Fire and Blood
She is fire, hot and deadly and angry. She has crushed armies in mere minutes with her flames. But he is blood, strong and painful and vengeful. He is a deadly killer, a man not even death could hold in his grave.
They are not the Targaryen's of old, who power, and lustfulness drove them to insanity. No, these two are much more than that. In the years to come the people will not worship the old gods or the new. They will worship only two gods, Daenerys and Aegon Targaryen.
Fire and Blood
Chapter 1
Tyrion
Even within the wheelhouse the frigid, northern, air cut the skin like sharpened steel as it rolled unevenly along the snowy track which was once the King's Road, now a shallow indent of snow between walls of ice as tall as horses. It took several hours each morning for the men to dig it out of the ever-falling snow and chip the ice off the wheels and axels.
It had been a 'gift' for the dragon Queen from Lord Manderley. The fat Lord had announced that the journey was far too long to Winterfell, and the weather too cold for a Queen to ride. Daenerys Targaryen had masked her fury and insult with grace and smiles and had touched the Lord's elbow and had merely said "My thanks Lord Manderley, but I was a Khaleesi before I was a Queen, I sit a horse as well as any man, and I wish to see the Kingdom I am fighting for. I will not sit behind a curtain."
The Queen had been polite, even kind but Manderley and the others saw the fire flash in her eyes as she swung up into her saddle and kicked off from White Harbour and so the wheelhouse had been occupied mainly by the spider and the Queen's Hand, with the occasional visit from Missandei of Nath. Daenerys had continued to ride at the head of the party beside Jon Snow and in truth Tyrion had barely spoken to her the whole journey up to Winterfell. When they camped the Queen would disappear into her tent, Jon Snow in tow to discuss 'more of the north'. Tyrion had first wanted to oppose their coupling. They had not been subtle about it and the whole host had been witness to their affections. The Dothraki had even started referring to the brooding Northman as Khal. Tyrion had made poor efforts to try and separate the two lovers, trying in vain to call small council meetings, but Daenerys had simply smiled and had stated that Jon Snow was a member of her small council as Warden of the North and Lord Commander of her armies and that as the immediate threat was to the north the two of them had already discussed their battle strategy and that Tyrion would be updated to any changes if the Queen saw fit.
So, the Hand of the Queen was left in the wheelhouse with the sole company of Varys, and when the cold was too much Missandei. It was not bad company as such, just frustrating. Tyrion could feel Varys' reproachfulness radiating through the wintry air, and whilst nothing was said, Tyrion could imagine that if the spider were permitted to speak his mind, Tyrion would not appreciate the words, less the Queen. On the eighth day of travel and eighth Day of Silence, Tyrion gave up. Leaning back into the damp cushions he heaved a sighed and faced the spider.
"Speak your mind Lord Varys, what ire's you so."
"Oh, nothing ire's me Lord Tyrion, I am just slightly concerned we are wasting our time with this expedition north."
Tyrion raised an eyebrow reaching for the cooling spiced wine sloshing on a stool. "The army of the dead are the immediate threat."
"Mm, I agree, it terrifies me that we have been so ignorant for all these years to magic, and to death, but politically, once the army of the dead is dealt with, we are back to square one. What does our Queen actually gain from this fight?"
"She gains the north" Tyrion muttered into his cup.
Varys laughed girlishly. "Oh, my friend we both know that is not true. Our good Queen Daenerys lost the north as soon as she bedded its bastard King."
"Not if she fights and wins." Tyrion countered. It was the only shred of hope he had for this new alliance anymore.
"Yes, and the chances of that are slim, in the mean time we ride to Winterfell, who is under command of your wife, who has been ruling in her brother's stead. A brother who has given up his crown."
"We both know that he did not do it all too willingly. Daenerys gained his trust."
"True, but answer me this, our Queen has dubbed him Warden of the North, that title has always been associated with the Lord of Winterfell, a title that our dear Jon Snow has no right to without his crown."
"You need not remind me Varys, I have already tried to explain this to her. She plans on legitimising him."
"That is a foolish idea. Sansa Stark is the lady of Winterfell, and without her Jon Snow would be dead. From what I've heard your wife is quite the political player, and a strong leader, the Lords of the North favour her."
Tyrion reflected on this. His Wife. A girl he had not seen in years. Of course, she was a strong political player she had learnt at the skirts of his sister. Sansa Stark had been underestimated all her life, and now men were paying for it. The she wold of Winterfell they were calling her, and she awaited them high in the towers of Winterfell.
"Daenerys loves him" Tyrion muttered "I am sure of it. She would have him as her King consort. To rule by her side. The North would be happy I am sure, with Sansa as Warden and Jon Snow as Consort."
"Again, my friend we know that this will not happen. Jon Snow is a good man, a strong leader, a loyal servant to our Queen and by all accounts an excellent killer. But he can never be king. He is the son of a dead man and a whore"-
"You honestly believe that" Tyrion mused peeking behind the frosted curtain out into the bleak winter. "We both knew Eddard Stark, he did not seem the type to bed whores, even in his youth."
"No, I don't believe it, but the opposing whispers have no solid merit to prove otherwise."
Tyrion pulled back from the window, curiosity getting the better of him. "There are opposing whispers?"
"Oh yes, several, Ashara Dayne, a wet nurse named Wylla and one more. A final whisper so small, so quiet, yet if it were true" Varys gulped fear flooding his cool eyes "It could tear us all apart."