19

Chapter Text

The Lord Commander

Ser Barristan Selmy was seated at the round table in the White Sword Tower. The table was made of weirwood and shaped to look like a shield and the stone walls of the room had been whitewashed. In front of him was the white book that listed every single member of the Kingsguard that had ever served in the brotherhood. The book was open at his page and Barristan had spent the last few hours staring at the words in front of him.

 He had become a squire at a young age and had entered a tourney as a mystery knight at the tender age of 10 using borrowed armor. He had been unhorsed by Prince Duncan Targaryen and was given the nickname of "the bold" by the Prince. Several years later, he earned his knighthood after unhorsing Prince Duncan as well as the Lord Commander, Ser Duncan the Tall, at a winter tourney in Kings Landing. He had even been knighted by King Aegon V himself. He had earned further glory during the War of the Ninepenny Kings. On the Stepstones, he cut through a line of men to slay Maelys the Monstrous which ended the line of Blackfyre pretenders for good. After this, he had been selected to the Kingsguard by Aegon's son, King Jaehaerys II at the young age of three and twenty.

 However, that is where it all started to go wrong for Ser Barristan.

 He remembered his early days serving in the Kingsguard. Jaehaerys II had been a capable but sickly King and he died of his sickness shortly after giving Barristan his white cloak.

 Barristan Selmy had known a great many kings. He was born during the troubled reign of Aegon the Unlikely. Aegon's son Jaehaerys had bestowed the white cloak on him. Dressed in that same cloak, he had stood by the Iron Throne as madness consumed Jaehaerys's son Aerys. He stood, saw, heard all the horrors and he did nothing. Aerys's reign had started out as promising but as time progressed, Aerys's grasp on his own sanity weakened.

 His eyes went down the page and landed on those words. 'The Defiance of Duskendale', the event that truly broke Aerys's mind.

 In the years following the rebellion, he often wondered if he had not done his duty too well. He had sworn his vows before the eyes of gods and men and he could not in honor go against them, but keeping those vows had become hard during the final years of Aerys's reign and more than once he wondered how much of that blood was on his own hands due to his actions that night in Duskendale.

 He had scaled the walls late at night using nothing but his bare hands and he had disguised himself as a hooded beggar as he made his way to the castle. He killed a guard on the walkway before he could raise the alarm and then he had snuck into the dungeons where his King had been imprisoned. By the time, he had gotten the King out of the dungeons, the alarm had been raised. Rather than surrender, he had stood and fought for his King. He killed many men on his way to the stables where he got the King onto a horse and hurried them out of the town before their gates could have been closed.

 It had been his proudest moment, a moment the singers would sing about for generations. He had been a hero, a true knight, but Aerys had been quick to turn his moment of pride to a memory of shame and guilt.

 Once he rescued his King, Lord Darklyn and his family had nothing left to fight for so they soon surrendered and were presented to the King in chains. Aerys demanded not only the deaths of them and their immediate kin, but of all their distant kin as well. Even their kin by marriage, the Hollards were attained and destroyed. There was a young boy, Dontos Hollard, and Barristan had to beg the king to spare him and the King knew that he could not refuse his savior. Barristan had heard of what happened to Lady Serella who suffered an especially cruel death. Her womanly parts were torn out and then she had been burnt alive. The freed King had ordered the slaughter of every Darklyn and Hollard, innocent and guilty alike.

 The memory was still painful to recall. If he had not gone into the dungeons to rescue the King, Aerys may have died when Tywin Lannister inevitably sacked the town. But by saving his king's life, he had doomed countless lives to death. Aerys's imprisonment only served to heighten his paranoia. How many people died in the following years because of Aerys's madness? Barristan had been in the throne room when King Aerys burned Lord Rickard and his son, were their deaths on his hands?

 He closed the book and massaged his temples slowly. He had begged Lord Tywin for the chance to rescue the King who had given him one day until he used steel and fire to take the town. Barristan had protested that the King could die if he took the town by force but Lord Tywin didn't seem to care, he said that they had a better King right in front of them as he pointed towards the young Prince Rhaegar.

 Prince Rhaegar would have been a good King, he was just, smart, determined and able. Even as a young boy, he had been bookish to a fault so much so that the maesters had been in awe of his intelligence. He was also a capable warrior. Prince Rhaegar had been seventeen when he rode in the Tourney at Lannisport celebrating Prince Viserys's birth. Prince Rhaegar had unhorsed him before falling to the Sword of the Morning in the champion's tilt. Then of course, there was the Tourney at Harrenhall, he had unhorsed all four Kingsguard knights to win the tourney. Barristan sometimes wondered if the rebellion was on his hands as well, had he unhorsed Rhaegar in the champion's tilt, he would never have crowned Lyanna Stark as the Queen of love and beauty. Then perhaps, Rhaegar would have ascended to the throne and he would have finally been able to serve a good King. 

 Had he not rescued King Aerys from those dungeons then Prince Rhaegar would have ascended to the throne and healed the realm. Prince Rhaegar would have been a good King and he had failed him. It was these failures that haunted him and kept him up at night. Princess Elia and her children, Prince Aegon who was just a babe, Princess Rhaenys and her kitten named Balerion, Rhaegar himself. Dead, every one of them whilst he lived. He who had sworn to protect them.

 "Lord Commander, there is an urgent small council meeting," he heard a voice call out. Ser Arys was poking his head around the door. "The King has just received a raven, if I were to guess it would be news of the Targaryens, suffice to say, he did not look happy,"

 "Thank you Ser Arys," Barristan said as he stood up to leave. As he walked to the small council chambers, he thought of all the rumors that they had heard over the last few months. Varys had been informing them of the Targaryen children and their actions in the east.

 When Barristan heard the news of what had happened, he had been conflicted. The Targaryen children had destroyed slavery in the east and Barristan, strangely, had felt proud of their deeds. It was something that Prince Rhaegar would have done. Then, he heard of what happened in Volantis and his mind immediately reminded him of Aerys. He knew that it was not fair to judge these children without meeting them for himself, but Barristan feared he would not get the chance.

 As he walked closer to the small council chamber, his thoughts turned to Robert Baratheon. Robert was a good knight, chivalrous and brave, he had spared his life and many others, but he was a bad King.

 He was a bad King because he had no right to the throne he sat on and his actions over the last 18 years had cemented this belief.

 When he entered the small council chamber, he saw that most of the small council members were present. The Hand, Lord Stark, was still in the North, he was not supposed to return until after the harvest feasts. The Grand Maester was not here and Lord Stannis was still on the island of Dragonstone with the royal fleet. He took his seat and waited for the King to arrive. The King arrived a few moments later with the Grand Maester in tow. Surprisingly, the Queen and her brother attended the small council meeting, this was a very rare occurrence. Ser Jaime stood behind the King whilst Queen Cersei sat at the opposite end of the table.

 The King took his seat at the head of the table and then threw the scroll at Lord Varys.

 "Read," he barked. Lord Varys read silently for a few moments "Louder so everyone else can hear you bloody fool!"

 " King Aegon and Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen, 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 . "

 Barristan froze. They called a council at Harrenhall, Harrenhall of all places. He would get a chance to meet them, a chance to see if they were a King and Queen worth serving.

 "How dare they!" Robert shouted and he slammed his fist into the wooden table and Barristan saw his face beginning to grow red. "How dare they call a council to discuss my throne? Do they mean to take it from me with just words? Fat fucking chance!" and the room fell silent. Barristan's mind considered the possibilities.

 "They must have taken Dragonstone. They must have killed Stannis and destroyed my fleet. They kill my brother and then they dare ask for peace. How dare they!" Robert shouted and Barristan could see the spit flying from his mouth. "How dare he call himself the trueborn son of Lyanna. How. Dare. He." Robert seethed.

 "Your grace, it is a lie created to anger you. Viserys knows of your betrothal to the lovely Lyanna and he is trying to tarnish her memory," Varys pointed out.

 "I know he is. Rhaegar Targaryen raped and murdered her," Robert said but Barristan doubted that. Rhaegar was not that type of man, he had loved his Lady Lyanna, and thousands had died because of it.

 "Even the location for this council is meant to mock you," the spider said. "Harrenhall is where the great tourney took place. They are trying to remind you of-"

 "I know exactly what," Robert said angrily.

 "Calling your banners from the Stormlands was smart, very smart. You should take them to the council," Varys said eagerly.

 "I disagree. It is a council, they wish to find a peaceful solution, we should pursue that option first," Barristan said quickly.

 "You think the dragonspawn will play fairly?" Robert asked with a loud cruel laugh.

 "They have chosen the time and the place of the meeting and they have invited all the lords of the realm. They could be setting all manner of traps for us," The Queen pointed out and Robert nodded quickly.

 "We can't trust them. We should not go," Robert said

 "Although your grace, there will be many lords who will go this meeting. If you stay in Kings Landing they might deem you a coward," Varys said and Barristan saw the King look at Varys sharply.

 "Careful spider. I am no coward," he said darkly directly to Varys.

 "My apologies my King. I was not meaning to call you a coward, I was merely trying to make you aware of how your actions may be perceived, my apologies," he said with a bow. Robert continued to glare at him before turning away.

