Warning: Mentions of rape and domestic abuse in the first half of this chapter.

MARGAERY

She rose from her knees and she could feel the pain shooting through her legs, from having stayed in the same position for so long without moving, at the altar of the Mother.

Marge brushed the dust from the skirt of her black dress with a frown, not liking wearing so much black for the last few weeks.

She had come to yearn for the colorful clothing that she had grown used to wearing, as her family was not supplying dresses for her anymore, the colors of house Targaryen were the only option for her as it seemed to be the only thing her handmaids were able or willing to give to her.

She hated having to be forced to wear the colors of her husband after how he had treated her, Aegon was content to ignore her if he was not claiming his rights to her as her husband, which was something he had started to do in the last few days after having left her in peace after their wedding night. Every time he did, she felt so dirty and soiled that not even the daily baths she took could wash it away.

Just thinking about his grabbing hands made her feel like she was back in her bed and he was inches away from crawling atop of her.

Marge turned when she could hear the doors of the sept open and she watched her father hurried into the sept after closing the door with a loud thud. "There you are sweetling."

Lord Mace Tyrell was looking as pale as winter snow as he rushed to her, hands shaking as he grabbed her shoulders. "Father, are you well?"

"I have been in a council meeting with the King where I heard the most disturbing news."

Marge felt her brows rise on her forehead, the curiosity rose within her. "What is it? What did you hear?"

Her father looked around like he was making sure that no one could overhear them. "One of the messengers returned, he told us that Aegon´s brother has taken Winterfell back from the bastard of Bolton and that the boy had called two dragons from Essos to him."

Margaery could only stare at the Lord of Highgarden in bewilderment. "That is impossible, right? Not one of the Targaryen´s of Old could call dragons to them."

It had to be just a wild rumor that had grown out of control, it just had to be. The fact that the dragon Dreamfyre had not come to Rhaena Targaryen had been a huge issue for her and her husband, when Maegor the Cruel had usurped the throne from his nephew, Aegon the Uncrowned.

The children of Aenys Targaryen had to sneak into the city to get Dreamfyre and their father´s dragon, Quicksilver, in order to have even a slight chance against Maegor and Balerion the Black Dread.

So, why would two dragons even fly to a man, who was across the Narrow Sea? A man that they had never even met?

They would not.

Though the thrill of Jon Targaryen getting large dragons, shot through her like lightning, she had come to dearly hope that Aegon would fall in battle soon and then she would once again be free to marry. Possibly even a man with dragons.

"The messenger swears that he is telling the truth." Her father gripped her shoulders tighter, as if to stop himself from shaking.

Margaery forced a smile on her face. "These are probably just rumors that the smallfolk are telling to entertain themselves."

Mace Tyrell stared at her for a moment. "Yes, yes you are right, they have to be just rumors. The Hand even said so himself, you must be right."

Marge felt her smile curdle when her father spoke of the Hand. She did not like the man who was acting as her husband´s Lord Hand, although her dislike for Jon Connington was nothing compared to how much she had come to loathe Aegon.

No matter her personal feelings, now was not the time to act. Marge had to wait until she could assess Jon Targaryen herself, having learned her lesson and not willing to make the same mistake twice.

She knew that Lord Eddard Stark would not have raised his perceived bastard like some spoiled princeling but one had to be careful. The more she thought about it, the more she grew sure that he could not possibly be worse than Aegon.

Marge smiled at her father but the curiosity burned in her. "Did you learn anything else in that meeting?"

Mace let out a laugh and he let her shoulders go, to place his hands on his large belly. "Oh, just some more nonsense, like how the smallfolk claim that Jon Targaryen rose from the dead."

Marge rolled her eyes at those words, she did not need any more rumors, she needed to hear what was happening out in the world.

She needed to know more about Jon Targaryen. "Did you hear anything else about him?" She made an effort to sound almost disinterested but she was sure that if she did not, her father would not pick up on anything even if he tried.

"Oh, the man told us that he had married his cousin, the Stark girl and he saved Lord Rickon Stark from death apparently." His words caused her to grow hot and cold at the same time.

Jon Targaryen had married Sansa Stark?

Margaery could feel the emotions swirl around in her body. Anger, disappointment and disbelief were the most prevalent among them.

Why on earth had he done that? He was already of the North himself so there was no need to strengthen the ties there. A man with the best claim on the throne as well as dragons to his name could have any woman that he wanted, so why settle for Sansa Stark?

Sure, Sansa Stark was beautiful and kind but she was rather dim and childish. All the beauty and kindness in the world could not make up for how uninteresting and witless the girl was.

