15

Notes:

The Lost Lord POV, actually takes place the day prior. I decided to move it into this chapter to spread things out a little. If it helps, you could probably insert this POV between Tyrion's and Jon's POV in chapter 14.

As always, Thanks to GOT88 for the help provided with this story

(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)

Chapter Text

The Lost Lord

The former Lord of Griffin's Roost sat in his room at the inn where they were awaiting the arrival of Daenerys and her brother. He was staring out of the window into the deep blue waters of the harbor. He was nervous, incredibly so. All those years of planning, all those years of humiliation were nearing their end. Soon, they would meet Daenerys, Aegon will wed her and together they will take back Westeros. His chance at redemption would soon be here.

 Their plans had changed numerous times over the years which only added to his frustration. Varys and Illyrio seemed to be changing the plan each and every month. A year ago, Viserys was supposed to meet them in Pentos with 50,000 Dothraki screamers at his back. Now, Viserys had three dragons as well as the Dothraki and Unsullied.

 Viserys also had him slightly worried. Jon had heard that the boy had started to call himself King Aegon which brought a sly smile to his face. Little did Viserys know that he had the real Aegon right here. Hopefully, Viserys would respect Aegon's birthright and set aside his claim in accordance with the normal laws of succession. If he didn't, then Aegon would need to ensure that Daenerys chooses him over her brother. Viserys may be a dragonrider, but Aegon too would become one when he meets the dragons. It's in his blood. With Daenerys by his side, Viserys would be forced to give up his claim.

 Then, Jon remembered that the dragons would be very young, less than a year old. They were unlikely to be very big which reassured him. He relaxed a little, the dragons were not going to be a factor. If Viserys wanted to fight for his claim then he would be dependent on his armies and not his dragon at least for the time being.

 Jon stood and poured himself a drink. Over the years, he had grown used to the Essosi wine. Volantis produced its own unique sweet wine. It was not as good as the famous Arbor Gold or the Dornish Reds but it was good enough and most importantly, it helped him calm some of his nerves. Drinking the wine caused him to remember the shameful lie he was forced to live.

 Varys had insisted that he fake his own death and Jon could understand that. Raising the secret prince would be dangerous and having a new identity would help keep them both safe. What he did not understand, is why Varys had chosen such a shameful death for him. Instead of dying gallantly in battle, the story was that he drank himself to death in Lys after being driven away from the Golden Company for stealing from the war chest. It was a shameful lie and when he told Varys about his displeasure, the eunuch had only laughed and tittered at him. "We want no songs to be sung about the noble and brave exiled Jon Connington," he tittered in his condescending voice. "Those who die heroic deaths are often remembered, thieves and cravens are not,"

 He and Myles Toyne had only been serving in the Golden Company for a few years before they were approached by Varys and Illyrio and he has been caught up in their schemes ever since.

 Jon sighed in frustration as he walked back to his seat by the window and he thought about where it all began.

 He remembered when he first met Rhaegar. It was a warm, summer's day in Kings Landing and they were two fresh faced boys standing in the courtyard of the Red Keep. They were both young squires then but he quickly became friends with the young prince, they would walk the streets of Flea Bottom together, they would spar together and explore the Red Keep. Jon even squired for Rhaegar as they grew older.

 Jon was an only child, and the sole heir to Griffin's roost. After his father's death, he had named his cousin, Ronald Connington as Castellan whilst he served in Kings Landing. Jon was there for Rhaegar's marriage to Princess Elia Martell. Elia was never worthy of his silver prince. She was pretty, but not pretty enough in Jon's eyes. On top of that, she was frail and sickly, ever since she was born. Childbirth only made her weaker, the birth of Princess Rhaenys had caused her to be bedridden for over half a year, and Prince Aegon's birth had almost been the death of her. The maesters had told Rhaegar that she would bear no more children.

 Perhaps, this is what caused Rhaegar to go after the northern girl, Lyanna Stark. Jon could not remember much about her, he briefly saw her at the Tourney at Harrenhal. He supposed she was pretty, as pretty as northern girls got but Rhaegar could have done better than her. To this day, he could not believe that Rhaegar had crowned her the Queen of love and beauty. The logical choice would have been his sickly wife, Elia, but no, he had chosen to crown Lyanna Stark.

 In the years that followed, Jon had often wondered what was it that had drawn his noble silver prince to the Northern girl. Perhaps, she was a temptress and had ensnared Rhaegar with her foreign northern ways, at the least that was the best explanation he could come up with. Rhaegar was a good man and he would have been a good king. Yes, he had been seduced by her and this caused him to forget his duty. It was the only thing that made sense.

 It was her fault that the realm was thrust into rebellion. The fall of a dynasty was all her fault. She should have known her place and married her betrothed, the usurper Robert Baratheon. If she had, then the rebellion would not have occurred. Those Starks could not be trusted, they followed false gods and isolated themselves in the north. That idiot Brandon had just charged into the Red Keep and demanded that Rhaegar come out and die. He was just another idiot Stark, it must have ran in the family.

 Their actions had started a rebellion and it gave Jon his chance at glory. It had been his chance to prove his worth to his silver prince but it turned into his greatest failure.

 King Aerys had dismissed his former Hand of the King, Lord Owen Merryweather. He saw the effect that the young and bold Usurper had on the troops and so he wanted someone young and vigorous of his own to be his next hand and this had been Jon's chance to shine. He had promised Aerys that he would deliver the head of Robert Baratheon to him and end the rebellion, and he had the chance, but he failed.

 It was his arrogance that led him to his great defeat.

 After the Battle at Ashford, Robert Baratheon had fled north to meet up with the rest of the rebel forces. Connington had tracked him all the way to the Stoney Sept where Robert had taken shelter after being wounded in battle and was all alone. He remembered when he first arrived outside the city gates, he was young and he was full of pride and who could blame him?

 He knew that Robert's head on a spear would end the rebellion then and there. King Aerys had named him Hand and given him an army, it was his chance to prove himself worthy of that trust, of Rhaegar's love. He would slay the rebel lord and carve out a place for himself in the history of the Seven Kingdoms

 He descended upon the town with a part of the royal army. He closed off the town and began a search. He had his knights go from door to door, from cellar to cellar, he even sent men down into the sewers to look for him. The small folk were hiding him, he knew that clearly enough. They were always one step ahead, moving him from one house to the next. The whole town was a nest filled with traitors, they even hid him in a brothel. What kind of King chose to hide behind a woman's skirts?

 The search had gone on for so long that the traitor Hoster Tully and the Stark Dog came down with their rebel host to free the town. The Battle of Bells soon followed, he remembered Robert charging out of the brothel where he was hiding, blade in hand. He nearly killed Jon on the steps of the town's famous old sept. He was forced to flee that day and his army was scattered.

 For years, he had told himself that he could do no more. He had offered pardons, rewards, he even took hostages and hung them in cages for all to see yet the townsfolk would not give up the usurper. He even told Myles Toyne as much a few years ago. "The great Tywin Lannister would have done no better," Jon had adamantly maintained.

 "That is where you are wrong," his old friend had replied. "Tywin Lannister would not have bothered with a search. He would have burnt down that entire town with every living creature in it. Men and boys even young babes. Noble knights and septons. Whores and rebels. He would have burned them all to a crisp. Then when the ash had settled, he would have sent his men to find Robert's bones,"

 Over 15 years had passed since the Battle of the Bells, yet the sound of a ringing bell still tied his stomach in knots. Many had said that the realm was lost when Rhaegar fell to Robert's warhammer that fateful day on the trident. But the war would not have gotten to the Trident, if the Griffin had slayed the Stag in Stoney Sept.

 The bells tolled for them on that day. For Aerys and Rhaella. For Elia and Rhaenys. And for my silver prince.

 He had failed the father. He would not fail the son.

 The thought of his friend, Myles Toyne was a bitter memory. Myles had been the only one in the company who fully understood Illyrio and Varys's plans. Homeless Harry Strickland was a good man no doubt, but he was not from Westeros. He did not have the same hunger to go home as he did. He wondered what Varys had told him, it was probably not a lot. The eunuch and the cheesemonger liked to play their cards close to their chest.

 He was interrupted from his thoughts by a loud noise from beneath his window, it sounded like people cheering and shouting. Was it Daenerys? He stuck his head out the window in the hot southern Volantene sun and looked out on the street below. He saw a group of mummers singing loudly as they walked down the street. Jon scowled and then sat back on his chair. He rubbed his hands through his hair and took deep calming breaths. He took another drink of his wine. He needed to relax. He should have gone out with Tyrion and Haldon to explore the streets of Volantis, some fresh air and a change of scenery would do him good.