 "We will go to the council. Write to Lord Tywin and to Ned, they will come too. Tell them to bring men and plenty of them,"

"Your grace, this is a council they want to discuss peaceful terms. Bringing our armies will send the wrong message,"

 "Do you think they will be showing up empty handed? I can guarantee you they will be bringing their dragons at the least," Varys pointed out. "Bringing as many men as possible would be wise, you cannot trust them," and Robert nodded. Barristan knew that he was fighting a losing battle, if only Lord Stark was here, he would be able to talk sense into the King.

 "Your grace, May I suggest a compromise. The council will be held in three months, we should get there early. If we get there first then we can search the castle for any traps that they may have prepared," Barristan said and surprisingly Varys nodded in agreement.

 "Very well. Grand Maester, send those ravens. Renly," he said turning to his brother who was sitting quietly. "You are still friends with the Tyrell's right?"

 "Yes brother," he said with a smile.

 "Weren't you telling me about their girl? What was her name?"

 "Margaery,"

 "Good. You will marry her. That will secure the Tyrell's to my side. Hoster Tully may not support us and the Reach are the biggest producers of food in the realm. If the dragonspawn do not have food, they cannot feed their armies," Robert said and Barristan was inclined to agree with him.

 "Would you like me to ride for Highgarden?" Renly asked.

 "No, there is no time. At the council, I want you to meet with the Reach Lords, what's the father's name?"

 "Mace, Mace Tyrell,"

 "I remember now. Meet with him and express interest in an alliance between our houses. In fact, write to him now. Give him time to think on the matter. The Reach and the Stormlands border each other, an alliance between our houses will be very powerful,"

 "As you wish," Renly said with a smile.

 "Do not fail me, Renly. If we secure the Tyrell's we will have nearly half the Kingdoms on our side. Ned will support me and his daughter will marry my son. Tywin Lannister will already support us. We already have the Stormlands and the Reach will push us over the top,"

 "I will be able to secure the Reach. What about the other Kingdoms?" Renly asked,

 "The Vale will be loyal to me. Lord Yohn Royce is the warden and I appointed him for that very reason. The Riverlands could go either way, but Ned is married to Catelyn and hopefully they'll be able to convince the Riverlords to support us. Hoster Tully helped us to overthrow the dragons in the first place. The Dornish alone will not be enough,"

 "What about the dragons, your grace?" Ser Jaime asked, speaking for the first time.

 "We have been building scorpions for the last few months. Some of them can be mounted and pulled by horse, we will take them," Robert said immediately and Varys nodded. "We will start mounting them on the city walls as well,"

 "That sounds wise, my King," the spider nodded in agreement. "The Targaryens mean to call this council to intimidate some of the weaker lords with their strength. It is important that you do the same. You will need every man on your side," Robert nodded and Barristan looked at the spider warily. It was not like him to be so eager to contribute to war.

 "Cersei, you will take the children and head back to Casterly Rock. Joffrey will stay with me,"

 "Why should Joffrey stay?"

 "He will stay with me and fight. He is of age and he will be King one day. The other children are too young, they will be safe in Casterly Rock. One of the Kingsguard will accompany you," Robert said firmly. The Queen opened her mouth to speak but Robert interrupted her,

 "War is coming, do not fool yourself. I will not be peacefully abdicating my throne. The children will leave Kings Landing and Joffrey will stay," he said as he glared at Queen Cersei.

 "Your Grace, I have a suggestion," Pycelle stammered. "We should spread rumors about the Targaryens. They have wed brother to sister again which is an abomination. They follow foreign gods and the people should know that,"

 "Pycelle. That might be the first useful thing you have said in 15 years," Robert said as he slowly nodded. "Spider, I want you to get it done. I want all the Lords to start spreading these rumors,"

 "That will be all. Now go. Pycelle and Renly I want you to send your letters immediately. We do not have time to waste,"

 Barristan left the small council and headed back to the White Sword tower. Surprisingly, he had a small smile on his face. He realised that he was eager to meet the Targaryens at this council. Harrenhal was a special location, obviously there was the tourney where Rhaegar crowned his Lady Lyanna as the Queen of love and beauty, but it was also where Aegon the Conqueror showed Harren the Black, the true power of dragons.

 The Targaryens came from Valyria hundreds of years ago and they forged a single realm from the Seven Kingdoms. Barristan knew that they were the true and rightful rulers of Westeros. He had known Prince Viserys when he was younger, and he often reminded him of Aerys in ways that Prince Rhaegar did not. However, Barristan remembered that this Aegon was claiming to be the son of Rhaegar and Lyanna. Barristan was not sure where this boy could have been hiding but he would soon meet him to find out.

 Then there was Daenerys, he had never met Daenerys, she too could be a good Queen. Perhaps, Varys's reports were wrong, Barristan had never trusted the Spider. Perhaps, the Targaryen children were good and if they were, he would serve them. He would finally get to serve a good King.

 It would be his chance at redemption.

The Griffin

Jon Connington stood out on the deck of their ship, the sun was setting but they were nearly at their destination. They had spent several weeks in Dorne, firstly for that damn wedding. Jon could not believe it, he had told him to stay away from the girl but he had completely fallen for her. He had woken up the very next day and found that Duck was not guarding King's door as he was supposed to. A sense of dread washed over him as he walked towards the King's door. He pushed open the door to his room and saw him asleep, his head nestled between Arianne's breasts. He could not scold the King, but he could scold Duck. Apparently, he too had fallen into bed with a Dornish woman.

 The wedding had followed soon after, Doran Martell had been quick to point out that the King had dishonored his daughter and Jon really couldn't argue with him. So, the King had married Princess Arianne in Dorne at Sunspear. They had stayed there for a few more weeks waiting for news from Kings Landing.

 Fortunately, good news seem to have found them in the form of the Targaryens. They had taken Dragonstone and invited all the Lords of the realm to a council. When he heard the news, Jon had been beside himself with glee. This was exactly the distraction they had been looking for. Jon was not foolish enough to believe that the matter of the throne would be resolved peacefully. No, war would soon be upon Westeros and they would be able to fight the weakened victor.

 The Dornish were able to provide 40,000 spears to their cause to go with the 20,000 Golden Company men that they had. It was a decent sized host, more than capable of picking off the remains of whichever side won. Jon was hoping that the Usurper won, it would be much easier to fight against a conventional army than the dragons. Still, Oberyn told him not to worry, they had friends in the Citadel who were willing and able to help in regards to the dragons. The Spider had also reported that the Usurper had called his banners from the Stormlands and ordered them to the capital, leaving behind only a small force to garrison the castles. This had been their sign to strike.

 War would soon break out and there would be no way that the Usurper would split his armies when the Dragons were on his doorstep, at best he would send a small paltry force to clear up any disturbances they caused in the Stormlands and these would be easy pickings for Jon and his forces. Jon knew that nothing motivated an army better than the taste of victory.

 Jon was on the deck of the main ship as they approached Griffin's Roost. He had been eager to take back his home, it was the first step in his redemption. They had decided to make their approach in the middle of the night in order to maintain the element of surprise. He did not know who held the castle now, but he was determined to take it back.

 They had split their forces, the majority of the Dornish forces were sat in the Boneway, waiting for the raven to inform them that it was safe to advance. They did not want to draw attention to themselves by having 40,000 Dornish spears marching through the Stormlands. For now, it would only be the Golden Company and a few Dornishmen, then when war broke out, the rest of the Dornish forces would advance.

 Jon stood on the deck of the main ship, watching the land slowly approach. Soon, they would disembark and begin the final stretch of the journey on foot. They would not be taking any elephants, they were too loud and they were not be able to maneuver in the woods surrounding Griffin's Roost.

 He turned away from the land and went to find Black Balaq, he was in charge of the Golden Company's archers. Before they had left Sunspear, he had told him to put 100 archers on each ship. He knew that the autumn storms could be particularly strong in Shipbreakers bay so he wanted to ensure each ship had archers in case they were separated.

 He found the Summer Islander at the stern of the ship, counting his arrows and preparing for battle. In his youth, Jon had not been a fan of archers, he thought that it was a cowardly way to fight. However, during his time in exile he had begun to appreciate to art. All of Black Balaq's men were seasoned veterans with hundreds of raids, skirmishes and battles under their belt. Black Balaq was one of the few men who had served in the Golden Company before Jon's 'death' and he had been happy to see him when he returned.

 "Black Balaq," he said in greeting.

 "Jon Connington," he said "I take it you have instructions for me?"

 "Yes I do," Jon said as he pulled out a map that he had spent a few days drawing. "Here is the Maester's tower where the rookery is. I want you to bring down every bird that leaves the castle. We do not want them to spread word of our attack," 

 "This, I can do," the summer islander said in his deep voice before walking off to relay the instructions to his men.

 Then, Jon headed below deck to go and find the King. He walked to his door and heard low whispering and giggling from inside. He sighed in frustration and knocked on the door twice. He waited for a few moments but they did not seem to hear him, he banged on the door louder and this time he heard a female voice telling him to enter.

 He entered and saw the two of them in bed together. Aegon had his head in her lap whilst she fed him grapes from a bowl.

 "What is it?" Aegon asked as he looked up at him, he noticed that his smile had turned into a frown.

 "It is time for battle we will be leaving soon,"

 "Will the King not be joining you?" Arianne asked as she fixed him a look.

 "No. We agreed on this earlier. It is too risky," he said firmly.

