[Chapter Size: 3700 Words.]
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Third Person POV
Arctic, 299 AC.
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The snow particles from the storm that had been destroyed earlier still seemed to take their time reaching the ground, drifting through the sky in an almost visible way. Even so, it was possible to see one or another snowflake falling.
Jon seemed oblivious to what was happening around him, still staring at the remains of the Night King, closing his mind to that scene as if he were in a trance.
It was at that moment that his eyes blinked, and the sound finally seemed to reach his ears, coming from a single direction.
He turned his head and saw the enormous crowd of Arcticans shouting and celebrating. Between the space from the hill to the north gate of Arctic, soldiers were spread out, laughing and enjoying themselves, while some, sad and melancholic, immediately searched for fallen companions among the thousands of corpses — all defeated enemies.
Jon made a point of remaining there, watching that scene while trying to engrave it in his mind so he would never forget it. Pride and all kinds of euphoric emotions coursed through his being, at the same time that a faint sadness arose for the fallen soldiers, who had died fighting for the living.
No one beyond Arctic had witnessed that battle, but it would not be forgotten. The story would be spread to the south and to the four corners of the world from that point on. Jon would make clear what had happened that day: the day they had defeated the second coming of the Long Night, after it returned following eight thousand years.
The greatest enemy of Arctic had been destroyed at that moment.
A touch on his back made him turn around. Seryna was at his side, wearing a silly, proud smile.
"You were incredible, my husband," she said, as she removed her helmet, revealing her enchanting beauty. Her blue eyes stared at him with a glow of passion.
They said nothing more. Jon simply held her by the waist, pulling her close, and kissed her deeply.
The shouts around them seemed to grow even louder. He broke the kiss to glance to the side and saw part of the crowd laughing and pointing at them, with euphoric cries. The dwarves were there, clapping and creating chaos because of the scene.
Jon frowned, but soon after couldn't help letting out a laugh.
"It seems the two lovebirds like to draw attention," Arya commented as she approached them, while that kiss became a major attraction for the crowd of Arcticans after the war.
Thor, Benjen, Barristan, Tormund, and the Arctican royal guards who had climbed the hill along with Jon and the others remained standing still, watching the king. Even the army seemed to have stopped to contemplate him.
"Hahaha!" Tormund stepped forward toward Jon, and Seryna moved away as Jon shot his wife a betrayed look. Tormund opened his arms and hugged Jon, lifting the king and clearly finding the scene uncomfortable.
"This is my boy! Did you see that?!" Giantsbane exclaimed to the crowd, which celebrated at his words.
"When I met him, he had barely left his mother's teats, and now he slays legends!" With those words, they laughed and celebrated.
Jon rolled his eyes, while the Arctican guards shot murderous glares at the redhead for his disrespect toward the king.
A horse came galloping out of the crowd, passing through the line of corpses and approaching quickly before stopping near the hill.
"You defeated the greatest enemy personally, Your Grace. Songs will flood Arctic over the coming decades about this battle and about your legendary triumph!" Ducken said, making an exaggerated bow.
Jon wondered when he had become such a flatterer. Obviously, Ducken wanted to pass the message to the soldiers behind him, who roared in response.
"They are waiting for you, Jon. They want your words, that the war is over," Seryna approached Jon again as he moved away from Tormund, commenting at his side.
Jon nodded, he understood... turning his gaze back to the enormous crowd of Arcticans that began to quiet down to hear the king's words. They wanted to hear that the war was over.
Taking a deep breath, he raised his voice.
"Our great battle against our greatest enemy ended today. All of us emerged victorious, and Arctic will remain strong and steadfast as always, proving that it has no enemies." Jon made his voice resonate easily throughout the entire army, which responded in unison after his words.
'Arctic has no enemies, because we destroyed them all. And if there are still enemies, it is only a matter of time until they are destroyed.' This would become one of the kingdom's mottos, and everyone understood it well.
"That is why I tell you today, my people: we have entered a new era. We no longer need to worry about enemies coming from the north. Now, we have enemies to the south, and they will be dealt with soon. But remember that Arctic's goal as a kingdom was fulfilled today. We managed to keep the people of the Old Gods alive. We managed to create a stronghold where we crushed the enemy who wanted to destroy humanity."
