Hello everyone! I hope you're all staying safe out there given what is going on. My university classes have been suspended for the moment and since I work in a school that too has been canceled till further notice.
That meant that I had more time to write. I was very eager to write this chapter after finishing the last. Unfortunately my internet is down until the company can come fix it.
So I apologize for errors since this was mostly written on my phone. I hope you all like it, and please stay safe!
The seas were kind.
But the Manderlys were even more so.
The Lord of White Harbor had spared no expense and had provided the grandest and fastest ship in his fleet. The lord's cabin had been given to him, no matter how much he argued with Merman.
"Nothing but the best for our King."
It had been a while since he sailed. The last time being his trip back to Westeros. At the time he had found no calm in the waves, desperate to come save his brothers and hating his abandonment of his wife. But now he found something relaxing in the rocking of the ship and the noise of the waves crashing upon the vessel.
But all calm must come to an end.
The captain had informed them that they were two days mayhaps three from arriving at Dragonstone and still he had not told the Lords and Lady Lyanna who they were really encountering. He had dragged his feet enough on the subject and it was time to reveal the truth to his companions.
A knock on his cabin door is heard and is proceeded by his Hand entering the room.
"You sent for me, Your Grace?" the former smuggler asks, standing before his desk.
"Aye. I think its time to reveal the whole truth to our companions," he tells Ser Davos.
"Are you sure?" his Hand questions.
"We'll be arriving soon, Davos. And I'm tired of hiding it," he explains. "I love her, she is my wife and my Queen and every day that passes in which I don't reveal the truth and give her her place I feel that I am betraying her. Betraying my vows, betraying our family! I just want it all to stop, to be able to arrive at Dragonstone and not have to fake anything."
Davos nods in understanding.
"I'll summon them here then," his Hand answers, before taking a slight bow and leaving the room.
He closes his eyes and leans his head back. Taking deep settling breaths both eager and dreading to get this done.
Knocks from the door alert him of the passage of time and upon opening his eyes he sees the three Lords and Lady that he chose for this voyage entering his quarters.
They all bow respectfully and he gestures toward the chairs which they all quickly fill.
"Thank you all for coming my Lords," he says leaning forward, placing his arms on the desk before him. "As you know we'll soon be arriving at Dragonstone and before we do there are a few things that I need to reveal to you."
He can see the suspicion form in their eyes, a distrust and in the case of Lord Glover and Lord Royce, the opportunity to turn. But he decides to push forward.
"When I disappeared, where did Lord Stark say I went?" he asks, suspecting where his uncle had said but needing it confirmed.
"He stated you had gone to the Wall, Your Grace," Lord Manderly answers. "At least that's where your cousin Robb believed you to be."
He nods, confirming what he thought.
"That was a lie my Lords. When the truth was brought forward, my uncle planned for me to go, to make sure I would not challenge Robert Baratheon's claim," he sees a flash of anger at this, on his behalf. "I say this not to cast my uncle in a negative light, but to explain where exactly I was before saving my brothers from the Ironborn and heading beyond the wall with Bran."
All of them nod in understanding and with their gazes urge him to continue. He takes a deep breath.
"Instead of heading North, I went East. I took a ship from White Harbor and went to Essos," he says. "I wanted to make a name for myself, to figure out who I was," he explains not wanting to reveal how much Dany had been his reason for going to the older continent. "While there I met Daenerys Targaryen."
Everyone seems to sit up straight as this detail is revealed.
"At the time, she was being used as a bargaining chip by her brother to get himself an army. She was to be sold off to a Dothraki horse lord just as my sister was sold off to Ramsay Bolton," he tries to hide his anger and disgust of this but obviously fails.
Surprisingly those before him, especially Lyanna Mormont show their disgust at this.
"Her own brother?" Lord Royce, in revulsion.
"Aye," he grunts, trying to get his anger under control at the memory. His hands clench whenever his uncle was mentioned and now was not an exception. "The Queen's life was not easy my Lords, especially when living with her brother. But that's her own story to tell, not mine."
They all nod in agreement.
"She… she was… she is my family. I may not have grown up knowing her as I did the Starks or known about her for that long but I couldn't allow her to be…so I helped her escape," he explains.
"You did the right thing, my King," Lady Lyanna says as they all look to her. "No woman should be forced to endure those horrors and you managed to spare a family member from it."
"Thank you, my Lady," he responds.
"So you've met the Queen, then?" Lord Glover asks.
"I have," he answers.
"How well did you know her? Is she like her…" Lord Royce begins to ask but he immediately shakes his head.