 "I think the men will be filled with confidence seeing their King fighting alongside them," she said as she slowly massaged his chest. "Their strong and brave King,"

 "My Queen, we did agree on this earlier. I am not going to take part in this fight,"

 "Aegon, I think you should. How will the singers ever sing songs about your bravery if you fight in no battles?"

 Jon noticed that she called him by his name, not his title and this disturbed him. He watched as his King considered her words.

 "Do it, for me," she said and Jon watched as she slowly pushed her finger into his mouth. Aegon slowly nodded.

 "Gerold will accompany you. He's one of the best swordsmen I know, some say even as good as his uncle," she said softly.

 "Jon. See that Ser Gerold and Duck are ready. I will be joining you shortly,"

 Jon held back a frustrated sigh and bowed to his King and went to carry out his orders. He found Ser Gerold and Duck quickly and told them that they would be guarding the King during the battle. He did not like this change of plan, but Ser Gerold was a fine swordsman so the King would be well protected. He saw the men preparing the smaller boats that they would use to ferry the men to the shores of Cape Wrath, Jon was pleased with what he saw. The preparations were moving quickly. A few moments later, the King joined him on the deck and Jon was surprised by the sword that he was strapping to his waist.

 "Your grace, May I see your sword?" he asked and Aegon quickly handed it over. Jon had not seen many swords like this, but he knew that this was Valyrian steel. "Where did you get this?"

 "It was in the chest that Illyrio gave to me in Pentos. Illyrio said that it was a wedding gift, so I opened it on the night of my wedding. There was a note along with the sword that said that the sword is called Truth and explains that Illyrio bought it from a Lyseni nobleman especially for me. When we take back the throne we will repay him for this kindness," he said and Jon nodded slowly, soon it was time to depart.

 They got onto the smaller boats and made their way towards the muddy shores of Cape Wrath. Once they landed, some of the men quickly headed into the tree line to start cutting down trees to form rams and whilst they did that, Jon told the rest of the men his plan.

 Griffin's roost was surrounded on three sides by the surging waters of Shipbreaker bay. The only way to approach was defended by a gatehouse and behind the gatehouse was a long ridge known as the Griffin's throat. Making their way through the Griffin's throat would be difficult as they would be exposed to spears, stones and arrows that the defenders might launch at them. Jon expected to lose over a hundred men taking the castle.

 They only lost four.

 They made their approach in the middle of the night and fortunately the woods surrounding the castle had been allowed to encroach on the field up to the gatehouse. This meant that Ser Franklyn Flowers, a Golden Company general, had been able to lead the men to within a few yards of the castle gates. They emerged from the trees and quickly brought their rams forwards and crashed them into the gate.

 The sound of wood on wood brought some guards to the battlements but they were quickly brought down by arrows from Black Balaq's archers. The gate itself was only closed, not barred shut and this meant that it gave way fairly quickly. They were halfway up the Griffin's throat before someone managed to blow the war horn to awaken the rest of the castle.

 The first raven took flight as their grapnels made contact with the wall but the bird did not make it beyond the castle walls before it was shot down. As the men of the Golden Company ran along the battlements they shouted "A Griffin!" the call of House Connington, which must have thoroughly confused the castle's defenders.

 The whole thing had been over within minutes. Once they reached the castle courtyard, the rest of the castle's defenders had thrown down their weapons. With the resistance over, Griffin's Roost was his again, and Jon Connington was a Lord once more.

 "Ser Franklyn, go through the keep and kitchens and roust everyone you find. Have your men do the same for the rookery, the stables, the armory and the Sept. Try not to kill anyone, it would reflect badly on our King," he said to the general. Jon turned and looked for Haldon.

 "Haldon, head to the rookery. We have messages to send, firstly to Dorne to update Doran Martell on our progress and then to our friend in Kings Landing," he said and Haldon quickly scurried off to complete his instructions. He still disliked Lord Varys but right now, they needed him and his network of spies.

 Jon had been surprised that it was so easy, he did not expect the Usurper to leave the castles this empty. He walked with Harry Strickland through the great hall and he studied the old faded tapestries hanging on the walls, the place had not changed in the slightest in all the long years he had been gone.

 "Didn't you say that there is a secret way out?" Harry asked

 "Below the castle, there is a hidden cove. It's only visible when the tide is out," Jon said. Griffin's roost was small but strong, it would do for now until they received more information.

 "Excuse me, my Lord Father has been buried beneath the Sept and it has been years since I prayed for him," and Harry nodded in acceptance.

 However, instead of heading to the Sept, he headed towards the tallest tower. He had made this trip thousands of times before but only once with Rhaegar Targaryen. Jon remembered that day as if it was yesterday. The prince and his party had been travelling back from Dorne and they had lingered at the castle for a few weeks. At the welcoming feast, he had picked up his silver stringed harp and he had played for them. All the women had wept, but not the men, and certainly not, Jon.

 Jon pushed open the door to the tower and looked out at the view of his lands. He had shown the prince this very same view.

 "Your father's lands are beautiful," the Prince had said.

 "And one day they will all be mine," Jon had said as if these measly lands would impress a prince who would one day inherit all the lands in the realm. Jon let out a sigh of frustration, he had failed Rhaegar, he had failed his silver prince, but he would not fail the son.

 The false prince would be at the council, he would serve as a good distraction for the Usurper while they secured the Stormlands. Jon knew there was a good chance that the false prince would defeat the Baratheon pretender but this in turn would weaken his own forces and make his fall to Rhaegar's true son inevitable. The false prince would be no match for the true King and his sword.

 Jon made his descent to the castle courtyard and saw that all the small folk had finally been rounded up. Doing this in the middle of the night was unfortunate, but they did not have any other choice. Jon knew that the castle had been left to his cousin Ronald Connington. Ronald was likely off at war with the rest of the Storm lords but his brother and his sister were still here. Jon was pleased about that, they would make useful hostages. He had them sent to the west tower where they would be guarded heavily.

 The small folk looked at him warily, only a few of them would have been here before he had been exiled.

 "Some of you will know me. The rest of you will soon learn. I am your rightful lord, returned from exile. My enemies have told you that I had died, as you can see that is false. Serve me as faithfully as you have served my cousin and no harm will come to you,"

 He brought them all forward one by one and had each man kneel and swear their allegiance, it all moved swiftly and no one tried to refute his claim. When he was finished he saw that the King had returned, with the Queen by his side. Jon walked over to them and his King greeted him with a smile.

 "Lord Connington," the King said. "I like your castle," he said with a smile.

 "So do I, although it is rather...small," Arianne said with a sweet smile that Connington did not return. "Although. I hear that there is a bigger castle not too far from here,"

Jon froze, this girl was crazy.

 "You mean to take Storms End?" he asked and she just looked at him with a small smile. "No. That is crazy, that is the seat of House Baratheon,"

 "I know it is. If we take it, we look credible, we look strong," she said firmly.

 "Your father said it would be best if we lie low and wait for the Usurper and the dragons to weaken each other. If we take Storms End, Robert Baratheon would soon be on our doorstep,"

 "Why don't we let Aegon decide?" she said sweetly. Jon looked at the King who was looking between them nervously. His eyes lingered on Arianne for a few moments before shooting Jon an apologetic look.

 "We will ride for Storms End," 

The Dragon Reborn

Jon was out alone on the cliffs of Dragonstone overlooking the narrow sea, the sea was growling and breaking against the rocks below. The sun was just barely poking over the horizon and it was still rather chilly. He had a sleepless night so he went out to get some fresh air to try and to clear his mind. He ran his hand through Ghost's fur as he watched the sun slowly rise.

 The Tyrell's had left a couple of weeks ago and their failure to secure this alliance still hung over them like a dark cloud. It put much more pressure on them to secure allies at the council. They would definitely need the Riverlands now to provide food for their soldiers and that presented a problem. They knew that they would be able to persuade some of the Riverlords, but there was no guarantee that Hoster Tully would come to their side. On top of that, if they took the Riverlands they would have to split their forces to defend it. Tywin Lannister would be in the west, Robert Baratheon in the east and likely the Reach lords in the south.

 It simply would not work.

 He remembered that Lord Stark was married to Catelyn Tully so the North and the Riverlands would likely come together. Could he convince Lord Stark to fight with him? He was not really sure anymore, he was not sure who Lord Stark truly was. Hopefully, he would be able to speak with Robb, he stood a much better chance of getting through to him.

 "What do you think Ghost? Will the North ally with me?" he asked and Ghost just looked at him before running off back towards the castle.

 He sighed in frustration before heading back inside. Ghost was still running ahead of him clearly eager to get back to the castle. He walked past the guards that were on duty and headed back to his chambers in the Stone drum tower. However, Ghost had other ideas, his direwolf ran towards the kitchens and then turned back and looked at him expectantly.

 "They won't have any food, Ghost," he said. Ghost just looked at him patiently before Jon decided to follow him anyway. He walked into the kitchen and saw that some food had actually been cooked. He piled a plate high with sausages and then tossed one high in the air for Ghost to catch which he dutifully did.

 "Impressive," he heard a voice say and he turned to saw Tyrion was sitting on a bench on the far side of the room. "I did not know you were an early riser," he said.

