaf" Jon said.

"With what?"

"Can your greenseeing be used to find certain people?"

"Yes, but who are you looking for?"

"Roose Bolton and his son Ramsay Snow."

"Jon, what are..."

"Leaf, I need to know where they are."

Leaf's eyes went milky white as she unlocked her powers. After about a minute, they finally returned to normal. "Roose is en route to Winterfell, Ramsay is heading to Ironrath along with an entourage of people from his house's vassal House Whitehill."

"Thank you Leaf."

"Jon, what are you doing?"

"I'm going to send a message."

Ironrath

"Lord Whitehill will install a garrison of... 20 men within your walls" Ramsay said.

"In Ironrath..." Lady Forrester said. But before she could continue, a series of bells started ringing.

"What is that?" Lord Whitehill asked. "That's the garrison's warning. Something is approaching" Ethan Forrester, the young lord of Ironrath, answered. "Sounds more like the guards are panicking" Ramsay said. "Well, I guess we should all go see what the commotion is about before we conclude our business here."

Ramsay, the Whitehill entourage, the Forresters and their allies exited Ironrath's main hall to see a courtyard in absolute panic. People were fleeing into their homes, guards were abandoning their posts. What was going on? The answer came in the form of a massive roar from above. A huge bluish white dragon was descending from the sky to land just outside Ironrath's walls. Once it had, the creature placed its front feet on top of the guard gate and lowered its head into the courtyard, allowing a single rider to dismount.

"Who is that?" Lady Forrester wondered out loud as she backed her children behind her. The man who dismounted looked like a younger Eddard Stark. He approached the group with a furious look on his face, and stopped a few feet away from Ramsay and Lord Whitehill.

"Well, well, well" the rider said. "Ramsay Snow."

Ramsay, who had looked terrified at the sight of the dragon, regained some of his swagger at the stranger's addressing him. "That's Ramsay BOLTON."

"Oh, so your father had you legitimized. Well, it doesn't matter."

"Who are you?" Ramsay demanded. "Well, I have another name, but you and your companions would know me as Jon Snow."

"Ah, the bastard of Winterfell" Ramsay said. Jon merely laughed at Ramsay's pathetic attempt to discourage him. "Well, that is who I was known as for most of my life. But it really doesn't matter. I came from Castle Black looking for you Ramsay."

"And what is it you want from the new warden of the north's son, bastard?" Lord Whitehill inquired. Jon turned and noticed the sigil of house Whitehill on the fat man's armor. "Lord Whitehill" he growled. The head of the Whitehill family lost what little courage he had regained after hearing the tone in Jon's voice. "You were at the twins during the red wedding. You and your forces took part in the butchering of my brother and his army."

The entire assembled crowd held their breath, the Whitehills looking more terrified than ever. Now they knew what was going on.

"Well, I didn't expect you to be here with Ramsay, but this works out. Thank you for saving me the hassle of hunting you down as well. Blizzard!"

The dragon rose its head as Jon called out to him. Lord Whitehill took a step back as he stared at the creature before them all. "Enjoy." At Jon's words, the dragon surged forward, his mouth open wide as he neared Lord Whitehill. The fat lord screamed in horror as Blizzard's jaws closed around him, blood spraying over his bannermen and Ramsay. Blizzard raised his head once more and, in one gulp, swallowed the fat lord whole.

"Now, as for you Ramsay" Jon said as he drew his sword longclaw. Ramsay stumbled back, noticing the Whitehill soldiers had scattered in between Ironrath's houses. "Wait, wait. I wasn't at the red wedding. That was my father and his bannermen. It had nothing to do with me."

"I know. But I also know you were the one who torched Winterfell after you 'liberated' it from the Ironborn occupation. I also know about how sadistic a person you are. If anyone in this castle deserves to suffer, it's you."

Jon raised his sword. "Please" Ramsay pleaded frantically. "Winterfell was a joke, just a joke."

"I'm not laughing" Jon said as he swung his sword down.

"NOOO!" Ramsay's cry ended as longclaw sliced into his chest.