Game of Thrones: The Legend of Jon Arctic - Chapter 263 - The Pact.
Added 2025-04-23 05:48:06 +0000 UTC[Chapter Size: 3700 Words.]
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Third Person POV
Arctic, 298 AC.
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"Open the gates." Jon gave the order, as the northern gate began to open.
"Start marching!" Ducken's order came next.
Then followed a line of soldiers, all armed, quickly marching out.
Manceâs free folk were at a distance as this happened.
Armored soldiers could be seen starting to rush out of that gate, followed by hundreds who soon became thousands, as they began to position themselves outside, further increasing their group.
The human soldiers were the first batch â about 20,000 of them â advancing outward.
Then came the dwarves, also armed with hammers, axes, and shields, moving to the sides and lining up.
The last group was the giants: around 5,000 of them advanced, all with spears and shields so massive they could cover their entire bodies, moving forward as the ground trembled beneath their steps.
The 45,000 Articans in formation outside the gate were there, already prepared to wage war, should Manceâs group prove hostile, frightening those on the other side as they saw such a force aligning in front of Ărticaâs walls and gates.
Jon rode through the midst of all his men, wearing his armor and Blackfyre at his waist, mounted on an armored Ghost, his royal guards along with Ducken, all clad in Valyrian steel armor, heading the army.
Jon wasnât doing this because he intended to fight Mance. In fact, he knew very well what that group had chosen by coming there. But even so, he had to demonstrate that the threat was serious. If any of them wished to harm Ărtica, they would pay and face the power of the kingdom.
Jon analyzed the group ahead, along with his key men, at the front line of his soldiers, waiting to see what Mance would do.
âMance...â Della approached Mance, concerned, watching the scene.
"Iâll have to go. Get my horse." he said and requested, as he mounted the animal and advanced with the group, with white flags signaling they came in peace.
Seeing that, Jon stepped forward with his wolf, advancing with his men.
They approached until they were face to face, stopping their mounts. The horses on the other side were slightly startled due to the size of the armored wolf, while the Artican horses were more used to it.
Even those who had seen direwolves before would never have imagined, not even in dreams, to see one the size of a giant, three meters tall, being ridden by the one who rode the dragon.
"Your group is smaller, Mance." Jon said, analyzing the man with a calm tone.
"Certainly some did not agree to come to the kingdom and didnât believe your words. We had a disagreement and chose to go separate ways." Mance replied. After all, not everyone would truly follow Jon, believing in negative rumors about him and also Jon had made a list of people he didnât want entering Ărtica.
"So that means you accepted the proposal? You're willing to join Ărtica?" Jon asked, already knowing the answer.
"Yes. But youâre scaring my people." he said.
"We brought only a part of the army. But did you expect me not to take appropriate measures in case you were an enemy?" Jon said.
"I donât believe youâd attack us with such a force. To me, youâre just showing off." The blonde beside Mance muttered.
Jon looked at her, remembering the one called Val and smiled.
"You may see it that way, but it also shows the confidence we have. After all, Mance knew very well that if we had fought, staying behind the walls wouldâve been much easier to retaliate against your group at first."
"With that giant number you have, you donât need to stay behind the walls." Mance murmured.
"Anyway, something tells me you still want to negotiate, donât you?" Jon said, still holding a small smile, now directed at Mance.
"Yes. Obviously, we want some guarantees. After all, these people trusted your word and, because of your actions that helped us against the white walkers... And those magical trees you created out of nowhere... That managed to give us a good stock of food to get here." he said.
"I understand. Alright. Ducken, bring the army back inside and set up a large tent for the occasion, after all, we still need to negotiate." Jon ordered.
His men quickly began to move, while part of the army returned inside the walls, leaving only a small group to stay and protect the king, while the rest remained ready to advance if anything went wrong, leaving the rest of the free folk relieved with the idea that this would not turn into a slaughter.
The tent was raised while Jon stayed inside alone for a few minutes, waiting for Mance to enter shortly after. It would be a conversation between the two of them, with Jon offering wine while the man accepted, drinking and cautiously looking at the young man in front of him.
"The wine is really good. I've never had better, not even when I was with the Night's Watch." he murmured.
"We have good vintages in our lands, believe it or not. So, making wine in Ărtica is not a problem, rivaling the best in the world. And we donât even have wine aged long enough yet, since we only started producing it a few years ago, so what youâre drinking is what weâre currently selling, and others that are aging we reserve for special occasions. Those, yes, we can say thereâs nothing like them in the world." Jon said.
