Author's Note: Hi everyone! I hope you all enjoyed the holidays. Sorry for the delay in this chapter, but I hope the length of it makes up for it! Special thanks to darkwolf76 for all her help with this story! Thank you all for your reviews, favorites and follows. I can't believe we're over 1,000 reviews, that blows my mind! Enjoy this chapter :)
Chapter 33: Farewell
Rhaenys surveyed her bedchambers, two hands on her hips. "Well, this is an absolute mess, isn't it," she murmured, one hand moving to her ever growing belly. Clothes, books, papers and miscellaneous items were spread around the room haphazardly as she decided what she needed to pack. "It looks just as scattered as my head feels," she snorted, turning away from the mess and moving to look out the window.
She leaned her shoulder against the wall with a sigh. "I liked being here in Mereen," Rhaenys admitted. She started talking to her unborn baby a little while ago. Even if he or she couldn't understand what she was saying, it felt better to talk about some things out loud. "I like how free I feel. I no longer have to keep all these secrets and I finally, finally feel like I figured out who I am. We would be safer here than we would be in Westeros. Sure we have a dragon, but nobody knows who I am. If we go back and I reveal my true identity they will keep trying to kill me. And if I bring Meraxes back, then even more people will be after us, especially with her being so small."
A small smile crossed her lips. "And yet it's not even a question, is it? Your father is still in Westeros. If being so far away from him has taught me anything it's that I would face Tywin Lannister himself, multiple armies and anything else they can throw at me if it meant being with him again. A part of me has felt like it has been torn away and even though I have learned that I could live without him… I don't want to. Life without him seems meaningless. We have stayed for far too long, little wolf." Her hand began to move in soothing circles. "We should have left as soon as we knew Aunt Danaerys wasn't going to come back with us. Now your father's life may be in danger and I may be too late to stop it. If I lose him - " Her voice broke and she shook her head rapidly.
"I am going to do everything in my power to make sure you meet your Papa," Rhaenys promised fiercely. "Oh, just wait until you meet him. Your Papa is the best person I know. He's kind, loving, honorable, a fierce warrior, a good leader if a bit too trusting at times. One thing I know for certain is that he will be the best father. I've seen the way he looks after his little siblings and I know he's going to love and care for you with every ounce of his being."
"I'm afraid you're going to have to be a bit more patient with me, little wolf." Her smile turned watery. "I don't really remember any of the mother figures in my life and I'm not going to have any idea what to do when you arrive. I can be impatient, untrusting, prideful, and stubborn. I promise you that I'll do the best I can, because I love you more than words can possibly explain and I haven't even met you y-"
She froze, eyes wide at the sudden, fluttering feeling her belly. "Was that - Did you just - " She felt the fluttering again, more noticeable this time since she was paying attention. The tears spilled down her cheeks and a warm feeling spread through her chest. "Hello, little wolf." She whispered, marveling at the life that she was growing inside of her. "I can't wait to meet you."
"Alright, let's go over the plan one more time," Dacey said to Daemon as they swept through the corridors of the pyramid.
Daemon rolled his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. "Bloody hell, Dacey, how many times are we going to go over this? It's not that hard to remember. The only step in your plan is to convince the queen that it's time to return home."
"It's past time," Dacey insisted, shaking her head. "We're just biding our time here. Queen Danaerys hasn't changed her mind about returning to Westeros with us and our Queen gets closer to delivering the heir to the North everyday. I've tried dropping little hints to her for weeks now and I know she's smart enough to pick up on them, but she's choosing to ignore me. It's time to sit her down and make her listen."
Daemon snuck a glance at the determined green eyed woman. "Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe she doesn't want to go back to Westeros? Why else would she be ignoring your not so subtle hints?"
"I think she's scared," Dacey responded, a frown tugging at her lips. "I don't know what happened between her and the king, but it was something big and absolutely awful. I think part of her is scared to face him again."
Daemon frowned at the thought of Rhaenys being scared of anyone. He knew she wasn't the same little girl that he knew back in Dorne. He knew she was a queen now and could handle herself just fine but he still felt this protective instinct flare up inside of him. "How great can this 'King in the North' be if his own wife is scared to return - "
He was abruptly cut off as Dacey spun, green eyes alight as she shoved him against the wall and put her forearm against his throat. "Watch your tongue, Daemon Sand, or I'll rip it out," Dacey warned in a low voice. "Robb Stark is my king and I'll not have you speaking badly of him." Daemon's heart rate picked up, but not because of her threats. Her entire body was pressed against the length of his and he couldn't help it when his eyes flickered down to her lips, only inches away from his own. He swallowed, his mouth suddenly dry.
Frustrated with his reaction, he grabbed the arm across his throat and in one move spun her around so her back was pressed against him, his arms wrapped around her. She struggled for a minute before stiffening against him. "Let's get one thing straight, Dacey," her murmured into her ear. "Stark is your king but Rhaenys will always be my queen. It is she that I am loyal to."
"As am I," Dacey retorted furiously. "After everything we've been through do you honestly doubt my loyalty to the queen? I would give my life to protect her."
Daemon considered this for a moment, then released his hold on her and stepped away. Dacey pushed her hair out of her face, throwing him a glare as she did so. Dacey Mormont never looked more attractive than when she was pissed or annoyed at him. He often teased her so she would look at him just like this.
Dacey was different then all the women he had fucked in the past. She flustered so easily at his jokes and comments, though he thought he noticed some curious glances when she thought he wasn't looking. He would love to have made a move on her but besides the fact that he was pretty sure she was a virgin, he took his duty protecting the queen very seriously and didn't want any distractions or complications.
"We're on the same side," Daemon said, breaking the silence. "I didn't mean to offend. I don't know your king, I just saw how he treated Rhaenys in the short time I was there. I know she loves him, but you can't tell me you agree that she should have to stay behind while everyone else has the chance to fight."
Dacey frowned for a moment, then broke eye contact and turned away. "C'mon. We can't get distracted."
Daemon shook his head, but followed her nonetheless. They paused outside of the queen's bedchamber and Dacey hesitated with her hand hovering in the air. Daemon cocked an eyebrow. "What's the matter? Don't tell me you're nervous! I lost count of the number of times you made me sit through your speech - "
Dacey shot him an annoyed glare. "Gods, you are such a smartass," she muttered under her breath. Daemon hid his smirk as she swiftly raised her fist and knocked on the queen's door.
"Come in!" They heard her call from inside.
Daemon's smirk unconsciously softened as he watched Dacey close her eyes and take a deep, preparatory breath. She pushed the door open and walked inside Rhaenys' bedchambers.
"Your Grace, I'm sorry for disturbing - " Dacey abruptly stopped short, scanning the room with wide eyes. "Are you alright?"
"What in the bloody hell happened in here?" Daemon asked, raising his eyebrow. "Did you lose something? Did Meraxes fly in here again and - "
"Never mind all that," Dacey said, cutting him off with a look. "Your Grace, there's something we'd like to talk to you about."
