After entering into an alliance with Cersei Lannister in King’s Landing, Queen Daenerys
and the Targaryen faction withdrew to the north to prepare for war.
Once arrived, they learned the dragon Viserion now served the Night King and breeched the
wall, allowing the White Walkers and army of the dead to begin their invasion of Westeros.
Though many Northmen mistrusted Queen Daenerys and the Targaryen name, Jon justified his
decision to bend the knee by explaining that she was providing 2 elite armies and 2 full
grown dragons, which in addition to the Lannister army would help them survive the coming conflict.
Despite his words, many remained sceptical, like House Glover which refusing to provide
men for the defense of Winterfell.
Even his own family were not convinced, as Sansa was adamant the North must remain independent
and Arya was suspicious of the queen’s intentions.
The Three Eyed Raven Bran Stark however shared no opinions, largely keeping quiet and only
providing information when he deemed it necessary.
Even with all the challenges he faced, Jon Snow was convinced he did the right thing
as his relationship with the Queen grew closer, resulting in the dragon Rhaegal accepting
him as a rider, allowing them to soar through the skies together.
Unfortunately, their happiness was soon ripped away from them, when Bran Stark told Sam Tarley
to reveal the truth of Jon Snow’s origins.
Still in pain and angry after learning that his father and brother were burned alive by
the dragon Queen, Sam told Jon Snow that his mother was Lyanna Stark, his father was Rhaegar
Targaryen, and his true name was Aegon Targaryen, VI of his name and heir to the Iron throne.
Since Jon’s father Rhaegar was Dany’s older brother, the laws of Westeros and Targaryen
tradition meant Jon Snow was ahead of her in the line of succession.
Shocked and confused, Jon needed time to process the information, and kept away from everyone
while the Northern army assembled.
Meanwhile Jaime Lannister at last arrived in Winterfell where he was brought before
the Queen , explaining that he came to fulfil his oath to fight, but his sister would not
honor hers, and was instead raising a powerful force to secure her rule, comprised of the
Lannister army, the Iron Fleet and the Golden Company, a mercenary group from essos with
a reputation for never breaking a contract.
Though Daenerys and Sansa both mistrusted Jaime, Brienne of Tarth spoke on his behalf
and so he was reluctantly accepted into their service.
As Jaime took his place within the Stark Alliance, his sister Cersei gathered her armies in the
south, surrounding the capital with the Lannister Army as well as the 20,000 warriors and 2,000
horses of the Golden Company, while the Iron Fleet protected blackwater bay.
In order to strengthen their alliance, Queen Cersei was intimate with Euron Greyjoy and
then claimed she was pregnant with his child, though her brother Jaime Lannister was the
true father.
With Euron distracted in the capital, his nephew Theon Greyjoy led a mission to rescue
his sister Yara being held with the Iron Fleet.
Yara then commandeered a number of Euron’s ships and sailed to reclaim the Iron Islands
in the name of Daenerys Targaryen.
Theon however returned to Winterfell where he informed the queen of his sister’s plan
and with Sansa’s permission, entered into the service of House Stark.
Further North, after the collapse of a portion of the Wall, the night’s watch men from
East Watch led by Tormund Giantsbane and Beric Dondarrion, retreated south to Winterfell
as did the brothers at Castle Black led by Lord Commander Dolorous Edd Tollette.
Stopping at Last Hearth along the way, the two groups joined together and investigated
the massacre discovered, finding the young Lord Ned Umber impaled and left pinned to
a wall in a ritualistic pattern.
Realizing this meant the army of the dead was on its way to Winterfell, they raced south
to reach Jon Snow, warning him that the White Walkers would arrive by morning.
After ordering their people to begin final preparations for battle, Jon Snow called a
war council where he organized their strategy around killing the Night King, who fathered
their species, which in theory should destroy the White Walkers and Wights.
Knowing that the Night King was desperate to kill the Three Eyed Raven, Bran would be
left in the godswood as bait to trap and slay the enemy leader.
With their plans made and people organized, the heroes of the Stark Alliance spent their
last night in fellowship, and among the revelries, Brienne of Tarth was knighted by Jaime Lannister
and Sam Tarly gave his Valyrian steel sword Heartsbane to Jorah Mormont in honor of his
father Jeor Mormont.
