34

The Dragon King

After saying his goodbyes in Winterfell, Jon and Arya climbed back onto Vedros and made their way south once again. It was well into the evening and the sun had nearly set by the time they reached Kings Landing again. Vedros flew low over the city before heading east towards Dragonstone. He tried to look for Caraxes but it was just a little too dark for him to see clearly.

Dragonstone was only a short flight away from Kings Landing and Jon assumed that Vedros would be taking him to Dany and Daeron. Jon was excited for Arya to meet his son, he hoped Daeron wouldn't be too shy around Arya.

Vedros gently landed in front of the main Dragonstone steps and Arya quickly slid off her back and landed nimbly on her feet.

"You've taken to flying quite well," Jon said as he joined her on the ground. "I would've thought you would be a lot more nervous. I know I was when I first flew her,"

"When did you first fly?" Arya asked as she stretched her legs.

"We first flew in Meereen. Almost two years ago now that I think about it," Jon said as he led her up the steps. "She was smaller then, and little Daeron was still growing inside Dany then,"

"Meereen?"

"Yes, it's all the way inside the Bay of Dragons. Past Volantis and all the free cities. It's months away really,"

"You still haven't told me the entire story," Arya said as they made their way inside and upstairs.

"I know, but it would take hours and hours, Arya. I've been to a lot of places. Pentos, Volantis, Astapor, Yunkai, Meereen," Jon listed as they climbed the stairs towards the family wing. "I still haven't even given you the tour of this castle,"

"It looks so different to Winterfell," Arya commented. "The architecture is unbelievably detailed,"

"Aye. The Valyrians used their magic to construct it, that's why you see so many of these intricate designs," Jon told her as they finally reached their floor. He would have to find a maid and have a room on this floor prepared for Arya to sleep in. In the meantime, he headed towards the Nursery

"That's odd," Jon said as he looked inside the quiet and empty nursery. Daeron's crib was tidy and unslept in and his golden egg was secure in the middle, "Daeron is usually in here, and it's nearly his bed time,"

"Perhaps, he's with his mother," Arya guessed.

"Most likely," Jon said as he headed down the hall. He checked their bedroom and he finally found Dany and Daeron. Daeron was walking around holding onto her hairbrush whilst Dany dried her arms.

"Hi," Dany said with a smile. "I just gave him his bath, that's why I'm a little wet. Hello Arya,"

"Hello your grace," Arya replied politely.

"No please, call me Daenerys or Dany, we are family after all," she said warmly as she crossed over to her to give her a hug which Arya returned.

"Jon has told me a lot about you. You were all he talked about when we met in Pentos. It's so nice to finally meet you" Dany said and Jon blushed slightly.

"It's nice to meet you too," Arya replied and then she looked at Daeron who had walked over to hide behind Dany's skirts, with only half of his face peering out to look at this stranger.

"Come on little one, don't be shy," Jon said as he picked him up. "This is your Aunty Arya,"

"He's so adorable," Arya said softly.

"Do you want to hold him?" Dany asked and Arya nodded before holding her arms out. Jon gently passed Daeron over who still had not said a word. Once Daeron was in her arms, he continued to stare at her.

"Say hello to Arya," Dany said gently.

"Hello Daeron. My name is Arya," Arya said.

"Careful. He likes to hold onto your hair," Dany warned as she saw Daeron reach out for her hair. "And he has a surprisingly strong grip for such a little boy,"

"Aya!" Daeron shouted as he started to twist in her arms.

"Let him down," Jon told her. Once Daeron hit the floor, he walked over and picked up the hairbrush before returning to Arya.

"Aya!" he said as he offered the hairbrush.

"Thank you Daeron," Arya said gently as she crouched down to take it from him. "Why are you giving me a hairbrush?"

Daeron reached out his hand to take back the brush and then he started to clumsily brush his own hair

"Are you copying mama?" Dany kindly asked

"I think he's telling you to brush your hair," Jon said as he watched Daeron.

"Why?" Arya asked

"Because your hair is a mess," Jon added cheekily and Arya playfully punched him in the shoulder. As if to reiterate his point, Daeron tried to give her the brush again.

"See, I told you," Jon added as he started to laugh.

"Jon, be nice," Dany warned. "Her hair is lovely,"

"Thank you Dany,"

"Mama!" Daeron shouted as he gave her the hairbrush. Dany took the brush from him and Daeron went over to pick up one of his toys. He picked one up and showed it to Arya and Jon smiled, it seemed that he was already smitten with her.

"I take it that everything went well at Winterfell?" Dany asked as she sat down at the desk in the room. "Actually wait, I have completely forgotten my manners. You both must be hungry after all that flying, I will tell the maids to bring an extra plate for our meal. I will have them prepare a room for you as well,"

"Thank you Dany," Jon said. "The situation at Winterfell is under control now. Roose Bolton is dead, and his conspiracy has been exposed. What happened here whilst I was gone? Where is Caraxes?"

"Caraxes is safe. He flew back. We found the antidote and healed him," Dany said proudly. "I left Ser Barristan in charge of the taking of the city, but we have to head back there tomorrow to tie up any loose ends and start fixing the city," Dany said as she led them out of the room.

"I agree. Where are we eating?" Jon asked.

"The small hall at the end of the corridor. There's too many of us to fit in our room,"

"Too many?" Jon asked in a confused voice. "Arya isn't that big,"

"You'll see," Dany cryptically replied. Perhaps Ser Davos, Margaery or Shireen would be joining them for dinner as well that evening. He walked into the hall at the end of the corridor and saw that the table had only been set for two.

"Who were you going to be eating with before?" Jon asked curiously and Dany just gave him a coy smile before putting two more plates on the table.

"I think we're having some lamb stew with some freshly made bread tonight," Dany told them

"That looks great," Arya said and Jon realised she probably hadn't eaten a proper meal in weeks.

"Please take a seat, I'll go get our guest," Dany said smiling. Jon watched her as she pulled out a chair for Arya. Jon knew she was hiding something, she could barely hold back her smile. Even Daeron was smiling.

"What's the secret?" he asked his son as he poked him in the stomach. "You know, don't you? They never suspect the baby,"

"Dada!" Daeron said as he continued to giggle instead of offering up his mother's secret.

"He's a mommy's boy, he won't tell me anything," Jon said in a teasing voice to Arya as he balanced him on his lap. Surprisingly, Daeron started to fiddle and squirm until Jon let him walk on the floor and over to Arya.

"Come on! You just met her!" Jon protested as Arya scooped him up and held him high in the air.

"He loves me already," Arya said happily and Daeron giggled in agreement.

Jon rolled his eyes at his traitor son before turning around to see Dany return to the room. Then his mouth opened in shock

"Father," he whispered as he sprung out of his seat. Dany was helping him into the room and he walked with the help of a cane and he wore a loose robe but he was still his father.

"Jon," Rhaegar spoke and Jon immediately crossed over to him and hugged him.

"I've missed you so so much," Jon said as he hugged him tightly.

"I know. I've missed you too," Rhaegar replied.

"What happened? Can you walk?" Jon asked nervously as he looked at the cane.

"I can walk. I've just been out of action for a few weeks, or months as I've heard. I'm a bit weak, but I'm getting my strength back,"

Rhaegar pulled away and cupped his face. "I hear that you've been very busy whilst I was away. How many battles did I miss?"

