The Door

"RIDERS FROM THE SOUTH!" Was the cry that roused Howland Reed from his sleep. He rushed to get ready and then ran towards the ramparts of the southern gate. 15,000 Valemen were riding down the Kingsroad towards the newly restored castle.

"Send a volley of arrows, stop them in their tracks." Howland ordered, and the archers on the top complied, sending a dozen arrows to halt the Vale knights. He saw a white flag be raised, and a rider head towards the gate so Howland rushed back down to receive him. They opened the gate and saw Bronze Yohn Royce.

"Lord Royce, I did not expect to see you so far North." Howland said suspiciously.

"We are here to aid your rightful Liege Lady." Lord Royce announced. "There is no need for hostility, open your gates and we can be on our way to Winterfell."

"Liege lady? Forgive me My Lord but we answer to the King of Winter."

"King? What nonsense is this, all the Stark boys are dead or exiled."

"It seems the Vale has been, misinformed." Howland said. "Torrhen Stark has always been our king, and he is currently putting the traitor houses to the sword. If you mean to serve anyone in the North, I'm afraid it must be him."

"We have heard that Sansa Stark is in danger."

"She has reached Castle Black, where she is safe with her family." Howland said.

"Even with Lord Bolton after her?" Lord Royce raised an eyebrow. "Listen, I respect you, we fought together during the rebellion and I know you are loyal to the Starks. We are fighting on the same side here."

"Even so, my friend." Howland started. "You must understand my position, my orders were not to allow anybody into the North, I must follow them. I will send a raven to the King, and I must only ask you to await his response."

"Very well." Lord Royce grumbled. Turning around on his horse and riding out of the moat again.

He got back to the Valemen quickly. "Well?" Baelish asked.

"He is sending a raven to see if we can enter."

"A raven? A raven to the wall could take a week!" One of the young twat Lords complained, Lord Royce had no time for them.

"Not to the wall, My Lord." Lord Royce explained, glaring daggers towards Baelish. "To Torrhen's Square, it seems Torrhen Stark has taken the mantle of King, and has already weakened the Boltons by destroying his enemies."

The murmurs among the Vale Lords grew, and Baelish just smiled uncomfortably. "No worries. Lord Royce, I leave the camp to you, I will go around and speak to Lady Sansa myself."

The army arrived before Torrhen's Square in great moods. Highbrook Tower had been ceded to the Glenmores officially, and Torrhen had decided to march towards Torrhen's Square quickly, so as to panic the Boltons. They had arrived to a welcome party hosted by Eddara Tallhart, who had grown into a rather attractive young woman Torrhen noted. The 15-year-old had personally come to welcome Torrhen and the Lords following him into Torrhen's Square while the army camped outside it.

"My King, Torrhen's Square is yours." Lady Eddara said, getting down to one knee in front of Torrhen.

"Lady Eddara, please rise." Torrhen said formally, before letting a smile adorn his face. "It's good to see you again, My Lady."

"Thankfully the Bolton bastard steered clear of Torrhen's Square." Eddara grinned, gesturing Torrhen and the Lords to walk through the town and towards the castle. "I'm the last remaining Tallhart, I didn't particularly want my skin removed after I'd told him to fuck off."

Torrhen laughed out loud at that, and offered Eddara his arm. They spoke about the last 4 years and what they had been through, with Eddara going into detail about the tyranny of Ramsay Bolton.

"Lord Cley is terrified of going out of line after his father, they have the Umbers and Karstarks declared for them as well, it doesn't look good." Eddara was saying.

"We have more men." Torrhen stated bluntly. "Even now we have more, when the other Lords hear about this…"

"You haven't been here." Eddara said sharply, before sighing. "I appreciate that what you were doing in Essos was important, but without you here the people have been terrified, and Roose Bolton played to that."

"That will change now I am back. I have a plan, Lady Eddara."

"I know that, but…"

"The last important Houses to bring to my cause are the Mountain Clans, House Mormont and House Glover. I can bring them round and then we can attack Winterfell from almost every side." Torrhen said.

"Well let us pray for victory." Eddara smiled. "I have some other news for you as well, this came from Moat Cailin this morning." She handed him a raven scroll with the broken seal of House Reed on it.

"The Vale? What are they doing up here." Torrhen said to himself.

"They claim they want to help, but you know who is in charge now." Eddara said.

"Aye, that rat Baelish." Torrhen said. "I can use this... Asher."

"Yes, Your Grace?" Asher Forrester said from behind them.

"When we march on Winterfell I want you to ensure that our back is secure, just in case an attack comes from behind."

"Of course."

"I will have to impose on your ravens, My Lady."

"It is no problem." Eddara said. "May I ask what your response will be?"

