บท 35: Chapter 35: Cousins of Ice
Four days passed since his meeting with the Northern Lord, last night he had received a letter inviting him to Deepwood. "It could be a trap," Nymeria said, attaching her whip to her belt, she was wrapped in a dark dress with sleeves and trousers, her sister was wearing a similar fashion, but the dress was white dress with orange lines and fur.
"That's the thing, it is a trap." He sheathed his sword.
"Then why are we going? We can destroy the walls of Winterfell with Lyx." Nym questioned.
He picked up his cloak. "I don't want to destroy my mother's home, and even if I focused just on the gates it will cause destruction, and I want to see who's waiting for us there."
"You're the most suicidal person I ever met." She shook her head. "Let's walk into a trap and see what happens" Nym mocked him.
Her sister laughed. "Come on sister, be a little adventurous."
Frowning, Nymeria said. "I'am adventurous, just not enough to walk into traps. And mainly when his bird was put in an aviary, and he couldn't spy."
"That's on me I thought they would keep the raven close." Daemon pursed his lips. "Also, trust me, I always have a plan." He winked at Ty.
"We're ready my prince." GreyWorm called.
"Let's go then, my ladies." He pointed to the exit of the tent.
Daemon left a thousand unsullied hidden in the forest a few meters away from the castle, when his eyes landed on the castle, he frowned. "We could take this easily."
He stopped with the twenty unsullied who were accompanying him, he sensed Ghost and looked back watching his direwolf following him silently. The prince hadn't seen the wolf for the past three days, Ghost usually went to hunt during the night, Daemon also had told the beast to keep an eye on every intruder or man trying to spy into his camp.
He nodded and made his way through the field to the gates, they stopped and saw the men on the towers aim their bows at them, the gate opened and Galbat appeared with Maege on his side.
"My Lord, my Lady." He greeted them; they both eyed the direwolf. "Don't worry, you are my allies, he will only hurt my enemies." The prince smiled showing his teeth.
Glover swallowed and nodded. "Of course."
The Lord moved leading the way, they passed the gate and stopped in the courtyard, moments passed before they were surrounded by soldiers, his unsullied formed a wall around them and aimed their spears. Ty and Nym held their weapons while Daemon and Ghost just eyed their surroundings.
The prince narrowed his eyes at the sigil on their chests.
A crowned black stag within a flaming red heart on a bright yellow field.
Then a man stepped out of one main doors leading into the keep. He was a large man – tall, broad shouldered and sinewy. He had dark blue eyes and a heavy brow. His head had only a fringe of black hair at the sides, and he was sporting a close-cropped beard across his large jaw. The man appeared as a serious man in nature, carried himself with an attitude for obedience, like high ranking military officer.
"Who is he? These men don't have Bolton sigils." Daemon asked.
Galbart sighed. "He helped us take Deepwood Motte back from the Iron born."
He knew that, Yara had informed him of when she had taken the castle just to… Daemon pursed his lips, realisation hitting him.
Stannis Baratheon.
"You're choosing Stannis over me? At least I have connection with the North." Daemon raised him brow, both lords shot a look of surprise at him. The prince just smirked weakly and shrugged, he turned his head slightly to the right and nodded shortly. "Open the 'wall'." How he had spoke in Valyrian, the knights flinched when the unsullied opened their defence to let him through.
"Does he wish to speak to me?" He asked.
"He does." Mormont mumbled, Daemon spun and unsheathed his sword, he handed it to Nym alongside with his dagger, Ty who was fondling her hands on her sleeves stepped close to him.
Tyene held his hand. "Be careful… and fast, I'm freezing out here." She said passing her thumb on his lips. Both Northern lords frowned at the display.
"If anything happens… you know what to do." He turned to the wolf and blinked, Ghost sat and eyed the two sisters.
The prince walked and started to follow Lord Glover, he entered the castle and walked through the hall. "You know he can't win right?"
"Stannis is the rightful King of Westeros." Maege said.
Daemon chuckled. "And how many Kings did Westeros had in the meantime? Joffrey, Tommen, and now Cersei. His campaign isn't going so well."
