Chapter 2 Gathering the Pieces
Even as the cries anointing Daenerys Targaryen their Queen began to fade the monstrous task before them was only beginning to wash over them. They are in the middle of a destroyed castle in the middle of the war of the Five Kings, they had no allies at the moment and they where deep within possibly enemy land. A Targaryen would be seen as an enemy by every King in the field and aside from the force they had here they had nothing. Still they held Winterfell and they had work to do, first of which was getting people feed. This task proved easier than expected, when Winterfell was sacked the Boltons had cleared out all the food and everything of value, leaving the castle mostly empty. This would have been a major issue for the newly arrived occupants however when Bran had transported them to the past he had brought their horses, their horses had been attached to carts ready to be pulled out of Winterfell in a retreat south to White Harbor. These carts where stacked high with food, that had been stored up from all over the North and was more than enough to see to their needs. Other carts had supplies ranging from armor and weapons to lumber and tools to cloths and blankets. Among the carts where multiple heavily armored charts containing gold and silver, a fortune of money from the Northern houses and carts brought North by Daenerys as her royal treasury.
Teams of people were put at work, even in their tired state they went to work, unloading the carts refilling the granaries of Winterfell even as the ovens began to be heated up and food was being prepared. They lacked furniture, that hadn't been packed but that didn't concern people as they were just happy not to be dead. Multiple carpenters where already at work on that task making tables and beds out of the lumber they had. They had been refugees turned soldiers during the battle and now where doing something they were used to. The forges where already relight and raw metal was being heated up for nails and other items. Still others simply rested and found out who was among the living.
While the food was being prepared others went to work removing the dead left behind by the Boltons, these dead where thrown for the most part onto a funeral pile outside the gate to be burned later. A small handful those who had been Stark men who died defending Winterfell where laid respectfully to one side, they would be burned just like the Iron Born left up by the Boltons as a warning, but they would be shown more respect.
"Walls all seam good." said Jon as he rode beside a handful of lords and an elderly commoner man who was a stone mason. The mansion was studying the wall and pointing out small bits of damage here and there and while he was a commoner and not used to even riding a horse, he had skills Jon didn't have.
"Aye, my grace...walls are very good." said the mason, eyeing Ghost who padded along beside Jon's horse. The direwolf while not as big as a threat as a full-grown dragon was still the size of a large pony and had razor sharp teeth which could and had ripped a man's throat out. "Could use a good cleaning to get rid of some of those burn marks from the fires but aside from the tops of those towers we can handle it with ease."
"Good, get what man you need to help you and get to work." said Jon "There is some stone in a storeroom in the old keep, I don't think the Boltons would have taken stones."
"I will see my grace." said the elderly Mason as he moved off slowly back toward the castle. Jon hoped that the Boltons hadn't taken those stones, he recalled Eddard had kept a storeroom of stone to be used for repairs of the castle or to throw at an enemy in a siege. They were now on the Southern wall of Winterfell, the massive stone walls looked untouched by any damage from the attack from the Boltons, there were some stone towers at the corners which had their roofs burned down but they saw that within the courtyard so it wasn't worth bringing up.
"Stone doesn't burn...well not without a lot of dragon fire, Harrenhal is proof of that." answered Lord Royce of Runestone as Drogo flew to a resting spot beside one of the walls. The dragons seamed to like that spot. "The roof repairs will not take long and the old keep looks untouched by the Boltons and it will serve until the repairs are done to the rest of the castle."
Jon turned his gaze to the oldest part of Winterfell, the old keep was the most ancient part of the castle and had held the Kings of Winter for hundreds of years until one of the many King Brans had built the newer addition to the castle. He couldn't remember if it was Bran the 7th or the 8th which had built the new addition, there was at least 15 kings of Winter named Bran possibly more Maester Luwin and other Maesters theorized that Brandon the builder which founded house stark and lived for hundreds of years was a series of kings of Winter all named Bran. He could ask their Bran for that information; he would know but he didn't really care all that much. He was more focused on more pressing issues.
The newer addition laid more to the North and the old keep which had become nothing more then a fall back position, a castle within a castle and guest quarters for when Winterfell filled up most often in Winter. It was also where they wagon containing all their supplies had been kept during the battle against the dead. He lifted his eyes to the top to see the Dire wolf of House Stark flying from the roof as well as the Moon and Falcon of house Aryan, however from an even taller post flew the red three headed red dragon of house Targaryen.
"It has been a many of years since I looked upon that banner with pride." stated Royce as he followed Jon's eyes up to the Targaryen banner. "Our grace has given me respect for that ancient house, she isn't like her father that is for sure."
"Aye." confirmed Jon as Lord Royce rode closer to the much younger man.
