Chapter 56: Throne of Ice And Fire

With the Golden Company and Euron's Ironborn wiped out, Jon and the armies of Westeros took King's Landing and united the realm for the first time since Robert died.

Their first days were spent clearing out anything belonging to the Baratheons, Lannisters or Greyjoy as well as any loyal to them. By the time things settled the populace were relieved to hear not only was their new king to not be a pale, dead eyed mad man, but near a god if half the soldiers were to believed. Even the other half considered him a true, brave, good man beyond what they'd seen since well before Aerys II.

They found their queens equally a relief. Most has heard of Sansa, and her being Eddard Stark's trueborn daughter gave them hope their king might be as fair and considerate of them as the Hand had been during his brief time upon the throne. While Daenerys hadn't been raised in Westeros, she had managed to quell the Dothraki they heard so many tales of into a peaceful army who obeyed both their Khalessi and Khal. It also didn't hurt that she had three dragons which saw her as their mother and obeyed their new king and queens.

Drogon had lost some of his stubbornness after being freed from the dragonbinder, though Daenerys felt it more an effort on his part to make up for his behavior than any lingering effects of the spell. It didn't take long for Rhaegal and Viserion to warm to him again, and she felt the three had grown closer than they had been, losing some of their wariness of their larger brother now they had faced him in battle and lived.

The most shocking thing was when the crowd gathered to watch men haul the Iron Throne out of the Red Keep, bringing it an open courtyard. The soldiers all backed the crowd away as their king stood beside the throne and all three dragons descended.

"For centuries this throne has been the want of men good and cruel," Jon said looking through the crowd. "This was the throne of the King of the Seven Kingdoms, but as the King of Westeros, stretching from Dorne to the Deep North, I take a new throne." He turned and pointed to the Iron Throne. "Dracarys!"

At that all three dragons blew fire on the throne. The crowd watched in awe as Gendry came and picked away at the throne whenever they stopped their flames, sending barrels of the iron away until it was all gone. They used this distraction as a chance to sneak out and dilute any stores of wildfire left behind by Cersei or Aerys.

The remnants of the Iron Throne were forged into a new steel one set in the Great Hall. Rather than cover the walls in dragon skulls the only hints of them were on the throne itself. While the arms had wolf heads, the high back had two dragons sat on either side with a third at the middle stretching it's wings out toward it's brothers. The legs of the chair were a mix of wolf paws and dragon claws.

His first days spent upon his new throne passed taking oaths of fealty from the lords that helped him forge his new kingdom, united under his banner.

With no Wall to send criminals to, he decided to free any brothers of the Night's Watch who proved themselves loyal and reformed. In it's place he formed the Ranger's Watch which held many of the same oaths, only found their place leading the expedition into the Deep North and policing the Kingsroad. It became a place where men could claim honor and prove themselves reformed by giving their lives to helping the realm. No longer needing to worry about wildlings or wights, their prey became bands of brigands and bandits.

Generations later the Rangers Watch would become corrupted briefly when too many criminals took advantage of it without a desire to reform. Those betraying the crown would be wiped out and Ranger's Wrath given to help remake the order as King Jon intended.

Though Edd remained as Lord Commander of the Ranger's Watch, he also helped Jon and Yohn Royce reform the Vale. After removing those few left loyal to Littlefinger, they found some resistance to naming any but Arryn as Lord of the Eyrie and High Lord of the Vale. Instead they found a work around by legitimizing Harrold Hardyng's bastard as Alys Arryn and having her warded to a loyal family who would raise her well.

When years passed she would be wed to the son of Andar Royce, grandson of Yohn Royce, and their children would take the Arryn name to settle those unwilling to see any but a falcon as their lord.

With Euron having claimed nearly every man from the Iron Islands they found themselves on the brink of disaster until Yara returned to act as High Lady of the Iron Islands. She gave up her role as Queen and their independence for support from the mainland. They would keep to their promise to stop reaping and raiding, so they were given a more active role within the realm's navy.

