Disclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones/A Song of Ice and Fire

Alyssa I Targaryen

Book : The War of the Four Sovereigns

Chapter 4: Let slip the dogs of war!

Beta:

Trigger warning: Canon typical underage, nudity

Sansa Stark sat in her rooms in the Red Keep surrounded by guards as always and worked on her marriage cloak. Though who she was supposed to be marrying was up in the air. It had been Joffrey at first but if rumors were to be believed that had changed lately and she was to marry the Imp instead. The dwarf having recently arrived in King's Landing from the Vale with a small army of Mountain's Clansmen after escaping her Mother's ill advised attempt at kidnapping him.

So my husband is to be a monster either way. Either one in appearance or one at heart. Sansa thought to herself sadly as she worked on her sewing. She loathed doing so but Cersei had demanded it of her and she knew better than to resist her. The last time she'd tried, she'd been beaten so badly she'd not been able to walk for days.

She winced at the memory and almost missed as a spiraling portal of darkness formed just behind her. Her omnipresent guards did not and roughly pulled her away from the portal and dragged her away. She thus barely noticed as Tyrell men surged through the portal and were cut down by the ready guards. They kept coming however and the Red Cloaks were on the verge of being overwhelmed.

Yes! Kill them all! Take me back to Alys! Sansa cheered in her own mind even as she made sure not a word escaped her lips. If she did and this attempt failed like the others before it had, she'd be punished and Sansa Stark was tired of being punished.

"Close the portal, Witch! I know you're watching you dragon whore!" The guard dragging Sansa away said as he put a blade to her throat. "Do it or I'll slit your precious sister's throat!"

Sansa panicked and fought to remain as still as possible to avoid accidentally nicking herself on the Red Cloak's blade.

At the threat there was a bolt of fire shot through the portal that incinerated the man's head. Sansa immediately broke free barely avoiding the flames in the process and tried to flee towards the portal but was immediately knocked to the ground by the backhand from another Red Cloak even as a crossbow bolt landed inches from her head. The sound of dozens more cocking chilled Sansa's heart.

"Try that again Witch and the next bolt won't miss!"

Sansa did not know how much of a threat that was. The Lannisters seemed very invested in keeping her alive after all. Yet the mere mention of it was enough to break her sister's nerve as the portal slammed shut.

No Alys! Don't do this! I'd rather be dead than stuck here any longer! Sansa screamed in the sanctity of her mind as she stared impotently at the place where the portal had been.

Yet the fates were not kind to her and she would be a prisoner of the Lannisters a little longer it seemed.

It was a balmy night that found Robb Stark inside the solar of Castle Darry, where he'd encamped for the night while on his campaign in the Riverlands. He'd arrived at the small castle just in time to relieve it from a siege by a Lannister host and thus had been welcomed with great hospitality by young Lord Lyman Darry and his House. Despite all that, as Robb read the raven's scroll sent to him by his sister and Queen, Alyssa, from Bitterbridge he could not help but frown.

The expression of gratitude for listening to her advice to his joint Northern and Riverlands host to help liberate the River lords' castles from the Lannister forces, the action that had brought him to Darry in the first place, was welcome even if it was something he would have done without her encouragement. No, what caused his consternation was the rest of the missive.

"She's pregnant!" Robb shouted in disbelief after rereading the line three times to be sure that his eyes were not deceiving him. "She's barely been married two moons and she is already with child!?"

Robb understood the political logic in his sister choosing to get pregnant so quickly. It would undeniably consolidate support from her husband's men behind her and would further strengthen their joint claim to the Iron Throne. However, he struggled to accept his sister becoming a mother! He just couldn't process the idea of his sister with her preference for other women laying with a man, much less becoming with child. Yet, for the sake of politics, she had. It would take time for him to rationalize this strange reality he'd found himself in.

"Lord Robb. Lady Jeyne Darry is outside requesting an audience." His squire, young Olyvar Frey one of the precious few Freys that had survived the plague that had swept through the Twins moons ago, said as he slipped into the room.

