18

Summary:

Ned tells his family the truth

Jon and Daenerys meet the Tyrells

Notes:

This chapter is a little late. Chapter 20 is/was tough to write and I had to do a lot of rewriting to better set things up for that chapter. So there was a delay in getting this one out. So apologies for that

Thanks to GOT88 for the help provided with this story

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

Chapter Text

The Lord of Winterfell

Ned Stark was sitting in his solar. He was reading some reports detailing the amount of grain and salted fish that had been collected and stored away for winter, he had found that completing these mundane tasks helped to distract his mind from thoughts of the inevitable war with the dragons. He had been thinking about Jon a lot lately, ever since he had first heard the rumors from Volantis, he had realised that his earlier assumptions were wrong. The Aegon Targaryen from the east was in fact Jon and not Viserys. He had not wanted it to be true, it would have been so much simpler if it really was Viserys.

 He was interrupted from his thoughts by a knock on his door, he told the person to enter and he saw Maester Luwin enter the room with a grave look on his face.

 "What is it?" Ned asked.

 "A raven came," he said quietly as he pulled out a sealed scroll that was hidden away beneath his sleeves. The nervous look on the maester's face caused a foreboding feeling to pass over him. 'Dark wings Dark words', Ned remembered. Ned reached out his hand to take the scroll and the first thing he saw was the seal.

 The seal was the three headed dragon, the sigil of House Targaryen.

 Ned's hands started to tremble as he quickly broke the seal and he read the letter.

 King Aegon and Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen, the Rightful King and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms invite all the lords of the realm to a council at Harrenhall which will take place within the next three months . Those who acknowledge our right to the throne are welcome to meet with us on Dragonstone and swear fealty to their rightful King and Queen .

 For those who dispute our claim, the invitation at the council will provide an opportunity for them to express their views and hear our response. We strongly urge all the lords to attend this council so that the issue of the Iron Throne can be resolved peacefully. We do not seek unnecessary bloodshed or violence and this is our attempt to spare Westeros the horrors of a great war .

 King Aegon Targaryen, trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark.

Queen Daenerys Targaryen, trueborn daughter of Aerys Targaryen and Rhaella Targaryen.

 The letter had confirmed his worst fears. Jon had indeed returned to Westeros, and he was bringing war with him. Jon had invited all the lords to a council at Harrenhall to decide the matter of the throne and he had chosen Harrenhal of all places. Ned could understand why, it was the place where it all began. It all could have been avoided if Rhaegar had done his duty and left his sister alone. He was sure that this choice of location would anger Robert. In fact, the location was probably chosen specifically to anger Robert. He also realised that Robert likely would have received a similar letter along with all the other lords in the realm.

 "Thank you Maester Luwin, I would appreciate it if you keep this letter secret for a while. I also would like for you to send letters to all the great lords to find out whether they will attend this council," he said quietly and the Maester nodded before leaving the room

 The room was very quiet, only the soft popping and cracking from his fireplace provided noise. Ned unfolded the letter and read it again and again. Almost as if he was trying to find convince himself that the words meant something else entirely. He folded the letter and hid it away, then he decided to take a walk to get some fresh air and clear his mind. He walked through the castle and silently nodded in greeting at the guards that he saw along the way. He reached the castle courtyard and looked around at the castle.

 When he had returned from the Vale, he had ordered extensive repairs and renovations for the castle. Their walls were made higher and fortified and they had even started working on building Ballistas, he only hoped they wouldn't have to use them. He saw Robb and Theon sparring together in the yard, he stopped to watch them for a moment and he was pleased with what he saw. Robb was a good fighter and what he saw from him in the Vale confirmed this notion. He also remembered that Theon was an excellent archer, which could be very useful as he thought back to the story of King Torren's bastard brother Brandon Snow and his plan to kill Aegon the Conqueror's dragons.

 He had also considered Theon's suggestion of getting Balon Greyjoy and the Iron fleet on their side. It would be a very important alliance and it will help to restore some naval parity, but Ned still needed the King's approval on the matter. He had sent a raven to Kings Landing but he was still awaiting the King's response. Truthfully, Ned was not sure what to expect from Balon Greyjoy, the man likely still held a grudge after suffering a crushing defeat in his rebellion along with the death of his two sons. Theon was still held in Winterfell as a ward or hostage as Balon would see it. Perhaps, the best way to get Balon on their side was to offer Theon's return to the Iron Islands. Ned hated using Theon as a hostage but in this situation they might not have a choice in the matter if Balon would not listen to reason.

 Ned decided to head to the Godswood, it would be the perfect place for him to clear his head. Stepping into the Godswood was like stepping into another world. The multitude of trees created a canopy overhead that filtered the sunlight. Ned walked along the soft grass until he was in front of the heart tree. He stared at the faces on the tree and their red tears looked like blood. He had kneeled in front of this heart tree many times asking for guidance or for favor and today would be the same.

 Once his eyes were closed, he thought about all that had happened. He thought about the day he told Jon the truth about his parents. Jon had been so angry with him, angrier than he had ever seen him. He had come to realise that telling Jon the truth was not a mistake, he deserved to know and he could not go through his whole life without knowing who he truly was.

 The mistake had been his decision of sending Jon to Essos along with Wendel Manderly. Ned knew that the Targaryen children were staying in Pentos and like a fool, he had decided to send Jon there in the hopes that he would meet his Targaryen family. Well, it appears that his wish had been granted, Jon had indeed met his Targaryen family and they seemed to have changed him into a completely different person. He had been so shocked when he heard the first rumors from Volantis, he could not believe that was the same Jon that he had raised.

 The Jon that he had raised and knew would protect the weak and fight for those who could not protect themselves. He had heard that the Targaryens had destroyed slavery in the east but the Jon that he knew would not have gone to those extreme lengths to do it. Everyone in Westeros had heard about the burning of Slaver's Bay and Volantis, there was no need for that to happen. None at all. It was senseless violence and the Jon that he had raised should have done better. Such actions were expected of a man like Tywin Lannister, not the boy who he had raised to be as honorable as a Stark.

 Ned had also heard rumors that they had sailed the smoking sea of Valyria, perhaps it was true and that experience had changed Jon for the worse. He also wondered how he had managed to convince people that he was actually Aegon Targaryen, he certainly did not look like a Targaryen. Perhaps, he had colored his hair silver, yes, that along with Daenerys's presence would make him look like a legitimate Targaryen king.

 He would learn the answers to his questions soon enough at that council. He knew that when he did share the news, the secret that he had kept for over 18 years would finally be exposed.

 The rumors had already started to spread, that the eastern invader Aegon Targaryen was claiming to be the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark. Thankfully, no one believed them yet and Robert had not summoned him back to the capital to give his opinion on the matter. The Northern Lords had been bristling with anger when they had heard this rumor, they had deemed it as another slight from the Targaryens against the Starks. They had all sworn that they would ready their men to march south to defeat the Targaryens once and for all, for the North remembers.

 He would have to tell the lords the truth, but only after the council. He would still need to speak to Robert first. He would have to tell him the truth now, there was no other way around it. Robert would not take it well, there was no doubt about it but he would have to do it. Ned also realised that there wasn't much Robert could do now. Robert couldn't kill or punish him and risk losing the support of the North. Robert was going to need every single man he could get if he was going to fight the dragons.

 Ned also realised that if he told Robert the truth then it would most likely result in the royal wedding being called off. Ned didn't really care about this fact but he knew that Sansa and Catelyn would. Although, if Robert Baratheon was defeated by the Targaryens then there would be no royal wedding anyway. Still this presented an interesting opportunity, Sansa would be disappointed about not marrying Prince Joffrey but from what he had seen of Joffrey, he would not be a good match for her anyway. Perhaps, he should have called off the wedding earlier but that would have sent the wrong message, marrying the crown prince was a huge honor and it was not something you could turn down. However if Robert called off the wedding then Ned could choose a better match for her, Sansa would not care for northern marriage but perhaps a southern house like the Tyrells would be to her liking. The more Ned thought about it, the more he realised that this could even be a blessing in disguise. A marriage with House Tyrell would secure a powerful alliance and it would make Sansa happy, that truly would be an ideal outcome.

 Despite, Maester Luwin's constant reassurances and correspondences with the citadel, it seemed that the rumors of the dragons strength and power were indeed true. Ned knew that the royal fleet had been stationed at Dragonstone but the Targaryens and their dragons had taken the castle anyway.

 "Ned?" he heard a voice say and he opened his eyes and saw Catelyn standing over him. "What is it my love?"

