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 10: Rebirth of a nation

Beta:

As they prepared to travel back to King's Landing the next morning, Alyssa went through her plans in her head whilst her servants gathered her things in the Eyrie's central garden.

I'll make a quick stop in the capitol before heading south.

The latest news was that their information about the time of the Golden Company's arrival had been wholly inaccurate and they'd already made landfall by the time even Varys' rushed message had reached her at Ten Towers. Fortunately, despite their surprise attack they had been repulsed when they'd tried to take Storm's End. All was not well however and they had managed to take the castles of Griffin's Roost, Rain House, Crow's Nest, and Greenstone. And this was only part of the forces. If prisoners at Storm's End was to be believed, the Company's fleet had been separated by a storm with only a portion making it to the Stormlands and the rest reportedly making landfall in the Stepstones.

I can't let the rest of the Company join up. I must crush these footholds they've already taken!

"Alys," Gwyn said, pulling Alyssa from her thoughts.

"What is it?" Alyssa asked the Ironborn lady who much to the Queen's disappointment had not shared her bed last night, though Loras had reported she had made it as far as Alyssa's door before losing heart.

I suppose I'll just have to wait until she can find the courage.

Not privy to her once again wandering thoughts, Gwyn nodded towards a tall, strapping young woman, with coal-black hair cut short and deep blue eyes who was being escorted over by Baelish.

"Your grace, I present to you Mya Stone." The Mockingbird said with a showman's smile. "My apologies for doing so only now. It took some time tracking her down."

Alyssa just nodded, already feeling her magic responding to the Valewoman's presence. And from the way the previously resigned looking woman froze in shock, she felt it too. Gwyn's amused giggling to their side, did not help matters.

"Greet the Queen, Mya." Baelish demanded, looking oddly between Stone and Alyssa.

"Your grace," the older woman said with a stiff curtsy.

"Oh, let's not drag this out." Gwyn said suddenly and grabbing hold of one of Alyssa's hands placed it on the Stone's shoulder.

As seemed to be the case since Elia, the effect was immediate. Sparks of magic invisible to everyone but Alyssa and those it affected coursed between the two women and the next thing the Queen knew it the bigger woman was glaring at her with concern.

"Why in the Nine Hells are you flying around when you're so heavy with child!?" Mya scolded.

"I asked Alys the same thing." Gwyn added. "But she just said she could handle it."

"I can," Alyssa said with a pout. "My magic is supporting me. I am fine. As good as I ever was."

"You have been slowing down lately actually." Loras, the traitor, corrected. "It's slight but you've been moving slower and getting tired more easily."

"Yes," Ser Wendel added. "Ever since you entered your eighth moon."

"I know your ladies back in the capitol are most concerned over this as well, your grace." Brienne chose to throw in as well.

Even Ghost nodded his head in agreement, much to a watching Baelish's amusement. She was so glad he was set to die soon. She shuddered to think of what he could do by holding this public scolding over her head in the future if he survived.

"You're all worrying too much." Alyssa insisted. "And you!"

"Me?" Mya asked, blinking in confusion as Alyssa pointed at her.

"Yes, you. If you have time to be concerned about me then what about yourself? Aren't you the least bit worried about what is being asked of you? Being my concubine? Magic be damned, aren't you attracted to men? I have it on good authority that you and a certain squire named Mychel Redfort were courting?"

"How did you know that!?" Mya asked, her mouth falling open in shock.

"Lord Varys' little birds." Alyssa said as if it was obvious.

They didn't need to know that she had used Message last night while waiting to see if Gwyn would join her to check in with Lord Varys and learn about her latest potential concubine. That doing so also allowed her to learn of the latest news of the Golden Company's invasion from the ravens that had arrived in King's Landing late that night was a bonus.

"They seem to be everywhere," Baelish said with a frown.

"They wouldn't serve their purpose if they weren't." Alyssa pointed out to him distractedly. "Now Mya, answer my question! Why aren't you more concerned with being my concubine?"

"So long as it's for the Vale I can accept it." Mya told her with a shrug. "It's not like I've never been attracted to another woman before, I've always preferred men yes but being with a woman was never something I ruled out. And that thing between us, those sparks-"

"Alys' magic." Gwyn supplied helpfully, a thoroughly amused smile on her face.

"Yes, that." Mya nodded at the Ironborn woman gratefully. "Thanks to that, I'm sure I can."

"You're sure?" Alyssa asked uncertainly, the anger at being put on the spot having faded and replaced with deep seated concern.

"Yes," Mya told her firmly.

"Why don't we discuss this further after we get back to King's Landing, your grace?" Loras asked. "The servants are done moving our things for the trip."

"Very well. Then Gate." Alyssa cast, opening a portal to the square just in front of Maegor's Holdfast and the servants began streaming through the portal.

"You're leaving now?" Baelish asked, alarmed.

"Yes, why?" Alyssa asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Just wait a moment, your grace. Let me summon Lord Arryn and his mother so they may see you off as good hosts should."

