The Dragonborn Comes

Chapter Six: Reunion

Harrenhal, 299 AL-Robb

Robb Stark was worried. After his marriage, he had lost most of the Freys and their loyal houses, which meant he lost a good portion of his army, admittedly for a good reason. Then his own mother released his most valuable prisoner due to the words of the man most responsible for his father's death, resulting in added strain in his relationship with the Karstarks. Now he had heard that Stannis Baratheon had taken what army he had left and sailed north, probably planning to force the Northern houses to bend the knee or be destroyed. What else could go wrong? he wondered, though he kept his thoughts to himself.

His pondering was brought to an end when his loyal squire, Olyvar Frey came to his current lodgings. "Your Grace, there's a man here demanding an audience with you. He says-"

"Send him away, please, Olyvar. I have enough headaches to deal with as it is, I do not need to deal with some plaintiff who is upset because of some idiotic mistake. Send him to Greatjon or Bolton."

"Your Grace, you're going to want to see him. He says he's from the North, and he comes with news of Stannis Baratheon and Theon Greyjoy."

That got Robb's attention. "He what?! Send him in, and call my council!"

Not five minutes later, the entire council had gathered to meet the strange visitor: his mother Catelyn Stark, Patrek Mallister, Dacey Mormont, Great and Smalljon Umber, Ser Wendel Manderly, Roose Bolton, the unchained Maester Qyburn they had found in Harrenhal, his great-uncle Ser Brynden Tully, Rickard Karstark, and his uncle Sir Edmure Tully. "Welcome to Harrenhal, friend," Robb stated. "What news do you bear of Stannis Baratheon and Theon Greyjoy? And why do you hide your face?"

The man had covered himself in a black cloak, hiding his features, thus Robb's question. "I have my reasons for hiding my identity, Robb Stark. And may I congratulate you on your success."

"Success?" Karstark asked with a scoff. "What success?"

"Why, being the last surviving rebel king in this war, of course. Have you not heard? The Iron Islands are nothing but ash and rock, and I killed Stannis not three months ago. Quite the accomplishment for a boy who, before now had never been further from Winterfell than the Wolfswood for a hunt."

Robb stared at the man, who had a very familiar voice, though he couldn't place it. And he certainly seemed to know a lot about him. "Why did you kill him?" he asked, focusing on the important part, rather than the personal mystery.

"He and his fire priestess attempted to burn me so they could 'wake dragons from stone,' or so I was told. It didn't work, obviously. Or rather, it didn't work the way they expected."

"Who are you?" Robb asked again, his curiosity clear in his voice.

"Well, you said the next time you saw me, I'd be all in black. You were right," the stranger said with a smile.

Robb's eyes widened at that, because now he knew who it was. He leapt up and pulled the stranger into a hug. "Jon! Gods, but it's good to see you again! Why the cloak?" he finished with a laugh.

Jon shared the laugh before explaining. "Well, I told you that their attempt to sacrifice me didn't exactly work the way they planned. What I didn't tell you is why. Turns out Lord Stark did know how to lie, and lie well."

"What is that supposed to mean, bastard?" Catelyn demanded.

"Mother!" Robb reproached her, sharply.

The still-cloaked Jon calmed him down by saying "It's alright, Robb. Lady Stark, what it means is that while I am a Stark, I'm not his, nor am I a bastard. Uncle Ned called me his to protect me from those who would want to kill me. If a Baratheon or Lannister had found out about me, I'd be dead or in exile with the rest of my family."

"What's that supposed to mean, boy?" the Greatjon demanded.

Jon just smiled and walked to the window. Once there, he raised his voice to call out "Rhaegal, mazigon!"

"Rhaegal?" Robb asked.

Jon just smiled. "You'll see, but don't panic when you do see him. He's as much under my control as Ghost is, and for the same reason."

"Where is Ghost?"

"Guarding a pair of prisoners, one for you, one for Lord Glover. A pair of Ironborn that I knew you'd want to deal with personally."

Then Roose Bolton spoke up for the first time. "Since when do Starks speak Valyrian?"