The plague had radically changed the character of House Freys. It had killed not just the humans in the Twins but their livestock and gardens too, putting a major dent in their finances. Finances that along with everything else about of their House's affairs were in shambles as the survivors struggled to make sense of their House's dealings that until the plague they had been shut out of. This meant that until they got back on their feet they had to turn to others for help, a humbling experience for the legendarily haughty Freys. Though how much of that was due to Lord Walder Frey and how much the House in general the world would likely never know. Either way, House Frey under its new Lord, Steffon "the Sweet" Frey was a lot more reasonable as evidenced when they had allowed Robb's armies to cross the Twins for a fair toll and taking Olyvar on as his squire.

Who would've thought all it took to make them less of onerous would be near extinction. Robb thought with dark amusement even as he addressed Olyvar questioningly.

"Lady Jeyne, Lord Lyman's elder sister? At this hour?" Robb asked even as Olyvar nodded. "Did she say what she wanted to speak to me about?"

"No, my lord. She said it was private."

Robb frowned as he considered the possibilities. There was a chance this was an attempt at a seduction but from what he knew of Lady Darry he doubted it. Beyond that though, he could not fathom any reason for the young lady to speak to him.

I suppose I have only one way to find out.

"Send her in, Olyvar."

"At once, my lord."

It took a moment but soon the attractive woman with calm features was shown into the room.

"Olyvar, stay." Robb called out to his squire as he prepared to step out. "For propriety's sake."

"Yes, milord." The young Frey said as instead of leaving the room, he closed the door instead even as Robb and Lady Jeyne exchanged greetings.

"I'd say asking your squire to act as chaperone is hardly an improvement if you wished to avoid talk, Lord Stark." Lady Jeyne told him with a roll of her eyes said as she rose from her curtsy.

"It is the best I can do on short notice, my lady." Robb shot back, a smile tugging at his lips at the woman's refreshingly blunt wit and he gestured for her to take a seat. He could see why his sister liked her. "Should I call for one of the ladies instead? Lady Mormont perhaps?"

"That's unnecessary," Lady Darry replied with a giggle as she accepted his offer by sitting in a chair directly in front of his borrowed desk. "I have no fear that our discussion will affect my prospects. Nor am I here to seduce you, if that's what you fear."

"Not at all, my lady." Robb said seating after the lady as was proper. "What brings you to see me tonight?"

"Are you aware of my friendship with our Queen, my lord?"

"My sister had written to me about it." Robb admitted.

"In line with that, I would, if possible, like to serve her grace as one of her handmaidens."

Robb's eyes narrowed in suspicion. At best, Lady Jeyne knew his sister for only a couple days, why would she want to leave her home during a war just to serve her? Was this a political move? An attempt by the Lady Darry to leverage her acquaintance with Alys to further her standing and that of her House? It was possible Robb supposed, but everything he knew of the lady suggested otherwise. She did not seem politically minded enough to do something like that.

"May I ask why?"

"Besides the honor of serving the Queen?" Lady Jeyne said with a shrug. "I believe the Queen is a kindred spirit."

"In what way?" Robb pressed.

Lady Jeyne's eyes narrowed and seemed to struggle with her thoughts for a moment before sighing in resignation.

"It is because we are both women who prefer other women over men." Lady Jeyne confessed. "I want to be part of a court where my preference would not be seen negatively."

"Our Queen is married and with child."

Lady Jeyne just laughed.

"And it's an open secret that the marriage and pregnancy is merely a political convenience. It's Lady Margaery Tyrell not King Renly Baratheon, who is the Queen's true consort."

"That is true, but is wanting to be free with your preference your only reason?" Robb asked skeptically. He was inclined to agree with the lady's request already. Alyssa needed as many like minded people around her in his opinion and if Lady Jeyne met this need than he was happy to send her along. However, his instincts were telling him that there was more to this and he wanted to know what that was before he made his decision.

"You are a difficult man to convince, Lord Stark. Must I tell you all my secrets before you agree?"

"When it involves sending anyone to my sister's side I will want to know everything." Robb told her seriously. He would not risk sending a traitor into Alys' court.

"I can understand that." Lady Jeyne allowed with a sigh. "Very well. I will be honest then. I wish to go to the Queen's side partly because I am attracted to her."

