A better world than the world we know

Chapter 3 - Dealing with traitors

Update 05/27/19 = saw there was a typo. where there was a Naruto in place of Jon, so I went back and fixed it.

Last time

"Don't you know how to knock?" Jon asked in annoyance at their private time being interrupted.

"Apologies, My Lord, My Queen. I was searching for the both of you. I discovered a matter of great urgency that requires your immediate attention." Varys said, eyeing their position. "However, if you wish to be left alone…"

"No," Dany said as she pulled the covers off and got up. Jon did the same, crossing his arms. "What is it?"

"Your Grace, My Lord, I have discovered something terrible." Varys said before he collected himself and told them. "Sansa Stark has betrayed us."

Silence reigned supreme for several moments before Jon clenched his hand into a fist, his turning permanently red as he growled like the direwolf on his sigil. "What?"

Chapter Start

"My Queen-" Varys tried to say as Dany held up her hands.

"I heard what you said, Lord Varys." Daenerys snapped as her purple eyes burned with fiery rage. "Explain. Now."

"I have intercepted a message from Lady Sansa for Lord Robbett Glover. Sansa Stark doesn't know that the servant she entrusted to carry the secret messages between them is one of my spies. He and Sansa Stark are plotting to betray Queen Daenerys by finding out what our plans are and telling Cersei through one of my old spies that is now under Qyburns employ. She hopes that Cersei and Queen Daenerys will end up annihilating one another. They also plan to supplant Jon as King in the North, by having him poisoned, finding some crime he is guilty of and force him back into the Night's Watch, or just have him assassinated." Varys said to them. It made sense. Sansa likely knew that Cersei would automatically disregard anything Sansa said if it came from her, but if it came through Qyburn's spy network, Cersei would not even question it and would think it was gospel truth.

"Why?" Jon demanded with a growl as his red eyes gazed into the fire.

"It's likely due to her past experiences, first with Joffrey Baratheon, then with Tywin Lannister, then Littlefinger, then Ramsay Snow. She has been used as a tool, beaten, abused and raped. She likely wants to prevent that from ever happening again. She believes herself the one best suited to rule the North. Of course, that can't happen as long as a male Stark remains alive." Varys said.

"And don't I know it," Jon said, confusing Varys and Daenerys. "Sansa didn't tell me about the Knight's of Vale when I was planning the battle between me and Ramsay. She didn't tell me we had 40,000 extra men coming to help us, and I ended up planning a bad strategy. She arrived at the last possible second, just as I was moments away from dying. She told me to give up on Rickon, my…little brother. He was only 11, he was family, and she told me to give up on him."

"That's terrible," Daenerys said with compassion for her lover, her anger at this betrayal abating for a moment.

"And even after we won back the North for our family, she constantly undermined me, questioning me in public, and even insulting me privately to my face by saying I needed to be smarter than Robb. And then, there was the whole "Don't go south" argument. If I had listened to any one of my idiot vassals or my idiot sister and not gone to you for an alliance, we would all be dead." Jon clenched his hands together as he sat on the bed. "And Sansa always wanted to be Queen. She's always wanted that since her mother filled her head with fantasies, but back then, she just wanted to marry the king and have his babies. This trauma that she experienced has likely changed her views on it, so now, instead of being a glorified broodmare, she wants all the power, to make all the decisions and be in charge."

"It's worse than you think, my Lord." Varys said as he sat down in a chair by the fireplace, and Dany say next to Jon. "My spy told me about this earlier. While you were in alliance negotiations with Queen Daenerys, the Lords of the North were…shall we say, discontent. They were not happy when you went south. With the tragedies that happened to Brandon Stark, Rickard Stark, Ned Stark, Bran Stark, Lady Catelyn and King Robb, it set a bad precedent. And right about the time you decided to head back North to get a wight to show our Queen the real threat, Lord Glover said to Lady Sansa in full view of the Lords of the North and Vale, that "We did not choose you to rule us, my Lady, but perhaps we should have." Similar statements were made in the Great Hall that day, and Sansa Stark did nothing to refute them."

Jon grit his teeth and clenched his fist so hard that he started to bleed a little.

Daenerys was appalled. Saying that in front of everyone isn't just wrong. "That's treason. And to do it openly in full view of the other Lords? Are they stupid?"

"It's likely that they don't know about my little birds, and believed they were safe." Varys said, as he understood the sentiment. Rule 1 of plotting treason: Don't openly plot treason. If they had kept that plotting in dark rooms with whispered voices, there was less of a chance of them being discovered by his little birds.

"That ungrateful cowardly hypocrite. I forgave him for abandoning House Stark and his insults, and this is how he repays me? Did you know that he said to me when we went to him for aid? That House Stark is dead. He'd rather bury his head in snow and live in fear of Ramsay Snow than side with the family that ruled this land for millennia." Jon's red eyes burned with rage and hatred. Daenerys comforted him by holding his hands.

"He needs to die. They are openly plotting to kill the both of us." Daenerys said. She too, was enraged at this. She had come here, put her war for the throne on hold, sacrificed the majority of her army and lost her oldest protector and friend to give humanity a chance. When push came to shove, she chose to protect the innocent and defend the weak. Her aid saved all their lives and allowed her beloved to kill the Night King, and they did not have the decency to be grateful.

"We can't kill Sansa. She is still technically family. And there are fates worse than death. And as for Glover, I'm his overlord, I have to be the one to punish him." Jon said to Daenerys as he explained why, "The Starks didn't rule the North for 8000 years because we played nice with our enemies. The Kings of Winter were loved and respected but they were also feared. Most of their vassals loved them, but feared reprisal if they rebelled. The Starks were utterly ruthless and without mercy, wiping out anyone who dared threaten their reign. Even House Greystark, when they aided the Boltons and they were kin. When the Red Kings of the Dreadfort were crushed, the Starks kept them around to help them deal with the Andals. The Starks kept everyone in line because even the Boltons respected them and they also feared being destroyed if they rebelled again. The Starks wiped out their kin house, so there was nothing that they wouldn't do. Ned Stark was the first to break this tradition. He had been raised with honor, possessing little of his ancestor's ruthlessness and he passed this on to Robb. Robb was worse than his father. He broke oaths, he operated by a stricter code of honor, and he trusted the wrong people. Nobody fears the Starks anymore. I need to remind my rebellious lords that House Stark is to be respected but also feared."