"A few," Jon told him. "I'll fill you in with the details in a little bit. There is someone I'd like you to meet. Father, this is Arya, Arya this is my father,"

Jon stepped back and he saw his father's eyes widen.

"It's a pleasure to meet you Arya Stark," Rhaegar said "You look just like her,"

"Just like who?" Arya asked.

"Your aunt," Rhaegar added softly and Arya just nodded slowly. Jon remembered that several people had made this comment to her, however it probably meant a lot more coming from Rhaegar.

"Shall we eat? I know you both must be hungry," Dany said and Jon nodded. They moved to the table, Jon sat opposite his father with Dany to his right and Arya to his left. Little Daeron tried to sit in Arya's lap but he was called back by his mother

"Daeron come here," she said sternly and Jon watched with an amused smile as he obediently walked over. "Good boy," she said softly as she settled him in her lap. Then they began to eat. The stew was warm and rich and full of flavour and Jon devoured it as if he was starved. Dany soaked the bread in the stew and fed it to Daeron along with little pieces of vegetables and meat. The only person who didn't eat quickly, was his father

"Is everything fine, father?" Jon asked nervously.

"Yes, everything is fine. Maester Cressen just warned me to eat slowly and to have smaller portions that's all," he said as he took a small spoonful. Jon nodded in acceptance and turned towards Arya, who was waving a carrot at Daeron.

"Go on then," Dany said to him as she put him down. "Go play with your aunty,"

Daeron quickly walked over to her and lifted up his arms "Up," he said and Arya picked him up to sit him in her lap. Then he reached for the spoon.

"Careful Arya," Dany warned. "Feed him yourself, don't let him have the spoon,"

Arya followed her instructions and fed Daeron a little bit of stew

"Aww," she gushed "He's adorable,"

"So Jon, what happened in Winterfell?" Dany asked and Jon quickly recounted the story.

"You burnt the First Keep?" Rhaegar asked in surprise and Jon nodded.

"It was the only way for us to survive at the time. The Bolton's had many so many more men than us," Jon reiterated and Rhaegar nodded.

"Do all the dragons have different coloured flames?" Arya asked. "I know Vedros's is bright green,"

"Yes. Anogar, my dragon, has a dark black flame. Whilst Caraxes has a pale golden one," Dany told her.

"You also killed the Mountain. Thank you, Jon. That monster murdered my wife and my children. Thank you for avenging them,"

"What happened in Kings Landing whilst I was gone?" Jon asked and then Dany recounted her story. Jon was impressed by her resourcefulness and skill in finding and applying the antidote to Caraxes.

"That's amazing work, Dany," Jon said proudly as he reached out to squeeze her hand.

"What's your plan now?" Arya asked

"Now. We have to head back to King's Landing tomorrow and start to fix the city. We have prisoners of war to meet and we need a plan for the Dornish,"

"The Dornish?" Rhaegar asked

"Yes. They allied with the false prince and fought against us," Jon informed him.

"There was a conflict in their camp though," Dany added. "Princess Arianne did not want to fight us. Whilst Prince Oberyn did,"

"I am not surprised. Oberyn was always fiercely protective of his sister. As soon as he heard that boy was pretending to be her son, nothing would have convinced him otherwise,"

"What do you think we should do, father?" Jon asked and Rhaegar scratched his chin in thought.

"Dorne has always been a difficult Kingdom. Even our ancestors could not conquer them with their dragons and their might,"

"Dorne was only brought into the Seven Kingdoms through the marriages of Prince Daeron to Princess Mariah Martell and Princess Daenerys to Prince Maron Martell" Arya added and Daeron perked his head up at the sound of his own name. Midway through Dany's story, he had seemingly fallen asleep on Arya, but apparently he had been faking. Arya just softly stroked his hair and Daeron put his head down again.

"Yes, that's right Arya," Rhaegar said with a smile. "Now obviously, I don't think a betrothal will work here seeing as Daeron is still only a little boy and the Martell's don't have a daughter of his age but I do think we should remember that lesson,"

"I have an idea," Dany said quietly. "I'll run it by you later Jon, it's getting late now,"

Jon nodded slowly before standing up and stretching, suddenly noticing how tired he was. He had been to Winterfell and Kings Landing, all in one day.

"I'll put him to bed," Dany said as she took Daeron from Arya. "Jon will show you to your room,"

"Father, will you be fine?" Jon asked and thankfully Rhaegar nodded. He slowly rose to his feet and using his cane, showed that he was able to walk.

"Goodnight son," he said with a smile. Jon however insisted on following him to his room and making sure he was settled in for the night. Once he was sure his father was fine, he headed back to his room, undressed and he was asleep by the time his head hit the pillow.

The Mother of Dragons

The next day, Daenerys and Jon flew to Kings Landing. They left Daeron with Arya whose infectious enthusiasm meant that she had immediately gained Daeron's friendship. Dany was not worried about her, Margaery and Shireen were on hand to help out with Daeron if there was any need. They would all be travelling to Kings Landing today. Margaery would meet her family again and Daeron would see their new home.

Once the dragons had landed, they met with Ser Barristan outside of the city before travelling the rest of the way by horse.

"Your grace, I hope that all is well in Winterfell?" he asked Jon who nodded in response.

"Yes, Ser Barristan. We'd like an update on the city please,"

"Of course your grace. The city is yours. I led the Unsullied into the city whilst Ser Loras led a group of men to the Red Keep to round up the remains of the old regime. He has been successful on that endeavour. The Princess Arianne Martell has been found as well as other members of his small council. Ser Loras found Lord Renly Baratheon locked in the dungeons, his story is that he was a hostage and he was used as leverage to get them into the city. Prince Oberyn Martell's corpse has been found as well. The Silent Sisters have his body and are preparing it to be returned to his family in Dorne as is tradition. Jon Connington is being treated for his wounds,"

"What of the spymaster, Varys?" Daenerys asked.

"There has been no sign of him, your grace. Lord Varys has always been elusive and no one knows the secret passages and tunnels better than him. However, we will find him. No one has left the city, either by land or by ship,"

Dany was unhappy with this, the last thing that she needed was for the Spymaster to escape and to continue his plotting. However, she had faith in Ser Barristan.

"Ghost!" Jon said happily as he spotted his wolf. Ghost and Nymeria slowly approached, it seemed they had been hunting together. Dany bent down to scratch him behind the ears and she was rewarded with a quick lick.

"Arya isn't here," Jon told the second wolf. "She'll return in a few days," Nymeria didn't seem particularly bothered by this and Jon quickly stood up to mount his horse once again.

"Are you ready?" he asked and she nodded, and together they rode into the city. They entered through the Dragongate with Ser Barristan leading the way and the direwolves trotting along behind. As Dany looked up into the clear blue sky she could see that the dragons had returned and they were flying above.

She saw that the soldiers from the Reach were in the streets handing out boxes of food to the small folk as per her instructions. They smiled and thanked the men and Dany saw children playing in the streets. They slowed the pace of their horses and some of the people recognised her by her silver hair and they even waved to her.

Dany smiled and waved back. Soon word spread, and their ride to the Red Keep slowed to a walking pace as the streets were filled with people all trying to get a look at them.

