The Dragons of Winter

Chapter 10

Pentos

Magister Illiryo Mopatis stood silently as he waited for Viserys' inevitable rage to come, yet the Targaryen prince just stood there, staring at the scroll he had been given. His purple eyes were still, only studying the letter while his hands trembled.

"How long?" The Targaryen said eventually, eyes locked onto the paper, unmoving.

Illiryo stepped forward carefully, eyeing Viserys in his oddly calm state, "Half a moon, your grace."

"Two weeks? Dragons were born across the world from my sister and my nephew that I have never met. I am the last dragon." Viserys said. Viserys' voice was not angry, he sounded more afraid. He spoke almost flatly.

"I propose it is time for the dragons to return to us, would you not say so?" Magister Illiryo spoke, and as he did so, Viserys' afraid look had washed away, replaced with a strange hunger that resided in his violet eyes;

"Are you ready to take your home back?"

Jon

Things had changed in Winterfell.

Conversation would die whenever he strolled into a room, accompanied by Rhaegal or Ghost. He could never see truly what anyone was feeling anymore, unless he was talking with Daenerys, Arya or his uncle. People looked scared, but were happy to approach him, they would smile and laugh but turn away and not speak again. What hurt him the most was that Robb, once his best friend and brother, would only act with a courteous mask that did not match his glaring eyes before walking away with Theon, laughing his usual warm laugh a little too loudly.

Jon wasn't sure if he was relieved or worried about the clear change in the Lady Catelyn, who had replaced her icy glare and gritted teeth with a polite smile and regretful, watery eyes. To Jon, she seemed almost unsure of what to feel.

The only times when Jon was allowed to feel as he truly once did, were the times where he and Daenerys would try to feed the dragons, often with Arya close by, wary but ever wild and smiling. Eddard had too remained his self, but was so occupied with the Royal visit he had scarcely any time to see his nephew.

A shiver passed through Jon's spine as he recalled the day he and Daenerys were told of the Usurper's visit;

He and Daenerys were in her room, figuring out how to feed the three shrieking dragons. Whenever Daenerys attempted to pass them a piece of lamb for them to choke down their fiery throats and fight over, they would instead hiss and refuse to touch the red meat.

"Why won't they take it?"

"My brother never told me how to feed dragons- he was no dragon." Daenerys shrugged, continuing to swing the lamb in front of Rhaegal- Jon's dragon which he had named after his father, Viserion-which she had named after her brother and the black and red dragon- the biggest that was yet to be bestowed with a name.

"Perhaps it has to be cooked?" Jon suggested, not expecting Daenerys to consider.

Jon was surprised to see her brows furrow, which was what she did when in thought; "We could try it, that is how dragons kill and eat people and other animals... DRACARYS!"

Daenerys' sudden high Valyrian command caused Jon to jump in his seat a little, even more so when the three cat sized lizards spouted red flames that singed the meat to black. Each dragon ripped a chunk off the meat, and swallowed it in seconds before fighting each other for more.

Daenerys laughed and clapped her hands as Jon leaned over to plant a kiss on her lips, causing her to smile even more and kiss him back.

A sudden knock on the door shook the two Targaryens back into their innocent positions in their chairs, away from each other.

"Come in!" Jon called out.

It was his uncle. From where he and Daenerys were sitting, Eddard Stark looked the same as usual; with his stormy grey eyes, long face and moving with strength and authority- yet, as he slowly stepped closer to Jon, Daenerys and the dragons, Jon saw that there was something playing on his usually calm mind. His eyes looked restless, with more thunder and ice than Jon was accustomed to see in who was once his father, now his uncle. He appeared to have lost sleep as dark circles hung over his eyes and his posture stood more rigid.

Without a second thought, Jon knew something was wrong, really wrong.

His Uncle sat on the chair across from the small table where Daenerys' and Jon's chairs were, turned to face the small ledge on the wall facing the squawking dragons. As the two were shuffling their chairs round, Eddard nodded his head before quietly greeting them.

"Jon, Daenerys."

"Lord Stark."

"Uncle." Saying that word at the man who he believed to be his true father still hurt Jon, and on many occasions he had blurted out 'father', even weeks after knowing his true parentage.

"I received a raven, from Kings landing almost a moon ago. As you know, Jon Arryn, hand to King Robert is dead."

Daenerys and Jon nodded, remaining silent for Lord Stark to continue.

"Robert rides for Winterfell, alongside his wife, Cersei Lannister the Queen regent and their three children. There will be Lannister men, Baratheon men in these gates within weeks."

In that moment, Jon felt fear; real fear that was greater than anything he had felt ever before. He could feel sweat sticking to his palms, his body shaking. I was like his voice had been taken, swallowed up; he tried to speak, to even indicate how he was feeling, but he couldn't. Jon had just stared at his trembling feet, thinking of how the man who would be inside the Winterfell gates had slaughtered his father, who had slaughtered his whole family from one side. He could only glance at Daenerys, who shared Jon's expression.

"We can't stay here…" Daenerys finally said, placing her arms onto the table to prevent them from shaking any further. The black dragon had sat onto her shoulder, sensing her worry.

Jon knew it was true, Daenerys' distinctively Targaryen features shone in the gloom of Winterfell, and King Robert would see her as Rhaegar's sister immediately.

'And now, there are dragons here… our children are in danger.' Jon thought, resisting the urge to hold Daenerys' hand tightly.

"No." Eddard spoke softly, eyeing Jon and Daenerys, "You are not safe in this castle anymore."

