Meanwhile, something quite galling had happened.
Catelyn Stark and her three youngest children, fled to the lands on the other side of the wall.
To be near, of all people, Jon Snow.
Her theory being that no one would ever think to look for her, where he was, since it was common knowledge how she felt about her late husband's bastard. But would he take her in?
She found that he would take her in, though she suspected it was more out of love for his half siblings, rather than any regard he had for her. Not that she deserved any from him. She had been terrible to him.
Jon had set up a small home for himself in the mountains. She thanked God they had had Bran's direwolf, Summer. The animal helped lead the way to Jon's Direwolf, Ghost. Catelyn idly wondered why Jon had no wife? But those things were not for her to wonder, she supposed.
The two of them left Arya, Bran and Rickon, and walked a little in the nearby forest.
"The Targaryen Queen drove you here?" Jon asked. Catelyn nodded.
"Yes. She blames the Starks, Lannisters...anyone who openly supported Robert Baratheon. That means the Greyjoys are safe, of course." Catelyn said darkly.
"Is it true that Sansa was married off to the imp?" Jon asked. Catelyn closed her eyes briefly, then nodded.
"I don't know WHO to blame for that. Robb should have offered the Kingslayer in exchange for your sisters, long ago. I found out Arya had been on her own. Bran and Rickman were being looked after well enough. But my understanding of that whole arrangement is still lost on me. All I know is I want to free my daughter from that family!"
"Tyrion Lannister does not strike me as a man that would put Sansa in great danger." Jon noted.
"Sansa is a princess! And one of great beauty and worth! Being married to that imp was bad enough when his name still carried some weight! But now the name Lannister, Stark and Baratheon mean nothing in this realm! So Sansa is now married to a nothing imp!"
"She'll make do," Jon said, referring to Sansa, "she always does. Somehow she survived imprisonment under Joffrey Baratheon. She'll survive marriage to Tyrion Lannister."
Catelyn said nothing more on that subject. Because she dared to bring something else up.
"I cannot help but notice that you were very hard to find. Almost as if you were hiding from someone. If not for Summer..."
"I am, Catalyn. And while I will not deny you safe harbor. It must be brief."
Catelyn raised a brow.
"There is trouble?"
Jon was about to say something, when Arya came running towards them!
"Mother! It's Bran! He's very upset! He sees a dragon coming!"
Catelyn's eyes widened!
"One of the Targaryen Dragons? What would a dragon be doing in this cold? And why would it be coming here?"
Catelyn looked to Jon and she could see that he knew. She could also sense that this is what he feared. Suddenly, a loud, braying sort of sound, from the sky, permeated their ears! Arya screamed and Jon yelled at them to go back to his cabin.
"I will draw him away from the rest of you!" Jon yelled.
"Because it's you he wants!" Catelyn replied in a shocked whisper. "Why would the Targaryen Queen send one of her dragons for you, Jon? Why?"
"Just get back!" Jon yelled and ran. Arya was speechless with fright and Catelyn ordered her to return to her brothers. Catelyn watched her daughter's retreating back, then hurried off in the direction she'd seen Jon head off in. The dragon's cried grew louder and it was as Catelyn hurried into a clearing, that all became known to her.
The dragon had landed and was advancing on Jon! Catelyn was too shocked to scream, as a burst of fire speared out of it's mouth and hit Jon square on! Jon disappeared in a flash of fire and Catelyn closed her eyes in silent prayer. Jon had been so brave! He had drawn the beasts fire and fury away from herself and the children. She would have to let Robb know what happened...
Something made Catelyn open her eyes quickly!
Lord in Heaven...
Jon stood there, blackened by soot, but not dead. Not even anywhere close. And the dragon, who's name was Visarys, just stared down at Jon for a moment, before then settling down in the snow and curling up! Jon slowly walked over to it and caressed it. He had no idea how he had survived the dragon's blast, since he had once been burned by a Whitewalker, and the pain has been unseemly.
Meanwhile, Catelyn was thinking. Targaryen's were known for marrying their own. Catelyn was sure that the Queen's parents had been brother and sister. Jon was dark of hair, unlike the rest of the dragon people. What if only one of his parents was a Targaryen? Then maybe Jon's resistance to the element of fire would not be as absolute? Had the woman Ned had betrayed her with, been a Targaryen?
Catelyn's mouth suddenly dropped open. Good God. Something within told her that Jon had never been Ned's child! There were some things she had to piece together, but she sensed she was on the right track. The only way Jon could've controlled a Targaryen dragon, is if he was a Targaryen relation. Her mind swam from the possibilities! One of them being that if Jon Snow...no, Jon TARGARYEN, could return to the seven kingdoms and claim his birthright, SHE could go home to Winterfell. Jon would surely help Sansa dissolve her marriage to the Lannister imp, wouldn't he?
Something had told her that bringing herself, and the children, to Jon Snow was the right thing to do. And now she knew why.
Shae helped a distracted Sansa fix her hair the next morning.
"I know," Shae began, "that what happened last night troubled you. But your husband's decision was probably the wisest one."
Sansa nodded.
"I don't suppose it matters that I don't believe Sandor meant any harm." she said quietly. Shae peered at her through her reflection in the looking glass.
"Something else is wrong?"
Sansa slowly turned to face her.
"I know that you have been more of a wife to Tyrion than I will ever be. And for that I am most grateful. I would not see him alone."
