History Fanfic / ADovahkiinSpreadsHisWings

Years ago, Jon Snow uncovered the truth of his birth and fled his life, finding himself at the centre of a civil war and the resurrection of dragons in a far-away land. Jon Whitewolf, the Last Dragonborn and Great Thane of Skyrim, returns at his sister's behest for his brother's nameday celebrations, but soon finds leaving - and keeping his secrets - will not be so simple as he planned.

''A Dovahkiin Spreads His Wings'' is a story by [=VixenRose1996=], and a crossover between ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'' and ''VideoGame/TheElderScrollsVSkyrim'' - found [[https://archiveofourown.org/works/16618898 here]] on Website/ArchiveOfOurOwn and [[https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13339420/1/A-Dovahkiin-Spreads-His-Wings here]] on Website/FanfictionDotNet.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Jon is downright ''worshiped'' by the people of Skyrim, and for good reason.

* ParentalFavoritism: Cersei dotes on Joffrey so heavily she barely gives her other children a second glance. [[spoiler:When Joffrey and Tommen are killed in the coup, she doesn't even look at her youngest child, saving all her focus and tears for her beloved first-born.]]

* RefugeInAudacity: The basis of Cersei's plan, where she kills or captures the non-Lannister nobles within King's Landing to remove their opposition, takes their children hostages, and blames it all upon those she has killed. If she had pulled it off, she might have held onto her rule for a few years, but even [[ManipulativeBastard Tywin]] was stunned and horrified at what she was doing.

** Catelyn is this for a while, having taken to locking herself up in her rooms, not talking to anyone and ignoring her duties as Lady Stark. It takes the later crises to get her out and doing her duties once more.
** It's quite likely that Cersei's undergoing this ''very'' quickly, to the point that [[spoiler:she gleefully murders her own father, just because she sees him as an "obstacle" to Joffrey's reign.]]

* StrengthEqualsWorthiness: Enzo, the guy who is so loyal to Jon he follows him to an entirely alien continent without a second thought just to attend Robb's nameday? Yeah, he's [[BonusBoss the Ebony Warrior.]] You only get one guess for how they met.

** [[spoiler:When he finds out that Sansa warned Cersei about Ned forcing them to leave, Jon gives her an ArmorPiercingSlap and scathingly tells her that every death caused by the Queen is as much her fault as Cersei's.]]

* ArmorPiercingSlap: [[spoiler:When he learns that the reason Cersei moved so fast was that Sansa told her about them going to leave, Jon slaps her so hard she falls to the ground.]]

* JustFriends: Jon and Sapphire once had a [[FriendsWithBenefits sexual relationship]] before it got too serious. However, they are AmicableExes and good friends to this day. When Jon tells Robb and Theon the story they joke about him [[LikesOlderWomen liking older women.]] [[DramaticIrony If only they knew...]]

** Played with. Most of Winterfell is this in regards to the full scope of Ned's and Catlyen's argument. However they do know that Jon was probably the subject of the argument which causes Bran to reject the notion that both his [[BothSidesHaveAPoint parents had a point]] like Howland Reed claims.

** Not only does Cersei continue to call Jon by his bastard name, [[spoiler:she butchers Serana's name every time she's adressing her. Valerica doesn't appreciate this kind of behaviour]].

* SadisticChoice[=/=]ConflictingLoyalty : Robb Stark is put into a [[DownplayedTrope minor example]] of the trope. When the people of Winterfell begin to gossip about Catelyn's resentment of Jon Snow/Whitewolf, Robb is torn apart on the inside about which side he should take: should he embrace his role as TheDutifulSon and defend his mother, or should he embrace his BigBrotherInstinct and become angry at his mother because she hates Jon?

** The bandits were a little too clean and healthy to be real bandits, and their weapon were of high quality. Plus, no real bandits would attack a heavily defended party when there are easier targets.

* SuccessionCrisis: Currently brewing in the background: Joffrey is uneligible by virtue of being AxeCrazy (and a bastard [[spoiler:and dead]]); Tommen is too meek to make a good King (and also a bastard [[spoiler:and dead]]); Myrcella is a girl, which the lords of Westeros would never accept, ([[RuleOfThree and also a bastard]]); Stannis suffered a nasty case of DeathByAdaptation; his daughter Shireen is too meek and sickly (and a girl); Renly isn't a warrior and very unlikely to produce an heir, and [[spoiler:currently in a coma indefinitely]]; Viserys was too insane and is currently dead; Daenerys is potentially unstable and too female; and Jon Whitewolf would be the perfect heir if only his greatest desire wasn't to happily return to Skyrim.

