The world is becoming out of joint. The cruel winds of winter are coming, but they come at a slow turn. It is the summer of plenty, of long laughs and even longer lives. But that summer is coming to a close.
The Lord of Winterfell wants a better life for his bastard - a better life than even what his son would want. So Jon Snow travels across the Narrow Sea, where tales of an empire of horselords await him. A thousand roads he could travel, but he finds himself walking only the one, the one that brings him in conflict with a vicious dragon prince who will sell his sister for the Iron Throne.
And so begins a Song for Dragons
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This is an Alternate Universe A Song of Ice and Fire fanfic by Doublehex where Ned sends Jon off to Essos instead of to the wall and he gets entangled with the Targaryens.
This fanfiction contains examples of:
- Age Lift: Zig-Zagged. Some of the characters, like Jon and Daenerys, are closer to their ages in the show due to the author not wanting to write sexual content featuring minors. Others like Missandei, who was a child in the books and made into an adult for the series, are the same as the books.
- Berserk Button: Jon kills Viserys when he threatens his and Dany's child.
- Contrived Coincidence: Arya, Sansa and Jory all separately arrive in Astapor in time to help with rescuing Jon and overthrowing the masters of the city. This is lampshaded in the very next chapter.
- Determinator: Jon stays sane in the Abyss and survives for months in that hell because he is determined to kill Bloodbeard in revenge for Daenerys. He finds out much later that she lives and is determined to keep going for her and their son.
- Arya and Sansa make harrowing journeys through Essos to get to Jon and Daenerys for the sake of family. Ser Jory's party does the same for loyalty.
- Chilly Reception: Aegon and Jon Connington justify leaving Viserys and Daenerys unsupported to be bait for Baratheon assassins, the Golden Company's rejection of Viserys' pleas and going along with Daenerys being married off to Khal Drogo because they had to prioritize Aegon for the whole Heir Club for Men thing. Unsurprisingly, these get them a cold reception from Daenerys' court.
- Dead Fic: The most recent update is the author telling that they are giving up the fic.
- Doorstop per: At 500 thousand words, it's approximately a quarter the length of the combined A Song of Ice and Fire books.
- Entitled to Have You: As in canon, Jon Connington and the Golden Company expect for Daenerys to marry Aegon despite they're basically leaving her out to dry until the actually need her and her desire to be with Jon.
- Fish out of Water: Both Jon and Daenerys have a heck of a time adapting to Dothraki culture and again when they get entangled in Astapor. Arya, Sansa, Ser Barristan and Ser Jory's party all get their own experience with this trope upon arriving in Essos as they all (independently) journey to wherever Jon and Daenerys are.
- For Want Of A Nail: Among the butterflies caused by Jon going east instead of north:
- Robert has Ned imprisoned after Jorah reports Daenerys' pregnancy by Jon.
- The Reach declares for the North instead of joining with the Lannisters.
- Tywin dies in the Riverlands.
- Stannis takes King's Landing.
- Theon runs north, encounters the Night's Watch and some wights and then falls in with the wildlings.
- Jaime Lannister takes command of the Westerlands and declares himself king.
- The Golden Company actually get to where Daenerys is.
- The Friend Nobody Likes: Daenerys is the only one who likes Jorah at all. Everyone else is suspicious of him and the northerners outright dislike him but hold their tongues because of his (apparent) loyalty.
- Forced to Watch: Jon can only look helpless and screaming when Bloodbeard burns Daenerys's tent with her and their son inside.
- Gambit Pileup: Daenerys and Tormo Fregar both independently hatch up plans to take Astapor and save Jon. Arya, Sansa and Ser Barristan arrive and assist the former while Ser Jory Cassel and his men fell in with the Braavosi and assist them on their end. Both parties have to contend with the Wise Masters making their own plots, a siege and Bloodbeard.
- Lotus-Eater Machine: One of the illusions shown in the Ruins of Ghis to Daenerys is a trap showing Jon with their son under a lemon tree next to a house with a red door near the beach.
- Made a Slave: Jon is captured and enslaved in Astapor after Drogo's khalasar is destroyed.
- Mystical Pregnancy: Somehow, Daenerys does not get pregnant until she lays together with Jon. This is despite Drogo mounting her every night until they get to Vaes Sash.
- Old Master: No-Eyes the blind counselor of the Drogo's court is put in charge of training Jon (and later Arya). He shows how capable he is despite his age and disability.
- Shout-Out: When Jory, Harwin and Alyn arrive to Astapor with Talrios Fregar, the latter assigns roles based on their ability of speaking Valyrian like the Basterds when they fake being Italian.
- Arekor is pretty much Ephialtes, from his deformations to his wish to fight.
- Succession Crisis: The Targaryen part of this is complicated by Aegon having greater claim due to agnatic primogeniture placing him over Daenerys despite Rhaegar having been disinherited by Aerys before he died. The Golden Company are full of exiles and traitors that damage him by association, but they're of Westerosi descent and so would be automatically better regarded than Daenerys' court that's filled with Dothraki and former slaves. Ser Barristan is torn despite the oath he already gave.
- Undying Loyalty: Jon and Daenerys have this to each other, come hell or high water. Following the collapse of Drogo's khalasar, those that followed Daenerys have this for her and Jon that remains unchanged even after it comes to light that they cuckolded Drogo.
- Daenerys and Jory discuss this when the former expresses amazement at the loyalty Ned Stark commands. Loyalty that has them rush to extend Winterfell's protection to her and Jon solely on Ned's orders, contrasting with Ser Barristan who wavers and wonders which Targaryen he should actually be serving when Aegon arrives.