 He looked up at his wife and he realised that he had to tell his family today, he couldn't hide it from them any longer. He had forced Catelyn to take Jon into her household and he didn't even tell her the truth. Perhaps, that was another mistake he had made, not trusting his wife with the secret. Although the more he thought about it, he realised that it was for the better. Catelyn's open dislike for the boy, whilst hard to watch, had been necessary. It had helped sell his lie. If Catelyn had shown any love or affection for the boy then it would have been more suspicious. On top of that, there was never a good time to tell her.

 "Ned?" she asked nervously, Ned realised that he hadn't answered her.

 "Everything is fine, my love. Go round up the children and bring them to my solar, all of them including Bran. We need to have a family meeting," he said grimly and he saw Catelyn grow fearful.

 "Is something wrong?"

 "I will tell you all when you bring the children, just do it quickly," he told her and she quickly walked away to carry out his instructions. Ned sat by the heart tree for a few more minutes collecting his thoughts and preparing himself. Once he was ready, he began to walk through the castle towards his solar. Along the way he walked past Jon Umber who had made the long journey from Last Hearth.

 "Lord Stark," he said in greeting.

 "Lord Umber,"

 "Have you heard the news? They have asked all the Lords to come to this council to swear fealty to the rightful King and Queen," he said with a deep laugh. "I will never kneel to a dragon. House Umber will stand beside House Stark and we will defend the north from these foreign invaders,"

 Ned gave a fake smile, Umber's words of encouragement did little to better his mood.

 "Thank you. I have a few things I need to take care of," he said as he continued to walk through the castle until he reached his solar. He walked to the end of the hallway and ordered the guards not to let anyone past under any circumstances, not even if the castle was burning down around them. This conversation should not be overheard. Then, he went back to the door and he heard the sounds of his children speaking inside and he quickly pushed open the door. Inside, he found his entire family awaiting him in his solar. Hodor had likely helped Bran to make the journey. He smiled at them all before crossing over to the room and sitting behind the desk. He filled his cup with ale and took a small sip before beginning.

 "As you all know, it is rare that we have a family meeting," he began as he looked at everyone and they all quickly nodded. "But, it seems that we must have one now,"

 "What is if father? Is everything fine?" Sansa asked immediately and Ned just shook his head.

 "There is something I need to tell you all, something that I have kept secret for over 18 years. This secret starts at the end of the rebellion when I found my sister dying inside a tower in Dorne. I had told everyone that she died of a fever and that is true but this fever was no common fever. It was the fever of a childbed. With her dying breaths, Lyanna asked me to protect her child and I did, by claiming him as my bastard son," he said and everyone in the room gasped. Sansa and Catelyn covered their mouths to hide their shock, whilst everyone else had their mouths open.

 "I always said that Jon is my blood and it's true but Jon is not my son," Ned said firmly "He is the son of Rhaegar Targaryen and my sister Lyanna Stark," 

 All the children looked at him as if he had spoken in a different language and for a brief moment, he wondered if he had.

 "So, he is the child born of rape?" Robb asked slowly.

 "No. Rhaegar did not kidnap and rape her. They loved each other and ran away together,"

 "Ned that can't be true. Prince Rhaegar had a wife and children. He would have known better," Catelyn said and Ned sighed in frustration. He agreed with his wife, Rhaegar really should have known better and he should have acted better.

 "How do you know this?" Robb asked and Ned sighed and realised that he would have to start from the beginning.

 "As you all may know, Rhaegar crowned Lyanna as the Queen of love and beauty at the great tourney of Harrenhall all those years ago, perhaps it was at the tourney where they fell in love with each other. Regardless of when it happened, you should all know the story by now. Rhaegar's actions caused a great scandal but when the tourney ended and everyone left for their homes, the incident started to fade from the realm's memory and everything returned to normal. Sometime later, my elder brother Brandon, Lyanna and Benjen journeyed to Riverrun for Brandon's marriage to his betrothed, your mother, Catelyn. A few days after their arrival at Riverrun, Lyanna went missing. Brandon received news that Rhaegar had kidnapped Lyanna which spurred him to ride to King's Landing with his trusted friends to demand Rhaegar's head. However, Aerys's madness led to Brandon's imprisonment and the execution of his comrades. My father, Lord Rickard, answered Aerys's summons to answer for Brandon's crimes,"

 "However, the Mad King was not interested in justice, he brutally murdered them under the guise of a fair trial and when he was finished, he demanded that Jon Arryn hand over Robert and me to him for execution and this is what started the rebellion. You all know of the victories, losses and battles fought during that time from your Maester's lessons and stories. We won the rebellion after Robert killed Rhaegar on the Trident and Tywin Lannister sacked Kings Landing soon after. After the war had ended and all the Targaryen loyalist had surrendered, I rode south in search of Lyanna with six loyal friends at my side, I found her at the Tower of Joy in Dorne. She was guarded by three knights of the Kingsguard - Ser Gerold Hightower, Ser Oswell Whent and of course, the Sword of the Morning, Ser Arthur Dayne,"

 "It was seven against three but we were no match for them. If it were not for Howland Reed, I likely would have been killed that day by Ser Arthur,"

 "But father, you said that you killed the Sword of the Morning," Bran pointed out.

 "I did kill him but I did not best him. The truth is that Ser Arthur had disarmed me and he would have killed me were it not for Howland stabbing him in the back. I let people think that I beat him in straight fight in order to protect Howland's honor,"

 "But people thought that you had fairly defeated the Sword of the Morning. That is a very high praise," Robb said quietly.

 "It was, but I took no pleasure in what happened that day. In fact, I tried to avoid a fight. The war was already won and there was no need for more bloodshed. I asked them why they were not on the Trident defending Rhaegar, I asked them why they were not in King's Landing defending their King or on Dragonstone defending the Queen Rhaella and Prince Viserys but they would not answer. They only said that they swore a vow and their duty was to be there. I did not know what that meant until after the battle was over and I found Lyanna dying in that tower,"

 He was silent for a few moments as he let them take in the words, surprisingly it was Bran who worked it out first.

 "Kingsguard are sworn to protect the King above all else. They were protecting Jon because he was the heir to the Iron Throne," he said quietly and Ned nodded. He looked around and once again everyone was surprised. Sansa and Catelyn were both looking at him as if had grown horns on his head. Arya had her hands over her mouth and she had tears in her eyes, Ned was not sure if she was happy or if she was crying.

 "So, he's not a bastard? He is the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark? How is that possible? Rhaegar was already married to Elia." Catelyn whispered.

 "Apparently, Rhaegar had annulled his marriage to Elia. She must have married Rhaegar in a secret ceremony some time. I found the documents to prove this fact within the tower and therefore, Jon is a trueborn Targaryen King" Ned answered.

 "Why didn't you tell me? I am your wife. Do you not love me? Do you not love me enough to trust me with this secret?" she shrieked and Ned noticed that she was starting to get upset.

 "I couldn't tell you. I made a promise to Lyanna to protect him,"

 "Protect him from who father? We're his family. You should have trusted us," Arya said immediately.

 "From Robert and the Lannisters, you all know about what happened to Princess Elia and her children. They would have killed Jon since he had a superior claim to the throne, it was safer if everyone thought of him as my bastard,"

 "Safer but not any better for him," Arya said fiercely and Ned wondered if he should have told her separately. "You let Sansa and mother treat him horribly because of this lie,"

 "I did not treat him horribly," Catelyn began but Arya immediately cut her off.

 "Oh yes you did!" Arya shouted as she flew out of her chair. "You didn't let him sit with us at the high table because he wasn't a trueborn. You made him sit with the stable boys because you said that was his place as a bastard. You never encouraged him when he did well with the sword or bow, you were horrible to him!" she then turned towards Sansa, "You didn't even speak to him! You always reminded him and everyone else that he was only our half- brother,"

 "Arya Stark, watch your tone," Catelyn warned as she glared at her but Arya did not back down and returned her glare and Ned was reminded of Lyanna in that moment.

 "Arya, please sit down and lower your voice. We do not want to be overheard," Ned said firmly and this time he was rewarded with Arya's fierce glare. Ned returned it until Arya slowly sat down and angrily folded her arms across her chest.

 "I do admit that my lie caused Jon to be treated poorly around here," and he saw Catelyn open her mouth to protest but he quickly gave her a look that silenced her. "I do not blame you for it, if anything I am thankful, if you had shown affection for him, then it would have raised suspicion,"

 "Why is that?" Arya snapped and Ned gave her another glare before answering.

 "I told everyone that he was my bastard and if your mother had shown affection for the boy people would have questioned that, which could ultimately lead to Jon's secret being exposed. It was harsh on Jon but it was for the better and he never complained,"

 "That was Jon though," Robb pointed out. "Jon would never complain if you told him to sleep outside in the cold. He would quietly accept it and think of the best way to stay warm at night,"

 Ned conceded that he was right but he decided to continue onwards.