Robb nodded. When Alyssa had first met the Lady Jeyne all those months ago, she'd wrote a glowing letter to him about the other woman. While his sister had not outright said it, he could read between the lines enough to know she was attracted to the Lady Darry. After all, he had known of her sexual preferences before she declared it by taking Margaery Tyrell as her mistress, as such he could see the signs well enough.

I don't how this will affect her relationship with Lady Tyrell but I'm not about to deprive Alyssa of a possible person she could love. She'll need as many of them as she can get in these trying times.

With these thoughts in mind, Robb addressed Lady Darry.

"Very well." Robb told her with a nod. "Make whatever arrangements you need for travel, Lady Darry. I will have you sent to Bitterbridge to join my sister at the earliest opportunity."

"Thank you, Lord Stark." The woman told him sincerely. "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"Think nothing of it, Lady Darry. I do this for my sister."

As the mortals in the room exchanged pleasantries, none of them saw as the invisible figure of Nameless leaning against one wall of the solar and nodding in satisfaction even as a giddy Lady Darry left to make arrangements for her departure.

Two nights after his meeting with Lady Darry, Robb found himself sitting around a campfire in a small wood outside of Darry with a contingent of cavalry waiting. They had been doing that for hours now and despite his best efforts to stay awake the Stark lord was teetering on the edge of sleep.

"Here Lord Robb," Lord Jon "the Greatjon" Umber said as he handed Robb a bowl of hot stew. "Eat some of that. It'll warm you up and help ya stay awake."

"Thank you, Greatjon." Robb told the older lord with a smile. Calling the man without his title was somewhat impolite but Lord Umber had insisted and thus Robb had acquiesced despite how the polite sensibilities his education instilled in him squirmed in discomfort.

"Think nothing of it, Lord Stark." The giant of a man said with a grin of his own. "It's not easy staying awake when there's no action even for the best of us. Helping each other stay awake is-"

Whatever Lord Umber was about to say was cut off when Grey Wind suddenly jumped to his feet from where he had been lounging nearby and snarled softly.

By how softly he's being, the enemy can't be too far.

"Greatjon! Have the scouts reported anything new yet?" Robb asked, putting the bowl of stew aside. He wouldn't need it now that the thrill of coming battle coursed through his veins as the enemy drew near.

"Nothing new since they came in a couple hours ago saying that Ser Gregor Clegane, his Mountain's men and a Lannister host were spotted moving towards Darry."

Just then a rider in Darry colors rode up.

"My lords," the Darry rider said as he pulled his horse to a stop a short distance from the campfire Robb and the Greatjon shared, watched closely by both lords' retinue of guards. His presence alerted the other lords who sat at other nearby fires who now trickled over.

He's one of our scouts. Either that or a messenger.

"Report!" Robb barked, eager to hear what he had to say.

"Yes, milord." The rider replied quickly. "The Mountain's host have been sported and based on the speed of their gallop, they should have engaged the camp at Darry by now."

"Then we ride! To Darry!" Robb shouts, rallying his men even as he jumped on his horse that an already mounted Olyvar had helpfully guided over. "For the North! For Queen Alyssa!"

An hour of hard riding later, Robb and his horsemen arrived at Darry to see most of the Lannister men surrounded by his soldiers, clearly having fallen into the trap he'd set for them. Having ridden through the night, the Mountain and his men probably expected an unwary camp but thanks to the excellent work of their Rivermen scouts familiar with the terrain of their homeland, Robb had learned of the approach of the infamous knight's force early. Thus when the Lannister force slammed into his camp instead of finding Robb's men unprepared and scrambling to muster a defense, he found himself facing a numerically superior foe that was ready for him.

Not that it all went as planned. Robb mused. If it had we wouldn't be so out of position for attempt to flank them with our cavalry.

Despite their absence however, it seemed things were nevertheless going well. Enough that a group of mounted men in Lannister colors broke off from the fighting in a bid to make an escape.

"Lord Karstark!" Robb shouted at the gaunt and tall lord riding on the wing closest to the fleeing Westermen riders. "Take your men and intercept them!"

"At once, my lord!" Lord Karstark shouted back as he proceeded to peel off a substantial portion of their cavalry in pursuit of the fleeing Lannister men, leaving Robb to ride towards the main melee with the remainder.