* StealthInsult: Cersei really enjoys doing that to people she dislikes.
** She sends a brand-new dress to Sansa that looks very nice, but the dress is ''Lannister red''. Not only is Ned Stark pissed off to see his daughter wearing the colors of a family he hates, the red horribly clashes with Sansa's auburn hair, ''and'' damages her standing at court by proclaiming her to be a part of their House... or their servant.
** She also orders to serve undercooked meat to [[spoiler:Serana]]. [[InsultBackfire Joke's on her, the woman just loves her steak rare]].

* StrongFamilyResemblance: It is hinted that Jon is basically a black haired version of Rhaegar.

* TerrifyingRescuer: Veehsi gives Arya quite the scare when he saves her from a Lannister guard. [[spoiler:It's quite understandable on her part, considering it's the first she's ever seen an Argonian]].

** Neither Jon nor Enzo are impressed by Ned's plan to publically confront the Queen about her adultery in spite of the lack of proof or trustworthy witnesses.

* WasItReallyWorthIt: Jon seriously ponders this after learning the affair that sired him resulted in a devastating war for the Seven Kingdoms. Enzo firmly believes that yes, it ''was'' WorthIt -- several thousands deaths is a paltry price to pay in exchange for the Dragonborn who saved the whole world from Alduin.

** Chapter 20. Deals with the aftermath of Robert Baratheon's death. [[spoiler:Cue Cersei starting her coup... and a few hours later Jon Arryn, Septa Mordane, Selyse Baratheon and ''Joffrey and Tommen Baratheon'' have died, while the Starks, the Tarlys, Shireen, Myrcella (who was the one that killed Joffrey) attempt to escape from King's Landing.]]

** Yes, Robert killed Rhaegar at the Trident, ensuring Lyanna's unborn child would never meet his birth father... but he had a good reason to be pissed at the dude, both were well-trained warriors and Rhaegar could have won but ultimately didn't in a fair fight. So Jon ''does'' hate Robert but not that much.
** Amory Lorch and Gregor Clegane are ''much'' straighter examples, for mercilessly butchering Jon's stepmother and half-siblings in spite of them being defenceless.

** The reason why Jaime Lannister firmly believes Ashara Dayne was Jon Snow's mother comes from the boy's gift for swordmanship, as the only man who ever achieves such mastery was her brother ser Arthur Dayne, Jaime's idol and former comrade.

* HundredPercentAdorationRating: Jon is downright ''worshiped'' by people of Skyrim, and for good reason.

* SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome:
** [[spoiler:Valerica agrees to prepare a cure for Jon Arryn after learning the Hand is currently poisoned, but she warns the potion won't undo the lond-term damage inflicted by a year of being poisoned. And since the man is old, there's a good chance for him to die soon anyway.]]
** Even the Last Dragonborn can be hurt and almost killed by some hoodlum in a backstreet alley if he doesn't pay attention to his surroundings.

->''"You could kill him, Little Brother. You could burn his skin or crush his bones or freeze the breath from his lungs, maybe all three. It would be easy, like snapping a twig; he’s just an old man, after all. You know you want to, so why don’t you do it? Is it because you worry what could befall the kin of your flesh? Or is it because you prefer to pretend you still possess some sort of morality even as you plot to-’"''

** Howland Reed later points this out as an attempt to close the growing distance between Bran and Catelyn. However due to being LockedOutOfTheLoop on the full context of his parents' argument but knowing it was about Jon, causes Bran to soundly reject this as he believes that argument was just about Jon's bastard status.

* FalseFlagOperation: Two of these happen with ‘bandit attacks,’ which sharp-eyed individuals note are not only riskier than what most bandits would tolerate, they are also better supplied, and healthier than they should be too. The first is at King Robert’s party heading home to King’s Landing, yet it is unclear who their primary target is. For the second, it is Tyrion’s travelling party, with only him and Bronn escaping.

* RefugeInAudacity: The basis of Cersei’s plan, where she kills or captures the non-Lannister nobles within King’s Landing to remove their opposition, takes their children hostages, and blames it all upon those she has killed. If she had pulled it off, she might have held onto her rule for a few years, but even [[ManipulativeBastard Tywin]] was stunned and horrified at what she was doing.

** Eddard Stark gets this for his insistence at bringing Jon home, so he can continue to watch over him. Catelyn calls him out for the ‘risk’ of keeping a bastard around, but for Jon it is his uncle’s inability to let Jon live his own life, and continuing to lie about the truth of his parentage.

* YourNormalIsOurTaboo: In Westeros, it’s considered taboo for a couple to sleep together in the same room before they're wed. In Skyrim there is no such taboo given Serena’s nonchalant attitude of having been staying in Jon’s room multiple times in the past.

