章 2229: 23
Summary:
Ned returns to the North
Jon and Dany make a discovery
Jon Connington takes his biggest risk so far
Notes:
The Lord of Winterfell
Eddard Stark could finally see Winterfell against the grey and dreary sky. They had been riding for weeks after the council and everyone was tired, cold and eager to get back home. Theon had gone back to Pyke with his family and Ned felt conflicted about the decision. On one hand, it felt good to be able to reunite Theon with his father and family but on the other hand Ned knew that they had just returned their only hostage and leverage against the Ironborn and now there was nothing left to ensure that Balon Greyjoy stayed in line.
He rode at the front of the line with Catelyn alongside him while Robb was further back. Robb had not been happy with him after the council and Ned could tell he was biding his time and collecting his arguments against Ned's decision. Robb had been one of the most vocal people in favor of accepting Jon's terms and Ned knew that he would continue to do the same now that they had returned to the North. Ned knew that Jon's plans to improve the North with the construction of these schools and other projects was good and had great potential to improve the North's economic state. However, changing the North just to raise money to build these projects was something that his bannermen might not accept. They might view it as southern greed.
He pulled his hood tighter around himself and continued to ride towards the castle. He thought about the offers that he had received at the council. Jon had given the option to be neutral throughout this war whilst they thought about his terms and perhaps this was the best option. However, Jon and the Targaryens had announced their plans to depose House Tully for all the realm to see and this meant that he would be expected to defend his wife's family.
Ned knew that whatever he did, he would be breaking one vow or another.
A vow to a dying sister or his wife.
Catelyn had been very distressed during their ride back from Harrenhall after hearing Jon's plans for her family. She had not been eating properly and she had been restless during the nights. Even as he looked at her now he could see how tightly she gripped the reigns of her horse. Ned would do anything to put her at ease, but he was not sure if he could do this for her.
Ned sighed in frustration and he watched his breath condense on the cold air in front of him, it was starting to get colder now and soon winter would be here. As he got closer to the castle he could see the figures standing around the gates and on the walls above the main castle gates, they had sent a rider ahead to let Ser Rodrik and those in the castle know that they were nearly back. Ned was eager to get back home and away from these Kings.
"It's Arya," he heard his wife say as they got closer and closer to the castle gates and Ned saw that she was right. His youngest daughter stood alone on top of the castle ramparts watching their arrival. Ned released another tired sigh, Arya had complained and begged to go to the council with them and he had repeatedly declined. Now, he would have to tell her the bad news. Perhaps, he should have taken Arya and left his wife behind. That certainly would have helped their reunion with Jon to go better.
The castle's gates opened for them and they rode into the castle courtyard. He looked around and saw that the Northern Lords were already here which was good, he would have to speak to them all today. Some of them would have already heard the rumors travelling by raven and so he would have to tell them the complete truth now. Ned wondered if Howland Reed was here, he would have to speak to him if he was. Howland was there on that fateful day all those years ago, he would understand Ned's decision.
He dismounted his horse and handed the reins to a stable boy, he looked up and saw several of the Lords had now taken up positions on the balconies overlooking the courtyard and they were all looking at him. Ned saw several concerned and worried glances from his bannermen and he knew that he would have to speak to them today.
"Ser Rodrik," he called out and saw that the man quickly walk forward. "How were things in Winterfell whilst we were away?" he asked.
"Things have been fine, my Lord. There were a few small incidents but Lord Bran and his sisters ruled well in your stead," he said with a bow. Ned was relieved, the last thing he needed was from more trouble in the North. Whatever these incidents were, he trusted Ser Rodrik and his children had dealt with them appropriately.
"Any word from Benjen?" he asked and Ser Rodrik shook his head. This disappointed Ned, as soon as he had heard that Jon was alive he had sent a raven to the wall to let Benjen know. He had not expected him to return to Winterfell but he had hoped that he would at least sent a raven back in response. Ned realised that he was probably out ranging, hopefully he would return soon. He could not afford to spend time travelling to Castle Black to look for his younger brother.
"How was the council?" Ser Rodrik asked and Ned gave out a small sigh.
"Eventful," he settled on that response.
"We have heard stories. They say that the King Aegon is the son of your sister Lyanna, they say he is a shape shifter and they say that Prince Rhaegar is alive as well," he said in a tense and slightly worried voice which only caused Ned to sigh again. If Ser Rodrik had heard this then all the other Northern Lords would have heard similar stories, ones that would only become more and more embellished with the passing time.
"No he cannot shape shift, not exactly. He can change his hair and eye color, seemingly at will. Yes, he is my sister's son and yes Prince Rhaegar is still alive," and Ned added the last part through gritted teeth. He saw Ser Rodrik's eyes widen in shock and Ned quickly raised up a hand to silence him.
"Please, no more questions. I am weary from my travels and I will most likely have to tell this story to all the Lords later as well. So please Ser Rodrik can you let the Lords know that I will meet with them in the great hall shortly, probably within the hour," he said in a tired voice and Ser Rodrik nodded.
Ned then began to walk towards his rooms to refresh himself but Arya quickly bounced into the courtyard.
"How is he father?" she asked immediately.
"Jon is fine Arya," he heard Robb answer.
"Did he have dragons? How big was his dragon? What color was it? Did he give you a ride? Please tell me he didn't, I want to be the first one," she said excitedly and Ned turned around to see Catelyn and Robb both looking at him nervously.
"Arya, go and get your siblings and meet me in my solar," he said and he saw Arya open her mouth to protest.
"Arya, Jon is fine, I met him and he is doing well, go do what father says and I'll tell you more," Robb said quickly and this seemed to satisfy her for now. Ned watched as she quickly ran off into the castle to complete his instructions. Ned noticed that she still wore that sword that Jon had commissioned for her on her waist.
"She's going to hate you both," Robb said quietly and Ned did not answer him, he knew that he was right. Instead, Ned began the walk through the castle towards his solar and he heard Robb and Catelyn walking behind him. He was grateful to be back in Winterfell, he was safe in his home, at least for now.
He pushed open the wooden door to his solar and thankfully he saw a fire crackling in the hearth, the shutters were closed and the room was pleasantly warm. A servant quickly arrived with a plate of warm bread and sausages which Ned accepted and he quickly started to eat. They were nearly finished with this rushed meal when the door to the solar burst open and Arya returned with Sansa, Rickon and Bran in tow. Bran was being carried by Hodor. His children all had the eager and expectant look on their faces and he could tell they were waiting on him to explain the events of the council and his meeting with Jon.
"Take a seat," he said quickly as he pointed to the chairs on the other side of his desk. As they all sat he remembered the last family meeting that they had here, it would have been several months ago when he had told them the truth about Jon's parentage. A lot had changed since then and once again he would have to tell them all the truth. He wondered where would be the best place to start.
"Tell us about Jon," Arya said quickly and Ned sighed. Jon was no longer the same person that he had raised for all those years.
"Jon is, different" he replied in an uneven voice.
"What do you mean by that?" she asked and Ned could hear her voice develop an accusatory tone.
"He's changed Arya,"
"Of course he's changed. He's been gone for over a year, how could he not change?" she asked and Ned sighed. "We've heard stories about him back here. All the stable boys have been talking about him and his dragons, you would have thought they saw him themselves!"
"Arya, he has a dragon," he confirmed for her, he was about to tell her more but she interrupted him in her eagerness.
"And? What color was it? Did he let anyone ride it? How big was it?"
"His dragon was a dark green like the color of moss. The dragon had green and bronze scales and bronze eyes. The Queen rode a black dragon, dark as night with black and red scales and had blood red eyes," Ned informed her.
"And? How big were they?" she asked excitedly and Ned swallowed nervously. They were big and terrifyingly so. Ned still remembered the sheer size of them and the thunderous sound of their wings beating and of course their earth shattering roar. Ned could not imagine what they would be like on the battlefield.
He looked towards Arya and nodded slowly. "Aye, they were big," he said quietly.