Did Jon Targaryen like those sorts of women? She knew that many men did but she had hoped to win him over with her beauty and wit.

She felt the unfamiliar feeling of hesitance, over their stay in King´s Landing she had come to like Sansa Stark even though she was rather dull.

However, it was Margaery´s dream to become Queen. Ever since she had been a little girl, she had planned to wear the crown and she could not let anything stop her now.

"-ave in a few days." Marge stared at her father, realizing that she had been so lost in her thoughts that she had not heard what he said.

"I am sorry, what did you say?"

"King Aegon is heading to Bronzegate and we will be taking the castle. After all, he cannot allow Lord Buckler´s insult to go on unanswered, so we will be leaving in a few days and then we will be heading to the capital."

"Will you be going with them?" As much as she bemoaned how foolish her father could sometimes be, she did not want him to go to battle.

"Of course." He looked a little nervous, but he hid it rather well. "Loras and I-."

"Loras is going with you?" Her voice rose with fear for her brother. Loras could not go to war, he was too fragile after what the Sparrows had done to him.

"Yes of course, he is a knight and a Tyrell of Highgarden."

"I need to speak with the Lord Hand." She announced to her father before sweeping out of the sept.

She knew that it would not get her anywhere to speak with her husband. Aegon would only laugh at her if she told him of her concerns.

While she did not hold the Hand of the King in high esteem, it was preferable to deal with him rather than Aegon. Connington had showed reason before and maybe she could convince him that it would be better to leave Loras in Storm´s End with her.

Perhaps they could ride to Highgarden, when the men had all left the castle, to seek refuge with her brother Willas.

Marge did not want to leave her father to the mercies of Aegon and the Golden company but as much as she loved him, she loved Loras even more.

The youngest children of Mace Tyrell were as close as twins and Marge knew that she could not bear to lose her brother.

She arrived at the door to the solar of the Hand, where Connington spent long hours. Margaery knocked on the door and rushed in when she heard the Hand call, allowing her to enter.

When she entered, Connington did not look up and kept on writing. She could feel resentment towards him even though Aegon was not a good husband, she was still his wife and his Queen and the man before her had no right to ignore her.

"Lord Hand." The man finally looked up and a confused furrow appeared on his brow, causing her anger to abate a little. "It has come to my attention that you are heading to Bronzegate, taking my father and brother with you to battle."

"Yes." The man leaned back and looked at her like she was a foolish child. "That is how war works, the men fight for their King."

She compressed her lips in her anger. "My brother is still recovering from what the Sparrows did to him, he will not be of any use to you fighting a war."

"That is not for you to decide." His voice did not rise, his words only served to make her grow more furious but she made sure that he could not see it on her face.

Instead, she smiled. "You are right, it is not. My husband decides who goes with him but it would be prudent to leave my brother here so that he may help guard me."

"There will be men left here in Storm´s End to guard the castle and you." The man seemed to be losing interest in the subject as he spoke. "There is no need for you to worry."

It physically pained her to keep her smile on her face. "My brothe-."

"Your brother has sworn himself and his sword to King Aegon and will do his duty to his King." His sharp tone made it impossible for her to hold on to the smile. "As you should be."

"I am your Queen." The words slipped out of her mouth as she pulled herself to her full height and grew cold with anger. "You cannot speak-."

"You have yet to announce that you are with child, until you give Aegon a son, your place as Queen is tenuous at best."

Margaery felt like she had just been slapped and she could only stare at the man as he continued to speak. "Your duty is to give the King a son and an heir. Having been married to him for weeks now, you have yet to give him that."

Jon Connington stood up and walked around the desk, until he came up to her and leaned forward, his hot breath touching her face and angry eyes glaring at her. "So, until you announce that you are carrying King Aegon´s son and heir, quit mouthing of about matters that you know nothing and do your duty."

They stared at each other for a moment, Margaery felt both fury and fear as he loomed over her, using his larger body to intimidate her.

Then she averted her eyes, pretending to be meek and submissive, while wanting nothing more than to slap him. There was a fear growing in her, that maybe he would strike her or worse, she knew that if he did, no one would say or do anything.

After a moment longer of him standing over her he retreated, clearly satisfied, believing that he had intimidated her and walked over to the desk and sat back down. "Now, get out."

She did not wait for him to repeat himself and scurried out of the solar like the Stranger was hounding her steps.

Margaery hurried away from the solar, feeling the sting of tears in her eyes but she refused to allow them to fall.

Her throat constricted and her breath started to quicken. When she finally made it to her room, she felt so relieved to be able to let the tears fall and the sobs to escape.

The anger and fear she had felt in that solar was now rushing through her and she allowed herself to cry as much as her body seemed to want it.