"Your grace. This is not safe," Ser Barristan said. "I do not have enough men to protect you,"

"We will be fine," Jon said from his horse. "Nothing will get past the wolves,"

Dany nodded in agreement and then turned around, she saw Nymeria, but not Ghost.

"Jon, where is Ghost?" Dany asked and she saw Jon immediately turn around to look for his wolf.

"He'll be somewhere nearby," Jon said reassuringly and Dany nodded. He had a special connection with Ghost, he would not be too far.

They continued to greet people as they made their slow progress through the city. They passed underneath the Dragonpit before slowly making their way up Aegon's high hill where the Red Keep was waiting for them. Dany could see the seven huge towers stretching up into the sky. The crowd had started to thin out by this point and this meant that they made much faster progress.

They passed through the thick curtain walls, across the long drawbridge that spanned the outer moat and found a welcoming party awaiting them on the other side, led by Ser Loras and Missandei.

"Your graces," her friend said with a smile. "Welcome to the Red Keep,"

"We have secured the castle. We have several highborn prisoners that we have put in the dungeons and Princess Arianne Martell is in the maidenvault,"

"Fantastic work, Ser Loras," Jon said as he offered his hand. "Did you lose many men taking the castle?"

"No. We had several injuries, but the castles defenders tried to loot what they could before fleeing,"

"Missandei. Is the castle ready for the arrival of the Prince and the ladies from Dragonstone?"

"Yes, your grace. The nursery is ready and the King's chambers are being cleaned as we speak. We have not had the time to prepare the Queen's chambers as of yet,"

Dany frowned until she realised that not all Kings would have slept with their wives.

"The Queen's chambers is not a priority, Jon and I will share," she told her friend who bowed and nodded. Then Dany turned to Jon,

"I'd like to speak with Princess Arianne first," she said and Jon nodded in agreement. "Take us to the Maidenvault," she commanded. They were led by Ser Barristan, who knew the castle well. He provided them with a quick tour, taking time to point out the important places in the castle. He told them the direction of Maegor's holdfast, the throne room as well as the Tower of the Hand, the White Sword Tower and the dungeons.

"I always thought that it would be bigger," Jon said as they made their way through the stone halls.

"What do you mean?" she inquired.

"The castle. I thought it would be much bigger. I'm not sure its bigger than Winterfell to be honest," he quietly added. Dany nodded and continued on in silence. She did however notice that like Dragonstone, this castle had been designed to honour the dragons. She saw door handles that had dragons designed into them. The three headed dragon of House Targaryen had been carved into the pale red walls and they even saw several soldiers bringing old dragon skulls out from the dungeons.

The Maidenvault was a tower found behind the royal sept in the Red Keep. They entered through two large wooden doors and Dany was impressed with what she saw. The apartments looked spacious and suitable for a highborn prisoner.

Princess Arianne was guarded by two men at the top of the tower. Her room was large and had a view of the fields to the North of Kings Landing as well as the Blackwater Bay itself. She had a jug of wine and some fruits at her table. Princess Arianne wore a long olive green dress that showed little cleavage, but still hug tightly to her form. She was an attractive woman, there was no doubt about that.

"Queen Daenerys, King Aegon," she said in a polite voice. "Welcome to my modest chambers,"

"Your husband is dead," Jon said in a flat voice.

"I know," she replied without a hint of emotion which surprised Daenerys.

"He thought that he could fight against your dragons, he was a foolish boy," Arianne said as she sat down to pour herself some wine. "I saw parts of the battle from my window,"

"What exactly did you see?" Jon asked.

"Bright bouts of flame at first. Everyone looked like little ants from up here. Ants dancing with dragons," she said as she took a sip of wine. "Tell me. Did you kill him yourself? Did he have a good death?"

"He tried to ride a dragon and then he burned. There is little left of him," Jon told her. Dany watched her carefully as Jon spoke. Again, she showed no real emotion or sadness that her husband was gone. Either she was a good actor, or she truly held no real love for him.

That would explain why she was so eager to cut ties with him when they met earlier. It was starting to make sense now.

"He believed that he could ride a dragon?" Princess Arianne asked as she raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Silly boy. Silly, silly, boy. He truly believed that he was a Targaryen,"

"Did you know that he was not?" Dany asked and the Dornish Princess scoffed in response.

"Do you take me for a fool? This boy arrived in Dorne claiming to be Elia's son. Everyone knows that the Mountain killed Elia's true child, this boy was nothing but a pretender. Probably a boywhore that the fool Connington found in Lys,"

"Connington did not find him. The Spymaster Varys was the one behind this plot," Daenerys replied. Arianne gave her a surprised look.

"Then why did you marry him?" Jon asked.

"I did not have a choice in the matter. My father told me to do it,"

"Why?" Jon asked. "What would he have gained?"

"If he was successful and he held onto the throne, Westeros would have a Dornish Queen, as we should have had, if Elia had not been murdered,"

"And if he was not. You were instructed to cut ties with him and head back to Dorne?" Daenerys added, she was beginning to understand their plan now. Arianne looked at her and nodded.

"So, why did your Uncle side with Aegon when you wanted to leave? What happened there?" Daenerys asked.

"My Uncle loved Elia dearly. He still feels anger over her death and this boy was his chance to avenge her. You will have to ask him for yourself,"

"We can't ask him anything," Jon replied.

"Is Oberyn dead?" Princess Arianne asked and for the first time Dany saw emotion cross her face, she seemed genuinely upset at the death of her Uncle.

"He died on the battlefield. His remains will be sent back to Sunspear," Dany told her and she slowly nodded.

"What about me? Will I be sent back to Dorne?"

"You will remain in the capital and act as our advisor on matters concerning Dorne. We have learned that under the previous regime, Dorne was not really part of the Seven Kingdoms and we want to change that," Dany told her

"Your advisor?" she asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"Yes, our advisor," Jon reiterated, his voice hard and firm.

"Will I be free to leave the castle and the city to travel as I please?" she asked with a raised eyebrow and Dany shook her head.

"So, I am to be your prisoner, not an advisor,"

"You will be an honoured guest. With quarters befitting your status as a noblewoman," Jon told her. "During this transition period, we think that it would be best if you remain in King's Landing to advise us on Dornish matters. Our Hand is from the Westerlands, we have already formed a strong connection with the Reach. I have connections with the North and we are working on improving relations with the Vale and the Riverlands, you will be our representative from Dorne"

"Well as your Dornish advisor, I can tell you that keeping me here against my will is a bad idea,"

"We know that it will complicate our relations with House Martell, but your actions have caused these circumstances. We had offered you the chance to bend the knee and join House Targaryen and you not only declined it but Dornish forces fought for the false Prince against us. We will not let that go unpunished," Jon told her.

"Despite your initial refusal to bend the knee, it seems that you at least, had intentions to do so. I have not forgotten that either. As a result, you will write to your father and tell him that he is required to come to Kings Landing to swear fealty to us as the rightful rulers of Westeros. After he does that, you will stay behind and remain in the capital as an advisor,"

"How long do you intend for me to be advising you?" she asked

"Until we are assured that Dorne has integrated itself fully with the rest of Westeros," Dany told her. "Princess Arianne. Take this seriously, if you are willing to work with us, this arrangement does not have to be difficult and your time in the capital can be an enjoyable and productive experience,"

"We also have a peace offer. Princess Elia Martell and her children were murdered by the monster known as Ser Gregor Clegane. My husband has slain Gregor Clegane and we have his rather large bones to prove it. With the death of the Mountain, we are one step closer to avenging the death of Princess Elia and her children,"

Princess Arianne regarded her cooly for a moment.

