Winterfell

You should consider yourself lucky. At least your balls won't freeze off.

You take great offense at dwarf jokes, but love telling eunuch jokes. Why is that?

Because I have balls, and you don't.

I warned you. Northerners don't much trust outsiders.

Look at you.

You're a man.

Almost.

Where's Arya?

Lurking somewhere.

Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen. My sister, Sansa Stark, the Lady of Winterfell.

Thank you for inviting us into your home, Lady Stark. The North is as beautiful as your brother claimed, as are you.

Winterfell is yours, Your Grace.

We don't have time for all this. The Night King has your dragon.

He's one of them now. The Wall has fallen, the dead march south.

As soon as we heard about the Wall, I called all our banners to retreat to Winterfell. Lord Umber when can we expect your people to arrive?

We need more horses and wagons, if it please my lady.

And my lord.

And my queen. Sorry.

You'll have as many as we can spare. Hurry back to Last Hearth and bring your people here.

We need to send ravens to the Night's Watch as well. There's no sense in manning the castles anymore. We make our stand here.

At once, Your Grace.

"Your Grace."

But you're not. Are you? You left Winterfell a king and came back a- I'm not sure what you are now.

A lord? Nothing at all?

It's not important.

Not important? We named you King in the North.

King of the North!

You did, my lady. It was the honor of my life. I'll always be grateful for your faith. But when I left Winterfell, I told you we need allies or we will die. I have brought those allies home to fight alongside us. I had a choice, keep my crown or protect the North. I chose the North.

If anyone survives the war to come, we'll have Jon Snow to thank. He risked his life to show us the threat is real. Thanks to his courage, we have brought with us the greatest army the world has ever seen. We have brought two full-grown dragons. And soon, the Lannister army will ride north to join our cause.

I know, I know, our people haven't been friends in the past. But we must fight together now or die.

May I ask, how are we meant to feed the greatest army the world has ever seen? While I ensured our stores would last through winter, I didn't account for Dothraki, Unsullied and two full-grown dragons. What do dragons eat, anyway?

Whatever they want.

Hey, careful, lads. We need every last bit of it.

Sorry 'bout that.

Are these the last of the wagons?

Aye.

All right, let's get it all to the forges.

My lord. My lady.

My lady.

The Lady of Winterfell. Has a nice ring to it.

So does Hand of the Queen. Depending on the queen, I suppose.

Last time we spoke was at Joffrey's wedding. Miserable affair.

It had its moments.

Apologies for leaving like that.

Yes, it was a bit hard to explain why my wife fled moments after the king's murder.

We both survived.

Many underestimated you. Most of them are dead now.

I'm sure you weren't thrilled to hear the Lannister army's marching north. You have every right to be fearful of my sister. No one fears her more than I do. But I promise, you'll be safe-

Cersei told you her army was coming north to fight for you?

She did.

And you believed her?

She has something to live for now. I believe she wants to survive.

I used to think you were the cleverest man alive.

You used to be taller.

How did you sneak up on me?

How did you survive a knife through the heart?

I didn't.

You still have it.

Needle.

Have you ever used it?

Once or twice.

Valyrian steel.

Jealous?

Too heavy for me.

Where were you before? I could've used your help with Sansa.

She doesn't like your queen, does she?

Sansa thinks she's smarter than everyone.

She's the smartest person I've ever met.

Now you're defending her?

You?

I'm defending our family. So is she.

Yeah. I'm her family too.

Don't forget that.EXT – KING'S LANDING - DAYPan down from a view of the Red Keep to see QYBURN walking up to CERSEI LANNISTER who stares out at the sea.

Your Grace, I'm afraid I bring terrible news. The dead have broken through the Wall.

Good.

Why don't you just get it over with and kill me?

But we're family. The last Greyjoys left in the world. The last ones with balls anyway.

If I kill you who can I talk to? Hmm?

I've got a crew full of mutes. It gets lonely at sea.

Are we in King's Landing?

Mm.

You picked the losing side.

Then I'll sail the Iron Fleet somewhere else.

But first I'm gonna fuck the queen.

Twenty-thousand men, is it?

Yes, Your Grace. A few died in transit.

They cheated at dice. Or maybe I cheated. Someone cheated. They weren't good fighters. You won't miss them.

Horses?

Two thousand.

And elephants?

Uh, no elephants, Your Grace.

That's disappointing. I was told the Golden Company had elephants.

They are excellent beasts, Your Grace, but not well-suited to long sea voyages.

In any event, you are most welcome here in King's Landing, Captain Strickland.

We look forward to fighting on your behalf, Your Grace.

