Jon wouldn't admit just how much pain he was in, at least not out loud. Not only because of the beating Craster gave him, a beating that left cuts and bruises all over his skin and peppered his face with blood. No, not only because of that but because he was ripped away from the woman he loved most in the world right when she needed him. And their child, he had only gotten to hold her a moment before she was ripped away too. And because of that Jon was in pain, and full of anger.

He was tossed inside Craster's house like a sack of flour, landing on the floor and his bruised ribs.

"Out! All of you!" Craster shouted in anger. Jon slowly pulled himself off the floor as the Lord Commander and Craster spoke, negotiating to one more night in the man's keep and then being on their way.

Mormont led Jon outside and pinned him to one of the stable pillars.

"WHO AM I?!" he shouted at Jon. Jon remained silent, unsure of himself and of the Lord Commander's wrath.

"WHO AM I?!" he continued to shout.

"Lord Commander" Jon answered meekly.

"And what are you?"

Jon had so multiple answers to that question. A bastard, a father, a lover, a friend, a man. But the answer Mormont wanted was

"A steward, your steward"

"Exactly"

"But Lord Commander, the boys, he's been sacrificing em, leaving them for dead" Jon exclaimed, but the Lord Commander gave a shifty look, not daring to meet Jon's gaze.

"You knew" Jon mumbled, feeling disgusted at the thought that the Lord Commander knew and still stayed with Craster, allowed rangers to stay in his home as guests.

"Of course I knew! But as I said before, Craster is a friend to the Night's Watch, countless rangers have stayed in his keep and will continue to do so as long as you keep your mouth shut and mind yourself" Mormont snapped, before storming away, leaving Jon to tend his wounds.

Robb was heartbroken. Maybe that's what fueled his rage on the attack on the Lannister camp. It was a ruthless battle and although Robb's mind was active, calculating every swing of his sword and every move he made to avoid being cut, he was numb. It was as if he were fighting in a dream. Nothing felt real, he didn't feel real.

Earlier the previous day Robb had received a raven, delivered to him by a messenger from Riverrun. He could still feel the written words echoing in the walls of his mind.

My Dear Robb,

It pains me to leave you in this way. I wish you could be with me but at the same time, I'm glad you are not. I don't want you to see me like this, to remember me in this way. On my deathbed, knowing that I have failed you in every possible way. I'm sorry I didn't make it, and that our child won't either. I wish you the best in life Robb, to find your happiness. I'll be with you every step, we both will. I love you.

~Rhaella

Robb Stark, I am sorry to inform you that your wife and child died during childbirth. Her words were spoken and written down by the maester so they could be delivered to you. Her final request.

Her final request. Died during childbirth. Find your happiness.

All these phrases ran through Robb in a broken loop. He walked away from camp, scroll in his hands and sat down at the base of a tree, somewhere no one would be able to see him. Only then did he cry. Perhaps that was why he was so ruthless in battle, Robb had nothing left to lose. Except for her ghost, something he saw that morning on the battlefield.

Robb was off his horse, swinging his sword at some Lannister soldier when he saw her. As if she were standing right there in the midst of the chaos. A red dress billowing in the wind, along with her white hair. Her lavender eyes watched him in an almost curious manner, but she seemed frightened when he looked back into her eyes. And like that, she was gone.

Robb was talking to one of his officers after the battle, discussing absentmindedly what would be done with the captives. When he saw her ghost again. The same dress, that same look in her eyes. Standing in the middle of the carnage of the battlefield. Robb was so taken aback that he stopped in his tracks and just watched her. But this time she smiled at him and that smile, that smile that made him fall in love with her in the first place, broke his heart.

But she disappeared as the sounds of protests and pleading filled his ears. He glanced down and saw a man pleading with a girl for his leg. A Lannister soldier. Robb instantly moved to kneel down by the man. Placing some leather in his mouth and holding him still as the woman began to saw at the man's leg.

"What's your name?" Robb asked once she had finished.

"Talisa" she answered simply as she was taken away by one of the healing carts.