"There is something else. Now, I learned this from Tyrion before coming here, who learned it from Sansa, who learned it from Brandon Stark and Samwell Tarly. I know Lord Jon's true parentage." Varys said, to the not-really-shocked faces of Jon and Dany, "Which it seems you two already know."

"I learned it from Sam when we arrived. I told Queen Daenerys before the Battle of Winterfell." Jon said as he and Dany shared a quick smile. "Where do you stand in all of this?"

"Your grace, my lord, I know that I have served many kings, but I am firmly in your camp. Even though I see your discontent with the North not appreciating you, you are still the right Queen. You came North to save the world instead of going after the Throne. You care about the common people. You are my queen," Varys said. He was not blindly loyal, but he knew she was the best choice still.

"How did Sansa Stark learn from Samwell?" Jon asked.

"Samwell Tarly was a little drunk and let it slip while he was talking to Brandon Stark while Sansa was in earshot. She confronted Bran and he confirmed it. She plots now to have Daenerys killed so Jon can take the Iron Throne and she can convince Jon to let the North have it's independence back so she can be Queen." Varys said.

"We need to nip this little problem in the bud. Too many people are finding out, and soon, they're gonna want to see our Queen dead and me on the Iron Throne. There is that whole precedent that goes back to the Dance of Dragons." Jon said as he held Daenerys's hand.

"Yes, that is a problem. Question is, what do we do?" Varys said, as he realized what Jon spoke of. Jon and Daenerys thought.

"We lie." Jon said as Varys and Dany looked at him. "We come up with our own version of the truth and silence everybody that can say otherwise. I'll be right back."

Jon came back to the room 20 minutes later, bring a massive book It contained the all noble lineages of Westeros and all the members of every household, including theirs names and physical traits, like eye and hair color. Jon put the book down on the table and flipped through the pages, Daenerys and Varys joining him on either side.

"Here it is," Jon said as he got the Targaryen page. "Princess Daenerys Targaryen, daughter of Aegon the 4th, married Prince Maron Martell of Dorne." Joined flipped to House Martell's page, and found it. "Dyanna Martell, great-granddaughter of Prince Maron and Daenerys, married Lord Ulrick Dayne." Jon flipped to House Dayne and found Ulrick's name. "Ashara Dayne, daughter of Ulrick Dayne and Dyanna Martell. It's perfect."

"What is?" Daenerys asked.

"It was known during the Tourney of Harrenhal that Ned Stark and Ashara Dayne fancied one another. They were even caught abed to together. She's dead now, but everyone was always certain she was my mother." Jon said, "maybe it's time to show that she is."

"Are you sure, Jon? You'd be giving up your real mother and father if you did this." Daenerys asked.

"I wished I could have known my mother and birth father. But Ned Stark raised me. He's the father I've always known. Even though I will never forgive him for taking this from me, he was still best man I ever met. Besides, Aegon was my brother with Elia. There doesn't need to be a second one," Jon said, "With this, we can also explain that I can ride dragons because of my distant Targaryen Blood and my close relationship with Daenerys."

"And your red eyes, Lord Jon?" Varys asked, to Jon's confusion, so Varys got him a mirror and showed him. Once Jon got over his shock.

"Magic. Forging Lightbringer is having an affect on my eyes." Jon said, and Varys shrugged his shoulders in approval. Magic was little understood in Westeros. Nobody would be able to question it because there were no experts on it and the reds eyes only just started appearing.

"Tomorrow, we finish this." Jon said as the three agreed on his plan, while Daenerys formed her own plans for Jon.

Next morning

Jon got up early, kissing Dany as he did.

Jon knocked on Arya's door, and she opened it. "Can we speak?" Jon asked politely.

"You going to ignore me again and be an ass?" Arya bit back.

"I deserve that. But no, I won't." Jon said and after a moment, Arya lets him in.

Jon sits down in a chair and thinks about what he wants to say. Arya gets her word in first. "Your eyes are different."

"Dany thinks it's an effect of forging Lightbringer." Jon admits, to Arya's confusion.

"Dany?" She asks.

"Daenerys." Jon clarifies and Arya's eyes widen.

"You love her," She observes and Jon shrugs.

"Well, I would hope so. What with all the late-night visits we make to each other's chambers, the fact we sleep in the same bed. Oh, and then there was the 2 week boat tri-" Jon was interrupted.

"Okay, Okay, I get it." Arya said, not wanting to hear about his sex life before she smiled.

"To answer your question, I do love her. What we have…you might say we were meant to be. I've never been so happy in my life." Jon admits and Arya smiles, happy that her brother at least found somebody, despite being a dick to her the other day.

"Well, I'm happy for you." She said and he smiles.

"And you? I know you slept with Gendry before the Battle of Winterfell. Should I be worried about a blue eyed, black haired Arya the second running around here in 7 years?" Jon asked with a smile.

"No, I took Moon Tea before I slept with him," Arya admitted before she sat on the bed, "I care about Gendry a lot but I'm not sure what I want right now, besides killing Cersei and the Mountain. Being a Faceless Man, being No One…they hollow you out. Make you into an emotionless killer that can become anyone by taking your identity. I was just barely able to hold on to my identity. Adjusting back to being here has been…difficult."

"You know, he was pretty heart broken that night when he asked you to marry him." Jon teased and Arya looked a little ashamed.

"Like I said, I'm trying to figure out who Arya Stark is again. I didn't want to let him down like that but I also never wanted to be a Lady in a castle." Arya said.

