33 | IT'S TIME

A day turned into a week and Reyanna managed to keep Jon from blabbering to Sofina about his heritage just yet. She didn't want conflict to erupt between her sister and husband, let alone right before battle with the Night King.

Jaime Lannister had roamed into town and Sansa put him up for trial the moment she had the chance. He confessed that Cersei had no attention to sending her support north. He exposed her plans to destroy the survivors remaining in the North. Reyanna didn't know the man and had little interest in seeing about what was to be done with him, so she stayed in her quarters. Though that was part of the reason she didn't attend, the main reason was because it was beginning to grow harder and harder to hide her stomach. Her bump was greatly visible and she had to pile on many layers of furs to hide the sight. She knew that if anyone say her pregnant, they'd likely see her as weak. She feared someone would take it upon themselves to attack her and kill off her child, especially now that a few knew that Jon was the true heir to the Iron Throne.

After the trial with Ser Jaime, Reyanna began to grow stir crazy in her quarters. She felt like she needed to breathe the fresh northern air at least once that day, plus, making an appearance before the war would likely ease the weariness of the commoners. But, once she walked outside of the Winterfell castle, she caught site of hundreds of men practicing their sword fighting and she felt compelled to go watch.

Watching soon turned to coaching which soon turned to Reyanna picking up a sword for herself. She took on Lady Brienne's protégée, Podrick Payne. He was quite lean enough and well trained to keep up with Reyanna. She held her heavy sword in one hand and held her other arm behind her back. She pointed and slashed the sword strategically, impressing Podrick.

"Your Grace, aren't you tired yet?" Podrick chuckled, trying to throw her off of her game.

"Absolutely not. We have a war to prepare for." She grinned at the man.

Podrick flanked her and ran behind her. She spun on her heel, keeping her eye on him, and as she spun, her coat fell off of her shoulder— exposing her belly. Podrick instantly stopped charging at her with his sword. "Your Grace." He looked down at her stomach.

Reyanna paused and took a moment to realize what she had done. "Oh no." She whispered to Podrick with her face flushed.

"The Queen is pregnant!" One commoner shouted and began clapping. People all around began hollering and cheering. Reyanna didn't know what to do except plaster on a fake smile so that people couldn't see the fear in her eyes.

She waved for a few seconds before Podrick grabbed her coat and threw it over her shoulders again. He led her away back to her chambers, leaving her alone to regret her mistakes.

Not even minutes later, Jon hurried into their quarters. "I can't believe you were out there training!" Jon reprimanded her.

Reyanna looked down at the ground, like a scolded child. "This just means we have to be ten times more careful, Rey." He was extremely stressed about everything and Reyanna seemed to only be piling on more things for him to worry about.

"I'm sorry, Jon." Reyanna sighed.

Jon furrowed his brows, then took her into his arms. "Don't be sad, love. I am only worried about you and our child, you did nothing wrong." Jon broke their hug so that he could rub her bump.

Just as Reyanna was going to continue to speak to Jon, a horn sounded throughout Winterfell. It was signal indicating that the men left in Castle Black had arrived. Reyanna's heart fluttered, hoping that Tormund had made it back safely. The couple hurried down to the entrance of Winterfell to greet the returning men.

Eddison, Tormund, and all the other men that were left at the Wall came back soundly. The moment Tormund saw Reyanna, he engulfed her in a tight hug. When he broke the embrace, he instantly noticed her visible pregnant stomach. "You've got a little crow growing in there?" Tormund gasped, happily.

Reyanna nodded and shot him a toothless smile. "I thought we'd lost you." Reyanna let out a sigh of relief.

"Almost." Tormund admitted, but patted her back before turning to greet Jon.

"How did you find each other?" Jon asked the men.

"We met up at the Last Hearth." Eddison told.

"The dead for there first." Tormund mentioned.

"And the Umbers?" Jon asked about the family that had been sent away to gather wagons and horses.

"Fighting for the Night King now." One of the other men mentioned somberly.

"We had to travel around them to get here. Whoever's not here now is with them." Tormund spoke lowly to Jon, who was beginning to breathe heavily.

"How long do we have?" Jon whispered over to Tormund.

"Before the sun comes up tomorrow." Tormund stated. Jon's face filled with despair and dread. He looked over at Reyanna, then back at the men.

* * *

Jon quickly ordered for a meeting amongst all of the major leaders supporting the fight to plan out the lineup of their military. "They're coming. We have dragonglass and Valyrian steel. But there are too many of them, far too many. Our enemy doesn't tire. Doesn't stop. Doesn't feel. We can't beat them in a straight fight." Jon announced.

"So what can we do?" Jaime Lannister inquired.

"The Night Ming made them all. They follow his command. If he falls, getting to him may be our best chance." Jon answered.

"If that's true, he'll never expose himself." Jaime retorted.

"Yes, he will," Bran spoke up, "he'll come for me. He's tried before, many times, with many Three Eyed Ravens."

"Why? What does he want?" Samwell asked the question on everyone's mind.

"An endless night. He wants to erase this world, and I am it's memory." Brandon answered.

"That's what death is, isn't it? Forgetting. Being forgotten. If we forget where we've been and what we've done, we're not men anymore. Just animals. Your memories don't come from books. Your stories aren't just stories. If I wanted to erase the world of men, I'd start with you. " Sam gulped.

"How will he find you?" Tyrion asked Bran.

"His mark is on me," Bran lifted his sleeve to reveal the hand print above his wrist, "he always knows where I am."

"We'll put you in the crypt, where it's safest." Jon assured his brother.

