The Dragon Queen

Westeros was vastly different from Essos.

That was something Daenerys had become intimately familiar with in her time here. In a way, Essos was simple, or at least gathering allies was. Slaves were in abundance, all it took was a gentle hand to free them and they became loyal. It was how Daenerys had built up her own army as, despite those Sellsword companies amongst them, it mostly consisted entirely of former slaves, mainly the Unsullied.

In Westeros though, things were vastly different. Everyone had their own desires and agendas, promises had to be made, rewards equal to the risk had to be given. It was like dealing with Sellsword companies but on a much larger scale. It was why, despite how frustrating it was, she had to rely heavily upon Tyrion Lannister.

She didn't trust the dwarf, nor did anyone really, besides Bronn. However, Daenerys was being forced to rely upon him more than more to navigate the political landscape of Robb Stark's inner court. Daenerys also knew that in the future that she would need his aid much more in the future.

But above all that, she hated the weather here.

Hearing the thundering patter of rain against the roof of her tent, Daenerys frowned heavily as she sat upon her bed. The thick furs she wore were pulled tighter in order to retain some measure of warmth. It was a vast difference to Essos, the warmth that allowed her to dress in clothing that was loose and comfortable, yet also regal and empowering. In Westeros she was restricted, in Essos she was freed.

'What had I expected it to be like though?' Daenerys wondered to herself. For as long as she could remember, Viserys had longed for Westeros and from the stories he told, so had she. Even after being free from him, she had still desired Westeros, to return here and reclaim her families birthright. Naively, she had thought everyone here would want that as well, besides the Usurper of course.

Yet that was not the case.

Now she was stuck, married to Robb Stark just to gain her position of Queen and even that was not secure, she now faced a rival in the form of Margaery Tyrell. "Khaleesi, shall I prepare some food?" Her handmaiden, Irri asked entering into the tent from the outside. Her hair was soaked, sticking to her skin and the thick furs she wore were equally as soaked. The look upon Irri's face shared her own displeasure at the weather.

"No, thank you, Irri," Daenerys replied taking the momentary opening of the tent to look outside. It was quiet, the Unsullied stationed outside her tent unmoving in the rain, they at the very least provided some additional clothing by Robb Stark and his people to protect them from the rain. However, Daenerys knew that even without them, her Unsullied would have stood out there anyway, unmoving even until death.

So great was their loyalty to her.

It filled her with joy and inspired her, but she also felt pity and sadness. The Masters, they had broken them, innocent children who had been forced to endure horrifying things. Sometimes, she wished she could force them to do surrender their weapons, to stop being soldiers. But Daenerys also knew that she couldn't do that either.

"Is everything alright, Khaleesi?" Jhiqui questioned, both taking note of her silence.

Daenerys wished to say that everything was alright, but she couldn't. "No, it's not." And if there were two people she could trust to hear the truth and not tell a soul, it was the two who had stuck beside her since her marriage to Drogo.

Both moved across the tent, coming to join upon her bed. "I came to Westeros to liberate it from the Usurper, to claim my birthright. Now, I found myself married to Robb Stark and fighting for the position of Queen against Margaery Tyrell. The Tyrell's were once loyal supporters of my family, fighting against the Usurper and his forces. Now they are my enemies." That concerned Daenerys more than anything.

She had come to Westeros believing that the Tyrells would support her, the plan that Ser Barristan Selmy and even Ser Jorah Mormont before him had suggested all relied upon support from two kingdoms. The Reach and Dorne. With those two kingdoms, she would have nearly a hundred thousand soldiers at her command as well as a powerful agricultural kingdom to sustain said army. Then supporters from the Crownlands and the Riverlands on top of that, the possibility of there even being a war when faced with those numbers plus Dragons, it would be enough to make many just surrenders to her.

That's what Daenerys had been told; constantly.

"Everything I've been told, everything I've been promised by my advisors, have all crumbled around me," Daenerys admitted, realising now just how naive she had been to blindly trust everyone around her. "Now I have a new husband, one who I have yet to speak to outside of meetings. One who spends his time personally monitoring the movements of Aegon Targaryen and locked away within his tent, planning his next move."

"You admire him," Irri noted and Daenerys nodded her head.

What wasn't there to admire, unlike her Robb Stark had achieved a great deal on his own. He didn't need to rely purely upon his advisors and could instead achieve great things without them. But by using his advisors, he's able to achieve even greater things. He's the type of ruler she wants to be, the type of ruler she thought she was. But as Daenerys had come to realise, that was far from the truth.