 "I'm not. I couldn't sleep I had a lot on my mind,"

 "The council I presume," he said and Jon nodded. "Well, there is not much use worrying. We still have some time to think about which lords we need to speak to and what terms we will offer. It will be a very emotional meeting with plenty of animosity between both sides, so it is important that we have a plan that we stick to,"

 Jon nodded at the words. "I also had a dream last night. I saw Dany's father, he was with a strange woman with blonde hair. He kept grabbing at her and pulling at her clothes. I didn't see much more before I woke up,"

 Tyrion looked at him with a confused look on his face. "Why are you telling me this?" he asked after a moment.

 "You asked why I was awake and this why. I had this dream and I couldn't get back to sleep. Some of my dreams are weird, they're dragon dreams. Dany has them too. They're usually trying to tell us something, but I don't understand this one. You may find it hard to believe but I witnessed some key moments in history during these dreams. Also, they generally give warning or direction of events which will occur in the future."

 Tyrion nodded slowly in understanding. "I will keep this in mind. Perhaps, the Mad King had a mistress or two, it wouldn't surprise me. Perhaps, that's why your mind gave you that vision. You might end up with two wives,"

 Jon didn't respond, he already had a wife. He did not want another. 

 "Lord Stark is married to Catelyn Tully. If the North does not support you, then we will have to go back to the Reach," Tyrion said. Jon knew that he was right, they would need food for their armies but this just made him feel more nervous for this council meeting. "She's very pretty. Some men are married to ugly women and you could have two of the most beautiful women in the entire realm,"

 "Tyrion, I don't want to talk about this," Jon said in a frustrated voice.

 "I know you don't, but my job is to advise you and I would be a poor advisor if I did not let you know of all the possibilities and the pros and cons of each possibility. You don't have to love Margaery but it would be a marriage with a significant political upside. I know you love the Queen and I know that nothing will come between you," A small part of Jon knew that Tyrion was only being helpful and he was speaking the truth, still he did not want to hear it.

 "There is also another possibility," Tyrion continued and Jon looked at him curiously. "You need the food from the Reach, but you don't actually need the Tyrell's. The Tyrells are an ambitious house and there are likely other ambitious houses in the Reach that would jump at the opportunity to take their place,"

 "Which houses?" Jon said eagerly,

 "That is where it gets more difficult. Olenna Tyrell was born a Redwyne and Mace Tyrell's wife is a Hightower, so if you remove the Tyrell's, you immediately lose the support of three of the most powerful Reach lords. The Florents could be an option but they might not be a house you could trust, after all, we still haven't found Selyse Baratheon. You would not know if they would want to enact revenge. Your best bet to replace them would be another noble house such as the Rowans or the Tarlys. Personally, House Tarly would be the best choice since we would gain the support of Randyll Tarly who is known as great military commander in Westeros. Not to mention, he was the only man who was able to defeat Robert Baratheon during the rebellion." Tyrion said and Jon nodded, thankful for his advice. Jon was impressed with his solution.

 "Are you excited to meet your family again?" Jon asked deciding to change the subject.

 "In a way. It will be interesting to see what my father has to say to me, and unlike you. I don't have to be nice to form an alliance," he said with a wicked smile. Jon smiled to himself, at least he had nothing to worry about.

 "What about your siblings? I presume the Queen will be there. " and Tyrion snorted.

 "I doubt she'd be there. She holds no real power,"

 "Ser Jaime?" and he heard Tyrion sigh.

 "Perhaps. He is a knight of the Kingsguard after all," Tyrion said with a pained look on his face and Jon realised that he did not want to talk about his brother so he stood up to leave.

 "Do you know why he killed his King?"

 Jon paused for a moment.

 "No, but in my dragon dreams I saw the event and my dream dragon nodded his head in approval, so I assume that Ser Jaime had a good reason," Tyrion looked surprised at this statement.

 "Well it seems your visions are indeed accurate. He did have a good reason" and so Tyrion proceeded to tell him the truth and reasons behind Ser Jaime's actions on that fateful day.

 Jon had assumed that Ser Jaime was justified in his act due to his visions but upon learning the complete truth, Jon could not help but feel grateful towards the knight who spared his grandfather and their family from being stained with an act that would have haunted their image and future descendants for centuries. Perhaps, Ser Jaime truly deserved a chance to redeem himself in the eyes of the realm and his family.

 Jon assured Tyrion that he would share the truth with Dany and take Ser Jaime's actions into account when the time came to face him. Jon also suggested to Tyrion that he should share the story with Rhaegar himself later today when he and Dany left for a surprise trip. Tyrion nodded in acceptance. Now, that his curiosity towards Ser Jaime was satisfied, Jon wanted to learn about his family's greatest enemy.

 "Tell me about your father. I want to hear it from you the good and the bad,"

 "There isn't much good to tell you," Tyrion said bitterly.

 "Really? Even when you were a child?"

 "My father hated me since the day that I was born, he thought I was sent by the Gods to humble him. He hated me because I was a dwarf, he thought that I was unworthy to carry the Lannister name. My sister blames me for killing our mother when I was born and she has hated me ever since. The only person in my family to treat me with any sort of kindness was Jaime, but even that had its limits. He chose to save himself instead of trying to help me," he answered.

 Jon nodded slowly, Tyrion had told them this before. Growing up as a bastard in Winterfell, he knew exactly what it felt like to be feel like an outsider despite being surrounded by family.

 "Did you know that I was married once?" and Jon shook his head.

 "Tysha, she was my first love. She was a crofter's daughter that we just happened upon. We saw her surrounded by a group of men. Jaime ran the men off whilst I took her to a local inn. I cared for her and we got married that same night with only pigs for witnesses. It was the happiest time of my life,"

 Jon could tell by the way that he was talking that she was dead, and the memory sounded painful.

 "Tyrion, you don't have to tell me this," Jon said. He could tell that this topic upset Tyrion and it was beginning to make him feel uneasy.

 "You wanted to know the good and the bad. This is the bad. This is the very worst. Do you know what happened to Tysha?"

 Jon shook his head and swallowed nervously.

 "My father found out that we were married and then he had his guardsmen bring us all back to Casterly Rock. He told me that she was a whore that he had Jaime hire to turn me into a man. To prove his point, he had every guardsmen in the barracks rape her and pay her a silver piece when they were finished. Then he made me go last and he made me pay a gold piece because Lannisters were worth more,"

 Jon was stunned, he didn't know what to say. What could he say? Nothing in his life compared to this.

 "Do you know what the worst part is?" Jon didn't answer. He couldn't imagine how this could get worse

 "She actually loved me, she was actually a crofter's daughter. She wasn't a whore. Jaime knew but he too stayed silent and helped to cement my father's lie. Then years later, I discovered the truth along with my family's plot to murder me, as I heard their plotting through a hidden alcove with Varys's help. Jaime barged in on their meeting demanding they abandon such plans but when my father threatened to send him to the wall, my brother went silent and consented to silently stand by as I was murdered. He was the only person who I thought truly cared for me and he chose to let me die rather than stand up to our father," and Tyrion's voice cracked at the end.

 Jon was stunned. He looked at Tyrion who was staring at the floor.

 "Tyrion I'm sorry. You didn't deserve that, no one deserves that," he said after a few moments.

 "It's not your fault, you don't need to apologize. You wanted to know about my father and that is the worst of the worst,"

 Jon was quiet for a few moments. "I am sorry that your family treated you like this. Nothing that I can say will ever bring Tysha back but we will bring your father to justice. For what he did to you and for what he did to my family,"

 Tyrion didn't say anything in response and Jon realised that he probably wanted to be left alone. So, he picked up the plate of sausages and made his way back to his chambers. As he walked back to his chambers he thought on what Tyrion had said. What Lord Tywin had done to Tyrion was unbelievably cruel and what was worse, was that Tyrion's own brother had played a part in it. He could never do something like this to Robb, or Bran or Rickon. He had heard about the brutal sack of Kings Landing and what he did to the Reynes and the Tarbecks, but he had no idea that Tywin Lannister could act so cruel towards his own family.

 He pushed open the door to their chambers and found Daenerys asleep in the middle of the bed. She had half the covers strewn off her body and he could see that she was sleeping peacefully.

 He walked outside onto their balcony and put the plate down for Ghost before heading back inside. He slowly climbed into bed and was surprised when Daenerys immediately snuggled into him and draped her arm over his chest.

 "I thought you were asleep," he said softly,

 "I sleep very lightly now. If Daeron wakes up I need to be there for him," she said. "Where did you go?"

 "I had a dream and then I couldn't go back to sleep so I went outside to get some fresh air to try and clear my mind," she looked up at him and Jon looked into her lovely lilac eyes.

 "What was the dream about?" she asked, she sounded concerned.

 "I dreamt of your father, he was with a woman with blond hair," he said softly.

 "Oh," was all she said as she looked downwards again.

 "I'm sure it was nothing," he said quickly. "I also saw Tyrion and we talked about Ser Jaime, particularly his decision to kill your father. He told me the truth behind Ser Jaime's actions and I found them completely valid."

 So, he narrated the entire story to her who could not help but share Jon's opinion on the matter and agreed to offer a second chance to misfortunate knight.

 "We also talked about preparing a strategy while dealing with potential allies"

 "Ok. We will speak to him about it today," she said as she moved to get up.

"No, no, no, relax my love. The day has not even started. We can discuss strategy another time," he said as he held her tightly to his chest.

