Game of Thrones one-shot, during the War of Dawn
Daenerys and party, alongwith Jon and his party have arrived in Winterfell, and are preparing to meet the army of the dead.Old friends and family had been reunited, new alliances acquainted.
The closer alliance between Jon and Dany was still a secret. He was worried and angered when he overheard a Karstark joke that maybe the Dragon Queen had shown Jon her hidden treasures and he couldn’t resist it.
Both Jon and Dany had been careful to not appear too close in public. They never met unaccompanied, and even sat far apart on dinner table. Things became complicated when Bran and Sam revealed Jon’s true parentage.
One night Jon decided to knock on Dany’s door, after making sure he wasn’t seen, and found it slightly ajar. She was already prepared for bed. Her silver hair was loose and she had wrapped herself in as many furs as possible and sat in front of the fire, humming a tune.
“Why haven’t I ever heard that sweet melody?”
Dany chuckled,“It’s not a melody. It’s a tune I heard in Qarth. I don’t know the words.”
Jon sat beside her and wrapped his arms around her small frame.
“The meeting didn’t go as bad as I thought it would. Your sisters don’t necessarily want to kill me, and no assasination attempts.”
Responding to Jon’s silence, Dany finally spoke in words the thought that had been bothering her,“I know you are conflicted. I just want you to know that you can trust me with this. Whatever you decide, we’ll be together, just like I promised.”
“I…I am conflicted. I was lied to about my birth, my parents. I understand it was to protect me. But it is difficult to grasp so much at the same time. I now understand what he meant when he said that I have his blood if not his name. All my life, I wanted to be a Stark. Then I found a greater purpose, and now it seems the past is here to haunt me.”
“The past only has as much power as you grant it. You are a Stark, and a Targaryen. We donct get to choose the manner of our birth, but we can choose the path our life takes. You have chosen yours, as the protector of people, stay with that. Your family-our family-killed your mother’s. But I ask you now-you refused to judge children by the actions of their parents-why subject yourself to that scrutiny? I didn’t fall in love with the King in the North, or Ned Stark’s son; I fell in love with who you are. Whether you choose to be called Jon or Aegon, you’ll be the same man-brave, selfless, and a little stubborn.”
Jon smiled at the last words.
“I will respect your decision.”
“Have you been to the godswood?”
Dany was a bit surprised at this question. “No. I know that Bran spends most of his time there.”
“Father…"his throat caught a bit at,”…he used to sit here for hours, with Lady Catelyn.“
"What exactly is in the godswood?”
“Weirwood trees, with faces carved into them. The Children of the Forest made them. Faces of the Old Gods.”
“Like the ones in the cave at Dragonstone.”
“I would love to see them.”
Both Jon and Dany now took to spending time among the weirwood trees. Jon found it peaceful enough to brood, to think over how his life was thrown about in every direction so often. Dany would pray to the faces, Old Gods she knew nothing about. They were often accompanied by Bran.
As days and weeks passed, Jon’s mind became clearer. Now he didn’t hesitate about talking to Dany, and even went on walks with her. The northerners were not too happy about it, and Sansa worried it might weaken their alliances.
Coming back from one such walk, Dany was almost breathless after climbing the stairs to her quarters.
“It’s nothing. I have just been tired, also a bit sick for few days.”
“I assure you, it’s just the cold. And I’m not really used to being indoors so much. You need not worry.”
Jon had only turned and walked few steps when he heard a ‘thud’ and turned around to see Dany collapsed on the floor.
Dany opened her eyes to see Jon, Missandei, Ser Davos, Tyrion, Jorah, and Sansa standing around the bed. She was being examined by maester Wolkan, with help from Sam. When he finished, the Maester informed that the queen was not ill, she just needed rest and shielded from cold.
Jon’s reaction to her falling unconscious had given away his feelings. He now sat by her side and didn’t hear when the maester asked to speak with him. Sam took him outside and returned with a worried look on his face.
“There is a significant development. Daenerys…”
“Whatever it is, you can speak in front of us. We are the smallest circle.” Tyrion remarked.
“It appears Daenerys is…with child.”
All everyone could do was look at each other with shock. Those who knew Dany to be barren were shocked, and happy. Sansa worried about their alliances in the North. And Dany herself thought it was a dream. All she could do was stare into Jon’s brown eyes. She could see a future of those small, round, deep eyes staring at her from the face of a newborn.