"The Mountain's bones may appease my family for a few moments, but the death of Oberyn at your hand will destroy any good will that the Mountain's demise would have earned you in Dorne's eyes."

"Prince Oberyn died on the battlefield," Jon pointed out but Princess Arianne just shrugged in response.

"He is dead at your hand, that is how my family will see it. That is how his daughters will see it,"

"Is that a threat?" Dany asked as she raised her eyebrow.

"Consider it as my first piece of advice,"

"More reason to keep you here in the capital then," Jon quickly said and Arianne just shrugged.

"I can control my family. With Oberyn gone, I am the only person that my father can turn to now. My father is not bold enough to openly wage war against the dragons, not without Oberyn pushing him. My brothers are young and naive, if my father is assured that I am safe, then I will be able to control Dorne and my cousins for you,"

Dany regarded her cooly before she slowly nodded. She would have to be very careful around her, that was for certain. She did not know her at all, but they did not have much choice in this matter. They needed some measure to control Dorne and keeping their Princess in the capital was the best measure that they had at the moment. The least they could do was give her the title of 'advisor' to appease Dorne's pride.

"Very well. We will be moving you to another chamber in the castle. As lovely as the Maidenvault is, you alone can't take up all of this space. A guard will come to escort you if you wish to see your Uncle's body. That will be all," Daenerys said as she rose to her feet. Jon silently followed her out of the room and they didn't speak again until they had left the Maidenvault entirely.

"Do you think that we can trust her?" Jon asked. "What was all that stuff she mentioned about her cousins?"

"I presume she means Oberyn's daughters. Tyrion mentioned them once or twice. We will have to watch her carefully but I don't see what other choice we have here. If we send her back to Dorne then we have no leverage against Prince Doran,"

"She did mention that her father would not push for war against us. Especially since we have dragons,"

"True. Although the situation is delicate. If we send her home, we lose any leverage that we have over Prince Doran and he can plot against us freely but if we keep her here, we risk antagonising him and giving him a spy and he still plots against us,"

"Aye, you're probably right," Jon said as he scratched his chin. "Better to have some leverage against him. And if Princess Arianne lets him know that she is being treated kindly, then perhaps Doran's anger will fade,"

"Perhaps. Let's hope so. Who shall we see next? I'd like to speak to Renly Baratheon," Dany said and Jon nodded in agreement. Renly was Robert's last surviving brother and Shireen's last trueborn Baratheon relation. He had not been an active participant in the war and he currently held no lands or titles.

"I think that we should wait and see him later. We already have a plan for the Stormlands and we did not account for Renly Baratheon. I think we should wait for Father and our other advisors before we meet with him,"

"What do you have in mind?" Dany asked.

"I don't think we should change our plans. Shireen will hold the Stormlands for us and Ser Davos will help her. However, we should speak to Shireen and Davos, find out their opinions on Renly first. That way when we meet with him, we will have a plan in mind,"

Dany nodded slowly, that sounded wise. "I agree with that. In the meantime, we can continue with the cleanup of the city, particularly removing the wildfire that has been stored. It is a miracle that nothing ignited accidentally when we took the city,"

"That sounds good. Ser Barristan, we will need an alchemist, or as many alchemists as you can find. We will need their expertise,"

"I will do my best, your graces. Although it will take me several days. We will need the streets to calm down and we will need a detailed map of the city. No one knows where Aerys hid his wildfire," the Kingsguard replied.

"Very well, Ser Barristan. Get it started. We will explore the castle for a while," Jon told him. The knight bowed before leaving them in the hallway.

"Where to now, my Queen?" Jon asked as he linked his arm in hers.

"I'd like to see the throne room and the Iron Throne that we have won," Dany answered and Jon led her away. They wandered around the castle, finding the Tower of the Hand which itself contained a small hall large enough to fit over a hundred. The audience chamber had myrish rugs, with wall hangings along with a tall window that provided a great view.

Then they found the White Sword tower, home of the Kingsguard. There was a circular room with whitewashed walls and white woolen tapestries on the first floor. In the middle was a weirwood shaped like a shield and a large book in the middle of it.

"This book contains stories of all the Kingsguard knights to ever serve," Dany said as she flicked through the pages. The book had not been updated since the end of Robert's reign. As far as they knew, all of his Kingsguard had died on the battlefield and they still had several spaces on theirs.

"Ser Barristan will update the book when he gets time," Jon said as he looked at the entry over her shoulder.

"He's a very busy man," Dany commented. "We also need another four knights to complete the seven. We already have Ser Barristan, Ser Loras and Ser Jaime. Do you have any suggestions for the other four?"

"Not really," Jon said as he scratched his chin. "Perhaps, Ser Jorah would like the opportunity? I doubt he will ever hold Bear Island again. If not, then perhaps one of the knights who helped to kill the Mountain in the Reach, but to be honest, I haven't given this a lot of thought. We've had more pressing matters,"

Dany nodded and after a few more minutes of exploring the room, they continued their self-guided tour of the castle. The last room they entered was the Great hall. The huge doors were already open and together they walked into the throne room of the Red Keep.

There were two galleries overhead which could hold more people. Torches were burning in holders on the arches that lined the wall and on the opposite end of the room, was the Iron throne itself.

"That is an ugly thing," Jon said quietly and his thoughts echoed hers. The throne itself was made of melted swords, it looked grotesque, prickly and uncomfortable.

"Do you remember in Meereen? Where we ruled from a wooden bench?" Dany asked and she saw Jon nod.

"If you want to design a new throne for us, I agree wholeheartedly," Jon immediately said and Dany smiled.

"What type of throne were you thinking of?" she asked,

"I was thinking of two thrones, one for me one for you. We will be ruling as equals, and two thrones will reflect that,"

"I like the idea but I want you to choose the design. Surprise me," Dany teased as she turned to leave the throne room.

"Dany, I grew up in the North, we don't have fancy thrones," Jon said grumpily as they walked through the castle. They were now overlooking one of the main entrance from where they had arrived a few hours ago.

"I know, but I'm sure you'll do a splendid job," she said and Jon just huffed. "It'll be good for the city as well. It'll attract back some of the carpenters and woodworkers that left the city. We'll certainly need them to continue the rebuild,"

She saw Jon scratch his chin before he slowly nodded "Fine. I'll work on it,"

"Good. Now what else do we need to do today? Start sending out invitations for the coronation?"

"Aye, I believe so. To the rookery?"

"To the rookery," Dany agreed and they headed off in that direction

****

After they went to the rookery and started sending out invitations to all of the Lords of the realm for their coronation, they had a few petitions to deal with. Several homeowners had their shopfronts and homes damaged during the taking of the city. To compensate for this, they sent a few soldiers to assess the damage and to help make temporary repairs.

They also received further reports from the rest of their men in the city. During the taking of the city, all of the gates were destroyed and would have to be rebuilt. The city walls were also heavily damaged due to the heat and power of the dragonflame and extensive repairs to the city's defences would have to be carried out. This did not worry them, as they had the Iron Banks gold to finance them. Not to mention, these construction projects would provide jobs for those without and it would help the transition from war back into peacetime.