Rhaenys smiled at them, moving away from the window. "Please, sit," she said, moving several articles of clothing from the couches and gesturing towards it. "You two know that you can talk to me about anything."
Daemon leaned against the arm of the chair, taking a moment to study his queen, his mind still on his conversation with Dacey. He meant what he had said. He'd never spoke to Robb Stark, had only seen him from afar. He knew all he needed to know of Robb Stark. He saw how Rhaenys was before they left Westeros. Hiding behind in a tent to keep her husband happy when she was one of his most lethal fighters and allies. It was like she was hiding herself away for his benefit He'd seen the absolute devastation that she had gone through after saying goodbye to him. He saw how she was unable to sleep and then when she did she was woken by nightmares.
It took several weeks before he saw a real difference in Rhaenys. As they sailed further away from Westeros, Rhaenys began to relax. She smiled more, laughed more and grew into the queen she is today. Still, he saw how her brow furrowed slightly whenever Stark's name was mentioned and it made him like the King in the North less and less.
Rhaenys sat down across from them, her hand going to her stomach as it so often did these days. Being pregnant suited her. Dacey had braided some pieces away from her face, then left the rest of her waves down to brush her shoulders. Her yellow dress was long and flowing, hugging her in all the right places. She looked stunning. And yet, for some reason he preferred his women taller, with emerald green eyes that could cut right through you.
Dacey chose to pace instead of sitting on the offered couch. "Your Grace. I know that you are only just beginning to know your aunt and to discover what you can about dragons."
A sad smile crossed Rhaenys' face. "Dacey."
Dacey didn't seem to hear her, just kept powering on. "I know that we only just got here, but I think that it's time that we head back to Westeros - "
"Dacey - "
"We don't know what's happening back in Westeros, but we could be helping them - "
"Dacey!" Rhaenys interrupted in a loud voice. Dacey froze, looking at her with wide eyes. Once she was sure that she had Dacey's attention, Rhaenys spoke again. "You don't have to convince me. We're going home."
"We - " She blinked, looking nonplussed. "Oh."
Daemon choked down a laugh, his smirk growing. "Are you sure you don't want to hear the rest of her speech?" He asked, unable to hide the amusement in his voice. "She still has several minutes left and it's really quite riveting."
Dacey threw him yet another glare but otherwise ignored him, as she so often did. Rhaenys looked amused as well. "I'm sure it was a very well thought speech, but entirely unnecessary."
"What made you change your mind, Your Grace?" Dacey asked, finally joining him on the couch.
Rhaenys' amusement faded and Daemon caught the worry in her eyes. "Daenerys, actually. She told me that she sometimes has these dreams that end up coming true." She took a deep breath. "She had a dream about Robb and apparently he's in danger."
Dacey leaned forward, an alarmed look on her face. "In danger? How? What was the dream?" Daemon held his tongue, watching the two women carefully.
"There's some sort of celebratory feast but there's blood everywhere and everyone is dead. A man is sitting on a throne, except - " Rhaenys' voice caught and she broke off, looking away from a moment. Her jaw worked and she blinked several times before steeling herself and continuing on. "Except a wolfs head is attached to his body. I questioned Daenerys further and it's a wolf with gray fur and yellow eyes… it's Grey Wind, Dacey."
Daemon could clearly see the fear written in both their eyes. "And we're going to trust that the king is in danger because of a dream?"
Brown eyes met his. "I know how it sounds, but I trust Daenerys. And besides, I've had a similar sort of dream back in Westeros." She voiced a realization that she hadn't dared speak aloud just yet. Two pairs of wide eyes stared back at her. "Before we left I had a dream about a man with the same piercing and dragon tattoo that Aegon has." A tattoo that she had gotten a very good look at recently, much to her chagrin. She didn't give them the chance to speak. "Besides, we've been here too long." She threw up her hands and suddenly stood up, taking over Dacey's pacing. "Maybe we never should have left in the first place. I mean, really, what do we have to show for our journey to the other side of the world? My aunt and her three dragons are staying put in Mereen and we are coming home empty handed."
Daemon frowned. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but wasn't the whole point of us leaving Westeros so that everyone could believe you were dead and to stop the attempts on your life? We said we would find your aunt as someplace to go, but we didn't know that we would find her. You tried to make an alliance with her, you tried to convince her to come back to Westeros with us. It would have been great if we did get that alliance, but that's not why we left in the first place."
"I don't know if Robb and the rest of the northern army will see it that way," Rhaenys responded, sounding worried. Her expression cleared after a moment and she waved her hand. "What's done is done. I'll face whatever consequences I have to when we return to Westeros."
"When are we leaving?" Dacey asked.
"As soon as possible." Rhaenys turned to face them fully. "Small issue with that, however. Daenerys has no ships."
Dacey swore. "No ships? How is that possible?"
"Some of the Meereenese people took several ships and fled when Daenerys' troops were invading and the rest were destroyed. She said she had three of her own, but she had them taken apart to build siege machines."
Now Daemon was frowning. "It could take us ages to find a ship to make it back to Westeros, let alone a decent ship with enough speed to get us back quickly."
"I might be able to help with that." They looked over to see Aegon push the still partially open door open and cross his arms, leaning a shoulder against the doorway.
"Were you eavesdropping on the queen?" Dacey asked disapprovingly.
"Yes," Aegon smirked, looking completely unapologetic. "You really should be more careful, you made it quite easy."
Dacey opened her mouth to speak again, but Rhaenys held up a hand. "What do you mean you might be able to help? Do you have a ship that I don't know about?"
"I don't," he responded, strolling further into the room and taking in the chaos. "But I know somebody who does."
Rhaenys raised an eyebrow. "Who do you know in Meereen?"
"I ran into some old friends down by the fighting pits." He caught the disapproving looks on their faces and shrugged. "I personally just go for the entertainment, but it's a good way to earn money." He continued to circle the room, picking up a few books and checking out the titles before putting them back down. "Apparently there's quite a few people looking for me because I killed Red. He was nobody's favorite captain, but he was bloody good at what he did."
"So these old friends are trying to kill you?"
"They wouldn't be very good friends then would they?" Aegon answered, giving her a weird look. "No, they're not trying to kill me. They were trying to find and warn me of the price on my head. They caught wind of the rumors of multiple dragons around the same time and took a chance. Their captain is the only pirate who knows who I really am." Aegon paused by her desk and picked up a worn piece of parchment curiously. "What's this?"
"What?" Rhaenys gave it a cursory, distracted glance. "That - it's an old letter from Lord Stark - "
"Lord Stark?" Dacey interrupted sharply, standing up and going to Aegon's side. She made to take the letter but paused and looked back at the queen, remembering her place. "May I, Your Grace?"
"Go ahead," Rhaenys answered. "Maybe you can make more sense of it then I can."
Both Aegon and Dacey quickly skimmed the letter. As Dacey kept reading, her frown grew more pronounced. "When did you get this?" She asked, looking up at Rhaenys.