"I know you are concerned about your relationship with our grace." whispered Lord Royce as Jon's eyes widened, he had been thinking about that but not in the way Lord Royce was likely thinking. "We all know how…close you two are. It doesn't take an Arch Measter to see that something is worrying you and I can guess it is because of our new situation. She is a Queen, a beautiful Queen and you are no longer King in the North, your brother Robb is. She could make an alliance with any of the living 5 kings and find herself in a position of high power in Westeros but fear not. I can see in her eyes and in yours that you two love each other."
"But I am…" started Jon only to stop as Lord Royce raised a hand to stop him.
"Lord Jon please allow me to speak informally for a moment. I knew your father since he was in his teens living as a ward of Lord Arryn, I hunted and hawked with him multiple times. I even trained him and Robert in the yard at times. I knew him well and I will give you the same advice about our grace that I believe Lord Eddard would give you if he was still with us." said Royce as he placed his hand on the younger man's shoulders. "If you love her and she loves you, then nothing else matters in the end. You can overcome anything else in your way if you two keep that in mind and work together."
Jon let out a deep breath and relaxed a bit as he looked at the flapping banners of house Targaryen and House Stark.
"I will take your advice Lord Royce…" said Jon "Thank you."
"Not a problem my Lord." Said Royce as he patted Jon's shoulder making him feel for a moment like a boy not a man past his 23rd name day. "It is what your father would have done."
While Jon was riding around Winterfell taking measure of the walls Daenerys followed Sansa Stark deep under the old Keep of Winterfell. She wasn't alone, behind her was her constant protector Sir Jorah Mormont and with Sansa was her protector Sir Brienne of Tarth. For her part Daenerys wasn't sure why she was down in this part of Winterfell, she hadn't been down here while they were in their own time and she had no idea what lied before her in the old passages. The passages themselves seamed old and not maintained as well as the upper passages but there was still signs of upkeep and it wasn't as if she was walking through mud with crumbling walls. It was more of cobwebs, dust and empty holders on the walls for torches.
"We are under the old keep, one of the oldest parts of Winterfell." explained Sansa as she held a torch as she moved forward down the hall. "It is actually older than some of the upper crypts because the newer part of the castle was built over the crypts which were outside the ancient walls. However down here is something we could use to lift everyone spirits."
"What is that?" inquired Daenerys as they reached a series of large oaken doors. Sansa didn't answer instead she pushed the door open to show a large empty bath chamber, in the center was a currently drained stone tub which had to be capable of holding 50 people at any one time. Daenerys walked in and looked around at the old chamber, the walls where dark with the scorch marks for wall mounted torchers but overall it was nice.
"There are six more of this size with an additional 10 private baths located to the side." explained Sansa "We don't normally use them aside from within Winter when the population of Winterfell and the Winter Town outside our walls fill up. Helps keep the cold away if you can take a hot warm bath. With what everyone has gone through maybe a warm bath would raise everyone spirit."
"Agreed, getting and keeping the water warm will be an issue." stated Daenerys, she had been in baths like this in the free cities, they had large rooms under the baths to heat massive fires to keep the water warm. "But it can be done, we have scrap wood to burn from the remains of the towers."
Sansa chuckled a bit as Daenerys looked at her, confused.
"Sorry your grace but Winterfell was built over a natural hot spring, the walls have pipes going through them like veins and that keeps it warm in winter." explained Sansa as she walked over to a small wooden plug hammered deep into the stone beside the bath. "Sir Brienne if you would?"
"Of course, my lady." Said Brienne as she pulled a dagger and drove it deep into the plug, she pulled it out breaking away wax which helped hold it tight. When she did water began to flow out. To Daenary's amazement it was already steaming, she reached out and touched it and confirmed that it was hot water.
"All we have to do is open some old pipes and it will fill up with warm water. A little gift from the founder of house Stark Brandon the builder, he designed the system thousands of years ago and it is still working." explained Sansa as water began to run down into the bath washing away dirt before it disappeared into a drain. "Jon didn't have time to show you this with all our preparations for battle too much to do."
Daenerys nodded her head but remained silent remained distant as she paused for a moment looking at the water thinking.
"Sir Jorah, Sir Brienne will you please wait outside." requested Daenerys as the two knights looked at each other and then at the other two women. Sansa for her part looked slightly confused but nodded her consent before the two knights went outside closing the thick oaken door behind them leaving the two women alone, as the water slowly began to fill up the bath. "Lady Stark, I wish to speak to you as a normal women, not a Queen to a Lady, but I will request what I say here doesn't leave the room."
"Alright." said Sansa as Daenerys nodded her head and let out a sigh.
"I messed up and I may have driven Jon away." said Daenerys, this was something she would normally had spoken with Messisandie about but this but she was focused on dealing with the orphans and helping the civilians. "I assume you know about me and Jon."