* BackhandedCompliment: When Ned starts to imply the Baratheon ChocolateBaby issue, Enzo mentions that he is not as dim as he thought. Ned just waves it off.

* AdultFear:
** The premise of the fic is Jon Snow becoming the Dragonborn in Skyrim, because he ran away from his family at fourteen years old after learning the truth about his birth. His adoptive father and siblings almost went mad from grief and fear over this fact.
** The incident with the butcher. However, what impacted Jon the most wasn't the fact he almost was sexually assaulted, it was his father refusing to explain to him the danger he encountered out of a misguided desire to protect his son.
** Ned desperately wants to keep Jon away from the King yet circumstances conspire to send the youth in King's Landing, the most dangerous place to be for a son of the man Robert Baratheon deeply hates.
** [[spoiler:Jon Arryn is slowly poisoned by someone, and everything hints that Stannis Baratheon also was a victim.]]

* HostageSituation: [[spoiler:Arya reflects on how great an opportunity Cersei would have had to force a terrible one in her favor had Jon's efforts not succeeded in evacuating most characters out of King's Landing at the key moment; the total hostages would have included the Starks, the Tyrells, Renly, Selyse, Shireen, and Jon Arryn - enough to force most of the Kingdoms to accept her rule. Although it is implied she still got some, albiet of lesser families]]

* MedicationTampering: [[spoiler:How Jon decides to kill Gregor Clegane as he doesn't want to bring unwanted attention on the Mountain's demise. Learning the brute drinks poppy milk by the jugfull to deal with his headaches, spiking it with poison would lead everyone to believe Clegane accidentally overdosed.]] It doesn't actually comes to pass.

* SanitySlippage: Catelyn in the most recent chapters has taken to locking herself up in her rooms, not talking to anyone and ignoring her duties as Lady Stark.

* SpannerInTheWorks: Serana Volkihar to Varys and Tywin. Both men really want to tie Jon back to Westeros through ArrangedMarriage, but the vampiress being officially his betrothed kinda puts a crimp in these plans.

** Ser Barristan Selmy and Lord Varys are noted to thoroughly detail Jon's features after hearing him sing a sad song.
*** Similarly, Jon Arryn takes a good, long look at Jon's eyes.
* SuccessionCrisis: Currently brewing in the background; Joffrey is uneligible by virtue of being AxeCrazy (and a bastard [[spoiler:and dead]]), Tommen is too meek to make a good King (and also a bastard [[spoiler:and dead]]), Myrcella is a girl, which the lords of Westeros would never accept ([[RuleOfThree and also a bastard]]), Stannis suffered a nasty case of DeathByAdaptation, his daughter Shireen is too meek and sickly (and a girl), Renly isn't a warrior and very unlikely to produce an heir, Viserys was too insane and is currently dead, Daenerys is potentially unstable and too female, and Jon Whitewolf would be the perfect heir if only his greatest desire wasn't to stay happily buried in Skyrim.

** She sends a brand-new dress to Sansa that looks very nice, but the dress is ''Lannister red''. Not only is Ned Stark pissed off to see his daughter wearing the colors of a family he hates, the red horribly clashes with Sansa's auburn hair ''and'' damages her standing at court by proclaiming her to be a part of their House... or their servant.

* TooDumbToLive: Sansa. [[spoiler:As if it wasn't bad enough that she warned Cersei about Ned wanting them to leave King's Landing, she doesn't realize that Joffrey means ''trouble'' even after Mordane is killed in front of her eyes and seeing him gleefully having his siblings manhandled.]]
** She takes after her dad. Neither Jon nor Enzo are impressed by Ned's plan to publically confront the Queen about her adultery in spite of the lack of proof or trustworthy witnesses.
* UnderestimatingBadassery: Westeros to Jon, by design. He doesn't want them knowing about free-for-all magic, supernatural creatures in daily life, living gods and literal demon-gods who regularly trick mortals into selling them their soul - he thinks they'd just call him a liar at best or a madman at worst.

* WhamEpisode: Chapter 20. Deals with the aftermath of Robert Baratheon's death. [[spoiler:Cue Cersei starting her coup... and a few hours later Jon Arryn, Septa Mordane, Selyse Baratheon and ''Joffrey and Tommen Baratheon'' have died, while the Starks, the Tarlys, Shireen, Myrcella (who was the one that killed Joffrey) attempt to escape from King's Landing.]]

* WhatTheHellHero: [[spoiler:When he finds out that Sansa warned Cersei about Ned forcing them to leave, Jon gives her an ArmorPiercingSlap and scathingly tells her that every death caused by the Queen is as much her fault as Cersei's.]]