"After he was already dead," Rhaenys said, sounding miserable. "He says that I'll know when the time is right to show the letter and the time never seemed right. I never showed it to Robb or Lady Stark. There's nothing of note in there anyway. All he says is that he thought he was doing what was best for the realm, he's glad I became part of his family and that he loves them."
"Why would a man who's about to die send a letter to his good-daughter instead of his wife or his son?" Daemon asked slowly, tilting his head to the side.
"I've spent almost two years trying to figure out the answer to that question," Rhaenys murmured, a faraway look in her eyes.
"Can I borrow this?" Aegon asked, holding the letter up. "Red and I used to use code in our letters in order to communicate with some of the other ships."
"Sure. The original was destroyed in the fire at the inn, and I've memorized it anyway." Aegon carefully folded the letter and put it into his pocket. "Can we get back to our current issue?" She stood and walked over to Aegon. "Who are these old friends that you ran into? Are they pirates? Can we trust them to take us back to Westeros?"
He leaned back against the desk. "I grew up with their captain after Red rescued me from the streets and I sailed with their crew for a couple of years before Red called me back to his ship. I trust these people with my life. As far as them bringing us back to Westeros, I can ask them."
Rhaenys fell silent for a moment before turning to look at Dacey and Daemon. "What do you two think?"
"Can you really ever trust a pirate?" Daemon asked, giving Aegon a hard look as he did so. Rhaenys might be willing to trust him because he was her brother, but that didn't mean he had to. Someone had to be realistic about who Aegon was. They had no idea what he had been doing since Red picked him up.
Dacey shot him a warning look but Aegon just rolled his eyes. "If this is our only way of getting back to Westeros, I don't know if we have much choice. Daemon and I will accompany you at all times, of course. No exceptions," she added to Aegon with a sidelong glance.
"Of course," Aegon responded, bowing his head slightly as his lips twitched. "I'll reach out to the captain and let you know."
Rhaenys waited until he had left and closed the door behind him before frowning at Daemon. "Don't give me that look Daemon Sand. I already know that you don't trust my brother." He opened his mouth to speak but she kept going. "I know that we haven't had the best start to our relationship, but you weren't there when he apologized the other night. He was open and vulnerable and showed a completely different side to me. I just can't believe that he would lead us into a trap set by his pirate friends. Besides, this might be my last couple of days with him, I don't think that he will be returning with us to Westeros."
Dacey's face with sympathetic at the sad, heartbroken look on the queen's. "It was nice of him to offer to help us out," she said. She didn't like the way Aegon treated the queen anymore than he did, but as always, she attempted to bridge the gap between Daemon and Rhaenys. "He didn't have to do that. He might not be a very good brother but I don't believe he wishes you any physical harm."
Rhaenys gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you, Dacey. While we wait for Aegon, you both should begin to pack your things. We aim to leave as soon as possible."
"I still can't believe you're leaving," Daenerys said, settling on the bench next to Rhaenys. "Does it make me a terrible person if I don't want you to go?" Rhaenys looked at her aunt and was happily surprised to see genuine sadness reflecting in her purple eyes. Most of her long silver blonde hair was pulled back in intricate braids but soft pieces framed her beautiful delicate face. This woman was younger than her by several years, but she was always so poised and put together that Rhaenys felt like a frazzled nobody next to her. "You're the first friend I've ever had," Daenerys admitted with a self-conscious smile.
Once again, Rhaenys was struck by how different their childhoods had been. How different would she have turned out to be if she had had normal kids her own age instead of a mad older brother feeding her lies. Rhaenys smiled at her, reaching out and grasping Daenerys' hand. "I consider you a friend too, Dany." She squeezed her hand once before releasing it. "If I'm being honest, a part of me doesn't want to leave either. I feel uneasy leaving you now that the Sons of the Harpy are going after your Unsullied."
"I will be fine," Daenerys said, waving away her concern. "I'm more worried about you returning to a war ridden Westeros."
Rhaenys tried to make her feel better. "Don't be silly, you've seen me fight. You know I can handle myself just fine."
Daenerys rolled her eyes. "I know you can, but it's not just you anymore," she responded gently, glancing pointedly down at Rhaenys' small bump.
"That's true." The smile faded from Rhaenys' face as she looked down, her hand lightly tracing over her stomach.
"Rhaenys?" Daenerys shifted closer, peering at her face in concern. "Are you alright?"
All of the feelings that she had been pushing to the side since deciding to go home suddenly formed a knot in her chest. She wanted to tell her aunt everything that she had been holding inside. She didn't want to burden Aegon with her feelings and it didn't feel right to talk to Daemon and Dacey about it either. She was supposed to be a queen - she didn't want them to doubt her in any way.
"I'm scared," she blurted, surprising even herself.
Daenerys frowned. "About the baby?"
Rhaenys snorted in a very un-queenlike fashion. "That's been an underlying concern since I found out I was pregnant. In this moment, though, I'm more scared of my husband's reaction to my homecoming."
"I… I don't understand," Daenerys confessed, looking confused. "From what you've told me, you have a pretty decent relationship with your husband. I thought you said he was a good man."
"No, he is!" Rhaenys said quickly. "Robb is kind, loyal, strong, smart and will do anything to keep his family safe. He makes me feel…" She trailed off, struggling to find the right words. "He makes me want to be a better person. A person who is deserving of him. Sorry," she chuckled, shaking her head. "It's hard to put into words what I feel for him. Love doesn't feel like enough. I'm halfway around the world and yet my heart is still with him in Westeros." She paused again, the ache in her chest growing. Gods, she missed him so much. "We didn't leave on the best of terms, and it's really all my fault." She looked down to where her fingers were playing with the fabric of her dress. "My marriage to Robb was arranged by our parents and it was not what I had wanted. For the first part of our marriage I drank moon tea in order to avoid having children, something that is frequently done in Dorne." Robb's heartbroken look of hurt and sadness appeared in her mind and she felt wretched all over again. "I fought it, but I ended up falling in love with him and eventually stopped taking the moon tea. It didn't matter though, because he found the ingredients and said - said some pretty awful things. Things that were all deserved because I had been keeping secrets from him our entire marriage. The moon tea, my real identity, Meraxes' dragon egg…." She shook her head, looking up at Daenerys with wide eyes. "What if we head back to Westeros and he isn't able forgive me?"
Daenerys turned to face her more fully, looking thoughtful. "Well… you are not only carrying his unborn child, but also the heir to the North's throne. From what I gather, he didn't know that you were pregnant before you left."
"I didn't even know."
"This child ties the two of you together whether you like it or not. But even so, your Robb sounds like the kind of man that would allow you to apologize and try to win his trust back. It might take some time but if you both love each other as much as you say you do and you both put the effort in, then I think the two of you can make it work."
Rhaenys stared at her for moment. "You know, Dany, you can be very wise for your age."
