[Chapter Size: 3400 Words.]

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Third Person POV

Arctic, 281 AC.

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“Are you alright? What happened?” Howland’s voice, or at least an older version of him, was heard the moment Jon and Jojen turned back again, touching the Heart Tree at the very instant before the vision they had experienced.

“How was that possible?” Jojen murmured, a bit dazed as he looked away and glanced around.

“Don’t worry about it. Nothing changed in real time. Even I am a little surprised… But anyway, it’s over, and we are back,” Jon spoke calmly.

He certainly had experience with this before, but this was a rather peculiar vision he had never experienced. After all, with Brynden, time passed in the world beyond the vision as it did while he was beyond the green vision. This time, however, it seemed like he had seen many things at once, yet felt that not much time had actually passed.

“Now…” Jon turned to Howland, looking at both him and his son, a bit concerned.

“What happened…?” he murmured, seeking an answer.

“We saw the tournament at Harrenhal. We learned how you met my mother… And we also saw the war that followed soon after,” Jon commented, while Howland looked at him for a moment, merely nodding but unsure of what exactly to say.

“What a headache…” Jojen murmured beside him, holding his forehead as he felt a strong migraine coming on. Jon felt something as well, but he paid no mind to the pain, which seemed to be a side effect.

In the end, Jon went to the castle along with Howland and his son. They entered Lord Reed’s solar, continuing their conversation there.

“So… The Old Gods showed you all of this,” Howland murmured, impressed, looking at Jon, with a few questions in mind.

And he continued. “And what do you plan to do with all this information?” he asked.

“There are certainly many things involving my parents. My father… made many mistakes because of his foolishness regarding the prophecies he had about his son being Azor Ahai, or the one who would save the world from darkness. But he put his entire family in danger…” Jon spoke, looking out the window as he sighed. He observed the swamp, and in the distance, he saw an Eragon, through his other eyes. He sighed again as he said those words.

“And do you think he was wrong?” Howland commented, raising an eyebrow at Jon, while Jon pressed his lips together.

“I know your father made mistakes, and it cost Lyanna her life… But in the end, you were born. And you are certainly the person he described. Maybe… Maybe all of this was necessary,” Howland spoke carefully, so as not to offend Jon.

Jon even wanted to argue, asking if he thought all that tragedy really had to happen just so he could be born. But… His life, his mission, his kingdom… Perhaps none of it would exist if things had happened differently. Not that he could control any of that, anyway. History up to that point had been shaped as it was meant to be. Neither he nor anyone else could truly change that.

Howland spoke a third time. “If you feel guilty about something, know that things are as they should be, despite all the tragedy.” Howland tried to offer some words of comfort to Jon, even though it was the same thing Jon was already thinking, and despite not knowing exactly what was on his mind, he imagined the Arctic King might be blaming himself for what had happened.

And Jojen remained silent beside them.

“I’m not thinking the way you believe, Lord Howland,” Jon responded without looking at him.

“I know what things are. Unfortunately, they happened this way. There’s nothing to change. There is no happy ending for everything… But, anyway…” He sighed, looking at the sky through the window.

“If we go back to the past, there were certainly those who wanted the end of the Targaryen family. Whether my mother married my father or not, a war would eventually have happened. Because, besides all the lords we saw and their schemes, there were also those who manipulated them without them even realizing it: the maesters.”

“I have a maester in Artica, whom I brought from the Citadel, investigating this for me. I also have all the documents I seized when we attacked the place, and his investigation is nearly complete after analyzing all the papers… But, even without full confirmation, we know that there was a grand scheme being plotted over the centuries.

The maesters hated magic, and the Targaryens had always been the representation of it. They aimed to destroy them,” he spoke at length and finally paused before continuing.

“That happened during the Dance of the Dragons, it happened with the last living dragons after that war, it happened during the various Blackfyre Rebellions… And also with that Alliance of Four or Five Kingdoms, which later became Robert Baratheon’s rebellion. Even though Jaime failed to marry Lysa Tully and Robert did not marry my mother, their goal was achieved in the end,” Jon commented.

