章 2232: 26
The Griffin
Jon Connington was dreaming. He dreamt of a warm summer's day in King's Landing many years ago. He was standing in one of the many courtyards of the Red Keep and the hot sun was bearing heavily down on him from above. He was breathing heavily, as he sparred with his Silver Prince.
Rhaegar had always been gifted at everything that he put his mind to and the art of combat was no exception. Rhaegar had been trained by several legendary knights of the Kingsguard including the great Ser Arthur Dayne and due to this invaluable experience and training, Rhaegar had become a very formidable opponent in battle.
They had been sparring with tourney swords, Jon would never risk harming his Silver Prince with real steel. Rhaegar stood opposite him. He had sweat dripping from his brow and his thin linen shirt stuck tightly to his well-defined muscular form . Rhaegar raised one hand to slowly push his long silver hair back out of his eyes. His eyes were an irresistible shade of purple and they were looking at him closely.
Suddenly, Rhaegar sprung forward and he thrust his blade upwards into his face. Jon instinctively took a quick step backwards to dodge the strike, Rhaegar was undeterred and he launched a quick flurry of attacks that forced Jon onto the defensive. Rhaegar had always been faster than him. Always. He quickly raised his sword to parry Rhaegar's rapid attacks and then he spotted an opening. Rhaegar had stepped too far forward and that had left his right hand side exposed. He brought his sword up and to his left and aimed a quick strike at his rib section.
Jon brought his sword up but connected with nothing but thin air, Rhaegar had moved with the speed of the wind . Jon whipped his head around to see that Rhaegar had baited him and he had easily spun out of his attack and he was now nearly behind him. Rhaegar kicked out his leg and then swept his feet out from under him, and Jon landed flat on the back in the dirt, his face burning as bright as the sun with embarrassment.
Jon groaned loudly as he slowly sat up and looked at Rhaegar who was smirking at him. The sun was behind his head this meant that it was difficult to see his face, so Jon had to raise up one hand to shield his eyes from the bright light.
As his eyes adjusted, he saw that Rhaegar was gone and in his place was Ser Cortnay Penrose. His sword was still dripping red with blood and Jon could see the scars along his chest and the large ugly one on his face where the fatal blow had been struck.
Cortnay took a step towards him and then Jon noticed the sun had been covered with thick grey clouds. He shook his head as he squirmed backwards along the floor. He looked around for his sword but he saw that it had somehow slid away from him. Jon's breath quickened as he looked up at Cortnay and he shook his head.
"No, you're dead," he thought to himself but Cortnay just shook his head and he gave him a smug smile. Jon felt his shoulders hit something and he turned around to see that he had reached the end of the courtyard and there was nowhere further to go.
He fearfully looked back at Cortnay and pleaded to him with his eyes. Cortnay's eyes were grey like slate and they were cold and unforgiving. Jon watched as he slowly lifted his sword arm and then he brought his blade down towards his head.
Jon awoke with a start. His chest was heaving and he was sweating profusely. He looked around him and saw that he was in a dark and unfamiliar room and for a few moments he struggled to work out where he was. Then he remembered what had happened. Ser Cortnay had nearly killed him and he had been saved by Duck. Jon's hand slowly went to his face and he found a thick bandage covering one side of his face. The bandage covered parts of his eye left eye and Jon shuddered to think what he would look like.
He quickly tried to sit up until but he realised that his head was absolutely throbbing with pain. That brief exertion had caused his head to start spinning and a brief wave of nausea passed over him and he laid his head back down to wait until it passed. He tried to call out for help but his throat was as dry as the Dornish desert and any sound that he made, came out in a quiet hoarse croak. He needed water.
His eyes roamed around the room slowly and he saw that he was in the chambers assigned to him in Storms End. This was good as it meant that they had won the battle and therefore the castle now belonged to them . If he was a prisoner then they would have just thrown him into the dungeons to rot.
On the bedside table, there was a goblet and what Jon hoped was a pitcher of water. He thought about sitting up to try and grab it but he decided that it was not worth sending the room spinning in circles just yet.
He laid in bed and thought about what had happened. They had snuck into the castle by pretending to be loyal to King Robert. They had shared bread and wine with the enemy and then he had slain them all, guest right be damned. It was necessary to sit the true King on the throne, the gods would understand.
His dream was just his consciousness playing tricks on him, nothing more. His mind had also given him a dream of Rhaegar, his wonderful Silver Prince. Somehow, Rhaegar had survived the Usurper's attack and he was alive, in Westeros. He would finally see him again
Jon remembered that day in the courtyard. It was a warm summer's day and Jon had been squiring for Rhaegar for several years at that point, Griffin's Roost had long been forgotten. Rhaegar had been a great knight and a fantastic swordsman. He had spent the entire morning sparring with the Kingsguard, showing those prestigious knights his skills. It was only at the end of the session that Jon had been given the chance to spar him, he knew he was not going to win, but he had been determined to give a good account of himself.
That dream had only been a part of their long spar. Rhaegar had remarkable stamina and he was still strong even that late into the fight when normal men would have tired and this had caught Jon by surprise. Rhaegar had baited him and he had lunged in like a fool and he ended up flat on his back. Rhaegar had looked down on him and smiled before he offered him his hand to help him to his feet. He didn't brag or laud his victory over him, he was a true friend and a good man. Jon was about to suggest that they head back to the Red Keep to bathe and have their lunch together when a runner came.
This runner came with news from Dorne, news that Jon had grown to resent. Rhaegar had been summoned back to the throne room of the Red Keep. Jon remembered following him from afar as they made their way back to the castle. He remembered standing on the left hand side of the throne room as Aerys sat upon the Iron Throne and made the announcement.
Rhaegar Targaryen had been betrothed to Princess Elia Martell of Dorne.
Jon remembered the smiles and the applause and he forced himself to politely join in. His arms felt heavy and his smile was forced but he did his best. He had heard that Princess Elia was weak and sickly and he knew that she would not be good enough for his Silver Prince. He was proven right, the birth of Rhaenys had left her weak and then after the birth of the King, she had been unable to have any more children.
Jon's thoughts turned to Arianne Martell. She and the King had been together for months yet she was still not with child. Perhaps, she too was unable to bear children. If Jon could prove that, then he would be able to persuade the King to set her and her foolish ways aside.