 "I found Lyanna in that tower dying in a bed of blood and roses. She was so happy to see me and so weak at the same time. It was with her dying breath that she told me his name and made me promise to protect him,"

 "What is his name?" Sansa asked.

 "Isn't it obvious? He's Aegon Targaryen. The exact same one that you all are worried that will attack us," Arya said immediately.

 "What? I did not know about this. Father, is this true?" Sansa asked and Ned quickly nodded.

 "His name is Aegon Targaryen but I could not give him that name, so I chose Jon for him. A much simpler and northern name that no one would question. I also chose it as it honored my foster father Lord Jon Arryn. As for the attack, yes I believe that this Aegon Targaryen is in fact Jon, although I am not sure how you know about this Arya, have you been eavesdropping again?" he asked and Arya just shrugged her shoulders. Ned didn't have it in him to punish her, it would be pointless.

 "So, he is the Aegon Targaryen that has been burning cities in the east?" Catelyn said and Ned nodded.

 "I was right not to trust him, it was good that he left before he corrupted the rest of you children. His true bastard tendencies have finally come through just like the septa said they would,"

"But he's not a bastard. He is a trueborn, were you not paying attention?" Arya snapped.

 "Arya Stark," Catelyn warned.

 "It's true and I am sure Jon had a good reason for doing those things, he is a good person," Arya said defiantly.

 "What good reason could he have for burning down the entire city of Volantis?" Catelyn said as she glared at Arya.

 "We have heard that they have been working to stop slavery in the east," Robb said after a moment. "Slavery is a vile practice so if Jon is working to remove it then that is a good thing," and Arya and Bran quickly nodded in agreement.

 "What about the Dothraki, Robb? You have heard stories about those savages and your father says that Jon has amassed an entire khalasaar of his own and he has brought those savages to Westeros. How do you explain that son? How many villages and towns will be burned and pillaged because of Jon's Dothraki? Those savages are murderers and rapists. How does Jon plan to control them?" Catelyn demanded and Robb had no answer.

 "He may have stopped slavery, but did he need to go to these extreme lengths to do it?" Sansa asked. "If what father and mother say is true, then he has burned down entire cities. How many people have died because of Jon?"

 The room was silent then, no one had a good answer.

 "Father. You told us that Jon was dead," Bran said

 "I thought he was and truthfully I am not sure how I did not figure it out earlier,"

 "Start from the beginning, start from when he left," Arya said and Ned sighed. He took another drink of ale before starting.

 "I had kept this secret from Jon for years, I considered telling him many times but I realised it would be safer if he never knew,"

 "Safer for you but no better for him. Not telling him was a cowardly move," Arya said and Ned glared at her, he was starting to lose his patience

 "One day, Jon came to me expressing his desire to join the Nights Watch. He said that there was no place for him here and that he would like to live his life on the wall. I couldn't let him do that, I couldn't let him live out his life on the wall alongside rapists and thieves without him knowing the truth of who he was and so I told him the truth that day. He did not take it well, he was angry that I kept it from him for so long. I realised that he would not stay at Winterfell any longer so I decided to send him to Essos,"

 "I had received a letter earlier which informed me that a magister was hosting the Targaryen children in Pentos and I knew that was where Wendel Manderly would take him,"

 "So you intentionally sent him there with the hope he would find his family?" Arya asked quickly and Ned nodded. "That was so dangerous! You didn't know what could have happened to him! He could have died in some alley and there would have been nothing we could have done!" Arya shouted as she sprang out of her chair.

 "Arya calm down and let me finish or I will send you away," Ned said with a frustrated sigh and Arya slowly sat back down. Ned looked at her and he could tell by the way she was fidgeting that she was not calm but he decided to press on anyway.

 "Yes, I sent him there in the hopes that he would find his family. It was foolish on my behalf but it worked out in the end. He did meet his family. He sent a note saying that he was staying with a kind magister in the city who employed him as a guard. I hoped that this was the same magister who hosted the Targaryen children and it turns out I was correct,"

 "When I was in Kings Landing, as part of King Robert's small council, I received updates about the Targaryens in the east. One day, we received a report saying that the Targaryen children had perished at sea in a terrible storm. The report mentioned they had 3 guards with them. One of them was described as a young northern man with a white dog as a companion which could have only been Jon and his direwolf. That is why I thought he was dead,"

 Ned looked at everyone and they all nodded encouraging him to continue.

 "I am not sure what happened but it seems that the Targaryen children and Jon survived,"

 "I told you that he could have survived," Arya said smugly and Ned decided to ignore her.

 "I asked all the sailors from Essos that I could find in the harbor and they all confirmed that there was a severe storm in that area, that it is why I was so hesitant to believe it at the time,"

 "I made further inquiries after news of the Targaryen children's survival reached Westeros but there was not a single detail that mentioned Jon or his direwolf. So, I held onto my assumption that he had died at sea."

 "Is that why you came up with that stupid excuse of Jon being enamored by the Targaryen girl's beauty when Arya and I questioned you about Jon joining the Targaryen children?" Robb said. "Although now that I think about it more, I was with you when we you received these reports about the Targaryens in the east. I'm sure some of them mentioned that they called themselves King Aegon and Queen Daenerys, why didn't you think that was Jon?"

 "Because Jon looks like a northerner and all the reports said that these Targaryens possessed the classic Valyrian features of silver hair and purple eyes. Why would I think that would be Jon? It was only after we heard of what happened in Volantis, that my curiosity got piqued. The reports stated that he was calling himself Aegon Targaryen, trueborn son of Rhaegar and Lyanna and that was when I knew,"

 The room was silent for a few minutes whilst everyone processed this information.

 "Ned. If we heard this report in the North, what will King Robert in the south think? Surely, this puts us in danger?" Catelyn asked worriedly

 "Robert won't believe the rumors. No one would believe this. The northern lords think that it is Viserys making up a lie to anger us. Robert will likely think the same,"

 "Ned, you can't be sure,"

 "I am fairly confident in this. No one will believe it unless I tell them. No one knows that Lyanna had a child, let alone be able to trace this back to me. However, I will have to confess this secret to Robert soon enough."

 "You cannot tell Robert, Ned? You know of Robert's rage, he could kill you?" Catelyn asked.

 "I don't have a choice. Jon has already proclaimed his parentage to the world. Sooner or later, he will also explain his whereabouts for the last 18 years to Westeros and then there will be no denying it. It would be best if Robert and the other lords heard it from me instead. As for Robert killing me, I don't think he will. Now, that the Targaryens have returned with their dragons and armies, he will need every man he can get to fight against them. He needs me as an ally. If he kills me, then the North will not rally behind him,"

 "Rally behind King Robert? Father, you cannot possibly be considering fighting against Jon. The North should rally behind Jon because he is family," Robb said firmly.

 "We should rally behind him. He's our brother, it doesn't matter if he's not your son. Jon is still a Stark in blood," Arya said with Robb and Bran nodding in agreement.

 "What about Sansa? She is your sister. Does her happiness mean nothing to you?" Catelyn asks. "We need to support the King otherwise her marriage to the prince will never occur,"

 "Joffrey is cruel and selfish just like the rest of his family. Besides, he won't be a prince for long since Jon has dragons . Jon will win even if we fight against him. We would be stupid not to support him," Arya said.

 "Arya, you do not understand the politics behind a highborn marriage and are allowing your feelings for Prince Joffrey and Jon to cloud your judgment. Also, the dragons aren't very big. That's what Maester Luwin told us. He wrote to the citadel and they confirmed that it takes years for dragons to grow to a size where they can be used in war. Isn't that right, Ned?"

 "Yes, Maester Luwin did say that but I have reason to doubt his words now. The stories we have heard from Volantis makes me doubt the truth of the citadel's assessment. There is also the matter of the battle at Dragonstone. The royal fleet had over 200 ships and still the Targaryens wiped it out with ease. This could only be the work of large dragons," he said and the room was silent.

 "Father, you said that the reports described Targaryens with classic Valyrian features, how could have Jon gained those features?" Sansa asked and Ned shrugged, he did not have an answer. The room was silent for a few moments and Ned took another sip of his ale.

 "I received a raven today from Jon. He and Queen Daenerys have taken Dragonstone and they have invited all the great houses to Harrenhall for a council to decide the issue of the throne," and he heard a very sharp intake of breath.

 "Ned you can't go," Catelyn said quickly. "We can't trust him, this could be a trap. He's changed,"

 "What do you mean we can't trust him? He is our brother. We grew up with him. Of course we can trust him," said Arya.

 "I agree, we should go see Jon," Robb said.

 "What if it is a trap? What if he means to get all the great lords into one room to kill them all at once?" Sansa asked.