"And? Did you not get close to them? When did he say he would get here? What was the Queen like?"
Queen Daenerys was not what he had expected her to be. He had heard tales of her beauty and even they did not do her justice. Then there was her strength, she was passionate and confident and she was very much a Dragon Queen.
"Queen Daenerys is beautiful," Robb said "She and Jon get along well. You would like her, as would you Sansa,"
"Is she like Visenya or Rhaenys?" Arya asked and Robb chuckled.
"I've never met either Queen Visenya or Queen Rhaenys," he said with a shake of his head. "I have only met Queen Daenerys and only briefly at that. She makes Jon smile believe it or not," Robb said and he saw Arya's eyes widen.
"Really? She must be special. You should have let me come with you," Arya said as she folded her arms across her chest.
"They also have a little boy called Daeron," Robb told her and Ned saw that both Sansa and Arya's eyes widened in surprise.
"Did you see him?" Arya asked quickly.
"What did he look like?" Sansa asked with a smile.
"They didn't bring the baby with them," Robb said "I think they said that he had silver hair and grey eyes but I can't remember,"
"When is Jon coming North? As soon as he wins the war? Can I go South to meet him?"
"No," his wife said firmly. "You will not go South and that boy will not win this war,"
"He has dragons, mother. Of course, he's going to win," Arya said and Ned agreed with her. There was no army in all of the seven kingdoms that would be able to stop those dragons, none at all.
"Arya, that boy is threatening to destroy my family and if he wins this war then your sister cannot become Queen in the future," Catelyn said but Ned just shook his head in exasperation.
"Mother you can't be serious! I haven't even seen his dragons but I even I know you won't be able to stop them. Sansa can't become Queen when King Robert loses his crown and Joffrey is an idiot anyway who would be horrible king if he ever sat the throne,"
"Arya Stark!" his wife said but Ned interrupted her.
"Catelyn, Sansa will not be Queen. She will never be Queen," he said in a cold, flat voice and his wife looked at him in surprise "Robert hates me and I will never marry Sansa to his son, that would be too dangerous and foolish," he said firmly and he saw Sansa quickly turn to look at him.
"Why does he hate you father?" she asked quietly.
"He hates me because I kept Jon's secret from him. He loved my sister and he was supposed to marry her but she did not love him in return. She loved Rhaegar Targaryen and I never told him, I even hid their child from him,"
He saw Sansa starting to grow upset but to his surprise she took a deep breath and calmed herself. "Sansa when this is over, I will find a suitable match for you, truthfully I don't think Prince Joffrey was the best match for you in the first place itself," he said and that seemed to bring a smile to her face.
"Why would you not tell him?" Bran asked and Ned sighed.
"Sometimes Bran, the truth can do more harm than lies. Sometimes people deserve the comfort of a lie over the pain of the truth," he said quietly.
"What does that mean?" Arya asked as she folded her arms across her chest.
"Arya after the war was over, my sister was dead and I thought Rhaegar was dead as well. What good would have come if I had told Robert that the woman he loved and fought a war over, did not love him and chose his most hated enemy over him? If I had informed Robert about Jon then the Targaryen loyalists would have rallied to place Jon on the throne and a new war would break out. The time for fighting was over and it was time to move on with our lives. Besides, Jon was a newborn babe and a Targaryen at that and the realm needed a strong leader to heal it. I believed Robert was the best option especially since many people remembered the atrocities committed by the last Targaryen king," he said firmly and he saw Arya slowly nod her head in understanding. He thought Robert was the best ruler but looking back at it, he realised that he was clearly mistaken. Still, what other option did he have? Neither he nor Jon Arryn had any blood right or desire for the throne and the realm was not ready for another war.
"Wait father. So the rumors are true? Prince Rhaegar is really alive?" Bran asked and Ned sighed. Rhaegar Targaryen, Jon's father was indeed still alive.
"Yes, he is," he said through gritted teeth.
"Did he ride a dragon too?" Arya asked immediately.
"Did he sing a song on his harp?" Sansa asked.
"Father, how did he survive?" Bran asked.
"Who is Prince Ragger?" Rickon asked and Ned groaned. He could not believe his children at times like this. Sansa asked about his bloody harp and Arya was still fascinated by those dragons. Ned shook his head and started to answer their questions.
"Prince Rhaegar is Jon's father, Rickon. No, Arya he did not ride a dragon, No, Sansa he did not sing a song on his harp and Bran I have no idea of how he survived,"
"Jon said that when the Usurper hit him with his hammer, he fell into the Trident. He washed up downstream and was found by a red priest who nursed him back to health," Robb said and Ned noticed that he had started to call Robert the Usurper.
"Jon listens to his father now," Ned said somewhat bitterly.
"Are you not happy for him?" Arya asked, it seemed she picked up on his tone. "Jon has his father, he has a wife that loves him and child, we should be happy for him," she said firmly and Ned noticed that she gave her mother a stern glare.
"Arya Stark, I will not be happy for that boy. Not after what he said to me,"
"What did he say to you mother?" Bran asked.
"He accused me and my family of some horrible things. He accused both of your grandfathers of treasonous acts against his family,"
"What did he say?" Arya asked immediately.
"He accused your grandfathers of conspiring to overthrow the Targaryens at the Tourney of Harrenhall all those years ago. He accused my father of deliberately hiding a letter that could have prevented the deaths of Lord Rickard and your Uncle Brandon and thus in turn stop the war from breaking out itself," Catelyn said
"Rhaegar said that he had sent letters to Winterfell and Riverrun, informing our fathers that Lyanna had willingly chosen to leave with him and that they were safe together. He then accused our fathers of hiding these letters to push the realm towards rebellion to further their ambitions for power,"
"Did they?" Arya asked nervously.
"Of course not!" Catelyn shrieked "My father is a good, honorable man and so was Lord Rickard as well. That boy has no right to accuse them of these things! None at all,"
"Well Jon wouldn't just lie, he wouldn't make this up," Arya said defensively.
"He got these lies from Rhaegar," Catelyn told her and he saw Arya frown.
"Why would his father lie?" she asked and Ned frowned at her choice of word.
"His father is a bitter prince who is angry that his foolish actions started a war that ended his family's dynasty and because he cannot accept this shameful fact, he is making this vile lies to discredit our families," Catelyn said and Ned saw Arya's frown deepen.
"What do you think Robb?"
"I'm not sure, Arya. I'm not sure why Jon or his father would lie about these events. They have nothing to gain by angering the Tullys," he said with a small shrug of his shoulders.
"He said that he will strip my family of their titles, lands and position. If he gets his way, my house will no longer be Lords of the Riverlands but instead reduced to nothing more than landed knight house in status and that is why we must fight him" Catelyn said and he saw Bran and Sansa gasp.
"We can't fight him, he's our brother. He's family," Arya said immediately and Bran nodded in agreement.
"He is no family of mine. He has let the entire realm know of his plans for my family and I will not sit here and let him do this. The North will stand with me," Catelyn said and Arya shook her head.
"He is my family and he is a Stark. The North will remember that he is our father's sister only son and they will stand with him," Arya said firmly as she folded her arms across her chest. The two glared at each other before Catelyn spoke again.
"Arya Stark, I am your mother," she began but Arya interrupted her.
"And Jon is my brother," she said fiercely and they continued to glare at each other until Bran spoke,
"Father, what are you going to do?" he asked quietly. "Whichever side you pick, you will be fighting against your family," and he saw everyone's eyes turn to him. Ned sighed and ran his hands through his hair.
"I will need to speak to the Lords first and let them know the full story," Ned said in a tired voice. "Jon has plans to improve the North but the Northern Lords may not like them so I will need to discuss this with them,"
"Who cares if they don't like his plans! You're in charge, not them!" Arya said which brought a small smile to his face.
"I can't force them to accept changes they don't like. I am not a tyrant, Arya,"
"What happens if the Northern Lords reject Jon's plans?" Sansa asked nervously. "Will we have to go to war against him?"
