Sansa and Arya made their way to the Godswood to pray for Ygritte. In all honesty, neither woman had prayed in a long while. Only Jon and Robb seemed to acknowledge their gods as one of their duties as kings but Sansa was disappointed in herself that she had stopped believing and praying but she needed strength today so her brother's wife could make it through this.

There was a time she used the Godswood as an escape so she wouldn't be disturbed in King's Landing. She wished she had prayed then now.

Maester Lorin had told Sansa that the Queen had fallen into a long sleep, something which reminded Sansa about the time when Bran had fallen from the tower and became crippled. He hadn't woken for a long while.

The fate of the royal heir was unknown as well and Maester Lorin had tried to read and study everything he could find to understand what to do next.

"What is the Queen like?" Arya asked gently.

Tears sprung to Sansa's eyes. "She's strong. Opposite of Jon but they compliment each other. She is a Wildling, you know? Father taught us to fear them as children, even Septa Mordane but look, now one is our queen."

"You like her," noted Arya. "Everyone does, I have heard."

"You would like her too. Nothing like a lady too." Sansa chuckled softly. "She loves Jon and he loves her. Their love is beautiful, Arya. You should see it. She is his guardian. They fought side-by-side to reclaim the North and she does not take any shit from anyone."

Arya raised an eyebrow at her sister swearing but a small smile stayed on her face. "Let us pray that she and the baby live."

When they finally arrived at the Godswood, they saw Bran by the Weirwood heart tree.

Sansa watched on as Arya rushed over to her brother's side and hugged him tightly. She had only seen Rickon as Bran seemed to avoid her at every cost.

Arya frowned when Bran's expression remained indifferent but she shook it off and wiped a lone tear from her eye. "I'm here, Bran. I'm alive."

"I know. I saw you at the Crossroads," he replied, slowly turning to face her.

"Bran has visions now," explained Sansa, still uncomfortable from the last time he used them on her.

Bran continued with, "I thought you were going to King's Landing."

"Why would you want to go there of all places?" Sansa frowned.

"Because Cersei Lannister is on her list of names," he explained.

Arya was surprised and so was Sansa. The Princess Regent turned to the Princess.

"Who else is on this 'list' of yours?"

Arya shrugged indifferently. "Most of these people besides Cersei are dead already."

Sansa said no more and went to kneel by the tree and bowed her head. Arya joined her and the older sister took her hand and closed her eyes.

The prayer was short and all it contained was that Jon's wife and child were to make it through these trying times alive. Their brother had found happiness in this woman and they wanted for it to stay that way.

When they were done, Arya helped Sansa up and they turned to Bran where they noticed the Valyrian steel dagger on his lap.

"Where did that come from?" Arya asked, turning to Sansa who wore the same look of confusion as she did.

"Littlefinger gave it to me." Bran twirled the dagger between his fingers nonchalantly.

"Why would a common cutthroat have a rare, priceless blade of Valyrian steel?" Arya frowned.

Bran looked up at her. "Someone very wealthy wanted me dead and gave it to their assassin." He twirled it around and presented her with the hilt which she took and balanced it between her hands.

"Littlefinger would never give anyone anything unless he wanted something in return," said Sansa, a deep frown playing on her lips.

"It doesn't matter, I don't want it. Nor do I have anything to return to him," replied Bran. "It's wasted on a cripple," he told Arya.

Sansa sighed and shook her head sadly. "You're more than a cripple, Bran." She smiled softly. "Just as Robb is more than a coward, Jon is more than a bastard, Arya is more than a lady, Rickon is more than a little child and I am more than a plaything for highborn men. We are Eddard Stark's children and we are more than everything."

When they returned to the castle, Maester Lorin appeared before Sansa, a bright smile on his face.

"The Queen broke from her fever just a few moments ago! The heir lives!"

Sansa smiled in relief, clutching her heart as she did so. "Keep the guards on each member of the family. No one who I do not say should be there should be kept away from her. Tell the guards to remain outside the Queen's quarters. Ser Tormund must be the only one who is allowed in her quarters. Everyone else must be outside except you as well, Maester."

She watched the maester rush off to perform his duties and she turned to Arya who stood behind Bran's wheelchair.

