Dragon's blood

284 Years After the Conquest

The North, Winterfell

The ancestral seat of House Stark was impressive. Despite the fact that the Starks were one of the poorest houses in the Seven Kingdoms, this did not diminish the awe surrounding the creation of King Brandon Stark, better known as Brandon the Builder—the legendary founder of House Stark, builder of the Wall and Winterfell.

This grand, ancient structure was located in the heart of the North, serving as its capital. The castle was built on top of a hill, with hot springs flowing beneath it, enabling it to survive even the coldest winters. It was evident that the castle required major repairs. Some towers and buildings were in a dreadful state, but even this did not detract from its grandeur.

Beneath Winterfell were the catacombs, used as the Stark family's crypt. Every Stark since the time of the Kings of Winter had been laid to rest there.

Like all other Northern castles, Winterfell had a godswood—a place of worship for the Old Gods. Adjacent to the castle was a small settlement called Wintertown. It was modest but well-kept by the standards of the time.

Winterfell was considered the heart of the North, situated in the very center of Northern lands—on the eastern edge of the Wolfswood, west of the White Knife, and southwest of the Long Lake.

These were cold, harsh lands of the First Men—the people who once inhabited all of Westeros, having arrived from Essos via the land bridge at Dorne. The Northerners were their descendants and identified as such, just like the wildlings beyond the Wall along with the mountain clans. This might be the only thing that currently unites them.

Unlike the wildlings beyond the Wall, the Northerners had not been able to preserve all the knowledge and traditions of the First Men. This was due to the invasion of the Andals—an ancient, warlike, and religious people who invaded Westeros from the western part of Essos.

The First Men fought valiantly until their last breath but could not match the steel that the invaders brought with them, which ultimately led to the invaders' victory. Only the North remained a bastion and an impregnable haven for the First Men.

The irony was that, in the end, they forgot their language, runes, and much more without any external help. Whether this was a result of the growing influence of the Andals over the centuries is uncertain, but it was too long ago to know the true reason.

The North had many natural resources, but due to the eternal harsh winters, people could only make use of them in minor ways.

The North was the largest of the Seven Kingdoms but also the poorest due to the cold, which prevented local agriculture. Thus, all the gold of the Northerners, whether commoners or nobles, was spent on sustenance, buying from the Lords of the Reach at inflated prices with gritted teeth; otherwise, starvation would claim them in another long winter.

The war against King Aerys II Targaryen had been costly. It required many resources, and considering that people had already lived modestly, including the nobility, the population would continue to struggle and live even more modestly for a long time.

The last Targaryen king, Aerys II the Mad, became an unmanageable tyrant obsessed with the fear of treachery by the end of his life.

Many noticed that he began to show signs of madness only years after taking the throne. Before that, Aerys II was a competent prince who enjoyed the favor of the entire nobility and loyal subjects.

When his son, Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, abducted Lyanna Stark, the Winter Rose of the North, her kin—Lord Rickard Stark and his heir Brandon Stark—demanded that the king return the kidnapped girl and punish the prince.

In response, the king, in another fit of madness, accused both the brother and the father of treason and executed both, along with their friends and companions who had accompanied the Starks.

Afterward, Aerys demanded the surrender of Lyanna's other brother, Eddard Stark, and her betrothed, Robert Baratheon, who were at the time in the Vale of Arryn, visiting Lord Jon Arryn.

Arryn did not hand over his former wards and instead raised a rebellion against the king, joined by the Tullys, who were kin to the Starks and Arryns.

Robert, who had gone south to gather forces, was defeated but managed to retreat to the Riverlands and join other rebellious armies. In the decisive Battle of the Trident, Robert Baratheon defeated the royal army and personally killed Rhaegar Targaryen.

As a result, Robert Baratheon was proclaimed king and took the throne, ending nearly three centuries of Targaryen rule over Westeros.

Only two members of the now overthrown Targaryen House managed to escape—Prince Viserys Targaryen and his younger sister, Princess Daenerys, who fled to distant lands, their fleet wrecked in a storm while escaping to Dragonstone after the sack of King's Landing by Lannister soldiers.

What happened to Rhaegar Targaryen's children? It is known that Gregor Clegane, the Mountain, found Princess Elia with her young Aegon. He tore the infant from his mother's arms and hurled him against a wall with all his might.

Witnesses to the scene described Aegon's head as a mangled mess of brains, bones, and blood.

Amory Lorch, another of Tywin Lannister's henchmen, stabbed the young Princess Rhaenys around fifty times.

It is said that even Tywin Lannister was shocked by such cruelty and quickly denied his involvement in such orders, though he was slow to punish his knights.