"I don't know Sansa," he replied. Ned knew that if the Northern Lords did not accept Jon and his plans then they would most likely push towards war, and this was a war that he did not want to fight. He made a promise
"Jon has given us the option to stay neutral," Robb reminded him. "He said that until we decide, he will not attack the North,"
"That's good," Sansa said as she smiled at her brother.
"It is not good for my family," Catelyn repeated. "The North can't stay neutral, the North needs to join the Riverlands and fight against him," Ned saw Arya open her mouth to protest so he quickly stepped in.
"Enough," Ned said before they repeated this argument. "We will worry about this later, we need to meet with the Northern Lords first,"
Ned looked at both of them before he heard a knock on his door. He told the person to enter and he was surprised to see Maester Luwin.
"A raven came my Lord, from the King,"
"Which one?"
"Is it from Jon?" Arya asked and Ned saw her eyes light up eagerly.
"I have not opened it but the seal belongs to King Robert Baratheon," he said as he passed the scroll to Ned. Ned saw Arya's smile fade as she scowled at the offending piece of paper
"Are the Lords in the hall?" Ned asked as he took the scroll.
"Yes, my Lord,"
"Good. Tell them I will be there shortly," he said as he broke open the seal and began to read the letter. His eyes widened in surprise as he read the letter and then he gently put the letter down on the table. Ned could not believe it, did Robert think he was that much of a fool?
"What does it say father?" Robb asked as Catelyn snatched up the letter. He put his head in his hands as he listened to Catelyn read the letter.
" Ned
I apologize for my actions the last time we spoke, I overreacted when I was faced with some shocking news, I do not know what came over me. I am not usually like that. I loved Lyanna but that boy is not your sister's son, you and I both know that. I see no trace of Lyanna in that boy. He is Rhaegar's son, the son of the man who stole your sister and my betrothed from me, the grandson of the mad man who brutally murdered your father and elder brother. Now, this boy seeks to steal my crown and punish our families for fighting against a tyrant all those years ago . We have been friends for nearly our entire lives, please do not forget that. Let us ride into battle together again. Let us get justice for Lyanna and the realm once again ,"
"Ned, he wants to work with you again. He brings the Stormlands and the Westerlands. If you add the Northern forces to his then we will be able to win this war,"
"No, you can't. Jon has dragons. A single dragon is worth over several armies in itself," Arya said quickly.
"How do you know that? Dragons have not fought battles in over a hundred years,"
"Enough!" Ned said. He knew the two of them would continue this same argument if he did not stop them. "I am not sure if we should trust him,"
"Ned, we have to take the chance, my family," Catelyn began as she looked at him anxiously and Ned could see the pain and desperation in her eyes.
"The letter could be forged and if he is serious about apologizing then a letter is a poor way to do it," Robb interrupted and Ned agreed.
"Cat. Robb is right we should not trust this letter. I know Robert, he knows how to hold a grudge, I doubt he would forgive me this quickly. He has held a grudge against the Targaryens for nearly 20 years till now," he reached out to gently squeeze her hand. He knew that she wanted to take this offer to save her family but it was too risky. "Catelyn, if we take these terms Robert could turn around and betray us, we will find another way to save your family,"
He saw Catelyn frown as she considered this, she opened her mouth to protest more but Ned interrupted her.
"I'm sorry Catelyn but we need to meet with the Lords now, we will discuss this offer later," he said gently as he rose to his feet. "Sansa look after your siblings whilst we are meeting the Lords,"
"Can't we come to the meeting?" Sansa asked and Bran and Arya both nodded and looked at him expectantly. Ned looked at them, he knew that if he said no, they would argue with him and force him to recap the events later anyway.
"Fine, you can come with us to the meeting but I want you all to listen, do not speak out of turn," he said with a pointed look at Arya. "Arya, I want your word,"
She looked at him and bit her lip before she slowly nodded. "I promise I won't speak out of turn," she said and Ned nodded. He led them out of his solar and then through the castle, Hodor had been waiting outside and he helped by carrying Bran towards the great hall. They entered through the doorway behind the dais and he saw all the Lords talking amongst themselves as they waited for him. Once they saw him enter the hall they all quickly fell silent.
The She-Wolf of Winterfell
Arya Stark took her seat at the high table and watched as her father stood up to address the Lords. She was very unhappy with her parents. They had gone to this council and they had messed everything up. She should have gone with them, she would've sorted them all out.
"My Lords," he said in greeting. "I have returned from the great council, I am sure that you have heard many rumors so I am going to address them immediately before we move forward," he said in a clear voice. Whilst he spoke, Arya looked at each of the Lords, particularly those who did not go to the council such as Umber and Cerwyn.
"Prince Rhaegar Targaryen is in fact alive," her father said and those in the room who had not attended the council looked up at her father in shock. "Believe me my Lords, I saw him with my own eyes,"
Then the outrage came.
'Murderer'
'Rapist'
Were the words she frequently heard from the onlookers. She closed her fist in anger, how dare they speak about Jon's father like that! Why wasn't her father speaking up to stop them? This was not true, he had told them that there was no kidnapping or rape.
"What are we waiting for!" she heard Lord Cerwyn shout. "This man kidnapped and raped Lady Lyanna! We should be marching South to kill him right now instead of having this talk!" and Arya heard several Lords shout noises of agreement. Her father let them speak for far too long before he spoke again.
"I am sure that you have heard the rumor that King Aegon Targaryen is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. This is true," he said in a loud clear voice and he heard several loud gasps. "I found Lyanna dying in a tower in Dorne after birthing a child. I took that child in and raised him as my own, some of you would know of him as my bastard, Jon Snow. Rhaegar Targaryen did not kidnap and rape my sister, they were in love and ran away together. They were married and their child is the legitimate Targaryen heir."
Arya watched and listened as the Lords continue to talk to each other and dissect this piece of information. The earlier loud outrage had passed and it was replaced by a quiet set of whispering and eventually Lord Umber spoke,
"Aye, I had my reservations about this King Aegon, but if he is the son of Lyanna then he is a son of the North!" he said in a loud voice and she heard several Lords agree with him which brought a smile to her face.
"Once!" he heard Lady Mormont call out. "Now, he associates with criminals like my nephew Jorah!"
"Aye, Lady Mormont speaks the truth," she heard Lord Karstark shout. "The boy has forgotten his roots. He wants to change the North, chop down our trees and mine our mountains to fund his southern greed!"
Arya frowned about this, Jon was not greedy. If he wanted to chop down their trees and mine their mountains then he would have a good reason. She knew that for certain.
"My Lords," she heard Robb speak up. "King Aegon wishes to cut down these trees and mine for minerals to help the North progress. The wealth that the North generates from these sales will be used to build schools and other beneficial projects here in the North for your children and our people," Robb said and this brought a smile to her face, she knew her brother had a good reason.
"To build these projects we do not need to chop down our trees!" Lord Karstark shouted.
"Aye. I saw the King dressed in his rich silks and jewels, he is more than rich enough to fund them on his own. Leave the North as it is!"
"Next, he'll start telling us to chop down our Weirwoods!" she heard one lord shout and this caused Arya to frown.
"Aye, there is a reason there are no weirwoods in the South!"
"My Lords, you are being ridiculous, he will NOT chop down our weirwoods. It is only a small change and we can use the increased wealth to help us during the harsh winter!" Robb said and thankfully she heard a few of the Lords agree with him.
"I agree with Lord Robb," she heard a Lord say, she thought it was Lord Wyman Manderly but she was not sure. Sansa would know, she had always been better at this sort of thing. "We should not be afraid of change,"
"I agree with my son," her father called out which brought a smile to her face. He was siding with Jon. "Winter is coming and extra wealth and resources can help it become more bearable for all of us, from the Lords all the way to the smallfolk,"
"Aye. I agree with Lord Stark," she heard Lord Umber call. "The North should stand with King Aegon. For change!"
