[Chapter Size: 3800 Words.]
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Third Person POV
Arctic, 299 AC.
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The little feet moved forward with some difficulty as the baby tried to keep his balance, but failed miserably before falling with a small frightened squeal.
"Let's see, my love, you can do it," the mother's voice caught the baby's attention, and he responded with a hand gesture, beckoning her.
The baby seemed to understand and stood up again with some difficulty, then began to walk unsteadily.
"Look at you, taking your first steps..." The voice was filled with a mix of love, tenderness, and pride.
Hiyori smiled as she watched her baby coming toward her with concentration, while he kept making babbling sounds, trying to steady himself on his two legs as he approached his mother, attempting to walk.
He was already almost one nameday old. There he was, taking his first steps after crawling for all the moons since he had begun to move from one side to the other, and he advanced with difficulty until he was embraced by his mother, who did not let him fall this time. She pulled him to her, pressed him against her body, and kissed the little baby's cheek, making him laugh.
"Did you see that? He took his first steps," she laughed and looked at the woman who had witnessed that moment with her.
"Yes, my queen. I bet the king would be proud," said Hiyori's lady-in-waiting with a smile, as the little baby was attacked by his mother's kisses.
"He will be such a strong boy, as strong as his father," Hiyori said with satisfaction, looking at Daemon staring back at her with his jade eyes and laughing happily.
"Why don't we look for the king and you show him this? He will certainly want to see it," suggested the lady-in-waiting.
She was Shenara Hua'ren, a companion daughter of a noble who had been part of Hiyori's life even before she met Jon. She had been introduced by her father when Hiyori was only eight namedays old, and since then they had spent much time together. Shenara Hua'ren was the daughter of the Hua'ren family, which was a local noble house of the central province of Yi Ti, where her father commanded.
She could have replaced Shenara later with daughters of the high nobles who came from the provinces themselves; even so, Hiyori preferred her as a companion and liked Shenara so much that she never replaced her and always considered her a great friend, keeping her as a sister without blood and a confidante.
She had helped a great deal since coming to Arctic and leaving her land behind, when everything was still unknown to Hiyori. Although Jon never let her feel unwanted there, or as if she did not belong in that place, Shenara played a fundamental role in helping her grow accustomed to the kingdom where she would spend the rest of her life, having the help of a friend from Yi Ti to do so.
Shenara had exotic eastern beauty, just like Hiyori. She was beautiful enough to draw the attention even of royal guards and single bureaucrats of the kingdom in search of a wife.
However, Hiyori knew that the heart of that young woman already belonged to someone else. And it was Jin Sakai, the man who had become the hero of Yi-Ti, fighting for the empire before Jon arrived with his army. And Shenara admired him. They would marry after the current war.
Hiyori felt tempted by Shenara's suggestion to see the king.
"Let's go see him then," she said, while picking up some little clothes for Daemon, still restless in her arms, covering him before leaving. The royal guards greeted them.
"I want to see the king," Hiyori said.
"My queen, he should be in his office. It seems there is a meeting at the moment..." one of the guards replied.
"Well, if I can't speak to him, at least I can say I took a walk. I need it," Hiyori said, smiling, as everyone watching her began to follow right behind, while she continued chatting casually with her lady-in-waiting.
"Did you know Lyanna hit a servant's son?" Shenara murmured to the queen as they continued walking side by side. Shenara always kept Hiyori updated on the sanctuary's gossip. Just yesterday she was saying that the maids were eating cake hidden from the kitchen.
Hiyori raised an eyebrow at that. Lyanna, Jon's eldest daughter, was certainly mischievous. She was not cruel, far from it. The girl was always kind and cheerful, but was constantly getting into trouble with her games. Despite making everyone nervous, her mischief was usually innocent. Still, hitting another child was something different. Hiyori arched an eyebrow.
"By the gods, what did she do this time?" Hiyori murmured, laughing. It certainly wasn't anything serious.
Daemon began to press his head against her chest. He certainly wanted to nurse now.
"No, son," she murmured, kissing him. "When we return." That was all she said before turning her attention back to Shenara.
"They fought. It was over a fruit, today in the main hall after you left. The boy wanted a peach and Lyanna did too. They started fighting, and Lyanna slapped the boy on the head a few times. He ran off crying to his mother.
Jon scolded Lyanna for acting that way, said it was unacceptable for her to start attacking others. Lyanna certainly doesn't help herself, because the king is already displeased that she has started calling everyone by that word," Shenara told her, laughing at the end.
