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Even without the cold weather that clung to the Night King, the landscape of the North was covered by snow. Now that the dead were defeated Winter would last only a few years instead of decades or eternity. Snow would fall in King's Landing more lightly than it ever did in Winterfell.
The people outside the walls of the castle were cleaning up the pyres from the previous day. At least they wouldn't have to see the faces of loved ones looking back that them. I wouldn't have been able to look at Khaleesi's corpse and I didn't know if even in death she'd burn. Something in me told me that she was powerful enough to retain that power even when her body grew cold. She was the more likely candidate to be Azor Ahai and it was more than possible Melisandre had predicated wrong yet again.
I looked up and heard the roar of two dragons. Rhaegal was the one nearest to me and I could barely pick up his green colors. With one hand shielding my eyes, I looked up to see him performing complex maneuvers in the sky. Though to him it was probably things he could do half-asleep.
A smile formed on my face when I could start to make out Drogon's black colors. Khaleesi must have flown around with them while I had slept. Her children must be excited about the news that soon they'd be in warmer weather. Though Rhaegal would have to fly back North as he was bond to Jon. Maybe it was that centuries did not mean much to dragons and it would feel like a blink of an eye until he was in warmer weather once again.
Khaleesi must have been in the mood to show off as Drogon and Rhaegal seemed to dance with each other. The two dragons twisted and turned in the air. They dove down only to fly up to the clouds. I turned to see the Northerners pause in their work to look up at the sky. Some were terrified while others were amazed at the sight before them.
To make sure the Northerners remained calm I walked hurriedly so that I couldn't see any of them clearly. Drogon landed close to me and I ran to his side as Khaleesi climbed down. For the last few feet she decided to fall into my arms that quickly moved to catch her. We kissed deeply as her feet found the ground.
"You're awake." Khaleesi said once our lips were inches apart. "Do you still have a hangover?"
"No, I don't." I replied. "Do you want to go back inside and **** or do you have something to tell me?"
"How could you tell there's something I want to tell you?"
"Because I know you."
She turned her head so she could look at Drogon. During her flight this morning she must have found something. Was it a path she saw but needed me to protect her from any wildlife? Was it a relic of times long past that only Bran would have been able to explain? Or was it something else?
"You're right, I do have something to tell you." Khaleesi said once she was looking at me again. "But it's too far to get there by walking."
"Then we ride by horse." I replied and avoided looking at the large dragons mere feet from me.
I knew that Drogon would not hurt me while under Khaleesi's command. Since she was his rider he would not dare attack me unless she wanted it. So while there was no danger, it felt unnerving being in the air. Men were built to walk on the ground or venture across water. The gods had not created mere mortals with the intention that we should fly. Not unless dragonlord blood were in our veins.
When Khaleesi had rescued myself, Jon, Tormund, and the others from beyond the Wall I had willingly rode Drogon. But there was a large difference between then and now. Back then to not ride a dragon would mean certain death while now there was time to think about my actions. There was no army of the dead that would come to kill me and make me one of them.
"The paths are too treacherous for that." Khaleesi responded. "Or, at least, it would take too long to go where I want to. Drogon can just fly straight to our destination and horses would need to take a longer path. We need to be back to Winterfell before the sun sets. I still have a throne to win."
If it was as far as my love said, there was no choice but to get onto Drogon's back. Feeling so much fear wasn't becoming of the future king. I had dueled with the Night King himself and lived to tell the tale. I had helped slay the creature that would've ended the world of the living. I found myself having to resist shivering at the memory of the monster turning human right before he died.
"You are right." I replied and held back a sigh.
"You're scared, aren't you?" Khaleesi said with a smirk. "I won't let our child hurt you. You know he'd never harm you."
"It's not him I'm afraid of, it's being in the air."
"How can you not like the best experience in the world?"
"I have no doubt that you were born to fly, but I was not."
"You will be my king which means you were born to fly as much as I."
She used one hand to touch my cheek. I leaned into her touch and found comfort there. If there was one person in the world I could trust, it was her. She would never lead me into danger and would protect me with her life. If she died then her armies would stand by my side as I avenged her death. But she wouldn't die as the thought was too painful for me to ever comprehend. I would rather be tortured for eternity than see her die.
"Are you ready, my love?" Khaleesi asked.
"I am." I answered and she took her hand from my face.
The young woman mounted her child quickly but I took a few minutes longer. Mounting a dragon would never feel normal but I'd continue to do so for the woman I loved. What was a few minutes of discomfort to a lifetime of love? Once I got to the top of Drogon's neck Khaleesi helped me to position myself behind her.
I remembered how to squeeze my legs and to grab his neck. I remembered how to brace myself as the giant creature underneath me effortlessly took off. Once Drogon found the perfect height to fly, I started breathing easier. My eyes looked to the ground that was far below. No wonder the Valyrians had decided to ride dragons as travel became a very quick affair.