Jon felt the seeds of an idea taking root inside of his brain. He would have to be careful about how he went about this. They still needed the Dornish and their forces, if he showed his hand too early and without proof, he would be the one who would be thrown aside.
Then Jon realised they might have another problem, the Dornish would be angry if they found out Rhaegar was alive. He remembered Oberyn's rage in Sunspear when he heard that Rhaegar had a son with Lyanna Stark, Rhaegar had dishonored Dorne with those actions. Jon shuddered to think of Oberyn's reaction when he found out that Rhaegar was alive, perhaps he already knew.
As he thought about it more, he realised that it was highly likely that Oberyn and the Dornish already knew. Doran had his own network of spies and he would have heard about what had happened at the council. Jon groaned to himself and then he cursed Varys. Why had he left him in the dark about this, did he really not trust him? He trusted him enough with the true King of Westeros yet he would not tell him that the King's father was alive? The Spider must be playing his games yet again.
Rhaegar being alive changed everything. He would be overjoyed to have his son and heir returned to him and he would reward Jon for keeping him safe for him throughout all of these years in exile. Perhaps, he should write to Rhaegar to tell him this, and to tell him that he too had survived.
Rhaegar would be overjoyed to see him alive, Jon knew that for certain. They had been close friends, best friends during their youth. Jon wondered how much he had changed over the years. Would his hair be longer, would it still be that same shade of silver that shimmered in the sunlight? Would he even remember him?
Jon removed that silly thought from his mind, of course his Silver Prince would remember him and he would be so happy to see him. Sure, he had let his hair grow long but he could simply cut it, there was nothing to worry about. As Jon thought about it more, he realised that he wanted to surprise Rhaegar with news of his survival in person. Jon felt giddy with excitement as he imagined Rhaegar's face when he saw him. It would be one of the best days of his life.
He realised that he needed to get out of bed, he would not be able to meet his Silver Prince if he stayed in bed all day. He slowly sat up and thankfully, the room stayed still and his head didn't spin. He ran his hands through the furs on his bed as waited for a few moments before he reached over to the bedside table and took the goblet of water.
The water was warm and tepid but he drank it nevertheless and slowly his dry throat returned to normal. After his thirst was quenched he heard his stomach rumble loudly. How long was he asleep for? Surely, it was no more than a day or so.
Jon then slowly swung his legs off the bed and rested them on the cool stone floor. He saw that his clothes had been folded and placed on top of his shoes and that his sword had been cleaned and was propped up on the side of his bedside table. Jon slowly dressed himself, ignored the rumbling of his stomach and then he made his way out of the room.
The hallway was dimly lit and it was colder than in his room. Jon did not want to move too quickly in case he felt dizzy again so he slowly shuffled down the hallway in the direction of the main hall. As he walked, he saw blood stains on the stone walls that had yet to be cleaned. Jon would have to have a word with the men about that.
He was halfway to the main hall when he heard someone call to him.
"You're awake!" and he turned and saw that it was Duck who was walking towards him. As he approached Jon noticed that he had a few small cuts on bruises on his face and hands but apart from that, he looked no worse for wear. His ginger hair had been cut short and his beard had been neatly trimmed
"You look….better than you did a few nights ago," he settled on as he looked at him up and down. "You took quite the hit to the head, we weren't sure how long were you going to be asleep for,"
"How long?" Jon croaked, his voice still not his own
"Were you asleep? Four days, nearly five," Duck replied with a shrug and this shocked Jon. Four days was too long, who knows how the King had been faring without him
"Where is the King?"
"In the castle, he arrived the morning we took the castle," he said slowly and Jon looked at him curiously, he was holding something back. "The Dornish are here, specifically Prince Oberyn,"
Jon understood, he was being warned.
"You should see the Maester first and make sure it's ok for you to be up and about," he said cautiously but Jon just shook his head.
"I'm fine," he croaked. "Take me to his grace," he commanded and Duck slowly nodded. As he led him through the castle, more and more of the fight came back to him. He remembered charging up those stairs and then heading down that hallway.
"Where's Renly?" he asked
"We have him. He's in a cell," Duck quickly said. This was good, Renly was a valuable hostage for them to have and he would be very useful in the next step of their plan. Duck led him towards the Eastern side of the castle where the Lords chambers were. They were the best rooms in the castle and it made sense that his King was staying there. There were several large hunting tapestries hanging along the walls of the hallways.
They finally reached a large ornate door wooden door with two huge brass handles. Duck opened the door and led Jon into the room. This room was a lavish solar with shelves stacked with books. There was a large thick myrish carpet along the floor, a polished wooden desk with a leather armchair sitting behind it. Jon looked around and saw several large sofas spread out around the room and they were nearly all currently occupied.
Prince Oberyn sat on one arm chair and opposite him the King and Queen, seated very close together. Jon's eyes landed on his King and he saw that he had concern etched all over his face.
"Are you alright?" he immediately asked.
"I've been better but I'll live," Jon replied immediately and he moved to sit down on the free sofa. Before he sat, he poured himself another cup of water for him to sip slowly whilst they talked.
"You've been out for a few days, have you seen the Maester?" the King asked and Jon shook his head.
"I'll see him after, if it pleases your grace," he said politely.
"I think you should see him now," Arianne said immediately and Jon scowled at her, she was trying to get rid of him.
"No, I want him to stay," the King said firmly and Arianne tore her eyes away from Jon to look at the King. She raised her eyebrow in surprise as she glared at him but to his surprise, and happiness, the King held her gaze. "He will stay my dear,"
Arianne continued to stare at him before she nodded slowly. She turned back towards Jon and shifted slightly, so she was no longer touching the King. She gave a quick nervous look towards Prince Oberyn which Jon caught but did not understand.
"Prince Oberyn, it's nice of you to join us," Jon said politely.
"Nice to see you too, Connington," he said with a smirk "Although I can't say you're looking well,"
"It's just a small cut," Jon said with a shrug. "But unlike some, I am willing to risk my life to help King Aegon reclaim his rightful throne," he said with a glare at Oberyn. Whilst he had been out fighting for his King, Oberyn and the rest of the Dornish forces had been nowhere to be seen. Had it not been for Arianne, Jon would have sworn that the Dornish were playing them.
"I'm willing to let that one go, your little head injury is affecting your judgment, "
Jon opened his mouth to speak again but Oberyn raised a hand to silence him, which was rude.