"Stannis helped the Nights Watch fight the Wildlings, protecting the North." Glover said. "And he promised return Ned Stark's daughter."
"I thought Roose Bolton had Sansa?" He asked.
Maege and Galbart eyed each other. "No, but we heard she is on her way from the Vale."
Daemon stopped and questioned. "How long till she reaches Winterfell?" The guard went to push him forward but Glover stopped him.
"If I had to guess… a fortnight." Glover answered.
"You said he is helping you retrieve Sansa, I can do that." He said.
"We know, but you must understand that we are in debt to Stannis, we wouldn't be standing here if it wasn't for him." The lord continued.
He stared at the man. "One last question,"
The man nodded.
"Is his army close?"
Lord Glover stiffened and looked at Maege. "Not much." The prince nodded then followed the man.
They stopped in front of the door and the guard opened, Daemon entered observing the room, and Stannis Baratheon
" Lord Baratheon." He greeted, the door closed behind him.
"He is the King, boy." A white haired and bearded man said.
Daemon looked to this man. "And you are?"
"I'am Ser Davos Seaworth." He replied.
The prince looked at Stannis who was sat in a couch, Baratheon waved to the other couch in front of him.
"I think you know who I am." Daemon sat.
Stannis frowned. "A bastard?"
Daemon's lips raised in a toothless smile. "I'm pretty sure my parents were married."
"I never heard that Rhaegar married Lyanna Stark, in fact it is common knowledge that he kidnapped and raped her, than left her to die, like his other wife and children." Stannis told him.
Dae stared at him. "Well, I'm sure you must hear lies everyday, this is just one of them. Besides, my brother and sister are very much alive."
"Why are you here?" He asked.
Daemon rested his arm on the back of the couch. "I just want to take Winterfell from the Boltons, see my mother's grave and maybe meet my cousin. And you? You're far from King's Landing, in fact you're far from your throne too."
Stannis grinded his teeth. "I am protecting my realm, Aemon Targaryen asked for aid against those filthy savages and here I am."
Daemon went still and frowned.
Stannis chucked. "Didn't know that? He's a maester at the wall, old, alone, on his last days."
Daemon wrinkled his nose, he was definitely not aware of existence of the man.
"I'll pay him a visit later. But let's change the subject, let's talk about your surrender, I can persuade my brother to keep you alive." He grinned weakly at him.
Stannis hummed. "I could kill you, or make you my prisoner, make this brother of yours kneel before the true King of Westeros."
Dae snorted. "You don't have the forces, what chance you have against four dragons? "
"I have R'hllor by my side, he guides me, I will have the victory." He stated confidently, the look that Ser Davos gave Stannis after he said that made Daemon curious, Dae changed position and shuddered putting his hands on his cloak.
The prince sighed. "I guess our conversation ends here then."
"I guess it does." He said slowly, Daemon raised and rubbed his hands together.
"For the son of a northerner with Stark blood you are very fragile to the cold." Davos spoke for the first time, then pointed at his dry lips.
Raising a brow and chucking, the prince said. "Eighteen years in Essos my, lord." He then turned to Stannis. "You are relatively my kin, not close, but at some degree, it was pleasure to meet you." The prince offered his hand, the lord stood up looking down at him, he took it.
"Eighteen, you're just a cocky green boy, even your hands are sweating." Stannis tightened his grip.
Daemon smiled awkwardly. " And you're naive to think I will just let you walk out of here."
"My King?" Davos frowned.
Daemon expected that. "And you are naive to think that I don't have my men around your camp and my dragon hoovering above it."
True fact: he didn't it.
" If I die, my dragon will burn your wife while you daughter watches, then she will be fed to my direwolf." He added.
Stannis gritted his teeth. "At least you have more balls than Ned Stark." He said coldly letting go of his hand.
Stannis nodded and let go of his hand, Daemon cleaned his hands on his trousers. He gave Davos a nod and left, the guards quickly surrounded him and escorted him to the courtyard, the prince passed his tongue on upper lips than on his lower lip, he swallowed.
The doors opened and he saw Maege and Galbart. "My lord, my lady."
