Chapter Text
Winds grew suddenly cold. Rhaenys Targaryen was flying on her dragon Meraxes above the cliffs of Dragonstone. There was a cracking and thunderous sound. Her silver scaled dragon growled. She looked towards the Dragonmount following the sound. The volcano was relatively calm. She urged her mount forward in the direction of the sound.
Meraxes flapped its wings below her and Rhaenys watched a figure half lying, half kneeling on a cliff in the distance. Upon reaching closer she saw it was a man. How could a man be on the top of this cliff? It's impossible to climb.
Her dragon landed on the cliff and screeched. The man didn't even flinch. She dismounted and heard the man bellowing curses to the Old Gods. His manner of speaking was similar to the Northmen of Westeros.
He was wearing a cloak which was torn from many places. His hair were long and messed. She saw an outline of a long beard on his face. He didn't even give her a glance.
Rhaenys withdrew her dagger and closed the distance between them. The man suddenly turned towards her. He looked about her age. His face was long and smooth. Like freshly carved without a single scratch or scar. Pale skin. Hair reaching well below half his back. Long beard that seemed to be not touched by a blade in years. Eyes were dark. They looked a shade of grey at first glance, but almost black when his lifted his head to look towards her.
"Daenerys?" The man said in an unsteady voice.
So busy was Rhaenys Targaryen eyeing him, she didn't even reply.
The man gruffed something unhearable and looked closely at her.
"Who are you?" He said. This time there was a steel in his voice.
Rhaenys didn't back down and pointed her Valyrian Steel dagger towards him.
"I should be the one asking who are you. How are you even here? Did you drop from the sky?"
The strange man ignored her and turned his focus on Meraxes looming behind her.
"You see that dragon? That's Meraxes and I'm Rhaenys Targaryen. Answer my questions now, or you would be in her belly next."
Of all the reactions she could have anticipated from the man, she didn't expect him to burst out laughing like some madman.
The man stopped his laugh but was still grinning.
"Curse you Old Gods. You have made a mess of me." He turned towards her, "Apologies my lady, well I am Jon Snow. Has the conquest began?"
The Conquest. How can he know about it? Jon Snow. A bastard with a Northern surname.
Rhaenys frowned, "A bastard from the North. How did you reach on the top of the cliff? And what do you know about the Conquest?" She put her dagger close to his neck. The man just smiled. She didn't even had the time to react as he drew a sword hidden under his cloak. The sword was pointed at her chin. Behind them Meraxes growled loudly.
Jon Snow removed his sword from her chin. The light reflected the smoky ripples on its blade. Valyrian Steel. A bastard with a Valyrian Steel sword. Reluctantly Rhaenys also removed her dagger from his neck.
"You ask too many questions too quickly, my lady. All I shall request would be warm food, a bath and a good bed to sleep. I will answer all your queries then." Jon Snow said still looking amused.
"You are in no position to make any commands or requests, Jon Snow. But I shall take you to the castle with me." Rhaenys told him.
Jon Snow merely nodded and walked past her towards Meraxes. She wanted to shout and tell him to not approach the dragon without her but he was already in front of her. Meraxes curiously snapped its head towards Jon and sniffed him. Releasing a puff of smoke on him. He reached out his hand and Meraxes let him pat on its snout. The dragon let his hand linger for a few moments and then nudged him carefully and turned away.
The scene made Rhaenys freeze. Meraxes didn't allow anyone to do that to her. She was able to pat and scratch her dragon. Aegon and Visenya's presence was allowed near her while he barely tolerated Orys. How can a mere bastard keep a Valyrian Steel sword with him and can fearlessly touch her dragon without a single care in world? The answer alluded her. Just as the mystery of the man.
She moved forward and placed herself on the saddle. "Sit behind me and hold the saddle tightly." She instructed the Northman while she strapped herself. Jon Snow followed her lead and sat behind her. As if he was merely mounting a stallion not a dragon. The trip back to the castle was short and quick.
Meraxes landed near the steps on the gates of the castle of Dragonstone. Jon Snow dismounted before Rhaenys and they entered inside the castle. She ordered a few servants to give him a room and a bath to be prepared. And for him to be guarded at all times.
"Above all bring me some food first." Jon Snow said.
"Of course, bring food to this hungry man first." Rhaenys spoke to one of the maids.