Meeting in the crypts beneath the castle, Jon Snow revealed the truth about his origins
to Daenerys which she quickly realized meant he was the last male heir of the Targaryen
line.
Though she was shocked and angry, their discussion was interrupted by the warning horns signalling
that the White Walkers had arrived.
Armed with Dragonglass and Valyrian Steel, the armies and heroes of the Stark Alliance
positioned themselves in and around Winterfell, awaiting the enemy.
Defending the left flank was Jaime Lannister, Brienne of Tarth, Podrick Payne and the armies
of the vale, while on the right there was Sam Tarly, Ed Tollett, Gendry, Sandor Clegane,
Beric Dondarrion and Tormund Giantsbane, alongside the armies of the North, the free folk, and
the last of the Night’s Watch and Brotherhood without Banners.
The center was held by Greyworm and the Unsullied, with Jorah Mormont leading the Dothraki Vanguard,
accompanied by the direwolf Ghost.
The rest of their forces were position inside Winterfell, with Arya, Davos and others atop
the walls, while Lyanna Mormont and her men defended the inner courtyard.
In the godswood Bran Stark awaited the Night King, protected by Theon Greyjoy and the Ironborn,
and within the Crypts beneath the castle, non-fighters like Gilly, Tyrion, Varys and
Missandei and later Sansa took refuge with the women and children.
Watching from a distance, the dragons Drogon and Rhaegal soared through the darkening sky
while their riders Daenerys Targaryen and Jon Snow looked on with concern.
Though they gained some small hope of victory when the red priestess Melisandre arrived
and cast a spell to set the swords of the dothraki aflame, it was quickly abandoned
when a seemingly endless horde of undead wights massacred the vanguard and tore through the
Stark Alliance, pushing them back into Winterfell.
After Edd Tollett was lost in the initial fighting and Lyanna Mormont died killing a
giant who breeched the front gate, Beric Dondarrion was the next hero to fall, sacrificing himself
to save Arya Stark who then found herself locked in a room with Melisandre, the Red
Priestess which spoke a prophecy about her, years earlier saying “I see a darkness in
you, and in that darkness eyes staring back at me.
Brown eyes, Blue eyes, Green Eyes.
Eyes you’ll shut forever.
We will meet again.”
Outside the castle, Jon chased after the night king who avoided the fight by raising the
dead all around them, which now included all those who perished fighting for the alliance.
Daenerys was also trapped amongst the dead, but was saved by Jorah Mormont who died in
her defense.
With the enemy seeming invincible and their plan in shambles, even the women and children
were not safe, as the dead bodies of the crypt rose up and started killing the people trapped
within.
With the defenders largely vanquished, and the castle in ruins, the White Walkers marched
into the godswood, where The Night King killed the last Ironborn guard Theon Greyjoy with
his own spear.
Yet just as all seemed lost and the Night King reached for his sword to slay the three
eyed raven, Arya Stark ran quick and quiet past the white walkers, before leaping into
the air with a Valyrian steel dagger to plunge it into the Night King’s body.
Shattering the enemy leader, the White Walkers soon followed, as did Viserion and the undead
army, leaving the few survivors of the Stark Alliance to claim victory.
Though many died in the Battle of Winterfell, including half of the Dothraki and Unsullied
armies, the red priestess Melisandre was lost when it was over, taking off the magical necklace
to reveal her true self as an elderly women, before she collapsed and died.
After a mass funeral, House Stark hosted a great feast in celebration, where Queen Daenerys
named Gendry as the lawful son of Robert Baratheon and rightful heir to the Lordship of Storms
End.
However as the evening progressed the Queen grew increasingly uncomfortable watching the
northerners and wildlings praise Jon as a hero and king, while she sat alone like a
guest in a foreign land.
With the festivities completed, Daenerys called a war council to discuss the next stage of
their campaign, and after hearing that the new Prince of Dorne pledged his support and
Yara Greyjoy successfully reconquered the Iron Islands, it was decided the last of their
Northmen, Dothraki and Unsullied would march south and lay siege to the capital, while
their dragons accompanied a smaller force by sea to dragonstone, where they could stop
the Iron Fleet from bringing in supplies.