 "I know, I just want to do something. We've been stuck on this island ever since the Tyrell's left and that was weeks ago,"

 Jon nodded, she had been particularly restless these last few weeks. She spent a lot of her time either with Daeron or out flying Anogar over the bay when he was asleep. He guessed that the failure to secure the Tyrell's was weighing heavily on her.

 "You're still thinking about their terms," it wasn't a question, they both knew she was.

 "How could I not? Perhaps in another life, Margaery and I could have been friends, perhaps we could still be friends but I'm not sure I can do this. I'm not sure I could share you with someone else. If I could maybe we would have allies right now,"

 "Dany stop, don't blame yourself. It won't come to that. We will find a way. If we have the North, then we will get the Riverlands and then we won't need the Reach. " he said with more confidence than he felt.

 "Jon you know that the North is not a guarantee. You have said it yourself, Sansa is still betrothed to Prince Joffrey, and it seems that Lord Stark and the Usurper are still on the same side. We need allies, you know we can't win the throne using only violence. If we don't get the North then we will have to -"

 But Jon interrupted her with a kiss. He pressed his lips to hers and tried to convey all the love he felt in his heart for her.

 "Don't worry about the Tyrell's I have a plan," he said to her. Dany looked at him slowly before she quickly looked away. Jon was about to open his mouth to say something but she pressed a finger to his lips.

 "Daeron," she said before quickly getting off the bed and heading into the nursery. She returned a few moments later clutching Daeron to her chest. Dany was singing to him softly and then she climbed into bed and began to feed him, Jon pushed himself up onto the bed and pulled her into his arms so that she was resting against his chest. He smiled to himself, everything was perfect.

 "Good morning, sweetling," Dany said happily once Daeron was finished. Jon loved the way her eyes lit up with happiness as she looked at their son. Daeron was happily kicking his feet as she held him up.

 "He's ready to walk," Jon said and Dany laughed.

 "Walk? Jon please. He's not even a year old and he can barely crawl,"

 "He can crawl plenty," he said adamantly. He knew Daeron was still young but he was sure that he could crawl and perhaps walk. He remembered that Rickon had started to walk much younger than Maester Luwin expected and perhaps Daeron would do the same.

 "Not very far. Move all the way across the bed," she said and Jon quickly obeyed.

 "Now, Daeron my sweet prince, crawl to papa," she said softly as put their son on the bed in between them. Their bed was huge, big enough to fit six or seven people. Jon looked at Daeron who was still lying flat on his stomach.

 "Come on," he said softly as held his arms out. Dany whispered words of encouragements and gave him a gentle push. Daeron smiled and reached out to grab the sheets with his chubby hands to try and pull himself along. This went on for a few seconds and Jon watched with a smile as Daeron slowly but surely made his way across the bed towards him.

 "See!" he said triumphantly as he scooped up their son. "Crawling is easy for him," and he lifted him high into the air. Daenerys laughed before she made her way over to him.

 "I still think he's too young to walk but soon I think," she said softly as she rest her head on his shoulder. Jon pulled Daeron closer and gave him a quick kiss on his nose.

 "I think you're right. I think he does have purple flecks in his eyes," he said as he paid closer attention to Daeron's eyes.

 "Of course I'm right," she said as she reached out her arms. "Let's do something together today. How about we take some food and we spend the day in Aegon's Garden. Just the three of us,"

 Jon smiled at her. "Sure. That sounds perfect my love,"

 Daenerys then held onto Daeron and got out of bed. They bathed together before getting dressed and heading out to Aegon's garden. Daenerys carried Daeron whilst Jon carried a basket containing their breakfast.

 Aegon's garden sat on the eastern cliffs hidden away from prying eyes by the numerous twists and turns of the castle. To find it, you had to head away from the Stone drum tower and under the dragon's tail. They walked through the black dragonstone archways and entered the garden. The garden had a pleasant piney smell to it, he saw familiar Westerosi plants mingling with the exotic plants from Essos. There was a flower bed made up of smaller blue flowers ringed by a circle of taller white ones. There were tall trees surrounding the garden, protecting those inside from the outside world. There were wild roses and towering thorny hedges.

 "This place is beautiful" Dany said quietly as they walked through it.

 "Aye. It reminds me of the glass gardens in Winterfell. It enables them to grow food even in the coldest part of winter. One day, I'll take you there," he said with a smile.

 They settled on a patch of grass and Jon laid out the blanket and put their breakfast on it. They had a loaf of warm, fresh bread and a plate of sausages. The cooks had also given him a small bowl of cranberries for them to eat as well. They ate together and they watched the sun slowly make its way across the sky. The sea breeze was gentle and felt pleasant on his skin.

 "Daeron," Dany said in a warning tone, Jon turned to look at him and saw that Daeron had his hand in the bowl of cranberries. Daeron just looked at his mother with an innocent look on his face before she eventually relented and gave him a cranberry. Jon smiled and looked out over the narrow sea. The dragons were awake and he saw Anogar and Vedros fly away to hunt. However, as usual, Caraxes was flying nearby watching over Daeron.

 They played with Daeron after they ate. Jon was convinced that he was ready to walk and so he spent time trying to get him to take his first steps. With his help, Daeron was able to stand, albeit unsteadily. Jon would let go of his tiny hands and he would wobble for a few seconds before falling onto the soft grass. Dany would give him words of encouragement but it seemed that she was right, Daeron was not quite ready to walk.

 "There are ships approaching," Dany said quietly as she pointed towards the water. Jon saw ships with black sails approaching but they were far enough away that he could not see their sigil properly. "Probably lords coming to swear fealty to us,"

 "We better head back," he said and she nodded. He noticed that the earlier happiness on her face was gone. The weight and pressure of getting these alliances seemed to be weighing down on her.

 "Daenerys, do not worry about allies, they will join us. Do not worry," he said as they walked back to the castle. He gave her squeezed her hand reassuringly and he was rewarded with a small hint of a smile. They headed back to their chamber in the Stone drum tower and they prepared themselves to meet the Lords. Doreah and Irri took Daeron whilst they headed down to the throne room to await the Lords. He looked towards Daenerys and gestured for her to take her seat on the throne.

 Rhaegar and Marwyn entered the throne room together and stood to one side on the dais. A few minutes later, Tyrion and Missandei entered with their guests in tow. Jon was confused, none of them looked like lords.

 "You stand in the presence of King Aegon and Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen. the Breakers of chains, 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. Jon looked at the small group and waited for their leader to step forward. Surprisingly, it was the woman who seemed to be dressed in man's clothing.

 "I am Asha of House Greyjoy. Oldest child of Balon Greyjoy. Lord of the Iron Islands,"

 "Lady Asha. We thank you for journeying to see us. I take it you are here to swear fealty to your rightful King and Queen?" Daenerys called out from the throne.

 "Opinions differ on whether I am a lady, but aye, I am here to swear fealty,"

 "What of your father?" Jon asked. "Does he know that you are here? After all, Theon is still a hostage at Winterfell. If you swear fealty to us, does that not put this own son and heir in jeopardy?"

 "My father does not know that I am here. He intends to ally with King Robert and use this alliance to get Theon back,"

 "Why do you mean to oppose him?" Tyrion asked. "Surely you should be happy to get your brother back,"

 "As you may know, my father is a fool. He started a rebellion to overthrow the iron throne but he had no allies and so his rebellion was crushed. After Theon was taken away to Winterfell, I was his only remaining child. We worked together side by side for years and eventually, he named me his heir. However, we did not always agree, my father wanted a return to the old way and I urged him not to. A return to the Old way would only lead to more defeat and embarrassment. I told him that the Iron Islands needed to forget the old way and move forwards to keep up with the other kingdoms but he never agreed. Perhaps, it was this constant disagreement that has led to his decision to try and get Theon back to name him as his heir once again,"

 "What is the old way?" Daenerys asked and Yara gave a grim smile before answering,

 "The old way is the ancient tradition of reaving and plundering. In the old way, we do not trade, we take things by force. It is called paying the Iron Price. Before Aegon the Conqueror came, our ancestors would conduct lightning raids along the coast of Westeros, taking away women and plunder. Aegon the Conqueror stopped the old way, but my father has been eager to bring it back. To carve himself a special place in history,"

 He looked at Daenerys who was considering those words.

 "If you ally with us. We will put you in charge of the Iron Islands and we are entrusting you to ensure the Old Way does not return. There will be no reaving, raiding or raping," she said and Asha nodded.

 "How many ships do you have?"

 "Under my command I currently have 30 Longships,"

 "How many of the Lords will support your claim?"

 "Quite a few, there will be a very small amount of resistance if any to the idea of me ruling the Isles. The lords know of my skill and ability, plus they are weary to follow my father ever since they were crushed by Robert Baratheon. Theon has not lived on the Iron Islands since he was a boy, he probably doesn't even remember me. Many of the Ironborn think of him as a greenlander now and not a true Ironborn. My uncle Victarion commands the Iron Fleet but he has no desire for power, he is a follower, a warrior and he loves battle, not ruling. He will likely follow whatever direction my father tells him. My only real competition would be my Uncle Euron, but he has been exiled for years,"

 Jon shared a look at Dany and they exchanged a small smile.

 "Euron Greyjoy will not oppose your claim," Jon said firmly.

 "What makes you so sure?"