"You may not have a choice soon, Arya," Jon said and Arya looked at him critically.

"What are you talking about?" Arya said.

"We need to talk about Sansa. And what she has been doing or hasn't been doing while I was busy saving our lives." Jon said as Arya suddenly knew what it was about.

"Jon, she's on our side. She and I took out Baelish." Arya argued.

"And did she also mention she was the reason Ned was executed?" Jon said, stopping Arya as she had been moving to the door to shove Jon out.

"What?" Arya said.

"Who do you think told Cersei that Ned was having Sansa and you leave? She wanted to marry Joffrey. She couldn't do that if she was back in Winterfell." Jon said.

"She's not like that anymore." Arya defended.

"She told me to give up on Rickon." Jon said, shocking Arya again. "She also didn't tell me that 40,000 Vale Knights were riding to Winterfell. She arrived at the very last minute and kept crucial information from me."

"And then there is this." Jon said as he handed her the letter from Sansa to Glover. Arya read it and was horrified, dropping the letter and sitting on the bed.

"It's not-It can't-She wouldn't." Arya struggled to say. She had been betrayed by her sister, who she thought had changed. Sansa was plotting to kill off Jon, just as she had with Rickon, as she knew as long as a male Stark remained alive, she could never truly rule the North.

"I'm afraid it's true, Arya," Jon said as he picked up the letter. "I've seen Cersei recently. She and Sansa dress the same, what with their armored dresses. And Sansa admitted privately that she admires Cersei."

Arya felt like her whole world that she had tried to rebuild since coming back was falling apart, and she hugged Jon, unable to contain herself as she cried.

Jon comforted Arya, whispering, "We are the last of Ned Stark's legacy. The last of the oldest noble house in Westeros. Sansa is a traitor and attempted kinslayer. Bran has no humanity left. He has been hollowed out by his powers. We are the last of the Direwolves. The Last of the Starks. We have to stand strong and destroy our enemies. Even if one of them is Sansa."

"How?" Arya asked as she sniffled, still not comfortable with destroying Sansa, but Jon was right. Sansa was a traitor and Bran did not act like their brother.

"Let's start by going over what the Lords of the North were doing while I was away on Dragonstone." Jon asked.

Late afternoon in the Broken Tower

He told his men to find Lord Howland Reed and tell him that he wanted to speak with him in the Broken Tower, the place where Bran fell and broke his spine. Finally, an hour later, Lord Howland was escorted to the top floor of the Broken Tower.

"Guard the entrance downstairs." He told his men and the men left to do so.

"Lord Howland." Jon greeted.

"Lord Jon," Howland said, a little unnerved by Jon's red eyes.

"I asked you here because we have some things to discuss. Namely my heritage." Jon said, making Howland's eyes widen.

"You know, then?" Howland asked, and Jon nodded.

"I know what everyone says. I know that it's all lies, created to undermine my Queen." Jon said as he glared at Howland.

"My lord," Howland tried to say but Jon steam-rolled over him, gripping Lord Howlands collar and pulling him close.

"My father was Ned Stark. My mother was Ashara Dayne. My ability to ride dragons is due to my grandmother on Ashara's side being the descendant of Daenerys Targaryen and Maron Martell. DO. I. MAKE. MYSELF. CLEAR?" Jon growled.

"Yes, my Lord," Howland said, afraid of Jon. Jon clearly did not want his identity as Rhaeghar's son to be made known, and was doing everything to destroy the truth and reframe it how he wanted. People already thought he was Ashara's son, so it would be all the more believable now that Jon had a back up story to kinda prove it.

"Good, because if you ever tell anybody, House Reed will be another house that House Stark has wiped out. But I'll do more than that. I will burn the Neck to ash before I wipe out your house if you do." Jon said. "Now, I know you have a document that proves my heritage. I want it."

Lord Howland Reed quickly pulled it out and gave the document to Jon, which he pocketed away. He did not want to risk his people to Jon's new anger. Jon had a dragon now. He could easily burn the Neck, and they would not be able to stop him if he decided to.

Jon left the Broken Tower after that, to collect the last document proving Rhaeghars marriage.

Later that night

Jon invited Samwell to the stable were Rhaeghal was being kept. He told him to bring all the documents that said he was Rhaeghar's son.

"I've got them all right, Jon." Sam said.

"I would see them." Jon said as Sam did so. Jon looked through all of them, getting the closure he needed about his identity by reading them.

"You know Sam," Jon said as he picked up all the documents, as well as the one Howland gave him, and stood by the fire. "Some time ago, you said that I gave up my crown to save my people. And you asked if Daenerys would do the same."

"Well, I suppose we will never have to find out," Jon said as he unceremoniously tossed them all in a nearby brazier and let them burn .

"Jon, what are you doing!? Those were the only documents that proved your legitimacy!" Sam said with wide eyes as Jon glared at him.

"I don't care! Ned Stark was my father and Daenerys is my queen! I will not allow any threats to her reign! You only told me to undermine the woman I love!" Jon snarled as he gripped Sam's collar. "And you're angry at her because...because what exactly!? Your father and brother were traitors and oathbreakers and you came to me trying to start a war, right as we were about to fight the Great War for humanities survival! Because you're upset and trying to get revenge for your traitor family." Jon walked up to Sam so he was only inches from his face. "You told Sansa while you were drunk, and you have started a conspiracy against her. You tell anybody else, and you, Gilly, and your new baby will burn."

"You'd really kill us?" Sam cowardly said.

"For her? I'd die all over again. It's only because of our former friendship that I am not killing you now. But if you let it slip again, I will." Jon said as he pushed Sam into the dirt and marched off.

'Now, to deal with Bran.' Jon thought.

Bran's Room

Jon slipped past the guards he had posted outside Bran's room and found him sitting by the fire.

"You've changed," Bran said with that emotionless voice of his.

