I am slightly disappointed by the reviews that the last chapter got. I really expected more. That was a big chapter in my mind since it told what happened in the past.

Marisares: I suggest looking at a story called "The Last Hope for Westeros" on ao3. It is almost exactly what you described.

Sonata: I agree completely with your first sentence. But, Jon does not blame all Starks and Northerners for what Sansa did. He holds a grude against the northern lords because of how they turned on him and Daenerys.

Jean d'arc: Jon is angry. After what he lost in the old time, he has the right to be so angry. Remember, Daenerys wasn't mad here.

Heads up, I'm not sure I did the part with lord glover right in this chapter. I want to write his speech in a way that makes it clear he's having trouble speaking. That's why you will see incorrect words when glover is talking.

Riverrun

Talisa looked out her window at the dragon. The sun had set an hour ago, and night had fallen. The moon shone brightly in the night sky, and the water was illuminated by it and the stars. Downriver, she could see the outline of Rhaegal. He was lying on the bank, looking like a part of the land at this distance. The only way she knew it was Rhaegal was that she'd watched from her room as Robb and his brother had left. She saw where Rhaegal had landed and knew that was where they set up camp. She had been skeptical they would need a camp, but they had not yet returned. A message had returned to the castle thanks to the Direwolf Grey Wind (it amused her that the direwolf had been used as a messenger, but he had been let in and promptly dropped Robb's letter at her feet) requesting that some more food be sent out to them around dinner time.

Talisa turned away and walked to her bed. Putting a hand to her stomach, she smiled at the feeling of her child. She was starting to get a swell.

"Your papa loves you so much" she said. "So does mama."

After settling down, Talisa let her thoughts drift back to Robb and Jaeheron. She had heard much about him from Robb. However, the young man that came to their camp about half a month ago had not been what she expected. Although, the story he and Bran had told them had explained the change from the boy Robb had grown up with. Talisa wasn't sure why, but she had believed the story of time... travel. As mad as it seemed, she guessed that the dragon was why: seeing a dragon made the impossible seem possible.

Talisa had agreed with Robb when he spoke of what he suspected: Jaeheron had clearly lost someone he cared for. She just hoped Robb could get his brother to be honest about what happened. As far as she was concerned, keeping secrets just brought more pain, and it was clear Jaeheron was in pain. As a healer, she was aware when someone was hurting. She specialized in healing physical wounds, not mental. Therefore, she decided to stay out of this. Robb had the best chance of helping Jaeheron.

A rapid series of knocks broke her out of the line of thoughts she was in. She could hear muffled voices from the door.

"Your grace, with all due respect, you can't do that. The queen was trying to sleep."

"I want to see her!"

Talisa recognized the second voice as Rickon. The youngest Stark child must want something.

"What's going on" she called.

"Talisa, are you awake?"

"Well, of course she's awake NOW!"

Talisa giggled. "You may send him in."

The door opened and in came Rickon. One of the guards at her door also peaked in.

"Your grace, I'm sorry. He just came up to the door and knocked."

"Its ok."

After reassuring the guard it was fine, Talisa patted the side of her and Robb's bed. Rickon came and climbed up on it, laying next to her.

"Rickon, what is this about?" Her goodbrother looked a little sad.

"Well, I'm a little lonely. After fleeing from Winterfell, I often slept next to another person. Before Jon found us, I often had Osha. Then as we were flying south, I stayed next to Jon. But now he is gone, and I am not sure where mother's chambers are."

"Oh, I see. Well, Robb is also gone for the night. I'm sure he wouldn't mind if you stayed."

Rickon looked happy at hearing this. "Thank you, goodsister."

Rickon snuggled under an extra blanket and stared at the queen in the north. "Talisa, do you love Robb?"

She smiled. "Yes I do, very much."

He seemed relieved. "Good. That means you won't kill him while he is trying to sleep."

Talisa was so startled she sat straight up. "I won't what?! What makes you think I would do that?"

"Osha always said that free folk women will kill the man who marries them if they don't like them. They often wait until they're asleep."

"Rickon, I fear Robb is right. You spent way too much time with them."


Deep in the bowls of the castle, a conspiracy was brewing.

Smalljon Umber was sitting with some of the Karstarks and Lord Glover outside of a small cell door. While it was slightly uncomfortable to meet in the dungeons, this was the safest place for what they needed to discuss. While the Smalljon considered the king a friend, it was now clear that Robb was too close to the dragonspawn. He was forgetting the north. He was forgetting what they were fighting for. Therefore, he had gathered the ones currently present to plan how to get rid of the last of the mad king's family here in Westeros. The Karstark bannermen included men named Rickard, Bran, and Wylis.

"The dragonspawn is clearly mad. We need to get rid of him now." Rickard was clearly as angry as Smalljon was.

"I'm not sure he is the mad one. Do you seriously think pissing off a dragon is a wise idea? What makes you think killing the young man won't set the dragon loose on us all?" The one named Bran didn't seem to want to stand against the dragonspawn.

"Thats a chance we are going to need to risk" Smalljon said. "We can't let another mad king take the throne."

"King'll Robb'll wi''''ll not alllllllooow that'll." Lord Glover could no longer talk correctly since Jaeheron had sawed his tongue in half. But all present could tell what he meant.

"Don't be so sure of that" Smalljon replied. "I've seen the way he looks at the mad boy. It's clear he wishes to abdicate and let the mad king's family reassume power."