'That word.' Ever since Lyanna had learned to say "stupid" from Arya, she had begun calling everyone that at the slightest annoyance.
Hiyori sometimes found it funny, seeing the girl call her brother stupid, only to be immediately scolded by Queen Ygritte when she heard it. She didn't spare even the royal guards.
When Jon found out, he spoke to her and reprimanded her, along with Arya herself. Now, Lyanna limited herself to calling people stupid only at specific moments, but she never stopped having that word in her vocabulary whenever something irritated her.
Jon always said that she was very much like Arya and was even learning her own mannerisms from how Arya used to be when she was in Winterfell.
In any case, they went to the king's solar. The door was open, and Hiyori was lucky enough to catch the end of the meeting as some people were leaving. Aemon was talking to Benjen, and Seryna was with her lady-in-waiting while greeting Hiyori and Shenara.
Jon was still saying something to Arya inside, and both of them looked toward Hiyori at the door, holding a baby in her arms, still a little restless, trying to get their attention with small sounds.
"Well, Arya, everything is ready. We attack tomorrow," Jon said. Her expression seemed reluctant about something, but she nodded shortly after.
Jon looked at Hiyori, at Daemon, and at Arya, the latter beginning to leave.
"What a strong boy," Arya said, not failing to squeeze Daemon's chubby cheek as she passed by them before leaving.
Hiyori stepped inside, approaching without her lady-in-waiting, who stayed behind with the guards at the door.
"How are my wife and my son?" Jon asked plainly.
The boy stared at him, lifting his little hands toward him, recognizing his father. When he got close enough, Jon took the baby and placed him in his arms, gently rocking him, while Daemon looked at him curiously, as always, studying his father before beginning to touch his shoulder, his face, and even his hair, squeezing everything with his little hands.
Daemon was a great source of joy for Jon.
And, once again, Aemon spoke about the Night's Watch Oath. People who were not condemned and had the choice of whether or not to go to the Watch faced a great decision.
One of them was giving up the joy of holding one's own child and the love of a woman. Jon could no longer understand how someone could simply turn their back on that. He could not imagine losing that feeling: holding his own child, his descendant, while the baby expressed joy so energetically.
"Did you know he took his first steps? I came here to tell you," Hiyori murmured, resting her head on Jon's shoulder while looking at their son. It was a gesture of affection and love she had for her husband.
To say that sharing her husband with other women was not an easy task would be an understatement. But for Hiyori, beyond gratitude for him having saved her land, there was also her admiration. And from admiration always came passion. Jon always made her feel important and loved, and how could she not love him as well? Even having to share him with other queens and even with a lover.
After all, the affair between Jon and Joy was an open secret. No one spoke about it, but everyone knew. And, to be honest, no one cared all that much. As long as he gave them the love and attention they sought, they were accustomed to seeing him surrounded by women.
"Daemon, is that true?" Jon said upon hearing about Daemon. He looked at the boy as he asked the question, and although the baby did not understand what his father said, he laughed in response.
He lifted him up in front of him, the baby moving his hands and feet in an agitated way. Jon took a step back and knelt down, placing him on the floor, with the boy resting the soles of his feet while still clinging to him.
Jon slowly let go and smiled. The baby wobbled, but managed to stand for a brief moment before falling, and Jon caught him before he hit his head on the ground. Even so, he seemed pleased.
Jon moved a little away from Daemon and watched him adjust himself after falling. When the baby looked at him, seeing Jon calling him, he began to get up slowly, walking unsteadily toward his father before falling right in front of him, this time with Jon catching him, letting out a laugh.
"Hahahaha. He is the first to walk," Jon said proudly. "Visenya, Laena, Aemon, Aegon are all part of the new generation of Jon's children, but none of them has made such bold movements yet. Daemon is the first of them."
"Very good," Hiyori said, satisfied.
Jon stayed a little longer with Hiyori. Jon asked for privacy for them and set aside the maps and strategies he had been discussing with his men until then.
Hiyori began to feed Daemon there at her breast, managing a moment with her husband available for a brief private conversation, and they enjoyed that quiet moment together.
Jon kept a smile on his face, as if he were marking that moment in his memory.
And the next day, Jon now wore a more serious expression.
He was saying goodbye to each of his wives and children. There was worry and tension in the air. Jon would finally face the dead once and for all; the time had come to end that war.
