It has been a very long break after the football ended in heart breaking fashion for me, but I'm finally back with a massive chapter and I am raring to go again! As of writing this intro I have also finished the next two chapters as I wanted to do to keep a bit of a buffer and I'm getting into some really exciting things that I can't wait for you all to see. Chapter 52 especially will be special…

I have borrowed some things from the Telltale games in this chapter. For those that know the game, I'm going the Asher parted on good terms with Daenerys and lives/They don't poison Ludd route.

I hope you all enjoy this chapter. I own nothing but the OC's, any recognisable characters or locations belong to George R R Martin or HBO.

Tyrion could see the ship bearing the sail of House Manderly coming in from the top of the Dragonstone's steps, and he and Missandei went to greet Sansa Stark and Jon Snow down on the beach. Of course, the Hand of the Queen was inevitably surprised when the rowboat came to shore and Sansa Stark stepped off the boat holding a young boy in her arms. Next to her was one of Margaery Tyrell's old handmaidens that Tyrion remembered was given to Sansa, and the Bastard of Winterfell with his albino Direwolf. A half dozen other armed guards were also in the boat.

"Lady Sansa." Tyrion greeted the ones that he knew. "Lady Mira. Jon Snow."

"Lord Tyrion." Sansa curtseyed.

"The last time we met was at my wedding feast, was it not?" Tyrion asked.

Sansa smiled, though it was obviously forced. "We gifted you a fine suit of armour."

Tyrion could sense the distaste as she implied a reference to his older brother. "You did, it is safely in Storm's End, waiting to be worn." He looked at the boy, who was staring at Tyrion inquisitively. "And I presume this is my nephew?"

"Artos Stark." Sansa said quickly. She lowered the boy to the sand and knelt down. "Artie, this is your Uncle Tyrion."

Tyrion smiled as the boy looked back at him, but the toddler was too shy to say anything. "I am pleased that something so good could come from someone so wicked." Tyrion said honestly. "You have done the right thing in naming him Stark."

"He would never be one of you." Sansa said coldly as she stood upright again, but she sighed. "My apologies Lord Tyrion."

"Do not worry, we have both suffered grievously at the hands of my family." Tyrion waved it away. "Hence why we are both here on Dragonstone. Queen Daenerys will receive you in the Throne Room." He gestured to Missandei. "Missandei here is Her Grace's most trusted advisor."

Smiling at the greeting, Missandei took a step forwards. "Welcome to Dragonstone. Our Queen hopes you had a pleasant enough journey and hopes that we can quickly become good friends and allies."

"As do we." Sansa said with a smile.

"However, until a time where our alliance is confirmed, Her Grace would be most grateful if you could surrender your weapons." Missandei added. "They will be returned to you when an arrangement has been settled."

Sansa looked worriedly at Jon, but the bastard just smiled and undid his sword belt. "Of course, we would not wish to pose Her Grace any danger." He handed his wolf pommelled blade over to the nearest of the Unsullied, bringing his hand back to pet the placid Direwolf at his side. Tyrion was then surprised as Sansa knelt down once more and untied a leg sheathe, handing a dagger to the same Unsullied soldier. The other men also handed over their weapons, and Tyrion's eyes were drawn to the large greatsword that came from a man also in Forrester colours.

"Please." Tyrion gestured towards the steps. "Follow me."

They walked up the winding steps of Dragonstone and into the castle, stopping in the courtyard where one of Daenerys' minor advisors stood in the way. "Asher!" The man cried. "Mira!"

"Uncle Malcolm." The man that had wielded the greatsword grinned, pushing forwards and slapping his Uncle in a hug. "You survived."

"Barely." Malcolm Branfield grinned as he hugged Mira too. "And what of you? I've not heard much from the North…"

"Mother is dead." Asher said quickly. "But so is Ludd."

Tyrion cleared his throat. "While this reunion is touching, we haven't the time for a catch up."

Malcolm bowed his head. "My apologies, Lord Hand. If I may be excused with my niece and nephew…?"

Tyrion nodded, but watched as Mira looked to Sansa for permission. "Go, enjoy your reunion." Sansa said kindly.

"I should stay." Asher Forrester said firmly. "I have history with the Queen."

Tyrion was getting impatient now, and thankfully Malcolm Branfield escorted Mira Forrester back outside. "Very well, now, shall we?"

The great wooden doors opened and Tyrion escorted the party into the main Throne Room. Tyrion pointed the Northerners to the Targaryen sigil carved into the floor before he moved over to his mark, on the right-hand side of the Queen.