"As the Queen cannot perform her duties of training the little children, do you mind taking over?" She asked her sister.

"Not at all," the younger woman replied with a smile of her own. "I think we should meet the Queen first."

Sansa smiled and nodded at the harvester man who had become a Ser. He quickly came over and began to wheel Bran away when the young lord stopped him.

"You do know that the Queen's illness was not natural?"

"She was poisoned," Sansa affirmed.

"And you do know who did it?" Bran continued.

Sansa nodded. "I have an idea."

"Don't do anything stupid." Bran finished and signalled Ser Findal to continue wheeling him away.

Sansa swallowed deeply. She should be used to him saying things like that but she herself had told their older brothers to be wise. She should heed her own words as Bran clearly showed her.

"Who poisoned the Queen?" Arya asked, following the Princess Regent to the King's Quarters.

"We spoke of him earlier," Sansa replied cryptically. "I will deal with him later but for now, let us see how the Queen fares."

Tormund let them into the room and Sansa was glad to see Ygritte sitting up and biting into a chicken leg as if she had not been critically ill moments before.

"Is it normal to enjoy good chicken?" Ygritte asked, wiping her mouth as she saw she had visitors.

Tormund bellowed. "Prefer me some deer, Queen."

"Childbirth does that," came Sansa's soft reply. "Little Cat wanted me to eat the most unusual things." It reminded her that Arya was yet to meet the little princess.

"This chicken is good," continued the Queen. "Never had it like this. What did they do to it?"

"Ser Davos has been giving his own thoughts about the food to the cooks," Sansa admitted. "I don't blame him, everything was bland before."

Ygritte nodded approvingly. "That Seaworth man knows his food. You came to see me, sister?"

"Yes, Your Grace. I wanted to introduce you to my sister, Princess Arya," said Sansa, stepping aside so the older woman had a view.

Ygritte grinned. "You don't like the titles either," she noticed when Arya pulled a face. "Your brothers insist but I'm not going to lie - I like being called queen in bed," she winked. "Mayhaps that is how this one came to be." She patted her bump lightly.

Arya laughed as Sansa blushed. Again, the younger redhaired woman should have been used to her sister-by-law's antics but she still felt like a prude. She was surprised that Arya took it in her stride.

"I think we are going to get along just fine, Queen Ygritte." Arya bowed.

"Oh, please!" Ygritte cried out. "We're in close quarters. I am Ygritte to all of you. As you are Sansa and Arya."

Arya bowed. "Of course, Ygritte."

"And none of that bowing or curtsying shit."

The young princess grinned, eyebrows raised as she quickly swiped a piece of chicken from Ygritte's plate and ate it.

"Take, Sansa. Your sister has the right idea," said Ygritte, offering her plate.

Sansa took a piece and nibbled on it, not feeling quite hungry after the day they had. "You should rest."

"So should you, sister," replied the Queen. "Tomorrow morn, it is back to training."

"No!" Sansa called out. "You must stay and rest otherwise Jon would have my head if anything happened to you or the babe."

The Queen rolled her eyes but accepted her fate. "Fine. Who would-"

"I will."

Ygritte turned to Arya with a knowing smirk. "You fight?" She asked. "Wait, I remember your brother telling me Jon gave you a skinny sword and told you to stick 'em with the pointy end."

Arya nodded. "He did. I've picked up a few things during my... travels."

"I must have to see some time but for now, the Regent demands I rest so..."

"We will leave you," said Sansa, a small smile playing on her lips. "Rest well, sister."

The Stark sisters left the room and headed away, enjoying the quiet silence between them. It had been a long while since they saw each other and being reunited now, it felt like the best thing in the world even though they grew up arguing with each other.

"It feels like lives away," whispered Arya. "We're grown now and all I can think about it how we should never have left Winterfell."

"I said the same to Jon and Robb," Sansa replied. "But we can't change the past. We can make our future."

The sisters stopped and turned to see that Petyr Baelish stared at them from afar. They weren't scared of him and Queen Ygritte sure as hell was not too.

"Does our future include killing that man?" Arya asked as she turned to look at her sister.

Sansa never broke eye contact with Littlefinger when she replied with, "Of course."

...

