[Chapter Size: 3900 Words.]
---------------------------------------
Third Person POV
Arctic, 299 AC.
---------------------------------------
The following morning, as they had agreed the night before, Arctic paid tribute to all those who had fallen in the war throughout nearly eleven moons of battle, attacking and defending the kingdom.
Out of more than one hundred and fifty thousand soldiers that Arctic had, eleven thousand fell in combat. There was no way to avoid losses; despite all the preparation for war, they were inevitable.
Even so, the result was clear.... It was an overwhelming victory with minimal losses — that was a fact.
The tribute continued throughout that morning in silence. Everyone gathered at the Temple of Heroes, near the senate; nearly all of Arctic was present in those streets, praying for the Ancient Gods to take care of their souls.
Jon gave a speech alongside his generals and commanders, each offering their own tribute. The names were far too many to all be spoken, but among those eleven thousand there were heroes who certainly stood out during the battles. Whether sacrificing themselves so their companions could kill a white walker, or saving people, any act of extreme courage was classified as a war hero.
Their deeds were carved alongside their names, while a summary was announced to the people of Arctic. Their families would be well cared for due to the service rendered to the kingdom.
The ceremony lasted the entire morning. In the afternoon, body after body of corpses was placed in large pits created outside the walls of Arctic, where oil was poured before they were burned, creating enormous clouds of smoke to the north of the kingdom.
The landscape had changed greatly there; there were no longer forests and mountains to the north... the place became flat, or at least that was what the snow indicated, because there was a massive crater at the center of it all. After all, that was where the wildfire had exploded on a scale Jon doubted anyone would ever surpass.
After that, the day inevitably became depressing. There was no escaping that feeling. However, as night fell, the mood began to improve, and a new grand banquet was prepared, just like the night before. Although the euphoria was not as intense as right after the victory, Arctic still celebrated like never before.
One day after another, Arctic continued to celebrate, no longer interrupting for long periods of mourning. The people were happy that the war had finally ended, happy that the dark time, when everyone had needed to hide, had come to an end.
A new war was already taking shape on the horizon of Arctic, but even so, the people no longer felt threatened. There was no longer any need to take refuge in the bunkers beneath the city.
Jon took part in the celebrations a few times, especially at night, bringing his family. Even so, he spent most of those days in the castle, receiving constant reports on how the kingdom was doing.
He kept special attention on the festivities as a secondary concern, but remained alert to everything, ensuring that nothing got out of control. At the very least, that way, he managed to spend more time with his family.
On the fourth day, Jon dropped everything he was doing and went to the Dragon Mountain together with his Targaryen blood wives and the children. They would take their first flight on their own dragons, something that had already been authorized, as the creatures had grown to an appropriate size during the war.
Jon could ride the other smaller dragons long before that, of course, as he had better control, managing to split his mind with that of the dragon and stabilize the flight. Even so, the young dragons were not large enough to carry a common rider like the others besides Jon.
His children also already had dragons strong enough to fly, but they were still too young for that to be allowed. Even so, that did not stop Jon from simply riding with them, so they could begin gaining experience... Jon was not their rider, which is why, naturally, they did not like having him on their backs controlling the flight, but guiding it to the skies.
He did this with Loki, Lyanna, Jaehaerys, and even Brandon, flying throughout the entire area; his children showed no fear, not even Brandon, whom Jon believed would. But the boy seemed to love flying.
He ended up doing the same with his own wives. First, he flew with Rhaenys, remaining mounted with her on her dragon, just to give stabilization tips. Even so, she was in control, while Jon kept only his voice in her ears.
The same happened with Daenerys. He tested each of them until he felt satisfied — which did not take long, as they lost some of their fear of flying at high speed and even became more confident.
After only a few hours of flight, Jon let each of them ride their own dragon alone, and they ventured out, flying over the southern region of the kingdom.