"Since I'm not just a Stark, Bolton. And thank you for reminding me," Jon stated. Then, faster than anyone had thought possible, he pulled out a sword and sliced off his hands. Bolton cried out in pain, and before anyone else could do anything, Jon finished him off by thrusting the sword through his heart. The Blackfish was quick to seize him before asking what Robb wanted done with him.

"Just answer me this: why?" Robb asked, as a strange animal made it's cry outside.

"Look in the packet and you'll have your answer, cousin," Jon answered. "He probably burned his copies, but fortunately his partner wasn't so bright. The packet holds proof of his treason against you, as well as treason against you and the Tullys by another party. Oh, and I would suggest you let me go, Sir Brynden, or Rhaegal might kill you."

"And who is that, bastard?" he demanded of the boy he considered a stain on his niece's honour.

"Look behind you," Jon said with a feral grin. As one, they turned to the window, and nearly froze in shock. For there behind them was a large, angry green and bronze dragon. Instantly, the Blackfish released Jon in shock and fear, while Jon went straight to the dragon and started rubbing his neck. "Nyke daor odrikilza, Rhaegal," Jon said, calming it down. Finally, he removed his cloak, revealing a man that bore a strong resemblance to Robb's bastard brother, yet there were some clear differences from the man that went to the Wall to join the Night's Watch. "When Stannis tried to burn me, it did wake a dragon, the dragon inside me. The secret Lord Stark kept was the truth about my origins: I am the trueborn son of Rhaegar Targaryen and Lyanna Stark."

Indeed, the changes from the last time Robb saw him were ones that marked him as a Targaryen: the classic silver hair, and the looks that bordered on beauty. And clearly, he could control that dragon of his. But where had it come from? "Where in the Seven Hells did that come from?" the Greatjon demanded, echoing Robb's thoughts.

"My aunt Daenerys hatched Rhaegal and his siblings about the same time Uncle Ned died. Somehow, they managed to sense my arrival at Dragonstone, and Rhaegal came to find me. He's been with me ever since, and he's as loyal to me as Ghost is," Jon said. To the shock of all, the dragon proved his point by nuzzling Jon! "Oh, and before I forget, the Watch handed me over to Stannis so he could burn me to death, so no, I did not desert."

"Good, I wouldn't want to have that dragon burn me because I was forced to execute you," Robb said with a grin.

"Balerion," came a whisper. Everyone turned to see where the voice came from, shocked to hear it from Qyburn. "Balerion Targaryen, that's what your father would have named you. Had you been a girl, you would have been Visenya, but either way, he hoped you would have your mother's hair and his eyes."

Bael looked at the former maester in shock. "You knew my father?"

"Quite well, Your Grace. Rhaegar never trusted Pycelle, said he was too much of a Lannister man to be trusted. He also supported some of my more … radical experiments that the Citadel never liked. Of course, he placed restrictions as well, but his were far more lenient than those of the Citadel. You have my loyalty, Your Grace."

With those words, Robb realized why his brother … no, cousin, was there for. "You're here to reclaim your family's throne, aren't you? And you want me to bend the knee."

Bael just smiled at his cousin. "While I would like it if you did, I'm going to do one more thing for you first. I'm going to find Arya and return her to you."

"Petyr promised that he would send both the girls back once we returned Jaime Lannister," Robb's mother stated.

"And you believed him? Trust me, Arya wouldn't let herself get captured so easily. She's smart, and too wild for the Lannisters to predict. She's somewhere between Riverrun and King's Landing, probably close by. Besides, I need to bring down the Lannisters before I even think of claiming the Iron Throne. Then there's the other side of my family to-"

"Your Grace! Some of the Umber men captured a spy. They want to know what to do with him," Olyvar stated.

"Bring him here," Robb ordered.

As soon as they did, Dacey charged at the man before punching him. "You bastard! What are you doing here?"

"Hello Dacey, good to see you too," Ser Jorah Mormont stated. "I am no spy, I came here on the order of Daenerys Targaryen in order to track Rhaegal."