"You stand in the presence of Daenerys Stormborn of House Targaryen. Rightful heir to the Iron Throne. Rightful Queen of the Andals and the First Men. Protector of the Seven Kingdoms. The Mother of Dragons. The Unburnt. The Breaker of Chains." Missandei stated proudly.

Sansa Stark didn't baulk at the titles. "I am Lady Sansa of House Stark. Regent of the North. This is Jon Snow, Former Lord Commander of the Night's Watch and Regent of the North."

"Former Lord Commander?" Tyrion asked.

Jon nodded, but Sansa did the talking once more. "You supposedly walked through flames to hatch dragons, Your Grace. A miracle some would say."

"Red God magic." Jon said solemnly. "I have experienced that too. The Night's Watch serve until death. I served."

The rumours of the Red God had reached Tyrion, and he looked at the Bastard of Winterfell in a whole new light at that revelation. Daenerys obviously understood that too, and she nodded and said. "You have my apologies for your trials, Jon Snow. As do you, Lady Sansa. I have heard all about the struggles you have faced."

"We all face struggles, Your Grace." Sansa said. "It is how we come out the other side of them that matters."

Daenerys grinned. "Quite." She agreed. "You are here of your own volition, but nevertheless I must thank you for coming in such dangerous times."

"The North's enemies are your enemies, Your Grace." Sansa said formally. "House Lannister have damaged the North more than most Kingdom's, and their reign of murder has affected us both."

"It has." Daenerys agreed. "And Cersei Lannister will be the first to suffer for her crimes. We can see that done together, if you bend the knee on behalf of your brother in Winterfell, which I presume you are here to do."

"We are, but there are more pressing issues than Cersei Lannister." Jon Snow told them. "The dead march on the living."

Daenerys looked over at Tyrion exasperatedly. "The dead?"

"Aye, the dead." Jon said firmly. "An army of White Walkers and dead men marching down on the Wall who don't care who sits on the Iron Throne. All we are is meat for their army as they come to wipe us all out."

"You might not believe him." Sansa said. "I wasn't sure when I first heard this. But then I listened to the tales Jon spoke of. Of the tales that the Wildlings spoke of."

"Your Grace." Asher Forrester spoke up from behind the Starks.

Daenerys actually smiled at the sight of him. "Asher Forrester. I presume my gold helped you return home?"

"It did, and my family have been avenged by my hand." Asher nodded. "But you know me. I helped you take Meereen and you know me not to be a liar. This is real, Your Grace. Ten years ago I would have called anyone mad for claiming I would sit at a table with a Wildling and yet I have done that many times now, all of them tell tales of the dead marching on them. All of them tell tales of Hardhome."

The name of the Wildling port town made Jon Snow wince, a sight Tyrion noticed. "What happened at Hardhome?" He asked.

Jon took a deep breath. "A massacre. You can claim tales of how devastating the Field of Fire was, or the Twins, or any of the battles in Westeros' history. None will compare. In a matter of minutes I saw tens of thousands of men, women and children slaughtered only for them to rise again as the Night King raised his arms, each one mindless, each one desperate to kill the living." Daenerys actually looked alarmed, and Tyrion felt a chill flow down his spine. "Once you see them, Your Grace, you will know."

"We will bend the knee to you, Your Grace, but before we fight Cersei, or fight anyone in the South, the North needs your aid." Sansa added, their speech coming to an end.

"The dead are coming." Jon told them all. "And only together can we stop them."

Tyrion looked at Dany's wide eyes and nodded. They needed to discuss this between themselves. "Very well, Jon Snow. I trust Asher Forrester to be telling the truth and he clearly believes and follows you. You have our hospitality." Daenerys said formally. "Tonight you will eat with us and tell me all about these dark tales and we will discuss where to go from here."

Jon didn't look happy, but Sansa put another fake smile on her face and told the Dragon Queen. "Thank you, Your Grace."

"Grey Worm will escort you to your chambers." Daenerys said. The Unsullied leader made himself known and in a matter of moments the room emptied, leaving only Missandei, Tyrion and Daenerys inside. "Do you believe him?"

"If the North was to pledge to you, then all they really needed to do was send a raven." Tyrion thought out loud. "For both Lady Sansa and Jon Snow to travel here after only just reuniting with their brother, it must mean an alliance is a matter of urgency."