 "Jon would never do that," Arya said immediately. "He is our brother, he has the honor of a Stark and we should go to meet him,"

 "I agree," Ned said calmly.

 "Ned you can't be serious. Are any of the other great Lords attending?"

 "I have sent ravens out to ask but I would imagine so. Everyone is curious about the Targaryens. With the exception of Robert, no one wants to risk waging a war against dragons if a peaceful solution is possible. Besides, Harrenhall is a castle at the center of Westeros, it's the easiest location for all of our armies to reach to ensure our protection. Both sides will also protected by laws of guest right. Guest right is sacred, no one will not forsake it,"

 "So you have made up your mind. You will see the boy," Catelyn said unhappily.

 "Yes. You and Robb will accompany me. Along with a few northern lords"

 "Me? Why do you need me to come?"

 "Because of your family. Lord Hoster is undoubtedly upset about the business with Lysa and he might side with the Targaryens for vengeance. You can help to keep him loyal to our side."

 "I want to go too," Arya said.

 "No, you will not," Catelyn said and Ned nodded in agreement.

 "This council is no place for you, you will stay here," Ned said in a tone that brokered no argument. Arya looked like she was going to complain but she decided against it.

 "We will attend this meeting and will see what Jon has to say. Hopefully, we will be able to reach a peaceful resolution and avoid another war."

 "What if Jon decides to fight against the North?" Sansa asked.

 "He won't. He's family," Arya said firmly.

The Mother of Dragons

Daenerys Targaryen stood out on the balcony attached to their room in Dragonstone watching the sun slowly rise. They had been on the island for several days now and it had been a very busy time. They still had not found Stannis's wife which meant that Ser Davos would continue to be the little girl's guardian. Dany had seen a little of Shireen over the past few days and she seemed to be a nice girl. She did not have it in her to treat her unkindly, after all she knew all too well what it felt like to be punished for a father's crimes.

 Several of the lords from the narrow sea and from the Crownlands had come to Dragonstone to swear fealty. House Velaryon had been amongst the first, they were a house of Valyrian descent who had been instrumental in helping to defeat Stannis Baratheon and the royal fleet. House Celtigar, another local Valyrian house, had also sworn fealty. Houses Bar Emmon and House Sunglass had also arrived to swear fealty. It was not surprising since these houses had served House Targaryen long before Aegon's Conquest.

 These houses weren't very big, but it was a start, getting the local vassals on their side was important and it allowed them to gain some more knowledge of Westeros. They were expecting some more lords to arrive at Dragonstone in the coming days to swear fealty. Perhaps, House Rosby and House Rykker of Duskendale. They had sent some gold to House Whent who held the castle of Harrenhal. They were more than happy to host the council and were happy to see that the Targaryens had returned to reclaim their throne. They were also awaiting the Tyrells, Lord Paxtor Redwyne had informed them that they should arrive within the next few days and then their most important negotiation to date would begin.

 She, Jon and Rhaegar had also spent a day in the local village on the island speaking to the common folk there. Needless to say, most were shocked to Rhaegar alive and well but after some time the locals cited Rhaegar's survival as a miracle and a sign that the dragons were the true rulers of Westeros. Most had all been happy to see the Targaryens return, it seemed that they had no love for Stannis. Rhaegar had even indulged them by playing and singing a song for them one afternoon.

 Things in the castle had been going well. The castle had been cleaned and nearly all the signs of Stannis's stay here were gone. All the Baratheon flags and banners had instead been replaced by Targaryen banners.

 Dany heard the loud flutter of wings and looked up behind her. She saw Anogar lazily taking off from his lair somewhere inside the dragonmont. All the dragons had found homes somewhere on the island. Jon had told her that Vedros had made her home in one of the large caves on the island and Caraxes frequently slept on a cliff overlooking the Blackwater Bay. Anogar flew slowly overhead and she closed her eyes and said good morning to him in her mind. Anogar let out a small puff of smoke before heading off to hunt.

 She felt something brush against her leg and she looked down to find Ghost had come out to enjoy the sunrise with her.

 "Good morning Ghost," she said as she slowly stroked his fur and scratched him behind his ears. "Why are you not guarding my little prince?" she asked softly. Ghost just looked up at her with ruby eyes before dutifully trotting back inside. Dany laughed softly before looking back over the water. Whenever she or Jon could not spend time with Daeron, she had heard that Ghost had always been there with him. The prince seemed to enjoy his company as well.

 Dany looked out over the water and saw that Caraxes had also woken up and was also flying off to hunt. Of all the dragons, Caraxes seemed to be the one who paid the most attention to Daeron. Anogar and Vedros didn't seem overly interested in the little boy but whenever they took Dareon outside for some fresh air, Caraxes was seemingly always nearby. Dany was not particularly worried by this, if anything it was reassuring. She knew that they would likely be at war soon and with both Ghost and Caraxes taking such an interest in Daeron, he would be safe.

 She looked down onto the beaches and saw the smoke from campfires trailing into the sky. Their Dothraki were camped out on the far side of the island away from the village. Their tents were sprawled out in a random order and whenever she visited the village she would hear constant laughing and shouting. Instead of killing for sport, they had taken up practice sparring, it was usually the first man to disarm the other or the first to draw blood. Dany did not like this but she accepted that it was a compromise they would have to make. The Unsullied camp was far more organized in comparison.

 Dany was interrupted from her thoughts when she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist. She smiled and pressed herself backwards against him.

 "You didn't come back to bed," Jon said softly as he placed soft kisses on her neck.

 "I put Daeron back to sleep and then I saw you fast asleep in bed. I didn't want to disturb you so I decided to enjoy the sunrise. I thought you would be tired so I let you sleep," 

"You made me tired," he said and she smiled at the memory. They had been up nearly all night again.

 "It's not my fault," she said innocently as she grinded her hips slowly against his length. "Am I not doing my duty as a wife?"

 "You truly are insatiable," he whispered as he kissed her up and down her neck.

 "You never complained last night. Not the first time, or the fifth time, or the last time" she whispered as she closed her eyes. She let out a loud gasp when Jon kissed that precise spot that made her weakest.

 "I'm taking you back to bed," he said huskily as he scooped her up with ease and carried her back inside. Jon carried her inside and then placed her gently on the bed. She breathed in his scent as he leaned down and kissed her. He broke the kiss and then started to kiss along her jawline before kissing his way down her neck.

 He stepped back to take off the thin shirt that he was wearing and Dany quickly sat up on the bed. She smiled deviously at him and then she decided to take charge. She wanted Jon to take her, but she knew that he wouldn't. He was too kind and too loving, she would have to tease him and make him want it.

 She kissed him aggressively before pushing him back onto the bed and straddling him. She looked down into his grey eyes and gave him a wicked smile. Her hand reached out behind her and to find his cock, she stroked his hard length a few times and then she moved backwards until she was sat between his legs. She leaned forward and then took his cock into her mouth.

 Her lips went to the base and then slid slowly back up, never breaking eye contact with him. She repeated this a few times before focusing on the head, always going slowly, making sure to continue this tease. Doreah had told her about the things that she had learned in the pillow houses of Lys and Dany put them all to good use. She hummed and she swirled her tongue and it didn't take long until Jon put his hand in her hair and tried to force her to increase her pace. She heard his breathing grow heavier and his hips started to move upwards. Dany smiled to herself and lifted her mouth off his cock with a loud audible pop.

 "Impatient are we? Who is insatiable now?" she asked as she slowly stroked his cock.

 "Get on your hand and knees," he ordered, his voice was so low it almost sounded like a growl and Dany felt herself getting wetter. She quickly rolled off him and did as he commanded. She pushed her head down onto the bed and presented her arse to him and she felt the mattress dip as Jon moved behind her. She felt Jon's strong hands on her hips as he positioned her the way he wanted. She was entirely submissive to him in this moment and she loved it.

 The anticipation was pooling in her stomach as she felt his fingers slowly move up and down her slit before he slid one digit inside. Dany gasped and she squirmed around on the bed whilst his fingers probed his fingers inside of her whilst his thumb worked on her clit. She moaned and mewled as Jon worked before he removed his fingers and replaced them with his tongue. He greedily lapped at her folds which caused her to moan and pant and Dany found herself pushing herself back into his face, trying to force his tongue deeper. Instead, she was surprised when he moved his tongue up and licked her there.

 She gasped loudly and she felt her fingers tightly grip the furs on their bed. Doreah had mentioned this to her but she would never have thought that Jon would do it to her. The feeling of his tongue on her back entrance caused her back to arch sharply. Jon was maddeningly patient as he relished in this newly discovered power he held over her. He was devouring her, like Anogar would do to a flock of sheep. She felt him slide two fingers into her drenched cunt whilst his thumb went back to her clit and the noise she made almost sounded like she was sobbing.

