As Tyrion led him to the room of the painted table for the war council, Jon thought back to the discussions and terms that he and Tyrion had discussed. While not complete nor binding Tyrion and he had managed to come to a series of terms that Daenaerys would be likely to consent to. A military alliance against House Lannister and their principal allies such as House Frey. A mutual defense treaty against the Others and their legions of the dead. A sworn oath that both kingdoms will march to the aid of the Night's Watch should they call. Official mutual recognition of each other being the rightful monarch of their respective kingdoms. Promises to not militarize the borderlands and marches. No establishment of marcher lords and titles along the border. A promise that Daenaerys would hand over any captured Northmen or Riverlanders who were captured by the Lannisters. A promise that there will be no ban on the Reach sending foodstuffs North during hard winters. A confirmation that Stannis' elevation of House Seaworth to that of a Lordly house will stand and that House Seaworth will owe its fealty for its land and titles to the Iron Throne. That his blade will be allowed to take the heads of Cersei and Jaime Lannister, but their corpses are to be given over to Daenaerys to feed to her dragons. Finally, a promise of marriages to seal a peace and ensure another generation or two of peace between the two Kingdoms. Should Jon's possibly now born child be a boy then he would marry a daughter of Daenaerys and should his child be a girl then she would marry Daenaerys eldest son who would follow Daenerys on the Iron Throne.
Jon thought the last detail would rankle his lords as it may be seen as a step towards bending the knee. But Jon knew otherwise. By ensuring these marriages and that future generations shared blood it would save his kingdom from dragon fire. It would do no good to avoid death by ice, if it only changed their fate to death by fire.
The Unsullied at the door opened the seeing Tyrion leading Jon and his squires towards the room of the painted table. Something Jon had wanted to see his entire life. There was always something that captivated him about the Targaryens and their seat on Dragonstone. Perhaps it had to do with the dreams of Dragons that he had since childhood.
The chamber was massive as he expected. The table's paints faded with time, but it was still a magnificent thing to behold.
In the chamber were an assortment of lords, ladies, sellsword officers, Daenerys sworn men, and even envoys from the Faith of the Seven. Jon recognized most of the sigils. Westrosi sigils such Golden Rose of Tyrell, the golden squid of Greyjoy, the Red Huntsman of Tarly, Grapes of Redwyne, Hightower of Hightower, Seahorse of Velayron, Crabs of Celtigar, Sun & Spear of Martell, the blue hooded Falcon of Fowler, the fighting swans of Swann, Nightingales of House Carron, and the Sun & Moon of Tarth. There were sigils missing that Jon would have expected to be there, particularly among the Dornish. There were no signs of the Daynes or Yronwoods. That was a curious absence.
The Essosi sigils were interesting as well. The Golden Company sigil's were plainly presented
quartered with the arms of whatever noble family the officers claimed from. Though it was clear that the older red-haired man was their Captain-General. The broken bolts of the Stormbreakers were also present. Which reminded Jon of the mission that a pair of Lord Manderly's cousins were sent on. To bring back the sellsword companies of the Rose and Wolf Pack. By no means particularly large companies but they were full of Northmen, and all of the North's sons would be needed for when the Others march on the Wall. Jon would probably owe Lord Wyman or eventually Wendel a betrothal between a future Stark princess and the next Lord of White Harbor.
Jon thought to himself, "Aegon the Dragon was right. A King can never sit easily".
Jon turned to the high chair and noticed a queer sight. It was Daenaerys sitting on the high chair but with a sword in her hands. The scabbard's tip resting against the steps leading to the seat. He did not need to see the blade itself, he recognized the large ruby in its pommel.
It was Blackfyre; the sword of Targaryen Kings since the conquest.
It must have been gifted to Daenaerys by the Golden Company as a sign of their fealty. With the Blackfyre line ended by Barristan the Bold on the Stepstones, their cause was forever lost. But Black or Red, a dragon is still a dragon. Seeing her as their last chance of returning home they must be hedging all of their dreams and hopes on her.
All that she lacked in signs of legitimacy now was the lost crown of Aegon the Conqueror and those within the city of King's Landing itself. Though it would soon be hers.
Daenaerys gave the command for the room to be brought to a silence and had her herald announce Tyrion and Jon's entrance.
Jon noticed the faces of confusion and even anger from some when the herald announced Jon as a King and saw his bronze and iron crown on his head.
Daenaerys said, "Lord Tyrion, as my hand I grant you the honor of proposing the first war plan".
Tyrion gave his own proposal, though Jon did not fail to notice that it was not said the same way Tyrion had said it to him in private. The vengeance was tempered with an emphasis on avoiding excess casualties among the smallfolk. Jon doubted it was a sincere change of heart. He knew his friend still felt the betrayal of the city that he had saved on the Blackwater.
Greyjoy and the Dornishwoman Jon had thought a Martell but who was in truth a Sand gave their voice in opposition to the plan wanting to assault the city and Red Keep. Accusing Tyrion of not having the stomach for war.
The revelation that the Dornishwoman had murdered Tyrion's niece had rankled Jon made him flex his sword hand for good measure. Jon may have hated Joffrey the moment he saw him in Winterfell oh so long ago, but the girl seemed pleasant enough. The revelation that she had also murdered the Prince of Dorne and both the heir and youngest child, had not done her any favors.
As an allied King and not her sworn man, Jon let those sworn to her speak first. Though if Tyrion asked he would present him with the heads of those kinslaying Sands responsible for the murder of Tyrion's niece.
Even for an enemy justice was always worth seeking. That is what his ancestor Cregan had believed.
