Hello my lovelies!
Vacation is going well but my day has been crazy. Sorry if this one seems a little shorter than the last but I didn't feel like it would flow right if I made it too long. The next one will be alot longer I promise!
We are getting closer and closer to baby Jonerys and I'm so hyped!
Treason. That was what the last letter he had received said. Another week or two passed since and Jon had not received anything else from the Unsullied. It made him uneasy and kept him on his toes. The closer the got to Daenerys having the baby the more he felt the need to do something about his enemies before they strike.
"They'll most likely arrive at Hardhome, it's a small growing village but it's surrounded by hills on one side and can be perfect for an ambush," Tormund explained as he, Jon, Davos, and a few other clansmen stared at the ever growing map of the true North.
"We could place men around the docks, Your Grace," one of the clansmen added, "Keep the great gate blocked."
"The gates didn't stop wright's it would stop the Unsullied," Jon explained, "These men know nothing but fighting and how to win."
"I know I'm not very educated in the ins and outs of war," Davos put his hands on the table so that he had everyone's attention, "but why fight them? These men are loyal to your wife, our Queen, and they were once her army? If we just had Daenerys speak to them."
"A Northern Queen doesn't need an army of outsiders." One of the men glared, "Bad enough our King has a Southern advisor."
"Davos is part of the reason I'm alive today, he's as much Freefolk as the rest of us," Jon nodded at Davos, who smirked back, "But he is right, a foreign army doesn't look good. We just got Sansa to agree to an alliance with us, the last thing we need is to give her a reason to not trust Daenerys anymore."
"What about that other man, Nario Daharris?" Tormund asked, "What happens when the man who used to fuck your wife shows up at our shores?"
Jon glared at Tormund and rolled his eyes, "Daario Naharis, leader of the Second Sons. I'll deal with him when the time comes. My wife cannot ride, she's too far along for travel, so we are just going to have to hope they can be reasoned with. Or that we have enough men if they can't."
"What are the Second Sons, King Crow?" A Clansmen asked.
"Mercenaries," Jon replied, "Men who fight for money, not honor."
"I should be going with you," Daenerys told Jon while she watched him ready his horse, "If he just saw my face it could stop anything bad from happening."
"Rosemary said you are not fit to ride, Dany, that's why you're already here at the Keep, just in case anything happens." Jon tightened the bag on his horse and then turned back to his wife, "Our child is more important than anything else and I won't put you or them in danger."
"Jon," Daenerys closed the gap between them, her large belly making it hard to wrap her arms around him, "None of this matters if our child doesn't have both parents to take care and raise them."
"And they will," Jon pulled her close by her chin and gave Daenerys a kiss, "I will always come back to you, I promise."
"I know," Daenerys let go and watched Jon mount his horse, "I just hope the letter is enough."
Jon smiled down at her, reaching down to hold her face one more, "It'll be okay, my blood, I promise."
He smiled at her one last time and followed his Clansmen out of the Keep.
The ride from the Keep to Hardhome was not a long one, and they arrived in less than a weeks time. Once there Jon oversaw the preparation and protection of the people at Hardhome. There they met Olfred, the chieftain of Hardhome.
"King Crow," the older man shook Jon's hand as he approached him. He must have been in his late fifties so he wasn't really that old, "Olfred Magnuson, Your Grace, Chieftain here at Hardhome."
"You were here for the Massacre at Hardhome, I remember your face," Jon replied as he shook his hand back.
Olfred smiled faintly and nodded, "After the Night King was truly dead many of us came back to Hardhome to start over. In the beginning, it was tough but we figured if we survived the Endless Winter we'd survive a bit of hard work."
"The work you've done here is impressive," Tormund responded as he looked around at all the new homes and other buildings that have gone up.
"We picked up a lot from our Southern neighbor, and how to build their stone houses," Olfred added as he walked towards the docks with Jon; Tormund and Davos behind them, "Like I said, it hasn't been easy but it's been worth it."
"I'm sorry that we brought our conflict to your shores," Davos explained as he followed behind, "We've been trying hard to squash our problems but for everyone that we seem to solve two more pop up in its place."
"I can imagine is hard being the Crow King of the true North," Olfred glanced at Jon, "You got enemies all over. Especially that Queen of yours. We've heard a lot of rumors."