To the North the Starks reigned once again. Bran gave up his place as Lord of Winterfell and High Lord of the North to Rickon. The youngest Stark was guided into lordship and united the North and Free Folk when he married Johnna. It wasn't long before she gave birth to Jon Stark, heir of Winterfell, followed shortly after by his brother Benjen and their baby sister Karsi Stark.

With support from the king and their leader Tormund, the free folk settled in the Gift and helped expeditions into the Deep North while those willing to travel south were integrated and welcomed. It was during one of Tormund's trips south he found Sansa's sworn sword having given up her armor for loose dresses to hide her stomach and settled in the south to help raise his own children. Just as he predicted they were giants, their youngest serving as kingsguard to Jon's successor, proclaimed by many as Duncan the Tall reborn.

Lyanna Mormont helped grow her house, accepting some of the Free Folk and uniting with them to help expeditions to the Deep North. It wasn't long before she married a free folk hunter with dark curls. Their eldest son, Jeorn Mormont inherited his mother's eyes and a broader build than either parent, finding a friendship with the royal family and the Starks.

Bran stayed in Winterfell for a few years to help Rickon and even Jon when their king called upon him. It was only fifteen years into Jon's reign that Bran disappeared in the Deep North, leaving Meera with their children Oleif Reed and Jojen Stark.

Edmure took his place as Lord of Riverrun and High Lord of the Riverlands when he returned to be with his wife and son. It was only a few years before Brynden Tully passed in his sleep, still unwed, but by then the Tully family had begun to grow again, leaving the future with Edmure's eldest son Hoster.

People blamed the Westerlands for the king's lack of a proper kingsguard during his first few years. While Tyrion took his role as Lord of the Casterly Rock and High Lord of the Westerlands, he was reluctant to have children of his own. Instead, with cajoling from the king, Jaime Lannister was wed to a Westerlands woman and gave them heirs.

Jeyne Westerling gave birth to twin girls Joanna and Tyelle before giving birth to Damon Lannister followed shortly after by their second son Jason Lannister. It was shortly after his birth that Jon allowed Jaime Lannister to once again don his white cloak, becoming Lord Commander to Jorah Mormont, Theon Greyjoy and Sandor Clegane before choosing others. Even with his oath retaken Jaime helped raise his children with his new wife at King's Landing before fostering their sons to Tyrion at Casterly Rock.

It was the Westerlands and Reach that took the bulk of the Dothraki and others Daenerys brought with her. Though some traveled to the other kingdoms, even taking homes far south or north, most of the horse lords preferred the warmer fields of the western kingdoms.

After years of living in fear and barely avoiding death, Garlan Tyrell's wife Leonette returned to Highgarden to be with her husband and new High Lord of the Reach. They struggled as much as any realm those first few years, but in time Jon's words proved true and Highgarden bloomed anew, and with it the Reach. Years later Brienne of Tarth would knight their eldest son Macen Tyrell while Ser Podrick Payne knighted their second son Leonas Tyrell.

Legitimized, proven in war and with support from the crown Gendry reclaimed the Stormlands and House Baratheon. Beyond being the Lord of Storm's End and High Lord of the Stormlands, he also became one of the most famous smiths in history. Men from across the world traveled to offer him countless riches for valyrian steel, but often found themselves disappointed when he explained they needed to ask the king's permission.

Requiring not only dragon fire but dragon blood meant he couldn't forge without help from the royal family. Though some found themselves gifted or rewarded with valyrian steel, he would accept some commissions. Gendry took only a percentage he thought fair while the rest went to the crown who funded his forge and supplies, using the profits to pay off most of the kingdom's debts to the Iron Bank while still leaving both parties richer than either bastard had ever hoped to be.

Arya spent most of her time traveling between the North, the Crownlands and the Stormlands. She remained unwed until the day they told Jon she was pregnant.

"Please," he said grasping her hands to her shock, drawing raised eyebrows from Daenerys and Sansa, who was nursing their own child.