 Yes, that was exactly what he would do. Jon stood up and reached for his sword and strapped it in place by his side. He would take the future King with him. His ancestors lived behind the black walls of Volantis. Perhaps, they would be hospitable to him.

 He stood up and walked to the door of his stuffy room and put one hand on the cool metal door handle. As soon as his fingers touched the metal he heard a loud roar that made his blood run cold.

 He froze on the door handle. It could not be true, the dragons were only a few months old, they could not produce a noise like that. He waited with baited breath as the seconds stretched into minutes. He slowly let out a loud long breath and relaxed, he let go of the door handle and his hand fell loosely to his side. Jon remembered that he was going to get the King. He reached for the door handle again and this time he heard another loud screech.

 He instinctively ran over to the window and stuck his neck outside, he craned his neck from left to right looking for the noise. He finally looked upwards and then he saw them. Two dragons flying side by side in the sky. One black, the other green with bronze scales.

 Jon was amazed by their size, they were much bigger than he had expected. This caused some of his earlier worries to return. Viserys would have to respect Aegon's superior claim, he simply had to.

 The dragons gave another loud roar and this snapped him out of his daze. Daenerys was here and it was time to act. It was time to earn his redemption.

 He quickly entered the hallway and went to Aegon's door. Unsurprisingly, he saw the boy staring out of the window at the dragons.

 "Come your grace, it is time to get your bride,"

 "The dragons, I only see two, where is the third? Where is my dragon?" he asked, still not able to tear his eyes away from the dragons flying in the sky.

 "Hunting perhaps? It doesn't matter, we need to execute our plan. Your plan." and then he put a hand on his shoulder. His touch seemed to break him from his gaze and he quickly looked back at him. They gathered their meagre belongings and went downstairs to the stables. Septa Lemore and Duck were waiting for them, standing next to their horses.

 Jon quickly found a grey gelding for the King to ride and found a mount for himself as well.

 "What about Haldon or the Imp?" Duck asked. "Are we not going to wait for them?"

 "They will know to look for us outside the Golden Company's camp," Connington immediately replied as he quickly led them out of the stables. They could not afford to wait, he could not afford to wait. This was his chance, he would not fail. He could not fail.

 He quickly led them out of Volantis and north along the Valyrian road to Sar Mell. The day was hot and sticky and the mid-day sun was beating down on them. Still, Connington would not be deterred, he led a ferocious pace to try and get back to the Golden Company camp. They quickly reached Sar Mell where they found Yandry and the Shy Maid waiting to take them across the rushing blue waters of the river Rhoyne.

 As they crossed the river, he looked back towards the city of Volantis. The dragons were not in the sky, and if they were, he could not see them from this distance. Still, he could not get distracted with thoughts of the dragons, they still had a plan and he needed to focus to execute it. He turned away to the city and stared across at the other bank of the Rhoyne. He saw the ships that had been brought upstream to ferry the troops, as they got closer, he could begin to see activity on the deck. That was good, hopefully they were preparing for their departure.

 Once they disembarked they got back on their horses and rode for the camp. The camp had a deep ditch dug around it, with sharpened spikes inside. The tents stood in need orderly rows with plenty of space between them to navigate. The latrines had been dug next to the river, so the current could wash away the waste. To the North of the camp were the elephants, they had around two dozen. Jon smiled to himself, there was not a warhorse in the world that would stand against an elephant.

 As they reached the edge of the camp, their pace slowed down as they passed the line of soldiers heading towards the ships. Jon was happy about this, the sooner the soldiers were on the ship, the sooner they could make the short journey to Volantis. As he walked, he saw Harry walking purposely towards him with one of his generals following closely behind.

 "Connington!" he said warmly "Today is the day, eh?"

 "It looks like it," Connington said. He did not share Harry's excitement, this was not the time for celebration.

 "The men are all heading towards the ships, the elephants should be on soon and then we should be ready to depart. What is the plan for the city?"

 "We will sail and dock in the western harbor. Queen Daenerys and her forces are coming from the east and will likely dock in the eastern harbor. We will sack the city first, so when their forces arrive we will be ready to hand the city over to them," Aegon said immediately. "How long until we are ready to depart?"

 "We should be ready by mid-afternoon," Harry answered

 "Too slow, make it sooner," and Jon agreed with him. They could not afford to be late, sacking the city and proving their loyalty is essential to their plan.

 "Very well, I will speed up the preparations for our departure," Harry said and he quickly went away to make the necessary arrangements. Jon then led them back down towards the water and towards their ship. They would be travelling on the flagship at the front of the fleet.

 As they finally reached the muddy banks of the Rhoyne he looked out across the river and he saw a small boat approaching and as he looked closer, he saw who it was. Haldon had returned, without Tyrion. Jon scowled, the one time he had listened to the dwarf and it had backfired on him.

 "Where is Tyrion?" he asked Haldon as soon as his little boat touched the muddy bank.

 "I don't know. Dead maybe. I lost sight of him in the riot,"

 "Riot?" Aegon asked. "What riot?"

 "The slave riot they started," Haldon said breathlessly. "They landed on top of the Temple of the Lord of Light and said that they were freeing all the slaves in the city,"

 "How? They have no army?"

 "They said they didn't need an army. The slaves outnumber the freemen by 5 to 1. They basically told the slaves to free themselves,"

 "Start from the beginning," Jon ordered. He had a bad feeling about this, this was not the plan. There was not supposed to be a slave riot. How could the Golden Company enter and sack the city when the slaves had already done it for them?

 "Well, as you know, we left the inn to go and explore the city. We were on our way back across the Long Bridge when we heard the dragons roar. Everyone looked up at them as they flew over the city. We saw that they had landed somewhere by the Red Temple and seemingly every single slave in the city flocked towards them, we had no choice but to go with the flow of people,"

 "Once we reached the Red Temple, everyone waited in the plaza for them to appear. There were thousands of slaves there, all crammed into that plaza. The dwarf had to climb onto my back so that he could see our surroundings. When they finally appeared on the balcony of the temple, the place erupted into cheers. They walked side by side, hand in hand as they stood over the people. They gave their speech and then they started the revolt,"

 "Shit," Jon said. This was not good.

 "It gets worse," Jon shook his head in disbelief. Their plan was already falling apart, how could it possibly get any more worse.

 "She was pregnant and obviously so,"

 Connington was stunned. How could Aegon marry her when she was already carrying another man's child? It would be like the Blackfyre rebellions all over again.

 "That is unfortunate, very unfortunate," Aegon said after a pause. "But it is not the end of the world. When we meet with them and explain the situation, we could move past this. Viserys will learn of his betrothal to Arianne and he will see the need to honor it. We need the Dornish forces to take back Westeros and I'm sure he will agree to honor the pact."

 "What about the babe?" Jon asked quickly.

 "The child will be a prince or princess in their own right. If need be, we could marry Viserys's child to mine to bind the two lines," Jon was impressed by his quick thinking, it would serve him well as King. However, he noticed Haldon shaking his head.

 "What is it?" Jon asked fearing the worst

 "The man with Daenerys had the looks of a Targaryen but he announced that he was not Viserys. He claims that he is Aegon Targaryen, the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark,"

 Connington looked at the half maester in shock. It could not be true, his silver prince fathered a child on the northern slut? No, it could not be true. Polygamy was considered a sin in the faith of the seven. The child could not have been trueborn, it simply could not be true. Most importantly, where could this child have been hiding? Aegon had been smuggled out of the capital. No, it was a lie, Varys would have known about another child.

 "Impossible," Connington said. "It's just not possible,"

 "I am not sure it matters," Haldon began. "He has Daenerys and dragons by his side and that makes him seem much more legitimate in the eyes of the realm,"

 Jon stared at the half maester but he could not doubt the truth and logic of his words. If Daenerys was truly committed to this false prince then there was nothing they could do.

 "It makes no difference. We will still sail to Volantis, I will slay this false prince and take my bride," Aegon said arrogantly.

 "No," Jon said quietly, Aegon turned to look at him in disbelief.

 "No? What do you mean 'No'? You can't tell me 'No'!" Jon was shocked, Aegon had never spoken to him like this before.

 "Your grace, forgive me," Jon said immediately "But I urge you to seek caution. If it is true that Daenerys loves this false prince, then you cannot fight him today. You will be fighting against dragons, you will need a plan,"

 Aegon stared at him intensely, his dark blue eyes almost becoming purple in his anger but Jon held his gaze. Barely. Finally, Aegon dropped his gaze and in turn headed to look out over the waters. Jon breathed a sigh of relief, he was no longer the young prince that he had met all those years ago. He was growing into a King, and he was beginning to realise his power.