After that, they re-entered the main courtyard. The ship from Dragonstone had arrived around an hour or so earlier and their carriage was finally pulling into the courtyard itself. The door swung open and Margaery was the first one out, carrying a sleeping Daeron in her arms.

"Your grace," she said with a smile and soon as she saw her.

"Margaery," Dany replied as she opened her arms to take her son. "Is he fine? He doesn't usually sleep this early in the day,"

"He is fine. Just tired. Lady Arya was playing games with him all throughout the boat journey and she must have tired him out," Dany chuckled as she spied Arya on the back of her chestnut mare. She did not ride in the carriage with the others.

"How was the trip?" Dany asked,

"The seas were calm, your grace. Your belongings and chests are being brought up to the castle as well," Margaery told her. "Are my father and brother here?"

"Your father is here and I believe your brother is in the castle, guarding Lord Renly," Margaery gave her a knowing glance before quickly walking past her to envelope her father in a hug. Dany smiled, it was nice to see them reunited once again.

Rhaegar was next out of the carriage. He wore a simple black pants with a red and black doublet with the sigil of their house woven into the black side with red thread.

"I have not seen this castle for over 15 years and it has not changed a bit," Rhaegar said as he walked over to her. He still used the stick for balance.

"It is good to see you brother, although I am sure you'll find something different," Dany told him. Rhaegar was about to reply, but they were interrupted by Ser Barristan

"Your grace. My prince," he said as he bowed. "It is good to see you Prince Rhaegar, I must confess, I feared the worst after I saw you fall,"

"My friend, it seems that I am a hard man to kill," Rhaegar replied as he smiled at Ser Barristan who didn't return it.

"It seems you aren't the only one," he said as his expression turned grave. "Lord Jon Connington is alive, and he is our prisoner. He was part of the false prince's council,"

Rhaegar's face grew dark when he heard these words and this was one of the rare times she had seen her brother angry.

"Take me to him," he said in a low deep voice and Ser Barristan quickly complied and led him away

"Where is he going?" Jon asked as he finally arrived.

"To see Jon Connington," Dany told him. "Come on, we'll wait for him inside, he'll know where to find us,"

Now with Daeron safely tucked up in her arms, they made their way through the castle and into Maegor's holdfast, the inner part of the castle. It was a square fortress, with thick tall walls and a dry moat separating it from the rest of the keep.

They crossed the bridge and entered an entrance hall with several doors leading off it. At the opposite end was a huge pair of oak doors with bright bronze door handles. A chandelier with over a hundred candles hung from the ceiling. Infront of them, was a grand staircase that led off to a balcony with seemingly more rooms attached to them.

"I take it we have to go up the stairs," Jon said quietly and Dany nodded. Together, they climbed the polished steps towards the top floor. Then they headed left along another well lit corridor towards a set of doors guarded by their Unsullied. They uncrossed their spears and then nodded to let them past.

On the other side of the doors, were the King's chambers. The room itself had an antechamber, with several other doors. On the floor of the antechamber was a mosaic of the three headed dragon made in red and black tiles, judging from the marks on the floor, Dany could tell that it had been covered with a carpet for several years. One door led to a private solar and another door led to the main bedroom. Inside the bedroom was a large double bed, big enough fit five people.

There were myrish rugs on the floor and there were twin hearths in the room which meant that the room was pleasantly warm. Along one wall was a large gold tinted round window and on the other side there was a door to a balcony that looked out over the city and the fields beyond.

She gently put Daeron on the bed to continue his nap but surprisingly he immediately sat up. Dany laughed at his blurry eyed face. He looked uncertainly around at his new surroundings and then back at her.

"Hello Daeron, this is our new home," she told him as he rubbed his eyes.

"We need to find somewhere for him to sleep," Jon said as he looked around the room. "Unlike Dragonstone, there doesn't appear to be a nursery attached to the room,"

"I'm sure we can convert a room for him. For now, we can put a crib in the room. Although I imagine, soon enough he'll need to start sleeping in his own bed," Dany said as she gently stroked his hair.

She watched as Jon walked around the room, opening and closing the doors and drawers that he found. As he did this, Daeron slowly started to wake up.

"Mama, where Aya?" he asked as he looked around the room.

"Arya isn't here, little one," she told him. Daeron looked up at her and then around the room, almost as if he was trying to find her himself. "You can play with Arya later but first mama has some important news,"

This caught Jon's attention and he quickly turned around to look at her.

"News?" he asked and Dany smiled and nodded. She picked Daeron up and sat him in her lap so that he was facing her.

"In a few months, you're going to have a little brother or sister," she told him with a smile.

"Sister?" Daeron repeated and Dany nodded. She watched as he pondered the word.

"Or a brother Daeron," Jon reminded him as he sat next to her on the bed. "A little brother or sister for you to watch over and protect. Can you do that?"

"Sister," Daeron repeated and then Dany saw him smile.

"I think that he feels I'm going to have a girl, and I agree," Dany told Jon.

"What makes you say that?"

"I don't know. It feels different to when I had Daeron, that's why I think she'll be a girl,"

"Sister!" Daeron repeated, almost as if he was voting.

"Yes, I agree, a little sister for you. That sounds nice doesn't it?"

"Well, we will love whatever baby we have. Whether it's a boy or girl." Jon chimed in.

"I agree," Dany added and then they sealed it with a kiss.

The Silver Prince

Rhaegar followed Ser Barristan through the dark hallways that led down to the dungeons. The dungeons were beneath a squat round tower and they had four layers to it. The top level had cells with high windows for common criminals. The second level had personal cells without windows for highborn captives. The third level contained the black cells. Smaller cells with wooden doors so no light could enter. The lowest level contained cells used for torture, many of his father's enemies found themselves in those cells.

Jon Connington was being held in the third level.

Rhaegar felt betrayed. Connington had been his friend whilst they were growing up, and yet he had sided with their enemies. Enemies that had tried to harm the dragons that were a symbol of their house.

"In here my Prince," Ser Barristan told him as they stopped outside a wooden door. "You will need a lantern, and I will wait outside,"

Rhaegar nodded, took the lantern, then headed inside the dark, cold cell. He held the lantern high in the air to provide as much light as he could to the room.

"Who's there?" he heard a voice ask. Connington's voice hadn't changed, it sounded slightly raspy, but Rhaegar could still tell who it was.

"Me," was all he replied as he cast the light over Connington. He saw his old friend lying against one wall, he had several bandages over a wound he had along his side. His hair was long and untidy and his face looked old and leathered.

"My Prince," he whispered as he saw him. He began to struggle towards him but Rhaegar stopped him.

"Don't move," Rhaegar told him his voice cold and harsh and then Connington flinched.

"My Prince?" he asked as he looked up at him with piercing eyes

"What were you thinking?" Rhaegar angrily asked and Jon was taken aback.

"What do you mean?"

"Supporting that boy. That imposter. He was claiming to be my son, how could you fall for that?"

"He was your son. Varys told me. He told me that he saved him," Connington stuttered.

"You believed Varys? " Rhaegar asked as he shook his head. "I thought that you were smarter than that. I thought you were smart enough to see through the Spider's lies,"

"Why would he lie?" Jon asked,

"Because he is a schemer and a manipulator. This boy was not my son, he was the son of Varys's friend, a cheesemonger in Pentos. A Blackfyre. A fraud," Rhaegar repeated.

