"Catelyn sent me for you. She was in the tent when Renly was killed," the servant told me. "They're blaming her."

"Catelyn would never do anything like that!" I protested.

"I know, milady. She and Lady Brienne are leaving for Riverrun immediately, you must go with them."

"Mina, you could come with me," Margaery said, stepping in front of her servant. "Loras and I will go back to Highgarden. You could come with us, you would be safe."

"We're friends, Margaery, but you know I can't do that. I have a duty as future queen, and I have a sister out there. You could come back to Riverrun with me."

"The midst of a war is no place for me. I cannot stand on the sidelines of a battle every afternoon, while I drink my evening tea." The disgust was clear in her voice. It was easy to forget how different we were, when we lounged in her quarters drinking wine. She was a Southerner, I was a Northerner. She was strong in her own way, but I was called to action.

"My lady," I heard from behind me. I turned to see Renly's friend and soldier.

"Ser Aylward," I said with a nod.

"Many of the King's banner men are already pledging themselves to Stannis. I have no interest in betraying my friend, whether he is alive or dead. Renly wanted me to protect you on your journey and I pledged to Catelyn that I would. If you'll have me, I would like to pledge to you my eternal protection for as long as you may desire it."

"That's very generous, Ser. Do you not have family or loved ones to go back to?"

"I haven't had a family in many years, my lady. I wish to finish the last task my King left for me. I will not leave him for his brother before his body is even cold."

"Then I accept your offer, and I am grateful for your protection, Ser."

"We must leave Storm's End at once. As soon as Stannis arrives, he'll want you brought to him as a bargaining piece."

I turned to face Margaery again. "My friend, I'll miss you."

"We've only known each other for a few weeks, but you've become like a sister to me."

"I'll see you again, Marg."

I hugged her tightly. Aylward touched my arm and beckoned me down the hall. "It's time to go."

"Good-" Margaery started but I silenced her.

"Best friends never say goodbye."

Aylward took my arm and hurried me down the dark halls. We met up with Catelyn and Brienne at the gates. Catelyn hugged me. "Thank you, Ser Aylward, for getting Amina away from there." He nodded. "Now come darling, I packed as much as I could gather quickly." I nodded and mounted my horse, Myst.

"Let's ride," I said. "The sooner we reach Riverrun the better."

OoOoO

I stood in the garden again, though this time there wasn't a single person around. My sister appeared from behind one of the trees and walked towards me. "Amina," she greeted me.

"Daenerys," I said.

"Jorah told me about you. He said he's heard stories about you, although he didn't know you were a Targaryen. He thought my sister was dead."

"I was under the impression you were dead as well, I guess that makes us even. Where have you been all this time? I would have come for you had I known you were still alive."

"I grew up in Pentos with my brother, Viserys."

"What was our brother like?" I asked curious. She offered me a hand and led me through complicated hallways.

"He was much like our father, mad."

"Catelyn told me you were married. Is the man I saw you with before your husband?"

"No, that was Jorah my advisor. My husband Khal Drogo was killed by a witch, as was my son."

"Oh my Gods, I am so sorry."

"It's alright, you couldn't have known. Catelyn is the woman taking care you, correct? Is she a Stark?"

I nodded. "The Starks took me in when I was a baby. They're the only family I've ever know."

She opened a door and led me into a beautiful room. Light shown through the large windows. Dany walked toward a series of crates lined on the sill. She gave me a mysterious smile, then opened the first crate. A tiny black scaled dragon walked to the front of the box. I gasped. The little dragon jumped from the crate, and gave a little screech. I knelt down beside him, and he flapped his wings as he came toward me.

"He recognizes you as blood of the dragon, I suspected he would."

"Me? A dragon?"

"You are Targaryen, and we are twins. These are the last three dragons left in the world." She opened another crate and a small bronze and green dragon flew out clumsily. "They're still learning to fly." The small dragon landed on my shoulder and I let it curl itself into my neck. "This is Rhaegal, named after our eldest brother. He likes you already."

I reached up to pet him. I felt an instant connection to the little dragon. I'd never felt this connected to the Starks' direwolves. "You should come to Westeros."

"Jorah is acquiring me ships as we speak. I hear you are a queen there."

"I'm engaged to marry the King in the North. When we win the war, I will stand beside him as he takes the Iron Throne."

"Would your army help me?"

"Perhaps if I could get Catelyn and Robb to understand. If they will agree, then everyone else will follow."

"Targaryens are the rightful rulers," Dany said.

"And we're the last two left."

"We have dragons. I'd like to see the man who dares stand in our way."

"You'd laugh. He's merely a boy with a temper."

"All the better for us, I hope he kept our throne warm." Dany and I laughed together. She reached over to the table, and picked up a silver band. She clasped it around my wrist. I looked down at it, it was embossed with a small dragon sigil. "So you don't forget where you came from, sister."

OoOoO

I woke to Catelyn tapping my shoulder. "It's time to ride. We should reach Robb's camp by tomorrow at the rate we're going." I sat up and stretched. "Amina, what happened to your neck?" I touched my neck but didn't feel anything.

I walked over to the stream that ran parallel to our resting place. In the reflection I could see three light bronze marks that ran from my collar bone, to the back to my shoulder. Like claw marks, dragon claws. I grasped my wrist and found the silver band was there. I tugged my sleeve down over it.

"Is something the matter, my lady?" Aylward asked, coming to stand by me.

"No, everything is quite alright, thank you for checking."

"Are you sure?"

I sighed, it was important he knew if he was to be my knight. "Aylward, there's something you should know. I wouldn't tell you, but since you've pledged yourself to protect me, it's only fair." I turned from the stream to face him. "I am a Targaryen." He nodded. I stared at him. "Aren't you going to shout or demand I release you?"

