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This was what he was familiar with.

This was what he was comfortable with.

This was where he belonged.

Upon his horse, armour upon his chest, sword at his hip, the wind upon his face, the sound of flags flapping in the air and the battlefield laid out before him. He was relaxed and calm, resting comfortably upon the saddle of his horse as he watched his army move into position, the enemy and Daenerys doing the same.

He was but a few miles away from the battlefield named the Bloody Antlers. The very place in which he had defeated Tywin Lannister and nearly brought an end to the war. It was too many, a sight of one of his crowning achievements.

To Robb however, it was a humiliating reminder.

A reminder that he had come so close to ending it all, to finally being able to march back north and free his home and family. Only for that opportunity to be stripped from his grasp before he could even have a chance to properly savour it.

"Your Grace, we are in position," Garlan spoke, coming up to Robb's side.

He was positioned east, blocking the path to the coast.

Daenerys south, blocking the path to Kings Landing.

Randyll coming from the west, cutting off the path back into the Riverlands.

And from the north, Rodrick Forrester was coming down south.

Aegon was trapped on all sides.

But there were a few options available for him, Robb considering them all at that moment. Most commanders would push north, it was the only sensible option for a commander in his position. There was him, the Wolf King, an undefeated military commander in front of him. Daenerys Targaryen and her Dragons to the south. Randyll Tarly and the largest force in Westeros with the Gods Eye River at his back.

Right now, Rodrick Forrester wasn't even near this battlefield, still hours out. If Aegon committed all his forces in one push north, he would be able to escape. However, Robb was more than prepared for that opportunity.

If he did try that, Aegon would be quickly chased down by Rodrick who would be able to hold him down long enough for Robb and Daenerys who would be hot on his tails to catch up. 'Aegon will have already realised that though.' Robb thought, lightly tapping his finger against the back of his hand in concentration. 'Nor has he shown any desire to follow conventional tactics.'

In his short time here in Westeros, Aegon had made a mark as someone who was not afraid to take risks. It was what he had been doing since the very beginning, taking risks where others would have attempted more tried and true methods.

Ultimately they had ended in failure, but against any other commander, Robb would imagine that Aegon would have won. In fact, if it wasn't for his meeting with Aegon in the Council of Kings, Robb would imagine that he too could have lost this war. Another stinging and humiliating reminder.

Luckily for him, Aegon had attended that meeting, allowing Robb to gain some insight into the type of man that the Young Dragon was. It was why Robb knew that in this conflict, it was superior numbers and not superior tactics that would win the day.

As good as a commander as he was, Robb preferred eliminating the possibility of risk as much as possible. He liked to control as many factors as possible and while he wasn't unwilling to make unconventional and risky manoeuvres if he was in a dire situation, it was not a sustainable way to wage war.

It had nearly cost him his life on many occasions.

On the other hand, Aegon seemed to be his direct opposite. Someone who was more than happy to take risks, even when it was unnecessary. That was a type of commander who would thrive in a situation like this when all the cards were stacked against them. When victory seemed impossible, people like them seemed to always find a way to emerge victorious.

'Perhaps I am wrong.' Robb told himself. 'Perhaps he and I are not so different after all.'

It was that understanding that for the first time, made Robb feel the first instance of uncertainty that he had felt since the early stages of the war. That feeling that perhaps he wasn't good enough. That perhaps, he was out of his depth.

A low growl from Grey Wind at his side reminded him at that moment. This wasn't about him, it didn't matter whether it cost him his life, he could not afford to fail. It was a sentiment that held much weight, but it was a comforting feeling. Once again, despite possessing the advantage in numbers, Robb felt like he was the Young Wolf once more.

"Pull the archers back. Have the cavalry dismount and mix in with the infantry." Flags were raised, orders issued and once again his army began to shift in reflection of his orders. "Prepare yourselves, Aegon will be coming directly for us. Let us meet them in full force."

-X- Line Break -X-

This weight upon her shoulders was crushing.

The true realisation of what was about to unfold before her very eyes. Soon, tens of thousands of men were about to battle against one another, thousands were going to die. This field was forever going to be scarred by the history that they were about to make this day.

It was almost overwhelming, her breath getting caught in her throat.

"Breathe, your grace." Ser Barristan said from her side, one hand resting upon her shoulder. He looked calm, unperturbed by the knowledge that was about to begin. But why would he? He was no stranger to war and his horrors, no stranger to death and destruction.

To him, war was an old friend.

"You are a ruler, a Dragon." He continued. "To secure your place, war was always going to be inevitable, however large or small it may have been. There are always those who seek your power for their own and will stop at nothing to get it."

Daenerys frowned. "I am no stranger to ordering the execution of those who stand in my way, Ser Barristan." Her anger was misplaced, but one she used as a means to mask the nervousness she felt.

"I know." He replied easily. "But this is not ordering the execution of those that have wronged you. This is war and in war, it is not the guilty that get punished, but the innocent. Those men out there, the common soldiers, none of them have wronged you in any way. Many simply want nothing more than to return home to their families and some will, only to find them gone or dead. All they have fought for being meaningless because of what it cost them. Some don't even believe in what they fight for, only do so for the money it provides. It is those men who will die upon your order."

"...It shouldn't be." Her voice was quieter this time, lacking the anger it had before.

Ser Barristan shook his head in agreement. "No, it shouldn't be, but that is the nature of this world. The innocent are punished while the guilty are spared. All because of their positions in life."

"...I will change it then." There was a pause, Daenerys raising her head slowly. "This world which punishes the innocent and not the guilty. I shall change it."

"And I shall be by your side. Always, your grace." Ser Barristan bowed his head. "Simply give the order, and I shall see it fulfilled." This was the Queen he had chosen to serve, the one who had liberated Slavers Bay. The Queen had been seen as a liberator and saviour to those that were oppressed.

The Breaker of Chains.

The Mother of Dragons.

The Silver Queen.

The Blood of the Dragon.

Daenerys Targaryen.