 "Beg for it," he barked as he took his mouth off her.

 "Please, Please!" and Jon thrust his fingers back into her.

 "Please what?"

 "Fuck me!" she felt him draw his fingers out and then he smacked her arse like she was a disobedient child. That was ordering not begging, she realized.

 "Please fuck me!" she said quickly and he slapped her other cheek causing her to squeal. "Please, please, please," she begged as she moved backwards, hoping to simply fall onto his cock. "Please Jon I need I -"

 Dany moaned loudly as Jon filled her with his cock. He quickly started to thrust and soon their chamber was filled with the sound of flesh hitting flesh and Dany's loud moans. Mindlessly her hand went back between her legs to find her clit but Jon quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled it back, leaving her completely at the mercy of his cock.

 She felt him raise foot onto the bed to change the angle and Dany let out a loud throaty cry as he hit all the hidden spots inside of her with each thrust. She felt his hand grab her hair and use it to hold her head up and the brief flash of pain only helped to push her closer to her pleasure. Jon was fucking her at a furious pace and it didn't take long for her to reach her climax. She closed her eyes and threw her weight back at him, over and over, harder and harder until all she could do was bite and scream into the bed.

 Dany's muscles clenched around his cock and pulled him in deeper. Her pleasure passed over her like a wave and threatened to split her into two, her legs shook and gave out and as she came down, she felt the warmth of his seed spilling inside of her. She let out a long satisfied sigh as she felt Jon slowly pull out and collapse on the bed.

 "Are you okay?" he asked as she lay on his sweaty chest and she smiled happily.

 "I love it when you take me like that, I'm fine, my love. More than fine. I have to push you but it's worth it." she said as she traced patterns on his body.

"I need to see Marwyn today,"

 "Moon tea?"

 "Yes," this was something they both agreed on. Whilst she loved Daeron, she knew that they could not have another child right now. They were too close to war and she would not sit at Dragonstone whilst Jon went out and fought.

 "I'm surprised you didn't wake up Dareon. You were especially loud this morning,"

 "I just fed him, remember our little dragon sleeps well after he eats,"

 "You've never licked me there before," she said softly.

 "I know, but I know you and I know you wanted me to try it,"

 "Perhaps, next time we could," she said as she slowly moved her hand down to play with his cock.

 "If it pleases you then we will," he said with a smile.

 They were quiet for a few moments and Dany closed her eyes and listened to his heartbeat.

 "Don't fall asleep on me," he said in a warning tone.

 "I'm not going to sleep," she protested and to prove her point she decided to get out of bed. "Come on my love. I'm sure my handmaidens are awake and they should have a bath ready for us. We have another big day ahead of us and I want us to both look like the King and Queen that we are. Right now, I feel like a whore, not a queen," she said with a smile. Jon quickly climbed out of bed and followed her. They quickly donned their robes and headed into an adjoining room. They could have gone to the bathhouse they discovered in the castle but Dany knew if she took him there they would spend the entire day in each other's arms and as much as she wanted to, they still had duties to take care of.

 They bathed in their large copper bathtub before heading off to their separate rooms to dress. Missandei and Doreah helped her to dress whilst Irri and Jhiqui watched over Dareon. She watched as the two dothraki girls stood in the corner whispering and giggling.

 "What are they talking about?" Dany asked.

 "Probably about Rakharo again," Doreah said with a sigh.

 "Our bloodrider,"

 "The very one your grace," Missandei said as she walked over with the dress she would wear today. It was colder on Dragonstone than in Essos so she could no longer wear the light, cool and revealing dresses that she wore in Essos.

 "What about him?" she asked confused about the topic.

 "They are arguing about which of them would make a better match for him," Doreah replied with a smile. Dany just shook her head and left them to their silly games.

 "You look radiant this morning your grace," Doreah said with a knowing smile and a wink at Missandei.

 "Thank you Doreah. I had a wonderful morning. We will need fresh sheets," and she winked at her. Once she was dressed she went into the nursery to check on Daeron. As expected, she found Ghost asleep in the middle of the room. She went over to the crib and saw that Daeron was on his back sleeping peacefully. She gently brushed his hair before leaving the room.

 "Irri and Jhiqui can you stay and watch over Daeron please. I will have food sent for you to eat whilst you are here,"

 "As you wish Khaleesi," they said with a bow. Dany left her dressing room with Missandei and Doreah in tow and they went to get their breakfast. She and Jon had decided to stop having meals in the great hall, they wanted that room to be a throne room only. So breakfast was served in a slightly smaller hall located deep in the castle near the kitchens. The kitchens, like everything else on Dragonstone, was designed to honor the dragons in some way. The kitchens resembled a curled up dragon where the smoke and heat went through the nostrils of the dragon. They passed the kitchen and entered the hall attached to it.

 Dany took her seat next to Jon and was served her breakfast of porridge and boiled eggs. Rhaegar and Ser Jorah were also seated at the table.

 "The porridge needs honey," Jon said as she sat next to her. "Plenty of it," he said as he passed her the honey. She smiled in thanks and ate her breakfast. As they ate, she saw Tyrion enter the hall and she remembered that they would need to speak with him today. She decided to call him over and get the conversation over with right now. Tyrion quickly filled his plate before walking over to sit opposite them.

 "Your graces," he said once he arrived.

 "Good morning, Lord Tyrion," she said. "We'd like your opinion please,"

 "On the council?" he replied, sharp as ever and she quickly nodded.

 "We need to know your opinions on the houses. Which houses are likely to join us and which we should not waste our time with,"

 Tyrion ate a spoonful of porridge before answering.

 "Let's start with the obvious. There are 8 great houses. The Martells, Baratheons, Arryns, Lannisters, Greyjoys, Tyrells, Tullys and of course the Starks," and Tyrion held up eight fingers in the air.

 "Robert Baratheon will never support you and Cersei Lannister is his wife so that's two of the great houses gone. The Martells will never support you seeing as your father left Elia Martell for your mother," and Tyrion put down three fingers.

 "I have no idea who is in-charge at the Vale, but it would be a safe guess to assume that it's a puppet loyal to Robert so you are unlikely to have the full support of the Vale. Perhaps, a few of the Vale houses can be swayed to your side, but you would have to speak to them individually which could be time consuming,"

 "So we are left with the Tyrells, Greyjoys, Tullys and the Starks. The Tyrells have already expressed interest in an alliance so we have that going in our favor. The Greyjoys are a wild card, they have never held any kind of loyalty towards the mainland houses since the days of the conquest. Robert Baratheon humiliated Balon Greyjoy when he crushed the Ironborn rebellion which also caused the death of two of his sons, so he could side with us for revenge. But, his last son Theon Greyjoy is a hostage in the North and the crown could use Theon to gain the Ironborn's support, so it's really undecidable at the moment. The Tullys are another tricky case. Robert Baratheon and Ned Stark exposed Lysa Arryn's infidelity in front of the entire realm which would undoubtedly anger Hoster Tully. That being said, Hoster Tully fought hard to overthrow your family during Robert's rebellion. So his loyalty could go either way,"

 "I agree," said Rhaegar. "Hoster Tully used Robert's rebellion as leverage to secure two very good marriages for his daughters. He is an ambitious man and he will side with whoever offers him and his family the most. As for the Greyjoys, you killed Balon's brother. They might not be willing to join you,"

 "Which leaves us with the Starks," Tyrion said with a hesitant smile at Jon. "I'm sure his grace would be better suited to guess as to where their loyalties lie,"

 She heard Jon give out a loud sigh before speaking,

 "I have no idea what Lord Stark will do. He is not the man that I thought I knew. If Robb was the lord, I would be confident that he would rally behind us, but with Lord Stark I am not sure. Sansa is still betrothed to Prince Joffrey. By now he would know who I am and the fact that he has not distanced himself from the usurper does not fill me with confidence. I am not sure we will be able to get his support,"

 Tyrion nodded slowly before continuing.

 "If Robert Baratheon acts wisely, or if he listens to his council. Then he will keep Lord Stark close. He needs every man that he can if he wants to oppose you,"

 "I can't stress how important having alliances with the great houses is to our cause. If you have them behind you, winning this war and ruling afterwards will be much easier. You can bully them into submission with your dragons but you will need their loyalty and for them to work willingly with you instead of plotting against you if you want to truly restore your family's dynasty," Tyrion said. "You have brought dragons back into the world and that gives you great power, but the way you use that power will define your reign. If you use your dragons to bully Lords into submission, then you will be remembered as fondly as the Mad King and people will plot to overthrow you. You will have to use the dragons in battle but at the end of the fighting you need to win the allegiance and loyalty of the lords to create a stable realm. Even the Conqueror made concessions to appease the lords and common folk, you will have to do the same."

