A/N: I made a longer chapter of the Daenerys/Tyrion plotline for a change...

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Chapter 54 The Hand of the Queen

The short man was overlooking this city that had become their permanent home for the last ten years. So long had it been that they had sailed out for Westeros, to reclaim the iron throne for the true Queen, Daenerys Targaryen. The Queen that should rule instead of his sister.

"Mylord Hand", he heard a voice behind him. Tyrion sighed.

"Varys, my friend", Tyrion greeted him with a smile, "What is it?"

"My little birds bring me troublesome news, I'm afraid", Varys told him, "A fleet of Northmen has been seen in the east, near Qarth."

"Was it too much to hope for good news for a change?" Tyrion asked sarcastically, "I'm getting too old for this."

"We all are, mylord", the eunuch replied smiling, "None of us is getting any younger. Even our queen will be thirty years her next nameday."

"You're right, as usual", Tyrion shrugged, "So, the Northmen at last managed to reach Essos – did your little birds by any chance tell you where they went?"

"They have not attacked Qarth so far, but are raiding the coastline", Varys reported, "Sooner rather than later, I expect someone will tell them of the numerous riches that await them here in our Queen's realm."

"Then we better plan for their arrival", Tyrion said, "Best thing we start by telling the Queen."


Daenerys Targaryen, Stromborn, Mother of dragons, breaker of chains, first of her name, Queen of the Andals of the first men was sitting on the terrace on top of the pyramid of Meeren. Queen of Westeros – what a joke, she thought. She had held this title for over ten years, yet she had not sat a single minute on the throne that once belonged to her father and now rightfully belonged to her.

After the usurper Robert Baratheon and his sons had died during Westeros' civil war, the usurper's wife, Cersei Lannister had taken the throne for herself. Shortly after, Dany had been strong enough to try and claim the Iron Throne.

But their expedition was doomed. A storm scattered most of the iron fleet, which was transporting the army to Westeros. And after making landfall, they had run into an ambush in the Kingswood, near the Roseroad.

Cersei had prepared wildfire for them, and the green flames were erupting all over the forest, swallowing the majority of Dany's army. They had no choice back to turn back and return to Dragon's bay. It took her a few years, but finally, Dany had managed to rebuild her army, strong enough to attack again.

The next time, it was Dany's turn to listen to her advisors, especially Tyrion who served as her Hand of the Queen and who had been Hand for his mad nephew, King Joffrey. During this time, he had successfully defended King's Landing during the war of the five Kings. They actually managed to lay siege on King's Landing, but a combined army of the houses Lannister and Bolton, the two most powerful houses in Westeros, in perfect synchronous attack with the city's gold cloaks, had been just enough to break through the besieging force and so, once more, Daenerys and her army had returned, defeated.

As much as she had tried, she had not been able to gather enough strength for a third attack. Not that Dany had expected it to be easy, but it took considerably longer the third time. And Tyrion had warned her, there would not be a fourth time they could do this. She had not quite understood his reasoning, but the main point was, the first time a leader suffers a defeat, the army learns that he (or she) is not invincible. A second defeat by the same opponent is a major blow to the army's morale. A third time, and the men start to think differently about their leader. So if they suffered a third defeat when trying to invade Westeros, not only would it be the destruction of her army, but also of her image as a ruler.

But still, Daenerys Targaryen was not the type of person to drop her dreams and be satisfied what she had. Those past years, she had been trying to rebuild her army. Most of the original Unsullied were dead by now. Most of the Dothraki that had backed her had been burned to death in the disaster at the Kingswood. Her army was only a shadow of its former self.

Dany sighed, tore herself free from her memories and realized she had been staring at the document in her hands for at least several minutes, yet she still hadn't read a single word. She rubbed over her eyes with her hand before she began to read again.

She looked up when she heard someone enter the terrace behind her. Turning around, she saw Tyrion Lannister stand there, leaning with his back against the rampart.

"Tyrion" Dany greeted him, "What brings you up here?"

"I wanted to ask if you needed someone to translate these taxation reports so that normal people can understand them", Tyrion smiled.

"Unfortunately for you, it's not taxation but simple requests for the crown", Dany smiled, "So I'm not going to need your help today. But surely that's not what caused you to climb up all those stairs?"