With that situation in hand, Robb turned back towards the main battle where the surrounded Lannister host was being cut down. Helped along by Grey Wind who surged ahead and tore into the Red Cloaks with tooth and claw, filling the pocket of Robb's mind where his direwolf always resided with the taste of blood.

"Lord Stark! To the right!" Someone, possibly Olyvar but Robb couldn't be certain, shouted and Robb turned to the aforementioned direction to see a group of Lannister riders somehow broke free of the melee and ride towards Robb and his men, hastily pursued by a squadron of Tully knights.

That was all the warning Robb and his men got before the Lannister men crashed into them at full gallop and desperate fighting began. Perhaps they recognized Robb either by his appearance of banner. Perhaps they simply saw him and his contingent as being in their way to freedom. Either way the Westermen fought like men possessed and hacked their way through his guards with alarming speed.

As a result, soon Robb found himself forced to draw his own sword and parry a frenzied thrust aimed at stabbing him through his head. His attacker hastily tried to pull back his blade back in a guard, but Robb's parry had forced his sword arm wide. This created an opening that the young Lord Stark happily exploited to swing his better positioned sword and lob his head off.

His attacker dispatched, Robb was looking around for another opponent when he saw the pursuing Tully knights catching up to the Westermen. Now caught between his Uncle's knights and his own horsemen, the Red Cloaks were quickly cut down. Robb would have wished to say he had more part in that than the one man he'd slain but sadly he'd barely managed that when his guard formed a tight circle around him, fending off any further threats to his person.

"Good job with that man earlier, Lord Robb." The Greatjon told him, clapping Robb on the shoulder as he did and they finished the remainder of the ride towards the edge of the infantry melee.

Robb just nodded his agreement.

"How goes the battle?" Robb asked, trying to peer around the wall of bodies his men had formed around him. "Have we cornered Clegane?"

"The battle is all but over," The Greatjon told him, his taller stature allowing him to see over the guards where Robb himself could not. "As for the Mountain, he's over there."

Robb strained his neck in the direction the Greatjon pointed and his guards finally seemingly taking the hint, relaxed their circle enough to allow him to see what exactly Lord Umber was gesturing at.

It was frankly a surreal sight that greeted him. In the midst of the chaotic killing field and surrounded by piles of dead bodies, many of them likely slain by him, Clegane stood out as he defiantly killed anyone who tried to engage him. Such as the brave trio of Darry men-at-arms who tried to skewer him with their pikes from three directions only for him to spin his greatsword around him in a circle, cutting the heads off their weapons before following up and relieving the owners of theirs shortly thereafter.

"Lives up to his reputation as always." The Greatjon said with a scowl. "Let me go handle him Lord Robb. I'll take him down."

Robb who had been surveying their surroundings had a better idea.

"Apologies, Greatjon. But I think I have a better, less risky solution to our problematic Mountain. Olyvar?"

"Yes, my lord?" His loyal squire asked from somewhere behind him.

"You see that unit of crossbowmen over there?" Robb asked as he pointed towards the aforementioned men who were firing into a group dismounted Red Cloaks cowering behind their shields even as three units of loyalist pikemen hemmed the traitors in.

"Yes."

"Ride over and tell them to target Clegane instead." Robb ordered. "But tell them to try to avoid killing him, if possible. The Queen will want the man who killed her brother Prince Aegon and his mother Princess Elia alive."

"At once, my lord." Olyvar said as the boy pushed his horse out of the circle of men surrounding Robb and rode quickly over to the crossbowmen to relay his orders.

Moments later, the men began shifting their fire. At which point, Robb could only watch in amazement at what transpired. Unfazed by the rain of crossbow bolts headed his way, Clegane kept fighting. Even as bolt after bolt made their way into his flesh, he just kept swinging his sword, killing men with every stroke. Certainly many bolts were deflected by his sturdy armor, but plenty were burying themselves in his flesh in such a way as to be debilitating yet it barely slowed the man.

"He truly deserves his moniker as the Mountain." Robb said in reluctant awe as finally the monstrous knight fell to his knees, now resembling a hedgehog more than anything else and the crossbowmen hesitantly ceased fire.