They took Jon Snow away and Rhaenys exhaled a sigh. She walked through the castle towards the Stone Drum tower where her sister Visenya was likely to be. Her brother and husband Aegon was away at Driftmark.
After a long walk, she climbed the steps of the Stone Drum, passed through the Chamber of the Painted Table which depicted the map of Westeros and entered inside the solar.
Visenya was sitting, busy with ledgers and letters. A task Rhaenys always hated. Candles were flickering on the table and her sister looked up as she sat beside her.
"Sister, you returned early from your pleasure riding today. Finally here to assist me in numbers, Rhae?" Visenya said in High Valyrian as her lips twitched.
Rhaenys shook her head. She also spoke in their mother tongue.
"Today was an interesting day. I found a man on the top of a cliff on the east of the Dragonmount. No one could have climbed it. I saw no ropes or spikes. The man shouldn't be there at all."
Visenya raised her eyebrows, "Pray tell me, did any of our dragons dropped him there."
"Listen to me Senya. The man called me Daenerys first. And named himself Jon Snow. But that's not what is more interesting. He had a Valyrian Steel sword and Meraxes let him pet her."
This caught her elder sister's attention.
"A bastard with Valyrian Steel and pats a dragon. Mmm. Where is the man now?" Visenya asked in amusement.
"I brought him back to the castle. He asked for food and rest. We should question him later. Anyways is Aegon returning soon?"
"Can't be away from him for long, can you Rhaenys?" Visenya smiled. "Our brother husband might be back in a few days."
"He should return soon. There is definitely more to Jon Snow. He even asked me about the conquest. How can he even know about it. Only a few of us have the knowledge of Aegon's ideas."
"Tell me more about him." Visenya said.
Rhaenys proceed telling her everything about Jon Snow from his ragged cloak to pale face, lengthy hair and the conversation between them on the cliff.
"Appears to me like a savage from the North. A seer or something like that they have in their stories maybe? No Northern House other than Manderlys of White Harbor have contacts with us."
"I will summon him to break fast with us on the morrow." Rhaenys said.
"Very well then sister, let's take care of this Northman." Visenya said and returned back to her ledgers.
Rhaenys remained there for sometime, then returned to the main keep.
She inquired about the bastard from the North. A maid told her that he ate with the diet of two and instantly slept after the bath.
Visneya came half an hour later and they supped together. Rhaenys returned to her chambers afterwards, changed to her robe and lied on the bed. She missed Aegon in truth. Uneasy sleep came to her that night.
She woke early in the morning before the breaking of dawn. She stayed in her chambers for sometime, brushing her hair and looking at the sun coming out. A maid came to her chambers at dawn. Rhaenys washed and dressed up. And made her way towards the Great Hall. She ordered a guard to summon Jon Snow.
Visenya was already there. Hair braided and Dark Sister strapped on her hip.
Rhaenys took a seat beside her sister. They waited for their strange guest, if he could be called that, to arrive. Servants while served food on the plates.
Jon Snow arrived few minutes later.
She gasped for a moment looking at him. Visenya also looked captivated. Jon Snow's appearance was totally changed from yesterday. While he was dirty and savagely looking yesterday. Today painted a different picture.
His hair was cut short now. Barely touching his shoulders. The long beard was neatly trimmed and only an outline remained on his face and jaw. He looked handsome with that long face and broad shoulders. The ragged cloak was not there today. A dark blue almost black full sleeved linen shirt was on him. He cut an impressive figure. Almost reminding her of Aegon.
His sword was in the hands of a guard Rhaenys noticed. His dark eyes darted towards her barely for a moment then turned towards Visenya. He held the gaze of her sister and then gave them a bow. He sat opposite to them on the table. And food was served to him.
Visenya gestured the guard to hand her the sword. Jon Snow remained silent focusing more on the food than them. Rhaenys observed the sword. It's scabbard was looking weary. There was head of a white wolf with red eyes on the pommel. Visenya unsheathed the sword. Valyrian Steel reflected on the surface of the blade.
Visenya put the sword on the table and ushered the guards and servants to leave. The gates of the hall closed behind them and only the three remained.
Jon Snow spoke first, "Ask what you want to ask my ladies. Though you may find my answers not believable." and drowned a cup of wine.