Am I most welcome here?

You are a true friend of the crown and an honored guest.

Good. As a true friend and an honored guest

I was hoping we could talk in private.

After the war. That was our agreement.

Wars sometimes last years.

You want a whore, buy one. You want a queen, earn her.

How?

I've given her justice, an army, and the Iron Fleet, yet she gives me no sign of affection. My heart is nearly broken.

You're insolent. I've executed men for less.

They were lesser men.

I hear the dragon burnt up a thousand Lannister men.

Burnt up some of my favorite boys.

Archie, was it?

And William.

Tall handsome William?

Yeah, tall handsome William.

They said what's left of him could fit in a wine glass.

I am the only man you ever met who shot a dragon.

Did you?

Nearly killed it.

That's brave.

That boy Eddie.

The ginger?

That's him. Came back with his face burnt right off. He's got no eyelids now.

How does he sleep with no eyelids?

All right, can we stop talking about the fucking dragons now?

Ser Bronn of the Blackwater.

You're kidding me.

Apologies for the interruption, but the queen did urge me to hurry.

Sorry, ladies. Another time perhaps.

You ever get lonely; I am partial to older gentlemen.

Poor girl. The pox will take her within the year.

Which girl?

The queen's brothers made promises to you and broke them. Her Grace wants to rectify their mistake.

She once gave me a castle and a wife, then rectified me right out of them.

That was Ser Jaime's doing, not hers. When Queen Cersei wants something, she pays in advance and in gold. Several chests of it, in fact. Waiting for you in a wagon just outside.

So, she wants to murder someone, but she can't send her soldiers. If it's the Dragon Queen she's after-

She has other plans for the Targaryen girl.

Yeah, well, good luck with that.

Our queen's brothers are unlikely to survive their Northern adventures. But in the event that they do-

She has a keen sense of poetic justice.

That fucking family.

When the Citadel expelled me, I thought I would die poor and alone, but in exchange for my service, Queen Cersei made me her Hand. What would she do for the man who rids her of her treasonous brothers?

I wanted those elephants.

So, how do I compare to the fat king?

You're insulting my late husband?

Are you offended?

Robert had a different whore every night, but he still didn't know his way around a woman's body.

And the Kingslayer?

You enjoy risking your neck, don't you?

Life is boring.

You're not boring, I'll give you that.

Do I please the queen?

You might be the most arrogant man I've ever met. I like that.

But now I want to be alone.

I'm going to put a prince in your belly.

Euron can't defend the Iron Islands, not if he's in King's Landing with all his men and his ships.

We can take our home back.

Daenerys went north.

Daenerys will need somewhere to retreat if they can't hold the North. Somewhere the dead can't go.

You're my queen. I go where you command.

You want to go to Winterfell. To fight for the Starks. Go. What is dead may never die.

What is dead may never die.

But kill the bastards anyway.

Welcome back, my lady. If you'd follow me

The Karstarks.

One of the better sigils. Beats an onion, anyway.

Can't argue with that.

Not so long ago, the Starks and the Karstarks were slaughtering each other on the battlefield. Jon Snow brought peace to the houses.

And our queen is grateful.

Her gratitude is lovely, but that's not my point. The Northmen are loyal to Jon Snow, not to her. They don't know her. The Free Folk don't know her. I've been up here a while, and I'm telling you, they're stubborn as goats. You want their loyalty, you have to earn it.

I sense that you're leading to a proposal.

A proposal is what I'm proposing. On the off chance that we survive the Night King, what if the Seven Kingdoms, for once in their whole shit history, were ruled by a just woman and an honorable man?

They do make a handsome couple.

You overestimate our influence. Jon and Daenerys don't want to listen to lonely old men.

I'm not that old.

Not as old as him.

Our queen respects the wisdom of age.

Of course she does. Respect is how the young keep us at a distance, so we don't remind them of an unpleasant truth.

What is that?

Nothing lasts.

Your sister doesn't like me.

She doesn't know you. If it makes you feel any better, she didn't like me either when we were growing up.

She doesn't need to be my friend but I am her queen. If she can't respect me-

How many today?

Only eighteen goats and eleven sheep.

What's the matter?

The dragons are barely eating.

What's wrong with them?

They don't like the North.

Go on.

I don't know how to ride a dragon.

Nobody does. Until they ride a dragon.

What if he doesn't want me to?

Then I've enjoyed your company, Jon Snow.

What do I hold onto?

Whatever you can.

You've completely ruined horses for me.

We could stay a thousand years-

No one would find us.

We'd be pretty old.

It's cold up here for a southern girl.

So keep your queen warm.

