This chapter has been edited due to content. I made minor edits in this chapter. If you want to see the unedited version GO HERE.
As the nights and days passed with Jon, I wished that the dead would go away. That the Night King would decide killing the living wasn't worth it. But that was merely a dream. Bran had told me that the Night King had been abused by the Children of the Forest in the most horrific way. The nearly extinct race had needed a weapon to use against humans and so kidnapped a man to transform him into the first White Walker. It could be the Night King still remembered enough of his humanity to want vengeance.
Then there was the fact that I was Azor Ahai. It was my destiny to face the Night King which meant the dead wouldn't go away. Yet imagining the dead would go was pleasant to believe.
"They'll get to Bear Island first." I said and tried to keep my voice even. "Even if they can't swim, we have to assume the Night King found a way to make Viserion a wight."
"If they can't swim there wouldn't have been a way for the Night King to get Viserion." Jon replied.
"These reports talk about people seeing White Walkers. The only thing powerful enough to damage the magic of the Wall would be dragonfire."
We were in our room after a few hours of lovemaking. We had planned to **** all night but a servant had interrupted us. All thoughts of arousal had gone from our minds as we read the reports. Some of them sounded like they were from crazed men only wanting protection in case something happened. Others, though, sounded serious.
"What if the dead don't come?" Jon asked and sat back in his chair. "All of these could be people trying to get something from us."
"You know that the dead will come." I said and put a hand on his shoulder. "If you didn't you would never have gone to Dragonstone. You would have stayed away from Daenerys Targaryen until she came to the North."
"It would have given you more time to be with her while she was alive."
In his voice there was no anger or bitterness. He had found his romance with Daenerys to be fleeting. While Jon admired her, he had no further interest in bedding her again. Maybe he was wishing that Daenerys had listened to me so she would still be alive. Even though she visited me in my dreams, it was not the same as her being alive.
"And we would also be less prepared for the future." I said and sat beside him. "It is nice to imagine that the dead are only a myth. But to act like that dream is real is to doom everyone."
"I don't want to lose you, Jorah." Jon said sadly. "I don't want to lose Arya, Bran, Sansa, or Ghost. I don't want to lose anyone else."
"I have also seen enough death. But to flee from the truth will cause more harm. It will mean others will have to suffer for our own happiness. Then the guilt will overwhelm us to the point we might bring death upon ourselves."
"And though all of this we'll have to worry about Cersei Lannister."
Yes, the woman would still be a problem even though two of her strongest allies were gone. She could still cause trouble by trying to turn the Westerosi people against us. It wouldn't surprise me if after the recent battle Cersei had learned that Daenerys Targaryen was dead. She would also learn that Jon could ride dragons.
"If she can gather enough support during the war, she might attack us then." I said and looked at the fire. "Cersei will want vengeance."
"It would make more sense for her to attack after the war." Jon replied. "Right now our allies are deeply bonded with us due to a common enemy. It would make more sense for Cersei to try and sever those bonds after the dead are gone."
Jon's logic was sound. That would be a much better plan. During times of war and conflict, people befriended each other easier. This was due to the fact having a common enemy strengthened ties. Yet after a war, friends broke apart and never spoke again. During the time when ties broke would be ripe for Cersei to take control. Yet I didn't know how much logic the Lannister used.
"You make a good point." I said. "That will be the most logical thing to happen. But Cersei is an unstable woman. She might not do the logical thing."
Cersei Lannister had risen from her lowly status to become queen. She had defied everyone who dared to hold her back. Her accession to queenhood would've been admirable if not for her cruelty. She had destroyed the Sept of Baelor to destroy her enemies. In the process many innocents had died. She hadn't agreed to a temporary alliance with Daenerys in the Dragonpit. She was not logical. To assume she would act in a rational fashion was suicide.
"We can't fight her and the dead at the same time." Jon argued. "We'll lose enough men fighting the Night King's army. If you are right about him having a dragon, we have even more of a reason to avoid her. Now is the time to focus on one enemy."
"We will need to find a way." I retorted. "If we let our guard down around Cersei, she'll use that time to attack. If we are unprepared then we will die. The whole of Westeros will die because of our ignorance."
Jon and I were silent. This debate would not go further tonight. It wouldn't be until morning that we could call a small meeting to discuss the reports. Jaime and Tyrion Lannister would need to be there due to their connection to Cersei. It was possible that they could help come up with an easy solution to kill the so called queen. Though it had been Tyrion who had suggested capturing a wight for a plan that hadn't gone anywhere.