"I didn't come here to trade insults with the likes of you. I have news, news that changes everything," Oberyn said and Jon nodded slowly, he had a feeling of what the Dornish Viper was going to say.
"I already know it," Jon said and Oberyn looked at him in surprise but Jon ignored him and turned to his King. He took a deep breath before speaking.
"Your grace, your father is alive," he said in a calm and gentle voice. Aegon's eyes widened and then they filled with tears.
"How ? " he whispered,
"I don't know how he survived your grace, but I do know that he is alive. He was at the council and all the Lords of the realm have seen him,"
The King nodded slowly as he processed those words.
"Where is he?"
"He is with the false prince and Daenerys," Jon said sadly and he saw the King's eyes narrow slightly.
"Where is he?" he repeated and his voice got firmer again, it was the same tone that he used on Arianne.
"Likely on Dragonstone," Oberyn answered.
"Then that is where I will go," the King said immediately.
"Your grace, that is not wise,"
"Why is it not wise ?" he hissed "That is my father . I am going to see him,"
"Your grace we need a plan, we can't just sail into Dragonstone," Jon said.
"Why not? He is my father and he will see me," the King snapped.
"He is with the false prince and Daenerys, we need a plan. Tyrion Lannister is with them as well and he knows who you are and he has probably told them about your rightful claim for the throne. They might not accept you with open arms," Jon pointed out and the King scowled.
"He is my father and this is nothing more than a petty dispute between brothers. My claim is superior to his and my father will force him to step down. In fact, my claim does not even matter, my father is eldest son of our family so he should rightfully sit the throne and I will be his heir," he said confidently and Jon nodded. This was wise and it was something that he had not considered. He was no longer Prince Rhaegar but King Rhaegar instead. Jon found that it sounded right.
"That may not be the case. They are styling themselves as King Aegon and Queen Daenerys, it seems that Prince Rhaegar has stepped aside for them ," Oberyn pointed out.
"What? Why would my father do that, that doesn't make any sense," the King said as he shook his head.
"Perhaps, Rhaegar is running away from his responsibilities again. He caused this entire mess when he disrespected our family and abandoned his wife and children all those years ago ," Oberyn spat venomously.
"Don't you dare speak about my father like that," the King snapped as he stared daggers into Oberyn. Jon watched helplessly as they stared at each other before Oberyn slowly bowed his head in apology.
"We will sail for Dragonstone," the King repeated. "I will see my father and then we will end this petty dispute once and for all. I will name my half-brother as my heir until I have one with my wife," the King said firmly.
Jon groaned to himself, he knew he would have to manipulate him to get what he wanted.
"I don't think that idea is wise. They have bigger armies and they have dragons, if we sail to Dragonstone, we have nothing to offer them, we have nothing that they need," Jon said slowly and the King turned to look at him. His dark purple eyes were startling and Jon did his best to maintain his gaze.
"It does not matter, we are family and our father will help to mediate this situation," he said.
"Perhaps he will, but this will not go smoothly your grace," Jon continued. "The boy and Daenerys have been thinking of themselves as the true King and Queen but that is not the case. If you sail to Dragonstone now and tell them that you are the rightful King they might not step aside and endorse your claim, they might imprison you on the island," and this caused his purple eyes to narrow to slits.
"My father will not allow them to imprison me," he repeated but Jon continued anyway.
"Your grace, if Prince Oberyn is correct, then it seems that your father is not the one in charge, the Pretender Prince is," Aegon scowled and then he stood up and began to pace around the room.
"Perhaps, you are right. Yes, it would not be wise to sail to Dragonstone empty handed. I need to have something to negotiate with, I need to have something that they want," he said quietly as he continued to pace.
"What do you think that would be?" he asked him and Jon shook his head. He didn't have an answer. He sat quietly on his chair and he racked his brains for something significant that they could use to tip the scales in their favor.
"Do they have any enemies?" Jon asked Oberyn.
"Aside from the pig Baratheon?" he asked and Jon nodded. "My brother had spies at the council, he said that he had a big argument with Lord Stark. He also announced plans to remove the Tullys from their position as Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, he wants to strip them of their lands and titles,"
"The Pretender Prince or Rhaegar?" Jon asked.
"The bastard of that northern whore," Oberyn spat and Jon nodded in thanks. He knew there would be no chance he could take the Golden Company North to capture Lord Stark and it was equally unlikely that he would be able to help him remove the Tullys in the Riverlands, this idea was not going to lead anywhere.
"Perhaps, we could offer them gold?" Duck said, Jon quickly turned to look at him, he forgot that he was even in the room.
"Are you paying?" Oberyn asked and Duck shook his head. "Then gold is not an option,"
They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Jon kept trying to think of a solution but he could not find one and to make matters worse, his head was starting to spin slightly.
"You men are so foolish," Arianne said in a bored voice as she reached forward to take her cup of wine. "You need to have something that they want, but they currently don't have. It is simple,"
"Then tell us smart girl, what is it?" Jon snapped he was not in the mood for her games. Arianne took a sip of her wine before she smirked at him.
"Kings Landing," she said simply and Jon just stared at her, completely gob smacked.
This girl was crazy. So, so crazy but yet Jon knew that she was right. He started to nod his head slowly as he was enlightened by her idea. It was perfect, if they took the city, then Jon would be able to achieve his mission and sit Rhaegar's son on the throne. It would be his proudest accomplishment and then he would finally be worthy for his Silver Prince. It was brilliant and Jon kicked himself for not thinking of it.
"I don't understand," Duck said slowly.
"If we take Kings Landing, then we control the Iron Throne. We can use this as our negotiating power. By taking the city, we show that we are strong and that his grace is the true King. Then, once the Targaryen banners once again fly above the city, we will be able to negotiate, we will offer them the chance to peacefully end this war and join us and to make the family whole once more. They want the Iron Throne and Kings Landing and they will not destroy the city with their dragons, they will have no choice but accept our peaceful solution ," Jon said eagerly.
"Couldn't they just siege the city?" Duck asked and Jon scoffed at that.
"And go to war against their own Kin? The common folk of Westeros would never forgive them and neither will the gods. Kinslaying is a vile sin," Jon said as he felt himself getting carried away by his excitement.
"What about the Usurper?" the King asked and Jon's smile faltered slightly. To take the city, they would have to defeat the Usurper. He might know that they were coming and he would be on the lookout for them.