"Remember or talk before the battle and to be honest, the entire castle knows about the two of you." answered Sansa as Daenerys mentally hit herself for forgetting their last talk. "And I wouldn't be concerned about my brother, he forgives easily and with all the pressure with the upcoming battle with the dead. We all make mistakes, hell he forgive me for not telling him about the Vale army before the battle of the Basterds. Wish I could forgive myself for that mistake. Like I said don't worry about my brother, he loves you and he…"
"That is the thing…" said Daenerys as she took a breath. "Jon isn't your brother."
This caused Sansa to pause and look at her for a moment.
"Half Brother by blood but he is still…" started Sansa
"He is your cousin." corrected Daenerys as Sansa looked at her. "Jon told me before the battle, he had just found out. His mother was your Aunt Lyanna and his father…."
"Rheagar...Rheagar Targaryen" finished Sansa as her eyes widened at the news. "Your brother."
"Aye, my brother never raped your aunt, they ran away together and got married, that makes Jon the true heir to the Iron Throne. His name isn't even Jon, it is Aegon." confirmed Daenerys as Sansa lowered her head processing the information. "It also makes me his Aunt even though I am likely younger than him. Not a huge deal to me, before I was married off to Khal Drogo I expected to marry my brother, it is what house Targaryen does."
"To keep the blood of the Dragon Pure, but that isn't how Jon was raised." said Sansa as Daenerys nodded her head as she looked at the filling pool of water. It was now deep enough that she couldn't see the bottom.
"When he told me, I was a fool, I told him that he had a better claim to the throne then me. I must of come off so focus on the throne, that damn chair I haven't even seen it and Jon must have thought I wanted it more than him." admitted Daenerys with a shake of her head fighting back tears of anger at her own stupidity. "I shouldn't have focused on the throne but for a brief moment, I actually though Jon's claim would be a threat to me. I should have trusted him, he proclaimed me Queen in the Godswood even after what I did, I should have trusted him."
"Yes, you should of." confirmed Sansa as Daenerys looked at her through watery eyes. "But everyone makes mistakes and you have lost nothing in the end. Just talk to Jon, come to an understanding and admit you made a mistake. If he can forgive me for all the horrible things, I did to him while we were growing up he can forgive you for being upset when he dropped something like that before a battle. Hell, he should have waited until after the battle."
"But I am his Aunt, that will…."
"Will change nothing." finished Sansa before giving her a reassuring smile. "By blood you may be his Aunt, but the two of you were never raised as blood relatives, he and I are cousins by blood but he is my brother in my heart and I am sure he sees me as his sister. Give him some time and he will come back to you."
Daenerys nodded her head.
"Thank you." said Daenerys
"Don't thank me yet, Jon doesn't want the throne I know that but others may still want him over you. Because he is a male for no other reason." admitted Sansa as she took a breath. "We will need to find a way to address that issue for sure. If I may ask who all knows?"
"Beside you? Bran and Sam." answered Daenerys not adding Jon or herself because it was clear they knew.
"Alright, we will need to bring some others in on this." said Sansa as her mind began to work through the problem, the years with Little Finger and her time in Kings Landing had given her a gift for dealing with political issues. Still this challenge was beyond her ability to handle alone. "Tyrion for sure, he is your hand, Arya because Jon will want her to know, Varys as well. Sam and Bran have the information so they should be there to explain it. Maybe others who can be trusted with this information."
"I'll assembly a small council some time soon, right now we have a lot to do. Also I want to talk to Jon about this." said Daenerys as she turned her attention back to the baths. "Six baths like these and 10 private baths you say?"
"Aye." confirmed Sansa
"Alright, two for the women and children, two for the commoner men, one for the unsullied and another for the noble men." said Daenerys as Sansa nodded her head. "There aren't many noble women here, they can have the private baths."
The people who were still alive where gathering in the courtyard, many more then Sir Davos Seaworth though would have lived through the battle. He overheard talk about how small bands of men and women held even smaller pockets of space within Winterfell from the dead. A lot had large groups of survivors had been either held up in the old keep or other small towers where they were able to funnel the dead into a bottle neck and hold them off for a time. All of them knew that they were going to die, but now there where here in the past. As soldiers did they began to swap stories telling each other what they had seen and heroic stories began to rise to the fore front, stories about Daenerys firing down on the undead with her dragon, of Arya knocking down the dead wielding some kind of staff, Jon on foot striking down undead with longclaw, the stand of the Vale knights on the left, the Wildlings and Norths men fighting side by side and back to back and the discipline of the Unsullied. It was quickly becoming a legend and the men and women who before had only been allied based off the oaths of their lords became true friends and allies. Davos watched as Northern soldiers who would have stabbed a wildling without a second though shared food with them and same Westeros who spat at the Unsullied and the Dothraki now looked at each other with respect. It went the other way as well, Unsullied began to admit the fighting spirit of the Westeros knight even if they lacked discipline in their eyes and the Dothraki showed respect to the men in the iron suits as they called them. A brotherhood had joined these groups together, a brotherhood formed in battle and now they were all stuck in the past together. As he moved among the living he saw a figure dressed in red silk robes which didn't belong this far North or this side of the Narrow Sea.