When the meeting was over, Arya, Sansa, Bran and Jon spoke privately in the godswood, where
the truth of Jon’s origins were revealed.
However because Jon did not want to be king or cause trouble for the Queen, he made them
swear an oath of secrecy, to which they both agree.
After learning the truth about the brother she loved, Arya left Winterfell alongside
the Hound, both bound for the capital where they had enemies to kill.
While drinking together in Winterfell, Jaime and Tyrion Lannister were confronted by Ser
Bronn of the Blackwater armed with a crossbow but he spared them when they promised to name
him Lord of Highgarden in the Reach.
Before the Targaryen Army left to conquer the south, Sansa broke her promise to Jon
Snow by revealing the truth of his Targaryen origins to Tyrion Lannister, who then spread
the information further to Varys the Spider who believed many would prefer a male heir
with a better claim.
After saying their goodbyes in Winterfell, Jon Snow and Davos Seaworth marched south
along the Kingsroad with the Targaryen army, while Daenerys, Missandei, Grey Worm, Tyrion,
Varys, Drogon and Rhaegal went to White Harbor where they set sail for Dragonstone.
Unfortunately the voyage by sea turned into a disaster when they discovered Euron Greyjoy
waiting for them with an upgraded Iron Fleet, launching a series of scorpion bolts which
struck and killed the dragon Rhaegal and forced Daenerys and Drogon into retreat.
This then allowed the Ironborn to destroy the Targaryen ships, resulting in the loss
of men and capture of Missandei, while Tyrion, Varys, Grey Worm and other survivors sought
refuge on Dragonstone.
Back in Winterfell, after giving into his feelings and being intimate with Brienne of
Tarth, Jaime Lannister learned of the death of the Rhaegal and defeat of the Dragon Queen’s
fleet, causing him to harshly end his new relationship and return to be with his sister
in King’s Landing.
Meanwhile, Deanerys gave Cersei one last chance to surrender, travelling to the gates of the
capital to discuss terms.
However, neither side was willing give in and so the prisoner Missandei was beheaded
in plain view of Grey Worm and the dragon queen.
Returning to Dragonstone, Daenerys grieved for the loss of her closest friend Missandei,
secluded herself, getting little sleep and refusing food.
Feeling isolated, desperate and unloved, she concluded her only path to the Throne was
to inspire fear, and in that vein executed Varys the Spider with dragon fire, when she
learned he was conspiring to name Jon Snow as king.
With the Targaryen Army ready for battle, they set off for King’s Landing, but not
before Tyrion made the Queen promise she would stop the attack if they rang the city bells,
signalling their surrender.
As the Battle of King’s Landing commenced, the capital was defended by the Lannister
Army, the Golden company and the iron fleet with scorpions placed along the walls and
on their ships.
Yet all these preparations proved useless against the full might of the dragon Drogon,
who was able to dodge their projectiles while raining torrents of fire upon them.
After defeating Euron and burning the Iron fleet, Dany set fire to the scorpions on the
walls, blasted through the city gates and destroyed the Golden Company and Lannister
forces outside the city.
Grey worm and jon snow then led the northmen, Dothraki and Unsulied into the city streets,
tearing their way through the defenders.
Their advance was so brutal, victory was soon assured and so the bells rang and the warriors
surrendered, but it was not enough to appease the Queen, who broke her promise and continued
the attack, destroying the city and massacring the civilian population.
Although Jaime Lannister was arrested by the Targaryen army on his way to the capital,
Tyrion released him he could find Cersei and flee with her to start a new life in Essos.
However on his way he encountered Euron Greyjoy and suffered to stab wounds before killing
his enemy and continuing on his way to find Cersei.
Meanwhile after convincing Arya to abandon her mission of revenge, Sandor fought a duel
with his brother Gregor Clegane, who in accepting the challenge disobeyed the queen and killed
her hand Qyburn.
Seeing that Gregor was immune to pain and injury, the hound charged at him and crashed
through a crumbling wall, launching both from a high tower to their deaths in the burning
ground below.
Scared and alone, Cersei broke down in tears when she found her brother Jaime, and the
two embraced before trying to escape to the boat Tyrion arranged for them only to be crushed
beneath falling stones under the Red Keep.