"He was scared." Missandei noted. "Jon Snow was scared when he spoke about Hardhome."

"And I remember the Massacre at the Twins." Tyrion stated. "My brothers helped slaughter almost the entirety of the North's strength. They wouldn't mention that event lightly unless Hardhome was infinitely worse."

That gave Daenerys pause for thought. "Thank you." She told them both. "I must think, I shall see you both again at supper."

Tyrion bowed. "Your Grace." And with that he left the room, his mind returning to his trip to the Wall and all the conversations he had had with the leadership at the time.

While one tense meeting was taking place on the east of Westeros, the west was facing different problems. Loren had spent more time since his injuries had been cleared by the Maester down on the docks commanding the defences than he had actually inside the castle, and the people of Lannisport had been telling some wonderful stories in between the times he was in command of the siege weapons firing out at the Iron Fleet.

He had learnt more of how his mother spent a lot of her time here, and after days and days of getting to know these locals, he had met one woman in particular called Leila who had known his mother well according to her. She had led him to a hidden garden where a small memorial of daylilies had been planted by a wooden seven-pointed star, with 'JANE' carved into the wood clumsily.

"She loved it here." Leila said. "She would escape from the Rock sometimes milord and just sit in this garden with me and talk. I don't like speaking ill of the dead, milord, but she relished the chance of escaping."

Loren smirked as he knelt by the memorial. "I do not blame her, my Father was a difficult man at the best of times. I'm just glad she found some happiness in you, Leila."

The woman was startled. "I didn't… milord we never…"

"It's ok." Loren shrugged. "It always comforted me that she had found love with another." He looked back at the memorial and placed a hand on the seven-pointed star. "I'm just sorry you didn't get a proper farewell."

Leila sighed sadly. "I was just at the market, then the next thing I know the squids were here. I didn't know she was gone until the announcement from the Rock." She wiped her eye. "She was so proud of you, milord. Often spoke of you."

That warmed Loren's heart. "She is always with me." He said kindly. "Thank you for bringing me here, I promise once the Ironborn are gone I will visit here more often."

Leila smiled warmly. "You're too kind milord."

As much as Loren would have loved to have stayed there all day, he was still in command during a defensive siege, so he said goodbye to his Mother's former lover and returned back to the dock walls, where men were frantically rushing about. The Lannister ships had been sunk in the weeks of the siege and now the only true defences were the walls of the city and the siege engines firing out at the Iron Fleet. Making his way through the men, Loren quickly found Ser Kevan who was barking out orders left right and centre. "Uncle! What is happening!" He called.

"Lord Loras has written you, My Lord!" Kevan called back, handing a raven. "Lady Cerenna opened it as she knew you were occupied and sent it down. Lord Loras has struck an agreement with the Dragon Queen to rid Euron Greyjoy from our shores, there's a cavalry force and an armada coming to aid us!"

"But the fucking squid knows it too." Daven Lannister explained. "He's not content in waiting us out anymore, the Ironborn are pushing."

Loren took in all the information. "We need the siege weapons firing constantly, I want as many ships as possible taken out before they reach the shore." Kevan nodded. "And Daven, ride back to the Rock and gather all the fighting men you can. We will fight them on the beaches."

"At once, My Lord." The pair said, before they went about their duties. Loren then walked over to the battlement edge and stared out. Sure enough he could see the Iron Fleet splitting, some were forming a defensive barrier towards the South to lie in wait for the incoming Reach armada, while the Silence and other imposing ships had begun to move towards the coast. Loren himself went to find his helmet and made his way to the main gate into Lannisport from the docks, where less than 20 minutes after his orders had been given the walls had been filled with thousands of Lannister soldiers mixed with the City Watch of Lannisport, all of them looking down at the emerging longboats and waiting.

The first wave of Ironborn came to shore from their longboats with a roar, and Loren watched as his friend Eldrick Sarsfield barked out commands for the archers. The Lannister waited and heard the "LOOSE!" command given, and the sound of bowstrings being released filled the air, soon follows by grunts and screams from down below.