"Lady Mellisandre?" stated Davos as he moved up to the Red Priestess of the Lord of Light.
"Ser Davos." said Mellisandre her voice weak and breaking as if she struggled to breath. "Come to kill me?"
"No, not my intent at least I thought you said you would be dead by dawn." Admitted Davos as he looked up at the bright sky, he would say it was past midday but not far past midday. "I am surprise to see you alive."
"I am surprised myself." admitted Mellisandre as she looked at her hand. "The Lord of light may have some plans for me if I am still alive, I should be dead but he has gifted my life with new fire to keep going when I burned all my life force to do the magic to buy us time."
"Well, I don't know about the lord of light but Bran said he took power from past selves to heal people." Admitted Davos
"Bran Stark…the Three Eyed Raven." said Mellisandre with some distain in her voice, "A symbol of a false god and an emery of the Lord of Light."
"Yet he used his magic to save you, to save all of us to give us a chance against a larger threat." countered Davos "Hard to say he is an enemy to your god now."
"Perhaps." admitted Mellisandre
"You know I should cut you down where you sit, however that would raise a lot of questions about why I am killing you after what you did. I have heard the stories about you being spread by the men. The red priestess who light a thousand swords that charged into the night, which burned the trench buying time. Killing you would not be welcomed in any way. But you committed a crime and you were banished from the North only to come back."
"Yes, I burned Sheerin Baratheon as a sacrifice to the Lord of Light." said Mellisandre as Davos tightened his hand around his sword, he wanted to pull it and take the red witches head off. The red priestess suddenly looked Davos right in the eyes. He paused his anger cooling slightly as he looked into those eyes, the pain there was something he had never seen before. "But she isn't a sacrifice."
"What are you talking about?" inquired Davos
"Sheerin, she is still alive right now on Dragonstone with her father, mother and I recall you being there as well." Stated Melisandre as Davos realized that as well, Stannis was also alive, his eldest son was still dead but he had never heard from his wife and other sons in the Stormlands since heading North. "If we are right after the battle of the black water then she is still alive. So are a lot of people, the young wolf Robb Stark, King Stannis, King Jefferey so many people are still alive who we saw die."
"This is such a mess." Admitted Davos as he sat down beside Mellisandre. "I swore an oath to follow Jon, he is a good man for sure but Stannis is my King he raised me from nothing to where I am. Then he did that to his own daughter…"
"He did, but he hasn't done those things yet." stated Mellisandre "Does he still hold your loyalty, Onion Knight or does the Dragon Queen and her Wolf King?"
In one of the meeting halls Tyrion Lannister stood by a table which while not destroyed by the Boltons, it had multiple cuts in it from where an ax had bite into the hardwood of the table. In fact an Ax head was still in the table, a broken handle on the floor. The user must have broken the ax and decided not to mess with pulling it out. Jaimie had and now used the ax head to hold down a map of Westeros with multiple small wooden markers on them.
"If I recall at this time, the Northern Army is on the march to the Twins and their date with the Red Wedding." said Tyrion as he pointed as best he could to the wooden Dire Wolf marker south of the Twins.
"The Boltons hold Harrenhal and the Riverlords hold other position across the Riverlands. Smaller forces hold the Ruby Ford and a dozen other fords across Red and Blue Fork of the Trident." added Jaimie as he pointed the positions as best as he could remember them. Varys added markers to each spot even putting down which Northern and Riverlord houses held each ford. Tryion didn't know if the Spy Master was correct but he would bet his last dragon he was correct. "Father's main army has been joined by the Tyrells and the other houses of Reach at Kings Landing for Joffrey's Wedding. There is a smaller force at the Goldentooth and at the Rock but neither of them move until after the war is over. If I recall another forces was being planned to be raised at Highgarden but it never formed due to the Red Wedding."
"The Greyjoys hold Moat Cailin and several smaller castle along the Western shore of the North." Added Varys "Stannis forces are regrouping at Dragonstone and he will soon attempt to go to Braavos to get gold to hire free companies to fight for him."
"Well that will not happen." said Tyrion "Davos knows when he sailed for Bravos and his route we can have some of Lord Manderly's ships intercept him and take him on route."
"A wise move to remove one of the threats but maybe a more peaceful method should be used." Inquired Varys "Lord Stannis never wanted the throne, he never really wanted to rebel against the mad king but he followed his brother's orders. It may be possible to get him to bend the knee to our Queen."
