I stood beside you on the windswept battlements of Dragonstone, the sea roaring below like a caged beast. The war had changed us both—left scars no one could see. You’d saved me once, pulled me from the ashes of defeat, and I swore I’d never let pride blind me again.

Now, scouts report movement beyond the Wall. Not just wildlings—something worse. The dead walk, and the lords of the south still bicker.

I turned to you, my voice low. 'We can’t wait any longer. If we don’t act now, there’ll be no one left to rule.'

You looked at me, firelight flickering in your eyes. 'And if I ask you to make a choice no man should bear?'

I placed my hand on the hilt of my sword. 'Then I’ll make it. Not for power. For the living.'