Heartwarming / An Empire of Ice and Fire

• The argument Ned has with Catelyn to bring Jon with him, beginning the great change in this universe.
• Daenerys's heartfelt apology to Ned on behalf of her family for what her family did to his.
• Dany's "one night" of romance with Jon.
• Ned makes the fateful decision to bring Dany north with them, allowing her time away from her brother, and teaching her more about honor and care.
• Unlike in canon, Ned's last thoughts and hopes are that with what happened with Daenerys, his children and grandchildren will do him proud in time.
• Olenna and Margaery Tyrell escape Highgarden following the dissolution of their armies with the help of Melisandre, and getting a second chance to fight a better fight by linking up with an old flame of Margaery: Robb Stark.
• The Starks catch a few luckier breaks here than in canon, with their reunions with each other making for many heartfelt moments.
  • Because of Littlefinger's outsized influence, Cat gets to see Sansa briefly in the Red Keep.
  • Robb survived his Red Wedding, fleeing to the one place he knew would be safe: Castle Black and his brother Jon.
  • Likewise, Sansa's reunion with Robb and Jon after Theon helps her escape Ramsay.
  • Then there's Cat's reunion with Bran in Essos. A surprise, but a welcome one.
  • Arya finally makes it home to Winterfell.
    • She and Sansa maintain decorum for four sentences, then give a heartfelt and exhausted hug.
    • Arya and her mother have a tearful reunion due to them thinking each other dead.
    • Then there's Jon, very happy to see Arya is alive and getting a chance to introduce her to her niece, who was named after her.
• Tyene Sand came to Dragonstone hoping for help in her war of revenge against the Lannisters, but because of her steadfast goodness and skill, Dany and Jon decide to bestow her with a boon for helping protect their children. They legitimize her as a true Martell, earning her loyalty as well.
• Meera Reed refusing to leave Bran alone during his training, truly in love, and managing to coax some genuine affection from the serious young man.
• Maester Aemon gets many moments as well.
  • After years of thinking most of his family was dead and the only surviving members that he knew of living in exile on another continent, not only finds that he has another grandnephew in Jon but gets to meet Daenerys and her dragons.
  • Aemon quickly grows close to Jon and Dany's children, who love learning stuff from him, especially their family history. He also gets to help deliver and hold Jon and Dany's newborn daughter born late into the story, an old Targaryen getting to welcome a new one into the world.
• Bran's study of the old magics has him come to a shocking conclusion: Fire and Ice cannot truly coexist because they cancel each other out. But the old magics have something to bridge the gap: Love.
• Bran might've been the last death in the long night, but he died happy that he'll have a son to outlive the last of the old ways, and knowing he enabled Jon to save the world.