* * *
Myself, Jon, Sansa, Jaime, and Tyrion were gathered in the Sept. At the moment it was the quietest place in Winterfell. It had been decided that this would need to be kept quiet as possible. We had to make sure there wasn't the slightest possibility of word getting out to Cersei. Davos would've been here but he was occupied at the moment. Later Jon would tell him what had been decided.
I looked around and thought of my Father. Unlike many in the North, he had decided to believe in the New Gods. I had never thought to question him even when my own faith differed. In public I always sided with him. He had been a good man and I had betrayed him. The gods should've chosen him to be Azor Ahai, not me. Not the son who had tainted the reputation of his father.
"There have been reports of the Night King's army." Jon said and pointed to the stack of papers. "Some of them can be discarded but others appear more honest. It is my and Jorah's belief that the Night King was able to resurrect Viserion."
"And what if none of the reports are true?" Tyrion asked.
"We already know that the dead are coming." I answered. "It is only a matter of time. We can't take a chance that all of these reports are fake. We also have another problem beside the dead."
"Cersei Lannister." Jon continued.
My husband would grow into a very wise king. He had already learned to appear to have a united front. Even though we had disagreed during the night, our men couldn't be allowed to see our arguments. The question of who to lie and tell the truth to was the next stop. That one he might have more trouble with.
"Do we really have the resources to fight a war on two fronts?" Sansa asked. "The battle with Euron Greyjoy and the Golden Company was a drain on our resources. And who is to say Cersei will attack during this time?"
"We can't take any chances." Jon replied.
Jaime tried to appear stoic and yet his eyes avoided looking at any of us. Since he had been a child, he had been in love with Cersei. Not the normal familial bond but an incestuous one. It had taken an act of courage to leave her side. I hadn't expected him to not care for her anymore and so his reaction was understandable. A part of him had left her while another was still at her side. Or maybe he didn't feel anything for his sister now.
"We also can't risk attacking my sister first." Tyrion pointed out. "If you are wrong, Jon, we will have wasted lives we need for the dead."
"I am aware." Jon replied. "But what if I'm not wrong?"
Jon looked at me and I could see the pain there. He was trusting me to make the right decision. Yet he didn't trust me enough to attack Cersei now. I didn't mind his distrust as it was warranted. If I ended up being wrong then I'd live with the knowledge men weren't being wasted.
"Cersei is a smart woman." Jaime said and looked at us. "But she's also impulsive. She doesn't look at long term solutions. All she cares about is what will solve her current problem. Cersei also still loves me. If she didn't, I wouldn't have been able to walk past the Mountain unscathed."
"So your plan is to pretend to still be in love with her?" Tyrion asked with a laugh. "You said it yourself, our sister is intelligent. She will get suspicious when you return to her. She won't let you get close enough to kill her."
Jaime nodded and I realized the simplicity of such a plan. We would be able to kill Cersei and only risk one man. If the older Lannister was right then Cersei would let him in. She would be beyond grateful that he had returned to her. I had never known the woman to have a kind side. It might be that she only showed a few people it or it was a twisted kind of love.
Jon looked at me but I could hardly read his face. It could be that he was troubled about the plan as it involved deceit. Yet he had used deceit in the past. If that was his fear then we would have to convince him how it was justified. There was a place and a time for honor.
"Maybe she will realize I'm not on her side when it is too late." Jaime replied. "All I need is just one moment."
"And can you kill her?" Tyrion asked. "When she is in front of you, can you really do that?"
"I can. You are asking me if I value the life of one person over the lives of many? I already killed the Mad King because I value the Westerosi people over one person."
It was as if Jaime snapped out of a daze. He glared at us as if daring someone to question what he meant. For the longest time the title of Kingslayer had been one of contempt. To find out Jaime had noble reasons for killing his king was a shock. I did my best to act like nothing serious had been revealed. If the man wanted to keep his secret, I wouldn't be the one to disagree.
"I will kill her if you won't." Sansa said bravely. "She tricked me into killing my Father and she tormented me while in King's Landing."
"She wouldn't trust you enough." I replied. "You wouldn't be able to get close enough. I know you are angry at her, we all are, but we can't risk losing you."