"Yes, I do. But despite the Imps best efforts, my position here is not secure." Daenerys admitted, a hard truth that her advisors had been hesitant to admit but something she was able to see quite clearly on her own. Once this war was over, there was a strong possibility of her being killed or imprisoned.

Maybe not on Robb's orders, but certainly on someone else's and she doubted Robb would voice too many complaints about it if any at all. Why would he? It would solve a problem for him.

"Then why not go to him?" Jhigui suggested, a smile playing upon her lips. "Men are all the same and he has been away from his wife for many months now. Surely he would not complain or raise too little struggle should you offer yourself to him. Show him that you have the experience that his wife doesn't, make him want to come to you more than her."

Daenerys paused, considering the idea.

It wasn't a bad idea at all really, it made use of her particular strengths. She was a beautiful, her Valyrian looks made her desired by many and she had been married in the past. Unlike most Westerosi nobles ladies, she didn't have to retan her virginity in order to give it to her husband. She had been married in the past, something many knew and so, unlike Margaery Tyrell, she had experience in the matters of sex. Making use of that was only something that Daenerys could do, she could make him feel things that an inexperienced woman like Margaery couldn't.

'Ser Barristan did tell me that a ruler would have to make use of all their skills, even those most wouldn't consider. And the Imp did suggest something similar.' Daenerys just hadn't wanted to believe his words.

Rising from her seat, Daenerys made her way towards the exit of her tent, pausing to pull up her hood before exiting out. The Unsullied directly outside immediately shifted as Daenerys walked by, a few following after her as the rest stayed behind to guard her tent and the belongings inside.

Robb's tent wasn't far from her own and so she didn't have to walk far in the rain, the guards outside watching her approach warily, or more importantly her Unsullied. "I wish to speak with the King." Daenerys proclaimed over the heavy downpour of rain, the guards sharing glances. It was then that the tent flap parted, the large frame of Smalljon Umber appearing from within.

As much as she had seen the insanity and madness of Strong Belwas and other Pit Fighters, the large frame of Smalljon Umber was intimidating as always. Just the sheer size of his frame and the amount of space he seemed to take up, the thick beard and furs he wrapped himself in. The bone handle of his large longsword that looked capable of cleaving men in two. He just looked like a wild beast given human form, strange then that he was almost docile in the presence of the Wolf King.

He never said a word, just indicating for her to come in with nod of his head. Was she displeased at that lack of proper etiquette, not really. In the beginning she had been, but she had grown used to the northern gruffness. They respected strength as Daenerys had come to realise very quickly. They respected Ser Barristan and even Strong Belwas, but no one else from her court.

"You wished to speak with me, Queen Daenerys." Robb said, Ser Brynden Blackfish beside him. A letter was in his hands, Grey Wind and Nymeria and the numerous other wolves scattered across the tent, curled up asleep. All except for the two Direwolves whose heads rose up and watched her, Nymeria snarling openly, Grey Wind on the other hand simply tilting his head to one side.

"I was simply wanting to speak to you alone." Daenerys answered, Robb studying her for a moment. He then nodded his head, a wave of his hand the only dismissal he gave as both Lord Umber and Ser Brynden left the tent, leaving only the two of them alone.

Robb then made his way towards a small stand on which sat a large jug and a few cups. He took picked up one, pouring some wine into it and presented the cup to her. "Thank you." Daenerys said, gratefully accepting the cup and making her way towards the table at the centre of the room. Behind her she could hear Robb pouring himself a cup of his own.

Trailing one finger over the wooden table, she took a curosy glance over the map displayed over it, a permanent feature within his tent as she had come to learn from the few times she had come it. There were no figurines upon it, an oddity as everytime she saw it, there was always pieces in place to indicate the positioning of troops.

"How come your map is empty?" Daenerys wondered, picking upon a little dragon figurine that was off to the side of the map. Robb himself moving to stand on the other side of the table, watching her movements carefully..

"I have no need for them anymore." He admitted, Daenerys watching warily as the wolves around the room rose up simultaneously, and moved towards the corner of the tent beside Nymeria. Grey Wind himself rose up, standing taller than the table, its form scarred and large, an eyecatching beast that moved to stand before the entrance of the tent. How it all unfolded Daenerys had no idea, she had never seen something so...strange before.

'There's something unnatural about the connection between Robb Stark and his Direwolf.' Those were the words she had heard Aurane Waters, bastard brother of the late Lord Monfrey Velayron. 'It's almost like he sees what it sees, hears what it hears, smells what it smells. It's like they're connected.'

She had seen many things in Essos, but Daenerys had held some scepticism upon hearing those words from him. Now after seeing that, she couldn't help but wonder if there was some measure of truth to them.