They were happy, shouting with joy at it, and Jon felt satisfied by extension. Nothing was more fitting than his wives being dragonriders.
While the kingdom continued celebrating, on the fifth day Jon left Arctic and advanced toward the Wall, with two more dragons behind him, his wives' dragons. Not accustomed to armor, they wore a set of reinforced leather, along with a suit of Valyrian steel mail underneath to protect them. Daenerys and Rhaenys were invited by Jon to go south.
He felt satisfied not having only the sky to himself now, having companions to share it with.
The first thing they did was go to Hardhome, where they found the same group of people who had never left the place.
Jon asked his wives to remain with the dragons. He jumped off Eragon and advanced alone, while the crowd began to gather.
Jon had provided thousands of arrows with dragonglass tips, as well as spears, so that those people could protect themselves, as he had promised when they first met. Even if they were not part of the kingdom of Arctic, and even if they hated the kingdom and him. No one deserved to die to those monsters and become just another corpse.
"You came back," said the one who had become the leader of the free folk in Hardhome.
"Yes. I came to bring good news. The war is over. The Night King has been destroyed, and you no longer need to retreat this far. You can return to settling the North again," Jon said.
The leader looked at his people, torn between surprise and distrust, still maintaining a certain caution.
"Are you sure?" he asked, curious, looking not only at a larger white dragon, but at two smaller ones as well, with two women mounted on them, watching in silence.
"Yes. I came here only to inform you. Have you faced many problems here?" Jon asked, curious. He had barely received news of what was happening in that region, aside from the two times he had gone to the Wall.
"The dead were coming. In the last moon we had to deal with a few hundred of them, but your weapons protected us. A few days ago, scouts found hundreds of other corpses lying on the ground, inert. They simply stopped moving. So, I believe your words," he said with a certain gratitude.
Jon nodded, satisfied, but also took advantage of the moment.
"I also want to give you a message. I gave these weapons to you only to deal with the dead and the White Walkers. I will not allow you to use them against the Night's Watch, understood?" he said in a more serious tone, making the previously festive atmosphere grow darker.
"Then why did you give us this? We'll fight the crows too!" someone shouted from the crowd.
Eragon growled immediately, making everyone look at the larger dragon, which was now at least twice the size it had been the first time they had seen him.
"I made it very clear that you were only to use these weapons against the dead. That was the deal I made with you. I know the free folk, and they usually keep their word in the agreements they make. I expect you to do the same," Jon said. That was a veiled threat. 'Do not use these weapons against the Night's Watch. Otherwise, I will take them from you myself.'
Some already had a good notion of the strength that Arctic represented: the largest army north of the Wall had ever gathered, without a doubt to Jon, the most powerful army in the world at that moment, with no one comparable in numbers, weapons, and technology.
"But you also give supplies to the crows! You give them food and real steel! Isn't that unfair!" someone shouted.
"Yes, it's true. But they use it only against free folk who commit atrocities south of the Wall. I think that grievance should already be over. Rangers and free folk fought side by side in Arctic against our enemies, and that represents practically the entire population beyond the Wall. Aside from them, only you remain," Jon said, looking at the group. There were at least two giants among the crowd of 8–10 thousand people there.
"Join with the crows? Never! I'd rather suck a giant's cock!" one of the men shouted, spitting on the ground.
"If you want to live like that, I won't stop you. Just don't use the weapons I gave you. That's all I ask," Jon said. He did not want to interfere too much in the balance between the two groups; he simply did not wish to be the cause of a new conflict.
"Please, if the war is over, does that mean we can go north? Can we go to your kingdom?" said a woman holding a child in her arms, not hiding the distress mixed with hope for a better future for her and her son.
"Go north, then. As long as you are not people who were already expelled from Arctic for crimes, we can take you in. If you follow our rules, you will have a place to live and will live well. Most Arcticans were once like you. You yourselves can talk to many of them before making any decision. Now the war is over, the path is safe. Follow the light of the kingdom at night, or go north until you find the city with the Giant Tree surrounded by walls, easily visible. You can also find the canal and follow it until you reach our gate to the west."