Although the special wine cellars were only now starting to be stocked, they were just waiting for enough time to age the wine and create superior quality.
"Seems like a very good life." he commented.
"It is. I met many people who said they came from your camp. Theyâre quite prosperous in Ărtica. Youâll have the chance to meet them if we reach an agreement." Jon said.
"Like a forest witch from long ago? I remember, ten years ago, hearing rumors in the northern camp that a witch was saying the true king of the Wall had entered these lands. I thought she was crazy. Maybe not so much, looking now." he said, analyzing Jon and taking another sip of wine.
"I'm a little flattered by your words, Mance Rayder. When I was treated like a thief in Winterfell ten years ago, I never thought my fate would be this one." he said, as Mance raised an eyebrow, not understanding what Jon meant.
"A story for another time, if you want to hear it. Anyway, letâs continue." Jon said, taking another sip of wine and looking serious.
"I'm willing to let your people enter and become part of Ărtica. However, we have some values we donât accept, and they are often practiced by the free folk outside the walls of Ărtica. I hope you respected the list I gave you with the names of those who werenât welcome." Jon said with a serious look.
"I wonât say they were very happy, but yes, we were the majority and we managed to remove all of them. But theyâre not happy at all, and they formed a new group â they could be dangerous." Mance said cautiously.
"If theyâre so impatient as to try attacking us... well, weâll deal with them." Jon said coldly.
"We want to hear your rules, but we also have some demands." Mance said.
"What do you want?" Jon asked.
"We want something that guarantees a position of leadership in your kingdom, so we can adapt and have some power for our own people. Donât take it the wrong way, you canât blame us for being cautious about entering your kingdom." Mance said.
"Hm..." Jon seemed to ponder, scratching his chin as he looked at Mance, then turned back to him.
"That sounds like a reasonable request. But thatâs not all, is it?" he asked.
"No. You said you have wives. I want you to guarantee the well-being of our people through something we donât like, but sometimes do... You might understand?" Mance suggested.
"...to forge alliances even north of the Wall, the free folkâwhen conquering or uniting a tribe through war or allianceâthe weaker side offers a young woman to the stronger leader to take as a wife. That woman usually holds a strong position, either as a daughter of the former chief or another important figure in the tribe. This ensures the leader commits to taking care of the weaker tribe, which now belongs to him as well, creating a bond..." Jon completed Manceâs thought.
He knew the custom well, of course. The free folk didnât usually form alliances through marriage, but it certainly worked in many cases, as a strong man in the North had the right to more than one spearwife.
"Exactly." Mance nodded.
"And who would she be? The blonde?" he asked, since Jon had never seen the blonde with any man, and from what he could tell, she was Manceâs wifeâs sister.
"Val. Thatâs her name. She said you already stole her." he said, as Jon raised an eyebrow.
"Me?" he asked, confused, before remembering the moment he descended from the dragon in the northern battle, disarmed her, and pinned her to the ground.
"I wouldnât call that stealing." he said, remembering that only one wife had come to him by that customâYgritteâwho had tried to steal him during the early years in Ărtica and ended up growing close to him.
"Val was never touched, if thatâs what worries you. She was never stolen, but rather, protected. You know we donât have moon tea like southerners, and probably you... so the women here, when they donât want to get pregnant, they really donât have relationships with anyone. And Val only wanted to have a child after crossing the Wall. Sheâs one of our guarantees here, so youâll respect the people at your gates." Mance explained.
"This proposal is still a little surprising... not that sheâs bad physically. But I... would need to get to know her. And Iâd also have to talk to my other wives, since I already have five." Jon said, thoughtfully.
"That is our demand." he said. "Along with housing and food."
"Youâll have more than that, donât worry. So, you want a high-ranking position in Ărtica and an alliance through marriage?" Jon said, laughing, finding it amusing. It was the last thing he expected from the free folk.
"Yes..." Mance replied.
"I can give you a seat on the council, provided you train for it. After all, itâs a big responsibility to manage all the areas of the kingdom. You might think Iâm exaggerating when I say âkingdom,â since we only have one city. Not a small one, I know, but still just a city." he said, pausing, wanting to explain to Mance the future of the North.