"Is that so? We would listen to your answers first. Tell me how you were on the top of the cliff." Rhaenys said with a scowl.
"I was bound to a Weirwood tree as far as I remember. The Green Men shoved a red sap in my mouth. A Child of the Forest stabbed a obsidian dagger in my heart. While the others were chanting in their strange tongue. And then I lost consciousness. When I woke up. I was lying on that cliff. These fucking Old Gods." Jon Snow answered with a snicker.
"What sort of nonsense are you speaking? Have your wits being addled?" Rhaenys gave him a sharp reply getting frustrated.
His response was a laugh.
"I told you, you won't believe my answers. Where is the Conqueror?.. I mean your brother Aegon. If you wish to hear my tale, I would have preferred him present here as well. Not fond of repeating it."
"He will be here when he wishes. If we want to you repeat whatever children's tale you made, you would have to do it. We are not here for jests." Visenya said sternly.
Jon Snow's expression changed and his eyes hardened towards Visenya. "I speak no jests. You wish to hear. Hear it now Visenya Targaryen."
He exhaled and then spoke.
"I am not of this time. These cruel Old Gods with their servants and the Children forcefully dragged me and ripped me through time. The future I came from, cold and death had taken over the world. I fought, I lost but I wasn't allowed to rest. I have lost friends and family. I am your descendant. Son of Prince Rhaegar Targaryen and Lady Lyanna Stark. Last Stark. Last Targaryen. I have been a Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, a King in the North, a dragonrider. I have killed and I have been killed. Everything that has been dear to me, I've seen dead. I have tried to kill myself and I have failed. There was no end for me. No rest. And here I am now more than three hundred years past from my own time. To what purpose? Serve as a warning? A pawn of the Gods? Fuck the world. Fuck the Gods."
He said it with anger rising in each word. The way all of it was said and his eyes, told all of it be truth. No matter how much unbelievable it might have sounded. But her mind believed his words. There was no deception or mummery in his tone. Only raw emotion. A chill crept on her spine as she wondered if it was to be the fate of the world. Suddenly she remembered Aegon's dream. A darkness looming over Westeros coming deep from the North.
Visenya was off her seat. She walked and sat herself beside Jon. She cupped his face and looked closely in his angry eyes. Rhaenys followed and sat on the other side of Jon.
"I don't know whether you are mad or telling the truth. Or maybe you are the best mummer in the world. You say you are our descendant and rode a dragon. Son of a Prince. Which means we were ruling Westeros. Were your foes so dangerous that you still lost?" Visenya said. Her voice surprisingly soft.
Jon shook his head. "You are jumping to conclusions. By the time I was born, Targaryen dynasty was rooted out of Westeros. The last dragons were dead more than a century ago. The two surviving children of the Mad King fled East to the other continent. I was born in Dorne and my uncle Eddard Stark claimed me as his own bastard to protect me. The new king Robert Baratheon, a decendant of Orys Baratheon hated Targaryens as his father had died in the sea, searching for a Valyrian bride for Prince Rhaegar and the same Prince stole his betrothed."
"You are saying that the dragons died. How did it happen?" Rhaenys demanded in fury. Her hand clutched his forearm tightly.
"Due to your stupid descendants. A war over the inheritance and succession of the throne. Brother fought sister. Both were dead at the end along with most of the dragons. The remaining also died in few years. The war dubbed as 'The Dance of the Dragons'. You know even after dragons died there were still wars for the throne within Targaryens. The Blackfyre rebellions. Ambitions of some and foolishness of others. I would say Targaryens dug their own grave."
"We are moving from one piece to other quickly. Tell us about your time. How were we dethroned? You said you were a dragon rider, which means dragons returned." Visenya said calmly but their was hurt in her voice.
"Dragons during my time were hatched by my aunt in the East. I should start from the beginning. From how much I know, King Aegon fifth of his name, tried hatching dragons at Summerhall, a castle made in the future. It led to a tragedy. No dragons hatched but Summerhall burned. And along with it, King Aegon and more Targaryens. My sire Rhaegar Targaryen was born amid the ruins of Summerhall. He chased after prophecies. My grandfather Aerys Targaryen was known as the Mad King. He liked burning people alive with wildfire." Rhaenys shuddered at it.