I had to hold back a smile from my face. Sansa's anger had overtaken her. Since she wasn't able to fight, she couldn't distract herself like we could. She couldn't feel the peace of fighting. Maybe during this war she could learn how to defend herself so, if she wanted to, she could fight. Though it all depended on how well she could be trained in such a short time.
"So we're going to have to lie." Jon said.
"Cersei deserves to die." Sansa retorted. "You know what she's done. You know what she is capable of. Why are you getting so worried about killing her?"
"Because we need to be honest."
"The Wildlings." I muttered under my breath.
Jon glared at me but I didn't react. He understood perfectly well what I was referring to. He knew I was saying that he could lie. That he found times when the truth would be too harmful to say.
"That was a long time ago." Jon finally replied.
"Didn't you find that tactic useful?" I asked. "There are times when lying can help much more than it harms. Sometimes you need to lie."
"Such as in the Dragonpit." Tyrion added. "I understand that Daenerys is beautiful, but you still made it more difficult for the rest of us."
"Cersei would've betrayed us anyways." Jon retorted.
"I can understand the need to not turn into lies." I said. "We are not saying your entire life needs to become a lie. But there are certain situations where the only way to survive is by lying."
"And you are sure this is such a case?"
There was fear in his voice and I was reminded of how young he was. This was a moment that I could lead him onto a dark path or a righteous one. Jon would change the longer he was king. The light in him might become tainted to the point he was something else. I was the one that could help guide him to a path between light and dark. A path I had been unable to walk.
"I am sure, Jon." I replied. "With Jaime's plan we can kill Cersei without risking more than one man. We will also get rid of a possible threat."
I saw the battle raging inside my love's head. He wanted to be noble, like his father, and yet he also had to win two wars. If only those battles were still things I had to fight. If only I could be so confused about a simple decision. After the war I would have to learn much from my husband. If the battles didn't taint him, that is.
"Ser Jaime Lannister, kill your sister." Jon decided. "Lying does have its uses. We must remember, though, to only lie when need be. Even if my enemies lie as easily as they breathe;, I will not. I will tell the truth when I can and lie when I must."
Jaime looked nervous. He would need to prepare himself so he could kill his sister. So he could kill the woman he had loved. The woman he might still have feelings for. If the Lannister messed up in this plan then all could be lost. We couldn't risk fighting a war on two fronts.
"I understand that you and Jorah love each other." Tyrion said and looked at Jon. "Jorah is a wise man, though he doesn't always act so, and will help you become a great king. He helped Daenerys become a fearsome ruler."
"Is there something you want to tell me, Tyrion?" Jon asked.
"Once the war is over, you will need to produce an heir. It might be difficult to find a woman that is a good political match. You can't pick any whore. If you were to decide this isn't what you want, it would be better that you break things off now."
There was real concern in the Imp's eyes. He was right that things could happen because there were two kings on the Iron Throne. After the war people could let their dislike of men sleeping together get the better of them. As long as we fought well enough in the war, they shouldn't be too much of a problem. But it would still be a problem.
Then there was the concern of every woman throwing themselves at us. Some would lie about their heritage just to be able to bear our children. If Jon ever decided he didn't want me anymore, breaking things off with me would become more difficult after the war. Now would be the perfect time to send me away.
"This is what I want." Jon said and looked at me. "Jorah Mormont is an amazing man. If I was unsure about being with him, I would have never made the offer. You already know we made the declaration. There is nothing that could tear me from his side."
"And I will never leave yours." I replied and Tyrion seemed shocked when I smiled. "You are a good man and there is nothing that will turn me away."
Jon was beautiful. And the way we fucked was divine. He was also the most noble man I had ever met. There was no reason for me to leave his side. There was no reason for me to abandon him. What would I gain by not sharing Jon's bed?
"There won't be a ceremony until after the war." Sansa said. "There's no need to use resources. We need to focus on winning first and then we can do more pleasant things. I had their marriage documented in case something happens."
Neither myself nor Jon had thought too much of documenting our marriage. He was already the King of the Seven Kingdoms. Any serious documentation on our union seemed unneeded. It wasn't until Sansa pointed out that if something happened to Jon, the heir could be contested. it was also then that other heirs were declared in case I also met my end fighting the dead.
"You will make a great king, Jorah." Tyrion said after a moment. "I only hope that-"
"You will live, Tyrion, I don't think we're getting rid of you easily." Sansa said.
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