 Dany nodded, Tyrion was right. "So at the moment, our potential allies are just the Reach, the Iron Islands and the Riverlands?" Dany said flatly and Tyrion grimly nodded "Will they be enough?"

 "Probably not," Rhaegar said and she heard Jon sigh in frustration and she shared his feeling.

 "Your grace if I may?" Ser Jorah asked as he looked at them nervously.

Jorah had informed them of his crimes and begged for forgiveness. They had learned that he had informed on them to King Robert briefly. This had angered them deeply but Rhaegar had advised them to be merciful and give him a chance at redemption. He said that it was important that the people knew they could be kind and that kindness and forgiveness is sometimes more effective than violence. So they had given Ser Jorah a second chance.

 "Go ahead Ser Jorah," Jon said.

 "The Reach and the Riverlands maybe the two most important regions that you need to secure. They produce the most food and armies need food. If your enemies don't have food, they can't feed their troops, so their soldiers will be weaker and more likely to surrender. Not to mention, if the Crown cannot feed the small folk, then the people will be willing to accept a ruler who can,"

 Dany considered this information and she realised that Ser Jorah was correct.

 "That may be true, but even if we take the Riverlands, defending it is nearly impossible," Jon said and Rhaegar nodded in agreement.

 "Why is that?" Dany asked

 "The Riverlands are surrounded on all 4 sides. They have the Vale in the East, the Lannisters in the west, the Reach in the south and of course, the North. From the drawing on the painted table, it's clear that they have no natural defenses. So, no mountains or rivers to protect their borders. Our army would be spread too thin trying to defend the Riverlands," and Dany slowly nodded.

 "Very smart observations Jon," Rhaegar said with a proud smile.

 "Which brings us back to the Reach," Dany said and they all nodded. "Let's hope that their terms are reasonable,"

 "What are you willing to offer them?" Rhaegar asked.

 "They will probably want some positions on our council. Which we will agree to, Master of Laws. I have heard they have 3 sons, perhaps we could offer one of them, a place on our Kingsguard with a Valyrian steel sword as well. That's fair enough," Dany said

 "That is a good start, but be prepared to offer more," Tyrion said and Rhaegar nodded in agreement.

 "They will want the office of Hand of the King, it's the most prestigious position that you can offer and I recommend you don't offer it at first. Only if they ask and you should make them work for it. The Tyrells are an ambitious house. When Aegon the Conqueror arrived in Westeros, he exterminated the entire house of the previous King of the Reach in battle. The Tyrells, who were merely stewards at the time, seized this opportunity to climb up the ladder. When Aegon arrived, they opened the gates of Highgarden for him and he appointed them Lords of the Reach in return," Rhaegar said.

 "Don't you want to be Hand?" Jon asked and Rhaegar just laughed.

 "I'll leave the politics to you kids. I have had enough of it. I'll spend my time playing the harp and looking after your children," he said with a smile. "And by the sounds that I heard this morning there are more on the way," and Dany felt herself blush heavily. Thankfully, Tyrion changed the subject

 "Your graces, what do you think happened to Jon Connington and Illyrio's son?"

 "I have no idea. They could be anywhere," Jon said.

 "They don't have a lot of men and Connington was never the best at military tactics from the little that I remember of him," Rhaegar said. "My best guess is that wherever he is, they're waiting for both sides to weaken each other and then fight the winner. They can't win in a head on fight. So with that in mind, I would guess Dorne. We didn't see any Golden Company ships in Braavos and you didn't see them in Pentos. The boy is claiming to be Elia's son and if there was one thing I learned is that Doran and Oberyn would do anything for Elia and for revenge against those who have wronged their house," and the table fell silent again

 "Your graces," she heard a voice say and she turned and saw Lord Paxter Redwyne and Daario standing near their table. They both bowed to both her and Jon before Daario spoke,

 "We have spotted ships approaching," Daario said.

 "They are ships from the Reach, your grace," Lord Paxter confirmed. "The Tyrells should be here, they should be docking within an hour. I can meet them if you wish,"

 "That sounds like a good idea. Rhaegar, Missandei and Tyrion will go with you. We will await you in the throne room," Dany said quickly as she stood. Everyone quickly stood up and left to carry out their instructions. Dany led Jon to the top of the stone drum tower and they looked out onto the narrow sea. They looked out over the bay and saw the Tyrell ships approaching and all three dragons were flying high overhead.

 "They probably think that the dragons are going to attack them," Jon muttered and she laughed at the comment. "I wonder what they will think when see my father. Lord Paxter already informed them of his survival in his raven but I'm sure seeing father in person will still be quite a shock to them,"

 "I wish we were there to see that," she said with a laugh "Do you remember what Rhaegar told you about the Tyrells?" she asked and Jon quickly nodded. "I want to check on Daeron before they arrive, we might be busy for the rest of the day," she said as she led them back down the stairs. As they approached the nursery, they heard the sound of Dareon's laughter. They pushed open the door and found their little baby on his stomach in the center of the room whilst Irri tickled him gently.

 At the sound of the door opening Dareon turned towards them and giggled excitedly before slowly trying to crawl over to them. Dany watched him for a few moments before she quickly crossed over and scooped him up into her arms.

 "Good morning sweetling," she cooed as she peppered his face with kisses. She passed him over to Jon who lifted him up high which caused him to laugh even more.

 "I hope he hasn't been much trouble," she asked the girls and both quickly shook their heads in response. "I'm afraid it looks like we will be busy for the rest of the day. I am not sure I'll be able to feed him so you might have to get the wet nurse, ok?" she said and the girls nodded. She heard Jon making loud silly noises on Daeron's stomach and she smiled at the sight. Jon turned and saw her and realised that they had to go. He handed Daeron back to her and she gave him a quick kiss goodbye before they headed towards the throne room.

 Once they entered, Jon took his seat on the throne and Dany stood to his left, she watched as he quickly turned his hair silver as he got ready to greet their guests. They both agreed that they would have new thrones made but they hadn't had time to do that as of yet, so as of right now, they alternated on who got to sit the throne. They had several members of the Unsullied lining the halls with their spears and shields. They waited silently for a few minutes before they heard voices approaching.

 The doors to the throne room swung open and the Tyrell host walked in, all clad in various shades of green and gold. Rhaegar, Tyrion and Missandei took their places lower on the dais.

 "You stand in the presence of King Aegon and Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen. Emperor and Empress of the Bay of dragons and the Dragon cities of the east and the rightful King and Queen of Westeros," Missandei called out.

 Dany looked down at the Tyrell party expectantly, waiting for them to introduce themselves. Eventually one man stepped forward,

 "I am Mace Tyrell, Lord of Highgarden and Warden of the south," he said unconvincingly. He opened his mouth to speak again but was interrupted.

 "I am Olenna Tyrell. Grandmother to Willas, Garlan, Loras and Margaery," she said confidently. "This is Loras and Margaery," she said proudly gesturing towards the young boy and girl. "I am also mother to Mace," she said and Dany could hear the slight twinge of disappointment in her tone. She was the Queen of Thorns that Rhaegar had told them about. She looked at Loras and Margaery and found that they looked quite similar and they were undoubtedly very attractive, it was no wonder Lady Olenna was so proud of them.

 "We thank you for journeying here to meet with us, we hope that the seas were kind," Jon said with a smile.

 "Oh most, my king," Lord Mace replied and Dany was sure she saw Lady Olenna roll her eyes at his response.

 "We have had rooms and baths prepared for you. We can also have food sent to your rooms if that is what you wish. Then once you are settled and well rested, we can begin our talks,"

 "Thank you for your hospitality," Lady Olenna answered before Lord Mace could get the words out of his mouth.

 "Actually grandmother, I am not too tired, perhaps I could tour the castle? I have read many stories about Dragonstone and I would like to see it for myself," Lady Margaery said with a smile. Dany looked at Jon and he gave a small nod.

 "We will give you a tour ourselves, Ser Loras would you like to join us?" Dany asked and he nodded. She knew that starting off these talks on good terms would increase their chances of it being successful. Dany also realised that as Queen she would have to spend a lot of time with highborn women and this was not something she had much experience doing.

 Jon and Dany led them out of the throne room and began to give them a tour of Dragonstone. They showed them all the various towers and then they took them outside. It was a cloudless day and they walked around the cliffs surrounding Dragonstone.

 Dany walked with Ser Loras whilst Jon and Margaery walked a few steps ahead of them. Tyrion had met Ser Loras at a tourney in Kings landing and he had said that half the girls in the realm wanted to bed him and Dany immediately understood why he had said that. Still, Ser Loras could not compete with her husband in looks.