That battle might have been witnessed only by Arctic, but Jon would ensure that the entire world knew about the heroes who prevailed and those who gave their lives.
"The whole world will know what happened here, whether they want to or not."
Everyone roared upon hearing that. Jon waited for the noise to die down before continuing.
"In any case, I want everyone to drink and celebrate as much as they wish. We will empty some of our stores to ensure a celebration throughout the entire kingdom. Tomorrow, when the sun rises, we will pay tribute to those who fell today and during the last nearly eleven moons of fighting. And finally, for an entire week, Arctic will celebrate without stopping."
He paused once more before continuing.
"But do not be mistaken. Our battles are not over yet. Now, we will turn our eyes to the south, because there are still people who challenge us there. It is time to conquer the Seven Kingdoms."
The army reacted, but Jon raised his hand.
"I don't want to talk about that today. What I want now is to return home, find my family, hug each one of my children, and kiss each one of my wives. I want to look at each of my children and tell them how we triumphed here today."
He took a deep breath once more.
"I will not say anything about the south today, nor in the next six days. But when the eighth day arrives, we will have a meeting. From that point on, Arctic will be mobilized toward the next objective, and I expect you to follow me."
The response was a roar of thousands in agreement.
At that moment, Jon was certain that the Arcticans would follow him into hell and do anything he commanded. Even if he wanted to conquer the world, they would march behind him.
But, for now, the only enemy was the Seven Kingdoms.
One week.
One week to plan how to deal with the south.
"That is why now we will listen to your leaders organize the army, take the bodies of the dead for burial tomorrow, and return within our walls. We have to make a march through the city, so I want you to organize the entire army in the northern area, and I will lead it. So that we can reunite with our families afterward, but first it is good that the kingdom sees our victory and looks upon every single soul that fought and survived. Captains and commanders, you know what to do," Jon said, before taking his sword, grabbing Seryna by the waist at his side, and raising it.
"And my final words are these: Arctic emerged victorious! We defeated the Long Night! We saved humanity. We may not have had outside help, but that says more about us, for we are the most powerful people in the world!" he exclaimed louder than any other words spoken until then.
"For Arctic!" the crowd shouted in unison.
"For Arctic! For Arctic! For Arctic!"
Jon turned to Seryna and kissed her, savoring the euphoria. Then he released her and looked toward Eragon, who had remained behind him the entire time.
"How about we go home on a dragon?" Jon said, smiling at her.
"Sounds romantic," Seryna teased, and Jon nodded as he turned to Ducken and Lancelot.
"I want you to organize the army's withdrawal and arrange them in the northern area. Arya, Brynden, and Benjen, I want you to return to the castle immediately and meet with us."
With those words, Jon took Seryna and began pulling her toward the dragon, mounting Eragon shortly after.
As soon as they settled in, Eragon took flight, surging into the sky. As they passed over the crowd, the cheers grew even louder. Everyone knew that the king was departing on his dragon, while other dragons still flying through the sky, roaring in celebration, also joined him above, advancing toward the city, where the Giant Tree still shone.
Jon could no longer land with Eragon inside the city, but he approached it, flying very low. The Arctican civilians were in the streets celebrating. People who had been on the walls or among the army had rushed into the city, riding animals and spreading the good news.
The people gathered in every corner of the city, on top of buildings and structures, trying to see the battle that they could only follow from afar, watching explosions and hearing echoes coming from kilometers away after the blizzard had disappeared and the army had advanced deeper and deeper into the heart of the enemy.
The sight of the armored dragon, along with the other dragons right behind it, made the people shout even louder, pointing at them.
Jon took a deep breath and could not help but be swept up by the euphoria of his people. Projecting his voice into the open sky, he proclaimed:
"Attention! In the name of Arctic, the victory is ours! My people, celebrate, laugh, and enjoy yourselves with your families, for we will never have to hide again!"
He spoke in the middle of the city. Even his wives and children, in the castle, heard his voice as he passed by with the dragons.
Jon landed as quickly as possible at a point in the city and dismounted from Eragon. Then, he mounted a smaller dragon so that he could land inside the castle.
Jon ended up choosing the red female dragon, Strawberry, feeling that he had always had more affinity with her than with the other young dragons. Thus, he guided Seryna to mount the red dragon along with him.