"327, Your Grace", Tyrion grinned, "But you're right I'm not here about taxation and neither did I wish to tell you the number of stairs between my rooms and yours. Varys has received a report, and I am afraid it's not great."

"Your sister is suddenly loved by the people?" Dany asked, half joking.

"No, gods forbid!" Tyrion looked at his Queen, until he recognized the joke.

"The report is about the Northmen", Tyrion told Dany, "It would seem they have finally found the way to Essos, a large fleet has been seen in the region of Qarth."

"And their intentions?" Dany wanted to know.

"Varys fears they will eventually reach dragon's bay", Tyrion explained, "You know as well as I do, that the natural way for them to continue along the coast eventually brings them here. And if the Qartheen were clever enough to tell them about richer pickings here, they can reach us within… maybe three weeks' time?"

"That is not good", Dany mused, "We cannot have them plunder their way through my Kingdom. You can use whatever military resources we have, but find a way to stop them."

"I will, my Queen", Tyrion bowed.


Tyrion was sitting in his office, the commanders of the army occupying the chairs in front of the table. Daario Naharis was there, by now looking entirely grey haired, his skin as tanned as always. Grey Worm had lost an eye at the firing inferno of the Kingswood, but the Commander of the Unsullied looked at the others as brave as always.

Aside from these old companions, several young officers had taken seats. Oro, a young Dothraki, who had been chosen by Daenerys as one of her bloodriders. Muro, the bright young man that Tyrion had shortly granted the command over the militia of Mereen. A couple of sellsword captains were present as well, their companies momentarily in Dany's service.

Yara Greyjoy, the surviving member of the Greyjoy siblings was sitting lazily in her chair, her pale skin still giving her northern descent away. Her armor was dark and oily, made to function in the rough weather at sea.

The only non-military person in the room was Missandei. Tyrion had asked her to join their meeting, because she was still one of the most trusted advisors for the Queen. And many of the sellswords might need a translation. The translator had also been wounded during the invasions, a Lannister sword had taken two of her fingers when she had fled from the Kingswood.

"My friends, I have seldom called you all together, but there is a first time for everything", Tyrion began, "There has been a new development, and I am afraid, I don't like it. Our Queen agrees with me, so I will need your help to deal with this problem."

He looked around, so far they were all listening.

"It would seem that the Northmen have reached Essos", Tyrion explained and a collective gasp went through the room, "They are not here yet, and they may never come at all, but the Queen wants to know what our plans are, once they were to reach us."

"First of all, when could we expect them the soonest?" Daario asked while playing with his dagger.

"Varys tells me, they would need about three weeks to sail along the coast", Tyrion informed him.

"What manner of men are they?" Yara Greyjoy wanted to know.

"We don't know for sure I'm afraid", Tyrion told her, "They emerged maybe the same time we all came together here. From the reports, they sound a lot like what is told about the Ironborn: they are raiders and pirates, they have laid the English Kingdoms to waste and plundered the big, fortified cities in Frankia. They are ferocious fighters and really impressive sailors, I'm told."

"That almost sounds like I could like them", Yara shrugged, "So we need to find a way to kill them?"

"That's what we're here for" Tyrion agreed.

"We can easily keep them out of the cities, I think", Daario reflected, "But she wants us to drive them away from the shore wherever they land, am I right?"

Tyrion nodded, they all knew their Queen's principles. Daario sighed.

"That is more complicated", he told them, "Grey Worm, what do you think, can we defeat them in open battle?"

The Commander of the Unsullied looked over at him.

"I don't know", he said, "It is possible but uncertain."

"Well certain is a relative word", Tyrion smiled, "It is probably best, if we stay inside the cities, until we have definitive reports of their arrival, before we march."

"That sounds about right", Daario smiled.

After the soldiers had left, Tyrion made an effort of dealing with the endless clutter of reports which were reaching a height on his desk that came dangerously close to his own. Just because there might be a conflict looming in the distance, didn't mean any excuse to neglect his normal duties of being Hand of the Queen, and the cities of dragon's bay did not govern themselves from nothing.

Without him even noticing it, the day came to its end, the sun setting over the far desert horizon. He only looked up when Missandei entered his office.

"Missandei, what is it?" he asked.