Even brought low as he was, Clegane killed the first two men brave enough to check on him with one last swing of his greatsword before another half dozen crossbow bolts found their way through gaps in his armor. Only then did it prove too much for his superhuman constitution and he tipped forward into the mud.

"Make sure he's still alive," Robb ordered.

Despite this direct order from the Lord Paramount of the North, no one moved to obey for a moment. It was not until Grey Wind moved to do so for them that at long last a brave pikeman cautiously used his weapon to poke Clegane's body. Only when he received no response did he get closer.

"He's breathing, milord." The Cerwyn man said as Robb and his retinue rode over.

"Good." Robb said with a pleased nod. "Bind him in chains. The thickest we have and throw him into the dungeons. I will send word to the Queen of his capture immediately."

Two days later as Robb and his men were preparing to move off to continue the liberation of the Riverlands, Darry's Maester hurried into the courtyard where the young Stark lord was checking the readiness of his horse for the long ride ahead.

"Lord Stark!" The middle aged man gasped as he ran into the yard, his chain clinking with every step. "A raven! F-From the Queen."

Everyone in the yard perked up at that, especially the lords but none more so than Lady Jeyne whose eyes seemed to sparkle at the mere prospect of news of Alys.

She has it bad. Robb thought with amusement, even as he accepted the raven's scroll and began to read his sister's missive.

Dear Robb,

Congratulations on capturing Gregor Clegane. Please make sure he does not escape. I have plans for him.

Robb shuddered at that, not wanting to even imagine what torments his sister had thought up for the man who had so harmed her family. It did not surface often but his sister had a darkly vindictive streak. He well remembered the often devious reprisals she had concocted in their childhood for any slights her siblings had done to her. And now that one of those she had most cause for seeking vengeance against was in her hands, he had little doubt she'd indulge.

I have not have had as much success with my attempts to rescue Sansa. The latest batch of men I sent into King's Landing via the Gate spell have failed. Again. The Lannisters keep her under too close a guard and are too willing to threaten her life. I am honestly afraid of trying again. Even if the Lannisters need her, in the heat of the moment threat there is no telling what a desperate guard would do. Which is probably what they are counting on. Unless I Gate in a whole army into the city, I doubt I can succeed.

Robb winced. He lacked her magic and yet his inability to help their trapped sister was already a constant pain in his heart, what more Alyssa with her phenomenal magic?

Though why didn't she just Gate an army into King's Landing anyways? He could understand not using it to check in on him and Mother as they hoped she might. She knew they were safe and was busy running a campaign, gods knew he had come to appreciate how time consuming that was, but why didn't she use her Gate spell to kill all her enemies? Was there some limit to its use? Or was she pretending there was?

Hoping to figure out why, he kept reading.

But onto other matters, space on a scroll is limited.

And yet you wasted space writing that. Robb thought with an amused smile. A reaction that was probably exactly what his cunning sister intended. She was deflecting from the previous line of thought and the young Lord of Winterfell couldn't help but wonder why.

Here are my orders, the letter continued. Do not attack the Westerlands as I know you are tempted to do. Merely continue the liberation of the Riverlands and hold out against counterattack. Also send at least half the Northmen at your command back North. The Ironborn are stirring.

What!? Robb growled in indignation at the barbaric reavers attacking the North while its men were away. It fit with their pattern of behavior however and he trusted his sister. If she said they were about to attack then they were.

His mind swirling as he tried to decide which contingents of troops to send back North, Robb continued reading the letter.

I know that parts of my orders do not make sense, especially the part about the Westerlands. But I do have a plan, but one I cannot risk sharing by raven. Come down to Bitterbrigde. We can discuss everything at a war council.

Your sister,

Queen Alyssa Targaryen, First of her Name, Queen Regnant of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men and Lady of the Seven Kingdoms.

Robb frowned, the order to not attack the Westerlands did indeed derail his war plans and Robb wondered about why she would issue something like that.

"What new orders have we received from the Queen, Lord Stark?" Lady Jeyne asked, cutting into Robb's contemplation of Alys' motives.

"We go to Bitterbridge." Robb said loudly enough for everyone in the yard to hear. "Olyvar go spread the word among the men."

"Yes, my lord." The squire said as he rode off to relay his orders.

