The Wolf and The Lion || Jaime Lannister

Eighty Four

Rayna

The majority of the bodies are on the pyres to be burned. However since the Night King is dead and the dead shall also stay dead, they no longer need to be burned which is why several bodies have been put aside by their families to be buried. Among these is my uncle Brynden Tully who died on the battlefield, his men say he fought just as they thought he would, until the death. He will be returned to Riverrun.
Lyanna Mormonts men will take her back to Bear Island to lay with the rest of her kin, with her and Jorahs death House Mormont has become extinct and the control of Bear Island will go to another house who has served them well over the centuries.
Lord Randyll Tarly met his demise and I can't express much grief over that, he was a rather harsh man to both his men and his own son Sam. His other son Dickon however still lives and will return his father to the Reach and assume Lordship.
Jon's brothers of the Nights Watch shall be burned with the other soldiers as they had requested before the battle.
Then there is Theon. Theon Greyjoy who was like a brother to me as a child, then my enemy, then my saviour and he died my true brother. He lays in the crypts as I promised him, the crypts are being repaired and he shall be the first to be lain to rest there.
Jaime stands to my left and Sansa, Jon, Arya and Bran to my right. Ghost stands quietly beside us, he fought hard in the crypts, without him it would have been a slaughter.
My eyes flick to Daenerys and a cold fury burns in me. If the Dothraki didn't charge then there wouldn't have been such a slaughter, we could have kept them outside the walls for longer, less of our men would have died. Thousands died for her pride and I shall not forget it.
Tomorrow I can fight again but today I mourn.
I step forward to face the remaining men and women "We stand here today as we survived the Long Night, we stand here to farewell those who did not see the dawn. To say goodbye to our brothers and sisters. To our fathers and mothers. To our friends. Our fellow men and women who set aside their differences to fight together and die together so that others might live. Men and women from kingdoms that not long ago had been at war with each other, who came together to fight the Great War. Everyone in this world owes them a debt that can never be repaid. It is our duty and our honor to keep them alive in memory for those who come after us and those who come after them for as long as men draw breath. They were the shields that guarded the realms of men and we shall never see their like again. Due to their sacrifice we lived to see the dawn and they shall always be remembered"

Later that day in the crypts I stand over Theons body and with a shaking hand I pull out a Stark pin and tuck it into his clothing.
The crypts are in ruin, I tasked several men with trying to identify bodies but in the state they're in it's been difficult. The most preserved have been lain down for identification. I haven't been able to bring myself to look but since I'm here.
I tremble as I walk along the hall and look at the bodies. My mother and Robbs were never found after the Red Wedding. They say hers was dumped in a river and I don't want to imagine how badly Robbs corpse was defiled but their statues still stand in the crypt.
Rickons corpse was not able to break free from his tomb so he still lays at peace. The poor boy he was so young, too young.
My Fathers body however I was told is missing from its tomb. I scan the bodies lain out for identification and my jaw clenches as I come to a headless corpse.
I still remember the clothes my Father was wearing the day they took his head.
"Rayna Sweetheart", Jaime says as he sees me looking at my Fathers corpse "I'll take care of the bodies and repairing the crypt, you don't have to see this"
His arm wraps around my waist as I blink away tears and he turns my head away and pulls me against his chest so I can't see the bodies.
"When I die place my tomb beside Robbs", I ask weakly.
"You'll be dead long after me", he reminds me and the thought of it makes me cling to him more tightly.
"I don't want to think about that", I say almost inaudibly "I don't want to think of that day"
"Then don't, we still have many years left together", he promises "I might be a bit grey for most of them but I'll be here"
A laugh turns into a sob at the thought of that day. When we met he was a young golden lion, he may have been in his late thirties but he looked so young, those years are quickly catching up to him. By the time our children are my age chances are he will be gone.
"I'm not going anywhere sweetheart", he promises again kissing the top of my head.
"Now let's go back outside and I'll have some of the men put your fathers body back in his tomb"
I nod but before I go to exit the crypt I go to Theon. He is a Stark and he shall lay with the Starks.
"He loved you", Jaime says stroking my arm.
"I know" I say taking one last look at his face before it wastes away in both my mind and physically "I need to write to Yara Greyjoy and let her know"
"Come on", he says wrapping an arm around my shoulders and guiding me back upstairs.