"The usurper King wanted me killed only a few moons ago…" Daenerys said in a hushed voice that only grew louder when she spoke the word 'king'.

"We still have time, time for my trusted advisors, you two and myself to conjure up a suitable plan as to what we must do concerning you and the three dragons." As Lord Stark said this, he eyed the three dragons, already growing fast.

"But when the time comes, you must leave here."

XX

Jon tried to force the growing worry and concern out of his mind, but it always found a way back, haunting his dreams every night- that was if he even managed to fall asleep. Most nights Jon would lie awake, imagining King Robert kill Daenerys. He felt better when he began sleeping in Daenerys' bed, brining Ghost and Rhaegal with him. Most nights they would lie in each other's arms, but a few times they would lie in the bed, kissing for a time Jon could not comprehend until sleep came. It was almost enough to stop Jon's worry, to make him forget. But Jon knew that the only way for that was to have the knowledge of the King not coming, and Jon knew that he was:

The King is coming.

The King is coming, and there is nothing I can do.

Arya

Jon was worried, more than she had ever seen him.

She had told Robb to talk to him, to make him feel better, but he had only stared at her and shaken his head. Arya had screamed and kicked, even cried but he refused. Then Theon came along, and Robb left, laughing again.

"You are family! You were his brother!" Arya had howled as he walked away, and Robb only turned around and said plainly, but with so much ice in voice, "We were brothers, but not anymore. He didn't tell me that he was half dragon. We tell each other everything."

Arya was left standing in shock in the empty training yard, listening to the sound of silence.

Catelyn

She had hated him with every emotion, be it happiness, sadness or envy. Her resentment for Jon had been so strong, but now she didn't know what to feel.

Sadness?

Guilt?

Hate?

Love?

Not that Catelyn Stark saw much of him or Daenerys anymore. Ever since they were told of the King's arrival they had remained quiet, mainly in their rooms, together or alone. Catelyn was happy to see that they still allowed Arya in. She would talk to them for hours, feed the dragons and whatever the let her do. Arya was lonely and afraid too. Since Robb had left her and Jon for Theon Greyjoy, Arya mainly hid somewhere in the castle or sat in Jon and Daenerys' rooms.

Catelyn frowned when she thought of Robb's new attitude to Jon. He had become so full of ice and cold. She knew he was upset, hurt even that Jon refused to tell him his secret, but to leave someone he once saw as a best friend to drown in fear made her heart sink.

I must convince my son to talk to him;

I promised to love the motherless Jon (Snow?), and now I will. I swear it on the old gods and the new.

Daenerys

She and Jon had been sitting in his room for hours with the dragons, trying to wash away any anxiety by trying to conjure up a name for the black dragon. The first two had been easy; Viserion after her brother, "Viserion shall be everything Viserys is not, brave and strong," and Rhaegal after her brother and Jon's father.

A loud knock interrupted them once again, and Daenerys sighed, not even bothering to wonder about what news of the King had been delivered to them. To her surprise, Robb Stark strode in, not saying a word as he shut the door firmly behind him.

As he stared at Jon, an uncomfortable silence passed through the room, neither boy sure of what to say to each other.

After what seemed like hours, Robb finally cleared his throat and said, "I was wrong."

Jon said nothing.

"I was wrong to abandon you, I knew why you refused to tell me, and I understand why."

Daenerys saw a flicker of hope in Jon's eyes, matched with a ghost of a smile that faded fast, "Why are you apologising now?"

Robb looked at the floor before looking into Jon's wide eyes, "Three reasons; one, Theon is driving me to insanity, two, my mother, Lady Stark told me to, and three, you are my brother. You are my brother, it's not a matter of the blood we hare and the blood we don't. We were raised as brothers, we talked like brothers, acted like brothers; it means I shouldn't leave you." A watery smile flowed onto Robb Stark's face, and he pulled a grinning and laughing Jon into a fierce hug. Daenerys let out a sigh of relief as she saw true happiness in Jon's face once more.

"Come, I'm sick of Theon now, any more days spent with that Greyjoy yapping on about his adventures in brothels that most likely never happened and I'll throw myself from the broken tower!" Robb laughed as he and Jon began to stroll out.

"You coming Daenerys?" Jon asked.

"Sure," She laughed, feeling warmer, "It's about time I went out."

Eddard

He had spent nights ensuring that their inevitable journey from Winterfell would be as safe as possible. With the unexpected help of his wife, they had pin pointed a route for them to follow to arrive safely in Essos.

The hair dye had been brought all the way from Dorne, alongside extra furs from the North. Eddard felt guilt as his honour slipped away, but he knew it had to be done to keep them safe.

"When will they leave?" Catelyn asked from her place on their bed beside him.

"At dawn, two nights from now." He replied.

As he tried to succumb to sleep, the ever loud noise of the wolves and dragons reminded him of what he was doing, and why he had no choice.

XXXXXXX

PLEASE READ MY NOTES

I am not 100% sure of what to call Drogon in my next chapter, as obviously Dany doesn't know Drogo in my fic. I might call it Jonerys, but that seems a bit cliché so I'll ask all of you reading; what do you think I should call him? Please share your ideas in the reviews, and I may call the dragon what one of you suggested! If you can't think of a name, just review anyway as they make my day! J

So sorry that the end of this chapter isn't amazing, but I have been short of time ever since I posted my last chapter. Next week, I'll be abroad so perhaps you'll have a new chapter by the end of the week, (don't get your hopes up haha).