"Why do you care if I'm married?" Arya asked with a scoff.

"Arya, you don't-" He sighed, glancing at Gendry, who wore a solemn frown as they shared an understanding look. Returning his gaze to Arya, Jon wore a somber smile. "I know how you two feel about each other. I swear I will legitimize any child you have without question, but don't let others doubt them for a moment. Please."

Arya frowned at the desperation in Jon's eyes, realizing he feared for her own potential child as if it were one of own. Glancing back at Gendry she saw that though he never wanted to pressure her, he clearly wanted to avoid their child having to face what they did as bastards.

"Fine," she said with a huff, pulling her hand from Jon to cross her arms. "I'll marry the idiot."

To the south Arianne Martell ruled as Lady of Sunspear and High Lady of Dorne, abandoning the position of Princess to help unify the realm under one royal family. Jon made an effort to keep Dorne involved rather than risk the strife that plagued them after Elia's death and even as far back as Aegon's Conquest.

In time Arianne gave birth to children born Sand, but swiftly legitimized by Jon to become heirs of House Nymeros Martell. Though done largely to avoid conflict and lingering doubts about Ellaria Sand and her Sand Snakes, her lack of husband left room for rumors about who fathered her children. Some even thought they belonged to King Jon himself, explaining his haste to legitimize them as Martells, though it was never confirmed. Whenever anyone dared to hint at it, Jon only seemed frustrated while the queens brushed it off as rumors and Arianne laughed but denied it, claiming their fathers all wild men she could lay no claim to.

It wasn't long after the war's end that the realm learned their queen was pregnant with the heir to the new Throne of Ice and Fire. While the kingdom celebrated the parents to be, the king found himself concerned as it brewed new arguments.

"He's resting," Sansa said holding a hand to her extended stomach when Daenerys asked how the baby was.

Walking over to the bath tub, Daenerys beamed, sitting on the stool beside it and pressing her hand against Sansa's stomach. "I can't wait to meet you, little Rhaegar."

"No," Jon said turning his chair from his desk to find Daenerys already looking at him with a challenging smirk while Sansa rolled her eyes.

"He was your father, Jon," Daenerys argued as she sat up, taking her hand from Sansa to turn toward hum. "I know he didn't raise you but he was your father and my brother."

"Who you knew just as little as I did," Jon said, groaning when he felt himself slipping into an old argument. He decided to switch topics. "What is it's a girl? We could name her Visenya."

"I wish," Daenerys said with a sigh. "There's a lot of her I respect, but… even ignoring what she was, there's a part of me that worries the name cursed. Her bloodline died out with her only son and I fear damning a child to a name anything like Viserys and risking them being half as cruel as him."

"They won't be," Sansa assured. "Not with us raising them."

"It doesn't matter," Daenerys said shaking her head. "It's a boy and his name is Rhaegar."

"I'd rather name him Aenys."

"Don't tempt me," warned Daenerys.

"I suppose there's always Aegon," Sansa said unenthused.

"Gods no," Jon said shaking his head. "there's already half a dozen."

"Aemon?" Daenerys offered, remembering Jon speaking fondly of their great uncle at the Wall.

Jon sat back in thought. He knew Sam had considered it once but dropped it. "Maybe."

"You were always Aemon the Dragonknight," Sansa said with a smile.

"He was Aemon?" Daenerys asked with a smirk.

"Always," Sansa said enthusiastically before correcting herself. "Well, usually."

"The one that secretly loved the sister he could never have?" Daenerys said as a teasing grin took her lips.

"Shut it or we're naming him Tormund."

Daenerys glared at him. "Never."

"What about Duncan?" Sansa suggested. "It's the name of a Targaryen, one of the most famous Kingsguard but not very Valyrian."

Daenerys nodded. "I suppose that could work." After looking from Sansa to Jon she suggested, "What about Eddard?"