Daenerys let out a loud, tinkling laugh. "In some ways, I suppose. In other ways, I still feel like a young girl." She looked up at Rhaenys uncertainly. "You know, I have been asking Ser Barristan questions about my family - my brother, my mother… but especially my father."
Rhaenys' eyebrows shot up in surprise. "You have? How has that been going?"
Daenerys smiled humorlessly. "It's been difficult to hear. The only knowledge of my family that I had came from my brother and now I'm finding out that almost everything he said is a lie and that he must have had the same madness that my father did. My mother though… Ser Barristan says that my mother was good and kind and that she loved her children. He says that I remind him of her."
"I had a memory about your parents, you know," Rhaenys shared, thinking back to the memory that had surfaced when speaking with the Kingslayer. "They were meeting Aegon for the first time. Your father complained about me being too Dornish, but your mother always smiled at me and I remember her giving nice hugs."
"Thank you," Daenerys whispered, reaching out and grasping Rhaenys' hand again. Her violet eyes were wet with unshed tears. "Thank you for sharing that."
Rhaenys held her hand tightly, swallowing her own lump in her throat. "I've been questioning whether making this journey was the right choice," she admitted. "Maybe it was completely selfish of me and maybe I was running from the problems that Robb and I were having. All of that is probably true, but still, I find myself glad that I have met you and gotten the chance to know you. Even if it was only for a short while."
Daenerys stood, surprising them both by pulling her in for a hug. "Me too," she murmured, squeezing her tightly. "Hopefully one day I'll be able to meet my great niece or nephew."
Rhaenys smiled sadly as they pulled apart, and a look of understanding passed between them. At this moment, they were parting as friends. The next time they met, however, it could very likely be from across a battlefield. Daenerys had made it pretty clear that if and when she made it to Westeros, she would seek to rule all seven kingdoms. Rhaenys also knew that Robb wanted the North to be free and independent.
"Promise me that when you land in Westeros you'll reach out me to first," Rhaenys said impulsively. "I know we couldn't create an alliance during my time here, but perhaps we'll be able to the next time that we meet."
"I promise," Daenerys smiled, violet eyes twinkling. "Come. I have a gift for you." Frowning slightly, Rhaenys followed her back inside of her private chambers as Daenerys led her to the sitting area. There was a small package wrapped in cloth laying on the table. "Go on," Daenerys urged, gesturing towards it with an eager look on her face. "Open it."
Rhaenys looked up at her aunt one more time before moving closer to the package. Feeling oddly curious, she slowly unwrapped the cloth. "Oh," Rhaenys gasped, her mouth parting in surprise. "Oh Dany, it's beautiful."
With careful fingers, Rhaenys picked up the silver circlet. The design in the middle caught her attention immediately. A small dragon's head with a ruby red eye faced a direwolf with a gray eye, their noses almost touching. Lines crossed and intertwined around the band, bigger versions of the red and gray gems alternating throughout.
"A crown befitting a queen," Daenerys mused. She moved closer, tracing a finger over the dragon. "So you remember the family you came from," she said softly before moving her finger to the wolf. "And the family that you have now."
"I - I don't know what to say," Rhaenys stammered, feeling incredibly touched. "Thank you, Dany."
"You're very welcome," Daenerys smiled. "Here, let's see it on you." She picked up the circlet with two hands and Rhaenys bent her knees slightly so she could lift it onto her head. Daenerys' smile widened as she stepped back to view it. Looking incredibly pleased, she took Rhaenys' hand and pulled her over to the large looking glass hanging on the wall.
The circlet fit perfectly, sitting high on her forehead and resting lightly on her hair. Rhaenys stared at herself in the mirror, feeling both emotional and detached at the same time. As if she were viewing herself from the outside. Between the circlet, her hair falling in waves to her shoulders, and her belly slightly protruding from her flowing dress she realized she had never looked more soft and feminine. She had been training with her uncle for most of her life, so her body had always been lean and fit. A small part of her mind wondered if she looked like her mother in this moment.
The thought brought a huge lump in her throat and she had to blink several times in order to stop the tears from spilling over. Once she had a handle on herself, she spoke. "I had a crown once - it seems like a lifetime ago. Like it belonged to a different person."
"People change," Daenerys told her comfortingly. "Gods know I did. I cringe when I think back to the naive little girl that I used to be. You're returning to Westeros a changed woman. You're returning as Rhaenys Targaryen, the Queen in the North. The child you carry within you is both a dragon and a wolf, the likes of which Westeros has never seen."
"A child of ice and fire," Rhaenys murmured, hands resting protectively over her stomach. The words rang a note within her that felt both right and true.
"My queen." They both turned to see Grey Worm and another Unsullied soldier standing at the top of the staircase, their hands clasped behind their backs.
"Grey Worm," Daenerys greeted with a smile, moving toward them. "Is this the man that you chose, then?"
"It is, my queen." Grey Worm gestured to the man standing next to him. "This is Maro, one of my best men. He is strong, a fierce fighter and men listen to him."
"Hello, Maro," Daenerys smiled, stopping in front of him. He bowed his head respectfully to her. His skin was a shade darker than Grey Worms, his hair shaved as close to the scalp as possible. His brown eyes were round, his nose broad. His face, like the face of every other Unsullied, was stoic, his expression disciplined. Danerys turned, waving her forward. Rhaenys moved toward her, hiding a confused frown. "Do you know who this is, Maro?"
Maro shared an uncertain glance with Grey Worm. "This one does not speak the Common Tongue."
Frowning slightly, Daenerys glanced at Rhaenys. "Do you speak Valyrian?"
"Gaoman. Nyke vēttan sure naejot gūrēñagon se udrir hen ñuha lentor." I do. I made sure to learn the language of my family.
Looking pleased, Daenerys made the switch to Valyrian. "This is Queen Rhaenys Targaryen of Westeros," Daenerys proclaimed, a proud note audible in her voice. "She's family, one of only two family members that I have left. I would like you to accompany her on her journey back to Westeros. They are heading towards war and I want you to fight by her side and make sure she and her unborn child come to no harm. If you agree, you would be leaving Mereen and serving a different queen."
"I would be honored to protect my queen's family," he answered, bringing his right fist to his chest.
"Thank you, Maro. I need you and Grey Worm to find one hundred of your best fighters to accompany you on your journey."
"At once, my queen," Maro answered, bowing once more before he and Grey Worm turned and headed back down the stairs.
"Thank you, Dany," Rhaenys murmured, feeling incredibly touched and grateful.
"It's my pleasure."
"Which ship is it?" Rhaenys asked Aegon as they approached Mereen's dock. It was a beautiful day - the sky was blue and the sun was shining down on them. Rhaenys felt a trickle of sweat drip down between her shoulder blades. She glanced behind them to see Dacey and Daemon trailing behind them. She wanted to trust her brother, but both Dacey and Daemon had put seeds of doubt into her head. They had their swords strapped to their waists and even Rhaenys had a small dagger strapped to her outer thigh.
"That one right there," Aegon said, pointing. "The Burning Rose."