The Sellswords and Dothraki did give some support to Tyrion. Thinking of the rich plunder from the Westernlands. Though the Captain-General of the Golden Company, pointed out the inherent danger of such a plan. With the Iron fleet still prowling the Sunset and Southern Seas, any voyage would be incredibly risky and even the heavy longships of the Iron Fleet were faster than the comparably few dromons and war galleass that they had with Daenaerys' own fleet.
That made sense to Jon. After Stannis' defeat on the Blackwater the lords of the Narrow Sea had almost no strength at sea and the only fleet that could match the Iron Fleet now was the combined Redwyne and Hightower fleet after the Greyjoys had captured so many ships from the Lannisters after another sack on an unsuspecting Lannisport.
The Hightowers and Redwynes gave their support to the caution advised by the Captain-General. The two Tyrell Lordlings, were waiting quietly listening before they decided to speak.
Words became more heated as other lords and sellsword captains started throwing their support behind one strategy or the other. A knight with the sigil of House Oakheart draws his sword while shouting curses at the Dornishwomen for the murder of his brother. An action that leads to many and more swords being drawn.
Daenaerys shouts, "My Lords! I shall suffer no fighting in my War Council!", she turned to him and said, "King Stark, I require your counsel. You are a renowned warrior and commander, this council shall greatly benefit from your expertise".
Now all eyes were on him, some with eyes that spoke of curiosity and others with distrust and hatred.
He said, "There are both merits and flaws to Lord Tyrion's plan and the course proposed by Lady Greyjoy and the representatives of Sunspear".
Jon sensed one that the youngest of the five Sands was about to interrupt him with some needless objection about their lack of styles and honorifics. He had no time for such interruption, especially from a weakling kinslayer like her. Jon gave her a look and unleashed a targeted burst of his Conqueror's haki. As he sensed, she could not stand against it. She collapsed. The others wary of his power stood silent.
Without missing a beat Jon continued, "Casterly Rock and the West are vulnerable. Their hosts are spread out between the Capital and the Riverlands where they are struggling to help the Frey maintain control. Even if the hosts in the Riverlands returned to the West, they are less than half the size of the host in King's Landing as Cersei needs them to hold the city and enforce her will after destroying the Great Sept. Even with the army there, the city has almost nightly riots from the reports I have heard. But as my lords of Redwyne, Hightower, and the Captain General have stated; the risk of a voyage around Westeros is too much with the Iron Fleet. We also know that Cersei will have to stay in the capital. Tommen's residency in the Red Keep and sitting the Iron Throne are the only signs of legitimacy the boy has. Meaning if he flees he becomes no more than a claimant and a weak one at that given his age and his mother's destruction of the Great Sept. There is a flaw with the planned assault on King's Landing. The city's too well defended. The walls of the city are the strongest of any city in Westeros and within lies the Red Keep, a strong castle with a layered set of defenses. An assault would require weeks of preparation with necessitating the construction of various siege engines. It would also be incredibly bloody. I would hazard as many as ten of your men slain for every Lannister or Gold Cloak slain. The city can't even be properly assaulted from all sides given the harbor still holds many of the shipwrecks from the Battle of the Blackwater. You do have one advantage that no attacker of the city has had since Prince Daemon, you have someone who knows the secrets of the Red Keep and its hidden passages", Jon turned to the bald fat man near Daenerys. If I am not mistaken you were the Master of Whisperers for the Mad King, King Robert, and Joffrey Waters"?
Varys said, "That is correct, your grace".
Jon spied the look of annoyance that flashed across Daenaerys' face, but he would not speak in a manner that made him seem like a vassal than an equal. So he ignored her look.
Jon said, "Then you know the secret passages of the Red Keep and the city".
Varys replied, "I do".
Jon nodded and spoke to everyone, "The best strategy would be to use such knowledge to infiltrate the Red Keep and capture Cersei and her bastard while the main host distracts the soldiers on the walls by making preparations for an assault. Once they are taken, those on the walls will have nought to do but surrender. That is how I liberated Winterfell. With skilled climbers and through passages known only to Starks. I sent men to take the key strong points in the walls and keeps, while my main host met Ramsay Snow outside of Winterfell to give the appearance of nothing was amiss and to save my younger brother. As for the Lannister and Frey hosts in the Riverlands, I have my own host marching down the Neck to lay siege to the Twins so that I may enact my own bloody vengeance for my brother and the others murdered and imprisoned at the Red Wedding".
The room was silent, drinking in his words.
An older man who Jon took to be Sam's own father given the Red Huntsman on the man's green surcoat said, "Your grace, that is a sound stratagem. Perhaps, not the most honorable but sound".
The Captain-General of the Golden Company said, "I concur with the Stark's war plan. A swift decisive blow with little risk to our own men would be an ideal war plan. I know for myself how strong King's Landings' defenses are. Such a plan would save countless on the walls and force a surrender".
The Greyjoy and Dornishwomen begrudged their approval of the plan.
The rose with a cane spoke, "I agree with his grace's plan. There are still enemy hosts throughout the realm and Winter is here. I would rather the hosts of the Reach not die needless deaths".
Jon smiled a wolfish smile, "The Cold Winds are rising to the far North. Death is not something we Northmen fear. But a death at the walls of King's Landing and the Red Keep would serve little and less. The Ironborn prowl the Sunset and Summer seas, and beyond the Wall there is a threat far greater marching on the realms of men. Death is not something my Northmen fear, better a death in battle than one surrounded by snow and ice, with frozen tears on their cheeks. Westeros must be united to face the coming great war. These tyrants and usuperers must be defeated or no nation of Man will live to see the spring".
Daenaerys spoke up and said, "I agree it is a sound plan that would save both our forces and the common people of King's Landing. I decree that we shall follow King Jon's plan. I invite you all to feast with me tonight in the Great Hall before you leave to make your preparations for war. I declare this war council at an end".
Jon was content. He was closer to achieving his objective. Now was the time for war.