Sansa glanced at Jon, sharing a frown before she looked down, ashamed. "I thought about it but… I know the North still love him and most still respect him, but I hear that and I just think of Father. I think of the man who I watched be beheaded, who lied to Jon his entire life. I don't think of a child in my arms."

Jon rose to his feet, brushing his hand across Daenerys' cheek as he came to the tub and leaned down to kiss Sansa's brow. He pulled another stool beside it, sitting next to Daenerys and Sansa. "I don't want our child to have someone else's name," Jon said looking between the two solemnly. "I don't want them to be burdened by history. They're already going to be burdened by so much just for being our children, let their names not be another."

Both women exchanged a look before nodding. "So an original name," Daenerys said tilting her head in thought. "It'll be harder to think on."

"I actually have something in mind," Jon said guiltily. "I just… I didn't want to completely dismiss whatever you two wanted, but I think it works. I thought of it originally from a northern tale, but it has ties to the Targaryens in a way."

Sansa sat up with an interested smirk. "A northern tale?"

"Bael the Bard," Jon said with a smirk. "Not unlike Baelor or Baelon, but we'd change the end, make it something like Baelard or Baelric."

"I like Baelric," said Sansa.

Daenerys nodded. "Prince Baelric Targaryen."

When crown prince Baelric Targaryen was being born Daenerys smacked Jon for frightening a poor maid who suggested he leave by yelling, "Never!" She quickly forgave him though, as it was clear Jon was distraught with worry.

"My mother died birthing me," Jon said as he watched Sam and Gilly helping Sansa with the birth when Daenerys pulled him off to the side. "Your mother died birthing you. What if something goes wrong?"

Daenerys found herself smiling for their shared concern, but shook her head looking to Sansa. "She's not like our mothers," Danerys said turning to Jon with a frown. "Our mothers were weak and distraught. Yours lost the love of her life and mine a prisoner fearing for the lives of her children and herself. I doubt they could fight half as hard as Sansa will, I doubt they had even a third her strength."

Jon glanced at Sansa before nodding and smiling to Daenerys, "She has us."

Daenerys smiled, taking Jon's hand and pressing it to her stomach. "We have each other."

Jon's eyes widened as Sansa groaned and looked over to find him kissing Daenerys. "Enough of that," she groaned, "we'll talk about hers after I have mine!"

Baelric was joined not only by Daenerys and Jon's first son, Aemor Targaryen, but Sam's second son and his first trueborn with Gilly, poor Dickon Tarly. While being friends with the crown prince saved him from too much teasing, it didn't help the japes when Baelric became king and named him his hand, opening a flood of jokes about Dickon the Hand of the King. Though little found it surprising that Baelric, who looked much like his father only with blue eyes a shade near purple, would take a Tarly for his hand after being raised with Samwell as his father's Hand most of his life.

Shortly after Baelric was born Ghost had disappeared, and months later they got a raven from Rickon telling them Ghost had showed up with pups following him, leaving two with them and arriving in King's Landing with two more which found themselves sleeping with the king to be and the silver prince. He would do that every so often, disappearing and returning with pups that took to Jon's children while the rest likely stayed with their mother, wherever she was, or were left in the North with Rickon and his growing pack. It was only when they were a few years old they found an egg in the open dragon pit, now little more than a space for the dragons to rest and be fed or cared for. Baelric would be given the crimson egg while Aemor received the silver one.

The golden egg would go to Jon's first daughter, which started another debate on names. They tried newer ones and even combining others like they had to name the silver haired and gray eyed Aemor, but found little they agreed on. It wasn't until Sansa held the dark haired girl and stared into her sapphire eyes that she named her, "Daena."

Daenerys went wide eyed, unable to hold back tears as she wrapped Sansa and her newest child in a hug. It was little surprised that when Daenerys next found out she was pregnant she decided it would be a girl named Sanya. She stuck to that even when she held the dark haired princess in her arms, her eyes such pale violet they looked like gems.