"No. She is nothing like my grandfather. I wouldn't have sent my brother to her otherwise," he answers.
There's a part of him that enjoys the shock in their faces. But he keeps that part hidden.
"Y…you sent Lord Stark to the Dragon Queen? Instead of to a Northern House?!" Lord Glover demands his anger and voice rising.
He stands abruptly, his chair screeching against the floorboards and nearly falling to the ground. His hands slam onto the desk, as his fury begins to burn within his veins.
"Her name is Queen Daenerys, Lord Glover, best get used to it. And forgive me my Lords and Lady but the Karstarks, Umbers and your own refusal to help me during the Battle of the Bastards showed why I could not trust any house but my own to care for my youngest sibling," he growls.
"But your family has turned on each other before. What makes you so sure she won't do that? Why trust her with the heir of Winterfell?" Glover continues standing up to stare him down.
"Because she is my family. I spent nearly two years at her side during which I gained her trust and she gained mine."
"She may be your family but everyone in Westeros knows her as a foreign whore…"
He can't hold back, he lunges across his desk, and grabs hold of the lord. He may be taller than him but he would not be intimidated nor allow this language to be used.
"You are talking about the Queen. Not just a Queen but the Queen, Lord Glover. Queen not only through her own right but through blood and marriage. And if I hear you or anyone else refer to my wife in any derogatory form I will personally rip your tongues out," he growls before shoving the man into the vacated chair.
The other three people in the cabin are stunned in silence as he tries to collect himself.
"She's your…" Lord Manderly starts.
"My wife," he answers, his breath beginning to settle And he feels a giant weight lifting from his shoulders as he finally voices those words. "That is why I refused any advances made towards me. Not out of disrespect for the daughters of the North but out of respect for my wife."
There's understanding in both Lord Royce's and Lord Manderly's eyes, the later who had sent his granddaughters his way more than once. Lady Lyanna rolls her eyes at the mention of those advances, having hated to see women doing those sorts of things. Lord Glover glares at him as he straightens himself out.
"I apologize my Lord for losing my temper as I did but I simply cannot stand by as men call my wife by that name. I'm sure you would have acted the same had it been your wife in question," he says and surprisingly Lord Glover's demeanor seems to calm and come to understanding.
"You're right, your Grace. I apologize, had I known it was your lady wife I would not have spoken as such," the Lord says.
He shouldn't have spoken like that regardless.
He swallows that thought and decides to go on.
"Why did the Queen not join you to Westeros?" Lyanna asks.
"And why did you not reveal this to us at Winterfell before all the Lords?" Lord Royce adds.
He sighs dreading the answers to these questions.
"My wife grew up in the streets, chased by assassins her entire life, begging for food and shelter. When we were together, we saw how much people were suffering, how slaves were treated by their masters. She had the power to do something about it so she did. I would have been at her side but I began to have dreams. Be it from the magic from the first men or from the Valaryians, but I saw the Ironborn attacking Winterfell. We decided that I would come here to help my brothers and she would begin freeing those in Essos," he sighs. " I wasn't supposed to take so long. The plan was for me to rescue Bran and Rickon and return to her with them. But instead I accompanied Bran beyond the wall and sent Rickon to her."
He takes a moment to let that information sink in, sitting back down in his seat and running his hand through his hair as the next thought runs through his mind.
"She… she was pregnant when I left her," he admits, his voice shaking. "I… I don't even know if I have a son or daughter, if the child lives or not. But I couldn't risk their safety by revealing them at Winterfell without knowing if there were spies from Cersei, or loyalist of the Boltons."
I wasn't sure who I could trust and still don't.
"I'm trusting you four with this," he says looking at all four of them. "I want you all to meet her, not only as my wife but as the Queen she has become and deserves to be. That's why I brought you, that's why I'm revealing this to you."
There's silence as they all process everything.
"I know you all need time to process. We have a few days before we arrive, if you have any concerns, any questions you may come address me," he adds.
After a few more moments they all start asking questions and he does his best to answer them.
Eventually they all retire and agree to dine with him to answer anything else they might have. Once they do leave Ser Davos enters his quarters with a small grin.
"How did it go?" his Hand asks.
"I only threatened to cut out Lord Glover's tongue once," he responds with a sigh.
There's a small moment of silence before a smile forms on both his face and Davos'.
"So it went well," the former smuggler chuckle, taking a seat in front of him.
"Aye. I revealed what I had to and gave them free reign to ask me what they wish," he answers pouring himself and Davos a cup of ale.
