Game of Thrones

Blood Betrayal

The Green King: Chapter VII

"I can see things that happened in the past. I can see things happening now, all over the world."

Winterfell. An ancient and sprawling castle that has served as the North's capital since the King's of Winter unified the Kingdom in the years after the long night. Famed for its labyrinth of crypts beneath the colossal castle, the final resting place of Winter's Kings, the crypts are not the only things beneath Winterfell. Beneath the earth sits the castles' dungeons, cells for those who had broken the Stark in Winterfell's laws, or who were awaiting his judgement… he who passes the sentence swings the sword after all. Silent for a long time, today there is life in the dungeon, several Dreadfort men forced into cramped cages at spear point, a witch locked in a cell with no windows, a huge burned man, dragged by a giant and chained to a wall. All prisoners of war, all awaiting the judgement of the Stark in Winterfell, but they all know too well, there are two Starks in Winterfell.

…

Snow falls gently in Winterfell's Godswood. A soft pattering filled the air and left a shining white carpet on the ground. She is guided across this virgin carpet, a vision in black with burning red hair, a beacon in the bleak garden. She is accompanied by a man clad in gold, a white cloak about his shoulders, piercing blue eyes and grey plaid skin. Rising out of the snow covered ground, a cloth of gold canopy, beneath it, a table for two laid out with food and drink. The broken King sat upon his wheeled chair staring off into the distance, a woman in gold stood at his side.

"Hello Sister." Bran greeted her distantly as she stepped under the canopy, snowflakes melting in her hair "I trust Ser Harry made your journey comfortable?"

Sansa stayed silent for a moment, and stared a hole into The Three Eyed Raven, who had not yet turned to look at her, she turned her head slightly to look at the man who had escorted her "I heard you send your dog after Jon, and yet I had the misfortune of his company on my way here, why?"

"A change of plan sister, when Jon reaches The Wall he will find his creature dead, he will most likely be dead soon after. I will march on The Wall and fight the dead myself, the war will be brutal, it will last a lifetime, I doubt many in the world will survive it. But the world that will come after, it will be beautiful sister… I have seen it."

Sansa turned her attention to the woman with the King "You believe this madness Ser Brienne?"

"I…"

"Ser Brienne is a sworn Kingsguard." Bran interrupted "Her loyalty comes without question." The broken king shifted his weight in his chair and looked at his Lord Commander "You will bear the Kings Banner when my forces attack the Wall, go to my uncle and Howland Reed, I want to be ready to march as soon as possible. Ser Harry will watch over me."

"Your Grace." She bowed reluctantly, before glancing at Sansa

"A sworn Kingsguard." Sansa repeated "You swore an oath to me first, remind me what that sword is called?" Brienne swallowed hard and continued walking.

"Always the game player sweet sister." Bran half smiled as he turned to look at her for the first time "Little Finger would be proud. Please sit, eat."

"I'm not hungry." Sansa snapped back

"Yes you are." Bran grinned a little "And lemon cakes are your favourite. Please sit, starving yourself will not help."

Sansa sat down with a sigh and picked up a slice of cake with her hand, taking a large bite ignoring all of the graces she had once clung to, she fixed her gaze on her brother "Where are my men?" She demanded

"Calling Dreadfort men, your men… Winter is truly here. Your men are in the dungeon until we have resolved this matter, as is your witch, and your Sentinel. They are unharmed."

"And Jon's men?" She asked with a raised eyebrow

"I couldn't fit a hundred men and two giants into the dungeons, but they are also unharmed, I'll need every sword I can get for The Long Night to come."

"You think you can triumph brother, I fooled you on the field."

"Yes you did." Bran nodded with a grin "Your witch knows powerful magic, I'll give you that, the glamour though… a simple parlour trick. I shouldn't have fell for that. This vessel that is Brandon Stark is still learning to process the sight. I see everything you know…. Past, present and future. The past is easy, it has happened, the ink is dry. The present is easy as well, it is all happening, all I need to do is keep an eye on it, but the present is just a moment. The future is always at its heels, and it is there that I struggle sister. You see the ink is not dry on the future, I see every possible future, for every single person. It can take time to process all of that, some futures are obvious, some more subtle, and magic can be used to obscure some of those more subtle futures. Your witch knows this. You played your hand well sister, giving Jon time to get to the Wall first did indeed put my plan at risk. But his creature will die, all the futures now show this. Your plan was for naught. I'm sorry about your lieutenant, he must have known fighting Ser Gregor would be his death sentence, shame it was for nothing."

"You said it yourself brother." Sansa shrugged as she took a sip of wine "The ink is not dry yet."

"Do you know what lays beyond the Wall sister?" Sansa looked ahead with a steely gaze "No." He smiled "Of course you don't. I am not the first Three Eyed Raven, this is not the first Long Night, or even the second, the Wheel keeps turning. But now the wheel has caught up with itself, White Walkers and The Lion of Night's Demons, all together, the remnants of two Long Nights looking to bring forth the third, and the original Blood Betrayal at its heart. There is no Azor Ahai now, no Last Hero, no girl with a monkey's tail or a Night's King to stop it. Jon has already proved that the Prince has not lived up to his promise. The dragon queen was right about one thing, the wheel must be broken, but not the wheel she was thinking of. This has to stop, this cycle of life and death, and I will stop it."

"At what cost brother?"

"There is no cost I will not pay. The entire world and everyone in it, if necessary." Bran looked off into the distance ominously before coming round and looking at Sansa again "But enough of that, I will be leaving here soon, you will take your throne again and help me with this, we are family after all."

"You wish to give me your mark." Sansa looked down at her forearm "Like you did with Cousin Robin and Uncle Edmure."

"It will not hurt." He assured her, as his eyes flicked from Brandon Starks, to milky white to blue"It will help you see. It's good to have you back in Winterfell sister, you don't belong at the Dreadfort."

"Indeed brother..." Sansa held out her arm and smiled, she motioned to her sleeve.

Bran hesitated and slowly reached out, he took her sleeve and pulled it up her arm to reveal a series of runes inked in blood on her pale white flesh "No…" Bran muttered as he cast his eyes over the ancient spells "..Ser Harry!"

Sansa locked eyes with the Three Eyes Raven "... I am exactly where I'm supposed to be."