"Lord Targaryen, I hope you two came to an agreement?" Lord Glover asked.
Daemon scoffed. "You're smarter than that Lord Glover. I will try to take Winterfell back with the North alongside me, as a sign of peace, unity, but it seems I will have to do it alone and using my ways."
"My Lord, you have to understand, our hands are tied." Maege frowned.
"I know, and that's why your castle is not ashes." He hissed.
"My lord- uh, your nose is bleeding." Maege furrowed her brows.
Daemon lowered his head and cleaned his nose on his sleeve. "It's the cold."
"My prince! It's better we get going." Ty called.
"I thank you, for tell me about my cousin's whereabouts." The prince said getting down the stairs, he walked to both sisters who handed him his weapons. The gates opened and they walked through it.
"Quick, take it." Tyene hissed, snapping her necklace and handing him the small vial. "The amount that I give you just slowed the effect."
Nymeria saw Daemon swallow the blue liquid and shook her head. "That was your plan? Poison the man?" She said in disbelief as they entered the woods.
Dae chewed. "Yep." His eyes went to the side where Ghost was, he walked till the wolf and looked into his eyes. "You know when you show me the crypts? I need you to show me how you got in there."
"Why?" Nym asked.
He grinned. "I know a way to take Winterfell."
Two days later, Daemon passed his finger through the Kingsroad. "He said in a fortnight, that means we can intercept them here. Close to Castle Cerwyn, we can use the woods. The tunnels that Ghost showed me takes straight into Winterfell walls, we can take it with just a thousand men."
"It take a two whole days walking… we will need supplements to it." Nym said. Greyworm nodded.
"As soon you leave the army will move closer to Winterfell." Yara informed.
"I'm counting on you, my forces being close when I get back, it is vital." Daemon informed, both Greyjoys that he left in charge of his army nodded. "Then it's all settled, I will ride till Castle Cerwyn with The Sand Snakes, Greyworm and thirty men tonight. You're all dismissed." Before Greyworm could leave, he picked the letter from his pocket and handed to the man to send to his brother.
All of them left leaving Daemon with both sisters.
"It's me or is it getting more colder?" Ty shivered, she quickly closed the tent and practically jumped into the bed getting under the layers of blankets.
"There's literally four braziers inside this tent." Daemon frowned.
"You should add four more." She murmured. "Warm me…" Ty whined stretching her arms to her sister, Nym grinned and got under the furs embracing her sister.
"Did they do something?" Nymeria asked.
Daemon nodded. "I warged yesterday, Stannis' army surrounded the castle."
"Did they kill Glover and Mormont?"
"No… the knight… Ser Davos! He was there when I talked with Stannis, he must know I was involved in his king's death and the other lords don't." He said warming his hand on the brazier.
"And they didn't do nothing?" Ty asked.
"Nope, the last time I saw his body was when I landed by a window, he was laid bare on a table with a redheaded woman chanting something." He mumbled, turning around and kicking his boots off, then climbing on the mattress behind Nymeria.
"Redhead?" She questioned.
"Uhum, actually all red, robes and all-oh shit," Daemon grimaced.
"What?" Nym asked as he snuggled himself behind her.
"She's a red priestess, Stannis said he had R'hllor on his side." He explained rubbing his eyes.
"Hmm, do you think she will use magic against us?" Ty murmured.
"Don't know, I think we'll have to wait and see… as frightening as it sounds." He shrugged. When no response came, the prince wrapped his arm around the dornish woman, his crotch pressing against her bum.
"No…" Nym whispered with her eyes closed.
"Why?" He pouted.
"I just took a bath."
"Take another."
She snorted. "In this cold? I rather eat a coal."
Daemon groaned like a child.
"Good boy, now try to rest till the time we leave." Nym patted his head.
Six days later the prince exhaled in annoyance, he was standing in the middle of the Kingsroad, the prince was with his hands in front of him, one hand holding his wrist and on the other his sword. Daemon was probably standing there for a five good minutes.
"They are coming!" He heard a shout from behind a tree.
