Chapter 9

CHAPTER 9:

Words : 1700

The Citadel

Samwell Tarly walked with great haste towards the room where the maesters kept their messenger ravens. Yes, the speed at which he was going was making a decent amount of noise and could potentially wake someone up, but it was a risk he had to take. Jon had to see what he'd found.

Months ago, his best friend had returned to castle black on the back of a huge dragon. Jon had been gone so long that he was actually starting to think that he really did desert after all. So the sight of him landing back at their castle with a dragon and wildling, no, free folk, chieftains was a major shock. But that was nothing compared to the revelation that his friend was actually the rightful king of all the kingdoms of westeros. Of course he would be discharged from the order. The plan to bring the free folk south was formed soon after, and Sam was elated that the order was going through with it. He knew how great a threat the white walkers posed. He had just barely managed to destroy one of those monsters when it came for Gilly's son.

Then Jon became angrier than Sam had seen him before. The news of his brother's death infuriated him. But despite that, Jon was able to keep a clear mind and remember the greater threat. So, once he'd been declared the new king in the north, Jon set to work at preparing for the coming storm while also dealing with his brother's murderers. To that end, Jon had arranged for Sam to go to the citadel, the headquarters for the wisest men in Westeros, and look through all the archives there for any information that could help against the white walkers under the guise of a maester in training.

Sam left Gilly and her son with Jon and his family while he undertook his mission. On the way there, he decided to stop by his home and see his family first. His mother and sister were happy to see him, and his brother was somewhat pleased as well. But as Sam expected, his father was far from happy. The old fool had said he'd murder him if he didn't join the night's watch and renounce all claims to the family legacy. So Sam took great pleasure in telling the rest of his family this, as well as what Jon had planned. "When Jon takes the throne, he intends to discharge me from the order and reinstate me as the heir of House Tarly. He also plans on stripping you of your lordship as punishment for what you did to me." His father was too horrified to respond to this, or his mother's fury when she learned the truth of why he'd joined the night's watch.

Sam's time at the citadel was somewhat enjoyable, at least when he was in the archives. The chores he had to do were annoying, but it was part of the act. Truly, being a maester was what Sam had wanted his whole life. But now that he was here and saw how the conclave acted when presented with the knowledge that the white walkers were returning (many laughed while the few who listened insisted the wall would protect the realm), he decided that going to join Jon's council was a better course.

But a few nights ago, Sam had overheard some of the maesters grumbling and decided to investigate. They were upset at working with a former colleague named Qyburn, who had been sent to the citadel on the orders of Tywin Lannister to build a weapon that the former maester had designed for fighting Jon's dragon. The conclave had reluctantly seen the plans Qyburn brought, and set to work building the weapon after seeing that it was possible.

Sam had snuck into the room the plans were kept in and became horrified at what he saw. Taking the plans for the experimental weapon, Sam had copied them and was now trying to send them to Winterfell. What the Lannisters had planned was near insane, and at the same time brilliant. Jon had to know about this.

Winterfell

Jon strode through the halls of his home towards the great hall. He entered to find his guests had already arrived. It was an unusual gathering: Arianne Martell of Dorne, Stannis Baratheon and his closest advisors, and finally the exiled northern lord Jorah Mormont. All of them had gotten to Winterfell in the past few days to talk with him. Luckily Jon had chosen to fly to the eyrie to get Arya back, otherwise his guests would have been waiting for weeks.

"Well my guests" Jon said as he took his seat. "Let us begin. Who wishes to go first?"

"I shall" Stannis Baratheon said as he stood up. "You summoned me here claiming you only wanted to talk. Yet you are pushing for my rightful place on the throne of westeros."

"I'm afraid my claim to the throne is ahead of yours, Ser" Jon replied. "As it is also ahead of my aunt's, Ser Mormont."

"You claim to be the son of the late crown prince, yet I see no proof to this" Baratheon countered. "You look almost exactly like Eddard Stark."