"I heard the rumors of a Targaryen princess in Essos. When Catelyn asked me to accompany you to find your sister, I asked the seamen what they knew. Their stories lined up with what Catelyn told me. It wasn't hard to connect you to her."

"And yet you still pledge your loyalty to me, daughter of Aerys the Mad King?"

"I've been watching you closely, since we left Storm's End. You are a Stark in everything you do, which can be taught. But in your eyes, I see that you have a gentle heart. That is something you're born with. Combined with your lineage and your upbringing, you are a force to be reckoned with. Any man who doesn't stand behind you would be a fool."

OoOoO

I was digging through packs trying to find the one with the food when I ran across a lump of white fabric. I tugged it out of the bag to see that it was actually a dress, a summer dress. "Catelyn, why in the world did you pack this?"

"You saw the chaos that erupted when Renly passed. I want to avoid any messes if Robb were to die in battle. It's a fate I do not like to dwell on, but I want you to be safe, Amina"

"Okay, so you packed this dress on accident in the chaos."

"No, before I leave for Winterfell, I will see you and Robb wed under the skies of the old Gods and the new."

"Catelyn, you can't be serious," I said gaping at her. "I'm supposed to go to Essos, after my sister! I can't do that if I'm married!"

"Amina, your sister will still be in Essos after the war, you may go for her then."

"Do you even care about me, or have I always been the girl that Robb is going to marry?"

"You know that I wouldn't make you do this if it weren't completely imperative. You are stronger than Margaery and Renly combined. If there ever comes a time when it is necessary, you can command Robb's army."

"Or we could bring Daenerys here. With Robb's army and her dragons-"

"Daenerys has dragons?" Catelyn asked shocked. I didn't mean to let it slip. "How do you know?"

"I can speak with her in my dreams. I thought the first one was just that, a dream, but then last night she gave me this." I held up my wrist showing her the silver band. "And those marks you saw on my neck were from one of her three dragons." I shook my head. "Why am I even telling you this? Obviously you don't care about me."

"Amina, even if you are not my blood, you are still my daughter. I will fight to keep you safe. Trust me when I say, I'm doing what is best for you. You may not see it now, but one day you will."

OoOoO

We arrived at the camp late the next afternoon. Catelyn and I went to Robb's tent immediately, flanked by Brienne and Aylward. Robb was in the middle of a war council, but abandoned it as soon as he saw us. He hugged his mother, then turned to face me. "It feels like you've been gone forever."

"Only a few months." I gave him a teasing smile. He kissed me softly. When I pulled away, I saw Catelyn over his shoulder, smiling at us. I frowned.

"There is much business to discus tonight. I'm sure Amina is tired from our journey. But you and I should discuss preparations for tomorrow. We will hold your wedding ceremony at sunset," Catelyn told him.

"I thought we'd decided to wait until after the war?" Robb asked looking between the two of us.

"War is full of surprises, its better this way," Catelyn said looking at me.

"I'm feeling fatigued, I believe I'll retire to my tent for the evening," I said unhappily.

"I will have someone fetch you a light dinner my lady," Aylward told me.

"That would be nice, thank you. Robb, I'll see you in the morning." I didn't acknowledge Catelyn as I turned away. I walked to my tent, hoping if I moved quickly no one would stop to chat. It didn't stop a few men from asking about the journey. I answered shortly, refusing to give the details. Word of Renly's death would spread soon enough, I didn't want to contribute to the rumors.

"Milady?" One of my handmaidens called. She was one of the youngest, maybe only a little older than Arya.

"Yes?" I turned.

"A package came for you while you were away. I set it on your bed."

"Thank you, dear," I told her. She blushed and scurried away. I walked into my tent and grabbed a bottle of wine off my table before lying across my bed. I felt something hard digging into my back and rolled over to grab the little box. I took a swig of wine straight from the bottle before untying the package. On top was a pendant wrapped a few times with its chain. I knew what it was before I even unrolled it. The circle design with the curling tendrils looked like a star at first glance. But if you looked closely, you could see the direwolf in the middle. It was the house sigil I'd designed when I was nine. Theon had taken one of my drawings and had it made into a pendant for me.

I placed the chain around my neck, and tucked the pendant under the neckline of my dress. There was a thin card folded on top of the paper. I removed it and flipped it open, expecting a joke about how I should be more careful where I left my things. Instead, in Theon's messy handwriting, was a single word. "Goodbye." I stared at the word, trying to figure out a reason besides the obvious. We never said goodbye, we always planned to meet again. It was childish, but it had been that way since I was a little girl.

Theon knew how many people I had lost. Why would he leave me? Something about this was worse than if I received word he'd died. It's selfish, but when someone dies at least no one would see them again. I didn't want to consider someone I loved was out there, choosing to live a life with other people, instead of me.

When Ned had died, I had been upset. But I had never cried, I had been strong for Robb and Catelyn. It had been harder when we learned the girls would not be released, almost as hard as losing Jon. Knowing they were out there somewhere, but knowing we may never see them again. I wished suddenly that I had been taken to Pentos as a child. At least then I would have never known these people that caused me endless amounts of pain.

"Stop acting like this, Amina," I scolded myself.

I took another swing from the wine bottle. Then I stood up and walked over to the candle on my table. I held the note above the flames and watched it burn into a shrivel. Only dropping it when the flame was almost to my fingers.

I reminded myself of my own personal words, forged by fire and honor. I had a duty, and I had to fulfill it. Perhaps I had lost all chances at happiness, but at least that meant no distractions. Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, no Twin Queens of the Seven Kingdoms. One day the title would be ours. Hopefully King Joffery had kept our throne warm.