 "If we don't sail to Volantis today, then what do we do?" Aegon said as he turned back towards him. Jon was quiet for a few moments. Varys and Illyrio's plans had been destroyed, they could not rely on them. He would not head back to Pentos and wait for them to come up with a new one. From now on, he would make the plans.

 They needed allies, the Golden Company would not be enough, they were only 20,000 strong.

 "Dorne," he said after a pause.

 "Dorne?" Aegon asked

 "Yes, we need allies in Westeros. You are Elia's son, the Dornish will rally behind you. Once the realm sees that the respected Prince Doran Martell is your ally, it will add to your legitimacy,"

 Jon could see Aegon pondering this for a moment. "You're right. That false prince has no allies in Westeros, no one will join his cause. He is claiming to be a son that no one knew existed. Fetch Harry, tell him that the King has decided that we will sail for Dorne,"

 Jon nodded and went to find Harry Strickland. They would sail for Dorne and then he will have his redemption. He will sit the true Aegon on the throne and slay the pretender, dragons be damned. 

The Hand of the King

Ned Stark was dreaming, he was in the south, over Kings Landing. He drifted towards Aegon's high hill and towards the Red Keep. Ned floated through the walls until he was above the throne room in the Red Keep, but as he looked around he realised that this was throne room before Robert took the throne. He saw massive dragon skulls adorning the walls of the room. Even though the beasts that they once belonged to were long dead, he was still in awe of their size. He looked around the throne room and he saw the Mad King sitting on his throne, pointing and leaning forward with glee on his face. Ned looked around and saw what brought such a wicked smile to his face.

This was the day of his father and brother's death, Ned had heard stories, but now he was able to witness it firsthand. He watched helplessly as his brother strangled himself to death whilst trying to free their father. He listened to the screams of his father as the wildfire cooked him slowly inside his own armor. Ned was horrified, he landed on the floor of the throne room and turned his back to the dragon skulls and turned to face the audience. He saw the knights of the Kingsguard in the room, all watching grim faced as the King carried out this mad act. They would not raise a hand to stop this, they couldn't. 

Ned drew his sword and he started to walk forward but as soon as he took the first step he heard a low, guttural growl. He slowly turned around and he was face to face with a dragon. A huge black monster with red streaks on his scales. He heard another growl and he turned towards the noise. This was a different dragon, green with bronze scales, the dragon bared its teeth and Ned was able to look down its throat. Row after row off razor sharp black teeth and deep down its throat, he saw the bubbling molten green flame. Ned backed away slowly from the dragon until he felt something hot behind him.

 He quickly span around and he saw a third dragon, it was cream and gold. Ned walked backwards as the dragons slowly moved forward. Each of them growling and baring their teeth at him. Ned was terrified. He heard a loud roar that shook the throne room and caused him to fall to his knees. He turned and faced the green and bronze dragon which was looking down on him, judging him.

 He heard a loud scream coming from where his father and brother were bound. He turned towards the noise and too his horror, it was no longer his father and brother but Catelyn and Sansa in their places. Catelyn was above the fire whilst Sansa was being strangled to death. Their screams, Ned would never forget their screams. He heard a low growl and he realised that the green dragon had grown angry.

 He watched as the dragon observed him, its eyes were bronze, brighter than polished shields. Ned watched as the eyes stared into his soul, almost as if it was judging him for everything he had ever done in his life

 "Please," Ned whispered and then the dragon opened his mouth, and Ned was engulfed in its bright green flame.

Ned awoke with a start. He looked around his dark room in the Eyrie and he realised that it was just a dream. Still, the dream had shaken him.

 He had never dreamed of that tragic day before. He was not sure what to make of that, were those old dragons or new? It would make sense that they were the dragons of old. They must have come from the skulls that lined the throne room. Yes that makes sense, the Black dragon could only have been 'Balerion the Black Dread', and the other dragons would have been similar legendary dragons. Ned realised that he had forgotten their names, Arya would remember, she loved the stories about the Targaryens and their dragons

 His mind betrayed him and thought of the alternative. Could these be the new dragons that the Targaryen children had hatched in the east? Was his dream showing him that the Targaryens and their dragons would hurt his family yet again?

 Ned pushed himself out of bed and crossed over to the stone basin in the room. He splashed some cold water on his face and then crossed over to the window. His room was in the maiden tower, the eastern most tower in the Eyrie. From his window, he could see all the way down the Giant's Lance. He could faintly see the Gates of the Moon and the way castles, they looked like children's toys from this height.

 They had been in the Eyrie for the last few days. Robert had ordered all the Lords of the Vale to come to the Eyrie so he could address them individually. They had a massive problem on their hands, with the death of Jon Arryn, Lysa and Robin, House Arryn had no heirs. They would need to meet the Lords and agree on a new Lord of the Eyrie and Warden of the East.

 He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, faintly in the background he could hear the waterfall. He opened his eyes and then decided to dress. Last night, Lord Royce had informed them that the Lords of the Vale had assembled at the Gates of the Moon. Today, they should all make the ascent to the Eyrie.

 He dressed warmly, due to the altitude, the Eyrie was always rather chilly. Once he was dressed, he left his room and headed to the High Hall where their meals were served. It is a long austere hall, the walls were made from white marble with blue veins in it to represent the colors of House Arryn. The hall had several arched windows with torches sat in between them. At one end of the High Hall, sat the throne of the Mountain Kings, a seat made out of weirwood. He could also see the moon door, and if he closed his eyes, he could still see Lysa jumping out of it with her child.

 He wished she hadn't have done that. They would have been merciful to her, sent her to serve with the silent sisters if needs be. As for the child, they would not have punished the child. The little boy had played no part in this awful matter.

 Ned moved to one end of the hall where he found a table piled with food. He filled his plate with bacon, grabbed a heel of bread and poured himself some ale. He sat at the table and ate his breakfast, watching as the hall filled with people. He saw Bronn, that sellsword, sauntering in. His plan had worked, he and the mountain clans had scaled another path that led to the Vale. They distracted all the castle's defenders which meant that the royal forces had not bombarded with arrows or more boulders. He nodded his head in greeting at the man who gave him a cheeky grin in return. Eventually, Robert arrived and he piled his plate high with food.

 The King had been in a good mood ever since Littlefinger had lost his head. He was laughing and joking with the soldiers who had made the ascent with them to the Eyrie, it reminded him of the Robert he saw after the Battle of the Trident. Robert sat at the far end of the hall near the weirwood throne as he ate. He was talking and eating with Ser Barristan and Ser Arys.

 Robb entered the hall and sat opposite him.

 "So, how was your first taste of battle?" Ned asked

 "It was...not what I expected," Robb answered after a moment and Ned nodded in understanding.

 "What was different?"

 "Nothing and everything. It was just like how we practiced in the yard. Everything was the same, just this time, a man died,"

 "Do you remember the first man you killed?" He asked and Ned nodded

 "It never leaves you. I still remember my first kill. Didn't even know his name or where he was from, whether he was highborn or lowborn. He was just a man that I had to kill. It never leaves you, but you learn to live with it,"

 Robb nodded and was silent for a few moments as he considered his words.

 "Tell me about the Targaryens," he said and Ned froze.

 "What do you want to know?"

 "The men around the camp have heard stories. They say they have dragons,"

 "Yes, there are a lot of stories from Essos that say the same thing. They say the Targaryen children have dragons and they're using them to sack cities and burn them down,"

 "Do you think Jon is with them?" he asked hopefully,

 "I don't think so. None of the reports mentioned his direwolf. Someone would have mentioned a white direwolf with ruby red eyes,"

 Robb paused as he considered this. "You might be right. Although, these are the first dragons in over a century. Perhaps the reports focus on the dragons and not a wolf within the Targaryen forces,"

 Ned paused as he considered this information, there was a certain amount of sense in his son's words. Perhaps, Jon had also survived the storm, but the reports had just failed to mention him.

 Then he realised that if Jon was alive, then he would still be with the Targaryens, and the Targaryens were sacking cities and putting them to the torch. Thousands of people were dying because of their actions and Jon was a part of it. No, Jon could not have been a part of such cruel atrocities. The Jon that he knew and had raised protected those who could not protect themselves. Jon would not sack cities and burn them down. Perhaps, Jon had realised how terrible the Targaryens were and he had left them behind. That would explain why Jon or his direwolf were not mentioned in those reports.

 "Robb, you know Jon. Surely he would return to us and help us fight these monsters? The Targaryen children are sacking cities, does that sound like something Jon would be part of?" he said and Robb was quiet for a few moments.

 "You're right father, Jon would not stand by the Targaryens as they commit these horrible crimes. Maybe he is returning home right now," he said hopefully and Ned nodded in agreement.