The humiliation she was feeling was threatening to overwhelm her and after what felt like an eternity, she got her tears and sobbing under control.

On trembling legs, she made her way to the bed and sat down.

How dare that man speak like this to her? She was the Queen and speaking to her like that should be punished.

She knew that Aegon would not lift a finger to help her even if his Lord Hand would have hit her. Her father would not either. Her husband was still furious with him and their House because Willas had not sent the armies of the Reach to aid him to take King´s Landing.

A part of her wanted to be angry at Willas but she could not really bring herself to. His men had wanted them to ride back to Highgarden where it was safe. Her father wanting her to marry Aegon, she needing to be Queen and have her revenge against Cersei had been the deciding factor that this was a better idea.

Going to Storm´s End instead of going home, had been the worst mistake that she had ever made and no amount of suffering that Cersei would go through when the throne would be taken away from her, would make being married to Aegon worth it.

SAM

The bells of the Starry Sept were driving him to madness with their incessant ringing as he ran across the courtyard of the citadel, with arms filled with quivers filled with arrows.

Sam bumped into another novice, almost causing the newly made arrows to fall to the ground and he narrowly managed to hold on to them.

Sam heard the other man curse angerly at his clumsiness but, rather than stay to listen, he called out an apology and hurried to his destination.

Huffing and puffing, he finally made it up the stairs of the walls that enclosed the Citadel from the rest of the city. He looked over the wall, trying to spot Alleras´s dark hair or Gilly and little Sam but he could not see them, only city guards wearing the colors of house Hightower, trying to restore order over the terrified citizens of Oldtown.

"Sam, over here." Mollander called him over with his thick arms waving to catch his attention. "Thank the gods you are here."

Mollander grabbed one of the quivers out of his hands and looked at it like one would stare at a loved one, before he attached it to his person.

"Have you seen Alleras?" Sam asked the man, feeling a little proud that his voice did not tremble from fear of the over looming death that was heading their way.

The tall man stared at him with terrified and bewildered eyes. "No, why should I be looking for him?"

"Could you keep an eye out? I need to talk to him."

"Why do you need to talk to him?" There was sense of desperation in his voice, almost like the man was begging him to distract him from what was about to happen.

Sam rushed away, as he heard Mollander call out his question again. There was no time for him to stay and explain himself to the other man, not when there was an important task to carry out.

He hurriedly handed out the arrows to the men that were stationed on the walls, the all too familiar fear trying to take over his being but he did his best to push it aside.

Sam had killed an Other with a dagger made of obsidian, he could survive this. Sam repeated that fact to himself as he hurried along the wall, while asking the novices if they had seen Alleras.

Sam held the last quiver in his hands as he came to the last figure on the wall. "How are you feeling, Ser Jorah?"

He handed the quiver to the large man before him, the son of the Old Bear nodded his thanks. "I am better, thanks to you and your friend." The man looked pale and tired as he looked on out to the city.

"Are you sure that you are well enough to fight?"

Ser Jorah sent him an indignant look. "I am only on the Citadel walls, I will not be fighting with the men on the docks."

As soon as the incensed words had fallen from his lips, the man seemed ashamed of himself. "I beg your pardon, maester Sam. You have been nothing but kind, you have saved my life and I am being rude to you."

Sam sent him a smile. "I have heard worse." He had intended it as a jape but the look Ser Jorah sent him, made it clear that he had failed.

Perhaps Jon´s inability to joke was contagious.

"That does not make my words any better."

Sam, wanted to talk about something else and needing to know where Alleras was, decided to ask Ser Jorah. "Say, you would not have seen the fellow I was with that night, with a young woman and a babe?"

Ser Jorah shook his head. "No, I have not."

Sam felt the disappointment and fear rise in him again, knowing that he would just have to wait and give his friend a little more time.

"Will you tell him that I am looking for them? If you happen to see them." He asked the man and relief rushing his veins when the other man nodded.

"Of course, I owe you that at least."

"Thank you." Sam turned to leave, to head back to the citadel to help in some way. However, it was like his feet did not want to go and were rooted to the ground.

The last words of the Old Bear were ringing in his ears, like the bells of the Sept.

Sam wrung his hands together, nervously trying to think of a way to tell Ser Jorah that the Old Bear had wanted him to travel to the Wall and take the Black, so that the Knight could regain his honor.

He slowly turned back around; the other man was still looking at him but now there was a glint of concern in his eyes. "Are you well, maester Sam?"

"I am not a maester." The words tumbled out of his mouth before anything could be done to stop them. "I have yet to earn a link."