Jon continued, "A tourney was held at Harrenhal. Rhaegar Targaryen who was married to Elia Martell of Dorne, won it and crowned my mother Lyanna Stark his queen of love and beauty over his own wife. In my time even Targaryens only had one wife. They had made some pact with the Faith of the Seven. My uncle Brandon Stark, the heir to Winterfell was betrothed to Catelyn Tully. Before their wedding, my mother disappeared in the Riverlands. Brandon Stark heard that she was abducted by Rhaegar Targaryen. He rode directly to King’s Landing, the capital and demanded Rhaegar to come out and die. He had more balls than sense I would say.
The Mad King arrested him and his companions. My grandfather Rickard Stark was summoned to King’s Landing. He demanded a trial. Aerys Targaryen allowed a trial by combat. It was all a farce. Aerys burned Rickard alive in wildfire and strangled Brandon Stark in a Myrish device. He then called for the heads of my uncle Eddard Stark and Robert Baratheon. They were being fostered in the Vale. The Lord of Vale, Jon Arryn refused his King’s demands and raised his banners.
Thus began the Rebellion that ended with Targaryens ousted from power with Rhaegar falling under Robert Baratheon’s hammer on the Trident. King’s Landing was sacked and Tywin Lannister who did fence sitting in the whole war had my half siblings murdered. Aerys Targaryen wanted to burn the city and had placed wildfire caches under it. His own Kingsguard who was sworn to protect him, Jamie Lannister son of Tywin killed him.
By the time my Uncle's men reached the Red Keep, the deed was done. My uncle Eddard was an honourable man. Some would say too honourable. He asked for justice for the murdered Targaryen prince and princess and their mother. But Robert's hatred of the Targaryens was more than any sense of honour. Aerys's pregnant Queen and younger son were on Dragonstone. The Queen died in childbirth. The infant daughter Daenerys and Prince Viserys fled before Dragonstone was stormed."
So she is Daenerys.
Throughout the telling, a lot of emotions flowed through Rhaenys, sympathy, anger, hurt and dread. Orys's descendant killed mine own. Orys was their brother and loyal to them. But same connection will not be present generations later.
Visenya was also tense. She asked more questions in between. But Jon didn't had answers to them all. He knew most of the things from the mouth of others. And not in all details.
He continued his story and told them how his uncle traveled to Dorne to find his sister locked away in a tower. How he faced three knights of Kingsguard and lost five of his six companions. Only to find a dying sister and her infant son. She felt pity for Eddard Stark, losing his brother, father and sister within a year.
"When I first learnt that Ned Stark was not my father, I had never felt more hollow. I wanted to call Howland Reed a liar. But all of it made so sense. I hated Eddard Stark so much at that time. I had asked about my mother hundreds of time but he always avoided the answers."
He told them how he had considered himself a bastard born of rape, even if Howland Reed believed otherwise. How he heard different accounts of Rhaegar from a different knight. And how the man considered the Prince to be incapable of such thing.
"Not that any of it matters now. My cousin Bran Stark or the Three Eyed Crow or whatever he became told me that Rhaegar Targaryen married Lyanna Stark in front of the Old Gods. The Crow always spoke in half truths and riddles." Jon said.
Hours went by as they listened to him. He told them about growing up in Winterfell. About his cousins whom he referred as siblings. He told them about direwolves. How they were found and the deserter from the Night's Watch who first spoke about the Others. Rhaenys felt a little cold hearing about them.
As he progressed, the more sad Jon looked. He told them about Eddard Stark going to the capital and getting arrested for treason. Jon had later learned that Robert Baratheon’s official children were not his own and were sired on the Queen by her own brother. Visenya had laughed so much at that, even Jon had to smile. Eddard Stark would be killed and his son Robb Stark would win victories in the South only to be killed in a wedding at the Twins by the Freys. He took the name Frey with so much venom and said he would gut any Frey if he meets them even now.
She then heard about his time in Night's Watch. He told them about the first time facing a wight. A dead thrall of the Others. How he grabbed a burning lantern and killed the dead ranger. The Lord Commander gifted him the sword Longclaw for saving his life.
"All scars and cuts have left my body as I woke up in this time." He showed them his hand which he had burned. It was clean, with no trace of any burns.
