Her Watch Has Ended

Chapter XLIX

Silence.

It was bittersweet.

Walking through the courtyard the air was cold and a light snow fell from the skies. Taliya could feel a slight sense of calm hit her as she made her way to the mess hall.

"Breathe Taliya." She told herself as she approached the door. Pushing it open she walked into chaos. Men screaming at one another, quick movements and one man sitting at the top table just observing.

She moved through the mess and everyone began to stop & stare at her. Blood covered her face and body. They began to whisper as she walked past them. She finally stopped in front of Thorne.

"I assume we're here to talk about how you murdered your Lord Commander?" She spoke to him.

He stood from his chair "Yes. We are here to discuss why he had to die no matter how horrific."

That bittersweet silence returned. Everyone began to take their seats and turned towards Thorne as he continued to speak.

"We've committed treason, all of us. Jon Snow was my Lord Commander. I had no love for him, that was no secret, but I never once disobeyed an order. Loyalty is the foundation on which the Night's Watch is built, and the Watch means everything to me. I've given my life, we've all given our lives to the Night's Watch. Jon Snow was going to destroy the Night's Watch. He led the wildlings through our gates as no Lord Commander has ever done before. He gave them the very land on which they reaved and raped and murdered. Lord Commander Snow did what he thought was right, I've no doubt about that, and what he thought was right would have been the end of us. He thrust a terrible choice upon us, and we made it.*"

"YOUR LORD COMMANDER SER THORNE!" Taliya burst out, she started to laugh, "No doubt in my mind that you couldn't stand to see him sitting above you at that table, making choices you should've been making. It wasn't about the fucking wildlings. It was about your obsession for power you twat." She couldn't stop herself from laughing. "This blood," she pointed to her face, "This blood poured from the man I love. A lake of red sits out in the snow as we speak. You completed mutiny you bastard. And you'll hang for it."

She made her way out of the mess hall and glanced at Olly as she opened the door.

Slamming it shut she made her way back to Jon's office.

Her hands were shaking as she stopped to look at the crimson that soaked the snow. She could feel the tears coming again so she ran.

Once back inside the office she noticed there were more men. They surrounded Jon's body and at the head stood the beautiful Red Woman.

"What is she doing to him?" She asked Sam.

"Davos had Ed fetch her. Apparently he thinks this Lord of Light can bring Jon back."

Hearing that made Taliya feel somewhat relieved but not hopeful. Magic was still new to her so she had no trust in it.

As Melisandre worked Taliya decided to have some kind of rest. She grabbed Jon's hand as she sat on the floor beside him. She felt her eyes drawing heavy and let herself go.