[Chapter Size: 2900 Words.]
Third Person POV.
Winterfell.
...
...
A few days had passed since the arrival of the group that had been with Daemon in the south, and another banner began to appear on the horizon coming from the north, advancing toward Winterfell: none other than the Glovers. With their banner bearing the gauntlet clenched in a firm fist, set against a red background.
Without anyone noticing, a bird landed near them as they halted, now reaching the line of sight of Winterfell. The bird, a spy, calmly observed.
"My lord, there are so many of them," said one of the Glover men, looking at the enormous camp with countless hide tents spread out ahead of Winterfell. All of them used by men they considered savages and their enemies. All who were present frowned at the sight, visibly unsettled, even though this information was already known throughout the North.
After all, everyone already knew of Daemon's advance, starting with tearing down the Wall after thousands of years without anyone managing to conquer it until then. Once he had established himself in the Gift, he began his campaign shortly after, descending through the North, destroying, driving out the ironborn, and wiping out most of the Boltons who still remained in the North and had failed to flee.
They said Daemon's movement, which began at the Wall, would only end with the conquest of Dorne, that he was destined to conquer all Seven Kingdoms, moving from one end of Westeros to the far South.
Meanwhile, Glover listened to the stories of the common folk who had survived the ironborn attacks, as they continued toward Winterfell, unsure whether to take their words with skepticism or not.
However, even by then, Daemon had already proven he was not someone to be underestimated. He had a dragon, an army, and powers beyond anything any man could dream of. After all, even alone, he had managed to cause the death of King Robert Baratheon and create enormous chaos in King's Landing, all by himself. He forced Lord Stark to hold a public execution only to save him in the end—it was as if Daemon were playing, and the king only remained alive because Daemon wanted to toy with him, rather than simply kill him there.
"Well, we have no choice but to go through them. If we are invited, we won't be attacked. So let's go, men," said Lord Glover. In the end, despite his distaste, he could not deny that he hated the savages, but what could he say? It was those very people who had fought against the ironborn while all the remaining Northerners were holed up in their strongholds far from the ironborn, while they wreaked havoc, devastating villages and towns from the center all the way to the western coast of the North.
As they say, the North remembers, and will remember, that it was the 'savages' who fought against the damned ironborn alongside none other than a Targaryen. Too ironic to even be taken as more than a cruel joke.
"I'm not seeing the dragon..." said one of the men, searching for the white-winged mass, the same one he had seen on the walls of Deepwood Motte.
"I don't know, maybe it's behind the castle," said another.
"Maybe he kept it inside Winterfell?" suggested another, while Lord Glover seemed tired of these comments—his damned men just wanted to see the damned dragon.
"I doubt the dragon would fit inside Winterfell. Have you ever been inside? Even in the courtyard, the dragon wouldn't fit," a fourth man said to one of those who had spoken.
The bird merely observed as they moved on. At the same time, Jon was in Winterfell's godswood, blinking several times with his eyes completely white before the sacred tree of the Northerners, until his eyes returned to normal vision.
Jon rose afterward, seeing his mother standing there, observing the silence.
"You're here? Tired of frightening Lady Dustin?" Jon asked, raising an eyebrow, while Lyanna made a grimace.
"Just reminding her she must never, ever offend my son," said Lyanna stubbornly.
"The guards are growing restless too, mother. You should hold back a little. As amusing as your pranks must be—appearing and disappearing all over this castle—even my friends are afraid," said Jon.
After all, rumors had begun spreading about Lady Dustin's screams in the dungeons. When they went to check what had been happening to her in recent days, she cried out, exclaiming that Lyanna Stark had returned from the grave and sought vengeance, curling into a corner of her cell and begging to be taken out, claiming the ghost was haunting her in that dark place.
That ended up sparking a string of rumors.
And it didn't help that Jon had certain special powers, as he had already shown to the entire North and all of Westeros, while people whispered that what he had done in the crypts was some ritual to resurrect his mother's ghost.
Jon mocked the creativity of those around him. No one spoke directly to him or too close, so as not to anger him, but they whispered when he wasn't near—though that changed little, as he knew every word spoken within the castle.
Ironically, what they were saying wasn't far from the truth, especially with the rumors of moans coming from the crypts. Lyanna Stark began to be spoken of as a shadow resurrected from her tomb, with her son conquering Winterfell, seeking vengeance for what had been done to him.
This was frightening the men, even the free folk, who quickly discovered that she was the mother of Daemon Targaryen, buried in that castle, and they easily connected it to Jon having done something.
Lady Dustin vehemently insisted she had seen Lyanna's ghost. Jon only had to keep his mother under control, because the way she was, she could cause all kinds of chaos. Now he understood why his uncle used to say she gave Rickard Stark, Jon's grandfather, so much trouble. At the same time, the fact that she had died still a teenager did little to build a more mature personality. At times, Jon felt as if he were dealing with a daughter rather than the woman who had borne him.
"Daemon, this is my only amusement," said Lyanna stubbornly, while Jon shook his head.