Rhaenys followed his finger and saw a large ship bobbing up and down slightly, anchored at the end of the dock. She had a vivid flashback of the last time she had been on a ship - she had spent most of the journey with her head either over the side of the rail or in a bucket, getting violently sick. She really, really hoped that didn't happen on the way back to Westeros.
"Oi! Asher!" They both looked up to see a figure appear over the side of the ship. It waved enthusiastically before bounding down the ramp and heading towards them. Rhaenys caught a glimpse of a handsome young man with brown eyes and a wide grin before he enveloped Aegon in a tight hug. He pulled back after a moment, holding Aegon at arms length. "It's good to see you alive and well, my friend." Several strands of brown hair were escaping the clip at the back of his neck and he brushed them back impatiently.
"It's good to see you too, Ty. It's been too long." Rhaenys watched her brother with interest, noting the genuine happiness on his face.
Ty's eyes landed on hers and his eyes lit up, his smile turning into a smirk. "Hello there." He took her hand, pressing a slow kiss to the back of it. "Wow. If the gods made anything more perfect than you, they must have kept it to themselves."
Rhaenys' eyebrows show up as she let out a surprised, tinkling laugh. "Does that line often work for you?"
"That depends - is it working for you?"
"Afraid not," Rhaenys answered in a sad voice, though she was still smiling. "I'm a married woman carrying my husband's child," she told him, patting her bump.
"And she's my sister," Aegon added, a stern, disapproving undercurrent to his voice. "Even if she weren't married, she's off limits. I'd tell you I'd kick your ass if you touch her, but she's more than capable of doing that herself."
Ty's smile never left his face, but he held up both hands. "Apologies. Sister, huh?" He said, his gaze traveling from Aegon's pale skin, silver blonde hair and purple eyes to Rhaenys' dark skin tone, black hair and brown eyes. "I don't see it. Maybe in the shape of your faces?" He shrugged. "Since when do you have a sister?"
"I've always had a sister, I just thought she was dead. We recently found each other again."
"Am I right to assume that you are the captain of The Burning Rose?" Rhaenys asked, trying to get the conversation back on track.
Ty snorted, shaking his head but before he could answer, a feminine voice spoke from behind him. "You would be wrong." A woman with long blonde hair came striding toward them. She cut a striking figure - different feathers and beads were braided into her hair and she was wearing a long white shirt with a black corset, black breeches and tall boots, a sword strapped to her side. "This is my ship, which makes me captain. You must be Asher's sister," she said, her eyes flicking up to the circlet on Rhaenys' head.
"Yes, this is Rhaenys," Aegon said, stepping forward to make introductions. "Rhaenys this is Captain Sirylea and Tylar, her first mate. And I thought I told you I'm going by Aegon now. Did you tell the rest of the crew?"
"Aye, something about a rebellion, an attempt on your life as a babe, and people who would kill you if they found out who you really were," Ty said, waving his hand dismissively.
"Yeah, something like that," Aegon snorted, rolling his eyes.
"These are my companions." Rhaenys turned and waved Dacey and Daemon forward. "Lady Dacey Mormont and Ser Daemon Sand." Ty's face lit up as Dacey came into view, causing Daemon to scowl. Rhaenys quickly continued before he could say anything. "I appreciate your assistance in helping my companions and I return home, Captain Sirylea."
"It's no big deal," Sirylea smirked, glancing over at Aegon. "We sailed here to make sure Aegon was alright and to ask him to join our crew again since half the pirate world is out there looking for him. As for transporting all of you… I owed him a favor. After this trip, our slate is clean."
Rhaenys raised an eyebrow, glancing between the two of them. The way they looked at each other… was there some sort of history there? "That's a pretty big favor."
"Well, he did save her life," Ty cut in.
"Anyway," Sirylea said loudly, giving Ty a look. "We're happy to have you. All of your soldiers are settled in - a little cramped down there, but they don't seem like the type to complain. Your trunks were also brought to your rooms, Ty can show you where they are. You two women will have to share a room as well as you two men."
Aegon and Daemon shared an unhappy look, but Rhaenys blinked, realizing what this meant. "Wait," she blurted, turning towards her brother. "You're coming with us?"
Aegon looked slightly confused. "Yes, I'll be accompanying you back to Westeros and making sure you get there safely. Did you think I was staying here?"
"I - well - I guess we didn't talk about it!" Rhaenys spluttered. "I just figured that given our rocky start and the fact that our aunt and Viserion was still here that you were going to stay. Oh, this makes me so happy!"
She threw her arms around him without thinking and he patted her back after a moment's hesitation, looking slightly uncomfortable. Rhaenys pulled back quickly, face burning. "I brought up Viserion and I thought Daenerys was going to have Drogon eat me on the spot. I may be his rider one day, but she is his mother as she made perfectly clear."
"Speaking of dragons," Dacey murmured. Several loud screeches sounded from up above them and everyone's heads tipped up to see the four dragons circling above them. A small smile crossed Rhaenys' lips as she caught sight of Meraxes, still slightly smaller than the rest of them. Everyday that Rhaenys saw her miracle dragon, a thrill of excitement and disbelief would go through her. She had to keep reminding herself that Meraxes was real and she was hers.
"By the gods." Rhaenys looked around to see a look of awe and wonder on Ty's face, his eyes wide and his mouth hanging open.
"You didn't mention anything about dragons," Sirylea hissed, glaring at Aegon.
"Not dragons," he assured her, stressing the plural. "Just one dragon."
"I'm going to go check to make sure everything is on the ship," Daemon whispered to her with an amused glance between the two arguing pirates.
Movement caught Rhaenys' eye and she turned to see Daenerys approaching, Ser Barristan by her side. She was glad to see that there were at least two dozen Unsullied soldiers forming a protective ring around her. Tensions within Mereen were currently at an all time high. Ever since Daenerys abolished slavery, the Sons of the Harpy started attacking at night, leaving a bloody harpy over their victims. From just the walk from the pyramids to the ship, Rhaenys could tell that the citizens of Mereen were incredibly uneasy. Even now they gave Daenerys a wide berth, shooting her glances that were filled with a mixture of fear and uncertainty. Give her a one on one fight with a sword over these faceless murderers attacking under the cover of darkness any day.
"Your Grace," Rhaenys greeted with a smile. She moved to meet her at the edge of the pier, Dacey trailing behind her. "I didn't expect to see you here. You didn't need to come all this way."
"We wanted to come see you off," Daenerys said, her eyes looking up at the dragons circling above them.
"Meraxes is going to miss them," Rhaenys murmured sadly, acknowledging the fear that she dared not voice aloud. What if Meraxes refused to come home with her? She had grown used to hunting, fighting and playing with Drogon, Rhaegal and Viserion. She fit in with them seamlessly - would she want to leave them behind to go to Westeros where she would be the only one of her kind and most likely hunted.
"This is not the last time they will see each other," Daenerys reassured her, putting her hand on her arm. She sounded so confident and so sure, that Rhaenys desperately wanted to believe her. "I'm going to say farewell to Aegon first."