 "I killed him," Dany said and Asha looked at her with a surprised look before slowly smiling and nodding her head, seemingly in thanks.

 "You have done the world a favor by getting rid of the Crow's Eye," she said with a smile. "I would love to hear the story one day,"

 "You shall hear it but not today. I am sure that you have heard of the council?" and Asha nodded. "Good. You will be attending the council with us. We need you to secure the loyalty of as many of the Ironborn as you can,"

 "As you command your grace," she said with a smile.

 "Very well, Lady Asha. It seems that we have an agreement. Have the Iron Islands ever been ruled by a woman before?" Jon asked.

 "No more than Westeros, but it seems that times are changing,"

 "Thank you for coming to see us. We will have rooms prepared for you and hot meals sent to them. Although, we will all have to depart for the council soon. Within the next few days really," Daenerys told her.

 "Of course, your graces," Asha said with a bow before she turned to leave the hall. Once she left, Daenerys turned to him and smiled happily, she had that look in his eye. "Come on, let's head upstairs,"

 "Sister, I think we should have a small council meeting first," Rhaegar said quickly, Jon agreed and eventually, so did Daenerys. They made their way through the castle and up to the chamber of the painted table. Jon sat next to Daenerys and they waited for the room to fill. Tyrion, Rhaegar, Marwyn, Greyworm, Ser Jorah and Missandei were all present. Once it was filled, it was his father who spoke first.

 "We have received a raven from the Night's Watch. The Lord Commander Alliser Thorne says that they need urgent aid to deal with the threat of the Wildlings beyond the wall,"

"Wildlings?" Jon asked immediately and Rhaegar nodded. Jon had heard that small groups of Wildlings would somehow get past the wall and raid some of the northern towns and villages.

 "Yes, Wildlings. The Lord Commander says that the Night's watch went on a great ranging where they were attacked by a horde of Wildlings and that any aid that we can send would be helpful,"

 "Don't they have the wall to protect them?" Daenerys asked and Jon nodded.

 "They do, but small groups of Wildlings have been known to get past the wall and raid,"

 "Your graces, how do you wish to proceed?" Marwyn asked.

 Jon was silent for a moment. They were about to begin their war for Westeros and they could not afford to split their forces, especially without knowing how many allies they would have,"

 "You could send the sellswords. Daario and Brown Ben Plumm could take their forces North to man the wall," Jorah suggested.

 "I do not trust them to carry out our instructions. They would sooner sail back to Essos than they would stay on the wall and help," Jon said quickly and Dany agreed.

 "Marwyn and I could go. Maester Aemon is there and we are both old acquaintances with him. It would be nice to see him again," Rhaegar said.

 "No. We need you to stay here to attend the council with us and for the war that will likely follow. Then when the war is over and we have won, we can see what is happening in the North," Jon said firmly. When Rhaegar had first told them that Maester Aemon was their great uncle, they had both wanted to go to the wall to see him, however they realised they never had the time. They still didn't have the time.

 "Your grace, you are also supposed to protect the realm," Rhaegar pointed out.

 "I know, but we can't divide all of our forces like this. Lord Stark had told me that in the past, the North would often send troops to support the Night's watch in times like this. House Stark and House Umber would often work together to defeat these so called King's-beyond-the-wall. They will have to do the same again," Jon said firmly. Jon also realised that this could be a blessing in disguise, if the North was distracted, perhaps they would stay neutral.

 "Marwyn, you can go. Take a ship and head to the wall and send reports back to us detailing what you find. If the situation is desperate. We will send more troops and bring our dragons if necessary. I agree with Jon, we need to prioritize our own war. We can't separate our forces," Daenerys said. Marwyn nodded, bowed and then left, likely to prepare himself to leave.

 "We should also start preparations to leave for the council," Dany said. "Daeron will stay here with Irri and Doreah. Missandei and Jhiqui will come accompany me,"

 "I will also leave Caraxes," Rhaegar said and Dany looked at him with a confused look. "Caraxes loves your son and I know the more protection around him, the more you will relax," he said with a pointed look towards Dany who reluctantly seemed to agree.

 "I think it would send a better message if all three of us came with our dragons,"

 "Dany dearest, we have been over this. The two of you will rule. I will only be helping. It only took one dragon to raze Harrenhall, two will still be very impressive," he said with a smile.

 Jon looked at Daenerys for a moment and he gave her a quick look and she nodded.

 "Tyrion. We have something for you," Daenerys said lightly as she stood up and went to a cupboard near the back of the room.

 "What is it?" he asked nervously as his eyes flicked back and forth between them.

 "After the meeting with the Tyrell's we came to a realization," Jon began,

 "We are missing a member for our small council," Dany continued.

 "We are missing a Hand," Jon said as Dany unwrapped the special pin they had crafted.

 "Your graces. You can't name me hand. What if you need to offer that position to another House to win them to your side?"

 "We are dragons," Daenerys said firmly. "There will be plenty of people eager to join our small council. We want you to be our Hand. Your knowledge of Westeros, its houses and your political acumen is invaluable and you have proved your worth to us. We can think of no other person better suited for this office,"

 She passed the pin to Jon and he walked over towards him. He smiled and slowly crouched down.

 "Tyrion Lannister. We name you as our Hand," he said as he pinned the pin onto his clothes. He stepped back and everyone in the room started for the clap for him. Jon looked a Tyrion who smiled at him.

 "Thank you both, this really means a lot. I wish I had a sword to lay at your feet but sadly I don't won one," he said quietly once the applause had died down.

 "We need your wits and loyalty, we already have plenty of swords." Jon answered.

 "Then I pledge them to you and will strive to prove myself worthy of your trust." Tyrion replied solemnly.

 Jon looked down at the map to where Harrenhall was. It sat in the center of Westeros, near the Gods Eye.

 "Father, could you do me a favour?" he asked and Rhaegar nodded. "Could you look after Daeron for the rest of the day and for a bit of tomorrow?" he asked and Rhaegar looked at him curiously before nodding. Rhaegar looked at the map and then back at Jon and then he gave him a wide smile.

 "Daeron and I will have a grand time. You two have fun,"

 "Jon. What are you planning?" Dany asked curiously but Jon just gave her a sly smile.

 "I have a surprise for you," he said and he could see that she wanted to protest but she kept quiet. Jon left the chamber of the painted table and went down the hallway to their room. He turned and saw a bag on the bed containing some clothes that Missandei had prepared for them.

 "Jon, did you pack my clothes?"

 "No, Missandei packed them earlier. She'll help father with Daeron while we're gone,"

 "So you're conspiring with my handmaidens?" she asked and Jon gave her a cheeky grin.

 He then grabbed her hand and led her away through the castle. He stopped briefly at the kitchens to pack some more food before he led her outside to the cliffs outside Dragonstone. He grabbed her by the hand and took her down to the beach where Vedros slept and he closed his eyes. When he opened them, Vedros landed in front of him and thankfully, Anogar soon followed her.

 She looked at him with a confused look on her face and he quickly gave her a kiss.

 "Follow us," he said with a smile. She rolled her eyes at him before heading over to Anogar and did as he said. He climbed onto Vedros and then they took off into the cloudy afternoon sky. He turned and looked behind and he saw Anogar following them. He smiled to himself and led them away.

The Silver Prince

It was late in the afternoon and Rhaegar Targaryen was walking outside the castle of Dragonstone. He and Missandei were looking after Daeron and they decided to take him for outside for some sunshine and fresh air. Daeron was resting his little head on Rhaegar's shoulder as he rubbed Daeron's back gently to soothe his fussing.

 "We should take him back inside," Missandei said. "It gets cold in the evenings and we don't want him to get sick"

 Rhaegar nodded in agreement and began to lead them back towards the castle. As they walked a large shadow passed overhead and Rhaegar looked up to see Caraxes was flying low overhead. The cream and gold dragon flew lower and lower before he landed gently in front of them, blocking their path. Rhaegar looked at his dragon curiously and tried to get him to move by using his mind but Caraxes stayed fixed in his place.

 "Caraxes, we'd like to get inside. We don't want the little prince to get cold," but his dragon just gave a small grunt. Rhaegar stared into his golden eyes at a loss for what to do. However, it seemed like the Prince had other ideas and he started to squirm and cry in his arms.

 "Do you want me to put you down?" Rhaegar asked him as he put him on the ground but that didn't seem to calm the Prince.

 "Perhaps, he's hungry," Missandei suggested. Rhaegar was about to answer but Caraxes made a low whining noise before slowly making his way towards the Prince. Missandei shot out to grab him and she quickly scooped Daeron up in her arms. However this action only caused Daeron to cry even louder, suddenly Rhaegar understood.

 "Give him to me. I think I know what he wants," he said as he held his arms out. Once Missandei passed Daeron to him, he slowly walked forward towards Caraxes. As he walked closer, he noticed that Daeron began to stop crying. Once he was a few steps away, he watched as Daeron held out one of his tiny yet chubby hands to touch Caraxes's snout.

 Once Daeron's hand touched the snout, Caraxes made an unusual sound, almost like the purr of a cat and when Daeron heard this he started to giggle. This interaction continued for a few moments before Caraxes seemingly got what he came for and then he took off with a loud flap of his wings.

 "How did you know that would happen?" Missandei asked.

