Northern Conqueror

Chapter 56: Throne of Ice And Fire

Chapter 56: Throne of Ice And Fire

With the Golden Company and Euron's Ironborn wiped out, Jon and the armies of Westeros took King's Landing and united the realm for the first time since Robert died.

Their first days were spent clearing out anything belonging to the Baratheons, Lannisters or Greyjoy as well as any loyal to them. By the time things settled the populace were relieved to hear not only was their new king to not be a pale, dead eyed mad man, but near a god if half the soldiers were to believed. Even the other half considered him a true, brave, good man beyond what they'd seen since well before Aerys II.

They found their queens equally a relief. Most has heard of Sansa, and her being Eddard Stark's trueborn daughter gave them hope their king might be as fair and considerate of them as the Hand had been during his brief time upon the throne. While Daenerys hadn't been raised in Westeros, she had managed to quell the Dothraki they heard so many tales of into a peaceful army who obeyed both their Khalessi and Khal. It also didn't hurt that she had three dragons which saw her as their mother and obeyed their new king and queens.

Drogon had lost some of his stubbornness after being freed from the dragonbinder, though Daenerys felt it more an effort on his part to make up for his behavior than any lingering effects of the spell. It didn't take long for Rhaegal and Viserion to warm to him again, and she felt the three had grown closer than they had been, losing some of their wariness of their larger brother now they had faced him in battle and lived.

The most shocking thing was when the crowd gathered to watch men haul the Iron Throne out of the Red Keep, bringing it an open courtyard. The soldiers all backed the crowd away as their king stood beside the throne and all three dragons descended.

"For centuries this throne has been the want of men good and cruel," Jon said looking through the crowd. "This was the throne of the King of the Seven Kingdoms, but as the King of Westeros, stretching from Dorne to the Deep North, I take a new throne." He turned and pointed to the Iron Throne. "Dracarys!"

At that all three dragons blew fire on the throne. The crowd watched in awe as Gendry came and picked away at the throne whenever they stopped their flames, sending barrels of the iron away until it was all gone. They used this distraction as a chance to sneak out and dilute any stores of wildfire left behind by Cersei or Aerys.

The remnants of the Iron Throne were forged into a new steel one set in the Great Hall. Rather than cover the walls in dragon skulls the only hints of them were on the throne itself. While the arms had wolf heads, the high back had two dragons sat on either side with a third at the middle stretching it's wings out toward it's brothers. The legs of the chair were a mix of wolf paws and dragon claws.

His first days spent upon his new throne passed taking oaths of fealty from the lords that helped him forge his new kingdom, united under his banner.

With no Wall to send criminals to, he decided to free any brothers of the Night's Watch who proved themselves loyal and reformed. In it's place he formed the Ranger's Watch which held many of the same oaths, only found their place leading the expedition into the Deep North and policing the Kingsroad. It became a place where men could claim honor and prove themselves reformed by giving their lives to helping the realm. No longer needing to worry about wildlings or wights, their prey became bands of brigands and bandits.

Generations later the Rangers Watch would become corrupted briefly when too many criminals took advantage of it without a desire to reform. Those betraying the crown would be wiped out and Ranger's Wrath given to help remake the order as King Jon intended.

Though Edd remained as Lord Commander of the Ranger's Watch, he also helped Jon and Yohn Royce reform the Vale. After removing those few left loyal to Littlefinger, they found some resistance to naming any but Arryn as Lord of the Eyrie and High Lord of the Vale. Instead they found a work around by legitimizing Harrold Hardyng's bastard as Alys Arryn and having her warded to a loyal family who would raise her well.