The story continued, seeing an Other at Craster's Keep. Great Ranging gone wrong. Killing his senior ranger. Meeting Wildlings. Breaking his vows with a wildling girl. Climbing the Wall.
"You climbed the Wall?" Rhaenys asked in disbelief.
Jon smiled. "Aye, it was a terrifying yet amazing experience. Though I won't like to do it again."
He described the lands Beyond the Wall as harsh but beautiful. He recounted leaving the Wildlings with arrows in his legs, arriving at Castle Black and fighting the Wildlings on both sides of the Wall. Arrival of Stannis Baratheon.
"Stannis was a hard but fair man. He had his own flaws and rigidness. But only he came to assist the watch. He offered to free me from my vows and make me Lord of Winterfell. And a wildling princess for a bride. She was not a princess in truth. Too fair for a wildling but no less dangerous. I was tempted to be honest. It was like everything that I ever wished, even if it was wrong to think that way. Ultimately I refused. Stannis locked the members of the Watch till they elected the Lord Commander. Samwell Tarly, my fellow brother and another friend I lost, schemed to make me the Lord Commander. I was one of youngest in history."
He told them about a Targaryen Maester at the Wall. Aemon who had relinquished his claim to the throne for his younger brother.
"He was the most wise man I ever met. I sent him South away from the Red God's fanatics only for him to get sick and die in his voyage. I should have known better. He was a hundred year old man."
Jon then told them about bringing Wildlings South of the Wall. And a sister he learnt was forcefully married to a Bolton. A letter arriving and Jon deciding to march South and breaking his vows.
The next part shook her. He had said that he had died but she didn't took it that literally. Visenya also looked troubled hearing it.
"I was dead in the snow. My body was in the ice cells for days. While my mind was inside my direwolf Ghost. I saw the Red Witch Melisandre put my body on a pyre, her men dragging Ghost on it and bleeding him. I was resurrected. The fucking witch couldn't let me stay dead. I only saw red for days. My eyes were the colour of blood for a long time. My memory was foggy. There was so much rage inside me that I killed Melisandre and each of her Red fanatics."
She shivered at the thought of him dying and then being brought back to life broken.
"I was unstable for days. When the girl, everyone thought to be Arya arrived. I was very angry but also relived. The monster of Bolton had put her, Jeyne Poole to such horrors."
"Stannis won Winterfell but couldn't live much long due to his injuries in the storming of the castle. News of my resurrection had spread throughout the North and I had to South. My youngest brother Rickon who was alive, as I had learned from Wylis Manderly had refused to come back from Skagos. I hadn't pushed. Back then I thought he was much safer on an island. My sister Sansa was alive and had married the heir to the Vale. She had also arrived at Winterfell with a contingent of Valemen at her back."
He continued telling them how Howland Reed had arrived at Winterfell with the will of Robb Stark in which Sansa was disinherited due to her marriage to a Lannister and Jon had been named the King in the North's heir.
"I was declared the King and Sansa had supported my claim. The Vale Lords were eager to fight in the South. Though I reminded them of the more dangerous threat coming from the North. As much as I wanted to march down South and burn everything from Twins to the Red Keep, I gave priority to safety of the North. The Northern Lords had also objected and some had doubted the return of the Others. But they ultimately respected my authority and started manning the Wall. It was also very difficult to make them less hostile towards the Wildlings."
Jon told them that Valemen however didn't acknowledge the threat other than a Royce who had lost his son in the Watch. They still wanted to fight and be allied with the North. He had asked Sansa to send them to crush the Freys and free Riverlands from the Lannisters.
"The South was also in chaos at that time. The Wall had remained quiet. And the men sent beyond had stopped returning. What I didn't expect was the Bays to start freezing. The Others first attacked the Bear Island. The North was large and we didn't hear about it till it was too late. I sent Sansa back to the Gates of the Moon in the Vale and had ordered Lord Manderly to bring Rickon back. He had sent five ships but none returned."
Rhaenys could see hurt in his voice as he said that.
"Winter had made movement difficult. I had no choice but to send my people Southwards. I sent dozens of letters and ravens South but no help came on time. The Vale had atleast secured the Riverlands. Thousands passed through the Neck to the Riverlands and many were ferried from White Harbor to Gulltown and other Vale harbors."