Later, Lord Eddard Stark demanded the execution of the two monsters in human skin, the rapists and child killers, as he called them in a fit of cold fury.

However, some witnesses claimed that King Robert did not heed his "good" brother's words but instead laughed loudly at the corpses of the dead "muddy Dragonlings" who had taken Lyanna from him. Eddard Stark quickly left King's Landing.

But he returned to the North not alone; he brought with him his bastard, named after Jon Arryn. His wife, Lady Stark of House Tully, who had been forced to become his wife after Brandon Stark's death, was deeply displeased and did not want the bastard to grow up alongside her recently born son, Robb Stark—the future lord and heir of the North.

Lord Stark firmly refused to cast out the child, hoping his son would grow up with his brother. Many years passed before their relationship began to improve.

The death of his sister, father, and brother had a profound effect on Eddard Stark. Only after a long time did the sadness leave his eyes, but the weight of the secrets Eddard carried on his shoulders never allowed him a moment's peace.

By a small stone hearth, crackling with burning logs, sat a boy who appeared to be four days old, with black, slightly curly coal-black hair and neat dark brows.

His sharp, elegant features, merging into the typical appearance of the Starks and Targaryens, were complemented by slightly pale aristocratic skin, soft cheekbones, a chiseled jawline, and a straight nose. Most importantly, his indigo eyes captivated with their otherworldly beauty.

The boy, without averting his gaze for hours, stared at the flickering gray flames in the hearth adorned with direwolf frescoes, contemplating what to do next.

Just days earlier, he had suffered from a severe fever that nearly claimed his life. But thanks to the Old Gods, the boy had managed to overcome this affliction.

As he recovered and was able to open his weary eyes, the blurred figure of an elderly man appeared beside him—Maester Luwin, who served House Stark. The man was short, with wrinkles all over his face, wise gray eyes, and gray hair at the sides of his head.

Before he could say anything, a loud crash of wooden doors against the wall echoed. An anxious Lord Stark, or rather his so-called "father," along with his brother Robb, appeared.

They were also accompanied by a two-year-old girl, Sansa, who immediately rushed into the boy's embrace, tears in her eyes. It took a long time for the girl to agree to let go of her brother.

The genuine display of familial love touched the deepest chords of the boy's heart. The embraces of the other two family members were equally warm and welcome. Everyone was in high spirits due to the boy's recovery.

Jon, or Aegon, did not understand how this could have happened; the fog that once clouded his mind had disappeared following the fever. Perhaps it was because of it that he remembered his past life…

… a life of an ordinary college student named Alex, who died at eighteen from a monstrous virus that spread across the world, claiming many innocent lives.

Though Alex himself considered his life dull, he lived it comfortably and surrounded by family. Unfortunately, Alex did not appreciate this; he ignored it completely and spent most of his time in a world of fantasy rather than the drab and bleak reality.

Perhaps Alex was a somewhat reclusive person, but this did not hinder his life. He did not particularly need friends. Books and other things replaced friends.

It was bitter to realize how little time the boy spent with his loved ones. Their tears and cries of despair were the last things he heard before darkness consumed him with a leaden weight of regret on his shoulders.

But now Jon had a second chance at a new life, in which he would not repeat his old mistakes. At least

This world is undeniably dangerous. Hidden dangers lurk at every step, with noble intrigues, magic, White Walkers, Dragons… It is frightening, yet captivating. It is exactly the kind of life he had so passionately desired—a life full of color and adventure.

To begin with, it is important to understand that knowledge of the canon, books, and the series may be mostly useless, as the dates of certain events do not match.

This is already a warning sign. Take, for instance, the birth of Sansa or the appearance of Lady Stark, which differs even from the book's description, let alone the series. And let's not forget about Jon himself. His appearance is very different from the canonical one.

Is he a prince? Is his real name Aegon, or is he perhaps some kind of bastard of Rhaegar? So many questions and theories, but so few answers.

For some reason, all memories of his previous life are depersonalized, stripped of personal feelings, as if someone removed all emotions.

Perhaps that is why Jon does not feel any strong sadness that would plunge him into despair and depression over his previous life.

For a moment, he stopped his train of thought and resolutely extended his hand toward the bright, blazing fire in the hearth. As if hypnotized, he touched the bright orange flames without hesitation or fear.

The expected cries of pain did not come; the same dead silence remained in the room. The tongues of flame touched his hand, but they caused no discomfort. Instead, they provided a pleasant, spreading, enveloping warmth in his palm.

So now, not only Daenerys will carry the title of "Unburnt."

Additionally, he had some logical theories from his previous life—facts and theories about how to awaken Dragons. He believed the secret lies in the Targaryen house motto: "Fire and Blood."

Feel free to let me know if you need any adjustments or further assistance!