"Keep firing!" Loren shouted, and his men did just that. Soon the tide was being coloured red with the blood of the Ironborn, but more came. In the distance Loren saw more flames, and he smirked as the sails of House Redwyne, House Hightower and newer Greyjoy sails clashed with the Iron Fleet. Things were looking like they would turn back in their favour, and Loren didn't want to lose that advantage. He grabbed a spear himself and launched it over the walls, watching it rip through a Goodbrother man's chest, pinning him to the beach before he saw that the longboats had stopped leaving the main ships. There was one man not rowing that Loren could see approaching from the sea, dressed in black and holding a large axe over one shoulder. Euron Greyjoy. "EL!" Loren cried at his friend. Eldrick Sarsfield looked over, and Loren pointed towards the incoming King of the Iron Isles. Eldrick grinned and nodded, firing an arrow at the boat. It missed Euron but struck one of his rowers in the neck. Loren smirked at that, but his joy was short lived as ladders began to spring up.

He withdrew Red Rain and prepared, very quickly hacking off the top of the skull of the first man to pop his head above the ramparts. Then it became a battle, as Ironborn found their way on the walls and Loren and his men hacked and slashed at as many of them as he could. "HOLD!" Loren screamed at his men, knowing that they needed to defend the walls until the Reachmen could arrive. "HOLD!"

That of course, was the moment that Euron Greyjoy got to the walls. Loren heard the manic laughing from behind, and so he pulled Red Rain out of a man in Harlaw colours and turned around. He noticed Euron Greyjoy still laughing, a demented look upon his face as he decimated the Westerland defenders, his axe already coated red. Loren snarled and ran, dodging axes and maces and carving his blade through flesh and bone with a single focus in his mind. "GREYJOY!" Loren screamed, stopping Euron from splitting one of the City Watch's heads open.

"The little cub wants to play." Euron smirked. He kicked the City Watch man over the walls, and Loren winced as the scream ended with a thud. "I've heard your woman is a pretty one, Lannister. Perhaps I'll share her with the Queen."

Loren snarled, wheeling Red Rain around in his hand before he charged. He ducked the large axe that was whistling towards his head and slashed out, feeling only the metal of the axe handle blocking him. He swung out again, and again, and again, using his speed to his advantage as Red Rain whipped around attacking different spots, all being blocked again until Loren slipped through the axe's defence and nicked Euron's thigh. That only enraged the Ironborn however as he used the butt of the axe to slap Loren around the helmet, knocking him to one side before Euron swung the axe again. The space on the walls was limited as men were fighting all around him, but Loren managed to roll out the way before getting back to his feet and lunging up at the Ironborn King, narrowly missing his chin. Loren swung the sword around again, but Euron was ready, parrying the blade away and hacking the axe towards Loren's side. The Lannister dodged him once more, and the pair took a second aiming their weapons at one another catching their breath.

"The whispers of you were true." Euron smirked, praising Loren's talent with the blade. "You'll still die today, little cub. Perhaps I'll keep your whore around for a few days, like Drumm kept your mother…"

Loren roared and thrust Red Rain out at the Ironborn King, but Euron was ready for that, laughing as he parried the Valyrian Steel blade and swung his axe back around, embedding it into Loren's side. Thankfully, he had the best armour that Lannister money could buy, and he could barely feel the blade digging into his flesh, but Loren quickly moved his free hand to lock the axe into place, wincing as Euron tried and failed to retrieve it. With another roar, he hacked Red Rain down at the axe handle, denting the steel. He did so three more times with Euron frantically trying to retrieve the weapon before the axe handle snapped, and Euron, still trying to pull the weapon out of Loren's side, fell backwards with the bottom half of the axe handle. Breathing heavily, Loren ripped the axe out of his armour, noticing the faint line of red on the blade before he threw it over the side. He limped over to Euron, who was scrambling back to his feet and had managed to pick up a random sword to swing at Loren. Loren parried that away and with his left arm he punched Euron hard, knocking him so that the Greyjoy's back was slammed against the parapet. Loren then punched Euron's face again before he plunged Red Rain deep into Euron Greyjoy's heart. He didn't need to say anything, he just pushed until the blade was stopped by the stone walls. Ripping Red Rain out, he roared once more and lifted Euron by the throat, pushing him over the wall to let him die, bloodless and broken on the beach.

Panting, Loren's left arm then went to put pressure on his side as he re-joined the battle, but he had only managed to kill one more Ironborn when multiple horn blasts were heard from behind him. He felt the gates open and rushed to look over the edge, and the thundering of horses sounded as both Martell and Tyrell banners flew out of Lannisport to slaughter the remaining Ironborn on the beach. Grinning, Loren knew that they had the day now and re-joined the fighting on the walls with a new sense of energy.

