Author's Note: How many times do I have to say sorry for how long this has taken? haha
Just another note is that I have named this chapter part 2.a for the fact that I would rather let everyone know that I'm alive and that I'm working on the chapter but it is just taking forever so I have decided to split it up into smaller parts :) Also that further chapters will start going into book spoiler territory so this is just a heads up obviously the whole Tamina story is not in the books but because her story ties in with Jon's story spoilers about his part will be included so this is just a warning for non-book readers :)
Also the Ice Throne will look a lot like the Iron Throne obviously made of ice and a whole lot bigger :) but you will find that out in this chapter :)
Book 3 (A Storm of Swords Part 2.a)
It was cold, dark and Tamina was alone. She emerged from trees covered in snow and ice wherever she was it was beautiful, she walked until she came to a clearing and directly in front of her was a tree, a great white tree with a face carved into it crying tears of blood. Tamina realized she was in her Godswood back home but she wasn't in her body, well it was her body but from years ago when she was seven. She walked over to the tree and fell to her knees; she realized she was crying as this must have been a time when her father had beaten her. This wasn't a dream it was a memory, the Godswood was the place she would go when her father did this as it was the only place she could be with her mother. Suddenly she could hear rustling from behind her, she turned to see three dark figures emerge from the trees holding daggers,
"Well what do we have here?" said the man closest to Tamina,
"A little noble by the looks of her" said another. Tamina sat there frozen too afraid to move,
"Oh don't be scared of us we won't hurt ya, come let me have a look at ya" said the third as he moved closer to Tamina. The first man suddenly fell to the ground in pain, his body collapsed revealing a dagger in his back, through the gaps in her fingers that covered her eyes she saw many figures move in and out of the Godswood as the screams of the men echoed. When she opened her eyes the men looked more like pieces of bloody meat scattered in the snow, amongst the trees she saw many pairs of glowing blue orbs. Suddenly Tamina jolted and found herself in her bed in her room and her brother at her side, it was all a dream and she was home.
"Tamina!" Cane shouted trying to calm her down from her nightmare, "Your safe, its ok, just breathe" After a few deep breaths Tamina had finally calm down,
"What in the Gods names happened out there?" Cane asked with concern,
"I…I….I don't know, how did I get here?" she asked confusion filling her still aching head,
"Tamina the men found you at the front gate, we didn't think you were going to make it" Tamina could see how the past worry started to fade from her brother's eyes.
"Wait where is Mayla?" Tamina grabbed Cane's hand with worry, just as she uttered the words a baby's cry could be heard from the doorway, there stood Mayla with a small baby tossing in her arms. Tamina couldn't help but smile as she watched Mayla make her way to her brother's side and then exchange the baby into his arms.
"Tamina, I want you to meet your niece" Cane said carefully handing Tamina the baby, tears started to flow from her eyes and she could see that the baby had inherited the dark brown almost black eyes of Cane and thanked the gods the baby didn't inherit anything else of his as she laughed to herself.
"What's her name?" Tamina asked already feeling protective of her niece, she looked up to see Cane and Mayla exchanged looks and then smiles,
"Her name is Tamina" Mayla smiled, Tamina was speechless, Cane laughed at her expression,
"We want our daughter to be strong so we thought what better way than to start with the name of someone who has beaten every obstacle that stood in her way" Cane smiled as more tears filled Tamina's eyes. Tamina handed her niece back to Mayla and wiped her eyes, she turned to see Cane's expression drop,
"Speaking of obstacles" Cane started to say,
"What is it?" Tamina asked,
"Tamina, there is something you should know" Cane said to Tamina and was met with a curious look from her.
Tamina burst into the Great Hall of the castle and saw what Cane told her to be true. Magnus Tuttle, her advisor and head of the small council, the man she trusted was sat comfortably on the throne.
"Ah, Princess Tamina your awake, we thought that you wouldn't make it but unfortunately you did" shouted Magnus from across the room and from behind a line of Sellswords that guarded him.
"Magnus what is going on here?" Tamina asked catching her breath as she demanded that she be brought to him immediately.
"I am doing the duties that you so humbly left me to do of course" Magnus replied innocently,
"I doubt that" Tamina mumbled loud enough for him to hear, Magnus looked offended but she knew it was all a game to him,
"So what exactly has happened in my absence" Tamina asked already knowing the answer,
"A few minor problems, nothing I couldn't handle" Magnus replied with a smug grin,
"Minor problems?" Tamina asked in disbelief, "I would call taking a man's hand, reopening our dungeons for torture and you acting as King major problems, Sir" she stated crossing her arms and standing her ground.
"Hmm well, I couldn't help but think that this Kingdom needs a stronger person to lead them and not by a weak little princess and the small council agrees too" he said rising to his feet, "Men!" suddenly the men that stood in front of the throne drew their weapons "I think the Princess has overstayed her welcome in my presence, drive her, her bastard brother and his whore wife out of this castle or kill them" he said smiling then returning to his seat on the throne.
"Sellswords?" Tamina smiled to herself, "Interesting choice for protection, if only you had men that were loyal to you through their hearts and not their pockets, I will make sure that your pockets are never empty, your cup always filled and your beds never cold if you capture that snake right there" Tamina said pointing to Magnus. The Sellswords pounced on Magnus and dragged him down the steps and onto the throne room's hard floor in front of Tamina, "Maybe we will have need of the dungeons after all, throw him and the rest of the small council in the deepest, darkest cell of the dungeons to rot" Tamina said to the Sellswords as they nodded and took their leave dragging behind the kicking and screaming remains of a man shouting "I am the King!".
Cane was surprised of what had just happened and wondered what had happened to his sister during her time alone and how it has changed her.
"Do you really want to keep those people here in Frostwood Castle, sister?" Cane asked,
Tamina smiled, "Of course not, give them their fill of wine and when they are low on their wits ship them on a boat back to Essos I will not have Sellswords in my Kingdom". Cane nodded and smiled at his sister and followed her as she walked towards the throne.
"Where are the rest of our men?" Tamina asked staring into her brother's eyes fearing the worse,
"They are all safe, they were tricked by Magnus and are in the dungeons" Cane said with reassurance,
"They weren't tricked they trusted the wrong person like I did" Tamina said sadly hating how she couldn't of seen this coming.
"I think it's time, brother" Tamina said staring up at the icy throne that stood tall at the end of the hall, the jagged icicles that formed the throne from afar looked cold and would chill you to the bone but as you neared it, you could see the beauty within. Cane look onto his sister with confusion. "I need not just the people but everyone to take me seriously; I need my people to know that I can protect them and lead them and that I'm not just a naive little girl anymore. I have seen the world's horrors and its beauty but now I must do my duty to my house and to this Kingdom" Tamina said gazing into her brother's eyes for a sign and waiting for a reply. Cane realized what his sister was leaning to,
"But Tamina you would need to marry to do that" Cane said with concern,
"I know and I want you in charge of finding me the best suitor, if he passes your standards then I'm sure he will make a suitable King for me to be Queen" Tamina smiled but Cane could see the force behind it. She turned on her foot to take her leave,
"Tamina" Cane called out,
"Yes, brother?" Tamina replied,
"What about Jon Snow?" Cane asked cautiously, Tamina's body tensed at the question and her mouth dropped open,
"Mayla told me everything" Cane said knowing that the questions would hurt her but he had to remind her.
"I just want you to remember that looking out for you people is what makes you a Queen, but don't disregard your own happiness to do so".
Fighting back tears Tamina took a deep breath and continued on her way out the grand doors walking at a fast pace, almost running until she reached the spot where she felt safe with the snow beneath feet and the Weirwood tree staring back at her.