 "What I don't understand is why Jon would serve the Targaryens in the first place, especially after what they did to our family especially, Aunt Lyanna," and Ned froze. How much could he tell him? Nothing was the answer, there were too many ears listening.

 "The Targaryens are said to possess an otherworldly beauty to them. Perhaps, Jon had been smitten by the girl's beauty," Ned said weakly and Robb laughed,

 "You don't know, Jon. Our Jon would not follow them because he has fallen in love with a pretty face," Robb said laughing but it seemed he was willing to drop the topic. It was hopeful optimism on Robb's part.

 He saw Maester Colemon enter the hall and he quickly walked over to the King and handed him a scroll. After they had taken the castle, they had demanded to read all the ravens Littlefinger had sent and received. There was nothing interesting in those letters, it was mostly him corresponding with the Vale Lords that he had won to his side. They had also sent a raven to Kings Landing, letting the small council know that Baelish had been executed.

 Ned watched as the Maester handed the scroll over to Robert, as he watched Robert read it, he quickly realised that it was not good news.

 Robert finished reading and stood from the table, not caring that he had not finished his meal.

 "Ned, follow me," he said as he left the hall, he pointed at Tywin Lannister and got him to follow them as well. Ned quickly followed him as he led them through the castle and eventually to the Moon tower, this was where Lord's chambers were located. Robert pushed open the door to the solar and entered. He sat behind the table and Ned sat opposite him.

 "The Targaryens?" he said immediately and Robert nodded. "What have they done now?"

 "The reports say that they have acquired a large Dothraki Khalasaar,"

 "How?" Tywin asked.

 "Doesn't matter. Probably those damn dragons. You should be asking how many Dothraki screamers do they have in their army?"

 "Does the report mention the number?" Ned asked and Robert shook his head. "Can I see the report?" he asked hopefully. Perhaps, something in the report would deny Jon's presence. Ned had heard stories about the Dothraki, they were a savage bunch of people who raped and pillaged their way through the lands. It was no surprise that the Targaryens would associate with their type. The Jon that he had raised would no better than to join forces with those savages.

 "Well, aren't you going to say anything?" Robert asked, breaking him from his thoughts, Ned realised that he had been daydreaming.

 "The Dothraki are no true threat," Ned said as he put the scroll back down.

 "Really? Not a threat?" Robert asked in disbelief.

 "Everybody knows that the Dothraki will never cross the narrow sea, Robert,"

 "And what if they do? What if these Targaryens and their dragons cause them to cross?" he said angrily.

 "There are still those in the Seven Kingdoms who call me usurper. There are still those who pray for the dragons to return. How many Lords will flock to their banners if they land on our shores with a large army and dragons?"

 "They have no allies Robert. There is not a single house in the Seven Kingdoms that would support them. You have House Lannister and House Stark tied directly to you through marriage, your son is betrothed to my daughter. House Arryn and the Vale is in disarray, but whichever Lord you put in place here will be loyal to you. Hoster Tully fought to overthrow the dragons in your rebellion and Balon's son is my ward. Renly has close ties and friendship with House Tyrell. The Dornish may support them but Dorne alone will not be enough. You will have at least 5 of the 7 Kingdoms behind you. They cannot win. If they cross, we will throw them back into the sea,"

 "What about their dragons?" he said as he leaned back in his chair.

 "Your grace, it will be years before their dragons grow to a size that would allow for them to be used in warfare and that is if they grow. I have heard that the last dragons were no bigger than cats," Tywin said dismissively. The room was silent for a few moments and Robert drummed his fingers on the wooden desk. They heard a loud knocking on the door and Robert ordered the person to enter.

 "The Lords of the Vale are here your grace, they are all assembled in the High Hall," Ser Jaime told him.

 "Come, let's get this over with, the sooner we appoint a new lord, the sooner we can head home. This place isn't the same without Jon Arryn around," Robert said and Ned was inclined to agree with him. They made their way back through the hallways of the Eyrie and entered the High Hall. Nearly all the Lords of the Vale were present, Robert quickly strode to the weirwood throne and sat on it.

 "Quiet!" he shouted and the hall immediately fell silent. "As you all should know by now. Lord Jon Arryn, former Hand of the King and your Lord Paramount was murdered. He was murdered by his wife Lysa Arryn under the orders of her lover, Petyr Baelish," Ned looked around as he spoke, none of the lords looked shocked. Ned looked at some of the older lords he knew. Ser Vardis and Lord Royce were loyal to the crown, he knew that. He spotted Lyonel Corbray, he was also said to be loyal. As he looked to the back of the hall, he saw his brother, Lyn Corbray. The previous Lord of House Corbray had died during the Battle of the Trident. Apparently, Lyn had picked up their ancestral Valyrian steel longsword, 'Lady Forlorn' and led a charge at the Dornishmen, causing them to scatter. He even slew the great Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard in combat.

 Ned watched Lyn closely, he was sticking to the shadows, Lord Royce had warned them about not trusting him.

 "Lysa Arryn decided to kill both herself and her child by throwing herself out of the moon door," Robert said and this time there was some quiet whispering and mutters going through the crowd. Robert allowed them this time before demanding silence again.

 "Now, as you know, Jon Arryn has no heir. So we will need to appoint a new Lord of the Eyrie and Warden of the East," and this caused a few excited whispers to go through the crowd. No doubt, some Lord was excited at this opportunity to elevate their house.

 "Your grace," Maester Colemon called from the side. "I have been looking into this issue and it appears that Jon Arryn does indeed have a heir,"

 "Who?" Robert demanded to know immediately

 "A boy named Harrold Hardyng. He is Jon Arryn's great nephew,"

 "How?" the King asked.

 "Lord Arryn's father, Jasper, had three children, two boys and a girl. Jon was the eldest. His brother Ronnel is dead and so is his issue, Elbert. Lord Arryn's sister, Alys, had 9 children. 8 daughters and a son. One of the daughters married a knight from House Hardyng and she gave birth to Harold,"

 "Is he here now?" Robert asked and Maester Colemon shook his head.

 "Actually your grace, he is," a silky voice said. Ned turned towards the noise and saw that Lyn Corbray had stepped forward, with his arm around a young man's shoulder.

 "As I am sure the other Lords can attest to the fact, this is Harrold Hardyng, or Harry the Heir as some call him," he said

 "Boy come forward," Robert said. "Lord Royce, you too,"

 The boy stepped forward and made his way to the front of the hall where he stood before King Robert. Robert looked towards Yohn Royce expectantly.

 "Your grace, I have met him before, he is who he claims to be,"

 "Very well, it seems we have a new Lord of the Eyrie," Robert said loudly and there was a polite round of applause. Some of the Lords looked disappointed but not Lyn Corbray. The man was beaming. Yohn Royce and Harrold stepped back away from the throne.

 "Lord Royce, I have not dismissed you," Robert said as soon as he walked away.

 "My apologies your grace,"

 "Lord Yohn Royce. I appoint you Warden of the East until Lord Hardyng proves his loyalty to the crown. In say, 2 years, we will return to revisit the issue," Robert ordered and Ned saw Lyn Corbray's smile falter.

 "It would be my honor, your grace," Yohn Royce said with a wide smile.

 "Now, that will be all. I order all of the royal forces to ready themselves for our departure, we're going home,"

 Home. Ned missed Winterfell. He missed the smell of the Godswood, he missed his family. He needed to go home, even if it was for a few weeks. He needed to see his family. He quickly walked over to Robert,

 "Your grace, I would like to spend some time back at Winterfell, with my family," he said quickly. Robert looked surprised.

 "Of course, spend time with your family Ned. Why did you look so worried? Did you think I would keep you trapped in that shithole we call a capital?" he said with a chuckle.

 "I'm your Hand, my place is by your side. I thought you would have wanted me to return with you,"

 "I'll be fine for a few months, spend time with your family," he said warmly. Ned smiled and turned to walk away to pack his things.

 "Ned. I'm serious. Spend time with your family," he said and Ned looked at him. He had a grim look on his face. "There's a war coming Ned, I don't know when but we know who we'll be fighting. It might not be tomorrow, it might not be in a month, but they're coming,"

 Ned knew he was right and his good mood soured slightly. War was coming. The Targaryens were coming to wage war and it was going to be brutal. The Targaryens had dragons and they had the Dothraki. He thought back to his dream, the dream in which dragons were killing his family.

 He would have to fight them.

The Imp of Casterly Rock

It was early in the morning and Tyrion and Ser Jorah were camped in the hilly region to the east of Volantis. It was early in the morning but he could still see the smoke billowing out into the sky. If Tyrion closed his eyes, he could still see the towers burning like candles in the skyline. The dragons and the heat from their dragonflame was so powerful that even from this distance he could see small fires within the black walls.