Ser Barristan stepped forward as she walked away. "Your Grace." Blue eyes twinkling, he took her right hand and bent to press a kiss to the back of it. "It has been a pleasure to meet you. I am truly honored to have gotten the chance to get to know Prince Rhaegar's children."
"The honor was all mine. My brother Quentyn used to pretend to be a knight just like you when we were growing up." Rhaenys fell silent for a moment, her eyes falling on Daenerys, where she was having what looked like a very heated, one-sided conversation with Aegon and Captain Sirylea. "Keep her safe, Ser Barristan," Rhaenys said, glancing over at him. "Protect her with your sword, but guide her with your experience as well. You have served many kings, you've seen them at their best and at their worst. Don't let her make the same mistakes that her father made."
Ser Barristan straightened and nodded solemnly. "I swear it. I know you can protect yourself, but you're in good hands as well. Your two companions are young, but they both excel at swordsmanship and seem to be very loyal to you." The corner of Rhaenys' mouth lifted as she caught the pleased, slightly flustered look on Dacey's face. "Good luck to you and your little prince or princess, Your Grace. I hope we meet again soon."
"As do I," Rhaenys said, smiling gratefully up at the old man. "Farewell, Ser Barristan."
"Did you hear that?" Dacey hissed in her ear as they began to walk towards the others. "Barristan the Bold just said that I excelled at swordsmanship! Can you believe it?"
Rhaenys chuckled at the obvious bounce in Dacey's step. "What he says is true, Dacey, you're very talented with a sword." Dacey didn't seem to hear her. She was glowing, practically floating on air with a faraway look in her eye.
Shaking her head in amusement, Rhaenys approached Daenerys her brows drawing together as she recognized the steely, stern tone to her voice. Aegon looked uncomfortable once more, but Sirylea had her arms crossed defensively. " - and if any harm comes to the queen, her unborn child or her brother I will find you," she threatened, drawing herself up to her full height. Loud screeches came from above them. Rhaegal and Viserion, feeling their mother's mood change dropped lower and began to circle over them, while Drogon and Meraxes dropped on either side of them. To her credit, Captain Sirylea didn't flinch back in fear, though the blood noticeably drained from her face. Even though Drogon and Meraxes weren't fully grown, between the teeth and the spikes and the fact that they were dragons could be terrifying and intimidating. "I will hunt you down no matter where you are and have my children burn you until the flesh melts from your body and your bones blacken to a crisp."
"Alright!" Rhaenys interjected loudly, stepping forward. She shot Daenerys a quick look, but her aunt's violet eyes were wide and innocent looking. Rhaenys felt oddly flattered at the lengths that Daenerys would go to in order to threaten the pirate captain, though it was a little disconcerting to think about whether she was serious or not. "Thank you, Captain. We'll join you on the ship in a minute."
Sirylea shot Daenerys a glare as she turned to leave, but Drogon let out a low, rumbling growl, smoke emitting from his nostrils. She jumped slightly, sidestepping the fearsome dragon before hurrying toward the ship.
"I'll give you all a moment," Dacey murmured respectively, moving towards the ship to give the Targaryen family some privacy.
"Dany - " Rhaenys began disapprovingly.
Daenerys waved a hand dismissively. "Oh, stop, it needed to be done. Now, have a safe journey back to Westeros. Try not to kill each other on the way," she chided gently, looking at Aegon pointedly before pulling him in for a tight hug.
"You're supposed to be our aunt, not our mother," Aegon grumbled, looking disgruntled. Nevertheless, he returned the hug, rolling his eyes at Rhaenys over her shoulder.
"Maybe if you behaved like an adult, I wouldn't have to." Daenerys grinned, winking at Rhaenys before hugging her as well. "Goodbye Rhaenys. Goodbye, little one," she murmured, pressing a hand to Rhaenys' stomach.
Rhaenys swallowed the lump in her throat, but couldn't stop her voice from wobbling. "Goodbye, Daenerys." Smiling sadly, Daenerys straightened again and this time turned to Meraxes, who pressed her snout to her outstretched hand. "Fly straight and true. Keep them safe, Meraxes." A humming noise came from Meraxes' chest as if to say that she would.
Taking a deep breath and hating the fact that she had to say goodbye to a part of her family, Rhaenys squeezed her hand one more time before turning and heading towards the ship with Aegon. "Come on, Meraxes." Meraxes gave an answering screech, before taking to the air with Drogon on her heels.
"You alright?" Aegon asked her quietly, glancing over at her.
Rhaenys climbed the ramp onto the ship, her chest heavy. She felt sadder leaving Daenerys behind then she thought she would. She had only known her for a short while, but she had come to care for her greatly. "I'm fine," she assured him. "I just hate goodbyes."
"Maybe Daenerys is right," Aegon shrugged. "Maybe we'll see each other again soon."
Rhaenys nodded, though she didn't look convinced. Aegon went to find Sirylea and Rhaenys headed towards the stern of the ship to where she spotted Dacey and Daemon waiting for her. "I want to thank both of you," Rhaenys murmured, reaching out and grabbing one of their hands in her own. "I honestly don't know where I would be without you two. You've protected me, advised me and have been there for me every step of the way. I want you to know that I consider you both more than just my unofficial queensguard. I consider you to be my friends - my family."
Dacey's green eyes looked more watery than usual. "Thank you, Your Grace, you really don't have to - "
"Yes she does," Daemon joked, a playful smile on his lips. "Go ahead, keep going about how you can't live without us."
Rhaenys chuckled as Dacey rolled her eyes. "Well, I mean it. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart." She squeezed both of their hands tightly as she tried to pour all her love and gratitude into them. "I know it's been a long journey and I know it hasn't been an easy one, but it's not going to get any easier from here. We have to travel all the way back to Westeros to find Robb and I'm not sure what we're going to find when we get there. He could be hurt or in danger or…" She trailed off, looking away and swallowing hard.
Dacey tilted her head to the side, looking slightly confused. "We're with you, Your Grace," Dacey said, sounding as if this should be obvious.
Daemon nodded, looking uncharacteristically sincere. "Every step of the way, no matter what," he added in a soft voice.
There was a flurry of movement and shouting on the ship and Rhaenys let go of their hands, using the distraction to surreptitiously wipe the corner of her eye. She moved to look out over the stern as the ship began to move and saw Daenerys and Ser Barristan on the dock, both smiling and waving in her direction. Rhaenys lifted a hand in return to wave back and made a promise to herself in that moment.
No matter when Daenerys made her way to Westeros, no matter what their positions were, she would make the effort to sit down and talk to Daenerys and attempt to create another alliance.
With the size of her army and three dragons versus Meraxes… Rhaenys didn't even want to think about the implications.
Speaking of dragons… Rhaenys looked up, searching the skies, and found that her pearly white dragon had soared high above them, joining the other three. She watched Meraxes flip and soar through the clouds as the wind caught the sails and the ship began to pick up speed.