Ser Jorah stared at him with a frown. "Curing me of Greyscale did not earn you a silver link?"

Sam shook his head. "No, I went against Archmaester Ebrose´s instructions when I decided to try. I am just thankful that they did not throw me out."

The air around them turned awkward, as the knight seemed to grow uncomfortable, knowing that Sam had almost been dismissed from the Citadel, for curing him.

His stomach dropped seeing how the other man was clearly blaming himself for the Archmaester´s anger at Sam. "No, it's alright. I knew that they might be angry at me; besides I did not get thrown out."

Sam had come to accept that he might not earn even a single link and he was fine with that. What really mattered was that Sam would be able to continue to search the library, he needed to find anything pertaining to the Long Night and the Others.

Sam had taken an unnecessary risk in treating the knight. However, he just could not stand idlily by while the son of the Old Bear was slowly dying.

"Well, I thank the Old gods and the New for that mercy then." Ser Jorah seemed a little relieved. "I would have thought that it would have been a travesty, if such a talented healer had been expelled from the Citadel."

Sam could feel the blush heat up his cheeks at the complement. "Thank you, Ser Jorah. However, there was something…" Sam trailed off, not knowing how to word what he wanted to say.

He remembered when Jon had told him how he had been warging into one of Daenerys Targaryen´s dragon. One of the many things that Jon could not have known without warging into one of the dragons, was that Ser Jorah was working for Daenerys Targaryen.

Sam was not sure how the man before him would take it, hearing that not only was his father dead but that his last words were that he wanted Jorah to take the Black, to redeem himself for his crimes.

There was no doubt in Sam´s mind that the man would be angry as well as rightly distrustful of his words.

Everyone was talking about Jon now, how he had hatched dragons at the Wall and it was no secret that Sam was his friend, along with them serving together in the Night´s Watch.

So, why should the man believe him. Not only did Ser Jorah not know him, he might also even think that this was some kind of scheme to get him out of the Mad King´s daughter´s service.

However, Sam had to try and tell him the truth. The Old Bear deserved nothing less from Sam.

Pale eyes looked at the former Lord of Bear Island, who was still waiting for him to continue.

"You might know by now, that I serve the Night´s Watch." Sam began, resisting the urge to wring his now empty hands. "I served under your father, at Castle Black."

There was a myriad of emotions on the knight´s face when Sam mentioned his father. Guilt and fear seemed to tug at the man hardest. "Aye, I have heard something about that."

Sam shifted his weight, in an effort to control the apprehension about delivering the news to the man. "I do not know if you heard but I think that it would be cruel of me if I did not inform you, that your father died."

Ser Jorah´s face lost all its color and his mouth went slack from what he was hearing. "How did my father die?"

"We were beyond the Wall, returning from the Great Ranging, however as we took shelter with a Wildling man named Craster, we were betrayed by our fellow Night´s Watch men. One of the Black Brothers who mutinied murdered him."

The horror on the knight´s face was indescribable and it made his already weathered face look that much older. "He was betrayed?"

The man sounded like this could not happen. Which was something that stuck Sam as odd, because had not the man betrayed his father when he had sold men into slavery?

"Yes, he was." Sam had a hard time looking at the man, not wanting to see the grief on his face. "I was there with him when he passed."

Ser Jorah did not say anything, only stared, waiting for him to continue. "Before dying, he told me to contact you."

"Contact me? Why did he want you to do that?"

Sam cleared his throat, wanting to have more time to formulate his response. "To deliver a message to you. Lord Commander Mormont wanted you to head to the Wall to join the Night´s Watch."

His voice shook as he spoke, the desire to run far away was nearly overwhelming. The son of the Old Bear was staring at him with an unreadable look.

That look however, turned to one of suspicion as the stare was growing harder and colder. "He said that? To you?"

"Yes, he did." Sam managed to keep his voice from trembling, staring into Ser Jorah´s face, daring the man to call him a liar.

As they stared at one another, they both remained silent but the suspicious look on Ser Jorah´s face did not let up, rather he seemed to become more wary of Sam with every heart beat.

"Is not Lord Stark´s bastard your friend?"

Sam felt himself straighten; it was like his body was reacting to Ser Jorah´s words without any thought. "Yes, he is. However, this has nothing to do with him."

With a thunderous look, Ser Jorah spoke and with every word, his cheeks grew redder. "You mean to tell me, that it is only a coincidence that there are rumors that he hatched dragons at the Wall? Is it a coincidence that Jon Snow is rumored to be Rhaegar Targaryen´s trueborn son? Giving him a better claim to the throne than Queen Daenerys."