 "So Ser Loras, you seem to be very young to be a knight?" she asked absentmindedly. She had noticed that Margaery was walking very closely next to Jon and occasionally she would reach out and briefly touch his arm. Dany did not grow up in Westeros, was this something that highborn women did often? Dany was not sure, but the sight unsettled her. Jon was hers alone to touch. She was focused so much on Jon that she missed most of his response.

 "Who knighted you?" she asked, hoping that he had not already answered that.

 "Renly Baratheon," he said. Dany looked at him after he said that and she noticed that he had a guarded look on his face. They continued to make small talk before switching partners.

 "So Lady Margaery, what is Highgarden like?" Dany asked as they walked out over the cliffs. Jon and Ser Loras were slightly ahead of them whilst their Unsullied guards were trailing behind.

 "Highgarden is beautiful your grace," she said with a warm smile "All the autumn flowers are in bloom right now. There are fountains and plenty of shady courtyards. My father keeps plenty of singers in the court who fill the halls with their beautiful voices," she said and Dany gave her a smile in return. Highgarden sounded like a wonderful place.

 "What was it like growing up there? Tell me about your family,"

 "I grew up with my three older brothers. Loras, who you have met, as well as Willas and Garlan. Willas had an accident when he was younger, he was injured in a joust by Prince Oberyn Martell and as a result he is a cripple now who needs a cane to walk, but he is the nicest man you will ever meet. He used to read to me when I was a little girl," she said with a smile and Dany felt a pang of jealousy flash through her. Margaery Tyrell grew up with a loving family and brothers who cared for her, almost the complete opposite of her childhood.

 However, that moment quickly passed. She had Jon and Dareon now, her own family. She had Rhaegar and her handmaidens as well. She may not have had the best childhood, but things have changed for the better.

 "Forgive me Lady Margaery,"

 "Just Margaery your grace," she said with a warm smile which Daenerys found herself returning.

 "Very well Margaery, what do highborn women do to pass the time? I did not grow up in Westeros so I am unfamiliar with the customs,"

 "Well, I like to go out hawking with my friends, or we go riding, I usually go riding every day when I can, it is something that I love. Speaking of riding, what is riding a dragon like?"

 "Oh well, it's like riding a horse, but it's not. It's so much more exciting, there is nothing like feeling the wind on your face," Daenerys explained to her.

 "Your grace, how did you get your dragons?" she asked and Dany smiled and told her the story. When she was finished, Margarey looked at her with her eyes wide open.

"Your grace, that is incredible. A truly amazing story. I must confess, when we first heard the rumors of your dragons we doubted them but seeing them today was amazing, they were so big!" she gushed and Dany smiled, she noticed that Margaery had started to touch her arm lightly, perhaps she was just friendly. She heard a loud roar and she knew that Anogar was close by.

 Dany heard the loud fluttering of his wings and then she saw him. He slowly rose up from below the cliff they were standing on and let out a large puff of smoke. He stared at the Tyrells with his magma red eyes before he quickly flew away. Dany watched as he did a series of flips and rolls in the air clearly showing off to impress their guests.

 "Wow, that is amazing," Margaery said as she watched him fly. Dany just smiled and closed her eyes and told Anogar to show them his final trick. When she opened her eyes she saw Anogar fly low over the water before releasing a torrent of his black flame. She heard Margaery gasp and she couldn't stop the proud smirk from forming on her face.

 "Can I touch him?" she asked and Dany laughed.

 "A dragon is not a pet for us to play with and stroke. If he wants you to touch him, it'll be on his terms in his time," she warned and Margaery nodded in understanding. They were silent for a few moments before Dany decided to ask her another question.

 "Margaery, what do you want?"

 "I don't understand the question, your grace?"

 "I asked what you wanted. It's a fairly simple question. Our families are about to enter a very important set of negotiations. I may have not grown up in Westeros but I do know that women in any part of the world have very little power of their own. In Westeros, as per my understanding, highborn women have very little say in the governance of their house and lands. Yet, your father and grandmother decided to bring their third son and only daughter to such an important meeting instead of the heir of your house. So, it's safe to assume that they have brought you here for a reason and I'd like to know what that reason is," she said and Margaery looked at her nervously.

 "I have a duty to my house. I have to do my duty," and Dany slowly nodded. This was not a lie, but it was not the complete truth. Anogar shared her opinion and he let out a loud roar in their direction.

 "As a highborn noblewoman, I know what my duty is, but it does not mean I like not having a choice," and Dany nodded in understanding. She was likely referring to being forced to marry a lord to secure an alliance, regardless of whether she liked the match or not. Dany realised how lucky she was that she had Jon then, she would have hated to be sold into a marriage to a man she did not know or trust. Dany realised that whilst Margaery had the life that she should have had as a princess, Dany herself had plenty to be happy about and she had no reason to be jealous of Margarey.

 "Come, we best head back inside. I may have only just met her, but I do not think it is a good idea to keep your grandmother waiting and Margaery laughed before quickly agreeing.

 "A very astute observation, your grace," she said. Dany knew that this was only their first meeting, but she had a good first impression of Margaery Tyrell.

 Jon and Dany headed back to their rooms to have a quick lunch.

 "What do you think of them?" she asked

 "Loras is quiet but he seems confident. He is a tourney knight, not battle tested, but he seems like he would make a good member for our Kingsguard,"

 "I agree. He was knighted by Renly Baratheon, believe it or not. So we would have to watch him carefully. If we ally with them, perhaps it would be better if he did not fight against the Stormlands,"

 "That's an interesting idea but we may not have a choice. The Stormlands and the Reach border each other and if the Storm lords invaded the Reach, he would not have much choice,"Jon said and she nodded conceding his point. "What did you think about Margaery?"

 "She seems nice. I daresay in a different life we would have gotten along and been friends. We both would have been highborn women around a similar age and Highgarden is not too far from Kings Landing,"

 "So you like her?" Jon asked and she nodded.

 "I do like her, but I would have to speak to her more. It seems that the Tyrell's have brought her here for a reason and she has no choice but to go along with it,"

 "We will learn more about them in the upcoming days," Jon said. "Come on, we can't be too late,"

She fed Daeron before putting him to sleep for his afternoon nap and then they headed towards the chamber of the painted table where the negotiation would take place.

 As they were the King and Queen, they were allowed to arrive whenever they wanted, and when they entered they found that everyone was already waiting for them. Lady Olenna Tyrell gave them a look as they entered but she did not say anything. Rhaegar, Tyrion and Lord Mace had all taken seats around the table. Clearly, Ser Loras and Lady Margaery were not allowed to be at this meeting.

 "Thank you for joining us here on Dragonstone," Jon said once they took their seats at the head of the table. She sat to Jon's right and opposite Mace Tyrell.

 "Excuse me, your grace, there have been quite a few shocking events in recent time which we have accepted – The returns of dragons, the revelation of your existence and not to mention Prince Rhaegar's miraculous resurrection but we still have a few questions for you," Olenna Tyrell began and Jon nodded, letting her continue.

 "You claim to be king despite the fact that your father is alive and well."

 "Lady Olenna, I have willingly abdicated my position and forsaken all claim to the crown. I have come to realize that I was not meant to sit the throne and rule. My son and sister have proven to be far better at the task than I ever was. Rest assured, when we reclaim the realm, Aegon will be the one to sit the throne." Rhaegar answered.

 "Very well, then where has our new king been for the last 18 or so years?" Lady Olenna inquired.

 "I was hidden away although I will not tell you where and by who. At the council, I will reveal the truth but rest assured I am who I say I am. And I am not Viserys before you ask. My father can attest to my identity and Viserys's death," Jon said. "We received an envoy from your house in Volantis and again in Pentos expressing your interest in an alliance with us,"

 "Also Lord Redwyne helped you to destroy the royal fleet. It was a gesture to show that we are capable allies," Lord Mace added which caused Olenna to roll her eyes yet again.

 "We are willing to enter an alliance with you. Your house was one of the few houses who stayed loyal to ours during the rebellion," Dany said, they had decided to give the Tyrells the benefit of the doubt about this. "We would like to continue the close relationship between our houses and I'm sure you would like to discuss terms of an alliance,"

 Lord Mace opened his mouth to speak but Lady Olenna must have kicked him from under the table because he quickly closed his mouth. Dany smiled at the elderly woman, she was smart. She wanted them to offer their terms first.