Jon knew that he would defeat him in battle, he had to, and failure was not an option. Defeating the Usurper and taking Kings Landing was the final step in his redemption, the final thing standing between him and his Silver Prince.
"The fat pig has rode out into the Riverlands," Oberyn said as he lazily pulled out a scroll from inside his clothes. "Here, read," he said as he flicked the paper in Jon's direction. It was a note from Varys, detailing exactly what Oberyn had just said.
"How old is this?" Jon asked immediately.
"A few weeks, possibly as old as month," Oberyn said as he leaned back and Jon frowned slightly
Perhaps this information was outdated and the Stag had turned around and returned to the capital. Perhaps, he was even riding south to their location as they spoke. Jon was not afraid of him, if he tried to take back Storms End then he would be wasting his own time, this castle was built to withstand a siege.
"We need the Spider," Jon said to the room and Oberyn nodded slowly. As much as Jon hated it, he knew that they were once again reliant on the Spider's intelligence and spies .
"Send a message to him and tell him of our plan to ride for Kings Landing," Jon said quickly.
"I am not your squire," Oberyn returned but Jon just sighed in frustration and ignored him.
"Duck, you do it,"
"I'm not usually part of the plan making process, but you guys aren't thinking this through. How do we even plan to take the city? What if you're wrong and they use their dragons anyway?"
"The Spider will help us to get us into the city. I spent years squiring for Prince Rhaegar and in my time in King's Landing, I learned that there are many secret passageways and tunnel systems that run through the Red Keep and the entire city itself. If there is one man who will know of these tunnels, it's the Spider," Jon said quickly. "And if all else fails, we have Renly Baratheon, the King's Brother. No castellan will want to be the man who doesn't open the city's gate and risk getting the King's brother killed,"
Duck nodded slowly, Jon could tell that he was still not fully convinced but it seemed to placate him for now. "What about the Dragons?"
"Don't worry about the Dragons, our friends in the Citadel are close and they have found what we are looking for," Oberyn said and Jon saw a malicious twinkle in his dark snake like eyes. "Dorne has defeated the Dragons before and Dorne will do it again if necessary,"
"How?" Duck asked nervously
"His grace, King Robert Baratheon, Lord of Westeros and all his other useless and undeserved titles, has kindly gone through the trouble of preparing the city of Kings Landing for a dragon attack," Oberyn said. "Varys tells us that there are huge scorpions lining the city walls. When we take the city, those scorpions will belong to us,"
"Is that it?"
"We also have a few additions and modifications in mind to make them more effective," Oberyn said, "But I will share those with you at a later date. No need to confuse you just yet,"
"Duck, make sure that message is sent," Jon commanded and then he quickly scurried out of the room.
"Why is the Usurper riding out of the city?" Aegon asked.
"The Spider says there is no food in the city to feed him or his armies . Lord Tully and the Riverlords have been withholding their food after the King exposed Lysa Arryn's indiscretions in front of the entire realm. Then, the Reach has decided to ally with our friends on Dragonstone. Perhaps, the Usurper heard of the argument between the Tullys and he saw an opportunity to secure an alliance. Either way, he appears to be riding North, not South,"
Jon nodded slowly. The Reach would have been a valuable ally to have and now it appeared that they would have to deal with a food shortage when they took the capital. Once they landed in Westeros, Jon had hoped for an alliance between the King and House Tyrell but Arianne got there first, hopefully this would not come back to hurt them.
"What about Tywin Lannister?" Jon asked, he was no fool and he knew that Tywin Lannister was the real threat. The Usurper was a capable warrior and military man, but he did not possess that same cruel ruthlessness that belonged to Tywin Lannister. It was something that Jon himself had tried to emulate and it was the inspiration for his idea to take Storms End.
"Not a clue. Varys reported that he left before the King to ride West towards Casterly Rock. Queen Cersei and her two youngest children are at the Rock, whilst the eldest remains with his father," Oberyn informed him. This was interesting, it appeared that Tywin and Robert were still allied together. Jon had guessed that Tywin Lannister had ridden West to collect his armies, they would have to move quickly before he returned.
"Your grace, taking King's Landing is a chance for us to make a statement," Jon said as he turned towards his King once again. "If we take this city, we show the world that we are a serious threat and you get a chance to impress your father. If you come to him with the Iron Throne already secured, you can show him that you are your own man and that you are strong, capable and worthy,"
Jon looked at his King as he turned towards him and he considered his words.
"Of course. If I sail to Dragonstone, I will look like a beggar but if I take King's Landing and have the city waiting for them then I will look like a Conqueror ." he said quietly and Jon smiled.
"Get to work, I will take back my family's city and I will show my father that he should be proud of me, his eldest son."
The Winged Wolf
Bran Stark was flying. Ever since his fall, he had always been able to fly in his dreams. The crow had told him that every flight begins with a fall and he was right, the crow seemed to be right about a lot of things.
Bran was flying, he was flying so high that he could see the entire realm and everyone in it. He saw Winterfell, the tall towers looking squat and stubby from this height, the castle walls were just lines in the dirt. He saw his mother in the Wolfswood, on a brown horse desperately searching for her daughter. He flew south and saw his father's host snaking its way down the Kings Road. He saw Arya in disguise working in the shadows, trying to discover the secrets of a man who held them close to his chest. He saw his father pacing back and forth in his tent, waiting for something that would never arrive.
Then he flew further south past the roaring blue green waters of the Trident to a small castle. He saw his brother hunched over a map on a table trying his best to plan his war. Then it changed and the images flickered and danced in front of him. Changing into stranger and seductive shapes. He saw great beasts appear and take off towards the south. Through curtains of fire great winged shadows wheeled against a dark stormy sky
Then Bran heard the crow caw, the crow was calling to him, telling him that his fight was not in the south, it was in the North. He flew past the great wall of ice, past endless forests covered in snow until he saw a tree. A tree that sat on the banks of a frozen lake. It was a large weirwood tree, its bark the color of the snow and its leaves were dark ruby red in color . When it felt Bran watching it lifted its eyes from the frozen waters and stared at him knowingly
" Come " the tree said and then Bran saw the crow. Circling high in the sky before it flew lower and settled in the tree.
" Come " the tree said and then Bran awoke.
