Chapter 3

Words: 2500

It was about a week since Jon had learned the truth about his parentage, and while he had mostly accepted it he still found it hard to fully believe. The man he thought had been his father was actually his uncle while his apparent aunt was actually his mother. His father had been blamed for starting a war that tore the continent apart by taking his mother, when in reality she had ran away to be with him. All the people who died in Robert Baratheon's rebellion had died for nothing; his uncle Brandon and Grandfather Rickard, his father Rhaegar killed by Lyanna's betrothed, Elia and her children (Jon's siblings) dead on the orders of Tywin Lannister so he could suck up to Robert, and the countless soldiers who died on both sides. ALL FOR NOTHING!

There was one more thing that the truth had made him realize: he was the rightful king of Westeros. Talk about ironic. All those years he spent in Winterfell being looked upon with disdain by Lord Stark's wife, being forced to sit away from the rest of his family during meal times, the constant insults Theon Greyjoy would send at him. If the truth had been known, they all would've treated him differently. But Jon couldn't fault his uncle for hiding the truth, for if it was known he probably wouldn't be alive right now.

He had heard the stories of the war, and he remembered how much Robert Baratheon came to hate all members of the Targaryen family following Lyanna's disappearance. He had looked down upon Rhaynes and Aegon's dead bodies, mangled and deformed beyond recognition by Tywin's pet monster Gregor Clegane, and he had rewarded Tywin for it while calling his siblings 'dragonspawn.' That one incident had nearly shattered his lifelong friendship with Lord Stark. Really, Jon couldn't understand how his uncle could possibly get past that, even if they were both sad about Lyanna's death. There was little doubt in his mind that Robert would kill him if he learned the truth, and if by some insane chance he could be made to see reason, Tywin would stop at nothing to kill him once his daughter married the new king. The old politician would see him as a threat to his grandchildren's hold on the throne.

Jon could hold no ill towards Lord Stark for lying to him all his life. He had saved his life, and let him grow up with a family. No matter what, he would always see Lord Stark as his father; though he would also honor Rhaegar by calling him father as well. He had not once hated Lady Stark for how she treated him; he knew that to her, he was the embodiment of her husband's betrayal of their marriage. Now Jon could only feel pity for her. He made a mental note to find her someday and tell her the truth so she didn't go through life thinking her husband had dishonored her.

"Jon" Leaf called out. Jon put his brooding aside and to face the child. "We need to..."

"I know, Leaf. You all have been patient with me as I struggled to accept all of this, and I now think I can hear you out."

Leaf led Jon back to the three eyed raven, who was still sitting at the base of the tree roots. If Jon didn't know better, he would think the man hadn't moved once the entire week. "Welcome back Jon. Are you ready to continue?"

"Yes" Jon replied. "Why did you bring me here? What is the point of telling me the truth of my parentage?"

"Because Westeros needs you Jon. Like I said before, I can't say if you are the prince that was promised or not. There are other people it could be, including your aunt Daenerys (the term prince simply refers to the heir in the valyrian language). But regardless, if there is to be any hope in the coming war, than you must ultimately take your place as king."

Jon recoiled in shock. "Me? Become king?"

"Yes. You are the rightful heir to the iron throne. It will take all the kingdoms of men working together to fight the white walkers off this time."

"Why must we fight them off? The wall was built to keep them out, and it has for eight thousand years."

The three eyed raven's response caught him completely off guard. "The wall will be useless when winter comes in the next few years."

"Useless?! But how?"

"Jon, the white walkers weren't always the monsters they are now. They were once men, like you. But they were invading Westeros and butchering the children of the forest. At some point, the children became desperate, and they captured a man whom they turned into the night king, the first and strongest of the white walkers."

"They CREATED those monsters?!"

"Yes, they created them as a means to fight back against the first men. Once the children and first men agreed to peace, the children had the white walkers banished to the lands of always winter in the far north. But what the children didn't realize is that their creations were growing in strength. Finally, when the coldest winter in history came, the white walkers gained enough strength to break free of the children's control, and they went on a rampage throughout the continent bringing about the long night."

"Are you saying the winter season makes them stronger?"

"Yes, and during the long night the winter was so bitter that it made the white walkers stronger than you can imagine."

"But the long night's winter passed. How can the... wait. You can't mean..."

The three eyed raven's face became extremely grim. "The coming winter will rival the one that came at the time of the long night. When it does, the white walkers will become so powerful they will be able to break through the wall, and they will finish what they started thousands of years ago. If Westeros isn't united against them when that happens, they will already have won."

The three eyed raven paused as Jon reflected on this new information."Jon, this is why you must take the throne. Westeros must be united before the winter season arrives. Put aside the ranger of the night's watch you are now. It is time for you to become who you were born to be."

"...I understand" Jon said. "But how am I going to do so? I grew up a bastard. I know nothing about ruling. Even if I did, how would I seize the throne? There are too many people who would resist me, and I don't have an army."

"You can start with the free folk. Help their leader Mance Rayder get his people south of the wall, and they would be willing to help you."

"Are you sure?"

"The children and I have watched them for many years, and they are not so different from your mother's people. You are all descendants of the first men, and you all follow the children's gods. They will follow if you give them hope."

"It isn't that simple '' Jon said. "The night's watch has fought them for thousands of years. They guard the wall that's blocking them from going south. How do you suggest we get them to agree to let them through? And lets say we do get the free folk south. How do we get the rest of Westeros to unite with us? My brother would listen to me, and that gives us the north and the Riverland's, but what of the rest of the kingdoms?"

The three eyed raven smiled. "It's time to show you the real reason I summoned you to me."

"You mean there's more?!"