The boat was peaceful at night, at least on some nights. I was sleeping in the Captain's Quarters. We had boarded a boat Captained by Lord Monell of house Daxam, a friend of Myra's, apparently, he was a cabin boy last time they saw each other and he helped her smuggle herself out of the Iron Islands. Upon boarding and seeing my dragon, Lord Daxam had immediately submitted his ship and his and the crew's services to my needs. Proclaiming me a princess among men. It was flattering, and it meant I had a small following of people, but did I rule them? I wasn't completely sure. During the days I would practice my sword fighting with either Myra or Monell if he was available, Visenya would either stay with Winter, curled up in her soft fur or on my shoulder, digging her small claws tightly into my flesh. But I didn't mind the pain, the pain is what reminded me that I was alive, aside from the numbness I felt on a daily basis. And the nightmares that plagued my dreams.

I was in pain, dread flooded my senses. Something was wrong and I could place what exactly it was. But I was surrounded in shadows that dulled my senses and choked me. I screamed out in pain as the icy cold touch of the shadows surrounded my body and burned me. It seeped into my lungs, making me claw at my own skin. It wanted my fire. Something I would not relinquish.

"Princess!"

I gasped for breath as I was pulled from the dream, frantically taking in my surroundings. I was on a boat, in the Captain's Quarters, tucked warmly into a bed full of furs with a fire roaring. I looked by the fire and saw Winter and Visenya sleeping by the flame. And hovering over me was Monell. With his dark hair and beard and a slight mustache. He was a little younger than Myra and handsome.

"I'm sorry...It was just another bad dream" I mumbled, sitting up slowly in the bed, dressed in only a night shift. Monell sat on the bed and looked me over carefully.

"Are you alright?" he asks softly, reaching for my hand but I pull it back. I had already burned Myra once because of this gesture, I wouldn't burn him as well.

"Fine...and please, don't. I don't want to burn you" I mumbled, holding my hand close to my chest as if I was the one in pain.

"Princess, there is no need to worry about burning me, it is your safety and comfort I care about," he says, moving to stand up.

"No, wait!" I begged, seeing a bit of Jon in his face. He gave me a curious look as I examined him. He was wearing only some baggy pants, no shirt or shoes. He was pale and had brown eyes, like Jon.

"Stay?" I asked. And for a moment my normally guarded demeanor had cracked. I was holding onto that image of Jon, pleading with my mind to make it real. Monell only gave me a soft smile and nodded as I moved the covers, making room for him to climb into bed next to me.

"You're so warm," he said with a happy sigh of relief.

"A Targaryen trait I suppose" I muttered back, moving to my side to face him. Monell has been so easy to talk to these past few days. It was effortless with him like it had been with Jon. I found myself playing games in my mind if Monell was Jon. How different he'd look, what he would sound like and what he would say. It was as if at times Monell knew I was playing this game because he would say and do all the things I thought Jon would. Making me fall deeper into this pit of illusions and dreams.

"Well I like it" he whispered back, smiling at me. I gave a faint smile back and shivered a bit. He may have been warmed by my presence but on the inside, I was still freezing.

"Do you want to move closer to me? It may help with your shivers" he offered, moving the blankets of furs up for me to move closer if I wanted. But could I? Would this be a betrayal? To Jon? To myself? But I looked into his eyes and saw Jon again, the Jon who didn't think me dead. The Jon back at Winterfell who made love to me for the first time. And I gave in.

I moved closer to Monell and allowed myself to lay my head on his chest, making sure my hair made a barrier between any of my skin that might have touched his. I may be cold but I could still burn him on accident. I maneuvered the soft covers so my hand that would normally rest on his chest would be shielded by the fabric. And for what felt like the first time in a very long time, I was able to relax. I closed my eyes and listened to his heart as he moved the covers farther up, covering me completely, aside from my head. I felt his lips brush against my forehead and for a split second, I was back in my chambers at Winterfell, with Jon holding me in my sleep.

Monells arms wrapped around me and held me close as Jon would have. He was starting to win this little game as I wasn't sure if I liked it.

I woke up the next morning feeling safe and content. My head still on Monell's chest from the night before. I moved slightly and felt Monell's arms move a bit, going lax around me, allowing me to move away if I wanted. Jon would have held me tighter, begging me to come back to bed. Maybe Monell wasn't winning after all.