"For change!" she heard the other Lords shout in agreement. Some Lords did not chime in, she noticed that Lord Bolton was tight lipped as ever
"My Lords, there is more news from King Aegon," she heard her mother call "He has disrespected my family and he plans to depose my family from their positions as Lord of the Riverlands! He wants to strip my family of its lands and titles!" and Arya frowned. Why was she bringing this up now?
"Is this true Lord Stark?" she heard one Lord asked.
"Aye it is. At the council, King Aegon and Queen Daenerys announced their plans to depose House Tully,"
"Why would they do that?" she heard Lord Glover ask.
"He believes some vile lies about my family. He says that my family tried to betray his family before the rebellion at the Tourney of Harrenhall. He implicated Lord Rickard Stark in this treasonous act as well!" she said and this caused the northern lords to stand up in uproar.
Arya lost track of which Lord said what but she felt herself getting angrier and angrier as they yelled. It was as if they had forgotten that they had just agreed to support Jon and his plans to improve the North!
"He dares to disrespect Lord Rickard!" she heard Lord Karstark shout.
"He forgets his Northern roots! He forgets that the Mad King burned Lord Rickard alive!" she heard Lord Umber shout. Arya wanted to speak up but she promised her father that she wouldn't.
"My Lords!" she heard her father shout. He started to bang his fist against the table to get the Lords to calm down. "Settle down!" he shouted and eventually the Lords quietened down.
"Is this true Lord Stark?" she heard Ser Wylis Manderly ask in a calm voice.
"This is true, he levelled these accusations against our families,"
"Then we should rise up against him. He is forgetting his roots! My brother went to Essos and died in his service and this is how he repays us!" Ser Wylis shouted and Arya scowled at the fat man. Who did he think he was, of course Jon remembers his roots. What a stupid thing to say.
"Aye. Just like the Mad King!" she heard one lord shout which brought another chorus of agreement. Arya bit her lip and her hand went to the hilt of needle.
"You are a fool, King Aegon will make our lands rich and prosperous!" she heard another lord shout. Was it Lord Manderly? Arya was unsure.
"Enough!" her father roared and the Lords fell silent "Obviously, we have a very difficult situation on our hands here. On the one hand, my wife's family is being threatened, my father's name is being disrespected whilst on the other hand we are talking of going to war with my sister's son,"
"We should defend Lady Catelyn's family and the memory of Lord Rickard!" she heard one idiot lord yell in response.
"Aye" she heard the Lord's shout and Arya had enough.
"Are you all stupid ! Jon has three dragons and they're all huge if you fight him you will LOSE," she told them all as she stood up and they all just stared at her. She knew her parents were glaring at her but she did not care in that moment.
"I agree with my sister," Robb said after a moment. "We can't fight against the Targaryens. We will lose. King Torren understood the destructive power of dragons and bent the knee to spare the North from that destruction over 300 years ago. We should keep this fact in our minds before marching off to fight against dragons,"
"We will not be fighting alone!" her mother shouted. "King Robert has offered us an alliance to fight against this common enemy. If we ally with him then we will have the support of the Stormlands, the Westerlands and parts of the Riverlands. The might of these kingdoms combined with the North can defeat this invader. We can win!"
Arya scowled at her mother, she always hated Jon.
"That offer does not come without strings my Lords. I am not sure that we can trust King Robert," her father called out. "I do not trust King Robert,"
"Why not?" Ser Wylis called out and Arya was beginning to get frustrated by the fat lord.
"King Robert hates the Targaryens and I had hidden the last Targaryen from him for over 20 years. He has plenty of reason not to trust me and to seek vengeance,"
"Then, what should we do Lord Stark," she heard a strange voice ask, she looked and saw that it came from Lord Bolton who had finally stepped forward to speak. Strangely enough, it seemed as if everyone had to step closer to hear him. "You have to defend your wife but you cannot take arms against your sister's son," and the hall fell silent after these words.
"I have a solution," Robb said as he stood up again. "I am friends with King Aegon. We grew up together and are brothers in all but name and blood. I will write to him and ask for mercy for my mother's family. If he grants it then the Tully's will have nothing to worry about,"
"Mercy!" her mother shouted "He will not grant us mercy!"
"King Aegon has already offered the North the option to stay neutral during the war on account of our blood ties and his love for his mother's homeland. So, the possibility of him being merciful to our southern relations is not outlandish. Besides, what other choice do we have but to ask?" Robb said as he turned to her. "I have seen his dragons if you try and fight against them you will lose!"
"I agree with Robb," her father called. "Getting the Targaryens to show mercy and to stop their attack on the Tullys will be the best solution,"
"My Lord, surely we should send some of our forces south regardless? House Tully is our ally and if we send none of our troops then it looks like we are abandoning them in their time of need," Roose Bolton pointed out and Arya frowned.
"If we send our troops to Riverrun then it looks like we are taking up arms against the Targaryens," Robb pointed out and Arya was thankful for this. "The North is currently remaining neutral in this war whilst we consider his offer and proposal of reforms. If Northern forces fight against the Targaryens then King Aegon will be forced to attack us in retaliation,"
"His reforms are terrible for the North," Lord Karstark shouted and she heard several Lords agree.
"Enough," her father said. "It is clear that we are beginning to talk in circles and no more progress is being made. Here is what I propose. Robb will write to King Aegon to ask for mercy for the Tullys. He will ask that they do not lose their position as Lord Paramount of the Riverlands and if King Aegon grants this request then we will remain in the North. However if this request is not granted then we will have to ride South to help house Tully during their time of need," Arya was outraged by this, was he really considering fighting against Jon?
"My Lord, surely you can't expect us to sit here and do nothing whilst we wait?" she heard Lord Karstark ask and she heard her father sigh
"Whilst we await the response of King Aegon, assemble your fighting men and bring them to Winterfell. That way, if we need to ride south, we will be ready," her father said in a tired voice.
"House Karstark will be ready for war," Lord Karstark said as he rose to his feet.
"As will house Hornwood,"
Arya frowned at these Lords, they were all fools. Going to war would be the death of them and they were all too stupid to see it.
The Dragon King
Jon lay in bed looking up at the canopy in their rooms in Dragonstone. Usually Daenerys would wake up before him but she was still currently asleep on her front next to him, her silver hair partially covering her face. They had left the council that same night on the back of their dragons as they had both wanted to head home to see Daeron again after the council.
Jon had wished the council had gone better, he had hoped that he would be able to win the support of the North however Lord Stark had brought his wife and it had all gone badly from there. Lord Stark had not believed him or his father when he informed them of the conspiracy to overthrow the Targaryen regime and this frustrated Jon. Worse still, he had not brought Arya with him. Seeing Robb was great but he would have loved to see Arya most of all.
Arya would love Daeron, he had no doubt about it. Still Jon realised that he could not focus on her right now, he had a war to win. Jon sighed in frustration, he knew that it could have gone better and he was not blameless. Rhaegar was right, he had let his emotions get the better of him and he would have to do better in the future. He could not let his anger get the better of him again.
The first shipment of food from the Reach had arrived in the last week and this was an added bonus. Ser Loras and Lady Margaery had also arrived on Dragonstone. Loras would join their Kingsguard and Lady Margaery would become one of Daenerys's ladies in waiting.
Margaery had come with several of her cousins and neither Jon nor Daenerys minded this. Margaery was nearly always in a good mood which was a big contrast to her brother Loras who was always gloomy. Jon had not figured out what was the matter with him but he knew that he would learn in time. His father had decided to house all their Kingsguard knights in Windwyrm tower until they took the Red Keep. They would also need new armor to show their affiliation to our house but they would deal with that at a later time, their current armor would be good enough for battle.
He felt the bed shift as Daenerys rolled over onto her side and now her back was towards him. Jon smiled to himself as he reached out to touch her, her skin was soft and warm underneath his fingers. He continued to gently touch her skin until she slowly rolled over and opened her lovely eyes.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly and she looked at him and shook her head. "I'm sorry for what happened at the council. I should have handled myself better, please forgive me?" she looked at him for a few moments before she slowly nodded her head
"We are both young and we will both make mistakes. It's ok my love, I forgive you," she said and she leaned forward to kiss him softly. The kiss started off slow before it grew deeper and deeper.