"I think that's all, I'm leaving." With those words, Jon simply turned around and began to walk away. There was nothing more to be said. The people remained there, talking among themselves, while Jon mounted Eragon, who soon took flight and rose into the sky, with his wives following shortly after.
The next stop would be the Wall. This time, Jon asked Dany and Rhae to stay behind, along with the three dragons, while he continued alone across the open ground, being quickly noticed.
The gate was opened and, unsurprisingly, the commander appeared.
"Your Majesty," he said as he reached Jon with his group, kneeling before him. He looked at his men, who immediately did the same. The treatment seemed increasingly flattering.
"Tell me what the news from the south is," Jon asked calmly.
The commander began to report. Theon had been tortured by Ramsay Bolton shortly after his capture. His sister tried to rescue him at an opportune moment, but failed. Ramsay ended up intervening, which explains why the Boltons now hold the castle.
Jon frowned at the Boltons having taken Winterfell, but soon understood.
Robb had been betrayed in the south. A trap was being prepared at the Twins. He realized it and tried to reverse the situation immediately, but chaos spread within the Northern army itself when Roose Bolton launched an attack with his own men against the northern lords. The Freys joined them.
Robb ended up falling in battle, but did not die. However, he was gravely wounded and captured. His mother was killed — they say Black Walder himself, amid the confusion, cut her throat.
Tywin's idea seemed to be to fragment the North to make it easier to conquer, or to force them to eventually join with Arctic, even if that took time.
"I understand," Jon murmured, thoughtful, absorbing what he had heard. Lady Stark was dead... the woman who had made his life a winter in Winterfell was dead.
At first, he did not know what to think about it...
About other events… the Tyrells had joined the Lannisters at the Battle of the Blackwater. When Stannis had already lost a good portion of his men, he was defeated and forced to retreat. They say he is now heading north in search of allies.
"In any case, other news indicates that Dorne remains neutral. They received Myrcella Baratheon in Sunspear, but Doran refused to send Prince Oberyn to the capital or any of his other sons, even if he were to gain a seat on the council. A group of lesser Dornish lords was sent to attend the wedding between Joffrey and Margaery, avoiding officially formalizing the alliance."
Jon listened to everything and soon took his leave of the Lord Commander. He certainly had many thoughts, but his eyes never stopped settling on the Wall. He did not have the ability to see through his animals beyond the Wall; otherwise, he would be aware of all events, schemes, and far more details of what was happening in the south.
'I need to bring it down soon...' Jon decided right then.
Without it, his powers would reach the south and there would simply be no way to hide such things from him. He could even manipulate ravens as news passed from one side to the other.
He could, quite literally, control the war without lifting a finger: intercept messages meant for allies and send them directly to enemies, spread vital information, and cause strategic destruction with absolute precision.
But he could not do that because of the Wall. It stood there — and he would deal with it at another time. Now that the dead had been destroyed, there was no longer any point in keeping it. It was inevitable that he would destroy the Wall.
In any case, he turned his back and left the place, returning to the forest, where Rhae and Dany were waiting near the dragons.
"Finished?" Daenerys asked, standing up, while Rhaenys also approached.
"Yes," Jon replied.
"Anything worrying?" Rhaenys asked, before adding: "And Dorne?"
"It seems to be neutral, but it refuses to send any important people into the hands of its enemies. That seems to indicate that your uncle is planning something," Jon said. It was obvious that Doran Martell had a plan in mind — they just did not know what it was, and he was certain it did not involve Arctic waiting for them to return... The Lord Commander himself says that rumors claiming they were dead were spreading everywhere. Although a good part of the world believed otherwise.
Rhaenys did not deny the suggestion that her uncle had something planned. Knowing her uncle, that was to be expected.