"If we let you go, would you pass on a message for me?" Bael asked. Robb raised an eyebrow at his cousin, wondering where he was going with this. Bael just gave him a smirk, telling Robb that he knew what he was doing. When Mormont agreed, Bael stated "Tell her that her nephew is waiting for her in Westeros, and if she starts in the Vale, then she can conquer it as easily as Visenya did. Oh, and if you see him, ask my brother to join with her if you can." Mormont, and all of Robb's council were shocked at that, but Mormont agreed.

"Your brother is alive? But I thought the Mountain killed him!" Catelyn said.

"I don't know the specifics, but that's what I've learned. Now, I shall be back within a month, and Arya will be with me, I promise." He was about to leave when he snapped his fingers. "I nearly forgot! I need to turn my prisoners over to you! Robb, Lord Glover, follow me." Curious, they did so, as did several of Robb's guards and Olyvar. Bael led them to a clearing which held "Robb, your prisoner, the turncoat Theon Greyjoy. Lord Glover, yours is Asha Greyjoy, the woman who took your home. I leave them to your able hands. Ghost, let's go."

Once his cousin was gone, Catelyn turned to Robb. "What was in the packet he gave you? With all these revelations, you never said."

"That's because I haven't had a chance to read them yet, Mother," Robb explained. Taking the packets, he read the messages, only to pale in shock. "The Freys were plotting with the Lannisters to ... annihilate us," he explained once he had recovered from the shock.

Olyvar was the first to recover from his shock, and he rushed to bend the knee to Robb. "Your Grace, you know that I am loyal to you alone! I knew nothing of this, and had I learned, I would not have rested before warning you of my family's treachery. But because of my loyalty, if you wish to punish me for what they planned, my life is yours."

Robb blinked in shock, wondering just what Olyvar was thinking. Fortunately he was always quick on his feet. "Rise, Olyvar. I have no reason to mistrust you, and my cousin has already punished the traitors in your family. As such, the devastation in your family is so great that you are the new Lord of the Crossing."

"Are there none in my family alive?!" Olyvar cried out in shock.

"My cousin provided a list of the survivors, all of whom were safe in their rooms when he burned the conspirators," Robb explained, handing the list over. Olyvar breathed a sigh of relief when he realized how many despised what his late father had planned, but disappointed at how few of his brothers and their sons had. Of the male Freys, only his older brother Perwyn and his nephew Alesander were left alive of those who were old enough to challenge his lordship, and Perwyn had known but done nothing. "Perwyn's going to the Wall, isn't he?"

"Yes, he is."

Riverlands, 299 AL-Balerion

Four days later, and Bael was visiting a tavern. "Have you seen a girl with short, brown hair, about a head shorter than me, probably with a couple friends and a Braavosi style sword?"

"Sorry friend, but I haven't," the tavern keeper stated.

"Thanks for your help," Bael said before tossing two coins on the counter.

The other man picked them up, and looked up in shock. "Two gold dragons? What for?"

"One is for the food and information, the other is for you to send a message to Harrenhal and Riverrun if you do see the girl."

"I promise, I will!" the man agreed enthusiastically.

Bael smiled at the man, but when he turned around, he found his way blocked by a handful of men, including a blond with wild hair and beard wearing a red cloak. "Can I help you?"

"Yeah, you're coming with us, milord," a brunet with a bow stated.

"And if I refuse?"

"Well then, we kill you here," the blond said with a smug tone.

"Me against … what, seven of you? I think you will lose this one," Bael stated with a smirk.

"Milord? These men are the Brotherhood Without Banners," the innkeeper stated before pointing out the others rising up with the outlaws. "If you fight them, many here will fight you too."

"Well then, I find that I am most agreeable to joining you, on the condition that I keep my sword. It is very valuable to my family, and I do not wish to lose it." The blond, who also seemed to be the leader, thought for a moment before agreeing. But he also put a bag over Bael's head and bound his hands. He was taking no chances with Bael getting loose and fighting them.

A/N: Translations: Rhaegal, mazigon - Rhaegal, come.

Nyke daor odrikilza, Rhaegal - I am not harmed, Rhaegal