"I stiiilllll ca'n't bellllieve'll Lyanna went with'll Rhaegar. How'll could she'll do that?! She'll sull'lied the Stark'll name! And'll for what'll?! To sleep with a preetty boy'll prince!"

"I agree with you there, my lord." One of the Karstark bannermen spoke up. "I can't believe the she wolf pissed on us all like that. Running off with a dragonspawn, having his child, how could she reduce herself to that? Her running from Robert Baratheon caused us to spill so much of our blood."

"All for nothing" Wylis bitterly said. "What a whore our beloved she wolf was. If she were still here, I'd rape her before killing her for the insult she made."

"Well, at least you can punish her by killing her spawn" Smalljon said. "A spawn that betrayed us. Helping wildlings invade! I'll kill them all after we're done with the mad boy."

"Agreeeeeddddd" Lord Glover said. "I want'll the'll plllleeeeeasurree'll of doing so myselllllllf! The she wolllf'ss son willll die by my bllladeee. Jussstice for my tongue'll!"

"Are you all mad?! You all seem to forget the young Targaryen is not alone. He has a dragon! That thing roasted and ate lord Karstark! It destroyed the Twins! It wiped out the Lannister army by itself!"

The rest turned to Bran. Smalljon drew his sword and pointed it at him.

"Are you trying to die? Unless you wish to, shut up!"

"Smalljon, enough" Rickard said. "He is not wrong. We can't just discount the dragon."

"We're not" Smalljon said. "But I won't risk a traitor in our midst."

"I'm afraid you already did so" Bran said.

Suddenly, Smalljon found he couldn't move. It was like something was controlling his body. Glancing at the others, it seemed they were also caught in the same predicament. Bran, meanwhile, had a strange smile.

"You all should not have plotted against Jaeheron."

His eyes turned milky white.

"I am not who you thought I was. I am Bran, but not this Bran. I am Bran Stark, I merely borrow this traitor's body. Jaeheron is family and you betrayed us. You betrayed my brother, planned to kill him. For that, you will all die."

Bran drew his sword and walked towards the others. Smalljon tried to raise his sword, but whatever was keeping him still wasn't letting up. He was trapped!

"My warging allows me to control others." Bran seemed to be smug. "Whether I possess someone like this Bran, or only control how one moves, you are all in my grasp now. You should not have plotted against my brother."

Bran raised his sword as he reached Glover.

"As the former king of Westeros, I, Bran of the House of Stark, the three eyed raven, sentence you to die."

In one swift swing, Glover was dead.

Smalljon wanted to cry. Caught off guard like this, there was nothing that could keep him from doing so. Nothing, except the power Bran had used. There was nothing he could do as Bran kept slowly approaching his fellow conspirators to execute them, except wait. Wait for the time to be killed.


Robb was awoken by Grey Wind. His wolf nuzzled him to get up.

"What is it boy?" Robb was slightly groggy from sleep disturbance.

Grey Wind started to nudge him off his mat.

"Ok, ok. I'm up boy."

As Robb stood up, he saw Grey Wind exit the tent. Looking to the side, he saw Jaeheron. His brother was on his mat sleeping peacefully. This brought up memories of what Robb learned of the future his brothers came from.

What a nightmare! How could Sansa do that?! How could she become the same person that that whore Cersei was, or that snake in the grass Littlefinger? As much as he didn't want to do so, the crimes she committed against Jaeheron were too great for him to sympathize with: she had deserved what happened to her. What's more, it was now no wonder Jaeheron had been acting like he was now. If Sansa had caused Robb to kill Talisa, then that would no doubt make him bitter and more willing to react with violence. Especially when the violence was meant for any who betrayed him. Lord Glover, the northmen, the Lannisters, they all had hurt his brother. While he was still uncomfortable with such extreme brutality and ruthless ultimatums, Robb could not deny they were justified in a way. But perhaps...

Grey Wind grabbed his pants leg and tugged. Robb hadn't noticed him enter the tent again.

"Ok boy."

Robb followed his direwolf out. The night sky was full of stars. The moon shined bright, casting a look on the surrounding landscape that made it seem like thick blanket was blocking the sun: there was enough to see out in the dark.

Grey Wind walked a few steps and stopped next to a set of bushes. He just stared at them, as if waiting for some unseen entity to emerge. Robb stepped closer, and suddenly the bushes started to rustle. Then another bush started to shake, and another.

A figure started to emerge. It was a dog of some kind, except...

Robb gasped as he recognized the new arrival. That was no dog! It was a direwolf! A white direwolf!

"Ghost?!"

Jaeheron's trusted companion left the bushes and approached. Soon after, two more direwolves came out. It was Summer and Shaggydog!

"Well, look whose here!"

Robb was ecstatic to see the direwolves, but not as much as Grey Wind was. His direwolf pounced playfully on his white brother. The two started to nuzzle and lick each other, and soon Summer and Shaggydog were in on the fun. It was a pack reunion.

Robb laughed in glee, watching as the brothers got reacquainted.

So to recap, Rickon needs help with normalcy, Glover and Smalljon are now dead thanks to Bran's mastery of Orwellianism, and the direwolf brothers are back together.

Next time, Tywin reaches a true breaking point. Bran also reflects on a secret he's keeping.

More reviews, faster updates. I also really want to hear more on how the last chapter was.