"Maybe, but he may think that her grace will burn him. He is the brother of the man who took her throne." Stated Jaimie
"And you're the man who killed her father and you're not burnt meat." Stated Tyrion with a slight laugh. "Still maybe another demonstration would be in order, we have Davos and Melisandre they could advice him to bend the knee. Give him lordship of Storm's End and he may be happy enough to bend the knee."
"There Gendry to consider." added Varys as Tyrion nodded his head in agreement and Jaimie looked at him slightly confused.
"Gendry, is Robert's bastard son which is with us now." explained Tyrion "Good kid, reminds me of Robert but without the womanizing ways and not as high on himself."
"Well he is bastard born, so he doesn't have the name of one of the great houses behind his name so that explains the more humble ways." noted Jaimie, he had been around Robert enough that he couldn't imagine a humble Robert Baratheon. "The womanizing ways is kind of surprising considering his father."
"Well he is in a relationship with Lady Arya Stark." added Varys as Tyrion laughed a bit.
"Well then he may be afraid to do anything to get on her bad side." Laughed Tyrion as he turned back to the map. "Well we may be able to remove Stannis from the field, maybe even get him to bend the knee to our Queen. Father, the Greyjoys and even the Starks will be an issue."
"Well we have four Starks siding with our Queen, they should be able to convince the others to bend the knee and embrace the Dragon Queen." Added Jaimie "Saving the Northsman from the Red Wedding will help a lot, if I recall Lord Mandrels own heir was at the Red Wedding."
"Correct, along with either the fathers or heirs to many Northern Lord and Lady here who have bent the knee to our grace." Confirmed Varys
"That has me worried, some of the Lords may turn back to Robb now." Admitted Tyrion
"Normally I would agree with you lord hand but not so here, it took seeing the army of the dead to get the Northerns here to embrace our Queen." countered Varys
"The Northerns are basically split at the moment, we have White Harbor because of Lord Mandry and that gives us a lot of power and the about half the North is also loyal to us now." Added Varys "But there is still a lot of North not with us. A show of our Queen's good graces could help, removing the Iron Man from Moat Cailin and the Stoney Shore will help. If I didn't know that Robb Stark was already married and that our Queen wouldn't go for a marriage alliance with him, I would recommend that."
"Well a marriage to Snow might work just as well." Said Jaimie, even he had seen the two young people looking at each other and how they acted. "He is the brother to a King."
"Could work." Said Tryion, not sure if it would as a knock at the door cause all three men to look up.
"Enter." said Jaimie as a women entered.
"Excuses me, my lords but her grace Queen Daenerys and Lady Sansa Stark have opened up the baths under the old keep for everyone to use to clean up after the battle." explained the women "They are available when you want them my lords."
"Thank you." said Tyrion as the women nodded her head and headed out.
"Another wise move by our Queen." said Varys
"I am not sure." countered Tyrion as Varys looked at him. "I believe this is Sansa's move not our Queen, I don't know how our Grace would have known about those baths but it is still a good move. Get everyone clean, relax and buy time for the kitchen to make some food for the feast tonight all in one go."
Down to the South the people of Kings Landing for the most part carried on with their day as if nothing was happening. The streets where full of people buying food which had come up from the Reach and the banners of House Tyrell and House Lannister flew side by side under the much larger personal banner of King Joffrey Baratheon which was the golden lion of Lannister and the crown Stag of House Baratheon. While the people where carrying on with their day, the high lords and ladies inside the Red keep an emergency meeting of the small council was taking place.
"How could she disappear like that!" yelled Joffrey as the young king moved back and forth like a caged animal. "I want her found!"
"And we will find her." reassured his mother Cersei as she looked toward her father. "Where is Varys?"
"Nowhere to be found." answered Lord Tywin Lannister "It is unknown if this is one of his normal disappearance or if he suffered the same fate as Lady Stark and my son Tyrion."
"Two people disappeared for sure, maybe a third any others missing?" inquired Measter Pycelle. "Lord Hand I have studied the Great Hall including the spots where Lady Stark and your son disappeared and I have yet no answer of how they disappeared."
"Magic?" offered King Joffery only to get a glare from his grandfather. He paused for a moment before putting his hand on the table. "Are you saying they disappeared by Magic? Have you grown so old that you are useless Grand Maester?"
"Of course, not your grace." said Pycelle looking more at the Hand of the King then at the King himself. "There are some illusionary tricks done by mummers in the free cities, I hope to prove one of them did this trick and to find where they disappeared to."
"Now that we are aware of that, without Varys network it is hard to say for sure." stated Lord Tywin as he turned to his master of coin, Lord Petry Baelish better known as Little Finger. Next to Varys, the Master of Coin had the best network of spies and informants.
