22

Chapter Text

Pentos

"So, all our plans have collapsed because of a bastard from the North and his companions," Illyrio said, walking alongside Varys in the remains of what could have been the wedding of Daenerys Targaryen and Khal Drogo.

It was a sinister image, blood, body parts, and corpses everywhere, when they lost their Khal, many Dothraki began to plunder the City and fight among themselves, becoming a feast for the crows.

"I don't think so, my friend; certainly, this is a major setback for our plans, but they are not completely ruined; we still have Aegon," Varys said in his usual tone of voice.

"But without the girl, how can we prove his identity?" Illyrio said, unconvinced.

"Well, it will really be complicated, but not impossible, we will have to create the right circumstances so that Aegon can return to Westeros and claim the Iron Throne, this War of the Five Kings will have to continue longer than planned when the Kingdom has bled enough, the discontent of the common people to the games of the great lords will not wait, they will remember the stability that the first Targaryen kings brought to the continent, and there will come Aegon, Prince Rhaegar is still remembered with affection and loyalty by many And when the news that his son is alive and ready to claim the throne, the little lordlings and the nobles unhappy with the Lannister rule will join him ... We also still have Dorne, when Prince Doran discovers that his nephew is alive, will support him to regain the throne ".

"You are rarely so optimistic, but at this moment, we have nothing left but to be patient and choose our next moves with more care; however, I would like to know what interest that northern bastard would have in Queen Rhaella and her daughter to risk so much to prevent this wedding? "

"I don't know, maybe he decided to act as a mercenary and was hired by someone loyal to the Targaryen's to save them. If so, I will send my little birds to gather information ... Or maybe he had some wild fantasy about having a mother and daughter at the same time. "

"I don't blame him if that was the case," Illyrio said with a smile on his face as if imagining the scene in his head.

"By the way, what happened to Prince Viserys?" Varys asked suddenly. To which Illyrio only put on a devious smile.

"I really don't know; the last thing I saw of him after that wolf stripped him of his manhood was that he was dragged away by the remains of the Khalassar; I don't know what they might want with a eunuch who is also about to lose an arm, the bastard wolf almost ripped it off. "

"You don't sound sorry for the horrible fate of your guest," Varys said, arching an eyebrow.

"Please, Varys, you have no idea how annoying he was and how many times I was about to have him executed by my guards every time I heard the phrase" Wake the Dragon "from all the horrible and stupid people I have met in my life, that piece of shit bears the crown, it was rather amusing that Viserys was left maimed, a eunuch and absent a Khalassar whose Blood Riders seek revenge for the death of their Khal .. . You couldn't have come up with a more appropriate ending. "

"Don't underestimate me, my friend; you really shouldn't do it," Varys answered an amused while they continued talking about what was the bloody wedding.

-----------------------

King's Landing...

Margaery sat gazing at the moon in her chambers as she prepared to sleep after another day of charity on the streets of the City, sharing food with the people of the Capital or hear of the suffering of the smallfolk. Made her realize how miserable they all would be as long as that cruel and twisted bastard born of incest is still on the Iron Throne; unfortunately, she had no way to stop it.

She had managed to assume her role as a kind and benevolent queen rather well. Still, she knew that sooner or later, Joffrey would seek to torment her in the same way as Sansa Stark; in those moments, in addition to apprehension, she felt anger and frustration at the weakness and ineptitude of her Father and her grandmother's machinations for putting her in this situation, she no longer had any desire to be queen, especially if she will be the queen of a monster like Joffrey.

Her thoughts undeniably strayed to Jon and her brother Loras.

It had been so long since she saw them that it seemed to her as if centuries had passed; Margaery still dreamed of those days in Highgarden when the three of them were together, while they pretended that she was a Princess and Loras and Jon competed to be the one. The knight who would rescue her. And despite loving her brother, Margaery always wanted Jon to be, after all, she was not a Targaryen, she couldn't marry her brother nor did she wish to, and despite knowing it was just a fantasy, Margaery always From the bottom of her heart, he had always yearned to find a way to be with Jon despite his bastard status ... But her grandmother had done her best to shatter that fantasy.

Her heart still trembles when she remembers those distant days like dreams, longing for the tranquility and happiness of yesteryear.

... There is no point in crying for what has already been; I made my decision for Jon's sake, knowing that he is safe is enough, now I must do my duty ...

Still, she couldn't help but worry about them and also his family except for her grandmother and, to a lesser extent, her mother, who only cared for Garlan. Since Renly's death, her brother, Jon and Robar Royce became outlaws who had rebelled against the crown, since Jon would never kneel before those who murdered his Father, Loras on the other hand, would never kneel before those who killed Renly and Robar would never abandon his brothers in arms, so the three are Wanted by both the Lannisters and Stannis Baratheon, the last he had heard from them was that they were headed for Dorne.

... At least the Martells haven't declared their support for either side; there, I hope they are safe ... For a while, at least ...

After sighing and remembering her sorrows, Margaery prepared to sleep and regain her energy for another day, trying to improve the image of a man who they were already beginning to call "Aerys III" and dealing with the paranoia and stupidity of her future good-mother who repeatedly tried to undermine her family so as not to lose the power she believed she had. Still, it seemed that Cersei Lannister could not understand that they were not her enemies, although fortunately for House Lannister, Lord Tyrion was perfectly capable of keeping his sister at bay. And his nephew ... Most of the time.

Despite his deformed appearance, the little Lord possessed intelligence and political cunning worthy of his Father in the words of her grandmother.

Margaery cleared her mind of political matters and took one last look at the night sky, where despite the foul stench of the City, the stars could be appreciated; that was one of the few pleasures she could allow herself there.

Margaery's eyes were lost in the bright sky until they reached a star different from the others, her light was ... So pure and bright even compared to the others, almost as if it were a small silver sun, strange as it was. For Margaery somehow, she felt that that star somehow watched over everything from above, as if pushing away the darkness.

... Jon, brother, wherever you are, I wonder if you take the time to appreciate the stars, especially this one ... Wherever you are ... May the warrior give you strength and the Mother protect you from any danger ...

