Prince Crow

"Prince?!" Tormund asked, looking Jon up and down as if he were expecting a crown to pop up on his head.

"Aye," Mance replied casually as if he were used to having a southern prince infiltrating his camp. "This Baby Crow as you called him, has as many fake titles as you do, Tormund. The Winter Prince, the Dragonwolf. The White Wolf, the son of Ice and Fire. The heir to the Iron Throne..."

"You said that the dragon kings of the south had snow-white hair and purple eyes?" Tormund asked Mance, pointing at Jon's dark hair.

"His father does... But his mother was born a Stark of Winterfell."

Jon nearly flinched as the entire tent fell silent, the wildlings eyeing him with increased suspicion. Even Ygritte had daggers in her eyes at the revelation.

"Stark of Winterfell..." Tormund parroted, "This crow is related to Benjen Stark?"

"Forgive my friend, Prince Jaehaerys, they're not too fond of your uncle or any other Starks." Mance said with a soft smile, "Yet I find it hard to believe that your father would send you to take the Black."

"My father is dead. Aegon now rules upon the Iron Throne." Jon said solemnly, still finding it hard to accept the truth of his father's passing.

"We'll drink to him." Mance said as he took a different flagon from what he was drinking and poured them both a drink. Red, unlike the mead. "I've meet him once, he was a good man."

"How do you know him? Or me?" Jon asked as he took the drink, recognising the smell as dornish strongwine. A rare brew beyond the Wall.

"A story for another time," Mance said as he downed the **** quickly. "I've also met your princely brother, he too would not send you to take the Black."

"He didn't. I am merely an envoy to the Night's Watch, watching and learning if they truly deserve aid from the Iron Throne." Jon said, the strongwine doing most of the talking. "I may be wearing the black of the Night's Watch but I promised Aegon that I would not say the words without his blessings. Which makes me as much a crow as anyone of you."

With that Mance burst out laughing. "You didn't take your vows? Bloody hells, you've wasted me time! You should have told us sooner, my men hates Starks and southerners, sure, but we do not hate kneelers as much as we do crows. Tormund, don't you have daughters with a kneeler wife."

"Kneeler?! She's a SHE-BEAR!" Tormund exclaimed loudly, shocking Jon with his sudden and thunderous outburst. "Oh, you should see her! Five cubs she's given me. I have to climb the fookin' Wall and swim in icy waters for three days to reach her island. But its worth it I tell ya. WORTH IT! Oh, she's a fine strong woman with the biggest pair of..."

So that's why they call him Tall-talker, Jon mused as Tormund went into details about his sexual encounter with the beast.

"Thank you for the gift, Lord O' Bones." Mance addressed Jon's captor while Tormund started sobbing about how the bear bit off a half of his cock. "You may leave us. I wish to talk to the prince alone."

"W-what? Even me too?" Tormund asked when he saw Jarl and Styr follow Rattleshirt out of the king's tent, with Ygritte lingering for a moment before casting Jon one last longing look until she too left.

"You especially, Tormund." Mance said. "Before you eat all me food."

"What? There's plenty lef... OH!" Tormund's eyes widened as he realises that there was just one chicken left over the brazier. Clearly, there had been much more. "Fine, fine... I know where I'm not wanted... I'll go see what Harma is cooking..."

"That redhead likes you. You like her back?" Mance asked, once they were alone with his family.

"There's someone waiting for me back in King's Landing." Jon said with a heavy heart, thinking of a woman with eyes of amethyst and the sweetest laughter he ever heard. "How did you know who I was?"

"We've met twice before, Prince Jaehaerys." Mance said as he picked up his lute and sat next to his wife.

"When your father and mother came to Winterfell, your uncle sent word to his brother on the Wall so he might come down for the feast, I think." The King-beyond-the-Wall continued as he warmed his hands by the fire. "Soon enough, word came to my ears as well. It was too choice a chance to resist. I wanted to see this Last Dragon with my own eyes, king to king, and get the measure of your uncle Benjen as well. He was the bane of all my people and yet we've never met. So I rode south with nothing but a lute and a bag of silver, scaled the Wall and reached Winterfell days before the royal progression."

"That's how you know me..." Jon's eyed widened as his memories came back to him. It was a long time ago, during the last summer right after the Greyjoy Rebellion. His father and all the royal family had marched North with the exception of Queen Elia, in fears of resentment of King Rhaegar's polygamy. He remembered that there was a bard, who quickly ingratiated himself with Rhaegar and Aegon due to his knowledge of all the bawdy songs ever sung both north and south of the Wall.

"Abel the bard..." Jon said, his memories returning. "You sang for my father, ate in my uncle's hall..."

"I do wonder how the Warden of the North would react if he found out that he feasted the King-Beyond-The-Wall in his own hall." Mance said with a crooked smile, his hair was greyer and the lines on his face were more profound but it was still the same face and Jon found himself wondering how he didn't recognise him sooner.

"I sent my men away because I wanted us to talk freely, Prince Jaehaerys." Mance said as he idly played with his lute.

"If you want us to talk freely, please, call me Jon."

Mance smiled at that. "Tell me, Jon, why did you kill the Halfhand? I've seen him fight. He may not be Symeon Star-Eyes or Barristan the Bold, but he could slay you while taking a piss."

"Because he let me." Jon stated, shocking himself by the boldness in his voice. But if he were to die in this desolate place, he'd rather die an honest man than a coward. "He knew that Rattleshirt was going to **** him and eventually kill him so he commanded me to do it first."

"He wanted you to spy on me? Pretend to turn and be the Wall's eyes and ears." Mance asked rhetorically, "Who knows? Might have worked if I hadn't known your face. You understand that I can never let you walk free now, don't you?"

"From where I stand, it's in your best interest to make sure I do make it to Castle Black unharmed." Jon replied boldly, desperately hoping that the king was reasonable. "I assure you that my brother will reward you handsomely for my return."

"Will he now? You think he will order Mormont to open his gates and let my people freely roam his kingdom? I think not!" Mance huffed, clearly he wasn't an idiot but Jon had an answer ready.

"Maybe not but I assure you, that if I die under your care, word will reach Aegon's ear and he will bring the wrath of the Seven Kingdoms upon you."

"No army has ever come this far north. You think he will for you?" Mance asked, with an eyebrow raised.

"You said you've met him. What do you think he'll do?" Jon replied. Of course he'll come for me, if only for him to kill me himself for putting myself in such danger.

"You have much to go before you gain my trust, Jon. But if you want to stay amongst my men, you're going to need a new cloak." Mance said as he pointed at the black on Jon's shoulder. "Val, give our guest a change of clothes."

The younger woman who had been drinking quietly during the tense conversation obeyed her king but her beautiful blue eyes couldn't lie, she hated Mance's decision to let Jon stay, and Jon assumed that she would not be the only one.

"Come with me, Prince Crow..." the woman said, her voice melodious compared to the grunts of the men surrounding them. Jon nodded absently as he followed her out of the tent, breathing a sigh of relief as he had managed to gamble his way out of a fiery grave.....

For now at least.