Shae said nothing. What could she say? This was the first time Sansa had admitted to knowing about her and Tyrion's relationship.
"My Lady..." Shae began, but Sansa cut her off.
"I am not cross nor do I want to quarrel about it. But I do have need to ask you something. Something about my husband."
Shae let go of her hair, which she had still held in her hands and awaited Sansa's next words.
"What does it feel like when he puts his...uh...when his mouth touches a part of your body?"
Shae now just stared at Sansa. Hard.
Sansa fumbled on.
"Because...something odd happened the day we left King's Landing and I just wondered if the feelings within me were normal."
"What. Did. Tyrion. Do?" Shae asked in a slow, deliberate way.
"A bee stung me. Here." Sansa said, revealing her healed breast. "Tyrion removed the stinger with his teeth and.."
"WITH HIS TEETH?"
Sansa was jolted by Shae's loud tone! Shae calmed herself, smiled wanly, and then spoke.
"I'm sure it was the venom from the the stinger that made you feel anything, My Lady. Now if you will excuse me, I will return to fix your hair. I have to make sure the dresses your took to Kings Landing, have been properly laundered." Shae lied. Sansa eyed her. Somehow, she didn't quite believe that that was what her hand maiden, was leaving her to go and do.
Shae could not find Tyrion anywhere and was forced to return to Sansa after awhile. Soon, the two women left her room, and that is when Paddock slipped in, looked for the Direwolf, saw that he had left as well, and closed the door.
It did not take him long to find what Tyrion had ordered him to search for. And soon, he had returned to his Lord, with a packet of letters from Ser Loras Tyrell.
Tyrion, who was now once again in his own quarters, read one letter and sighed with disgust.
My dearest Sansa,
I think of you all of the time at Kings Landing. There are none as beautiful as thee, my darling, blossom of a girl...'
"I'm going to be sick, Paddock! Who writes this type of drivel? And worse yet, what woman would want to read this tripe!" Tyrion complained. Paddock did not comment and allowed him to continue venting. Tyrion threw aside that letter and read another.
"My dearest Sansa,
As always, I am still thinking of your here at Kings Landing. The sun is not as bright as thee, my lovely, beauty of a girl..."
"Oh!" Tyrion moaned in disgust. He then looked up at Paddock.
"I want you to sit here and learn how Ser Loras writes. Then when you have his handwriting down, you will write a letter to my wife, dictated by me. You will present it to her, with the claims that a raven sent it. Additionally, we will have to be on the look out for Ser Loras's real letters."
"What are you planning on doing?" Paddock asked curiously.
"Finally bedding my own wife. So get to your task, my good man." Tyrion smiled, then turned to leave the room.
Bronn was in the hallway. He handed him a note.
A raven had sent a message. For him. From the Queen. He was being summoned to King's Landing right away.
Margaery Tyrell was having the damnedest time acting unaffected by what she sensed in the air. After all, she was supposed to be the Queen's good friend now. And yet she still knew no more than she did before, when Queen Daenerys took the throne from Joffrey Baratheon.
From what she had gleaned, one of the dragons had been spotted flying North. Clearly, there had been an ordered execution. But of whom? Had the Queen discovered where the Kingslayer was? Or one of the Starks?
She needed to find Loras! Maybe if they put their heads together, they could find out what was taking place! It was unusual for Margaery to worry so, about things she could not control. But she could not help but feel, that maybe, just maybe, the Queen had figured out WHO her lost Targaryen relation was, and sent the dragon to kill him!
And that would put a crimp in her marriage plans! She had to act fast! But how? How to learn what she needed to know quickly?
The answer came in the form of Lord Jorah Mormont, leaving the throne room and closing the door behind him. It was no secret that he despised being married to Cersei Lannister and that her bed was as cold as a mountain in the North.
Margaery adjusted her dress, making sure that her cleavage was more visible and pleasing to the eye, before stepping into Jorah's line of sight.
"Lady Tyrell? I did not see you there. Forgive me."
"It is not necessary. I was here to see the Queen. She has been forever promising me a personal tour of the baby dragon lair."
Jorah frowned.
"That could be dangerous. The younglings don't take to strangers."
"Well with the Queen there, I am sure they will behave themselves. You know something of them, don't you?" Margaery smiled.
"Yes, but..."
Margaery linked her arm between one of his.
"Then you, Lord Mormont, will just have to do as a substitute guide. You don't mind, do you?"
Jorah could not help but drink Lady Tyrell in. With every crevice and orifice, of his body.
"I am sure the Queen would not want to appear ill mannered. I would be most happy to be the guide in her stead." Jonah said, guiding her off down the hallway. Cersei soon appeared out of the shadows. She stared after her husband and Lady Tyrell curiously, but unconcerned. It was probably best that Margaery Tyrell was off someplace when tragedy struck.
Loras Tyrell gasped from pain and shock, as Joffrey Baratheon stabbed him repeatedly within the cell! Loras died seeing the look of unabashed hatred in the former, young King's eyes.
Once that task was taken care of, Joffrey searched Loras's things, found a letter which he did not open, but pocketed. He then switched clothing with Ser Loras and put on his hooded cloak. Joffrey then banged on the prison door, pulling the hood down low. The guard, thinking he was Ser Loras, nodded and let Joffrey Baratheon out, while Ser Loras's dead body, lay drenched in a puddle of blood, within the cell.