When I felt comfortable, I turned my head and saw Rhaegal flying close beside us. Whatever my love wanted to show me also interested the dragons. There was an energy to Jon's mount that was unusual. Before I could think too much on the matter Drogon suddenly dropped a short distance before stopping.
"Just hold on and you'll be fine." Khaleesi reassured me.
"My grip is sure." I replied. "Just make sure our child doesn't crash into the ground."
I knew what had happened but the adrenaline through my veins didn't care about the truth. The truth was that the sky held a unique danger: turbulence.
During turbulence creatures, such as dragons, would be shaken as if there was a giant hand moving them. As Drogon had been flying since he was young, he knew how to stay steady while the air turned into an enemy. To him it was natural but for me it wasn't.
A few minutes after the turbulence, my attention went to the scenery below us. Mountains that would've seemed like mighty works of the gods appeared to be the size of my foot. It was hard to remember my humility when everything was so small.
Finally our journey ended when Khaleesi landed Drogon close to the entrance of a cave. I had to stay seated for a few minutes as now the landscape around me felt real again. Now mountains were majestic, the North was a hard place to live in, and humility came easily to me.
"Come on, old man." Khaleesi teased me.
"If I'm so old then why do you have any interest in me?" I joked as I climbed down.
"Because with the right motivation you can be young again."
I chuckled and followed my queen as she raced into the cave. The claw marks on the ground indicated both dragons had been in here recently. Khaleesi didn't need to stop for my attention to be claimed by the sight in front of us. One or both of her children had to be female as a large nest of dragon eggs covered the floor in a circle. With so many eggs in the cave it felt extremely warm.
"Do you realize what this means, Jorah?" Khaleesi asked with barely contained excitement.
"That I do." I replied.
While it was more than likely that my love's dragons were not the last, it was a possibility. Before I had seen her children there had been a very real possibility that the remaining eggs were broken or in places impossible to be reached. Or if they hatched the dragons would quickly die.
"One day dragons will reign anew in Westeros." I continued.
"Maybe a dragon will even choose you as its rider and you can fly in the sky beside me." Khaleesi mused.
It would be quite a sight to see a Mormont riding a dragon. The last Mormont riding a dragon. I'd already be living a life I thought was foreign to me so why would it be impossible that I rode a dragon? Khaleesi and I could inspire the fear and love that all strong leaders were able to when we rode our dragons. If we limited who could take a dragon for a mount then we would control the greatest power ever known.
Maesters would race to King's Landing so that they could replace the ancient lore about dragonkind. The wise men did not like magic but their curiosity would get the better of them. Or maybe a few maesters would become interested and it would be with them that ancient knowledge would be regained.
"What if Valyrian steel is created by dragonfire?" Daenerys grinned. "House Targaryen would be in control of the most powerful weapons ever recorded."
"I am sure Gendry would be willing to help with the task." I mused.
I saw myself wearing a suit of Valyrian steel while on a black dragon. But who would I be fighting? What wars would need to be fought? It was not human nature to be peaceful so there would still be people that sought to bring down the Iron Throne. However, they wouldn't be able to form vast armies if Daenerys was a good ruler. Men and women would bow their knees willingly at the queen who had helped defeat the Night King and brought down Cersei Lannister.
Why would there be need of such weapons as Valyrian steel swords except for mere curiosity's sake? The thought of having such ancient knowledge would excite maesters who would take down various notes to make sure such knowledge was never lost again.
"I will claim the Iron Throne for House Targaryen and rebuild my House's former glory." Daenerys said and bent down to touch one of the eggs. "Westeros will bow down to me and never dare lay a hand against any of my descendants. There will not be another Robert's Rebellion. Not with Valyrian steel and dragons at my disposal."
She turned to look at me and the excitement in her eyes became alluring. She could be dangerous with that desire radiating off of her. It could mean she would bring ruin to her enemies or she would allow our bodies to find fulfillment in each other. With her there was no nuance in that look.
Khaleesi gently put down the egg and walked to me as my eyes looked over her youthful body. She swayed as she walked to let me know my desires would see reality today as the world continued to wake up.
"I could never just toss you away." She said as she kissed me.
"Why not?" I asked and used my hands on her waist to pull her closer. "There are so many other men."
"None like you."
With words out of the way, we made love. When our desires had been satisfied, I lay by her side.
She rolled over so that her head was on my chest. Her eyes looked at me and I kissed her head in return. If only the rest of our lives could be as simple as this moment. But our lives would become more complicated once we reached King's Landing.
However, throughout every trial Khaleesi would be there for me. Our bond was so great that not even the gods themselves could destroy it. I would figure out what to do with Bear Island and she would become the greatest queen Westeros had ever known. We both had our roles to play that would only be bearable because we had each other.
"I love you, Jorah." Khaleesi said and ran her fingers down my chest.
"In this life I am meant for no one else but you." I replied and ran my fingers through her hair.
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