"Jon and Daenerys are our best chance at a better future," Tormund was quick to defend his brother, "Banding together to follow Mance was a step in the right direction, but Jon won't put us in danger to do stupid shit the way Mance did. I trust this man here with my life."
Olfred turned around and smirked at Jon, "And what says you, King Crow, you think your the man who will lead the Freefolk into a golden age?"
Jon smirked back, "Or die trying."
Olfred let out a big belly laugh, "That's what I like to hear!"
Daenerys had been anxious since Jon had left the Keep, but tried to do some work to keep her mind off of what may or may not be happening. She was in the room with the newborns when Rosemary found her.
"There you are," Rosemary waddled slowly into the room, she was two months ahead of Daenerys but she looked like she would be ready to pop any day now, "Don't make me chase you, I'm too tired to do that."
"I could imagine," Daenerys smiled as she walked away from the babe she was checking up on, "How are you feeling?"
"Ah you know, fat and tired," Rosemary chuckled, "And you? You look like you're about to lose your mind."
"I shouldn't have let him go alone," Daenerys replied, "I should have gone with him."
"You shouldn't ride anymore, you need to relax before the babe comes," Rosemary chuckled as she sat in the nearest chair, "At least, one of us have to."
"Do you worry... about giving birth?" Daenerys asked her as she stood to her side.
"Sure, every birthing is different." Rosemary smiled softly as she rubbed her belly, "First boy was hard; the first one is always hard, second wasn't as bad, but my third… I'll never forget him. He made me bleed so much Ma thought I was going to die. Ripped me up pretty good too, that one had the fattest head." Rosemary chuckled as she thought of her past borns, "Sometimes I wonder what they would've grown up to be like. Hunters? Fighters? Lovers? I'll never know."
"You'll know for this one." Daenerys put her hand on Rosemary's shoulder.
"Aye, I will." Rosemary smiled.
Moments later the door open and into the room came Kinvara, "Your Grace, here you are!"
Daenerys took her hand off Rosemary and out both of them on her belly, "Kinvara, is everything alright?"
"You shouldn't be here, this isn't how it's meant to be," Kinvara sounded a bit frantic, "You should be with Jon Snow at Hardhome."
"No, the Queen cannot ride." Rosemary argued, "Riding is bad for the baby."
"I've found a farmer who will take you on his cart but you need to leave now!" Kinvara explained, "Please, Your Grace."
"What exactly aren't you telling me, Kinvara?" Daenerys voice got stern but her heart seemed to pick up quick.
Kinvara bit her lip but replied, "If you don't stop your army, they will kill your husband and the Lord's plan will night come to fruition."
Daenerys started to breath heavier as the nervousness picked up. She looked over to Rosemary, who didn't seem happy about the idea but nodded okay anyway. Without hesitation, Daenerys rushed out of the room. She would not waste any time getting to her husband.
Sure enough; a few days after arriving at Hardhome, a ship from the East came to the port. It's banners waved a yellow and red sigil with a dagger through the middle, just as Daenerys described the banner of the Second Sons. As the ship docked, at least 40 or more Unsullied came off the ship: including Grey Worm and another man that Jon could only assume was Daario Naharis.
The tall man stared Jon up and down as he stood before him. The two men and their followers keeping their distance. "So, you must be Jon Snow."
"Traitor of our Queen, Daenerys Targaryen." Grey Worm's expression was very hardened. Had there been no one else there Jon is sure that he would have been killed then and there.
"He doesn't look like someone who's paying for Treason," Daario glared at the crown on Jon's head, "Last time I checked, men of the Nights Watch don't wear crowns."
"Jon Snow is King Beyond the Wall now," Davos explained, "And he brings you news from our capital: Snowhome." Davos stepped forward and handed Grey Worm the letter Daenerys had written for them, even sealed with the new Targaryen Sigil.
Grey Worm looked at the letter but did not grab it, "Unsullied not come here to read, they come to bring justice for Daenerys."
"Daenerys is alive," Jon explained, "She's alive and well, and if you put your men back on your ship we'll take you to see her."
"That sounds like a trap, doesn't that sound like a trap to you, old friend?" Daario glanced over to Grey Worm and smiled.
"Yes, it does." With his words, both men drew their swords.
Jon gripped Longclaw tight, but to his left Tormund was already with weapons in hand. "So, this is how you want it to be?"
"We said trial by combat, didn't we?" Daario smirked.
Jon pulled Longclaw from its sheath, "Combat it is then."