Robb watched him exit the castle before turning to address his fellow lords, intent on informing them of the full extent of the change in plans but before he began a Darry servant run into the yard shouting his name.

"Lord Stark!" The young boy said as she ran over. "Raven from Winterfell!"

Even as her son campaigned for her husband's rightful vengeance and her niece's claim to the Iron Throne, Lady Catelyn Stark stayed in Winterfell to serve as Robb's regent. She had very much wanted to join Robb but someone needed to be the Stark in Winterfell and she was the only one capable of the task, so after a brief reunion with her son in Riverrun she'd rode North at his insistence. Considering it was her anger getting the better of her when she ran into the Imp at the Crossroads Inn all those moons ago that had set off this war, she had not fought his request.

If only I had not let the Imp's talk of visiting Winterfell and Robb affect me.

In hindsight she knew his words were probably benign but to her mind at the time, filled with rage at the dwarf's siblings' killing of her little Bran as it was, it had come across as nothing less than a thinly veiled threat against her last surviving son. It was this misunderstanding that had led to all her current grief and the self-condemnation she felt. Much as she regretted it though, she could not change her past actions. All she could was do her best in the present.

It was thus that she found herself in Ned's solar reviewing unsettling correspondence from the western coast that Ironborn were harrying the Stony Shore, and besieging Torrhen's Square and had even taken Moat Cailin and Deepwood Motte.

How do I respond? She thought as she struggled to think of what she could do. Sadly, she had few options. With most of their men fighting in the South, they simply did not have the warriors to repulse the Ironborn's invasion. She had sent ravens South asking for help but unless they had started marching some time ago, they were unlikely to arrive in time.

Maybe I should send Ser Rodrik with a host to relieve Torrhen's Square? Lady Stark mused as she glanced at the stout knight with his large white whiskers where he silently stood awaiting orders. But that would deplete Winterfell's garrison and put us at risk.

"My lady," Maester Luwin said in greeting as he entered the room without any fanfare carrying the freshly arrived raven's scrolls that she had sent him to collect.

"More bad news from the western coast?" Catelyn asked with resignation.

"Some, my lady." The mall grey man with grey eyes and thinning hair said. "But there is also one from the Queen."

Ser Rodrik's previously somewhat fraught features relaxed at that. For her part, Catelyn openly sighed in relief. If anyone could salvage the situation it was her brillant, magic wielding niece. Even if she was half a continent away.

"Let me see the Queen's raven." Catelyn said impatiently.

"Here you are, my lady." The Maester said passing her the relevant scroll which she hastily rolled open to read.

Dear Stepmother,

Stay in Winterfell. Do not sortie out for anything. I've protected the castle with my magic, it will hold against the Ironborn even with its depleted garrison. Don't worry about the other keeps and Houses. I've already written to Robb and he is sending a portion of the Northern army back up North, more than enough to take on the few thousand Ironborn. They will just need to hold out till the reinforcements arrive.

Do not worry about Sansa. I am working on her rescue.

Apologies for being brief. I hate raven's scrolls. They are too short!

Your stepdaughter,

Queen Alyssa Targaryen, First of her Name, Queen Regnant of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men and Lady of the Seven Kingdoms.

Catelyn couldn't help it, she laughed. Partly at Alyssa's parting statement and partly out of sheer relief that her wonderful niece did have things in hand.

Oh! How could I have ever thought that she was anything other than a gift from the gods. Catelyn scolded herself for the umpteenth time for her horrid treatment of the girl in her youngest years.

"My lady, what are the Queen's orders?" Ser Rodrik asked, pulling Catelyn out of her thoughts.

"We're to hold fast." Catelyn told him. "Reinforcements are already on the way. We need simply wait till they arrive. Maester Luwin."

"Yes, my lady?"

"Have ravens sent out to all the Northern Houses to inform them of the Queen's orders."

"At once, my lady." The Maester said with a bow.

"Good then Ser Rodrik please prepare the castle for a siege." Catelyn told the knight. "The Queen said she has enchanted it to strengthen its defenses but wisely did not mention how she did so in the raven, so assume that we do without and prepare accordingly."

"Yes, milady." The loyal knight said with a bow of his own.

"Then both of you are dismissed. Get to work!"