"Baelish is my enemy, but the knights of the Vale are not. Robin Arryn is my cousin." Torrhen began. "Lord Royce is with them, he can maintain the army but Baelish will die."

"They may not take too kindly to that." Eddara warned.

"He is in the North now, and he has commit the highest treason possible against the North." Torrhen spat.

"Very well, there was another message from Moat Cailin, a separate message." Eddara smiled knowingly, handing him another raven scroll. Torrhen looked at it and the seal was plain black. "From the Wall?"

"Your brother is Lord Commander of the Night's Watch. It's from him."

Torrhen eagerly opened it up, and gasped happily at the words. "Sansa…"

"She's safe, My King. She's with her family now."

Torrhen felt elated. "This is fantastic news, I shall write to her, have her meet me at Bear Island."

"Of course, I shall send paper up to your chambers." Eddara said. "He did bring a large number of wildlings south through the wall…"

"He did what?" Torrhen laughed, stopping suddenly when Eddara didn't join in. "How far south?"

"The Gift, so far I don't think they've gone further south."

"I'll be having words with him." Torrhen growled. "The wildlings rape and murder my people, if they come onto my lands…" Torrhen stopped them just before they entered the gates to the castle and took her hand. "Thank you, My Lady. For everything." He said happily, putting the wildling matter to one side for now.

"There is no need to thank me, I am only doing my duty." Eddara smiled. "Although you can repay me with a dance tonight."

The ravens had been sent and Torrhen was sat at the high table next to Lady Eddara. He thoroughly enjoyed her company as they ate, having conversations on anything they could. When it was time to dance they were the first on the dancefloor.

"You know, you seem sadder than the last time we were here." Eddara noted.

"I seemed sad the last time?" Torrhen asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Aye, I know why, you'd just left Mira down south." Eddara said, and Torrhen felt a pain in his heart at the mention of her name.

"I don't want to talk about her." He muttered.

"No I understand." Eddara smiled kindly. "I'm just saying both times I've seen you, you've been sad no matter how much you try to mask it."

Torrhen sighed, spinning her around gently. "I've had a lot of tragedy in my life. As have you, My Lady, I'm sure you can understand."

"I never said I didn't." Eddara smiled. "I heard about your Mother and Arya, I am so sorry."

"Thank you, My Lady." Torrhen said sadly, before remembering a conversation he had shared with his mother a year previously. "She suggested you for a potential marriage you know, my mother."

"She did?" Eddara asked, eyebrow raised.

"Aye, it was in Meereen and I was frustrating her with being… close to somebody." Torrhen reminisced. "She pushed for marriage options and you were a name that was suggested."

"Are you propositioning me, My King?" Eddara grinned.

"I wouldn't presume to do so, My Lady." Torrhen laughed back. "Marriage isn't going to be on my mind until I take back Winterfell, but I need to think of the future too, I can't plan to die."

"It would be awful if you were to die." Eddara admitted. "You are the only hope for the North."

"You flatter me, My Lady." Torrhen chuckled.

"You're the best of a bad bunch." Eddara joked, causing Torrhen to laugh even more. "A Bolton bastard, a Lannister, Bolton wife, or a trueborn Stark."

"My sister is a Stark, she will always be a Stark." Torrhen said sharply.

"I know, I know." Eddara defended. "But she has been wedded to two of our enemies, I could only follow her if you were dead, and that is down to my loyalty to you and your family."

"I understand." Torrhen admitted. "I'm nervous about seeing her again."

"A king, nervous?" Eddara mocked.

"I haven't seen her in half a decade, we will both have changed." Torrhen said. "Once we were as close as anything, she was my best friend. But now…"

"Now she's a stranger." Eddara finished for him. "I understand in a way, you're lucky though. You still have a sibling."

"Three, Rickon and Bran are out there somewhere." Torrhen said defiantly. The dancing was interrupted by the Maester of Torrhen's Square bringing a raven message to Eddara. Torrhen watched as she broke the seal and read it, growing concerned when she cursed.

"Fucking cunts." She whispered.

"What is it?" Torrhen asked. Eddara sighed and handed him the message. Torrhen read it and grew red with anger. He stormed off towards Asher Forrester and dragged him outside, waving away a number of guards that tried to follow.

"What is it?" Asher asked. Torrhen just handed him the letter. "Umber did what?"

"The fucker is playing both fields. I reckon he'll see how the battle goes and decide what to do then." Torrhen said darkly.

"This isn't a joke? He actually handed them your brother?" Asher asked disbelievingly. "After everything he's done Smalljon thought that was smart?"

"Reed reckons it's because Osha was with him. Smalljon hates wildlings." Torrhen said bitterly.

"What are we going to do?"

"We need to gather the undeclared Houses; I want as large an army as possible."

"Does that include the Vale?" Asher asked.

"If they decide to fight for me then so be it."