He was in his room in Winterfell, there was a small fire crackling in the heath providing his room with warmth. Summer was curled up at the foot of his bed, and his yellow eyes were looking up at him. Bran put a hand to his head and rubbed a sore spot in between his eyes, it was the same spot that the crow had pecked him, and it still hurt after his dreams.
"Jojen," he whispered at the boy who seemed to be asleep. He had come to Winterfell a few months ago. He said that he saw a winged wolf trapped to the Earth in chains and that it was his job to free him. Bran was not sure what he meant, but Jojen seemed to know things about his dreams and because of that, Bran trusted him.
"Jojen," he whispered
"What," he replied, his voice heavy with sleep.
"I saw the crow again. I know where he is,"
"Where,"
"Hundreds of miles from here to the North. North of the wall. I saw a weirwood tree by a frozen lake, that is where we need to go,"
Jojen's deep green eyes stared into his for a few moments before he spoke again.
"Then that is where we will go," he said calmly as he stood up.
"How will we get there? We can't leave," Bran said
"Hodor will have to help carry you in the basket like he usually does. Meera and I will come with you on your journey,"
"What do I tell my mother? She won't let me leave, she's already out there looking for Arya,"
"We will use that to our advantage," Jojen said after a pause. "It is still early in the morning and if we hide in the crypts, then your mother will head out to look for you. Once her search parties have finished going North, then we will leave,"
"How will we know that?"
"We won't know that. You will know," Jojen said calmly as he jabbed him in the forehead, right on that still sore spot. Bran swallowed nervously.
"I'm not sure I'm ready,"
"Bran you will have to be ready. You are a warg, the winged wolf and the crow sent us here to break your chains. You can do it," he said quietly and Bran nodded. He needed to meet the crow, the crow would help him to fly. He loved his mother and he hated that he would be causing her more pain by leaving, but he knew that he had to see this crow. Jojen moved to the window and checked behind the shutter.
"It is nearly sunrise, we should head to the crypts now before the rest of the castle awakens," he said quickly.
He left the room to summon Meera and Hodor. Meera's long brown hair flowed over her shoulders and she was looking at him nervously. Bran quickly reassured her and then it was time to go. The Reeds help to hoist Bran into the wicker basket that sat on Hodor's back and then they quietly made their way through the castle.
They were just outside the First keep and opposite the entrance to the crypts when they were discovered.
"Where are you taking the little lord?" Bran heard a voice ask and he turned to see that it came from the Wildling Osha.
"We're heading down into the crypts," Jojen answered truthfully.
"At this hour?" she asked suspiciously "I don't believe you,"
"We're telling the truth Osha," Bran said to her but he could tell she didn't believe him.
"Tell me what's really going on here or I'll scream and wake half the castle,"
Bran looked at Jojen who gave a sigh of frustration before he slowly nodded his head.
"We're going there to hide," Bran said to her.
"Why?"
"We need to go North,"
"Where?"
"Beyond the wall," Bran said and he saw her shake her head fiercely.
"No, you don't. There is nothing for you beyond the wall,"
"Osha you know what's out there and Bran can help stop it,"
"Aye, I know what's out there. Death is out there," she whispered as she looked around the courtyard. "The little Lord can't help. Those Kings need to help, send for the Dragon King. I heard he's your brother,"
"All the Kings in Westeros and their armies can't stop what is out there. Only he can," Jojen said cryptically.
"You don't know that," she said nervously with no conviction in her voice.
"I do. Osha, you are a wildling, you know that the Old Gods have power. Bran is a Stark and the blood of the first men flows through his veins. He has power that he needs to learn to wield, the world depends on this," Jojen insisted and Bran saw Osha frown.
"You're talking about skin changing aren't you?" she asked nervously and Jojen nodded.
"Those are not the only powers he possesses, but he needs to head North to train. The world is depending on it,"
Osha turned to look at him and Bran looked into her deep brown eyes.
"What about you little Lord, do you want to go North?"
"Yes," Bran said confidently. "I want to go, I want to learn,"
Osha considered this for a few moments before she spoke again.
"Then I will go with you but only to the wall, but no further. When I crossed the wall, I swore I would never return and I mean it,"
"Thank you Osha," Bran said kindly.
"Don't thank me yet, this crazy mission has only just begun," she said with a shake of the head.
The Mother of Dragons
Daenerys was flying atop of Anogar as they made their ascent away from Dragonstone. The sun was slowly making its way across the morning sky and it was a cold, cloudless day. Their armies had landed on the mainland and they should reach Castle Darry today. Jon and Rhaegar had stayed overnight whilst she had returned to Dragonstone to see Daeron.
To her surprise and relief, Daeron had been relatively well behaved during her absence. Now that he was learning to walk, he liked to explore the castle more but her ladies had said that they had kept a watchful eye over him.
He had his name day a few days ago, they only had a small celebration for him as most of their time and effort went into the war. Still, they were all able to take a break even just for a few hours to celebrate this special day.
She hated leaving him behind on Dragonstone, but she knew that this was the safest place for him. They had left 2,000 Unsullied on the island and they controlled the Blackwater bay, it would not be possible for any assailants to sneak onto the island.
As if to reassure her, Anogar made a low rumbling noise, reminding her that he too would protect her son from any danger. She rubbed her gloved hands over his warm scales and settled in for the flight.
Dany peered over his Anogar's right hand side and she looked at the land passing below them. The trip from Dragonstone to Castle Darry would not take long and they were already passing over the mainland. They flew quite high, Anogar was big enough now that his wings were able to put some of the smaller sized castles in Westeros completely in his shadow .
She had been tempted to fly further ahead to see if she could scout out any armies, either the Tyrell army or the Usurper's, but Anogar started to descend so she decided against it. As they descended lower towards the castle, Dany could see the camps made by their Dothraki and Unsullied. The Dothraki camp was sprawled along the Western side of the castle, whilst the Unsullied camp had been neatly constructed on the southern side.
She was eager to meet the Darrys, she had fond memories of Ser Willem Darry who had protected both her and her brother Viserys during their early years in exile. He was a kind old man with soft wrinkled hands that reminded her of old leather. He used to read her stories at bedtimes and he always seemed to have a lemon cake on hand to cheer her up. They had been very young then and Viserys had been kinder to her. They lived in Bravos, in the house with the red door. It was a simpler time for her, it was a time before she truly understood who she was and the danger she was in.