"A Blackfyre?" Connington asked "That doesn't make sense. They're all dead?"

However Rhaegar ignored him, he did not have time to explain it all to him.

"Worst of all. You tried to kill Jon. My son. My trueborn son," Rhaegar seethed. "How could you do that? How can you try and kill my son and my sister?"

He tried to remain angry but it soon faded and he quickly looked away.

"They are my family, the only family that I have left and you tried to kill them," he repeated, his voice heavy with hurt and pain.

"I didn't know," Connington uttered.

"Lies! You met with them. You heard what they had to say and yet you still tried to kill them. How could you do that?"

Connington had no answer to that, he just hung his head.

"What will happen to me?" he asked after a few moments. "Will you leave me here to die?"

"No," Rhaegar said quietly. "They will want to execute you for what you did, but I won't let that happen. Instead, you will serve out your days at the Wall,"

"The Wall? You mean to send me to that barren wasteland?" Connington asked in disbelief. "I'd rather you kill me,"

"No. Death is too merciful. You can be of use at the Wall,"

"Use of what? Guarding the realm against wildlings ?" he scoffed

"This is not up for debate. Once you have recovered from your injuries, you will be sent to the Wall. That is all," Rhaegar said with a tone of finality. He dropped the lantern and began to leave the room, he was nearly out of the door when Connington spoke again,

"I am sorry. All I wanted was to sit your son on the throne. I failed you once in the rebellion, I just wanted to do this one thing for you. That's all I wanted. Please, you have to forgive me," he said quietly.

Rhaegar froze but then slowly started to shake his head. He may have believed he had good intentions, but his actions were anything but good.

"I don't think I will ever be able to forgive you for this betrayal," and with that, he left the room.

The Dragon King

They had been settled in Kings Landing for over a month now and the day of their coronation was here. Kings Landing was slowly recovering. The richer upper class had started to return to the city after fleeing during the end of Robert's reign. The repairs to the city had been going well. Most of the fire damage had been repaired and only 2 of the 7 gates still needed to be fixed.

They were in their dressing room getting ready for the day. Now that they were in Kings Landing, Daenerys had her full assortment of ladies to help her dress. Missandei and Irri had helped her dress for the day but before that she dressed Daeron. As they no longer had to travel, Dany could spend as much time as she wanted to with him. She gave him his bath every morning and night and she always fed and dressed him. 

Today, she had managed to coax him into his own little outfit for the occasion. He wore a red and black doublet with black pants and she had even managed to brush his hair back so it was nice and tidy. Jon looked at him as he sat on the edge of the bed, patiently waiting. Every so often, he would fiddle with his collar and Jon knew it would be a task to keep him fully dressed for the entire day.

"I know, she takes a long time," he said to him as he sat next to him. Daeron just pointed at the floor.

"Ghost," he said simply as he pointed towards the direwolf.

"Yes. Is Ghost a wolf?"

"Woof," Daeron told him as he nodded and Jon smiled.

"Wolf,"

"Woof," Daeron repeated and Jon decided to let him have it. As he grew older, his pronunciation would improve.

"Are you excited? You get to meet more of your family today," Jon told him. The Starks had arrived the day before and Daeron was yet to meet them. "You get to meet Uncle Robb and Aunty Sansa. They're Arya's brother and sister,"

"Arya?" Daeron asked as his eyes lit up. He started to bounce on the bed excitedly. "Where Arya?"

"We will see Arya later. We have to do something first," he told his son and at that moment the double doors connecting their rooms swung opened and in walked Daenerys.

She wore a full length dark red gown that hugged her form tightly and showed off the small, but noticeable bump in her stomach. It looked like there were little jewels that had been embroidered into the dress to give it a glittery effect. She wore a thin gold headband in her silver hair that fell all the way to her shoulders. Her hair had been brushed so that it shone brightly like molten silver and she wore gilded sandals on her feet and golden bracelets encrusted with amethysts around her wrists.

"Mama!" Daeron said excitedly as he slid off the bed to run towards her. Dany quickly crouched down to scoop him up.

"There's my handsome boy," she said as she picked him up

"Mama! Mama pretty," Daeron told her and Dany blushed before turning to him.

"Did you tell him to say that?" she asked

"Maybe, but it's still true, you look beautiful my love," he said as he stood up to give her a kiss

"I am such lucky Queen to have a King as handsome as you," she said as she broke apart. Jon was wearing the finest silks that they had. The cloth was smooth and seemed to move through his fingers like water. It was so light and soft that it felt like he was wearing nothing at all. He was dressed in the colors of House Targaryen, complete with his sword strapped to his waist.

"Are you ready?" Jon asked and she nodded. They would be holding their coronation in the Great Sept of Baelor as was tradition, then returning to the castle for the celebration and the feasts and dancing.

They held hands as their made their way through the castle and out towards the main courtyard. Tyrion stood waiting for them, he had finally turned up in Kings Landing a few weeks prior, bringing his tale of misery from Casterly Rock. They had immediately agreed to grant Jaime's request for an extended break as he mourned those tragic events.

He stood in the middle of the yard in a wearing a black shirt and pants, with his pin of office in place on his chest

"Your graces. It's a beautiful day," he said in greeting and Jon nodded.

"Aye, makes a change from all the rain that we've been having," Jon commented and Tyrion turned to little Daeron who was still perched in Dany's arms.

"Hello my Prince," he said and Daeron looked at him for a moment before giving him a little wave which brought a smile to Tyrion's face.

Then Jon turned to Ser Barristan and Ser Loras, who were proudly wearing their new Kingsguard armour. Their white armour shone magnificently in the sunlight, their jewelled blades tucked securely at their waist. Ser Barristan's armor had special gold pieces added to it to signify his status as the Lord Commander, whilst Ser Loras's armor had golden roses crafted into the metal at the shoulders to represent his house. Jon liked these personal touches, Tobho Mott and Gendry had done sterling work.

"Your graces. We are ready to proceed to the Great Sept of Baelor to begin the coronation. Will you be taking the carriage?" Ser Barristan asked and Dany shook her head.

"No. The Dothraki women spend all their lives riding, even when they are pregnant or nursing a newborn. Daeron and I can handle a short horse ride to the Sept," she said confidently. Ser Barristan nodded and then motioned for a stable boy to come over with her horse. It was a silver mare, like she had in Essos. Jon watched as she handed Daeron to Missandei before swiftly mounting the horse and then taking him up in her arms again. She held the reigns with one hand and Daeron in the other. She raised a questioning eyebrow at him and Jon quickly took the hint and climbed onto his black horse and rode next to her.

Ser Barristan was in the lead, Rhaegar and Tyrion were behind them and Dany's handmaidens were behind them. Finally bringing up the rear were Ser Loras and Ghost. As they did not have a complete Kingsguard, they chose Aggo and Jhoqo to fill out extra positions as part of their guard along with several members of their Unsullied such as Greyworm and Stalwart Shield.

Their procession slowly started to move out of the castle courtyard and into the city streets. Tyrion had advertised this day saying that it would be a day of festivities after more troubled times and as a result, the streets were lined with people eager to get a look at their King and Queen.