Sansa was putting the last few stitches into a cloak that she was making for Torrhen when a knock at her door came. "Yes?" She called out. A brother of the Night's Watch entered.

"For you, my lady." He said, handing her a scroll. She took it and saw that the seal was the mockingbird that Baelish had taken as his own. She unravelled the scroll and read it.

"How far is Mole's Town?" She asked.

She only took Brienne with her, and when they arrived they saw it was deserted and burnt. Baelish was in the remains of a brothel.

"Sansa. Lady Brienne." Baelish said to the two girls, before turning directly to Sansa. "When I heard you had escaped Winterfell, I feared the worst. You have no idea how happy I am to see you unharmed."

"Unharmed?" Sansa scoffed. "What are you doing here?"

"I rode north with the Knights of the Vale to come to your aid, they're encamped at Moat Cailin as we speak." Baelish told her.

"To come to my aid? Did you know about Ramsay? If you didn't know, you're an idiot. If you did know, you're my enemy." Sansa spat. "Would you like to hear about our wedding night? He never hurt my face, he needed my face, the face of Ned Stark's daughter. But the rest of me, he did what he liked with the rest of me as long as I could still give him an heir. What do you think he did?" She asked him.

"I can't begin to contemplate…"

"What do you think he did to me?" Sansa asked again, forcefully.

When Baelish didn't answer, Brienne encouraged him too. "Lady Sansa asked you a question."

"He beat you."

"Yes, he enjoyed that. What else do you think he did?"

"Sansa, I…"

"What else?"

"Did he cut you?" He asked solemnly.

"Maybe you did know about Ramsay all along." Sansa remarked.

"I didn't know."

"I thought you knew everyone's secrets."

"I made a mistake, a horrible mistake, I underestimated a stranger." Baelish told her, moving closer.

"The other things he did, ladies aren't supposed to talk about those things, but I imagine brothel keepers talk about them all the time." Sansa spat. "I can still feel it. I don't mean in my tender heart it still pains me so. I can still feel what he did in my body standing here right now."

"I'm so sorry."

"You said you would protect me." Sansa told him.

"And I will. You must believe me when I tell you that I will."

"I don't believe you anymore. I don't need you anymore, you can't protect me." Sansa said. "You won't even be able to protect yourself if I tell Brienne to cut you down. And why shouldn't I?"

"Do you want me to beg for my life? If that's what you want, I will. Whatever you ask that is in my power, I will do." Baelish told her meaningfully.

"What if I want you to die here and now?"

"Then I will die." He said, resigned.

"You freed me from the monsters who murdered my family and you gave me to other monsters who murdered my family." She said bitterly. "Go back to Moat Cailin, my brothers and I will take back the North on our own. I never want to see you again."

"I would do anything to undo what's been done to you. I know that I can't. Will you allow me to say one more thing before I go?" Baelish asked. "Your great-uncle Brynden the Blackfish has gathered what remains of the Tully forces and retaken Riverrun. You might consider seeking him out. The time may come when you need an army loyal to you."

"We have an army."

"Your brother's army far away in the South." Baelish said walking out of the ruin. "And the wildlings that will only follow your half-brother."

Torrhen's message had been simple, if the Wildlings will fight, rally them and the Mountain Clans before meeting him at Bear Island. Sansa walked out of her room at Castle Black for the last time in a new dress, holding a large fur cloak in her hands. She got to the courtyard and saw Jon saddling up his horse.

"New dress?" Jon asked, walking over to her.

"I made it myself." Sansa said proudly, showing him the detailing above her bust. "Do you like it?"

"Yeah it's…" Jon began, not really knowing how to describe fashion. "I like the wolf bit."

"I do too." Sansa smiled."

"And the cloak? It looks too big for you." Jon joked.

"It is, I made it for Torrhen." Sansa said. "I don't know how tall he's gotten so I made it to your size." Sansa said, handing Jon the cloak to inspect.

"It's like…"

"The one Father used to wear, yes." Sansa smiled. "I thought he should look the part, knowing him he's still in the same cloak as he was in before we left Winterfell."

Jon was laughing at that, and he patted her on the shoulder before going to talk to Edd. Sansa got her horse ready when Brienne came up to her.

"My Lady, let me help."

"No Brienne, I can saddle my horse." Sansa said kindly. "I want you to do something for me though."

"Anything, My Lady."

"I want you to ride with Podrick to Riverrun." Sansa said, and Brienne looked at her concerned.

"I'm sworn to protect you, My Lady." She said.

"All we are doing is gathering the Northernmost Lords for my brother, We need somebody to go south to my uncle, you'll know how to talk to him."

"I don't like leaving you alone, My Lady." Brienne said quietly, looking towards Davos Seaworth and Melisandre.

"I'll be fine, I have Jon." Sansa smiled.

