Chapter 5

Just outside Winterfell

After dealing with Ramsay and Lord Whitehill at Ironrath, Jon flew Blizzard to his home, planning on catching Roose Bolton next. The constant flying they did while looking for the free folk combined with Jon's warging and valyrian blood meant Blizzard was now as devoted to him as Ghost was. This would certainly come in handy later when he took the fight further south.

Through Blizzard's eyes, Jon saw the Bolton soldiers turn their heads towards them as they descended. His enemies looked terrified. Now was the time. "Dracarys!" Dragonfire exploded from Blizzard's mouth, engulfing the majority of the Bolton soldiers. The few who weren't in the way tried to flee, but were cut off as Blizzard slammed his tail down in front of them. Jon dismounted Blizzard after landing and approached the terrified group. "Roose Bolton?" The rest of the group pointed to a man who went pale white at the mention of his own name. Jon stepped closer to him.

"My name is Jon Snow. I think you'd know me as the bastard of House Stark." Like his son, Roose Bolton stumbled backwards as he realized what was happening. Jon drew longclaw. "This is for my brother" he said and stabbed Roose clean through the chest, the same as he had done to Robb at the twins. "The Starks send their regards." Roose Bolton, the betrayer of the north, fell dead at Jon's feet.

Winterfell, weeks later

Jon was standing before a crowd of northern lords in Winterfell's main hall. It felt so surreal to be at the head table where his uncle used to address the north. At his side were Bran and Rickon. The children of the forest stood off to the side, wrapped in cloaks that completely concealed their features. He decided to call the leaders of the north together to discuss the future of the north. He recognized the Forresters along with their cousin Gared Tuttle, the members of House Umber (whom he had already had to deal with earlier when they sent an emissary to Castle Black inquiring about the free folk who were currently settling in the Gift. He also saw Alys Karstark, whom had risen to the head of her house once Jon arrested her father for his desertion of Robb.

"My lords and ladies" Jon addressed the crowd, drawing their attention to him. "I thank you all for coming. There is much we need to discuss."

"Agreed" called Lord Glover. "First of all, why are you acting like the lord in charge? The position falls to your brother Bran."

"Jon is the new lord of Winterfell" Bran answered for Jon. "Rickon and I are not ready to rule."

"Thank you Bran '' Jon said. He then turned his attention to the crowd once more. "As all of you are aware, I have destroyed House Bolton and ended their rule of the North. I want all of you to know House Stark will remain the lords of Winterfell. Now, the first issue I wish to discuss is the free folk."

"Why are they here?" shouted Lord Umber. "You can't expect us to just accept Wildling invaders in our lands!"

"We didn't invade" replied Tormund Giantsbane, one of Mance Rayder's chieftains. "We were allowed to cross the wall in peace."

"Not by me, you weren't" Lord Umber's eldest son said. "I won't accept you monsters on my home's doorstep without a fight."

"There will not be any fighting" Jon called out. "The night's watch and I allowed them safe passage through and unless they provoke a retaliation the free folk will remain in their settled lands."

"For one who liberated us from tyranny, you speak with great treason in your words" said Lord Manderly.

"Hold your tongue" little Rickon shouted out. "Say something like that about my brother again and I'll have Shaggydog rip your throat out!"

Rickon's outburst shocked Lord Manderly and any other lord who was about to agree with him. After a few moments of silence, Jon continued.

"I know there is bad history between our two peoples, but we need to put it aside. We are all of the first men. The time has come for us to come together as one people once more. There is too much at stake for us to fight amongst each other."

"Lord Snow" a northern lord whom Jon didn't recognize spoke up. "I know your sister remains a prisoner of the Lanninsters, but I'm afraid there is no chance to rescue her. To go to war again would be folly when we only just suffered the atrocity that was the red wedding."

"I'm fully aware Sansa remains in King's Landing. I will rescue her, and we need to deal with the Lannisters as soon as we can. We might have lost many of our people at the Twins, but we do have one advantage. My dragon can destroy all of Tywin's remaining forces on its own."

"My lord" Lord Ethan Forrester interrupted. "With all due respect, now is not the time to be going south again. Winter season will come in a few years at the most. We should focus more on preparing for the coming storms than restarting a war."