“Do you plan to avenge them?” Howland murmured, asking Jon.

“I… don’t know,” Jon said as a thought before continuing.

“But I am certain that if a war breaks out between Artica and the Seven Kingdoms, I will purge all those lords who survived from that time. I intend to make each one of them pay for it,” Jon spoke, and Howland nodded cautiously.

“Anyway… Please, join my family tonight for dinner. I would love to welcome the son of my old friend into my home and talk a little about your life, if you permit me,” Howland requested.

In the end, Jon nodded, seeing no problem with that. He could return to Artica during the night.

They talked a little more while Howland asked his son to show the castle to Jon. As Howland was a very frail man, he could not accompany him personally but would be waiting at dinner.

Jon then followed Jojen through the place, while the castle folk kept their eyes fixed on him, with various thoughts in their minds. Meera also joined them as Jon got to know the three Sacred Trees of the region. Although they were not as private as the last one they had visited, they were still used by soldiers in moments of faith.

Upon nightfall, Jon was dining with the Reed family—Howland, his two children, and his wife. After dinner, Jon said he would depart, despite Howland’s insistence that he stay.

“I will be going to my kingdom tonight, do not worry about that, Lord Reed…” Jon declined. He certainly preferred sleeping in the warm arms of his wives rather than staying there.

So, they began to leave the castle, stopping at the gate where Jon had entered, to the south.

“I have already asked someone to take you to the other side of the riverbank. Besides that, I just wanted to say that I am glad you managed to get the answers you were seeking,” Howland spoke finally, while they were alone, away from the other men.

“I lived my whole life not knowing who my mother was. I must say, this was quite refreshing,” Jon spoke. Without a doubt, that was his response to something he had carried for a long time.

That boy who spent his nights in Winterfell crying from the cold, feeling wronged, only wanted to know about his mother. But, above all, he wanted her to take him away from Winterfell. He felt excluded and humiliated, just because he had not been born within a marriage and with the Stark surname. Certainly, Catelyn Stark had not spared any effort to make his childhood a living hell.

As much as that boy had grown and matured, there was still a feeling in his chest that something was missing. And now Jon could finally say he had come to know his late mother. Not just her identity or appearance, but her personality and her way of living. He could not say it was like meeting her in life, but, in a way, he felt closer to her.

Perhaps, one day, he could meet her in the afterlife if the gods were generous to him. But that would be for another time. Now, he had his life in this mortal world, his kingdom, his mission, and there was a war for the survival of the world to be fought against the darkness and the end of humanity.

“I’m glad you got to know your mother. She was the bravest woman I ever met in my entire life. I’m sure you’ve inherited many of her great qualities. Even though… you still resemble your father a little,” Howland said.

Jon nodded at those words.

“Thank you, Lord Reed. You certainly helped me discover more about my origins, besides the gods giving me this gift. Anyway, I’m leaving,” Jon said, referring to the vision he had not planned to have.

When Jon turned to leave, Howland called him once more. He made an effort to look at him a little longer, leaning on his cane, and gazed directly into the eyes of the King of Artica.

“Your mother… I mean, even your father… They would all be impressed and feel very proud of what you have become today,” he spoke sincerely.

“I’m sure your brothers would have loved to have a brother like you,” he said with humble words.

Jon only nodded before turning away again, but he did not fail to comment one last thing:

“Not all of my siblings are dead, Lord Reed. My sister Rhaenys, daughter of Elia Martell, is alive. She is living with me in Artica,” Jon said, leaving Howland somewhat astonished.

Jon knew that Rhaenys had some serious issues with his mother, Lyanna. And, as long as she did not offend Lyanna in front of Jon, he could understand his wife’s side.

Jon, for his part, had also seen many mistakes committed by his father and would keep all of them in mind to never repeat them with his own children and ensure he taught them well.

In the end, Jon went to the boat, which was already being prepared by the men of House Reed. He boarded, and as the vessel began to drift away from the small dock, he looked back and saw Howland at the gate, accompanied by a few men holding torches and his family, who watched his departure.

“Father,” Jojen approached Howland, helping him walk, supporting him on his cane.