"I guess you are in open rebellion as you claim yourselves as Kings in the North," Daenerys said.

They had talked back and forth and Jon knew that it was a lost cause, conversing with his brother with their eyes as they both agreed.

They watched Daenerys take a message from Varys before ordering Missandei to give their guests food and lodging.

Frowning, Jon asked, "Are we your prisoners?"

"Not yet," she smirked. She rose from her throne and left with Varys and Tyrion following her, Missandei staying back to lead them away to their quarters.

"If we can head back North," Robb began lowly amongst Jon, Davos and himself. "We can send men to reclaim my mother's ancestral home from the Lannisters. I never said but I got word from Sansa before we left. Lannister forces were marching to the Riverlands."

"What of the Blackfish?" Jon asked.

"I don't know, brother. But the feeling is not good. It is not here as well. Mayhaps we should return home-"

"Empty handed? We can't-"

"We can because I have a feeling that the Dragon Bitch won't let us go so quietly." Robb sighed. "She said herself, we aren't prisoners yet."

Jon was nervous. "Sansa was right. For once, we should have listened to her," he replied. "Mayhaps Sam has found another place we can get the dragonglass from."

Davos cleared his throat when Missandei stopped in front of them, the brothers looking up to her.

"Here are your quarters," she said with a fake smile.

Robb returned the fake smile and went inside first, Jon and Davos following him. It was decent but it wasn't home and Robb hoped that they wouldn't remain here long.

"If we aren't her prisoners yet, I wish to walk and think," said Jon as he grabbed his cloak and put it on. "I want word of Sansa and the new babe and of my wife but nothing has come yet. It has been two moonturns."

Robb gave him a sympathetic smile, placing a hand on Jon's shoulder. "I am sure that our niece is nice and healthy, brother. As for the Queen, she is ruthless and I have no doubt that she would take childbirth in her stride. What is she? Five moonturns?"

"Indeed." Jon smiled. "I still cannot believe it. I told you that I never wanted to be a father yet, here I am."

"You would make a great one. You will be there on time, I promise you," replied Robb, his eyes becoming glassy. "I would imagine my own babe being five namedays by now."

The brothers hugged each other tightly before Jon let go and left for his walk to think. Robb wiped his eyes and turned to Davos.

"See if any word has come for us. Make sure that you do not miss any from the Queen."

Davos bowed and left Robb alone to his thoughts which strayed to his wife whom he wished was beside him or waiting at home for him right now. He was not upset nor jealous that Jon had his queen to return home to but once ago, Robb had one too. A beautiful woman from Volantis who was a nurse and a gracious queen to his king.

He wished to see those eyes of hers again, to hold her and to kiss her. To see her smile. He was sure his siblings would approve just as they did (and hopefully Arya and Bran would) of Ygritte. Even Robb was fascinated that the Wildling woman persisted to fight with them. His brother and his wife's love were pure, that was for certain and he hoped he would find love as he did with Talisa again.

Something told him that Talisa may be the only one for him though.

Outside, Jon watched the dragons fly above him from his position beside Daenerys. He was still unsure of them, hoping that she would not randomly let them burn him to death as her father did to his grandfather but he decided to put little trust in her. They had guests' rights.

"Drogon, Viserion and Rhaegal," she said suddenly, turning his attention to her. "Viserion and Rhaegal were named after my brothers, Rhaegar and Viserys."

Jon swallowed deeply, casting his gaze downwards. "I see that Tyrion has placed a lot on you. You must be something if he is going behind his sister's back."

"I am determined to get that woman off my throne," she replied. She turned to him. "You hate her as much as he does?"

"She hurt my sister and allowed her incestuous son to abuse her." He sighed, shaking his head. "Cersei helps herself and she plays people against each other. At least from what my sister says."

Daenerys nodded firmly. "You can mine the dragonglass you need. I will also provide the men and equipment to do so."

Jon nearly gasped in relief but he kept his composure. "Do you believe us? About the Night King and his White Walkers?"

"If I were you, I would stop asking questions and get to work." She gave him a disinterested look and left his side.

A small smile playing on his lips for the slight victory, he headed in to tell his party of the good news.

Beneath in the dragonglass mine, Jon led Robb and Daenerys through the ancient mine, telling them of their history and his own experiences when he was in the Night's Watch.