With those last thoughts and one last look at that beautiful and curious star, Margaery finally lay down on her bed and let her exhaustion get the better of her.

---------------------------------------------------------------

The Sea….

After escaping the wedding and the maddened Khalassar, all the noble-born companions had been placed in a room and began to talk among themselves, as Jon, Loras, and Robar decided the course of the ship.

"Rhaenys ... My granddaughter," Said Queen Rhaella looking at her older granddaughter for the first time in more than a decade; the plump little girl who laughed when they tickled her feet had been left behind; this was now a woman, tall, with bronzed skin, beautiful and dressed like a warrior. Rhaella still remembered Rhaenys' ferocity in fighting the Khal when she decided to help Jon Snow.

"Grandmother ... How is this possible?" Rhaenys said, unable to contain her tears to see again the grandmother she believed to have lost at the end of the Usurper's War.

The happy smile on Rhaella's face darkened at her granddaughter's question, and she sighed through tears.

"My child, I am afraid that I am not ready to give that answer to you or your aunt; there are memories that are very painful and bitter, so to accept them it is better to wait for the wounds to heal, and I am not talking about the body, or of the soul ... I will answer your question, soon but please wait, I am finally reunited with members of the family that I thought I had lost, let's not ruin this meeting by talking about bitter things. " Said the Dowager Queen hugging both Rhaenys and Daenerys, who were listening to everything in silence.

In the room were Princess Arianne, Ashara Dayne, and Shiera Seastar, who had a glass of red wine and watched with joy and satisfaction the reunion between the Targaryen's.

"Grandmother, I wasn't the only one to survive ... Egg ... Aegon too," Said the Princess to the amazement and shock of everyone in the room.

"How is it possible?" The ancient queen asked, still unable to believe it.

"It was Lord Varys; he had us taken out of the Red Keep and replaced with decoys before the Lannister forces sacked King's Landing."

"The spider," Said Rhaella, still surprised; the Master of Whispers never inspired her confidence even though she genuinely respected the eunuch abilities she hadn't forgotten after all those years when Varys began to whisper poisonous words of her infidelity. It wasn't true, of course. But it caused Aerys to unleash his anger on her, she knew that The Spider must have his reasons to carry out all his plans and that he surely planned to take advantage of all this, but now she could not help feeling grateful towards Varys because thanks to him, she not only has her daughter back but also her grandchildren.

"Did the spider take you both in?" Arianne asked, interested while taking a sip from her glass of wine.

"No, for two years, we were in the house of Magister Illyrio Mopatis ..."

A startled sound from Daenerys reminded them of her presence, and she was not the only one; Rhaella just understood why that cheesemaker supported her idiot son; he was in cahoots with Varys.

"I knew there was something about that cheesemaker that I didn't like." Said the queen with narrowed eyes.

"I think so, but he gave my brother and me a safe haven, food, and education, then when Aegon learned to talk and walk, we were handed over to Jon Connington's care."

The sounds of surprise continued as soon as the Princess said Connington's name as no one in Westeros, with the possible exception of her relatives, had spoken or mentioned that name in close to a decade.

"The griffin is still alive?" Princess Arianne asked in surprise.

"The last I heard from her is that he drunk himself to death after robbing the Golden Company." Ashara Dayne added.

"That is what the news we received in Dorne as well." Second Arianne.

Who is he? "Daenerys asked shyly.

"One of your brother Rhaegar's few true friends, my dear, Jon Connington served as your Father's Hand during the rebellion, but after failing to stop the Usurper, your Father stripped him of his titles and lands and exiled him," Rhaella replied to her daughter's question, to which the young Princess just nodded and stayed behind her Mother.

"That was a lie that Varys spread so that Jon would stay hidden without problems while raising my brother and me ... He is not drunk," Rhaenys said, fiercely defending her only father figure.

"This has been a journey of significant events; we came here only to rescue Princess Daenerys, and instead, we also met Queen Rhaella and my dear cousin who all believed dead ... the gods love their jokes. " Arianne said, giving another sip of her glass of wine.

"The same could be said of your presence cousin, tell me what you are doing here so far from Dorne?" Rhaenys said, arching an eyebrow.

"Cousin, for many years I thought you were dead, now I discover that you are alive; it is a reason for celebration, not mistrust, don't you think?" Arianne said with a smile, to which Rhaenys only shrugged and hugged her tightly, remembering the last time they were together.

"The gods are good, Queen Rhaella; they are giving you back the family you lost." Ashara Dayne said, looking at the scene with a smile.

... Yes, for the most part ... But my children, Rhaegar, will still be dead on The Trident and Viserys ... Oh Viserys, how different you would have been if I had stayed with you ...

The Dowager Queen thought with remorse at the thought of her two sons' fate, one acting impulsivity, and the other turned into a younger version of their Father.

Rhaenys and her cousin separated, and her granddaughter went to Shiera Seastar, who only remained silent watching the scene.

"I'm afraid we haven't had the pleasure, Lady ..."

"Shiera Seastar. Bastard daughter of King Aegon IV."

Hearing her, Rhaenys's eyes widened, and she was so surprised that she took a few steps back.

"Impossible, Aegon the Unworthy lived more than 100 years ago; you cannot be his daughter ... You are far too young."

"Young? Appearances are deceiving Princess, but I swear by the Old and New Gods that my words are sincere, I am Shiera Seastar, and I am on this journey together with Ashara to finally find my destiny and purpose in life."

Rhaenys expression did not change much, but she did not seem very convinced of her "ancestor" words and decided not to get more information from her; sighing, Rhaegar's daughter turned to her aunt.

"I'm glad I was able to stop you from marrying that rapist Aunt Daenerys, the trip from Myr was worth it."

"Myr?" Queen Rhaella asked, confused.

"That's where our troops are, The Golden Company." Rhaenys said with a smile when she saw the expression of astonishment that appeared on the faces of all the women (including Shiera), and it was not difficult to guess why the Golden Company was founded by Aegor Rivers "Bitter Steel" to place the descendants of Daemon Blackfyre on the Iron Throne, so finding out that they now support the last of the Targaryens comes as a surprise.