"I just recently got some information from one of my sources on the docks that a minor Vale lord who was in the city to pick up some armor disappeared before the eyes of the dock master." reported Lord Baelish as the other lords looked at him, processing the news. "I have no confirmation about this, and it could be a tale because word is already spreading about how Lady Stark and Lord Tyrion disappeared in the throne room."
"But it may not be a falsehood?" inquired King Joffrey
"No, your grace but one doesn't make rash moves based off likely falsehoods and drunken tales." stated Little Finger "Truth be told, if I wasn't in the throne room and saw them disappear before my eyes I wouldn't believe it and this is one of my less reliable contacts who reported this to me. I have sent messages out to my better contacts across Westeros and the Narrow Sea. I don't expect to hear back for some time, it takes time for raven to fly and messages to spread."
"Good, we need as much information as possible." Stated Tywin before turning to the Grand Measter. "Send a letter to the Citadel in Old Town and inquire if they have any information about this. Also send messages to all loyal high lords to inquire among their banner mans to see if anyone else is "missing""
"Yes, Lord Hand." Confirmed Grand Measter Pycelle
"Good, now go do your jobs." ordered Tywin as the small council stood up to leave only to stop when King Joffrey slammed his hand onto the table, causing everyone to look at the young king.
"I am the King, you will not leave until I give you leave to go." ordered Joffrey "This meeting is not done, we need to decide on how to crush Robb Stark and my traitorous Uncle, Stannis."
"Until the marriage alliance is consummated with the Tyrell they will not march beyond Kings Landing." Stated Tywin with a stern look. "The wedding preparations are already underway, in two months is the new year and you will be wed that day. A fortnight after that, I will march North and crush Robb Stark."
"Not good enough, I'll just wed the Tyrell girl now put a child in her and then march to cut off Robb Stark's head myself." Countered Joffrey
"Military force is not the only way to win a war my grace, a show of our magnificence with a grand wedding on the 300th anniversary of Aegon's Conquest will show how great we are and impress the rest of the realm." stated Tywin "Besides Robb Stark is cut off from the North by the Iron Man in Moat Calin let him bash himself against the same fortress which was supposed to protect the North from invasions from the South. It will make our job easier when we crush him."
"Besides your grace, everyone is looking forward to the wedding." explained Lord Baelish "The Gold is already spent, it would be a waste to not have it."
"Agreed, and it will take time to get information about these disappearances." added Grand Measter
"Fine, if not Robb Stark can I lead our forces to finish off my traitorous Uncle." stated Joffrey
"The Redwyne fleet is already on it's way to King's Landing but it will take at least a two months for the fleet to arrive." explained Tywin "They are coming from the other side of Westeros. The best move is to wait, we can finish off Robb Stark in time and Stannis is no longer a threat to us. Once we crush them, we can deal with the Greyjoys."
"Very well, but I want warships to be built, the royal fleet must be rebuilt at once." ordered Joffrey as he put his finger on the table with each word. "I don't want to trust the Redwyne Fleet."
"As you will, your grace I will give the orders." said Tywin, most of the council already knowing that those orders had gone out two days after the battle of the Blackwater to raise sunken ships and rebuild the royal fleet. Work was already underway and so giving the king this meant nothing.
"Good, you are all dismissed." stated Joffrey as he stormed out of the room followed by two of the Kings Guard.
"Something isn't right." Said Tywin to himself, he had no idea how right he was.
Far to the North, in Winterfell the commander of the Unsullied forces walked beside another member of his team.
"This is a full count of our losses." Inquired Grey Worm as the man nodded his head.
"We lost six in ten of our numbers." reported a Dothraki Horse lord as he came up to Grey Worm. "And of those still alive half of them are without their horses and a rider with no horse is not a man."
"Still they are alive which is good for our Queen and our goals." countered Grey Worm as he placed his hand behind his back as a Northsman with image of a black tree with a white sword on it covering his breast plate armor walked forward the man was young with brown hair and a slightly darker beard. Beside him was a Vale Knight, in shining armor also dented by battle but still glinted in the sun. This one had a sigil on his breast which was in truth four different sigil united into one, one being a checkerboard, one with a broken wheel while the other two showed the blue falcon and moon which was the main symbol of the vale forces. Neither man where known to Grey Worm but they came to a stop in front of him.
"Lord Grey Worm." said the Northsman with the tree on his sigil.
"I am Grey Worm I command the Unsullied but I am not a lord." answered Grey Worm.
"Sorry, I am Lord Rodrik Ironwood of house Ironwood and Lord Snow tasked me to gather how many the Northerns and free folk lost and report back to you." explained Rodrik as he looked toward the Vale knight.