Offering one last bow, both men left the room to carry out her orders. Catelyn waited for both men to exit the room and close the door behind them before she turned to look out the window of Ned's solar at the view of Winterfell and the Wolfswood beyond that it offered.

For a moment the reminder that this room was her beloved Ned's and that he was gone almost brought her to tears but she quickly steeled herself. Until Robb took a wife, she was still the Lady of Winterfell and Lady Paramount of the North and the North was at war. She had no time for grief. Not yet.

Besides vengeance will feel infinitely more satisfying, she thought vindictively as she looked in the direction of King's Landing. And Alyssa will reap that harvest soon enough.

"He's done what!?" Renly roared suddenly at the table where Alyssa and he were breaking their fast alone save for their omnipresent Rainbow Guard shadows of whom Brienne of Tarth and Ser Parmen Crane were on duty today.

Looking up from her meal of some bread and a nice thin soup, Alyssa saw that a raven's scroll had seemingly triggered the reaction.

"Renly, what is it?" Alyssa asked her husband.

"It's Stannis. He's laid siege to Storm's End with five thousand men!"

Alyssa blinked. Didn't I already tell him Stannis would do that?

"Don't give me that look," Renly snapped irritably. "I believed you. It's why I had Ser Penrose prepare for a siege despite no sign of it."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Stannis actually did it, that's the problem." Renly said, furiously. "He's attacking our family's ancestral seat! Do you know how audacious that is?"

"I suppose it'll be as audacious as me leading an attack of King's Landing." Alyssa snarked.

Renly deflated at that. "Yes, I suppose it is."

What's with that reaction? Alyssa thought, thoroughly confused by Renly's reaction.

"So what will be our response?" She asked, discarding her confusion as irrelevant.

"Stannis has five thousand?" Renly scoffed. "Then I'll take twenty thousand cavalry and ride out to break the siege."

She distantly recalled that in her past life doing so had led to Renly's death, so it was without hesitation that she spoke up.

"I'm coming with you."

"You can't be serious," Renly balked. "You're pregnant!"

"It's barely been two moons." Alyssa told him with a roll of her eyes. "I am not even showing yet. Besides, do you want Ghost on your side when lifting the siege or not?"

"I think twenty thousand men are more than enough."

"Yes, but a dragon will make a statement. Exactly the kind that will have an impact on the Targaryen Loyalists that make up the bulk of Stannis' forces."

"That is true," Renly hesitantly agreed. "But if you come, then you must promise me to stay out of the fighting."

Sighing at her husband's illogical overprotectiveness Alyssa agreed. "Very well, I promise."

A week later, a now noticeably pregnant Alyssa and Margey were watching from Ghost's back high up in the sky as Renly and Stannis parlayed. Alyssa had not wanted Margeary to come but her mistress had insisted, arguing rather rightly that if Alyssa was going while pregnant than there was no reason why she couldn't accompany her.

"They're breaking up already?" Margey noted worriedly as the two groups of riders below indeed began to pull away from each other. "It's barely been ten minutes. This is a bad sign."

"It is," Alyssa agreed. "Let us fly back to camp. We can ask Renly what happened."

The flight to the nearby camp was brief and the two women even had the time to change out of their riding leathers and back into proper dresses before Renly and his men arrived.

"Stannis refused to yield." Renly said without prompting the moment he entered the royal tent that they shared. "We are set to do battle at dawn."

"He refused to negotiate?"

"Completely." Renly told Alyssa as she collapsed on to a camp chair. "He's being as obstinate as always."

"Even though he and his men could see Ghost with their own eyes?"

"Even then."

Alyssa exchanged a look with Margey who nodded in agreement.

"He's up to something." Alyssa said, giving voice to their shared conclusion.

"Yes," Renly chimed in with his own agreement. "But what?"

The answer presented itself that night in the shared tent that Alyssa and Renly maintained to keep up appearances but which was internally partitioned into their respective halves, Alyssa was between Margey's legs servicing her lover when she suddenly sensed a burst of foreign magic from Renly's half of the tent.

Reacting quickly, she pulled away from her mistress, much to Margey's confusion.

"Mage Armor!" She cast on Renly through the curtain that bisected their tent before running through herself.