"Good. Good," Davos says, taking the offered cup. "Are you ready to face her lad? Meet your little one?"
"I am," he answers with a smile.
Two more days pass and soon they're disembarking and rowing towards the imposing castle that is Dragonstone.
A group is awaiting them upon the shore and before they fully reach it Ghost jumps out of the rowboat and tackles a figure to the ground. He hears the person's laughter even over the waves as they approach and climb out of the boat. Ghost releases the lad from the ground and runs towards a familiar direwolf and playfully begins "fighting" with him.
He chuckles at the sight of the two brothers acting more like pups than nearly horse sized beasts they are before walking towards his own sibling and embracing him.
"I'm so happy to see you're alright," he sighs in relief, holding Rickon a little tighter.
"I'm happy to see you too, your Grace," Rickon teases.
He pulls away and glares at his little brother.
"None of that. You're my brother, you're not allowed to call me that," he teases back.
"You sound so much like Dany. She hates it when I address her like that," Rickon laughs and he feels his heart clench at her name. His brother seems to pick up on this. "She's missed you a lot Jon."
"I did too," he whispers before turning to the rest of the welcome party.
He recognizes his wife's handmaid Missandei, but if her presence here at the beach shows anything it's that the woman from Naarth is so much more now.
"We welcome you all to Dragonstone. Queen Daenerys has been anxiously awaiting your arrival my Lords," nodding towards Glover, Royce , and Manderly, " my Lady," towards Lyanna and finally she turns towards him with a smile on her face, "and my King," she adds with a bow.
"Its good to see you again Missandei. Thank you for serving my Queen and watching over my brother," he says.
"It was my honor your Grace. First to serve the breaker of chains then to watch over Lord Stark when he arrived to us as we began our trip to Meereen," Missandei says with pride.
He turns to face his companions.
"My Lords and Lady, this is my brother Rickon Stark, safe as promised," he announces.
There's a flash of shame in Lord Glover's eyes which he is quick to cover up.
"Lord Stark, it will be an honor to serve the son of Eddard Stark," Lord Manderly speaks and the others nod in agreement.
A flash of something akin to anger and disdain grazes Rickon's features but he quickly places an almost regal mask upon his face.
You have taught him well, Dany.
He then turns towards Missandei.
"And this is Missandei of Naarth…"
"Closest advisor to Queen Daenerys," the translator quickly fills in. "She and King Jaehaerys freed me and the Unsullied at Astapor. Since then, as liberated men, we pledged ourselves to them both."
The awe on the Lords' faces is priceless and he is about to ask to move on when a loud roar is heard above them. The Northerners quickly fall to the ground as one of the dragons flies above their heads before quickly landing next to them.
Everyone including the Queen's advisors back away from the beast but he doesn't. Instead a bright smile forms on his face and he steps closer with his hand extended out to touch him.
"Your Grace!" Davos exclaims, trying to stop him.
"Don't worry Ser Davos, he won't hurt me," he calls back, not turning his gaze from the dragon. As his hand touches the warm snout he begins to speak softly. "Look how much you've grown my son."
The dragon in response makes a sound of pleasure and happiness.
"Have you and your brothers taken good care of your mother?"
He hears all three dragons roar in agreement. Rhaegal's attention turns to the castle and he follows his gaze. He manages to see the silver locks of his queen from the castle and he feels the familiar tug in his heart.
I'm coming, my love.
Not breaking his gaze from her figure he steps away from the dragon, silently promising him to spend more time with him later before he flies away.
"I think it's time to proceed," he says, ignoring the flabbergasted looks of his men. Missandei seems to be trying to hide her smirk as she takes charge of the situation.
"Very well, if you would please leave your weapons with the Dothraki, I'll be glad to lead you to the queen," she announces.
He quickly removes Longclaw and hands it to the closest Dothraki warrior. His men follow suit and they all proceed to the castle.
"So petting dragons now are we?" Lord Manderly says as they walk.
"Well given who I am it shouldn't surprise you," he points out with a chuckle. "I apologize for frightening you all, but I helped raise those dragons since they were born. I knew they wouldn't hurt me."
"Well before we meet the Queen, you should keep your reckless behavior to a minimum, your Grace," Lady Lyanna says and he nods.
"I will my Lady," he vows as they arrive at the doors of the throne room.
As they open they reveal the majestic dragonglass throne in which each prince of Dragonstone has sat upon.
And there even more beautiful and majestic than in memory is his Queen, his Dany.