"Which is probably the main reason my uncle's deception worked so well. I probably wouldn't be sitting here right now if I resembled my real father in any way."

"So how do you expect us to believe you are who you claim to be" Arianne spoke up. "Even if you are Rhaegar's son with Lyanna Stark, why should we submit to you? Your parents dishonored my aunt by having you."

"Lady Arianne" Jon said. "I understand you and your father's skepticism, but I assure you Elia Martell was not dishonored. My father kept her as his wife while also marrying my mother."

"But again" Jorah spoke up. "Where is the proof?"

"I actually can prove beyond any doubt that I am who I say I am. But I ask that you keep an open mind; it is more than a little unconventional."

Jon's guests looked confused by this statement. Finally, one of Baratheon's councilors spoke up. "My lord, or your grace, whichever you may be, if you do indeed have proof, I think I speak for all of us here when I ask that you present it."

Jon turned to the councilor, a woman named Melisandre, and nodded his head. "I shall."

Jon summoned a guard and asked them to bring Leaf and the three-eyed raven to the hall. Minutes later, his guests somewhat recoiled in shock at the sight of Leaf as she entered with the elderly man. Of course, Jon expected as much; the children of the forest hadn't been seen by most of westeros in millennia.

"My guests, allow me to present Leaf of the children of the forest and her companion, the three-eyed raven. They are the ones who informed me of my heritage, and they can show you that I am indeed telling the truth."

After explaining what they had planned, Leaf and the old man asked the assembly before them to each touch them. While hesitant, Jon's guests all agreed, and seconds later Leaf and the old man's eyes became milky white as they showed the assembly the past through their greenseeing. It took a few minutes before their eyes returned to normal, and Jon's guests looked like they were all in shock. Arianne was the first to recover.

"I... I see that Lord Eddard Stark's honor knew no bounds. You truly are Rhaegar and Lyanna's son."

"Yes" Jon replied. "I am also your late cousins' half brother. Arianne, your family has my deepest sympathies for what happened to Elia and her children. But I assure you, Tywin WILL answer for what he and his wretched vassals did."

Arianne looked much happier, but she still seemed hesitant about something. "What about yourself, your grace? Your character?"

"I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

"I'm talking about your potential to follow in your grandfather's footsteps. Not Lord Stark, I mean the mad king. Right before I left Dorne to sail north my father let me in on his plan to get rid of the Lannisters, and you would certainly be a powerful ally. But my father and I also don't wish to see another insane ruler on the throne."

"You mean aside from the one who is currently sitting on it" Jorah Mormont said. This remark caused all present to laugh, relieving some of the tension.

Jon spoke once he calmed down. "Arianne, if you are referring to what happened at the twins, I can tell you that despite what the realm thinks I didn't hurt anyone innocent. Also, while I can't tell the future, I already took steps to ensure another tyrant can't remain in power once I reclaim the throne. My kingsguard will see to that."

"What will the kingsguard do?" Baratheon asked.

"I'm fully aware of what the mad king was like, and I'm sure Daenerys is as well since he was her father. Because of that, when I formed my own kingsguard, I rewrote the rules of their purpose. They are still to keep their liege safe. But if I or any ruler after me becomes tyrannical, the kingsguard ultimate duty will be to remove them from the throne. They are to do so peacefully, or kill them if they will not be persuaded."

All present were shocked into silence. Jon continued when no one spoke for a minute. "I'm not willing to risk another mad ruler harming the people. My guards are to protect me, but if I succumb to the same madness that so many in my father's family did, their goal will be to ensure the kingdom's safety instead."

"Wait" Ser Davos, another of Baratheon's councilors, said. "Is that why you and that woman guard aren't truly pursuing each other? I saw the way you two look at each other and interact, but I remember someone telling me you weren't really courting."

Jon got a sad look on his face. "Yes. Ygritte and I are drawn to each other, but we both know we can't go any further than we are now. It wouldn't do for my wife to have to kill me someday."