"However, after finishing with the White Walkers, we intend to conquer all the northern regions beyond the Wall. Weâll expand the kingdom all the way to the Wall, building several cities. We've already planned to do this in various strategic locations. Thatâs why we already treat Ărtica as the command center of the entire North. In any case, youâll need to be prepared for that. Youâll receive special training. Do you know how to read and write?" Jon asked Mance at the end.
"I know the common tongue and I can also speak the old language, since Della and Valâs parents taught them." he said.
"Thatâs good. In any case, I can give you a seat on the council when youâre ready, and you can even start attending our meetings as training. But you wonât be able to give any opinions until youâre fully prepared. And if youâre not ready for the position, Iâll have to deny it, because I need capable people more than political posts." Jon said, pausing.
"I can also bring Val to the castle and keep her as a future queen. However, I havenât âtakenâ her. Iâll be there to get to know her first, and sheâll also get to know me. If she doesnât want the marriage, and if I donât find her suitable as a queen, weâll cancel it and will have to approach this differently. But until then, I believe youâll already see how Ărtica works. Do you think thatâs fair?" he asked.
"That seems reasonable." Mance said after a moment in silence.
"Perfect. Then Iâll prepare a document to formalize all our terms. Youâll be able to keep it as a guarantee and hold me to our agreement. After all, my reputation is on the line here, and itâs also a guarantee that I wonât harm your people." Jon said.
"What will happen to our people inside your kingdom after this?" Mance couldnât help but ask, as he still didnât fully know what roles they would have in the kingdom, although he didnât believe theyâd be enslaved like many who had abandoned the idea and gone another way.
"There are 80,000 people here from what I can tell. 60,000 are warriors, while 20,000 are elderly and children." Jon began, already having studied Manceâs entire group through his animals in the sky.
"The men will fight in the army. The women can also enlist and take up arms if they choose; all of them can become part of the force you saw passing through our gates, including your giants. But they can also work as guards within the kingdom."
"Those who donât want to work in the military can go into agricultural or commercial areas, and they can travel too, if they manage to get a place on the shipsâwhich isnât easy, since the people of Ărtica spend moons out at sea to deliver goods to our markets. But in return, theyâre very well paid." Jon explained.
"I see... I think." Mance commented.
"In any case, Iâve already prepared a book in the common tongue with all the rules of Ărtica in a simple format. But Iâll also send someone to explain each one of them, because the law book is a bit too complex to grasp immediately, and I donât think the free folk will be able to understand it just by reading. No offense." Jon said.
"Itâs fine." Mance nodded.
In the end, each one left the tent to return to their groups and explain the situation, while an Artican man went with Mance along with guards to discuss the laws with the free folk.
Jon held a meeting with Brynden, Kiera, and Seraphine, who arrived shortly after, joining the King and Ducken as they debated the conversation with the leader representing the tribes.
What became a rather complex meeting, after all, was by far the largest unionâat onceâof an external people into Ărtica, with a possible 80,000 individuals entering all at once. Certainly, they would need to provide both security and infrastructure.
There was a part of the city that had yet to be used, with housing already available for at least 50,000 people. They could immediately begin construction of the remaining homes within a week, with thousands of dwarves workingâso that wasnât a problem. Food wouldnât be an issue either, with Ărticaâs farms fully stocked, along with the reserves in the granaries.
What Jon would have to worry about was security, alongside the Minister of Justice, Kiera, who oversaw it with Ducken, head of Ărticaâs policing force.
But everything had been carefully planned, and there was no fear that 80,000 people would spiral out of control before they adapted to the rhythm of the kingdom and its laws. Problems were inevitable, but even so, the security forces were strong and capable enough to handle them.
In the end, Mance returned to the tent still standing between the two groups, on the northern side of Ărtica, as he advanced with a group of people. Among them was Val, whom Jon couldnât help but stare at, while the blonde kept her piercing gaze locked on him since the moment she saw him again.
The man who had been sent to discuss the laws and rules of Ărtica with Mance and the rest of the tribes returned to Jonâs group, confirming that everything had been covered in the final hour.
"I believe everything went well then. And the laws were clear, right?" Jon ignored Valâs stare and turned to Mance, who nodded.
"Yes. I canât say everyone agreed with those laws, but I told them they could turn around and leave. They all still want to enter your kingdom, Jon. Ărtica. They all want to survive and see their children be born." Mance said seriously.