He gently cupped her breasts and rolled one of her nipples between his fingers. She fidgeted slightly under his touch and the little noises she made caused his cock to stiffen. At night after a long day she was always full of energy during their lovemaking, she liked to try and pin him to the bed to ride him wildly. However during the mornings, she was usually soft and submissive.
"Jon," she murmured as she broke the kiss and moved her hand down to stroke his stiff length. He gently placed kisses on her neck and below her ear and each kiss caused her to moan softly. He kissed her on the collarbone before gently rolling her onto her back.
He kissed each of her lovely breasts before leaving a trail of soft kisses gently down her body. His right hand reached out and he slowly slipped one finger inside of her warmth. He curled his finger and searched for that spot that would cause her to moan and writhe in pleasure
"Jon," she whispered, her voice heavy with desire. He ducked his head down and began to greedily lap away at her folds. He savored her sweet taste and she lifted one leg to give him more space. She started to squirm her hips on the bed and he used his strength to gently but firmly hold her in place. He felt her put her hand in his hair and gently pull at his raven locks
"Jon, please fuck me," she moaned but Jon was not finished tasting her. He lapped away at her as if he was dying of thirst. He expertly used his tongue, flattening it to give her long slow licks which caused her to grind her hips more against his face. He brought her close to her peak before he pulled away from her. She gasped and her hips moved up in the open air trying to find his face again. He moved between her legs and slowly pushed his throbbing length inside of her.
He kissed her gently and she returned his kiss. Jon began to move his hips slowly and lazily, loving the tight feeling of her warmth wrapped around him. He felt her hands roam around on his back before they settled in his hair.
Jon lost track of the time as he slowly thrust into her. He alternated between kissing her soft plump lips and gazing into her lovely lilac eyes. He started to roll his hips from side to side and he heard Daenerys moan in pleasure.
"Faster please," she begged and Jon increased his pace. He began to thrust into her harder but apparently that was not enough because she pushed hard on his chest before quickly turning around to move onto her hands and knees.
"Jon please," she said huskily as she wiggled her hips from side to side. Jon was not about to refuse her and so he quickly moved forward and sheathed himself inside her and he began to thrust. She started to quickly rock backwards and forwards and Jon began to move his hips in time with her and soon, their room was filled with the sound of flesh hitting flesh.
Dany started to moan and shout and this only drove Jon on further. His hand snaked its way into her hair and he used that to pull her head back and she began to moan and scream even louder. Jon continued to thrust into her and he knew that it wouldn't be long until she reached her peak. Her moans turned into soft high pitched cries and then he felt her walls tighten around him, threatening to swallow him whole.
Jon slowed his pace and began to roll his hips, knowing this slow teasing would help her extend her pleasure. He slapped her pert ass with both hands, savoring that lovely sound. He leaned forward and slowly rolled one of her nipples between his fingers. It took her a few minutes to come down from her release and when she was finished she turned back to look at him with her lovely lilac eyes. He growled at the sight of her and began to thrust again, this time chasing his own pleasure. His hands went to her hips and he pulled her back against him.
She started to moan and mewl again and her back glistened with sweat. She turned back to look at him once more
"Cum in me my King," she said in a soft sultry voice. Jon felt his release approaching and he buried himself deep inside of her cunt and he released his seed with such intensity he felt his knees shudder and go weak and his toes curl. He gave her spurt after spurt and when he was finished he pulled out of her and rolled onto his back. He stared up at the canopy as he caught his breath and he felt Daenerys lay her head on his chest and she let out a content sigh.
"I love you," he whispered and she hummed in agreement as she placed a few kisses along his collarbone. His fingers traced patterns over her flat belly and he saw the sunlight slowly lighting up their room. He remembered how radiant she looked when Daeron was growing inside of her, he would love to see that again.
"What are you doing today?" she asked after a few moments.
"I will probably spend some time sparring in the morning. We will take some of the best Unsullied, our blood riders and our Kingsguard and we will practice for a while. We will be going to war soon and it has been far too long since I've used Darkfyre in battle,"
"Be careful," she said quietly "You shouldn't need to fight with your sword. We have three dragons and you shouldn't need to get off Vedros,"
"I shouldn't but it's better to be safe than sorry. You should keep practicing with your dagger as well,"
"I'll try today. How about we do it together, after lunch?" she asked as she raised her head up off his chest
"How about we do it before the evening meal. That way when we're finished we can bathe once and then retire to our chambers for the rest of the evening,"
"That sounds even better," she said as she rest her head on his chest again. Jon gently stroked her hair as they lay in bed together
"Do you speak to Margaery often?"
"I do. She is a nice girl, obviously we had very different upbringings but we're starting to get along more,"
"Do you know why her brother is always so upset?" Jon asked
"I think there's one good reason,"
"Like?"
"Don't you know?" she asked as she looked up at him as if it was obvious.
"No?"
"Well, I wouldn't be happy in his situation,"
"What situation is he in?" Jon asked as he frowned and this caused her eyes to light up.
"Do you remember who knighted Ser Loras?"
"Renly Baratheon," he answered after he took a moment to think about it.
"So?" she asked expectantly.
"He's upset because he will have to go to war against the man who knighted him? That hardly seems like the end of the world," Jon said and this caused Dany to laugh softly.
"You don't get it do you," she asked as her eyes shone brightly.
"Get what?" and Dany laughed again, louder this time. Jon frowned, what was he missing?
"Never mind," she said playfully "I couldn't believe it when I was told but it makes perfect sense,"
"What makes perfect sense?" Jon asked and now he was thoroughly confused.
"Don't you worry your pretty little face about Loras Tyrell and Renly Baratheon, I'll handle it," she said as she gave him a quick kiss on the nose. Then, she got up from the bed and Jon watched as she walked naked across the room and into the nursery.
"I really don't understand," he said as he ran his hands through his hair. He shook his head and decided that if Daenerys said she'll handle it, she'll handle it. He had plenty of other things to worry about.
Daenerys returned a few moments later with Daeron in her arms. Jon pulled himself up onto the bed and she settled into his side and she began to feed him. Jon loved how happy she was in these moments.
"Good morning my prince," she said with a smile as she kissed him on his stomach once he was finished. Daeron started to twist out of her arms and she put him down on the soft bedding and they watched as he began to crawl over to Jon.
"He's eager to start his day," Jon said as he watched his son.
"He is. Today, he gets to try Banana's," she said with a smile. Jon scooped him up and held him high and repeated the words to him which caused him to giggle.
"He is growing so fast," Dany said to him and he nodded in agreement. "I want to take him with us. I can't bear to be apart from him,"
"I know but we can't take him. He is safest here on an island," Jon said sadly as he held onto Daeron.
"I know," she said sadly "I'll fly back to see him every day,"
Jon looked out and saw that sun was up and he knew he had to get up. "I have to go now my love," he said. He gave her a quick kiss before slowly getting out of bed.
"Will I see you at lunch?" he asked and she nodded.
"We should head and see the armorers as well," she said and Jon nodded, hopefully they had finished the task they had assigned for them.
"Say bye to daddy," she said softly to Daeron who was playing with her hair. Jon smiled at them, gave them both one final kiss before heading across to his dressing room to dress himself for the day ahead. He wore a simple grey and black doublet and he pulled on a fur cloak over his clothes, he was much more affected by the cold than she was.
Ghost came trotting into the room and Jon ran his hands through his fur and together, they went off through the castle to find their breakfast. They went to the breakfast hall and Jon was one of the first to arrive. He piled his plate high with sausages, bacon and warm bread and he filled a similar plate for Ghost. He also decided to try some of the orange juice that had come from the Reach. Lady Margaery had said they had a sweet taste and he was eager to try it.