After the battle, Jon Snow and Davos Seaworth walked through the ruined city streets and
were upset to find Greyworm and the Unsullied executing unarmed Lannister Soldiers.
They then witnessed Queen Daenerys give a speech not only celebrating their victory
but also claiming the war would continue until they conquered all of the known world.
As Jon Snow looked on with dread, Tyrion approached the Queen and threw away his badge of office,
resigning as Hand of the Queen in protest of her actions.
Angered by his disrespect, and aware he committed treason by freeing Jaime Lannister, he was
arrested to await execution.
Encouraged by both Arya and Tyrion to choose duty over love and kill the Queen before her
war spread any further, Jon found Daenerys in the ruins of the throne room and stabbed
her through the heart as they embraced.
Crying over her fallen body, Jon was soon joined by Drogon, who targeted the Iron Throne
in his anger, melting it with dragonfire before picking up Dany’s body with its claws and
flying off away from the city.
After 8 years travelling across much of the known world, starting as an exiled princess
to become queen of the Seven Kingdoms, Daenerys Targaryen died in the Red Keep of King’s
Landing, before ever sitting the Iron Throne.
Since the Unsullied and Dothraki still controlled the city, Jon Snow was arrested but not killed,
as his death would result in a war with the North.
And so the most powerful lords of Westeros gathered for a Great Council, to discuss the
fate of the prisoners and future of the Seven Kingdoms.
Although Jon Snow was not allowed in the meeting, those in attendance included the prisoner
Tyrion, the Targaryen loyalist Grey Worm, speaking for the Unsullied and Dothraki in
possession of the capital, Samwell Tarley of Horn Hill in the Reach, Edmure Tully of
Riverrun in the Riverlands, as well as Arya, Bran and Sansa Stark of Winterfell in the
North.
From the Stormlands there was Gendry Baratheon of Storm’s End, Brienne Tarth of the Isle
of Tarth and Davos Seaworth of the rainwood, while the Iron Islands were represented by
Yara Greyjoy of Pyke, Dorne by their new Prince and the Vale by Robin Arryn of the Eerie and
Yohn Royce of Runestone.
With these influential leaders gathered together along with several other great lords of the
continent, they decided that Bran Stark, also known as Bran the Broken would rule as King.
Arguing that his knowledge of the past made him wise and the story of his life was unique
it was also decided they would abolish hereditary succession, in favour of an elective monarchy,
where representatives of the great Houses of Westeros could vote for future rulers.
To everyone’s surprise, Bran readily accepted the position and seemed to expect it, suggesting
this may have been part of his plan all along.
Though the vote was nearly unanimous, Bran’s sister Sansa Stark objected, refusing to surrender
control of the north, and proclaimed them an independent kingdom.
Bran accepted her decision and named Tyrion Lannister his Hand of the King.
In order to appease Greyworm and his the Targaryen army, Jon Snow could not be set free, and
so was sentenced to once again join the Night’s Watch to live out his days in exile.
Satisfied with the punishment, Greyworm and the Unsullied left Westeros and sailed for
the isle of Naath, in order to fulfil his promise to Missandei, and protect her people
from pirates and slavers.
Meanwhile, after the last of the Starks met at the docks of the capital to say their goodbyes,
Arya Stark left her old life behind to become the captain of her own ship, sailing west
to explore the uncharted waters of the Sunset Sea, while her sister Sansa returned to Winterfell
and was named Queen in the North.
Ruling as King of the Six Kingdoms, Bran the Broken remained in King’s Landing with Tyrion
Lannister as Hand, Samwell Tarley as Grand Maester, Lord Bronn of Highgarden as Master
of Coin, Lord Davos Seaworth as master of Ships, Podrick Payne as a Kingsguard and Brienne
of Tarth as Lord Commander of the King’s Guard.
As for Jon Snow, the last of living member of House Targaryen, he went to castle black
where he reunited with Tormund Giantsbane and his direwolf Ghost, before embarking on
a mission to resettle the free folk beyond the wall.
Though he was sad to have lost his place in Westeros, Jon seemed content to finally be
free, as he rode off into the far north.