* HostageSituation: [[spoiler:Arya reflects on how great an opportunity Cersei would have had to force a terrible one in her favor had Jon's efforts not succeeded in evacuating most characters out of King's Landing at the key moment; the total hostages would have included the Starks, the Tyrells, Renly, Selyse, Shireen, and Jon Arryn - enough to force most of the Kingdoms to accept her rule.]]

** [[spoiler: Jon vs the Mountain. Jon uses shouts from the beginning to send the Mountain flying before draining him of is strength. Jon then bashes his head in with a candle stick.]]

* BrokenMasquerade: During [[spoiler: Cersei's coup]], Jon reveals his magic by flash frying two Kingsguards and eight Lannister solders. Sam witnesses all of it.

* BeCarefulWhatYouWishFor: Young Jon often pestered Ned to tell him who his mother was. Then he accidentally overheard it while Ned and Benjen were quarreling, took it ''very'' badly and ran away from Winterfell.
** Similarly, Catelyn always hated Jon's presence at Winterfell and wanted him gone. When he finally did so, the rest of her family was heartbroken, and Catelyn's insistence that they consider him dead soured her relationship with them.

* {{Foreshadowing}}:
** Jon decides to take, on a whim, [[HolyBurnsEvil Dawnbreaker]] with him to Westeros.
** Tywin is very interested in the fact that Jon Whitewolf became rich in Skyrim and is very insistent on getting a betrothal to Joy from him.
** Cersei thinks that she must make preparations for Joffrey's eventual ascension to Throne. Come [[WhamEpisode Chapter 20]]...

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Arya's misgivings about the idea of being married off for the good of the family are presented as something she feels guilty about, calling herself selfish. Of note, beyond the modern audience, characters from Skyrim are more sympathetic of her plight.

** Jon starts using Shouts as well, [[spoiler:including the Storm Shout]].

** Chapter 21. [[spoiler:Cersei also orders the murder of Robert's bastard children, with Enzo only able to save one of them after he takes Lord Stark to the ship. The Tyrells are also attacked, with Margaery losing an eye. Arya is nearly captured, but escapes with the help of Syrio and Gendry. Cersei murders Tywin, and Tyrion only escapes a similar fate by pure luck. Jon escapes with Mhaegen and Barra, and Ser Barristan Selmy joins him after being relieved of his position. Jon busts out the Storm Shout to help escape from King's Landing, which combined with the magic he and Enzo used ensure that the masquerade begins to break down.]]

** Subverted with Valerica. She ''did'' lose her husband, but she just enjoys wearing black. Serana also isn't mourning Harkon -- her short hair is a mere fashion choice.

* RealityEnsues:
** Hammerfell's extremely hot climate makes metallic jewelry unpalatable as it would scorch the flesh. The Redguards adorn themselves with glass and porcelain instead.
** [[spoiler:Valerica agrees to prepare a cure for Jon Arryn after learning the Hand is currently poisoned, but she warns the potion won't undo the lond-term damage inflicted by a year of being poisoned. And since the man is old, there's a good chance for him to die soon anyway.]]
** Even the Last Dragonborn can be hurt and almost killed by some hoodlum in a backstreet alley if he doesn't pay attention to his surroundings.
** Metal armor is great to help protect yourself from weapons. [[spoiler:It makes being hit with a fire or lightning spell ''worse'', though.]]

* NotSoDifferent: Ned kept crucial information from Jon and tried to limit his choices and decide for him prior to Jon's leaving from Skyrim. He did this for his own good. During [[spoiler:Cersei's coup]], Jon knocks out Ned, limiting his choices and keeping crucial information from him to save him from a very likely death.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance:
** In Skyrim, women can carry and train with weapons without any problems, as well as hold property, have their own titles and even inherit the throne. In Westeros such things are unheard of outside of Dorne.
** Jon reassures Loras Tyrell and Renly Baratheon he's not going to denounce them as sodomites, since Tamriel is very much a free-love land -- it's only a problem when the heir can't marry and produce a successor.
*** On related note, in Tamriel nobody would bat an eyelash on a couple sleeping in the same bed even without marriage. In Westeros such thing is unheard of.
** Short hair on a woman is thought as a show of mourning in Westeros, while in Skyrim it's merely a fashion choice.
** Rhaegar actually decided to invoke the long-dead Targaryen tradition of polygamy in order to marry Lyanna Stark. His first wife Elia was fully aboard the plan, as she was familiar with a Dornish custom of paramours and feared she would not live long -- leaving her children without a mother and an ally in the court. Needless to say, it would have shocked the Seven Kingdoms if known.
** Children in Westeros are expected to HonorThyParent, and to marry spouses of their parent's choosing with little say for themselves. Arya is quite perplexed to see Serana sassing, critisizing and talking back to her mother like they're equals.