When Ser Willem died of illness they were forced to leave that house and she was forced to grow up. As they spent the next few years travelling from place to place, running from the Usurper's hired knives, Dany longed for the house with the red door. Then when Rhaegar found them, that longing started to fade and when she met Jon it disappeared entirely. Still, she would be eternally grateful to the Darrys for their loyalty and what Ser Willem did for her. She planned to make them their Lord Paramount of the Riverlands after the war was won.
Castle Darry was a small castle, it had 2 large towers that were connected to the main central keep. Dany was happy to see the Targaryen flag proudly atop of one tower. Anogar gave a roar to announce his arrival and Dany heard two answering calls from his siblings. Anogar was too big to fit inside the castle courtyard so she told him to land outside the castle near the main gates.
He landed gently and Dany stretched and began to climb out of her saddle. She stepped onto the wet grass and she walked around to give her dragon a few pats on his snout and whisper her thanks. Then, she turned and headed up towards the castle. She saw several men of the castle battlements looking down on her.
"Khaleesi," she heard a deep voice call and she turned to see Rakharo was making his way towards her. He still spoke with a heavy accent but his common tongue had been getting better over the past few months.
"Rakharo," she said as he fell into stride next to her. "How are you this morning?"
"I am well Khaleesi. Khal tells us to send riders out to scout, so I will go now," he said.
"Where is my husband?"
"Inside main hall," he said and Dany nodded.
"Thank you Rakharo, ride safe," she said and he nodded before he strode away towards the Dothraki camp. She strode through the castle gates and entered the courtyard and she saw Jon waiting for her on the other side. He wore a fur cloak over a simple grey and black doublet. She saw the hilt of his sword that was strapped to his waist. He had tied his hair up behind his head. He had never styled his hair like this before but Dany found that she liked it.
She walked over to him and gave him a brief kiss on the lips and settled for a hug. They were in a public place and she knew they could not be too affectionate. She settled in his embrace and inhaled his lovely homely smell.
"I missed you, and so did Daeron," she said quietly once she reluctantly broke away.
"I've missed you both, how is he?"
"He is fine, he misses you a lot, I can tell,"
"I will see him soon, I promise," he said sincerely.
"What has happened whilst I was away?" Dany asked as Jon led her into the castle.
"Nothing much, we arrived yesterday and we have set up our camps. The castle is not very big, so I'm afraid Missandei and Irri are sleeping together in a small room attached to ours. I have sent ravens out to the other Riverlords. Lords Mooton, Whent and Darry are here, we will collect the rest of the Riverlords as we march west,"
"Any word from Hoster Tully?" Dany asked, they had informed him of their plans to march in his lands to chase Robert Baratheon.
"Aye, he has replied to our raven. He has agreed to stay out of the conflict and we will meet with him after the war,"
"Does he know about our terms? We are still removing him of his position as Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. We will also meet him to discuss the reduction of some of his lands, "
"Yes he does, I made that clear in the letter that I wrote. Perhaps, he realises that we are still intent on punishing him and he has decided to take this more lenient offer. I'm more concerned about the North, they have not replied to my letter telling them of our new terms for the Tullys."
"Really? Perhaps you should send another one,"
"I'll give it a few days, we are in no rush. As long as they have received it, it's fine," Jon said casually as he led her into the great hall. Four long trestle tables had been arranged into a broken square. In the middle there was a large painted map, it was not as good as the one they had at Dragonstone, but it was good enough. A top the table there were several markers taking up various positions on the table, denoting the locations of various armies.
She saw her brother, Ser Barristan, Aggo and Grey Worm sitting on one side of the room. Ser Barristan wore his new armor . It was white steel with a three headed dragon emblazoned onto the chest piece, he had a white cape and he looked every bit like a true knight of their Kingsguard . As Dany thought about it more, she realised that she might think about changing the name. She and Jon both ruled as equals so the name Kingsguard did not quite fit. She would think of something better after their war was won.
On the opposite side of the room, she saw several Lords that she had not met before. As soon as she entered the room, they all rose to their feet.
"My Lords, this is my wife, Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen," Jon said as he introduced her.
"Your grace," they all replied in unison as they bowed their heads in greeting.
Jon took his seat at the head of the table and Dany sat to his right and then the war council began.
"Your grace, we have received reports that Robert Baratheon's host is marching through the Riverlands, somewhere around the Stoney Sept," a man said.
"Thank you Lord Darry," Jon replied as he stood up and picked up a Stag pieced and moved it to the appropriate part of the map. "Do you know how many men he has with him?"
"No your grace, our reports do not have that much information," Lord Darry replied. He was a tall slim man of similar age to her brother, except that he had a thick bushy red beard and short cropped hair.
"It seems our plan is going better than we expected," Jon said quietly as he gazed at the map. "We had planned to draw him into the Riverlands but he appears to have come here anyway,"
"He will most likely be after food," Rhaegar pointed out and Dany nodded.
"How many days ride is the Stoney Sept from where we are?" she asked.
"Probably a week's ride, your grace," another Lord said.
"Thank you Lord?"
"Lord Mooton your grace," the man said and Dany gave him a warm smile.
"Perhaps, we should head towards him. Our Dothraki should be able to get there at least a day or two quicker," Dany suggested.
"How old is that information, Lord Darry?" Jon asked.
"About a week or so," he replied and she saw Jon frown.
"Then by the time the Dothraki arrive, he will be long gone. If we are going to use our Dothraki, then we need to have a better idea of where Robert's armies are,"
"We could use our dragons to scout," she suggested and Jon nodded.
"I had a similar idea but we will do that later," Jon replied.
"Perhaps, he has headed West into the Westerlands to meet Tywin Lannister?" Lord Mooton suggested
"That is a pointless march," Ser Barristan said immediately. "Marching is tiring and Robert has little food as it is. He won't march his troops unless he has a target in sight,"
"So what do you think he wants?"
"Food most likely," Rhaegar said and Ser Barristan nodded. "He is probably foraging food from the fields and towns towards the West of the Riverlands, he will take as much as he can carry,"
"We could cut him off," Ser Barristan suggested as he moved back to the map. "We can have the Dothraki ride south along the banks of the Gods eye and then west towards the Goldroad,"
"Where in particular?" Jon curiously asked
"Right here," Ser Barristan said as he indicated a spot to the southeast of the Stoney Sept. "Then once they are in position they slowly move up North through the Riverlands. Whilst we do this, the Unsullied and the other Riverlords will march west along the River road and then south and hopefully we should meet Robert somewhere in the middle of our two armies,"
The room was silent for a few moments and Dany thought that his plan was good, although it would need a few tweaks.