"No. We need to lure him into the open before his army destroys us all. I'll wait for him in the Godswood." Bran told Jon the plan.

"You want us to use you as bait?" Sansa questioned.

"We're not leaving you alone out there." Arya told.

"He won't be. I'll stay with him. With the Ironborn," Theon spoke up then turned to speak directly to Bran, "I took this castle from you. Let me defend you now."

Bran nodded curtly. "We'll hold off the rest of them for as long as we can." Davos sighed.

"When the time comes, Ser Davos and I will be on the walls, to give you the signal to light the trench." Tyrion added.

"Ser Davos is perfectly capable of waving a torch on his own. You'll be in the crypt." Sofina told Tyrion.

"Your Grace, I have fought before, I can do it again. Alongside the men and women risking their lives." Tyrion argued.

"There are thousands of them and only one of you. You can't fight as well as they can, but you can think better than any of them. I need you to not die. You'll stay in the crypt." Sofina barked, causing Tyrion to nod in acceptance of her instruction.

"The dragons should give us an edge in the field." Davos stated.

"If they're in the field, they're not protecting Bran. We need to be near him. Not too near, or the Night King won't come. But close enough to pursue him when he does." Jon rose his voice.

"Dragon fire will stop him?" Arya asked Bran.

"I don't know. No one's ever tried." Bran answered.

Everyone went silent for a moment. "We're all going to die. But at least we die together." Tormund joked to disturb the awkward tension.

Reyanna was the only one that snickered at his joke. The odds were certainly not in their favor, but the odds never were in their favor. Their lives were all filled with grief and sadness, this was simply another chapter. Yet, somehow, they all made it out in one piece. Reyanna knew she'd lose some people she cared about, but she was prepared for that. She just needed to keep herself, her child and Jon alive so that they could finally develop a family like they always wanted. "Let's get some rest." Jon dismissed the council.

Everyone dispersed and Jon carefully intertwined his hands with Reyanna's. He led her away so that they could have one final silent evening before the greatest stress of their lives was to begin.

Jon took her to the top of the wall surrounding the Winterfell castle. They watched the sun set together, holding each other one last time before the white walkers came. Amira and Ghost had found their way up on the wall with them as well, standing guard nearby while Jon and Reyanna exchanged conversation. "You'll stay in the crypt?" Jon asked Reyanna.

"Yes." She answered.

"You'll stay alive? Remember, you promised." Reyanna asked him.

Jon smiled at her. "I will, my queen." He nudged her with his elbow, playfully.

"I'll tell Sofina tonight about your true parents. I doubt she'll take it well since she's adopted our father's saying that the crowd should be awarded based on merit, not bloodline." Reyanna warned him.

"And I haven't proven myself worthy?" Jon asked Reyanna.

"Of course you have. She just doesn't know about most of the wonderful things you've done for the North and the Wall." Reyanna leaned her head on Jon's shoulder.

"You'll tell her tonight?" Jon asked for clarification.

"I will. Unless you'd rather I didn't." Reyanna shrugged.

"I'd prefer to tell her myself, Rey. It would feel more honorable that way." Jon explained.

"Then, I'll leave you to it. I'm going to find myself a place to lay my head in the crypt. Goodbye, Jon." Reyanna nodded at him.

"I love you, Rey." He told her, feeling as if he needed to say it just in case he'd never be able to say it to her again.

"I know you do."
"You know nothing."
"I know everything."

And with that, she left him be.

* * *

By the time complete darkness dawned upon Winterfell, Jon met with Sofina somewhere inside of the castles. "I need to tell you something, Sofina." He announced to her.

Sofina nodded, curious as to what he needed to say. "You can confide in me, brother." She assured him.

"I need to tell you about my true parents. And I don't want to disrespect you or your merits in Essos." Jon spoke.

"You can tell me, Jon. You are the groom of my sister. We are bound by law and vows, and now, blood." She reminded him that they were family.

"My mother is Lyanna Stark, and my father.. is Rhaegar Targaryen. I am not a bastard, for my true parents married before conceiving me in secret. Bran told that he saw it through his power and Samwell confirmed it through documentation he found in the Citadel library." Jon blurted it all out. He had kept it pent up for so long, he didn't know how to deliver the news gently.

"So, that'd make you the rightful heir to the throne..." Sofina's face twisted into a frustrated look.

Jon was quiet. "I read my father's journals about the Targaryens, and though you didn't grow up with them, you still have their blood. He described some of them as vile, yet our families were bound by loyalty. You care for my sister so well that I sometimes envy her. Though I know not much of your accomplishments, I see the way people respect and honor you, Jon. Though many think I fought hard for my armies, all I didn't was murder my own brother and sister in law, Daenerys. I feel I am a horrible person. The only beings I care for are my dragons, which aren't even my own, they were Daenerys' that she left me to babysit. And even after taking them from her, I failed them by getting Drogon killed. I am sad, but I have been reluctant to keep my rule over these people for a while now. I'm surprised Reyanna didn't mention it to you. After the war is over, though I will be heartbroken, I'll hand you the rightful crown to the Iron Throne, if that's what you want to pursue."

"I know not of what I want after the war is over. But, I wanted you to know about my claim without any surprise beforehand." Jon responded.

Sofina nodded, and as if on cue, a horn was sounded out through Winterfell. A specific horn that indicated the enemy had arrived. The walkers were many hours ahead of the schedule Tormund predicted for Jon, but, the dreadful moment was bound to come sooner than later. "It's time." Sofina nodded at Jon, then the two rushed out of the castle.