 What Tyrion did not understand is why had they done this?

 He remembered in their speech, they had claimed the Old Blood did not want to join them in their new world, so they would perish in their old, but he did not think they would be so literal. They had literally burned thousands of people alive right in front of his eyes.

 Perhaps, they were no better than Griff after all. Perhaps, the world was filled with terrible people.

 They had said that they would abolish slavery and Tyrion was inclined to believe them, but how had they gone from abolishing slavery to killing innocent people? On some level, Tyrion understood the need to be ruthless and pragmatic. He had briefly walked past the Black walls and they were very high and seemed to be incredibly thick. Perhaps, they had reasoned that a conventional siege would not work, but still. Surely, there had to be some sort of middle ground in this situation.

 Or perhaps, they were just like the Mad King.

 Tyrion was interrupted from his thoughts by the sound of Ser Jorah waking up from his sleep on the hard ground.

 "Sleep well?" Tyrion asked as Jorah got up groggily and stretched. He looked around before his eyes settled on the ruined black walls.

 "It's been burning and smoking away all night I think," Tyrion said to him. "Tell me Ser Jorah, how much do you know about your King and Queen,"

 Jorah just looked at him and shrugged. "I was hired to protect them, many months ago,"

 "And how long were you in their service?"

 "Not very long, no more than a month perhaps,"

 "So you don't know what type of people they are. You don't by chance know why they would want to burn thousands of people alive in their homes?"

 Ser Jorah just gave him a dark look.

 "So you don't know them, so why are you sending me to them?"

 "Your father killed the Queen's niece, nephew and good sister,"

 "So you believe I should be punished for my father's crimes? I must say Ser Jorah, you seem like a terrible person. First you trade slaves, now this. What have I ever done to you?" this caused the northerner to scowl fiercely at him. He opened his mouth to retaliate but they heard a loud screech. They both turned towards the noise and saw the third dragon.

 This dragon was pale cream and gold and it looked just as big as the other two. They watched as this dragon flew low looping laps over the city and the smoking ruins before landing on the temple of the Lord of Light which appeared to have been untouched by the nearby blaze.

 "Eat," Jorah said as he thrust some hard bread into his hands. It wasn't much, but Tyrion was not in the mood to complain. As they ate, they looked out to the harbor and they saw the Targaryen fleet slowly approaching.

 "Looks like our King and Queen are here," Tyrion said quietly as he watched all the dragons flying high above the ships. He could not believe that these magical creatures that he had dreamed about since he was a child were actually real. He couldn't believe that they were so beautiful and yet so utterly destructive.

 "Good, let's go," Ser Jorah said as he quickly grabbed him by the shoulders.

 "Must we do this again?" Tyrion said as Jorah bound his ankles. "Where would I run to? I'm not very fast, even an old man like you could probably catch me," and for that line, Jorah tied the ropes around his wrist so tight that Tyrion felt his skin burn

 "Even If I chose to run, where would I go? I am miles away from home, I have no friends here, I don't speak the language and believe it or not, I actually want to meet the Dragon King and Queen,"

 "You want to meet them?" Jorah asked disbelievingly as he hoisted Tyrion onto the horse and sat behind him. "Even though they will probably kill you?"

 "Yes," Tyrion said quickly, surprising himself. "My family hates me, I'm in a foreign land with no money or means of making money. If you take me to the King and Queen then perhaps in my final moments I'll be able to see a dragon up close. That would make my miserable life worth it," he said simply and honestly.

 Jorah gave grunted at him and led them off towards the city. The ride back into Volantis took a few hours and the hot sun was not helping. The day was as hot and sticky as the one before and Ser Jorah led a grueling pace.

 "You could at least give me some water, I won't be a good gift if I'm dead," he said after a few hours and mercifully, he was allowed a drink. The water was warm but he didn't complain, it was better than dying of thirst. After this short break, they continued to ride into the city. Tyrion watched as the dragons flew overhead, all three dragons were circling above. It was like they were playing games with each other, one would dive and the others would follow. As they were nearing the city, the dragons all took off to the north and Tyrion wondered where they were going.

 Finally, they reached the city and Tyrion was stunned by what he saw. The slave revolt had been brutal. Many of the shop fronts and inns had been vandalized. He saw people lying in the streets. Some were already dead, others were heavily wounded and were slowly dying in the streets.

 They were both silent as they rode through the cobbled streets, taking in the damage that had occurred in the city. As they rode east towards the Red Temple, they saw soldiers enter the streets.

 "Unsullied," Jorah said gruffly. Tyrion watched as these Unsullied walked into the streets carrying stretchers and supplies. Following the Unsullied were healers, Tyrion watched as the Unsullied and the healers tended to the wounded. The Unsullied gathered the dead and put them on the stretchers or loaded them onto carts. Whilst they did this, the healers tended to the injured, cleaning and bandaging their wounds. As they got closer and closer to the Red temple, they saw a steady stream of Unsullied going back and forth, dutifully helping to restore order to the ruined city.

 Tyrion was impressed by this, but also confused. He was not sure what to make of this young King and Queen. Were they truly good liberators who wanted to do good in the world? Or was this an elaborate facade to cover up their true intentions and desires.

 Jorah took them past the ruined black walls. Tyrion could not believe that he was here only yesterday. The huge black walls that were so high had now been melted to at least half their height. All of the guard towers and spires had been melted away. As he looked up towards the sky, he could still see trails of smoke from the fires that must still be slowly burning. He scrunched up his nose at the acrid smell that came from the ruins.

 "Hurry up Ser Jorah, otherwise I might just vomit up my breakfast," and thankfully Jorah seemed to agree with him.

 They continued to ride through the city for a few moments until they reached the red temple. Surprisingly, the entire temple seemed to have been untouched. Half of the plaza had been turned into a makeshift camp, it seemed. He saw tents where the Unsullied were taking the wounded to be treated.

 Jorah led them all the way to the great stone steps that led them to the front of the temple, Tyrion looked around and he saw that the acolytes were walking back and forth, bringing supplies from inside the temple. Jorah dismounted and roughly grabbed Tyrion and hauled him off the horse.

 "You probably should untie me," Tyrion told him,

 "Why would I do that?" Jorah said in his gruff northern voice,

 "You're taking me to the King and Queen who came here to free the slaves from chains...and you're taking me to them in chains. It's not the best look," Jorah just grunted and quickly untied him. Tyrion flexed his sore wrists and stretched his legs before setting off inside the temple.

 The inside of the temple was well lit. There were white marble pillars that led up the high ceiling and the marble floor was painted in a beautiful mix or reds oranges and yellows. They waited in the antechamber for a few moments, neither of them knew which direction to head in.

 "Ser Jorah, do you speak any Valyrian?"

 "No,"

 "Then what was your plan? How were you going to find the King and Queen in this vast temple?"

 "I would have figured something out," he said and Tyrion sighed in frustration.

 "Excuse me," Tyrion said to a passing acolyte in his best High Valyrian. "Where are the King and Queen?" the acolyte gave him a funny look and Tyrion realised that he had probably butchered some of the words.

 "King and Queen please?" he said again slowly and this time the acolyte seemed to understand. He pointed towards a marble staircase on the far side of the antechamber. They headed towards the steps and headed upwards. Once they reached the top of the staircase, they found themselves on an impressive landing. The hallway was long and had a high painted ceiling and Tyrion saw Dothraki warriors lining the walls of the hallway. At the end of the hallway was a huge ebony double door.

 "Can I help you?" a man said to them and mercifully he seemed to speak the common tongue. Tyrion turned towards the source of the voice and saw that it came from a blue bearded Tyroshi.

 "We'd like to see King Aegon and Queen Daenerys," Ser Jorah said immediately and the man just cocked an eyebrow at them.

 "I'd like to do a lot of things too, but why would the King and Queen want to see you?"

 "Tell them that I am Ser Jorah Mormont, they know who I am," he said proudly.

 "Mormont?" he said and Tyrion saw Jorah smile. "They've never mentioned you," and Jorah scowled. Tyrion knew that it would be up to him to get them into that room

 "They will most certainly know who I am," Tyrion said stepping forward. "Or at the very least, they would have heard of my father. I am Tyrion Lannister, son of Tywin Lannister," and he watched as the Tyroshi considered his words, it seemed that he recognized the name Lannister.

 "It was my father who sacked Kings Landing and ordered the murder of Princess Elia and her children and it was my brother who killed the Queen's father," Tyrion knew that this was a risky thing to say, but he wanted to see the King and Queen and to do that, he needed to get into that room. Understanding dawned on the man's face as his eyes opened wide.