They ate silently and Jon watched as gradually the hall filled with people. First, Ser Davos arrived with Tyrion and the Lady Shireen. Jon noticed that her face was healing after the treatment Marwyn had given her. Marywn himself had recently sent a note letting them know that he had arrived at Eastwatch by the Sea and he would send another letter once he arrived at Castle Black.
Next came Lady Margaery and her cousins who filled their plates and took seats at their own table. Jon had noticed that Margaery had now started to wear a similar style of dress to Dany. Jon remembered that the Tyrells and the Starks had been considering a match between Robb and Margaery, perhaps this was something he would consider after the war was won.
His father came down next and he sat down to eat next to him.
"Morning," he said in a tired voice.
"Morning father," he said quickly then he took a deep breath. "I'm sorry for what happened at the council, you were right, I let my emotions get the better of me and I've done more harm than good,"
"There is no use dwelling in the past, let's learn from this and make sure it doesn't happen again. You are a King now and you have to act better than that. You need to prove to the people that you deserve to be their King, you can't just demand it," Rhaegar said sternly and Jon nodded slowly. "But it is in the past now, we need to focus on the future,"
"How did you sleep?" Jon asked after a few moments
"Not too well. I was up late reading those books from Valyria. It's going to take me weeks to finish them,"
"Did you find anything interesting?"
"Nothing that we did not already know. I've also began to copy them, some of the books are in a damaged state and we don't want this knowledge to be lost forever,"
"That sounds like a good idea but we should be careful. Those books have knowledge on how to defeat our dragons, we don't want it to fall into the wrong hands,"
"I will be. I'm only making one copy," he said and Jon nodded "Where's Daenerys?"
"With Daeron. She fed him before I got up, she should be down shortly," Jon told him. "Want to join me for a spar this morning?"
"Sure. I suppose a bit of practice won't hurt," he said with a shrug. Once they were finished they put their plates to the side and together they headed outside to the area where they would be sparring. Jon was pleased to see that everyone had arrived and they were waiting for them. The spars would be taking place in an open area with plenty of space for spectators to see what was happening
"Good morning everyone," Jon said in a clear voice. "We are going to head to war in a few weeks and you are amongst our best warriors. Some of you have not been in a fight for months if not years and it is important that all of you are ready for battle. This morning we will be having a series of spars to help prepare us all for battle,"
Then he repeated these instructions in Valyrian for the Unsullied and finally in Dothraki. The men all nodded in understanding and then Jon began to divide them up into pairs.
Ser Barristan would start with Grey Worm, Ser Jaime with Rakharo, Rhaegar with Aggo and this left Jon with Ser Loras. Jon had done this intentionally, he was of a similar age to Ser Loras and he was eager to see how good he was. As the Dothraki did not believe in using blunted weapons, they were all sparing with real weapons.
Jon stood opposite Ser Loras and pulled Darkfyre from its sheath and he watched as Ser Loras did the same. Ser Loras had been chosen a Valyrian steel Longsword and because it was to remain in the possession of House Tyrell, the hilt and handle had been jeweled with emeralds and roses.
"That's Valyrian Steel, it's much lighter than normal steel. It'll take some time to get used to," he warned and Ser Loras nodded. Jon took a half step forward and then their spar began.
Jon decided to let Ser Loras dictate the pace whilst he got used to the new sword. Jon used his quick footwork to move out of the way of Loras's strikes. Jon quickly realised that he had earned his reputation, his strikes were sharp and precise and Jon eventually had to start raising his own sword to parry. The sound of Valyrian steel clashing together quickly filled Jon's ears. It was unlike the sound of regular steel colliding, it was higher pitched and it sounded like a gong being struck.
Jon shifted his feet and then sunk lower in his stance. He had seen how well Ser Loras could attack, now it was time to see how well he could defend. Jon tensed his calves as he stayed low in his stance as he waited for his opportunity. Staying this low was difficult and painful and to make matters worse, Loras did not give him many opportunities to launch his counter attack. Loras continued to patiently poke and probe without giving Jon any opportunities.
So, Jon decided to take matters into his own hands. He took a small half step forward and to his right and he began to bring his sword around his right hand side in a feint to draw Loras out. Loras fell for his trap and Jon smiled to himself.
Instead of continuing his movement to the right, he exploded all the way to his left. Loras had not expected him to move with that much speed and this put him on the back foot. However, he quickly recovered and he was able to block Jon's downward strike but the force of the block was too much for him and his sword clattered to the floor next to him.
He stared at the young knight for a few moments before smiling and offering him his hand.
"Well fought. You have great patience and discipline, not many knights would have been able to block that strike," Jon said as they shook hands.
"I can see why. You move impossibly fast and you're stronger than you look," he said as he caught his breath. Jon nodded to him before he turned to look around, Rhaegar and Aggo were still fighting whilst everyone else was finished. Jon noticed that his father struggled slightly and this worried him, perhaps it would be best if he remained in the air with Caraxes.
Once his father was finished, he reassigned everyone and they went at it again. Jon spent half the time fighting and the other half observing what he saw. Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime clearly had an advantage over Ser Loras, they both disarmed the younger knight with tricks and moves that Jon had not seen before.
Grey Worm, Rakharo and Aggo fared much better against the experienced knights, their Essosi style gave them an advantage and this pleased Jon. If the great Ser Barristan struggled against these men, then the Usurper and his knights would not stand a chance against their forces.
Their sparring continued for most of the morning and continued until well past midday until Jon stopped. The session was definitely a success, not only did it help to keep everyone in shape, it also allowed the Dothraki and Unsullied to learn and understand how Westerosi men fought. This would help them in battle and hopefully it would build up a sense of trust and respect between the different groups of people.
Jon then headed back to the castle for lunch with Daenerys, he found her in the small hall near their chambers. She was sitting at a table with Missandei, Shireen and Margaery. He saw Daeron on the floor playing with some toys and a half eaten banana on the table. Daeron turned towards him, smiled and slowly started to crawl towards him.
"What happened to him?" he asked as he noticed the banana on the table.
"I tried to feed him some banana, he ate about half of it before he decided that he had enough," Daenerys said with a smile. Jon picked him up and gave him a kiss on his nose.
"He is a lovely boy," Margaery said to him with a smile.
"How was your morning?" Daenerys asked,
"It was tiring but good. Your brother fights well Lady Margaery,"
"Thank you, your grace," she said with her signature smile
"Shall we have lunch Jon?" Daenerys asked "We were waiting on you to join us," Jon nodded to her and then he took his seat next to her. Jon held Daeron in his lap and he reached out to grab the banana.
"Good luck getting him to eat that," Dany said as she signaled for a servant to start bringing their lunch.
"Daeron is going to be a good boy and eat his banana isn't he?" Jon said as he broke off a small piece of banana and fed it to him. Daeron opened his mouth wide and ate the small piece of banana.
"See?" he said with a wide smile.
"Just wait," Daenerys said with a smirk. Whilst he tried to feed Daeron, there lunch was served. They were severed venison pies and honey covered mutton chops. They had plenty of peas, turnips and sweetcorn and they were given a light mead to drink. As Jon ate this rich meal, he was once again reminded of the importance of having the Reach as an ally. Their soldiers will all be well fed and that would be a good way to keep their morale up.
As they ate, he noticed that Daeron slowly started to fall asleep on his chest. He gently passed him to Daenerys who offered to take him up stairs and put him in his crib. Whilst Daenerys and Missandei were away with Daeron, Jon spoke with Shireen and Margaery.
"How are you finding Dragonstone?"
"The architecture is amazing your grace," she said with a smile. "I read in a book that this castle was constructed by your ancestors using magic and I am honored to be able to see it for myself," Jon smiled at her response, she reminded him of Sansa. She seemingly always knew the right thing to say.
"How is compared to Highgarden?"
"Different," she settled on "But it is still special in its own way,"
"By different do you mean gloomy?" he said with a small smile which she returned.