The initial meeting between the Starks and Daenerys Targaryen had been a tense one, but things had settled down after the first dinner shared between the Houses. Jon's tales of White Walkers had definitely scared the Targaryen Queen, he had noted, and Jon was sure that she would help them if given some proof.

That proof came after three days of talks on Dragonstone, and the Maester, Pylos, one of the few survivors of Tyland Lannisters assault on Dragonstone, handed Sansa a letter with the Stark seal, who then gave the opened letter to Jon with tears in her eyes. It was a letter from Bran explaining briefly that both he and Arya were now back at Winterfell but they had a captive wight that they could persuade the Southerners with.

Sansa of course, focused on her brother and sister being back at home, though Jon was forced to be a little more practical as he took the letter and went looking for the woman he had spent the last three days conversing with. She was stood on a cliffside, watching as her trio of dragons flew over the bay together. Walking up to her, he cleared his throat to gain Daenerys' attention before he said. "They're magnificent creatures."

"They are." Daenerys agreed. "Forged from fire and blood magic and nursed at my own breast. Many have tried to take them from me, though none have succeeded." She smiled. "It seems strange, for magic to have been gone from the world for so long after my ancestor's civil war, yet here we are staring at fully grown dragons once more as we talk about the end of the world."

Jon nodded. "I have proof of what is coming back in Winterfell." He handed the Queen the letter from Bran and watched as she read it.

Her lips pushed into a smile as she read about the family reunion. "I'm happy for you that your family is back together." She explained. "The cruelty's that your sisters have suffered at the hands of the Lannisters… it makes me question Tyrion sometimes."

Jon shifted awkwardly. "Tyrion isn't his siblings." Was all he could bring himself to say."

"Quite." Dany nodded. "Though he does have the same ruthless streak when he wants to." She sighed, and then handed Jon the letter once more. "A wight?"

"The dead forming the army that the Night King will send to us." He explained. "Flesh rotting and bone showing how decomposed the bodies are, but they're fast and they use whatever they can to kill you savagely."

Dany gulped. "And you want me to fly North to see this proof I presume?"

"It would be helpful." Jon nodded. "You don't truly believe until you see them."

Dany sighed. "I have flown away once recently already, if I do so again alone…"

"You wouldn't be alone." Jon shrugged. "The Northerners wouldn't trust you unless one of their own was with you. I could go with you, ease their minds while showing you the truth to my words."

Dany looked sad as she stared up at Jon. "Jon Snow, I've been alone since I had my brother killed." She said mournfully, before she looked out at the dragons again. "I am the last Targaryen, I will be alone until the day I die." She walked away from him towards the cliffs edge, and Jon knew that that was the moment to say something, to tell her everything. Instead though he kept his mouth shut and allowed her that moment of mourning. "It's funny." She shouted over the wind. "I feel more at ease talking to you than I have done to anyone since I was a young girl." Jon didn't know what to say to that, and thankfully once more he didn't need to speak as he noticed the dragons all flying quickly towards them. The white one veered off towards the castle, but the other two, the black and the green dragons, they landed close by. Dany had a smile on her face as she went to walk towards them, stopping for a moment as she passed Jon. "Come, Jon Snow. If you wish to fly with me to prove your claims of demons and dead men then you must allow the dragons to get used to you."

Gulping, Jon nodded and he followed Daenerys towards the giant beasts, watching as she gave Rhaegal a quick pet on the chin before she focused more on Drogon. The black dragon was her mount and Jon should have been heading towards the larger Dragon, but his eyes couldn't leave Rhaegal. He walked over to the green dragon as he slipped his right glove off, holding his hand out to Rhaegal as he would a dog to get it to trust him. He didn't shake however, a fact that surprises him, as he waited for Rhaegal to cock his head and allow Jon to stroke the side of his head.

"He likes you." Dany commented. "That's a good sign."

Jon, meanwhile, knew it was something else. "He can sense my blood." He said slowly, mainly to himself.

Daenerys heard that, however. "Your blood? The blood of the North?" She asked, confused.

"The blood of ice and fire." Jon whispered. "The blood of my parents."

Dany looked at him, still confused. "What are you telling me?"

Sighing, Jon turned to her. "I'm not the son of Eddard Stark. I only found out recently who my real parents were, and I swore to myself that I didn't want to tell anybody else. It's too dangerous."

Dany's eyes were wide. "How can your parentage be dangerous." She stated, not asking.

"Lyanna Stark is my Mother." Jon answered anyway. "My Father… Uncle, Lord Stark, he found her as she lay dying in the childbed."