The words exchanged were, for the most part, pleas for him to return: "Come back to us," "Come back to me," spoken by each of his women. Jon promised that he would return. After that, he went to each of his children, some worried, others confident enough to say that their father would never lose and that he would win that war.
In any case, he turned his back and left the sanctuary with Arya and Seryna.
As he went out, Jon could feel the very atmosphere of Arctic in the castle; it was different. It was heavy, but also resolute.
"Let's go," he said, mounting Ghost and moving forward to the north.
Despite the heavy mood, it also seemed full of hope, because that day the city was different. There were people everywhere, and upon seeing the king, exclamations began to rise, shouts echoing all around as Jon advanced together with the Royal Guards, the queen, and his cousin, heading north.
It was obvious that everyone knew this would be the final battle, the one that would decide the end of the dead once and for all. Immediately, people gathered to applaud each of the soldiers advancing north and taking their positions. At that moment, the entire army was united as on the first day, with everyone having a worthy rest for the next battle, which would be the last.
That fight would be the final blow against the dead.
And so, people shouted his name through all the streets, continuing to gather to watch him pass. Jon wore his black armor, with a shield and Blackfyre strapped at his waist.
Arya still wielded Dark Sister since receiving it, and Seryna carried her hammer. The Royal Guards brandished swords and shields of Valyrian steel, all wearing full armor. Even Ghost was protected: from his legs to his entire body, covered in runes that eased the weight of the armor so the wolf would not tire.
In any case, the people of Arctic finally saw the possible end of their oppression. Humans, dwarves, and giants were there together, while the Children of the Forest, still in the sacred grove, shouted that they could return to the surface after the end of that battle.
Jon could not help but feel proud as he continued advancing. His wife, Arya, seemed to share that same feeling, and so they went on until they met the entire Arctican army, with more than one hundred and forty-five thousand soldiers waiting for them.
The general, commanders, and captains were all prepared. Benjen was also there, along with the other members of the Night's Watch, wearing armor provided by Arctic and blades suitable for eliminating the dead.
The production of Valyrian steel had not stopped since the war began. Jon had created even more tons of steel with the dragons now grown for high production, forging tens of thousands of swords distributed among the men. If the world knew the number of Valyrian steel blades there, it would probably be in shock.
While outside of Arctic there were only a few hundred swords of the magical steel in the world, in Arctic there were already tens of thousands.
Obviously, the price would drop greatly with that quantity and would lose much of its value. However, that no longer mattered. While the world might struggle to buy Valyrian steel, even at a lower price, in Arctic this would not be a problem to have even among the lowest soldiers of the kingdom.
Each of his soldiers would have the best steel in the world in their possession as if it were common iron, and those closest to the king would have even more special weapons, made by Jon himself, in addition to being enchanted with magical runes and full armor.
In any case, Jon moved ahead of his men, who maintained a firm posture. That was appropriate. There was no time for celebrations. Not yet. They had to focus solely on destroying the dead.
When they turned their eyes to the north, the enormous wall of storm rose before them.
Jon positioned himself at the front of the army and mounted Ghost. The wolf stood at a height that surpassed even that of the giants in the ranks.
"Well, I won't extend my time here much. I don't need to keep shouting anymore. All of you know who you are and what you face. And now, the moment has come for us to end this damned war, so that our families can return to the surface and live as they always did before the damned dead arrived. So this is what I say: prepare yourselves, because now we will begin the operation to destroy them once and for all. Are you all with me?"
Jon made his voice resonate across all one hundred and forty thousand men without any difficulty, using magic. His eyes even seemed to glow with his current magical power. The army responded by striking their shields, in a silent, deadly, and determined manner. They were ready.
"Then let's begin. Ducken, you will command the first explosion with wildfire, and after that, keep our army pressing on the army of the dead, preventing them from reaching the strike group. I want you to prepare for us to infiltrate among the dead, understood?" Jon said to Ducken, then turned back to Lancelot.
After that, he turned to Arya and Seryna. Benjen also approached. Jon would have a group of one hundred men to advance toward the Night King with him among them, once the mist completely disappeared. Among them were his Royal Guards and most of the men he trusted, who had insisted strongly on being part of the mission.
Benjen and Tormund were among them. Even Barristan Selmy appeared wearing Valyrian steel armor, waiting to join the group.
The man had adapted and come to know the kingdom, despite the furious looks from Rhaenys, who refused to speak to him. Daenerys had spoken with Barristan several times, talking about her mother and the time he had served under the Targaryens. The other queens had nothing against Barristan Selmy, although they did not speak to him as Daenerys did.