"How is it possible that the Golden Company is supporting them?" Rhaella asked in surprise.

"Connington managed to reach an agreement with his commander, Harry Strickland, who has told us that more than 100 years have passed and the exiles of the Blackfyre Rebellion just want to go home, they no longer care which Dragon they support, besides the Blackfyre are history, Ser Barristan Selmy killed the last of them many years ago. " Rhaenys said in a dismissive tone.

"Still, this is quite a surprise," Rhaella said in astonishment.

Rhaenys continued without taking importance and decided to clarify their doubts about the people who helped them save their aunt.

"Whose ship is this? And where is he going? From what I could tell, three knights are in command here; one of them carries the emblem of House Tyrell, another that of House Royce, and the last one is the one that was accompanied by the albino wolf. Who are they? ... Mercenaries?"

"They are, Loras Tyrell, Robar Royce, and Jon Snow," Rhaella replied.

"Then Grandmother, order them to take us back to Myr, Aegon and I have been preparing to regain the Iron Throne for our house; Jon Connington and other companions have raised, educated, and trained us both to claim our kingdom and to rule it, we must go with my brother Aegon and plan our invasion, the 7 Kingdoms are crumbling due to a civil war, the Usurper's dogs fight each other, while his brothers claim the throne for themselves, it is only a matter of time before the small folk are clamoring for the return of our house," Rhaenys said with passion in her voice and fire in her eyes.

... It's hate, it's anger, my granddaughter has fed on them for years …

"Unfortunately, cousin, this ship is not heading to Westeros, or any known land, all of us who are on this ship will go to a land west of the west ..., Or so Jon says," Arianne said.

"A new land? That sounds like the ravings of a madman" ... Besides, we must return; Aegon needs us! ... Grandmother, you hired those mercenaries; how could they not obey you? "Asked Rhaenys, alarmed.

"I didn't hire them," Rhaella said in a whisper.

"How?" Rhaenys asked incredulously.

"I tried to hire them in the middle of the wedding, offering the only thing of value I possessed... My body, I offered to spend a night with him, but he refused; he said he was coming to save Dany." Said the queen.

"But why would he do that for me? I don't even know him." Daenerys said, confused.

"I don't know, dear." Her mother answered.

"Jon says that meeting me and you Princess Daenerys is part of our destiny, that it is our destiny to accompany him to this new land, a land where we can achieve much more than we could ever hope to achieve in Westeros," Arianne said, watching the reactions of the Targaryens trio.

"Absurd, you say that the bastard did all this to follow a fantasy?" Rhaenys said, increasingly annoyed with her cousin.

"A vision rather, he told me it was from someone named Manwë who visited him in a dream."

"You seem to know him well, Princess Arianne." Mentions Rhaella staring at her, to which the former heiress of Dorne smiled.

"I do; he is my white wolf and the love of my life."

"Did you fall in love with a bastard? ... What would my Uncle Doran say about that?"

"I don't care what that loathsome bastard has to say; he planned to marry me with Viserys to get rid of me despite knowing what kind of person he was and put my fool brother Quentyn on the throne Sunspear; as soon as I refused, he locked me In a tower hoping that I would break and consent to be sold like cattle, thanks to my uncle Oberyn and my cousins who managed to get Jon and the others into the City I was able to escape. Otherwise, I would most likely experience the same as you, queen Rhaella. "

The queen wanted to deny the words of the Princess of Dorne, but she has witnessed the cruelty of Viserys firsthand and preferred to remain silent.

"Anyway, it's ridiculous that we follow the bastard on his ... Adventure, we must go to my brother and fight to get back what belongs to us! I'll go and demand that he takes us to Myr myself.

At which point, Rhaenys' inner Dragon emerged as she stormed out of the cabin, leaving Rhaella and Daenerys worried.

-------------------------------------------

Jon's cabin

After leaving Lady with Ghost, Jon returned to the deck with Loras and Robar to find their way to Middle Earth upon arrival. He saw his brothers in arms reading the books about Númenor and Middle Earth that they found below. Summerhall, which surprised him in the case of Loras because he was not exactly fond of books and less so of navigation, although he could be a competent navigator when necessary.

"Well, my friends, my sister's wolf has settled in with ghost and shouldn't cause us any inconvenience; she was always the meekest of her siblings."

"Splendid, now why don't you help us set the course for this new land of yours," said Robar without paying much attention.

"I am really intrigued by these books; I never heard of Middle Earth or Númenor; how was it possible that the Targaryens could get their hands on these books?" Loras said without taking his eyes off the pages.

... That's a good question ... Jon admitted, but at that moment, they heard the footsteps of someone approaching quickly, and after a few knocks on the door, it opened without waiting for an answer.

... Whoever it was has no manners ...

 When the door opened completely, Jon saw the face of the woman who helped him kill Khal Drogo. Rhaenys Targaryen ... She was a beautiful woman, but unlike her cousin, she had a fierce countenance and carried herself like a warrior. Despite being the last Dragon's daughter, her appearance was entirely Dornish except for the eyes that glittered like pale opals in the low light.

"Good evening, my Lady," Jon said, pretending to be polite.

"Good evening Sir, I would like to know where we are going."

"At this time, we are heading to distant lands to find ... Well adventures and a purpose in life."

Although the young woman did not change her face, Jon found some irritation in her eyes.

"I understand that you work as a mercenary and would like to hire your services."

Interested, Jon raised an eyebrow.

"How?"

"I want you to take Myr and me and the others."

"That will not happen; this ship will continue its course and will not stop or change it regardless of the gold you off me."

The young woman gripped her axe and restrained the urge to cut off the bastard's head, but she knew that if she did, his companions would kill her; Rhaenys saw them fight and knew that by herself, she would not have a chance against both at the same time.

"I had already been warned of that answer, so I want to sweeten my offer; I understand that because of your surname, it was not easy for you in Westeros, which causes you to seek better lands as part of some childish fantasy, but tell me if I could give you a better life, would that make you change your mind? "

"How does my Lady plan to do that?" Jon asked, amused.