Sam felt the instinct to back away from the man, yet as his feet started to move, Jon´s words echoed through his skull.

Jon had given him an order, to hide his fear and the Old Bear had tasked Sam with letting his son know his dying wish.

Sam pulled himself to his full height as he steeled his spine. "This has nothing to do with Jon, nor with my friendship with him. Your father, my Lord Commander at the time tasked me with delivering the message to you if I could, now I have done so."

The man seemed a little taken back by Sam´s change in posture, allowing Sam to continue uninterrupted. "You can believe me and do what your father wanted you to do. You can regain your honor after selling men into slavery, or you can do whatever you like and disregard his last wish."

His hands were shaking with fear that the man would hit him, for speaking like this to his face. However, the punch never came, the man continued to stare at Sam, not knowing what to believe.

As the man stared ahead, almost like he did not see Sam anymore, the Black Brother turned and started to make his way back. He had to go and get more arrows, to hand them out to the archers on the wall.

Perhaps he should not have said anything to the man, even though his heart was now lighter than it had been.

It felt so good, having been able to let Ser Jorah know about what his father had wanted for him.

Though there was a nagging feeling, that maybe he could have been more sensitive in how he had delivered the message to the man that his father was dead, as well as how he had told him what the Old Bear had wanted.

"Maester Sam." Ser Jorah called, making Sam stop and turn. The older man was staring at him, nervousness in his eyes. "Did my father suffer?"

Sam did not know what he should do, should he tell him the truth or should he lie? He desperately wanted to say that the man had not suffered, even though it was not the truth.

"He did, though not for long." Sam watched as the man´s face fell, he felt awful as the man seemed so lost. Sam wanted to say something but Ser Jorah turned and walked away from him.

Sam´s shoulder´s slumped as he turned back and made his way back with a heavy heart.

He felt guilty of having just thrown his dying father´s wish in his lap and then running away like a coward.

Making his way back to the others, he heard his name being shouted at him causing him to look up and seeing Mollander wave his thick arms to get his attention.

Sam made his way over to Mollander. "I saw Alleras."

"Where is he?" Sam felt his heart skip a beat at the news.

"He was heading over there." The man pointed towards the sleeping cells and Sam hurried there, as he called out his thanks to the man.

He was grateful that Alleras was heading to the sleeping cells, as there would not be a lot of men there now that everyone was getting ready for the siege.

Sam slipped inside the one that housed the novices of the citadel and whispered Alleras´s name.

"Sam, we are here." Out of the dark room Alleras came followed by Gilly, holding baby Sam tightly in her arms.

Her big doe eyes stared at him as she rushed forward to hug him while taking great care not to hurt the small child.

After releasing her from the hug, he turned to face Alleras. "Why did you take so long? Did you run into trouble?"

"You could say that." Alleras looked more annoyed than anything else. "It does not matter, nothing we could not handle but I think they need to go to the Starry Sept, it would be the safest option for them."

Gilly frowned. "In that big building across the river with the pretty widows? How could we possibly be safe there?"

"Septs are built like fortresses." Sam explained. "With maybe a few exceptions, they are built to withstand sieges.

"You have to hurry, before the doors are closed." Alleras looked almost as anxious as Sam felt. "When the doors are closed, they won't open again until the siege is lifted."

Sam stared at his friend in surprise. "I thought that they would keep them open for longer than this, I thought that they would remain open until the Greyjoys arrived."

His heart constricted at seeing the look on Alleras´s face. "Their sails have been spotted and are expected to arrive shortly."

The fear that was gripping him, made him feel like an Other had just stepped into the room with them and it was hard for him to get his breathing under control. "Gilly you have to get to the Starry Sept before they close the doors."

"But Sam-." She tried to protest but Sam only shook his head. "Please Gilly, you and baby Sam have to get there, it is the safest place for the two of you."

After a moment of looking like she wanted to protest and demand to stay here, she relented. "Alright, I will go if you think that it is the best place for us."

"I will take you, Gilly." Alleras smiled at her, sadness coloring his dark eyes.

"Thank you Alleras, I owe you one." Sam nodded at the Dornish man, grateful for this kindness.

The other man just waved him off. "No, you do not. It was I who owed you for having covered for me, when archmaester Ebrose wanted to punish us for going against orders to heal the Northman."

Sam found himself blushing when the Dornish man spoke about how Sam claimed to have forced Alleras to help him, so that the other man would not be punished.

"Though we have to go now." Alleras turned to Gilly who looked like she really did not want to leave.

Gilly nodded, turning to give Sam a soft kiss on the lips. Then she turned to followed Alleras out the door, making Sam feel like his heart was in his throat.