"This war needs to be settled as soon as we can, my young friend" Jon said. "If we don't, it will only distract us from the true threat. Winter is coming, and I promise you all this, the monsters that are waiting for it won't hide from the storms. They ARE the storms."

Silence returned to the hall as the crowd processed Jon's words through their minds. Finally, Lord Umber spoke up. "What possible threat could you mean?"

"I'm sure all of you are familiar with the stories of the Long Night? Well, I tell you all now that those are not just stories. The Long Night truly occurred, and the White Walkers, the monsters who terrorized Westeros so long ago, will return when winter arrives. This is why I allowed the free folk into our lands. We must unite against these monsters, or we will all be destroyed in the storms."

"Did your time north of the wall freeze your brain" called out another lord Jon didn't know by name yet. "What could possibly lead you to think those fairy tales were real?"

"We told him" Leaf called out. The entire crowd turned to her and her hooded companions. As one, the children lowered the hoods and discarded their cloaks. Gasps and cries of shock were heard from all the assembled lords and ladies.

"I know you all know who we are. There is not a single one of you who does not know the stories of our people. We sought out Jon along with our friend" Leaf said as she gestured towards the elderly three eyed raven. "The White Walkers are real. We reached out to Jon so we could ensure your kind could have hope. He is one of the only chances Westeros has to endure the return of the Long Night."

"How" Lord Manderly said after yet another stunned silence. "I mean no disrespect Lord Snow, but what hope can a mere bastard be for us?"

"This young man is no bastard" Ser Thorne shouted as he leapt to his feet from beside his fellow representatives from the night's watch. "He is the son of Lyanna Stark! It is to him that we all owe allegiance!"

"Please sit down, Ser Thorne" Jon said. He then addressed the crowd. "What Ser Thorne says is true. I am indeed the son of Lyanna Stark. If you need proof, I suggest you ask Lord Howland Reed."

The named lord rose to his feet as the entirety of the hall's occupants turned towards him. "How...how did..." Lord Reed stammered in shock for a moment. Then he cast a quick glance between Jon and Leaf and seemed to answer his own question. "I... my lords and ladies, Jon speaks the truth. I know many of you fought in the rebellion against the mad king, and how we all thought Lyanna Stark was kidnapped by Rhaegar Targaryen. I tell you all, that was not true. When Lord Stark found his sister in the tower of Joy, she confessed all to him. She ran away from Robert Baratheon to marry Rhaegar. She was Elia Martell's co-wife, and the boy who stands there is indeed her son. He is Jaehaerys Targaryen, the rightful king."

Silence once more came upon the crowd. The reality of what caused the rebellion that so many fought and died in was settling in, and it brought quite a few of them to tears to know that so many friends died for nothing. Jon waited a few minutes until he spoke again.

"I understand this is a lot to take in. I was hiding in a corner of the children's cave for a week when I found out all this. But we need to move on. Yes, I am heir to the iron throne. Yes, I intend to reclaim it. This is not for me, it is for all of you. The only hope Westeros has is to stand united against the White Walkers. We must put aside old enmities with the free folk. I assure you all, I will fight to protect you all. I will also fight to avenge our fallen. Robb Stark was my brother, and while I may not have met her, his wife was my sister and your queen. I will not let Tywin and his lackeys get away with what they did to the North, or my siblings."

"Why...why should we support this" a lord asked weakly, sounding like he was trying to convince himself. "Why should we put a known Targaryen on the throne of the North?"

A small, lone figure stood on their seat at this lord's statement. It was a young girl, no more than six or seven. "I will tell you why" she said. "I am Lyanna Mormont of Bear Island. I tell you all, my house has stood at the Stark family's side for centuries. The fact that he is a Stark through his mother means nothing. He is of the North, of the Starks. He is my king, whether he rule from Winterfell or King's Landing, whether he is known as Jon Snow or Jaehaerys Targaryen."

"I agree" Lord Manderly said as he stood. "I fought in the rebellion. I recall Lyanna Stark and looking back I can't see how we didn't realize that she would not allow one to kidnap her. All the friends who died in that war died for nothing. But Lady Mormont speaks the truth. Lyanna Stark's son defeated the traitors of the North. I didn't think we could find a new king in my lifetime, but I was wrong. Jaehaerys Targaryen is my king, the king in the North, the king of Westeros." As he finished, he drew his sword and knelt.