"I am not just a Lady, I am Rhaenys of the House of Targaryen, daughter of Rhaegar and Elia Martell of Dorne and sister of the true king, Aegon the sixth of his name, the rightful king of the Rhoynar the Andals and the First Men, Knight of the Seven Kingdoms and protector of the realm. " She said proudly before the trio of knights who looked at her in amusement, clearly not impressed.

"Well, in that case ... Your Highness excuse our lack of manners." Ser Robar said, bowing to the Princess.

"Aye," Loras said, copying his friend.

"I see, so Rhaegar Targaryen's son survived too...." Jon muttered.

"So Ser Jon, this is my offer to take my family and me to Myr, and you and your friends pledge their loyalty to my brother's cause. In return, you will be legitimized, and you could be given land to start your own home."

Jon watched his friends for a few moments, and they shrugged, implying that the decision was his.

The opportunity to be legitimized was something that he had always longed for, to be recognized as a true Stark, "Jon Stark" however, failing the king he swore to protect and losing the love of his life, He had come to accept that bastards would never be seen as anything but second best. During the time he traveled with his friends, he felt that he had no purpose other than to survive, but after Manwë vision, Jon thought that he had a real purpose. Now with his friends who faithfully accompanied him and with his new love Arianne and the young Daenerys who, according to Manwë, she too is part of his destiny.

Jon's decision was already made. He just needed to acknowledge it himself.

"It is a tempting offer, Your Highness ... But unfortunately, I must reject it, for me there is nothing left in Westeros bastard or legitimate my future is not there, neither Arianne's nor Princess Daenerys', I know it's difficult to understand, I hardly understand it myself ... But believe me Princess, all of us who are sailing now ... We will see things that no one else has seen, and we will pledge ourselves to a cause far greater than any could imagine, you and your grandmother, as well as the Lady Ashara Dayne and Shiera Seastar, the moment you took this ship with us ... They joined in this trip, I'm sorry, but now you are with us. "

Hearing the fervor with which Jon defended his cause for a moment, Rhaenys felt self-conscious and impressed since he spoke with the charisma and charm of a king, but when she regained her composure and understood that there would be no returning, Rhaenys lost all reason and threatened Jon with her axe.

"Take me back to Myr now, you bastard!"

While Jon remained unmoved by the outburst of the Princess, both Robar and Loras drew their swords and pointed them at Rhaenys, and when things started to get out of hand, Queen Rhaella suddenly appeared along with Arianne Martell and grabbed a surprised Rhaenys, who dropped her axe which was quickly taken by Loras.

"What? Grandmother! Arianne!"

"Rhaenys, that is enough," Her grandmother said wearily.

"He doesn't plan to take us to my brother; he'll force us to go to that crazy dream of his!"

The queen stared at him, and Jon sent her an apologetic look.

"I know my granddaughter, but even so ... He and his friends have saved our lives, we have a blood debt to them ... In the eyes of the gods, if you kill them without paying the debt, you would not be better Than a Kinslayer. "

"But..."

"Rhaenys, I know you want to go back to your brother, but Jon is not your enemy; when I escaped from Dorne, my first impulse was to go with my Mother, I thought that maybe she could make my Father come to reason and eventually return to Dorne as his Princess, but Jon convinced me to give this trip a chance, to make a proper name for myself beyond my surname or inheritance. " Arianne said, trying to calm her cousin.

"I will not abandon my brother," Rhaenys said forcefully.

"No, but Jon's words do not mean that you will not see him again, maybe on this journey you will learn something that can help him to reconquer the Seven Kingdoms, and you will never know if you kill Jon since it seems that he is the only one that knows where we are going. "

Rhaenys just stared at her grandmother and cousin for a few minutes, and sighing, she turned to Jon with a look of contempt.

"This is not over, you bastard." She said, leaving the cabin. Followed by a smiling Arianne, who shot Jon a flirtatious look.

In the end, Rhaella watched Jon for a few more moments and started to retreat as well, but he stopped her.

"Your Highness, do not think badly of me, I do not wish to hold you and your family against your will, but this is a journey that Princess Arianne, your daughter Princess Daenerys and I must take; the fact that we now share this journey with you and Rhaenys. .. It was ... An unforeseen consequence ... But I have learned that nothing was a coincidence, just like my companions and I was at the wedding of your daughter and the Khal, you were there, and we met, and then we ended up on this ship our destiny awaits us in Middle-Earth, I know it is a lot to assimilate, but I swear on my honor that I will not allow you and your daughter to suffer harm, I promise. "

Queen Rhaella did not change her expression except that she only nodded and left as well, leaving Jon, Loras, and Robar in the cabin.

"Well, Jon, among other things from this moment on, those beautiful damsels from House Targaryen will try to kill you ... I don't think you can sleep anymore ... Or away from the Princess of Dorne."

Said Loras with amusement.

"Forget about that, let's go back to our conversation; what have they found out about how to get to our destination?" Jon said without looking away from where Queen Rhaella stood a few moments ago.

"Well, unfortunately, nothing concrete, except for some maritime routes that will serve us when we get there ... But nothing on how to get there." Loras answered.

Jon's heart began to shrink.

"So, we don't have anything? ... We'll just sail West then."

"Well, I really don't think it's that simple; you will see in one of the volumes written on that island of Númenor there is a passage that relates that to find Middle Earth, three requirements are necessary," Robar said, sparkings Jons interest.

"Three requirements? Which ones?"

"According to the passage, you first need to follow the course set by Azrubel, or Gli-Estel, both names are titles in different languages of the same thing," The Star of Hope. ""

... It's like Manwë told me in my dream ...

"According to the book, it is a very bright star that can be seen shining on the horizon both in the day and at night; if we find it, we can trace our route."

"Well, what about the others?"

"The second requirement is strange, it only says ... We need the blessing of the Greater King and the third that when we are about to reach our destination to be able to travel the last stretch, we need one of the Aratar to guide us," Loras said.