"Good morning Princess," Monell said in a deep, raspy morning voice.

"Good morning Captain" I replied with a small smile, sitting up in the bed. The ringing of a bell drove Monell to sit up as well.

"Land, we must be near Quarth" Monell whispered to himself, getting out of bed and walking towards the door. We didn't exchange any words aside from that, as he left to ready himself for the day. Almost as soon as he left, Myra entered my chambers with a smile.

"We've made it Princess, we've made it to Quarth"

"So it seems" I mumble, getting out of bed myself and preparing to dress in my normal riding pants and shirt.

"No, you need to dress the part of a princess, you need to act like you are these people's princess or they will kill you and take your dragon," Myra told me sternly.

"It's not like I have any dresses to choose from. The only one I had we burned" I remind her, moving towards Winter and Visenya who still slept by the fire.

"Give me an hour after we dock and I'll come back with a dress befitting a Queen," she tells me strategically.

"I don't need a dress Myra, Queens or Princesses don't need dressed to rule, they rule with their minds," I tell her, getting up and continuing to dress.

"As you say Princess" she mumbles, exiting the room. Once I'm dressed, Visenya wakes up and starts her little screech, meaning she wanted to be on my shoulder. I smiled and picked her up, letting her crawl up my arm and onto my right shoulder, opposite of the braid that laid on my left. However some days she would hide in my hair, her silver and white scales made her blend into my hair easily. Making people check for blue eyes in my hair. Winter rose to her feet as well as we walked out of the room and up to the deck of the ship. The crew giving me bows or nods if their hands were busy.

"Princess" Monell greeted me with a humble bow as I approached. I gave a polite nod back as courtesies deemed fit.

"Any word of my sister Captain?" I asked as Visenya sat perched on my shoulder, while Winter moved closer to Monell.

"Actually it is said that the Mother of Dragons arrived in Quarth but two days ago" he answered.

"She has dragons as well?" I ask curiously.

"Indeed, three I've heard. They look much like your little dragon from what the people say" he replies.

"Any idea where she might be?" I continue.

"Well it is rumored that she will be visiting the docks today, in search of a vessel to take her back to Westeros" he explained. I nodded.

"So we wait?"

"So we wait"

It was midday by the time the crowds picked up. By then I had already practiced at swords and changed into a silky pale blue dress, as Myra kept insisting. Now the crowds were starting to pick up and eager crew members talked of the Khalessis' visit, how she was coming closer.

I could feel myself start to panic. What if she didn't believe me? Or accept me as her sister?

"She's coming!" one of Monell's crew shouted. I walked out from below deck and towards the ramp of the ship where anyone wishing to board entered. I had to seem regal, like a true princess.

I stood at the entrance, with Visenya on my right shoulder and Winter standing by my left leg. And then I saw her. Her hair a more golden white where mine was silver. Her eyes a dark grey while mine were purple. She wore almost the exact same silken gown I was wearing. She was about to board out ship when an older looking man whispered in her ear. She looked up at me, shocked, to say the least.

"Who are you?" she shouted up to me.

"Rhaella Targaryen, second of my name and you?" I asked back.

"Daenery's Targaryen, your sister," she told me with a joyous smile. While Visenya screeched on my shoulder.

"It appears you aren't the only mother of dragons" I replied back with a smile.

"It appears I am not. We must speak, I have to know my sister" she tells me with a smile.

"Of course, please we'll speak in the cabin," I tell her, moving so she could board if she wished. She moved to walk forward but the older knight blocked her path, whispering in her ear. She whispered something back and he and the other Dothraki followed her on board.

Once she was within arm's length of me, she pulled me into a hug.

"I feared I would never see you again" she whispered against me.

"Wait, you remember me?" I ask in surprise.

"Bits and pieces, you were only a babe, but I'd remember those eyes anywhere, that vibrant purple. I was but a toddler when we were forced to leave but I do remember you, and what our brother would tell me about you" she explains.

"Our brother, is he here as well?" I ask hopefully. She gives me a regretful smile and links her arm with mine as I lead her down below the ship.

"Come, we have much to discuss"