Though it was Daenerys who was pregnant next she would lose it before they could announce it to the realm, but together they rebounded and welcomed Sansa's second daughter into the world. She was the only child Sansa birthed with Targaryen silver hair. It was then Sansa found her path for the children to follow, naming the girl, "Lyella."

"Lyella?" Jon asked looking up from his daughter's azure eyes.

"For your mothers," she said looking from Jon to Daenerys.

Soon after her came Robbard, with wild black curls and azure eyes. He came weeks before the Jaegon, who many said was Rhaegar reborn. Though Robb was adventurous and Jae quieter, the two were close as twins even with their opposing hair colors.

When Jon and Sansa's third daughter came Sansa had been reluctant to suggest her name until Jon forced it out of her. "Arelyn?" Jon asked, giving a nod as he pieced it together. "For Arya and Catelyn."

"I know she was never kind to you," Sansa said with a frown, "and I know Edmure has a daughter named for her, but I want to have some memory of her."

"I count the days until I can hold little Lynny in my arms," Jon said with an assuring smile. In time he found it humorous as he took to calling his third daughter Arel or Lynny, yet she looked much like he remembered Sansa as a child.

His silver haired and gray eyed daughter with Daenerys would garner the most questions about her name. "Melys?" Tyrion asked when he looked the girl over, bouncing her on his knee.

"For Meleys, the Red Queen dragon ridden by Rhaenys, the Queen Who Never Was," Daenerys explained, before her smile grew somber. "And for Melisandre, whose death let me give life."

Their final child was Sansa's third son, Brakon, named for her brothers shortly before Bran's disappearance. The dark auburn haired boy had a chance to meet his uncle, seeming to share a bit of his quiet thoughtfulness as he grew.

By the time he was twelve Baelric was madly in love with Margana Tyrell, and would go on to wed her. While Daenerys was pleased that her own bloodline would continue, further separating herself from the legacy of Visenya, they knew she still found it somewhat disappointing her bloodline wouldn't continue through the Tagraryens on the throne. At least until Little Jon Tarly began courting Sanya Targaryen.

Though kindhearted, Little Jon used his father's inherited intelligence to work with his wildling instincts, becoming the Tarly menace as a child. He was ever rushing off to adventures with the princes, but it was Sanya who reined him in, calming him and making him rise to become a knight. And it was their daughter Myrabel Tarly that wed Soran Targaryen, who would sit on the throne after Baelric, their children uniting Daenerys and Sansa's bloodlines.

The kingdom was rebuilt and while Baelric inherited the throne and Nighttaker, the Silver Prince Aemor would take Dragonstone and Dragon's Song while Daena would take Lady's Tear and the Dreadfort, renamed the Snowfort. They also had other keeps rebuilt for the royal family, including Queenscrown, Summerhall, Moat Cailin and even a rebuilt Tower of Joy.

Jon had conquered the Long Night and united Westeros as even Aegon the Conqueror could not. He did so not for himself, but for his family, crafting a dynasty that would reign for ages to come, stretching out across the world. Yet no matter how far they traveled or how vast their kingdom grew, they remained a pack of dragons and wolves born of a northern conqueror.

Notes:

And there it ends. I considered having a longer post battle period but decided against it. The timeline is a little wonky with references to stuff before they happen but should make sense. I imagine Arya is pregnant around when Sansa is nursing Daena. It was a lot of fun thinking up the next generation as much as what happened to everyone, and I tried to give a little bit for everyone I could.

I gave 'em a new throne to go with the whole new dynasty theme, plus screw the Iron Throne. It's also why I gave them new titles like High Lord of X instead of Wardens or Lord Paramount, basically they're changing things so they have something new to build on.

Jaime and Jeyne Westerling is just kind of a weird thing I tossed in cause why not? It's not like she was used in the show. I think I actually kind of like it in a weird way. You can decide whether any of Arianne's children are Jon's or not, I just liked the idea of her having bastards he legitimized for her since she wouldn't want any link to her cousins.

Thank you all for reading. It was definitely fun writing this. If anyone is interested, please check out my other stories here and on AO3.