DAGGERS TO THE HEART Part 2 - CLASH OF THE KINGS

Jon XI

Jon remembered the feasts at Winterfell from his boyhood, where he was relegated to the back of the hall, while Lord and Lady Stark sat on the dais with their trueborn children. Back then, he had felt neglected and resented his placement. In his previous life, he took the seat at the head of the table once occupied by Lord Stark. Now, he sat on the dais between Lord Stark and Sansa, wishing he were at the back of the hall with his wife beside him.

Jon was not ungrateful, but he would have preferred spending the evening making love to Sansa or sitting at the back where prying eyes wouldn't watch their affectionate moments. Alas, it was not to be. Tonight, all eyes were still on Lord and Lady Stark. Tomorrow, that would change, and he would be the one the Lords looked to.

Though Jon had experienced being King in his last life, he was still a bastard, only made King because Sansa was a woman. Jon being a trueborn prince was a different feeling, as if he had more responsibility. It was not a role he could easily shed once his identity was revealed.

The feast wasn't large, only three courses, as the proper celebration would come when Jon's identity was revealed. There were still some Lords missing, most notably Lord Manderly, who was to arrive the next day, and Lord Bolton—a fact that was both suspicious and concerning. Jon suspected Varys might know something about it, but he hadn't yet spoken with the spider, uncertain if he could trust him.

The first course was cod cakes with a delicious sauce and Arbor Gold. Next came the venison pie, served with Dornish Red, much to the delight of Prince Oberyn. The final course was lemon cakes, a particular favourite of Sansa.

Once the eating was over, Lord Stark stood to make a speech.

"Tonight, we eat and reacquaint ourselves with merriment, for tomorrow will be dedicated to matters of a more serious nature. For now, I would like to welcome you all back to Winterfell, and most of all, my son Robb, my daughter Sansa, and my good son Jon," Ned said, as a roar of approval rang out through the great hall, accompanied by the beating of tankards on the tables. "Let us enjoy the merriment for tonight," he added as the musicians at the back of the hall struck up their instruments.

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Jon turned to Ned. "Did Lord Bolton confirm he would attend?"

Ned nodded. "Aye, he did."

"Do we know when he started out?" Sansa asked.

Ned shook his head. "I have had no word. None of our travellers have seen him."

This statement worried Jon. Their plans hinged on eliminating Roose Bolton by any means necessary. If he was missing or hadn't attended, it would make their job far more difficult.

"Maybe Varys knows something," Sansa suggested.

"Do you really think he's on our side?" Jon asked.

"He was as soon as he knew you," Sansa replied.

"Aye, but I was his last choice," Jon said.

"That was only because he didn't know about you. Once he saw you as King in the North, he started looking at you as a potential leader of the Seven Kingdoms, bastard or not. The only thing keeping him loyal to Daenerys was her dragons. Although, I think he had suspicions when he saw you riding Rhaegal."

"And how do you know this?" Jon asked.

"He was watching you carefully. And he knew you could ride a dragon. Don't you think he was a little suspicious of that? There is only one record of a non-Targaryen riding a dragon, and it is suspected that she was a dragonseed. I think he suspected you had Targaryen blood," Sansa said.