"Aratar?" Jon asked, confused since it was the first time he had heard that term.

"I don't know what it means either; all I know is that if we don't find the right star, we'll die sooner or later," Robar said, having some wine.

"Well, in that case, let's find the star," Jon said, coming out on the deck of the ship, followed by his confused friends.

Jon began to see the stars in the sky, frantically searching for the correct star, but after a few minutes, he realized that he didn't know which star he was looking for since they all looked the same insight; he was already thinking about giving up and waiting to tomorrow when suddenly... He saw it, brighter than the others, shining so brightly that it looked like a small sun of pure silver, Jon did not know how much time he lost seeing that star, but he was brought back to consciousness by his friends.

"Jon, Jon, are you well?" Loras said, shaking Jon.

"Yes,"

"What happened?" Loras asked in bewilderment.

"I think I found our star," Jon said, pointing to the reigning star in the sky.

"Are you sure?" Loras asked.

"Yes, can you chart a course with that star?"

"Yes, I think so."

"In that case, we already have the first step."

-----------------------------------------

Three weeks later...

Jon and the others were sailing for the next few weeks and had not found land even though, according to Loras, they were going in the right direction, but that left them a problem... The food was starting to run low. Arianne had managed to keep her cousin Rhaenys under control, but Jon knew that she would kill him at the first opportunity, so Jon was on his guard while she was close to him. Queen Rhaella and Princess Daenerys, on the other hand, faced the trip in silence and did not speak with Jon or his friends, however on more than one occasion, Jon watched Daenerys looking at him curiously more to want to approach talking to her the Princess remained her gaze and returned next to her Mother.

As for Shiera Seastar and Lady Ashara Dayne were the ones that were best dealing with their stay on the boat, although that can be because they seldom left their cabin; on more than one occasion, Jon went to try to talk to them and stopped at the door when listening to sweet moans, Jon was just ashamed every time that happened what was very often.

But at that moment, the main problem was the food; Jon would try to get better acquainted with Rhaenys to no avail.

"How long will our food last?"

"three days if the calculations do not fail me," Robar answered.

"We have followed that star for weeks. We have not seen anything," Loras commented, annoyed.

"I know, Loras, but we are heading in the right direction. I feel it." Jon said, sure of his dreams.

"Well, how do we solve the food problem then?" Robar inquired.

"We will have to fish until we find land, even if it is just an island."

"And do you think we'll find her Jon, just like that?" Loras asked skeptically.

"If you have a better idea, Loras, I would like to hear it."

The Knight of Flowers didn't answer and just made a face at Jon. Who, in the meantime, noticed how a bird was on the boat?

... I think I'm starting to get delirious because I would swear that that bird has been following us for days ...

The next day when they could no longer hide the food shortages from the ladies, the complaints were immediate, in fact, this time, not only Rhaenys tried to attack Jon, but Arianne threw a fork at his face for the amusement of everyone on the boat. And just when they were starting to despair, a miracle happened.

They found land.

It couldn't be Middle Earth; it was rather a small island, full of vegetation. When they saw it, everyone began to get excited about possibly finding food.

Upon arrival, everyone got off the ship, including Queen Rhaella and Princess Daenerys, who were already tired of sailing; Princess Rhaenys was forced to disembark by Jon, who did not trust her to be alone on the ship.

"You'll pay for this humiliation, bastard."

"Maybe but not today; come on, Princess, come on."

Jon and Rhaenys were the first to disembark, and the moment Jon touched the seawater, he could swear there was a voice coming from the water:

... Jon ... Jon ... Tonight ...

It was a powerful, attractive voice and seemed to be full of wisdom. If Manwe's voice in his dreams seemed to come from the wind, this voice seemed to come from the water calling him, but he did not feel threatened by it.

"Jon, are you alright?" - Rhaenys Targaryen's voice took him out of his trance, and Jon noticed that she was watching him with curiosity.

"What happened?".

"I just want to know, you stood looking at nothing."

"No ... It's nothing, let's go on." The Princess just shrugged as they walked along the shore, and the others joined them.

Due to the small number of crew members, they all went to explore the island as a group and soon found a great diversity of fruits and freshwater sources, which filled everyone with relief.

"Praised be the gods." Said Loras pulling an apple from a nearby tree and giving it a bite; everyone saw the expression of satisfaction on Loras's face, and even Princess Rhaenys began to laugh.

"What? It's delicious." He said before continuing to eat his apple. Lady Ashara and Shiera, who were carrying baskets, started collecting them.

Exploring the island did not take them long, Three hours at most, and they were amazed by its beauty, green pastures, and soft land, along with the fruits and the various freshwater springs, but the best was apparently in the center of the island, a spring of hot water, which filled many of them with satisfaction.

It was decided that the ladies would use it first while Jon and Robar carried the supplies to the ship while Loras stood guard.

At nightfall, two bonfires were made several meters from each other, the women at one and the men at another, Jon and Robar managed to catch dinner, and with the fruits, they were able to have a decent dinner.

But despite everything, Jon only thought about the mysterious voice he heard when he arrived on the island.

"What are you thinking, Jon?" Robar asked, finishing dinner and putting his plate and cutlery aside.

"When we got to this island, I ... I think ... No, I'm sure I heard a voice in the water." He said, observing the expressions of his friends.

"A voice," asked a confused Loras.

"Yes, a voice like that of a man in dreams, Manwë ... But it was different; Manwe's voice seemed to be in the air, but it came from the water, and it was like water, mysterious, powerful, and deep."

"And that voice ... did it tell you something?" Asked an intrigued Robar.

"He just said my name and said ..." At Dusk, "Jon replied, confused.

"What does it mean?". Loras asked, interested.

"I don't know ..." Jon started to say until a scream made them react; they took their swords and went with the women who were looking in the direction of the ocean.

"What happened?" Jon asked, dashing to Arianne's side.

"The sea ..." His lover answered, gesturing towards the sea.

Seeing him immediately, he faced Arianne.

In the sea, a giant whirlpool began to form, but that was not the most incredible thing, but the water in the whirlpool seemed to shine, it was as if the stars in the sky were spinning in the water ... until it exploded and a figure emerged from the water.