Dany's eyes were a mix of horror and rage. "If Lyanna Stark is your Mother…"

"They were married." Jon said reluctantly. "I was named Aegon Targaryen, after the brother that was murdered by the Lannisters. Rhaegar needed an Aegon to grow, supposedly."

"No." Dany said firmly. "This is a lie."

Jon sighed, looking up at Rhaegal who was eyeing him up fondly. "I wish it were, truly I do." He explained.

"That would make you the rightful heir to the Iron Throne." Dany snarled, her hand gripping one of Drogon's facial spikes.

Jon, having foreseen this reaction, immediately got to one knee before her. "I have never wanted that. I have never wanted power. I came here, knowing that this was true intending to swear the North and myself to you without even knowing you. Rickon is my Lord, and you are my Queen. From this day until my dying day, I swear it."

Dany was still angry, and the dragons could sense that. Drogon moved closer, snarling at Jon and looking like he was ready for a midday snack, when all of a sudden another snarl sounded and Rhaegal snapped at the air in Drogon's direction. Jon still was on one knee, but he noticed the surprise in Daenerys' face at her child changing allegiance, but she composed herself and gestured for Jon to rise. "If you are truthful in swearing to me and abdicating your rights, nobody can know about this. You will forever be used as a player in their games."

"The only ones that know about this are my sister and Lord Reed, who was there at my birth." Jon insisted, rising to his feet. "None will say a word."

"You better be right, Jon Snow." Dany said, putting added emphasis on his name. "And I shall test your claim. Rhaegal seems to have bonded with you, if you can survive the flight to Winterfell, then I believe you." She smirked, before she climbed up on to Drogon's back.

Jon gulped as he looked up at the green and bronze Dragon. "I've never flown a Dragon before, what do I do?"

"Use your instincts!" Dany shouted back. "It's supposedly in your blood!" And with that Drogon pushed up into the air, his wings causing a gust of wind that Jon only just managed to stay upright from. Sighing, Jon swore under his breath and noticed Rhaegal making things obvious for him. Jon climbed up onto Rhaegal's back and settled himself in between some spikes as comfortably as he could. The scales were hot, but it was a soothing heat underneath him. Leaning over and gripping another couple of spikes, Jon settled himself in breathing heavily until the very thought of flight jolted Rhaegal into action, soaring into the air.

The roars of the dragons had distracted Sansa from the wolfskin cloak that she was preparing as a future nameday present for Rickon, and the Stark woman looked out of her window briefly to see two of the large beasts shoot away towards the North, figures on the backs of both of them. Grinning, Sansa realised that Jon must have told the Dragon Queen the truth. Humming contently she grinned at Artos in the corner having a mock battle of Winterfell with all the toys that Shireen Baratheon had found for him.

A knock on the door distracted the pair of them. "Lord Tyrion to see you, milady." The guard announced.

"Let him enter." Sansa called back, setting the cloak to one side before she looked at her son. "Artos, come here a moment."

The boy obliged, walking clumsily over towards her where Sansa picked him up and placed him on her knee. The door swung open, and the Hand of the Queen entered the room. "My Lady." He greeted.

"Lord Hand."

"I realise I should have come to see you privately sooner, given our… familial relationship." Tyrion said awkwardly. "And I wondered if I could get to know my nephew."

Sansa smiled. "You don't need to be shy about our connection, Tyrion. I was married to your brother, we both disliked him greatly towards the end." She whispered to Artos. "Say hello to your Uncle and go back and play."

Artos obliged once more, saying hello and returning to his mighty battle in the corner. Tyrion chuckled at the sight. "I remember when Loren was that age, he also loved making battles up. I believe House Lannister ended up winning the Field of Fire at one stage."

Sansa put a smile on her face, but while she knew it was inevitable given Artos' looks, the comparison to another Lannister didn't sit well with her. "He has seen much change in his short life already."

"He has." Tyrion nodded, joining her at the table. "Forgive me, My Lady. But I must ask… Tyland's death…"

"I stabbed him in the heart with a Valyrian Steel dagger I was given by Littlefinger." Sansa explained bluntly. "The same one you were accused of trying to murder Bran with, I believe." She reached down and unsheathed it from her leg, placing it on the table. Sansa stared at the small Westerman, looking for any form of reaction, but all Tyrion did was nod.

"Of all the ways to go, he would have loved that it took Valyrian Steel to kill him." Tyrion scoffed. "Good riddance, I say. And thank you, I had been worried about becoming a kinslayer thrice over."