 "I didn't. I just had a feeling," he said as they entered the main doors to the castle. "I must say that I am confused. A dragon can only have one rider and I have already ridden Caraxes. I'm not sure why Caraxes is so interested in Daeron. Jon and Daenerys have told me that Vedros and Anogar only acknowledge Daeron whilst Caraxes seems to be guarding him,"

 "Perhaps because these dragons were born in Valyria they are different and are able to have multiple riders?" Missandei asked.

 "Perhaps," Rhaegar said although he was not really sure. He would have to read the books from Valyria again later.

 "Do you want to ride my dragon," he asked Daeron as he held him up. "Do you want to ride Caraxes, my prince?" he asked as he kissed him lightly on his head.

 "Wait your turn sweet prince," he said as they reached the small hall where Daeron usually played. "One day I will pass and then Caraxes will be yours," he placed Daeron on the carpet in the room and handed him a few toys. Rhaegar had found these toys in a cabinet in the nursery, he had brought them to Dragonstone many years ago for Rhaenys and Aegon.

 "How long do Dragons live for?" Missandei asked.

 "They live much longer than us men. Balerion the Black Dread lived for nearly 200 years. Perhaps these dragons will live even longer,"

 "Dragons lay eggs, do they not?" she asked.

 "Yes they do. We have a book about it actually. Marwyn was studying it so I haven't had a chance to read it yet,"

 They sat in a comfortable silence as they watched Daeron play with his toys.

 "He's a sweet little boy, isn't he," Missandei said as they watched him.

 "Yes, he is. He reminds me of my own children," Rhaegar said sadly. In truth, he had only gotten to watch Rhaenys grow. Aegon had been murdered when he was only a babe and he had no idea that Jon was even alive until they met in Pentos.

 "You must be so proud of them," Missandei said after a moment.

 "Of who?"

 "The King and Queen,"

 "Of course. I truly believe in them. They will be good rulers to this land, the type Westeros needs in the coming years," Rhaegar said. The door to the hall opened and Tyrion walked in.

 "Mind if I join you?" he asked and Rhaegar quickly nodded. Tyrion crossed over and sat at the table with them.

 "It seems that the prince hasn't noticed me. He usually starts to fuss as soon as I get anywhere near him,"

 Rhaegar laughed at that.

 "He's probably gotten used to you by now. Although, we can test this theory," he said as he scooped Daeron up from the floor. Rhaegar lifted him high in the air and Daeron began to laugh and babble with happiness.

 "Come on, let's go by Tyrion," he said as he kissed him softly. Tyrion was looking at the babe nervously as Rhaegar walked over to him. Tyrion held his arms out and Rhaegar gently passed Daeron to him.

 "Now Daeron. No crying," he firmly told the babe. He was not sure if he heard him because Daeron was just staring at Tyrion intensely, almost as if he was unsure of what to do. Rhaegar watched patiently as Tyrion held him. Slowly but surely Tyrion began to relax and he held Daeron more comfortably instead of at arm's length.

 "No don't cry," he heard Tyrion say frantically as Daeron began to scrunch up his face. "We were doing so well," Rhaegar laughed and then held his arms out and Tyrion quickly passed him over. Rhaegar rocked him for a few moments before he settled down again.

 "Are you tired?" Rhaegar asked him as he rocked him. "I think you're tired that's all,"

 "I think it's time for his nap," Missandei said. "I can take him upstairs to put him down if you like,"

 "That would be nice," Rhaegar said as he handed Daeron over.

 "The council is in a few weeks," Tyrion said. "Who are you most looking forward to seeing?"

 "None of them," Rhaegar said immediately and this was the truth.

 "Okay, which ones do you least want to see?" Tyrion said with a small laugh. Rhaegar thought on this for a moment.

 "It's close between your father and Robert Baratheon," Rhaegar said after a moment. "Robert took my family's throne and your father murdered Elia and my children. Probably your father,"

 Tyrion nodded slowly. "I expected that. You forgot to mention my brother,"

 "I did not forget Ser Jaime Lannister. I trusted him with the protection of my wife and children and he betrayed me, but I have no doubt that it was Lord Tywin who gave the orders," Rhaegar said bitterly.

 "Do you know why my brother killed your father?"

 "I assume that Lord Tywin commanded him to do so," Rhaegar said bitterly.

 "No. That's not it," Tyrion said and Rhaegar looked at him suspiciously.

 "Do you know what Wildfire is?"

 Rhaegar nodded quickly. Everyone in his family knew about wildfire. Especially after prince Aerion Targaryen death when he drank a cup of it, with the foolish hope of transforming into a dragon. Not to mention the Tragedy at Summerhall where he was born. His father had an unhealthy fascination with the substance. During the latter years of his reign, the court had been filled with pyromancers willing to meet need his needs.

 "After the Battle of the Bells, the rebellion became very serious. Your father had given the order for caches of wildfire to be placed underneath the city. Under the Sept of Baelor, the cellars of the Red Keep, the stables and so on. After your defeat at the Trident, Jaime said your father became even more paranoid. He began seeing traitors everywhere. Eventually my father arrived outside the city gates, claiming that he would protect the city. Of course, that was a lie and we all know how that turned out. My father's army began to brutally sack the city and that is when your father gave the order to light the wildfire caches,"

 "He meant to burn down the city," Rhaegar said horrified

 "Yes. He meant to have the greatest funeral pyre of all. Jaime told me that he said let Robert be the king of ashes and charred bones," Tyrion said quietly. Rhaegar ran his hair through his hands. He knew that his father was mad but he never imagined him committing such a horrible act.

 "I should have stopped him. I tried to stop him,"

 "How. You were his son, you couldn't overrule him,"

 "I meant to call a council of lords to overthrow him," Rhaegar told him. "It would have been at that Tourney at Harrenhal, believe it or not."

 "Really? What happened? Why didn't you call it?"

 "From my conversations with Lyanna, I learned that the lords were not only planning to overthrow my father but replace my family's dynasty as well. Lord Rickard Stark, Lord Tully, Lord Arryn all stood to gain more by having Robert Baratheon on the throne instead of me. If I had called a council they would have probably exposed me to my father which would have resulted in my death and further weaken the already fragile position of our house in the realm,"

 "I don't understand," Tyrion said.

 "Robert Baratheon was betrothed to Lyanna Stark. Remember, Robert was the closest kin to House Targaryen and in the event of our house's extinction, he would be the lawful heir. If Robert gained the throne, then it would mean that Lyanna would become Queen which would please Lord Rickard whose grandchildren would one day rule the Seven Kingdoms."

 "Brandon Stark was going to marry Catelyn Tully and this meant that Hoster Tully would be not only be able to have greater influence in the court due to his daughter being good sister to the Queen but also his own grandchildren would one day rule the North."

 "Lord Rickard brought Jon Arryn into his plans by fostering Ned Stark with Robert Baratheon in the Eyrie, Jon Arryn was a father figure to Robert Baratheon and he would have been the most logical choice for Hand of the King."

 "So, as you can see all these lords stood to gain a lot more by supporting Robert instead of me for King. I was already married to Elia and would have filled the court with my own people,"

 "I did not know that. That makes a great deal of sense. Although, I am surprised that my father did not try to get in on this conspiracy," Tyrion said after a moment.

 "He did. When his scheme to wed me and your sister failed, he started to reach out to other lords to create powerful alliances. I heard rumors that he tried to betroth Jaime to Lysa Tully," Rhaegar said and Tyrion slowly nodded.

 "Does hearing about your father's heinous actions change how you feel about my brother?" Tyrion asked after a few moments.

 Rhaegar thought long and hard on this. If what Tyrion said was true, and he was inclined to believe that his father was more than capable of attempting such a horrid act, then Jaime Lannister had saved an entire city and countless lives, but he had also allowed his own father's dogs to brutally murder Elia and their children.

 "Why didn't he tell anyone the truth?" Rhaegar asked,

 "He said that when Lord Stark found him, he had already judged him guilty and nothing would have changed his mind. Also, my brother had his Lannister pride and was not about to beg before the Wolf and Stag for forgiveness for an act that they both wanted to perform themselves."

 Rhaegar nodded slowly.

 "I asked Lord Stark to meet with me, the night before the Battle of the Trident. I wanted to tell him the truth about his sister but he did not show up. For years, I have wondered why he wouldn't even give me a chance to explain myself. How could he refuse my attempt at a parley that would have saved the thousands of lives who would perish in battle? But now, I think I know understand. He had already judged me guilty, just like he did with your brother,"

 "Your family planned to kill you," Rhaegar said after a few moments "Are you ready to see them again?"

 "Yes," Tyrion said immediately. "My father and my sister hate me and they were the ones who came up with the plot. They did not tell Jamie, he was not part of it,"

 "So you're on good terms with your brother?" he asked and he heard Tyrion give out a sigh before reaching for his wine.

 "Jaime was not part of the plan, but he did not try and save me either when he discovered the plot. My father threatened him. If Jaime tried to save me, he would have him sent to the wall,"

 "Impossible. Your brother is part of the Kingsguard, they serve for life. Lord Tywin is a powerful man but he has no authority over the Kingsguard," Rhaegar said immediately.