 "Stay there," he said as he quickly went to the end of the hallway and into the room. They waited for a few minutes until he returned.

 "They will see you, but you need to be searched. Both of you," he said. "Strip,"

 Tyrion looked at the man and he held his gaze, Tyrion cursed his luck and realised he had no choice. He quickly stripped and allowed himself to be searched. Once the man was satisfied they weren't carrying any secret weapons, he allowed them to dress and led them down the hall. He eyed the Dothraki warily but they paid no real attention to him.

 The man reached the end of the hall and pushed open the huge ebony doors and led them into the room.

 On the other side of the doors, they entered into a lavish room. There was a thick Myrish carpet on the floor and he saw several doors leading off to other rooms. He spotted a tall man standing on one side of the room. The man had long silver blonde hair and the classic Valyrian looks. To the right of the room, he saw a woman standing with her arms behind her back, she had the looks of a Summer Islander. In the middle of the room, the King and Queen were seated on a couch. The King was not wearing his armor but instead wore a simple black and red doublet with the Targaryen sigil embroidered on one side. The Queen sat very close to him, wearing a long red dress with a black scarf around her shoulders. They both watched him as he entered and Tyrion felt nervous. In front of the Queen, a large white animal laid on the floor and Tyrion was unsettled by its bright red eyes.

 "Tyrion Lannister," The King said softly "And Ser Jorah Mormont. I must say Ser Jorah, we are surprised to see you, we would thought you would have left the city and journeyed elsewhere by now,"

 "I stayed your grace, and I bring you a gift," the northerner said as he shoved Tyrion forward.

 "A gift," the Queen said as she stared into him, her purple eyes were quite striking.

 "Yes, a gift. His father killed your niece and nephew. His brother killed your father," Ser Jorah said immediately.

 "How do we know you are who you say you are?" The King asked,

 "If only I wasn't," Tyrion said sadly.

 "He is a Lannister," the blonde haired man said immediately. "Everyone in the realm had heard about Tywin Lannister's dwarf of a son,"

 "Why shouldn't they kill you for what your family did to ours?" Tyrion was caught out by the man's words. 'Our family?'

 "Calm down, let's not be rash in making decisions," The King said warily as he raised his hand.

 "We do not punish children for the sins of their fathers," the Queen said. Tyrion let out a sigh of relief, they did not seem like complete monsters.

 "Tell us why we shouldn't put you on a ship and send you back to Westeros? Or put you back out on the streets to fend for yourself?"

 "Throwing me back onto the streets would be the kindest course of action. Although you seem to have caused quite a disturbance in the streets on account of that slave revolt you started and the destruction caused by your dragons," Tyrion said casually.

 Both the King and the Queen's faces hardened and he realised he should have kept his mouth shut.

 "My apologies, your graces. I get carried away sometimes,"

 "Do you want to know why we burned the Old Blood of Volantis?" The King asked after a moment.

 Tyrion was silent but he needed to know why they had done it. Why they did it would make all the difference?

 "Very well. The Old Blood of Volantis are descendants of the Valyrian freehold. As a result, they follow many of the ancient Valyrian practices. They even follow the same gods," the King began,

 "They also followed the vile practice of slavery," The Queen said fiercely. "A practice that has no place in our new world. We spoke with them yesterday and presented them with a chance to peacefully resolve the matter. We offered them the chance to peacefully join our new world. They could keep all their wealth and titles and in return all they had to do was release their slaves and stop financing the slave trade. They refused our offer and then spat in our face by saying that even if we freed the slaves today, they would simply re-enslave them later after we departed to reclaim Westeros,"

 "The man bragged about how high and thick his walls were. He said that they would be able to withstand any kind of siege. So we taught him a lesson, the same lesson Aegon the Conqueror taught Harren the Black. We reminded them that we are dragonlords and we are not afraid to use our power," the King told him.

Tyrion was quiet for a moment as he considered what they had said. He could see that they had good intentions, but what they did was completely ruthless. He thought back to the Reynes and the Tarbecks, this type of ruthlessness is something his father would approve of.

 "You don't approve," the Queen said when he didn't respond.

 "It matters not as we weren't seeking your approval,"

 "The way you recounted your story to me, made it clear you were seeking some form of approval," Tyrion said quickly which brought a scowl to their faces. 

 "I'm not sure I like you Tyrion Lannister," the Queen said.

 "It seems this meeting is at an end" and she stood up to leave.

 "Wait, I have information for you, information that will be of great interest to both of you," Tyrion said quickly. The Queen was still glaring at him but it seemed that he still had their attention.

 "Very well," The King said as he guided the Queen down to sit next to him again.

 "I have discovered a conspiracy masterminded by Lord Varys, the Master of Whisperers in Kings Landing, to seat a false prince on the Iron Throne. The pretender is claiming to be Aegon Targaryen, son of Elia Martell who was smuggled out of Kings Landing by Varys during the sack. Also, this boy has been raised by Lord Jon Connington who is known as a close friend to the late Prince Rhaegar to add more legitimacy to his claim. Lord Connington, himself, was presumed to have died in exile but has truly been in hiding with this false prince for years. The plot was to have this imposter marry you to cement his identity and then together both of you would take back Westeros with the help of the Golden Company, Dornish forces along with your dragons and armies" Tyrion watched them both as he spoke but surprisingly it was the blonde man in the corner of the room who looked most surprised by the words.

 "How do you know all this?" he demanded.

 "I was travelling with them," Tyrion said and they all gave him questioning looks and he realised he would need to start from the beginning.

 "My father and my sister were conspiring to kill me, but with the help of Lord Varys, I learned of the plot and was smuggled out of Kings Landing after faking my own death. Then I was taken across the narrow sea to Pentos where I met Varys's friend and co-conspirator, Illyrio Mopatis,"

 "Illyrio Mopatis, the Pentoshi Magister?" the Queen asked immediately and Tyrion nodded.

 He noticed that she grew angrier upon hearing Illyrio's name, he heard a loud roar and he realised that the dragons must have been close by.

 "I take it that you know Illyrio?"

 "We met briefly. Continue your story," the King said waving him on,

 "After I met Illyrio, he took me to the edge of the city where I met up with the pretender and his company. We travelled together to Norvos where they met up with the Dornish. It seems like there was a plan to marry Prince Viserys to Princess Arianne Martell and you to the false Aegon but clearly that plan will not materialize now," he said gesturing at the two of them.

 "After we left Norvos, we sailed south down the Rhoyne until we reached Volantis. The Golden Company remained camped outside the city whilst we stayed inside the city awaiting your arrival. The plan was for us to wait in the city and then go get the Golden Company when you arrived. The boy wanted to sack the city to impress you,"

 "To impress me?" the Queen asked in disbelief. "Was he foolish enough to believe that I would be impressed by senseless and unnecessary violence?" and Tyrion just shrugged.

 "That was his plan, your grace. Yesterday, I was exploring the city with another member of his party, the maester that Illyrio sent to the boy to teach him about Westeros. We were walking through the eastern half of the city when we heard your dragons. We heard your speech to the people and then after that, I was captured by our friend here," he said gesturing at Ser Jorah.

 "Why do you think this boy is a fake?" the man in the corner asked.

 "I believe he is actually Illyrio's son. He has a statue in his manse that looks just like the boy. Illyrio claims that the statue was made for him when he was a young man but his story does not make sense. The statue is clearly new and Illyrio, by his own admission, was quite poor in his youth. Most certainly too poor to have commissioned his own statue,"

 "I knew that he had a son," The King muttered under his breath.

 "But Illyrio looks nothing like a Targaryen and he is unmarried as far as I know, so who is the boy's mother?" the Queen asked.

 "I believe the boy is from his marriage with his second wife, Serra. He said that he had met her in a pillow house of Lys, which would explain the boy's coloring," Tyrion answered.

 "I also discovered a conspiracy to murder the royal children," he said and he paid close attention to their reaction. They both look shocked at this news and the Queen's hand immediately went to her stomach.

 "Why?" The Queen asked, horror etched on her face.

 "For revenge. My father gave the orders for murder of Princess Elia and her children, so the Dornish are planning to seek revenge of their own," Tyrion watched as the King gently reached out and touched the Queen's hand, comforting her.

 "The Golden Company are here?" The King asked after a pause.

 "Yes, your grace. They were camped outside Volon Therys, a city on the Western Bank of the river. They were supposed to be ferried down to Volantis when you arrived,"

 The King considered this for a few moments before he stood up.

 "Where are you going?" the Queen asked,

 "If the Golden Company are still here, we can add them to our army and perhaps I can meet this false prince,"

 "Stay," she said as she looked at him. Tyrion saw something pass between their eyes and the King sat down again.