Don't be afraid.

Gendry?

He's here.

It isn't easy making a blade that big with dragonglass.

You're saying you're good, is that it?

I'm just saying it's a tricky material to-

You know who makes weapons for the wildlings? Cripples and cocksuckers. Which one are you?

Leave him be.

I heard you were here. You left me to die.

First I robbed you.

You're a cold little bitch, aren't you? Guess that's why you're still alive.

That was a nice ax you made for him. You've gotten better.

Yeah, thanks. So have you.

I mean, you look good.

Thanks. So do you.

It's not a bad place to grow up, if it wasn't so cold.

Stay close to that forge, then.

Is that a command, Lady Stark?

Don't call me that.

As you wish, milady.

Here's my wish.

Can you make it?

What do you need something like this for?

Can you make it or not?

You already have a sword. What's that?

It's Valyrian steel. I always knew you were just another rich girl.

You don't know any other rich girls.

Come in.

Lord Glover wishes us good fortune, but he's staying in Deepwood Motte with his men.

"House Glover will stand behind House Stark as we have for a thousand years." Isn't that what he said?

"I will stand behind Jon Snow," he said.

"The King in the North."

I told you we needed allies.

You didn't tell me you were going to abandon your crown.

I never wanted a crown. All I wanted was to protect the North. I brought two armies home with me, two dragons.

And a Targaryen queen.

Do you think we can beat the Army of the Dead without her? I fought them, Sansa. Twice. You want to worry about who holds what title, I'm telling you it doesn't matter. Without her, we don't stand a chance.

Do you have any faith in me at all?

You know I do.

She'll be a good queen. For all of us. She's not her father.

No, she's much prettier.

Did you bend the knee to save the North or because you love her?

Oh!

So you're the man?

Um. Which man am I, Your Grace?

The one who saved Ser Jorah when no one else could.

They could, they just wouldn't.

I'll have to make some changes in the Citadel when I take my throne. A great service merits a great reward.

Oh, it's my honor to serve you, Your Grace.

Well, there must be something I could give you.

If it's not too much trouble, I could use a pardon.

For what crime?

Um, I borrowed a few books from the Citadel.

And also a sword.

From the Citadel?

From my family. It's been in House Tarly for generations.

It would've been mine anyway, eventually, but my father had other ideas.

Not Randyll Tarly?

You know him?

I offered to let him retain his lands and titles if he bent the knee. He refused.

Well At least I'll be allowed home again, now that my brother's the lord.

Your brother stood with your father.

Hm. Thank you, Your Grace. For telling me. And m- may I?

Of course.

What are you doing out here?

Waiting, for an old friend. It's time to tell Jon the truth.

No, no. You're his brother. Shouldn't you tell him?

I'm not his brother. He trusts you more than anyone. Now's the time.

Sam?

I'm sorry, I know I'm not supposed to be down here.

Were you hiding from me?

Of course not.

What are you doing in Winterfell? Or did you read every book in the Citadel already?

What's wrong? Gilly? Is she all right?

She's good.

Little Sam?

Don't you know?

Know what?

Daenerys. She executed my father and brother. They were her prisoners.

She didn't tell you.

I'm so sorry. We need to end this war.

Would you have done it?

Well, I've executed men who disobeyed me.

You've also spared men. Thousands of wildlings when they refused to kneel.

I wasn't a king.

But you were. You've always been.

I gave up my crown, Sam.

I bent the knee. I'm not King in the North anymore.

I'm not talking about the King in the North. I'm talking about the King of the bloody Seven Kingdoms.

Bran and I worked it out. I had a High Septon's diary. Bran had whatever Bran has.

What are you talking about?

Your mother was Lyanna Stark.

And your father- your real father was Rhaegar Targaryen. You've never been a bastard. You're Aegon Targaryen, true heir to the Iron Throne. I'm sorry, I know it's a lot to take in.

My father was the most honorable man I ever met. You're saying he lied to me all my life.

No. Your father- Well, Ned Stark. He promised your mother he'd always protect you. And he did. Robert would have murdered you if he knew. You're the true king. Aegon Targaryen, Sixth of His Name, Protector of the Realm, all of it.

Daenerys is our queen.

She shouldn't be.

That's treason.

It's the truth. You gave up your crown to save your people. Would she do the same?

Stay back, he's got blue eyes!

I've always had blue eyes!

Did you find anyone?

The Umber boy.

It's a message. From the Night King.

His army's between us and Winterfell. We're on foot.

We rode down from Castle Black. We can double up on the horses.

If the horses last, we'll get there before the dead.

We just have to hope the Night King doesn't come first-