"I don't want to sit on the Iron throne. I never did and I never will. I will never accept any attempt to supplant Daenerys with me." Jon glared at Bran-No, Bran was a boy who had been crippled that loved to climb and dreamed of being a knight. This thing wearing Bran's face was the Three Eyed Raven.

"It's your duty. Your Honor demands it. A son comes before a daughter." The Three-Eyed Raven said.

"What is honor, compared to a woman's love? What is duty, compared to the feeling of holding a newborn son in your arms?" Jon said, using the words that Aemon once said to him. Jon sometimes wondered if Aemon knew who he was.

"You love her." The Three-Eyed Raven said.

"More than I have ever loved anybody." Jon said as he leaned on The Three-Eyed Raven wheelchair. "Now, I don't fancy myself a kinslayer. But if you ever tell anyone else, nothing will save you from my wrath."

Jon removed himself from Bran's chair. "You will be confined to this room for the rest of your life. And you will never touch another Godswood again."

"You were supposed to kill her." Bran said.

Jon froze and looked at Bran, with shock and rage, "What?"

"Telling you the truth was supposed to set off a series of events that would have led to her losing Rhaeghal, led Varys to betray her, Daenerys to go mad, and you to kill her." The Three Eyed Raven said. "It was all supposed to end with the Targaryens all dead and you spending the rest of your life in the Night's Watch."

"I would never betray her. And why would you want the last Valyrians dead?" Jon growled as he started to draw Lightbringer. If it hadn't been clear already, that Bran was truly dead and only this Three Eyed Raven remained.

"The Valyrians are too dangerous. They changed the world twice already. They must not return as a major power. Forging Lightbringer has changed you. I must return you to your proper path the I have laid out." The Three Eyed Raven said as his eyes became white and he attempted to suppress Jon's new personality and return him to his old and pliable one. The Three Eyed Raven that was once Bran decided that he would be a better ruler since he could see into the future, and see the past. He had laid everything out so that telling Jon his heritage would have been all that was needed and somehow, his visions were not lining up like they should have. He needed to fix that.

Jon felt immense pain explode in his head as he gripped his head. It was the final straw for him. Bran was dead, and this thing in front of him was trying to destroy the better world that Dany and him would create. It was final. The Three Eyed Raven had to die.

"I will n-never be a memory!" Jon gripped Lightbringer's handle, pulling the burning sword from it's grasp, it's fire and blood magic protecting him from the Three Eyed Raven's manipulation. Jon pulled the sword back and swung, cutting off the Three Eyed Raven's head, killing the last Greenseer for good.

Jon breathed haggardly and felt immense guilt. He knew it was the only way, the Three Eyed Raven was trying to undo everything that had been done to Jon. Jon liked who he was now and he would never willingly betray Dany. But this was the boy that had once been like a brother to him. He truly wished it had not come to this.

"My Lord," Varys said behind him, having also snuck past the guards. "What has happened?"

"Bran, he…he tried to use his magic on me to make me his puppet and turn me against the Queen. I had to kill him." Jon said as he steeled the raging emotions inside of himself. "We need to improvise."

"I may have a possible solution. If you would follow me," Varys said and they snuck out the door, but not before Bran's body was tossed into the fire. They approached four Unsullied near the outskirts of Winterfell.

"This man was caught trying to sneak in to Winterfell." The Unsullied said as the had Bronn bound in chains. "He was carrying this."

Jon took the ornate crossbow that the Unsullied handed to him. "Hold on to that." Jon said as he handed it to Varys.

Jon drew Longclaw and approached Bronn. "Any last words?"

"Guess I'm never gonna get that castle the golden cunts promised me." Bronn resigned.

Jon swung Longclaw and decapitated Bronn in one clean stroke. Jon sheathed Lightbringer and said to the Unsullied, "Take the body to Rhaegal. I imagine he is hungry."

Jon and Varys walked back to the castle while the Unsullied carried out their orders.

Next day

Jon sat in the main hall with Daenerys on his right and Greyworm on his left. The Lords of the North and the Vale were gathered around the Main Hall.

"My Lords," Jon said as he stood, "I have some terrible news to tell you. Last night, an assassin in Cersei Lannister's employ snuck into Winterfell while we were resting from our victory in the Great War. He snuck into Brandon Stark's room and cut off his head, before tossing his body into the fire, burning it beyond recognition."

The Lords all shouted in indignation but Jon quieted them, "The assassin has already been beheaded and his corpse has been fed to one of Queen Daenerys's dragons."

"How do we know he was in Cersei's employ!?" One lord shouted.

"Because he was carrying this." Jon brought the ornate lion crossbow. "This crossbow, Lord Tyrion and Lord Varys tell me, belonged to Joffrey Baratheon and only Cersei would have it. It's also the same bow Tyrion used to kill Tywin Lannister, so he knows what he is talking about."

"But my lords, that is not the only thing. For we have a few traitors in our midst." The Lords murmured amongst themselves and Jon nodded to his men, who brought Sansa Stark to him in chains.

The Lords all shouted at this 'injustice' but Jon roared, "BE SILENT!" His red eyes, combined with his outburst and Rhaeghals roar in response to his riders anger, shut them up.

"Make no mistake, Sansa Stark is a traitor." Jon said as he recounted certain events. "During the War council where we were planning the battle of the bastards, Sansa said this to me. 'We'll never get him back. Rickon is Ned Stark's Trueborn son, which makes him a greater threat to Ramsay than you, a bastard, or me, a girl. As long as he lives, Ramsay's claim to Winterfell will be contested, which means he won't live long.' Aye, I admit that there may not have been a chance for Rickon but he was our brother. Family shouldn't give up on each other, but she did. She didn't even cry when I showed her his body."

"Lady Sansa said that?"

"How could she?" A vale lord said, appalled.

"It was her brother." A north Lord said in astonishment.

"Jon, I was only telling you the truth, Ramsay was going to kill him no matter what." Sansa pleaded.