Sansa frowned. "I did what I had to do to protect my son. He killed my Father, he ordered the murder of my Brother and my Mother. He sold Arya to the Frey's…"

"He was an evil man, of course." Tyrion nodded. "And the world will not miss him." He looked over at Artos then, grinning as he was bashing two figures together. "Though I cannot claim the same of either of his sons."

"Loren is against us." Sansa stated. "It may come to it that he must die for us to succeed."

Tyrion nodded. "Perhaps, though with any luck it won't come to that." He sighed. "Tyland wasn't always a monster, you know. Before the truth came out, I looked up to him."

"The lies he told were often convincing." Sansa said bluntly. "Forgive me, I see nothing salvageable from my memories of that man."

"No, I suppose you don't." Tyrion nodded. "And I find it equally as challenging sometimes, knowing what he did." He sighed again. "I did also come to you with another purpose, My Lady. Though I believe we should find your brother first."

"Jon has gone with Daenerys Targaryen on the back of a dragon." Sansa said, half telling the truth. "We received a raven this morning from Winterfell. Bran and Arya are back, and Bran has captured a wight from his trials beyond the wall."

Tyrion was surprised. "Truly? I would have liked to see that." He was clearly pushing the knowledge of Jon on a dragon to one side. "Then it is up to us to oversee the mining efforts, My Lady. Dragonstone is filled with Obsidian, we must salvage what we can before the demons come for us."

Myrcella Baratheon had watched the whole attempt of an invasion from the heights of Loren's solar within Casterly Rock. Ser Arys and Sandor Clegane had stood outside the door while Ser Jaime and Ser Vylarr had been inside with Myrcella, Cerenna, and little Jeyne. The Queen wouldn't admit it ever again, but the sight of the Martell banners coming to Lannisport's aid had made her weep with joy. It took a few hours after the southern aid arriving for the battle to grind fully to a halt, and so after hiding away in the top of the Rock for so long, it was a nice change of scene to be seated on the Casterly Rock throne room watching from above as Loren entered the room with Trystane and Loras Tyrell. Loren and Trystane immediately got to one knee before her, while Loras stood awkwardly. "Rise, My Lords." Myrcella said, and soon everyone was on their feet. "Thank you, Lord Tyrell for coming to our aid. And thank you, Prince Trystane. We were at war not so long ago so it would have been understandable if you had stayed away, but your men were most useful."

Trystane smiled. "I will always come to your aid, my love. I would have been here sooner, but the realm is in a strange state."

"We in Highgarden do not bow to you, Your Grace, but to Daenerys Targaryen." Loras explained. "But we are not enemies. Our enemy is Cersei Lannister, and so long as you feel the same way, we shall not fight."

Myrcella knew that the Reach's political standing was much more complicated than that, and that House Tarly among others were calling her their Queen, but that declaration still pleased her. "I understand, Lord Tyrell. Hopefully the matter of ruling can be settled amicably between us and we will not need to fight."

"My wish as well, Your Grace." Loras bowed.

"You will all be tired. Please, rooms and refreshments will be made available to all our guests from Dorne and the Reach." Myrcella explained. Most in the room bowed and departed, but Loren and Trystane alone stayed along with the Queensguard. The Queen rose to her feet and walked down to see them. "I am glad you're here, Trys, but I am confused…"

"I always fought for you, Myrcella." Trystane explained, holding her hand in his. "With the Westerlands also fighting for you, a truce made sense to my Father. But we also received word from Daenerys Targaryen and Loras Tyrell, the Dragon Queen wanting fealty, the Reachman wanting an alliance that they got with Loras Tyrell marrying Ned Dayne's sister Allyria."

"How will that work?" Loren asked. "You just pledged to Myrcella, but Loras is pledged to another Queen."

Trystane sighed. "There has been much bloodshed from all sides and my Father would have that ended as peacefully as possible. He would have another Great Council, though how to approach a woman with vengeance in her heart and dragons at her side… he has still not discovered."

"Our main focus now is my Mother." Myrcella said sternly. "She has gone too far, wasting the little coin the Crown has on the Golden company and allying with that Greyjoy creature…"

"There was another Greyjoy on our side." Loren noted quickly, his eyes flashing in recognition. "Who?"

Trystane smirked. "Yara, the daughter of Balon. She fights for Daenerys Targaryen too, more passionately and personally than most it seems."