"Her Grace wants to know whether you would join her for dinner", Missandei replied.

"I didn't even realize it was that late yet", Tyrion mused, "Of course, I will. Just give me a short minute to finish this, then I will be right with you."

The translator waited silently for a while, and Tyrion stayed true to his word, not two minutes later, he had finished the report. He stood up from his chair, pulled his doublet straight, straightened the pin that identified him as the Hand of the Queen and followed Missandei to the Queen's rooms at the top of the great pyramid.

Dany was sitting in the main room of her rooms, a table for three standing in the middle. She did not have to wait long, Tyrion and Missandei arrived shortly after it was all ready. All three of them took their chairs, and began to eat. It had become a ritual among these three friends to meet most evenings for dinner, occasionally joined by Daario Naharis, Yara Greyjoy or Grey Worm, it being an easy manner of keeping each other updated what new reports, laws or any other part of governing dragon's bay.

"So Tyrion, what is to be done about the Northmen?" Dany asked while sipping on her wine, "How do we defeat them?"

"Well, Your Grace, we all agree that it is impossible to do anything before they've made their landfall", Tyrion explained, "I've asked Grey Worm to keep an eye on the defenses of Mereen. Daario will leave tomorrow and make sure that Yunkai is protected as well. Furthermore, I have prepared orders to stock up our supplies of food and weapons, so we are able to repel them, should they try and attack. The orders are ready and I will issue them tomorrow morning."

"That is all good, to defend the city", Dany told him, "But what about the countryside? What about the people living outside the city's walls?"

"Your Grace, once they threaten the people outside the city, we will march to protect them", Tyrion smiled, "We cannot make any definitive battle plans before we know where they will be, how many they are and how their army is composed. We have a strong army, it surely will be sufficient to deal with them."

"I am relieved to hear that", Dany smiled, "But if you can, try not to lose my army. I shall need it when I march against Westeros."

"Your Grace, this is not the time for this topic, but I am beginning to doubt that this project of ours will ever be fulfilled", Tyrion told her. The sad look in Daenerys' eyes showed that she was having her doubts herself.

"I cannot give it up", she told them, "You two are probably my closest friends – do you think I a fooling myself?"

"Your Grace", Missandei began, "I don't know about the seven Kingdoms. I know that you are a great Queen. A great ruler. I fear what happens when you fail again."

"Then I must not fail again", Dany answered, "And you, Tyrion?"

"Surely you remember, this was one of the topics of our very first meeting", he recalled, "If you fail, you're done once and for all. And not only in Westeros, but here in dragon's bay as well, I'm afraid. The people will follow you considerably less willingly, after you've lead them into three campaign and came back in shame and defeat after each. A family can only lose so many sons, before the parents start to blame the ruler."

"So you think I should not do it?" Dany rephrased.

"I definitely want you to do it", Tyrion smiled, "After all, it is my dream as well to see my birthlands again. But I think we're not ready, and maybe we will never be. And this time has to be the right one – there will be no fourth."


The next morning, Tyrion and Varys made a tour around the city, trying to gather what else would be necessary to defend the city against these possible attacks of the Northmen.

"It would seem, we did so a long time ago as well, my friend", Tyrion smiled as they stood on the walls, overlooking the harbor.

"We did", Varys replied swiftly, "We were both serving a King unfit to rule."

"So true", Tyrion thought, "Have you heard anything else about them?"

"You know as well as I that their King, or at least one of their Kings attacked Paris, it is years in the past by now… so they definitely are not unable to lay siege to a city", Varys said to Tyrion.

"Is that supposed to make me feel better?" Tyrion snorted, "We're up against enemies that have so far beaten everyone they have come into contact with and you're reminding me now that they know about sieges?"

"Would you have preferred it if I lied to you?" the eunuch asked in surprise.

"Of course not", Tyrion said sadly, "I just wished it wasn't us who will have to deal with them. How I would laugh if my sweet sister suddenly…"

He broke off in the middle of the sentence. That was it, the brilliant idea he knew that he would need. The Northmen were pirates and like sellswords, they could likely be bought to back the Targaryen attack on Westeros. Tyrion would just need to find the necessary money and someone to deliver that message to the leaders of the Northmen.

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A/N: What do you think will Bjorn and Sansa say to Tyrion's proposal?

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