"Did you also tell the truth when you DIDN'T tell me that the Knights of the Vale were on their way? Oh wait, I forgot. YOU DIDN'T! You were complaining about how we don't have the men, I told you it was all we were going to get from the North, and you conveniently neglected to tell me that 40,000 mounted Knights of the Vale were on their way!"

"What!?" A norther Lord shouted.

"Lady Sansa didn't tell Lord Snow!?" A Vale Lord shouted.

"No, she didn't." Jon said.

"You rushed at Ramsay when he killed Rickon. You have no right to blame me for your mistake." Sansa said.

"My mistake in the battle was due to your negligence! You kept crucial information from me that could have saved the lives of my men! It's treason to keep that from me." Jon snarled. "I see through your games now. During the Battle of the Bastards, you waited until we took the castle to arrive. You were hoping that both Ramsay and I were already dead. You convinced me to fight this battle for Rickon, but then you tried to make me give up on Rickon, because he would have been Lord of Winterfell and not you."

"That isn't true!" Sansa said.

"You've always been power hungry, Sansa. You wanted to be queen of Westeros as a child. When Robert Baratheon came to Winterfell and took Ned Stark south, you were so desperate to be queen, that you betrayed our family, twice." Jon said as he nodded to Varys.

"I can recount this story for you, my Lords." Varys said, "On the way back to Kings Landing, King Robert's retinue stopped at the Crossroads Inn beside the Kingsroad. Prince Joffrey walked with Sansa along the riverbank of the Ruby Ford after she met Ser Ilyn Payne, the king's headsman. They found Lady Arya practicing her swordsmanship with a butcher's son she had befriended, and Joffrey started to hurt him for acting above his station and striking a girl of noble blood. Lady Arya apparently struck Joffrey, and when the prince threatened her with his sword, Arya's direwolf, Nymeria, intervened and bit Joffrey's arm. Later, Lady Sansa was taken before King Robert and his retainers and asked to corroborate Prince Joffrey's claim that he was the victim of an unprovoked attack. Lady Arya tells her to tell the truth, but Lady Sansa was worried about upsetting her betrothal with Joffrey, so she says that it happened too fast for her to know, despite seeing all of it."

"Is this true, Lady Arya?" Daenerys asks her.

"It's…true." Arya said slowly. She still held some bitterness over what happened and what it had cost her all those years ago and it showed. "I was practicing my swordplay with Mycah, the son of the butcher in the King's retinue whom I befriended. When Joffrey hurt Mycah I attacked Joffrey. He nearly gutted me with his sword and the only thing Sansa was worried about was how we were spoiling her day. Later on, when brought before the King, she lied about it, claiming she didn't see what happened."

"That is not her only offence, My Lord Snow," Varys said as he held up a letter, "This is a letter that Lady Sansa wrote to Robb Stark right after Ned Stark was arrested. I shall read it to you all. She says, 'Robb, I write to you with a heavy heart. Our good king Robert is dead, killed from wounds he took in a boar hunt. Father has been charged with treason. He conspired with Robert's brothers against my beloved Joffrey and tried to steal his throne. The Lannisters are treating me very well and provide me with every comfort. I beg you: come to King's Landing, swear fealty to King Joffrey and prevent any strife between the great houses of Lannister and Stark. Signed, Sansa Stark.'"

"Mind you my lords, this is before Robb raises his army. But it is worse, than that." Varys said. "After Eddard discovered that Joffrey was in fact a bastard born of incest and not Robert's son, he told his daughters that he was sending them back to Winterfell on the Wind Witch. Sansa defied her father and told Cersei of her father's plans, pleading that she might be allowed to stay and marry Joffrey. Her doing so aided Cersei's plot against her father and got his entire retinue killed. Her view on Joffrey finally changed after Lord Stark was killed, but by then it was too late."

"Lady Sansa betrayed Ned?" Yohn asked in shock.

"She got good Northman killed?" A lord of the North asked in shock. The lords were on the breaking point of turning against Sansa.

"But that, my lords, that is hardly her greatest offense." Jon said as nodded to Lord Varys.

"This was a message one of my spies recently intercepted from Lady Sansa to Lord Robett Glover. It reads, 'Lord Glover, I was unable to learn of the Dragon Queen's war plans. Jon sent me away from the room before I could learn. We will have to be patient to learn what their plans are this next fortnight so I can feed that information to Cersei and the two Queens can take each other out. On the matter of Jon, we need to find some crime he can be accused of so he can be deposed and sent to the Wall. If there is none, then poison or assassination is still an option. Stay true, Lord Glover, the Norths independence will come again. Signed, Sansa Stark'."

Daenerys, Missandei, Tyrion, Arya, The Lords of the North and even the Lords of the Vale were still in stunned silence. Everyone always thought Sansa was loyal to family and to the North, a true Stark. But the attempted and planned kinslaying, the betrayal of Ned Stark which resulted in the death of many good Northmen and led to Ned's fate, and betraying Jon by not telling him about the Knights of the Vale and sending him and Rickon to their deaths, all of this was damning.

And then there was Robbett Glover. Jon had forgiven him for not standing with House Stark during the Battle of the Bastards, and he was one of the first to declare him king, but now it was revealed that he was a traitor.

"Seize him!" Daenerys ordered her Unsullied and Glover was clapped in chains before he could resist.

"Traitors!" Some Lords shouted.

"Oathbreakers!" Some more lords shouted.

"Kinslayer!" Some Vale Lords shouted at Sansa.

"How could you!?" Arya shouted at Sansa as Jon was forced to hold her back from drawing her weapons on Sansa. "He's our brother! And you tried to have him killed! Why!?"

"Because he isn't worthy of ruling the North. He gave up his crown to a southern ruler. I would be a better ruler than he would. But I couldn't do that as long a son of my father was alive. I knew Ramsay was going to kill Theon, but I hoped Jon would rush to his death. I deserve to rule Winterfell after all the suffering I endured in the South." Sansa said with a sneer that reminded Arya and Jon of Cersei Lannister.