He looked like a man of great age and wisdom, but he was much bigger than any man, clad in glittering mail that resembled the scales of fish; with his right hand he could hold the boat, but in his left, he carried a mighty six-pronged trident, his great beard shone like cascading silver and seem to ripple like the tides, and on his head, he wore an ornate helm crested with the wings of a great sea-bird.

"Greetings Westeros travelers, my name is Ulmo, the Lord of the Waters and the Depths." The being spoke with authority, although there was kindness in his voice, which Jon soon realized was the same one, he heard in the water.

"By the seven hells, Jon, what the hell did you get us into?" He heard Loras said in alarm. He drew his blade as well, clearly shocked by the man who emerged from the ocean. The queen held her daughter close as the young Princess was obviously terrified while Rhaenys brandished her axe, ready for a fight.

"All you have traveled a great distance to come to this island, but still have a part of their journey to go, this island was prepared for you, so that you could rest and replenish yourself... Now I´m a friend, so I ask you to sheathe your blades. You have no need of them."

Upon hearing those words, everyone was surprised. Was this island for them? Steeling himself with courage, Jon approached the imposing being while Arianne tried to stop him.

"What are you doing?". But Jon ignored her.

Getting close enough, Jon cleared his throat as much as possible.

"I am Jon Snow; my friends and I came in search of Middle-earth because I was told in a dream by someone named Manwë that our destiny is there with The Faithful."

"Those words are true; your destiny and that of your friends is there; however, before continuing, you must understand the history of the place you are going to as well as the history of the world in which you live."

"What do you mean? What story?"

"The history of the origin of this world Jon, the history of how it was created, because that history has a considerable weight for those who live in Middle Earth, as in those who live outside of it."

Jon turned back and looked at his companions, who nodded but did not drop their weapons. Sighing, Jon nodded.

"Tell us, great sea god."

"It is an ancient story ... At the beginning of time, when there was nothing, only a void, there was Eru Ilúvatar, the One God. From his thought, he created to us the Ainur."

"Ainur?" Jon asked, confused.

 "The Ainur, the Holy Ones, who were offspring of his thought, and we were with him before anything else was done., each one of us represents an aspect of his thought, I, in particular, represent the sea and all the sources of water, the ocean, rivers, and lakes, the water is my blood and flesh... After a while, our creator instructed us in music, and Eru proposed to us to play a song and, when we played it, the music overflowed from Ilúvatar's abode, falling into a void and from then on there was no longer a void as it was filled with life. So, while Ilúvatar was listening, pleased that there was no there were failures, one of us, Ainur, Melkor, rebelled against the subject proposed by Eru ".

"Melkor?" Jon asked, confused by the name.

"The first and most powerful of all the Ainur, for he was granted more power and wisdom than the rest, but this greatness filled him with pride and ambition, he wished to weave the thoughts of his own imagination into the music and discord the theme of Ilúvatar. The dislocation grew worse and a violent storm formed around the throne of Ilúvatar. Then Ilúvatar arose and raised his left hand, stopping the subject abruptly, thus being born a second different subject. But Melkor's discord continued to rise and fought against the Ilúvatar theme again, and Melkor prevailed, and many Ainur became discouraged and stopped playing or changed their music to follow their own, spoiling Ilúvatar's intentions. "

"What does that old music have to do with us?" Arianne asked, steadying herself next to Jon.

"Everything my child, while we played and Melkor caused their disagreement we could see visions of a new world being born with trees, land, water, air, things that did not exist until then and suddenly the" Children of Ilúvatar "appeared, the Elves and Men, to these The latter belong to you, and only Ilúvatar himself participated in your creation. "

"Elves?" Shiera Seastar asked suddenly.

"The first-born sons of Ilúvatar, beings similar to us Ainur in beauty and immortality, but almost identical in appearance to that of you men," Ulmo answered.

"What happened to Melkor and Great Music?" Jon asked, interested.

"He continued causing discord in the Great Music and drawing others to him until Eru could not tolerate it anymore and stopped the music, and reprimanding Melkor for his action, but still Ilúvatar turned the notes into real matter and thus this was created. world, except that it was not what had been planned thanks to Melkor's discord, we were all so enraptured by the vision of the world that we now call "Arda" that Ilúvatar used his power to really create it, and so it happened that some of the Ainur continue to dwell with Ilúvatar more

Beyond the confines of the world, but others said goodbye to Ilúvatar and descended to the world.

Ilúvatar imposed on us as a condition that from then on the powers that he had granted us be limited and subject to the world, forever, until the world was completed, in such a way that we were the life of the World and the World the life of us. And for this very reason, we are called the "Valar," the Powers of the World."

At that moment, Jon' remembered his dream and how Manwë had introduced himself as the king of the Valar.

"That means..."

"That's right, Jon, Manwë is our king, The First King as designated by Ilúvatar as his representative in this world when he was just beginning to form as we saw it ourselves for the first time, dark and report that gave us to understand that our task was to finish it and make it the same as the vision that Ilúvatar showed us, now we Ainur are divided into two categories, the first one is the Valar, we are 15 in total, and we are the ones who were granted more power and authority in this world, the other category are the Maiar who would come as our assistants and servants, they are more numerous than us Valar ... In fact, the ancient spirits of the forests that your people adored were actually Maiar related to the forests."

Ulmo's words astonished everyone, especially Jon, who could not finish assimilating this revelation about the gods he was taught to worship.

"However, not everything went as expected, because with us it was Melkor who at that time was Valar number 16, at first we were all delighted to know that he would come because we believed that with his help completing our mission would be easy, but we soon realized that Melkor's intentions were impious because in him greed arose and I wish to complete this world to rule it and subdue everyone under his designs. Naturally, we opposed him, Manwë, more than all the others because, in Ilúvatar's mind, he is the Melkor's younger brother and the first.