"Sir Harrold Hardyng and Lord Royce sent me to gather our total strength as well." explained Sir Hardyng as he pulled a sheet of parchment and held it out. "We have the numbers for you to give our Queen."
"Thank you." said Grey Worm as he looked down at the paper, he couldn't read the common tongue of Westeros and if it was in valerian he would be able to read and write it with ease because that was what the slavers taught him but not the common tongue. It was Rodrik who spoke up, he must have noticed that Grey Worm was unable to read the common tongue.
"The Northern forces lost about 50% of our strength and same with the Wildlings, the few Nights Watch is all but gone only two of them remain. The Vale forces did better only about 40% dead." explained Rodrik as Grey Worm nodded his head. He knew that the Unsullied had lost just under 50% of his men, in all they had lost about half of their forces, still they had a massive army within Winterfell.
"Thank you." Said Grey Worm
"Good, I need to go check on my sister and my wife." said Rodrik as Grey Worm did another look around the yard. There were a lot more civilians then he had realized, a lot of commoners had fled South to Winterfell to avoid the dead. Whole villages had come south and now they were all here. They couldn't stay here, he knew that the food situation wasn't desperate but there was just to many mouths to feed at Winterfell at the moment. Then he remembered that a large group of the warriors they had countered where in fact not warriors but commoners who where forced to fight the un dead, meaning he actually had no idea the real strength of the forces under her grace. It was at that moment that Lord Snow and Lord Royce rode though the still broken main gate.
"Lord Snow." said Grey Worm as Jon brought his horse to a stop and got off. "I have the numbers of dead."
"Thank you Grey Worm." said Jon as he took the papers from him and scanned it. Then he lifted his eyes and looked around the yard. He stood there for a moment running his eyes over the group, he knew that they where in no condition to fight even the unsullied famous for their stamina seamed beaten and requiring rest. Everyone needed rest and to gather themselves, they where in no condition to do much of anything.
"How bad?" inquired Jon pushing that and other issues aside.
"At least 50% loss across the entire force, the Dothraki took the most almost 60% of them are gone, the Vale knights did a little better than average but still in general terms we lost 50% of our strength." stated Sir Harding "They are too tired to move."
"We can march if we have to." counted Grey Worm as he placed his hand behind his back, however he looked beat like everyone else, however his warrior pride wouldn't let him admit that.
"March yes, fight no." answered Jon as Grey Worm glared at him, he didn't want to say that the Unsullied couldn't fight when required but he didn't correct Jon.
"In total we lost half our strength." admitted Grey Worm
"I thought as much, I actually feared we would loss more." admitted Jon. "I guess more people where fighting in small groups within the castle then I thought."
"Yes, I myself was leading a group of 50 fighters in the remains of a bed chamber." Explained Sir Harding. "Lord Snow, I must admit the food situation…"
"Will hold for the moment, we have enough food for a few months and it is still summer so we can get more harvests in. The fields are full at the moment and the autumn rains haven't destroyed them, so we will not go hungry." stated Jon "Still it is a concern, we will have to deal with. In the mean time get some rest. We all have been though a battle and now is a time to rest up. We need to rest but we also need to have a guard force. Sir Hardening, I want you to select some of the freshest Vale knights and while I select some fresh Northman. Grey Worm I know your Unsullied was on the front lines and are the most needed of sleep but I am sure her grace would want some of them guarding the castle and her personally. We will man the walls tonight, those who are duty first will be feed first so that they can go straight to their duties but only 4 hour shifts everyone needs rest."
"It will be done." stated Grey Worm with a nod.
"Lord Snow." said a dark skin beauty as she walked up to the three men, Jon noticed the smile that graced both Grey Worm and Messisandie face. "Our Queen wishes to see you at your earliest moment before the feast tonight."
"Alright right now works." said Jon
"Very good please follow me." Said Messisandie as she turned and headed down on the corridors toward the old keep. "Lord Snow correct me if I am mistake but isn't there a war on right now? The war of the multiple kings?"
"The five Kings yes." confirmed Jon as he rubbed his chin as they kept walking, he didn't even notice how crowded the hallway had become and that Messisandie was leading him down toward the lower levels. "Down to four at the moment, since Renly died."
"One of them, is your brother correct?" inquired Messisandie as Jon paused for a moment.
"Aye." confirmed Jon "And this raises nothing but issues, he is King in the North and he has several lords who are all still alive at the moment who have all declared him King. It was their heirs which declared me King and who accepted our grace in the Godswood today. Unless we do something there is a strong chance the war of the five kings become the war of the Five Kings and the Dragon Queen."
"Which doesn't help us because the more we fight among ourselves the weaker we are against the dead." Said Jon as he noticed the amount of people in hallway, forming a line. For a second he thought maybe he was heading to the kitchen but no he was under the old keep. "The bath chambers?"