"And you, Lord Robett Glover? What's your excuse for betraying me and discussing treason in the halls of my home, and then abandoning us in the Great War?" Jon demanded as he comforted Arya.

"I swore my oaths to you as King in the North. You are no longer a king. You gave up your crown for a foreign whore and a Targaryen at that! You've lost my loyalty for the last time." Glover said and the Unsullied drew their weapons for the insult to their Queen, but Daenerys spoke a quick command to stop them.

"You ungrateful, cowardly, hypocrite. You abandon us after swearing oaths yet come scurrying back the second we win. I forgave you once for abandoning House Stark and your insults. I will not do so again." Jon said as his red eyes glared at them both.

"Do you all know why I gave up my crown? It wasn't because she forced me too, SHE SAVED MY LIFE!" Jon roared, the feel of the words as they finally came out like a weight lifted off his chest. "We went beyond The Wall to capture a wight, not just to take it to King's Landing to show Cersei, but to show Daenerys the threat. We got trapped, we were surrounded by the dead. Four in our ranging party had already been killed and the rest of us would have been too if not for her. We were surrounded by the dead, the Night King and the White Walkers, we were all going to die there. Until Queen Daenerys showed up."

Jon took a deep breath before continuing. "She came for us when no one else would have or could have. She came for us knowing full well she could die there too. She lost a fucking dragon saving us! She risked her life to save mine beyond The Wall knowing it could mean her own death. She put off her war against Cersei indefinitely until the dead were defeated, knowing it could have meant her own death."

"Queen Daenerys is the only reason we even had a chance at victory. You all sneer at me for meeting with her, but it's because I chose to ignore your stupid advice that we got an extra 70,000 men, 2 dragons, and all the dragonglass we could ever want. Her most trusted advisor and protector was a Northman. I may have dealt the final blow to the Night King, but I would never have gotten close if she hadn't been here! She is Savior of the North, the real hero of the Long Night. She is the only reason that we, our families, and our people are not undead meat puppets for the Night King and you still treat her with suspicion and act as if she is her father!"

"I know many of you were swayed by Greatjon's speech years ago about Northern Independence. Jon Umber and many of you liked to remember a time when the North governed itself. Well, since you all have forgotten, let me remind you all about how that time was terrible to live in!" Jon said the Lords attention on him, "We were surrounded by enemies on all sides. To the west was the Ironborn. To the east was the Vale. To the North was the freefolk and the Skagosi. Everyone in the South was our enemy because we are the last bastion of the First Men and the Old Gods. Our people were always starving and then they're were the constant invasions we had to beat back. Submitting to Aegon the First, didn't just save us all, it changed everything. Suddenly, all these people that were our enemies were trading with us. Food was coming in from the Reach and Riverlands for the first time in thousands of years, feeding our people and helping more survive the long winters. It was by no means perfect, but it was certainly better than the alternative of constant warfare."

"The dream of Northern Independence is dead, My lords." Jon said, "There's no food left in our stores or in the fields. It was all used up in the War against the Whitewalkers and in retaking the North from the Boltons. All of our people will die from starvation and for what, our pride? Our autonomy? That's not worth the people of this kingdom dying of starvation. All that would be left is a true wasteland of our nation."

"Besides, Greatjon once said that the Dragons are all dead." Jon drew Lightbringer and pointed at Daenerys. "Well, the last dragon sits right there! The Breaker of Chains, The Mother of Dragons, The Savoir of the North. The Dragon Queen." With that, Jon knelt to Daenerys.

Lord Rodrick Forrester got up and addressed his fellow Lords. "Lord Jon is right. This last summer was 10 years long and winter will be at least that long. Most if not all of our people will starve to death. And that's if Cersei doesn't try to starve us out. Our people don't deserve that fate. If our pride and honor is worth more to us than our people having a future, then we don't deserve to rule the North." Rodrick knelt, declaring Daenerys the Dragon Queen.

Lord Wyman Manderly got up and addressed the crowd of Lords. "I'll have peace on those terms. Being an independent kingdom again sounds nice, but it's only brought us misery these last 8 years. Lord Jon and Lord Forrester are right. It isn't worth all of our people dying. Even with the Manderly fleet bringing trade and fish into the North, most of our people will still die. The loss of our autonomy is a small price to pay, to make sure there is a North left for our children." Wyman knelt and declared Daenerys the Dragon Queen.

"The Dragon Queen!" Jon proclaimed Daenerys one more time. Seeing their Lord, and two more of their fellow Lords, along with the cold logic of Jon's reasoning, convinced the Lords that Jon was right, and they raised their swords and knelt, declaring Daenerys the Dragon Queen in a chant that echoed throughout Winterfell. Sansa and Glover watched with regret and anger as the dream of Northern independence that began with Greatjon Umber, finally died for good.

"Now then," Jon said as he collected himself after getting his lords back on his side. "Sansa Stark, your crimes are too great to forgive. I strip you of the Stark name and recognize no blood ties with you. You will not be buried in Winterfell's crypts as you are unworthy of the honor. You will not be beheaded, because I don't fancy myself a kinslayer. You will be given over to the Silent Sisters."

"My Lord, she betrayed you. Northern Law would demand she be executed." One of the Lords said.

"Her crimes are indeed worthy of such a fate." Jon said solemnly. "Yet even up here in the North, no man is as cursed as a kinslayer. And do not think this a mercy. Joining the Silent Sisters, for my traitorous sister, is fate worse than death. She will never bare children. She will never hold money or political power again. She will spend the rest of her life serving the gods of the Andals." Jon, in reality, was emulating Tywin Lannister, and doing what Tywin had done to the daughters of Walderan Tarbeck during the Reyne-Tarbeck Rebellion. His answer seemed to satisfy the lords once they realized this was a much more cruel punishment than just killing her.