"Fucking finally." He murmured, at far he could see the horses approaching, maybe twenty, as he was now on their sight, the convoy slowed down till they were a few meters of him.
Daemon raised his brow at the Arryn banner. "Move aside!" The knight shouted. The prince narrowed his eyes at the black haired woman, as far as he knew, Sansa was red haired, so this was maybe a disguise.
"I'm good here." He replied.
"Sheath this sword lad! You can leave with your life." The other knight said, Dae shook his head again.
"What do you want? Why are you here?" A short slander man with a beard said, he had dismounted his horse and was now beside the two knight's horses.
Daemon stretched puffing his chest, he raised his sword a pointed at Sansa. "I want her."
Sansa gulped and tightened her grip on the reins of her horse.
"The girl? What do you want with her? She's just my bastard nothing more." The man looked back at her and let a laugh.
The dark haired prince gave him a bored look. "Hand me Sansa Stark, and I let you all live."
The man eyed him warily before turning to a knight and murmur something. The knight dismounted the horse and started to walk in his direction, he walked a few steps before he stopped on his heels, the other men gave shouts and tried to control their horse when Ghost appeared from the woods.
Sansa's eyes widened and her mouth opened at the sight of the direwolf, the slender man frowned looking between him and the beast.
"What's your name?" Sansa spoke for the first time.
"I'm Daemon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar Targaryen, and Lyanna Stark" He smiled. "I am your Cousin."
The moment he said his name, every man unsheathed their swords, seconds later another knight yelled. "Enemies!" He said moving his head to the back of the convoy where fifteen unsullied were forming a shield wall. Another fifteen plus Ty and Nym walked out from the forest getting behind him.
"Perhaps we can reach an agreement… Prince Daemon. I'm Petyr Baelish, Lord of the Vale." Petyr said.
Daemon motioned to the Stark girl again.
Baelish looked at her again. "You have to understand, Sansa is promised to Ramsay Bolton, an alliance your brother could benefit himself."
Dae nodded, he observed his cousin who was looking at Petyr with cold eyes.
"It's true, I dare to say that it was you who came with the agreement?" He asked.
"Yes, I did. I was a friend of Lady Sansa's mother, I just want the best for her." Petyr gave a slight bow.
Daemon lowered his head. "I think we have reached an agreement," He raised his head after pretending to think. "These are my friends, Tyene and Nymeria Sand."
"The daughters of Oberyn Martell…" Baelish cocked his head.
"Indeed, Nym, introduce yourself." Daemon smiled at her. With that Nymeria stepped forward and quickly threw her spear at Baelish, the spear went through his stomach and pierced on the ground behind him. Sansa let a scream and put her hand on her mouth.
After that hell broke loose, the knights charged at them just to the unsullied throw their spears on their horses, Daemon started to make his way till his cousin who was struggling to control her horse, a soldier came at his direction with his sword in hand, he blocked the attack and kicked the man on his chest, he stumbled back and went still when a dagger entered his eye. The man fell and the prince jumped over the body, a few more steps later he finally arrived at his cousin.
"Hello there." He smiled at her.
Sansa frowned and looked at him warily. "What do you want with me?" She asked.
"Really? You want to have this conversation right now?" He raised his brow. "Look, you have to decide, come with me or…" Daemon looked around, most knights were dead. "Well, they are all dead, it's come with me regardless." The prince gave her a tight smile and extended his hand.
The stark girl looked around and breathed, she looked back at him and went to speak but Daemon didn't hear, actually, he lost the sight of her too.
A ring in his ears came next, the pain on his head after, then the hot liquid began to drip on his face. The prince forced himself to his hands and knees with a grunt, he blinked hearing the faint shouts, and saw Ty dropping a chubby man from his horse.
Taking a deep breath he stood up, Sansa was off her horse and beside him, she stared at him at shock and held his arm helping him. "Lady Sansa!" Someone called, he eyed the person behind her, it was really hard to miss it to be honest. The woman? Was tall, and the sword on her hand was a hard to miss.
"I'm here to help." The woman continued.
Sansa frowned. "Who are you?"