"He seems trustworthy enough, a bit brooding perhaps but that's understandable I suppose. It's the others though. Davos and the Red Woman helped a man murder his own brother with blood magic, and when Stannis paid for his crime they were already here, searching for a new leader with better prospects." Brienne said. "And that wildling fellow…"

"Jon isn't Tormund." Sansa interrupted. "Jon isn't Davos, the Red Woman or Stannis for that matter. Jon is Jon, he's my brother, he'll keep me safe. I trust him." She smiled fondly towards her brother.

"Then why did you lie to him when he asked how you knew about Riverrun?"

Euron had disappeared shortly after Theon had gotten to Pyke again, and Theon hadn't had a chance to talk to him before it was time for the Kingsmoot. All of the captains of the Iron Islands had gathered, and the Damphair began proceedings before Euron was there, Theon noted.

"We speak in the presence of the Drowned God. In his name we gather today to choose a new king as our leader." The Damphair announced. "Who makes a claim?"

Theon stood forwards. "I am Theon Greyjoy! Last surviving son of Balon Greyjoy, King of the Iron Islands! I claim the Salt Throne." Theon ignored the calls of traitor, and Greenlander being flung about from a minority of captains and stared his uncle directly in the eye before addressing them. "Aye, I was raised in the green lands, I was brought up in them. I know their strengths and I know their weaknesses. They couldn't give a shit about us until we're raiding their homes, stealing their women. If we linger long enough or attack the wrong place then they come and swat us down like flies before forgetting we even exist again! We are seafarers, our place is on the sea. I will build the greatest fleet this world has ever known, we will raid the coast of Westeros until there is nothing left! We will kill the Stark's that have taken my family! We will pillage, rape and raid all the way down the coast until even the Lannisters have nothing left!"

The captains loved that, and after a bit of murmuring amongst themselves started chanting Theon's name, before the same voice that haunted his arrival came over the chanting, silencing everyone.

"I'm Euron Greyjoy! I claim the Salt Throne. Nephew, heard you managed to fuck things right into the ground. Captured a castle you couldn't keep, got yourself taken prisoner." Euron said, rounding up on him and tracing the outline of one of Theon's T scars. "Even heard you have no cock."

"Lies!" Theon shouted, scaring up to his uncle. "When did you return, Uncle?" He said mockingly.

"A few days ago. I had some things to take care of. Long overdue." Euron said.

"I'm glad you're here. Now I know what my first act as King will be." Theon grinned at his uncle, before walking around, addressing the captains. "To execute the man who killed my father!"

Shocked murmurs came from the crows again, but Euron took it in his stride. "I did. I killed him. Threw him right over a rope bridge and watched him fall. He was leading us nowhere and we would still be heading there if it weren't for me. No one loved him. No one wanted to follow him. He led us into two wars we couldn't win. I apologise to you all for not killing him years ago!"

"That would have been hard to do. You weren't here. Last I heard, you were gallivanting around the world having a grand old time." Theon mocked.

"Gallivanting? That the sort of thing you start to say - once your dick gets chopped off?" Euron laughed, only saying that to anger Theon. Did the great lords of Westeros teach you words like that?"

"You were gone." Theon snarled at his uncle, before addressing the crowd again. "I have been here, in the islands. Being Ironborn, leading Ironborn! Getting ready to bring us back to glory. My father claimed I could never be his heir unless I came back from the edge of the world after being flung there with nothing! I did so with 50 ships! I will lead us again into a new age for the Ironborn!"

"And how will you do that?" Euron asked mockingly.

You weren't listening uncle? I will build the largest fleet the world has ever seen."

"Right idea, except I'm the one who's going to build the Iron Fleet, because I'm the one who knows how to use it. I've been all over the world, I've seen more of it than all of you combined. And across the sea there is a person who hates the great lords of Westeros just as much as we do. Someone with a large army, three large dragons, and no husband. I'm going to build that fleet and I'm going to gallivant right over and give it to Daenerys Targaryen… along with my big cock." Euron told everyone, grabbing his crotch for effect.

"You're going to seduce the Dragon Queen?" Theon laughed.

"I'm not going to seduce her, the Iron Fleet will seduce her. And together we're going to take the Seven Kingdoms." Euron told Theon. "I wasn't born to be king. I paid the iron price and here I stand."

The promise of the Seven Kingdoms had swayed it, and while there were a few people still shouting Theon's name, the majority were chanting for Euron. Theon felt a tug on his shoulder, and it was his uncle, Rodrik of Harlaw.

"We must leave, now." Harlaw urged, and Theon agreed. They quickly made their way to Lordsport, where the 50 ships loyal to Theon all made ready to set sail, away from the Iron Islands and towards Meereen, to sway the Dragon Queen before Euron had a chance.