"As for you, Glover, I will suffer no more traitors from your family. You and your family will be put to death for your crimes and the lands of House Glover and House Whitehall will be given to House Forrester."

"You can't do this to my family, bastard!" Glover shouted while the Unsullied held him back.

"I can and I am. Your family will be beheaded, but you, traitor. Your punishment, is the Blood Eagle." Jon announced, to the horror of Glover and the Northmen.

"What's a Blood Eagle?" Daenerys whispered to her advisors, who of the 4, only Tyrion and Varys knew.

"It's…probably easier to let him show you, your grace." Tyrion said, numb from a conversation he had with Daenerys yesterday.

Flashback

Tyrion entered the room where Daenerys, Missandei, Grey Worm, and Varys. "My Queen, you wanted to speak with me?" Tyrion asked.

"Yes. Please take a seat, Lord Tyrion." Daenerys said. Tyrion hops onto a seat and Daenerys looks at him. "We need to talk about your constant blunders as my Hand."

"Your Grace," Tyrion tried to say but she held up her hand.

"Your constant blunders as my hand have been detrimental to my war efforts. I'm not even to go into the deal you made with the Slaver's. Your plans for Kingslanding lost me all three of my initial allies. First, Ellaria, the Sand Snakes, and Yara were lost. Then, your plan to take Casterly Rock lost us the Tyrells and the support of the Reach. It was only the advice of Jon Snow that allowed me to deal a major blow to Cersei's army and remove the Tarly's as a threat, while you wanted me to keep blockading Kings Landing, which didn't work, because of all the food the Tarly's stole from the Reach before I killed them." Daenerys said.

"Your second major blunder concerns Cersei. You had me convinced that she would honor her word. Whatever it is you two discussed by yourselves, I cannot say. I also don't care because it does not matter. Cersei not only didn't send her small army to fight for the living, she hired the Golden Company, bolstering her diminished forces. In fact, it might be a good thing that she didn't send her forces North, because we could have been stabbed in the back by the Lannisters." Daenerys said.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace. I know I have failed you, but…"

"Then there's this latest blunder." Daenerys continued. "Jon Snow was right, your bad plan could have ended up with me losing important advisors, not to mention, possibly my own life, and maybe my dragons as well."

"With all this taken into account, you are done being my Hand of the Queen. I would like to at least keep you on in an advisory capacity, as you have given useful advice and there may be a position on the Small Council for you when we take King's Landing. But until I am done with my war with the Lannisters, I can't have someone who is blinded by familial loyalty as my right hand." All this downtime had given Daenerys some time to see things properly. Tyrion loves Jaime dearly, and will be loyal to him first and foremost. And while he may claim to hate Cersei, he obviously did not want her dead. This had already proven to be a problem. She needed to fix this before it cost her again.

Tyrion, realizing that this time he had lost his position as Hand because he actually screwed up too many times instead of having it usurped by his father, numbly took the pin off and gave it to Daenerys. "May I at least know who will take my former position, my Queen?" Tyrion asked.

"I have somebody in mind." Daenerys said wryly.

End Flashback

The sound of a sword cutting off a head and a sizzling of flesh brought Tyrion out of his own mind. Everyone was gathered outside in the courtyard. He saw Jon walking away from the beheaded bodies of Lord Glovers wife and children. Lightbringer's flame covered blade cauterized the wounds it caused, so no blood came out of the headless stumps or the heads, but it didn't make Tyrion feel any better.

Sansa had already been dealt with, sent off by boat to join the Silent Sister's in Oldtown, with 100 Unsullied men to ensure she got there. Privately, Jon had Sansa's tongue ripped out with hot pincers and had her hair burned off before sending her away.

Jon sheathed Lightbringer and walked over to where Robett Glover was. Glover's upper body was bare and his arms were chained to post and held out.

Jon unsheathed his knife and moved behind Glover. "I admit, these kinds of things I don't normally take pleasure in," Jon whispered to Glover menacingly, "But I have to admit, I am going to enjoy this."

Jon didn't waste another moment and carved open his back with his knife, from his waist all the way up to his rib cage. The snow around Glover was soon red with his blood. To the old man's credit, he didn't scream, though he looked like he was barely holding out.

"Tormund, axe", Jon requested once Glover's back was sufficiently carved open and he walked towards Tormund and taking the offered axe.

With Tormund's axe in his blood-soaked hands, Jon struck it down on the open wound and began severing Glover's ribs from his spine. At the first swing of the axe, Glover cried out in pain, screaming for the Gods to hear. Blood spurted out of Glover's back with each swing of the axe and some of it covered Jon's face, dripping down his beard and onto the already blood-soaked snow.

The sound of agonizing screams and bone shattering was clearly too much for many of the Lords gathered, who had never witnessed such an execution. Varys, Tyrion, and Greyworm could only stomach so much before they had to turn away. Missandei had to close her eyes and turn into Greyworm's shoulder, the brutality far beyond anything she ever witnessed in Astapor. Even Arya, the cold assassin of the faceless men, had to turn away from the act, and accidentally into Gendry's arms, making the man feel a bit awkward before he comforted her.

Daenerys herself, however, was able to keep her eyes on it the whole time, probably because she had ordered acts of violence before, like burning people to death and the atrocities she witnessed in Slaver's bay and in Drogo's Dothraki horde, so she was largely numb to violence.

It was gruesome to watch. Seeing Glover's ribs being snapped away from his spine one by one but Dany took a sadistic pleasure in seeing the traitor suffer and from the smirk on Jon's handsome face, he was enjoying it too. The traitor betrayed them right before the battle and kept 2100 men that could have been used.

Jon swung the axe mercilessly, cracking bones and ripping them from Glover's spinal cord with each swing. More blood spilled from Glover's back after another swing of the axe. Glover could no longer keep his head up, his voice was hoarse from all the screams of pain, and the pain contorting his face was obvious. With a final crack of bone, Jon had pulled his rib cage apart and he tossed the bloodied axe to the ground.