 "Brother you go, take Caraxes," she said and the man in the corner began to leave. That must have been Viserys.

 "They thought I was Viserys?" the King asked with a hint of a smile on his face and Tyrion nodded, although he was very confused.

 "Viserys could not do half the things you have done my love," the Queen said softly, she gently kissed him and then Tyrion looked towards the door and saw the other man had not yet left

 "Viserys wait," he called and the man stopped and turned to look at him questionably.

 "I am not Viserys," he said with a scowl and Tyrion froze. The man looked very much like the King and Queen.

 "The Queen called you her brother, so who are you?" he asked. The man looked at him suspiciously before looking back at the King and Queen.

 "You may as well tell him, father. The world will soon know the truth anyway,"

 "Father? Surely not" Tyrion thought.

 "I am Rhaegar Targaryen. Son of King Aerys II and his wife Rhaella Targaryen. Husband to Elia Martell and Lyanna Stark. Father of Rhaenys, Aegon and Aegon his grace. Brother to Queen Daenerys," the blonde man answered.

 Tyrion was shocked. He was supposed to be dead.

 "How?" Tyrion asked after a moment.

 Rhaegar opened his mouth to speak but the Queen interrupted him.

 "Brother, the Golden Company." and then Rhaegar swiftly bowed and left.

 "Forgive me your grace, I know we have only just met but I do have some questions for you," Tyrion said addressing the King.

 "Very well. As you have provided us with this information, I will allow you one question,"

 "Who are you?" he asked and the he saw a wry smile tug at the corners of the King's face.

 "Forgive me, your grace for being so blunt, but everyone in Westeros knows the story of the two Targaryen children that fled into exile after Robert's rebellion, but no one seems to know who you are,"

 "I am Aegon Targaryen, son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark although for the majority of my life I was unaware of my true parentage. I grew up as Jon Snow, the Bastard of Winterfell, under the protection of Lord Eddard Stark,"

 Tyrion nearly kicked himself. It made perfect sense that Eddard Stark, a man known across the realm for his honor would have pretended to having sired a bastard in order to protect his sister's son. Everyone had heard the story of how Lord Stark returned from the war with a bastard who he had decided to raise alongside his trueborn children. No one would suspect a thing. During war, many bastards were fathered. It was the perfect cover although he quickly spotted a flaw in the story.

 "Your grace, I understand Lord Stark's need and plan to protect you, but I have never heard any stories of a child with silver hair and purple eyes growing up in Winterfell. I'm sure King Robert if not the entire realm would have taken note of such a crucial fact," and this time the King smiled.

 Tyrion's mouth fell open as he watched the King's hair and eyes changed color to black and steely grey and then it changed back to silver and purple, just as easily.

 "How?" Tyrion whispered after a few moments.

 "I believe that's your second question," the King said with a smile on his face.

 "Valyria," the King answered with a smile.

 So the rumors were true, they had sailed the smoking sea of Valyria, he would be a fool to doubt it. The Queen stood up.

 "I'm tired," she said simply to the King who quickly stood up to join her.

 "Tyrion Lannister. We will allow you to stay with us for a while longer. Ser Jorah, you too can stay. We will discuss your position later," he said after quickly looking at the Queen.

 "Am I your guest or prisoner?" Tyrion asked

 "In your situation, what's the difference?" the Queen asked with a sly smile before they both turned and left the room.

The Dragon Reborn

"So what do you think of his information?" Daenerys asked as they entered their private room in the Red temple. The High Priest, Benerro had been kind enough to offer them these luxurious apartments. They had their own balcony and even a spacious bath that they could both fit into. Daenerys was seated on a couch whilst Jon brought her a cup of water which she graciously accepted.

 "It seems like a lot to take in. A whole secret conspiracy for a secret prince? It doesn't even make sense. Wasn't Aegon's head crushed against a wall?" Jon asked as he sat down next to her.

 "Yes, I didn't want to say anything to upset Rhaegar, but that is how he died,"

 "Honestly Dany, I'm not sure whether it's true. Father will be able to verify the part about the Golden Company, and if that's true, why not the rest of it. I don't see why Tyrion Lannister would make up such an elaborate lie,"

 "Perhaps, he's lying to get us to chase this false prince? He seems to have no love for his family, perhaps he means to use us to get revenge?"

 "Maybe. Although, we could still use him. If he proves loyal, he could hold the Westerlands for us,"

 "If he proves loyal. We only just met him. I'm not about to invite him into our inner circle,"

 "I agree, we need to be careful around him. He could just as easily be a spy,"

 "Then why did you tell him the truth? Especially about Rhaegar?"

 "People will find out eventually. Anyone he tells in a letter won't believe him, you have to see it to believe it," Jon pointed out and she gave a sigh of agreement.

 "How are you feeling?" he asked softly,

 "Well, I'm tired. My feet are swollen and my back hurts," she said and Jon smiled, "but I can't wait to meet our baby," she said quietly as she stroked her stomach. "I feel him more, he's going to be a strong boy,"

 "What do you think our children will think of us," she said after a moment.

 "What do you mean?"

 "What we have done here will be no secret. People to this day still know the story of Aegon the Conqueror and Harrenhall, our children will know what we did here today. Will they think we are monsters?" she asked nervously.

 "No," he said immediately as he held her hand in his. "Our children will learn that as a ruler, sometimes you have to make tough and difficult decisions. There is a time to show your strength, and there is a time to show mercy. We showed the world our strength today. No one in Essos will ever rise up against us after they hear what we have done here and back in Slaver's Bay. That will help keep people in line. It allows us to be more merciful in the future and not to be underestimated or taken advantage of," he said reassuringly.

 "Daenerys, I need you by my side, I can't do this without you. If you start doubting me, if we start doubting ourselves then we can't change the world. I need you by my side,"

 "I will always be your side," she said softly and she leaned forward and gently kissed him. He closed his eyes and remembered his vision of the little boy and the little girl. Their family. He wanted to marry her, he truly did, but he wanted to wait for Westeros, but Westeros seemed so far away.

 They were planning on staying in Volantis until she had their baby. He did not want to put her at risk. Only when the baby had been born and was a little older would they finally depart for Westeros. They also wanted to stay and ensure that Volantis recovered after the slave revolt, they would not leave the city to the carrions.

 "Jon?" she said interrupting him from his thoughts. "What were you thinking about," she asked softly. Jon stared into her lovely lilac eyes for a few moments.

 "Marry me," he blurted out before he had a second thought. "Today,"

 She looked at him before breaking into a smile. "Yes," she said happily with a smile that stretched all across her beautiful face.

 "I thought you wanted to wait until Westeros, to do it in front of the Old Gods?"

 "I do and if you want, we could get married again in front of the old gods," he said quickly and she nodded.

 "I think we will have to, seeing as I am not really in a position to properly consummate our marriage at the moment," she said with a sly smile and Jon gave her a soft kiss. Her lips were soft and sweet and as he moved closer to her he began to smell her scent. Her hair smelt of lavender and he opened his mouth to try and deepen the kiss but they were interrupted by a loud roar.

 "That sounded like Caraxes, so that means Rhaegar has returned," she said breathlessly as they broke apart.

 "Do you want to tell him?" she asked.

 "We'll tell him together," he said.

 They didn't have to wait long before Rhaegar entered their room.

 "What are you two so happy about?" he said as soon as he entered.

 "We're getting married," Daenerys blurted out, "Today," and Jon looked at her and she gave him an apologetic smile.

 "I'm happy for you both. I truly am. It's not often that we get to marry those we love," he said and Jon realised that he was thinking of his own marriages.

 "Do you think the high priest will marry us?"

 "Yes, but Benerro is still waiting to speak to you both. I think you should see what he has to say and then ask him,"

 "Did you see the Golden Company?" Jon asked,

 "No, but I spoke to a few of the locals and then I flew lower over the lands. The Golden Company was camped across the river, I saw the marks in the ground from their camp. The locals said that they left yesterday,"

 "Where do you think they've gone?" Daenerys asked but neither Jon nor Rhaegar had an answer.

 "What do you think of Tyrion Lannister information?" Jon asked "Do you believe there is a conspiracy?"

 "Honestly," Rhaegar said as he ran his hand through his hair. "It makes a certain about of sense. I knew Varys back in Kings Landing and my father got worse when he arrived in the capital. I do not know Illyrio well, but it would explain why he gave Viserys those sellswords to attack us. Jon and I were not part of his plans, so he tried to kill us off,"

 Jon nodded, his words made sense. They would have to pay Illyrio a visit.