Alyssa sighed and nodded.

A little over half an hour and one hastily put together parting ceremony later, Alyssa and her immediate party flew through a freshly cast Gate into the square just in front of Maegor's Holdfast that was barely able to fit Ghost, much less the reception of advisors and family that await her.

It's good to be back. Alyssa thought as she saw the smiling, welcoming faces of her concubines and Arya as she used Levitate to float down from her dragon's back.

As if responding to the thoughts, a shell of magic surrounding her stomach that Alyssa hadn't even noticed was there faded away.

What was th-

She never finished the thought as the moment her feet touched the ground, a painful burst like the pain she sometimes felt when she had her moon's blood but much more intense hit her. She would have fallen if not for Mya and Gwyn hurriedly grabbing her. At the same time, she felt a sudden gush of water that she could not control rush out of her and stain her skirts.

"Wha- What's happening?" Alyssa cried out in alarm before she hissed in pain as another surge of pain coursed through her.

"You're about to give birth that's what," Mya said sounding harried. "Someone get a Maester! And a Septa! Hurry!"

"But Alys isn't due for another moon!" Gwyn gasped.

"Then it probably has something to do with flying all around the Seven Kingdoms while heavy with child!" Mya snapped.

"Your grace," the comfortingly familiar voice of Maester Luwin, fresh from Winterfell to serve as the Red Keep's temporary Maester, said as he rushed to Alyssa's side. "May I examine you?"

"H-Here?" Alyssa gasped out in between the bursts of pain.

"I need to see how far along you are, your grace." The elderly Maester said calmly. "If it is still early we can move you inside but if not then I'm afraid we have no choice but to deliver the Prince or Princess here."

"D-Do it!" Alyssa ordered, biting her lip to avoid crying out at the agony.

"Shield the Queen," Alyssa distantly heard Margey bark even as a contingent of men formed around her, their backs to her and shielding her form from prying eyes whilst Ghost used his voluminous wings to try and do the same.

She barely noticed this though, too preoccupied as she was by the pain and how Maester Luwin was ordering Gwyn and Mya to lower her to the ground whilst simultaneously flipping up her skirts. She was mortally embarrassed, but considering the situation there was nothing to do about it.

"Good, it's still early." The aged man who was almost like a grandfather to her declared with a sigh of relief after a moment of studying her nethers and flipped her skirts back down. "We can move her. Someone carry the Queen to her rooms. Quickly."

Before Alyssa could so much as say a word, Ser Wendel had picked her up and was sprinting into the massive square fortress of the Holdfast, everyone else trailing after them as they made their way to the Queen's Bedchamber.

Almost ten hours of painful labour later, Alyssa brought a healthy boy into the world. The new Prince which she had named Eddard after her Uncle-Father was a beautiful baby with a tuft of jet black hair and shining blue-green eyes. Like all those of their blood, young Ned Targaryen would undeniably grow to look every bit the Baratheon like his father. He should probably have been put in the nursery but at Maester Luwin's advice to encourage bonding between them, he was instead sleeping in his crib by Alyssa's desk as she worked

"He's sleeping?" Arya asked in a quiet whisper as she poked her head into Alyssa's bedchamber.

"Yes," the Queen told her sister. "So be quiet. We don't want to wake him."

It would oh so troublesome to put him back to sleep if he does. Alyssa thought unhappily, barely keeping herself from glaring at her child.

Arya nodded and carefully closed the door behind her as she slipped into the room.

"Why are you here Arya?" Alyssa asked as she gestured to her sister to take a seat in the chair in front of her desk.

"I've been sent by Margaery, Jeyne and the others to try my luck at convincing you to stop working and go rest." Arya said with a roll of her eyes. "Like if they couldn't manage it, I could."

"You are my favourite sister." Alyssa told her teasingly.

"Don't tell Sansa that." Arya shot back with a grin. "But seriously if your wives can't get you to stop, you won't listen to me."

"They aren't my wives."

Arya just rolled her eyes. "Not by law but you lot are fooling no one, sister."

Alyssa sighed, refusing to be drawn into this argument again. Arya was adamant that Alyssa should just stop with all the pretense and give her concubines the title they deserve whilst Alyssa and said concubines were equally adamantly unwilling to make such a controversial move. They'd been arguing about it on and off since Renly died and neither side had budged from their positions at all, something that was unlikely to change for the foreseeable future.

Perhaps sensing this, Arya changed the topic.

"So what are you so busy working on instead of resting?"

"Primers for others on how to cast magic like I can. It is my hope that I can train some mages to assist in the coming war against the Others."

She knew she was late in doing so and as a result she was unlikely to have any mages ready in time but this was the first time she could find to do so. And late or not, she had to try.

"You sure they aren't just a story? You know like snarks?"

"I'm sure." Alyssa told her sister seriously.

"If you say so," Arya said skeptically. "By the way, where's Ghost?"

"I sent him to assist Lord Mace in dealing with the Golden Company."