"Very well. Then give me the documents." Jon requested, as Brynden came forward with the scrolls. He opened the first one on the table where Mance and the Artican king were seated, each representing their side.
"Here are two scrolls of this treaty document." Jon said, picking up and opening the second.
He began to explain as he went over the content of the agreement, which was essentially everything they had discussed: housing, food, the addition of education and training in all areas that Ărtica could offer. The free folk would follow the kingdomâs laws and fight by its side. A seat on the council was guaranteed, as well as a marriageâif both parties agreedâmentioning Jon and Val.
Jon asked that each of the groups sign, with witnesses, both scrolls, ending with the signatures of Jon and Mance as the primary negotiators.
Thus, the pact was finalized. It would be known as the Final Pact, before the North became the Land of the Dead, and it would save 80,000 people from the fate all others had suffered outside the walls of Ărtica.
In the end, Mance kept one scroll, and the other was taken by Jon, who asked his men to bring it directly to the Senate vault.
"Prepare your people. Iâll open the gate, and youâll officially become part of the kingdom. We can now also call you Articans." Jon said, with a satisfied smile, as Mance said his goodbyes and left with his groupâstill with the blonde woman staring at him the entire time.
"Another wife, my king? I can barely handle one, and you already have six." Ducken remarked with a humorous tone.
"Yes..." Jon sighed. "If sheâs suitable, why not?" he shrugged. She wasnât bad in his eyes. Maybe not as strikingly beautiful as the othersâdue to the effects of potionsâbut that could change. Jon was thinking of strengthening her, turning her into a strong woman, suitable to be his queen if she fit as his wife. After all, he wanted to get to know her and see how she would deal with the others and with his children. There were women who didnât like the children of others, and Jon would never accept someone who didnât respect his children or couldnât provide a healthy environment for his entire family.
In any case, the Artican army men began returning inside, clearing the path while the others waited outside. Manceâs group approached, mostly on foot, bringing carts, animals, and all sorts of things, having packed up their tents and shelters.
Jon could see the stunned look in everyoneâs eyes as they stepped onto the land of Ărtica. The moment they set foot in it, they saw the city and the vast farmland, while to the west there wasnât muchâafter all, they were in the northern training grounds of the army, with a large open space.
Jon watched the groups moving forward. Now mounted on a horse, he kicked forward and advanced to the front, while some Articans were already guiding the newcomers to where they would stay, arranging homes and a space for those who didnât yet have a permanent placeâsomething already being planned in that moment. In less than two weeks, or perhaps in just one, everyone would have a house.
"Mance." Jon greeted the first group, while Mance nodded back at him, seeing the kingâs guard coming right behind. But Jon didnât go to Manceâhe went straight to the blonde, moving alongside her.
"So, youâre Val?" Jon asked, looking at her.
"And youâre the Artican king." she replied with a serious and cautious tone.
Jon smiled. "Call me Jon. Would you like to ride with me up front?" he asked, wanting to get to know the woman with whom he had exchanged few words so far, but was already bound to through a pact.
"I..." Val seemed a little caught off guard by the sudden request.
"Sheâs available, go on." The one who spoke was her sister, Della, visibly pregnant, as she looked at the younger woman, who glanced back at her in surprise.
"Mance will take care of me. They donât seem bad. Get to know this man, Val." Della said, and Val nodded carefully before kicking her horse forward, drawing up beside Jon.
He asked his men to give them some space so they could talk, while Jon rode slightly ahead of the rest of the group. Val stayed beside him, cautious, though she still had that same intense gaze sheâd shown in the tent where the pact was sealed.
"Is what you see pleasing?" Jon began with a question, breaking the silence between them, as the great tree stood tallâone of the most impressive sights in Ărtica.
Jon noticed her eyes drifting to it every now and then.
"Itâs impressive. I didnât know a sacred tree could be so massive." she commented.
"Yes, but thatâs only one aspect of Ărtica. Iâm sure youâll be even more impressed as time goes on." Jon said, as he rode forward, with Val continuing at his side, and a conversation finally beginning to form between them.
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Raccoon Here:
I believe that this kind of agreement between the free folk should also exist, even north of the Wall, through marriage.
Iâve just built the initial relationship between Jon and Val â I hope it didnât come off as strange.
I want to write another chapter about King's Landing and one about Winterfell, showing things moving in the South, and weâll finally begin the war and the game of thrones.
