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[CASTLE BLACK - STANNIS'S ROOM]
"I ordered Mance Rayder burnt at the stake. You prevented that order from being carried out. You showed mercy to Mance Rayder. A king's word is law. Perhaps you should ask Ser Davos how much mercy I show to lawbreakers."
"Not at the Wall," Rickard said with displeasure. "No Kings have true power there, only a courtesy shown by the men there and nothing more. And it is something you should all remember, considering the things you all would need to do, the Watch needs to be consulted."
Evidently, that was something none of them had considered, judging from the various faces.
"Show too much kindness, people won't fear you. If people don't fear you, they don't follow you."
"With respect, Your Grace, the free folk will never follow you, no matter what you do. You're the man who burned their king alive."
"Who then? You?"
"No. Only one of their own."
"Do you know this wretched girl Lyanna Mormont?"
"The Lord Commander's niece."
"Lady of Bear Island, and a child of 10. I asked her to commit her house to my cause, that's her response.
"Bear Island knows no king but the King in the North, whose name is Stark."
The Starks all smiled at that. House Mormont have always been loyal, the smallest yet the most loyal of their bannermen who had ancient seats of their own. To know the loyalty has passed on to a ten-year-old, who insists on holding it, it was something that gladened them all.
"Down South they would have jumped without even being told to" Robert muttered, his brothers nodding.
"I apologize, Your Grace. Northerners can be a bit like the free folk. Loyal to their own."
"I know. My brother Robert went on often and loudly about how difficult it was to control them - even with your father's help."
Ned shifted uncomfortably.
Rickard frowned.
"The North isn't like the rest. They are loyal to those they deem worthy and love one of their own. They won't be 'tamed' like the South. That should be common knowledge" Brandon the Elder spoke.
"I know" Robert grunted. "I said that but did not mean that Ned did not have control over them."
Stannis shifted in discomfort.
"Plus, they clearly love him. They all marched to free him when Joffrey took him prisoner" Lyanna added.
Rickard nodded. That was a good point.
"Tonight, the Night's Watch elect a new Lord Commander. Ser Alliser Thorne is going to win."
Most of the hall groaned.
"Unpleasant man. He thinks you're a traitor. What's your life going to be like on the Wall with Thorne in command?"
"Unpleasant, I expect."
"Your bravery made him look weak."
"If he had only listened, things would have gone better!" Lyanna said scathingly. There was no blame on her son, who had reached out to help!
"He'll punish you for it. I don't punish men for bravery. I reward them."
"Sadly he is not one of your men" Robb muttered darkly. Jon's life would have been better had he remained at Winterfell and not gone and taken the black.
He should have pushed him to stay. He would push him to stay this time.
"I don't doubt it, Your Grace. But I'm a brother of the Night's Watch. I've pledged them my life, my honour, my sword. I don't know what I have left to give you."
"You can give me the North."
"I can't. Even if I wanted to, I'm a bastard. A Snow."
"A Stark is a Stark. Men loyal to the Direwolf of Winterfell will rally behind you purely because you're a Stark of Winterfell by blood" Ned said softly and with a smile. "you are a Stark of Winterfell, Jon. You are my blood."
Jon nods, he knew it to be true as the north makes him king in the future cause of this.
"Kneel before me. Lay your sword at my feet. Pledge me your service and you'll rise again as Jon Stark, Lord of Winterfell."
[JON stares at STANNIS deeply without saying a word.]
None of the Starks were stupid. They all knew this was what Jon ever wanted, to be a Stark in name as well, to be part of the family truly.
Had the parentage of Jon not been known, Catelyn would rave and rant, telling Stannis he had no right to do that. But she knew now, she knew her nephew had every right to the name as her children. Yet the small voice ranting and raving remained, muffled and almost silent but still there.
[CASTLE BLACK - DINING HALL]
[JON and SAM converse as the men gather for the elections.]
"He'll make you a Stark with the stroke of a pen?"
"It's the first thing I ever remember wanting. I'd daydream that my father would ask the king, and just like that I would never be the bastard of Winterfell again."
Ned fidgeted from guilt. He could have done that. Just a raven and Robert would have agreed to it. Why would he say no? Ned was his friend and he didn't know about Jon.
Ned had instead taken the easy route. Use the bastard status to hide Jon better. It was easier on him and Catelyn, he knew because Catelyn would not like it if he did that. Ned didn't want to hurt his wife more than he already had.
He'll write to Robert once they return, or tell him now and remind him just before they leave.
"I'm going to refuse him."
[SAM is confused]
"But you'd be Lord of Winterfell."
"I swore a vow to the Night's Watch. If I don't take my own word seriously, what sort of Lord of Winterfell would I be?"