"You must control yourself, mother. Anyway, today the Glovers are arriving, and I'll have to prepare the courtyard to see them. If there isn't already some man in despair at that gate, wanting to speak with me immediately," said Daemon.
After all, no one could enter the godswood with Jon inside, since he had forbidden anyone from interrupting him while he was there. He didn't mind the arrangement, as he had been very specific that, unless it was a siege by the dead—like what could happen with the White Walkers—no one was to disturb him under any circumstances.
His guards were also there to keep the place secure, ensuring no one entered. And Lord Glover did not seem to be a threat Daemon considered equal to a siege by an army of the dead, so they did not trouble themselves to disturb him.
Daemon left, nonetheless. He might have been inside, but he was always keeping watch over everything, overseeing Winterfell and the North. He made some visits through his other birds, sending them to White Harbor, seeing Stannis's siege and also the city's defenses, as well as personally checking the food supplies still stored by the Manderlys.
And afterward, he went to his uncle, much to his own distaste. However, the man seemed to have aged more than ten years since the last time he had seen him. He was lost. Even so, Daemon would have no pity for the man, after the mistreatment he had suffered at Lord Stark's hands when he had been but a defenseless child in Winterfell.
"Ah, my lord." Daemon was addressed as soon as he passed through the gates; the men immediately approached him. Jon raised his hand for them to stop at once. It was a group of three men, Northern scouts who had served House Stark, and as they knew the region better than anyone from the free folk, they had been serving as scouts in recent days.
"If you're going to speak about Lord Glover, I already know. We'll prepare to receive them. Call my wives and also inform Lord Cerwyn and Lord Tallhart, if they wish to join us," said Daemon, as he headed to the courtyard, giving orders and checking on the reconstruction of Winterfell with the masons he had hired in recent days, while waiting for Lord Glover's arrival.
Val approached, keeping at her waist nothing less than Red Rain, the sword, and stopping beside Jon.
"If you're going to ask about Ygritte, she's sleeping," said Val, while Jon huffed.
"Typical of her..." Jon muttered. "All right, it's not as if we're receiving the king of Westeros," he said.
Val raised an eyebrow. "You are the king," she said with an ironic yet firm tone.
"I know," Jon said, smiling, while Val huffed at his joke.
"I know," Jon said, smiling, while Val huffed at his joke.
The next person to approach them was Benfred Tallhart. "Lord Cerwyn refused to come to receive the Glovers. Lady Cerwyn says that, because of the Glovers, he would not have joined the fight. They deserve no form of respect," said the noble. He spoke with equal disdain. After all, they had only answered the call when they had no choice.
Jon said nothing, though he wanted to mock her. Lady Cerwyn had practically served him only because she had no other option. And after he had laid his hand on her castle, discovering that no other gate could stop him, she had then knelt without difficulty, only to avoid angering him. He could not imagine things being different—if he had been weaker, she would have done the same. But he was not here to judge "who fought, who refused." The lords of the North still deserved respect.
Jon wanted the North by his side. Obviously, he would give no reward to any of the men who had not stood with him in the last battles. He would reward generously both the free folk and the small Northern lords, like Lord Cerwyn and Benfred, for fighting alongside them against the remaining ironborn.
Jon said nothing and waited calmly, as the Glover banners finally drew near. They had likely been cautious while passing through the free folk's camp, but in the end, they arrived unharmed. As they approached the gate, Lord Glover led, followed by his retinue.
Robett Glover studied Daemon, then turned his gaze to Benfred Tallhart, who had taken his father's place as lord of Torrhen's Square, and then to the woman beside Daemon, a blonde—surely one of the figures the rumors spoke of.
All said that Daemon had not only taken his aunt as his wife but also more than two women from the free folk, sealing his loyalty with those men beyond the Wall.
Lord Glover stopped his horse and dismounted with his men as they came forward. He knelt without a word. Benfred did not fail to scoff, while Daemon remained silent, as did Val.
"Your Majesty, we are here to answer your call," said Robett Glover.
Daemon studied the man for a few moments.
"Rise, my lord," he said. As Lord Glover stood, Daemon continued. "Welcome to Winterfell. We offer bread and salt for a meeting where we shall decide the future of the realm with other lords."
Lord Glover nodded in understanding and looked at Daemon.
"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Lord Glover, receiving a place in the castle, while Daemon spoke of his stay. He was not one of the first lords to arrive at Winterfell, being the third, more specifically, and the first who had not fought alongside Daemon against the ironborn. Lord Glover felt deeply ashamed of this. Jon still regarded him as though judging him in some way—for while Daemon had fought with the free folk, most of the North had remained within their strongholds.
Lord Glover could say nothing except that he would regret for the rest of his life, at that night's feast, not having answered the call and for having chosen to protect himself behind his castle during the siege.
It was a difficult situation, but even so, he could have joined Daemon when he marched south.
"I was wrong!" exclaimed Lord Glover during the feast. "I will regret it for the rest of my life, but there is no doubt that Daemon Targaryen dealt with the Ironborn, freeing our people from their grasp and killing them in a cruel, yet just way, when the squids themselves set fire to the North."