As soon as they saw them, they started to wave and shout and point and Jon smiled and waved in return. He saw little children sitting on their parent's shoulders as they tried to get a look at them. Jon suspected that Tyrion had done some work and told the people of some of their good works and perhaps this was what helped to fuel this excitement and good will. Perhaps, it was the presence of his father, who was still remembered fondly in Kings Landing.

He turned to his right and saw Daenerys was carefully waving to the crowd. However, poor little Daeron looked a little awestruck. His little hands were tightly holding onto her dress as he stared at all these people that he hadn't seen before. Perhaps, it would have been better if he rode in a carriage after all. Still, they could not change their decision now, he would just have to keep a careful eye on him throughout the rest of the journey.

A shadow passed overhead and Jon looked up into the sky to see that all three of the dragons had arrived. Caraxes was recovering slowly, Rhaegar said that he was not as quick or as agile as he was before but they still hoped he would make a full recovery.

The dragons had seemingly all chosen to stay behind on Dragonstone. Jon did not mind this, the Dragonpit was still a ruin and likely couldn't hold their dragons anyway. The dragons ducked and weaved through the air much to the amusement of the people below. They released a few short bouts of flame before flying off over the bay once again.

Jon continued to wave to the crowd as they made their slow procession towards the Sept which was located on Visenya's hill. The white marble plaza was filled with nobles that had travelled to the city to witness this event. The Sept itself was an impressive marble domed structure with seven large crystal towers. It reminded him of the temple of the Lord of Light that they had seen in Volantis, although it was nowhere near as big.

There was a large raised marble pulpit from where the Septon could stand and address the crowd and this is where the ceremony would take place. A path had been cleared for them and they dismounted their horses before slowly making their way down the aisle to the front.

As they walked down the aisle, he saw the Starks near the front left and the Tyrells to the right. He saw members of Houses Redwyne, Mooton, Darry, Whent, Rowan, Tarly in the audience. He saw Asha Greyjoy and then Willas and Garlan Tyrell.

Ser Barristan took up his position of vigil just below the steps. Dany handed Daeron to Missandei before they continued to the top.

"My King, My Queen," the High Septon said in greeting as he met them. He was an old man, with a thin white beard and a small crystal crown on his head. "Shall we begin?"

Jon looked towards Dany, squeezed her hand and then nodded.

"People of Westeros. We thank you for gathering here today to witness this historic event. We are here to officially begin the reign of Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen and King Aegon of Houses Stark and Targaryen. The gods have seen fit to grant them with the power of dragons and the ability to restore House Targaryen to the throne. Over three hundred years ago, Aegon the Conqueror was blessed in Oldtown and now his descendants will be blessed here in the city that he created,"

"May the Father help you, so that you rule justly and fairly. May the Mother bless you with her mercy and more heirs. May the Smith give you strength to carry this heavy burden. May the Crone show you the path that you should walk, and guide you throughout this journey. In the light of the seven, I now proclaim you. Aegon and Daenerys, King and Queen of the Andals and the first men. Lord and Lady of the Seven Kingdoms,"

With that, he placed their crowns on their heads.

"Long may they reign!" he shouted.

"Long may they reign!" the crowd chanted in return and then they all broke out into applause. The dragons roared and screeched overhead as they shot their flame and Daeron wrestled free of Missandei's grasp to run up the stairs into Dany's arms.

Jon looked down at the crowd and smiled. He saw Robb, Sansa, Arya and Ned all clapping for them. He saw the Tyrells and the Darrys also clapping in their section. He looked towards Dany and gave her a gentle kiss, which earned them another loud round of applause.

******

After the coronation, they returned to the Red keep for more feasts and celebrations. Dany had changed into a different gown, a deep plum purple that highlighter her eyes. She said it would be simpler for her to move about it. Over 500 guests had been invited to these celebrations, but the festivities were spread throughout the city. They made sure that no one would go to bed with an empty stomach tonight.

The feasts took place in the gardens as it was a sunny afternoon day. Jon and Dany sat at on an elevated dais with everyone spread out around them. There was roast boar, honeyed chicken, stewed lamb, fish stew, sweet pumpkin soup, bread, sausages and bacon along with apples, oranges and strawberries. Lord Redwyne had also brought several barralels of his finest Arbour Gold to go along with the sweet wine that they already had served. It was a magnificent spread of food and Jon could only manage two plates before he felt full.

That was not the same for Dany and Daeron, who seemed to be trying a little bit of everything. Dany sat him in her lap and fed him little pieces from her plate.

"I'm eating for two now," she reminded him as she quickly took another bite of her chicken. Jon just smiled and looked the other way. Daeron seemed to have perked up again, he ate whatever his mother ate and he was happily laughing and smiling. Jon laughed at the little facial expressions he made when he found something that he didn't like. He was not a fan of the pumpkin soup but both he and Dany loved the stewed lamb.

He decided then it was time for Daeron to meet his family. He led them off their dais and towards the Stark table where they were all eating and drinking.

"Hello everyone," he said in greeting. "This is Daeron and Dany,"

Sansa immediately rose to her feet and performed a perfect courtesy before Dany gently told her off and offered her a hug. Sansa smiled before gratefully returning it.

"Daeron, this is your Aunty Sansa. Do you want to say hello?" Dany asked. Sansa held her arms out and surprisingly Daeron went into them.

"Aw. He's so cute," Sansa said as she held him. "He looks just like you Daenerys. Although, he has Jon's eyes and nose,"

"Arya!" Daeron said excitedly as he saw her. His face stretched into a wide smile and Jon watched as he wriggled free of Sansa's grasp and over towards Arya. Arya picked him up and sat him in her lap and poked his nose.

"Hello Daeron. This is my brother Robb. He is your uncle," Arya told him. Daeron looked at Robb for a few moments before he turned his attention towards Arya again.

"I think that's it for him now," Jon said. "I promised him that he would play with Arya later and I don't think he'll look at anyone else for the rest of the evening,"

Arya however seemed to have other ideas.

"Daeron, can you wave to Robb? Like this?" she asked as she demonstrated. Daeron looked at her hand, and then he quickly copied her.

"How about my father. Wave to Uncle Ned?" Arya asked and she showed him what to do and again Daeron copied. "Good boy," Arya told him as she gave him a kiss on his cheek.

"Careful Arya. Don't get him too excited otherwise you'll be the one who chases him around here," Jon warned her but Arya waved him away.

"I'll be fine, Jon. Daeron never gives me any trouble," she said as she tickled him. Jon did not have time to reprimand her further because at that moment, the musicians started to play and it was time to dance.

Truthfully, Jon had not been looking forward to this part of the day, the last thing he wanted to do was to embarass himself here. However, Dany gave him a reassuring smile and together they entered the middle of the dancefloor. Jon knew that everyone was watching them as they slowly waltzed however he only had eyes for her. He had one hand on her hip and he held her other hand in hers. It was a slower tune, and Jon was very careful with his feet

"Have you been sneaking out to have dancing lessons?" she whispered as he led her across the floor

"No why?"

"You're very good,"

"No, I'm not. You're just leading me," Jon returned and as to prove his point, she started to twirl and he automatically helped her through it.

"See, you're a natural," she teased. Jon just smirked and kissed her. Then more people entered the dancefloor to dance as the band moved to a more faster song. He saw Robb and Sansa. Loras and Margaery. Missandei was with Grey Worm. Shireen and Ser Davos. Arya was even spinning around with Daeron in her arms, much to his amusement.