Rhaenys continued to watch her dragon, her mind wandering. She thought back to when she had first left Westeros. She remembered feeling so free, so excited about the possibility of finding her aunt and her dragons. Looking back, that version of herself seemed naive, childish and once again, she felt like she had changed. She felt…. older. More mature, in some ways. It took possibly losing her husband, faking her death, finding her brother and her aunt and traveling halfway across the world, but she finally understood what she wanted out of her life.
She wanted Robb. She wanted to grow old with her husband in Winterfell surrounded by their children. Starting with you, little wolf, she thought with a small smile, slowly rubbing a hand over her belly. She was going to do everything it took to win Robb and his trust back and then she was going to fight by his side to free the North, retake Winterfell and help him truly become the King in the North. She wanted her children to grow up in a country without wars; a country that was at peace.
Rhaenys was startled out of her thoughts by several loud cries of distress. Looking around, she didn't see Dacey or Daemon anywhere, just the crew members hurrying about the deck. Several of them were looking up at the sky and pointing. She followed their gaze and saw the four dragons flying above them. Rhaegal was farthest away, so far she could barely see him, but Viserion was awfully close.
He let out a mournful cry again, causing the crew to flinch, covering their ears and hurrying away in fear. The cream colored dragon dropped lower again, wings beating steadily. His golden eyes met hers and this time he let out a roar so loud and full of frustration that Rhaenys' hair blew back from her face. Rhaenys' own eyes were wide, her heart galloping in her chest as she shook her head in bewilderment. "What - I'm sorry, I don't know what you - "
"Viserion!" Rhaenys' head snapped around and she saw Aegon hurrying across the deck. At the sight of him, Viserion seemed to calm down, landing on the railing of the ship. She inwardly winced at the sound of wood splintering under his claws and knew that the captain wouldn't be happy about this.
Rhaenys watched, riveted, as Aegon stopped in front of Viserion, reaching out and putting a hand on his forehead. "I'm sorry, Viserion, but you can't come with me. Your mother needs you." Viserion let out an answering screech, shaking out his head and wings. "Right now your place is with Drogon and Rhaegal." His voice dropped down as he pressed his own forehead against the dragon's. "I'll miss you, but we shall see each other again. Now go," he commanded, stepping back. He patted him one more time, then gave him a gentle push. "Go on, go back to your mother."
Golden eyes narrowing to slits, Viserion tilted his head back so that his black teeth were visible and roared, loosing flame into the air. He leapt into the air, his powerful wings helping him climb rapidly into the air. Rhaenys watched him soar away without looking back and cautiously stepped closer to her brother, peering up at him in concern. "Aegon? Are - are you - " She broke off at yet another commotion up in the air. Meraxes and Drogon seemed to be… fighting. "Oh gods, what are they doing?" She gasped, subconsciously reaching out and gripping Aegon's arm.
She watched, heart in her throat as they clawed and spewed fire at each other. Meraxes flipped and dived to avoid Drogon's black and red flame and twisted in mid air, sending her own flame after him. White clashed against black, one going on the attack and then the other, moving so quickly that sometimes Rhaenys had trouble following. The whole ordeal lasted less than a minute, and then suddenly, Drogon was flying away to join his brothers.
Meraxes let out a piercing cry, wings flapping but keeping her in place as she stared after him. "Meraxes!" Rhaenys called, trying to get her attention so she could check her out for injuries. Meraxes' head tilted in her direction, so Rhaenys knew she heard her, but instead of flying towards her, she abruptly turned and headed in the opposite direction.
Feeling incredibly confused and a little hurt, Rhaenys could only stare after her with her mouth ajar. "Looks like the dragons are having just as hard a time saying goodbye as we are," Aegon mused, his tone melancholy. He surprised her by putting a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Don't worry, Rhaenys, she'll come back. She just needs some time to cool off."
Once again, Theon found himself in a dark, creepy room. Large webs hung from the corners of the stone walls and the entire room smelled of death. Fog crept forward from the oddly lit doorway that Theon just couldn't tear his gaze away from.
His heart pounded so hard that he could feel it reverberating throughout his entire body. The room was freezing and yet he felt a cold trickle of sweat dripping down his back. He knew what was coming and would do anything to avoid it. He made to stand up and flee, but found that he was tied to the chair with thick, iron chains.
"No," he gasped, struggling frantically. "No! Let me out, I don't want to be here! Please!" He froze as a dark figure filled the doorway and absolute panic filled him. "No, no, no, no, no - "
A pale, ghostly figure of his father drifted into the room as if floating on the fog. "There he is," his father sneered. "My son and heir to the Iron Islands. "What a fucking disappointment you are. I give you one simple task and what do you do? You take it upon yourself to claim Winterfell as your own. Well, boy? How did that work out for you? You are no son of mine," he spat, disgust written all over his face.
Theon's struggling only increased as his father's figure moved into further into the room to make room for the person behind him. Little Bran Stark came struggling into the room. Theon stared down at him, horrified as the boy clawed his way forward, slithering on the floor with his legs trailing uselessly behind him. "You promised me," Bran accused, both hurt and anger in his voice. "You promised me that no harm would come to them. How could you do that Theon? I thought you liked us. I thought you were part of our family."
"Lord Stark took me from my family!" Theon raged, still struggling against the chains. He knew it was useless to argue with the figures, but he found he couldn't help it. "I was a hostage! I was a hostage the entire time I was in Winterfell!"
Ser Rodrik Cassel was next and Theon couldn't help but feel nauseated when he saw him. Blood was pouring from the horrific, botched wounds on his neck. "Theon Turncloak," Ser Rodrik greeted. Theon flinched at the nickname. "You are going to rot in the deepest pits of hell, you fucking traitor. I trained you to fight, I helped raise you alongside those Stark children and how do you repay us? You turn on the only family that ever treated you with any amount of decency and respect! You betrayed the Starks, you betrayed me and not only did you kill me, but you weren't even able to do it in one clean swing."
Theon wrenched his mouth open angrily to protest once more but suddenly there was a gag in his mouth and he couldn't do anything but listen. He tried to close his eyes because he knew who was coming next but found that he couldn't. Ned Stark slowly entered the room, sad disappointment radiating off him in waves. Theon's stomach turned, vomit crawling up his throat. "What happened, Theon?" Lord Stark asked, shaking his head. "Where did I go wrong? I fed you, I clothed you, I raised you alongside my children. Did I not show you enough affection? Is there something that I could have done differently that would have stopped you from betraying us?"
"You're wasting your breath, father." Tears of shame filled his eyes as Robb strode into the room, looking down at him with cold eyes. "Theon was always a Greyjoy." His father snorted at that. "He was never my brother or my best friend and I was wrong to put my trust and faith in him. Wherever you are, Theon Turncloak, I hope that you are somewhere that I will never be able to find you, because if we come face to face ever again I promise you that your death will be slow and incredibly painful."