 "Yes, but the crown is heavily indebted to my father and he said that he would wipe that debt in return for that particular favor,"

 Rhaegar looked at him skeptically,

 "He was bluffing, I remember the way he used to talk about his golden twins, and he even resigned as Hand of the King once Jaime was appointed to the Kingsguard. He was furious about losing his heir. Your father always wanted Jaime to take his place as next Lord of Casterly Rock. Most certainly, he would cashed in that favor to have Jaime released from the Kingsguard vows rather than send him to wall,"

 "Exactly, you know that he was bluffing. I know that he was bluffing, but Jaime didn't. He was never good at using his brain and wits, he always preferred to solve his problems with his sword," Tyrion said with a loud sigh. "The one time Jaime needed to use his brain and think, he didn't,"

 Rhaegar was quiet for a moment as he regarded Tyrion.

 "I don't think you hate him," he said quietly. "I think you hate the fact that he didn't save you. I think this failure hurt you the most and so you're turning that hurt into anger,"

 "With all due respect, this isn't the whole story. There is plenty more bad blood between me and my family," Tyrion muttered as he took another sip. "But that is a story for another day. I already told your son a part of it this morning and I have no desire to retell that tale," he said as he stood up to leave.

 "Don't drink too much Tyrion, we still need you sober," Rhaegar said as he left. Once Tyrion was gone, Rhaegar stood and slowly paced the room. What he had learned about his father had horrified him and it only made him realise how much he had failed by not doing more to stop him. He was a prince and one day, those would have been his people, yet he had been oblivious to his father's evil schemes. He would have to speak to Jaime to find out the truth about the sack. Jaime had saved an entire city and Rhaegar could not believe that he would have willingly let those men murder his family.

 His thoughts then turned to Lord Stark. He was still immensely grateful towards him for the way that he had raised Jon. He could not have asked for a better son. However, Rhaegar would have to meet him to find out what type of man he truly was. He still had not forgotten what Jon had told him about the disgusting way Lady Catelyn had treated him and most importantly, he still had not forgotten the fact that Ned had rejected his request for a meeting the night before the Trident. Perhaps if he had, then they would not be in this situation today.

 He sighed in frustration and decided to head upstairs to check on Daeron. He would clear the air with Lord Stark at the council.

The Mother of Dragons

Daenerys and Anogar followed Jon and Vedros as they led them away from Dragonstone. It was mid-afternoon and the skies were cloudy. He led them North for a few minutes, before taking a sharp banking turn to the west. Truthfully, Daenerys had no idea where he was taking her. He flew above the clouds so they were not seen by those on the ground and this meant that Daenerys had no idea where she was.

 As she was flying she took time to reflect on these last few weeks. The failure to secure the Tyrell's had stuck with her for a while and it was not helped by the feeling of isolation of being on an island. The Tyrell's had raised an interesting point, the original Aegon the Conqueror had two wives and she had read that Aegon only married Visenya out of duty, perhaps this would be the same with Jon and Margaery. She had read that Aegon would spend 10 nights with Rhaenys for everyone with Visenya, although now that she thought about it, she realised that that would not work with her. She would never let Margaery bed him alone. Jon was hers.

 She also remembered that the Tyrells had failed to mention that Visenya had caused a succession war when she had helped her son, Maegor to usurp the throne. Daenerys knew that even if she and Margaery became good friends, this was always a possibility. People would always look to turn their children against each other to increase their own power.

 She pushed those thoughts from her mind, Jon said that he had a plan for the Tyrells and he trusted him completely. Instead, she thought of the Greyjoy meeting. Having a positive meeting with Asha Greyjoy had lifted her spirits and it made her hopeful of the council that was coming soon.

 She saw Vedros start to make her descent and Anogar quickly followed. They dove quickly through the clouds and once they were on the other side, Dany finally had a clue where they were.

 The first thing that she saw was the blackened ruins of Harrenhall, the towers were tall, much higher than any she had ever seen but they had not been tall enough to stop the power of the dragons. The castle was huge, much bigger than Dragonstone and she knew that it would be a good place for the council. Vedros flew past Harrenhal and over a large beautiful lake. The sun was lower in the sky and its waters were glimmering red and gold, bright as a sheet of beaten copper. Vedros flew lower and lower until she landed in a clearing in the middle of an island and Anogar followed her. Daenerys realised that this must be the Gods Eye.

 She saw that Jon had dismounted and was now waiting for her.

 "Come on love. I have something special planned," and he held out his hand and started to lead her away.

 The clearing that they landed in was surrounded by trees. She saw large sentinel trees along with smaller pine and oak trees. Their feet crunched on the fallen leaves that lay along a path that seemed to be leading them up a small incline. As they walked, Dany listened to the wind whispering through the trees, it sounded different, magical. She saw little birds fluttering through the trees and chirping to each other and filling the air with their music.

 They finally reached the crest of the hill and Dany let out a loud gasp. They were at another clearing but this one was different. They were at a rock lined pool and in the center of the pool was the most unique tree Daenerys had ever seen. The tree was huge, with a bone white trunk and a blood red canopy of leaves.

 "It's a weirwood tree," she whispered and she knew what Jon wanted to do.

 "Come on, my love," He led her along a natural path made from stones and rocks to the middle of the pool where the weirwood stood tall. She reached out her hand to touch the tree, as she ran her fingers along the wood and found that it was smooth but cold under her fingers.

 Dany turned back to Jon and saw that he was busy unpacking one of the bags.

 "Are you building a tent?" she asked and he nodded.

 "We'll need somewhere to sleep tonight. I don't want you to get cold," he said. She watched him work quickly before she walked over to the pool and dipped her hands in the water and splashed some over her face. The water was refreshingly cool and she decided to take off her shoes and dip her feet in. She looked up and realised that they would be able to swim under the sun and the stars. This truly was a special place.

 She heard him get up and then she turned to face him.

 "You brought me here to marry me,"

 "Properly this time. In front of my gods," he said firmly as he took her hand and led her to the tree. "In the future, we will probably have to do this again. In front of a septon and witnesses otherwise it won't be official , but this time is not for anyone else. It is for you and me," he said as he reached a particular spot on the tree. She looked up at the tree and saw that a face had been carved into the tree. Its face was long and melancholy and the deep cuts of its eyes were filled with red sap that looked like dried blood.

 "This is a heart tree, it's older than the one in Winterfell and perhaps it's one of the oldest this side of the wall. My parents were married here. My father told me how to find this place and I knew that this place would be perfect for us," he said,

 "Jon. Who will give me away?"

 "No one but that does not matter. You will give yourself to me and I will give myself to you, just as it always has been, just as it always will be. I am yours and you are mine. Anything else will be a lie meant to please others," he said as he knelt in front of the tree. Dany knelt next to him and waited for him to speak.

 "Old Gods hear my vow. I Aegon Targaryen, Jon Snow vow to take Daenerys Targaryen as my wife. I will shield her, protect her and love her from this day until the end of my days. I swear it by the blood of the first men that flows through my veins alongside the blood of old Valyria," he said in a low voice.

 "Old gods hear my vow. I Daenerys Targaryen vow to take Aegon Targaryen, Jon snow as my husband. I will shield him, protect him and love him from this day until the end of my days. I swear it by the blood of the dragon and the blood of old Valyria that runs through my veins," she in a clear voice. She stayed silent for a few moments, waiting for Jon to take the lead. She realised that they were supposed to pray, so she did.

 They sealed their vows with a long kiss under the shade of the heart tree. Afterwards she grabbed him by the hand and led him away from the tree and out to a piece of grass that was not covered by the canopy. She kissed him softly and inhaled his familiar musky, leathery scent. Her fingers went to his clothes and she slowly started to undress him whilst he did the same to her.

 His body was warm and familiar and she pushed him down onto his back and straddled him. She was wet and ready and she easily took his length inside of her. She rode him gently, rolling her hips back and forth and loving the feeling of him inside of her. Dany looked into his grey eyes and then leaned down to kiss him gently, capturing his bottom lip between hers like she loved to do.

 She broke the kiss and pressed her forehead against his "I love you," she whispered.

 "I love you too," he whispered as he kissed her. Jon then gently flipped her over and put her onto her back. The grass was soft and cool beneath her skin and she felt it gently scratch her as her body moved in time with his thrusts. She closed her eyes and just focused on the feeling of him moving inside of her. Dany felt him plant a kiss and then she opened her lids to find him looking at her. His lovely grey eyes that she knew so well, filled with nothing but love.

 She felt her heart swell with happiness and he leaned down to kiss her. She felt her pleasure approaching, building and bubbling deep inside of her. His thrusts picked up in speed and started to hit that special spot deep inside of her. She came violently and cried out his name as her walls clenched around his throbbing length. She heard him growl and shudder as he emptied himself inside of her. Spurt after spurt flooded into her, filling her perfectly. He rested his sweaty forehead on her breasts before he gently pulled out of her and rolled onto his back. She instinctively cuddled into his side, again amazed at how well their bodies fit together.

 The sun had set and she could see the stars in the sky above him. She knew that tomorrow they would have to head back to oversee the preparations and head to Harrenhal but for now she was content to lay in Jon's arms, listen to his gentle breathing and look out onto the stars

Whatever happened at the council, they would always have each other, and she knew that for certain.

Notes:

The next chapter is called 'Harrenhal' and it should be out Thursday next week. It's the first part of the 3 part council sequence

As always, let me know what you think. Comments are always appreciated, especially the longer ones