Instrument in the second theme that Ilúvatar had raised against Melkor's discord yet he cared for his older brother but Manwe's love for Ilúvatar is so deep that he would not allow his brother to break what Ilúvatar had arranged, so Manwë was chosen as our King and Lord of Arda, but the power of Melkor was formidable even with our combined might we couldn't stand against him, every time we created a mountain Melkor crushed it, when seas arose, he evaporated them, due to his influence this distant world Much of being what had been planned, but when everything seemed lost appeared with a shrill laugh Tulkas the Horned, the most warlike of all our kindred and with his help Melkor was temporarily defeated. We all rejoiced to finish our work and prepare the world for the arrival of the "Children of Ilúvatar."

"But that didn't last, did it?" Jon asked, feeling what was to come.

"Sadly no, although the world was finished, it was dark because at that time there was no Sun or Moon, to be able to illuminate the world, Varda the wife of Manwë, the one in charge of creating the light and Aule the Blacksmith of us Valar, the Lord of all minerals under the earth, they jointly created two huge lamps at the ends of the world, at the end of them Manwë consecrated them and they were called Illuin and Ormal, then began what we call "The Spring of Burning" where the world began to live and we basked in the glory of the two trees in our first abode, the island of Almaren located in the center of Middle-earth , but Melkor did not rest, but created a huge underground fortress and attracted some Maiar to his cause, when we realized his treachery it was too late and Melkor struck the first blow, he destroyed the two lamps collapsing the pillars on which they were built, and the resulting cataclysm forever changed the shape of the world dividing it into 4 great regions, Middle Earth, Aman, Westeros and Essos".

Everyone listened to Ulmo's tale of the origin of the world and how it came to be what it was; such was the interest it aroused that not even Arianne and Loras dared to interrupt Ulmo.

"That prompted us to seek another home in the land of Aman, and there we founded ... Valinor, our second Kingdom that is even more beautiful than Almaren, although I must admit that I do not live there, but in the depths of the ocean and came only to debate matters of the utmost importance, my brothers and sisters. The sisters fortified Valinor to avoid a possible attack from Melkor and never go through the suffering of losing their home a second time, as the rest of the world was left in control of Melkor, forcing my brothers and sisters to put their creations on A deep sleep. one in charge was Yavanna. "

"Yavanna?" Jon asked, interested.

"Aule's wife and the queen of the Earth, Aule is the Lord of everything that is underground, Yvanna is the lady above everything that grows in it, she created animals and plants, when we went to live in Aman, she put her creations to sleep until such a time as the world healed from the horrors of those terrible battles, we all knew that it was a matter of time before the Elves woke up in the world because it was already over, after a few millennia, Orome another Valar known as the great hunter, discovered the first Elves in the easternmost part of Middle Earth in a beautiful region that would later be called Cuiviénen, when they saw Orome for the first time they fled scared and soon we understood why , having control of the Middle Earth Melkor did not lose the time and he found the Elves before us and tried to turn them against us, when Orome returned to Valinor and told us about his discovery Manwe contacted Ilúvatar and he ordered us to regain control of the world at any cost, and that is what we declared the War on Melkor and we destroyed his fortress Utumno and chained Melkor in great rings of steel forged by Aule, Melkor was taken to Valinor where he felt sorry for Manwe being sentenced to remain in prison for three ages.

"Ages?" Jon asked, interested.

"They are the way we measure time; an Age is approximately three-thousand years, Melkor was imprisoned for nine-thousand."

"Why didn't they execute him?" Rhaneys asked suddenly.

"None of the children born from the thought of Ilúvatar can be killed, although a rebel Melkor is a Valar and is tied to Arda and his destiny, he will live the same as this world lives."

"What happened after?" Jon asked.

"With Melkor in prison, my brothers and sisters wanted the Elves to live with them in Aman and enjoy eternal peace since they had long desired their company; however, I opposed it because I felt that they should develop by themselves and we should let them be, but my brothers had already made their decision, so I accepted it, Orome returned with the Elves, and three ambassadors were chosen to go with him to Valinor and convince his companions of the wonders that they would see, as well as the 3 clans of the Elves the Vanyar, the Noldor and the Teleri, three representatives were chosen, Ingwë for the Vanyar, Finwë for the Noldor and Elwë for the Teleri, they saw the splendor and glory of Valinor, but above all, they saw the "Two Trees of Valinor, "Ulmo said with sadness and melancholy in his voice as if he remembered something painful which surprised everyone.

"What is it, Lord Ulmo ?" Jon asked.

"Yes, I just remembered a bitter memory."

"What was special about those trees?" Loras asked, intrigued by the reaction of Ulmo, who seemed to compose himself, but the sadness did not leave his face or his voice.

"When Melkor destroyed the two lamps that illuminated the world this dark and cold, in order to return the light, Yavanna used all her power to create her masterpiece, a pair of trees, one of silver color called Telperion and a few days later a second Golden colored tree named Laurelin, together they illuminated the land of Aman like suns of the purest light under its light the Valar and the Elves were happy, there began the Ages of the Trees when this world was young and without suffering.

Then with his trident, Ulmo called the waters, and they took the shape of a mirror in which a splendid image began to appear, a hill with beautiful pastures and there were the largest and most beautiful trees that the travelers of Westeros had never seen: The tree White cast silver light on the ground, and it glowed. Its leaves were dark green and brilliant silver underneath, and its branches were adorned with glittering flowers that showered the land with silver dew.

The golden tree was just as magnificent except that it did not have golden flowers but fiery fruits that seemed to radiate heat of their own.

Faced with such beauty, Westeros travelers felt self-conscious, and Princess Daenerys was only able to murmur a phrase between tears:

"What a beauty," So simple and so true since no one dared to contradict it, then Ulmo dissolved the image, and again everything was dark.

"When the three ambassadors returned from Valinor and told all the wonders that dwelt there, most of their clans went with them back to Aman, and they three became the kings of their respective clan, and after many problems along the way and the desertion of many Elves, the rest managed to reach the neighboring continent Aman, where they were happy, and learned from us as well as us from them, but unfortunately that joy and that peace would not last forever. "

"What happened?" Robar asked, spellbound by history.

"Melkor served his sentence and was released by order of Manwe."