Lord Glover stood next. "I agree. I didn't agree with the Young Wolf's decision to marry who he did, but she did not deserve the red wedding. None of our people did. My house has stood behind House Stark for a thousand years, and it will continue to do so as long as I live. The fact that House Targaryen is part of House Stark now makes no difference to me any longer. I will stand by Jaehaerys Targaryen, the son of Lyanna Stark." He too drew his sword. "The King of Westeros!"

"Long live the king!" Lady Mormont shouted. Soon, she was followed by all present.

"Long live the king!"

Present day

Jon exited the crypts to see the Maester approaching him. "Your grace" he said. "A message just arrived from White Harbor." White Harbor, that was Lord Manderly's home. Jon took the scroll and read the contents. Your grace, we have received a a ship from King's Landing. Two people were aboard who wish to speak with you. One of them is your sister, Sansa. Lord Manderly.

Jon felt a wave of jubilation wash over him. Sansa was back in the north. She was away from the lannisters. "Maester, I need you to find Ygritte and two other members of the kingsguard. Tell them to gather outside the gates." "At once, your grace."

Jon went towards the gates, reaching out to Blizzard.

A few days later, Blizzard landed outside the walls of White Harbor. Jon, Ygritte and the other members of the kingsguard dismounted and Jon practically ran through the city towards the main hall. Upon arriving, Jon was greeted by Lord Manderly. "Your grace, your sister and her companion are here. They await inside. But I should warn you, her companion is someone we might want to hold in a dungeon."

Jon entered the hall and saw Sansa sitting at one of the tables. Upon seeing her brother, Sansa immediately jumped up and ran towards him. The two siblings embraced, Jon lifting her off her feet while Sansa kissed him on the cheek. They stayed like this for a few minutes before Jon let her down. "Sansa, I'm so glad you're alright." "I'm fine" his sister replied. "I can hardly believe it's really you."

"I need to be honest, I'm surprised you're here. I assumed I would need to storm King's Landing to get you back."

"That's one of the reasons I'm here" an oddly familiar voice called out. Jon turned to see a short man with blonde hair getting out of the chair right next to the one that Sansa had been occupying. Jon recognized him immediately. "Tyrion! What are you doing here?"

"I've come to bring Sansa home, and to hopefully dissuade you from taking your anger over Robb Stark's death out on the innocent people of King's Landing."

Half a world away, in the newly conquered city of Meereen, Daenerys Targaryen was in shock as she read a letter that her aid Missandei brought to her. Ser Barristan Selmy had recognized the sigil on the letter as matching the symbol of the night's watch in westeros. It confused all who were present, until Daenerys read the letter out loud.

My dear niece,

I do not know if I will still be alive by the time you read this, but I hope my age doesn't finish me off before we get a chance to meet. My name is Aemon Targaryen. I have been a maester at castle black for many years, and now I am one of the few members of our family left. I have heard many great things about you in the last few years. Your campaign to eradicate slavery is a truly noble quest.

But I also know that one day you intend to reclaim the iron throne. I wish to tell you that there is already someone who is more entitled to it than you. One of our recruits has been revealed to be your own nephew, the son of Rhaegar and his second wife Lyanna Stark. His name is Jaeharys, though he prefers to be called Jon as it is the name he has been called for most of his life. He has been released from the night's watch in order to pursue his birthright, and he is already making great progress. At the time I am having this letter written (I am blind and therefore can't write myself), he has already been declared the king in the north for avenging a heinous act of betrayal against the previous ruler, and is preparing to depose the head of the riverlands. With his ice dragon and army of 100,000 free folk, combined with the newly invigorated forces of the north, I have little doubt that he will succeed.

I do not want you to be discouraged by this news Daenerys. While your nephew does hold the stronger claim, you may still sit on the throne. Jon is currently enraged at the betrayal of his family and intends to bring the ones who did so to justice. But he doesn't seem to enjoy the idea of sitting on the throne. He may ask you to take the throne when you arrive in Westeros, or you could marry and be joint rulers. But I also say that there is another reason for you to come home. There is an enemy that threatens the entire continent, and they are marshalling to attack. We can't face them without more aid. I implore you to bring your armies and dragons to Westeros as soon as you can. Seek out Jon and he will explain what is going on.

I hope that we will meet.

Your ancestor, Aemon Targaryen.