He had earned a place in the city and had been fighting alongside the Arcticans against the dead since then, growing accustomed to facing those creatures and learning even more about the war and the kingdom itself. Many times, he had insisted on staying under Jon's command when the king took control of the army to face the hordes of the dead that crossed the Wall during the last moon.
Barristan also insisted on being part of the main group. In the end, fifty Royal Guards would be with Jon, while the other half would be people Jon trusted with his life just as much.
Jon received confirmation that the entire group would be on the front line with him, while Ducken would remain behind, commanding the army and holding the line, trying to open a path for the men at the front.
In any case, he finally relinquished leadership of the group and advanced to the edge where the army stood. His two dragons were there, waiting for him, as well as other magical beasts lined up, dozens of them, which Jon could control.
"Well, this is where we will begin. We will put an end to all of this," Jon said, going to Eragon, who was completely armored after the dwarves had placed all the Valyrian steel plates around him. Reluctantly, of course. The dwarves never liked dragons, but they did it. Jon also did everything he could to ensure the dragon's protection; while the other black dragon would never allow him to enter that battle without armor. That was why Eragon was the only one wearing it, and his four-legged structure also helped far more than being a dragon like the others, bat-like in style.
Jon went to Eragon and climbed onto him. The army did not fail to pay attention to the king. He would light the flame that would mark the end of the war. He would be at the front of all of them, risking himself to put an end to it.
Jon could not help but contemplate that moment as he looked at more than a hundred thousand soldiers waiting for him, in addition to another nearly equal number inside the city, watching everything from a distance.
With a sigh, Jon leaned forward. Eragon did not even need verbal commands. He spread his wings and advanced. His wings now also had thin layers of Valyrian steel, made in the form of a metallic mesh, so as not to destabilize Eragon's flight, since he needed the air striking directly against his skin. Even so, it would help protect his most vulnerable points.
And so Jon began to rise, leaving the army behind and gaining altitude.
His gaze turned to the mist. The dead had no idea what awaited them there. The fools had spent ten moons trying to destroy the kingdom.
It seemed they had not thought of attacking the south or crossing the Wall without first destroying Arctic. Perhaps that had been the most intelligent course for them, since the Wall prevented them from passing south. The only way to break that defense would be with a dragon, and perhaps that was why they had remained there, trying to weaken the kingdom and seize a dragon from Arctic.
But they had no idea that the food stock was almost infinite. Not to mention that all the storehouses were full enough to last for years. With Arctic no longer selling its food outward, everything had been stored. The people did not starve or freeze, and not even the darkness affected the kingdom. A very unexpected miscalculation, for the Night King. But that no longer mattered.
Jon kept looking at the mist and then shifted his gaze to the side, seeing the Sacred Tree begin to glow, even during the day. The Children of the Forest began to sing around him, and the great tree started to fill with flames with a unique glow.
Jon advanced first toward the tree, while his dragon began to roar through the air, like a command, like a warning.
Vezofēdrur also advanced, following him shortly after, taking flight. Several dragons began to fly behind Eragon, forming an enormous tail across the sky, while the white dragon continued to roar.
As they reached the city, people pointed upward. Jon passed over the castle and could see his children and wives going to the balcony, pointing to the sky as they watched the line of dragons flying over Arctic.
Jon approached the tree and began to circle around it with the dragons. He had no real need to do that, but it served as a personal ritual as he observed the burning leaves. Eragon also circled, allowing the entire city to see the dragons in that aerial maneuver. Then Jon pointed north once more, completing a final circle over the tree.
His gaze turned back as he dismissed all the dragons from following him at that moment. They split off to the sides. Jon moved forward alone, tightened his grip on the saddle, and his green eyes began to glow intensely. Eragon's sapphire eyes glowed in the same way.
"Come on, my friend. It's time to put an end to this," Jon said.
Eragon's wings began to glow, and snow appeared around them. They were over the army once again, with everyone watching. Eragon gave a powerful thrust and surged north at high speed, passing over the kingdom's Wall and entering directly into the mist, as Jon and the dragon vanished from everyone's sight.
In the next moment, within the mist, a white-blue light exploded.
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Raccoon Here:
I thought it would be nice to bring the focus back to the babies and create a point of view from Hiyori, as someone had asked to have one from her, since she barely has any in the story. In any case, a moment among family before truly beginning the final battle, which has begun.
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🦝 Raccoon here: 🦝
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