They flew once more toward the city and landed in the castle courtyard after crossing the walls. Jon dismounted along with his wife, while his children were already outside, running toward him. Jon picked up Lyanna and Jaehaerys as they arrived first into his arms, while Loki and Brandon came right after, full of energy.
"Daddy, so we won? Did you win? Tell me everything!" Lyanna shouted excitedly in his arms, while he held Jaehaerys in the other. Loki and Brandon clung to his legs, not seeming to want to let go.
"I'm a bit dirty from the armor, be careful..." Jon said, before breaking into a smile.
"We'll tell you everything, but first let's go inside. What I can say right now is that the war is over," he said, while Seryna picked up the other two children, kissing her biological son on the cheek before also kissing Brandon, her other son whom she loved just as much, even though he had not come from her womb.
"Mom, tell me what happened! Who defeated that Night King? Was it daddy? Say yes!" Loki asked, euphoric.
"Yes, son, it was daddy. It was an incredible fight. Your father defeated him in the end, after cornering him when he tried to escape. It was a sword fight, and your father dealt the final blow to that monster, killing him," Seryna replied.
"Really? And was it easy for daddy?" Lyanna asked.
"No, my daughter. He was the greatest opponent I have ever faced up to this point in my life. As you can see, my armor is completely scratched and even cut in some places. That thing moved much faster than a man ever should," Jon replied.
"Tell me everything, daddy! Tell me!" Jaehaerys exclaimed once again.
"Let's go inside first. We'll wait for Arya, Benjen, and Brynden… I want Aemon as well. Summon everyone, Rickon, Bran, and Cassandra too. Let's all go to the family chamber," Jon said, as he saw his other wives approaching, accompanied by the guards.
While the army prepared to return, Jon reunited with his family. He waited until every member who shared his blood was present in the family chamber. He spent a good portion of the time sending letters and organizing the army's return and the city's arrangements.
He wanted to do something memorable.
He told them about the battle, while Arya was the most enthusiastic in recounting the details.
Jon stayed there, dividing his attention among his children. Even the babies were with their mothers, and with all that noise, he had to give attention to everyone.
The babies barely understood what was happening, but they laughed and shouted, enjoying the atmosphere. Some tried to imitate little Daemon after Hiyori made him walk a few steps back and forth, while the mothers celebrated each step with joy, making the other children watching there also want that kind of attention. Then a childish competition began among the babies, trying to stand between two legs, while their wolves, who kept circling the children, even got in their way, making everyone laugh.
His older children were glued to Jon, looking at him as if he were the greatest hero in the world — which certainly was not a lie. Seeing those children clearly wanting to be like their father was something that deeply moved Jon.
A feeling of pride blossomed in his chest. Perhaps every father felt that way when seeing that look in their children's eyes toward him.
In the end, Jon, who had already spared no expense with Arctic's finest wines among the family, announced that everyone would go to the main streets of Arctic. He received a message from Ducken saying that the army was ready to parade through the kingdom, and he himself would lead the march. Arya, Seryna, Benjen, and Brynden would also take part.
Thus, they departed from the castle. Jon left his family and headed north, where he reunited with the army. He mounted Ghost, without removing his armor at any moment, and soon had the entire army follow him as they entered the main streets of the kingdom.
The march continued, with all the people of Arctic now out of the bunkers, cheering as they saw the heroes of the war. Jon led the way, flanked by his generals and commanders, while the people shouted their names. At that moment, everyone already knew that the king had personally slain the main monster of the army of the dead, and they did not fail to comment on it with shouts as they saw him wave to the people with a smile. A hero king... perhaps being the thing the people loved most.
He felt like the heroes from the books. That lasted throughout the entire march.
His family also gathered in the middle of the city, on top of one of the buildings, with his children shouting to him from the railings and his wives blowing kisses in exaggerated gestures, which Jon returned playfully.
Perhaps that night he would have to sleep with all of them at the same time to avoid any kind of conflict between them, considering the way they all looked at him at that moment.
Thus, he continued through the rest of the city. When he finally left the urban area, Jon stayed until the last soldier passed through the city, helping to organize the army. Already in the artisans' district, he announced that everyone was dismissed and that he would give a small speech in the square.