"Yes, Lady Stark recommended we open them and her Grace agreed, she is currently in one of the private baths awaiting you." explained Messisandie as Jon gulped and gathered himself for a moment before moving forward.
While everyone was rushing around, Bran Stark sat in his wheelchair in front of the Weirwood tree in the Godswood. He sat under the thick blood red canopy of leaves as he let his strength return to him. It had taken so much effort for him to do what he did. He wasn't sure if he would be able to do anything like it again, he wouldn't have been able to do it without the magic of the Night King which equaled his own at the least. No this would be their last chance, the Night King wouldn't fall for a similar trick again, no he wouldn't give the Three eyed raven the chance to pull anything like it again. He lowered his head resting it against his chin as he reached out and touched the bone white bark of the tree, the second he did his eyes rolled back in his head and he was no longer in his body.
Instead he stood beside a large riverbank surrounded by trees under the warmth of a summer sun. He stood there for a moment, enjoying the view as he waited, the river was covered in mist which was destined to burn off in the rising sun. He didn't have to wait long as another figure walked out of the woods and up to him. It was a much older man who wore thick black wool clothing with raven feathers spread out across his tunic. Bran for his part wore a lighter clothing then what he wore on his body currently, but he was still much better dressed in light leather jerkin.
"Bran." said the man "Or should I call you Raven?"
"Hard to call me that considering we are both the Three Eyed Raven." answered Bran as the old man moved up to him. The Three Eyed Raven was a complex title, it wasn't even fully understood by the Ravens themselves. While they both pulled on the same magic source and each had the power of the Three Eyed Raven, they didn't share a soul which allowed two of them to existed at the moment. They didn't even know everything, they where just able to look into the past to discover anything that had happened, but no mind could hold everything. "Maybe we should use our birth names considering the situation."
"Agreed." said the old man "I watched what you said through Winterfell's weirwood tree, you must have been in a no-win situation to attempt that move."
"I was Bryden." answered Bran as the old man nodded his head as he sat down beside the river looking out.
"It has been a long time since anyone called me that." answered Brynden "I believe it was the last three eyed raven before me, the women who trained me who last called me that before I took the title of the Raven from her."
"You could go back and look." advised Bran as he looked out over the water with the older man. "He will come for you, he knows where your hiding place is."
"I know." answered Brynden with a resigned tone in his voice. "The Night King knows where I am, just like the mark on your arm tells him where you are. He will come for both of us. I am only closer, and I can't run away, so I will fall first. I would have died when you came back if our souls where bonded, but they aren't only our memories and our pool of magic are linked. I felt the drain on my power when you did it, if it wasn't for the tree growing through me I would be dead already."
"I could asked Jon to send some people North to cut you out of the tree." offered Bran, both of them knew that would kill Brynden but the offer had to made.
"The Children could do that if I wanted to attempt that." said Brynden before shaking his head. "No…I am sending them south, the magic protecting his location was destroyed when you traveled through time…no reason to let the last of the Children die with me when they have a chance to get away. They will be of some aid to you in the war to come."
"Thank you, I will inform the others so that they can prepare for their arrival." stated Bran as he looked at the man. "I wish there was more we could do to help you?"
"I should have died a long time ago." stated Brynden. "The tree will keep me alive until the Night King comes to kill me, until then let us attempt to discover his secrets. I didn't press my search hard because I didn't want to be discovered by him, but that is no longer an issue so we should push into events he has guarded from us no matter the risk. There is no point hiding anymore and time is short, he will not wait as long as he did before."
"Agreed, between the two of us we should be able to discover his secrets." said Bran as Brynden stood back up. "We have learned that he is immune to dragon fire and from Valyrian Steel but even someone like him will have a weakness we only need to discover it."
"Shall we begin then?" inquired Brynden as Bran grinned a bit as he put his hands behind his back and looked out toward the water.
"We already have." answered Bran as out of the morning fog around the river taking care to cross in what they believe to be shallow water came a bunch of bearded man in leather armor with primitive metal weapons in their hands. Out of the tree line beside the two green seers came a dozen children of the forests with spears of their own. The two sides looked at each other in man and children of the forest meeting for the first time. Then without warning one of the children threw a spear at the nearest man which fell short, in return three man threw spears of their own. Each one of the spears of man found their targets dropping the children. "We start at the beginning, when to bands of hunters first meet and blood was spilled starting the war between man and the children of the forests. Let us hope that we find a way to defeat the Night King in time."
First, I would like to thank everyone who reviewed the first chapter and I hope you keep reading. Now I hope you enjoyed Chapter 2 and I will be bringing in some book only characters but they may be slightly different and I will also bring in some from the Telltale Game of Thrones game as supporting characters to flesh out things. I hope no one really minds. So until next time please keep reading, thanks Wilkins75.