"On his own!?"

"You sound like Lady Olenna and Lord Varys." Alyssa told her with a roll of her eyes. "They reacted the same way when I told them."

"No offense, sister, but can Ghost control himself without you?"

"I trust my dragon."

"Oh! Speaking of Lord Tyrell." Arya said loudly, causing baby Ned to stir and Alyssa to glare at her. Thankfully, her son merely rolled over and simply continued sleeping.

"You're lucky he's such a heavy sleeper."

Arya chuckled nervously.

"So what about Lord Mace?" Alyssa asked with a sigh at her sister's antics.

"There was a raven from him. Maester Luwin was on his way over to pass it to you but I ran into him on the way and so I asked him to pass it to me. Oh, and he reminds you to rest more too."

"Everyone tells me to rest more." Alyssa said with a frustrated growl even as she shot her and Ned's Queensguard shadow for the day a glare. "And Ser Royce, Lady Brienne, that is not an invitation for you two to add your opinions to the matter. I've heard you already."

Both Queensguard frowned but nevertheless kept silent as requested.

"They wouldn't be on your case if you stopped pushing yourself," Arya told her with a disapproving look even as she fished out the raven's scroll and handed it over. "Everyone is just worried about your health."

"I'm fine." Alyssa insisted. "I used Regeneration and Healing Touch on myself once Ned was born and I could. Thanks to them I'm as fit as I ever was. There is really no reason to worry."

"You're as stubborn as an ox, you know that sister?"

"So everyone tells me." Alyssa said with a huff. "Go watch Ned. I need to read this."

"Alright." Arya said with a pout even as she obligingly went over to Ned's crib and stared down at her nephew with a happy little grin.

The letter was an overly verbose and flowery letter from Lord Tyrell that began by thanking her for sending Ghost down to the Stormlands to help his forces in the annihilation of the Golden Company which contained much praise for her dragon's prowess and contributions to the campaign.

Considering by his own account Ghost had only participated in a single engagement, he was exaggerating things grossly out of proportion. Then again she didn't expect anything less from the man. Despite Margey's place by her side, her father was constantly trying to further ingratiate himself with Alyssa.

She's already my formal First Consort and his mother is my Hand, what else could he want?

Shaking her head at the Lord Paramount of the Reach's odd behavior, Alyssa continued reading and found that it continued with an apology for not being able to account for her dragon's current location beyond that he was last seen flying north.

Ghost where are you? Alyssa sent to her dragon curiously.

He returned with an image of the image of King's Landing in the distance as it sat beside the Blackwater.

Oh good! You're almost back. Thank you for helping with the Golden Company.

He returns a sense of exasperation and a desire to help her wherever possible. That and a sense of satisfaction from having gorged on some of their elephants.

I know, but thanks regardless my friend. Alyssa sends him in reply, ignoring the churning in her stomach at the shared taste of elephant meat he'd inadvertently sent her with the ease of practice. This was not the first time Ghost had shared an echo with his meals with her over the years. Head to the Dragonpit. I just received word a couple days ago that most of the rubble has been cleared away. It won't do for you or any dragon to nest there permanently, we don't want to stunt your growth like it did for the dragons of old but it should make a fine temporary nest for the time being.

He roared his appreciation both into her mind and if the faint bellows in the distance was any indication to the rest of the world as well.

Chuckling at her friend's antics, she continued reading Lord Mace's letter.

He reported that he was returning to King's Landing post haste with the heads of the Company's Captain-general Harry Strickland, Jon Connington and the impostor claiming to be her brother Aegon.

"Good. They'll be nice additions to the heads on the Red Keep's ramparts," Alyssa said with a satisfied smirk.

"So Lord Tyrell won?" Arya looked up from watching a sleeping Ned in fascination to ask.

"Yes." Alyssa told her with a grin. "The Seven Kingdoms are secure now."

"Good to hear."

Their conversation was interrupted when there was a soft knock on the solar's door and Brienne cracked it open to check who it was.

"Your grace, it's Maester Luwin." The lady warrior announced. "A raven just arrived from the Wall."

"Hand it over," Alyssa said eagerly and her Queensguard complied by letting the old Maester inside who promptly passed a new raven's scroll to her.

"They did it," Alyssa gasped in pleasant surprise. "They actually did it!"

"Did what, sister?"

"Captured a pair of wights, Arya. The madmen captured a pair of wights."

Done!

A nice short one to finish off this 'book'. As you guys might have guessed the next book will be the finale as the Westeros that Alyssa has united prepares to face the threat of the Others. How will that play out? Well, hopeful better than the disappointment of Game of Thrones Season 8 at least. To see if I manage that, please do keep reading.

Oh, and in regards to my descriptions of Alyssa going into labour. I'm just a guy with only as much understanding of a woman giving birth as I can glean from research on the internet. So if I got anything off, just know I tried. That said, I do have an in-story explanation for it and that's Alyssa's magically enhanced physiology throwing everything off.

Till the next installment nakhvamdis!