“Let’s wait inside. Jojen, tell me more about Lyanna’s son. How did he act as he saw the visions, and what did he say?” Howland spoke. He wanted to know, after all, he would not ask something like that with Jon present, but he was curious about the behavior of his old friend’s son.

Jojen nodded. Then, they entered the house and waited, while Jon returned to the other side of the swamp bank.

Jon made his way into the forest, refusing any guard who tried to accompany him, saying he was fine. In that place, within a forest, he could control everything. Nothing could stop him in that environment, making it nearly impossible to capture or kill him, as he could set all the animals around him to protect him. Besides, he still had a dragon waiting for him.

Thus, he moved on, using the owls to see the path through the darkness, while letting one of them rest on his shoulder, clutching his armor. He quickly reached Eragon, and the owl took flight, leaving his shoulder.

“Let’s go back, buddy,” he said to the dragon.

Eragon snorted in response.

‘I know you’re hungry from staying here all day… Sorry about that. I took longer than I thought. But don’t worry, I’ll ask them to prepare something really juicy for you when we get back to the kingdom,’ Jon thought, lightly patting the thick skin of the creature.

He climbed into his saddle, and the dragon advanced, gaining altitude over the southern swamps of the North, soaring into the sky.

Jon gave a command for Eragon not to fly directly north, as he wanted to see a place first. He headed northwest until he finally found Torrhen’s Square, and, positioning himself by it, advanced further north until he found Icehill Farm.

That was the farm where Jon had stopped before advancing further north, back when he received the gift from the gods during the storm. He had no more than eight namedays at the time. Now, flying over the place, he used his warg powers to dominate the animals on the farm and observe through their eyes.

He saw the family he had not visited in nearly a decade. The fathers and mothers of the families were older now, some in their middle age, the young had become parents and built their own families, and the children had grown up—many already married, with children on the way.

Jon circled in the air for about two minutes with Eragon, while observing the family laughing and celebrating inside their homes. The lands were prosperous, blessed by what he had done many years ago. He could still see that the fields were full of grain and abundance. There were guards on watch, and the structure of the place was much larger than before. He doubted any group of bandits would dare attack them now.

Satisfied with what he saw, knowing he could not simply show up there, he decided to head north. He ordered Eragon to speed up, using his swift flight ability to cut through the sky.

An hour later, he reached the Wall. Then, he flew for another hour until he arrived in Artica, landing directly in the castle courtyard.

“You finally arrived. You were gone all day,” Rhaenys came to greet him, holding Jahaerys in her arms.

Jon kissed them both, far more excited than he seemed, while Rhaenys looked at him with some suspicion.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s nothing… It just feels like it’s been a year since I last saw you,” Jon laughed, while she was stunned by that response. Soon, his other wives also arrived, and he greeted them the same way he had greeted Rhaenys.

That night promised to be a bit lively for the King of Artica.

“I want Eragon well-fed,” Jon instructed one of the royal guards. “Have them serve him an ox from the farms, or take meat from the castle’s stock.”

He then went inside, while everything was being arranged.

As the hours passed, the city grew quiet. The King of the North was drinking, looking over the city from one of the castle towers, having dismissed his royal guards to be alone. He seemed more thoughtful than usual. That was when he heard approaching footsteps.

“You don’t seem to want to sleep,” the platinum-haired girl, with her slightly swollen belly from pregnancy, approached.

Jon turned to her. “Dany… Just thinking a little,” he said.

“Thinking? You acted strangely tonight. You seemed much more energetic… You managed to satisfy five wives and, at the same time, you didn’t seem tired,” she commented, with a slightly suspicious tone.

“Ygritte was in a bad mood about it because she thinks you’re hiding something… But Seryna said you must have done something important in the South to be acting like that,” she added.

Jon took a chair beside him and pulled it, indicating for Daenerys to sit near him.

“You’re really not going to talk about what happened in the South? You said you needed to speak with Lord Reed, but you haven’t mentioned anything since. What happened?” she asked, as Jon had not said anything about it until then.

He simply smiled at the question.

“I… wanted to know about my mother,” Jon spoke openly.

