The Wars to Come - J.S.

19 - DEAD MEN

— winterfell —

"Then I decided to go to Hardhome and save the Wildlings. As you can imagine, not many of the brothers were happy about it. But I did it, and we were attacked. By the Night King and his army."

"Walkers?" Aurora asks, her eyes widened in shock.

Jon nods, "They're real, they're coming. We've been preparing here since we got Winterfell back from the Boltons."

"They always used to tell stories, all the old men at the wall. My father, he tried to hide it from me, but I could tell he believed." she speaks quietly and Jon nods.

"We fought them at Hardhome. They killed so many. We barely made it out. And then he just raised his arms, and they all came back. We got home and not too long after, Ser Alliser and some others.. they.." he pauses and closes his eyes.

"Jon?"

"Aurora, they killed me. They shoved knives into my chest, and I died.." he takes her confused expression as a sign to continue, "The Red Woman brought me back. Or her god did I suppose."

"The fire worshippers? They helped us in Meereen." she responds, and then she returns to the prior topic, "Those bastards. I knew Alliser was an angry bitch but I didn't think he would ever betray a Lord Commander like that. Jon, I'm so sorry."

"You're not even questioning it? I just told you that I died, and you accepted it just like that." he says with a small smile.

"Jon, I have seen a woman walk from a burning building without so much as a scratch on her and I am as close with a dragon as I am with Ghost. Of course I believe you."

He shakes his head and chuckles, then meets her eyes again.

"I missed you." he says.

"I missed you too." 

—

After hours of catching up on each other's lives, Aurora and Jon attend dinner. He assures her that there won't be too many people there. And the two Unsullied who accompanied her are welcome to join, although the soldiers refuse the offer, preferring to take their food in their rooms.

When they arrive in the dining hall there are five people sitting around the table already, waiting for them. 

"Everyone, this is Aurora Mormont." Jon introduces her and she gives a small and shy wave to everyone before sitting down in the chair that he pulls out for her. She sends him a grateful smile and he takes a seat beside her. 

She gets introduced to everyone around the table as they begin to eat. Brienne of Tarth and her squire Podrick. Ser Davos Seaworth, Jon's advisor. Tormund Giantsbane, a Wildling that Jon has befriended. And his sister, Sansa Stark.

"Mormont?" Sansa questions, inquiring on her relation to the Northern family. 

"Jeor Mormont was my father, he adopted me. He found me outside Castle Black when I was a baby and he just kind of took me in. My father taught me how to fight and Maester Aemon taught me to read and write." she explains.

The night continues with the new acquaintances asking each other questions in a friendly manner. It reminds Aurora of a time many years ago when she sat in the Castle Black dining hall with the new recruits of the Watch, and as she looks at the man beside her that was with her all those years ago, she finds him already looking at her.

—

After dinner, Jon escorts Aurora to her chambers and they stand outside her door as they did at Castle Black many times, neither wanting to say goodbye.

"Aurora, you said you came to see me." she nods in response, dark brows furrowing, "But you also said that you love your Queen and your brother, and all of your friends from Essos. So why did you leave them when they are coming here? Doesn't your Queen need you?"

"Well, to be honest, she wants to be allies with you, and she wants me to make that happen." Aurora begins, and Jon's face falls slightly, but he tries to hide it, "But she only asked me to do that after I told her I was coming here. I wanted to come back for another reason. I wanted to see you. Because.." 

She hesitates, even after all this time her mind still tells her she can't reveal her feelings for him. 

She meets his eyes once more, those eyes that are staring down at her, patiently waiting for a response. She reaches out her hand for him, his own hand goes to hers like a magnet and they wrap tightly together. 

"I love you." the words are soft, almost a whisper, but he hears her. After so many years, after so many letters, and after so much time spent worrying about each other. 

This day that they spent together, to both it felt like they had never been apart. 

"I have thought about you endlessly since I left. I got off the ship in Essos and I thought about how you would like it there. It took me a while to admit it, because I was scared, or because of you being in the Watch, I'm not sure, but I do admit it now. I love you, Jon Snow. I have loved you for years." Aurora confesses.

There is a silence before Jon finds the words to respond. 

"The last thing I remember seeing before I died was you, smiling and laughing." he answers her with a small smile. "You are all that I think about, Aurora." 

A smile breaks out on her face too as instead of saying goodbye in the corridor as they have always done, he follows her inside.