He sighed, "Daenerys Targaryen had arrived in Westeros around the same time. She took King’s Landing rather quickly but there was no city left as the wildfire caches were ignited and more than half of the city and the Red Keep were burnt during the capture of the city. There was another Aegon who claimed himself to be my dead half brother. Though Daenerys believed him to false. He had consolidated his claim and power in Storm's End. He was not a bad man. Lied about his identity his whole life. He had agreed to a truce."
"When I met Daenerys, she was a disheartened person. Burning of King’s Landing had left a mark on her. She had arrived alone in Winterfell with just her dragons. I had reluctantly flied with her to the Wall. The situation there was bad with endless assault. And her dragons had refused to cross the Wall."
He told them how distraught Daenerys had been when Jon had told her about him being Rhaegar's son.
"I had thought a lot about whether to tell her or not. She had believed me. Though not without fuss. And I had rode her green dragon, Rhaegal."
Named after his sire. Rhaenys thought.
Jon continued telling them how they had failed at defending the Wall and had to retreat.
"More than half of the men were lost in retreat. Those days were brutal. We lost ours lands day by day. The Wall had been breeched and Bays had frozen. I had to abandon the North. Abandon Winterfell. The dragons also hated the cold. There was severe lack of food. Out of the three dragons, the rider less Viserion was the first to fall."
He covered his face in his hands.
"After that it's complete horror. I don't want to recall. Just know that everything was lost."
Jon drowned another cup of wine. "I hadn't intended to skewer you both for so long with my misery. It just flowed. There is no point in further discussing it. I have warned you. So it may or may not come to pass. I don't care now." He barked a laugh.
Hearing all of it had scared her honestly. From fall of her house to the ravaging of the world by cold and death.
"What about us? What did your history books said about us?" Visenya intrigued.
Jon grinned towards her. "Are you a witch?"
Visenya blinked, "What? I just know some magic."
Jon laughed again and then looked towards Rhaenys. "I am descended from the line of you and Aegon, great great great grandmother."
Visenya chuckled beside them. And Rhaenys punched Jon on the shoulder. He calls me grandmother.
"Aegon the Conqueror and his sister wives won six out of seven Kingdoms with ease. Though problems came in Dorne. The Dornish had their guerilla warfare and hid in their mountains and deserts."
A dark look passed on his face. He looked towards her. "You died in the first Dornish War, Rhaenys. A lucky scorpion shot to Meraxes's eye and she fell."
She looked at him in horror. Visenya said something about burning all of Dorne. I died and Meraxes.
"The Dornish were described as treacherous and untrustable. Though I don't have any real life experience of it. Daeron the Young Dragon had conquered Dorne without dragons. His campaign in Dorne was my favorite thing to read. He did it one and half century after Aegon's Conquest. Even he made some mistakes. He was killed with treachery during a parley."
Jon continued, "I have no wish to fight anymore in this life. But I am ready to help you, when you begin your Dornish campaign. Mistakes shouldn't be repeated."
"We haven't made any fixed plans for conquering Westeros yet. Aegon has some ideas. Though nothing has been agreed yet." Visenya said.
"One more thing I would advise is to end the Ironborn reavers once and for all. These pirates are nothing but scum. Beware of Maesters. An Archmaester called the Mage in my time had told me that the Citadel actively worked to undermine magic and by extension dragons and Targaryens. Also don't give power to the Faith of the Seven. After Aegon's death the Faith militant rose again. They wanted to leash the Targaryens. After Aenys death, Maegor the Cruel usurped his nephew and fought a brutal war against the Faith."
"Maegor the Cruel?" Visenya asked.
Jon sighed, "I don't think you should be eager to hear about him."
"Tell me!" Visenya said.
"Maegor was Aegon's son with you as Aenys was with Rhaenys."
Visenya shrank back in her chair and looked sad, upset and dejected.
"I think I have told you all more than enough. Leave me out when you go out for wars. I would ask for a simple hut in any nearby village. Or a farm maybe. I have had my share of fighting."
"You won't stay in the castle? You are a Targaryen like us." Rhaenys asked.
"I have been a Snow, Stark, Targaryen but nothing mattered in the end. Let me rest now and take care of basic problems." Jon smiled.
Visenya put a hand on his shoulder, "Stay here for now. We shall talk more on the morrow."