"We'll talk about this later. Gather everyone and talk. We need to discuss what happened," Jon said. They nodded, each returning to their dragon.
Jon needed to organize that information over the next two days. While Arctic was still celebrating, he was already working on how to deal with the south. He did not intend to stand still.
The dragons returned to Arctic some time later. Rhaenys and Daenerys were already quite proficient in flight, managing to control their dragons as they wished. They enjoyed it like the ancient Targaryens when they had their dragons, also taking in the view of the frozen North until they reached the kingdom, and likewise enjoying the beauty of Arctic from the sky.
Jon gathered everyone for a conversation as soon as he arrived at the castle with his wives, relaying the information he had received. Bran was also present, and he could not help but frown upon discovering Robb's fate. The Boltons' interference had been anything but pleasant for the Starks.
But what truly struck him was what had happened to their mother... Bran began to cry, Arya did not shed a single tear, but her eyes were disturbed... Jon knew that she was suffering as well.
Rickon sobbed when he learned of it, and Jon, as much as he stayed with Arya, consoling her even though she was nowhere near showing the mourning she had shown for her father, she was still suffering. Jon stayed with her for a while, then she joined her siblings. Benjen was also worried about the children.
Meanwhile, Jon had a focus. Even with the people celebrating the victory against the dead, the south was no longer just inevitable — it was a priority. The king began to reflect on the plans that, for the most part, were already in motion. The use of wildfire, the destabilization of trust between the maesters and the Lords with a surprise attack from the west — these were strategies planned long ago.
Now, all that remained was to adjust a few details and better analyze the scenario, considering the current state of affairs as reported by the Lord Commander.
During the last two days of celebration, Jon isolated himself a bit more, dedicating himself to reading some history books he had from the Citadel about the battles of the Seven Kingdoms and meeting with Maester Marwyn to discuss details about the maesters. He drew up plans while observing maps, searching for where to strike a fatal blow against the Lannisters — in revenge for what they had done to his uncle.
His eyes never stopped fixing on that point the entire time. He ended up marking it as a red point there.
Casterly Rock
A point that indicated his intention to bring the castle down, to make it sink into the sea — that would be the most appropriate word. He knew that Joy would be horrified by this idea, but this was Jon's war, and she would have to get used to it. He did not intend to harm people who had nothing to do with the conflict, but the name Lannister would not be ignored, nor left without severe punishment.
Jon Arctic, or rather, Aegon Targaryen, had a brother with the same name, a second mother who intended to love him even though he did not come from her womb. After all, Elia made it clear that she loved Lyanna's son through her letters... The only one left from that chaos in King's Landing was Rhaenys, who was almost killed if not for her uncle.
Just thinking about how much the Lannisters had benefited over the years from intrigues and conspiracies against the family of his late father made Jon feel his fury grow. It was time to show them the consequences of their actions, even if they came late. After all, the Lannisters always paid their debts — and the debt with Jon was one of blood.
Rhaenys went to his solar on the seventh day. Jon raised his gaze and crossed his arms at her.
"Can you repeat that?" he said.
"I'm going to take part," she replied.
"No," he denied.
"Jon, let me take part!" she insisted.
"I'm not taking the dragons, Rhae. Not now. I don't want to see my enemies simply start surrendering before the fight even begins," Jon explained.
He would be disappointed if that happened. He was not a man who massacred people without the will to fight. He needed to give the Seven Kingdoms some confidence, not take it away by covering the sky with more dragons than there had been in the Dance of the Dragons, at least at first, so that he could make them pay on the battlefield for what they had done.
He needed a legitimate justification to kill as many wretches as possible.
"Then let me go with a sword in my hand. I was trained in Dorne to use daggers. I can fight!" Rhaenys did not seem to be giving up.
Jon sighed. "I would like you to stay here, at least for this first moment. I want you to know that I do not doubt your skills; however, they are not meant for open-field battles."