Theon shook his head rapidly, tears streaming down his face. The figures moved closer and closer, whispering awful and threatening things. He tried screaming that he was sorry, that they should kill him, anything to get them to stop, but they never did. They tortured him over and over and over until -
Theon gasped himself awake, sitting bolt upright in bed as he stared around the room with wild eyes. He thought he could still see the ghostly figures standing around the bed but when he rubbed his eyes frantically they were gone. He stared around one of the underground rooms of the Mole's Town brothel with that sinking, heavy feeling. This room looked just as shitty as he felt.
He had traveled here all the way from Winterfell, mostly on foot, in the freezing cold and snow. He had to hide and sneak around to avoid the people that were looking for him, but he had finally made it to Mole's Town. He had immediately staggered for the run down shack with the red lantern on the door after learning it was the brothel. If he was going to be taking the black, then he was going to have as much sex as possible before they figuratively chopped his balls off.
The vision of Robb's accusatory gaze appeared in his mind and his head began pounding again. He quickly stumbled out of bed, naked, and poured himself another glass of ale. He chugged it, grimacing at the poor quality before tossing the cup on the table. The clattering noise woke the women in his bed and she rolled over with a grunt. Theon's eyes trailed up the bare leg and ass cheek poking out through the sheets and felt himself grow hard once more.
He downed another cup of ale, trying to dull any and all feelings inside of him before climbing back into the bed. He threw the sheets off of the woman, whose name he could not remember for the life of him, and smacked her ass. "Wake up," he ordered roughly, grasping and lifting her hips up. He knelt behind her, nudging her legs open and sliding into her in one smooth move. She gasped, her eyes snapping open in surprise. The appropriate noises began spilling out of her mouth as he began pounding into her and Theon closed his eyes letting them wash over him. He wished he could lose himself in sex and alcohol like this forever, but knew it was not meant to be.
All too soon he had finished and was reluctantly putting his clothes back on, layer after layer. "Are you sure you must go so soon, m'lord?" The woman asked from where she was laying languidly on the bed. Theon glanced at her. He had fucked better looking and better skilled women in his time, but she was the best this sorry excuse for a brothel had to offer.
"Unfortunately, I must. I've been here two days already and I'm due to take the black and join the Night's Watch."
"Then I expect you'll be visiting me again soon," she grinned. At his perplexed look, she went on. "Men of the Night's Watch come around here all the time. I doubt there's a man out there who's truly celibate."
Well, this was certainly interesting news. Theon felt his spirits lift some. Maybe the Wall wouldn't be so bad if he could still get off every once in a while. He'd have to remember to ask his fellow brothers about that. "You should be so lucky to see me again," Theon smirked, shrugging on his cloak. He quickly drank one more cup of ale, gathered his pack and glanced back at the bed. "Well, thanks…" he trailed off, her name eluding him.
"Zei," she provided, frowning slightly.
"Right. See you around." He left his payment on the table and left the whore on the bed and trudged up the cellar steps. He nodded to the fat man who sat in the brothel shack and exited outside. The cold wind bit into him and he immediately started cursing under his breath, pulling up the hood and thrusting his hands into the gloves.
Mole's Town didn't look like much from where he stood, but he had learned that most of the town was actually underground. There were cellars and vaults all over the town, connected together by tunnels. It was quite ingenious really, as it was much warmer underground than above.
Theon bit back a sigh before trudging through the snow and left Mole's Town. The Wall came into view once more and he found himself staring at it. He had heard how big it was, of course, but hearing about it and seeing it were two different things. The seven hundred foot wall of ice was both awe inspiring and intimidating.
He wrenched his eyes away, putting his head down and moving forward, lost in his thoughts. He pushed away the self-loathing, fear and his recurring nightmares and focused instead on Castle Black. He had no doubt that he would move quickly through whatever ranks they had. He was an excellent archer and swordsman and he had no doubt that people would follow him. It would probably be a year or two, but he knew he could be Lord Commander and rebuild the pitiful Night's Watch.
Sooner than he thought possible, he was standing outside the gates of Castle Black. "Halt!" A voice called from the tower. "Who goes there?"
Theon looked up at the vague figure and cleared his throat. "My name is Theon Greyjoy. I've come to take the black."
A knock sounded at the door to Rhaenys and Dacey's room and Rhaenys looked up from where she was organizing her belongings. "Come in!" She called.
Aegon entered the small room, taking it in with a sweep of his gaze. There wasn't much to it. Two beds were set up opposite each other taking up most of the space. There was a small table and a chair in the corner and only enough room for hers and Dacey's trunks. He carefully closed the door behind him and she moved several of her books so that he could sit beside her on the bed.
"I figured out the code in Lord Stark's letter." Rhaenys froze, the books in her hand forgotten as she stared up at him uncomprehendingly. It took a moment for her to understand what he was saying and her gaze slowly dropped to the parchment in his hand. "With everything going on I couldn't find a good time to show it to you. I went through a few of the different ways that Red and I used to communicate with the other ships and I'm pretty sure I solved it, though I don't know what it means. If you look at the letter, I took the first letter of every sentence and I…" Aegon's voice faded into the background as she slowly reached out and took the letter from him. These were Lord Stark's last words, words that he had meant her to see, words that he must have risked everything for.
Her hands trembled slightly as she unrolled the parchment and she felt so breathless she thought she might pass out. She recognized Lord Stark's words written in her handwriting, belatedly realizing that Aegon had circled the first letter of each sentence, but her gaze dropped down to the bottom where two words were written in capital letters.
HOWLAND REED
Author's Note: And the letter is finally solved! Some of you had guessed it earlier on, so kudos to you. Rhaenys and company are officially on their way back to Westeros! Last chapter a couple of you mentioned that Rhaenys' trip was a huge waste of time and I hope I managed to change your minds after this chapter. The whole reason she left Westeros in the first place was to fake her death and keep herself and everyone she loves safe. Although she wasn't able to make an alliance with Dany, she forms a relationship with her. Finally, she left Westeros as Maliya Martell and is now fully embracing the Targaryen side of her. She finally knows who she is and what she wants, so I'd like to think this journey helped her character development.
Anything you guys wants to see from Rhaenys and Robb? A reunion? Robb marrying someone else? A huge fight scene? A successful or failed Red Wedding?
Please leave a review and let me know what you think! They motivate me to write faster :)
Guest: I really like that idea! Unfortunately, Dany isn't quite ready to leave Mereen, so Rhaenys will be returning solo. Any thoughts on what you'd like her return to look like? Thanks for taking the time to review!
Guest 2: It's happeningggg! I love writing the Aegon/Rhaenys bonding scenes, I'm so glad you're liking them too. Aegon meeting Oberyn - that's an interesting thought! I'll keep that in mind as the story goes on!
Guest 3: So glad you liked the chapter! So I'm assuming you want Robb to live lol. As for who I'm going to pair with Dany - I don't like spoilers, so my lips are sealed! Also, my plot ideas for further down the road are always changing and fluctuating.