Loren's mouth turned into an O in some kind of realisation, but Myrcella didn't catch the hidden meaning. "We must unite and rid King's Landing of Mother, and I believe both sides want that. We can open a dialogue with Daenerys Targaryen." She stated.

Loren sighed, nodding. "I will find Creylen and see if we have a bird for Dragonstone." He bowed his head. "And I should find my wife and daughter. Your Grace."

"Go, cousin." Myrcella smiled, her cheeks warming up as she realised her hand hadn't left Trystane's at all. Once the doors closed signalling Loren's departure, Myrcella turned to the Dornishman. "I find it strange, you being here of all places."

"I would go anywhere for you." Trystane said in a low voice. "Our hunger for vengeance has been sated, your cousin helped with that. Now I only wish to see you upon your rightful throne, with me at your side if you will have me."

Myrcella smiled widely. "You still want to marry me?"

"I never stopped loving you, despite our families differences." Trystane explained. "Father feels the same way, he doesn't trust the sister of the man that dishonoured Elia, and an alliance between our Houses is still what he wants."

Myrcella grinned. "Two days. Give me two days and we can be wed." She said softly. Trystane grinned, and Myrcella wrapped her arms around his waist, bringing him in for a hug that she had sorely needed.

Some big moments here… Dany and Jon meet, talk, and Jon tells Dany who he is. The timeline doesn't leave me too much time but in any case these two aren't meeting as adversaries here unlike the show with the North already agreeing to pledge to Dany.

The other Dragonstone part with Sansa and Tyrion was really fun, they have both killed Lannisters and are unapologetic about that. While I didn't marry these two in this story, giving them a nice moment was enjoyable. Also notice my different Sansa here, keeping Jon's secret.

Meanwhile in Casterly Rock I hope you enjoyed the battle scene. I started it off a bit differently, giving more detail into the past of Jeyne Crakehall before bringing the storm as you like. I'd like to think that Euron was desperate and that's why he chose to assault the walls. Being stuck between Lannisport and a vengeful niece leading an armada against you isn't a good place to be…

And finally of course, the reunion between Myrcella and Trystane. He was always fighting for her after all, despite Myrcella not agreeing with him at times.

So in terms of total army numbers given there were a couple of reviews asking about this, going from South to North:

Dorne: 25,000 – they are said to have an equal strength to the North/Vale, but they haven't been as ravaged by wars.

Reach: 60,000 – They've fought in a few battles here and there, but they haven't lost a great deal of their strength that I can remember.

Stormlands: 12,000 – As stated in Chapter 35.

Crownlands: 15,000 – Not including the islands. Largely untouched by the fighting so far other than the Battle of Blackwater Bay.

Daenerys on Dragonstone: 10,000 – 8,000 Unsullied and the remainder of the Island's forces.

Westerlands: 35,000 – This is a show fic, so they started with 60,000 but they haven't had a major loss as of yet unlike the show. They have been involved in a lot of fighting, however.

Vale: 30,000 – Untouched by the wars.

Riverlands: 20,000 – Most of that is Frey levies from their three holdings, however.

North/Wildlings: 13,000 – It was 18,000 before the Battle for Winterfell and the Stark side lost 3,000. Given that the Bolton's got turned on by House Ryswell too so in the end wouldn't have lost as many men, then a 5,000 slaughter seems reasonable.

I hope you all enjoyed the chapter!

Next time: Jon and Daenerys arrive back at Winterfell, while there is a wedding to be had in Casterly Rock.

Reviews:

Hail King Cerion: This Sansa is a different beast to the show, more focused on revenge than suspicious of everyone.

Silver crow: Yeah it wasn't an enjoyable time for Arya in the slightest. Loren fights for Myrcella so until she says so, he will be loyal to her and her alone.

Mister LaGuardia: There are also 3 different Frey factions now. The Twins, Riverrun and Harrenhal. Loren has the support of Riverrun and Harrenhal while the Twins technically rule the Riverlands.

BlackWatcher1234: They did manage better, though Lannisport is a tough nut to crack and then they were set upon by the Reach. As for the numbers, I've listed them in the post chapter Author Notes.

McMysterio: All of that while the Army of the Dead creep closer!

Vwchick: His plotline is one of the more interesting to me, but there's never any room for him in my stories because I base them off the show plots. I hope you enjoyed the meeting, but I will say to prepare yourself because not all of the living Lannisters we have at this point will make it…

Rolling Mist 13: Interesting theories…