"But you're taking others," she retorted.
"Seryna won't be coming with me this time. I need her here, in Arctic, and I would like you to be here as well. I want you to take care of our children. They need you, Rhae. Our daughter needs you." Jon only planned to take Arya.
Rhaenys froze for a moment.
"And what will happen to Dorne?" she asked.
She still cared — Jon knew that. It was the land where she had lived most of her life before meeting him. She had always proven to be a sensible woman, but she had also suffered great influence from her uncles. An influence driven by revenge and hatred toward their enemies, which, in recent times, had begun to slowly break apart.
For a long time, she had hated Jon's mother, believing she had been responsible for the destruction of the Targaryens. Her father had also played a part in that, of course. However, after reading Elia's letters, Rhaenys's mother... she realized that Elia was aware of everything: of how she had accepted the relationship, of how Lyanna and Elia exchanged messages, talking about life in the capital, the fears of war, and even Lyanna's pregnancy.
Rhaenys apologized to Jon. She found herself in conflict with herself, trying to understand how she could correct her mistakes. She even intended to visit Lyanna's statue at some point, as she told Jon. Lyanna's name was no longer a curse to Rhaenys, and Jon was satisfied to see that his wife no longer carried that hatred — something that had always bothered him, especially when he thought of his late mother.
Jon left the office together with Rhaenys and found Aemon and Samwell Tarly walking through the courtyard. Sam was being trained by Aemon, and the boy had been doing well at the academy since he arrived in the kingdom nearly two and a half moons ago.
It seemed that successors for powerful positions were beginning to emerge, and Jon was satisfied with that. After all, Brynden saw that Bran was starting to show himself as his possible successor in the future. Perhaps Sam could also replace Aemon, just as the old Targaryen elder saw potential in the Tarly boy.
After greeting everyone, he moved on; he needed to speak with his generals and asked the guards to summon them. It was time to organize a few more things before beginning to move part of the army westward in the coming days.
Meanwhile, in the distance, a fleet of ships began to be sighted by the tribes living near the coast of Skagos. They watched a large number of vessels bearing banners unknown to them, but unmistakable to those who knew. The crowned stag wreathed in flames represented only one thing.
Stannis was advancing toward the Wall.
------
Raccoon Here: Stannis will be dealt with before Jon leaves for the south.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
🦝 Raccoon here: 🦝
I deeply appreciate your support since the beginning of this exciting journey!
I hope each chapter has provided incredible moments. If you like my work and would like to support the continuation of this fanfic, consider becoming a patron with plans starting at $2!. As a token of gratitude, I offer access to more than 210 extra chapters with 7 active fanfics at the same time, along with other exclusive benefits on my profile, such as images and significant decisions for the stories.
Even if you are not a patron, I am making chapters available a few hours earlier here, so become a free member on the platform!
🌟 RaccoonLeague | Patreon🌟
Visit our Patreon for more: https://www.patreon.com/RaccoonLeague
Extra Content Already Available:
🏴☠️ One Piece - I Am a Different Luffy!: 30 extra chapters!
👑 Game of Thrones: The Legend of Jon Arctic!: 30 extra chapters!
🌀 Naruto - Minato Namikaze SI!: 30 extra chapters!
🗡️ The Witcher - As Uchiha Madara! 30 extra chapters!
⚡ Harry Potter - Shadow Monarch! Finished! [100%]
👑 Game of Thrones: DragonBorn! 30 extra chapters!
Except for One Piece with daily chapters and DragonBorn once a week, all fanfics are updated 3 times a week, there's just a pause in updating in the week, only to create drafts for the week's chapters.
In addition to the extra chapters, daily chapters are posted and 25 chapters per week!
Your support is very important and makes all the difference in keeping these stories alive.
Thank you very much for being part of this journey! I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that it brings even more joy to your life!
Visit our Patreon for more!!
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