"I like it. We can also add the Tyrell army to this, they should be coming from the Southwest and we should be able to meet them at this bridge," Jon said as he pointed to a spot on the map where the Gold road crossed over the Blackwater rush. "It is a bit further south than we would like, but your plan will still work,"
"Jon and I will ride South with the Dothraki," Dany said and Jon nodded. The Dothraki would only follow them. "Rhaegar will head in the opposite direction, that way both of our armies will have Dragons,"
"Ser Loras sent a message saying that he and the Tyrell army have left Highgarden are now marching," Jon told her. "If we wait here, then it will take them at least 3 weeks to reach us,"
"Three weeks?" Rhaegar asked in disbelief and then understanding passed over his face. "I forgot Lord Tyrell is leading the army. We will be lucky to see the Tyrell army at all if he's setting the pace"
"The message says that he is leading the Vanguard as well," Jon replied grimly.
"Aggo, ready the Dothraki, we will ride tomorrow morning. I will send a raven to Highgarden and hopefully they can send a rider to inform Lord Tyrell of this change of plans. Grey Worm, I want you to ready the Unsullied. Father, I want you to rally the Riverlords in our name as you march west. The Knights of the Vale will catch up with you. " Jon commanded and they all nodded.
"What about House Frey?" Dany asked as she looked at a small figure towards the North of the Riverlands.
"Lord Walder Frey has amassed 2,000 men but he will not march south until he meets you personally," Rhaegar said and Dany sighed in frustration. The Twins were in the opposite direction to where she and Jon were headed.
"Don't worry about him, I will deal with him myself," Rhaegar told her.
"I thought he wanted to meet Jon and me ?"
"He does, but he will have to make do with me. He only has 2,000 men, we don't need him to win this war, but it is important to let him know that he can't order you both around," Rhaegar said firmly and she nodded in thanks.
"Ok, I think we've covered everything," Jon said and he looked at everyone in the room.
"The Lannisters," Ser Barristan gently reminded him. "Tywin Lannister has a considerable force at his disposal and we have no idea where he is,"
"Have none of the Riverlords spotted him crossing into the Riverlands?" Jon asked,
"No your grace. We have not received a raven," answered Lord Darry.
"Perhaps Lord Mooton was right, maybe he and Robert Baratheon are meeting in the Riverlands somewhere," Jon said as he picked up a Lion piece and he moved it across the table. "But we have no idea where exactly they are,"
"Perhaps he's not in the Riverlands, perhaps he's still at Casterly Rock," Dany suggested.
"That could be even worse for us, Tyrion and our sellswords are headed there under the assumption that Tywin is not there. If he is, then they might be sailing into a trap," he said worriedly and Dany could see the concern etched on his face.
"Jon, don't worry. Tyrion has a plan to take the Castle remember? He has Asha with him and Ser Jaime, if needs be, they can always abandon the mission and sail back to Dragonstone, we can take Casterly Rock at a later time," she said as she reached out to reassuringly squeeze his hand.
"You should send a raven to the Riverlords in the west near the Lannister border to be on the lookout for Lord Tywin. They can send all news back here and we will send a rider out to meet with your forces," Lord Darry suggested and Jon slowly nodded.
"That sounds like a good idea. The Queen and I will also head west later this afternoon to try and find him on the back of our dragons,"
"That may not be wise," Rhaegar said "There is a lot of ground to cover and you have no idea where Tywin Lannister is,"
"We will be fine. We have each other and we have used our dragons to track our enemies before in the past. We did it to Khal Drogo over a much longer distance ,"
"That may be true, but Khal Drogo was not expecting you and he did not have anything that could stop your dragons. Tywin Lannister will be expecting you and we know they have weapons that can hurt your dragons," Rhaegar said to her but she turned to Jon.
"Jon, I think that we should do this anyway. How can we ask thousands of people to risk their lives fighting for us in this war and then not do the same? "
"I agree. If we do find him, we will remain at a safe height and not attack him, it is only a scouting mission," Jon said firmly and she saw Rhaegar reluctantly nod.
"Now, I really do believe that is everything and I want everyone to prepare themselves for their respective missions. Dany and I will depart this afternoon and we should return to the castle by nightfall," Jon rose to his feet and so did the following Lords.
"Lord Darry, a moment of your time please," Dany said as she stood up. "I would like a tour of this wonderful castle,"
"Of course your grace, it would be my honor ," he said as he rose to his feet. Dany let him lead her out of the hall and through the castle. He took her down a tall hallway and Dany was startled by what she saw.
Along the walls of the corridor, were woven tapestries of past Targaryen Kings. They were huge, over 10 foot long and Dany slowly walked over to feel the material.
"How many of these do you have?" she asked as she stepped in front of the first Tapestry.
"We have every Targaryen King who has ever sat the Iron throne your grace," he said proudly. "Starting from King Aegon the first of his name all the way to your father, King Aerys,"
Dany looked down the hall and she saw that this was most likely true. The detail in these tapestries were astounding, they must have cost a fortune to make. She could see the flecks in Aegon's light purple eyes and she could see the jewels in his sword, Blackfyre. Dany walked slowly down the hallway, studying the detail of each and every tapestry that hung along the walls.
"House Darry has always been loyal to House Targaryen," he said. "Our house supported King Daeron II during the Blackfyre rebellions and we supported your house during Robert's rebellion,"
"And House Targaryen is eternally grateful for your years of loyal service. It must have been difficult in these past few years when a false King sat on our throne,"
"It was, but now that House Targaryen has returned, House Darry is happy to serve once again,"
As Dany reached the portrait of King Daeron II, she remembered the Blackfyre boy who was pretending to be a member of her house. They had not accounted for him during their war plans, Jon and Rhaegar had insisted that his army was too small to do anything significant on its own. They were more concerned with Robert Baratheon and Tywin Lannister and whilst Dany knew that those men were the bigger threat, she did not like the fact that this boy was still unaccounted for.
