Jon Snow is killed

Jon Snow, the Lord Commander of the Night's Watch, is stabbed to death by his own brothers in the yard of Castle Black. The attack comes immediately after he has announced to a gathering of wildlings and black brothers in the Shieldhall that he intends to march south against Ramsay Bolton, the Bastard of Bolton, who has threatened to attack the Wall and demanded the return of his bride, Arya Stark, along with other hostages. This decision, born from a personal threat and a desire to protect his family, directly violates the Night's Watch's ancient vow to take no part in the wars of the Seven Kingdoms. The stabbing is a brutal, shocking act of betrayal that shatters the fragile unity of the Watch and leaves its future leadership in chaos.

The Announcement and the Decision

The immediate cause of the assassination is Jon Snow's decision to ride south. He reads aloud a letter from Ramsay Bolton, which boasts of defeating Stannis Baratheon, threatens to attack the Wall, and demands the return of his bride, Arya Stark, along with other hostages, including the wildling princess Val and the wildling babe. The letter also claims that Mance Rayder, whom Jon had secretly spared, has been captured. Jon declares that he will not ask his brothers to break their vows, but that he will go himself. He then asks if any man will come with him. The wildlings in the Shieldhall roar their support, but the senior officers of the Night's Watch, Bowen Marsh and Othell Yarwyck, slip out in silence, their disapproval clear.

The Assassination

The attack occurs in the yard outside Hardin's Tower, where a giant named Wun Weg Wun Dar Wun is in a violent frenzy, having killed Ser Patrek of King's Mountain. Jon rushes to the scene to prevent further bloodshed, ordering the men to keep back and put away their steel. As he tries to calm the situation, he is attacked from behind. The first dagger is wielded by Wick Whittlestick, a steward, who slashes at Jon's throat. Jon twists away, receiving only a graze, and disarms him. The second blow comes from Bowen Marsh, the Lord Steward, who stabs Jon in the belly while weeping. Jon pulls the dagger free, but a third dagger strikes him between the shoulder blades, and a fourth follows. He falls face-first into the snow, feeling only the cold.

The Betrayers and Their Motives

The assassins are not outsiders or enemies, but men of the Night's Watch, Jon's own brothers. Bowen Marsh, the Lord Steward, is the most prominent of the attackers. He has been a consistent opponent of Jon's policies, particularly his decision to allow the wildlings through the Wall and to ally with Stannis Baratheon. Marsh and his co-conspirators see Jon's plan to march south as the final, unforgivable betrayal of the Watch's sacred oath. Their whispered justification, "For the Watch," reveals their belief that they are acting to preserve the order's integrity, even if it means killing their own Lord Commander. The attack is a culmination of the growing tension and resentment within Castle Black over Jon's leadership.

Consequences and Aftermath

The assassination leaves the Night's Watch leaderless and in a state of profound crisis. Jon Snow, the 998th Lord Commander, lies dead or dying in the snow, betrayed by the men he commanded. The fragile peace he had brokered with the wildlings is shattered, and the alliance with Stannis Baratheon is thrown into doubt. The Watch is now divided between those who supported Jon and those who opposed him, with the wildlings likely to seek vengeance for the man who let them through the Wall. The immediate future of Castle Black is one of chaos, bloodshed, and uncertainty, just as winter descends and the true enemy, the Others, threaten from beyond the Wall.