"Oh yes Jon. I could just reach out to you mentally and tell you all you have learned if there wasn't a true reason for you to come this far. Follow me, and you will see what that is."

They walked through the maze of tunnels in the children's cave for so long that Jon suspected they were halfway through the mountain. Finally, they came to a massive chamber. "Here it is Jon."

Jon stared in awe at the sight before him: an enormous dragon, laying out on the floor of the chamber. It was so huge that Jon was amazed that such a creature could fit inside. It must have a three hundred foot wingspan and a tail almost twice as long as the rest of its body. Its eyes were closed, and were it not for the fact that the creature wasn't breathing Jon would think it was merely sleeping.

"A dragon."

"Not just any dragon" the three eyed raven said. "An ice dragon."

"An ICE Dragon?! I thought they were only a story."

"Until a week ago, didn't you think the same about the children of the forest and the white walkers? This ice dragon is the last of its kind, Jon. The rest of them died out before the coming of the Long Night. This one only still lives due to the trance it placed itself in."

"Why would it place itself in a trance?"

"Dragons are not ordinary creatures Jon" Leaf said as she too entered the chamber. "Their intelligence outstrips any animal, and this allows them to think and plan the way we do. It's possible this one felt it needed to outlive the rest of its kind and came here to ensure it could."

"Indeed" the greenseer said. "But now the time has come for it to wake. Jon, you must be the one to do so."

Jon's awe quickly fled, and was replaced with apprehension. "ME?! But why? How?"

"Ice dragons may be different from the kind your valyrian ancestors bonded with, but they are similar enough that this one will respond to you if you reach out to it."

"If it doesn't, or if it does awake but eats us the moment it see us?"

"It will respond to you Jon, and you have nothing to fear of this dragon. You must trust me when I say this."

Jon returned his gaze to the enormous reptile that lay before them. Of all the crazy stunts he'd pulled in his life, waking a dragon from a trance was without a doubt the most insane. At the same time, it would be a great asset if the dragon did connect with him. "Well, this would make the job easier. And the white walkers probably wouldn't stand a chance..."

"No Jon" Leaf interrupted. "As strong as this dragon may be, you mustn't let him get near the white walkers."

Jon spun around to face the child. "What?!"

"The white walkers are strengthened by winter, and just as valyrian dragons are living embodiments of fire, ice dragons are the embodiments of a blizzard. Their power would do nothing but strengthen the walkers, especially if they manage to kill and reanimate him."

The idea of the white walkers reanimating a dragon was so terrifying Jon didn't want to think about it. They wouldn't need to wait for winter if they brought this creature under their thrall. But he could still help them. With a dragon at his side the majority of Westeros wouldn't doubt the truth of his identity as Rhaegar's son, and he knew there were still many people who were Targaryen loyalists. They would flock to his banner if he called. Jon suddenly remembered Ser Allister Thorne back at the wall, and the way he'd abused him because he thought he was Eddard Stark's bastard. Oh, he was going to enjoy seeing that jerk's face when the truth was known.

"Ok, I understand" Jon finally understood. "I awaken the dragon, find the free folk and get the night's watch to let them south."

"You won't have to do this alone Jon" Leaf said. "We're coming with you and your direwolf."

"You are?"

"Yes" the three eyed raven said. "We know where to find the free folk, so you won't have to fly around searching for them. We will also be able to reach your brother Bran and his companions rather than making them come to us."

Jon spun around, nearly having a stroke at what he heard. "WHAT?! What does Bran have to do with any of this?!"

"Your brother is a greenseer like me and the children. I need to teach him so the art isn't lost when we die."

"When were you planning on telling me you intended to approach my brother?!"

"We already have approached him mentally. As for telling you, we were planning on doing so when it became necessary, which it just did."

Half an hour later the children, Ghost, Jon and the three eyed raven were gathered in the dragon's chamber. Jon stood before the group, just feet away from the creature. "You're sure this will work" he asked.

"Yes Jon" the three eyed raven replied. "Do as I instructed, and the dragon will awaken."

Jon took in a large breath, and finally stepped forward to place his hand on the dragon's snout. Reaching out with his warging the way he did with Ghost, he touched the mind of the creature. Jon could tell the children were right about the creature's intelligence: the dragon's mind was more complex than his direwolf's. Awake.

For a moment, nothing happened. Then Jon felt the dragon's response, and heard it start to breathe again. It stirred, opening its eyes to show crystal blue looking back at them. The dragon lifted his head, and stared at Jon as if to say what it wanted. Jon once more reached out with his warging, and hoped his valyrian blood was noticeable to the creature. I ask for your aid. Please, come with me.

The dragon continued to stare, but finally lowered his head to the ground. Jon knew what this meant. Climb on.

They all climbed on the dragon's neck, Ghost needing to be carried up by the children, and walked to the back so as to find a more secure place to sit. Jon couldn't describe the feeling that was coursing through him. Excitement was too small a term. Suddenly, Jon remembered something. "Uh, how are we supposed to get out of here?"

As if to answer his question, the dragon raised his head and took a massive breath. When he released it, a wave of sheer cold blew through the chamber as his dragonfire began to cause the wall to crumble from the sheer force. When he stopped, there was a new tunnel large enough for him to walk through. He walked forward until he came to the end, and once more released his dragonfire. This continued until finally Jon saw the tunnel wall explode in a ray of sunlight, revealing the outside world.

Jon was so amazed he almost missed when the dragon jumped from the tunnel. After a short moment of falling, the dragon spread his enormous wings and took flight. Jon looked down to see the ground becoming smaller by the second as his new friend rose higher and higher in the air. Looking forward, Jon felt a great thrill wash through him.

The idea of becoming king suddenly seemed like it would be no problem at all.