Ulmo's response surprised everyone.

"How could he make that decision after everything Melkor provoked?" Queen Rhaella asked, dumbfounded and everyone murmured in agreement.

"Because Manwe is not Melkor, he could not understand the evil of his older brother because he was free from it."

The ladies, Rhaella, Ashara, and Shiera, started to give a sign of disapproval.

"I was one of those who opposed the release of Melkor, but it is not in my power to defy the decrees of the Greater King, and Melkor was released and allowed to walk freely about on Aman, and at first it seemed that all his evil had been cured, all who sought his help and advice benefited enormously, but it was many years before we realized that his wickedness had only increased. "

 "What did he do?". Jon asked.

"He tried to win the hearts of the Elves, but the Vanyar too close to Manwe and Varda did not listen to him, and the Teleri were despised by him as weak. Only among the Noldor, fervent students of Aule and always ready to learn, Melkor had many willing ears. And he taught them many dark things and spoke to them about war and weapons, things they should never have known, his main instrument and ironically opponent was Fëanor, son of King Finwë ".

"Fëanor?" Jon asked curiously.

"Finwë the first Great King of the Noldor had two wives in his life, his first wife was Míriel Serindë who died giving birth to his son Fëanor, and many years later he remarried Indis the beauty of the Vanyar Clan, Ingwe's niece who gave Finwë 4 children plus two sons Fingolfin and Finarfin and two daughters Findis and Lalwen, but among all Finwë's offspring, Fëanor was always the most loved but who never looked favorably on his stepmother, and his half brothers and sisters, of Melkor, took advantage of this discord and increased with his lies Fëanor's distrust towards the children of Indis until he ended up threatening his brother Fingolfin in front of all Aman, even in front of Manwe himself, he called to pity Fëanor in front of him and the other Valar and thanks to this it was not long before he traced the origin of the conflict, Tulkas ran off in search of Melkor, but he had already fled and hidden, while Fëanor was exiled for twelve years for threatening his brother".

"Fëanor was powerful in all the arts of mind and body, it was among Elves and Men who had not yet been born in the world, the most powerful son of Ilúvatar that there was or will never be again, he possessed unmatched skills in the art of smithing and in the song, Creating many things of great beauty and power but his masterpiece was three gems of incomparable beauty, the Silmarils. "

And again, Ulmo created a mirror, and this time three brilliant gems appeared that seemed to emit a mixture of silver and gold light.

Shiera wept in all her life. She had never seen gems of such purity.

"These gems were created with a material more resistant than diamond, and the light in them is the light of the Two Trees that Fëanor somehow managed to introduce into them, making sure that it would never be lost, Varda consecrated them so that no evil hand could touch them without great pain, but Fëanor began to develop an obsessive love for his creations, forgetting that the light in them had not been created by him. These gems aroused Melkor's greed, and he wanted to claim them for himself; he finally had a chance when Fëanor and his children were summoned to a party to reconcile with Fingolfin and Fëanor did so reluctantly, but at that moment Valinor was darkened, because Melkor who had remained hidden from the wrath of the Valar, sought the help of Ungoliant a dark spirit that in ages past served Melkor and then deserted him, Ungoliant took the form of a monstrous spider, and her food was light and beauty, together and taking advantage of the trees being unguarded Melkor and Ungoliant destroyed them, Melkor drove a dark spear strongly into them, and the sap gushed out like a fountain, Ungoliant saw it all, and the trees died, withered, and their light was lost to the world living now only in the Silmarils of Fëanor."

Upon knowing the two Trees' fate, Jon and the others felt a great melancholy learning the beauty that was lost due to Melkor's evil, and they understood Ulmo's sadness when he told them the story.

"Melkor and Ungoliant later attacked Formenos, the fortress of Fëanor, and there Melkor killed Finwë and stole the Silmarils when this reached Fëanor's ears, the anger and pain seized him and affected his judgment and demanded us the Valar to act against Melkor."

"Did they?" Ashara asked, raising one of her eyebrows.

"It wasn't that simple, mortal woman, this world was on the verge of breaking down during our wars against Melkor before the Elves woke up, fighting him again carelessly would have been catastrophic for all the beings of Arda, but Fëanor did not want to understand This and after gathering all the Noldor he and his seven sons pronounced an oath so terrible that it forever marked the course of the ages, in that oath made in the name Ilúvatar and with Manwe and Varda as witnesses, Fëanor and his sons committed themselves To retrieve the Silmarils from whoever had them and kill whoever denied them the jewels, Fingolfin and Finarfin as well as their children did not support that oath but still followed their brother on his quest but only to protect the rest of the Noldor from his selfishness, Melkor and Ungoliant had fled back to Middle Earth after stealing the Silmarils and Fëanor tried to do the same but to this he needed boats, so he went to ask the Teleri for help who had become great sailors, knowing that the Valar did not support Fëanor's company, the Teleri tried to make Finwë's son see reason but he refused to listen. And when the Teleri refused to surrender their ships and unleashed a horrible battle in the City of the Teleri Alqualonde in which the Teleri were massacred and their ships stolen, this being the First Slaughter of Elves against Elves, Fëanor only gave ships to his closest followers and abandoned his two brothers and his hosts who had to travel a vast, dangerous and fragile ice road to reach Middle Earth ".

Hearing about Fëanor's actions, Jon, Robar, and Loras couldn't help but recall the dispute between Stannis and Renly that ended with the second's death.

... It seems that sibling disputes are inevitable, even between other races ...

"It seems to me that I have already spoken a great, this has been a meaningful conversation, but I am afraid it is not over, the next day I will come to finish my story and give you the council that you and your companions need, for tonight rest.

"Wait ..." Jon said, trying to talk more with Ulmo, but he dissolved in the water, leaving everyone onshore surprised and momentarily wondering if they had dreamed.

"Well, Jon, I must give it to you; this is a trip like no other in the history of the Seven Kingdoms," Said Robar recovering from the shock.

"Aye, my friend it will be." replied Jon.

Notes:

Credit to Great_Red for helping with this chapter