All those seated below the high table raised their cups as the hall roared in approval.
"House Glover has followed House Stark for thousands of years. You may not be a Stark by name, but the king recognizes you as the son of the She-Wolf of the North. That is why, before any decision we make with other lords in the coming months, we shall commit ourselves to your cause," he said, while Daemon listened in silence to the declaration.
The feast was once again interrupted by a roar of applause. Daemon found it curious how much Lord Glover had hesitated at first, but nothing that an army, a dragon, and a man with powers beyond any other living man could not persuade him to change his mind.
When Lord Glover weighed the pros and cons of fighting alongside Daemon Targaryen and allying with him—even if it meant marching south again after Robb Stark's failed campaign against the Ironborn—he knew this decision could be the key to the North's future.
His mother seemed proud at Robett Glover's words, watching as Daemon raised his tankard, calling for silence as everyone quieted down, still keeping their eyes on the king, expecting him to say something.
"Your words are most welcome. Swear loyalty to me and to House Targaryen, and we shall march south. When we return to the North, your house will be so rich you won't be able to spend your fortune even in ten generations," declared Daemon, as the people roared once more at his words.
Daemon knew all were thinking that in the end he might rob the other of great wealth.
Lord Cerwyn and Lord Tallhart watched in silence, frowning, since Daemon was publicly rewarding his three pupils, even without the Glovers having done anything. But Daemon was not finished.
"Just as these men have helped me, they will not only be rewarded for believing in me during the campaign against the Lannisters and their allies in the south. They will be remembered when they fight at my side here in the North. I shall grant them gold mines found in their territories so they may extract them," Daemon declared, shocking his mother, the Cerwyn daughter, and Benfred Tallhart alike.
"My lord, are you saying we have gold mines in our territories?" Lord Tallhart could hardly believe it.
"Of course you do," Jon replied. "I have special abilities to locate gold veins underground, and I know there are two in your territory. One of them lies on an island. So, in addition to giving you the location, I've made men from the south available to help open the mines. You will also have my permission as king to extract the gold and mint it into golden dragons, provided the coins have the proper weight."
Daemon spoke, after all, since some nobles throughout history had believed they could melt their own gold coins and halve the weight, thereby doubling their number.
Well, not only were they executed, but tampering with gold was considered so sacred that entire families were destroyed for attempting such a practice.
The men at that banquet clapped once more, when they saw Daemon with their lords, applauding and roaring. If they truly had gold mines as Daemon claimed, and with his public word, they would be in a unique position—able to draw gold from their own efforts. To their ears, it seemed almost like fantasy.
In any case, Daemon felt satisfied with their looks after he finished his second speech. This was only one of the meetings that would begin to take place in Winterfell as the days went on.
That day, they had begun to receive, but the next days would be restless. The Mountain clans, numbering more than fifteen, would be arriving in this world.
The man also kept his eyes on them, especially on his aunt and on Lucis, to make sure they were safe. At the same time, other regions of the North were advancing at full force toward Winterfell: Robb Stark and the remnants of the war coming from the south, Lady Mormont coming by sea, Lady Karstark from the northwest, and the Umbers, close behind the free folk.
Daemon knew he would hardly see the southern part, still suspected that he might have those creatures chained. Daemon did not like their approach, where the visiting men had dominated all of Great Britain, now concentrating in Winterfell, beneath the banner of none other than a Targaryen.
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
🦝 Raccoon here: 🦝
I deeply appreciate your support since the beginning of this exciting journey!
I hope each chapter has provided incredible moments. If you like my work and would like to support the continuation of this fanfic, consider becoming a patron with plans starting at $2!. As a token of gratitude, I offer access to more than 210 extra chapters with 7 active fanfics at the same time, along with other exclusive benefits on my profile, such as images and significant decisions for the stories.
Even if you are not a patron, I am making chapters available a few hours earlier here, so become a free member on the platform!
🌟 RaccoonLeague | Patreon🌟
Visit our Patreon for more: https://www.patreon.com/RaccoonLeague
Extra Content Already Available:
🏴☠️ One Piece - I Am a Different Luffy!: 30 extra chapters!
👑 Game of Thrones: The Legend of Jon Arctic!: 30 extra chapters!
🌀 Naruto - Minato Namikaze SI!: 30 extra chapters!
🗡️ The Witcher - As Uchiha Madara! 30 extra chapters!
⚡ Harry Potter - Shadow Monarch! 30 extra chapters!
👑 Game of Thrones: DragonBorn! 30 extra chapters!
Except for One Piece with daily chapters and DragonBorn once a week, all fanfics are updated 3 times a week, there's just a pause in updating in the week, only to create drafts for the week's chapters.
In addition to the extra chapters, daily chapters are posted and 25 chapters per week!
Your support is very important and makes all the difference in keeping these stories alive.
Thank you very much for being part of this journey! I hope you continue to enjoy the story and that it brings even more joy to your life!
Visit our Patreon for more!!
◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