"I wouldn't use that word,"
"How would describe Dragonstone, Shireen?"
"Dark but beautiful. I like it. I've lived here my entire life,"
"Do you like Storms End?" Jon asked. After the war was over and the Usurper was defeated, they would be sending Shireen to Storms End and he wondered if she had ever been there before.
"It's a great castle, I love the fact that it's by the sea as well although my father never liked visiting there much. I've only been a few times to visit Edric. We would spend a lot of time playing together and exploring the castle. The last time we were there we tried to find the secret tunnel that Ser Davos used to smuggle in his onions but we couldn't find it," she said and Jon nodded, he wondered if there were any secret tunnels in Dragonstone that they hadn't found. He would have to ask his father or the maesters to see what they knew. Then he turned to Margaery
"Did you meet Robb Stark at the council?"
"I was never introduced but my grandmother pointed him out to me. It sounds like the two of you were close?"
"Yes, we are close," Jon said firmly. "He's my brother in all but name and blood," and he saw Margaery nod slowly. She seemed to realize how close they were.
"I think you would like him," Jon began and she raised an eyebrow in surprise. Before he could continue Daenerys returned.
"Come on my love, let's check on the armorers," she said and Jon quickly rose to his feet, he smiled at both Shireen and Margaery before leaving the small hall.
"What were you talking about?" she asked as they made their way through the castle
"I asked her how she was finding Dragonstone and I told her a little bit about Winterfell. I mentioned Robb and my siblings to her,"
"Robb?" she asked in surprise. "What are you planning?"
"I was thinking that if they marry, they could unite the North and the Reach. Robb is my brother and from our conversations in the council I don't think he will fight against us. He's the heir to a great house so he's a suitable match for Margaery. If they marry it will only strengthen our ties and relations with the other Kingdoms,"
"This is true," she said after a pause. "What do you plan to do with the North after this war is over?"
"What do you mean?"
"Will Lord Stark still be Lord of Winterfell or will you put appoint Robb in his place?"
Jon was quiet for a few moments as he thought on this. He realised that it would be difficult for he and Lord Stark to work together again after the war was over, perhaps appointing Robb as the Lord of Winterfell would be a good idea.
"Appointing Robb has its advantages, he and I will have a closer relationship and that will help us work together. However, I can't just depose the previous Lord of Winterfell, I would need a good reason to do it otherwise Robb's own bannermen might rise up against him or force him to rise up against me. The last thing we want is a civil war in the North," he said to her.
"You're the King, we have dragons and your word is law. After Aegon's conquest, he appointed new Lords and everyone grew to accept this, the North will do the same in this case,"
"Perhaps they will in time, but I think deposing Lord Stark should be the last resort,"
"Jon, I think you're underestimating the power of our dragons. Some Lords are still foolishly opposing us but once they see our dragons in action for themselves no one left in the lands will doubt us. If you want to appoint Robb as Lord of Winterfell you will be able to. If a Lord is foolish enough to rise against us then, perhaps they don't deserve to be Lords at all. If you need a good reason to depose him, you can tell the realm that he did not support his sister's son. He chose the Usurper over his own blood,"
Jon was silent for a few moments as he considered her words. Their dragons provided them with a lot of power and he realised that she was right, if a lord was foolish enough to oppose them then perhaps they deserved to be stripped of their positions. However, he also realised that there was a fine line between justice and tyranny when using their dragons. He did not want to use their dragons to oppress the people and force them to accept their rule. His father had pointed this out to him this morning, he had to prove to the people that he deserved to rule it wasn't something that was his right.
"We will talk about this more later," he settled on. After the war, they would have a more accurate picture of the realm. There would be no point deposing Lord Stark and risking a potential conflict in the North if other areas needed their attention.
They walked outside of the castle and down to one of the beaches below the Dragonmont. The sun had been covered by clouds and the wind was starting to pick up. Jon saw smoke trailing high into the sky from the forges. Ever since they arrived on the Island, they had set their armorers to commission armor for their dragons. This was a monumental task and it was something that had not been attempted for centuries. Tyrion, Rhaegar and Marwyn had been working together to design the armor and today they would finally see the finished product.
"Your graces," he heard Tyrion call to them from his position at the entrance to the camp. He saw his father and Ser Jaime also with him.
"The armorers are finished with one set of armor,"
"Why did you only make one set?" Jon immediately asked.
"Think of it like a test. We've thought of plenty designs but we have only made a few. We don't want to waste time and resources building a design that we are not happy with," Tyrion replied.
"Are you sure this will work? Is the metal light? Will it impact their ability to fly?" Daenerys asked.
"Not really," Rhaegar said "It is pointless to armor their bodies. As they grow older, their scales will grow harder and harder and act as a natural protection against arrows and such,"
"What about Scorpions? Or Ballistas?" Daenerys asked.
"They are the same thing," Tyrion told them. "It would require a powerful scorpion shot to puncture the scales of your dragons. Marwyn did some calculations and he concluded that such a design would be too big and cumbersome to carry to battle, it would have to be stationary, likely mounted in place on a castle wall," Jon nodded slowly.
"So we only need to worry about this when we try to take Kings Landing?"
"Yes. They might have several smaller scorpions but those should not be powerful enough to take down your dragons,"
"So what armor have you constructed?" Daenerys asked.
"It is more of a head piece to protect their eyes since that is their weakest area," Tyrion told them and Jon nodded. He remembered the stories of Rhaenys and Meraxes and how that dragon died from a bolt to the eye.
"Here, we'll show you," Tyrion said proudly, he led them around the side of the forge and Jon saw the armor sitting on the floor. Jon was unsure on how to describe it.
"I actually came up with the idea myself. Imagine a normal helmet for a knight, it would cover their entire face. I took this design and changed it slightly. The idea is that it sits on your dragons head and the metal comes down around their eyes with slits for them to see through. There will be nothing blocking their mouths"
"Will that not obstruct their sight?"
"It will slightly but that is the only way to protect their eyes," Tyrion said slowly. Jon looked at Daenerys and saw that she too look concerned, the armor would be almost pointless if their dragons could not see properly.
"We may as well try it," he said diplomatically and Daenerys nodded.
"Vedros is probably our best bet," she said. "She is the gentlest of the three,"
"Not lately," Jon said "Ever since we've returned from the council she has been more agitated than usual. Perhaps, we should try Caraxes,"
"I saw Caraxes fly away to hunt earlier and he hasn't returned," Rhaegar told them. Jon nodded slowly, no one bothered suggesting they try it with Anogar. So, it seemed Vedros would be the first to test this new armor. Several of the Dothraki men picked up the armor and carried it down the beach towards the cave where Vedros usually slept in. Jon noticed that it took 8 men to transport the armor and Jon hoped that it was not too heavy.
They reached the cave mouth and Jon told the men to drop the armor down on the beach.
"Vedros," he called softly as he walked up to the entrance to the cave. He saw broken and charred bones littering the floor so Jon knew that his dragon was still eating well. He closed his eyes and searched for her in the cave, he found her and then he gently asked her to come out to see the armor. He heard a low rumbling noise and then he felt the ground shift as Vedros slowly made her way out of the cave. He saw her bronze eyes first and then he saw the rest of her hulking green mass. He gently patted her snout and whispered to her,
"We have something for you to try today," he said and then he pointed towards the armor. He kept his hand on her side as the men picked up the armor and began to slowly make their way towards them.
"No, leave it there," Jon said to them. He would let Vedros take a look at the armor first. The men put the armor down and again and they slowly backed away. He heard Vedros growl and snarl as she moved closer to the armor. Jon closed his eyes and searched for her and he knew that his dragon did not approve of this armor.
As if to prove his point, Vedros turned around and struck it repeatedly with her tail. Once she was finished, Tyrion's carefully constructed armor was completely ruined.
"Vedros that was not nice," he said as he scolded her and she gave a low angry rumble in return before she stomped back into her cave. Jon frowned at her before he decided to follow her. He took a torch from one of the men and then entered her lair.