Then the entire army began to disperse, moving toward their families, before accompanying them to the city square, where almost the entire population of the kingdom gathered. Even the Children of the Forest had left the Sacred Grove to celebrate together with the people.
Jon found his family there, protected by the royal guards. Other royal guards who had fought in the war were with Jon and also joined the others — at least most of those who survived, for some had fallen.
But that would be a matter for another time.
Jon began the speech by recounting some details of the war: how the army had been brave, how they had stood firm against the enemy, emphasizing that humans, dwarves, and giants fought side by side, just as the Children of the Forest had always been working with magic in the Sacred Grove. Something that had not happened for eight thousand years.
In any case, Jon praised the heroism of those who gave their lives, and how important they were in defeating the enemy.
There were people suffering. Of course there were. People who had lost friends, relatives — among them, parents, children, siblings, husbands, and wives. That deeply affected many people of Arctic. But Jon made it clear that all would receive a proper burial, that their names would not be forgotten, and that their families would be compensated. They would be remembered as heroes who died to protect the land and their families, and there was no greater honor for the kingdom.
If it depended on Jon, their names would never be forgotten. He would order a mural to be erected in the Hall of Heroes, the structure that already existed in Arctic, engraving every name that had perished since the foundation of the kingdom — a place with murals that was already quite filled.
In any case, Jon said that the following day they would mourn those who had died. But that night, they would celebrate in their name and also in honor of Arctic's great victory.
There would be seven days of free food and drink for the entire kingdom. The bards could immediately begin preparing ballads to celebrate the victories, even receiving rewards for the best songs. Not that Jon liked to promote himself, but the people loved songs about battles, and they deserved to enjoy what they loved.
The people continued celebrating after his words. Soldiers embraced their relatives; some held their children tightly, relieved to have returned alive from that hell.
Jon simply ordered that everything begin to be brought to the people and that everything also be organized for the next seven days. His men quickly took over barns and storehouses. Some animals were taken for sacrifice, and preparations began for a great feast that would feed the entire kingdom.
Jon smiled as he watched the people continue to celebrate. He went to join his family, staying with them, for there was no greater pleasure in his life: not only seeing the kingdom he had built, but being there, celebrating with the people he loved. He pulled Arya and Seryna by the waists, bringing them closer to the others, while shouting for Benjen to join them as well.
The kingdom roared that night. The Tree never stopped shining; even as the darkness of night fell, it continued to illuminate Arctic. The crystals gave the final touch to the kingdom's scenery, but what stood out the most were the shouts of joy echoing throughout the realm.
There were those gathered in the main square, where most of the people were, singing, laughing, eating, and drinking. Others were in the arenas, where everything was more organized, with places to sit and remain with their families more peacefully, still amid the crowd. Some stayed in their homes, some in mourning for the loss of a family member or companion, others simply withdrawn, not liking large gatherings very much, but celebrating in their own way.
Jon needed to station some men as guards throughout the city, for certainly, with the people drinking excessively, fights would begin — especially considering that many had quick tempers. The dwarves in particular. For that reason, he assigned part of the soldiers and the dwarves themselves to stand guard and break up any trouble that arose.
Even so, Arctic experienced more joy that night than at any other moment since its founding.
There was no longer any danger in the sky; people were no longer afraid to walk the streets. There was no longer danger on the walls, where waves of the dead had once piled up atop one another in order to get through. Men, animals, and even monsters had continued trying to destroy Arctic... but in the end, they never managed to accomplish that goal.
The animals Jon had controlled in the war were back in the forests, the dragons returned to the dragon mountain — some of them, at least — because in the sky over Arctic, some still flew and roared, seeming to want to take part in the celebrations.
Children of the Forest danced among themselves, laughing. The people of Arctic celebrated as they always did, and Jon was with his family at a large table on the platform of the square, celebrating together with the people. Flanked by guards, of course.
It was a day that would be remembered for the next thousands of years. Future generations of the kingdom would know that those people, alive at that time, celebrated a great victory during that week — a victory that would never be forgotten, just like everything that happened on that day.
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Raccoon Here:
I'll add images here; I only posted it to speed things up, because I'm running late since I've been working on image creation all day.
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