“As support for abolishing ICE grows among Democratic voters, party leadership continues to argue for reform instead.” —Salon
The Delegation to the Wall
When word reached King’s Landing that the dead were stirring beyond the Wall, the brave Democrats of the Seven Kingdoms sent a delegation north. They did not bring dragonglass, nor men for the Night’s Watch, nor coin to repair the Wall where it wept with meltwater. They brought parchment marked with sternly written words.
The Lord Commander thanked them while a savage wind cut through his heavy cloak and the dead moaned incessantly down below. The letters expressed concern about the White Walkers, but urged restraint. They reminded the Wildlings, should they be listening, that their murderous behavior did not represent who the Realm was. The delegation stayed long enough to be seen shivering as they glanced briefly northward, then rode south, satisfied that the issue had been thoroughly acknowledged.
The Edict on Names
As the dead marched inexorably south, nearly 90 percent of the Realm insisted on calling them monsters, abominations, and evil incarnate. The Democrats of the Seven Kingdoms cautioned against such language.
They proposed referring to the White Walkers as “nontraditional state actors” and urged all to consider how such incendiary labels might escalate tensions.
A Listening Tour in the Riverlands
Deep in the Riverlands, smallfolk had begun to vanish. Some were taken by raiders, some by famine, some by dark creatures in the dead of night that no one dared name aloud. The Democrats of the Seven Kingdoms arrived with colorful tents and an ancient octogenarian septon to advise them, and asked the people to speak freely.
The people did. They spoke of burned fields and stolen children and soldiers who took innocence first and paid for their crimes never. One man said his wife had been dragged into the river at dusk and came back wrong. A woman said the gods had turned their faces away.
The Democrats nodded gravely while promising nothing concrete, as was their way. A framework for a peace plan was developed. Later, in a warm hall with wine, crisp capons, and steaming boar that fell easily from the bone, the Democrats agreed the suffering was real, but the language around it needed softening.
The Brief Matter of the Wildlings
Many in Westeros demanded that the Free Folk beyond the Wall be welcomed south, if only to swell the ranks against greater threats. A small minority warned that this would upset affluent bannermen with deep coffers, who disliked the look of their shaggy, unkempt beards.
The Democrats of the Seven Kingdoms proposed a compromise: The Free Folk could be acknowledged as people, in principle, while remaining north of the Wall, in practice.
The Roundtable at White Harbor
A meeting was convened between a flesh-hungry wight and a Stark of Winterfell, the kingdom most at risk of the Night King’s wrath.
Maesters were appointed to moderate. Debate rules were read aloud. Each side was encouraged to share their essential truths. By the end of the discussion, there was very little of the Stark left.
Afterward, the Democrats of the Seven Kingdoms celebrated the robust exchange of ideas.
A Journey to the Iron Islands
Seeking unity, the Democrats of the Seven Kingdoms sailed west to reason with the Ironborn, who were actively raiding the coast. They brought proposals of mutual respect, economic incentives, and a shared vision of peace.
The Ironborn took their ships, their silver, and several delegates. Later, the Democrats who lived praised the “frank dialogue” and vowed to continue civic engagement.
The Flickering Fire
As the snows deepened and the dead marched on King’s Landing, the Democrats of the Seven Kingdoms issued one final statement. It acknowledged the living’s fears in the face of absolute evil, yet urged them not to overreact.
Somewhere on the Kingsroad, a hedge knight and his young squire used the note to create a fire that fought the creeping cold and kept them alive till morning.
It was not much—nearly nothing, in fact—but the meager warmth it afforded was still slightly more than anything proposed by the Democrats of the Seven Kingdoms. The donors were happy, however, and that’s really all one could ask for these days.