"I know it was not easy" Lyanna whispered, kissing her son's hand. "I'm so proud of you."
Jon smiled wryly.
The woman then leaned back and gave his brother a look.
Jon better be a Stark, the look said.
[MAESTER AEMON rises slowly from the table at the front.]
"Does anyone wish to speak for candidates before we cast our tokens for the 998th Lord Commander of the Night's Watch?"
[JANOS SLYNT stands up.]
"Fuck me" Tyrion groaned.
"Ser Alliser Thorne is not just a knight, he's a man of true nobility. He was acting commander when the Wall came under attack, and led us to victory against the wildlings. He's a veteran of 100 battles and has been a defender of the Watch and the Wall almost all of his life. He's the only true choice."
[ALLISER smiles. Men cheer and beat on the tables.]
"He's going to win" Robb sighed. Jon's life was gonna get harder now...
"Is there anyone else?"
[A SHADOW TOWER BROTHER stands]
"Ser Denys Mallister joined the Watch as a boy and has served loyally longer than any other ranger. Through 10 winters he served. As commander of the Shadow Tower, he kept the wildlings away. We could do no better."
[Men, including JON, bang their cups on the table, but the reaction is much weaker.]
"If there's no one else, we will begin the voting. The triangular tokens count for Ser Alliser Thorne. The square tokens for Ser Denys Mallister. Each brother will-
"Maester Aemon."
[Every Brother, including JON, looks to Sam at the back of the room in shock.]
"Oh no," Robb muttered. He had an idea of what was about to happen...
[JANOS SLYNT calls SAM by his title of 'Sam the Slayer'. The whole room laughs.]
"Another wildling lover just like his friend Jon Snow. How's your lady love Slayer?"
[More laughs.]
"Her name is Gilly. Brother Slynt knows her quite well. They cowered together in the larder during the battle for the Wall."
"Good" Tyrion smirked viciously.
[The men start laughing at JANOS now.]
"Lies!"
"A wildling girl, a baby, and Lord Janos. I found him there when the battle was over in a puddle of his own making.'
"Good Sam!" Robb hollered, joining in the laugh with the people in the vision. A few others join as well, none louder than those in the vision though.
[Stronger laughter. MAESTER AEMON cracks a smile.]
"Whilst Lord Janos was hiding with the women and children, Jon Snow was leading."
[The men go quiet.]
"Ser Alliser fought bravely, it is true. And when he was wounded, it was Jon who saved us. He took charge of the wall's defence. Не killed the Magnar of the Thenns. He went North to deal with Mance Rayder, knowing it almost certainly meant his own death. Before that, he led the mission to avenge Lord Commander Mormont. Mormont himself chose Jon to be his steward. He saw something in Jon, and now we've all seen it, too. He may be young, but he's the commander we turned to when the night was darkest."
[The men give JON a strong cheer.]
"Oh no" Jon groaned, burying his face in his hands.
"You should be happy that your friend supports you this well," Lyanna said gently.
"He's doing it because he knows I won't send Gilly away" Jon muttered against his palm.
"I'm sure that's not true" Lyanna tried to reason.
"Ser Alliser would send all Wildlings to their deaths, Sam knows this. Most of his conviction comes from knowing I wouldn't do it. He may believe in me, but he believes in me for all the wrong reasons with the right proofs" Jon explained.
Lyanna was not sure how to respond to that.
[SER ALLISER stands]
"I can't argue with any of that. But who does Jon Snow want to command? Night's Watch or the Wildlings? Everyone knows he loved a wildling girl and spoke with Mance Rayder many times. What would have happened in that tent between those two old friends if Stannis's army hadn't come along? We all saw him put the King-beyond-the-Wall out of his misery. Do you want to choose a man who has fought the wildlings all his life or a man who makes love to them?"
[JON doesn't respond. MAESTER AEMON rises again.]
"It is time."
[Brothers of the Night's Watch walk to the front of the room, placing their tokens into a jar. A brother breaks the jar and counts the tokens. Alliser and Jon have the same amount of tokens.]
"It appears to be a tie, Maester."
"Guess Sam's words were enough to sway many of the men" Ned hummed softly. It was an honour to serve as the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch.
[MAESTER AEMON rises once more, feels each stack of tokens to determine which is which, and casts his own vote for JON. The men near ALLISER look angry. The men grouped around MALLISTER are content. Everyone else cheers.]
"Congratulations are in order, brother" Robb grinned, gripping Jon firmly by the shoulder. Lyanna and Daenerys joined in and soon so did the rest. Ned had joined as well, but the thought still remained, was Jon ready for this honour?