Dany dreamt of her dragons that night; the night they were slaughtered She was called away, Ser Barristan walked her back to her chambers at the Wall. "It is so cold," she remembered telling him.

"It is," he replied.

She began freezing, shaking uncontrollably. The air was chill on the night that she arrived, wind and snow blew and clouded most of her vision. Her dragon blew fire that heated up the surroundings. Then, and only then, did she see the creatures: ice blue eyes – a horde of them marching, corpses of men littered the ground. She watched as her dragons burned these creatures alive. From above, she saw a tired man with dark eyes. She could barely make him out; he looked like a shadow. A small glint of light came into his eyes. He watched as the dragon's fire burned all of them, more with relief than anything else.

It was only when Daenerys was sure that there was no more of these creatures that she dismounted off of Drogon. The man descended the steps and came to meet her.

"Daenerys of House Targaryen, I expect," was all he said.

She studied him for a few minutes.

"You are of House Baratheon."

"Stannis Baratheon." He stepped slightly forward.

"The usurper's brother."

"The Mad King's Daughter."

From then on they formed a shaky alliance, she dreamed of when her other dragons were massacred. Ser Barristan called her away, leading her back to her chambers close to the Wall. She turned away, but looked back through her silver hair. My children. She attempted to run back, was it all worth it? Was having an alliance with Stannis truly would make her happy? The old man pulled hard at her waist and pulled her away. She retched as his old, but able hands pressed hard into her stomach. How can I leave my children?

She spent the night, looking into the dark skies; sometimes glimpsing and seeing Drogon's expansive wings. She listened to the conversations of the people that passed. "Well one of them are done, after a dozen deaths." Which dragon, she thought. They had answered her. Viserion. She had hoped that even though he was named for her brother Viserys, he would do what her brother could not. Goodbye, my brother. My child. Later came the screams of Rhaegal. She melted into the dust, snow, and dirt that flew through the hair. She awoke.

Stannis sat in his chambers, looking out of the open windows of King's Landing. It was odd to have this much sunlight. He had always kept to the darkly mythical places at Dragonstone. They said that Dragonstone was cursed and always had he had moved himself and his forces to the Wall, namely Castle Black. It was not much of a change. This was. The slim curtains made the room brighter and it reflected off the light stones that decorated the walls and floor.

"Davos," he said as his most loyal servant came to see him as he often did in the mornings.

"My king," he said and bowed.

Stannis sat silent for a minute. He had a lot in his mind. How to move forward? How to deal with the Targaryen girl?

"What do you think of the Lady Targaryen?"

"She seems kind. She talks to me in the garden."

"About what?"

"Oh, nothing much. Usually she spends time with Shireen."

Stannis slammed his hand hard on the table, "But what does she want? She may talk of only wanting home, but she's knows how to play the game."

"So do you, I wouldn't worry. She sacrificed two of her dragons for you."

For an alliance, not for me. For the crown, not so I could be king.

"Am I interrupting?" Daenerys Targaryen entered the room in a fail swoop. She seemed to come out of nowhere, but when she came her force was known. Like a dragon landing on the ground, the atmosphere seemed to change.

"No, my lady," Davos rose and Stannis sat still.

"This won't take long. I know we haven't talked about Melisandre's death a lot, ser, but I was only wondering if I could take Asha Greyjoy into my service."

"No," Stannis said powerfully. "She is my captive. She harmed the Starks. If I let her escape to your service, the Northmen would be unhappy."

"I don't care about the Northmen. Asha Greyjoy saved my life. What does it matter if she's in your hands or mine?"

"Lady Targaryen." Stannis crossed the room over to his. She couldn't lie that her heart beat faster out of fear when she saw him. She reminded herself she was a dragon. A stag did nothing to her, only annoyed her with his poking and prodding.

"Lord Stannis," she said and saw the slight she delivered affect his face, like a scar.

"I take promises and alliances seriously. If I let Asha Greyjoy go, there will be rebellion. If there is rebellion, we're dead."

"Fine, ser. I see that you will not change your mind. But you are wrong, if there is a rebellion, you are dead."

Dany delivered and walked out.

They were always telling her to be strong, something that she believed. Daenerys Targaryen had the fire of the dragon inside of her. She sat on her throne no longer guessing herself. She knew it wasn't the throne that she had dreamed of and Stannis Baratheon was not the lord husband she had dreamed, but she had made it. She couldn't pretend the fight was over (this morning proved that), or completely swallow the fact that she was unsure of everything. Viserys had always told her that Seven Kingdoms were waiting for him. When she thought her brother was the ruler of the world, she believed; now she did not. A lie made by a king.

Stannis Baratheon sat beside her harder and colder than ice. She thought he was carved by the same material that decorate the Iron Throne. Though they were not married, they still held court together until the arrangements were made. I bet he couldn't even feel the jagged points if he tried. He was meant to sit there.

She looked at him. She had loved dangerous men for most of her life, men that she was fearful of. She remembered when she first looked into Drogo's eyes. There was nothing full of love in them and she didn't want to be his queen. She felt the same now. She chanced a smile at Stannis, but it was not to be. She remembered what Ser Barristan said to her, "Stannis has never learned to smile." She thought this impossible at the time, but now she could believe it.

He looked at her as a means to an end, a tool to his power. She wasn't surprised but found herself longing for even Jorah. No, she could never love him and he could never love her. It didn't take away from the fact that she longed for his easy smiles and his admiring gaze.

"My lady," she heard Stannis say roughly. He makes sweet words sound harsh.

"Yes?" Daenerys said absentmindedly.

"I think we played king and queen long enough, the people are satisfied for now. Next time, you might speak up." It was no matter, holding court was always her least favorite part of being queen.

"Of course, my king," she said walking back to her chambers.

Asha was waiting for her there. "Oh Asha," Dany said as she entered the room, "I didn't see you there."

Asha shrugged it off. "My lady, I've received word that Ser Jorah is coming with Tyrion Lannister."

She laughed. "Tyrion Lannister? He won't live long once they arrive. "Where did they find him?"

"Ser Jorah found him in the free cities."

"He was better off there." My sweet, foolish bear.

"Asha, would you stay a moment?"

"I talked to Stannis about releasing you to me, officially."

"And?"

"He seems to believe that the Greyjoys would rebel if they found you had switched to my service."

"As long as I am out of the way, they wouldn't care either way."

Dany smiled to herself, She was a dragon not a cowering, unsure girl.