Daenerys raised an eyebrow, surprised.

“I went there and saw it. The Old Gods gave me this opportunity… I saw the Tournament at Harrenhal. I spent a year watching the entire vision through the gods. I saw how my parents met… I saw the war… And I saw those who wanted to destroy our house,” Jon said.

Daenerys continued looking at him, even more surprised.

“So… you saw everything…” she murmured.

“I saw you… in your mother’s womb,” Jon commented.

He looked at her seriously and continued.

“I’m sorry for what happened to her. She certainly didn’t have a happy life with your father.”

Daenerys pressed her lips tightly together, almost freezing at those words.

“I always heard from my brother that my father was a great king… That everyone loved him, until the usurpers came and unjustly took him off the throne, destroying our family. But… after knowing him, I know things weren’t as they said. You first told me that he burned your uncle and grandfather alive…” she said.

Jon shook his head.

“No, your brother had a distorted view of reality… Aerys was nothing like that. Not at all—he lived up to his name as the Mad King,” Jon took a deep breath, trying to contain his anger.

“I wanted to curse him for everything I saw… He made your mother scream in pain every night they were together. He took pleasure in hurting her. He tried to hunt my mother when she disguised herself as a knight. He insulted and committed grotesque mistakes… He even forced nobles to endure humiliations. He caused the fall of House Targaryen. After all… I doubt the house would have fallen if your father had been a sensible man,” Jon spoke, his tone laden with grief and indignation.

Daenerys listened in silence until she finally decided to speak to her husband.

“Even so… We are here, aren’t we? After everything, our family was not extinguished. It is only growing,” Daenerys said, suddenly in a more emotional tone, taking Jon’s hand and placing it over her belly.

“Soon, we will have our boy… The first of many. And we will never let them go through what we did, right?” she said.

Jon nodded, his gaze calm but serious at the same time.

“Obviously, none of them will have the childhood we had,” he said.

He could not claim that he, Daenerys, and Rhaenys had been happy as princes of a fallen dynasty.

They stayed there, together, while no one disturbed them. The royal guards remained at the staircase door, ensuring the couple’s privacy.

In the following days, Jon told some of his wives about what had happened in the South. They were surprised to learn that he had been having a vision of the past about his mother. Rhaenys, in particular, slightly lowered her head, appearing somewhat uncomfortable, but said nothing. The other wives, driven by curiosity, ended up asking more questions about what he had seen.

Days went by, and as far as what truly mattered, Jon continued to fulfill his duties as king. He was merely making sure that the kingdom could function without relying entirely on his presence again, as much as possible. Finally, the day of his departure arrived.

The armies began to march through the city, advancing toward the port. Jon would lead thirty thousand humans, ten thousand dwarves, and five thousand giants. A powerful army, strong enough to devastate the deserts of Essos with forty-five thousand Artican soldiers. After all, their numbers might be smaller than the Dothraki hordes, but the weapons, the equipment, the technology, and the strategies, combined with an army perfectly trained for years within the walls of Artica, would be more than enough to crush any enemy that stood in their way.

Before the euphoric crowd watching the army depart for the ships, the royal family gathered after speaking with the ministers. Jon was once again wearing his Valyrian steel armor. Seryna also wore matching armor beside him, while resting a warhammer on her shoulder. She was bidding farewell to Loki, telling their son that his other mothers would take care of him in her absence.

Jon said his goodbyes to all his wives and children. He assured them that he would return soon and would be gone for only a few moons. He would fight against the enemies of Essos. As he always said, Artica had no true enemies. Those who dared rise against the kingdom were merely temporary enemies… Before being destroyed.

With that, Jon proceeded to the ship alongside Seryna. After delivering an inspiring speech to his men and to the kingdom, the vessels began to move through the channel, advancing toward Essos with Artica’s first great military expedition beyond the kingdom.

————-Nexts Chapters —————-

Chapter 240 – Arriving in Vaes Dothraki.

Chapter 245 – Time to return home.

Chapter 255 – An Offer to the Free Folk 02.

Chapter 264 – What does Westeros know about Arctic?

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