"Is this the reason you wished for me to follow you?" Daenerys asked, looking around. She was impressed by the ancient mine but she did not know why their cause involved her.

Robb had never seen any of what his brother spoke of, only coming to fear them from the stories Jon told. He believed his brother and the men of the Night's Watch but seeing the history unfold itself gave him all the strength and belief he needed to fight for their survival.

"My brother has seen these beasts-"

"And have you?" Dany asked him, tilting her head slightly as they stopped walking. "Have you seen them?"

"No, I have not. But my brother's words are the truth and that is why the North rallies for the cause," replied Robb.

Jon nodded. "Aye, we do. We need your alliance for our cause for survival, Your Grace."

"Whilst not submitting to me-"

"Aye, we cannot. Even if we could," he said, glancing at his brother. "The North will never accept a Southern ruler again after what happened in the past. The North has a thing for remembering certain events."

Dany smirked a little. "The North Remembers?"

"We do," Robb almost snapped at her.

She took no notice of his tone and wiped non-existent dirt from her dress. "The North will submit if their Kings do."

Jon wanted to scream at her, to shake her and his brother wanted to do the same. She got on their nerves, the plead to submit coming up in every conversation they had with her. They hadn't appreciated the slight threat of making them her prisoners either.

Jon almost shook his head. He wanted her to swallow her damned pride and ally with them because if she didn't, she would not even have a kingdom to rule.

"If you do not alliance yourself with us, you won't have a kingdom to rule let alone six." Jon raised an eyebrow, purposefully leaving out the North as a kingdom. He wouldn't tell her of his and his brother's plans to unite the Riverlands to the North as well.

She wanted to laugh but she didn't. "The North should submit then because your will to survive should outweigh your pride."

Robb was furious and he looked at her as if she was mad. He didn't even let Jon calm him down as he began to talk to her harshly.

"Pride? Pride? Coming from the woman who can't stop begging for us to submit to her! Didn't you hear what King Jon said? If the White Walkers invade the Seven Kingdoms, you won't have any to rule over. And you might as well die with your dreams, you self-entitled-"

She raised a hand cutting him off which annoyed him even further. This time, he allowed Jon to place a calming hand on his shoulder which made him set his jaw and hold his tongue.

"Thank you for your words," she said. "Tell your men that they have one moonturn to mine. After that, you leave with what you have."

She left and Robb released the breath he was holding. He hadn't meant to lose his temper but he did not survive the Red Wedding just for nothing. For his home to be overtaken by undead creatures and for the Dragon Queen to undermine him and his brother even though she didn't know them.

"Robb, I beg you. Control this anger of yours." Jon sighed.

"I'm trying to, Jon," Robb mumbled. "I can't help but feel angry. We have suffered Jon! You died, my life was nearly finished... Is this what we want our children to come in to? A world that is painted with blood and undead running after them?"

"No, it is not. I know the Red Wedding changed you; hells, the Night's Watch changed me," he told his brother. "That anger you have, leave it in the boy you once were. Make good decisions and be smarter, make that into the man you want to be."

Robb nodded and leant against the wall of the cave, sighing heavily. "I feel as if life is unjust. My wife, my child, my mother... Our father... They are gone and it took me a long while to get home where suddenly, everything is not as it seems. The moment we left Winterfell, we were forced to grow up from the children we once were."

Jon agreed. "And now, we can't do anything to go back to those times. We can only hope that we win this with Daenerys or not. I don't know about you but I won't go down without a fight."

"Neither will I."


Notes for this chapter:

(1) Sansa and Arya pray for Ygritte and the assassin learns more about her new sister-in-law.

(2) They meet with Bran who tells her about the visions he had of her. He also gives Arya the dagger he got from Baelish.

(3) Ygritte survives. He tells Sansa that Baelish poisoned Ygritte.

(4) Arya meets Ygritte and takes a liking to her which is reciprocated.

(5) Arya and Sansa plan to kill Baelish.

(6) The brothers and Davos plot behind Daenerys' back after she makes them 'prisoners'.

(7) Jon and Robb bond over their children.

(8) Daenerys allows them to mine the dragonglass.

This was re-edited on 04/04/19.