As she did, she caught sight of a vaguely humanoid shadow wielding an equally insubstantial sword trying to stab at the Mage Armor clad Renly who was on top of Loras on their bed.

Ignoring the sight of her husband and his lover's nudity, Alyssa pointed a hand at the creature.

"Fire Bolt!" She shouted, sending a mote of fire flying at the thing which transformed into a stream of darkness and fled before her spell could make contact.

At this time, Ser Robar Royce and Brienne of Tarth who had been standing guard outside rushed inside.

"Your graces! What's going on!?" Ser Royce shouted in alarm.

An hour later and after everyone had gotten dressed and the small fire started by Alyssa's missed Fire Bolt had been put out, Alyssa, her husband, their lovers and the Rainbow Guard, even those not on duty that night, met to discuss what happened.

"The creature just appeared out of the shadows suddenly," Loras said, recounting his experience. "And immediately stabbed its blade down at his grace. If not for her grace's spell, the King would be dead."

"Thank you for that Alyssa." A shaken Renly told Alyssa with a grateful look.

"We are married." Alyssa reminded him in exasperation. "Saving your life is a given if I can manage it, husband."

A chastised Renly just nodded.

"Your grace, did you perchance recognize what that creature was?" Ser Royce asked.

"I've never seen it before." Alyssa admitted with a frown. "But-"

"You've read about it?" Margey said knowingly as Alyssa trailed off thoughtfully.

"Yes. It seems like something I've read that the shadowbinders of Asshai can create. A shadow assassin. It's exactly what its name implies. An assassin created from shadows. One that will stalk its target relentlessly until it completes its mission."

"How can we protect against it?" Loras asked, looking at Renly worriedly.

"I can cast a Glyph of Warding on Renly for if it returns, one loaded with a Frost Armor. If a simple Mage Armor protected him from it just now, than a Frost Armor should should be even more effective."

"That keeps him protected but how do we fight it?"

"I don't thi-"

"Enchant the swords of the Rainbow Guard." Margey said suddenly. "Use your glyph spell to enchant them so that they'll contain a spell that can drive it off."

"That might work." Alyssa nodded, blinking at Margey with surprise. "It'll likely destroy the sword unless its made of Valyrian steel but I can store a Flame Blade. Yes, as a shadow creature, flame is better than frost. So a Flame Blade to trigger whenever the sword is swung at a shadow assassin."

The various Rainbow Guards immediately begin to draw their swords but even as he did so, Loras asked a question. "Will killing this one be enough? Will the shadowbinder be able to make more?"

"I honestly don't know."

"Then-"

"Loras, that's enough." Renly said cutting his lover off. "We can only do our best. Alyssa cast your spells."

Alyssa nodded and as the Rainbow Guards, including Loras, drew their swords she began casting.

"They're withdrawing?" Alyssa asked, surprised that Stannis would give up so easily, even as she watched with her own eyes as the man's troops began to break up their camp in the distance.

"It appears so," Renly said, sporting a frown. "Should we attempt to stop them?"

Alyssa considered the matter for a moment before shaking her head.

"Let them go," she decided. "It'll take time for news of Ghost's existence to spread among his supporters and the more men we have doing the spreading, the better."

"You're still thinking about convincing the former Targaryen Loyalists to defect?"

"Yes and we can best do that by not having them or their men burn in Ghost's dragonfire."

Renly's frown deepened but he nodded. "We'll follow your lead on this front, but I must say that I have my misgivings about it."

She nods, knowing his complaints. He'd mentioned them at every turn despite her countering every point he raised with one of her own. Despite which he stubbornly held onto his doubts.

At least he's willing to follow the plan in spite of that. Alyssa thought as she turned her return to their tent and finish the morning meal that had been interrupted by the news of Stannis' retreat.

Done!

A long chapter and one lacking in the battles as advertised, huh? Apologies about that but I'm not Martin and can't come up with exciting battles at the drop of a hat, so I'm saving my muse for the truly important ones. As a result, till then I'll make do with stuff like this.

I think I'm done with this story. The negativity is getting too much for me. I'm uploading all the chapters at once and just moving on.

Well, that's all from me this chapter. Till next time zbogom!