 "We are prepared to offer you positions on the small council, Master of Laws and Ships. We would also appoint Ser Loras to our Kingsguard and give him one of our Valyrian steel blades, this blade will be yours to keep and can be passed down in your family for eternity," Jon said and Lord Mace nodded. "In return, we would like the full support of the Reach. All of your armies and ships will join our forces in battle and we would like you to share your harvest with us in the coming months as well,"

 "The Reach can rally over 80,000 men, with a foot to horse ratio of 2:1. I know nothing about war but I do know that it is a better ratio than you will get from any other Kingdom and on top of that, you want to share all of our harvest?" Lady Olenna said immediately.

 "I take it you want more?" Dany asked and Lord Mace nodded eagerly.

 "Very well, speak freely. We have told you what we are prepared to offer, it is only fair if you tell us what you want from this alliance,"

 "We are willing to give you our full support and all of our harvest but there are a few things that we want in return. A position on the small council, we would also like the ability to send some of our children to join the royal court and we would like Loras to be a member of your Kingsguard," Olenna said and Dany looked at Jon before she nodded. They both agreed that this was reasonable although she felt that they had left something out.

 "We already offered most these terms so there must be something else that you want as well," Jon responded, he too had that same feeling. Lord Mace looked at his mother quickly before speaking,

 "We would like for our daughter Margery, to be Queen," he said and the word hung in the air.

 "Queen?" Dany repeatedly as she stared at the man who would not meet her gaze. "There already is a Queen," and she felt her anger bubbling inside of her. Did these people mean to set her aside like she was nothing?

 "We know that you are the Queen. We are proposing two Queens," Lady Olenna said "Aegon the Conqueror had two Queens, we are proposing the same,"

 "I already have a wife. Daenerys is my Queen, I will not take another," Jon said firmly.

 "King Aegon, your family is no stranger to polygamy. If you think about it, it's all rather poetic really. As King Aegon VI, you are set to recreate the conquest of King Aegon I with 3 dragons at your command. Then, why not have two queens as well? You would appear as the Conqueror reborn to history. You asked what we wanted and this is it," Lady Olenna said and Dany remembered what Rhaegar had told them earlier about their ambition and he was correct.

 "There can't be two Queens. What will we do about the succession?" Tyrion said. "The King and Queen already have a child who will inherit after them. If the King takes Lady Margaery as a second wife, her children could lay claim against Queen Daenerys's children in the future. It could result in a second dance of dragons. How do you propose to solve this issue?"

 "The line from Queen Daenerys will be the royal line. We are not foolish, their children will be dragon riders without a doubt while Margaery's line may possess the ability or not, it's a coin toss really. If her children are dragon riders what chance do ours have? We only want royal blood to mix with Tyrell blood to secure our hold on the Reach,"

 "Why does your hold need securing? Your family has ruled the Reach since the days of Aegon's conquest" Jon asked.

 "Our House was once stewards to the previous Gardener Kings and we were previously below other Reach houses like the Florents who like to constantly remind us of this fact. Our vassals have always made subtle comments of how unlike them, House Tyrell does not possess any royal lineage. If we have blood from the most powerful dynasty in the world running through the veins of our children, it secures our line and puts an end to the issue once and for all,"

 "There are other ways to secure your hold without the need for this marriage. We would be able to provide military support, dragons if need be. Your hold will be secure," Jon said firmly and Lady Olenna cocked her head at him and smiled, as if she was questioning his words.

 "Aegon the Conqueror already gave us that kind of support 300 years ago and we still face this issue. A royal marriage is the best way to quell this issue. You asked us what we wanted from this alliance and this is it. We want Margaery to be Queen," Lord Mace added.

 The room was silent for a few minutes until Lord Mace spoke again,

"So, do we have an alliance?" he asked and he finally looked at Dany. Their eyes met for a few seconds before Lord Mace quickly looked away out of fear.

 "I am the Queen," Daenerys said quietly but she knew that everyone in the room heard her clearly. Anogar gave another loud roar and she knew that her dragon was closer much closer.

 "I think that we have made a good start to the discussions today. I think we should retire and reconvene tomorrow after we all have had to time to rest and ponder over the discussion," Jon said quickly as he stood up. He had sensed her anger and he was trying to end the meeting quickly.

 Dany did not wait for anyone else to speak, she quickly left the room and walked back to their chambers. She didn't close any of the doors behind her, she knew Jon would be following closely. She walked into their room and then out onto the balcony and she saw Anogar flying closely. Dark plumes of smoke were being released from his mouth and she knew that he shared her anger.

"Dany," she heard Jon say and she quickly turned around to face him. He was looking at her nervously, as if he was unsure of what to say. After a moment, he held his arms out and she found herself walking into them and he quickly held her in his embrace.

 "Dany my love. I only love you. I would never set you aside. We will find another way around this, I promise you," he whispered into her hair. Dany closed her eyes and just held onto him tightly, inhaling his scent and letting this feeling calm her down. She reached out to Anogar and let him know that she was fine and after a few moments she heard him reluctantly fly away.

 "Jon, we need them," she whispered. Her mind recalling Tyrion's conversation earlier that day at breakfast.

 "No Dany, we need allies. We will offer them the position of Hand of the King and any other position on the council. I'll offer lands, castles and titles. Anything else except this," Dany listened to his words but she knew that they would not go for it. They had their eyes set on Margaery becoming Queen.

 "If don't agree to our terms, then we will secure the Reach and Riverlands by force. I know that I said the Riverlands are impossible to defend but I'll find a way. I'll fly and fight 5 battles in a day if I have to," he said firmly. He started to rub her back and his touch was reassuring.

 "Thank you Jon," she whispered "I love you,"

 They spent the rest of that day in their chambers. She gave her handmaidens the rest of the day off and she and Jon took care of Daeron, they fed him, read to him and sang songs to him. Surprisingly, Jon actually had a really sweet voice.

 The next day the sunshine was gone and the skies above Dragonstone were grey and cloudy, matching her mood. Anogar was incredibly agitated and Dany had to fight hard to keep him reigned in. She ate her breakfast with Jon, Tyrion and Rhaegar and whilst they ate they discussed new terms to offer the Tyrells that morning. They would offer lands from the Stormlands and increased tax breaks.

 "Tyrion," Jon began "Why did they not ask for a betrothal with Daeron?"

 "Jon would you really offer Daeron for a marriage? Before he could even walk or talk?" Dany snapped as she looked at him sharply. He looked taken aback at her words before quickly shaking his head.

 "No, but I was wondering, that is all my love," he said as he reached out to gently stroke her hand. Dany let out a sigh, she was still agitated after the meeting yesterday.

 "The crown prince is only a babe," Tyrion said after a moment.

 "That is one reason, but not the most important. The Tyrell's have no children in that age range and it will be years until Daeron is of age to marry. A lot can change in that time and there is no guarantee that the betrothal will still lead to a marriage," Rhaegar added.

 "We will keep our word," Jon said firmly.

 "No one knows what the future holds. Targaryens have a history of being reckless in matters of the heart. You cannot guarantee that Daeron would honor the betrothal, after all a lot can happen in such a long time. There is the story of Prince Duncan and Jenny of Oldstones. Not to mention, the tale of Prince Rhaegar and Lady Lyanna does not add much weight to the issue either." Tyrion added.

 "Also, there is history between our houses," Rhaegar said "Olenna Tyrell was betrothed to King Aegon V's son, Prince Daeron herself. I think they were very young at the time. Obviously, that marriage never occurred but this explains why she would not want a long betrothal,"

 Dany nodded slowly before giving them all a look telling them that this particular topic was over. She would not force Daeron into a marriage, no matter what. 

 Jon, Tyrion and Rhaegar tried their hardest, they offered the Tyrells numerous positions in the court and in the council, far too many in fact but as Daenerys expected, they insisted that Margery would be the second Queen. So after several days both sides agreed that these negotiations were proving fruitless and they would have to revisit this issue later. This failure left a foreboding feeling inside of her

 As Tyrion had pointed out, securing the support of the great houses was very important, and the Tyrells had been the most likely to join them. Jon has assured that they could take the kingdoms by force if need be but Tyrion's argument for building a more stable reign was fresh in her mind. If they could not get the Tyrells to support them willingly, what chance did they have of winning the support of any other house?

 Daenerys stood on their balcony with Daeron as she watched the Tyrell ships leave. Lady Olenna had said that they could think over the proposal again and give them their final answer at the great council. Daenerys hoped that their attempts to secure an alliance would be more successful at Harrenhall.

Notes:

So, Marg as the second Queen. Not many people guessed that was what they wanted. Ned is heading to the council with Robb...and his wife.

The next chapter is called "The Knight's Dilemma" and I'll give myself some more time and say it'll be out on Thursday next week. So in 6 days

As always, let me know what you think. Comments are always appreciated, especially the longer ones, they help me push through on those days of slow progress (and they happen a lot more than you think)

Thanks for reading

Sleepy