 "I think I believe him. This boy is Illyrio's and not mine. If he was my son, Illyrio would have said something to me. The fact that he didn't speaks volumes. He gains nothing if the boy is mine, he gains everything if the boy is his son. As for Jon Connington, he was my friend but we were not that close to begin with. He never liked Elia and would often tell me that I deserved better than her. He was a man who was often blinded by his own prejudices and notions, it's one of the reasons why I did not share my feelings for Lyanna with him. Whether he is a willing participant in this conspiracy to place a false Aegon on the throne or just another pawn being manipulated by Varys and Illyrio, I do not know for certain." Rhaegar said and Jon again agreed with his father's logic. They were silent for a few moments before Rhaegar spoke again,

"Come, I'll take you to see Benerro now," Rhaegar said. He led them through the complicated network of hallways in the Red Temple. Eventually they reached a large oak door that opened out into the sanctuary.

 There were huge red stone pillars that stretched all the way to the ceiling. The sanctuary floor was made of that same fused stone that they had seen in Valyria. It was the same stone that made up the black walls. The stone reflected the torchlight back onto the white walls. At one end of the sanctuary he saw the eternal fire. Rhaegar had told him that this fire was sacred and it had to remain constantly lit.

 In front of the eternal fire, he saw the man who could only be the High Priest. He wore red robes with yellow and orange accents. The High Priest seemed to notice their presence because he turned towards them and smiled.

 "Aegon and Daenerys Targaryen. I have waited so long to speak to you,"

 "Well, here we are," Jon said weakly "Why do you want to speak with us?"

 "Come, let us speak somewhere more private," and he led to another chamber just of the side of the main sanctuary. Inside the chamber, there was a simple desk and chairs.

 "There is a great danger brewing to the north," he said slowly after observing them both. "A danger that only you can defeat,"

 "A danger? What kind of danger," Jon asked warily.

 "Beyond the wall, the great enemy grows stronger, and should he win, the dawn may never come again. You must defeat it," Jon noticed that the man closed his eyes as he spoke.

 "You haven't explained what the danger is," Daenerys said quickly.

 "The danger is the eternal foe of our god. The Great Other. Beyond the wall, his cold children are mobilizing, slowly rising from their graves,"

 "How will we defeat this enemy?" Jon said realising he wasn't actually going to explain who their enemy was.

 "The Great Other is the god of darkness, cold and death. So you must defeat it with light, fire and life. I have seen a great sword of fire in the flames, this will be your weapon,"

 "A sword of fire?" Jon asked in disbelief "Our dragons?" and Benerro nodded.

 "Where is this enemy?" Dany asked,

 "North, in the lands where nothing grows. The lands of the dead is their domain,"

 "So what do you want us to do? Go beyond the wall and seek out this danger? We don't know what they are even?" Jon pointed out.

 "The dead are the enemy," he said calmly. "You will be fighting the dead,"

 Jon stole a quick glance at Daenerys and found that she looked just as confused as he felt.

 "Right. We will head back to Westeros and then we will look for this enemy,"

 "No. You must unite the realm behind you first. You will need every man," he said as he opened his eyes.

 "Now, I believe you have something to ask me," he said brightly, as if their previous conversation had not just happened.

 "We'd like you to marry us, please," Daenerys said, equally as put off by this sudden change in mood.

 "It would be my honor to marry the future King and Queen of Westeros. I can have the acolytes prepare the ceremony so you can have it this evening?"

 "That would be ideal," Jon said and the Red Priest stood up to leave.

 "Wait please, I have something else to ask you," Daenerys said. "Jon could you give us a moment, I want this to be a surprise,"

 Jon realised that she wanted to keep this secret so he stood and waited outside. She came out a few minutes later smiling and linked her arm in his,

 "Take me back to our chambers, hopefully my handmaidens have something nice that still fits me,"

 Jon led them back through the temple, this time taking the more conventional route to their chambers. When he reached the door, she entered first and then pushed him out

 "Sorry my love, you'll see me at our wedding," and she gave him a cheeky wink before shutting the door. The door quickly opened and Ghost slowly walked out.

 "I don't want you warging into him and peeking,"

 Jon smiled and shook his head. "Come on boy, we still have some time to kill,"

Jon and Ghost spent the next few hours walking around the temple. The temple was huge and as much as he tried to see every room, he knew that there were thousands that he missed. He looked outside and saw that the sun was lower in the sky, so he headed back upstairs towards their chambers. It seemed that someone had picked out all his clothes for him, he would be dressed all in white. He smiled picked up the clothes and went to get himself ready.

 Their wedding would take place on the balcony overlooking the great plaza, it would take place in the evening as the sun was setting. Jon was nervous as he waited out on the balcony. An acolyte had briefly talked him through the ceremony but that did little to calm his nerves. He felt Ghost gently push his face into his hand and Jon rubbed his hand through his fur which helped to calm him. He looked up and he saw Vedros in the sky flying with Anogar, ducking and diving together, this brought a smile to his face.

 Below, the plaza was filled with people. The Unsullied and the Dothraki healers had set up other camps in the city so they would not have to transport the wounded very far. Thousands of people had crammed themselves into the plaza to witness their wedding it seemed.

 He heard a noise coming from the terrace doors that led inside. Benerro had changed into a different set of robes, these were red with white accents all over. He walked to the balcony and took his position.

 "All praise R'hllor, the Lord of Light," he shouted and the people in the plaza all answered in union. Then there was silence, the ceremony was about to begin.

His mouth was dry and his palms were sweaty as he waited and he felt his heart fluttering. Then, he saw her.

 Her hair was simple, straight and flowed down over her shoulders. She wore a flowing white dress that hugged her form and showed off her beautiful curves. She didn't wear any jewellery.

 This was not Daenerys Targaryen, the rightful Queen of Westeros, Khaleesi to some, Mhysa to others.

 It was just his Dany, the woman he loved. Pure and simple.

 He felt his face stretch into a wide smile as he saw her approach and she beamed at him in return.

 "Who brings this woman to be wed?" Benerro asked loudly and clearly.

 "I do, Rhaegar Targaryen, her elder brother," Rhaegar answered. "Now comes Daenerys of House Targaryen, a woman grown and flowered, of noble blood and birth,"

 "Who comes forth to claim this woman," asked Benerro

 "I do, Aegon Targaryen," he paused "Jon Snow," she was Dany and he was Jon.

 "Jon. Will you share your fire with Daenerys and warm her and illuminate the path with your light when the night is dark and full of terrors?"

 "I swear I will,"

 "Daenerys, will you share your fire with Jon, and warm him and illuminate the path with your light when the night is dark and is full of terrors?"

 "I swear I will," she said with a smile at him and Jon smiled in return

 "Then come to me as one," he beckoned towards the flames that had been set up on top of the balcony. Jon felt Daenerys reached for his hand and he held her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze.

 And together they leapt through the flames.

 "Two went into the flames and one emerges. What fire joins, none may put asunder," he shouted to the crowd who had started to cheer. Overhead he heard the dragons roar and screech. They even started shooting small balls of flame into the evening sky. Jon stood and turned to her. He cupped her face in his hands and he gently kissed her. Her lips were warm and soft and sweet.

 "My King, my husband," she whispered as she broke the kiss. She walked away from him then and waved her hand in the air.

 "I have something for you. Since we can't consummate our marriage tonight, I thought we would do something else," Jon looked over her shoulder as Rhaegar walked forward carrying two small wooden cases. When he got closer, he opened the cases and Jon saw what was inside.

 Their crowns.

 Daenerys walked towards his crown and took it out of the case, holding it delicately between her fingers.

 "Wait," Jon said and she looked disappointed "Let me go first," and Jon quickly reached for her crown. Her crown was slightly smaller, but no less beautiful. Jon felt the balcony shake twice and he realised that both Anogar and Vedros and landed on two towers above and slightly behind the balcony. Vedros on Jon's side, Anogar on Dany's. Both dragons shot short blasts of their flame into the evening sky.

 Daenerys slowly crouched down on the edge of the balcony, and Jon gently placed the crown on her head. He then helped her up and then crouched down whilst she crowned him. They walked hand in hand to the edge of the balcony with their beautiful crowns on their heads. Jon looked down and saw that the entire plaza had fallen to their knees, he quickly looked behind him and saw that all the acolytes and priests on the balcony had done the same.

 "People of Volantis," Rhaegar shouted over the edge of the Balcony, "I present to you King Aegon and Queen Daenerys. Long may they reign!"

"Long may they reign!" the people answered in a loud chorus.

Notes:

This chapter is the end of an arc. Next up we have "The Embers of Essos" which takes a few months down the line. There will be no White Walkers in this fic, but I am starting to do some set up for a sequel fic to this one.

I hope to have it out for you guys either on Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on when I finish 18.

As always, let me know what you guys think. Comments are always appreciated and thanks for reading