As the song changed again, so did the partners. Jon ended up with Sansa whilst Robb was dancing with Dany.

"Is that Margaery Tyrell in the pretty olive dress?" Sansa asked.

"Yes. Do you know her?"

"I met her once. Years ago really, during the Hand's tourney,"

"Oh," Jon said as they continued to dance.

"I've noticed Robb looking in her direction a few too many times today,"

"Oh," Jon said quietly as he glanced at Robb, however he seemed to be busy trying to keep up with Dany. "Should I introduce them?"

Sansa laughed lightly at that. "Yes, that would be nice. Before Robb makes a fool out of himself,"

"Robb won't do that. Robb is great with women," Jon said as he remembered their childhood at Winterfell.

"Are you sure about that? Because right now, Robb is starstruck by the most beautiful woman here. Well second most, the most beautiful is your wife,"

"Thank you Sansa,"

"I mean it, Jon. I'm so happy for you. You have a wife and an amazing little boy and you seem happy. I'm truly sorry for how I treated you when we were younger. I hope that you can forgive me and accept me into your life,"

Jon looked at her and then smiled. "Of course, I can Sansa,"

The song came to an end and he placed a kiss on her forehead and he headed off to his table before he could get dragged out for another song. At the last moment, he saw Robb and quickly pulled him over to an empty table on the side. From this position, they could see the people dancing.

"This is a grand celebration," Robb said as they sat down to take a drink of wine. "Your grace," he added and Jon punched him in the arm.

"You don't have to call me that," Jon said as he took a sip of summerwine. "Lord Stark,"

"I am not Lord Stark,"

"Not yet but you will be one day,"

"It's a little ironic. Father always said that one day you would be my bannerman and I will rule the North with your help. Now one day I'm going to help you hold the Seven Kingdoms,"

"Aye," Jon said quietly. "How are things in the North?"

"Things are getting better. We marched and took the Dreadfort. Roose is dead, as is Ramsey,"

"Good," Jon said as he took another drink of wine. They watched the people dance and he did notice that every few moments, Robb's eyes would land on Margaery.

"Her name is Margaery by the way," he casually mentioned as he took a sip. "And if I've noticed you staring at her, then she, definitely, has,"

Robb contorted his face for a few moments before he frowned.

"Was I really that obvious?"

"I didn't notice until Sansa told me, but Margaery is very perceptive. I've noticed that about her,"

"Do you know her?"

"She was on Dragonstone for several months during the war. Daeron loves her, he calls her Magey," Jon told him.

"What's she like?"

"She's nice. Very perceptive and she's smarter than she lets on," Jon told her. "Although, you'd find out what she was actually like if you spoke to her. Be careful though, her grandmother has a sharp tongue,"

"Her Grandmother?" Robb asked in surprise. "Wait,"

"Come on, I'll introduce you now," Jon said as he quickly jumped to his feet to forestall the question. He saw Margaery talking to her brother Loras over by the fountain and he briskly walked over to them.

"Ser Loras, Lady Margaery. This is my brother, Robb," he said with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Lord Robb," Loras said as he gave him a firm handshake. Jon stole a glance at Margaery who had a smirk across her face.

"Lady Margaery. It is a pleasure to meet you," Robb said with his most charming smile.

"Ser Loras, I believed the Queen needed your services," Jon said weakly. He probably should have come up with a better excuse because that one didn't fool Loras for a second.

"Go ahead, Loras. I'm sure Lord Robb will keep me company until you return. Perhaps, he can tell me of all the wonders of the Northernmost Kingdom," Margaery said airly and Jon bit back a laugh at Robb's hopeless expression.

"It was nice to meet you Lord Robb, perhaps we can spar together sometime?" Ser Loras asked and Robb nodded. Jon led Ser Loras away and he quickly searched his brain for some pretext as to why Dany would need him, however he ran out of time because he nearly bumped into her.

"Your grace. We were just looking for you," Loras said with a smile.

"Oh," Dany replied. "Why?"

"The King said that you needed my services?" Ser Loras asked innocently and Dany gave him a questioning look. She glanced back in the direction they came from and then she understood.

"Why did I need Ser Loras, Jon?" Dany asked as she stood next to Ser Loras, she had decided to prolong his suffering. They both looked at him patiently before Dany broke out laughing.

"Never take up lying, you are terrible at it Jon," she teased.

"As a matter of a fact, your grace. I must get back to my duty. I believe that I am supposed to be guarding the Prince for the rest of the evening,"

"Prince Daeron will be fine, Ser Loras. He has two Direwolves and a very protective Aunty. Enjoy yourself tonight. You've worked hard. Don't worry about Ser Barristan either, we'll let him know that we gave you the evening off," Dany kindly told him. Ser Loras bowed in thanks before heading off in his own direction.

"How is your evening going?" Jon asked as they took a seat on a chair. Dany decided to settle herself in his lap with half her body to him. From this position they could see the rest of the garden and the sun slowly set across the horizon. The dragons could be seen off in the distance and Jon knew that when night fell, they would fly over to provide their own brand of entertainment.

"It's going well. I've invited Sansa to have cakes with me and the ladies tomorrow. I think that I'll invite her to stay at court for a while, if that's fine with you?"

"Sansa staying is fine. She'll get to spend some more time with Daeron as well,"

"Good. Marge and I will also be heading out to the orphanages and homeless shelters tomorrow to help distribute the leftovers from today's feast. What will you be doing?"

"I'll probably watch them spar for a while in the morning, then I think I'll head out with Ser Davos to see the new armor shop that Tobho Mott is opening up,"

"He's done fantastic work. I've heard that some of the Lords want to buy his work already," Dany commented and Jon nodded. They were fell quiet as they saw Arya come over carrying Daeron.

"I think he's tired, he keeps yawning a lot and rubbing his eyes," she told them.

"Give him here," Dany said as she held out her eyes

"Aw. Are you tired sweetling? Don't worry, mama will take you to bed soon,"

"Thanks Arya. I'll take him to bed soon," 

Arya smiled and then left, off to enjoy the rest of the celebration.

"Soon, they'll all leave and we'll have to start working again. Conquering is one thing, but ruling is something else entirely," Dany said quietly.

"Aye. It'll be difficult, but we've got good people around us. Father, Tyrion, Davos, and everyone else. They will all help us," Jon told her.

"And we will have each other. We will have Daeron and his little brother or sister. We aren't going to be facing this challenge alone. We'll do it together," Dany said as she turned to look at him.

"Aye, we'll do it together,"

Notes:

So here we are. After 34 chapters and nearly 400k words, we're at the end. This is actually the first fan fiction I've ever written, and honestly, I did not expect it to get to this size. To put this work into perspective, it has more words than AGOT.

Thank you all for sticking with me and with this story. I've learned alot about writing and I've gotten better and thank you all for having the patience and for giving me the opportunity to do this.

A special thank you once again goes out to GOT88. Without him, this work really would not have been possible. He has helped a lot with the planning and the outlining that goes into this work. Super super thanks.

We are planning a sequel, to this, covering the White Walkers. Would that be something you guys are interested in? If so let me know. It won't be for another month or two at the least.

So, thank you all once again. It has been a pleasure to write this story for you all