Daenerys watched as he pulled out Glover's lungs, laying them on his shoulders so they looked like the folded wings of a great eagle.

Jon stepped back towards her and they stood side by side as Glover suffered a most painful death. Blood oozed out of his mouth and down his chest, his breathing slowed down and yet every moment was pure agony until he finally faded.

Jon knew that Glover would never have betrayed their cause if he knew this was his fate. And now, the rest of the Northern Lords knew it as well. Though Jon still loved Robb like a brother, Robb was to the Starks what Tytos Lannister was to the Lannister's. Robb broke his marriage vow to House Frey by marrying Talisa. He trusted an idiot like Edmure Tully to command part of his armies and let go of one of his most valuable hostages aka Theon Greyjoy, which cost him Winterfell and made him look weak. He did nothing to secure his bannerman's loyalty. Rickard Karstark was admittedly a tough decision. Keep Rickard alive, and you look weak. Kill him and you lose the Karstarks.

All in all, their families respect and reputation was destroyed because of Robb. Barely anybody respected the Starks anymore. More importantly, nobody feared the consequences of defying them. Tywin solved his families problems by completely wiping out two rebellious houses, which brought respect, fear and prestige back to the Lannister name. Jon would solve his families issues by doing something similar. Wipe out the traitors with a viscous and brutal punishment, while raising up the loyal lords.

"It's done," Jon said to Daenerys.

"And how do you feel?" Daenerys said with concern.

"I'm fine. I regretted what I had to do with Sansa, but it was necessary. I should be asking how Arya feels." Jon said as he looked at Arya.

"I don't know." Arya said with a sob, "Sansa was our sister but she betrayed us. She got Rickon killed, she plotted to kill you."

"I know," Jon said as Arya hugged him.

As Jon comforted Arya, he looked at Tyrion and noticed something. He turned to Daenerys and said, "Looks like Tyrion has been demoted."

"Tyrion's blunders were too much to stomach this time." Daenerys said.

"So who will you pick to be your Hand?" Jon asked in curiosity.

"I have someone in mind. My fellow dragon-rider, my white wolf," Daenerys said as she held out a hand with the pin resting in it for Jon, "My strong right Hand."

Everyone was shocked at what Daenerys was offering. The Hand of the King/Queen was the 2nd most powerful position in the land. Jon had to admit, it was tempting. All that power, if he only accepted.

"I'm not worthy, my queen." Jon said, still having some of his old values.

"I decide if you are worthy, Jon Stark," Daenerys said, shocking everybody again, "In addition to this, I'm also legitimizing you as a Stark."

Jon knelt before Daenerys, "I swear, I will serve you to the best of my ability, my Queen."

"I know you will. You've already given me good council even before we joined forces. You'll continue to give me good counsel in the future." Daenerys said as she pinned the Hand of the Queen pin on his clothing.

The Lords of the North were not sure what to think of this. The last time a Northern Lord was made a Hand, it didn't end well. Then again, the honorable Ned Stark was not really suited for the south. This Jon Stark was more ruthless and calculating than Ned Stark was. He didn't operate on honor though he did act honorably, or try to, at least.

"There is one more honor I would bestow upon you, if you would have it." Daenerys said, causing Jon to look at her.

"What is it, My Queen?" Jon Stark asked.

Daenerys smiled and said, "Some of you may know of the Pact of Ice and Fire. The Pact of Ice and Fire was an alliance between Houses Stark and Targaryen arranged during the Dance of the Dragons. Essentially, a daughter of House Targaryen for a son of House Stark. If Lord Jon Stark would have it, I would see that pact finally fulfilled."

Jon looked at his beloved with some hope and Daenerys looked Jon with a smile, her eyes brimming with love. "Marry me, Jon Stark."

Chapter End

To be honest, Northern Independence sounds great, but in the age before Aegon, I doubt it was so Great. Surrounded by enemies on all sides, starving to death. Yeah, must have been real great(Cue sarcasism). Greatjon, in my view, tended to look at the old days of the Stark Kings with rose-tinted glasses. And realistically, after the war with the White walkers, there should be barely any food left. The North would be dependent on the south for food. To our knowledge, the Riverlands still aren't producing food because of how ravaged they were by Tywin and the Mountain.

Let's also talk about the Council scene at the end. It solves absolutely nothing.

I think the scene was trying to say that hereditary inheritance of the Monarchy is the cause of the 8 years of war for the Seven Kingdoms, so democracy is the way to go. First off, in Westerosi society, being the son of the current king is the most secure way to ensure a peaceful transition. The reason for the wars is, aside from other elements guiding Westeros towards it, a certain stupid blonde whore named Cersei Lannister thought she could get away with NOT bearing Robert's children and then tried to ignore Robert's will, which led to everything else. It was the same situation that beget the Dance of Dragons, aka ignoring the King's will and chosen heir, usurping the sucession. The 1st Blackfyre Rebellion was also similarly done. It's not lineage that's the problem, but greedy people usurping the line of succession.

Then there's the democracy itself. Ignore the how OP Bronn was made and D&D are idiots for ignoring every part of Westerosi except Kings Landing and Winterfell. Lets focus on the system itself. Everytime the king dies, a new king will be chosen by the six Lord Paramounts, all of whom have different motivations. They can even nominate themselves. That's gonna work out so well.

Let's Talk about Bronn for a moment. He is basically now as powerful in canon as House Tyrell was before they were wiped out. He controls the most influential and powerful region in all 7 kingdoms, since the Lannister have no gold left in the mines. The Reach supplies most of the crops, wine, and livestock to the other 7 kingdoms. What's to stop Bronn from pushing his political might on the weaker kingdoms once he realizes how powerful he is. Would be awfully inconvenient for a starving population if that supply were to be suddenly cut off, because some lord didn't support Bronn.

Go watch "Why Tyrion's Solution For Westeros Doomed Everyone" on youtube by alternate history hub. He goes into further detail.