The cave was much bigger on the inside than he had thought. He held the torch up high to look at the ceiling and to spread more light around the cave. He saw Vedros curled up on her side towards the back of the cave, her bronze eyes were staring at him intensely.
"What's the matter with her?" Daenerys asked.
"I'm not sure," he said as he began to slowly walk towards her. He approached her slowly and put his hand on her snout and spoke to her. She gave another low rumble before she shifted slightly and lifted her wing. Jon immediately grew concerned, if there was something wrong with her wing then she would be completely unable to fly. As he moved closer he saw what was under her wing and he nearly fell to his knees in surprise. Under her wing, were three Dragon eggs. One was a frosty silver color that reminded him of Dany's hair, the second was a pale evergreen blue and the final was a beautiful gold.
"I don't believe it," Daenerys whispered "What are we going to do with these eggs?"
"We can't hatch them," Jon said quietly, he remembered what they had to do in Valyria to get them to hatch and this was not something he wanted to do again. They may have been Valyrians, but they were not willing to use all of their blood magic.
"There has to be another way," Daenerys said as she picked up an egg. "We'll read the books again but I know that after Aegon's conquests, there have been dragon hatchlings here on Dragonstone. I'm sure there must be another way because someone would have noticed if our ancestors were performing these complicated rituals,"
"That sounds like a good idea. In the meantime what should we do with them?"
"We could put one in Daeron's crib, that is something that our ancestors used to do with their children," and Jon nodded slowly.
"Which egg?"
"Whichever he likes the most I guess. When I had my eggs I was drawn to Anogar's egg. Perhaps Daeron will do the same," she said and Jon nodded in agreement.
"Well, we will need two more children," Jon said with a cheeky smile.
"Soon my love, soon," she said as she returned his smile.
The Griffin
It was a cold, dreary day and Jon Connington was seated on his horse as he led his forces through the muddy fields towards the gates of Storms End. They had left their elephants behind at Griffin's Roost, they would not be necessary to his plan.
He had spent the past few weeks searching for a plan to take the impenetrable fortress that was Storms End. He knew that trying to siege it would be useless, the castle's defenders would sit safely behind their walls. Jon knew that Stannis Baratheon had endured the entire rebellion safely behind these massive stone walls, he would not be able to breach them with only the men of the Golden Company.
So he had to come up with a different plan, one that even the great Tywin Lannister would be proud of. When he had unveiled the plan to the rest of the generals of the Golden Company, they had all looked at him in bewilderment before they all nodded slowly. It was risky, incredibly so but their King, or rather, his Queen had set her sights on this castle and as a result they had no choice but to do as she wished.
Jon could almost see her logic, taking this castle would provide a morale boost to their men. However, he did not understand her goals and that meant he would have to watch her carefully. He had been watching her carefully but she had given nothing away, whenever she was not with the King, she was with the other Dornish girl, Tyene was her name.
Still, she would make a mistake soon, and Jon would have to be ready to capitalize on it. He knew he could not replace her, they needed the Dornish support, however he could use this mistake to try and control her.
As they got closer and closer to Storms End, it started to rain lightly but Jon pulled his cloak tightly around him, raised his hood and continued onwards. It was too late to turn back now, this was their only chance to take this castle. He brushed a gloved hand over the pommel of his sword and gripped it tightly. He would have this castle, and he would sit his King on the throne.
Jon wondered how many men were inside. The Spider had told them that the Usurper had called his banners and he was now positioning them around the capital, ready to march for war, but Jon knew he would not leave this castle undefended. The castle was held by the Usurper's brother, Renly. Jon hoped that he was in the castle, he would make a valuable hostage. The Spider had said that they had a fierce argument after the council and Jon hoped to use this to their advantage. Varys and his little birds had said that the argument was so fierce, Renly stormed out of the castle that same night to ride straight back to Storms End, not even stopping in Kings Landing.
Jon could hear the sea raging against the cliffs that surrounded the castle and Storms End's great curtain wall loomed ominously ahead of him. He saw several men on the battlements and soon he saw several riders leave the castle to ride towards them. Jon slowly raised up one hand to send the signal to stop their advance.
"No turning back now," he heard Harry say from his horse and Jon nodded slowly. "It all rests on the Spider. If he fails us and his information is wrong, then we're fucked,"
"He will not fail us," Jon said firmly. If there was one thing he knew, he knew that the Spider wanted his King on the throne just as much as he did. However, even he couldn't completely erase that small seed of doubt that was growing in his mind, what if Varys was wrong. What if Renly already knew who they were? Their plan relied on the fact that whoever held the castle did not know that they had already declared for King Aegon, if they knew otherwise, this little deception would fail.
It was too late to turn back now and his hand went to the pommel of his sword and he wondered how many he would be able to kill if it came to it. It had been years since he was in a proper fight and he could be out of practice. He took a deep breath and waited for the riders to approach. He had allowed his beard and his hair to grow long during the past few weeks to hide his appearance.
The riders were closer now and Jon could begin to pick out their faces, he saw a bald headed man with a red beard approaching and he was flanked by another man on a black horse. Jon stopped his men and awaited their arrival.
"Who are you and why are you outside of my castle?" the man in the middle asked. Jon looked at him curiously, he was well dressed and Jon noticed that he wore the colors of House Baratheon. Could this be Renly Baratheon? He certainly looked the right age.
"I am Gylo Rhegan, commander of the Golden Company and we have come to fight for King Robert Baratheon," Jon said to the man. He looked at him curiously and he scratched his chin.
"My brother sent out the a raven to Essos months ago, why are you only here now?" he asked. Jon bit the inside of mouth to stop himself from smiling. This man must be Renly, who else would he be referring to?
"We were completing a contract," he lied and he saw the man look at him curiously.
"My Lord....?" Harry began and Jon realised that they still had not been introduced
"I am Lord Renly Baratheon, Lord of Storms End and brother to King Robert, although he seems to hate to admit it," Renly said bitterly and Jon was surprised by this. Perhaps this bad blood between the brothers was worse than he thought. If they hated each other, Renly would be a worthless hostage
"The Golden Company are the best sellsword company in the whole of Essos. We are the best fighters that you will find," Harry said to him and Jon nodded.
"Why do you want to fight the Targaryens?" Renly asked,
"The Golden Company was originally founded by Aegor Rivers who fled Westeros after the first Blackfyre rebellion. The Targaryens are our enemies and have been since we were founded, we are here to try and defeat them, once and for all," Jon said immediately and he saw Renly nod slowly.
"Very well, you may camp outside the castle. Tomorrow, I will send a raven to the my brother, the King informing him of this," Renly said. Jon grimaced slightly when he heard this, they would have to launch their plan tonight before the raven could be sent.
"Could our commanders stay inside the castle?" Harry asked immediately "It's much colder here than it is in Essos," The man looked at him for a few moments and Jon held his breath, getting into the castle was essential to their plan.
"Fine, you can bring 20 of your commanders,"
"30?" Harry asked and the man gave him a sharp look and then he shook his head.
"20," he said firmly and Jon quickly glared at Harry, it would not do to push their luck, even 10 men in the castle would be enough.
"20 is fine," Jon said quickly and he saw the man nod.
"Very well, follow me," he said and Jon smiled to himself, the first step of their plan was complete. He gave one quick look back at the men who would be staying outside the castle, he gave a small nod of the head and opened his palm giving them the signal. They would have to be ready tonight.
Notes:
So this chapter was a little late
I've been busy with uni stuff this week and It'll probably be the same over the next month or so. Can't really get around it. And my laptop is literally dying. So I've got to get it repaired and all that.
I should be able to upload the next chapter in a weekish. Expect it within the next 7-10 days. I think I'm calling it 'The Griffins Gambit' but I could change it
As always, thank you all for the comments. I read them all and I do my best to reply to as many as I can, but I'm really busy so if I don't reply I'm sorry
Thanks for reading
Sleepy
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