"I am Brianne of Tarth, I was your mother's sworn sword before her death. Come with me." She said.
Oh that's great.
The clashes of swords stopped, every knight was now dead. Daemon blinked. "Ghost!" He drawled. His cousin furrowed her brows, then her eyes widened as the direwolf slowly walked to them, looking at the tall woman growling.
Brienne spun and raised her sword, her head went to the side when the man who Ty dropped from the horse screamed at pain. "Pod!" She shouted, from a moment she hesitated before she went to him.
"Do you know her?" Daemon groaned.
Sansa's mouth opened and closed before she spoke. "I… I saw her in Kingslanding."
"So she's an enemy…" He moaned in pain, Nym quickly appeared on his side and held his arm.
"I don't know." Sansa stuttered.
Of course this always fucking happens to me.
Ghost kept his eyes at Brienne, the woman was on her knees holding the man's arm who was clearly not in the right place, Tyene was beside him looking down at them, she was the one behind the injury. Brienne's eyes went to the Sand Snake and shot her a furious look, she began to stand up but Ty was faster, in a matter of seconds the sole of Tyene's boot connected with Brienne cheek in a harsh sidekick knocking down the woman.
"Oh wow." Daemon whispered watching the woman fall flatly, the prince scanned his surroundings and all his men were poking the dead men. "Then she will die, we have to go." He said.
Daemon began to walk in direction of the forest with Nymeria aiding him, Ty grabbed Sansa's hand and tugged for her to walk. "Wait!" She stopped.
He groaned and turned to her. "What?"
"We can't leave them here, what if she's telling the truth? About being my mother's sworn sword." Sansa said.
"And what if she's lying?!" He clapped back, Dae was starting to get annoyed, his head was throbbing, a moment ago he was starting to see double.
Sansa flinched. He groaned. "Fine, it's on you, if she betrays us, I will make you kill her and that fat fuck. And for fuck sake someone shut his mouth too." He said as the man kept moaning in pain holding his arm.
"Enough, we must go. Soon people will find the bodies, and we have to look to your wound." Nym ordered. He just murmured and let her drag him to deep into the woods.
Daemon made his way to Sansa's tent, it was morning. They rode into the woods till they were far enough from the road, well, he didn't rode, he passed out at some point and was put on the back of Nym's horse, he woke up a couple hours ago with a bandage on his head and a headache.
The prince stopped in front of the tent. "Hello?" He called.
"You may enter." She said.
Daemon entered slowly, they didn't have much of a camp, they were moving quickly, so in her tent was just a makeshift bed with a lamp. "I apologize, this isn't the most comfortable situation…" He smiled at her, He noticed her hair was now red.
Sansa eyed him with hesitation. "It's fine… my Prince…"
"Please, we are kin, you can call me by my name." He waved, Dae walked and sat on the bed.
She smiled at him awkwardly, he patted beside him inviting her. Sansa swallowed and slowly sat. "…Why am I here?"
The prince breathed. "You are my family," He shrugged. "And Ghost was quite annoying."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "The white direwolf, you call him Ghost, how did you find him?"
He hummed. "In the woods, close to Deepwood Motte, he was the one who insisted on me coming North."
"How?" She questioned.
Daemon leaned back resting on his forearm. "Did you ever dreamed with your Direwolf?"
"Uh, when she was alive, yes." She murmured.
Oh.
"I had that, dream after dream, he took me to the crypts of Winterfell, and then somehow he told me that you were alive. And now I'm here." He told her.
Sansa nodded. "So… you are taking south?"
"Oh no, we are taking Winterfell from the Boltons." He said.
Her eyes widened. "What? Why?"
"It's my mother's home, besides, if I have Winterfell I have the North, my brother will be pleased." He gave a quick smile.
"How are we going to take Winterfell? My father said that it was impossible to take the castle, the walls are impenetrable." She murmured.
The corner of his lips raised. "Trust me on this one."
The tent flapped open and Nym appeared. "It's time to change the dressing."
He nodded. "We will speak more later, for now rest, we will ride hard till night."
Sansa gave him a nod and Daemon stood up and left.
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