When she stayed in Illyrio's manse, he had given her a book that detailed every single Targaryen King and some of their more famous deeds. As Dany walked through this hallway, she recalled what she had learned about her ancestors. Illyrio had told her of a story surrounding the birth of King Daeron. He told her that there was a rumor that Daeron was not the son of King Aegon, but the son of his brother Aemon the Dragonknight which made him illegitimate.
Illyrio had said that if this rumor was true, then that would mean the entire Targaryen line from Daeron II onwards would be illegitimate and the true heirs of the throne would be the descendants of Daemon Blackfyre due to Aegon IV's deathbed legitimization decree . Dany had immediately passed this off as a silly rumor made up by her family's enemies, but now she realised that Illyrio had an ulterior motive. Still, this had happened decades ago and no one believed these rumors now.
"One day, the realm will see King Daeron III," Dany said softly as she looked up at his tapestry. He was a clean shaven man and he wore an elaborate dragon crown on his head. Dany took a closer look and saw that it was the same as his father, Aegon IV.
"I am sure he will rule as wisely as his namesake," Lord Darry said kindly. They continued along the hallway and Dany studied the illustrious line of Targaryen Kings. After Daeron came Aerys I, then Maekar, Aegon V was followed by Jaehaerys II and finally she saw her father.
This portrait must have been made early during his reign, he lacked the long nails and untidy hair that Rhaegar said had plagued him during his later years. His dark indigo eyes were staring at her, the daughter he had never met. She wondered what he would think of her. She was cleaning up the mess that he had made, trying to restore her family's throne, would he be proud? Apologetic? Dany was not sure.
She began to move and then she remembered that he was the last Targaryen King, there were no more portraits.
"Soon you will need to add two more," she said quietly. "One for my Husband and myself ,"
"I look forward to the day," he said as he led her away from the corridor.
"Ser Jonothor Darry served in my father's Kingsguard," Dany said.
"He did your grace, he died at the Battle of the Trident when the royal forces were defeated,"
"He was a good man and a true knight. Ser Barristan and my brother speak fondly of him,"
"I know. We all had a drink and shared stories about my cousin last night,"
"I did not know him, but I did know his brother, Ser Willem. He was a good, kind man and he protected both me and my brother during our early years in exile. He smuggled us out of Dragonstone and we lived together in a house in Braavos. I had my own room with a lemon tree outside of the window. He used to read me stories and treat me with lemon cakes when I was just a little girl. He called me little princess" she said quietly as she remembered the memory. She had cried when the house with the red door closed behind her forever.
They had reached the castle battlements and they were now overlooking the fields surrounding castle Darry.
"They were good men and I am proud to say that they were members of my house,"
"You should be. I wish to reward you for their service. Ser Jonothor and Ser Willem served our house until their dying breaths and in the case of Ser Willem, I would not be standing here without them. I am a woman who values loyalty, and I plan to reward your house for this," Dany said as she turned to him and she saw his brown eyes had widened in surprise.
"Your grace, you are too kind. I don't know what to say,"
"I plan to name you our new Lord Paramount of the Riverlands. You will hold these lands in our name and this position will stay with your family for eternity,"
"Your grace," he said quietly.
"Please, Lord Raymun, take your time to think about it, you have some time until the war is won and we make this official,"
They were quiet for awhile and Dany looked out over the fields. From the position of the sun she could see that it was around midday. There were a few dark clouds towards the West and there was a gentle, but cold breeze blowing.
As she looked out over the fields, she saw the dragons appear.
"They are amazing creatures," Lord Darry said as they passed overhead. They were so big that they put the entire castle in their shadows . "I would never have thought that I would see a dragon in my life and now I have three flying over my castle. Their flames must be a sight to behold,"
"It is. When they were young, they all breathed the same color flame but as they've grown their flame has changed color . Caraxes, the cream and gold releases a beautiful stream of pale gold flame. Vedros the dark green, releases a bright green flame that has yellow trails in it. Whilst Anogar the black Dragon releases black flame,"
"How old are they?"
"Nearly 2 years old I think," Dany said after a moment. They would be around 9 months older than Daeron so 2 years was close enough.
"They have grown this much in two years?" he asked in disbelief "Do dragons stop growing?"
"No, I don't think so," Dany said as she watched Caraxes and Vedros circle and chase each other in the air.
"Is it true that you sailed through Valyria?" he asked and Dany gave him a small smile.
"Yes, it is. Have you seen my husband's armor ?" she asked and he nodded his head. "We found it in Valyria, it is the only full set of Valyrian steel armor in the world,"
"That's incredible. What is it like?" he asked curiously.
"It's a strange, magical place. Words can't do it justice,"
"I can imagine," he said quietly. They watched the dragons circle and play until suddenly Anogar flew lower until he landed on the ground in front of her. His red magma like eyes looked up at her and Dany immediately felt his concern. Something was wrong and her dragon could sense it.
"What is the matter?" she asked him. "Is it Daeron? Do we need to go home?"
"Daenerys," she heard Jon shout as he came running up the stairs. "We need to go,"
"Dragonstone?" she asked quickly as she felt the bottom drop out of her stomach. She could not bear it if something happened to her little boy.
"No, the Tyrell's are in trouble. We need to go help them,"
"What happened? Where are they?"
"Randyll Taryll has said that there are men burning, raping and raiding in the Reach, they are not using any banners and they leave each town almost as soon as they take it. He says that Lord Tyrell has ridden ahead with the Vanguard to chase these men,"
"Your grace, this could be Lord Tywin," Lord Darry said grimly and Jon nodded.
"I believe so as well, we should go and check. Our plans do not change much. We will fly south ahead and our Dothraki will follow. Our blood riders will wait for us at the bridge that I specified earlier,"
Dany nodded slowly and she heard Anogar growl, her dragon was eager to get into action.
"Good. Then let's go."
Notes:
Next up is chapter 27 called 'The Mander'
I have no idea when it'll be out. Although it won't be next week like I usually do. I have two exams this month and as you can imagine, my priorities lie elsewhere. However, I will probably post chapter 27 sometime within the fortnight, most likely between the 17th and 19th of April. Then 28 will go up after my exams are finished, so after the 25th.
Let me know what you think of this chapter, did the maps help? I only really did them as a last minute addition type of thing and paint wasn't being friendly.
週次パワーステータス
-- 推薦
ランキング 
-- 推薦
チケット